MEND Claims Responsibility For Killing 15 Policemen in Bayelsa

The Niger Delta militant group-Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Sunday, claimed responsibility for the weekend attack on a group of policemen in the creek of Bayelsa State during which 15 of the policemen were killed.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, yesterday, MEND described the attack as a warning to the Joint Task Force (JTF), codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, which had earlier dismissed its threat of launching a fight it codenamed, "Hurricane Exodus”.

"For dismissing Hurricane Exodus as an “empty threat” by the Nigerian security forces, heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (M.E.N.D), at about 17:00 Hrs., Saturday 06, April 2013, intercepted and engaged government security forces in a fierce gunfight lasting over forty (40) minutes at Azuzama, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

"The clash which happened in the river left over fifteen (15) security forces dead as we also lost two (2) of our fighters in the battle.

"We hope this encounter will serve as a lesson to the Joint Task Force (JTF) from making careless utterances that cannot be backed as we remain resolute in our resumption of hostilities.

"All oil companies and the public are advised to ignore the false sense of security been peddled by the JTF as well as the false comments from a “Comrade Azizi”, who claims to be in the spokesman for the group.

"This person is not known to MEND, does not speak for MEND and his utterances and style do not reflect our plans and actions,” the group said in the statement.

The confirmation by MEND came as the JTF said it had placed all its personnel in the Niger Delta on red alert , warning that it wouldn't tolerate any form of lawlessness from anybody or the gang of retrogrades parading themselves as MEND.

JTF spokesman, Lit Col Nwachukwu Onyeama, in a statement, said some group of policemen and not JTF soldiers heading to Oporoma in Ijaw South LGA of Bayelsa State for a burial of someone nicknamed "Young Shall Grow" were attacked by assailants when the boat they boarded developed a fault on the waterways.

He said that following this, the task force troop came to the rescue of the survivors.

"Our marine and air assets have also been mobilised and we have intensified our patrols to dominate both land and waterways to check mate any assailant.

" We will not permit any lawlessness that would jeopardise the peace in the region. We again call on all peace loving and progressive Niger Deltans to dissociate themselves, their communities and leadership from this gang of retrogrades parading themselves as MEND, “ the statement said.

It would be recalled that suspected militants believed to be those aggrieved with their former warlord, 'General' Young Shall Grow’ had in the early hours of Saturday sent 13 policemen to their early graves in a horrific manner in Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State thus making good their threat to resume sporadic attacks in retaliation of the jail sentence recently handed to its leader, Henry Okah, in South Africa.

The ex-militants had also complained of being short-changed by  their leaders on the amnesty programme in the release of their monthly emoluments.

The Bayelsa killings came few days after MEND threatened to renewed hostilities in the region.

The unfortunate policemen in Bayelsa were said to have been gruesomely murdered as they were shot at close range while on an official assignment at the burial ceremony of the father of a former militant leader who is currently a senior special adviser on Marine Waterways to the Bayelsa State governor.

The former militants were said to have been infuriated by the action of their former leader whom they accused of using their amnesty money to organise the burial.

The 13 policemen  were said to have been shot severally and abandoned in the pool of their blood thus disrupting the burial ceremony as many of the villagers had to scamper for safety in the ensuing confusion.

The Bayelsa State Police Command’s B Operations Department was said to have  dispatched another team of policemen to the scene of the crime to recover the corpses of the slain policemen.

Confirming the killings, the state Commissioner of Police, Kingsley Omire, who addressed journalists on the matter, said 15 policemen were on official assignment before they were ambushed by the ex-militants.

He, however, denied that 13 members were killed, saying only four policemen were rescued while 11 were still missing.

Benin-Ore Road Crash: About 40 dead

Share this 

Continue reading the main story

At least 36 people, including children, have reportedly been killed in a major road accident in southern Nigeria.

The collision on the Benin-Ore motorway in Edo state involved a bus, a lorry and a petrol tanker, Nigerian officials were quoted as saying by news agencies.

