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Tag: Abuja

  • Kanu, three others re-arraigned on amended charges

    Kanu, three others re-arraigned on amended charges

    The Federal Government on Tuesday in Abuja, re-arraigned Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOD) on an amended 11-count charge bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony and publication of defamatory matter.

    Kanu, along with Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, were re-arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja and they pleaded not guilty to the amended charges.

    Nyako fixed Nov. 17 to hear the bail applications filed by counsel to all the defendants.

    Nwawuisi, who is the 4the defendant, was added in the amended 11-count charge, as he had not been previously charged with the other three in the earlier six-count charge.

    In the amended charge, in count one, all four defendants were accused of conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act.

    In count three, they allegedly managed an unlawful society, while count eight borders on possession of unlawful firearms and count 11 hinges on acts of terrorism.

    They allegedly committed the offences in Nigeria and London between 2014 and 2015.

    Counsel to the defendants, Chief Chucks Muoma (SAN), Mr Inalegwu Adoga, Mr E.I Esene and Mr Maxwel Okpara, complained to the judge that the prosecution was bent on frustrating the case by employing unnecessary delay tactics.

    But Nyako said that since the case was before her for the first time, she was not interested in what had happened in the past.

    “The case is coming before me for the first time so let us start on a clean slate, forget what happened previously,” Nyako said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Nyako would be the third judge handling the case against the IPOB leader.

    The first judge that handled Kanu’s matter was Magistrate Shuiabu Usman of Wuse Zone 2, Magistrates’ Court, Abuja.

    Usman squashed all the charges against Kanu after the Prosecutor, the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

    The case was later filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja, where it was assigned to Justice Adeniyi Ademola.

    Kanu, however, during one of sittings told the court that he was no longer confident in the court saying he got information that he would not receive a fair hearing.

    The case file was then returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta who reassigned it to Justice John Tsoho.

    However, following an alleged conflicting ruling giving on the issue of secret trial in favour of the DSS, Kanu in a petition asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Tsoho.

    He also filed an application asking the judge to disqualify himself from the matter.

    Tsoho then hands off the matter on Sept. 26 and sent the case file to Auta, who reassigned it to Nyako. 

  • GOTV TAKES ‘CUSTOMER FAIR’ TO ABUJA

    RESIDENTS of the Federal Capital, Abuja joined the fun train on Saturday, as GOtv held its Customer Fair to mark the fifth anniversary of its operation in Nigeria.

    The event which drew huge numbers of  fun lovers from across the  Federal Capital Territory to Top Rank Hotel, Utako, delivered fun aplenty,  as top  entertainers and celebrities delighted residents.

    On ground to entertain residents were GOtv brand ambassador, Daddy Showkey; Oritse Femi, Aki and Pawpaw, Helen Paul and MC Acapella.

    The event started with Naija FM’s DJ Kentalky dishing out a heady mix of music. The combination of MC Acapella and Helen Paul drew tremendous laughter from the audience.

    Daddy Showkey and Oritse Femi also drew ecstatic dances from the audience with their hit songs. Daddy Showkey took the audience down memory lane with a performance of his old hit-songs, such as ‘Showkey’ and ‘Fire Fire’

    Aki and Pawpaw augmented the event with their comedy routine. There was a dancing competition and the giving out of free GOtv decoders and other gifts to lucky winners.

    Subscribers who had difficulties with their hardware or service were attended to by the GOtv Clinic set up at the venue for that purpose.

    The next installment of the Customer Fair will take place in Lagos on November 5, 2016.

    Speaking on the celebration, the managing director of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe said: “MultiChoice customers are at the center of all the organization does, that is why the company has put together a series activities to say thank you to all subscribers who have stayed with GOtv since its launch in 2011.”

    Gotv was launched in Nigeria in 2011 to make digital TV service affordable for low income earners in Nigeria. So far, the innovated digital TV provider has become so popular among subscribers across the country both in rural and urban areas.

  • Can Abuja secure the land and property rights of its teeming residents?

