The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Abuja bombing ‘accomplice’ sentenced to life imprisonment

    Abuja bombing ‘accomplice’ sentenced to life imprisonment

    …To get parole after 32 years

    The Federal High Court on Friday sentenced an accomplice in the October 1, 2010 suicide bombing in Abuja, Edmund Ebuware, to life imprisonment.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the convict would upon good conduct enjoy a parole subject to the approval of the president after serving 32 years in jail.

    Delivering the judgment, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the prosecution was able to prove the allegations against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.

    Kolawole said the convict’s defence was inconsistent with the facts contained in his statement.

    “It is clear from the facts before the court that Ebuware did have the information on the planned bombing of Abuja on October 1, 2010 but kept it away from the authority.

    “It was also confirmed from the series of record of call logs before the court as exhibit clearly shows that the convict had fore-knowledge of the blast.

    “You Edmund Ebuware, charged for treasonable felony under Section 40 of the Criminal Code for the role you played in the unfortunate bombing of innocent persons on October 1, 2010 is hereby found guilty as charged.

    “You are, therefore, committed to a maximum life imprison but shall by good conduct subject to the approval of the president granted a parole after serving 32 years.

    “I am aware of the fact that the second leg of the pronouncement is not yet part of the country’s practice but we hope that this decision will ignite an amendment of that part of the law to give room for parole.

    “I am moved to give you a succour to enjoy a parole because of your young age, wife and your very young family.

    “This should be a lesson to young people who are bent on destroying our country through terror act.

    “I view you as a young man who is in a hurry to become relevant in our complex society,’’ Kolawole said.

    NAN further reports that others charged with the bombing were Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze, while the fourth accused, Tiemkemfa Osuvwo, died in Kuje prison on March 2, 2012.

     

  • EFCC rejects transfer of Goje’s trial to Abuja

    EFCC rejects transfer of Goje’s trial to Abuja

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday said it has opposed the request of a former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje, to transfer his trial for conspiracy and money laundering from the Federal High Court in Gombe to Abuja.

    Goje and five others (Aliyu El-Nafaty, Sambo Tumu, S.M. Dokoro and S.M. Dokoro Gombe) are standing trial before Justice Babatunde O. Quadri.

    A statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said at the resumption of trial on Tuesday, Goje sought transfer of his case from Gombe to Abuja .

    The statement said: “At Tuesday’s sitting, the defence team led by Chris Uche (SAN) drew the court’s attention to the letter written to the Chief Justice of the Federation for change of venue and transfer of the case from the present court in Gombe to Abuja or any other jurisdiction outside Gombe State for security reasons.

    “He urged the court to suspend proceedings while awaiting the directive from the CJN, before hearing of the pending application.

    “But prosecution Counsel, Wahab Shittu objected, saying the court can continue with the matter pending any response from the CJN.

    “Justice Quadri upheld the prosecution’s argument and urged both counsel to consider the stress of coming from outside Gombe and seize the opportunity of time.

    “Arguing his motion for transfer before the court, Uche quoted some sections of the Federal High Court Act 2004 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to support his motion.

    “He predicated his request on the grounds that the matter is a high profile one and that the security situation in the North-East zone with regularly reported incidents of killings, kidnappings, bomb blasts and assassinations underline the need to protect the lives of the accused persons and their lawyers.

    “In his response, Shittu called the court’s attention to the fact that in all the proceedings prior to the application, there had been no incident in court to warrant the request for transfer.

    Wahab said: “This application lacks merit and only determined to delay the wheel of justice and your lordship is entitled to resist it.

    “What is the application saying, that your lordship should transfer this case to Abuja? The presumption is that Abuja is safe to hear this case. Do we believe them? Or is the applicant saying that the case should be transferred to the Villa since they deposed in paragraph 13 of their affidavit that the last Independence Day was moved out of its traditional place – the Eagle Square -to the villa for security reasons?”

    “Shittu urged the court to throw out the application as acceding to it would be tantamount to setting a precedence which may encourage other persons with cases before the court to seek transfer of their cases to choice places.”

     

  • FAAN to certify Lagos, Abuja airports

    FAAN to certify Lagos, Abuja airports

    IN line with international best practices,the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) may certify the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja before the end of March after their fulfilment of certain requirements.

    The Director of Airport Operations, Captain Henry Omeogwo, said FAAN had started closing all the open items identified in the last airports audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2006.

    Omeogwu said FAAN was collaborating with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure that the timeline set for the certification airports’ was accomplished.

    He said the government would ensure that all lapses observed in infrastructure were fixed in record time.

    Nigeria, he said, could not afford to have its 22 airports uncertified, as failure to do that could be a disincentive to foreigners who consider Nigeria a good destination to grow their businesses.

