Patience Jonathan: 'I will lead protest to Chibok, and I don't mind being shot

First Lady Patience Jonathan has said she's ready to lead a protest to Chibok, Borno state if the kidnapped girls are not released soon, and doesn't mind being shot if that's what it will take to release the girls. Nigeria First Lady made this statement during a meeting with wives of government functionaries, female Senators and Commissioners.

"I do not mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely, we are tired of the kidnapping,” she said.

According to her, First Ladies of other countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Niger and others have  being calling to ask her questions and offer assistance on the matter.

"They intimate me of their readiness to help. They also asked me questions that I could not answer ‎and as women we are the last hope of this nation. We cannot fail our fellow women and the nation. If need be, we will call on the northern elders to help us so that our children and husbands will not die,” Dame Jonathan said.‎‎

She said a committee would be set up at a stakeholders meeting involving wives of all the relevant bodiestomorrow May 4th. She warned that failure of any relevant agency to honour their invitation to the meeting would force her and others to make the Chibok protest a reality.

"I cannot perpetuate hearsay and rumour; I must have facts to tell the international community. We will set up a committee to seek the truth as women. If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok" she said

Asari warns that no threat can stop Jonathan from contesting second term:Boko Haram

EX militant Field Marshall and founder Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Asari Dokubo has warned that no amount of threat would stop President Goodluck Jonathan from running for a second term.

Asari who spoke at a programm organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC in Port Harcourt said Boko Haram’s killings were part of sponsored scheme to stop President Jonathan from going for a second term.

Continuing, the ex militant Field Mashall said the N7ger Delta Development Commission, NDDC had cone to stay, adding that no governnent can scrap it.

.“They have started oo! The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau said in a video that we should not play with them. He said, Goodluck, I am coming for you. Niger Delta, we are coming for you.

Are we going to allow them to shoot the guns and throw the bombs? That is when we will dance?” . .   “2015 is more than do or die. It is our very survival that is being challenged, and we must tell them.

You are a man and I am a man, we are going to meet at the battlefield. Be prepared, be watchful. The enemies should not be allowed”.

“In this region, there will be only one vote. The people from the North have said that they should scrap the NDDC, that they should reduce the 13 per cent derivation to five per cent, and that nobody owns oil”.  “We have to gather again and tell them (North) that they cannot dare it.

The North cannot scrap the NDDC. The North cannot reduce the 13 per cent derivation to five per cent. If they try it now, they will see. It is because our brother is the president that is why  we are hanging on peacefully”. He further charged political office holders in the region to create empowerment programmes for youths in the area, stressing that they should take steps to reduce poverty in the region.

“If we beg to pay our rents and our children’s school fees, then what is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of life if I stand at the gate of NDDC and beg anybody that comes in and goes out with money? Why would we allow our people to become beggars in the midst of plenty?” “Whether you do the right thing or not, we will fight until victory comes. You (the managing director of NDDC) never sent us. Nobody sent us. When we decided to fight, we did not know you. You never sponsored us. We fought because we believe that suffering will end. But if you, the beneficiaries of our blood, sweat and pains, will treat us as small children, then, what have we gained in this struggle?”

“Let us make it very clear that if we did not fight, Goodluck Jonathan would not have been president of this country. It is because we fought that he became president. It is insulting to give us water hyacinth contract. I have the capacity to construct the road to Bonny. Today, vehicles have started going to Nembe, and that is a miracle”.  Speaking at the event , Managing director of the NDDC, Bassey Dan-Abia, said the new management of the NDDC was working to tackle challenges of poverty in the region.

SOURCE.vanguardngr

Possible Boko Haram attack in Lagos: US Warns

 US diplomats in Nigeria on Friday claimed that “groups associated with terrorism” could be planning to attack a hotel in the financial capital, Lagos, in a travel note to citizens warning of security risks.
“As of late April, groups associated with terrorism allegedly planned to mount an unspecified attack against the Sheraton Hotel in Nigeria, near the city of Lagos,” the US Consulate General in Lagos said in an emailed advisory.
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State acknowledges cheers, during the 53rd Independence day anniversary, at Police College Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State acknowledges cheers, during the 53rd Independence day anniversary, at Police College Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.
“There was no further information regarding which of the two Sheraton Hotels in Lagos was the possible target, or if both of the Sheraton Hotels are possible targets.
“There is no further information regarding the timing or method of attack. US citizens are cautioned to avoid these hotels at this time.”
The warning comes a day after a car bomb exploded in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, killing 19 people and wounding scores more, just yards (metres) from a bus station where a previous bombing on April 14 killed at least 75.
Boko Haram claimed the April 14 attack and both bombings have raised fears about a possible change in tactics and targets by the Islamist militants, whose increasingly deadly, five-year insurgency has largely been confined to the north.
Concern has mounted that the violence could spread to other parts of the country given the military’s apparent inability to stem the bloodshed.
A hotel attack by Islamist extremists would not be unprecedented.
In November 2008, heavily armed gunmen attacked three luxury hotels, a railway station, Jewish centre and popular tourist cafe in the Indian city of Mumbai, killing 166 and wounding more than 300.
Sheraton has two hotels in Lagos: the Sheraton Hotel Lagos in the Ikeja area of the city near the international airport and the Four Points by Sheraton.
The latter is situated on Victoria Island off the expressway to Lekki, both of which are home to many wealthier Nigerians and expatriates.
The US travel advisory said the security situation in Nigeria remained “fluid and unpredictable”, warning its citizens to stay away from all travel to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states which have borne the brunt of the violence.
All three are in northeast Nigeria and have been under a state of emergency since May last year. SOURCE.vanguardngr

