Land Tussle: Patience Jonathan VS Turai Yar'Adua

May 2, 2013 has been fixed by an Abuja High Court in Jabi district as a date to deliver judgment in a matter of land litigation between the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and her predecessor and the wife of late President Yar'Adua, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua.

The two first ladies were supposed to report out of court settlement to the court yesterday over a disputed 1.84 hectares of land in Abuja, but when the matter came up, the two parties disclosed to the court that it was practically impossible for them to resolve the issue.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Affen, fixed May 2, 2013 to deliver judgment on the matter.
The parties could not reach useful terms after meeting with Justice Affen inside his chambers for over 40 minutes yesterday.
Consequently, when they resumed hearing yesterday, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WYEF) opposed an application by the other parties to further adjourn the case hence the court informed parties that the judgment was already and would be delivered if parties failed to settle before the judgment day.
The disputed land, plot no. 1347 Cadastral Zone AOO, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT, was initially allocated to  WYEF while Mrs. Yar'adua was First Lady.
The Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed revoked the allocation for what he described as "overriding public interest" and reallocated the same land to Mrs. Jonathan for the building of African First Lady Peace Mission Headquarters on the 2nd of November, 2011.

Source: Leadership

Killer Kerosene In Delta

No fewer than 15 persons have fallen victims of serious kerosene explosion across Delta State since the last two weeks.

Investigation revealed that majority of the victims were located in Warri and neighbouring Effurun communities, while others were nursing their wounds in adjoining towns and villages. Daily Sun, discovered that the killer-products were gotten from illegal refineries and dubious dealers within the various settlements.
Unknown to the buyers who were mostly housewives and food-sellers, the killer products had been adulterated and sold at cheaper rate. Some of the victims who spoke with Daily Sun on grounds of anonymity, said they couldn’t know that the kerosene product have been adulterated with diesel and a little mixture of fuel.
A woman who simply identified herself as Elizabeth, claimed she followed other women to buy the killer-products because the price was very cheap. Elizabeth, a mother of four presently battling with life at a private hospital in Warri, expressed fear that she might not survive the ordeal she was going through because of the degree of burns she was presently nursing.
When Daily Sun visited the Central Hospital, Warri some victims were on admission at the Female Surgical Ward, while others were still waiting to be admitted at the emergency ward. One of the victims at the female surgical ward, with very serious injuries could not express herself. She was only calling on Jesus, Jesus in a faint voice to save her. Asked to narrate her ordeal, the fair-complexioned lady was just rolling from one side of her sick bed to the other, waving her hands endlessly for miraculous help.
Sadly, some families who could not afford to pay hospital bills, have taken their affected relations to tradomedical home where they were presently receiving treatment. Scores of persons who spoke with Daily Sun described the incident as horrible and condemned the perpetrators of the adulterated kerosene products. She called on the Federal Government and security operatives to fish out the evil doers and bring them to justice.
The people also wanted proper monitoring of distribution of the products to ascertain both the adulterated and the original product. Only recently, soldiers from the 3rd battalion, Nigerian Army Effurun, near Warri arrested a tanker with a Lagos number, loaded with substance suspected to be illegally refined AGO at Niger Cat Junction, Effurun with three persons in the vehicle.
The driver of the truck on interrogation, confessed that the illegally refined products were mixed with 13,000 litres of kerosene in Benin-City, Edo State. Beside, there had been avalanche of arrest by the soldiers at various strategic locations in the state. Meanwhile, residents in the affected areas are now scared of using kerosene to cook their meals as most of them have resorted to the use of Gas, wood and charcoal.

