2,000 soldiers on counter terrorism training says Ihejirika

Against the backdrop of continued terrorists attacks and killings in the country, Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, said yesterday in Abuja that 2,000 combatant soldiers were being  trained by experts on counter terrorism and other terrorism challenges in Jaji and Kachia.

Gen. Ihejirika made the disclosure at the opening of a two-day Nigerian Army Transformation Stakeholders Conference, with the theme: Enhancing the Implementation Strategy for Nigerian Army Transformation.

Explaining that the training was one of the innovations of the army to combat the present security challenges facing the country, the COAS said, “The army believes strongly that once human capacity is developed to the required level, every other thing will fall in place”.

According to the Army Chief, the Nigerian Army has gone ahead to put in place, a monitoring team to move from place to ensure that soldiers do their jobs professionally.

Christian, Muslims clash as Jos riots spread • 2 UNIJOS students stabbed,

THE violent clashes which began in Jos, Plateau State, since the Sunday bomb attack on a Catholic church in the city continued on Tuesday, as both Christians and Muslims in some parts of the city engaged one another, leaving  people with varying degrees of injury.

Newsmen findings revealed that as early as 9.00 a.m. on Tuesday, youths in places like Old Bukuru Park,  Apata, Bauchi Road, Masalasi Jumat, Terminus and Angwan Rukuba, trooped out to protest the killings that characterised the protest on Monday within the city, leading to the death of 19 people.

It was learnt that dangerous weapons, such as daggers, cutlasses and swords, were freely used while innocent people who ran into them were brutalised and abandoned to swim in the pool of their blood.
Men of the Special Task Force who arrived at the scenes had a hectic time in controlling the situation. In fact they had to resort to sporadic shooting into the air and firing of tear gas to disperse the  rioters before relative calm could be restored in all the affected areas.

As a result of the pandemonium caused by the riots, business activities were paralysed. This affected commercial banks while students of both primary and secondary schools, including their teachers deserted schools on hearing the pandemonium occasioned by the riots.

Students of the University of Jos also came out in their large number to protest against the molestation and the stabbing of two  of their students around the university on Monday by some people alleged to be out on reprisal over the killing of their kinsmen on Sunday.

Police, Special Task Force plan new security strategies for Jos

Police in Plateau State and the Special Task Force in Jos have mapped out new strategies aimed at  checking the spate of bombings in the state.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, alleged on Tuesday that those responsible for the February 26 bombing of Church of Christ in Nigeria and Sunday’s explosion which claimed lives at  St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church,  both in Jos, were outsiders.

Ayeni  said the new  measures were arrived at after a meeting between the Chief of defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin,  and all stakeholders in the state.

The CP said henceforth no vehicular movement would be allowed on roads leading to places of worship on Fridays and Sundays till the end of prayer sessions,  except those of officials who must arrive  before the beginning of worship.

He said, “We have agreed that to ward off these elements, all of us have roles to play.  Every worshipper must subject themselves to search while there must be no accessibility to  worship centres. Nobody must be allowed to carry bags to worship centres and when you suspect any object, do not go near.

“You can carry only your bible or your Qur’an. You must avoid clustering around worship centres after worship. We observe that after worship people cluster around to gossip. Your business is worship and go to your house after that endeavour to quickly go to your house.”

Man mounts telecom mast over delay in suit

 Mallam Musa Walkatu, caused a stir in Abuja on Tuesday when he climbed to the top of a telecom mast at the premises of the Federal High Court along Shehu Shagari Way.

He spent about three hours on the mast before he was persuaded to come down by security personnel and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency.

The middle-aged man, who was dressed in a cream kaftan, initially vowed not to come down until the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar came to dialogue with him.

Walkatu, an indigene of Adamawa State, was said to be a litigant and had visited a courtroom on the third floor of the FHC complex. He allegedly complained to the staff about the slow pace of his suit which was being heard by the court.

Court officials, however, explained that Walkatu’s case was not making any progress because he did not have a lawyer to handle the suit. Walkatu left the courtroom shortly and then climbed the mast, ignoring entreaties made to him to come down by court officials, NEMA staff and policemen.

A court worker said, “When we pleaded with him to come down, the man refused, saying he would have taken his protest to  the National Assembly complex but there was no mast there.”