The tanker exploded after the collision, and most of the victims were reportedly on board the bus. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Nigeria has one of the worst road accident records in Africa.

Friday's collision happened at about 13:30 local time (12:30 GMT) near the Ugboguii village, the local officials say.

Jonas Agwu, a spokesman for Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Commission, said the dead included 30 passengers from the bus, the AFP news agency reports.

Four people from the tanker died as well as two children who were at a nearby mechanic workshop, the spokesman added. Three people were rescued.

The accident closed the busy motorway linking the commercial capital Lagos with the south-east of the country.

It comes just two days after a head-on collision between two buses in central Nigeria killed 18 people.

Last July, more than 100 people died in southern Nigeria after a tanker carrying petrol crashed.

The vehicle did not immediately burst into flames so nearby villagers rushed to collect the fuel. But the tanker then exploded, burning many of them to death.

14 TERRORISTS KILLED BY JTF IN KANO

Fourteen members of the Boko Haram sect were killed yesterday in a fresh raid by the Joint military Task Force (JTF) on the hideouts of suspected members of the sect in Kano.
However, a soldier attached to the JTF also died during the raid on the terrorists hideout while  another soldier was also injured during the raid carried out in the Yanawaki area of Unguwa Uku in Kano.
Spokesman of the JTF, Captain Iweha, who  confirmed the raid, listed items recovered during the operation to include 14 AK 47 rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and a Volkswagen Golf car which was primed for a fresh suicide attack on the city.

OVER 50 KILLED IN FRESH ATTACKS IN JOS

Attacks on villages surrounding a central Nigerian city at the heart of unrest between Christians and Muslims have killed more than 50 people this week, officials said  on Saturday, as authorities pleaded for peace over the Easter holiday.

The attacks around Jos, a city in Nigeria’s fertile central belt, come as a string of unsolved killings continue to plague the region that has seen thousands killed in massacres in recent years. 

While a combined police and military force still patrols Jos and other parts of Plateau state, many of the villages attacked sit in remote, rural corners of the area that sometimes have only a single police officer on duty.

The most recent killings happened Friday night in the Barkin Ladi area, said Lt. Jude Akpa, a military spokesman. 

Attackers raided a village called Bokkos and killed nine people, fleeing before soldiers arrived, Akpa said. Emmanuel Lohman, a government official there, said gunmen armed with assault rifles struck a village called Ratas and opened fire during the night while many there were sleeping.

Witnesses said the shooting lasted for almost two hours before the attackers fled. The Christian villagers, who farm the fertile soils of Plateau state, blamed nomadic Hausa-Fulani cattle herdsmen for the attack. 

Such attacks remain common as Christian farmers clash with the herdsmen over land and grazing rights. Other attacks often are rooted in disputes over political and economic power in the region, which sits between Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north and its largely Christian south.

Muhammadu Nura, the state secretary of a cattle breeders association, said Hausa-Fulani people had been killed in “reprisals,” but he denied that herders were involved the attacks.

In recent days, more than 50 people have been killed in attacks, witnesses and government officials say. Those incidents include an assault Wednesday on a village in the Riyom area that killed 28 people and an attack Thursday in the Bokkos area that killed 18 civilians. The military said its forces killed six people while trying to repel attackers in Thursday’s assault.

Jos and surrounding Plateau state have been torn apart in recent years by violence pitting its different ethnic groups and major religions — Christianity and Islam — against each other. Human Rights Watch says at least 1,000 people were killed in communal clashes around Jos in 2010, including attacks that saw whole villages killed.

Source: Washington Post

Totoro Road in reminiscence and Governor Amosun’s metamorphosis in Abeokuta

By Oba Femi Ogunleye

Each time, either day or night, that I pass through the Totoro Road, from the Lafenwa-Ago Oba intersection to Sokori and viewing Iyalode square on the hill, in the Owu area of Abeokuta, I cannot but appreciate nature; neither can I fail to appreciate the gift of a man whose initiative, creativity, courage and action have changed the facade and aesthetics of the ancient road and the complete architecture of Abeokuta metropolis.

