FAAN arrests man for carrying pistol in luggage Our Reporter February 11, 2013 1 Comment » FAAN arrests man for carrying pistol in luggage By LOUIS IBA The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it has caught an airline passenger with a pistol in his luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Yakubu Dati, spokesperson for FAAN, said the passenger originally commenced his flight into Nigeria from the city of Maryland before connecting the Nigerian bound airplane from Atlanta Georgia, USA. He said the passenger arrived MMA about 4.00pm last week aboard Delta Airlines. Dati said the passenger claimed that the gun was brought in from the USA for his personal protection while in Nigeria, stressing that he also claimed to have declared the gun to the airline before checking in his checking luggage at the airport of departure. “The pistol did not pose any threat to any passenger at the time of seizure. Aviation Security personnel of the Authority have continued to work hand in hand with other security agents to ensure the security of lives and property at all the airports nationwide, in line with the Transformation agenda of the government in the aviation industry. In a related development, another passenger who checked in on an Aero Contractors flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt at the weekend was apprehended by Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers at the MMA2 terminal for possessing firearms. The pistol was discovered in his checked –in luggage. The passenger said he bought the pistol from the United States for personal protection during his holiday in Aba, Abia State where he would spend his holiday. The passenger tendered the receipt for the purchase of the gun but has since been handed over to the security agents for further investigation. In another case of increased alertness by FAAN’s Security personnel, two Hungarian citizens, Miss Szabone Balatoni Hajnalka and Miss Porge Szabina were apprehended by intelligence officers in the Directorate of Aviation Security last week on their arrival on a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from London. The two passengers, who did not appear to have any genuine reason for being in the country, were later handed over, with their Nigerian accomplice, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further investigations. SUN

By ALEX AKAO The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja – Lagos, has intercepted a package of 436 cartridges illegally imported into the country. The deadly consignments were detected mid-last week, concealed in packs of confectionaries, during a routine check on a commercial vehicle at Gbaji Checkpoint along Badagry-Seme Express Way. Public Relations officer of the Unit, Uche Ejesieme, who broke the news, said the suspected owners on sensing danger during the process of profiling by the arresting officers in order to ascertain the real owners of the exhibit, jumped into the nearby Lagoon. He said and all efforts to catch up with them proved abortive, but assured that they would be fished out ultimately. He said the development was spurned by renewed vigor of the Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Dan Ugo, acting on the Comptroller General Dr. Abdullahi Dikko Inde’s directives to step up its Anti-smuggling activities to check the influx of Arms and Ammunitions through the Land Borders. He said the directive was necessary following security and intelligent reports that some unscrupulous elements were up to some negative acts, hence extra vigilance was commenced by the operatives stationed at the land borders. According to him, the situation had called for concerted efforts so as to guard against influx of Arms and Ammunitions especially with the recent insurgencies in most West African countries. He stated that the borders in the South-West and beyond will be thoroughly monitored in all ramifications so that unscrupulous elements will not use it for such illicit transactions. The Controller, he said, had promised that the unit will not relent in its statutory function of effectively policing the borders with a view to ensuring a tight security as well as the use of intelligence gathering in order to nip in the bud the notorious activities of these trans-border criminals. SUN

FG UNCOVERS GHOST WORKERS

A CLEAR picture of the assets of Nigeria all over the world may soon emerge as President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday set up a special inter-ministerial committee to verify them. The committee, announced by Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, at the end of the fifth meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) this year, is expected to go round the world and verify Nigeria’s assets, including those owned by the country’s missions abroad under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the major Federal Government operators in the maritime sector, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Navy. The committee is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, with representatives of the Federal Ministries of Finance, Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) and Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) as members. Other members include the representative of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Special Adviser to the President on Performance Evaluation, Prof. Sylvester Monye. Besides, in the last quarter of year 2012, that is between September and December, the government raised a total revenue of N2.413 trillion, which it also distributed amongst the three-tiers of government in the country. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed this in its fourth quarter economic report released Wednesday. The apex bank report is designed for the dissemination of financial and economic information on the Nigerian economy on current basis. The report analyses developments in the financial, fiscal, real and external sectors of the economy, as well as international economic issues of interest. The report is directed at a wide spectrum of readers, including economists and financial analysts in government and the private sector, as well as general readers. Also, the FEC was told during its session that under the Federal Ministry of Finance Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), a total of 45,000 ghost-workers had been discovered during the implementation of the scheme in 251 Federal Government Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Altogether, a total of 153,019 workers were audited in the 215 MDAs as at January 2013. Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, told journalists at the end of the Council meeting that the IPPIS was introduced to enhance efficiency in personnel cost planning and budgeting. Under this policy, which was opposed by unions in the MDAs, personnel cost is based on actual verified number of staff and not estimates. Ngama stated that a total of 321 MDAs were yet to be captured on the IPPIS scheme. He added that the Federal Government had established the Treasury Single Account (TSA) as a unified structure of government bank account that gives a consolidated view of the cash position of the MDAs. Already, a total of 92 MDAs are currently on the TSA. By the end of next month, 97 MDAs based in Abuja will be added to the TSA scheme. Giving an overview of the execution of the tasks assigned to the ministry, Ngama stated that the Federal Government was planning to increase its capital expenditure to 60 per cent while reducing recurrent expenditure to 40 per cent. And just before the commencement of the Council meeting, President Jonathan announced a cash gift of N5 million to the Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club for their “unparalleled support” for the Super Eagles throughout the AFCON tournament. The announcement followed the presentation of the cup to the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Jonathan had on Tuesday night at the reception for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals rewarded the players and coaches with cash gifts, lands in Abuja and national honours. The President announced a cash reward of N10 million for the Head Coach Stephen Keshi and N5 million to other coaches and players. The team’s technical officials are to receive N2 million cash each. Also, while Coach Keshi was conferred with a national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), his assistants – Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu – and team captain, Joseph Yobo, got the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). The remaining players of the victorious team received the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) national honours. The players and officials were decorated with the national honours by President Jonathan after the announcement. Next >

