With Sunday January 20, 2013 marking the one year anniversary of the black Friday attack in Kano State by agents of Boko Haram sect, operatives of the Joint Task Force stationed in Kano have found themselves under the nozzle of Boko Haram’s AK47s.
Already scores of the Nigerian Police officers in Kano have been gun down by unknown gunmen in the days leading up to the one year anniversary.
The attack on the Emir of Kano on Saturday afternoon (1pm) is believed to fall into the scheduled Boko Haram commemorative attacks. The attack saw two of his sons sustain gunshots attacks while the driver died instantly. Other aides were said to have sustained casualties.
The attack occurred along Ribadu road by Court. The wounded were taken to Aminu Kano teaching Hospital. An unconfirmed source says some palace guards were killed. The Police Commissioner in Kano has stated that the Emir is well and resting at home.
But questions of why the Emir was attacked have begun to raise eyebrows in some quarters particularly among informed political observers of the unfolding religious instability northern Nigeria. It is suspected that he operatives of Boko Haram may not be eager to rain a deadly attack on the Emir of Kano. The Emir is the highest respected Hausa religious position in northern Nigeria.
A highly placed security source who spoke with 247ureports.com indicated that the Emir may have not been their original target.
“The boys of Boko Haram got lucky as they saw a bigger target” returning home from the commissioning of a Quranic school located at Hausawa. So they seized the opportunity.
Our source continued to add that recent newsbreak of surgery sustained by the leader of the Boko Haram during a gun battle with men of the JTF may have lead to the decision to strike at the Emir.
The Emir’s coziness to non-indigenes in Kano is said to have played into the attack. The Emir is said to have provided low cost housing for non-muslins living in Kano. He significantly increased safety of non-Muslims residents through his intervention program aimed at securing the properties and lives of Sabon Gari residents.
Also, the Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is said to have been entangled in a long drawn battle with the Emir; the battle which has reached code-red immediately following the arrival of Kwankwaso to the seat of governor. The two men are said to be battling for the influence over power in Kano state.
It will be uncertain why the Emir will be wanted dead but the latest depicts a war against Boko Haram that has become more complex that originally thought.
Information reaching 247ureports indicates that the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero has been attacked by unknown gunmen, according to the eyewitness, the gunmen were said to have laid ambush around the Zoo road when he was returning from the Murtala Mosque in the city where he had gone to attend a Quranic recitation competition.
According to an eyewitness the Emir was attacked alongside his convoy was saved by his driver and orderly who formed a protective wall around him and took the bullets fired at him the duo were killed in the attack, while the Emir’s first son the Ciroman Kano is roughly injured from bullet wounds. Who were mainly the emir’s palace guards were also killed in the attack. About 10 people are feared dead from the attack.
The incident which happened about an hour ago, according to an eyewitness said the attackers opened fire from a motorcycle, the Emir escaped unhurt but his driver and three other aides were not so lucky as they was killed by the hail of gunfire. Meanwhile many mass casualties were recorded as a result of the sporadic gunfire from the gunmen, the casualties are now receiving treatment at Muritala Teaching Hospital Kano.
Sources within the security told 247ureports that the onslaught against the Emir may be in reaction to Nigeria sending troops to Mali where there was gun duel between leader of the Boko Haram group Abubakar Shekau and the Nigerian Army in Mali in which he sustained gun shots injuries before escaping.
The Department of State Security, DSS, has paraded the two suspects, who allegedly carried out the bombing of the Saint Andrews Protestant Military Church at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State. The two suspects, whose names were given as Ibrahim Mohammed, aka Alilullah and Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, were paraded by the DSS Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Marylin Ogar, at a press briefing in Abuja.
Mohammed, 18, hails from Ilobu Village in Ilobu Local Government Area of Osun State, while Idris, 50, a yam hawker comes from Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
Ogar said the two men would be handed over to the military for further investigation while other suspects arrested in connection with the bombing were being questioned by the service.
