Revocation Of Bi Courtney’s Airport Assets: Court Dismisses Government Objection

The Federal High Court Lagos on Monday dismissed the preliminary objection of the Nigerian government in the action filed by Bi-Courtney Limited to challenge the purported revocation of its leasehold interest on the hotel and conference centre at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MM2).

With this ruling, Bi-Courtney says the revocation order of the Federal Government as announced by FAAN is illegal, null and void.
The issue of the current ownership of these properties is a subject of dispute between the concessionaire, Bi-Courtney and the Federal Government.
In two separate letters, dated 19 April 2012, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had informed Bi-Courtney that the leases granted it in respect of the two projects had been terminated as a result of breaches committed by the company in the agreements it signed with FAAN on the two projects.
Bi-Courtney promptly went to court the challenge the revocation.
Presiding Justice Mohammed Idris has dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the Federal Government which contends that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Though counsel to the Federal Government was not available for comments, Counsel to FAAN, Oremeyi Amune of the law firm of Kola Awodehin and co said the ruling was partly in its favour as the court has struck out FAAN as a party to the suit while its Managing Director is still listed as the third defendant.
The court has fixed hearing in the substantive suit for 5 June.

Turn By Turn Politics Is Fine, If It Is Constitutional – Benson Enikuomehin

A legal practitioner; Mr. Benson Enikuomehin has advised Nigerian politicians to go by the country’s constitution rather than introducing elements that are not in the constitution into politics. This will make them run foul of the law.
Speaking on the endorsement of President Jonathan for a second term by the Ogun state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on a turn-by turn basis, because the country is “turn by turn Nigeria Limited”, Mr Enikuomehin said “the constitution says a president or governor of a state must be an indigene of the state or country, 40 years of age, have at least a school certificate and must not be bankrupt. If there  are individuals who possess this and if its on turn by turn basis then so be it.”

Ban On Tinted Glass Is Needed To Combat Security Challenges – Frank Mba

The Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba has said the ban on the use of tinted glasses in vehicles has to be enforced now more than before, because of the security challenges facing the country.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast show; Sunrise Daily, Mr. Mba, explained that there is a law called the Motor Vehicle Prohibition of Tinted Glasses Act, Cap M21 laws of the federation, which says “except with the permission of appropriate authority and on good course no Nigerian or person should be allowed to ply our roads with vehicle with tinted glasses, it doesn’t matter if those glasses are tinted any way shaded lightly or thickly, colored in any manner as long as it makes it difficult for persons or objects in the vehicle to see clearly.”
He added that most of the vehicles illegally bringing arms and ammunition into the country and those used for suicide bombing have tinted glasses.

Fresh Attacks Leave 10 Dead In Adamawa

Police say at least 10 people have been killed in an attack in Northeast Nigeria that targeted a church and a local market.
The attack occurred Sunday in Njilan, a village in Adamawa state.
Adamawa state police spokesman, Muhammad Ibrahim said that six people had been killed in the market, while another four were killed around the church.
Mr Ibrahim could not immediately offer a motive for the attack, nor could he say whether police had any suspects in the violence.
Northeast Nigeria has faced increasingly bloody attacks by Islamic extremists since 2010. While the government has deployed more soldiers and police in the region, the attacks by the extremist network Boko Haram, splinter groups and others continue.

Two Pilots Killed As Nigerian Air Force Plane Crashes In Niamey

A Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet crashed on Monday at Dargol, near Niamey, killing the two pilots, according to a Defence Headquarters statement issued in Abuja.
The statement signed by Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information, said the aircraft was on a non-combat mission when it crashed.
It said the Alpha jet was one of the four based in Niamey as part of the African-led Support Mission in Mali.
It stated that an investigation had begun “to unravel the circumstances that led to the accident”, adding that details would be made known as soon as the families of the pilots had been informed.

