The Notorious Kidnapper Henry Chibueze alias Vampire has been killed by the Police Special Force led by the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT)
The said criminal named Vampire was reported months ago escaped from court as his men stormed the court premises, shooting sporadically and whisking the guy Chidiebere aka Vampire in the process. He is notorious for his high rate of crimes ranging from Arm robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Nigeria’s secular status is now under test as the country’s participation in the planned Islamic Games is causing uneasiness in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
The AUTHORITY learnt that while preparations have been intensified from behind the scenes for the 4th edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games holding in Baku, Azerbaijan, some officers at the ministry have kicked against the move because it breaches Nigeria’s secular position on global religious matters.
They allegedly expressed concerns over plans by the Solomon Dalung-led Ministry of Youth and Sports to take part in the games which is alleged to have the backing of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (IOC).
Nigeria has over the years starved off pressure to feature at the regional multi-sport games, giving its secular status as reason.
It was gathered that the position may have changed under the Muhammadu Buhari administration
It was learnt that Buhari had endorsed the participation of Nigerian sports men and women, and even dispatched a delegation led by Christian Ohaa, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry to attend the Chief de Mission meeting held in Baku last year.
Sources said that the plot to drag Nigeria into the Islamic Games has been resisted by some members of staff of the ministry, who believe that the Federal Government is not properly advised before it took the decision.
“These regional games are purely for the Muslim world and I doubt if a secular state like Nigeria should concern itself with it. Those who are pushing for it ought to know that they are not doing this administration any good. Recall that critics of the administration have accused Buhari of plots to Islamise Nigeria. Sending a delegation to this games would only add, not subtract from this raging accusation”, one of the concerned officials said.
The opponents of the move argued that Nigeria’s participation in the games is not captured in the 2017 Budget but the ministry has been assured of necessary funds from extra budgetary sources like the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF).
The Islamic Solidarity Games is a regional multi-sporting event held among Islamic nations.
The first edition was held in Saudi Arabia in 2005 while the 2013 edition took place in Indonesia.
Sports that feature in the games are athletics, para-athletics, boxing, judo, karate, football, gymnastics, basketball, handball, volleyball, swimming, water polo, table tennis, weightlifting and tennis. Others are wrestling, taekwondo and shooting.
The 2016 edition of Igbo Day celebrations in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), may have come and gone, but the dust raised at the event is yet to settle.
Last week, the Centre for Igbo Arts and Culture (CIAC), Abuja, tackled the organisers of the celebrations, which held on September 29, 2016, at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki, for conducting the programme in English.
Addressing a press conference titled “Before Our Language Dies,” as part of activities marking this year’s International Mother Language Day, CIAC chairman, Sir Kanayo Okoye, said the use of English to conduct Igbo Day and other cultural events in the FCT and other places had made Ndigbo the object of ridicule before other ethnic nationalities: “Ndigbo often feel uncomfortable speaking their God-given language at public functions or gatherings, with the notion that their Igbo audience would simply regard them as illiterates. It was, therefore, embarrassing that English was the medium of communication during last year’s Igbo Day in Abuja.
“This unfortunate state of affairs, which has persisted over the years, has, no doubt, brought disrespect and contempt from other Nigerians who now discredit Ndigbo as a people without language or culture. We should show some pride in ourselves and salvage this ugly trend.”
Okoye, whose speech was delivered by the CIAC administrative secretary, Mr. Ifeanyi Atuenyi, was, however, impressed by the lively, colourful and rich celebration of the annual new yam festival in various cities and communities throughout Igboland, Nigeria and beyond.
Undoubtedly, the Iri Ji Ndigbo (new yam festival) has become a much cherished aspect of Igbo culture celebrated lately wherever the Igbo live across the globe.
CIAC also lamented the preponderance of Igbo children who could not speak their native language, blaming the anomaly on mothers for allegedly brainwashing “them into believing that Igbo language is ‘local’. The result is that English has taken over as the first language of our children, which has become the language they learn first and the language they speak last.”
The centre did not spare schools as it also held teachers liable for allegedly indoctrinating the children against speaking vernacular, while at home, parents profess the same negative gospel with the illusion that speaking the indigenous language would corrupt and portray the child as unrefined and interfere with his learning of English.
