Gen Buhari denies having any adopted son

Gen Buhari has denied that a young man(pictured above)named Mohammed Buhari who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on  suspicion of fraud to the tune of N20 million is his adopted son.

General Buhari through his camp has stated that the reports are false as he has no adopted son.

This was contained in a statement released by the Buhari Vanguard on behalf of the General.

Read full statement below:

Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) wishes to state categorically that he does not have any adopted son called “Muhammadu Buhari” and had no need to adopt a son at any time having been blessed with choice children, both male and female.

Muhammadu Buhari and his family do not know the said “Muhammed Buhari” who is alleged to be involved in a N20m scam and is being held by EFCC as reported by Saharareporters.

It is regrettable to note that after several unsuccessful attempts to smear the hard earned respect, popularity, dignity, and enviable image of Muhammadu Buhari, mischief makers have resorted to a laughable tactic of linking Muhammadu Buhari to a crime just because someone who has been alleged to have committed a crime somewhere bears the name “Buhari”.

Muhammadu Buhari is blessed with very descent and disciplined children who obviously took after their father. His children have no single record of stealing and inordinate behavior anywhere in the world. They do not seek attention, but have proven the stuff their father is made of any time their character is put to test.

However, this is understandable, since the entire attempts by mischief makers to discredit Muhammadu Buhari as an individual have failed. We frown at this poorly articulated gimmick to indirectly link Muhammadu Buhari and his family to a crime allegedly committed by someone unknown to him and his family just for the fact that the said suspect bears the name “Muhammed Buhari”.

We urge Nigerians to ignore the said report as Muhammadu Buhari and his family will continue to set the pace for others to follow in good character and conduct.

British Surveillance jet breaks down on its way to Nigeria to help #bringbackourgirls

In another news, the British surveillance jet which was on its way to Nigeria to help in the search for missing Chibok girls reportedly broke down in Senegal due to unspecified technical problems.

UK Ministry of Defense released a statement explaining this...

"A technical fault which has delayed the Sentinel aircraft on its way to Ghana is being investigated and will be solved as soon as possible. In the meantime the UK military team continues its work on the ground while other surveillance aircraft continue the search for the missing schoolgirls," .

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that Britain would offer Nigeria a surveillance jet to help in the search of the missing girls.

OUR MEN IN ACTION TO #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS(PHOTOS)

Reuben Abati  tweeted this pix to show our men in action to #bringbackourgirls

wishing them them all the best and we pray that the girls are found soon.

IG of Police goes on a terminal leave

The Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar has been asked to proceed on compulsory leave by president Jonathan allegedly because of the rising insecurity in the country under his watch and police under-performance under his leadership.

The Secretary to the Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, issued a letter signed by the president on Monday May 12th asking the IG to hand over to his immediate subordinate, Suleiman Fakai, who is the Deputy Inspector General of Police  (DIG) in charge of Finance and Administration.

MD Abubakar became Inspector General of Police on January 25, 2012. His tenure was supposed to expire in July 2014, as he's due to retire July 30th 2014 based on mandatory retirement age after serving in the Nigerian Police Force for 35 years but had applied for extention of his tenure, but was turned down by the presidency.

Fakai will step in an acting capacity, until a new Inspector General is announced. 

SOLDIERS REVOLT IN MAIDUGURI,BORNO STATE

Soldiers from the newly formed 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri today May 14th revolted against their General Officer Commanding, Major General Abubakar Mohammed, shooting sporadically in the Maimalari barracks, which is also home to the Artillery Corps, the Ordinance, as well as army signals in Maiduguri, Sahara Reporters reports

 

According to two soldiers who spoke with SR, emotions ran high when they saw the bodies of their colleagues ambushed and killed by Boko Haram men in Chibok, Borno state. The angry soldiers immediately started shooting into the air, complaining that their superior have failed to provide them with adequate weaponry with which to fight the war against the better-armed Boko Haram militants.

“We the soldiers don’t have the kind of arms and ammunition that [Boko Haram] fighters have. So everyday, they kill our men anyhow, but it is never published in the media,” said one source. The other source also complained that the commanding officers “are too busy ‘eating’ money. And they do not pay our allowances on time. And once [a soldier dies], nobody knows what happens to his allowances again.”

General Mohammed was immediately whisked out of the barracks to an unknown destination.

CREDIT: LIB

Names Of the 54 Chibok School Girls Identified In Boko Haram Video

The parents of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls and their classmates converged at the Government House, Maiduguri, Borno State, to identify the girls who were shown in a video released by Boko Haram on Monday(yesterday).

The exercise which was painstaking and lasted throughout the day and last night, however, yielded some results, as parents, girls from Chibok secondary school and Borno State Government officials, were able to identify 54 of the abducted girls who featured in the video. And about 80 girls have now been identified so far.

Shortly after the terror sect released the video, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had directed that it should be reproduced and distributed so that the parents of the girls could identify their daughters.