My appreciation stems from my memory of the narrow tarred road on which in early 50s I had trecked times without number, in company of my mother, either from our Delesolu, Awaye or Loshi's compounds, all tucked in locations not feasible from the road, to the Owu palace, particularly during the annual orisha festivals (traditional religion) when adherents must pay homage to the Olowu in his palace.

One of the early lessons I learnt as a child from the revered Olowu Gbadela Ajibola, was that though a devout Muslim, he never shunned his people who kept faith in other religions, particularly the traditional ones who often thronged the palace, either to announce the beginning or the close of their festivals.

He might not believe in their faith but as the custodian of culture and tradition of his people, he was open and available all the times for the pleasure of his subjects. He would show them love, understanding and offered them gifts. As a 'son of the house'  (my parents' house is in Awaye compound which juxtaposes Alebiosu Compound, from where Kabiyesi Ajibola hails), I was like a special delight to Kabiyesi anytime I accompanied my mother to the palace as he often got me seated on his laps - a Royal child one would say!

The old Totoro Road was narrow and undulating. Houses of different sizes, styles and structures littered the road at both sides with little or no space in between them to behold the beauty of nature.  Besides residential houses, there were deity conclaves and monuments of traditional religions where rituals of all types were being performed. Adherents constantly showcased their faith in sacrifices of different dimensions and during these festivals, the old road was always agog with traditional drummers and performers, hence the attention to them as they passed to their shrine rendezvous which at that time was the Sokori river.

The various sacrifices, the contents of which sometime contained eggs, coins, parboiled corn, and other edibles, were usually carried in big calabashes by the seemingly possessed.  Suffice it to understand why some boys in the environment would take pleasure in following them as if they were initiates. Their interest, as often discovered, was either the eggs or coins or other edible materials in the sacrifice, which they often carted away for their own use. Any further need to prove acceptance of the sacrifice?

Besides these foot journeys, I also remember the two pence per ten minutes bicycle hire from an old cousin, Brother Rasheed, from the frontage of Oloshi's compound, opposite Jokosenumi's House. The bicycle letting and ride on the Totoro road, either to the intersection near Pa Odebunmi's house and return or across the Sokori bridge, meandering through the coconut grove on the footpath to Oke Sokori, was very interesting and fascinating to the young lads of my time.

The exercise was, however, prone to frequent quarrels with the bicycle owner, particularly if one was late for more than five minutes and an additional money was demanded; failure to pay might result in seizure of one's property like one's shirt, or pair of slippers in lieu of payment, the situation that often might lead to more problem of reproach at home, more so if the ab initio money for the bicycle hire was not sourced from an unauthorized purse (an often occurrence).

At night, the road was limitedly illuminated with the lamp polls staggered. One of such poll was positioned near Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's family house (Olusomi compound) which served as night-game spot for the enterprising youth of the time. The Erunmu market where various food stuff were sold day and night was a delight scene on the road. Hardly would a taxi-cab of a six-pence per a passenger per drop missed our area each day, not with the presence of some of our aunties whose call signs were the designed sporadic horn blown by the taxi drivers on arrival.

The bend on the road at Sokori area between Pa Adisa's house and an upstairs near the bridge was often susceptible to accidents by both motorists and cyclists that caution was always taken at the area, particularly when one remembered that the bridge was a depository of pails of feces collected by conservancy staff from the houses of their clients.

Col. Saidu Balogun, the first military governor of Ogun State at creation in 1976 made some strides to rebrand Abeokuta as a state capital. Totoro road was one of the pioneer projects. It was the first time several houses including shrines and deity monuments that had littered the road were demolished to give the road an appropriate face-lift.  Several governments had since managed Abeokuta after it became the state capital without any significant change on its roads and other requisites of its status.

