Lagos-Ibadan reconstruction: The generation unborn will remain grateful to Jonathan – Mimiko

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of State Governor has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for taking the initiative to reconstruct the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which he described as the busiest in Africa.

Mimiko described the move as an indication that the Jonathan’s led government is sensitive and has good intentions.

Xhosa king wants Mandela grandson’s chieftancy revoked

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – A South African traditional king will try to revoke the chieftaincy of Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla after a bitter family feud over gravesites, South African media reported Sunday.

Boko Haram Militants Kill 29 Students, Teacher in Yobe School Attack

Armed Islamic militants have killed 29 students and an English teacher in an attack on a boarding school in Yobe State in northeastern Nigeria.

Survivors being treated for burns and gunshot wounds said some students were burned alive in the attack, which allegedly took place early Saturday and which is believed to have been carried out by the radical Boko Haram Islamic group.

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project to last four years –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday inaugurated the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, with a pledge that the N167bn project would be completed in 48 months.

He inaugurated the project as thousands of road users were grounded for about three hours on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Abeokuta-Ore-Benin Expressway.

Egypt picks new PM

CAIRO (AFP) – Liberal opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei has been chosen as Egypt’s new prime minister, the Tamarod campaign behind the protests that toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi said on Saturday after talks with the country’s interim president.

Prepare for Mandela’s 95th birthday, Zuma tells South Africans

PRETORIA (AFP) – Nelson Mandela remained in a “critical but stable” condition Monday, the presidency said, more than three weeks after the anti-apartheid hero was hospitalised with a recurring lung infection even as President Jacob Zuma urged South Africans to begin planning for Mandela’s 95th birthday on July 18.

“We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president,” he said in a statement.

June 12's Epetedo Declaration '93 : "We Are Fighting To Replace Minority Rule With Majority RuleIn Nigeria"-M.K.O Abiola

People of Nigeria, exactly one year ago, you turned out in your millions to vote for me, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But politicians in uniform, who call themselves soldiers but are more devious than any civilian would want to be, deprived you of your God-given right to be ruled by the President you had yourselves elected.

Michael Adebolajo appears in court; wants to be called Mujaheed Abu Hamza

Dressed in all white with his left arm bandaged, the 28 year old, who is accused of murdering Lee Rigby, 25, a fortnight ago, stood in the dock flanked by two police officers and a prison guard. As he arrived in the courtroom he appeared to blow a kiss to a friend in the public gallery, gripped a copy of the Koran throughout and refused to stand in the dock.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey within 48 hours. Earlier he was swept into Westminster Magistrates Court in an armoured vehicle led by a police convoy. A number of armed officers formed a ring of steel and shut off roads around the court in central London.

Meanwhile the other key suspect in the Drummer Rigby case refused to appear at the Old Bailey today. Michael Adebowale, 22, told prison staff he did not want to go on video link to the court for a statutory bail hearing.

via (Daily Mail UK)

EXPOSED: I was persecuted because Atiku chose me as running mate – Alamieyeseigha

Former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has attributed his travails over allegations of corruption to the power tussle between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar over the 2007 presidency.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, Alamieyeseigha said he was persecuted by President Obasanjo because of the alleged plan by Atiku Abubakar to nominate him as his running mate during the 2007 presidential election.

The former Bayelsa State governor said his arrest and travails in London and Nigeria over allegation of corruption was political, promising to expose those behind his travail in his memoirs, which he is presently writing.

His words: “The summary of it is that Atiku Abubakar, according to Obasanjo, nominated me as his running mate. End of story. He (Obasanjo) said it was over his dead body and that he would fight me and Atiku to the end of the world. He said that unless he dies, Atiku could not be president of Nigeria. That was the beginning and the end of the story.

“Maybe the only mistake I made was that I left this country to Germany for medical surgery. Again, I made the mistake of calling him (Obasanjo) when I recovered from the surgery. I told him that I just came out from the theatre. I started having funny calls and they started plotting (against) me.”

“The whole thing was political and one day I will expose everybody. I have started writing; people are ignorant of what really happened, so they can talk. But if I open my mouth, some of them will keep quiet. I am going to tell my story.”

All attempts by Saturday Mirror to reach out to Chief Obasanjo on the allegation against the former President by Alamieyeseigha proved abortive as Obasanjo and his aides refused to comment on the matter.
Speaking on the alleged face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Alamieyeseigha cautioned Amaechi, asking him to learn from his own experience.

“I have told Amaechi himself that he should learn from my experience, that nobody tries government. He should learn that after God, it is government. Amaechi is in a regional government. There is Federal Government and there is a president and the Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces.