But for other parents who could not identify their daughters, the pain and sorrow continued, with speculation rising that some of the girls who appeared in the video may have been kidnapped before April 14 from other communities in Borno.

The leader of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, had released a video on Monday showing over a hundred of the kidnapped girls who are believed to have been abducted from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, a month ago.

He had said that the girls, all dressed in the Muslim hijab and reciting verses of the Qu’ran, would only be released if the federal government accepts to exchange them for members of his sect who have been in government detention facilities for years.

Below is a list of those identified so far:

1. Agnes Gafane
2. Saraya Stober
3. Hauwa Bitrus
4. Hajara Isa
5. Na’omi Philimun
6. Hauwa Abdu (1st Speaking)
7. Magret Yama
8. Shitta Abdu
9. Jummai Muta…
10. Ladi Paul
11. Roda Peter
12. Filo Dauda
13. Godiya Bitrus
14. Saratu Tauji (2nd Speaking)
15. Ross Daniel
16. Hauwa Ali
17. Hajara Isa (Amira 3rd Speaking)
18. Luba Afga
19. Na’omi Luka
20. Saraya Emos Ali
21. Bilkisu Abdullahi
22. Mairama Ali
23. Maryam Ali Maiyanga
24. Dabora Abbas
25. Kabu Mala
26. Halima Ali
27. Yana Bukar
28. Solomi Pugu
29. Lydia Emmar
30. Luba Sanda
31. Saraya Samuel
32. Comfort Habila
33. Rejoice Shanki
34. Gloria Yaga
35. Mary Nkeki
36. Moda Baba
37. Hauwa Isuwa
38. Patient Jacob
39. Ladi Jajel
40. Abigel Bukar
41. Fanta Lawan
42. Zainabu Yaga
43. Aisha Lawan Zanna
44. Dokas Yakubu
45. Kabu Mala
46. Maryama Bashir
47. Hauwa M. Maina
48. Mary G. Dauda
49. Susana Yakubu
50. Maryam Abbas
51. Laraba John
52. Hanatu Nuhu
53. Na’ omi Bukar
54. Rifkatu Galang

Court Stops further Probing of former CBN governor;Sanusi by Financial Reporting Council

 The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday restrained the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria from conducting investigations into alleged financial impropriety levelled against the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

In his ruling in a suit instituted by Sanusi to bar the FRCN from probing him, Justice John Tsoho held that given the circumstances, the FRCN had not complied with the provisions of the law.


In granting Sanusi’s prayers, the judge said that allowing the probe to go on could be likened to the case of the proverbial cockroach, which found itself in the midst of fowls.

He said the cockroach under such circumstance was presumed guilty, adding that “since prevention is better than cure” the court should rule against the proposed investigation.

He had urged the court to stop the investigation into the CBN records during his tenures as governor on the ground that FRCN had found him guilty before commencing the probe.

The judge said the commission had already reached its conclusion as to the culpability of Sanusi, given the commission’s briefing note attached to the letter suspending him as the CBN governor on February 20, 2014, and newspaper advertisement inviting him for the probe,.

Sanusi, through his counsel, Mr. Kola Awodein (SAN), insisted that the suspended CBN boss had not been given the benefit of fair hearing.

GUNMEN INVADES PRIMARY SCHOOL IN NYANYA

According to a report by Sahara Reporters,Unknown gunmen have attacked a primary school at Nyanya the scene of recent bombing attacks in Abuja.

Multiple sources within and around the Vine International Academy school toldSaharaReporters that the gunmen launched the attack few minutes before 8 am.

No pupil or member of staff was hurt, but the gunmen snatched the school bus.

“We do not know if they are members of Boko Haram or if they are robbers”, an official of the school said.

“The sad thing is that parents do not want to know if it’s Boko Haram or not. Many of them are coming to take away their children out of panic”.

Nyanya was the target of two bomb attacks that left hundreds dead and scores injured last month, and residents of the area are now living in fear of further attacks.

may GOD help us. Amen #bringbackourgirls

UPDATE: The stories initially had it that two schools were invaded - Ave Maria Girls Secondary School and Vine International Academy but here is the true story - Ave Maria was not involved. The school 
proprietor of Ave Maria confirmed on phone that their school wasn't involved. But at Vine International Academy in Nyanya, their school bus was taken this morning by gunmen.

Vine International school's proprietress confirmed the gunmen tried to enter her school but eventually couldn’t. And NO child was taken away by them. Just their school bus.

Security in Nyanya really needs to be boosted cos residents are so scared. Someone living there, in Federal Housing Estate Nyanya,said that the government needs to bring in more troops into Nyanya, cos apparently, it seems Boko Haram has invaded the Nyanya environment.

UPDATE: According to statement on the Facebook page of the Nigerian Police force, the early morning attack on Vine International school was a robbery attack and not an attack by Boko Haram.

PHOTOS: WHO COULD DO THIS TO HER CHILDREN???