The DSS director maintained that the service was determined to work with Nigerians and bring to an end the evil activities of unpatriotic elements and restore peace and harmony to the society.
Mohammed confessed during interrogation that he was indoctrinated into the Boko Haram sect by one Bashir Madalla, who also trained him in the use of fire arms and the production and priming of Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs.
The suspect said he participated actively in several attacks in Kaduna including the one on St. Rita’s Catholic Church and Badarawa. He also said that the late Madalla sent one Mallam Lawal, one of the suicide bombers to Damaturu, Yobe State to retrieve some military uniforms and weapons from Boko Haram cells in the state and that the said Lawal often appears in military uniforms with the rank of a captain without being detected and arrested.
According to Mohammed, the Jaji attack was personally carried out by one Tasiu and Mallam Lawal who assumed the leadership of the sect in Kaduna following the death of Bashir Madalla.
He explained also that Lawal decided to personally carry out the attack since there was no other suitable person to be saddled with the deadly assignment due to time constraint.
The suspect admitted accompanying the bombers to the gate of the Armed Forces Military cantonment and bade them farewell and procuring the fertilizer used in priming the Toyota Matrix car that was used in the suicide mission.
The car, he admitted, had been parked in the residence of Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, which served as the sect’s safe haven. In his confession, Idris, admitted that he was also indoctrinated into the sect in August 2012 by a fellow yam hawker, Mallam Lawal after which he was relocated to Kaduna by Lawal and given a two-bedroom flat in Rafin Guza area in Kaduna, which serves as the sect’s operational base.
Idris said that he served as a motivational preacher and father figure for the sect as well as conduct surveillance on selected targets using the cover of a yam seller.
Worshipers at the St. Andrews Catholic Church were about to dismiss their morning mass when daredevils struck on November 27, 2012, killing several persons in the process.
The attack, which hit the military authorities below the belt, led to the removal of the Commandant of the AFCSC and the deployment of another officer to the institution.
The financial tranquil enjoyed in Anambra State in the recent years under the leadership of Governor Peter Obi may have suffered a damaging Perturbation in the hands of the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Chinwe Clara Nwaebili.
Information available to 247urepors.com indicate that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly may have returned the Legislative chambers to the dark days of unchecked financial thuggery. Information gathered through a competent source indicates a discord within the lawmakers has taken hold over a recent disbursement by the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi.
The Governor had released the sum of N36 million to the State House of Assembly through the Speaker for a training course to be embarked upon by the 30 members of the State legislators. The training is reported to be on modern legislative and leadership technics. The training is to hold in South Africa for late January to early February 2013.
Out of the N36 million released, the Speaker released N12 million to the lawmakers-at N400,000 each. The remainder of the N24 million was allegedly pocketed by the Speaker. And for this, the legislative chambers have turned a cantankerous den-threatening a grander scaled disruption to the smooth administration of the legislative arm of the government. A source amongst the lawmakers told our correspondent in Anambra that the majority are gravely unhappy with the Speaker.
The source pointed to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Orizu Chukwudi as having been a partner in crime in the cornering of the N24 million. Hon Orizu, the son of Nnewi Monarch, Igwe Orizu, was reached for comments but he declined to comment, as attempts to also reach the Speaker also failed to yield a response.
SOLIDARITY MESSAGE TO SOVEREIGN NATIONAL PARTY, PATRIOTIC NIGERIAN YOUTH AND WOMEN
With the present political consciousness in the largest and most populated nation in black Africa and the increased participation by all and sundry in the affairs of the country, the formation, proclamation and the emergence of the Sovereign National Party (SNP) on the political terrain is not only timely and overdue, but an act of God. The intervention, to say the least is most welcomed.
In recognition of this patriotic initiative by the promoters of SNP, at a time when the country is approaching the Centenary celebration of the 1914 Amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates to become a nation of pride, I am wholeheartedly expressing my solidarity and support for the aims, vision, goals, aspirations and the mission of the new political party in our fatherland.