US embassy in Nigeria warns of possible terror attack on Sheraton Hotel in Lagos

The United States Embassy in Nigeria today Friday May 2nd issued a warning to U.S citizens, asking them to avoid Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, and also said 'groups associated with terrorism' are planning an attack on Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.

The warning was posted on their website here. Continue to read the full statement...

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria and recommends that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states because of the May 14, 2013 state of emergency proclamation for those three states by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of late April, groups associated with terrorism allegedly planned to mount an unspecified attack against the Sheraton Hotel in Nigeria, near the city of Lagos. There was no further information regarding which of the two Sheraton Hotels in Lagos was the possible target, or if both of the Sheraton Hotels are possible targets. There is no further information regarding the timing or method of attack. U.S. citizens are cautioned to avoid these hotels at this time.

The security situation in the country remains fluid and unpredictable. The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens in Nigeria to keep personal safety and health in the forefront of your planning. We remind U.S. citizens to review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.

The Department strongly advises U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nigeria to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact you in an emergency.

North rejects creation of additional state for South-East

Even before the proposal for the creation of one more state for the South-East geo-political zone is tabled at plenary for discussion, the North has rejected the plan, saying the zone does not have the required landmass and population to warrant the new state.

The opposition of the North to the creation of more states in the country and particularly for the South-East, is contained in a 46-page document, prepared by the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, for all northern delegates to the ongoing National Conference.

The document, which is entitled “Key Issues before the Northern Delegates to the 2014 National Conference”, also described Northern Nigeria as the “backbone and strength of Nigeria” and has already been distributed to the northern delegates.

The ACF said it opposed the creation of more states in Nigeria because too many states have tended to convert them into what it called “mere cost or effort centres” at the expense of socio-economic development.

“It is against this backdrop that the ACF believes that the creation of any additional state at this point in time is counter-productive and therefore, should be kept on hold until the need can be justified in future.

“The argument that creation of states should be on the basis of equality irrespective of population and landmass is inconsistent with the elementary concept of justice, since injustice is not only when equals are treated unequally but also when unequals are treated equally”.

The northern group argued further that going by the population average per state, each of the 36 states of the federation could be assumed to have an average of 3,888,987 and a landmass of 27,327 square kilometre.

Using its baseline land mass and average population for each of the states, ACF argued that the South-East with a total population of 16,381, 729 and a landmass of 33,664 square kilometres, presents each of the five states in the zone with a population of 3, 276,345 and a landmass of 33,664 square kilometres.

ACF, therefore, argued that the population per state in the South-East is far less than the national average by 612,642 while its landmass of 33,664 square kilometres is not up to 25 per cent of the National Average.

The group maintained that the total land mass of the South-East is just a little above the National Average per state.

On the other hand, the ACF boasted that its seven states in the North-West alone, boasts of a population of 35,786,994 and a land mass of 222,120 square kilometres, with an average population of 5,112,421, which it claimed is 1,223,434 higher than the national average.

Turning to the South-West, the northern group pointed out that the six states in the zone have a small population of 27,581,994, which amounts to 4,596,999 per state, which is 1,320,654 far higher than the South-East average.

But the ACF conceded that by land mass, the South-West with a figure of 78,774 square kilometres is 13,129 square kilometres or twice the South-East average.

The group argued that for any state to be created in the South-East, the South-West must have up to nine states first, if population were to be used as the deciding factor and as many as 12 more states if land mass were to be the deciding factor.

The north argued: “This proposition, which formed the cardinal position of the South-East since the 1994 Constitutional Conference, has been crafted to whittle down any political advantage the north could exercise in Nigeria despite its huge territorial size and large population.