According to a report by the The Nation, A woman; Mrs Toyin Abiodun who cooks, washes, bathes and defecates in a single room which she shares with her four young children has been accused of brutally assaulting them.
She beats her children with knife, cutlass, belt and iron. The boy pictured right is her first son and you can see all the marks on his head and face, and his dislocated arm.
permit me to ask, what on earth could make a mother hate her kids this much????

BREAKING NEWS: Boko Haram Leader, Shekau Vows To Sell Abducted Chibok Girls,says They’re His Properties And God has Instructed him to Sell Them.

 

Boko Haram, an  Islamic terrorist sect has on Monday claimed responsibility for the abduction of over 267 pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State which took place on April 14.

The Agence France-Presse quoted the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, as making the claim in a video the agency said it obtained.

Shekau, in the video, also threatened to sell off the abducted girls in defiant response to the international outrage that greeted the kidnapping of the girls from their hostel.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the seizure of the girls barely 24hours after President Goodluck Jonathan told the nation that no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Shekau was quoted to have said, “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”

He spoke just as the Daily Telegraph of London reported that a former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is now a UN special envoy on education, led calls for Western governments to assist with the rescue of the girls.

According to the report, a Foreign Office spokesman said the government was in talks with the Nigerian Government and ‘security services’ but declined to say if that might include Special Forces, such as the SAS.

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, over the weekend also promised America’s help.

He said, “The kidnapping of hundreds of children by Boko Haram is an unconscionable crime and we will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and to hold the perpetrators to justice.”

When the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade was contacted, he said that the military authorities had not seen the said video.

He said that even if there was such a video, the claim would have to be verified.

Olukolade added that the military had been treating all claims and pieces of information relating to the abduction of the schoolgirls with the deserved seriousness.

The Defence spokesman added,“On the so- called video or message from the terrorists, let me reiterate the fact that the military is taking every information or claims on this abduction with due seriousness.

“This claim will also be studied although it will not distract the ongoing search.”

A source said that the move was part of a conspiracy to frustrate government investigation into the incident.

The BBC, also citing the video obtained by the AFP, also quoted Shekau as saying the girls should not have been in school in the first place, but rather should get married.

“God instructed me to sell them, they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions,” he said.

Assurances from President Goodluck Jonathan have done little to convince Nigerians of the government’s commitment to freeing the girls.

Boko Haram, which means “Western education is forbidden”, has attacked numerous places of worship and educational institutions in northern Nigeria.

The Associated Press said it was unclear whether the video was made before or after reports last week that some of the girls had been forced to marry their abductors, who paid a nominal bride price of N200.

Others are reported to have been taken across borders into Cameroon and Chad.

The girls were in their final year of school, most of them aged 16 to 18.

Shekau in the 57-minute video also insisted that the girls were no better than the “booty of war.”

The terrorist, who is currently on the most wanted list of both Nigerian and the US governments, said the abducted schoolgirls were no more than slaves that he could choose whatever he wanted to do with them.

He admitted that the girls had spent over 20 days in his custody and that he had not treated them any better than the “booty of war.”

Shekau who did not display the girls throughout the recording, said, “We would also give their hands in marriage because they are our slaves. We would marry them out at the age of nine. We would marry them out at the age of 12,” it depends on “our choice”.

The terrorist leader, who spoke in Hausa and Arabic languages interchangeably, noted that the girls were captured because they were seeking Western education.

“Western education is sin, it is forbidden, and women must go and marry,” he said.

The video, which had been sent to local journalists via electronic mail, could not however be independently verified

Girl Who Escaped From Boko Haram Den narrates her experience

 One of the girls who miraculously escaped from the turbulent Boko Haram camp has narrated her horid experience, the young teenager detailed all that happened while she was captured and also explained how their captors (Boko Haram) rapes every girl up to 15times daily.

According Daily Mirror, “Families of the schoolgirls, aged between 15 to 18, are certain their daughters are now being used as séx slaves by an extreme sect that has killed 1,500 people since the start of this year alone. They are captives in the wild Sambisa Forest in north-east Nigeria where Boko Haram has a heavily armed camp of bunkers, tunnels, ramshackle buildings and tents.

“One girl who recently escaped following an earlier kidnapping said she was prized as a terror leader’s wife because she had been a virgin. She said young female captives were raped up to 15 times a day, forced to convert to Islam and had their throats cut if they refused.”

It is noted that under President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian government appears to have done little except issue an entirely false claim that most of the girls had been rescued by defence forces.”

It quotes Mma Odi, executive director of the Nigerian charity Baobab Women’s Human Rights, as saying: “It is a very bad situation for those girls. The men went to the school for no other reason than to make them their sex objects. The men will have reduced them to sex slaves, raping them over and over again. And any girl who tries to resist will be shot by them. They have no conscience.

“The conditions will be terrible and it seems like the government has just abandoned them because they are girls and they are poor. If they were the sons of the rich, the government would act. Their abductors are not human beings and if the girls get out they will no longer be normal. They will have to have years of counselling to recover.”