His action attracted crowds of onlookers. Motorists stopped to look at him, causing slight traffic hold-up.  Staff of a private security firm, Kings Guards, who were in charge of the court premises could not explain how Walkatu climbed the mast.

11 Vehicles Burnt In Fire Accident In Ibadan

At least eleven vehicles were burnt early this morning in a ghastly fire incident that occurred in front of NNPC Mega Station located very close to General Gas Junction along Iwo-Ojoo road.

The affected vehicles included eight trucks with registration numbers Lagos XU 39 KRD, Lagos XQ 647 MUS, Lagos XU 115 KSF and Lagos 417 FKJ, among others. Also some electricity poles were damaged by the vehicles.

According to the NNPC Sales Manager in charge of Oyo and Osun Depot, Mr. Adebisi Adewale, and the station manager, Bello Victor, a truck with registration number: XQ 717 GGE conveying coal from Ojoo veered off its lane and hit a NNPC truck, attempting to park on another lane.

The NNPC truck, while trying to avoid the truck conveying coal, hit another NNPC truck which was fully loaded with petrol.

He said: “The petrol spilled on the road and caused fire outbreak. The fire began to spread from one vehicle to another. It also spread to a truck fully loaded with diesel.”

Adewale added that Oyo State Fire Service was called immediately but did not turn up until 3 a.m. He, however, said they did their best to put out the fire.

He said nobody was injured or died.

According to him, what saved the situation was that the fire was prevented from spreading to the NNPC filing station and two other filing stations, Sycams and Keemrat filling stations.

When Newsmen visited the scene of the incident, men of the Oyo State Fire Service were trying put out the fire.

The incident scared residents at Iwo Road-Ojoo axis and Idi-Ape-Akobo axis, because of the continuous explosions caused by the fire.

Most of them said they could not go back to sleep out of fear that the fire could spread to their houses.

Copter Crash kills new Police chief, 3 others

A helicopter belonging to Nigeria’s Special Task force has crashed in Jos, the Plateau state capital, northcentral Nigeria, killing all the four men on board, including the newly appointed Police Deputy Inspector General, Haruna John.

The helicopter crashed in a residential area, around Rukuba Road behind Jos Satellite Market as it embarked on it’s regular surveillance early Wednesday morning.

None of the four persons on board survived the crash as the helicopter burst into flames.

The National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) has confirmed the incident.
The Special task force was set up to coordinate the security of the troubled state following killing of hundreds of people.

Police sources said Haruna John who was recently promoted from Commissioner of Police to Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, was among the dead.

Newsmen could not confirm the identities of other officers who also died. Haruna John, born in 1956 was formerly the Commissioner of Police in charge of Benue State before his promotion as DIG. He was also in charge of Federal Capital Territory before his transfer to Benue State. He was from Taraba State.

“Four police officers, including a (deputy inspector general), were killed,” police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told AFP.

The officers’ mission was not clear as well, but a joint military and police task force is deployed in Jos to contain violence between Christian and Muslim ethnic groups that has rocked the city in recent years.
The identities of the other victims were yet to be made public.

Nigerian Rapper Stabbed 12 Times, Survives Attempted Murder

Nigerian rapper Arinze Obinna Iheme aka Jahborne says he feels lucky and blessed to be alive after surviving what he claims was an attack on his life Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Jahborne says he was standing very close to his house somewhere in Okota, Isolo area of Lagos on the night of March 11 when unidentified men rushed him and stabbed him 12 times in the arm, chest and the back of his head.

‘They just came from nowhere and rushed me. They stabbed me so much I started losing a lot of blood. They left me there on the street, bleeding’.

The rapper says when friends came to his rescue and rushed him to Kahn Specialist Hospital, Okota, in search of help, the nurses turned him away.

‘I bled for 25 minutes before I got to the hospital; I was two minutes to hell. The nurses rejected me until my brother intervened and promised them a ransom to keep me alive’, Jahborne said.

Already, the Nigerian Police Force has declared a man named Ebuka wanted for attempted murder on the rappers life.

Jarhborne is now recovering from the attack after receiving medication and nine snitches where the stabs pierced through. He’s told friends he plans to record a song he’ll title ’9 stitches’.

Questionmark Dares Asa

In February, internationally renowned Nigerian singer Bukola ‘Asa’ Elemide threatened to take legal action against her former record label QuestionMark Entertainment, for allegedly infringing on the singer’s trademark by ‘preparing to go into commercial production of a purported Asa music production’.

