Hundreds Die In Nigerian Jail

Hundreds of people have died in detention facilities in north-east Nigeria as the army tries to crush an Islamist militant rebellion there, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group said some detainees died

Former Plateau State Governor Solomon Lar Is Dead

The Plateau government has announced the death of the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Solomon Lar.
“I can confirm to you that the family has confirmed to Gov. Jonah Jang that Chief Solomon Lar is dead,’’ information commissioner, Abraham Yiljap, said in Jos on Wednesday.
Yiljap said that Lar, aged 80, died on Wednesday in a U. S. hospital.

(NAN)

Nigeria, UK, US and others to hold joint military training

Nigeria will today participate in a
three-week joint military training with special forces from The Netherlands, U.S., UK, Spain and Italy.
Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said this in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja.
He said that the exercise would take place at the general area of the South-West and
South-South coastal areas.
Olukolade said the exercise, code named AFRICAN WINDS, is being spearheaded by the Nigerian Navy.
Olukolade said: “It will be facilitated by a combined Mobile Training Teams, MTTs, of
Marines and

2015: Don't Contest, New PDP Urges Jonathan

The splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest the 2015 presidential election, urging him to be a hero and save the country from a needless crisis.

In the same vein, members of the House of Representatives loyal to the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reacted to the pro-Jonathan members of the House, stating that they lacked the necessary capacity to defend the interest of the president in the lower legislative chamber.

Specifically referring to the pro-Jonathan lawmakers, led by Hon. Bethel Amadi, they said if they had the capacity, both the speaker and deputy speaker of the House would not have emerged against the resolution of the PDP, which had zoned both positions to the South-west and North-east respectively.

This is just as two of the aggrieved governors – Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State – have stated that no amount of intimidation by the presidency or threats by the PDP to sanction them and other members of the New PDP will make them deviate from the path of “truth and justice”.

In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the breakaway PDP, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the New PDP said: “We wish to advise President Jonathan to abandon his plan to seek re-election in 2015 as this ambition of his is not in the best interest of the country.”

It added: “Though he has yet to categorically declare his intention to run, President Jonathan has given enough clues indicating that he is working towards doing so. The latest of such clues came on Sunday in New York, USA.
“Speaking at a luncheon with Nigerian professionals in the United States, President Jonathan insisted that he is eligible to contest in 2015, stating that we have a constitution that makes a provision for a maximum of eight years for anyone who wants to become a president or a governor.” 

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President Jonathan Creates New Army Infantry Division, Sends 8000 Troops Against Book Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to boost the strength of the military in the insurgency infested North-east after indications emerged that about 8,000 troops are being sent there.
The troops, according to

Teacher Can't Read Own Certificate

When the  late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang his popular number, Teacher, Don't Teach Me Nonsense, many thought it was just a song but the song had become a reality in time.

It was sometime in 2011, when Governor Adams Oshiomhole paid an unscheduled visit to a primary school in Edo North senatorial district of the state that he found out the rot which has pervaded the Universal Basic Education in the state.

For someone who has embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of schools in the country of course, he must be concerned with the quality of teachers in these schools. Oshiomhole beckoned on a teacher in the school and asked him what are his workings hours. The teacher could not answer and said I don't know and later murmured "7am to 4pm Sir".
A visibly shocked Oshiomhole now called a pupil and asked, "where is your teacher? The teacher standing beside him replied on behalf of the pupil "na me". That was when the governor knew that he has a serious problem in the educational sector.
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Council Vice -Chairman Orders Thugs To Manhandle Civil Servants

Mr. Biodun Adeleye, the Vice-Chairman of Ewekoro Local Government Area, Ogun State, allegedly took the law into his hands, as he seized six officials of the

Students Begs President Jonathan To Wade into ASUU Strike

Students of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) on Friday begged President Gooodluck Jonathan to wade into the lingering ASUU and Federal Government crisis. The students said that they looked up to Mr President to personally intervene in the face-off. Mr Louis Onwe, a 300-level biochemistry student said: ‘’His intervention into the ongoing crisis will lead to timely resolution of

ASUU - Okogie to account for N100bn stabilisation fund

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Monday, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to prevail on the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, to account for the N100 billion annual stabilization fund provided by the Federal Government to the Commission for improvement of facilities in the nation’s government –owned universities. Chairman of the Nsukka Zone of ASUU, Dr. Chidi Osuagwu, at a media briefing on the on-going strike action embarked upon by university lecturers in the country at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University,

Tribunal Invalidates Census In Bayelsa State

The Census Tribunal on Thursday invalidated the 2006 enumeration figures in 43 areas in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa, as declared by the National

Rivers State Crisis:ACN Cautions Police

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has urged the police to be more circumspect and avoid being partisan in their ongoing investigation into the crisis in Rivers State, if the outcome of the investigation is to be acceptable to Nigerians. In a statement, Thursday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the fact that only the security aides of

Strike: FG, Senate, ASUU meeting Deadlocked

THE negotiations among the Senate, the Federal government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU over the ongoing industrial action embarked by universities lecturers ended without parties reaching any compromise. The meeting which was at the instance of the chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, PDP Abia North, was called to pacify