Shell Announce Investment in Deep-Water Project in Nigeria

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Thursday announced major investments in a number of projects including a deep-water project in Nigeria and an oil recovery project in Oman.
Also, the company announced Thursday that it recorded a $7.95 billion profit in the three months ended March 31, up 3.6 per cent from $7.68 billion a year earlier, despite a difficult security environment in Nigeria.
The company, according to the BBC, said the results were underpinned by Shell's growth projects, an improvement in downstream profitability.
Shell however warned that the oil and gas industry continued to see "significant" energy price volatility due to economic and political turmoil. The turmoil, he said impacted it negatively as its revenue was down to $112.8 billion in the January-March period from $119.92 billion last year.
Shell said total oil and gas production grew to 3.559 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the first quarter, from 3.552 million in the same period in 2012.
It also said it would increase its first quarter 2013 dividend to $0.45 per ordinary share, up 5 per cent from last year.
"Shell has emulated its rivals in beating expectations for the quarter, although investors are well aware that this is only part of a long game strategy," commented Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers.
According to Hunter, "The volatility of the oil price is a factor which Shell is trying to mitigate over a period of time.Even so, the company remains committed to selective acquisitions, non-core asset sales where appropriate and an extensive project plan which currently numbers 30 in an effort to underpin future production across several energy sources."
Meanwhile, the company has said that it's Chief Executive; Mr. Peter Voser will step down in the first half of 2014.
Voser, 54, said he wanted to spend more time with his family, adding that he was leaving for a "change in lifestyle". He was appointed the chief executive in July 2009 and was an executive director since 2004.
"After such an exciting executive career I feel it is time for a change in my lifestyle and I am looking forward to having more time available for my family and private life in the years to come," Voser said in a statement Thursday.

Human Rights Groups Want Mechanism to Enforce ECOWAS Court Decisions

The groups said citizens of ECOWAS member-states should properly document evidence of human rights violations.

West Africa's human rights institutions on Wednesday said member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should establish a mechanism to enforce compliance with the decisions of the Court of Justice.
The groups also said at the end of a two-day meeting and annual general assembly in Abuja that violators of the Court's decisions should be sanctioned.
In the absence of a state institution to enforce compliance, the groups said members of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa, NNHRI, should be allowed to take up the responsibility.
The meeting provided the forum a chance to agree on ways of increasing the capacity of members to respond to emerging human rights challenges in the region and reinforce the capacities of senior officials of its members in investigating, monitoring, documenting and reporting human rights violations.
It was also intended to help mobilize opinions on how to reposition the NNHRI and its Secretariat for more effectiveness in the protection and promotion of human rights in West Africa.
At the end, participants agreed to activate regional judicial and financial structures to allow for an effective tackling of human rights-related atrocities, as well as accept an ECOWAS proposal to implement and support human rights programmes in collaboration with NNHRIs at the national level across the region.
In addition, they asked the ECOWAS Commission to ensure that country reports of all human rights institutions be presented to the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice, popularized and shared in Member States.
While reflecting on the various crises confronting the region, particularly terrorism, the participants called on citizens of ECOWAS member-states to properly document evidence of human rights violations by both terrorist groups and national security forces, and report same to the NNHRI secretariat.
In addition, the group agreed to adopt a common vision to deal with human rights violations and related challenges in relation to electoral, democratic, economic and social instability and leadership crises in the region.
To ensure an effective service delivery, they agreed to work more closely with the West African Civil Society forum (WACSOF) and other national civil society organizations in advocacy and sensitization, while calling for the strengthening of measures aimed at enforcing the free movement of persons.
In a four-point resolution, participants specifically stated that the right to freedom of expression and the press must be protected, and the security of journalists be assured in all Member States.
They urged Member States to respect the rights of citizens to demonstrate or protest actions inimical to their interests in line with the extant laws in their respective countries.
While calling on ECOWAS to ensure accountability for human rights violations arising from terrorism, whether perpetrated by terrorists or state security agents, they called for an end to the long transition in Guinea Bissau through the conduct of a presidential election.
Urging ECOWAS to ensure regular, but free, fair, credible and inclusive presidential and legislative elections in member States, the groups also recommended that the network endorse their proposal to collaborate with relevant UN agencies to organize a regional conference to deliberate on the issue of the protection of human rights in the course of preventing terrorism.