Despite the warning, the record label has gone ahead to produce and release a 10 track album containing the musician’s songs.

The album, which is titled ‘Down on Me‘ and features former Questionmark act Silver Saddih has already hit the streets and is being sold for N150. Some of the songs contained on the CD appeared on her debut ‘Asa‘, while others are alternate versions.

Asa, in a swift reaction, called the record a ‘dubious album released by criminals to dupe people’.

 ‘My name & Photo has been used on a dubious album released by criminals to dupe people, Pls be informed its not a new album! Pls RT thanks‘, Asa tweeted.

‘Unfortunately we blame it on the Alaba Market but it’s not from them but from Question mark entertainment! pls pass on this message! Thanks!‘, she continued.

‘I am passionate about my music, I have received death threats from these people, I have kept my head up and focused on giving my best always‘, Asa said.

The artist has been battling the record label, owned by Kevin Luciano-Gabriel since 2006, over a pending production deal that had her tied to the label.

Justin Bieber Gets $100,000 Electric Car as Birthday Gift

A $100,000 (N16M) Fisker Karma electric car has been given to the world famous music figure, Justin Bieber for his 18th year birthday.

Justin who clocked 18 on March 1, 2012 was presented the luxury 2012 vehicle with a solar-parallel roof by his manager, Scooter Braun while appearing on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres show’.

Prior to this exotic gift, Justin had earlier lost a car to a serious accident involving his maternal grandparents, Bruce and Diane Dale, an accident that left his grandfather with broken ribs.

The car with a two-litre, four hybrid engine can do more than compete with a typical gas guzzling sport car as it can go from 0-60 miles per hour in under 6 seconds with a top speed of 125 mile per hour.

Features of the electric car include keyless entry, bucket seats, and a diamond dust in the paint. Prior to this addition, Justin owns a batman-themed customised Cadillac and a Ferrari.

He was the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

D’banj’s Shocker – ‘I Own Mo’Hits and Don Jazzy is My Artiste’

It looks like things are about to get worse in the Mo’ Hits camp, as D’banj seems to be fanning the flames of the on-going controversy regarding him and hit producer Don Jazzy parting ways.

In a recent interview on Ebony Magazine’s official website, published on March 12, 2012, D’banj claims to own the record label Mo’Hits, and also says he was responsible for signing the label’s artistes, including Don Jazzy.

‘Coming from Africa I’m my own manager, I have my own label called Mo’ Hits with my artists Dr. Sid, Wande Coal, Don Jazzy, D’Prince and K-Switch. I own Mo’ Hits and we’ve won numerous awards by the grace of God’, D’banj told music journalist Hillary Crosley.

The pop star goes on to talk about his entrance into the US market and his signing with Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D Music.

It remains uncertain whether D’Banj was actually laying claim to fully owning Mo’Hits, attempting to set the records straight, following recent controversies surrounding he and Jazzy, or he was quoted out of context by the interviewer. But, curiously, apart from referring to Don Jazzy as ‘his artiste’, D’banj doesn’t mention or credit the producer in any other part of the interview.

It is generally believed that D’banj and Don Jazzy co-own the label, with Don jazzy acting as President while D’Banj is Vice President. They’re the label’s only known directors.

The pair, who started out about nine years ago when D’banj released his single ‘Tongolo’ have made headlines in recent times. Sources say they’re currently on the verge of breaking up, following seemingly irreconcilable differences.

NLC, TUC kick against bill to prevent strikes

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have described the bill seeking to introduce balloting before they can embark on any industrial action as a worthless effort and an unfortunate attempt to mislead the National Assembly.
The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was slated for second reading on Tuesday, but had to be suspended following sharp disagreements among senators.

The President, NLC, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Peter Esele, said in separate telephone interviews with Newsmen that the proposed bill would not add any value to labour relations in the country. Omar said Lokpobiri’s bill was an attempt to interfere in the internal democracy of the labour unions in the country.

He warned that the proposed bill had the implication of elongating strikes in the country, as it would be expected that if votes were taken for strikes to commence, the same process would be followed for such strikes to be called off.

Esele, who described the bill as unfortunate, said that it was a product of the senator’s lack of knowledge about the workings of labour unions in the country.