    Some of the requirements for airports certification include improved state of airport and air navigation infrastructure; adequate fire cover; standard runway length, width and markings; proper lighting and a comprehensive airport emergency plan, according to ICAO.

    Others are implementation and maintenance of a safety management system, standard operating procedures, which manifest through aerodrome operations manual, aerodrome emergency plan and aerodrome security programmes.

    Omeogwo said the airports’ certification would position the aviation sector as a key driver of socio- economic development.

    He said: “ We need the aviation sector as a key driver of the transformation agenda of the government. It is for this reason that government is carrying out massive infrastructure upgrade at airports across the country, such that the safety of the airports will be used as a fundamental strategy to achieve transformation. When our airports are certified, investors will come in to develop all sectors of the economy.

    “With certification, our airports will become safer, more efficiently run and profitable.”

    In a related development, the Director of Legal Services, FAAN, Mr Mark Jacob, has said the airport authority did not cede land to a concessionaire AIC Hilton Limited to build a hotel near the diplomatic car park of the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Speaking in an interview, with reporters in Lagos, Jacob said FAAN as a responsible organisation would not allow individual interest of businessmen to over ride public interest as far as safety and security around the airports were concerned.

    He said the ‘ illegal action’ of the concessionaire to commence building at the disputed parcel of land is laughable, because the closeness of the land to the runway and tarmac of the airport could compromise the security of the airport and aircraft flying into Nigeria.

  • 25 arrested for Gwari-Fulani clash in Abuja

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command yesterday said it has arrested 25 suspects, who allegedly participated in the clash between Gwari and Fulani in Gwagwalada Area Council of the territory.

    FCT Police Commissioner Adenrele Shinaba, who is also the chairman of the committee set up by FCT Minister Bala Mohammed to examine the crisis, said those arrested were being interrogated.

    Shinaba spoke in Abuja when he submitted the report of the 19-member committee to Mohammed.

    He explained that Gwako I village, where the violence started, lacks proper leadership.

    According to him, the District Head and the Village Head are not working in tandem.

    Mohammed vowed to fish out the perpetrators of the clash in which two people died.

    The minister said those found culpable would face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent.

    Mohammed also set up a nine-member implementation committee.

    He stressed that justice would be done to affected persons to prevent a reprisal.

    The minister restated the commitment of his administration to ensure a pragmatic decision to discourage a recurrence of the incident.

    Mohammed hailed the patriotic zeal of the committee and praised the members for doing a thorough job.

    The nine-member implementation committee is chaired by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Anthony Ozodinobi.

     

  • Fire guts INEC building in Abuja

    Fire guts INEC building in Abuja

    There was another fire outbreak on Monday morning at the Annex Building of the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja.

    But for the timely intervention of fire fighters, who deployed seven trucks including four from the Federal fire service, two from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fire service and one from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the inferno could have affected other buildings and properties in the premises.

    The incident, which was said to have started around 9.30am when most workers were already on duty, badly affected the office of the Director of Voter Registry at the Information, Communication and Technology section of the commission.

    Speaking on the incident, the Director of Public Affairs of INEC, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger, said that there was no cause for alarm as the fire did not affect the data base containing information on voter registration carried out across the country.

    According to him, the fire did not spread as it started and ended in the affected office.

    He said: “As you have seen, the fire incident began and only ended in the office of the Director of Voter Registry. Due to the prompt effort of staff on ground who alerted the relevant agencies, the fire was put off before it could spread to other places.

    “Luckily, the voter registration data base was not affected and the server was saved because the fire did not even get to that section of the building,” he added.

    The Director also assured that the fire incident will not in any way affect the conduct of forthcoming elections in the country.

    “The commission is determined to grant Nigerians credible, free and fair elections at all times and this little incident will not in any way stop that, I must assure you,” Umenger stated.

    The Director of ICT in the Commission, Engineer Chidi Nwafor, who conducted journalists round the affected office, said that  personal effects of staff, some files and computers were lost to the inferno.

    According to him, there was no serious damage caused by the fire and that the real extent of the damage would be ascertained in due course.

     

  • Oga mi no dey run

    As presidential posters swamp strategic corners of Abuja, it is all but certain, despite feeble official denials, that come 2015, Goodluck Jonathan is set to enter the presidential ring once again. The tribe of hidden and not so hidden persuaders is multiplying and mushrooming all over the place. Deploying the awesome logistics of authoritarian but not so authoritative incumbency, the Jonathan juggernaut is set to roll over the Nigerian landscape once again like a road crunching Soviet Saladin and with prohibitive collateral damage. Like the Tupolev aircraft, the Soviet tank is a no-frills, no-nonsense equal opportunity machine.