    Can Abuja secure the land and property rights of its teeming residents?

    The recent attacks by Fulani herdsmen in different parts of Nigeria has brought the issue of land reforms to the spotlight. The process of registering land and property in Nigeria is still very much opaque and the means to do so, much more outdated. Information is very vital for securing land and property rights. But are the government agencies responsible for land management performing their statutory roles?

    By Kolawole Talabi

     “It has been over five years since the [federal] government began work on that bridge,” Umar the Uber driver in whose car I sat on the way to my hotel complains bitterly. “Yet they are still allowing Arab Contractors to continue work on it. I’m very certain the contractors have been bribing government officials.”

    Umar’s frustration stems from having to take a longer route to our destination in the bustling Utako district of Abuja. Just after the Alfreso market in Utako, the smooth roads for which the purpose-built Nigerian capital is renowned gives way to a dirt one. Street lighting and road signs are also conspicuously absent.

    But Utako is unlike Asokoro, the upscale district where Umar had picked me. Yet both districts face similar challenges.

    Asokoro is the undisputed doyen of the districts in the Federal Capital Territory, and it is widely regarded as the most secure district in Abuja. The head of state of the federation lives and works there in a fortified compound popularly known as Aso Rock Villa. Beyond the walls of the president’s residence, the Asokoro landscape is dotted with other important government buildings. The Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Nigerian Police Force and even the regional body, ECOWAS, all maintain a physical presence in the district. The tree-lined streets, stately mansions, and modern office blocks all add to the charm of the district. Due to such exclusivity, the premium cost of land and property makes Asokoro a district that is out of the reach of most Nigerians. However through lapses in land management by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), some of Abuja’s homeless population are able to share living quarters with the rich and powerful in Asokoro.

    Milton Obote Street is an untarred close that leads to nowhere in Asokoro. Like the dirt road that led to my hotel in Utako, the close is devoid of the least of street furniture. Located off Jimmy Carter Street, Milton Obote Street seem like an afterthought in Abuja’s master plan.

    “Where are you going, sir?” one of the men squatting under the overpass bridge at the end of Milton Obote Street asked loudly. “This road does not lead to any place.” The men appeared nervous as I looked around. They were eager to see me leave.

    As the car drove away, I brought out my smartphone to conduct a search on Google Maps for the street name. The app couldn’t locate Milton Obote Street. But then if Milton Obote Street doesn’t exist on digital maps, would it be found in FCTA’s official records?

    fct-minister-mohmmed-musa-bello

    Land management in Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria is vested in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), a public institution headed by a cabinet-level minister. Muhammad Musa Bello is the current FCT minister. One of the mandates of the FCTA is “the provision of safe and secure environment” for FCT residents. Through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), the FCTA carries out this mandate by ensuring “the removal of illegal structures at the expiration of issued notices and the issuance of relevant notices as it regards physical developments” among other statutory tasks. Another department under the FCTA, the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) is responsible for street naming and house numbering in the FCT. The state of the road on Milton Obote Street, the lack of essential street furniture, and the presence of squatters at the end of the close cast doubt on the efficiency of the public agencies responsible for maintaining land and property rights in Abuja.

    “This new [FCT] minister is only interested in raising money from commercial transporters,” Umar adds. “He wants to be seen as doing his work.”

    A freedom of information (FOI) request was sent to the FCTA, AGIS and AMMC for records of street names approval, house numbering and street signs for Milton Obote Street in Asokoro district as well as certificates of occupancy issued to title owners in the same address.

    Four days later, a letter from the FCTA stating that the request is being processed was received. The official response is a well-worn excuse for non-disclosure of public information.