“Yet, the concept of geo-political zones has no place in our constitution and it should remain so,” the group maintaine : vanguardngr.com

Monumental fraud in Zamfara; -How Gov Yari milk the state dry;

Eighteen years after creation, Zamfara State still remains a traditional rural State due to some lapses, gross non-performance and corruption by virtually all the previous administrations of the state. In this analysis, our correspondent  take a peep at the state and the impediment that deters the progress and revealed that democracy still stand a chance of survival only if the main actors can give the necessary inputs in real term. For quite a long time, Zamfara has prayed for salvation and solace especially, This is what the political class here in Zamfara lacks, a sense of dedication, patriotism and commitment. Most of them are not even fair to themselves much less for those that gave them the mandate. Pundits averred that the attitude in itself is inimical to democratic ideals and consequently anti democratic and by extension autocratic, a situation where anything can go when money is involved is very disastrous and unfortunate.

Truly, democratic set up in Nigeria were full of corruption or corrupt practices. It is the same practice that had hindered the state from economic growth and infrastructural development despite collecting over N370billion as statutory allocation from the federation account within the period Investigations revealed that Governor Abdul Azees Yari’s administration has failed by the judgment of majority and in farct by his own admission and to register and appreciable success. His failures were indeed followed by his inability to fight corruption or better still his choice to allow carefree attitude of people in the corridors of power to continue dominating the system. In fact everything remains as it was even worse. Money from the public treasury were used to achieve political ends, an episode where government tendered cash allegedly forwarded to top
politicians for victories is still the public funds. And none of them has given any explanation in that matter.

This administration has not made any sincerity and dedication as their hallmark which is why they have not built strong economic base and conducive Zamfara State. The money they were alleged to have looted is
more than the little they spent for public projects during this administration. The evil calamity they inflicted on the masses is still haunting the common masses. The state has been placed into a waste basket. Ask them, is money they stole into their accounts not enough to service the debt the state owes? After robbing the state of
its resources, they still went to disgrace its image in the world.

Governor Yari on assuming power worsen the debt crisis in the state by securing illegal loan of N4billion allegedly with high interest rate in a supposedly Sharia. The facility was secured without the approval
of the state House of Assembly and before the constitution of the state executive council. Questionable projects that are not priority to the immediate needs of the people but were created to favour the
economic interest of friends, associates and conduit pipes was awardedby Yari in violation of due process and from all analysis over inflated.

Governor Yari is perhaps today the most widely travelled state governor in Nigeria with a record of spending over N2billion according to an insider that pleaded not to be mentioned on expenses incurred on hotel, food and air craft charter across Nigeria. His frequent travels to Dubai, London and Suadi Arabia according to the source has cost the poor people of Zamfara state more than N500million with the period of less than one year according to the source. Within the same period, Zamfara owing to Yari’s negligence and disregard to the welfare of the people has lost the services of more than 20 medical doctors due to non payment of their salaries and failure to effect the payment of their allowances and salary increament.

Investigation also reveals that nearly 50% of the highly substandard but inflated projects Yari has embarked upon was concentrated in his home town of Talatan Mafara, a move condemn by citizens of the state as irresponsible for a leader that was elected by all the people of the state. Another source who pleaded anonymity told FOA that Yari was warned by his Malam not to relocate to the Government House hence his illegal decision to remain in his home at Talatan Mafara since he was elected and incurring huge expenses in the process and subjecting the police and other security agents to divide within the Government House in Gusau and the governor’s house at Talatan Mafara.

Among all the former governors of Zamfara state according to those interviewed by this paper, “Yari in less than one year through his conduct, policies and vision has proven to be the most insensitive with no clear policy direction. From creation, the state has never got any direction or focus due to poor financial management by the past leaders of the state. The whole system has become faulty democratically as there was no trust or truth in the system. The influx of the youth to the urban areas increased the rate of political thuggery in the state.

According to Malam Bello Gusau, “it is shameful and disgraceful that the world has stepped into a global village, yet Zamfara is yet to locate its level, in dare need of development. The failure of all the government is because they did not have the sense of purpose,direction and focus. The gravity of the whole offence lays drastically and terrifyingly on the past leaders who left power to Governor Abdul’azeez Yari. While Yari had continued to plunder as the case of his predecessors, pundits believed that he inherited virtually nothing
from the past governors. But considering the kind of leadership and lack of accountability Zamfara witnessed in the last ten months under Yari, the incumbent governor and his predecessors are to be collectively blamed for the backwardness of the state and for allowing so called contractors to defraud the state with nothing commensurate in return.

Pundits also averred that if Yari is indeed serious in fighting corruption he must start with himself by stopping his unnecessary foreign and domestic trips and ensure sanity and transperancy in awarding government contract and in determining who or which company is qualified. They also said that Yari should start the war on corruption by subjecting his blood brother, Ja’afaru Dan’ auta to the EFCC for investigation because according to them the stupendous wealth Dan’auta is intimidating the people with which he didn’t have prior to the emergence of his brother as governor must be investigated to convince the people that Yari is sincere and committed to fight corruption. They said virtually all the commissioners of Yari are redundant because all issues that has to do with money is now under the authority and monopoly of Dan’auta, Usman Sahabi Kaura and Alhaji Sani Jega.

