We’ll treat pro-Biafran ship hijackers as criminals – Military

Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin

The Defence Headquarters on Tuesday vowed that some suspected Pro-Biafran militants, who hijacked a merchant vessel off the coast of Nigeria on Friday would be treated as criminals and saboteurs.
The ship, believed to be an oil tanker, was said to have been hijacked by some militants, who issued a 31-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

While some maritime industry sources claimed that the vessel was an oil tanker seized about 160 kilometres off the Bakassi Peninsula near the border with Cameroon, the Defence Headquarters told theThe PUNCH on Tuesday that the ship was seized about 7.5 nautical miles off the Port of Cotonou.

The suspected pro-Biafran militants had hijacked the foreign merchant ship and threatened to blow it up with its crew if the Federal Government failed to release Kanu.

It was learnt that the 31-day ultimatum by the militants was given at the weekend by one ‘General Ben.’
Kanu is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services for running an illegal organisation (IPOB), threatening to break away from Nigeria to create an independent country; importing radio transmitters and making inciting and seditious statements, while his co-accused persons had been charged with possession of firearms.

Defence sources, who claimed knowledge of the hijacking on Tuesday, explained that the operatives of the Nigerian Navy were on the trail of the captured vessel and the hijackers.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the hijackers had threatened to blow up the ship and its crew members if the government refused to release Kanu, who is currently being detained and undergoing prosecution for treasonable felony, after 31 days.
The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed on Tuesday that some militants hijacked a vessel on Friday off the Nigerian coast, but threatened that the military would deal decisively with those he called criminals and saboteurs.
He said the vessel, named MT LEON DIAS, was hijacked outside Nigeria’s territorial waters about 7.5 nautical miles off the Port of Cotonou, adding that the vessel was under the watch of the Navy of Benin Republic.
Abubakar added, “Well, I can confirm to you that a vessel, a tanker with the name MT LEON DIAS with number 9279927, was hijacked 7.5 nautical miles off Cotonou port. The ship is presently in Benin Republic. It is a merchant ship.
“I must add that on this issue of militancy, there are no more militants now, what we have are criminals. The Amnesty programme has taken care of the militants.
“The military will treat those behind such acts as criminal and saboteurs; the law will take its course; the security agencies will do their job.
“The country’s interest is above any other person’s interest. We have to work towards the enthronement of peace and stability because development can only take place in an atmosphere of peace.”
He said the military would treat those behind such crimes in the nation’s maritime domain as criminals and saboteurs.
Abubakar admitted that there “were some sort of threats,” but he was not specific on the 31-day ultimatum issued by the hijackers.
A Bulgarian-based Maritime News had said, “The group boarded the tanker from two fast boats and took control of the vessel and locked the crew in the mess room before heading for the Niger Delta,” reports AP.
A factional leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra, Uchenna Madu, had also explained that the said ‘General Ben’ was one of the Niger Delta militants, who had volunteered to join forces with the secessionists groups.
“Ben is not a separatist but some Niger Delta militants have shown interest in working with us,” said Madu.

Return to Nigeria or be disgraced out of U.S – APC spokesman advises Obanikoros

Return to Nigeria or be disgraced out of U.S – APC spokesman advises Obanikoros

Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, has advised a former governorship aspirant in the state, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as his two sons to return to Nigeria to face the allegations of fraud leveled against them or face repatriation.

 

 

The ex-Minister of state for Defence, who is a citizen of the United States, has since the defeat of former President, Goodluck Jonathan in the last election, relocated to the United States, where he is currently studying History at Oglethorpe University in Georgia. His sons are also in that country presently.

 

While Obanikoro has been accused of helping the then Candidate, Ayodele Fayose, to rig the June 21, 2014 election, his sons, Gbolahan and Babajide, are said to be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly receiving N4.75bn from the Central Bank of Nigeria Impress Account of the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki between June 6, 2014 and December, 12, 2015. Obanikoro has, however, issued a statement debunking the allegations leveled against him and his sons.

 

But Igbokwe stated that the matter was such a serious one that the Obanikoros cannot just rely on issuing a statement from the US. He stressed that they should return to Nigeria to clear their names.

He reminded them that Nigeria had an extradition treaty with Washington, adding that President Barrack Obama had even promised to assist Nigeria in fighting corruption.

 

He, therefore, expressed optimism that should the Obanikoros fail to come back of their own volition, the US government could repatriate them, warning that it was better for them to honourably come back to Nigeria than be disgraced.