    The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), a civil society organisation based in Abuja, promotes citizen participation in governance through its advocacy work that monitors and reports public finance expenditure. Since 2014, PPDC has curated and published an FOI compliance ranking for public institutions in Nigeria. In the first-ever ranking, the Federal Capital Territory Administration was tied 7th with 11 other state agencies among a total of 67. Two years later, the FCTA had fallen to 95th position together with the Ecological Fund among a record number of 131 public institutions in the latest ranking. It still takes about the same time for the FCTA to respond to FOI requests: more than two weeks. The freedom of information act which former president Goodluck Jonathan signed into law in 2011 mandates public institutions to respond to FOI requests within 7 days. The FCTA hasn’t done well in another key indicator too; on the metric for responsiveness to FOI requests, it had gone from full disclosure to non-disclosure.

    “The FCTA had no proactive disclosure of public finance related information on their website in 2014,” says Ifeoma Onyebuchi, a program support officer at PPDC. “Yet they were able to respond to FOI requests within a short period of time. In 2016, the requested information was not provided, neither was the information disclosed on their official website.”

    Onyebuchi attributes the sharp drop in FCTA’s 2016 ranking due to their lack of response to FOI requests. She reiterates the need for public institutions in Nigeria to comply with the provisions of the law. “It is commendable if information is available to all so that administrative costs are avoided. Some institutions are already doing this in accordance to the FOI Act.”

    As at the time of publication almost eight weeks after the FOI request was made, no correspondence has been received from AGIS and AMMC, agencies under the management of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

    Kolawole Talabi is an independent journalist who covers the environment, science, culture and development from his native country, Nigeria. This report is the output of a media fellowship from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting.

  • ‘Past leaders never considered youths as future of Nigeria’

    ‘Past leaders never considered youths as future of Nigeria’

    Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Tuesday, said the failure of past leadership in the country to develop sound youth empowerment programmes was responsible for the current rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria.
    Dalung said leaders who ruled the country from 1999 till date neglected the youths because they (leaders) never considered them (youth) as future leaders of Nigeria.
    He stated this in Abuja at a national stakeholders’ meeting on youth employment with the theme: “Cross-sectoral Collaboration for Youths Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Training” organised by The Education Partnership Centre (TEP).
    The minister said: “Personally I do not stand in the zone of those who shower blames on the young people, but even as who I am today, I will still stand with them with the way they think and reason because we have not been fair to them and I am saying this without apology. 
    “As leaders, we have never been fair to the future, we have been very hypocritical with the question of youth development and it is this spirit of hypocrisy that graduated into a policy of a sort that explains some of the various issues the keynote speaker analysed.
    “Youths are national assets if we invest in them, we are sure of a country tomorrow. If we neglect them, we are also sure of what the country will be tomorrow, there is no pretence about this. 
    “Sadly, we have decided to turn the tide against the young people and I believe that it is a deliberate conspiracy. It is a conspiracy because the majority of our leaders since 1999 till date have their children studying out of this country.
    “This deliberate neglect which in my opinion is a criminal measure is responsible for the enormous challenges we are facing today. Instead of innovation on how to develop this country, the young people have now misdirected their destiny to kidnapping, robbery and insurgency.
    “There is a need for us to come back and address the issue of youth development sincerely. That informed why we decided to resuscitate this particular committee to come back and look at all that we have been discussing theoretically in the past without seeing the effect of how we can move youth development forward.”
    He said the introduction of various youth empowerment programmes by past governments have failed to yield the desired impact in reducing youth unemployment in Nigeria. 
    “The absence of synergy and data in the evaluation and assessment of youth empowerment programmes in this country is the bane of the insincerity and commitment of the government to youth empowerment programmes, we need to streamline. 
    “The absence of this synergy, fraudsters have taken over the issue of youth empowerment programmes, thereby casting credibility questions on credible partners who have been working in this particular sector. So our partners have just had the imposition of incredibility because of the actions of some very dubious people who have taken advantage,” he added.
  • Ondo: Special Court of Appeal panel withdraws from PDP appeals

    Ondo: Special Court of Appeal panel withdraws from PDP appeals

    The Special Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Hannatu Sankey constituted to determine all appeals arising from the Ondo State PDP governorship primary on Tuesday in Abuja withdrew following accusation of fraud.

    The two other members were Justices E. Agim and O.E William-Dawudu.