“The situation in Zamfara is unfortunate. Dan’auta is illiterate and has nothing before his brother became governor. Usman Sahabi has been cheating Zamfara and making millions since Yarima was governor. If the governor is serious Dan’auta, Usman Kaura and Sani Jega must go to jail for the financial crimes they are committing against Zamfara and its citizens”, Bello said.

But many believed that if the way Yari has started by reducing government to impact on the economic lives of few privileged in the state is anything to go by, he will go down as the worst governor Zamfara state has ever had. For now and in view of the typical leadership direction of Yari, the hope of getting a governor that will transform the state and its economy has been dashed in Yari.

Anambra residents react as Jonathan moves to appoint Peter Obi minister

Former governor of Anambra state has acquainted himself very well and don’t forget that there has been precedents of people coming in from other political parties to be ministers.”

President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to reward the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, ahead of his political party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State to fill the now vacant ministerial slot in the wake of Stella Oduah’s sack as the aviation minister.

Mrs. Oduah, from Anambra State, was sacked as minister following her indictment for her role in the unlegislated purchase of armoured vehicles by the aviation ministry.

Based on Nigerian law, Mr. Jonathan is to pick another person from Anambra to fill the state’s position in the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, and possibly to replace Mrs. Oduah as Aviation Minister.

A whispering campaign in Awka, the Anambra State capital and in Abuja, among political leaders across party divide from the state, suggest that the President is on track to reward the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, his personal friend, and an APGA member, with the ministerial slot.

The appointment if eventually announced by the presidency may not meet any stiff opposition based on what residents of the state are saying.

The Executive Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria [IPAC] in the state, Ken Emeakaiyi, said he sees nothing wrong in the president’s plan.

“APGA as a political party pledged their support to the good programmes of the party (PDP),” Mr. Emeakaiyi, a factional chairman of the PDP in Anambra, said.

“Governor Peter Obi as governor of Anambra state, knowing what Anambra people wanted, knowing how much the Anambra people followed Mr. President, then towed the line of Mr. President by supporting Mr. President and supporting the PDP programmes,” he said.

A leader of Mr. Obi’s APGA in Anambra, Victor Ogene, also defended any plan by the president to pick the former governor as minister.

“The president is appointing his ministers to witness federal characters and by that each state is supposed to get at least one ministerial slot. He didn’t talk about political parties; that is the first thing I would want to allude to,” Mr. Ogene told PREMIUM TIMES.

“Secondly, former governor of Anambra state has acquainted himself very well and don’t forget that there has been precedents of people coming in from other political parties to be ministers.”

The Anambra politician made reference to a similar appointment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“When President Obasanjo had a sense of current dissertation in 1999, he nominated people like the late Chief Bola Ige and he didn’t just nominate him, he gave him a statutory ministry as Minister of Mines and E-development and later as Attorney General of the Federation.

“It didn’t follow that the late Chief Bola Ige at the time wasn’t of the People’s Democratic Party and there have been some others like that,” he said.

Mr. Ogene argued that President Jonathan should “look for people who have a fine Nigerian agenda. And Peter Obi has shown that beyond his own political meaning, he is one person who goes for anything Nigeria, he distinguished himself in terms of work ethics, in terms of personal examples, in terms of infrastructural development and in terms of proper deployment of the resources of the people of Anambra state and I think that he can replicate that in many folds at the federal level.”

“With somebody like Mr Peter Obi who is a “particular” for due process, you can be sure that that (the Aviation) sector would do him just better.”

Leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra appear unperturbed by Mr. Obi’s likely emergency as minister.

“I’m really not in a position to say anything, the people who are in this position are members of PDP or members of APGA, we are somewhere in the middle,” Okelo Madukaife, an APC member, told PREMIUM TIMES.

“But if we must comment on it for the sake of morality in politics, I think that politicians at every point in time should stand for something.

“It’s not good for a politician to be one thing in the daytime and another thing in the night, it’s a very bad signal for those who are being led and I think that as much as possible that should be discouraged,” he said in seeming reference to the romance between Mr. Obi and the PDP.

A divided romance

Although Mr. Obi and the APGA leadership have a close relationship with Mr. Jonathan, the last Anambra governorship election showed that not all PDP members in Anambra are in support of the relationship.

The three major candidates for the election were Willie Obiano (now governor) of APGA, Chris Ngige of the APC, and Tony Nwoye of PDP; with all the candidates engaging in campaigns of calumny against one another.

Few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Mr. Obiano winner of the election, the PDP national headquarters congratulated him and the party. This was despite the loud public protest of the PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye, and Mr. Ngige that the elections were flawed.

Messrs Nwoye and Ngige are still challenging Mr. Obiano’s victory at the tribunal.

