FG may pay compensation to Boko Haram members … starts drawing criteria for payment • We didn’t kill Gen. Shuwa – Sect November 5, 2012 by Oluwole Josiah and Olalekan Adetayo 163 Comments The Federal Government may have commenced considering the criteria for compensating members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, particularly those who had suffered one form of injustice or the other. Also there were indications on Sunday that the government might be willing to pay compensation to the sect’s members “who were seen to have been killed unjustly.” A very dependable source in the Presidency told The PUNCH on Sunday that the Federal Government was not willing to miss the opportunity for dialogue as offered by a man believed to be the sect’s second-in-command, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz. For this reason, he said, the government was willing to pay compensation, otherwise known as Diyya, to halt attacks by the sect. He said, “I can confirm to you that it is true that the group is currently dialoguing with the government. The good news is that they are talking and they have promised to cease fire once some of their demands are met. “For conditions that are not difficult to meet such as the demand for Diyya for their 24 identified members that were killed, the government may meet such demands. “Government can also give critical thought to those found to be innocent, but are being detained or prosecuted, particularly women and children as demanded by the group since they do not have any objection to the trial of those genuinely involved in crime.” It was, however, learnt that the government might not reach out to former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to head the team that would dialogue with Boko Haram, as requested by the sect. The sect had on Thursday expressed its desire to ceasefire and enter into dialogue with the government but demanded that Buhari should lead the discussion that must be held in Saudi Arabia. But the Congress for Progressive Change had already said that Buhari, who is the national leader of the party, had nothing to do with members of the sect. Our source said, “He (Buhari) is a former Head of State and he has people who speak for him. It has been widely reported that he would not take the offer, so why will government reach out to him?” The same source had in August told one of our correspondents that government might accede to the sect’s demand for the payment of compensation or Diyya to Boko Haram members considered “killed unjustly” by security forces. This formed an August 19, 2012 exclusive report published by SUNDAY PUNCH. In the report, the sect was said to have identified about 24 of such members whom it claimed were killed unjustly. One of them was the leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in 2010 in Maiduguri, after he had been reportedly captured alive by soldiers. Yusuf was then handed over to the police, under whose custody, he died mysteriously. The PUNCH learnt that the sect had put the compensation to the family of the 24 deceased members at N2m each. Consequently, for the 24 families, the Diyya to be paid is N48m. Apart from compensation, the sect is also pressing for the release of those unjustly detained. Shortly after the sect rolled out its conditions for ceasefire on Thursday, the Presidency described it as a welcome development, “if it was intended to achieve the objectives of peace and security.” Meanwhile, one of the people named by Boko Haram as mediators, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, said on Sunday that neither the Federal Government nor the sect had reached out to him over the proposed peace talks between the two parties. The senator, however, refused to answer the question on whether he would be willing to play a mediatory role if invited by any of the parties or not. The former governor said, “I have not been contacted by anybody, either from the Federal Government side or Boko Haram. “What you have been hearing on radio or on televisions is false, thank you.” Ibrahim is among the six mediators named by the sect on Thursday that would represent it in the proposed negotiation with the Federal Government Others are a former Yobe State Governor, Shettima Ali Monguno; Ambassador Gaji Galtimari , Hajia Aisha Wakili and her husband, Alkali Wakili. The group also gave a condition that the discussion with the government must take place in Saudi Arabia . Ibrahim, who represents Yobe Central in the Senate, had been outspoken on issues of marginalisation of the North-East, saying that the situation had resulted in the heightened insecurity problem in the region. Only last week, he denied predicting a situation “bigger than Boko Haram” after newspapers quoted him as justifying the sect’s insurgency as a result of long period of neglect of the North-East. Meanwhile, Boko Haram on Sunday denied allegations that it was behind the killing of Maj-Gen. Mamman Shuwa and other politicians in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Shuwa was gunned down on Friday in his house at Gwange in Maiduguri along with his guests shortly before the Juma’at prayer, and the Joint Task Force in a statement said the killers were members of the sect. Forty other people were reportedly killed in a bloodbath in another part of Maiduguri on Thursday night. source Punch

