Monday, 8 May 2017
Again, Buhari travels to UK for check-up, hands over to Osinbajo Published May 8, 2017
President Muhammadu Buhari
Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, night left Nigeria for London where he is scheduled to consult with his doctors.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the duration of Buhari’s stay in London will be determined by his doctors.
Adesina, however, said the President had transmitted a letter to the National Assembly as required by law.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari proceeds to London tonight for a follow-up medical consultation with his doctors.
“He had planned to leave on Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit due to the arrival of the 82 Chibok girls, who arrived in Abuja earlier in the day.
“The President wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry. He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they will continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation.
“The length of the President’s stay in London will be determined by the doctors. Government will continue to function normally under the leadership of the Vice-President.
“President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.”
It will be recalled that the 74-year-old Nigerian leader had left the country on January 19 on what the Presidency described then as medical vacation.
When the trip was prolonged, presidential aides announced that the President would be staying back in the British capital to enable him to collect results of some medical tests he did.
Buhari returned to the country on March 10 after a 49-day medical sojourn, saying he had never been that sick in his life.
Lately, the President was not seen at public functions even he was absent from the weekly Federal Executive Council meetings for three consecutive weeks, causing anxiety among Nigerians.
His aides, however, insisted that the situation was nothing to worry about as he was only resting based on his doctors’ instructions.
Chibok girls’ release, second anniversary gift to Nigerians –Buhari
• Some of the 82 freed Chibok girls when President Muhammadu Buhari received them at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ... on Sunday. Photo: State House
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday described the Saturday’s release of 82 Chibok girls by the Boko Haram sect as his administration’s pleasant second anniversary gift to Nigerians.
Buhari said this while formally receiving the rescued girls behind closed doors at his official residence inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, had, earlier in the day, received the girls at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on behalf of the President.
The girls were thereafter taken to DSS Medical Centre for medical attention before being driven in two luxury buses to meet with the President some minutes after 7pm.
State House correspondents, who had been waiting eagerly for them since 2pm, were not allowed into the venue of the reception with the only exception being the Nigerian Television Authority crew.
A copy of the prepared text the President read at the reception was later made available to journalists.
The President promised that the Presidency would personally supervise the performance of those entrusted with the girls’ welfare and commitments made by the Federal Government on their health, education, security and general well-being.
He said, “This is a pleasant second anniversary gift to the people of Nigeria. I cannot express, in a few words, how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom.
“On behalf of all Nigerians, I will like to share my joy with you, your parents, your relatives, friends and Government of Borno State on regaining your freedom.
“The Federal Government will like to commend the security agencies, the Red Cross, local authorities, local and foreign NGOs and all those who contributed in one way or another to secure the release of our Chibok girls.”
Some top government officials including ministers and service chiefs joined Buhari to receive the girls.
At the end of the session, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Me. Femi Adesina, said the President promised that all that was expected to be done to rehabilitate the girls into the society would be done.
Unnamed negotiator, Switzerland, Red Cross secured girls’ release
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, said an unnamed negotiator, the Swiss Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross led the negotiation for the release of the abducted schoolgirls.
Sani, who had been part of previous negotiations between the Federal Government and Boko Haram, however, declined to speak on the role he played in the release of the girls, who were abducted from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014.
The Senator, also refused to speak on the telephone to one of our correspondents but referred him to his posts on his Facebook wall.
In his Facebook posts, Sani stated, “The negotiations were led by a recent winner of an international humanitarian award, aided by the Swiss (Government) in the mediation process; monitored by the ICRC and made possible by the DSS (Department of State Services).
“It involved some levels of travels to Bern (Switzerland) and Sudan.”
Speaking earlier to The Guardian of UK, the Senator said the negotiations were led by the former lawyer for Mohammed Yusuf, the late founder of Boko Haram.
Sani told The Guardian he introduced the lawyer-turned-negotiator to the Federal Government and came up with a road map for the talks.
He explained that two of the 82 girls were physically injured – one had a wrist injury and the other on crutches.
How freed girls were brought to Army base –ICRC
The spokesperson for the ICRC, Aleksandra Matijevic, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the ICRC’s role was to transport the schoolgirls from a forest, held by the Boko Haram terrorists, to the Army base in Banki town.
She said, “Our role in the release was to ensure the transport of the girls from the armed position to the other side. We transported the girls to the government side and to the military. This took us two days because of bad weather.
“The medical examination of the girls would be the next step after handing them over to the government, but the ICRC is not involved in that.
