Buhari’s ADC vs CSO: Possibly, the real reason behind Abdulrahman Mani’s sack…

President Muhammadu Buhari has fired Abdulrahman Mani, his chief security officer (CSO), over what insiders described as “shady deals” in fixing appointments and for “undermining” the president.

Presidency sources told TheCable that Mani committed various misdemeanours, “chief among which was a recent discovery that he was actually the one who leaked Buhari’s itinerary to Diezani Alison-Madueke when he travelled to London in May”.

Alison-Madueke, then minister of petroleum resources, had surprisingly travelled on the same British Airways flight with Buhari, sitting in the same cabin and right behind the then president-elect.

The former minister normally flew private jets in and outside the country and her presence on the flight was not considered a coincidence.

It was alleged that she wanted to curry the favour of Buhari following a series of allegations of corruption against her, although her aides denied the claim, maintaining that she was on a private trip for her son’s graduation.

“Investigations also revealed that Mani has been actively undermining the president, working against every value the president upholds and conducting himself in such a manner as to suggest that he is out to pull down the president,” the source told TheCable.

Mani was appointed Buhari’s CSO after the presidential election in March, although he had been organising security for Buhari before then.

Buhari also fired Widi Liman, his administrative officer, who was said to be hand-in-gloves with Mani in turning securing appointments with the president into a “business venture”.

Bashir Abubakar is the new CSO to the president while Mani has been redeployed to Ebonyi state.

Abubakar was until now an assistant director in the Bayelsa state command of the Department of State Service (DSS).

Liman, who is yet to be replaced, was a close aide to governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, while he was FCT minister. He has been transferred to Oyo state command of the DSS.

CSO VS ADC: BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY

Prior to his sack, Mani had been engaged in a battle of supremacy with the ADC to the president, Mohammed Abubakar, a lieutenant colonel.

Apparently acting on the orders of Buhari, Abubakar had issued a memo barring DSS personnel from locations inside the presidential villa, stating that the armed forces and the police, trained as presidential body guards (PBGs), were to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”.

He warned that DSS personnel should stay away from specific areas in the premises including “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”.

Abubakar said DSS personnel would man other duty beats and locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the presidential villa “alongside other security forces”.

Mani, perhaps unaware that Abubakar was carrying out the president’s instructions, issued a counter circular directing the DSS personnel to disregard the order and saying that the relevant statutes give DSS the responsibility of close protection for the president.

He argued: “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the President in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families.

“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.

“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.

“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities.”

Buhari had become uncomfortable with the DSS for their perceived partisanship before the general election.

Ita Ekpeyong resigned as the DG of DSS on Thursday amid reports that he was forced out, while Lawan Daura was appointed to replace him in an acting capacity.

SSS REJECTS BUHARI’S DIRECTIVES: Over to you Shehu Garba (@GarShehu) for clarification. It’s looking messy…

The State Security Service has fired a blistering response to a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Aide de Camp, Mohammed Abubakar, ordering personnel of the service out of inner Aso Rock and restricting them to guarding the “outer perimeter” of the presidential villa.

In a memo, seen by PREMIUM TIMES Friday, Mr. Abubakar, a Lieutenant Colonel, had barred SSS personnel from locations inside the State House, saying personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”.

Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”.

“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without providing reasons for the action.

But in a June 26 response to Mr. Abubakar, the Chief Security Officer to President Buhari, Abdulrahman Mani, rejected the directive and gave a counter order asking his colleagues to disregard the spirit, intent and content of Mr. Abubakar’s circular.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively obtained the SSS memo on Sunday.

Mr. Mani, who pointedly accused the ADC of grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge and outright display of ignorance, insisted that Mr. Abubakar’s circular “grossly misrepresents” President Buhari’s directive.

He however did not say what the President’s exact directive is.

The CSO, a personnel of the SSS himself, continued, “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the President in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23^rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families.

“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.

“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.

 

“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities.

 

“Meanwhile, joint training programmes and other incentives will be worked out in the days ahead to ensure that all security at the Presidential Villa are properly educated to understand their statutory roles and responsibilities. This is with a view to avoiding obvious grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge or outright display of ignorance in future.”

 

The president’s ADC is yet to respond to Mr. Mani’s memo. And personnel of the SSS remained restricted to the “outer perimeter” of the Presidential Villa, our sources said.

 

It’s a routine adjustment — Presidency

The presidency has however described the relegation of the SSS at the presidential villa as a routine adjustment.

“While it is true that a reorganization of security at the Presidential Villa which involves the realignment of personnel from various services is underway, the exercise does not translate to the expulsion of DSS personnel from the premises in any way,” the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a statement.

“The changes being made are routine adjustments which are not unexpected in any dynamic environment from time to time.”