 

According to Igbokwe, “I advise the Obanikoro family to come back and prove that they have nothing to do with these allegations. They must come to clear their family name. It is important that they do this because the money that we are talking about is too huge for them to just brush aside.

 

“Issuing statements is not enough especially when there is evidence that cannot be ignored. So, they better come back because if they don’t, America, which has promised to support us, will extradite them.”

 

Biafra : IPOB berates Anyaoku Accuses him of Insincerity and Insensitivity

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have repied the Former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku regarding the statement he made as regards the Biafra Restoration. In a swift reaction reaction the USA based Cordinator of Coordinators of IPOB Mazi (Dr) Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya said Anyaoku is being driven by materialism, lack of knowledge, insensitivity to the plight of his people and living in self denial.

Mazi Iroanya stated that Anyaoku’s interest is in his oil wells and Orient Refinery locateed in the Anambra Basin of Nigeria. He went further to inform the world and Anyaoku that with his position in the society the road leading to Anyaoku’s commuinty has been in a very bad state till date and posses great hazard to the people of his community in Anambra State.

Dr. Iroanya went further to ask very fundamental questions to Chief Anyaoku which includes:
Where was Emeka Anyaoku when innocent Biafrans were killed in Aba Abia State, Nigeria?
Where was Emeka Anyaoku when innocent Biafrans were killed in Onitsha in Ananmbra State, Nigeria?
Where was Anyaoku when Igbo Biafrans were being killed by bokoharam in norther Nigeria?
Is Emeka Anyaoku not aware of the almagamation document that declares that Nigeria expires after 100 years of amalgamation from 1914.?

Where lies the integrity and leadership qualities of Emeka Anyaoku when the road leading to his community is in a deplorable state of disrepair.?

You will recall that this reply to Anyaoku by Iroanya is as a reaction to an earlier stated credited to Anyaoku in which he said that after 100 years Nigeria is still together and united despite the odds and in which he opined his commitment to one Nigeria. In conclusion Mazi Iroanya affirmed the commitment of Biafrans towards the struggle for the restoration of Biafra not minding the opinion of few like Chief Emeka Anyaoku

Biafra: IPOB, MASSOB not involved in seizure of merchant ship

– Groups insist they are not responsible for any seizure of merchant ship with foreigners
– They added that they are non-violent
– MASSOB supports any group fighting for Biafra, irrespective of the mode they carry it out

Members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) during a recent protest.

The reports linking the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) to the recent seizure and threat to blow up a merchant ship carrying foreigners, are false if recent reports by Vanguard are anything to go by.

These allegations were denied by both pro-Igbo groups which explained that they were not involved in the recent turn of events, as IPOB specifically stated that it remains a violence-free organisation.

The pro-Biafra agitators were alleged to have hijacked a merchant ship with a foreign crew and threatened to blow it up if the Nigerian government does not release its detained leader who is hell bent on the creation of a sovereign state of Biafra.

But Emma Powerful, who spoke on behalf of IPOB, said the group has a lot of responsible men in the Nigerian society and in diaspora and therefore, cannot involve in any violent activity that may possibly harm or take the life of anybody from within and outside Nigeria.

“Many people are sympathetic to the Biafran actualization cause because of the treatment meted to the entire Biafran land comprising the former Eastern Region.

“Many groups are also rising up to speak against the treatment meted to the IPOB leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who at present is being incarcerated in Kuje prison, and they can use any style to make their demand felt by the Federal Government but no IPOB member has a hand in it,” Powerful was quoted to have said.

The MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, who also denied his group’s involvement in the alleged hijacking of any merchant ship or any threat to blow up the alleged ship, stated that they are non violent and have no weapon to hold any ship hostage, let alone seizing and threatening to blow it with its passengers.
According to him: “I am aware that a militant group sometime gave the Federal Government twenty one-day ultimatum to release Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, failing which they threatened that they will do what will surprise the Nigerian government. May be it is the group, I do not even remember their name but I heard or read about that threat.

“You know that a lot of groups are springing up from the old Eastern Region to agitate for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra and as far as they are fighting for Biafra, we cannot disown them, but they have their own style which I think the Federal Government of Nigeria understands easily. If you are not violent, they will not understand and they will ignore you. So, we support the group if that is what they have actually done.

“We in MASSOB are not involved in violence, that is why they do not take us serious. They believe we are illiterate job seekers that are frustrated in life and decided to demand for Biafra. They think that our own is to demonstrate peacefully and they will shoot and kill us and go into jubilation that they have dealt with us, but now, they have seen their match. We support the people if they have actually done that.”