No Nigerian Airport Among Africa's Best 10

No Nigerian airport was listed among the best in Africa in the 2013 Skytrax World Best Airport Awards held at Passenger Terminal EXPO, Geneva, Switzerland.
South African airports dominated the top 10 ranking in Africa, with Cape Town International Airport emerging the Best Airport in Africa, followed by Durban King Shaka International Airport and Johannesburg (Tambo) International Airport in 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
This year's awards, voted by airport customers from around the world, garnered 12.1 million responses.
Egypt's Cairo International Airport was ranked 4th while the 5th position went to Mauritius International Airport.
East London Airport, South Africa, was placed in the 6th position; Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, 7th; and Port Elizabeth Airport, South Africa in 8th position.
Morocco's Marrakech Menara International Airport and Seychelles International Airport ranked 9th and 10th respectively.
South Africa also made a clean sweep of the Best Airport Staff category with Cape Town International Airport, Durban King Shaka International Airport, Johannesburg International Airport, East London Airport, and Port Elizabeth Airport occupying all the five positions.
World's best airport
Singapore Changi Airport was voted the 2013 world's best airport, the 4th time it had claimed the top prize.
The Singaporean airport toppled Incheon International Airport, South Korea, which moved to second place, to clinch the position.
Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, and Beijing Capital International Airport were ranked 3rd, 4th, and 5th best in the world.
"In winning this prestigious accolade, Singapore Changi cements its place as one of the world's favourite airports and Skytrax offer their sincere congratulations on what has been a fantastic year of achievement" said Edward Plaisted, Chairman of Skytrax.
"The vast array of leisure and entertainment facilities really standout at Changi and serve to highlight the extent to which the management has gone to ensure maximum levels of passenger satisfaction.
"We only have to look at the fact that Changi served more than 50 million passengers for the first time during 2012, to see that it continues to attract customers and maintain its place as one of the world's leading hub airports," Mr. Plaisted added.
Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer, Changi Airport Group said that winning the Skytrax World's Best Airport award again is an immense honour for Changi Airport.
"It is as much a recognition of the passion of the 32,000-strong airport community that is the backbone of Changi's collaborative and well-oiled operational processes , as it is an affirmation of our mantra in putting our passengers at the heart of all that we do," said Mr. Hiang.
Three South African airports - the only ones from Africa - were also listed anong the world's top 100 airports, ranked 22nd, 26th, and 28th respectively.

Lagos Targets U.S.$48.2 Billion Locked in Extra-Legal Economy

The Lagos State Government Thursday put the value of assets locked outside its legal framework at an estimated $48.2 billion, which it said, it was working on the modalities to formalise the state's extra-legal economy.
The state government also said the development of the Lekki Deep Seaport (Phase I) would gulp the sum of $1.5 billion while the cost of building the Lekki-Epe International Airport had not been ascertained.
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olusola Oworu, said this at a news conference at the state secretariat, saying her ministry was working hard "to make the Lekki Free Trade Zone a fully functional investment haven."
Oworu, who addressed the conference alongside Special Adviser on Commerce and Industry, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo, among others, added that a pre-diagnostic study conducted by the Institute of Liberty and Democracy (ILD) revealed that 90.2 per cent of real estate assets were locked outside the legal framework.
According to the commissioner, an estimated $48.2 billion was located in the extra-legal sector with concomitant undercapitalisation of business undertakings, and impoverishment of the masses.
She added that the state government had commenced works on the development of the Lekki-Epe International Airport "to complement activities at the LFTZ and also provide alternative air transport services in the state.
"The Lekki-Epe International Airport is designed to handle five million passengers annually with provision for a modular terminal for future expansion. Preliminary works on the project have commenced the clearing of 150 hectares (run way), 4.5km of the access road and 9 kilometres of perimeter road."
She pointed out that the airport would be built and managed by private investors, noting that the process for the selection of private investors "to develop and manage the airport has commenced."
She said the process of selecting the private manager had been contracted "to a team of local and internationally-acclaimed consultants namely Stanbic IBTC (financial advisers), Arup PTY (Technical Consultants), Norton Rose (off-shore legal consultants) and Banwo & Ighodalo (local legal consultants)."
The commissioner also lamented the inadequacy of facilities at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports, thereby necessitating the need for Lekki Deep Seaport, which development would gulp $1.5 billion.
She said the state government with the federal government through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and a private investor - Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise (LPLE) had commenced the development of the Lekki Deep Seaport.
Presently, the commissioner said, shareholders agreement had been executed while preliminary works had started at the site.
When completed, the port would relieve the pressure on the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports and would also support business activities at the Lekki Free Zone.
He said the construction of the port "is expected to last for about four years and over 10,000 jobs are projected to be created directly and indirectly during the construction period while over 169,000 jobs would be generated directly and indirectly when it becomes fully operational."