SSS top officials beg President Buhari

Meanwhile, some top officials of the SSS have appealed to the President not to humiliate the entire Service because of the alleged partisanship and unprofessional conducts of its leadership.

They asked not to be named because they have no permission to speak on the matter.

“Though there is personal animosity aimed at disgracing the Director General (Ita Ekpenyong), the development is actually affecting Service personnel right now and causing a lot of low morale,” an official told PREMIUM TIMES.

“But majority of  personnel not in support of the DG had expected the President to change him or ask him to resign rather than take on the entire service personnel. Majority of the professional staff supported the assumption of office of the president.”

 

Another top official said, “Many of those  Ita (the SSS Director General) believed were sympathetic to Buhari either got themselves relieved of their appointments or given punitive postings to places like Boron, Yobe, some South East States or just benched at the headquarters or non viable commands and  formations.

 

“So many of them are not happy that President Buhari and his handlers such as Dambazzau and Daura (one of our retired directors) would just treat the whole service like this.

 

“They wish the management would rather be changed and the Service reformed alongside other security agencies and the military so that all agencies can face their constitutional operational roles.”

From A(bia) – Z(amfara): All the governors-elect and their parties…

The Nigerian governorship elections have come and mostly gone, apart from a few states where results are still inconclusive due to one issue or the other.

With what has come in so far, the APC now has 21 states in the bag, while the PDP has 11 states. Results from three states – Imo, taraba and Abia – are inconclusive while APGA has one state.

So who are the incoming or old governors and which parties control which state. We’ve got that covered below:

– Abia: This is one of the few states with an inconclusive election. It is a battle royale between the PDP’s Okezie Ikpeazu and APGA’s Alex Otti. Abia’s Resident Electoral Commissioner shocked the world when she cancelled results from some local government areas where the elections were marred by irregularities and fraud, but later decided to allow the results stand.

So far, PDP candidate Okezie Ikpeazu is leading with 248,459 while APGA’s Dr Alex Otti has 165,406 votes. The election was declared inconclusive last night by Returning Officer Prof. Benjamin Ozumba who said there were 179,224 potential voters who were accredited but could not vote due to various reasons including violence. He said the number is higher than the difference between the leading candidate and the second placed candidate. Ikpeazu is leading Otti with 83,053 votes.

– Adamawa: Adamawa’s governor-elect is Sen. Jibrilla Bindow, who defeated Markus Gundiri of the SDP and Nuhu Ribadu of the PDP.

– Akwa Ibom: PDP’s Udom Emmanuel emerged winner in the South-South state. APC is crying foul however.

– Anambra: No governorship election was held in this state as Willie Obiano of APGA is expected to remain as governor until 2019 when another election is held.

– Bauchi: APC candidate in the election, Mohammed Abubakar defeated the PDP’s Mohammed Jatau to emerge winner and governor-elect.

– Bayelsa: Gov. Seriake Dickson of the PDP is no due to have his office contested for until next year. No governorship election was held in the tiny state.

– Benue: Former minister Samuel Ortom of the APC emerged winner in the Benue election.

– Borno: Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima of APC polled 649,913 to beat Gambo Lawan of  PDP who scored  34,771 votes.

– Cross River: Ben Ayade of the PDP defeated Odey Ochicha of the APC by almost 300,000 votes to emerge as governor-elect.

– Delta: PDP’s Ifeanyi Okowa is the governor-elect of the state, having floored perennial runner-up, Great Ogboru of the Labour Party and O’tega Emerhor of the APC.

– Ebonyi: In Ebonyi, deputy governor Dave Umahi of the PDP floored Edward Nkwegu of Labour Party to emerge as governor-elect

– Edo: No election was held in Edo, and Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of the APC is expected to remain governor until 2016.

– Ekiti: PDP’s Ayo Fayose only became governor last year and so no guber election held in that state.

– Enugu: PDP’s candidate, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is the governor-elect

– Gombe: Governor of Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo of PDP survived the APC onslaught in the North to win re-election in the state.

– Imo: Even though Gov. Rochas Okorocha was ahead, the result of the Imo election was declared as inconclusive as the difference in votes between the governor and Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP was less than the number of invalid votes in the election. A supplementary poll will be conducted in some wards.

– Jigawa: Jigawa is another state which the PDP has lost. Its candidate and former chief of staff to the governor, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim lost to APC candidate Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar. Abubakar got 648,045 votes while Ringim got 479,447 votes.

– Kaduna: Mallam Nasir Elrufai (pictured above) of the APC trounced the incumbent governor Mukhtar Yero of PDP to emerge as governor-elect.

– Kano: Abdullahi Ganduje of APC, the current deputy governor will succeed his boss as governor next month. He defeated PDP’s candidate Salihu takai.

