The Federal Government on Saturday [Sept. 21] ordered the withdrawal of all diplomatic passports of National Assembly (NASS) members, including that of Senate President David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal. No reason was given for the action, but sources told Daily Independent it was not unconnected with the level of opposition the Presidency is currently facing among the National Assembly members which got to feverish peak last week. The implication of the Federal Government’s
Archbishop Igantius C. O Katty, dean of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria who was kidnapped on friday evening 6th of september 2013 has been released on saturday evening 14th september 2013 and no ransome was paid. The Archbishop will resume his duties on tuesday. Wé thank God for his release.
Chizoba Anselem Nwabuwa after arrest
Barely few weeks after the jubilation that greeted the
commencement of international flights at the newly
upgraded Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu;
the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has made its first arrest and cocaine seizure. The
suspect, Chizoba Anselem Nwabuwa 32 year-old 400
Levels Fine and Applied Arts student was apprehended
during the inward screening of passengers on an
Ethiopian flight from Brazil enroute Addis-Ababa. He
was found to have ingested liquid cocaine packed inside
male condoms.
Chizoba Anselem Nwabuwa with the drug
liquid cocaine in male condums ingested by Chizoba
Anselem Nwabuwa
The head of the NDLEA at the Enugu Airport, Mr
Nsikak-Abasi Udoh who confirmed the arrest said that
the suspect excreted 25 wraps of a liquid that tested
positive for cocaine. “The suspect excreted twenty-five
(25) wraps of liquid substance. When tested with the
United Nations drug testing kit, it tested positive for
cocaine weighing 1.250kg. This first arrest and seizure
is exciting to us because we just commenced
operations” Nsikak-Abasi stated.
According to the suspect, “I am a 400 level student of
Fine & Applied Arts at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
Awka, Anambra State. I wanted to use the half a
million naira (N500,000) they promised to pay me in
developing my Art Gallery . They assured me in Brazil
that authorities will not be able to detect liquid
cocaine, so I was confident. Unfortunately, things have
turned-out the other way. I regret my involvement in
drug trafficking”. Chizoba who is single hails from
Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA Ahmadu Giade
expressed satisfaction with the arrest. In his words,
“the Agency accords high priority attention to all the
airports. We shall continue to up-scale our operations
at the airports and prevent drug trafficking syndicates
from using the nation’s airports”.
Giade urged members of the public to pursue
legitimate businesses at all times noting that a good
name is far better than ill-gotten wealth.
The suspect will soon be charged to court.
- Nigeria on point
Alhaji Bukar Aji, the Head of the Civil Service of the
Federation, said on Monday his office did not set up any task
force for recruitment of officers into the Federal Civil
Service.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Tope Ajakaiye,
Director (Communications), in the office.
The statement said there was a group of people operating
illegally as a “Federal Civil Service Recruitment Task Force’’.
According to the statement, the group claims to have been
set up by the office, selling fake recruitment forms to
applicants.
It said the responsibility of the recruitment of officers into
the Federal Civil Service was that of the Federal Civil Service
Commission.
The statement added that the office was not in any way
involved in the recruitment process.
It said the commission had been advertising vacant positions
and the application process in Nigerian newspapers.
He advised applicants to always get appropriate information on
recruitment from the commission’s office in Abuja or through
its Website.
It urged applicants to avoid dealing with fraudsters when
seeking employment into the federal civil service (NAN)
Vigilante groups - here manning a checkpoint in
Maiduguri - have formed to fight Boko Haram ( picture below )
Suspected Boko Haram fighters have killed at least 20
members of vigilante groups trying to fight back
against the group in north-east Borno state.
The deaths occurred in two separate attacks on
Sunday and Monday, said residents and a military
official.
Boko Haram has waged a deadly insurgency in Nigeria
since 2009.
In May, President Goodluck Jonathan declared an
emergency in three north-eastern states, saying the
group threatened Nigeria's existence.
An offensive was launched against the group - which
says it is fighting for the creation of an Islamic state
in Nigeria - and the military encouraged the formation
of vigilante groups to help.
But now it appears Boko Haram is taking revenge
against such groups, say observers - adding weight to
fears that the vigilante groups may trigger an
escalation of the violence.
On Sunday, men disguised in military uniforms stormed
a meeting of one vigilante group in Bama, opening fire
and killing 14, residents said.
An official at a local hospital told AFP news agency
another four people died on Monday from the attack.
The second attack took place on Monday night in the
Borno village of Damasak, some 200km (125 miles)
away.
Attackers crept up on sleeping members of a group,
which calls itself the Civilian Joint Task Force, as they
slept in a guesthouse and shot them dead, said a
relative and a military official speaking anonymously.
