APC will create 1 million jobs for Igbo youths: Osinbajo

Abuja - APC Vice-Presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo has revealed that his party is committed to the creation of 1 million jobs for youths in the country.

Speaking during a visit to the Catholic Bishop Lordship Calistus Onaga, Osinbajo lamented the high rate of unemployment in the country and said that Nigeria is in "dire straits".

According to a Naij report, Osinbajo lamented corruption within the state and alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan seems to be turning a blind eye on troubles within the country.

In addition, Osinbajo also assured citizens that APC presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari has no plans to Islamise the country.

The former Attorney-General of Lagos State later met with students from the South-East zone at Nike Lake Resort in a bid to showcase APC programmes.
Read more at Naij

Mu'azu, PDP governors blamed for Jonathan's woes

Abuja - PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu'azu along with party governors have been blamed for Goodluck Jonathan's poor rating ahead of the upcoming elections.

According to members of the Niger Delta Youth Parliament (NDYP), the imposition of PDP candidates by party governors and a lack of internal democracy within the party are factors to blame for a decline in supporters of the ruling party.

According to a Naij report, NDYP National Coordinator Imoh Okoko has revealed that youths in the Niger Delta region are worried about alleged "manipulations" by Mu'azu and other parties which could have a negative impact on Jonathan and his campaign for the presidency.

Speaking on the popukarity of APC presidntial candidate Muhammadu Buhari, Okoko acknowledged that the former military leader may be gaining more ground across the country.

Okoko has also taken a swipe at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss Attahiru Jega, saying he was never ready for the elections.
Read more at Naij

Nigerian Army blasts Obasanjo

2015-02-17 10:10
Abuja - The Defence Headquarters of the Nigerian military has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an embarrassment to the force he once served, Premium Times reports.

It blasted the former president over his criticisms of the force’s role in the postponement of forthcoming general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) rescheduled elections from February, to March and April, a decision that was reached after the military said it could not guarantee the safety of INEC personnel in Boko Haram threatened states.

Obasanjo dumped the PDP at a dramatic event in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a move that appeared aimed at forestalling an expulsion by the party.

He said his decision to dump the party was because he had been accused of anti-party activities after critically speaking against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Read more at Premium Times

Boko Haram issues new threat against Niger, Chad

2015-02-17 10:10
Yaounde - Boko Haram on Monday threatened neighboring countries Niger and Chad, warning the fighters were prepared to carry out suicide bombings in the countries sending troops to help fight the militants.

The warning came as leaders from Niger and other countries in the region gathered in Cameroon's capital to finalise plans for a joint offensive against the militants who have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.
In a translation published by the SITE Intelligence Group, Boko Haram sharply criticized Niger for joining the effort and said the country was being dragged into a "swamp of darkness". Over the last 10 days, Boko Haram fighters have repeatedly struck the town of Diffa but not the capital.

"If you insist on continuing the aggression and the coalition with the government of Chad, then we give you glad tidings that the land of Niger is easier than the land of Nigeria and moving the war to the depth of your cities will be the first reaction toward any aggression that occurs after this statement," it said, according to SITE's transcript.

A multinational force to fight Boko Haram is expected to be formally launched in coming weeks. Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin initially pledged to help Nigeria. On Monday, Burundi and Central African Republic also agreed to contribute troops to fight the militant group.

The extremist group has fought a five-year insurgency against the country's government, leaving 10 000 people dead last year alone. The violence has forced some 157 000 people to seek refuge in Niger, while 40,000 others have gone to Cameroon and 17 000 are in Chad, the UN said. Almost 1 million Nigerians are internally displaced, according to the country's own statistics.

On Monday, leaders in Central Africa said that 10 member states had agreed to contribute most of the $100m needed to combat Boko Haram. They did not state how much had been raised nor how much is remaining despite calling for the creation of an emergency fund to bridge the difference.

- AP

10 suspects rearraigned over Ejigbo torture

2015-02-17 11:18
Lagos - The arraignment of the 10 persons accused of torturing three women at the Oba Morufu International Market in Ejigbo, Lagos, has been adjourned, Punch reports.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja announced the adjournment on Monday following the absence of nine of the 10 suspects in court.

The suspects namely Isiaka Waidi Saheed Adisa, Lateef Tijani , Ahmed Adisa, Azeez Akinosun, Jimoh Busari, Adekunle Adenuga, Buhari Yusuf, Abdullahi Harun and Oloruntoyin Dauda,  are to be arraigned by the Lagos State Government on 19 counts bordering on “conspiracy, attempted murder, sexual assault, malicious administering of poison, obtaining money by false pretences and deprivation of liberty.”

They were accused of stripping the victims naked and rubbing pepper on their private parts on the purported claim that the victims stole pepper.
Read more at Punch

Another PDP member tears his membership card

Olusegun Obasanjo. (File: AFP)

 

Abuja - Following in the footsteps of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the senior special assistant on security to Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state has also shredded his PDP membership card in public, Naij has reported.

Abdullahi Babangida Muhammad has been seen shredding his PDP membership card on camera and pledging his allegiance to opposition party the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alhaji Muhammad is reported to have been active member of the ruling party in Gombe state before jumping ship to the opposition.

See the full report and pictures at Naij

Boko Haram fighters blamed for Cameroon military base attack

2015-02-17 11:18
Yaounde — The Cameroonian military says one of its bases on the border with Nigeria has been attacked by suspected Boko Haram extremists, leaving at least five soldiers dead.

Col. Joseph Nouma said on Tuesday that eight other wounded soldiers had been brought to the capital for medical treatment following the attack Monday on the base in Waza.

The renewed violence comes as heads of states from Central African countries were ending a meeting in the Cameroonian capital about a joint military response to the growing regional threat posed by the Nigeria-based Islamic jihadist group.

Nouma said that two machine guns and an armored vehicle had been seized from the insurgents but hundreds of the militants escaped to Nigeria after burning homes and looting.

- AP