– Katsina: APC’s Bello Masari who is a former speaker of the house of representatives emerged as winner.

– Kebbi: Kebbi State Governor-elect is Senator Atiku Bagudu, who scored 477,376 votes to defeat PDP candidate Gen. Sarkin Bello, who scored 293,443 votes. Bagudu is a man who fingered in most of the fraud and money laundering which went on during the Sani Abacha era.

– Kogi: Governorship election did not hold in Kogi. Idris Wada of the PDP will remain as governor till next year.

– Kwara: Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of the APC was reelected as governor of Kwara.

– Lagos: APC’s Akinwunmi Ambode defeated Vhe PDP’s Jimi Agbaje to emerge winner and governor-elect of Lagos state.

– Nasarawa: Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura of the APC got 309,746 votes to retain his seat ahead of former Minister of Information Labaran Maku of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who polled 178,983 and PDP candidate Yusuf Agabi who polled 119,782.

– Niger: APC candidate Abubakar Sani Bello won in Niger State. He scored 593,702 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Umar Nasko with 239, 772 votes.

– Ogun: Ibikunle Amosun of the APC was reelected.

– Ondo: No election was held here as Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of the PDP still has some time left.

– Osun: Rauf Aregbesola of the APC was only reelected last year so no election was held in Osun.

– Oyo: APC candidate and incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi, won re-election as governor

– Plateau: Simon Lalong, a former speaker of the state assembly emerged as governor-elect. He polled 564,627 to defeat Senator Gyan Pwajok of the PDR, who scored 520,913 votes.

– Rivers: Nyesom Wike of PDP polled 1,029,102 votes to defeat Dakuku Peterside of the APC who scored 124,896 votes. LP candidate Tonye Princewill polled 10,142 votes.

– Sokoto: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal of the APC emerged as governor-elect in Sokoto.

– Taraba: INEC declared the governorship race as inconclusive as the number of cancelled votes – 127,125 – is more than the difference between the candidates of the PDP and APC. PDP’s Darius Dickson Ishaku won in nine local governments areas with 317,198 votes. Hajia Aisha Alhassan of the APC won six local government areas, scoring 262,386 votes. Elections would hold in some polling units to determine winner.

– Yobe: Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of the APC emerged winner with a total of 334, 847 votes to defeat Mr Adamu Maina Waziri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored a total of 179, 700 votes.

– Zamfara: Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari of APC won reelection with a total vote of 716,964, while his closest rival, who is also his father in-law, Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 201,938 votes.

THE SCOOP

#Nigeria – 10 things you need to know this Wednesday morning, 14th May 2014.

1. Business activities in Lagos were yesterday shutdown as different bodies, including the NLC, TUC and APC women wing stormed the streets to protest and advocate for the immediate release of the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno state. The various groups had asked the government to expedite action towards the safe release of the girls.

2. After a heated debate at the National Confab yesterday, members have adopted rotation Principle as one of the processes of electing a president or governor into office. The Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government, said that power must rotate among the country’s geo-political zones and senatorial zones. Members have recommended that the principle be embedded in the Electoral Act and in the constitutions of the various political parties.

3. Northern delegates at the ongoing National Conference, under the aegis of Northern Delegates Forum, NDF, has lauded the intervention of the International Community in an effort to rescue over 200 female students of Chibok, Borno State abducted by Boko Haram terrorists . The Forum’s Spokesman, Mr Anthony Sani, while speaking rubbished claims by some Nigerians that the involvement of foreign countries in search for the missing girls was extreme interference in the affairs of the nation.

4. Rising from a meeting yesterday in Abuja, the All Progressives Congress, APC has condemned the conversion of the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls in Chibok to Islam. The party in a statement through its Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohamme said it was extremely wrong for anybody to force another citizen to denounce his or her religion.

5. The IGP of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has warned Nigerians against perpetrating crimes through jungle justice. He said even though all Nigerians deserve to enjoy their fundamental human rights, it is out of place and against the law for anyone to take the life of another without trial at a competent court of law. He ordered all officers in charge of different zones to arrest any one caught in the act of extra-judicial killing.

6. No fewer than 50 abducted schoolgirls of Chibok have been identified by parents and teachers of the girls after the video was played to them. The state government has announced that the names of the 50 identified girls was consistent with the names the school authority released earlier. Isa Gusau, Special Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima on Communications disclosed this in a statement.

7. Governor Adams Oshiomhole has asked Nigerians to wake up to the task of confronting terrorists in the country, advocating that the citizens be ready to work together in their fight against terrorism. Oshiomhole spoke in an interview with State House correspondents in Abuja shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock.