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing: Nigeria & LIbya

DOCUMENT

Excerpts from the United States Department of State daily press briefing: 
QUESTION: On Nigeria.
MR. VENTRELL: Yeah.
QUESTION: You'll recall you had a statement last week following some violence in the village of Baga --
MR. VENTRELL: Yeah.
QUESTION: -- in which the Nigerian military said that several dozen homes were burned. Human Rights Watch is out with a report today saying that satellite imagery shows that more than 2,000 homes were burned during that violence. Do you have any reason to doubt the Nigerian military's assessment of that violence?
MR. VENTRELL: I hadn't seen the Human Rights Watch report of the press coverage of that since coming down here. We did strongly condemn that violence that took so many innocent civilian lives. That was in Baga, Borno State. And we said at the time our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones who died or were injured. But I'd have to look into more information for you on the specific issue of further damage or wider assessment of damage from that particular attack.
QUESTION: Can you take that question then, on the HRW?
MR. VENTRELL: I'll take the question. I'd be happy to.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR. VENTRELL: Go ahead, Dana.
QUESTION: Sorry. Is Nigeria still an ACOTA partner, and are we still funding part of their military to go into Mali?
MR. VENTRELL: I don't know the answer to the question if they're still an ACOTA partner. I'll check on it.
QUESTION: And if they are, I mean, has that been suspended at all, given these allegations of the military?
MR. VENTRELL: I'm not aware one way or another on the ACOTA piece, but I'll look into it. In terms of human rights, we've been very clear with the Nigerian Government, including when the Secretary was with his counterpart here in Washington just a few days ago, that there needs to be progress on human rights and that in terms of instability in the north and extremist violence, there's got to be an evenhanded way of dealing with this and the legitimate concerns of northerners. And the security response has to be done in a way that respects the human rights of people in the north as well.

I Will Contest Presidential Election Again in 2015 - - Buhari

Minna — Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said he "will surely seek the mandate" of Nigerians in the 2015 presidential election under the platform of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
Buhari who lost the 2011election on the platform of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, however said he was ready to step down for any other better candidate that may emerge under the new party.
He spoke in Minna, capital of Niger State during the maiden edition of Sam Nda-Isaiah Annual Lecture Series, saying that politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.
Buhari, however advocated that the best candidate should always be given a chance in the midst of many.
He said: "Whoever said he wants to contest has a chance. Let him come out because the more we are, the merrier. But I will be ready to step down if there is a formidable and better candidate.
"It is not about me but for the survival of the party. APC is about ensuring internal democracy. Whoever emerges is the person I will support. Yes I will be ready to step down".
Also speaking in a separate interview with newsmen, former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau assured that the presidential ticket of the emerging party will surely be given to the most credible candidate of the party.
According him, "it is even too early to talk about or to have a presidential candidate. In APC, we will have internal democracy that will guide the party. Let us have the party on the ground first and it will be followed by congresses at various levels that will produce our candidates and at that point, anybody can contest and the party will support the best candidate that will emerge.
"Let Nigerians know one thing for sure, we are not talking of just dismantling the PDP. We want a change. We are not just talking about change in democracy but change in attitude, change in approach, change in character, change in conducting the business of government. That is why our slogan is change. We are determined to change Nigeria for the better".
Gen. Buhari, who spoke on "the role of youths in sustaining democratic values in Nigeria," asked the media to be courageous and carry out their constitutional responsibilities by keeping leaders and those in government on their toes towards serving the electorate diligently.
Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu in his message, noted with dismay that youths were being used to foment crisis in the polity.
He said: "It is regrettable that young people have become most vulnerable to social vices in society today and this was largely due to the lack of adequate parental care and neglect of our core moral values and social norms. This is why we must pay more attention to the training of our children for the good of the society".