CIAC, therefore, urged mothers to know that raising a child in the mother tongue would not have any adverse psychological effect on the child, and that there is nothing wrong with a child learning two or more languages during the early days of development. “In fact, children are naturally endowed with the capacity of learning multiple languages, which provide them the opportunity to broaden their intellect and mental growth,” he said.
Good news for Ndigbo
The 2016 Igbo Day ceremonies did not go down well with a large number of Igbo residents in the FCT; some prominent political office holders from the South-East inclusive.
To arrest the ugly trend, the Igbo traditional institution, headed by the Igbo 1 of Abuja, Eze Ibe Nwosu, has met over the issue and would soon make a pronouncement.
Indications emerged last week that leaders of the Igbo in Abuja may have decided to ban the use of English in conducting any cultural activity within the FCT.
A Board of Trustees member of the Igbo Centre, Mr. Edward Ihemebiri, disclosed that the issue was being discussed among the top echelo of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
He noted that the efforts of CIAC in promoting Igbo language and culture, including reaching out to the FCT education authorities and notable private schools for the recruitment of Igbo Language teachers, were being frustrated by counter-productive practises such as the use of English at Igbo ceremonies.
Daily Sun learnt that, following these resolutions, no fewer than seven Igbo Language teachers have now been employed by the FCT through the efforts of the Igbo Centre.
The Ochigbo of Kuje, Chief Dominic Anigbo, who represented the Eze Igbo of Abuja at the press conference, confirmed that something would be done about the unwanted trend, even though he attributed the declining interest in Igbo language to the “near-nomadic” nature of Ndigbo who travel round the world for trade and other business.
Anigbo, who traced the link between the Igbo and the Jews of Israel, regretted that even traditional relics like shrines (mbari) that are still seen in Israel today could hardly be seen anymore in many parts of Igboland: “If you go to Israel, you see them; they are in America. What is killing our culture is that we travel too much. There is no part of the world where you will not find an Igbo man.”
He commended CIAC for its contributions in preserving and promoting Igbo cultural heritage, recalling that the Eze Igbo of Ghana had initiated similar a programme, which included engaging Igbo Language teachers for some schools in the former Gold Coast.
Despite the prevailing circumstances, CIAC has said that all hope is not lost. It described the recent decision of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to add Igbo as one of the 30 new languages to be used in presenting programmes as heart-warming.
Atuenyi said that the BBC platform would be a major boost to the promotion of Igbo language and culture, while Ndigbo should actively support and promote the programme by tuning in to it.
He also enjoined content developers to take advantage of the on-going digitisation of broadcasting to develop more Igbo content for radio and television side by side the opportunity offered by Multichoice through Africa Magic Igbo.
Challenge to governors, Ohanaeze
Some Igbo people living in Abuja told Daily Sun that state governments in the South-East and the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze, have to pick the gauntlet.
They wondered how an Igbo man in any other part of the world would be expected to be ‘proud’ of his mother tongue when no South-East governor conducts government business in Igbo.
“It might sound laughable, but some governors in the South-East even address their people in English when they visit their communities,” a respondent, Mr. Kelechi Udemba, said.
Ihemebiri recalled, albeit painfully, that only former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, responded to letters written to all the South East governors some years back by the CIAC enjoining them to, once or twice a week, conduct government functions in Igbo, including their State Executive Council meetings.
He noted that Anambra made it a policy for sometime under Obi, but, “It is a matter of deep regret, however, that only little effort has been made to stem the dangerous tide that is currently eroding the cherished Igbo language and culture among Ndigbo themselves.”
“To further compound the ugly situation, our governors and leaders, except, perhaps, former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, are not helping matters as they fail to direct their attention towards reviving our language or culture,” he said.
CIAC also had a word for the new leadership of Ohanaeze Ngigbo, headed by Chief Nnia Nwodo.
The centre saluted Ohanaeze on the recently concluded election but urged them to “wake up from their passiveness and embarrassing leadership tussle and take up the challenge of promoting Igbo essence, language and culture.”
CIAC said: “There is no gainsaying that we have suffered unimaginable neglect and loss of influence in the affairs of the nation due to lack of a vibrant and focussed leadership from our past and present organisation of Ohanaeze and South-East governors.”
It therefore, called for a rethink, so that Ndigbo could live up to their God endowed capabilities towards always projecting Igbo agenda on all fronts
It is difficult to understand how black people reason. Most people are lazy to think or reason. Once they believe one line of argument, they shot their brain. This is the irony of our problem in Nigeria. This is why we cannot generate electricity for our factories. This is why we cannot supply affordable water to our various communities. This is why nothing is working yet we go to church to sleep for miracle.
