GTBank CEO, Tayo Aderinokun dies in London

GROUP Managing Director/Chief Executive of GTBank, Mr. Tayo Aderinokun, aged 56, died, Tuesday, in London after protracted illness.

Tayo Aderinokun

A statement from the bank announcing his death said: “With a deep sense of loss, but with gratitude to the Almighty God, we write to notify you of the passing on to eternal glory of our dearly beloved Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tayo Aderinokun. Mr. Aderinokun who had been on medical leave, passed on this afternoon, Tuesday, June 14, 2011, in the United Kingdom.

“Aderinokun co-founded Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in 1990 and served as Deputy Managing Director for 12 years between 1990 and 2002, after which he became the Managing Director, a position he held until his passing.

“During his time as managing director, the Bank witnessed tremendous progress and growth and had emerged over the years as an industry leader, pacesetter of unique and progressive innovations in the banking industry.

Professionally managed institution

“The Bank is now easily acknowledged and recognised as one of the most profitable and professionally managed corporate institutions in Nigeria and has been the recipient of several awards for exemplary corporate governance practices and excellent customer service.

“In addition, Mr. Aderinokun was also the recipient of numerous awards as an acknowledgement of his sterling leadership role in the achievements of the Bank.

The awards include ‘Banker of the Year’ at the inaugural ThisDay Awards in 2006, Most Respected CEO by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2008 and ‘African Banker of the Year’ by the “African Banker” magazine in September 2009.

He was also a recipient of the National Award of Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Nigeria, FCIB.

“We wish to inform you that the operations of the Bank continue to run smoothly under the leadership of the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Segun Agbaje, who was Deputy Managing Director from 2002 till April 20, 2011, when he was appointed as Acting Managing Director of the Bank.”

Banking Institute, friends react

Registrar, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, described Aderinokun’s death as a big loss to the nation, the industry and those who knew him. He said: “We will always miss him. As a member of the banking family he contributed so well that the Institute gave him the honourary award.”

Former Executive Director, Public Sector and Retail Banking, Tank Plc, Senator Farouk Bello Bunza said: “He lived an exemplary life and he was among the young Nigerians that came out and showed that what a white man can do a black man can do and even better. He nurtured the bank into a bank of international repute and the legacy that he laid will endure for a long, long time.”

Lawson Omokhodion, former schoolmate of Aderinokun and ex-Managing Director of Liberty Bank said: “It is a pity, the bank has lost him. Aderinokun was a thorough professional, well-bred and incorruptible.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Owolabi Salami, Chief Operating Officer, Guaranty Trust Assurance Plc when contacted expressed shock saying he was not in the mood to comment on the death of Aderinokun.

Boniface Okezie, Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria said: “He has done his bit in the banking industry and we the shareholders of the bank are going to miss him having taken the bank to a greater height from where he took over from Fola Adeola. He continued to maintain the dividend and bonus policy he inherited from his predecessor.”

In fact, the man did not let shareholders down as he maintained clean record.

“We will miss him greatly for his good corporate governance and managerial efficiency. We also believe that his deputy Segun Agbaje should be able to carry on from where he stopped. We also hope Agbaje will maintain the tradition of excellent service delivery and good corporate governance principle. It is really a big loss and we hope Agbaje should be able to wear his shoe and take the bank to higher level.”

National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Sir Sunny Nwosu, said: “May his soul rest in perfect peace. He was a workaholic worker and has been proactive. He was meticulous in every thing he does in the bank.

He has done well for shareholders and we are going to miss him. The entire capital market community will miss him too because of his contribution to the growth of the market. He added value to the bank by growing all the fundamentals. We in ISAN will surely miss him and we felicitate with the family and the bank entirely.”

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Government to ban commercial motorcyclists in Uyo

The president of Akwa Ibom Professional Commercial Motorcyclists Association (APCOMA), Udo Okpon, has said commercial motorcyclists operating in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital should brace up for a complete ban on their operations noting that the ban was inevitable.

