Nigerians & Ghanaians Run Libyan Slave Camps – Says Cameroonian Returnee

The new slave trade-human trafficking in Libya is being carried out by many nationalities, including Nigerians and Ghanaians, according to a Cameroonian returnee, who was abducted in the country.
Foka Fotsi, who was trafficked twice, told Reuters that those in charge of one of the places where he was held included Ghanaians and Nigerians. Fotsi story corroborated another testimony by a Nigerian in the southern state of Edo, who identified one Charles, a Nigerian as the trafficking kingpin.

Foka Fotsi- battered in a camp run by Nigerians and Ghanaians
Unable to find work to support his family, Fotsi decided to leave Cameroon last year, but fell into the hands of a Libyan kidnap ring before reaching Europe.

“There was torture like I’ve never seen. They hit you with wooden bats, with iron bars,” he said, removing the hood of his sweatshirt and showing the still raw red wounds on his skull.
“They hang you from the ceiling by (your) arms and legs and then throw you down to the floor. They swing you and throw you against the wall, over and over again, ten times.

“They are not human beings. They are the devil personified.” Christelle Timdi, another Cameroonian recounted her horrendous experience in the north African country.

Christelle Timdi, another Cameroonian recounted her horrendous experience in the north African country.
When uniformed men boarded the overloaded rubber dingy carrying her and her boyfriend to a new life in Europe, she thought the Italian coastguard had come to rescue them.

But the men took out guns and began to shoot. “Many people fell in the sea,” the 32-year-old Cameroonian said as she described seeing her boyfriend, Douglas, falling in the water and disappearing into the darkness.
The gunmen took Timdi and her fellow passengers back to Libya where they were locked up, raped, beaten and forced to make calls to their families back home for ransom payments to secure their freedom.
Timdi, who flew back to Cameroon last week, told her story as international outcry escalated over a video which appeared to show African migrants being traded as slaves in Libya. Libya’s U.N.-backed government has said it is investigating and has promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Timdi said she had not seen the footage broadcast by CNN, but had witnessed the trade in humans while in Libya.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” she said, describing how she had seen a Senegalese man buying an African migrant. Libya is the main jumping off point for migrants trying to reach Europe by boat.

Timdi said many traffickers posed as marine guards, police officers and taxi drivers to ensnare victims. There were around 130 other migrants on her boat when the gunmen opened fire in the middle of the night, Timdi said. After being taken back to Libya they were locked in an abandoned factory building where men would grab and rape the girls and women – and sometimes even the men.

Ikoyi Money: Fresh Twist as Union Bank Wades Into Ownership Of Building

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc on Thursday asked Justice Saliu Saidu of a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court to vacate
an interim order of forfeiture placed on Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos where the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 (about N13 billion) were discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) on April 12, in iron cabinets and “Ghana-must-go” bags.

The judge had on November 9, made the order while granting an ex-parte application filed by the anti-graft agency. A firm, Chobe Ventures Limited, was joined as the respondent in the suit. Granting the ex-parte order, Mr. Saidu directed the EFCC to notify the respondent in whose possession the property was found to appear before him in a fortnight to show reason why it should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The anti-graft agency was also directed to publicise the interim order in a national daily for the respondent or anyone interested in the property to show cause within two weeks why a final forfeiture order should not be made on the property. However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, Union Bank through its lawyer, A. A. Aribisala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, drew the court’s attention to an application seeking to vacate the interim order of forfeiture.

In an affidavit in support of the application deposed to by one, Alfred Olukayode Edun, the bank argued that the forfeited flat was part of the property situated at 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos , belonging to Adamu Muazu, by virtue of a certificate of occupancy dated 27th September 2009 and registered as 97/97/2009 in the Lands Registry Office, Alausa, Lagos.

The bank said Mr. Muazu, a former Bauchi State governor and former Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, had mortgaged the entire property to it by virtue of a Tripartite Deed of Legal Mortgage dated November 1, 2011, in order to secure a loan granted to his company, Tripple A Properties & Investment Ltd. The bank further claimed that the original title deed of the property had been vested in it while the loan is yet to be liquidated till date despite the fact that its tenor has expired. The bank further claimed it sold the property to Chobe Ventures Ltd to liquidate the loan. However, in its counter affidavit to the application, the EFCC argued that the bank lacks the ‘locus standi’ to challenge the forfeiture of property “reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of Ambassador Ayo Oke and Mrs. Folashade Oke.”