Thedirector of Radio Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, played host to some prominent Nigerians on Tuesday.
Former CBN governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo and renowned economist, Dr. Pat Utomi, led the delegation to Kuje prison, where Kanu is currently in detention.
While the purpose of the visit is not yet clear at the time of this report, it was gathered that the visit was made under the umbrella of Nzuko Umuna, a coalition of Igbo group.
Sources said that the group cuts across all the major groups in the South-east including those in diaspora.
Secretary General of the Lower Niger Congress, Tony Nnadi, who was part of the visit was quoted as saying that the group would work with all aggrieved Igbo groups
Nnadi said: “We have announced a process, on January 1, 2017, the LNC rolled out a registration of three million volunteers who want a referendum.”
“The matter now is how to put a date for the referendum and go to vote.”
Below is a full list of the delegation:
Chukwuma Soludo – Former CBN governor
Pat Utomi – Renowned economist
Tony Nnadi – Secretary general of LNC
Udenta Udenta – National secretary of Alliance Democracy
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JULY 23: View of the International Criminal Court as Dutch prosecuters consider a war crimes investigation of the Malaysia Airlines crash July 23, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed killing all 298 on board including 80 children. The aircraft was allegedly shot down by a missile and investigations continue over the perpetrators of the attack.
Posters of Barack Obama have popped up around Paris in what started as a joke by four friends pretending to launch a campaign for the former US leader ahead of France’s presidential election.
CREDIT: AFP
Even though the former US president cannot legally run in the two-round April-May election as a foreigner, the jokesters’ online petition has been signed by more than 42,000 people.
The organisers, who came up with idea over beer, say they launched the website and began plastering Obama17 posters around Paris because they were disenchanted with the candidates running in France’s election.
The slogan is “Oui on peut” – French for “Yes we can”.
“We like saying it’s a joke, but in truth the idea takes its roots in us being fed up with French citizens rejecting politics,” said one of the organisers. “We’re scared this (rejection) will push people to vote for candidates outside the system like Trump in the US. We don’t want that,” she told BFM TV.
The online petition states that it hopes to reach a million signatories before March 15 in favour of Mr Obama in time for the closing date for candidacies, even if his inclusion is the election is impossible, as it is only open to French nationals.
Why Mr Obama? Because, it says, he has “the best CV in the world for the job”, it is “still possible to vote for a president and not against a candidate”, and because “at a time when France is about to vote massively for a far-Right candidate, we can teach the rest of the planet a lesson in democracy by electing a French president who is a foreigner”.
Front National candidate Marine Le Pen is polling to come first in the election’s first round on April 23 and then to lose to Emmanuel Macron, an independent ex-economy minister on a “neither Right nor Left” ticket in the run-off on May 7.
The organisers say they want citizens to take back control of the elections and are admirers of the Podemos group in Spain, pointing out that the English translation for the movement is close to Mr Obama’s catch phrase of “Yes we can”.
Aides of front runner Mr Macron have already likened him to Mr Obama.
“I see a campaign dynamic that is the same,” claimed Laurence Haïm, spokeswoman of his En Marche! (On The Move!) who lived in America until recently.
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JULY 23: View of the International Criminal Court as Dutch prosecuters consider a war crimes investigation of the Malaysia Airlines crash July 23, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed killing all 298 on board including 80 children. The aircraft was allegedly shot down by a missile and investigations continue over the perpetrators of the attack.
Six people died instantly in a horrific accident which occurred last night near Amaokpala and Awgbu bridge, Oko, Anambra State.
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JULY 23: View of the International Criminal Court as Dutch prosecuters consider a war crimes investigation of the Malaysia Airlines crash July 23, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed killing all 298 on board including 80 children. The aircraft was allegedly shot down by a missile and investigations continue over the perpetrators of the attack.
As Nigeria economy tends to reverse to recovery path way as Naira gains value against dollar, many Nigerians have rated the acting president Osibanjo higher than Buhari whose whereabout is unknown.
Since the rumored death of president Buhari to his being incapacitated by unknown illness, Nigerians seems to breath a sign of relieve as Acting president Osibanjo is seen a new miracle that happened to Nigerians in recent time.
However the presidency is not finding this current trend funny as they have accused Nigerians of trying to cause division in government.