    Everything is now in place to ensure that Jonathan steamrolls his way through a supine country. The old fixer has been returned to familiar haunts at the Lagos Port, hunting down political contrabands, while facing down all known refuseniks, particularly the Owu-born general. Some known acolytes and favourites of Baba are being processed for the Ribadu Rigor Mortis. If Sule Lamido still believes that a presidential struggle is a Kano inner city Baghdad tea sortie or a Talakawa assembly, let him continue to fool himself. The money laundering dragnet is an equal opportunity manger which has no respect for gubernatorial immunity.

    But in the unfolding scenario of presidential disincentives, the most serious and pathetic case is that of the courtly and affable Rotimi Amaechi who has been shouting from the rooftop that he has no intention whatsoever of contesting the presidential election either as a candidate or a running mate. At the rate things are going, the poor chap may have to take a disclaimer in all the leading dailies with his picture prominently displayed. In the alternative, he may have to hire a chopper to write the disclaimer in the skies. Such are the perils of presidential power-play.

    In confusion and utter disbelief, Okon had walked up to Baba Lekki for clarification.

    “Baba, why dis Amaechi man dey deny sotey say him no wan be president?” Okon demanded.

    “Ah Okon, you are a fool. Se you want the poor boy to enter presidential dekumagolo?” the old man sneered with lunatic relish.

    “Baba you don come with dem Yoruba magomago again? “ Okon scoffed.

    “Ah yeye Calabar boy. Agolo na Yoruba word for tin. Dekumagolo na rat trap made from tin. As the rat come enter dem tin come shut gbam, and dem rat come kaput. Odigbere ni yen” Baba jeered.

    “Kai, kai, na god go punish dem wicked Yoruba people. But baba how about dem fire for Baba dem house?” Okon demanded.

    “Na the same thing, Okon. If you wan catch dem big rodent, you put fire for him hole. Baba himself don say if say na for night, him go kaput. Jonathan no be fisherman. Na rodent catcher. You know say him do him youth Service for dem Yoruba town dem call Iresi? Make una siddon look. Overtake don overtake Overtake be dat”, the crazy old man croaked.

    “Kai dis thing no be joke. Baba wetin dem poor Amaechi boy go do now?” Okon inquired.

    “Ah make him do oga mi no wan run” the old man sniggered.

    “Baba wetin be dat again?” Okon demanded.

    “Ah you see, when dem catch dem soldier who come shoot Ibrahim Taiwo na the cry him dey cry be dat”, the crazy old man whined. It was at this point that snooper drove the lunatics out of his house.

  • Fuel scarcity mars celebration in Abuja, Lagos

    Fuel scarcity mars celebration in Abuja, Lagos

    The persistent fuel scarcity yesterday marred Christmas festivities in Abuja and Lagos.

    Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in both city centres showed that there was no fuel at several filling stations.

    Those selling the product had long queues of motorists.

    Anxious motorists were seen at the Forte Filling Station and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mega-station in the Central Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Some motorists told NAN that they had to use the Christmas holidays to shop for fuel.

    A civil servant, Mr Samuel Ogah, noted that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get fuel on working days when there were long queues at filling stations.

    He said: “You know work will resume on Thursday. So, I want to seize this opportunity to fill my tank.’’

    A lawyer, Mr Andrew Omoh, expressed disappointment with the worsening fuel crisis.

    He wondered why fuel would not be available during Christmas celebrations.

    However, the scarcity did not prevent fun seekers from visiting recreation spots in the FCT.

    There was a high turnout of fun seekers at Wonderland Amusement Park on Airport Road.

    An official of the park, Mr Godwin Amodu, told NAN that Christmas season was always busy for the park.

    He said: “You know we always look forward to this season for high patronage. But Boxing Day is usually more lucrative for us.’’

    In Lagos, many residents decried the fuel scarcity. They said it hampered the movement of people celebrating the Yuletide.

    Some of the residents urged the government to ensure adequate supply of petroleum products.

    The residents expressed displeasure over the sudden scarcity of fuel. They said this became more noticeable on Christmas Eve.

    Many filling stations in the city were closed while hundreds of motorists at the few filling stations struggled to buy fuel.

    A motorist, Mr Jare Olorunshoga, who had been on queue for several hours, told NAN that it was unfortunate the scarcity was happening this season.

    “I have been in this queue for two hours now which is so frustrating. “The government should act fast on this,’’ Olorunshoga said.

    Mr Ibrahim Olowo also told NAN that the scarcity was deliberate to make Christmas dull.

    He added: “This scarcity has paved the way for fuel attendants to make money by selling above the official pump price.’’

    He urged the government to solve the problem.

    Mrs Ifeoluwa Daniel told NAN that the fuel scarcity had made the Christmas season dull.