8. As the Federal Government continues in its campaign against Boko Haram terrorists, President Goodluck Jonathan has written to the National Assembly, seeking its approval for a six month extension of the ongoing emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa state.

9. Report says the IG of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has completed his mandatory number of years in service as an officer of the Nigeria Police Force and expected to proceed on terminal leave any moment from now.

10. Two secondary school students in Gboko, Benue state miraculously escaped being used for ritual after they were reportedly kidnapped by a commercial vehicle operator in Makurdi, Benue State. The duo who were taken to a ritual den were reportedly abandoned around Apir in Benue state as the female ritualist in the forest found it difficult to kill them.

(Compilation Via DailyPost)

10 things you need to know this Wednesday morning, 9th April 2014.

1. Former PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur has reiterated that Jonathan’s return in 2015 is inevitable. Justifying his position, Tukur said, Yar’ Adua died out of natural death before Jonathan took over, hence Jonathan’s position then cannot be used to measure his tenure of office, as he was not the one who killed Yar’ Adua.

2. Nigerian Labour Congress has said that with the growing poverty and unemployment in Nigeria, the recent declaration that the nation’s economy has become the biggest in the continent is meaningless. It said that until the growth translates into improved living conditions, jobs, revival of industries and improvement of internal and national security, the development makes no sense to Nigerians.

3. A delegate to the National Confab, Lamidon Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha has said that since some people have gone into the needless issue of resource control because they have oil, he would advocate that all land ownership in the North, including Abuja by non-northerners be revoked so rent could be paid to land owners. He said this during a session at the conference on Tuesday.

4. Senate President yesterday expressed his sadness over the ongoing violence and insurgency in the country when he turned down request by his colleagues to have his 66 birthday celebrated. Mark was of the views that until the ongoing violence in the country is brought to a halt, there would be no need to celebrate.

5. With the recent killings in Zamfara state, members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, directed its committee on security to invite the National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd, the Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau, rtd, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to appear before the House and give detailed explanation on why many Nigerians were killed in the state.

6. President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday had a closed-door session with former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode. Kayode who is presently in the APC said he will declare which side of the divide he belongs in a matter of days. He however flayed leaders who play religious politics.

7. The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts appears was frustrated yesterday following the refusal of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu to respond to its letter demanding information on the controversial Challenger 850 aircraft chartered for her use.

8. The Senate yesterday passed the Pension Reform Bill 2014. The bill, if okayed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, would incorporate private firms in the Contributory Pension Scheme. The 2004 Pension Reform Act would be repealed if the bill accepted by both arms of the National Assembly and signed by the President.

9. A retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, on Tuesday said there were reports of some Judges and retired senior Judges who practise as consultants in fixing judgments. He said that judges are being intimidate by the consultants to either favour a particular person or being paid to manipulate judgment. Salami said this in Illorin yesterday.

10. Finally, reacting to the claim by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta( MEND) that Chief Edwin Clark paid N500M for the release of his son, Ebiteme, the former Minister has insisted that not even a kobo was paid as ransom. Speaking in Abuja, Clark said the claim was malicious and untrue.

10 things you need to know this Friday morning, 28th March 2014.

1. The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN, has suspended its investigation on the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Malam Sanusi Lamido. The Council suspended the investigation due to a pending suit filed by Sanusi against the Federal government over his suspension from office. Sanusi who failed to appear before the council yesterday sent in a copy of an interlocutory injunction through his lawyer, showing that the investigation be stopped pending court’s decision.

2. About 31 fighters of the Boko Haram Sect who were trying to escape through Taraba State and Gumti in Adamawa State into Cameroon were yesterday arrested. Meanwhile, 11 of the insurgents who resisted arrest when their camp was invaded by the military were killed. The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed on Thursday that one of those arrested was a mercenary claiming have been hired from Chad. Different kinds of weapons were equally recovered from some of the raided camps, according to report.

3. The Minister of interior on Thursday accepted responsibility for the recent job racketing in the Immigration service. The Minister who was blamed by the Immigration boss, David Paradang for organizing the recruitment process without the involvement of the Immigration Service said he was ready to carry the burden of what transpired at the course of the exercise, promising that a fresh exercise would be conducted electronically to remedy the situation.

4. A police corporal, Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi, yesterday shot dead his wife, a Landlady, two year-old girl , three others and later killed himself. Report says the incident which happened in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday saw people scampering for safety. It was further reported that the Policeman who had a misunderstanding with his wife had earlier warned a Landlady who was harbouring his wife and children in her house to let them out of her house. It was gathered that after the Landlady failed to heed to his instruction, he invaded the house and shot dead his wife, a waiting Okada man, the Landlady and his (Policeman) children, before he finally killed himself.