He explained that it was the standard practice in the country for votes to be taken during the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the labour centres before decisions to go on strike will be taken.

NFF resolved their crisis as minister cancels trip

The crisis plaguing the Nigerian Football Federation was finally resolved at a peace and reconciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in Abuja on Tuesday. Reports from the meeting detailed that all the warring parties agreed with the resolution which ultimately forced the Minister to cancel his planned trip to FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

The NFF President Alhaji Aminu Maigari, who spoke with Newsmen on Tuesday said the several days of deliberations were fruitful and the decisions taken would give fresh life to the crisis-ridden Nigerian football.

He said, “It was a sincere and open agreement. Now, we can fully concentrate on our programmes and also on the development projects that we have.”

At the meeting, all the parties agreed to settle their differences, withdraw outstanding cases in court and terminate all legal processes.

The terms of the resolution include the NFF withdrawing the suspension and ban placed on Ray Nnaji (one of the litigants) and publicise such. The NFF is to pay reasonable compensation to him and clear his outstanding referee allowance, subject to verification.

LASTMA officials, policemen brutalise motorist, sympathiser

 The brutality ascribed to officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority still persists as a man, Chudi Obiefuna, was on Monday brutalised by a combined team of LASTMA officials and riot policemen in the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos.

An unidentified man, who intervened by explaining that Obiefuna did not park on a wrong lane, was sprayed with tear gas and given the beating of his life by the team.

Obiefuna said he visited a friend at 10/12, Sabaath Close, behind Ijesha Bus Stop and parked his car in front of a mosque about 30 metres from the entrance to the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

He said, “When I was done, I went to my car and wanted to move from the untarred road where I parked. “But I was immediately accosted by the LASTMA officials and some riot policemen. Some of them stood in front of my car while others forcefully entered my car and started manhandling me. They snatched the keys of my car and pushed me out of it.”

Obiefuna was able to identify one of the policemen, Ibidapo Odunaya, by his name tag. He also identified one of the LASTMA officials whose name tag read A. N. Sogbesan. He said, “I made efforts to speak to one of the LASTMA men in a pickup van with registration number BH 182 AGLS but Odunaya in particular manhandled me. He pushed me with the butt of his gun and threatened to shoot me.

“He said if he shoots me, nothing will happen to him. All the while, these men did not tell me what I did wrong.” According to him, at this point, an eyewitness intervened but this infuriated the officials. He said one of the policemen sprayed tear gas on the man while others pounced on him and beat him to a pulp, adding that the eyewitness was later dumped in a van.

Obiefuna said the LASTMA officials later drove his impounded car to their head office at Oshodi.

“While they were trying to snatch my car keys, one of the LASTMA officials opened the glove compartment of my car and took away some of my valuables and documents. I had a digital camera, my chequebook, some cash, printing ink and some textbooks in the car,” he said.

The spokesperson of LASTMA, Mrs. Bola Ajao, could not be reached as her telephone was switched off. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Jayeoba’s telephone was not available too. But a police source said the PPRO was at a meeting with the new Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko.

Chelsea ready for Napoli game

Chelsea will attack from the first minute as they seek to put behind them the rocky Andre Villas-Boas era by overhauling a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at home to Napoli on Wednesday.
The London club have sacked their young Portuguese manager since last month’s first leg and face the Italians under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo, whose first taste of European action could be his last unless his players stage a stunning comeback.

Arsenal trailed 4-0 from their first leg at AC Milan but scored three goals at home to lose 4-3 on aggregate. Chelsea’s job is easier than that even if Napoli are on a run of six successive wins in all competitions.

“From the first minute we have to try to create chances to score. We know they have very good strikers and we have to be careful with them, but we will press from the first minute,” winger Juan Mata said on the club’s website.

Mata’s goal in Napoli could prove valuable as a 2-0 win in London would put England’s only remaining representatives through on away goals.

“In football nothing is impossible and at Stamford Bridge we have had good results in the Champions League, so I think we can do it,” the Spaniard added. “All the supporters will be cheering us, it’s a final for us, and we can do it.”

Nigeria today worse than before civil war says Akinyemi

FORMER Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi said, yesterday, that if Nigeria as a nation must get it right in all its ramifications, putting in place a Sovereign National Conference, SNC is a must.