Observers of Anambra politics accused the PDP headquarters and Mr. Jonathan of abandoning the party’s candidate and supporting APGA’s for the election. One of those who raised an eyebrow on this was former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, in a letter written to Mr. Jonathan, accused the president of dumping Mr. Nwoye for the APGA candidate.

An Anambra-based journalist, Emmanuel Obe, in describing the relationship between the former governor and Mr. Jonathan said “it has become clear that Peter Obi was his (the president’s) “man Friday” in Anambra.”

“I think people would have realised that long ago and they have not raised any strong objection to that”

“Even while Peter was in APGA, it appears that the President prefers working him than the PDP people who were always divided. I think it’s like a kind of new way of doing politics,” he said.  SOURCE

Women to stage one-million march in Abuja over abducted girls

Nigerian women would on Wednesday April 30th in Abuja stage a one-million-women march tagged "Free our girls" to press for the release of the schoolgirls that were abducted from Girls Government college in Chibok, Borno state on Monday April 14th.

 

The call for the protest was made during an emergency meeting put together by the Borno state first lady, Hajia Nana Kashim Shettima, yesterday. Coordinator of the protest Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu said the march is expected to involve every woman in the country.

"The last time, we were in black but this time around the colour for the Abuja rally is red; so we should all be prepared and mobilize ourselves for the rally”, she said

Earlier on at the meeting, the first lady amids sobs called on all women to join in efforts to free the abducted girls and also called on wives of heads of Security agents, some of whom were present at the meeting to help plead with their spouses to intensify their efforts in the search for the girls 

"I want to use this opportunity to appeal to wives of security chiefs at the national and state levels to mount pressures on their spouses to intensify effort to rescue our dear children. However, I feel it is necessary to call on all women in Borno to come up with their resolutions and harmonize them. Let us all put our differences aside irrespective of our faith, or ethnicity, let us all join hands together to rescue these girls, I know that we can do it, Almighty Allah is with us, He knows our intention. I am sure for now we are not on our own, I am happy to inform you that the wife of the president called me two days ago, I believe that she is also with us, let us all join hands together irrespective of political affiliations.” she said

Meanwhile, Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade says the military is getting closer to the Boko Haram base where the girls are being kept. He said this yesterday during a tour with journalist to some of Boko Haram bases where the military has been able to dismantle.

"The bases we visited are part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are. It shows that the military had taken over the land. The morale of the soldiers was high, and we are expecting to see more successes from the troops” he said.

'My uncle has been sleeping with me since 2013'

Anthony Wayas (pictured left) a resident of Finima community in Bonny LGA of Rivers State has been accused by his 12 year old niece of having sex with her since 2013, Tribune reports.

 

Anthony, who is the brother to the girl's father took responsibility for her after her father passed away when she was just a year old. By the time she turned 12, he started having sex with her.

 

His evil act came to light on Monday April 21 after the girl told her neighbor what her uncle was doing to her. The neighbor then told another neighbor who told the youth leader in the community and Anthony was accosted in his home where he was badly beaten and had to be rescued by the police. 

Narrating what happened to Tribune, the little girl said

"Uncle Anthony is a father to me. He is my father’s brother. My father is dead and my mother is in our village at Adamawa State, married to another man now. I don’t go to school. I finished Primary 6 and was supposed to start JSS1 but I was not sent to secondary school by my uncle. I usually stay at home to do house chores. I would then take my cousins to school and come back home to work. I would go back to the school in the afternoon to pick them. My  Uncle started sleeping with me in 2013. How it happened was that he would leave for work in the morning and come back in the afternoon while his wife is away at work where she works as a cleaner. He would take the children to the big room, asking them to stay there, and would take me to the small room. He would remove my pant and push me on the bed. He would then remove his trousers and bring out his manhood. He would then put it inside me and sleep with me. I can’t count the number of times it has happened. When I told the wife, she threatened to return me to our village. On Saturday, April 19, my uncle asked me to mix hot and cold water for him to take his bath. He took the bucket to the bathroom and asked me to bring his sponge to him. As I took the sponge to him, he dragged me into the bathroom and had sex with me. There were people in the house but he warned me not to shout.  The following morning, I told one woman in our compound. She, in turn, told someone and when the person interviewed me, he called in the Finima youths. I am surprised that my uncle is denying.” she said

Anthony denied the accusation made by the little girl saying he has suffered erectal dysfunctional for a long time due to a sexually transmitted disease he suffered sometime ago.

"I am surprised at what she said that I was having sex with her because it is not true. I have a problem with my manhood which has resulted in my inability to make love to a woman. I have not been experiencing erection at all. I was told by my doctor that it was caused by syphilis that I once had. He said the sexually transmitted disease was not well treated when I had it. It also resulted in my having zero sperm in my semen which the doctor said would not make me have a baby. I was given Proviron to boost my sperm count.” he said.