Traders count lost after fire razed plaza in Lagos. Patience Ogbo Traders of the six storey building affected by an evening inferno at at Breadfriut street Lagos Island on Saturday,have started counting their loses. The traders said they lost goods estimated at over N1.2 billion in the incident. Mr. Greg Azubuogu, the Chairman of the Plaza, also said that the plaza , housed a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, warehouses, shops and offices. Azubuogu, who owns a shop in the plaza, alleged that a power surge from the electrical wires in the building caused the fire . “I think that it is an electrical spark that caused the fire because Saturday was a weekend and a holiday. “We take preventive measures whenever we were closing for the day at the plaza. We normally switched off the control switch, but the fire started from the warehouse on the fourth floor. It is like the cartons in the warehouse aided the spark, as well as the spread of the fire,” he said. Azubuogu who sells shoes and bags in the plaza stateD that the fire was noticed at about 4 p.m.and lasted till about 8pm after fire fighters put it off. " I lost about N15 million in the incident. I and other traders are appealing to the Lagos State Government to come to our aid as this lost is too much". It was gathered that despiite the traders' lost hoodlums in the area were busy snatching goods from the wreackages but policemen from the Lion Building police station and officials of other security agencies tried desperately to prevent hoodlums from looting some wares salvaged from the plaza. Meantime, the St Paul’s Catholic Church on Breadfruit Street situated directly behind the affected building could not hold their usual Sunday Mass as the area was cordoned off while the worshippers were turned backed by the security personnel. Some of the security officers who spoke stated that Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has ordered that the building be cordoned off, " we appealed to the traders to stay off the building for a while in order to enable the emergency authorities carry out proper investigation and also determine the structural integrity of the property. " NAN

Coroner Inquest,Two policemen served with bench warrant. By Patience Ogbo Two policemen risk immediate arrest following the decision of an Ikeja District Coroner, Tajudeen Elias who had on Wednesday issued a bench warrant against the policemen constant refusal to appear in court. Magistrate Elias is conducting a coroner inquest into the death of Abiodun Ademola, who was allegedly shot dead at Agege area of Lagos state during the January subsidy protests in Lagos. Ademola was allegedly shot dead on January 9 by the Divisional Police Officer of the Pen Cinema police station Segun Fabunmi, during the nationwide fuel subsidy removal protests. Ademola's death provoked public outcry and following his death, Access to Justice ,a non for profit justice reform organisation approached the Coroner's Court over the police alleged murder . The bench warrants against Rexman Ihekweazu, an assistant superintendent of police, and Athanasius Ohaire, an Inspector, according to Elias is necessary following the policemen alleged blantant refusal to appear before the coroner as key witnesses in the alleged murder case. Elias said “A bench warrant is hereby issued against these two police officers and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police is ordered to ensure that they attend the court sitting at the next adjourned date.” During proceedings on Wednesday, the police lawyer, Cyril Ejiofor,an Assistant Supretendent of police said he had made spirited efforts to get the two policemen to appear in court to no avail. He said, “I have called these two officers on the telephone, sent signals and even taken summons to them yet they refused to come to court. “There is this notion that policemen cannot be arrested by their colleagues. I want this court to make an order compelling the Commissioner of Police to do everything possible to ensure their presence in court or preferably issue a bench warrant against them.” Chinelo Chinweze,a lawyer to Access to Justice, who instituted the inquest, said she had no objection against the application for a bench warrant. “I have no objection with the application made by the police counsel. In fact, I express commendation for the bold step taken by him in this matter,” she said. Elias subsequently adjourned the next hearing on the case till November 14.

Tension as colleagues of lynched victims storm Mushin to retailate brutal killing.

By Patience Ogbo. The killing of five suspected armed robbers by the residents of Mushin on Sunday has sparked tension in the area as colleagues of the killed victims are spoiling for revenge. A number of them from Idi oro were said to have stormed Mushin on Monday with dangerous weapons. The lynched victims were arrested by the vigilantee group and later beaten and burnt to death on Vono street a notorious area in Mushin. The residents alleged that the lynched victims weere armed robbers though nobody said what they stole. The suspected armed robbers were said to be six in number with a lady said to be amongst them but she escaped being lynched. It was gathered that the victims were from idi oro community but nobody knew why they were at Mushin. Following their grusome death,where three of them were also said to be burnt beyond recognition,youth from Idi oro after hearing the brutal killing of their friends were said to have stormed Mushin on Monday to retailate their death but the police rescued the situation and disperse the boys said to have come heavily armed. It was further gathered the policemen from the Olosan police station have arrested some members of the vigilante group and some landlords in Mushin for aiding and abetting the lynching. The residents are said to be on guard for fear of any retailation but policemen from the Area "D" Command,the Olosan police station and the State Criminal Investigation Department at Panti Yaba are said to be moving about while others are in strategic positions to prevent breakdown of law and oRder.