Save This Power Project From Collapse

Hopes that there may be bright light at the end of a long tortuous dark tunnel in the Northern parts of the country are fading, because the region's biggest power plant will not come on stream as scheduled by 2014.
Reports suggest that the project, to which huge financial and other resources have been committed, has suffered a major setback caused apparently by shoddy planning.
According to these reports, the transportation of the seven remaining turbines from Onne Port in Rivers State to Kaduna, the home of the project, has been put off due to this.
The Kaduna project was envisaged to be a 215megawatt generating capacity, capable of feeding industries in wide swaths of the rejoin, thus freeing existing capacity for wider domestic coverage.
Contract for the project was awarded in November 2009 to General Electric and Rockson Engineering, with a December 2013 completion deadline. But just when the contractors thought they had overcome a two-year difficulty in transporting the turbines with two special trucks imported for the purposes, new hurdles have arisen. The government had to repair, in some cases upgrade, sections of the road and reinforce the bridges on the route from Onne to Kaduna in order to withstand the weight of the consignment. After the trucks made their first trip to Kaduna last March to deliver a part of the consignment, they broke down. The repairs and upgrading may not have been sufficient. The unusually heavy equipment took a heavy toll on the 950-kilometre stretch of road. Some sections of the road crumbled under the sheer weight of the equipment; because of that, road engineers have determined that the trucks and the heavy-duty equipment they carry may not be able to run on it smoothly again.
Obviously there is a problem. The remaining seven sets of the turbines are now trapped at the Onne Port and the contracting firms have insisted that there would be need to once again repair the road and reinforce the bridges with stronger and more durable materials before the remaining turbines can safely be transported to Kaduna.
The Kaduna plant is part of the government's Independent Power Project initiative conceived as part of efforts to revive industries that folded up as a result of unstable power supply from the national grid. Its scope included manufacture and supply of eight General Electric Frame 5 Dual Fuel Gas Turbines from Italy and shipment to Nigeria, as well as the design, engineering, procurement of the balance of the plant, installation, construction, testing and coming on stream of the entire project.
When the contract was awarded in 2009, the planners appeared not to have taken the peculiar topography of the region and the nature of Nigerian roads into consideration.
It is as if the shipment of the turbines was planned without any thought to how they would be transported from Onne Port to Kaduna. This yawning gap in the feasibility aspect of the project was only discovered when the equipment arrived at the port in Onne, more than two years ago.
This is no time to wring hands or play the blame game.
The situation does not appear to be a technically-challenging one as the project's handlers are making it out to be.
The contracting firms involved are internationally renowned multinationals, so it would not be asking for too much if the government should request that the heavy machineries be dismantled into easily transportable bits and taken to the site in Kaduna for reassembly. If that procedure would mean additional cost, it would be a much better and cost-effective course of action to take than the long term option of reinforcing the roads and rebuilding bridges.

Gunmen in 50 Hilux Vans Destroy Buildings, Telecom Masts in Borno - Share Tweet

Maiduguri — Gunmen in their hundreds in a convoy of 50 Hilux vans attacked Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, yesterday evening, where they succeeded in burning down all public buildings like schools, hospitals/clinics, police stations and all telecommunications masts in the council headquarters.
Marte is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital which also shares borders with Baga and Chad Republic. It is also an epicentre of Boko Haram sect which had witnessed series of attacks and bombings.
A top police officer in Marte said: "The gunmen invaded the town at about 4p.m with over 50 Hilux 4-wheel drive vehicles armed with sophisticated weapons, chanting Allahu Akbar, meaning (God is Great) and started throwing Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, at all public structures without being challenged by security operatives."
Another reliable source said: "Apart from the Lake Chad Development site, no other public structure remained standing in the town as all of them have been destroyed by the terrorists."
Our correspondent gathered that the suspected terrorists had after the Baga carnage, issued a warning that Marte town would be their next target of attack.
No life was, however, lost as the terrorists had warned those working in the public buildings in the town to vacate before they struck.
Contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Yuguda Abdullahi and his image maker, DSP Gideon Jubrin's phones rang several times without response, but a top security officer who did not want his name mentioned confirmed the incident.