The presidency said that the government was one and as such, there should be no basis for comparisons whatever between the President and his deputy.
The Political Adviser to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Senator Femi Ojudu made the remarks while fielding questions from State House correspondents on the speculations making the rounds, preferring Osinbajo’s style of governance to Buhari’s on Monday in Abuja.
It will be recalled that Osinbajo has been piloting the affairs of the country since January 19 when President Buhari jetted out to London, United Kingdom on medical vacation. President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, in Abuja. Since his departure, Osinbajo has apparently taken a couple of initiatives that had elicited hopes that Nigeria may get out of its present state of economic recession sooner than expected. One of those decisions was a directive to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele to review the country’s foreign exchange policy which seems to be producing results at the moment, judging from the Naira value appreciation over the Dollar. Osinbajo had earlier also forwarded the name of the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Oonneghen to the Senate for confirmation contrary to the Buhari’s perceived reluctance since appointing the CJN in acting capacity in November, 2016.
Reacting to trend of comparing the President and his Vice, Ojudu said it was completely unfounded. He said: “I think it is thoughtless. I also see it as a ploy by the opposition to cause an unnecessary division. It is a joint ticket. The president and the vice president were elected based on the manifesto of the party and since they were sworn-in, they have been committed to implementing that manifesto. “The same people who said we never had economic team, no policy, nothing, are the ones saying this. It is now the policies we are implementing are maturing and they are seeing the result.
It is not a question of one person being better than the other person. “I will give you an example, there is nothing that has been done since the vice president started acting that is not something that started far back in the past. A good example is the Niger Delta initiative. The President called the Vice President and said I am giving you the mandate, go into the Niger Delta, meet with everyone who is a stakeholder, all the communities, talk to the militants and make sure you solve this problem for the benefits of Nigerians. “We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day. All the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up. And the President has said unless and until we resolve this problem, we will not get out of recession. The VP took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta. It is the initiative of Mr. President not that of Vice President. “This is mischief makers, those who do not wish this country well, who are always promoting crisis, who will not allow the people to benefit from this democracy are the ones promoting this kind of divisive tendencies.”
He said that the Acting President on some occasions consult the President even as he refused to accept that Osinbajo was not in charge. “Almost on a daily basis, yes. Well, there are things he still needs to consult the President. I mean it is not a regular thing but major decisions he still has to consult Mr. President. The president is still the president. ”He is in charge but like I said earlier on, this is a joint ticket the president of Nigeria remains the president of Nigeria. He is acting because it is one and the same. He is more experienced, he has been in the game longer than the vice president and if there are major issues that he needs to take decision on, he could call on him and say Sir, what do you think about this we are about to take decision on it. Do you have opinion? That does not mean he is not in charge.” But reminded that Nigerians other than partisan opposition politicians were the ones making the comparisons, Ojudu maintained his position of oneness. ”
Again, one other thing you have to see is that if you give someone a responsibility, he must be able to show to Mr. President that despite that he is not being around is not going to create any vacuum. He can then decide not to sleep at all, all through the time the president is a way just to show him that he is capable of ensuring that Nigeria goes on well while he is away. “And the President could also have given the mandate let nothing go wrong, I believe in you, I appointed you as my Vice President you must make sure that you do this. If you have a boss who gives you an assignment you will want to impress him and Nigerians as well and that for me is what has happened. It is not that one person is better than the other, certainly not. “I’m telling that I have seen some things sent out intentionally to cause some kind of division within the presidency. Some people who have been condemning everybody in the past, I see them on twitter and on facebook and generally on social media.
Some people are trying to promote division and we are not going to allow that. This president and vice president worked together in tandem and I know they both have confidence in this nation”, he said.
Also asked to react to the concerns in Katsina State that the president was poisoned, the Political Adviser said it was stupid to believe such stories. “The way I will react to that is that those of you in the media should be careful what you pick from the social media now. It is becoming a factory for fake news in the Nigeria.
A lot of things you see on social media can never be true. I saw that, I read it and I assessed it using the prism of these factors, those indices we use to analysis stories in the media and found out that, that it cannot be true. “For example they said somebody kept N77 trillion somewhere, imagine that. What is the total value of Nigeria’s economy that because of somebody keeping N77 trillion therefore some people want to poison him so that they can inherit the money. “I mean we have a president that nobody in this country can question his integrity. As a young officer, a middle officer, a senior officer and as a Head of State till now, nobody has been able to tarnish his image or come up with anything. For me, it is not even worth responding to, as soon as I read it, I dismissed it, it is so ridiculous.
