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Despite the arrest and alleged unlawful execution of its former leader, Muhammed Yusuf early in the year, the Boko Haram Islamic sect has grown bolder, laying claims to
most bloody attacks in the Northern part of the country. The latest one
were the outrages in Jos and Maiduguri that claimed more than 80 lives.

Though its former
leader is dead, the recent insurgence has revealed that the group has
deeper roots than what is presently known. The group would later claim
the bombs in Jos by a novel posting on a website, which further cement
links between its activities and the global jihadist movement.

NEXT investigation
has also established that the website on which it announced its
involvement in the Jos attack has a link to one Aliyu Dahiru, who
opened the website with an address at 1234 Dankura Street, Gandun
Albasa, Off Zoo Road Kano, NA 234.

The group, on
(http://mansoorah.net/sb_attacks.php), claims its name is Jama’atu
Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad and that Boko Haram is a mere tag
given to it by the people.

The website’s
functionalities however reveals that it might have been purposely set
up to convey the statements, as this is the first time the group would
be using such medium to claim responsibility of an attack. Basic
information like “about us”, “contact us”, were not accessible
on it and some links were also not opening, but only bearing a message
“This site is still under maintenance,” when clicked.

Web of terror

Mr Dahiru, who also
owns two other domains, paid for its launch in United State dollars and
his e-mail also has an operating link with three other websites, while
the operating e-mail is associated with about three other domains.

It is hosted on a dedicated server of Ecommerce, Inc; although the servers is inaccessible to the public by late Tuesday.

A visit to the Kano
address on Wednesday revealed that the numbering might not be totally
correct. The first building on Dankura Adamu street, owned by the same
Mr Adamu, does not bear a number. It is an ash coloured one-storey
large building that is used for residential purposes. There were many
people coming in and going out of the building Wednesday afternoon. One
of them confirmed that the property belongs to Mr Adamu, a wealthy
politician in Kano. None of the residents spoke to have any knowledge
of Aliyu Dahiru.

A campaign bus said to belong to the People’s Democratic Party has been apprehended by villagers in Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State.

The bus, which was
alleged to have been given to the Local Government Liaison Officer of
the Jonathan Sambo presidential campaign team in Ijebu North Local
Government, was apprehended by villagers who claim that several arms
and ammunitions and electoral materials were loaded inside it.

But the
spokesperson of the state Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi told
journalists that only one pump action gun and seven cartridges, were
found in the bus. Mr Adejobi said the items have been traced to one
Otunba Adekoya.

The bus was, as at
the time of this report, being detained at the Police Station in Ijebu
Igbo while awaiting the outcome of investigations on the matter.

The police
image-maker explained that the gun found inside the bus is licensed,
adding further that the Commissioner of Police has equally ordered the
owner to report at the Eleweran Police Headquarters for further
interrogation.

He said the driver
of the vehicle was allegedly beaten up by those who earlier arrested
him before the bus was taken to Ijebu-Igbo police station, adding that
the driver sustained injuries and is presently hospitalised. Mr
Adejobi, who denied reports that a large quantity of ammunitions was
found in the bus, said the police commissioner has equally given
directives that the bus should be transferred to police CID
headquarters for further investigation.

Narrating how the
bus was apprehended, the police spokesman said some boys had reported
to the police that they suspected ammunition was loaded in the bus and
took the bus to the station.

More investigation

He said in view of
this, the police commissioner instructed the Divisional Area Commander
in the presence of other security operatives to search the vehicle.

“On search of the
bus, it was one pump action and seven cartridges found in the bus, and
this was found to be licensed and the owner is one Otunba Adekoya. It
is not true that large quantity of guns and ammunitions were found
inside the bus,” Mr Adejobi said. “The Commissioner of Police ordered a
search of the vehicle in the presence of other security operatives,
including State Security Services and let me also add this, there were
no election materials found as being rumoured.”

Mr Adejobi warned the public to be cautious of spreading false rumour, particularly when it involves security matters.

Confusion yesterday
trailed the ward congresses of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
{PDP} in Ogun State, as the two factions of the party conducted a
parallel exercise across the state, which was followed with some minor
skirmishes.