Anthony's wife, who the girl accused as an accomplice, says her husband has sexual challenges and that Karen never told her of her husband's sexual advances

"We have been married for 14 years but, initially, my husband had low sperm count. He married another woman after me but we got pregnant at the same time after several prayers. I have a child and the other woman has two. She has left and I am the one taking care of her children with mine. Karen is my husband’s niece. She came to us after her father died and she was just about a year old then. I am confused about the whole issue because my husband had been having weak erection for over a year and had not been able to make love to me. We sought medical help and the doctor recommended some drugs.  Since the drugs are expensive, we have resorted to prayers. I am not defending my husband but I don’t understand how he was able to have sexual relationship with  the girl with his current condition. And Karen did not inform me as she claimed. If she did, I would have admitted it,” the wife said.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident and says investigation is currently going on and if he is found guilty, he would be charged to court.

International sport stars when they were cute kids: Photos

Football superstar Ronaldinho pictured above. 

See many more sports stars when they were kids,,,,,

Cristiano Ronaldo

Venus and Serena Williams

Tiger Woods

Lebron James

Mo Farrah

Roger Federer

Lionel Messi

Andy Murray

Rafael Nadal

Diego Maradona

Lewis Hamilton

Michael Owen

Lance Armstrong

David Beckham

Neymar

 l

How Former Edo Governor, Igbinedion, Lost N3.3 billion To Venezuelan Con men

 

Former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion

Nemesis may have finally caught up with ex-convict and former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, as he has lost over N3.3 billion to Venezuelan fraudsters, in a deal that bears all the marks of a classic 419 scam, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively reveal.

Court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES also suggest that Mr. Igbinedion may be insolvent, as two US-based law firms have walked away from a $600 million lawsuit he instituted against the alleged mastermind and the Venezuelan state owned oil company, Petroleos De Venezuela S.A (PDVSA), over his inability to pay retainer as low as  N627,000.00 ($3,800.00).
Mr. Igbinedion plundered Edo State treasury for the eight years he was governor. He escaped jail after he reached a controversial plea bargain agreement with the Farida Waziri-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which dropped all but one of the 191 charges of corruption and money laundering against him.
In 2008, a Federal High Court in Enugu sentenced him to six months in prison with the option of a N3.5 million fine. The controversial plea bargain agreement he reached with the EFCC also required that he return N500 million and three of the houses he acquired with stolen public funds to the Federal Government.
But it’s not yet Uhuru for Mr. Igbinedion as the Court of Appeal in Benin ruled on April 9, 2014 that he has a case to answer over a fresh 66-count money laundering and financial impropriety suit brought against him by the EFCC. A Federal High Court had ruled in 2011 that it would amount to double jeopardy and abuse of court process to try him again after the plea bargain he entered with the EFCC.
He has been accused of stealing over N3 billion from Edo State’s treasury.