Ibori Loses Appeal to Get Jail Term Reduced

The former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, Thursday lost an appeal before a London court for a reduction in his jail term following his conviction for money laundering-related offences.
Justice Anthony Pitts of the Southwark Crown Court had sentenced Ibori last year to a 13-year jail term, after he had pleaded guilty to charges that he embezzled £50 million during his eight-year tenure as governor of the oil-rich state.
Ibori's legal team had based its argument for a reduction in his 13-year jail term sentence on some purported promise by Justice Pitts that he could sentence Ibori to a jail term of not more than 10 years if he pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him.
However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the argument, saying the promise was not emphatic enough to support the plea.
There was a mild drama in the case as a team of the Court of Appeal justices previously empanelled to hear the appeal was changed at the last minute.
The justices, led by Lord Justice Brian Henry Leveson, who were previously scheduled to hear the appeal were replaced on Wednesday by a new panel of justices, which presided over the case yesterday.
Lord Justice Antony Edward-Stuart, who led Lord Justice Treacy and Peter Collier QC in the ruling, held that Justice Pitts' promise of a lower sentence for Ibori could not be relied on for a successful appeal as it was not "emphatic enough", according to agency reports of the court proceedings.
He said even though Ibori's counsel had "legitimate expectations" based on Justice Pitts' insinuations of a 10-year sentence, the Southwark Crown judge did not emphasise or commit to a 10-year jail term for Ibori if he entered a guilty plea.
He ruled that there would be no need for a long trial of the appeal as the justices had already familiarised themselves with the grounds of the appeal and had read the submissions of both sides.
After the counsel had addressed the court briefly, the judges retired into the chamber and came back some 15 minutes later to deliver their judgment.
Justice Edwards-Stuart, in rejecting the argument, said a money laundering offence should attract close to the maximum 14-year sentence.

Another Faction Of Boko Haram Emerges

Boko Haram

Abuja — A new insurgent group known as Nassiruddeen Li Ahlil Jihad Alal Kitab Was Sunnah, or Islamic Victors Committed to Qur’an and Sunnah, yesterday claimed that it had taken possession of a large cache of weapons following its attack on military barracks in Munguno in Borno State recently.
The head of the new group, Abu Muhammed Ibn Muhammed Abubakar Al-Shakawi, in a YouTube message, said that the weapons, which he displayed, were hauled from the military barracks sacked by adherents of the group.
Agitated and visibly excited, Al-Shakawi gesticulated in the film as he was being cheered on by his followers, who shouted “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “God is great”, and showed off the cache of arms and ammunition.
The footage showed several M16 rifles, AK-47 rifles, rocket launchers, boxes of ammunition, various sizes of bullets and other assorted weapons. The group’s leader estimated that there were about 30,000 pieces of AK-47 bullets on display.
“We thank God who gave us the wisdom and ability to uplift his religion. I bring you good tidings from our escapade at Munguno where, with God’s guidance, we were able to subdue the soldiers and drive them away,” Al-Shakawi explained. “This is indeed a great success. We are very happy with the development. We burnt the premises and they (the soldiers) took to their heels, so we carted away these guns and ammunition. This is indeed a great feat that we accomplished.”
Although it is unclear whether the attack was carried out by Ahlul Jihad, LEADERSHIP checks showed that the details given by Al-Shakawi bear resemblance to the March 3 attack during which JTF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said 20 of the attackers were killed.
But in the film, which appears to show the sect on a wide expanse of desert, the weapons al-Shakawi claimed they took from the soldiers  were scattered on the ground while he was surrounded by the adherents of the group equally wearing army fatigue uniform.

Robbers Target Nigerian Diplomat

Johannesburg — Robbers opened fire on Nigeria's deputy high commissioner in South Africa after following him home to Pretoria from OR Tambo International Airport, it was reported on Thursday.

Kayode Oguntuase's driver Dan Mohlala was wounded in his left hand in the shooting on Wednesday, Beeld reported.
According to the newspaper, Mohlala took Kayode Oguntuase to the airport to fetch his wife Hailey.
As they got back home to Waterkloof Ridge, Mohlala told them they were being followed.
Hailey Oguntuase reportedly asked Mohlala to stop the car so she could get out, but he advised her against it, and they locked their doors.
According to the newspaper, the men following them tried to open the car doors, and when they could not, fired several shots at the vehicle, one of which went through a neighbour's window.
Neighbours summoned help. The gunmen fled. Beeld reported that Oguntuase drove Mohlala to hospital.
"We're investigating charges of attempted murder and attempted armed robbery," Brigadier Phuti Setati told the newspaper.