The factional
leaders of the troubled party are Dayo Soremi and Joju Fadairo, who
have been at loggerheads over the supremacy on who controls the party.
The Soremi-led group is supported by the minister of industry, Jubril
Martins-Kuye, while the Fadairo group is loyal to the state governor,
Gbenga Daniel.

The crisis
troubling the party for the last three years remain unresolved and
there appears to be no easy way to ensure a truce before the next
elections, despite the intervention of the president, Goodluck Jonathan.

In Abeokuta south
local government, the Soremi-led executive conducted congress at
Anglican High School, Quarry Road, while the Joju Fadairo-led executive
held its exercise at the Gateway Secondary School, Ita-Eko area of the
town.

The same
experiences were recorded in some other parts of the state, while
pockets of political tussle were similarly recorded in some areas where
the congresses took place.

Chairman of the
party in Ijebu East, Titilayo Samaiye, said the exercise went on
smoothly in the local government, despite a similar exercise held in
the area by the Omo Ilu Group, a faction of the party.

Bashiru Adebajo,
the chairman of the party in Ijebu north local government, believed to
have been the base of the group loyal to Mr. Martins-Kuye, also
submitted that the exercise was peaceful in the area.

Mr. Adebajo explained that the exercise had already been concluded
when some hoodlums, alleged to have been sponsored by the factional
group, started fomenting trouble within and around the town.

Imminent crisis
appears to be brewing in the Nigeria Police Force as six officers and
men of the force from across the country have sent a signed petition to
the presidency over alleged discrimination in the promotion of officers
of the force who have acquired some additional educational
qualifications while in service to the rank of Assistant Superintendent
of Police (ASP).

In the petition,
also sent to the National Assembly, ministry of police affairs, police
service commission and the Inspector General of Police, the officers
complained that they were denied promotion even when they fell within
the minimum and maximum score for promotion after their examination at
the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), commissioned by a
former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero.

In the petition,
which was signed by an Inspector from Kaduna State Command, a sergeant
from Ekiti State command, a corporal from Edo State command, a
constable from Zamfara State command, a corporal from Akwa Ibom State
command and a corporal from Lagos State command (all names withheld) on
behalf of over 2,000 of their colleagues, they alleged that since 2007
when ASCON was commissioned by Mr Ehindero to conduct examination for
graduate inspectors and other rank and file of the force, they had
written and passed the examination but that, to their chagrin, others
who performed below the benchmark were promoted while they that scored
within the range have remained without promotion. The aggrieved
officers also alleged that the leadership of the force, instead of
selecting the best for promotion in the first batch of those who sat
for the examination, selected the first 500 candidates and included
others who scored below the minimum score. This process, they said was
continued in the second batch which, according to them, has resulted in
leaving out qualified personnel in the first batch without promotion,
even when the second batch are being promoted.

“The question now
is when are these much hated and discriminated Inspectors and rank and
file going to be elevated to their hard earned and much desired status
as Assistant Superintendant of Police which is the hallmark for their
hard work and struggle for self development that transcends to high
service delivery?” the petition said in part.

“This has shown that the Nigeria Police prefer mediocre and school
dropouts who they can use to perpetrate aggression, humiliation, gross
violation of human rights and continuous extortion of money from the
public they are paid to protect, to the highly educated and intelligent
people who can challenge and disobey their unlawful orders.” The
unhappy officers also lamented that these situations have made the
police force a “dumping ground for all comers.”

The president of
the Senate, David Mark, has demanded an apology from Rauf Aregbesola,
the governor of Osun State, over allegations of plans to destabilise
Osun State.

The Senate
president said yesterday he will seek legal redress if Mr. Aregbesola
does not apologise for “spuriously” alleging that he, the Senate
president, and other “eminent” Nigerians, were raising N1 billion to
fund a project which will knock the state off balance.

Mr. Aregbesola was
widely reported in the media as saying that some prominent Nigerians
were involved in the plot to raise funds to destabilise his
administration.