Also indicting the Jonathan led administration, Professor Hauwa Biu, a women’s rights campaigner based at the University of Maiduguri, told Daily Mirror: “They claim they are on top of the situation, that they are in the bush, but they are not there. If the government had acted straight away then they could have followed the gunmen’s footsteps or tyre tracks, but over the past weeks rain and leaves have fallen, covering them up.

“Meanwhile, nobody knows what kind of conditions they will be living in the camp. I cannot think what these girls must be going through. I have been told that the men feed them and treat them quite well, but we also know that other girls kidnapped have been highly molested.

As the news of the abductions spread, frantic parents rode motorbikes into the forest in pursuit. But they were met by villagers who told them with icy certainty that unless they turned back they would be shot dead by the terrorists.

Some girls managed to escape. In the end 53 got away, but 276 are still missing.

A girl called Rehab, 17, told how she jumped from a truck with schoolmate, Comfort, 15, as they were driven into the forest: “We sum­moned up some courage and grabbed some of the branches and clung on to them while the truck moved on with the other girls,” she said.

“We jumped down and began to run into the darkness. Comfort and I went in the same direction but four other girls took the path back to a village. We didn’t know where we were but we kept running.”

Malam Ali Iliya is the father of another schoolgirl who escaped.

“My daughter said when the trailer got stuck, some of the girls began to jump out and run for their lives and she followed suit. We are lucky our children were not shot,” he said.

Girl Who Escaped From Boko Haram Den narrates her experience

 One of the girls who miraculously escaped from the turbulent Boko Haram camp has narrated her horid experience, the young teenager detailed all that happened while she was captured and also explained how their captors (Boko Haram) rapes every girl up to 15times daily.

According Daily Mirror, “Families of the schoolgirls, aged between 15 to 18, are certain their daughters are now being used as séx slaves by an extreme sect that has killed 1,500 people since the start of this year alone. They are captives in the wild Sambisa Forest in north-east Nigeria where Boko Haram has a heavily armed camp of bunkers, tunnels, ramshackle buildings and tents.

“One girl who recently escaped following an earlier kidnapping said she was prized as a terror leader’s wife because she had been a virgin. She said young female captives were raped up to 15 times a day, forced to convert to Islam and had their throats cut if they refused.”

It is noted that under President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian government appears to have done little except issue an entirely false claim that most of the girls had been rescued by defence forces.”

It quotes Mma Odi, executive director of the Nigerian charity Baobab Women’s Human Rights, as saying: “It is a very bad situation for those girls. The men went to the school for no other reason than to make them their sex objects. The men will have reduced them to sex slaves, raping them over and over again. And any girl who tries to resist will be shot by them. They have no conscience.

“The conditions will be terrible and it seems like the government has just abandoned them because they are girls and they are poor. If they were the sons of the rich, the government would act. Their abductors are not human beings and if the girls get out they will no longer be normal. They will have to have years of counselling to recover.”

Also indicting the Jonathan led administration, Professor Hauwa Biu, a women’s rights campaigner based at the University of Maiduguri, told Daily Mirror: “They claim they are on top of the situation, that they are in the bush, but they are not there. If the government had acted straight away then they could have followed the gunmen’s footsteps or tyre tracks, but over the past weeks rain and leaves have fallen, covering them up.

“Meanwhile, nobody knows what kind of conditions they will be living in the camp. I cannot think what these girls must be going through. I have been told that the men feed them and treat them quite well, but we also know that other girls kidnapped have been highly molested.

As the news of the abductions spread, frantic parents rode motorbikes into the forest in pursuit. But they were met by villagers who told them with icy certainty that unless they turned back they would be shot dead by the terrorists.

Some girls managed to escape. In the end 53 got away, but 276 are still missing.

A girl called Rehab, 17, told how she jumped from a truck with schoolmate, Comfort, 15, as they were driven into the forest: “We sum­moned up some courage and grabbed some of the branches and clung on to them while the truck moved on with the other girls,” she said.

“We jumped down and began to run into the darkness. Comfort and I went in the same direction but four other girls took the path back to a village. We didn’t know where we were but we kept running.”

Malam Ali Iliya is the father of another schoolgirl who escaped.

“My daughter said when the trailer got stuck, some of the girls began to jump out and run for their lives and she followed suit. We are lucky our children were not shot,” he said.

President Jonathan's Easter message to the nation

 Easter message from Mr President..


Dear Compatriots,

I greet you all, especially our Christian brothers and sisters who are celebrating Easter and commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ today.
As we join Christians in other countries of the world in celebrating Easter this year, I urge all Nigerians to reflect on the significance of its lessons of piety, obedience to higher authorities, self sacrifice for the good of others, redemption, salvation, deliverance, renewal and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
These lessons of Easter and other injunctions on brotherly love, peaceful co-existence, tolerance, honesty, humility, justice, equity and fairness to all without discrimination contained in the Gospels are of particular importance to us as a nation as we continue to contend with the challenges of nation-building and development.