But in God's time, a son of the soil has come to create a phenomenal change! Within 18 calendar month of Senator Ibikunle Amosun's assumption as governor of ogun state, the template of governance has come to confirm the Yoruba proverb, 'bi omode ko ba de oko baba elomiran ri, a ma sope oko baba oun l'o poju (a child who has not seen another farm besides his father’s prides it the largest). The transformation of Abeokuta at large and my Totoro locale is amazing and a lasting legazy for generation yet unborn.

It is remarkable that in our life time, we can see and feel what we have seen and felt in other countries of the world, Totoro road is now a six-lane dual carriage road bedecked with massive street lights and with pedestrian kerb and decorated median to beautify the ambience of the street. Besides the beautification of the Iyalode square, a giant recreational garden named after Olowu Olawale Odeleye is an added touristic attraction in honour of the late distinguished architect monarch.

The extension of Totoro road towards Ibara and Oke-Ilewo with the first overhead pedestrian bridge as well as a four-lane bridge ahead of the trunk road have elevated the spirits of the cynics that the urban renewal program for Abeokuta and the entire urban cities of the state by Governor Amosun, among other developmental programs on his mission to rebuild Ogun State, cannot be likened to the razzmatazz of the past administrations.

Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, Towulade of Akinale,Ogun State

TERRORISM: OKAH BAGS 24yrs JAIL TERM IN SOUTH AFRICA.

A South African court today jailed Nigerian national Henry Okahfor 24 years after he was convicted of 13 terrorismcharges over twin bombings inAbuja in 2010.

"Effectively, the accused Okah is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment," said Judge Neels Claassen on Tuesday.

The charges were related to two car bombs in Abuja, Nigeria, in which 12 people were killed and 36 injured on October 1, 2010, the anniversary of the country's independence.

The second bombing took place in Warri on March 15, 2010 at a postamnesty dialogue meeting. One person was killed and 11 seriously injured.

In both bombings, two car bombs went off minutes apart in both places. The cars were parked in close proximity to each other.

Claassen sentenced Okah to 12 years imprisonment for each of the bombings and 13 years for the threats made to the South African government after his arrest in October 2010.

The 13 years would run concurrently with the 24 years.

In January, during judgment Claassen said the State had proved Okah's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and his failure to testify meant the evidence against him remained uncontested.

Okah has denied any involvement, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated.

Source: Agencies

World Meteorological Day: NIMET Committed to World Class Meteorology says Anuforom

The Director General Nigerian Meteorological Agency [NIMET], Dr Anthony Anuforom says the agency is committed to providing world class meteorological services in the country.
In a statement issued to mark the 2013 World Meteorological Day with its theme, “Watching the weather to protect life and property”. 
Dr Anuforom explained that In 2012 Nigeria experienced one of the worst weather-related disasters in which about 363 lives were lost, 5,871 people injured, 590,000 homes destroyed and 2.1 million displaced.
According to him, the sad memory of this large scale destruction of life and property by the floods will linger in our minds for some time.
The NIMET Boss said the experience from the 2012 flood disaster was a reminder that weather and climate have monumental impact on life as a whole. The experience was also a reminder on the need for all of us to pay closer attention to meteorological early warning information.
He said the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation, has  been supporting NIMET to develop its operational capacity and to provide more accurate and timely services to Nigerian.
Dr Anuforom explained that statistics published by WMO revealed that over the last 30 years, natural disasters took the lives of over 2 million people and produced economic losses estimated at over 1.5 trillion US dollars while almost 90 percent of such disasters, more than 70 percent of the casualties and almost 80 percent of the economic losses were caused by weather-, climate- or water-related hazards such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, heat waves, droughts, floods or related disease epidemics.
The NIMET Boss explained that the purpose of World Meteorological Day was to create public awareness all over the world, of the services provided by WMO and National Meteorological & Hydrological Services (NMHSs) at global and national levels, respectively.
Dr Anuforom noted that these services were designed to protect life and property, and support socio-economic development. Which involved the observation, collection, processing and dissemination of meteorological, hydrological and other related data and products.
He declared that the early warning information provided by NIMET through its various products and services were now well known as itss range of products and services which include, Aeronautical Weather Forecasts, Marine Weather Forecasts, Daily Public Weather Forecasts, Periodic Weather Alerts, Seasonal Rainfall Prediction, Drought & Flood Monitoring, Agrometeorological Bulletins, among others were contributing to reducing the vulnerability of Nigerians to extreme weather and enhancing productivity in various sectors of the economy.

