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The special
delegation of West African Leaders sent to dialogue with Laurent Gbagbo
on the crisis in Cote D’Ivoire will be heading back to the crisis torn
country next Monday, following Mr Gagbo’s refusal to heed the ultimatum
given him by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to
cede power, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja.

Mr Jonathan, who as
ECOWAS chairman met with Presidents Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone
and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde, who were part of the special delegation
that met Mr Gbagbo, described the talks as positive.

He said he would not want to preempt the outcome of the discussions in the light of the fact that negotiations were still on.

He further stated
that conclusive decisions will not be taken until the delegation
returns from another negotiations meeting on the 3rd of January with Mr
Gbabo.

The Heads of states
and government of ECOWAS, at its emergency meeting held on December
24th, had expressed concern over the deteriorating political and
security environment in Cote d’ Ivoire The African leaders had
reiterated their position of 7th December 2010 that Alsassane Ouattara
is the legitimate president of the country and insisted it is
non-negotiable.

They also described
as unacceptable the high number of lives lost following the crisis
since its last meeting of December 7th, 2010 and warned all those
responsible that they will face international trial for human rights
violation at the earliest opportunity.

Threat of punishment

They leaders
further demanded the immediate and peaceful handover of power by Mr
Gbagbo to Mr Ouattara in accordance with the expressed wishes of the
Ivorien people.

The leaders had
also expressed their support for the travel ban, freeze of financial
access and all other forms of targeted actions imposed by regional
institutions and the international community on the out-going president
and his associates and said they will support any future addition and
all measures that may be taken in this direction.

They also expressed
regret that the message sent by the ECOWAS chairman on behalf of the
authority on December 17th was not taken serious by Mr Gbagbo in this
season of peace, hence the dispatch of the special high level
delegation to Cote d’ Ivoire.

“In the event that
Mr Gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ECOWAS, the community
will be left with no alternative but to take other measures including
the use of legitimate force to achieve the goals of the Ivorien
people,” the ECOWAS leaders said.

They also
instructed Mr Jonathan to immediately convene a meeting of the
Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in order to plan future actions,
including the provision of security along the Cote d Ivoire, Liberia
border in the event that their message is not heeded.

The sectarian
crisis in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, is reverberating in Abuja as
security operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) heightens
patrol to reassure residents of the sation’s capital.

Residents of
satellite towns of Mararaba, Nyanya, Karu, Kuje and Dutse in Bwari Area
Council had sleepless nights as news of reprisal attack by Muslims in
the area took to the air. At about 2:30a.m, one of the new generation
pastors, known as Okoro, called a reporter to complain that movement
around the mosque close to the residence of some of his members forced
them to run to his house, stressing that the reporter should draw the
attention of the police or any security agency. The FCT police
spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, however appealed to residents of the FCT to
cooperate with the police by giving information. He said the command is
already working with the intelligence report at its disposal to keep
itself on top of the security situation in FCT. A police source in
Abuja also confirmed that they have been directed to mount road blocks
in Abuja at strategic places, adding that some senior government
officials, last Tuesday night while coming back from the Christmas
break, called him and were complaining of the new security measures,
which they complained has never been so in the history of Abuja.

The burial of Fuji music maestro, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, scheduled to hold on Wednesday, December 29, did not hold after all.

Thousands of relatives, associates and fans who had laid siege to his house, Fuji Chambers, at 24, Lamina Lawal Street, Isolo, Lagos, awaiting the arrival of his corpse from London went home disappointed.

Barrister died at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, on Thursday, December 16 after a protracted illness.

Indications that
the funeral might not take place emerged in the afternoon when other
Fuji musicians who had reportedly camped at Melanko Hotel somewhere in
Isolo, came to his house, condoled with Barrister’s family inside and
left.

President,
Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Dele Abiodun, Fuji
acts, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Saheed Osupa, Abass Akande Obesere and
Wasiu Alabi Pasuma all came to Fuji Chambers separately before leaving.

Waka Queen, Salawa
Abeni, and other Fuji acts, including Sule Adio Atawewe and Sunny T
Adesokan also came to condole with the family.

Eminent Nigerians
whom Barrister had praised in his records including Mufutau Lanihun and
factional chair, National Union of Road Transport Workers in Oyo State,
Lateef Akinsola, aka Tokyo, also came to pay their respects to the late
musician. The head of the Balogun family, Nasirudeen, couldn’t confirm
if the burial would hold around 3.30pm. “It’s a family matter, I can’t
confirm that,” he said.

Tortuous journey

Dayo Odeyemi,
director, media and public relations, Barrister Organisation, later
confirmed that the burial will not happen. He had, however, told
journalists earlier that the plane was Nigeria bound after a stopover
in Dubai. “After leaving Dubai, the plane has also stopped in France
where it is now delayed. We are expecting it to take off anytime soon
so, if the corpse arrives today, he will be buried latest 10am tomorrow
morning,” he later said.

Thousands of fans
jostled to enter the house to pay their respects to the late Fuji
musician but were barred by bouncers adorning t-shirts of the Barrister
Organisation and a handful of policemen. There was however heavy Police
presence on the street to forestall breakdown of law and order.

Chair, Music
Advertisers Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Waheed Oyediran Mosebolatan,
disclosed that the body ordered its members across Nigeria to close
their shops till 4pm on Wednesday in honour of Barrister.

Barrister’s body eventually arrived at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos around 7.17pm last night. It had however
not been processed for conveyance to his house as at the time of filing
this report. The burial will hold later today.

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.