    Sankey, in her ruling, ordered that the files of all the five pending appeals relating to the PDP governorship ticket in Ondo State be returned to the President of the Court of Appeal for re-assignment.

    Sankey said the development was necessitated by a petition written against the panel by the Ondo State Chairman of the PDP, Biyi Poroye.

    “The petitioner in the most unholy description of my personality being a Justice who has just recovered from a protracted illness was open to corruption.

    “He in similar vein alleged that the panel has been paid huge sums of money by interested party to be able to sit on the Special Panel.

    “Ordinarily, since no fact has been placed on the court showing bias we would not have minded but in the circumstance we are compelled to withdraw in the interest of our integrity and justice,” she said.

    Poroye had also alleged that the panel was constituted to urgently hear and determine the cases because the President of the Court of Appeal was compromised.

    According to him, the members of the panel are briefed to deliver judgment in favour one of the governorship contenders Eyitayo Jegede.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petitioner had obtained the orders of the Federal High Court in Abuja recognising Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party.

    Acting on the order made by Justice Okon Abang, INEC dropped Jegede, a product of the Ahmed Makarfi-faction of the PDP.

    NAN further reports that Jegede’s substitution had further confirmed Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party, a development, the Ahmed Makarfi faction had challenged.

    Earlier, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), a counsel to Jegede expressed displeasure on the development, adding that the petition was baseless.

    “My Lords, the petitioner should be used as an example to ward off this type of frivolous accusations of our Judges.

    “I am suggesting that the petition be forwarded to the police for thorough investigation and the petitioner be placed in custody,” he said.

    On his part, Chief Alex Izinyon (SAN), counsel to Poroye, denied knowledge of the petition as according to him, politicians are capable of over reaching themselves in political matters.

    “I am totally not aware of this petition, he did not tell me about it and I therefore stand to denounce it, but I shall be craving the indulgence of the court to allow me some allowances to interface with him.

    “My Lords, it is not a new thing, the Ahmed Makarfi camp had done this to us at the trial court where a petition was filed against Justice Okon Abang to withdraw from presiding,” he said.

    NAN reports that with the seeming delay caused by this development, the Ondo people may have to wait a bit longer to be offered the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP for the Nov. 26 election. (NAN)

  • Abuja hosts book presentation

    The Federal Capital Territory will host the presentation of a book on the life and times of one of Nigeria’s foremost oil engineers, Dan Madu Nzelu as part of activities to commemorate his 10th anniversary.

    Many prominent Nigerians are expected to grace the event which has been scheduled to hold at the prestigious Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre in the nation’s capital on November 3, 2016 to honour one of Nigeria’s finest oil engineers.

    In a press statement issued on behalf of the family by Mr. Emeka Nzelu , stressed that the book presentation authored by a seasoned writer, Mr. Jimmy Imo is one of the activities line-up to mark the 10th anniversary of late Nzelu.

    Other activities to commemorate the event include hosting of indigent widows by Nzelu’s Foundation on November 5, 2016, at Aboji village in Oba Idemilli south Local Government Area of Anambra State and thanksgiving service on November 6, 2016, at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Oba, Idemilli South Local Government Area of the state.

    The statement further stated that the book presentation is a biography of Nzelu who during his tenure as the Managing Director of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) which was the arm of NNPC turned around the oil sector.

    “Engr. Dan Madu Nzelu was one of the most successful managers of NNPC’s big project in his time. He took over the project leadership of NNPC’s Escravos-Lagos pipeline (ELP) project (which feeds Egbin Power Station with Natural Gas) and gave the project a new impetus. The task was daunting as the route of the pipeline traversed difficult terrains such as swamps, big rivers and the ever busy Benin-Lagos Expressway.

    “Some sections of the forest which ELP passed through looked like no human activity had ever being there. On one occasions, he had to sleep inside his SUV in the forest when the swampy terrain held the vehicle unit help came the next day.

