Terrorism: 400 Military Personnel Depart For Russia

Latest reports inform that no fewer than 400 Nigerian security personnel have left Abuja for Russia where they are to undergo training as Special Forces to beef up the country’s fight against terrorism.

According to Vanguard report, the security personnel, made up of members of the Armed Forces, Police and Department of State Services, departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in a chattered aircraft at about 5pm on Sunday in company of Nigerian Security officers.

Also accompanying the military personnel are Russian instructors who had been in the country to be part of the initial selection process of the men and officers that would take part in the training.

READ ALSO: US Blocks Nigeria From Buying Military Helicopter

It was gathered that Federal Government’s decision to send the security personnel to the European country was necessitated by the slow response of Britain and the United States of America to train Nigerian security personnel to confront the Boko Haram terrorist group.

A source informed that the latest group of Nigerian security personnel are joining three batches of their colleagues who had earlier left for Russia for the training earlier this year.

It was gathered that the group would be in Russia for four months before they would return to Nigeria early next year to form a nucleus of Special Forces brigade that is to be set up by Nigerian armed forces and other security forces.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army Insists Boko Haram Leader Shekau Is Dead!

Nigeria has been battling terrorism since the Islamist militants group, Boko Haram, started plotting terror attacks across Nigeria since 2009.

The insurgents are believed to have killed more than 5,000 people and made more than half a million to be displaced in northern Nigeria.

Read More

Man Gets 6 Months Imprisonment Over 46 Eggs

A resident of Mabushi in Abuja, Musa Abdullahi, has been asked to spend the next six months in prison for stealing 46 pieces of eggs.

This is according to a sentence delivered on Friday, 27 September, 2014  by Senior Magistrate Grace Adebayo-Eisapeat at the Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The magistrate handed down the judgment after the convict had pleaded guilty to committing the crime, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

It was gathered that Adebayo-Eisape, who told the convict that the judgment was to serve as a lesson to others who might want to commit the same crime, also gave  Abdullahi an option of N30, 000 fine.

The accused, a sales representative to one Salisu Datti of Wuse Market, Abuja was said to have been carrying out this crime for a long time before he was caught on 21 September.

The Prosecutor, Cpl. Umar Ango, told the court that the case was reported at Wuse Police Station by one Paul Ezeugwu, one of the security guard in Wuse Market.

According to Ango, the convict confessed at the police station that he has been committing this crime for a long time.

The value for the 46 pieces of eggs is N1, 380, Ango informed.

He also stated that the offence committed by Abdullahi contradicts Section 287 of the Penal Code.

Read More

Atiku Abubakar Formally Declares Intention to Contest in 2015 Presidential Election

Former vice-president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has formally declared his intention to run for the 2015 presidential elections.

He will be contesting via the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, Punchreports.

Abubakar made the formal declaration yesterday, at a ceremony that took place at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

“Our country seems to be on auto pilot with no one in charge. Nigeria now more than ever before, needs a strong, dynamic, decisive, competent and visionary leadership that can halt the current drift of the ship of state.  Corruption needs to be fought,  jobs need to be created,  our infrastructure needs to be rebuilt,  social services need to be provided and insecurity needs to be tackled in a decisive, robust and multi-pronged way,”  he said.

Read More

PDP, Groups Meet In Abuja Over Jonathan’s Declaration

Reports just coming in from Abuja, indicate that the stage is set for a crucial meeting of all groups campaigning for re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and top officials of the presidency scheduled to hold at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Tuesday, 16 September, 2014.

According to the P.M NEWS report, the event tagged ‘National Summit for Goodluck Support Groups’, which is being coordinated by Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali, special adviser to the President on Political Affairs, is said to be a dress rehearsal to formal declaration of President Jonathan for 2015 presidential race expected to take place in few weeks time.

[caption id="attachment_1935" align="aligncenter" width="765"] President Jonathan at a political rally held recently.[/caption]

Speaking with newsmen last week, Akali stated that the event is a rare opportunity to experience an outpour of love by Nigerians from all walks of life for President Jonathan.

“This National Summit, which is a celebration of the core values that bind all Nigerians as one people, united for peace, stability and progress of our dear country shall take place on Tuesday, September 16, at the Eagles Square, Abuja from 10.00am,” he said.

READ ALSO: Pro-Jonathan Rally Goes Bloody In Niger

It was gathered that no fewer than 10 members from each of the 8,000 pro-Jonathan groups are billed to attend the ceremony scheduled to hold at the popular Eagle Square.

A source informed that the PDP’s bigwigs that will speak at the event include, former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu; Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio; former PDP chairman, Ahmadu Ali and former Senate President Ken Nnamani.

Also expected at the event are Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Senate Majority Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, former PDP acting national chairman, Bello Haliru Mohammed and PDP members in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Another source stated that members of PDP National Executive Committee, Board of Trustees members, PDP governors and members of the Federal Executive Council are expected to use the occasion to call on Jonathan to declare his 2015 ambition while also listing his various achievements to convince Nigerians why the President should be given another term of office.

READ ALSO: Amaechi Replies Alamieyeseigha On Jonathan

While Governor Akpabio is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the event.

Chief Ahmadu Ali, former national chairman of PDP is expected to chair the event, while Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the incumbent Chairman of the party is the Special Guest of Honour.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan had earlier been threatened by the South-South Chiefs and Elders Council, SSCEC International, on September 7, 2014, that they would arrest him (President) if he fails to contest in 2015 presidential election

Read More

PDP Denies Kalu’s Membership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southeast zone has denied the membership of former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu. 

The denial was contained in a statement issued on Friday in Enugu State, by the party’s South East zone National Vice Chairman, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), a copy obtained by The Nation.

READ ALSO: Former Abia state Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu Speaks On Terrorism In The Country

Akobundu, who revealed that Kalu has not been readmitted into the PDP, insisted that the rumours making the round that the ex-governor has returned to the party were false, and described it as the figment of the peddlers’ imagination.

The national vice chairman further explained that the information made available to him from both Bende local government area and Abia State chapters of the party showed that Kalu is not a member of the PDP.

“He is neither registered in his Igbere ward nor recognized as having done so in Bende local government area, let alone being accepted at the state level of the party as a returnee”Akobundu said.  “For the avoidance of doubt, Orji Uzor Kalu is not member of PDP.”

He stated that despite the fact that the ex-governor visited some friends at the national secretariat of party in Abuja, where he took photograph with some naïve national officers and former political office holders as published in two national dailies does not make him a member of the PDP.

Akobundu therefore noted that the party has constitution, guidelines and laid down procedures that spell out how the party conducts its affairs including how returnees should be readmitted.

READ ALSO: Millionaire Orji Kalu Says Jonathan May Become Nigeria’s Last President

“Kalu, we should recall, was a governor at a time when our dear National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Ma’azu, was holding sway in Bauchi State. That Kalu had gone to our national headquarters to felicitate with his erstwhile colleague probably in company of others does not automatically qualify him as a member of the PDP” he said.

It would be recalled that on September 9, 2014, Orji Uzor Kalu, while speaking on the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram, which he said is politically instigated by some enemies of democracy in Nigeria, indicated interest to run for Senate in 2015, despite strong opposition from Governor Theodore Orji and other party chieftains with vested interests in Abia State.

Read More