“You should also note that the negotiation for the girls was a political process, and we, at ICRC, are apolitical. Hence, the transportation was our only role.”
The Deputy Regional Director, ICRC Africa, Patrick Youssef, in a series of tweets, said, “Acting as a neutral intermediary, we ,at the ICRC, transported 82 Chibok girls to the government of Nigeria. Since Friday, we facilitated the safe return of the girls in Nigeria.”
Obanikoro’s defection to APC makes me sad –Fani-Kayode> Obanikoro’s defection to APC makes me sad –Fani-Kayode
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Senator Musiliu Obanikoro
Tunde Odesola and Eniola Akinkuotu
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has described as saddening the defection of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to the All Progressives Congress.
Obanikoro and Fani-Kayode spent about a month together in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in October last year.
While Obanikoro was under investigation for allegedly receiving N4.7bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Fani-Kayode was prosecuted for allegedly receiving over N800m when he was the spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.
However, Fani-Kayode said it was unfortunate that Obanikoro would agree to join the camp of those who had been persecuting him.
Fani-Kayode wrote on his Facebook page, “My brother, Musiliu Obanikoro’s decision to join the APC irks and saddens me. I say this because I have always loved him and I care. You cannot fight evil by joining it. You cannot bring light by entering the darkness. You cannot find joy by partaking in the bread of sorrows.
“You cannot run away in the heat of battle. You must have the courage of your convictions. Where is your honour? Where is your strength? Where is your dignity? Where is your self-respect? Where is your sense of self-worth?
“You and I are royalty. We are princes and kings and children of the living God. We were taught and brought up to fight to the end and never to bow to the enemy.
“We were taught never to flinch before oppression. We were taught never to give in to our worst fears and to those who hate us and who despise our people. We were taught never to crawl on the floor and be slaves to our fellow men.”
Fani-Kayode said he was ready to die for his principles. He, therefore, advised Obanikoro to exhibit the same courage.
He said he would continue to oppose the Federal Government as this was the right thing to do.
Fani-Kayode said, “Always remember that rebellion against a tyrant is an act of obedience to God. They may have today but tomorrow belongs to us. Finally, take note of this: if you are not ready to die for something, then you are not worthy of living for anything.
“I would rather die a free man than live a slave. And as long as I live, the Yoruba, nay the South, shall offer some form of resistance to our collective oppressors and as surely as God lives, we shall never be slaves.”
But an impeccable source close to Obanikoro told one of our correspondents that the former minister had only reconciled with his benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The source said, “Obanikoro has not joined the APC for now but he has reconciled with his benefactor and master, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. What is wrong about that?
“The imbroglio plaguing the People Democratic Party will break the party’s spinal cord.
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
The Real Abubakar Shekau Was Killed In June 2013 - Australian Negotiator, Stephen Davis
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| Dr Stephen Davis |
The impersonator was later identified as Bashir Mohammed, who might have picked up the war name of the real Abubakar Shekau.
The details of the operation which lead to the death of the terrorist were soon revealed.
Davis, who has made a series of claims regarding how some Nigerian politicians sponsor Boko Haram and even named them, said the real Shekau was killed in June 2013.
In an e-mail to Vanguard the Australian negotiator said:
“I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were
Troops Arrest 50 Fleeing Boko Haram Terrorists In Borno Truck
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| File Photo |
Punch reports that the fifty members of the Boko Haram sect were apprehended by soldiers in Biu, Borno State today, Tuesday, 23rd of September. They were said to have hidden themselves under a truck heading for Gombe.
According to a security source, the arrested men of the Boko Haram sect are currently in the custody of the Nigerian Army and might have been detained at the Biu barrack. The source also made it known that some youths in Biu suspect that the truck, which was loaded with sheep and goats in disguise might have other things hidden in it.
It was however when a search was carried out that the 50 young men hiding in the truck were uncovered.
The source added that the arrested men confessed to being fighters of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, and were all on the run following the reported killing of their leader, Abubakar Shekau, in the confrontation of the
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Ghanaian footballer Asamoah Gyan denies using his friend for ritual
In July, Theophilus Tagoe, popularly known as Castro, went missing while on holiday with Gyan and other friends. The musician was presumed to have drowned in a jet ski accident, but his body was never found which led to the allegations against the striker, with his family constantly being hounded by Ghanaian press. The football star (pictured left) and his family have denied having a hand in what happened but the accusations are refusing to go away because of the lack of a body.
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