I am extremely overwhelmed and convinced, beyond any iota of doubt, that the Sovereign National Party initiative will be sown on the nation’s fertile soil in the no distant future as it will be widely acknowledged by opinion leaders and stakeholders across the globe.
The pursuit of grassroots oriented goals as demonstrated and amplified by the Sovereign National Party is a challenge that must be embraced by all who are genuinely concerned about the present degeneration of the country in both national and global levels.
The fact, is that the proclamation and prosecution of heroic deeds culminating in the formation and formal launching of the Sovereign National Party deserve the support of every single Nigerian youth and the full involvement of our women.
The Sovereign National Party is emerging in the nation’s political history at a time patriots need to wake up to challenge and change the ugly tides of our socio-economic and political landscape.
As we resolve to remain committed to the actualization of this project, we all should be prepared to work extra hours to stave off any unforeseen hindrances to the actualization of our set goals. Nigerian youth must collectively determine to espouse the political and socio-economic mandate of SNP in order to control and win political power at all levels of governance for the promotion and realization of the overall aspirations of the Nigerian downtrodden masses because the will of the people is the will of God. The will of the people must therefore prevail NOW and FOREVER.
As a Nigerian who is deeply concerned with the plight of the suffering masses, especially the youth and womenfolk, my clarion call, is that the deprived and desolate Nigerians (youth and women) who believe in positive change and genuine development should begin to talk, act, mobilize, form groups, associations, cells, contacts and chains of solidarity as a support to positively put in proper perspective the goals and mission of the Sovereign National Party.
This has become imperative because Nigerian youth and women need to take their destiny in their own hands in order to recapture the essence of our nation’s glorious past.
The over sixty percent (60%) of the Nigerian population which constitute mainly the youths have the capacity to challenge the status quo and change the tide of the ugly Nigerian situation to bring our nation back on the path of sanity and positive re-transformation.
Until the political power of the country is politically transferred to the downtrodden and the depressed, there cannot be absolute peace and national development.
We must therefore talk. We must organize. We must act. We must synergise because A CLOSED MOUTH IS A CLOSED DESTINY.
All hands must be on deck to improve the well-being of the suffering masses of our great country. Our case is urgent. The cause of the Sovereign National Party is urgent and unique. SNP has a date and mandate with destiny. It therefore demands urgent intervention and action.
The urgency of the SNP mission is of paramount importance to the present and future generation of Nigerian youths and the suffering masses. The SNP is more than a mere political party, it is a movement, an African revival movement.
We have no other choice than to stand up from our present shackles of despair, desolation and backwardness and become committed to the program of the Sovereign National Party. It’s a clarion national call to service.
Welcome to a new era of Sovereign Nationalism, an era of sovereign re-orientation. An era of socio-economic and political emancipation of Nigeria from oppression and retrogression. This is our time.
Please visit and register:www.sovereignnationalparty.com
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday January 17, 2013 arraigned Eugene Okpala, a retired Colonel, before the Federal High Court, Enugu on a seven count charge of forgery, and obtaining money under false pretences.
Okpala and others (still at large) in August 2008 allegedly conspired and sold a parcel of land at Independence Layout, Enugu belonging to Chief Philip Asiodu to Dominion City Church for N34million (thirty four million naira).
The Church which petitioned the Commission claimed it bought the land after inquiries at the Ministry of Lands indicated that the proprietary rights to the land originally leased to Asiodu by the government in 1977 had been transferred to Col. Okpala (rtd). Based on this information, the Church negotiated and bought the property from Col. Okpala for N34m plus a five percent agency fee. The transaction was allegedly funded on behalf of the church by Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited).
The money was to be paid in three installments but Col. Okpala claimed he was owing a certain ‘Chief’ who had the original document to the land the sum of N14m and that the ‘chief’ will only release the document if he is paid, An agreement was reached to pay the money and Col. Okpala invited the “Chief” to Bank PHB where N14m was paid to him. Col. Okpala asked for an additional N1m which was given to him.