“Let me say that most of these things, the president himself may not know. It is people around that are creating this entire problem. If you call the two of them and sit them down, I am sure they would not be able to tell you what has happened between them,” he said.

He also had harsh words for those who criticised the state pardon granted him by the Federal Government, saying that the critics never knew what transpired behind closed doors leading to his pardon, but conceded that “people have the right to express their opinions.”

His words: “They don’t know the contributions I have made towards the sustenance of of peace in this country. May be the impact of my contribution would have been felt if there had been no oil and no money to share at the federal level.

“Because things are so rosy and at the end of the month they go to Abuja and share the money, they don’t feel the impact and don’t realise that people went into the creeks; slept in every camp to make sure that amnesty was achieved.”

He added that even President Obasanjo wrote him many commendation letters, congratulating him and thanking him for what he did, adding: “I risked my life by going as far as the high seas several times to rescue expatriates.”

Wife of House of Reps members accused to torturing two women

Wife of a serving House of Representatives member was fingered yesterday in the torture, beating and alleged attempt to kidnap two ladies in Isale Eko area of Lagos.

Sources say that yesterday morning at about 7.15a.m, a Toyota Camry car which was used for the operation caused a stir in Bamgbose Street in Lagos Island at the heart of Lagos metropolis.

Like a bolt from the blue, six unidentified ladies, carrying canes came out of the unregistered grey coloured car and advanced towards No 101, Bamgbose Street.

The unmasked ladies met one Alhaja Basidat Ajadi Balogun, a business woman resident in the street and repeatedly flogged her as she wept. (The woman pictured above)

Balogun, who was shouting at the top of her voice while the beating was going on, tried without success to find out from the rampaging ladies why she was being beaten.

According to a resident of the street, who pleaded not to be mentioned, while the severe beating was going on, Alhaja Jolaade Batola, wife of an influencial legislator, a House of Representatives member, representing Mainland federal constituency, was seen seated, inside the unregistered Toyota Camry car and giving orders to the lady on what to do to their victim.

The Nigerian Compass on Saturday, further learnt that the rampaging ladies planned to take the business woman away but for her resistance. The boot of their Camry was thrown open, while the woman in the car ordered the ladies to drag the woman and throw her into the boot.

Independent checks at the Lion Building police command however showed that the matter has been reported there even as our correspondent on Friday traced the battered business woman to the General Hospital, who was receiving treatment.

Though she was initially reluctant to speak with The Nigerian Compass on Saturday, when she opened up, she said she was standing outside her resident, talking to a tenant, when the six ladies, unknown to her, accompanied, by Mrs Batola arrived the place and began to beat her up.

She however insisted that she does not know the reason why the ladies beat the hell out of her, insisting that she was not close to the wife of the House of Representatives member. “Though Alhaja Batola owns a shop on the same Bamgbose Street, we are not really close. Though I do greet her,” said the victim. 

The woman whose body was full of scares from the beating put the cost of her medical treatment as well as some of jewelries she was wearing when she was attacked at N600,000, and confirmed that but for the residents, who mobilised and confronted the ladies, she could have been kidnapped.

Inquiries at the Lion Building police station, in Lagos Island revealed to our correspondent that the case have been filed. The woman was asked to get a police report on the incident, a police source disclosed.

Attempts made to see Alhaja Owolabi Batola for her comment on the incident proved abortive as her shop located on the same Bamgbose Street was not opened yesterday.

Source: Nigerian Compass

Dana crash: Coroner threatens to close pathologist’s testimony

A Lagos State coroner court in Ikeja conducting an inquest into last year’s crash of a Dana Airline plane may cut short the testimony of the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa, over his repeated absence from court.

Obafunwa, who doubles as the Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University, was absent for cross-examination on Monday and Tuesday.

All the 153 persons on board and others on the ground were killed in the crash involving Dana’s MD-83 plane on June 3, 2012.

Obafunwa’s testimony is crucial to the inquest, which is a system established to, among others, make recommendations and find out the cause of death, how and the  manner of death of the deceased in unusual circumstances.

The forensic pathologist had earlier testified on the probable causes of the death of the victims and provided the details of autopsy tests and the identification processes conducted on them.

Counsel representing the Lagos State Government in the proceedings, Mr. Akinjide Bakare, restated on Tuesday that the don was absent from court because of his “university duties”.

“We are sorry, we did not envisage this after what happened yesterday (Monday),” Bakare said.
He gave the same reason for Obafunwa’s absence on Monday.

