Why I went to see President Buhari - GEJ

Former President Goodluck Jonathan was at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

After their closed-door meeting, Jonathan told State House correspondents that he was at the Presidential Villa to brief President Buhari on his recent international engagements, including his emergence as the leader of the African Union, AU, elections monitoring team to Zambia.

His words:
“You asked why I came to see the president today. One key thing is that having been a head of  government, a former President, you become  state property. That’s the privilege you have but every privilege has its corresponding responsibility, and once you become  state property, most of your international engagements, that have to do with public addresses and some international assignments become national assignments, you brief the President.

“Even when I was here, former Presidents used to do that and see me. I have been coming. Most times, I come in the night, that’s why you don’t see me. I came to brief the President about some of my engagements.

"As you are aware, I will be leading the AU elections monitoring team to Zambia. I came to brief the President about some of these external engagements. It is the tradition.”

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Herdsmen burn homes, kill 11 in Kaduna

Armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded two communities in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Monday and Tuesday, burning down homes and killing people.

The rampaging herdsmen were said to have killed nine personsincluding six men and three women in Gida Biyu village and another two men in Akwa’a village.

Reacting to the attacks on Wednesday, Gov Nasir El-Rufai condoled the families of the victims, saying that killing under any guise remained to be condemned.

“The Kaduna State Government condemns the murders that were perpetrated by criminal elements that attacked our communities in Gida Biyu, Akwa’a and Angwan Anjo in Jema’a Local Government Area. The Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, extends his condolence to the survivors and the families of the victims.”

The governor sent his message through a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan.

The Kaduna State Police Command Spokesman, Aliyu Usman, while confirming the attacks said that the police were fully on ground and had restored law and order in the affected communities.

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Police nab kidnappers, recover N7m ransom

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has a 5 man gang of kidnappers who abducted a lady in Maitama, Abuja, and held her hostage at their hideout in Sokoto State.

The suspects were paraded by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mohammad Mustafa, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The suspects who were identified as Ifeanyi Paul, 34; Chukwuemeka Michael, 28; Matthew Obi, 29; Husseini Abdullahi, 35; and Musa Lawan, 27 had allegedly collected a ransom of N7m before their arrest at a police checkpoint in Talata-Mafara, Zamfara State.

Mustapha disclosed that eagle-eyed operatives of the FCT and Zamfara State police commands had mounted a manhunt for the kidnappers.

“On July 27, 2016, the gang waylaid and kidnapped a lady from Maitama in Abuja and took her to a guest inn in Sokoto where she was held hostage and locked up in a toilet.

“The culprits then contacted the victim’s family and demanded N15m as ransom, which was later reduced to N7m after much negotiation with her family. While this was going on, a team of eagle-eyed police detectives kept vigil as the suspects made frantic efforts to pick up the ransom at a location in Zamfara State. Suffice to say that the ransom was, in this case, a bait by the police to lure the suspects out of their hideout.”

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PMB inaugurates Board of Trustees for implementation of Ogoni clean up

President Muhammadu Buhari will inaugurate the Governing Council and Board of Trustees for the implementation of the clean up of Ogoni land on Thursday in Abuja.

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NAF assures public on Arepo air strikes

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF has assured members of the public living around the area of air strikes against Arepo oil pipeline vandals of their safety.

A statement issued by the Airforce Director of Public Relations on Wednesday said that the air strikes were carefully planned to avoid collateral damages.

“It has become necessary to allay the fears of the people with a view to sustaining public confidence and support for the ongoing operations against pipeline-vandals codenamed Operation Awatse in the South West region of the Country.

“Therefore, the NAF wishes to assure the general public, within the affected areas, of their safety as the ongoing air operation is carefully planned to avoid collateral damage to the civil populace and property.

“The NAF is careful to ensure that only legitimate targets, such as observation post, anti-aircraft gun position, boats laden with suspected stolen petroleum products and armed combatants, are selected for strike.

“In aligning with this global best practice, the NAF usually undertakes surveillance flights before and after each strike to mitigate incidental harm to civilians and property.

“While pre-strike assessment missions are undertaken to help identify and select legitimate military targets for neutralization, post-strike or Battle Damage Assessment missions are meant to ascertain whether the desired degree of impact was achieved or not, and if a follow-up re-attack is required.

“It may also be necessary to state that NAF pilots are adequately trained, and as professionals, would not engage in human right violations and abuses.

“The successes recorded in the past 5 days since the NAF commenced strike mission in Arepo, in support of surface forces under Operation Awatse, attest to this display of absolute professionalism by NAF pilots involved in the operation as no single incident of collateral damage has been recorded.

“Meanwhile, it is necessary to add that the NAF, working in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Services (SBS), has set on fire the hideouts and camps used by the pipeline vandals in Arepo.

“As a result, Community leaders and members of the public with useful information on the whereabouts of the fleeing vandals and other criminal elements are please requested to oblige such information to the Security Agencies.

“Furthermore, the civil populace is please advised not to panic but to go about their legitimate businesses.”

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Troops arrest 2 Boko Haram kingpins fleeing from Sambisa forest (Photos)

The Nigerian Army has announced the arrest of two Boko Haram kingpins by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

The two terrorists identified as Mohammed Mohammed Zauro and Lawal Aboi were nabbed on Tuesday, according to Army spokesman Col Sani Usman.

"Troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE with assistance of Vigilantes on routine checks, identified and arrested a high profile suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Mohammed Mohammed Zauro at Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State. Preliminary investigation shows that the suspected terrorist kingpin was arrested as he was trying to flee to Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, from Sambisa forest. The troops recovered a Gionee brand of mobile telephone handset and a fake SAIE/JIBWIS identification card to perfect his escape and the sum of N7,900.00k.

"Similarly, troops also intercepted another suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Lawal Aboi, along Damboa-Bale road. According to him, he was on his way to voluntarily surrender to the troops in Damboa because he was tired of fighting for no just cause. Both suspects are being further interrogated," he said.

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GEJ in closed-door meeting with PMB at the Presidential Villa

Immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday where he had a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

When asked what he was doing to ensure peace in the Niger Delta, Jonathan said that Nigeria was better off as a united country.

His words:
"It's not just about me but about all the traditional rulers, elders and opinion leaders that are of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. We have been in touch to see that peace reigns in the country. Those of you that have followed my talks when I was here, my emphasis is that we need a United Nigeria and I always emphasize that Nigeria is great not just about the oil.

"So many countries produce more oil than Nigeria nobody notices them. We are great because of our size, the human resources we have, the diversity we have, if we fragment the country into small components, we will be forgotten by the world.

"That has been my focal position and without peace there cannot be development anywhere in the world. We are all working collectively to see that issues are resolved."

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