Virus,17 Others Wanted Over Killing Of Cops

The Bayelsa State Police Commandhas declared wanted leader of the renegade militant group, simply called Virus and 17 others involved in the April gruesome killing of11policemen along the waterways of Lobia community in Southern Ijaw Local GovernmentArea of the state. The police command, according to a statement, yesterday, by its spokesman, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, said

IGP To Investigate Role Of Policemen In Rivers Fracas

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, said the police high command will investigate the role of the police in the fracas at the Rivers State House of Assembly, saying anybody found to have misbehaved would be held accountable. He said he had dispatched a Deputy Inspector General of Police to Port Harcourt to investigate the situation. The Inspector General of police’s position came on the heels of thorough scrutiny by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, by his colleague ministers before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House.

Bayelsa Traditional Ruler, 3 Others Arrested Over Crude Oil Theft

A community chief whose name was not released and three other persons have been arrested for the theft of 2,000 metric tons of crude oil on the Akassa waterways in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. They were arrested yesterday over alleged involvement in the ownership of an unlicenced vessel. The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code named Operation Pulo Shield arrested the chief, who is from Twon Brass, after the crew apprehended on the seized vessel claimed he was their sponsor.

4 Boko Haram Members Sentenced To Life In Prisonment

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja court on Tuesday sentenced four Islamist extremists to life in prison over 2011 attacks that killed at least 22 people, including the bombing of an electoral office before landmark polls. The attacks on the electoral office, at a campaign rally and a church occurred in the central city of Suleija, near the capital Abuja. The suspects were accused of being members of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.

Yobe Closes Secondary Schools Over Killing Of 30 Students

Following Saturday’s killing of about 30 students and a teacher of the Government Secondary School, Mamudo, the Yobe State government has shut down all secondary schools in the area. Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, worried that morestudents may be attached, gave the order for all the students to be sent home to allow for review of school security throughout the State. The governor, according to a military source, has also appealed for the restoration of mobile phone use to enable citizens to alert security agencies of emergency situations. The Joint Task Force and other security operatives have arrived in the State, SaharaReporters also learnt, and are planningon how to contain Boko Haram’s new tactics in the state. Yobe is one of Nigeria’s three States currently under emergency conditions as a result of the violent activities of the Boko Haram sect. Members of the public are now questioning the quality of the work being done by the military under the emergency following the sect’s brutal attack on GSS Mamudo yesterday. SAHARA REPORTERS

Police Station, Bank Attacked As Gunmen Unleash Terror In Yobe

Yet again, Yobe State has come under the spot light for the wrong reasons as report reachingus indicate that Unidentified gunmen suspected to be armed bandits in the early hours of Saturday attacked the Divisional PoliceStation and an old generation bank in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba state. Three policemen on duty were gunned down and many sustained injuries as the police station was completely destroyed by the attackers

Senate Rejects Zamfara's Plan To Arm Vigilantees

Everybody is slowly warming to the consensus that there are way too many illegal weapons inthe country. To this end, the Senate on Thursday, soundly rejected plans by Zamfara Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar to arm local state vigilante groups. On the other hand, the Senate requested that President Goodluck Jonathan deploy more security personnel to Zamfara and other statesburdened by a rising upsurge in insecurity . Zamfara in particular, has been rocked by recent deadly attacks and killings by the now infamous ‘unknown gunmen’. Concerning Governor Yari’s plan, it was reported that rifles which had been purchasedby the state government, were in the custody of security agents in the state awaiting approval for disbursement. This was contained in a report that was presented by the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara/PDP) at Thursday’s plenary. Governor Yari insists that the arms were for self-defence purposes only. The majority of senators however did not buy the idea. To them, a mass proliferation of weapons under the guise of arming vigilantes will have serioussecurity repercussions. “Zamfara and other states with peculiar security challenges will better address their security problems by requesting for additional security personnel and other assistance rather than setting up armed groups that may soon go out of control,” Basheer Garba Mohammed (Kano/PDP) stated at the plenary while leading the debate on the Zamfara motion which he co-sponsored with 50 others. Also, Senate Deputy Leader, Abdul Ningi (Bauchi/PDP) suggested that a panel be set up to establish where the Zamfara governor got the authority to effect the weapons purchase. As is the habit these days in our legislature, there was a moment of real drama during the plenary. As the motion was being debated, Ali Ndume (Borno South/PDP) made a startling comment to the chagrin of many, that about half of the 109 senators in the Senate own guns. Visibly uncomfortable with the statement, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who was the presiding officer, quickly asked Ndume to retract the statement, saying he could not substantiate that claim. According to him, Ndume has not searched thehouse of any senator to ascertain if the senators own any arms. Drama or no drama, these are surely testy times for the nation.

Police Arrests Suspected Kidnappers With 18 Children

Imo State Police Command, weekend, nabbed a bus driver at the border between Imo and Rivers States, conveying about 18 school children suspected to have been abducted.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the pupils were