Again it is the handiwork of our enemies, the problem is fakeness has almost become global and universal, other countries are experiencing it. Those who want to destabilize the country, they come up with all kinds of stupid stories, some kind of unimaginable stories. So we should just discountenance those things”, he said.
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JULY 23: View of the International Criminal Court as Dutch prosecuters consider a war crimes investigation of the Malaysia Airlines crash July 23, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed killing all 298 on board including 80 children. The aircraft was allegedly shot down by a missile and investigations continue over the perpetrators of the attack.
A serving Police Inspector and a sacked Army Corporal are among 14 suspects arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kogi State for being in possession of 1,083.62 kilogrammes of Indian Hemp valued at N6 million.
The State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Idris Bello, told journalists in Lokoja on Monday that the Inspector was arrested on February 25, 2017 at Crusher Area of Lokoja while conveying 75 bags of Indian Hemp weighing 818.2 kg in a police bus with registration number NPF 7973 NPF.
He said that the suspect was conveying the drug from Okpella, Edo State to Abuja when he was arrested alongside two other accomplices.
Bello said that the dismissed army corporal was arrested in Lokoja on his way from Edo State with 44 kilogrammes of weed.
According to him, 12 other suspects, including a woman, were also arrested this month with varying kilogrammes of weed.
He said that the 40-year-old woman was carrying a four-year-old boy at the time she was arrested with 32.4 kilogrammes of Indian Hemp.
The commander said that three other suspects were arrested with 190 blocks of compressed Indian Hemp, although the exact kilogramme and monetary value had not been ascertained.
He said that the suspects, who were coming from Edo, were arrested at Obajana in Kogi in a car with registration number Kano BC 737 KMC.
Bello, who attributed the success of the command to the support it receives from the state government, thanked Governor Yahaya Bello for the donation of patrol vehicles.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Jerry Omodara, commended the NDLEA for its efforts and urged the agency to sustain the tempo.
He promised that the state government would continue to support all the security agencies in the state.
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JULY 23: View of the International Criminal Court as Dutch prosecuters consider a war crimes investigation of the Malaysia Airlines crash July 23, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed killing all 298 on board including 80 children. The aircraft was allegedly shot down by a missile and investigations continue over the perpetrators of the attack.
Nigerian Military has issued a strong warning to all international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the country, most especially, Amnesty International (AI) and its affiliates, to desist from meddling into security issues for the sake of national interest, cohesion and unity.
The military gave the warning in a press statement signed by the acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar. It condemned activities of AI and said the group did not mean well for the country.
“Activities of the AI in our nation have shown that it never meant well for Nigeria and the situation is getting clearer to national and international communities what AI is up to. This could be corroborated by inherent lopsidedness in the AI’s portrayal of Nigeria, its involvement in local politics and taking side with terrorists and other belligerent groups to cause internal disorder, which no country can tolerate,” the statement read.
“The military has maintained open door policy and has been cooperating with all stakeholders in ensuring that Nigerian Armed Forces remains one of the best and a proud institution for all Nigerians.
“For AI to be making spurious allegations, especially without substantiated and cogent reason, apart from those adduced by the organisation for the reason best known to it and its collaborators, is disturbing and unethical of an international organisation that is supposed to steer clear of local politics and to be seen as maintaining neutrality in its reportage of the countries where it operates,” it further read.
The statement condemned what it described as incessant negative report on Nigeria in general and the armed forces, in particular, by AI and called on all well meaning Nigerians who appreciate what the military and other security agencies have done to decimate Boko Haram terrorists and contain other criminal elements.
Speaking further, Abubakar claimed that the AI’s had only succeeded in giving an insight to the possibility of the organisation sponsoring various criminal gangs in our country with a view to achieving the sponsor’s intent.
The military also said it would welcome comments, criticisms and observations that could help the institution grow higher in the interest of the nation. It described AI as an agent of destabilisation, masquerading as a reputable international NGO and urged Nigerians “to rise up to this daunting challenge of not giving AI the chance to truncate our hard earned democracy and unity.”
Boasting on the commitment of the military and other security agencies, Abubakar affirmed that they remain focused in tackling the security problems in the nation and urged Nigerians, partners and international communities to continue to support its quest to free the country from the hands of criminal elements.