     

  • BATTLE OF UYO: Abuja camp picked to stop late comers

    • Decision to expose lying players over poor flight connections
    • Rohr moves to ‘cage’ randy Eagles in team’s hotel

    No-nonsense Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr hopes to check Super Eagles late comers and those who like to “misbehave” by insisting the team train in Abuja before they head off to a match venue.

    That is why the experienced Franco-German coach has fixed training camp in Abuja for next month’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Algeria even though it will be played in Uyo.

    Players have used poor flight connections to Uyo as reason why they have reported late in camp and that way stayed away from the limited number of trainings before a big game.

    Also, the big hotel in Uyo has made it very difficult for the players to be fully monitored by officials leading up to a match day.

    “Rohr has been far from impressed with some of the Super Eagles stars who have chosen to report late to camp citing the difficulty of connecting local flights to Uyo,” an official exclusively disclosed.

    “By having the squad all in Abuja now, they will all leave for Uyo as a group some days to a big game. There are always flight from Europe and locally to Abuja and so no one can use flight hitches as an excuse to come late to camp anymore.”

    Another top official informed that the team’s hotel in Abuja is a lot more compact as against the hotel in Uyo, which is big and sprawling and so gives room for the players to whatever they choose even before a big game. The hotel in Uyo is just too big for you to monitor what the players are up to at any given point in time, while that in Abuja you can easily check any misbehavior and excesses,” said the official.

    Rohr questioned the “lack of focus” of Leicester City star Ahmed Musa prior to the game in Zambia earlier this month when he drove into camp with an expensive new car.

    He subsequently dropped the Eagles assistant captain to the bench for the match in Ndola.

    The Eagles training camp will open on Sunday night, November 6, and training is slated to begin Monday morning.

    The squad will then fly out to Uyo on Thursday ahead of the showdown against Algeria on Saturday.

  • Governor urges FG to use NYSC to promote ethics

    Governor urges FG to use NYSC to promote ethics

    The Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has advocated the use of the National Youth Service Corps as a platform for the promotion of good ethics and sound moral values.

    He was while receiving the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, at the Government House, Calabar.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the NYSC Headquarters quoted Professor Ayade Ayade as condemning the attitude and behaviours of people in contemporary Nigeria, especially the shift towards materialism, noting that such represented complete deviation from AfrIcan culture and traditions.

    He called for efforts towards restoring the cherished values of the society.

    The Governor was emphatic about the role the NYSC could play towards re-orientating the populace, noting that the Scheme had the responsibility to mould youths in preparation for leadership.

    “Therefore, the cardinal theme that you must impart at the level of NYSC is the doctrine of discipline, ethics, morality, good conduct and good conscience,” he added.

    He advocated the incorporation of the teaching of morals in the content of the Orientation course while also suggesting that participation in the Scheme should be mandatory for all Nigerian graduates irrespective of their age.

    Ayade used the occasion to call on the NYSC to help current corps members to fulfil their dreams by posting them to serve in their areas of specialty.

    The Governor said with delight that as a Corps member deployed to Imo State in 1988/89, he was posted to a brewery based on his discipline.

    Reminiscing on his experience, he added that his desire to contribute towards finding solution to an environmental problem arising from the company’s operations spurred him to go for higher degrees and later establishing a laboratory that served as environmental consultant to oil companies among feats he has so far achieved.

    “Without the NYSC in the right place, I would not have found direction and focus; NYSC made me,” he said.

    He responding to the Director-General’s request to help address some challenges faced by the Scheme in the state, Governor Ayade said he takes those problems “very personal” and assured that they would be looked into.

    Earlier, the Director-General had sought the state government’s intervention in areas of needs such as provision of utility vehicle for the NYSC State Secretariat, renovation of Orientation camp, payment of state subvention and outstanding allowances of Corps members.

    Kazaure, who told the Governor that he was in the state for the 2016 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Orientation Workshop, thanked the state government for its support towards successful hosting of the programme.