Thereafter, Col. Okpala disappeared.
In 2010 the church tried to develop the property but was stopped by Asiodu’s attorney who informed them that the property was never sold to anyone. Investigations later revealed that the documents which Col. Okpala claimed were given to him by Chief Asiodu were forged.
One of the charges against the accused reads: “that you, Eugene Okpala and Christ Onu, Emeka, Dr Maduabuchi and others (all still at large), sometime in August 2008 at Enugu conspired to commit offence by obtaining money under false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act””.
Okpala pleaded not guilty to all seven count charge.
The prosecuting counsel, M. H. Ibekwute then asked the court to remand the accused in prison and fix a date for the commencement of trial. An oral bail application by the defense counsel, J. E. Orji was rejected by the trial judge, Justice M. Shuaibu who ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned proceedings to January 22, 2013 for commencement of trial.
There were indications yesterday in Abuja, that the leader of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau was wounded during a gun battle with security men recently.
Sources said in Abuja that security agencies traced the whereabouts of Shekau, who succeeded late Mohammed Yusuf as leader of the sect to Mali, where he escaped to after sustaining injuries during a gun duel with soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF, a.k.a Operation Restore Order.
Sources told Saturday Vanguard that the Federal Government approved the deployment of 1,200 soldiers apparently because of the need to arrest the wounded Boko Haram leader.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika who addressed officers and soldiers of the Nigerian army shortly before they were airlifted to Mali Thursday in Kaduna, asked them to be extra vigilant as there are indications that some terrorists had sneaked into the country with the aim of causing havoc.
Ihejirika however, pointed out that the Nigerian Army was not resting on its oars as the war against terror was being won.
Saturday Vanguard learnt that the battle between the JTF and the sect members took place at Gao city, in the heart of Northern Mali presently under the control of Tuareg militants.
Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist militants, dressed in a black turban and a white gown and bullet-proof vest – holding an AK 47 rifle. In his 40-minute audio message, Shekau reportedly blamed the deaths of “innocent civilians” on Nigeria’s security forces but threatened to carry out a bombing campaign against Nigeria’s secondary schools and universities – unless security forces stopped what he claimed was a series of recent attacks on Islamic schools or madrassas in the northern town of Maiduguri.
It was further learnt that Shekau, who is having N50million ransom hanging on his head from the Federal Government, was ferried to Mali through one of the porous routes in the vast Nigerian border without Customs and Immigration authorities getting wind of it.
Saturday Vanguard was told that while the Boko Haram leader was being given medication in Gao, the foreign sponsors of the sect’s activities in Nigeria, were busy, using his name to indoctrinate, train and recruit more members for the sect.
Shekau was said to have been shot at a checkpoint when he reportedly attempted to deceive operatives of the JTF by posing as a nomadic Fulani who was returning from a journey. However, on approach of the vehicle conveying him and members of his sect, ‘’a hot exchange of gunfire ensued as the sect members started firing at the soldiers who equally returned fire for fire.’’
During the crossfire, he and two other sect members with him escaped with gunshot wounds while two members of the sect were killed on the spot. Some AK 47 rifles were recovered from the vehicle.
While stating that most of the weaponry including IEDS recovered from Boko Haram members have been traced to the weaponry used during the Libyan uprising against late Libyan leader, Gaddafi, the source said Nigerian security agencies believed that the more sophisticated and deadly weaponry had gotten to the hands of sect members but they are unable to operate them because they are not trained for it.
The source cited the discovery of Shekau’s hideout and the training base for Boko Haram sect members to unleash terror on Nigerians as a further justification of the action of the federal government to deploy 1, 200 troops as well as Airforce fighter and transport aircraft to Mali to help flush out the Tuareg militants and their sponsors.
Saturday Vanguard further gathered that security has been beefed up along the Nigerian Army First Mechanized Division and the Third Armoured Division’s areas of responsibilities with the deployment of soldiers at the borders to complement the work of other security agencies following the escalation of the Mali crisis with a view to checkmating infiltrations into the country by terrorists.