The Threat To Bomb Mosques, Hajj Camps

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) recently signified its intention to commence bombing of mosques, hajj camps and other Islamic institutions in the country, from May 31. Spokesman of the group, Jomo Gbomo, warned the nation via an e-mailed statement that the militants will also assassinate clerics that propagate doctrines of hatred and bomb large congregations at Islamic events in a campaign that has been code-named “Operation Barbarossa.”
If MEND makes good these threats, there will be a dangerous expansion of the theatre of terrorism in the country, with dire consequences for national security and unity.
These threats came barely one week after the same group claimed responsibility for the killing of 12 policemen along the creek of Azuazuama in Bayelsa State, and the bombing of an oil facility belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The militants, however, said they would not carry out the threatened attacks if the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Catholic Church in Nigeria and Henry Okah, one of its leaders who was recently jailed by a South African court for terrorism, intervene in the resolution of its dispute with the Nigerian authorities.
Surprisingly, MEND said the planned attack against Islamic targets is to save Christianity from extinction in Nigeria, and, it would be stopped if there is an assurance of cessation of hostilities against Christians in their worship places by the Boko Haram leadership.
Although the Joint Task Force (JTF) in charge of security in the Niger Delta has described the latest attacks and threats of MEND as the handiwork of criminals using the name of the militant group to spread panic in the Niger Delta, we admonish the security agencies to take this fresh threat seriously.
It is imperative that they do everything possible to prevent the attacks, as Niger Delta militants have been known to make good their threats in the past. We advise MEND against the plan to bomb mosques and other Islamic targets. Such action is clearly inexpedient to the quest for security in the country.
By such attacks, MEND will simply be playing into the hands of Boko Haram, which may like its campaign of violence to degenerate into a conflict between Christians and Muslims in the country.

PDP, ACN Supporters Clash In Benin

Supporters of the People’s Democratic Party and Action Congress of Nigeria on Tuesday clashed at the Kings Square in Benin City.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

The clash followed a protest by the PDP youths against the swearing-in of the 14 local government chairmen by Governor Adams Oshiomhole despite the rejection of the polls by the PDP.
It was learnt that the PDP youths took over the Kings Square, insisting that the elections should be cancelled on the grounds that elections did not hold across the state.
The protesters vowed that Wednesday’s election in Esan West and Esan North East LG would not hold unless the previous elections were cancelled.
The youths’ protest was, however, cut short by a group of youths, suspected to be ACN supporters, who chased the protesters out of the Square and took over the premises.
Some soldiers however arrived at the scene after the face-off and dispersed the youths, some of who were armed with cutlasses and woods.
Meanwhile, Edo State Deputy Governor Pius Odubu has denied reports linking his convoy to the distribution of electoral materials during last Saturday’s local government poll in the state.
The deputy governor, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Kelly Odaro, on Tuesday, described the reports as “erroneous”.
The statement read, “The deputy governor merely mentioned in the course of an interview, that the bus assigned to escort the vehicle conveying electoral materials to Urhonigbe North, in Orhionwon Local Government Area, to avert diversion, was attacked and vandalised by miscreants whose intent was to cart away the materials for rigging purpose.”

Armed Bandits Kill One In Delta

A suspected robbery gang, Monday night, shot dead a middle aged man simply identified as Mr. Barnabas at Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area, Delta State.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the deceased was returning from an outing at about 8 p.m when he was accosted at his doorstep by the two robbers on their way out after stabbing yet-to-be identified neighbour of Barnabas.
A dependable source, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said the deceased who confronted the bandits was killed after being over powered.
According to the source, “late Barnabas incidentally met the two robbers who had already dispossessed his neighbours of their valuables and even stabbed one of them in his palm.
“The robbers on their way out of the compound asked Barnabas who was about entering his apartment of his handsets but he refused to surrender it and even dispossessed one of the robbers of his cutlass.
“After dispossessing the robber of his cutlass, Barnabas decided to walk away and in the process, the second robber who was with a gun, shot him in the stomach and ran away. Effort by doctors at a private clinic in Ovwian metropolis to save Barnabas’ life proved abortive.”
Blaming the death of Barnabas on the security system of the community, the source said “cultists and armed robbers have been terrorizing Ovwian community for some time now yet the leadership of the community has continued to turn deaf ear to the situation.”
Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Lucky Uyabeme, confirmed the incident, adding: “No arrest has been made. The police are still investigating the killing of the late Barnabas.”
At press time, late Barnabas’ widow was still in coma as a result of the sudden death of her husband.

“We Were Tactically Brilliant” – Heynckes Praises Bayern Players After Historic Win Over Barca

Jupp Heynckes has hailed his troops, after he watched his Bayern Munich side whitewash Barcelona 4-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Thomas Muller grabbed a brace, while Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben also got on the scoresheet, as the Bavarians put a big foot in this season’s Champions League final.
“We have played extraordinary football all year,” he told Sky Sport Germany. “The appetite for success is huge after the last two years.
“My team made our tactics work brilliantly. We ran and we fought, and that’s down to our strength and class.”