Madu added however, that, “any method applied by any Biafra agitating group to ensure that the Federal Government of Nigeria respects its law and court orders is approved by MASSOB, but we in MASSOB have chosen the path of non-violence and we will maintain it until Biafra is achieved.”
In spite of these denials, the Nigerian army has said it will take strict measures against the pro-Biafran Militants threatening the peace with the southsouth and southeast region of the country.

According to the Defence Headquarters, the pro-Biafran militants who allegedly hijacked a merchant vessel off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, January 29, would be made to face the wrath which is meted-out to criminal and saboteurs.

Defence sources, who claimed knowledge of the hijacking on Tuesday, February 2, explained that the operatives of the Nigerian Navy were on the trail of the captured vessel and the hijackers.

Ibori released, re-arrested in London after completing jail term

– Ex-governor released after completing initial jail term
– Re-arrested to face fresh charges
– New location unknown as at press time
James Ibori, the former Delta state governor, has been rearrested in the United Kingdom after initially regaining freedom from a London prison.

The former Delta state governor has been released and rearrested after completing his jail term in a London hospital.

The ex-governor, who reportedly completed his prison terms in the United Kingdom bagged a 13-year in April 2012 by a Southwark Crown court in London and was released by prison authorities on January 22.
He finished his prison term at Her Majesty’s Prison in Bedford, outside of London, after initially being held at the Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire.

According to PM News, a prison source at Bedford confirmed on Tuesday night that, “He is out of here.” but his new destination is yet to be confirmed.

Ibori was reportedly re-arrested to face another charge which borders on the confiscation of his ill-gotten assets, estimated to be about 250 million pounds as sources confirmed that the case initially billed for May, will now come up in June.

Ibori, 57, had been jailed for using UK financial institutions to misappropriate hundreds of millions of pound sterling he stole from public funds in Delta state and his journey to jail began with his arrest on May 13, 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

He was nabbed under Interpol arrest warrants issued from United Kingdom courts and enacted by the Metropolitan Police.

Ibori also recently reacted to claims by Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation (AGF) that the federal government will soon recover £6.9 million stolen funds frittered away by him.

In a statement issued on his behalf by Tony Eluemunr, his media aide, Ibori said:“There is no Ibori loot anywhere in the world. Such money, whether in British pounds, American dollars or the Nigerian naira just does not exist. This is because the Ibori London trial is not yet over.

“It is an incontrovertible fact that the confiscation hearing has not started at all, and remains months away into the future.”

Policemen fighting Boko Haram Cry out over non Payment of Salary

– Policemen fighting Boko Haram lament non-payment
– Police IGP said they are holding discussions with the governors of the north-eastern states

Policemen fighting Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east region, especially in Borno state said the state governments have not paid their allowances.

Some police officers serving in Borno state lamented that they have not been paid for about three months, The Punch reports.

Others who had just concluded their tour of duty alleged that they were under-paid.

One of the policemen who felt shortchanged complained: “Before now, policemen on counter-insurgency operations in Borno State were paid N30,000, but this was later reduced to N15,000 due to the economic situation. Our set was paid N7,000 instead of N15,000 and we don’t know if this was done by the state government or by the police command.”

Another police officer who just got back from the battle front after spending three months fighting the insurgents said he and his colleagues were not paid, but were asked to hold on by the police authorities.
“We were not paid a dime, we were simply informed that the allowances have not been paid by the state government. I don’t know why the police were treated this way, because I am sure they would not ask members of the armed forces to be patient,” the police officer said.

However, Solomon Arase, the inspector-general of police admitted that the policemen had complained to his office about the non-payment of their allowances for about four months.

He noted that the police high command was holding discussions with the governors of the north-eastern states over the non-payment of allowances to police officers on counter-insurgency operations.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military recently recorded success in the fight against Boko Haram in Borno state. The troops killed 50 insurgents while rescuing 500 people in an operation around Mafa, Dikwa and Kala areas.

Naira slides further, exchanges at N307 to 1 Dollar 

The Naira on Wednesday depreciated by 0.7 per cent at the parallel market, following the last minute payment of tuition fees abroad. The naira lost N2 to exchange at N307 to a dollar against N305 traded on Tuesday.

The Naira had relatively remained stable in the past weeks. However, the naira closed at N197 to a dollar at the CBN’s official rate. Traders at the market expressed optimism that the proposed intervention of the apex bank by selling foreign exchange to the commercial banks would shore up the naira.

Some parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it was stressful sourcing dollars to pay school fees of their children abroad. They urged the Federal Government to ensure easy access to dollars for legitimate needs.