Enugu Govt Dismisses Chime's Rumoured Death

Sullivan Chime

For the umpteenth time, officials of the Enugu State government Thursday dismissed the rumoured death of Governor Sullivan Chime in far away India.
News of the governor's purported death had taken over the internet and other social media networks, causing tension in the state as both residents and workers in the state capital were seen in groups discussing the development.
It is recalled that similar scenario had played out early in the year following the governor's trip to the United Kingdom on health grounds which was later discovered to be treatment for cancer of the nose.
It took the governor who returned to the state after almost five months absence, to dispel the rumour.
However, following the upsurge of enquiries on the whereabouts of the governor, some officials of the government who though could not reveal his actual location, dismissed the rumour.
The Commissioner for Information, Chuks Ugwoke, who spoke with THISDAY laughed off the rumour, noting that some idle minds have finally found succour in peddling unfounded rumours.
"How do you expect to begin to react to the activities of rumour peddlers? The other time, they equally said the governor died in India and it was later discovered that the governor had never visited India. Now, they've come again, and it is our hope that very soon, they would equally eat the humble pie," the commissioner noted.
THISDAY checks however revealed that the governor had left the state for Abuja last Tuesday after an official function at the Government House.
It could not be ascertained as at press time whether he had travelled outside the country.

Expectation of Better Bilateral Deal as Jonathan Visits South Africa

As President Goodluck Jonathan makes his maiden official state visit to South Africa this weekend, Raheem Akingbolu writes that the meeting could be another opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationships between the two African giants
Consumers and investors, who are involved in trans-border transactions between South Africa and Nigeria, may have begun feeling the good times to come, as a result of the current moves being made by the leadership of the two countries to boost the bilateral relationship between them.
Three weeks after the South African President, Jacob Zuma, paid a one day visit to Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan is poised to return the good gesture to pursue issues that would further aid the economic growth of Nigeria and South Africa.
Matters Arising
According to Channels TV that reported the visit of the South Africa leader, shortly after his arrival in the capital city of Abuja, President Zuma went into talks with his host at the Aso Rock presidential villa. After the hour-long talks, Zuma told state house correspondents that both leaders discussed issues of regional peace and security, among others.
He said it was important to align with Nigeria on certain issues that concerned both countries and indeed the continent, especially as President Jonathan was billed to visit South Africa very soon.
According to President Zuma, the continent would soon be observing the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union (AU); hence it was important that Nigeria and South Africa exchanged views on what to do to move the union forward.
With the latest development, pundits believe that there couldn't have been a better time for the leadership of both countries to cement their relationship, given the mutual suspicion brewing between Nigerians and South Africans, which reached its climax last year when the latter deported 125 Nigerians for allegedly travelling with fake yellow cards; a situation which gave room for retaliation by the Nigerian government.
But the crisis, which would have led to strained relationship, was, however, amicably resolved after South Africa apologised to Nigeria.