In 2006, looking to cash in on the lucrative but fraud-tainted fuel importation business, the ex-governor’s front and Managing Director of Skanga Energy and Marine Limited, a company formed by Mr. Igbinedion and his brother, Bright, in 1992, Christian Imoukhuede, approached the then Venezuelan Trade Consul to Nigeria, Enrique Arrundell, about the prospect of importing petrol, aviation fuel, and diesel from the South American country.
According to documents filed with a US District Court in New York, Mr. Arrundell advised Mr. Imoukhuede that the best way to get fuel was to go through a PDVSA approved agent.
Mr. Arrundell then introduced Mr. Imoukhuede to Arevenca, a fraudulent firm owned by alleged notorious Venezuelan conman, Francisco Gonzalez.
That meeting with Mr Gonzalez marked the beginning of Mr Igbinedion’s woes.
Mr. Igbinedion and his front, Mr. Imoukhuede claimed in court that they did due diligence checks on Arevenca through the Venezuelan embassy in Abuja.
They claim that embassy officials confirmed Arevenca as a reputable Venezuelan business concern and the validated documents provided by Arevenca that supposedly showed a relationship with PDVSA.
But it has since turned out that Arevenca might be a complete fraud. PDVSA has since said in court that it has no records of any relationship with Arevenca.
Arevenca is a registered corporation under Venezuelan law but was most recently headquartered in Aruba; its subsidiaries are: Arevenca AKTM registered in British Virgin Islands; Arevenca SL is registered in Spain; and Arevenca Aruba Holding NV.  Others are Arevenca Bank, Arevenca Foundation, Fly Aruba Suriname, Arevenca Mining and Arevenca Petroleum Company registered in offshore tax haven, Suriname. There is Arevenca Finances Holding registered in Switzerland and Arevenca Ivory Coast. Many of these subsidiaries are shell companies or exist only in names.
A Canadian-based freelance journalist, Steven Bodzin, who worked as an energy reporter in Venezuela and has written a number of exposés on Arevenca, revealed that Arevenca’s website is a repository of mind-numbing lies meant to hoodwink mostly unsuspecting international investors.
For instance, on its website, Arevenca claims to have a global refining capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day and plans to build a two million barrel per day in Ivory Coast. It also claims to have a fleet of 72 ships.  However, the company with the highest refining capacity in the world as at September 2013, Reliance Jamnagar Refinery, India, has a refining capacity of only 1.24 million barrels per day.
In fact, Arevenca is not included in the top ten refineries in the world. The only Venezuela-based refinery in the top 10,Paraguana Refining Centre, belongs to PDVSA and has a processing capacity of just 955,000bpd.
And despite claiming to have 75 vessels, a PREMIUM TIMES search on Lloyds Ship Directories shows that Arevenca does not operate from any of Venezuelan’s 16 ports. There is also no proof that the company is building a two million barrel per day refinery in Ivory Coast as it claimed.
These a just few of the web of lies contained in Arevenca’s website. Other false claims made by Arevenca to defraud investors can be found on Mr. Bodzin’s blog.
In October 2006, Mr. Imoukhuede, who was Mr. Igbinedion’s schoolmate, arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas and was ushered directly into the VIP lounge and later given a luxury ride to the exquisite InterContinental Tamanaco, rated among the top three hotels in the country, where he had initial negotiation with Mr. Gonzalez and an unnamed Nigerian.
After the meeting, Skanga reached a tentative agreement to buy “petroleum products” from Arevenca. Arevenca also agreed to give Skanga the first right of refusal to buy its AGO (diesel), PMS (premium motor spirit) DPK (kerosene), Jet Al fuel, Bitumen and Fuel oil. The deal was to take off with a 35,000 metric tones of AGO for the first option and repeated frequency of about three cargoes monthly, according to Skanga Official statement.
Bank transfer documents show that Skanga paid $1.05 million of the $1.4 million cost of freight. According to answer provided by Skanga officials during interrogation in court, it made these payments ($580,000 and $470,000) based on the proof of certain “inducement documents which included an alleged PDVSA bill of lading.
After Skanga made these initial payments, it became trapped. The duping of the former government and his corrupt clan began in full swing.
Igbinedion goes to Caracas
In January 2007, four months before the expiration of his governorship term, Mr. Igbinedion travelled to Caracas, ostensibly on an official visit but actually the visit was to put finishing touches to the deal earlier reached by his front three months earlier.
According to the Bolivarian News Agency (ABN), he and his entourage were met by some of the influential “Chavista” politicians in the country, as supporters of the late Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chávez, are called: the Mayor of Central Caracas, Freddy Bernal, the Governor of Miranda, Diosdado Cabello, and Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa, Reinaldo Bolívar as well as other top Venezuelan government Officials and businessmen. It was an elaborated event accompanied by lavish photo op, expensive alcohol and dinner in the evening at the “Gran Melia Hotel, another top three luxury hotel in Venezuela according to luxury hotel reservations website, Five Star Alliance.
Mr. Igbinedion was handed the key to the city of Caracas and announced as the “Alcaldía de Libertador”, the honorary Mayor of the central Caracas borough of Libertador. He also held a meeting with top officials of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry at their headquarters, the Yellow House.
But the whole fanfare was a grand charade and part of a well orchestrated confidence trick put together by some of the most devious conmen in Latin America.
It appears that Mr. Gonzalez received an intensive course on Nigerian niceties.  Emails from Mr. Arrundell and Gonzalez to Mr. Igbinedion have that uniquely Nigerian informality. Rather than write in a formal manner as one would have expected in a multi-million dollar deal, they addressed Mr. Igbinedion as “My brother Lucky” or “Dear brother Lucky.”
One letter by Mr. Gonzalez, filled with grammatical errors, reads:
Dear brother lucky
I already send the dignity signed invoice. You know what this mean. Nobody do this, but I always honored my word, agins all the logical and normal status. I prefer died that do not honored my word. This is another demonstration that I am a honor man. That mean that the product is yours. I trust you like a brother I hope you do not let me down. I do not want disappoint you, I hope you do not disappoint me.
Best regards, You brother and friend
Francisco JAvier Gonzalez
The geniality of Mr. Gonzalez’s letters coupled with the grand reception, some would say deception, he got during his “official” visit to Caracas apparently made Mr. Igbinedion even more trusting of the Venezuelan gang.