As our Christian compatriots celebrate the Messiah’s   triumph over death and all that it connotes, let us all renew our faith and confidence in our ability as a people to overcome all obstacles, challenges and threats to national progress and well-being, including terrorism and other criminal attacks on our people in some parts of the country.

My belief in our ability to overcome all retrogressive and divisive forces in our midst and build a strong, united and prosperous nation by turning our unique diversity into a source of strength remains unshaken and we will continue to work with all interest groups and stakeholders in the country to achieve the peaceful, secure and politically stable conditions essential for rapid socio-economic development.

In spite of the evil machinations of terrorists, criminals and their collaborators, our Administration remains ardently focused on efforts to successfully execute the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation and achieve sustained development.

We have already made notable advances in this regard. As a result of our efforts and those of previous administrations, the Nigeria economy is now the largest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world.

But we cannot afford to rest on our oars. Much remains to be done and we will continue to count on the patriotic support of all Nigerians as we strive to achieve more inclusive economic growth, generate more national wealth and create more employment opportunities to meet the demands of our increasingly youthful population.

I commend the leadership and delegates to the ongoing National Conference, the vast majority of who have shown a patriotic and praiseworthy commitment to national unity, peace and progress built on justice, fairness and equity for all component parts of the country.

As the Conference breaks into committees to continue its deliberations, it remains our hope and expectation that the end result will be meaningful and enduring contributions towards strengthening national unity and fulfilling our collective desire for a better and greater nation.

Once again, I extend heartfelt commiserations to all the families who have sadly lost loved relatives in recent terrorist attacks.

Our thoughts and sympathies remain with all those who have suffered injuries from the heinous attacks. We  pray for their speedy recovery and shall keep on doing everything possible to assist them with required medical services and material support.

Our Armed Forces and security agencies will continue to do their very best to curb such attacks and restore full security to all parts of our beloved country.

But we must all become more alert and vigilant, and do all that we can to give them the fullest possible assistance, support and cooperation they require to achieve more effective protection of lives and property across the country.

We shall continue to count on your support and prayers for greater peace, harmony, progress and prosperity in Nigeria.

May God Almighty bless our dear nation and guide us, always.
Happy Easter to you all.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Update: Doyin Okupe takes responsiblity for misinformation on abducted girls

 Mr Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, yesterday took full responsibility for the misinformation on the 100+ abducted Government Girls Secondary students who were taken from their hostel on Monday 14th in Chibok, Borno state by Boko Haram men. He had issued a statement saying the military had released the girls. It was later found to be false. The girls are still missing.

Nigerian Military Retracts Claim It Freed 107 Abducted Schoolgirls

 The Nigerian military on Thursday backtracked on its claim that it freed majority of the 129 female students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, abducted on Monday night by suspected Boko Haram members.



The spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, Chris Olukolade, had said 107 of the girls were freed in addition to the 14 that escaped from their abductors.

Mr. Olukolade claimed that following the rescue, only eight of the girls were still held captive by the insurgents.

But shortly after Mr. Olukolade’s statement was published, the principal of the affected school, Asabe Kwambura, as well as officials of the Borno state government, said the claims were untrue and that majority of the girls were still missing.

“There is nothing in the military statement that is true about our abducted girls,” Mrs. Kwambura had said. “Up till now we are still waiting and praying for the safe return of the students; all I know is that we have only 14 of them, and the security people especially the Vigilante and the well meaning volunteers of Gwoza are still out searching for them.”

Mrs. Kwambura’s claim portrayed the military in bad light and angered several Nigerians, with some accusing the military and the Nigerian government of playing politics with the lives of the abducted girls.

Apparently rattled by the denial of its claim, the military on Thursday night issued a statement, saying it was deferring to the principal of the school and the Borno government on the correct number of girls that have so far been freed.

“In the light of the denial by the principal of the school, the Defence Headquarters wishes to defer to the school principal and Governor’s statement on the number of students still missing and retract that aspect of earlier statement while the search continues,” Mr. Olukolade said in a statement.

The defence spokesperson denied the military was playing politics with the rescue operation, saying the information he provided on Thursday was sourced from the field.

“There was no reason to doubt this official channel, hence the information was released to the public immediately,” Mr. Olukolade explained. “Surprisingly however, the school principal, one of the sources quoted in the report has denied all that was attributed to her for whatever reasons. This is an unfortunate development indeed, yet the Defence Headquarters would not want to join issues with anyone.”

He added, “It has to be reaffirmed however, that the report forwarded to the public on this issue was in good faith and not intended to deceive the public as is being interpreted following the denials by the School principal and Government of Borno State.

“Like all other citizens, the military is deeply concerned to ensure that the students are safe and freed alive. There is indeed no reason to play politics with the precious lives of the students. The number of those still missing is not the issue now as the life of every Nigerian is very precious.”

Read Mr. Olukolade’s full statement below.