“We ordinarily
should not elevate such idle talk with a response, but for the
increasing enquiries from friends, associates and the general public on
the allegation,” Paul Mumeh, the chief press secretary to the Senate
president said on Tuesday.

“We frown at this
falsehood and unwarranted attack on the person and office of the
president of the Senate. We demand unreserved apology from Aregbesola,
or we would be left with no option than to seek legal redress,” Mr.
Mumeh said.

Believer in rule of law

Mr. Mumeh said the
president of the Senate is a statesman who believes in the rule of law
and commitment to development that will improve the lives of Nigerians,
and that it is “unthinkable and an affront” for the Osun State governor
to link Mr. Mark to issues that do not engender progress or development.

“The president of
the Senate is a builder, a lawmaker, and adherent to democratic ideals.
He believes in the right of every one to express his or her views but
in doing so, it should not impugn or insult the sensibilities of
others,” Mr. Mumeh said.

“We do not want to
be dragged into the politics of Osun State. We can only advise
Aregbesola that what the people of Osun State desires is purposeful
leadership, development that affects them positively and make the
society a better place, and not mudslinging.”

Mr. Aregbesola of
the Action Congress of Nigeria was, last month, proclaimed the winner
of the 2007 governorship election in the state. His victory put an end
to the seven-year government of the PDP and the governorship ambition
of some PDP politicians, including the chairman of the Senate
appropriations committee, Iyiola Omisore.

Mr. Omisore recently rejected the court ruling, saying the ACN government in Osun State was a product of judicial illegality.

Mr. Aregbesola has also alleged that Mr. Omisore was leading a group of people to raise money to destabilise his administration.

A faction of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the state governor, Adebayo
Alao-Akala, has challenged the order of its National Working Committe
(NWC) that a fresh congress be conducted to put in place a new
executive council in Oyo State.

The faction held a
closed-door meeting at the Banquet Hall of the state’s Government House
in Ibadan on Tuesday in reaction to the order given by the NWC in Abuja
on Monday.

Ostensibly in order
to remove the differences in the state chapters ahead of its national
congress and the 2011 general elections, the NWC rose from the meeting
to order fresh congresses in Enugu and Oyo States where controversies
have trailed the constitution of the executive committes in existence
in the states.

It ordered that the
two states should conduct congresses to elect party officers for their
wards, local government and state excos between Wednesday and Sunday
next week.

But the governor’s loyalists yesterday declared the decision illegal, unconstitutional, and contempteous.

Briefing the press
after the meeting, Richard Akinjide, a former Attorney General of the
Federation, said the order of the party’s NWC had contravened an
existing court order which ruled that no one should interfere with the
current party exco in the state, adding that the order still subsists
till February, 2011.

He said by the order, the NWC is acting in contempt to an order of the Oyo State High Court obtained on September 13, this year.

Disregard of order

Sounding
excessively miffed, Mr. Akinjide noted that with his experience as a
lawyer and activities in politics over the years, he has never
witnessed such a level of disregard to court order.

“The directive is
unlawful and illegal, and I say this with a high sense of
responsibility. I have been a legal adviser of major political parties
in the past; I have never seen such illegality in my political career,”
he said.

The senior
advocate, however, said the party will still go ahead to hold the
congresses as directed, but quickly warned that the party national
leadership must note that it lacks any right to give the order.

He told the gathering that the national secretariat was yet to
formally send a letter to back up its order, though it had informed the
governor about it through a text message.

A former governor
of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, on Tuesday, laid to rest speculation on
his desire to dump the People’s Democratic Party, as he formally
declared his membership in the Accord Party. He is to pick to the
party’s governorship nomination form on Thursday, which will enable him
contest in the 2011 general elections. Mr Ladoja, who made his
intention known before a gathering of his supporters from the 33 local
governments of the state at a meeting at Alli Oyedeji’s house in
Ibadan, said he is contesting to respond to calls by his supporters to
rescue the state from alleged maladministration, misrule and misplaced
priority of the present government.

If re-elected, he pledged to provide quality leadership and bring back government of the people which will ensure their welfare.

The former governor
assured the people that the Accord Party will not become a conduit
through which public purse will be drained like the party currently in
power in the state has been doing.