 

Heycknes is well on course to complete the treble before he is replaced by former Barca coach, Pepo Guardiola. The tactician has wrapped up the Bundesliga title already and is in the DFB Pokal final.

Outrage Over Baga, Borno State Massacre

There was  public outrage on Tuesday  over the  massacre of no fewer than 185  people during a clash on Saturday between the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram and the  Multinational Joint Task Force in Baga, Borno State.
 

The condemnation came from the   National Assembly, the Northern Elders Forum,  the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and Spain.
While  members of the Senate  decided after  hearing  a motion  on the clash   to probe the killings,   lawmakers  in the House called for a judicial commission of inquiry.
In  Kaduna,  the  Northern Elders Forum, after its  meeting  with the Arewa Consultative Forum, feared that the massacre could threaten the planned amnesty for Boko Haram members.
Immediately after hearing  a motion by  Maina Lawan, President of the Senate, David Mark, directed  the Committees on Defence, Police and National Security and Intelligence to probe the allegations  that most of the victims were civilians. The committees are to  report back   in two weeks.
Mark  did not allow the  motion to be debated on the grounds of  security implications and the sensitive nature of the matter.
He said, “There are standard rules of engagement and that do not include mass  and extrajudicial killings. The level of death is just too high and we cannot accept that.”
Maina had in his motion, said that Baga  which is his hometown, was in  ruins following the  onslaught.
He said, “My hometown of Baga is today in ruins, with 180 to 200 human lives lost and numerous others unaccounted for.  About  2000 homes, 62 cars and 284 motorcycles and tons and tons of foodstuff were also  destroyed.
“At this stage, I do not want to immerse myself in the blame game of whether it is the multinational task force or not.  The task force  or the insurgents  carried out the atrocities that bear the hallmark of the Odi massacre.
“Whoever did it, that level of atrocity is condemnable and is hereby condemned. I call for a full scale investigation to unearth the truth  as this  has become  a recurring decimal in all such past instances in Borno State.”
Lawan told journalists after plenary that there was no contesting the fact that the insurgents attacked members of the  task force.
 “It is true that the insurgents provoked the event. One soldier was shot, but the military went back and came back reinforced and Baga was levelled,” the lawmaker said.
He said the   killing of  innocent people  over the action of a few miscreants was unfair.
In the House, members  passed a resolution asking President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a  commission of inquiry  to investigate the clash.
A lawmaker from Borno State, Mr. Mohammed Mungono, told the House that about 195 civilians and one soldier were killed in the  incident.
He  informed  his colleagues  that trouble   started when Boko Haram  members   attacked  the soldiers and  then  infiltrated  civilian population.
According to him,   in an attempt to retaliate, the soldiers fired in whatever direction the attackers ran to, killing non-sect members in the process.
He noted that while the soldiers were in Borno State to provide security, the aim could be defeated if they were “not professional” in the manner they conducted their operations.
The lawmakers then observed a minute’s silence in honour of the dead and    adopted the prayers of Mungono, calling for a judicial commission  to investigate the killings.
But, there was a mild drama when another prayer asking the House to send a delegation to commiserate with the families of the victims, elicited murmurs of rejection from members.
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal had suggested that the Deputy House Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, would lead the delegation.
In Kaduna, the   Northern Elders Forum which like the House members called for a commission of inquiry instead of probe as promised by President Goodluck Jonathan, said the killings were highly uncalled for.
Its  spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said the latest onslaught   cast doubt on the planned amnesty  for members of  Boko Haram.
According to him, an allegation that a soldier was killed could  not have warranted the Army to wipe out an entire community.
He said,“We advised against it much earlier than now. The fact that the President is saying there should be a probe  means he  is not saying more than he had said before.There  have  been so many people who  were    mercilessly killed in their sleep and their houses  ransacked in the name of searching for Boko Haram members.
“This certainly is not the way an operation like this should  be conducted. That is why we believe the President need not  order  a probe. We need a judicial commission of inquiry to unravel what has happened in Baga. The commission of inquiry should have expanded terms of reference for people to come before it to raise issues that have been happening in Borno and Yobe states.”