Media Freedom and the Threat of Impunity in Nigeria

The past half a decade has been perhaps the most challenging years since Nigeria's return to civil rule in 1999.
Literally, the fate of some 160 million citizens have been caught between nationalist insurgents in the south, and Islamist terrorists in the north, with no relief from a distressing canopy of spectacularly poor evidence at governance, and thieving politicians left, right, and centre.
Narrating these evidently polarizing experiences on a daily basis, falls on the media, that has had a mixed bag of brilliant moments and, just putting it straight, sometimes appalling results of what looks like a Kafkaesque sequence of events.
What is clear, however, from the perspective of the media, is that these five years also represents perhaps the most dismal period in the over 150-year institutional biography of one of our most heroic national citadels.
Constrained by inter-communal, inter-faith, minority, and other diversity issues, political reporting in Nigeria can be a test for any journalist, and heightened with the added challenges posed by a swelling climate of intolerance, fueled by the reign of criminal gangs who are sustained through official corruption, oil theft, the now lucrative kidnapping business, politically-financed terror squads, ethno-national mobs, or private security gangs.
These are the notations of impunity, the hydra-headed monster that now threatens freedom, rights, and ultimately, the democratic aspirations of citizens. In all climes, reporting events like these comes at dreadful costs; and the Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ], an independent, , nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide, has diligently followed the trails of such reporters, keenly documenting the heroism of such brave messengers, under capricious regimes, through whom daily history is brought to us.
Now, the same CPJ is alerting us in Nigeria that this wave of impunity has finally come home to roost. In its 2013 Impunity Index release in New York today, CPJ states chillingly: "Nigeria has become one of the worst nations in the world for deadly, unpunished violence against the press."
The CPJ global index calculates unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each country's population, and found this year that soaring impunity rates were also recorded in Somalia, Pakistan, and Brazil.
In the five-year matrix taken for this computation, the CPJ cites the unresolved murder of Channels TV reporter, Enenche Akogwu; the killing of Nathan Dabak and Sunday Gyang of the Christian Times in Jos; Zakariya Isa of NTA Maiduguri; and Bayo Ohu of the Guardian Newspapers in Lagos.
Blaming "militants in the north and politically inspired aggression nationwide" for the growing impunity in the land, the CPJ Impunity Index puts Nigeria in the category of a dozen countries where journalist murders occurred from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2012, and remain unsolved. The index, published annually, considers cases unsolved when no convictions have been won.
There are strong lessons for Nigeria here. Slamming what he recently characterized as "a choreographed attempt to deliberately cast the administration in bad light," the spokesman for the Nigerian presidency, Mr. Reuben Abati, a newspaperman and lawyer, pretentiously claimed, "This government is proud of its record on press freedom, its relationship with and promotion of access for the media and civil society."
The administration, as Mr. Abati argues it, actually expects gratitude from Nigerians on account of "its commitment to press freedom times over [because the] Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) was signed by this President into law and under this government the Nigerian print and electronic media has grown in number, reach and in terms of freedom to practice."
True, but it was also under the watch of this president that the most elaborate and illegal assault on the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens had been initiated in the post-independence history of this nation.

Luiz Fires Chelsea To Europa Cup Final

Chelsea on Thursday stormed into another European final as they beat the Swiss champions of Basle 3-1 after going behind to a goal by Mohamed Salah at the end of first half.
The Blues came out with renewed intensity and scored three goals in nine minutes to secure a place in the Europa League final in Amsterdam on May 15.
Fernando Torres pounced for the first, Victor Moses made the tie safer and David Luiz scored a brilliant third with a curling left foot shot, teed up by Frank Lampard.
Jose Mourinho’s name rang around Stamford Bridge but here was a rare night of satisfaction for Rafa Benitez.
‘We’re just not that interim’ a banner once said at the Bridge, but he will take them to a final after losing in the semis of the Capital One Cup and the FA Cup.
This was game 64 of the season for Chelsea and Benitez stuck with roughly the team which had performed so well in the first leg.
Benitez felt comfortable enough with his two away goals to put Juan Mata on the bench which meant more time for Eden Hazard in his preferred No 10 role. And there was a third successive game in midfield for Luiz alongside Lampard.
An early goal was vital, according to Basle manager Murat Yakin and they almost delivered it within a minute when Marco Streller drifted into space vacated by Cesar Azpilicueta but snatched at the chance and dragged the ball wide form the edge of the penalty area.
Benitez had warned against complacency on the eve of the game and here was another warning from the Swiss champions, who were spirited and fluent in attack.
Fernando Torres clipped a pass into the path of Lampard as he ran from midfield and the England man guided a volley beyond goalkeeper Yann Sommer with his right foot. It was well-controlled and the Bridge froze, thinking this could be the record-equalling 202nd goal of his Chelsea career. Alas, the ball struck the foot of the far post and bounced to safety.
Torres made a lively start. His mobility was good, peeling away from the centre-halves and inviting the midfield runners to pierce the back four. He also forced Sommer into a sprawling save after he cut in from the left, linked up with Hazard and drove a shot low with his right foot.
As it was, Ramires wasted the best chance of the first half, served up neatly by Moses after another terrific dribble and back-heel by Hazard, who is finishing his first campaign in England in wonderful form. It whets the appetite for next season.
Central defender Fabian Schar then found space between Chelsea’s central defenders to forge forward but hooked his effort wide from 20 yards.
The goal was coming and Benitez must have been willing his side to hold out until the interval. They had almost clung on when Salah struck in stoppage time. Stocker, darting inside from the left, pulled defenders out of position, picked up the ball and threaded a pass through to Salah, who supplied a composed left-foot finish to curl it inside the post.
In the semi-final of the Champions League last year, Chelsea were holding on against Lionel Messi and Barcelona.