5. The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, Mr. Femi Omolaja, during a visit to the recently revealed kidnapper’s din at Soka in Ibadan where hundreds fell victims of Ritual torture and killings had vowed that anybody involved in the heinous crime would be apprehended in due course.

6. The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has rejected the proposal that grazing reserves be made available to Fulani herdsmen in the country just to cushion the continuous crisis between various communities and the herdsmen across the country. While rejecting the recent Federal government’s proposal on the matter, CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor said the move was another attempt to Islamize Nigeria.

7. The National Judicial Council yesterday suspended the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice P. N. C. Agumagu, from office. The council had equally demanded that the CJ should within four days, explain in writing why he shouldn’t be relieved of his job. The NJC has said that it never recommended that the state governor, Amaechi should appoint Agumagu, President, Customary Court of Appeal as the substantive Chief Judge of Rivers State.

8. There was confusion in Abuja on Thursday as explosion rocked Shagari Plaza on Moshood Abiola Way, Garki-Area 1. The explosion which was later confirmed to had come from a gas cylinder reportedly shattered a jeep parked close to the cylinders that were displayed for sale. Meanwhile, the man selling the gas was affected when he made frantic effort to retrieve the money he kept under one of the cylinders, as another cylinder exploded. He has since been rushed to a hospital for treatment.

9. On Sports, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has queried the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, asking him to explain within 24 hours his questionable attitude to work. In a memo signed by the Technical Director, Emmanuel Ikpeme, on behalf of the General Secretary, the coach has been asked to explain why he proceeded on leave without permission and his failure to attend a reception hosted by President Jonathan Goodluck in February.

10. At a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, exonerated the Commission from the claim that it was still in possession of the funds recovered from deposed Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The Commission said it had since July 10, 2010, handed over all the property and funds recovered from the former governor to the state government at an open ceremony under its past Chairman, Farida Waziri.

Controversy trails Death of Captain Israel Ademola Hasstrup, a Nigerian Business Mogul in UK……

Controversy has begun to trail  the death of  the Chief Executive Officer of Hasstrup  Line, and the now rested Space World Airline, Captain Israel Ademola Hasstrup, 79, who died in the United Kingdom last year under what the bereaved family described as ‘questionable manner.’

Currently, some members of the bereaved family are at daggers- drawn with the deceased’s estranged widow, Ngozi Okorie, whom they alleged have answers to the demise of their breadwinner.

This followed allegation by the late man’s family that the 35-year-old widow attempted to smuggle the corpse of  her late husband into the country for burial without their consent.  The family claimed they were in the dark over the whole arrangement. Further more, the family alleged that the widow abducted their son  when he travelled to the United Kingdom for treatment and  deprived members of his family from  seeing him  for three years until his demise.

The situation would have turned bloody two weeks ago at the interment site in Ilesha, Osun State, if not for the timely intervention of agile policemen who were quickly drafted to the scene.  This followed the alleged  invasion of the venue by armed thugs hired to apparently wade off any intrusion by members of the bereaved family.

Genesis: Tracing the genesis of the crisis, the eldest son to the deceased, John Hasstrup, 49,  told Crime Alert that trouble started between members of the family and the widow following the deceased’s decision to marry the former who was 20 years, after the death of his Ghanaian wife. Then, the deceased whose decision was reportedly kicked against by his family members, was 64 years old.

The late Ademola Hasstrup, according to the son, later divorced  the new wife fifteen years after their marriage. He said the story took a different dimension when, after the demise of the man in far away United Kingdom under inexplicable circumstances last year, the ex-wife took control of the burial ceremony even while members of his family were on the verge of exhuming the body for proper investigation to ascertain the cause of his death.

Narrating the family’s ordeal, the eldest son said  “ We have had a very horrible time within the family. It has been a trauma that is almost indescribable following the magnitude of the pain it has caused us . We are at a point where the law enforcement agency has stepped in to address this saga that can be described as ‘Hollywood movie.’

“It began when my late father suffered a stroke as a result of the stress he had been going through since 2001 – 2009.  It was due to the stress of being married to a young girl who was  giving him headache. The stress in him even led to the collapse of his airline called Space Airline.   After the stroke, she  snatched the two children she had for my father on the pretext that she was going for a party. The said marriage between him and Ngozi Okorie was validly dissolved.

Sometime in May 2009, he suffered another stroke at his residence in Rivers State and was flown to UK where he was treated for almost a month . When he was discharged, the doctor  informed that our father had suffered  a lot of damages and that little or no changes could be done. He was discharged into the care of Mrs Elizabeth Ngero, nee Hasstrup, one of his grown up children who is married and based in Wiltshire, UK.  He was  taken to the family residence at 15, Langthorn road, Leytonstone, London.