This is coming on the heels of the suspension of the recent restriction of motorcyclists within Uyo owing to the mayhem that led to the destruction of taxis and tricycles acquired by the state government to gradually faze out the use of motorcycles within the state capital.

Indicating that it was time members of the body started saving money to buy either the new taxis or tricycles they hoped would be provided by the government to replace the destroyed ones, Mr Okpon explained that they are committed to ensuring that registered members of the body benefit from the scheme put in place by government.

“I want to assure all commercial motorcyclists that as the chairman of the committee in-charge of the distribution of the taxis and tricycles, before the restriction is put in place as planned, the government may provide new tricycles and taxis, and all duly registered members would be accommodated in the scheme. Or alternatively those who would not want to continue in the trade, would be empowered to engage in any business of their choice.

Alternative jobs

“Before now, many of them were into carpentry, automobile repairs or any other trade outside commercial motorcycling. But because they had no funds to engage in their respective trades, they became motorcyclists. We have proposed to the government to make provisions for loans for these sets of people and the government is willing to go along with the proposal,” said Mr Okpon.

Debunking insinuations that the members of the group would lose out in the distribution of the tricycles and taxis Mr Okpon said, “We are not politicians; that is why the state government handed over the distribution of these vehicles to me to handle so that beneficiaries are practising commercial motorcyclists. I assure you that beneficiaries of the scheme will be the duly registered members of APCOMA.” He exonerated registered motorcyclists in the state from the insecurity challenges witnessed in Uyo, saying no registered member of the body will use his/her motorcycle to commit crime. He said the body has contributed to crime prevention in the state, adding that the ban on motorcycle operation would be well coordinated such that parks would be created at strategic points in the outskirts of the city for their operations.

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ICPC grills eight over Oyo N8.5b contract scam

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has interrogated another set of aides of the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, over their alleged involvement in a N8.5 billion contract scam.

Their questioning, according to sources within the commission, was sequel to contents of the written statements made by some six commissioners earlier grilled a fortnight ago.

The new set, questioned at the commission’s Abuja head office on Monday, were eight top civil servants in the state Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources and that of Commerce.

Six commissioners in the Alao-Akala administration - Bayo Bankole (Finance), Mukaila Aborode (Environment and Water Resources), Muslim Oyedemi (Works and Transport), Kunle Ishola (Agriculture), Nureni Adeniran (Education) and Kola Balogun (Commerce and Industry) - were guests the anti-graft agency’s head office, Abuja, a fortnight ago where they were invited to untie some riddles concerning the contract.

They reportedly made statements that implicated the new set of suspects who were questioned on Monday.

As part of their bail conditions, the former commissioners were at the Ibadan office of the ICPC, where they were mandated to report every Monday till investigations were concluded on the matter.

It was also learnt that their international passports have been seized to prevent them from travelling outside the country while the commission concludes its findings on the matter.

Armed with files and other documents as required of them, the eight former functionaries were said to have arrived the ICPC headquarters on Monday morning to relate their side of stories in the alleged scam.

Up until late evening yesterday, there were no indications that the government employees were released by the commission.

Monday’s questioning was another in the series conducted by the ICPC following the petitions filed by some individuals under the name Concerned Citizens of Oyo State to raise questions on the manner of awarding the contract and its execution.

The said group reportedly forwarded five different petitions to the commission over the same issues, accusing the affected former public servants of abuse of office.

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PDP chair: Jonathan, N-East govs settle for Tukur

CONTRARY to speculations that the South-West was also rooting for the position of National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following the distortion of the zoning formula of the party by members of the House of Representatives, strong indications emerged yesterday that the zone has finally lost it to North East.

Vanguard gathered that following a meeting held in Asokoro, Sunday at the residence of one of the governors from the North East geo-political zone of the country and after series of brainstorming exercises on the names presented by President Goodluck Jonathan for the position of National Chairman of the party, the governors from the North East and the President finally settled for Dr. Bamanga Tukur, former member, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the PDP.

Meanwhile, there appears to be a wide division in the North especially between the North East and North West following complaints from the North East of being short charged in the present political equation as it relates to the north, just as the zone is expressing disappointment over what it described as marginalisation by the North West.