SSANU, NASU, NAAT Resume strike on Monday Over N23 Billion Earned Allowance

Non academic staff unions in federal and state universities will on Monday, December 4, 2017 begin as indefinite strike
to protest the sharing formula of the N23billion released by the Federal Government to settle their earned allowances.

The decision to resume the suspended strike was taken at a crucial meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) made up of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) held in Abuja.
SSANU, NASU and NAAT members in some universities on Monday disrupted academic and administrative activities over the sharing formula adopted by the government in payment of the outstanding earned allowance.

In formula adopted by the federal government, the non academic staffs were allocated 11 per cent of the N23billion as against 89 per cent for academic staff in the universities.

In a joint letter singed by President of SSANU, Samson Uwoke, NAAT, Sani Suleiman and NASU, Chris Ani, urged members to resume the suspended indefinite strike as from 12midnight, Sunday, December 3.
The letter titled: ‘’Directive to immediately resume the suspended strike’’ informed branch chairmen that the strike should be total and comprehensive. JAC disclosed a protest letter was sent to the Minister of Education rejecting the allocation made by the office of the Permanent Secretary and based on that government was given seven days to explain criteria for the sharing formula.

According to JAC, the deadline for the protest letter elapsed without any response from the federal government thus the directive for members to resume the suspended strike. The Public Relations Officer of SSANU, Mr. Abdussobur Salaam, said all universities have the same problem of skewed and disproportionate allocation and described it as a national issue. He added: ‘’The UI and OAU reactions are spontaneous and unprompted. Not all the universities can react spontaneously to an injustice.’’

Eid-El-Maulud: Aisha Attacks Nigerian Government for Declaring Public Holiday

​The Convener of Bring Back Our Girls Group, Aisha Yesufu, has criticized the federal government of Nigeria for announcing public holiday to celebrate this year’s Eid-El-Maulud.

The BBOG convener described the holiday as wasteful and an act of competitive religiousity
Aisha urged the Buhari administration to focus on helping Nigerians than otherwise.
In her tweets, she wrote “Nigeria and our need for wasteful holidays. Which one is public holiday for Maulud? When did we start celebrating Maulud?

“When do we stop all this “competitive religiosity” and focus on doing good for humanity?
“The first Maulud to be a public holiday in Nigeria was declared for Monday, 9 March 2009 by Godwin Abbe, then minister of interior under Yar’Adua’s administration.”

Buhari’s Interference In CBN Operations Led To Recession – ex CBN Boss

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Prof. Kingsley Moghalu , on Thursday said the level of political interference by the FG in the operations of the apex bank was a major reason why the economy went into recession .


Moghalu , who is now the President , Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation , said this while delivering a paper at the Annual Directors ’ Conference organised by the Institute of Directors , Nigeria .
He spoke on the theme , ‘ Implementing best corporate governance practices in Nigeria ’ s public and private sectors ’ .

He noted that the level of political interference in the governance and activities of public sector corporations had robbed them of independence.

This , according to him , has left the institutions too weak to set and meet effective performance targets and focus on delivering real stakeholder value .

He stated , “ The central bank that was led by his royal highness (Emir of Kano , Muhammadu Sanusi II) is not what we are seeing today . We have seen a lot of interference in the work of the central bank and I say that that was a very important factor that led to the massive recession that we have experienced in this economy .

“ Corporate governance has very real consequences for our livelihood, for the quality of the economy and strength of the economy . ”
Moghalu said apart from political interference , the culture of patronage in the Nigerian public sector governance had led to such corporations being seen and utilised only as a reward system for partisan politics.

This , he argued , had left the institutions with little or no thought given to competence and performance of public corporations and their boards .