Counsel for Dana Airline, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), who was to cross-examine Obafunwa, on Tuesday expressed disappointment over Obafunwa’s absence from court.

He said the adjournments suffered by the inquest were avoidable, if the offices of LASU’s Vice-Chancellor and the Lagos State Chief Medical Examiner were not being occupied by the same person.

The coroner, Mr. Oyetade Komolafe, who had wished to conclude the proceedings within the week, was forced to fix July 3 and 4 for the forensic pathologist to appear in court.

Achebe’s body received by large crowd at Enugu Airport

Chinua Achebe will be buried in his home town, Ogidi in Anambra State on May 23.


The corpse of the late literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, arrived at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and was received by a large crowd of people from his home town, Ogidi in Anambra.

The body, which arrived at about 12.36 p.m. aboard a private aircraft, Overland Nigeria, with registration number 5N-BPE was accompanied by Mr. Achebe’s wife, Professor Christy Achebe, and their children.

The body was received by his elder brother, Augustine Achebe, and other family members; the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Amechi Okolo; some Enugu State commissioners; and different cultural troupes from Ogidi.

In an interview, Mr. Okolo, who represented Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, said the deceased would be missed by both the state and the nation at large.

“We are mourning Achebe today because he was part of the state,” he said.

The President of Ogidi Union Nigeria, Obi Okaro, said Mr. Achebe exhibited true leadership qualities, adding that the community would soon unveil plans to immortalise him.

A university don, Ike Ndolo, who also came to honour Mr. Achebe, suggested that a national monument be named after the literary icon.

The body of Achebe is expected to be taken to the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where he would be honoured before leaving for Ogidi, where it would be buried on Thursday, May 23.

(NAN)

Hungry woman bares breast at court premises in Lagos

Culled from Punch

In a desperate attempt to draw attention to her misfortune, Esther Odozi, 21, bared her breasts on Monday on the premises of Ikeja Magistrate’s Court as she protested against hunger that was “killing her and the five children” she left back home in Agbor Owanta, Delta State.

Odozi laid half-naked on a road in the court shouting, “Hunger, hunger. Government must do something today. I have not received anything from the plenty crude oil money government is spending in our state. Nigerians are wicked.”

She impeded movement on the premises. Passersby were astonished. One of them, who did not state her name but said she was a lawyer, told our correspondent that Odozi abused the “temple of womanhood.”

Odozi shunned passersby who shouted at her to cover herself as she rolled on the ground. She revealed wounds on her left leg and the right side of her hips; she said she was hit by a car. She refused a N500 given to her by a passerby, saying, “I don’t want your money. I want Fashola to give me N200, 000.”

When our correspondent approached her, she said, “After confronting serious hardship in my state, I was advised by an official of Human Rights Commission in Delta to go to Human Rights Commission in Abuja. I also went to Police Headquarters and NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) in Abuja. They all told me to go to Lagos; they said that is where I could get help.”

“My husband, Donald Ogbaja, was a retired policeman before he died of hunger. He married me when I was 17. I bore five children, including twins for him.”

Odozi said she tried to survive on her own by cultivating some crops. She, however, said she was hit by a car and had been hindered by her injury to continue working on her farm.

She said, “I will not leave this court without seeing N200,000 to start business. I want to sell melon and garri. Tell Emmanuel Uduaghan, the governor of my state, and the Federal Government to do something about my condition. They must give me part of the petrol money. I must take care of my five children.”

When she was asked that as a young woman, didn’t she feel ashamed to bare her breast? She answered, “I don’t have anything and I don’t have anything to hide anymore.”

Boko-Haram Kills CAN’s Borno Secretary Minutes After GEJ Broadcast

Barely 30 minutes after President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno State alongside two other states because of terrorism, the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in the state, Reverend Faye Pama Musa has been shot dead inside his Maiduguri residence by members of the radical Islamic group, the Boko Haram

It was gathered from security sources that Musa, the head pastor of a Pentecostal church in Maiduguri, the spiritual headquarters of the terrorist group, was trailed to his GRA residence by two gunmen who shot him at close range at about 7.30pm.

CAN Headquarters Confirms Assassination With “Heavy Heart”

The headquarters of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has confirmed the murder of Reverend Musa.

Describing the killing of its Secretary in Borno State as “sad”, Kenny Asaka, the media aide to the National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, sad the President received the news with a “heavy heart.”

The Boko Haram, a group of radical Islamic fundamentalists has claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks that has killed over 2000 persons and wounded dozens.

The group says it wants Northern Nigeria to be governed under strict Islamic laws (Sharia).