 Abdullahi  said the National Executive Committee of the ACF and NEF to deliberate on the state of the nation.
He said, “We elders of the North came to ACF to exchange ideas and views on the state of the nation generally and the state of the north in particular. Most of these soldiers that  are posted to these  areas  (Yobe and Borno states) are not only raw as soldiers,  but they are coming from totally different backgrounds. ACF Publicity Secretary,  Anthony Sani, said the forum would  meet  today (Wednesday) over the Baga   killings.
The Commander of the MNJTF, Brig.- Gen. Austin Edokpaye,   has however  claimed that only six civilians were killed and not the 185 widely reported by the media on Monday.
Edokpaye,  in a  three-paragraph statement he sent to journalists in Maiduguri, also said  that 30 thatch houses were burnt as against 2,000 which Baga residents told Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, when he visited the community.
Edokpaye said the  troops killed 30 Boko Haram gunmen and arrested  five  others.  According to him, a soldier died and five others sustained injuries.
He said “Contrary to media speculation that hundreds of houses were burnt, instead, it was the explosion from Boko Haram terrorists’rocket propelled grenade bombs, anti -aircraft guns and sophisticated IED materials that triggered fire to about 30 thatch houses in the predominantly fishing community.”
He also said that  three rocket propelled grenade launchers, two rocket propelled grenade bombs; four AK 47 rifles, 435 assorted ammunitions, seven quantities of IED material, and three  Toyota Land Cruisers, were recovered from the sect members.
The Borno State Government   said  on Tuesday that ‘over 100 people’ were killed.
In Lagos, the ACN  criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the killings, calling it slow and disrespectful to the sanctity of human lives
The party, in a statement  by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the security agencies must respect the relevant rules of engagement in their onslaught against the sect.
This, it  added, was necessary in order to spare the lives and property of innocent civilians.
The party said it  hoped that the probe ordered into the tragedy by President Goodluck Jonathan would  not be another window dressing.
Also, the CPC  said   it was outraged by what it called the wanton destruction of lives and property in Baga.
Its  National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin,  noted in  a statement  that the attendant ecological disruption and huge humanitarian calamity had attracted so much attention.
But Spain   condemned  the  clash and expressed worry about weapons used by the group to fight soldiers.
A statement made available by its Embassy in  Abuja,  reads, “Spain expresses its serious concern on the use on this occasion of heavy artillery which indicates a qualitative increase in the escalation of tension on the part of the insurgents causing at the time more damage and pain among the population.
“Spain expresses its solidarity and support to the victims and their families and hopes that those responsible for these terrorist attacks are brought to justice according to the law.
“In the same vein Spain supports the Nigerian government in its flight against the terrorist challenge and maintains its commitment to the flight against any form of terrorism.”
Meanwhile,  the National Human Rights Commission has said that it will discuss the Baga killings on Thursday and Friday.
The killings, it said, would be among  activities and events its board would review.
The two-day meeting   will be attended by the 12 members of the board which has the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, as  secretary.
Confirming the meeting , the NHRC Board Chairman, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, said, “ It is true we are meeting on Thursday and Friday. We will come up with a position on that day”.

Man Finds Jesus In His Laundry (Photo)

A man who ruined his clothes during a recent laundry session says a heavy-handed mishap led to a holy discovery.

Martin Andrews was doing laundry and spilled some fabric softener on a shirt, according to the United Kingdom’s Metro. When he took a closer look at the fabric softener stain, he says he saw Jesus Christ.


In the splotch, one can make out a man with his two arms outstretched. It appears the figure also has a halo on his head. Still, it might be a bit of a stretch to call it Jesus.
“I showed my mates at work the picture and one of them said, ‘I’ve heard you can find comfort in Jesus but you’ve found Jesus in Comfort,’” he told Metro.
Andrews is not the first person to see the Son of God in an unusual place.
An Ohio man says he saw Jesus in some bird poop that had landed on the windshield of his car back in February.
“It’s like a perfect portrait,” he said in a video filmed from the inside of his car. “It’s like Jesus staring right at me.”
In 2010, a 26-year-old Southampton man said he saw Jesus in a Google maps imagewhile searching for vacation destinations online. He said he could make out the face of Christ in a satellite image of farmland near Puspokladany, Hungary.
And since 2006, a photo has been circulating showing what is supposed to be the body of Jesus on a dog’s bottom.