Alleged abduction: “We later arranged to bring him back to Nigeria but that did not materialise because his ex-wife who got wind of my father’s stay in London, came to the house, capitalised on his state of mind and moved him  to her residence at 157, Earlham Grove, a property owned by our father which she had taken over before she was divorced.

When we got wind of this,  we went to the house demanding that we wanted our father back. But she called in  the police informing them there  were some people at her door threatening her and her husband. The police immediately arrived and asked us to leave the vicinity or we would be arrested. They  advised us to go to court to prove that my father had divorced her..

Several attempts made by the children to see our father who was  under her custody proved abortive because we were prevented from seeing him by Miss Okorie  through the use of London Police. She abducted her divorced husband in London for three good years without allowing any member of the  family, particularly the children to have access to him, until he was eventually murdered.

As if that was not enough, attempt by one of my younger brothers to expose our father’s abduction led to him being set up by hiding ammunition and bullet proof jackets in the family’s house at Port Harcourt where he resides.   Police detectives were instigated to conduct a search at the premises and he was arrested, charged to court and granted bail but on stringent conditions which could not be met , thus he was kept behind bars for almost one year.

Secret burial: “In order to perfect the shady deal, my father was secretly brought into the country and buried on September 28, 2013 in Ilesha, Osun State, without the knowledge of the deceased’s family, in order to avoid carrying out autopsy on the corpse as demanded , to ascertain the actual cause of his death. On that very day, I was  in court in London to demand for the release of the corpse for subsequent burial.

His body was hidden from members of his family from October 8, 2012, till September 26, 2013 when it was brought home on the order of the London Court .  The family members, his children inclusive were deceived about the actual date of arrival of the corpse. Consequently, the funeral ceremony was carried out  amidst tight security with hired militants who prevented family members from moving near the corpse as desired at will.

Startling discovery: “During the pendency of the abduction, the ex-wife, in collaboration with others, criminally forged the deceased signature and used same to forge some documents for the withdrawal of millions of Naira and Pound sterling from various bank accounts both in Nigeria and the United kingdom. We also discovered that a Power Of  Attorney was purportedly signed by our late father before he was murdered, taking advantage of his dementia with its attendant unstable mind and memory loss.

This, further, enhanced her criminal and illegal control of the deceased’s estate, even when he has six other grown up children before his marriage to Miss Okorie. We also discovered that  she connived with others in the sale of one of our father’s landed property in Port Harcourt for N450 million.

 

Illegal withdrawals

She has plundered our father’s estate by realising over N1.5 billion  proceeds from the sale of his Eastern Bulkcement Company  Limited , another N150 million from the sale of his water front property at Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt  and several other illegal withdrawals  from his accounts,” John Hasstrup alleged.

“We are therefore calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the matter with a view to ensuring that justice was done, by ascertaining the cause of his father’s death,”he stated.

Estranged wife reacts: When Crime Alert contacted the woman at the centre of controversy on phone Monday, she simply  asked to be left alone to mourn her husband, adding that the issue was a family matter which she would not want to be in the public domain. However, after much pressure, she referred Crime Alert to her statement at the Force Criminal Investigations Department, INTERPOL section in response to the petition filed against her.

Her statement: In the statement which was discreetly obtained by Crime Alert, she described the allegations against her as  ‘false, malicious and baseless’  . Although she admitted in the statement to have been divorced with the deceased, she however, stated that she was never served any court papers in England then.

According to the statement by the mother of two: “Somehow, he still got a decree nisi granted in his favour on July 16, 2007 . The decree nisi was to become absolute in January 2008 except we reconciled, or the validity of the decree nisi was challenged. He also wrote a letter to my father to say he was no longer interested in marrying me.

But he did not demand return of dowry nor did he waive its return as our Mbieri custom demanded.  I also initiated divorce proceedings against him  in England where I have been living on a permanent basis since 2007. Because my husband’s decree nisi could not become absolute unless by law, arrangements were made for the welfare and maintenance of myself and our two teenage children, he had to go back to the same court to ask for Ancillary Reliefs and Maintenance Orders.

 By Evelyn USMAN

4 UNIPORT Killings (Aluu 4): Soldiers and Police take over Omuokiri-Aluu…more arrests made.

Joint Task Force in Umuokiri-Aluu

Soldiers and policemen under the Joint Task Force have taken over security at Omuokiri Village of Aluu where four students of the University of Port Harcourt were killed by a mob last Friday.

This came as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Wednesday decried recent serial killings of about 46 students of the Federal Polytechnic in Mubi, Adamawa State,  and four students of the University of Port-Harcourt by villagers of Aluu community, describing both incidents as evidence of total system collapse.

(Inset) Biringa Chiadika of the Theatre Arts Department; Ugonna Obuzor of Geology Department, Mike Toku Llyod of Civil Engineering Department and Tekena Erikena.