ECOWAS SIGNS PACT ON PEACE AND SECURITY

IN an apparent move to be on top of the security challenges in the sub-region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as well as a Project Implementation Agreement (PIA) with about 10 training institutions. The institutions are peace and security bodies recommended by sub-regional experts for upgraded collaboration as part of efforts to strengthen their capacities to meet the security demands of the area. In this regard, the ECOWAS Commission said Wednesday in Abuja that a key objective of the MoU is “to strengthen the training pillars of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF), ECOWAS institutions, Member States and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the region, and to develop a full range of training at all levels, cutting across a broad spectrum including military, police, civilian and humanitarian issues” It explains further that the move is in tandem with the regional Peace Support Operations (PSO) concepts and the need for effective capacity building, particularly with reference to the recommendation of the fourth Defence and Security Commission meeting which held in Cote d’Ivoire in August last year and called for the establishment of “Tactical, Operational and Strategic training facilities within the region” According to the document embodying the MoU released yesterday by the ECOWAS Commission, the training institutions are to operate as regional PSO training for the strengthening of the ESF training pillars with support from ECOWAS in their staffing, curriculum development and any other areas as needed. They are also mandated to develop their curriculum on PSO in consultation with ECOWAS, taking into account the National, ECOWAS and African Union (AU) priority training needs regarding the ASF. Furthermore, it was agreed that where appropriate, ECOWAS “shall provide technical inputs into the development of the curriculum in response to regional needs, consistent with the Standardised Training Modules (STM) developed by the United Nations Department for Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO) Integrated Training Service.” The Project Implementation Agreement (PIA), on the other hand, takes into cognisance relevant provisions of the Regional Protocol on Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, as well as the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance relating to the role of the Armed Forces, police and the security forces in the democracy within the region. The purpose of the PIA it was explained yesterday is to set out the modalities for the relationship between ECOWAS and the Training Institutions with respect to the implementation, by the latter, of the European Union support to selected West Africa Training Institution Project, which aims to develop the capacities of the stakeholders on peace and security matters. The EU supported project to the training institutions falls within the Africa Peace Facility under the 10th European Development Fund. The project is being coordinated by the ECOWAS Peace Fund. < Prev Next >

COMMUNITY SUES GOVERNMENT FOR NEGLECT

FOR alleged acts of betrayal leading to the loss of their ancestral home at the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun, the returnees of Uruan Local Council Area of Akwa Ibom State have instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja against the Federal Government, claiming damages in the tune of N30 billion. In a writ of summons and statement of claim filed by Ukeme Ekpenyong of Wole Abidakun and Co. Law Firm, the plaintiffs include Bassey Augustine Efiong, Silas Clement Etim, Efiong Bassey Ekanem and Imaobong Edem Efiong (suing for themselves and on behalf of Bakassi Returnees of Uruan Local Council Area extraction. Named in the suit as first to sixth defendants respectively are the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the National Assembly, Cross Rivers State government, Akwa Ibom State government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The plaintiffs seek against the defendants the following reliefs: • a declaration that the defendants acted outrageously, recklessly, atrociously and unconscionably in their handling of the Bakassi Peninsula hand over issue; • a declaration that the defendants betrayed the fiduciary relationship between them and the plaintiffs by not acting in the best interest of the plaintiffs vis-avis the handing over of Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun; • a declaration that the plaintiffs were vulnerable as far as the issue of the handing over of the Bakassi Peninsula by the 1st defendant (FRN) is concerned and the defendants took undue advantage of the plaintiffs’ vulnerability thereby recklessly inflicting severe emotional distress on the plaintiffs; • a declaration that the failure of the sixth defendant (INEC) to register the plaintiffs in the voters register has deprived the plaintiffs of their voting rights both in the April 2011 general elections and the July 2012 local council elections; • an order directing the 1st, 4th and 5th Defendants (FG, Cross Rivers State government and Akwa Ibom State government respectively) to immediately provide basic amenities like schools, health centres, potable water, proper accommodation and means of transportation in the plaintiffs’ new settlements; and, • an order directing the 6th defendant (INEC) to immediately commence the registration of eligible voters in the plaintiffs’ new settlements. The plaintiffs are also seeking N20 billion as general damages and another N10 billion for the footing of exemplary damages. Justice Mohammed Abubakar has fixed hearing in the matter for March 6, 2013. GUARDIAN