Last December, a total sum of N290 million ransom was approved for anyone who could assist in locating Imam Abubakar Shekau and 18 other leaders of Boko Haram.
A release by the JTF listed the wanted Boko Haram leaders to include five members of the Shurra (the highest decision-making body of the sect) Committee and 19 of their commanders.
The five members of the Shurra Committee of the sect, including Imam Abubakar Shekau whose ramsom was N50 million, and Habibu Yusuf (a.k.a Asalafi), Khalid Albarnawai, Momodu Bama and Mohammed Zangina. Apart from Imam Shekau whose ransom was put at N50 million, the other Shurra members’ ransom was put at N25million each.
A ransom of N10 million each was put on the Boko Haram Commanders including, Abu Saad, Abba Kaka, Abdulmalik Bama, Umar Fulata, Alhaji Mustapha, (Massa) Ibrahim and Abubakar Suleiman-Habu a.k.a Khalid.
Other commanders also included Hassan Jazair, Ali Jalingo, Alhaji Musa Modu, Bashir Aketa, Abba Goroma, Ibrahim Bashir, Abubakar Zakariya and Tukur Ahmed Mohammed.
The JTF statement on the N290 million ransom then, reads in part; “They are wanted in connection with terrorist activities, particularly in the North East zone of Nigeria that led to the killings, bombings and assassination of some civilians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, businessmen, politicians, civil servants and security personnel, among others.
They are also wanted for arson and destruction of properties worth millions of naira. Therefore, anyone with information that will lead to the arrest of any of the listed terrorists or more will have the rewards (placed on them) as stated.’’
Despite that Isoko nation is the third largest ethnic group in Delta State and second region to discover oil and gas in 1958 after oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in Nigeria in 1956 near Oloibiri, Rivers State, yet the region has being totally relegated to the background. In the time past, Isoko, Itsekeri and Ijaw were vigorously agitated for Coast State which Warri was sited as the headquarters of the State but such effort could not see the light of the day as a result of some political powers that be in the state. One of the problems presently confronting Isoko is inability for government to organize youth enlightenment programmes that would help to build intellectual structure in the region than sponsored violence by some unscrupulous and devious politicians in the land.
On 27th December 2012, one dynamic and energetic young Ivrogbo- Irri man, Jerome Edafe Asedegbega, the youngest son of Odiologbo of the community organized a well- attended youth educative programme which was tagged as “Erudite forum group” to enlighten the community youth on educational development in all ramifications which the Crème de la Crème of sons and daughters of the community were there to contribute their creative ideals to make Ivrogbo youth to be sought after in the nearest future. This programme brought out the total darkness of Ivrogbo youths to see the light of education and nothing more. Political or economic revolution can begin if all Isoko youths are well- informed in terms of educational orientation and not to be used by one dubious politician as thugs or distraught messengers in the region
Sadly, Isoko nation only has two local governments, Isoko south and Isoko North with population of about 3 million people with 19 clans and over 40 villages, there is no presence of government development in the region. Some Isoko communities are fast becoming troubled areas due to oil and gas business that some community leaders and elders now see it as a political business and nothing else. Uzere community in Isoko South Local Government Area has been known for oil brawl over the years despite high-flying sons and daughters that come from the community. Some Isoko educative youths have decided to draw the attention of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state to construct some of derelict projects by preceding governments in the region.Umeh road is one of the projects of Uduaghan led- government that has given full attention to without dithering through the social media with the support of one prominent lawyer of Umeh community and others
Since Isoko division was created in 1963 out of then Western region and Delta state in 1991 precisely, Isoko nation is totally marginalized by powers that be. Over 100 oil wells and gas flaring stations are sited in Isoko region, yet some unscrupulous politicians and individuals have decided to take the region to the cleaners through their sponsored violence in the region. Uzere community has been in conflict over leadership tussle among traditional rulers and others. Isoko community is into farming, fishing and trading while its land space is 1724 kilometers square and located in upland. Isoko people are industrious to the core. Though Delta state belongs to one entity, yet unity is not binded as a result of ethnic conflagration in the region over the years. Some Isoko people have contributed largely to the developmental progress of Isoko region in likes of Hon Dickson Ebegbare, Otunba Isaac Emiyede, Engr Johnny Onozefe, Engr Solomon Okpithe, Prince Frank Egbodo,Dr Ben Obi,Hon Benjamin Essien,Chief Gregory Akpojene(MON) Hon Macaulay Ovuzourie and others. These people have used their personal resources to grow the vision of Isoko nation in one way or the other. Isoko nation is known for political appointments than contesting for positions of government in the state. The likes Chief John Kpokpogri and Prof Salib Umukoro that contested under the PDP in 2011 as governorship aspirants which many hopes thought Isoko son will emerge as a governor, but politically betrayed Isoko region for monetary benefits. No Isoko man or woman has held sensitive political position in the federal level except state where Uduaghan appointed some Isoko sons and daughters in key position of his administration. IDU and other leadership bodies are in mute and not ready to build formidable leadership in Isoko land. Comparison must be aborted out of Isoko leaders in the region.