Villagers and residents of the community had fled the community on Tuesday when the students, led by the South-south and South-east zones of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), went on rampage in the community in protest against the murder of their colleagues.

No fewer than 12 houses and 30 cars were destroyed in the protest, which was later brought under control by the JTF.

Vandalised Aluu

When THISDAY visited the university and the community yesterday morning, students were seen leaving the campus in droves, following the closure of the university and the consequent directive for them to vacate their hostels immediately.

UNIPORT’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Communication, Dr. Williams Wodi, had said Tuesday night that the school had been closed indefinitely, pointing out that the decision was to forestall further breakdown of law and order due to the students’ unrest.

At Omuokiri, five persons who were seen near the spot where the four students were killed were yesterday arrested by security operatives who had been deployed to the town to maintain law and order. They were handcuffed and driven off in two patrol vans.

A truck load of mobile policemen (MOPOL) were seen near the scene of the killings, while about 50 other heavily armed men of the JTF, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Department of State Security and policemen were seen moving round the town.

Some of the security operatives were spotted retrieving some items suspected to have been used on the students before they died, including motor tyres, sticks and stones, at a place called ‘burrow pit’ in Umuokiri, probably for forensic analysis.

Non-security men seen in the community were only those whose houses and cars were burnt by the protesting students on Tuesday.

Meanwhile THISDAY observed that some of the students, especially those from outside Rivers State had taken refuge with friends at Choba, one of the host communities of the university.

NBA President Okey Wali

NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN), said this yesterday at a press conference preceding the inauguration of the NBA working group on strategic planning.
He also reiterated its support for the call for state police in the country, saying that the Nigerian police lack adequate funding, training and intelligence gathering.

According to Wali, internal security was the biggest threats to national development, integration and progress of the nation.

NBA charged the government should identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the inhuman acts and their collaborators to assuage the feelings of Nigerian’s.
“Nothing short of the identification and prosecution of the Mubi and Allu Killers and collaborators will assuage the feelings of Nigerian’s,” he added.
Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar pledged that the police would thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that justice runs its full course.

Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar

Abubakar, who made this disclosure on arrival from Turkey to Lagos, however declined to reveal the actual number of persons that had been arrested in connection with the murder so far.

He said, “Even though I was not around then but I am aware of the situation and I was briefed on this even while in Turkey. We are on it and we have commenced investigation to the incident.

“The investigation would tell what exactly had happened, but I want to assure all Nigerians that we are doing our best to bring out the culprits of that very ugly incident.

~ By Ernest Chinwo, Adebiyi Adedapo and  Chiemelie Ezeobi of ThisDay

UPDATE – 4 Uniport Students killing (Allu4):Mother of dead student Chinwe Biringa petitions government as NANS Issues a 48-hour Ultimatum…Senate President advocates State Police and 30 Uniport students injured as Aluu community is burnt.

“What did my son do? What did the other three young men who died with him do? First, we heard that the four students were alleged to have stolen a BlackBerry phone and a laptop computer.

“This could not be further from the truth. My son has had a BlackBerry phone and in fact, a laptop computer since he was in primary school. No way could my son steal such a common thing as a cell phone which every village woman now owns.”

 

Late Chidiaka Biringa

Read Mrs Chinwe Biringa, mother of Chiadika petition to the Government

The mother of one of the murdered students has however petitioned the Senate, demanding that justice be done.

In a petition dated October 9, 2012, which was addressed to the President of the Senate, David Mark, mother of the late Chiadika, Mrs. Chinwe Biringa, said perpetrators of the heinous crime must not go unpunished.

A copy of the petition which was obtained by one of our correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday said Biringa’s father is a senior staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

According to Chinwe, when her son turned 20 years  this week, he was given money to mark his birthday with his friends.

The petition reads in part, “On Friday morning, we were called by my second son, also a UNIPORT student, that all was not well; that he was hearing bad rumours that villagers in ALUU, had murdered four students.

“I immediately rushed to the scene only to see my son’s dead body being taken away naked to a mortuary in the UNIPORT Teaching Hospital. I could not believe my eyes as I collapsed.

“What did my son do? What did the other three young men who died with him do? First, we heard that the four students were alleged to have stolen a BlackBerry phone and a laptop computer.

“This could not be further from the truth. My son has had a BlackBerry phone and in fact, a laptop computer since he was in primary school. No way could my son steal such a common thing as a cell phone which every village woman now owns.

“We have been subjected to several gory videos and pictures on the Internet. This shows that someone filmed the whole barbarism from beginning to end. My son and his friends were savagely beaten and burnt to death while villagers in ALUU watched. All this has been caught on film!”