GUNMEN KIDNAP FLOUR MILLS MANAGER

THREE gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members on Tuesday attacked the premises of the Nigerian Flour Mills in Maiduguri, Borno State, and kidnapped its Administrative Manager, Malam Umar Baba Mai Salati, at gunpoint and whisked him away in his vehicle to unknown destination. Also, some gunmen attacked Bama and Damboa towns and the Gombouru ward in Maiduguri metropolis, killing four residents, including an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The hoodlums also shot the Secretary to the House of Assembly at his Damboa farm on Tuesday. The armed kidnappers, according to an eyewitness, were three in number. They pretended, at the Flour Mills gate, as if they were waiting for someone, before forcefully whisking Salati away. A security guard in the company said yesterday that, “shortly after he (Salati) came out of his office around 6.15p.m, one of the assailants pointed a gun at him and told him to stop. It was then that all the three gunmen entered his car and directed him to zoom off to unknown destination.” Another eyewitness told The Guardian that Salati was picked up and whisked away at gunpoint while on his way home shortly after he closed from office. Confirming the incident yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State Police Commissioner, Abdullahi Yuguda, said the police were on top of the situation, as security agents have launched investigation to fish out the culprits. “We have preliminary information on the kidnap of Salati. This information could assist us in trailing the suspects, as this is the seventh incident and latest kidnap in this state,” Yuguda said. Damboa, according of the Joint Task Force (JTF), had been severally attacked, during which 18 local hunters were killed at one of the markets for allegedly selling pork. According to an eyewitness and resident of Damboa, Yohanna Isa, the Assembly Secretary, Alhaji Imu, was trailed by the gunmen on two motorcycles to the farm in the morning and shot in the leg and chest after he was sighted at a distance. He was rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) by the JTF and police for treatment. Yohanna said: “We were shocked yesterday when the gunmen on motorcycles terrified our people here with sporadic gun shots into the air. The farmlands were deserted as the people working on the farm fled to adjourning villages for safety.” In Bama, 78 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri, some gunmen shot dead the NSCDC officer at his residence at about 8.25p.m on Tuesday, while in Gambouru ward, another gang of suspected Boko Haram members shot dead three residents and injured a12-year old child with stray bullets. Confirming the separate incidents in Maiduguri, the Police Commissioner, Yuguda, told newsmen that there were multiple attacks and killings at Bama, Damboa and in an area of Gambouru ward, where three residents and NSCDC personnel were feared killed. He said none of the assailants was arrested. GUARDIAN

Nigeria Police Force Declares Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina Wanted The Nigeria Police Force hereby declares wanted, this 1st day of February, 2013, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina of the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO), for failing to appear before the Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation of Pension Funds. It will be recalled that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had on 13th December, 2012, issued a Warrant of Arrest, mandating the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and produce Alhaji Maina before the Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation of Pension Fund. Since then, the subject has gone into hiding, making it difficult for the Police to execute the warrant. Consequently, the Inspector-General of Police has directed all AIGs in-charge of Zonal Commands and State Commands Commissioners of Police to spread their drag-nets to all nooks-and-crannies of their respective areas of jurisdiction, in search of Alhaji Maina. He has also directed all operatives of Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB), Force and State CID to join the man-hunt. The IGP wishes to appeal to well meaning citizens and the general public with useful information on the where-about of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, to kindly volunteer such information to the nearest Police Station, Formation or email policemonitor@npf.gov.ng, for necessary action. CSP FRANK E. MBA DEPUTY FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, FOR: FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA News Flash Nigeria Police Force Declares Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina Want.. Date: 03/02/2013 Nigeria Police Tightens Security At The Nation’S Borders Date: 29/01/2013 IGP Orders The Redeployment Of Senior Police Officers Date: 13/02/2013 The Nigeria Police Intensify Onslaught Against Criminals Date: 12/02/2013 IGP Congratulates Super Eagles For Lifting AFCON Cup Date: 12/02/2013 Nigeria Police Force Declares Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina Want.. Date: 03/02/2013 Nigeria Police Tightens Security At The Nation’S Borders Date: 29/01/2013 IGP Orders The Redeployment Of Senior Police Officers Date: 13/02/2013 Join Us [Join us on facebook] Copyright © 2012, Nigeria Poli