  • Police parade alleged killers of P’Harcourt-based lawyer

    Police parade alleged killers of P’Harcourt-based lawyer

    • Father, son named among suspects

    The Police have paraded a father, his son and two others for their alleged involvement in the kidnap and murder of a Port Harcourt – based human rights lawyer, Mr. Ken Atsuwete.

    The victim was murdered in cold blood on August 29 along Onuchiolu Road, Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State.

    The police explained that the suspects were arrested by the IGP’s Monitoring Unit based in Port Harcourt after an investigation.

    The suspects include Chibiko James Amuzuo Okwuono, Amadi Nathaniel, Ezims Aleru and Junior Aleru, from whom exhibits like one AK 47 rifle, 124 live ammunition and four AK 47 magazines were recovered.

    Briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja about their operation, Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, said: “Four suspects were arrested in connection with the case.  The leader of the gang, Chibiko James, is a 22-year-old native of Umuchie in Omuna Local Governmnet Area of Rivers State.

    “He is a self-confessed member of the Iceland Cult group, Kelga Marinner and a notorious kidnapper.

    “He also confessed to having led his gang of armed men to murder the deceased. The AK 47 rifle with which he killed the deceased was recovered.

    “Also, contrary to public suspicion that he was hired to assassinate the deceased, the suspect, according to his statement, revealed that the murder was a result of botched kidnap attempt,” Awunah stated.

    He also said that other members of the gang confessed to committing the crime.

    The suspects, in what appeared to be a blame game, blamed each other for the crime.

    The gang leader, James, explained that Ezims Aleru and his wife were responsible for the operation.

    According to him, “this man (Ezims) led us into all these things. He and his wife are responsible for this operation.”

    Asked if they committed the crime, another member of the gang, Nathaniel Amadi, 21, said: “We did it, but it was not intentional.

    “I joined the gang because my father was killed, our house was burnt and my mother is sick in the hospital. We did not know that the man we kidnapped was a lawyer.

    “The man died because he was struggling and dragging the gun with us. He died in the process of dragging the gun. While we were struggling, he mistakenly shot himself in the leg and died. We didn’t intend to kill him.”

    Asked if they were hired to do the job, he simply said: “We were not sent. We didn’t even know who he was.

    “We saw his car approaching on the road and we decided to stop him and try our luck. “We actually wanted to kidnap him for ransom, but he ended up dead.

    On why he joined the gang, Amadi said: “It is because I am jobless. How am I expected to survive in this harsh economy?

    “Since they burnt my house, nobody takes care of my mother and I am the only child she gave birth to, and she is presently suffering from stroke.

    “It was frustration that led me into this.”

    Also speaking about his involvement, Ezims Aleru, 48 said: “I was in the cell on the day the victim was killed.

    “When I was released from the cell, Chibiko came to my house around 11 pm with a gun and he said that I should help him keep it because he wanted to travel and would come back the following day.

    “That was how I got involved in this whole thing, and same goes for my son.

    “The only mistake I made was collecting the gun from Chubiko.

    “If I had known, I would have asked him what he used the gun for and why he asked me to hide it. But that is the only mistake I made.”

  • Jonathan mourns late Saro-Wiwa Jnr

    Jonathan mourns late Saro-Wiwa Jnr

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed grief over the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa Jnr, describing him as a bright star and patriot.

    The former President made the remark in a condolence message to the family, adding that the late Saro-Wiwa, who served in his Government as Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and International Media, was a strong advocate for a just society.

    In a statement issued by Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan’s media aide, the former President further said: “I am deeply saddened by the passage to eternal glory, of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa Jnr, who died at the age of 48.

    “A bright star has been prematurely plucked from the Nigerian firmament.  Ken Wiwa Jnr, like his father, Ken Saro Wiwa, was a patriot.

    “He was a consummate writer, highly driven and determined crusader with an undiluted sense of citizen rights, equity and justice.

    “Ken was friendly, humane, idealistic and selfless, giving freely of himself in service to humanity, without expecting any personal reward.

    “My prayers are with the family he left behind. Adieu great son of Nigeria,” he added.