Dr Anuforom said It was the responsibility of all to reciprocate the good effort of Government through NIMET by paying attention to weather information and taking necessary precautions against extreme weather  and climate.

 

CORRUPTION: NIGERIA’S BIGGEST PROBLEM, MEDIOCRITY AN ORNAMENT OF CORRUPTION

Nigeria and her enterprise is an enigma to the eyes and ears of foreign observers, a complex geographical contraption and a bed of untapped treasure both human and mineral. And to many, it is this complexity, like an unsolved riddle that continues to fuel their attraction to our shores. One Femke, Van Zeijl, a German journalist, working in Nigeria for a Dutch newspaper have torturously labeled Nigerians as people wallowing in mediocrity. I therefore pen my thoughts carefully, not totally in protestation to her analysis, while some of her observations may be accurate, but to deepen the conversation and perhaps highlight our problems from a neglected angle.

Let me state clearly, that Nigeria does not produce "an averagely talented" authors who write colorless books (a remark by Femke published on Saharareporters.com on 03/21/13) neither do we produce averagely talented Engineers, averagely talented lawyers, averagely talented Doctors, Artists and what not. We do not! Look around you and you will find countless colorful arrangements of world rated professionals and personalities of Nigerian origin. Refresh your mind if you will and learn about our Nigerian born, world acclaimed Noble Laureate like Wole Soyinka, the Man Booker prize winner, dubbed the Father of modern African literature, recently passed on Prof. Chinua Achebe, the notable Engineer and famous Scientist, the Gordon Bell Prize winner, Dr. Phillip Emeagwali, Prominent Human Rights lawyer, the late Gani Fawehinmi, the globally renowned economist, MIT graduate, Nigerian Finance Minister, Okonjo Iweala and the list goes on.

These are the caliber of experts Nigeria produces and we are consistent across the globe. Not mediocre, not half baked individuals. Here ends my protestation.

Beyond the sentimental, I reinstate that our problem is one of endemic Corruption. Mediocrity is merely an ornament of corruption. If a leader upholds corrupt practices, he or she has compromised the standards and therefore cannot sanely demand high standards from his subordinates. And if there are no superior interventions or checks and balances, the same corrupt practice is perpetuated up through down the ladder.

What I find interesting is that every average Joe who is interested in pursuing a leadership role both in private and public arena is completely cognizant of the status quo. He or she is aware of the existing problems and what ought to be done to bring change and progress for the organization or the State respectively; at least I’m inclined to believe that. For instance, that those vying for governorship of a state understands that the State needs better and efficient road system to facilitate commerce, that the State needs consistent power supply to support our growing industries and improve productivity across the spheres which will in turn improve employment and elevate standard of living. The knowledge of all these is not alien to the aspirants.

But what happens when the person wins an election or selection and becomes the Governor? Here is the simple revelation. Once in such position, that corrupt mindset or the endemic corrupt nature grows feathers and wings, mingled with unguarded power, reason and objectivity is then thrown away. If there is any residual reason or sanity, it is further extinguished by the demands of the cabal type of framework or institution that enabled the individual to emerge as the Governor in the first place. Most of the State’s resources are therefore spent bowing to the bidding of the power hungry king makers. At the same time, the governor sifts away as much as he or she can to shore up for his personal security. Have you not  noticed that once the individual relinquishes that power and position at the end of their tenure, the strangulation is lifted and suddenly reason and common sense returns and as such they are quick to organize symposium where they highlight the problems of the State and the projected path for recovery. They are hence applauded for being experienced Statesmen and yet they added no value to the lives of the people while in office.