    “There is no light in this area and people still cannot get petrol to buy to enjoy the festive period,’’ Daniel said.

     

     

     

  • Police dismisses rumoured explosion in Abuja

    Police dismisses rumoured explosion in Abuja

    The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday dismissed the rumour of a bomb explosion at a shopping complex in Lokogoma, a settlement in the Federal Capital Territory.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, who dismissed the rumour during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, described the unfortunate incident as a false alarm.

    Mba said that no case of bomb explosion was reported in or around the FCT, noting that investigations by security operatives had indicated that the incident was a mere fire outbreak.

    “It is unfortunate that some people have gone to town to report that it was an explosion; it was a mere fire outbreak at a shopping complex in Lokogoma.

    “Reports reaching us showed that the fire, triggered by an electrical fault, started from a laundry shop at the shopping complex.

    “It was also said that part of the building was razed by the fire and the explosion.

    “The big sound that caused the false alarm came from the compressor of the air conditioning system at the shop,”he said.

    Mba also said that no lives were lost in the incident except for the property contained in parts of the building razed by the fire.

    He urged residents of the territory to disregard the rumour and move on with their legitimate businesses, assuring them of police’s readiness to protect their lives and property.

    The police spokesman, however, advised property owners to always provide safety equipment in their buildings and to ensure strict adherence to safety precautions and to avoid similar occurrence in future.

    The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that a loud explosion was heard at the Lokogoma area of the FCT early Tuesday morning.

     

  • Jonathan returns to Abuja

    Jonathan returns to Abuja

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday morning returned to Abuja after attending the D-8 Summit in Islamabad, Pakistan.

    The president, who left Abuja on Wednesday night, attended the opening session of the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the D-8 on Thursday.

    He also participated in the activities of the Summit, as the outgoing Chairman of the organization.

    Jonathan later handed over the chairmanship of the organisation to the host, President Azif Zardari, who chaired the meeting of the summit.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the summit deliberated on the theme “Democratic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity’’ and endorsed the D-8 Charter and the D-8 Global Vision.

    NAN recalls that Jonathan took over the leadership of the body in April 2010 when Nigeria hosted its 7th bi-annual summit.

    This is in line with the organisation’s statute.

    On the sidelines of the summit, the president held bilateral meetings with the leaders of some member countries and also met with the Nigerian communities in Pakistan.

    The D-8 was established in 1997 in Istanbul, Turkey, to promote development cooperation among member countries.

    The members are Nigeria, Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Iran.

     

  • 10,000 jobs for women, youths

    10,000 jobs for women, youths

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration appears determined to sustain its battle against unemployment as it has concluded plans to employ about 10,000 women and youths under its Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerrment Programme (SURE-P) before the end of the year.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide while receiving members of the FCT Chapter of the National Council of Women’s Societies in her office in Abuja.

    The women were led by their President, Mrs Nancy Godwin Bulus.

    The Minister said that the FCT Administration would employ about 10,000 women and youths.

    Akinjide explained that the FCT Administration established the Project Implementation Unit towards training and empowering women and youths in skills and vocation.

    “The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is gender-friendly and has initiated some programmes to economically empower our women and youths. One of the programmes is the SURE-P, which was established to oversee and ensure the effective and timely implementation of projects to be funded with the savings accruing to it from partial removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

    “There is going to be massive employment of women and youths in the FCT before the end of this year. We are employing about 10,000 women and youths under the SURE-P. By empowering a women and youths, you are building a nation,” she said.

    The minister praised the Nigerian women for their remarkable support for the present administration and assured them that the government was on track in the execution of its transformation agenda.

    She urged the FCT Chapter of the NCWS to collaborate with the Gender Department of the Social Development Secretariat towards empowering the rural women.

    She also disclosed that the FCTA has received approval and license for the establishment of a microfinance bank in Kwali Area Council as part of measures to provide access to cheap funds and empower the people.

    “We plan to establish microfinance banks in each of the six area councils. We have received licence for the establishment of a microfinance bank in Kwali Area Council, which will fully take off in the first quarter of 2013,” she added.

    Earlier in her address, the NCWS President, Mrs. Nancy Godwin Bulus, commended the minister for her selfless effort in the development of the area councils and satellite towns.

    She further praised the minister and the Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing Onuh, for their support in retrieving the Certificate of Occupancy for a land given to the Council in 1996 by Federal Capital Development Authority.

    Bulus solicited the financial support of the FCTA and other donor agencies in the territory for the building of FCT NCWS Multipurpose Hall, Day Care Nursery and Primary School, Chalets, Shopping Malls on the Council’s land.

    She also called for the appointment of members of the FCT Chapter of NCWS into the boards and agencies of the FCT Administration.