Even the Anioma people are strongly agitating for governorship in 2015 and their own state creation while Isoko region still waiting for Uduaghan’s government to fix Isoko leadership for them and the Urohobo nation is not left out in terms of political agitation for state governorship in 2015 too.Urohobo people are more enlighten in political development of Delta state and has the highest local government in the state out of the 25.
It is time for Isoko nation to wake up from slumber and not to play second fiddle in Delta politics in 2015.Isoko nation cannot remain Obi as a boy for Delta politics. Those Isoko politicians sponsoring thugs to abolish their political opponents should deviate from such acts and embrace unity in the regiom.All Isoko activists, publishers, professionals and others must support the developmental progress of the region now.
Ordinarily, I would not respond to the ludicrous, thoughtless and bizarre rantings of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsday Orubebe against Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, but it has become imperative for me to do this and show clearly that the Minister’s game is just to divert attention from his ineptitude and abysmal failure.
Contrary to his madcap vituperations, Governor Amaechi has tremendous respect for the office of the President of Nigeria and President Goodluck
Jonathan. The office of the President of Nigeria is a big institution that deserves utmost respect and it would be grossly irresponsible for anyone to disrespect Mr. President, which unfortunately Minister Orubebe is doing by dragging the President’s name into his inability to deliver on the East –West Road. Minister Orubebe seems to suffer from a severe form of selective amnesia as he conveniently forgets that the same Amaechi he (Orubebe) now contemptuously, disgraciously and insolently disparages and flippantly accuses of not respecting Mr. President, led Rivers people to overwhelming vote for and gave President Jonathan the highest votes bany State in the country at the last Presidential elections.Minister Orubebe should please tell us, what respect, regard and show of love is bigger than that?
Minister Orubebe’s imprudent and reckless attacks on the person of Governor Amaechi is a dubious but obvious attempt by the minister to divert attention from his abysmal failure to deliver on the East- West road. This callous attempt to drag the President’s name into it is what is
most disrespectful and irresponsible.
I challenge Minister Orubebe to show the world projects he started and completed in the Niger-Delta as Minister of Niger-Delta affairs. I challenge Minister Orubebe to show the world one project he started and completed in Rivers State with the huge resources allocated to his ministry.
Or is Rivers State not part of the Niger-Delta, Minister Orubebe?In the same vein, I challenge Minister Orubebe to come to Rivers State at anytime of his choice and since he has become too blind to see Governor Amaechi’s monumental developmental strides and projects in the State, I will be mosdelighted to show him the kilometres upon kilometres of brand new roads and bridges, the world-class new hospitals and health Centres scattered all over the State, the exquisite primary and secondary schools that has become the model for many, the robust urban renewal programme, and many more developmental projects of the Amaechi administration.I will advise him to make sure he brings the press along as well; so when he suffers from his selective amnesia again, the media will be quick to remind him that they saw the projects with him.