Chinwe demanded that apart from clearing the name of her son, justice should be meted out to the killers.

‘Your Excellency, every responsible parent knows what I, my husband, and the entire family are passing through over this beastly murder. We do not want this thing to be swept under the rug like most Nigerian investigations.”

Senate President David Mark

Senate President David Mark calls for introduction of State police

At the Senate, Mark expressed his support for the creation of state police in the face of what he described as the “perceived failure of the Police to stem insecurity in the country.

Mark’s comments came during the debate of a motion brought by Senator Ayogu Eze and 98 other senators on the Aluu killings.

He said, “We are worried that this has happened, and it is a test case for the police because the video is there for them to identify the perpetrators and they should quickly bring them to book.

“I was against state police before, but I have since changed my mind. The frequency with which crimes happen in this country and the difficulty the current police have in carrying out their investigations means that there are real security challenges that we need to address. And to address them, we must make sure that there are enough policemen that can police this country. The benefits of state police outweigh its disadvantages at the moment.”

Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi said the Aluu killing was an expression of an angry nation that was becoming disconnected from humanity, as a result of accumulated years of disappointment and neglect by government.

Ekweremadu, who said he knew one of the victims’ parents, added that the country should not be allowed to continue on the path of bloodshed.

Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, described the killing as an “act of squandering the future of the country.”

Uniport Students Protest

Angry UNIPORT Students Invaded Aluu and burnt houses and cars…30 students reported injured

Angry students of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday invaded Aluu community where four of their colleagues were killed on Friday.

By the time security operatives restored order to the troubled community, many houses and cars had been torched and about 30 students injured.

But the students’ action came with a cost: The UNIPORT authorities shut the 37-year-old institution indefinitely.

While the community boiled, the National Assembly condemned the UNIPORT and Mubi Polytechnic killings. The House of Representatives went a step further by summoning the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over the rising  insecurity in the country.

Four second year undergraduates of UNIPORT – Biringa Lordson of Theatre Arts Department;  Ugonna  Obuzor of the Geology Department;   Mike  Toku of   Civil Engineering  Department;  and Tekema Erikena -were  lynched in Aluu for allegedly stealing a laptop computer and BlackBerry phone. The lynching was also videotaped.

Last week, gunmen had also invaded the off campus hostel of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi  with a hit list and butchered more than 40 students.

A source in  Choba  told our our correspondent in Rivers State that irate students who gathered under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students had barricaded the East-West Road, vowing not to leave until the UNIPORT Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, addressed them.

Some the students later moved to Aluu and began to set  houses and cars ablaze until security operatives came to disperse them.

The immediate past student union president, Mr. Rhino Owhorkire, said  that 30 students were injured during the incident that took place at about 4.30 pm.

Owhokire, who hails from  Aluu, stated that he tried to calm the students and stop them from going ahead to torch the buildings to no avail.

“I am from Aluu and I tried my best to calm them down and stop them from burning houses . The initial plan was for them to make bonfire on the road and not to burn houses,” he said.

NANS Treasurer, South East and South-South, Mr. Iyere Onono, urged government to address the grievances of the students.

As the tension rose, the management of the university ordered the immediate closure of the university to forestall the breakdown of law and order on the  campus.

Its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Williams Wodi, who spoke with The PUNCH on the telephone, said,  “The University of Port Harcourt has been shut down indefinitely and students have been told to vacate their hostels until normalcy returns to the institution. We will reopen when normalcy returns.”

NANS-ALUU4

NANS Issues 48-hour Ultimatum

NANS on Tuesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Federal and Rivers State governments to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the killing of  the four UNIPORT students.

Describing  the killing as “inhumane, barbaric and uncalled for,” NANS said if the Federal and Rivers State governments  failed to meet its demand by the expiration of  the  ultimatum,  its members  would have no other option than to use their  “constitutional powers.”

NANS National Public Relations Officer, Clement Olusegun, said in a statement in Abeokuta, Ogun State,  that the association would soon shift its secretariat temporarily to Port Harcourt to enable it coordinate a peaceful protest  against the killing of the four undergraduates.

The association, however, kicked against President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure to use the opportunity of his national broadcast on Tuesday to condole with the families of the lynched students.

The statement reads in part, “The leadership of  NANS condemns the national address of our President in which he did not mention the incident that occurred at the University of Port Harcourt.

“Realising the fact that “An Injury to One Is an Injury to  All”, we are using this medium to call on the Federal Government and the River State Government to bring the perpetrators of this act  to book without any further delay, within the next 48 hours from today(Tuesday).

“While we mourn the death of our brothers, we are equally pleading with all concerned Nigerian students to remain calm as a seven- working-day mourning period has been declared by the management of University of Port Harcourt.”