He also promised to
ensure that education, health, pensions, industries, housing and the
market places are given adequate attention, to create a conducive
atmosphere for meaningful growth.

Talks between the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC) aimed at producing an alliance broke down again on Monday
night following the inability of the delegations of the two parties to
agree on which platform the aspirants should contest the elections.

At a meeting held
in the Maitama District, Abuja home of the deputy chairman of the Board
of Trustees of the CPC, Sule Hamma, the two parties were said to have
rejected proposals for either of the parties to be used by aspirants.

While the CPC
delegation insisted that its platform should be used, those of the ACN
wanted their party’s platform to be used by the presidential candidate
since it is coming into the arrangement as a senior partner.

The ACN delegation
reportedly said that apart from having four governors, the party has a
semblance of national spread than the CPC.

A source at the
party, however, said the two parties could also not resolve the issue
of who should fly the presidential flag as well as the running mate.

“The major areas of
disagreement were the platform on which to use and the issue of running
mate. But the issue of running mate was not much of a problem rather it
was the platform. Because of these areas of disagreement, the meeting
was inconclusive,” the source stated yesterday.

When contacted, the
spokesman of the CPC, Dennis Aghanya merely confirmed that the two
parties met in Abuja on Monday night, but refused to speak further.

“I can’t tell you
anything now,” he said. “By the time we conclude the alliance talks we
will tell you everything. It is true the parties met in Abuja.” The
spokesman of the ACN, Lai Mohammed could not be reached for comments.

The two parties
have been engaged in alliance talks for several months with a view to
confronting the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2011
polls. However, the talks have not yielded any fruit following the
alleged insistence of the CPC to produce its presidential candidate.

There were also
reports that at some point, the ACN agreed to produce the vice
presidential candidate but could not agree on who to pick among the
former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, the former governor of
Ekiti State, Niyi Adebayo and former governor of Anambra State, Chris
Ngige.

If they finally agree to form the alliance, the parties will present common candidates where each of them is strong.

The Bauchi Meat Company is negotiating a N300 million contract with the Nigerian Army for the supply of minced meat.

The Commissioner
for Commerce and Industries, Yerima Giade, said this in an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi, on Tuesday, claiming
that the contract when signed, would enable the company to supply the
product to soldiers in the UN peacekeeping operations abroad.

He said that the
product would be a substitute to the 600 cartons of dry meat (kilishi)
currently being supplied to soldiers in various peacekeeping missions
abroad.

Mr Giade explained that last year, the company had supplied dry meat but that authorities of the army preferred minced meat.

He said that
negotiations had also been intensified to get the various airlines and
the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to patronise the
product.

Mr Giade said that the company has expanded the supply of its product to Abuja and Lagos to further boost its revenue base.

The company which was established in 1964, collapsed 25 years ago,
after it was inherited from the defunct Northern Nigeria Government
company and was resuscitated by the present administration.

The President of
the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Olawale Ajani, says the
spate of kidnapping in the country is caused by insecurity.

Mr Ajani told the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that kidnapping is
like gambling, saying it is now the business of the day.

“When you kidnap
and you are given ransom, somebody looks at it and says this is good
business, what does it take to kidnap? If it had been discouraged at
inception, it would have been curbed by now,” he said.

He said NYCN was opposed to kidnapping or any action which could aggravate the security situation in the country.

” We have talked
about kidnapping and insist that young people should not engage in it;
this gives a bad image to our country,” he said. Mr Ajani said that the
country needed to engage its youth in order to curtail the menace of
kidnapping. He said NYCN would soon launch a platform which would
enable youth to get information that would be useful to them in the
pursuit of their goals.

” We are working on
developing our strategic plan to guide us on what we will implement in
the next two years. We are working with UNFPA because we are looking at
the area of reproductive health, HIV/AIDS among others,” he said.

He also called for
youth participation in governance, saying “our leaders should give
young people more opportunities in governance.

” They should not
see us as future leaders, we are partners in today’s development of
this country and they should give us opportunities,” he added.

Mr Ajani also urged
the federal government to devote more funds to youth programmes through
the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.