Thief, money launderer is scammed
After a couple of other meetings later that year, Arevenca made Skanga a deal too good to be true: a consignment of 35,000 metric tonnes of diesel will be sent to Skanga. All it needed to do was to prepay the charges for delivery and complete the full payment for the delivery in three months.
Mr. Igbinedion could not believe his luck. Skanga transferred $19.6 million more to Arevenca’s Swiss bank account as freight charges and partial payment for two consignments of Petrol and diesel aboard two vessels named “Digniti” and “Ventur.”
The vessels never arrived.
The Nigerian Port Authority said it does not have any record of “Digniti” or “Ventur” entering Nigerian waters at the time it was billed to arrive. In fact, PREMIUM TIMES investigation reveals that there are no vessels named “Dignitii” or “Ventur”. Searches on Lloyds directories and other ship directories show that the ship don’t exist anywhere in the world.
All efforts made to consult the Venezuelan embassy to confirm the extent to which Mr. Arrundell, who has been posted out the country, was involved in the scam was unsuccessful. The embassy’s phone number seems to be out of order and email were returned as undelivered.
Mr. Imoukhuede declined to comment when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES. He explained that since the matter is in court, Skanga’s lawyer was in best position to make any public comment.
“You know the case is in court. I don’t think I am at ease to talk about it. I would have to talk to the lawyer. I can’t make any comment. The Nigerian legal system is different the American system. The best thing is to talk to Femi Salu,” he said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The remaining parts in this series will look at courtroom intrigues; how two of Igbinedion’s American counsel abandoned the case due to his inability to pay their retainer.
A part will look at the role played by MRS Oil Nigeria Limited plus interesting revelations in court while another will take a look at the role of the Venezuelan authorities in the entire scam.

Why Boko Haram is keeping 234 abducted girls: Revealed"

The Islamist sect, Boko Haram, is believed to be desperate to use over 100 students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State it abducted last week as human shield, as plan to rescue them by the military intensifies.

The National Security Council at its expanded meeting on Thursday gave the military a marching order to rescue the girls.

The military operation is being co-ordinated by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who has been shuttling between Abuja and Maiduguri in the last one week.

The Nation gathered yesterday that the armed forces are taking maximum caution in handling the situation with a view to saving the lives of the girls.

“Intelligence report confirmed that Boko Haram found it strategic to keep the girls to save their camps from bombardment by troops,” a highly placed source said. Troops are understood to be advancing on the area where the girls are being kept. The source said: “From available security reports, troops are around the axis where the abducted girls are being held hostage.

“Details of the exact location cannot be made public.

“Even the submissions of the service chiefs at the security council meeting were tactical for operational reasons. “The military was trying to avoid collateral damage because the affected area is bigger. It is as big as the whole of Ikeja, Lagos.”

The military and the Borno State Government are not saying much for fear that Boko Haram with its widespread cells might pick up sensitive information. A high-powered tactical team was, on Tuesday, dispatched to Borno State by Air Chief Marshall Badeh to boost the morale of troops assigned to liberate the abducted girls. 

The team returned to Abuja on Thursday night. Another source added: “The team went to give moral and psychological support to the troops to enable them meet the expectations of Nigerians to rescue the girls. “Comprising some Generals in the Armed Forces, the team also shared technical information with the troops to accomplish the mission.”

It was also learnt that plan by aggrieved women in Borno State to go into Sambisa Forest to look for the abducted girls may not work. A government source said: “No one will allow these women to go into the forest. These women will also not attempt it because of the delicate nature of the terrain.”

More facts also emerged yesterday on the confrontation between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State at the Security Council meeting over the governor’s controversial letter on the state of insecurity in the Northeast.

Two versions of the drama on Nyako’s toxic letter to Northern governors were relayed to our correspondent last night by sources at the meeting.

One of the source said: “When President Goodluck Jonathan raised the matter on the agenda, Nyako said he holds the President in high esteem and would not do anything to undermine his office. “The governor also said ‘Mr. President, you are a good man, but you have some people around you that are bad.’

“The President was not carried away by Nyako’s sentiments and he asked the governor to address the issues in the letter. He asked Nyako to read the letter to the council. “Nyako owned up to the contents of the letter and read it without any remorse. Like a school boy, he stood up to read the letter. 

“After the reading session, the President asked Nyako: What do you have to say? While still on his feet, Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) descended him.”

An unperturbed Nyako refused to apologize even though most of the governors disapproved of his letter.

The Northern governors were shocked that Nyako did not back up his claim with any intelligence fact.

Another source said: “It was true that Nyako initially went cyclical praising the President who was unmoved by his U-turn.

“At a point, the President attempted to read the letter and when he was trying to shuffle through it.

“In a brave manner, the Adamawa State Governor sought the indulgence of the President to read the letter to the hearing of the council members.

“But Nyako could actually not defend the contents of the letter. Or, maybe as a former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, he knew too much and he did not want to divulge it at the session.

“His reluctance led to some scathing remarks from some governors who took exception to certain information in the letter.

“At the end, Nyako had no regrets. He even created a mild sensation when he refused to sit besides a South-East governor. This was what happened. We were not happy, but I think we have successfully thrashed the issue.” SOURCE