Joint Information Centre

Counter Terrorism Campaign

North-East Nigeria

c/o Defence Headquarters

ABUJA

JIC/CTC/NE/14                                                             17 April 2014

PRESS RELEASE

 UPDATE ON THE ABDUCTED STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT GIRLS’ SECONDARY SCHOOL CHIBOK

The controversy that has been generated around the efforts at securing the lives of the abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok is unfortunate.  The ongoing frantic efforts of security forces along with vigilante groups including hunters working to locate and free the abducted students have continued to be keenly monitored at the Operation Centre of the Defence and Army Headquarters as regular progress reports are being received from troops on the ground.

In this regard, a report was filed in from the field indicating that a major breakthrough had been recorded in the search.  There was no reason to doubt this official channel, hence the information was released to the public immediately.  Surprisingly however, the school principal, one of the sources quoted in the report has denied all that was attributed to her for whatever reasons.   This is an unfortunate development indeed, yet the Defence Headquarters would not want to join issues with anyone.

It has to be reaffirmed however, that the report forwarded to the public on this issue was in good faith and not intended to deceive the public as is being interpreted following the denials by the School principal and Government of Borno State.  Like all other citizens, the military is deeply concerned to ensure that the students are safe and freed alive.  There is indeed no reason to play politics with the precious lives of the students.  The number of those still missing is not the issue now as the life of every Nigerian is very precious.

In the light of the denial by the principal of the school, the Defence Headquarters wishes to defer to the school principal and Governor’s statement on the number of students still missing and retract that aspect of earlier statement while the search continues.

CHRIS  OLUKOLADE

Major General

Director Defence Information/Coordinator

Source: Premium Times

The Military Lied About Rescue Of Abducted School Girls " - Borno Government Officials, Principal

 The claim by military officials in Abuja on Wednesday that 107 abducted girls of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Chibok were freed is a huge lie, Borno government officials, the management of the school and residents have said.

The Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Asabe Kwambura, told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday morning that the military’s claim was false.

“There is nothing in the military statement that is true about our abducted girls,” Mrs. Kwambura said. “Up till now we are still waiting and praying for the safe return of the students; all I know is that we have only 14 of them, and the security people especially the Vigilante and the well meaning volunteers of Gwoza are still out searching for them.”

She continued, ”The military people too are in the bush searching. So we have not received any information that they have gotten the students yet. So let it be clear that all the information passed on the media by the military concerning 107 girls is not true.
“I, as the principal did not tell any body any figure on released students other than what our Governor, His Excellency Kashim Shettima had informed the media.”

The Principal said she was contacted by the military headquarters in Abuja yesterday and some person was asking her to confirm the number of girls released.

”I told them that I don’t want to be seen to be contradicting myself on that because what the governor said was what we know about; and I told them there may be additional rescue of the girls, but up to this moment we have not received any of them apart from what we had before,” the principal said.

” What the governor said is still the true picture of the whole issue and that information given by the military is totally wrong.”

The military spokesperson at the Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, had Wednesday issued a statement claiming that 107 abducted girls were freed; adding that only eight of the girls were still missing and the military was searching for them.

He also claimed that a member of the Boko Haram sect that participated in the abduction was also nabbed by the military.

Borno state Governor, ashim Shettima was also quoted by the BBC Hausa service this morning faulting the claims of the military.
He reportedly said, “We have recovered 14 of the girls and we have announced a N50 million reward for any credible information that will help us get our girls released and rejoined with their families.”

A female senior Civil Servant with the Borno state government, who requested not to be named said, “What kind of nonsense is this for God sake? Why are they playing politics with the lives of these innocent girls; I had just called some of my relatives in Chibok and they told me none of the girls had been released apart from the 14 that escaped back to town. We hope the military is not doing some thing funny with this very sensitive issue”.

When contacted late last night, Mr. Olukolade insisted it was the principal of the school who told the military that only eight girls were now missing.

.....I just wish they should stop confusing us

Breaking news: Bomb blast at Abuja bus station

 Two blasts occurred this morning at the Nyanya Motor Park on the outskirts of Abuja this morning April 14th has killed several people with many injured.

The blast occurred at the crowded bus station around 6.30am today during rush hour as commuters were about to board buses and taxis to go to work in central Abuja. Two buses full of people were struck. It is believed that one of the buses, which was parked overnight at the motor park, was loaded with the bomb that went off this morning.

The explosion occurred in a section of Nyanya park allocated to luxury buses. An eyewitness said he saw at least 50 bodies being removed from the scene..

"This morning there was an explosion at the Nyanya Motor Park," Manzo Ezekiel of the National Emergency Management Agency said. "Rescue teams are on the ground"
Meanwhile,President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the bombing and has promised heightened security in and around the Federal Capital Territory

The effects of GDP Rebasing on Nigeria/Nigerians

Jide Ogunsanwo, a data and analysis guru, believes that a simple approach should be used to explain complex things.  I met with him and this is how he simply broke down the GDP rebasing saga.

1. A higher GDP means that Nigeria would get mentioned a lot of times on many international newspapers and television stations.  Certainly, this would attract more interest in Nigeria; especially from foreign businessmen.  The lesson here is that we should all get ready to see more Chinese looking men and of course Chinese restaurants. Continue...