He said the apex bank , in its current form , lacked a board , adding that this was inimical to its operations .
Moghalu stated , “ The central bank , in the last few years, has not had a board . How is this possible that a central bank operates without a board ? So how is the corporate governance being run ? Is it just by the governor? Or is it by the governor and anyone who is not a member of the board ?
“ That is a question of the rule of law . The central bank Act is clear . It is one of the public corporations in this country that is very strong from the way it was conceptualised .

“ So you have a very clear role for the board . The President’ s approving authority comes up only in about three instances in the board . One is in investment , the second is in currency and the third is the auditors.
“ Most of the rest (approving authority ) lies in the board of directors and if the bank doesn ’ t have a board , I find it very problematic . ”

He cited the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as another public corporation where massive financial obligations were being undertaken without board approval .
This , he noted, was not good corporate governance .
He said , “ The failure of corporate governance to take off in Nigeria’ s public sector is part of our country ’ s long -standing and continuing crisis of governance.

Nigerian citizens who are shareholders of a commercial company will demand accountability if those attributes are perceived to be absent , but they will not be as exercised by the failure of public corporations because they believe that these institutions exist to serve vested patronage interest rather than the public interest .

“ Examples include the evident and massive failures of corporate governance in the Niger Delta Commission and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. ”
 .

Pool of Blood In Adamawa as Fulani Herdsmen Kill 6 Mobile Policemen (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

About six police officers were reportedly killed after they were attacked by armed Fulani herdsmen in
Adamawa state. Nigerian mobile police officers (File photo) Armed Fulani herdsmen have reportedly killed six mobile policemen in Numan town in Adamawa State yesterday night, according to a report by Premium Times.






The tragic incident happened in the night while the officers were trying to make arrests at Dowaya, a predominantly Fulani settlement. The sad incident has forced residents to flee.
Speaking about the incident, Police spokesperson, Othman Abubakar, a superintendent of police, said he had heard there was problem in Numan but could not immediately give details. Mr. Abubakar said he was at a “crucial meeting” with the state Commissioner of Information and other relevant officials.
The North-East Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Mafindi Umaru Danburam, also told PREMIUM TIMES he had received report that there was problem in Numan “when some people in uniform attacked those that were taking refuge at Dowaya”.

He said two people were shot and that he was trying to get further details. Dozens of mainly Fulani residents, including and children, were killed in Numan over a week ago by a local militia. One source said police had been tipped off about a gathering of Fulani residents, and were trying to storm the area.
Another source said those at the gathering were merely “mourning” their slain wives and children when police stormed the area. The “mourners ” had relocated from Shafaran, Shawal, Gumara, Kikam and Kadamt, he said.
“Some residents in the area were not comfortable, so they tipped-off and mobile police launched a night operation to arrest the Fulanis and a fight ensued during which at least six mobile police were said to have been killed.
“As I am talking to you more security operatives were deployed to Dowaya area including soldiers and they have cordoned-off the village.
‘’There is pandemonium right now in Numan and environs; already residents are fleeing for fear of reprisals,’’ said a vigilante member who asked not to be named. Modibbo Ahmadu, a Fulani fleeing the area, told PREMIUM TIMES by phone ‘’You know some of our brothers who were displaced are now taking refuge at Dowaya village , where they do observe the usual 40 days mourning for those killed by Bachama militias.
‘’Just last night we got distress call that some people in security uniform stormed on them and had shot two youths, so definitely in this kind of situation anything could happen. ‘’And that’s the situation for now, even we at the neighbouring villages are not safe, and many had fled,’ ’ he said.

Another Sets Of 150 Nigerians Return From Libya

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday received 150 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
They were brought back on their expression of interest to return to Nigeria through the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union.

The Boeing B737-800 aircraft with registration number: 6A-DMG, landed at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 9.15p.m.
They comprised 13 female adults and one teenage girl while the male adults were 133, two teenage boys and one baby boy. The returnees were received by the South-west Zonal coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu.

Also on ground to welcome the returnees back home were officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the police.

President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered for the evacuation of Nigerians from Libya following reports that they were being sold as slaves in the country for about $400.

It was gathered that the federal government would in the next few weeks intensify efforts towards bringing them back while the ongoing repatriation by the IOM and the EU is expected to also continue.