The truth is that the polity has grown insensitive, callous and out rightly numbed by the ills, human right violations, gross underachievement and alacritous blatant economic strangulation perpetrated by our leaders. We whine now and then, and soon our shrill voice is muffled when crumbs are disbursed by the master or Chairman. To continue to access the few crumbs from the Chairman's table, we yield to the forces of conscription as an honorable ‘Otinkpus’ and ‘hanger-on’s’.

So, don't tell me mediocrity is our biggest problem and not corruption, like we are some subhuman specie prone to underachievement and mediocrity. No! Our main problem is Corruption galore. The solution still lies in the hands of our people and particularly the citizenry that refuses to sell their birthright for porridge of stew. The solution is in our voices and in our unflinching democratic votes. Our leaders have fooled us one time too many, but they cannot fool us all the time. And we don't need a foreign observer to diagnose our problems and offer nothing as a pathway for success. We are intelligent and capable to forge a better future for our people if we so consciously choose to.
*Written By Dr. Edwin Ndukwe
Edwin.ndukwe@gmail.com

Achebe : Nigeria loses a Patriot

The Minister of Aviation,PrincessStella Adaeze-Oduah has described the death of Professor Chinua Achebe as a collosal loss to Nigeria and the Litrary world.
According to her,the news of the passing on to the 'Great Beyond' of foremost Nigerian literary icon, Prof., Achebe came to her as a rude shock. 
The Minister added:''It is also a re-awakening to our mortality as human beings.  But unlike other mortals, Achebe attained some immortality of sorts through his ground-breaking literary prowess''.

Princess Adaeze-Oduah went on:''Though dead in body and flesh, Prof Achebe lives forever not only in our hearts and minds, but also in the literary sub-conscious of the entire world which read one piece from the iconic writer, and waited in bated breathe for the next. His last Epistle-"There was a Country" is the crowning of a glowing career in the Arts and Literature that will continue to captivate and inspire generations the world over''.

''By his passing, Nigeria has lost a consummate patriot. To the world, a literary Colossus has fallen. But Nigeria and the world cannot be crestfallen by his death. His life and works remain not only a source of pride to all,but also a poignant indicator of the fertility of the human imagination. Through his works of fiction, Achebe painted indelible portraits of the precariousness of the human existence, and brought meaning and reality to our daily lives.

''As a fellow Anambrarian, the loss is personal and very affective. I am however lifted by the self-realisation that through his life,times and works, the map of Anambra state and  indeed Nigeria, will forever be etched indelibly in the consciousness of the literary world.

''My deep condolences and prayers remain with members of his  immediate family, the government and people of Anambra state as well as the entire literary community the world over. Adieu, Prof''.

KANO BLAST: Two Suicide Bombers Killed

Barely a week after an explosion rocked a motor park in Kano, killing scores and injuring many others, two explosions also shook the northern city in the early hours of Saturday, killing the two suicide bombers in the process.

According to the state Police Command, the remote controlled explosives which were being carried in a wheel barrow went off at the Eastern bye-pass and blew up the two suspected bombers.

The suspects were alleged to have disguised as water vendors pulling a truck of jerry cans, while the other followed behind on a motor bike with the remote control.

It was learnt that the explosion at Hotoro did not cause any harm, as no one was injured.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Majiya, while confirming the explosions at the Eastern bye-pass and Hotoro, said details were still sketchy.

Spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF), Captain Ikedichi Iweha, could not also confirm the incident immediately.

In a related development, a gun attack in the Dakata area of the town , Friday night,  claimed the life of a shop owner, identified as Matthew Owoniyi, who was shot dead inside his shop in the presence of his wife and two children.

 The gunmen, who allegedly made away with sales proceeds for the day at about 9 pm also made away with his Volkswagen Golf car.

Nigeria LNG to buy six ships from Samsung, Hyundai

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company will sign agreements with South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai to acquire six LNG carrier ships this week, two sources claimed.

France's BNP Paribas and Nigeria's GT Bank are brokering a $1.6 billion loan to help fund acquisition of the vessels and expect to sign the financing documents next week, a banking source said.