What an irony, for an appointed minister who has failed woefully, who has been unable to complete one single road, to cast aspersions on an elected governor who is judiciously using the resources of his people to better their lives and develop their State. What a shame! This is indeed most ridiculous and laughable.It’s no longer in doubt that Minister Orubebe does not like Rivers State. Minister Orubebe should please face the simple task of completing one road, just one road, the East- West road, as this dubious diversionary attempt to attack Governor Amaechi will not complete the road that is most dear to the hearts and lives of Niger-Deltans.
The irony thatbedevils Nigeria in contemporary times is that there is an ongoing contest among evil practitioners on how to out-do each other in the execution of one sophisticated crime or the other thereby exposing the precious lives of millions of innocent persons to unmitigated danger given the ominous but tragic reality that the operatives charged constitutionally with the task of law enforcement are grossly deficient in professional skills and efficiency. It is as if the devil in person has relocated to Nigeria.
But organize crime got to its crescendo last year in Nigeria when the 84 -year old mother of the serving minister of Finance and the coordinating minister of the economy Mrs. (Dr.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was kidnapped and was not released from captivity for nearly one month in what is regarded as a revenge mission by members of the discredited cabal in the petroleum sub-sector who have been indicted by a presidential investigative panel for alleged theft of nearly a trillion Naira from public coffers in the guise of payments from the subsidy fund even when they never supplied any petroleum products.
Prior to the sensational and widely celebrated abduction of this old woman from her home in Delta State by these hoodlums, the office of the minister of Finance raised an alarm that alleged petroleum subsidy thieves have severally threatened to deal decisively with her for daring to expose these monumental corruption and heist of several billions of tax payers money. In saner climes when such alarm is raised, the proactive security apparatus and mechanism are activated to prevent any untoward criminal act from happening to the person raising the alarm including the immediate family members. Nigeria is howvere a different kettle of fish because security operatives are good at adopting fire brigade approach to anti-crime fight.
Even in the security quarters, the kidnap of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother in December last year was linked to the anti-corruption stance of the Finance minister but very little was done to stop these evil practitioners from successfully carrying out their threat.
But in what analysts see as official confirmation of suspected reason for the dastardly criminal act, the Federal ministry of Finance through the media office said it was possible that those behind the kidnap were the same people who have made threats against her in the recent past.
In the statement, signed by her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said it was also possible that “other elements with hostile motives” were behind the kidnap.
“No possibility can be ruled out at this time,” the minister said.
The minister’s mother was kidnapped at about 1: 30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon by eight gunmen who invaded her husband’s palace at Ogbe-Ofu quarters in Ogwahi-Uku, Delta State, whisking her away.
Although the abducted mother of the minister of Finance was later released unharm, the symbolism of the entire scenario is that fighting the enthrenched forces of corruption and economic crime is a serious business with life threatening risk.
If you doubt how dangerous it is to battle the scourge of corruption in Nigeria, then ask Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who had to go into exile because of threats to his life allegedly by corrupt forces who also successfully convinced the then president, late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, to unceremoniously sack him from office in very controversial circumstances.
Duncan Clarke in his book “Crude continent: the struggle for Africa’s oil prize”, clearly noted that corruption is larger than life in Nigeria’s oil industry.
He wrote thus; “Corruption in Nigeria has acquired legendary and deserved status. It revolves within the state apparatus (2 million apparatchiks strong), especially around government interfaces with oil”.
In the thinking of this profoundly brilliant writer, the Nigerian Federal Government is unwilling to uproot the well enthrenched and oiled forces of corruption.
His words: “Nigeria stands high on all indices of corruption…the government is inclined to alienate neither the military nor the political elites, and so little has been achieved…”
But last year January, millions of Nigerians trooped out to the streets of major cities and towns across the country to denounce Government’s unwillingness to tackle the monumental corruption in the Petroleum industry and clearly demanded that action be effectively adopted to bring petrol subsidy thieve to trial. These protesters were angered by government’s decision to hike the pump price of petroleum products in Nigeria which obviously inflicted pains on the living condition of millions of people.