 2. Lesson 2: Now that we are No.1 in Africa, maybe some Presidents that had shunned us would have a re-think.  We could (may be o) soon sight Barrack Obama near Aso-Rock.
3.    Every parent wants their child to come first in school. As long as you are number one, you would get admired. If you disagree, ask Messi, Ronaldo or Tuface . Sadly, terrorists also prefer to operate in countries that are ranked number 1. Why? It makes their evil actions get more news coverage. Our national defense team need to now be more vigilant.

 4. I’m sure you know that the prettiest ladies in the world get the highest number of male visitors. Being the winner of ‘The Biggest country in Africa in 2014’ means that our airports would get more visitors. What do you think would soon happen to vehicle traffic around the international airports? However, I see better days ahead for hotel operators and every other 'business' that happens outside the hotels (especially at night)

 5.   I’m sorry, but GDP rebasing would not make your bank account fatter. You still need to work hard to get money. In Naija, you need more than hard work. Don’t ask me what you need?
 6.  Before you get tired of reading, you need to know that the recalculated GDP reminds the Government that a lot of us do not pay tax.  Now that the Government desperately needs money, what are they likely to do? Your guess is as good as mine.
 Finally, the price of rice, garri, beans and pure water would not go down.

Personal regards,
J.O
twitter: @ogunsanwojide

Article: Reno Omokri's take On Fashola’s Theory of Leadership and Church Attendance.

 For those that don't know him,Reno Omokri is the Special Assistant on News Media to President Goodluck Jonathan. In this article,he shares his thought on the statement the Governor of Lagos state made concerning the President's recent visit to churches.

Excerpt.......

I was stunned when I read the various headlines about the comments made by Governor Raji Fashola regarding the President and his habit of worshipping at a church every Sunday. There were various headlines, but the one by one newspaper best captures the sentiments expressed by Fashola. It ran thus ‘Jonathan is Busy Going to Church Instead of Leading the Country-Fashola’.

The governor was further quoted as saying “I know that we have employed somebody for the top job in this country but when we asked him about his qualifications and experience, he said he had no shoes. You must decide whether you want someone who spends most of his time in church or mosque, or the man who is ready to spend his time on the job”.

I cannot really understand the governor’s rationale for making such a comment given that the President attends regular church services in fulfillment of his own personal convictions as a Christian especially as The Holy Bible says “let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25).
It is also a fact that regular Friday mosque attendance is obligatory in Islam. Qur’an, Sura 62, āyāt 9 says “O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew”.

President Goodluck Jonathan did not just pick up the habit of regular Sunday worship in church with other believers. This has been a life time habit for him and many others and I have a hard time understanding why this should attract criticism from the governor of a metropolitan state like Lagos who was voted in by both Christians and Muslims.

Is governor Fashola saying that the administration of Nigeria suffers just because the President attends a 90 minute service every Sunday and short devotions every morning before work?

I am sure that governor Fashola is conversant with the life and times of American Presidents including Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Both of these men led America during the Second World War and both attended services during the pendency of the war.

John F. Kennedy was also a U.S. President who led America during the heady days of the Cold War when America almost went into nuclear conflict with the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR, as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It is on record that Kennedy never missed any church service during his presidency. According to a CNN biography on his life, President Kennedy “faithfully attended Mass once a week, wherever he happened to be” (please see http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/23/how-catholic-was-john-f-kennedy/).

The current President, Barrack Obama not only attends church services, but he also has devotionals at the White House. In fact, once when he was attending church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC on the 27th of October 2013, he refused to answer a question about governance stating to the reporters present “come on guys, I am going to church”.

In England, both the Head of State, Queen Elizabeth the Second, and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, attend church services every Sunday, yet no one has used this against them or accused them of abandoning the ship of state.
It is also on record that the Presidents of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, and The Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Yudhoyono, the two largest Muslim nations in the world regularly attend mosque services on Friday as well as perform daily prayers and are seen to be better leaders because of these actions by their own people and the world at large.

Given this historical account, I wonder why governor Fashola chose to hit at the President the way he did.

Leadership is more than going to the office and attending meetings. A leader must identify with his people. This is why President Jonathan celebrates when Nigerians are celebrating and mourns when they are mourning.

Every year, the President fasts when the Islamic Ummah is fasting as well as when the Body of Christ is fasting. He does not publicize this, but it shows that he has a connection with the people that he leads.

If a person does not have a moral core which can only come by an attachment to a faith which promotes virtues, I do not see how such a person can even begin to be a good leader.

The problems of Nigerians in 2014 are not whether or not a leader attends church or mosque services. Their issue is that they want leaders who can improve on their Standard of Living and who can facilitate the education of their children and who can ensure that they have hope for the future and can independently pursue their own happiness.
These have been the focus of President Jonathan and that focus is sharpened rather than diverted by the little time he spends attending weekly church services and regular daily devotion at home.