 He also said that the Supreme Court at the moment requires more judicial activists that will be more proactive in their actions following the handling of revenue derivation by the apex court in 2002 which lumped the on-shore and off-shore oil resources together.

 Speaking yesterday in Abuja as a Guest Lecturer at the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur Support Group, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor Akinyemi noted that things have never been as bad as they are now in Nigeria.

 He said that the country was at a crossroad, adding, ‘’but if the truth be told, and we owe ourselves the truth, things have never been as bad as they are now. Some have said that these times remind them of the darkness before the civil war, but I believe that it is worse that those times.

FG to set up central military commands in Bayelsa

Federal Government has approved the setting up of central military commands in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Newsmen learnt that the nation’s service chiefs took the decision after assessing the economic importance of the state to the country and the rising activities of cultists and pirates.
Also, there has been a resurgence of violence in the state, with some oil facilities destroyed by militant groups in recent times.

Bayelsa State Governor  Seriake Dickson said this on Tuesday when the Chief of the Air Staff, Mohammed Umar, paid him a courtesy visit while inspecting the Nigerian Air Force formations in the state on Tuesday. Dickson, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. John Jonah, said the Navy would be in the state on Thursday to set up its central command.

Dickson said, “I have been told that the Navy is coming in full force on Thursday to establish its central command. The Army has the biggest headquarters around here. So, all the service chiefs will be fully established here in addition to the Joint Task Force. Bayelsa State will be having more of military presence than many states that are new.”

He said for the state to be secure, government must invest in human development. Umar said NAF in 2011 reactivated its mobility command with its headquarters in Yenagoa. He said the headquarters of the mobility command was established in the state because of its strategic importance to the economy of the nation observing that the state provided an “easy reach for the Service to conduct its operations especially within the Niger Delta area”.

He said a parcel of land had been allocated to NAF for the take-off of its command, urging the state government to provide infrastructural assistance to the command.

Man Sentence 6 yrs for selling baby for N60,000

Abia State Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mrs. E.K.O. Umah, has sentenced one Chigoziem Nwankwo to six years imprisonment for selling a four-year-old baby girl. The court also sentenced him to another three months imprisonment for stealing mobile handsets valued at N14,000.

Chigoziem was alleged to have sold four-year-old Miss Rejoice Ibe, stolen from a couple.
He was said to have sold the baby for N60,000 to an accomplice , Bashiru, said to be at large.
Delivering judgment, Mrs. Umah said, “having considered the nature of the offences committed by the accused person and investigations conducted by the prosecuting officer as well as the accused person admitting to the truth of the matter, the jail terms of six years imprisonment becomes imperative.”

Chigoziem, said to be a wheel-barrow pusher at Gariki in Enugu, Enugu State, was alleged to have conspired with one Mr. Bashiru and stole a Nokia GSM handset valued at N8,000 and Samsung handset valued at N6, 000, property of Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Ibe. During his arrest, Chigoziem was said to be violent and  assaulted  the couple allegedly with a kitchen knife and inflicted injuries on Mrs. Ibe.

However, the Magistrate said the prison terms are to run concurrently. Meanwhile, one Mr. Ndubuisi Nnamachi, 65, was remanded at the Federal Prisons, Afara Umuahia, for allegedly killing one Mr. Nweke David by setting him on fire in conspiracy with Mr. Chisom Nkuche and Okechukwu David.

This incident was said to have happened on January 21, 2012, at Akirika Ukwu in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.

After listening to the charges, Magistrate  E.C.N. Kalu said the charge  fell outside the jurisdiction of his court and ordered that the matter be transferred to a high court, while the accused persons were remanded in prisons custody.

Power surge shuts down operations at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport

There was complete power outage at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last night, following a power surge which damage the air field lighting, including taxi and runway lights. Consequently, all in-bound flights into the airport were reportedly diverted to other airports, while flights schedule for take off were cancelled.

Newsmen gathered last night that the incident, which occurred at about 7:00pm, led also to the cancellation of a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta, U.S.

Also, all other international flights out of the airport were cancelled as a result, as most passengers were said to have returned home, while transit passengers were checked into hotels in accordance with international civil aviation regulations.

It was learnt that airport engineers had assumed that what happened was merely an outage by the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria, but got the shocker when the airfield lighting failed to come after the generating sets at the airport were switched on.