Abducted girls: Police offer N50m reward for info

The Nigeria police on Wednesday announced a cash reward of N50m for anyone who volunteers information that could lead to the location and rescue of the female students abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The police action came on the heels of local and international clamour for the Federal Government to ensure the safety and rescue of the girls.

The female pupils, about 234 of them, were abducted from their hostels on April 14.

The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had on Monday released a video in which the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls were abducted by members of his group and that he would sell them off.

“I abducted your girls; I will sell them in the market, by Allah,”the maniacal leader of the sect said.

 A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba on Wednesday in Abuja called on the public to be part of the solution to the current security challenge in the country.

It reassured the citizens that any information given would be treated anonymously and with utmost confidentiality.

The Force urged all patriotic citizens with useful information to contact the following numbers: 09-2914649; 08081777309; 08055547536; 08032125050; 08034617591and 0803596973.

 Foreign help

Beyond condemning insecurity in the country, however, foreign countries have responded positively to Jonathan’s call for assistance.

The Presidency said on Tuesday that Jonathan had accepted an offer from the United States as part of efforts to rescue the Chibok girls.

“President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday welcomed and accepted a definite offer of help from the United States of America in the ongoing effort to locate and rescue the girls abducted from the Government (Girls) Secondary School, Chibok three weeks ago,” the President’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, said in a statement.

 The US said it would send a security team to Nigeria to help assist the government in finding the abducted girls.

‘Stop INEC from receiving foreign donations’

INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega

Some de-registered political parties have asked an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from receiving foreign donations.

The plaintiffs – Hope Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Peoples Progressives Party, Change Advocacy Party, as well as the Centre For Public Probity Studies – asked the court to declare that INEC was not entitled to receive further funding from foreign organisations until it accounted for previously received foreign funds.

INEC, the National Assembly, the European Union, United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Programme and the Department For International Development were listed as the 1st to 6th respondents in the suit.

The plaintiffs insist that INEC must make an undertaking to conduct free and fair elections devoid of partisanship before it could receive funds.

Besides an order stopping INEC from receiving foreign donations, the plaintiffs are also asking the court to declare that their continued exclusion in preparations for the 2015 general elections was discriminatory, unlawful and wrongful.

In the same vein, the plaintiffs want the court to restrain INEC from continuing to de-register them as political parties despite a court order which nullified the de-registration of political parties by the commission.

In the suit filed by their counsel, Ambrose Owuru, the plaintiffs equally asked the court to order INEC to publish and account for all previous donations from foreign organisations.

Also, they asked the court to order INEC to pay them all outstanding arrears that should accrue to them as political parties.

Gunmen attack Kaduna police station, kill five

Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State

At least two policemen and three civilians were killed  by gunmen who raided a police station in Fadan  Karshi in Sanga Local Government of Kaduna State on Tuesday.

An eyewitness said that the attackers riding on motorcycles stormed the police station on Tuesday night shooting sporadically, killing two policemen and three civilians during the incident.

The Chairman of the council, Mr. Emmanuel Adamu, who described the incidence as a sad development after a peace treaty had been signed in the state, said those that sustained injuries were receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

Spokesman for  the Kaduna State Police Command, Aminu Lawan,  a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP,  confirmed the incident on Wednesday. He said that investigation was already on  to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack.

Meanwhile, the state Governor, Mukhtar Yero,  has condemned the  attack,  describing the incident  as a provocative attempt by hoodlums.

The governor, who spoke through Mallam Ahmed Mayaki, his spokesman, while condoling  with the families of  the victims of the attack, said  unwarranted attack on policemen and the killing of innocent citizens in the area, were condemnable.

Jonathan leads a corrupt government, says New York Times

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File copy

The United States- based New York Times has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is leading a corrupt government.

It added that the government had little credibility.

The newspaper, in its editorial published on its website on May 6, condemned Jonathan’s “inept and slow” attitude towards locating and rescuing the schoolgirls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

It also condemned the reaction of the President’s wife, Patience, to the incident, describing it as “stunningly callous.”

It expressed worry that it took the Jonathan administration more than two weeks after the kidnappings, to call a meeting of government officials to discuss the incident.

The editorial stated, “Mr. Jonathan, who leads a corrupt government that has little credibility, initially played down the group’s threat and claimed security forces were in control.

 “It wasn’t until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls’ school, to discuss the incident.

 “There is no doubt the intelligence and investigation help President Obama offered on Monday is needed.”

The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had claimed responsibility for the kidnappings with its leader, Abubakar Shekau, saying in a video clip released on Monday that “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”

Jonathan’s era of denial of terrorism has ended –Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, granted an interview to the Cable Network News on the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State. Excerpts

What did you make of the swaggering, gleeful laughter of this leader when he just sort of appeared with face uncovered to the world and said he was going to sell these girls?  Just give me your impression psychologically of what he’s up to.

Hmmm…most bullies whether on a small scale, on a national or international scale…they bluster, they do more of the same thing when they spite a community or nation state which is on its knees, which doesn’t confront them directly. It’s a normal condition. If you remember, when the United Nations headquarters was blown off in the capital of the nation; you want to go further back when extreme Islamists literally sacked the capital (Abuja) under former President  Olusegun Obasanjo because they claimed that religion was offended because there was a beauty contest going on there…there have been numerous instances like this. And when Yussuf (first Boko Haram leader), remember, a former head of state went on a mission of appeasement to Boko Haram family asking, virtually on his knees, “please forgive and forget.” But these were killers. I mean, those who killed the leaders should have been punished, yes, but you should not go and appease killers.

Now with these girls, the longer this goes on, the fact that it is so public…what do you think is going to happen to these girls? Are they all together? What do you think? Will they be sold? What do you think? I know nobody knows.

American security experts may hit Abuja today

| credits: http://www.heritage.org

Strong indications emerged on Wednesday that security experts from the United States of America may arrive in Abuja, today (Thursday) to help in the rescue of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State.

Impeccable sources at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport told one of our correspondents that the flight document indicating that the security team would be in Nigeria today had been tendered to the NAIA authorities.

The source, who noted that the government had stepped up its fight against terrorists, stated that delegates for the World Economic Forum had been guarded around the airport by both local and foreign security officials who were mostly in mufti.

Asked if he was sure that the security experts from the US would arrive Nigeria today, our source said, “Yes, I will call you once they land at the airport. The fight against terror in Nigeria is gathering momentum and the information I have is that the security experts are likely to come with an American flight. As of today (Wednesday), they (security experts) have not arrived, those that we saw are delegates and officers of the WEF.”

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Northern Elders Oppose The Use of Force To Free Girls.

**the elders, politicians and Islamic scholars said that they do not want the deployment of foreign troops in N/East.

Northern elders and groups from the North comprising Islamic scholars and politicians claimed to be reaching out to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to secure the release of the 276 abducted girls.

The groups who have contacts with the terror group are suggesting the two options to secure the girls freedom.
The options are either payment of ransom or the release of some detained members of Islamic terror group, Boko Haram as a form of swap.
Besides the deployment of troops, the government has not made up its mind on the two options favoured by many Northern leaders.
Northern leaders, including Borno elders who met with President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Abuja, are opposed to the use of force to rescue the girls or deployment of foreign troops.