If the Per Capita Income of the average Nigerian has increased from $1091 in 2007 to $1721 in 2014, I do not think that is a sign of failure to lead. If the travel time between Lagos to Benin has reduced from eight hours in 2009 to three hours today, I do not think that is a sign that the nation is not under a good leader. If Almajiris are now going to school in one of the 125 Almajiri Model Schools built by the Jonathan administration, I don’t think they would complain that he attends church every Sunday.

I am sure many Lagosians and indeed Nigerians have demanding jobs that require leadership skills. I do not think that this critical mass of highly effective and employed Nigerians would choose to stop going to regular church or mosque services because of the leadership expected of them at their jobs.
In fact, if I am to hazard an educated guess, I would wager that it is precisely because of the demands of their jobs that they would attend regular services at their mosques and church because some leadership challenges require divine intervention.

Many world leaders have written biographies after their times in office and have in those works suggested that it is difficult if not impossible to have any sense of personal accomplishment, successful personal and inter personal relationships, peace of mind and hope for the future without a regular habit of faith.

Perhaps this is why leaders are either sworn into office on The Holy Bible or Qur’an. This action at the beginning of the tenure suggests that the framers of the Constitution and the people who elected them expect them to draw inspiration from their faith which in most cases would flow from The Holy Bible or Qur’an, both of which require that believers attend regular worship services. In fact, how can such inspiration come if you do not perform one of the core expectations of the faith which is to fellowship regularly with other believers?

I understand that some governors and other elected officials regularly go to their leader’s house even more than they go to their places of worship. While this may be the practice of some, it is the practice of others to worship God either at the mosque or the church. I encourage those who prefer the latter to allow those who prefer the latter to worship as they please. After all Nigeria’s Constitution allows for freedom of religion.

Finally, let me say to governor Fashola and others who may not understand why it is necessary to obey the dictates of one’s professed faith. Reason is for your intellect, while faith is for your spirit.

Attempting to use your intellect to lead without sharpening it with your spirit inspired by your faith is like attempting to cut down a tree with a blunt knife. It is better to stop and have that knife sharpened than to keep cutting with a dull knife. This is the difference between those who work hard and those who work smart.

It takes a lot of hard work to lead a state like Lagos, but I am sure that that hard work will go further if smart work is added to it.

God has given too much to Governor Fashola for him to have made the comments he made. Fortunately for him God gives and forgives, but unfortunately for Lagosians, men get and forget!

Reno Omokri

Breaking: Soldier alleges that some Military commanders are aiding Boko Haram,

 There are things you get to hear these days and can't help but wonder.......

According to a report by Punch, a Nigerian soldier who was a guest on the Voice of America Hausa Service has claimed that some military chiefs are aiding the men of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The soldier who did not reveal his identity, told VON Hausa Service, that sometime ago, while serving in Bama Unit in Borno state, a commander from a nearby unit got in contact with his own commandant and asked for backup.

He said when he and the soldiers were to meet with the soldiers from the other commandant, they discovered they were given different uniforms and in the brink of launching the attack on the insurgent group, the soldiers from the other unit were withdrawn by their commandant leaving them to face the men of the Islamic sect alone with light arms. He also claimed that some of the insurgents they killed were officers that conducted training in military base in Kontagora near Abuja.

"We had only light arms and our men were being picked off one after the other. We realised that some of them were actually mercenaries from the Nigerian army… hired to fight us,” he said....hmmmmm

Continue...

The unidentified soldier said that most of his colleagues are silently putting their arms down and leaving the army due to the frustrations they experienced and what he termed the politicizing of the war against the Islamic sect
"“I swear by Allah, there are soldiers who are coming out of the forest after they were abandoned; several of them dropped their weapons and just went home. There were more than 20 of them from this battalion in Kwanduga. Even me that is talking to you now, I am preparing to leave. I just want to tell the world so that they will know what is happening. These people are doing this secretly.” he said
His claim on some military personnel being recruited by the sect group seem to have been confirmed as some Military high command on Sunday launched an investigation into claims of a lance corporal who was said to be killed by the Special Forces during an encounter with  insurgents in Borno State. The Lance Corporal according to a source told Punch that he was a trusted  trainer of Special Forces at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontagora.
"A soldier who trains Special Forces at the Nigerian Army Training Centre in Kontagora, Niger State, was among those who were killed. The man was not among the Special Forces; he was obviously leading the attack for the insurgents but he got killed. It was one of the soldiers that identified him as somebody from his unit in Kotangora. The soldier called attention to the man’s corpse and when the commander said he should be searched, they recovered a current pass authorizing him to leave Kotangora and his Army identity card from him".
Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade in response to the soldiers claims said they were all not true and that the unidentified soldier could be a Boko Haram sect member who was disguising as a Soldier.
"The person that granted that interview on the VOA; we believe he is not a soldier, he could just be one of those simulated on the other side to give some false impression to support the insurgents.” He refused to comment on the story about the killed lance corporal who is alleged to have been working for the sect members