Nuhu Ribadu was quoted by the British Broadcasting corporation’s website as describing last year January’s mass protest as legendary.
According to Nuhu Ribadu, “the biggest single victory Nigerians scored (during the protests) was to put the question of corruption squarely back on the top of our national policy agenda”.
Officials of the Federal ministry of Finance also confirmed that the mass protests last year motivated and reinvigorated the anti-corruption posture of the serving minister of Finance-Mrs. (Dr.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
A position paper obtained from the Federal ministry of Finance recently confirmed that the January 2012 mass protest was a major turning point to expose corrupt persons and companies who have stolen from the petrol subsidy Fund.
According to this position paper; “The ministry of Finance played a critical role in realizing what is possibly the most important response against corruption by the administration. The establishment of the Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede committee to investigate fuel subsidy payments. The committee was a direct fall out of the nationwide protests that followed the removal of subsidies on January 1st 2012….”
It was to the credit of the enormous forensic investigative activities of this committee set up by the Finance ministry and elevated to a presidential panel by President Jonathan, that over 25 big petroleum companies owned by some close associates of the people in power, were indicted for heist of public fund in false subsidy claims.The Finance Minister nevertheless thinks that fighting corruption is a big business that is fraught with life threatening risks.
In her latest book titled; “Reforming the unreformable: lessons from Nigeria”, the Finance minister Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged that waging battle against systemic corruption in Nigeria is a risky business.
Her words: “It was clear to the Economic Team working on the reforms that fighting corruption successfully would require four crucial and inseparable ingredients”.
According to her the four basic requirements for successfully waging war against corruption in Nigeria are political will and commitment from the top; secondly, identifying and focusing on the most damaging forms of corruption; thirdly, was to develop measurable indicators of success or other means of demonstrating success; and lastly, ability to withstand personal intimidation or threats and to forge on with the fight.
The finance minister has spoken well but to a lot of Nigerians, the current administration needs to do more to show the World that it means serious business in the fight against corruption.
There is the serious need for the current administration to sanction officials of the various strategic ministries who are frustrating whistle- blowers and the organized civil society community in Nigeria by refusing to comply with numerous freedom of information requests to avail Nigerians with basic information on how government expenditures are made given the fact that public procurement processes are some of the worst forms of corruption and economic crime.
President Jonathan’s government should keep corrupt persons in prisons where they belong and stop romancing with them because it makes no sense that some of the key persons indicted in the fuel subsidy theft are seen romancing publicly with the presidency even as some of them recently bagged presidential national awards. The National Assembly is also harbouring some of the worst corrupt persons who publicly admitted receiving bribes to shield fuel subsidy thieves. These persons who still parade around as legislators must be prosecuted and sanctioned to show that the law is bigger than any person no matter the status. The corruption in the judiciary is disturbing. Corrupt judges must be exposed, prosecuted and punished to serve as effective deterrent.
Another area whereby we need to close the yawning gap in the anti-graft fight is to strengthen the institutions that fight corruption and to legally outlaw all possible areas of political interferences in their work even as the court system needs to be reformed to effectively adjudicate anti-graft matters so that the huge public fund diverted into private pockets of public officials are retrieved and returned to public treasury to serve only the public good.
I agree entirely with the British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC] when it concluded in a recent report published online that “corruption undermines economic growth, creates institutional mismanagement and hurts society by holding back economic development at all levels”.
It is therefore imperative that anti-corruption crusaders such as Mrs. (Dr.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are supported to achieve the national target of using the mechanism of due legal process to sanction corrupt persons and to enthrone a regime of transparency, accountability and zero-tolerance to corruption.
It is either we are serious to fight and defeat the hydraheaded monster of corruption or corruption will completely strangulate Nigeria and Nigerians. Let us chose wisely and the time is now.