My removal was to destroy EFCC – Ribadu

November 5, 2012 by Olusola Fabiyi and Olalekan Adetayo 116 Comments Mallam Nuhu Ribadu | credits: A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Sunday said he was removed from office in order to destroy the anti-graft agency. He said his removal came a few days after operatives of the EFCC arrested and charged an ex-Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, to court for corruption. Ribadu, who spoke on Frontline, a current affairs programme on the African Independent Television, which was monitored by our correspondent, said he pitied the current leadership of the commission. Ribadu said, “When I was removed from the EFCC, they brought people with the intention to destroy the work of the EFCC. “It is easy to destroy than to build. I pity the people who are in EFCC today because they are coming after the people who destroyed it. “When you fight corruption, it will fight back. We saw that corruption fought back at the end of 2007 in Nigeria when corruption took over, when the leadership of Nigeria embraced corruption and they were ready to fight those who were fighting corruption and replaced those who were fighting corruption with corrupt people to turn things upside down. “Nigerians must remember that it was (Michael) Aondoakaa who was the Attorney-General of the Federation as at that time. I don’t need to say anything in addition.” He said the commission under Waziri was able to do this for three years with the connivance of Aondoakaa and people like Ibori. Ribadu said, “They did that for three years. They reversed everything that was good. The first thing they did was to withdraw the prosecutorial powers of the EFCC. “With the Aondoakaas of this world and the Iboris, they were happy they took over. They took over the cases we had and destroyed them. “I don’t want to be repeating these things. These are very sad developments, very unfortunate in the history of our country.” He said it was unfortunate that the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, nominated him for a course at the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies when he took Ibori to court. He said the $15m with which the former governor tried to bribe him remained with the Central Bank of Nigeria. “That money remains with the CBN up till now. Suddenly, five days after I charged him (Ibori) to court, I was asked to go to NIPSS, Kuru. It was Okiro who did that. Of course, he did not do that alone,” Ribadu added. Before his removal from the commission, Ribadu said there were two attempts aimed at eliminating him, adding that scars of bullets fired at him were still on his car till today. He said, “I was removed from the EFCC; they attempted to kill me twice. I still have bullets holes stain on my car. “There was no place for me to stay then. They tried to get anything that could be used to nail me. They investigated me in and out, but they could not get anything wrong that I did to charge me. It took them one year to look at everything they could imagine but they could not charge me.” He said because of the attempt on his life and his ordeal in the Nigeria Police Force, he decided to go abroad, having been offered jobs by two agencies. Source The Punch

Suspect stood surety for co-suspect

–IPO November 5, 2012 by Temitayo Famutimi 23 Comments An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos has berated the police for allowing a co-suspect in a criminal case, Nicholas Onwusi, to stand surety for an alleged accomplice. The police had arraigned Onwusi before Magistrate A.A. Adefilure on charges of conspiracy to commit felony and obtaining N2.65m from a man, Popoola Joel, under false pretences. However, the third count of the charge stated that Onwusi failed to produce Emmanuel Ugwu who he stood for as surety at the ‘X’ Squad unit of the Lagos State Police Command. The Investigating Police Officer, Sgt. Olu Olugbuyi, while buttressing the third count told the court that Emmanuel Ugwu, the principal offender, had since jumped bail. Olugbuyi, who is attached to Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, while fielding questions from the court said he was also surprised that Onwusi could be allowed to stand as surety for Ugwu. He said, “The matter as it were was initially with the Lagos State Police Command. But the complainant in the matter (Popoola Joel) wrote a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 about this same issue. “He said he was dissatisfied with the way the case was handled. As a result of this, I was asked to take up the matter. The former IPO can be summoned by the court to explain why he allowed that to happen.” But Adefulire said it was wrong for a suspect to stand surety for another suspect in the same criminal matter. “This looks ridiculous and it is a serious indictment on the police as it is never done anywhere. It was even placed in the charge sheet,” he said. Adefulire later admitted Onwusi to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties after he pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him. He subsequently adjourned till November 28 for further hearing. Source. The Punch

NSCDC arrests two for laptops, money theft

NSCDC arrests two for laptops, money theft November 5, 2012 by Segun Olatunji 2 Comments The suspects. | credits: Segun Olatunji Men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ogun State have arrested two suspects for allegedly stealing three laptop computers, cash and other items in Abeokuta, the state capital. Other stolen items recovered from the suspects, Seun Ogundimu, 26 and 30-year-old Jelili Idowu one LIFAN motorcycle with registration number OGUN FFF 791 QR, Sony digital camera and cash sum of N7,495. The NSCDC Public Relations Officer in the state, Kareem Olanrewaju said that the suspects were arrested by civil defence personnel who were on a routine patrol around of electricity power transformers and other government installations around Igbore area of the state capital. Olanrewaju said that following a tip-off by some members of the public the civil defence patrol men forced the suspects who were then riding on the motorcycle to a stop and arrested them when they failed to give satisfactory explanations about the items they were found with. “Items recovered from the suspects include:one Lifan motorcycle with reg.no.ogun FFF791QR,HP Laptop,HP mini laptop no.210-2090NR and another HP mini laptop no.210-2080NR.other items are,sony Digital camera and cash sum of 7,495,” he said. The NSCDC spokesman stated that in the course of preliminary investigations the corps discovered that the items were stolen from a house the suspects allegedly burgled in the Onikolobo area of Abeokuta. Olanrewaju however assured that the suspects would be transferred to the appropriate quarters for prosecution when investigations had been concluded Sourcen The Punch