Vanguard gathered yesterday that the North East is of the view that it is not being carried along and also not in the scheme of things despite the contributions the zone towards the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to a source, the North East is complaining that the North West presently boasts of Vice President Namadi Sambo from Kaduna, Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal from Sokoto and the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed from Kebbi State, adding that the North Central has the Senate President.

The North East which is made up of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, Vanguard gathered yesterday said that it lost out the Deputy Speakership position to South East as well the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje.

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2 bank managers in trouble over alleged N29m fraud

Two managers of a commercial bank in Suleja, Niger State, are now in trouble over an alleged N29 million fraud.

Already, one of the managers has been detained by the police while the other has bolted away, having got the hint that he was being sought for by police investigators.

Vanguard gathered that the fraud blew into the open when some auditors from the head office of the the bank visited the branch office for routine auditing.

After the routine check, some irregularities were said to have been uncovered in transactions which warranted the management to embark on an in-depth investigation of the branch accounts before the police were invited.

The branch manager on getting a wind of the invitation, however, absconded while his head of operations was picked up.

The head of operations, who was handed over to the Anti-Fraud Unit of the SCID was said to have opened up during investigation.

Meanwhile, while police are still hunting for the branch manager, his Head of Operations, (names withheld) has been charged before a Minna Senior Magistrate’s Court 111 on a three-count charge of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and theft.

According to the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Abdullahi Aliyu the offences were punishable under Sections 97,288 and 315 of the Penal code.

He therefore objected to his bail based on the fact that investigation into the case had just begun and that ‘’there is likelihood for him to interfere with further investigations’’.

Presiding magistrate, Hajiya Bilkis Gambo Yusuf then ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison custody till Wednesday, June 22 for further hearing.

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Oyo ACN calls for CP’s transfer

ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Oyo State, has called for the immediate transfer of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Baba Adisa Bolanta, over his alleged inability to stop the protracted leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the attack of a journalist, Mr. Olalekan Adetayo, of The Punch Newspaper by a policeman in Ibadan last week.

The party condemned the attack and said the CP did not consider it necessary to investigate the matter with a view to finding out what went wrong and why police officers would have to throw decorum to the wind at a peaceful ceremony attended by the governor attended.

The party also said its belief that Governor Abiola Ajimobi will deliver democracy dividends to the people of the State.
The party in a statement jointly signed by Chief Akin Oke and Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun, State Chairman and Secretary respectively, said Ajimobi had ‘’assembled a team of competent and dynamic eggheads to run his administration with a view to taking the State to an enviable height in no time from now.

‘’With seasoned technocrats such as Alhaji Waheed Olajide, Dr. Debo Akande and Festus Adedayo as the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communication respectively, as well as Mr. Yanju Adegbite as the Chief Executive Officer of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, we have no doubt that this administration is destined to succeed.”

“Sen. Ajimobi is prepared for the task of governing the State while he would not lose focus in its resolve to make a positive impact as governor of the pacesetter state. We therefore appeal for calm among the labour, as well as every other segment of the state whose cooperation and understanding we seek for the benefit of the state

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Bankole granted bail, re-arrested

On Monday, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, was swiftly re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after an Abuja High Court granted him bail.

He was re-arraigned along with his former Deputy, Usman Nafada, on fresh 17 counts of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and theft.

Bankole and Nafada allegedly obtained and dishonestly disbursed N37.7 billion without the authorisation of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

They both pleaded not guilty, and their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, made an oral application for bail, which was turned down by Justice Sulaiman Belgore.

“The hearing of (written) bail application depends on how quick you file it,” the Judge said.

Awomolo asked for the accused persons to be remanded in EFCC custody but prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, opted for prison custody, saying the EFCC has no space for them.

However, Belgore ruled that they be remanded in EFCC custody, and adjourned the case until June 16 for ruling on the bail application.

The charge sheet alleged that, while in office, Bankole and Nafada:

• Incurred an illegal expenditure of over N40 billion.

• In August last year, they obtained a loan of N5.48 billion for recurrent expenditure without due process.

• In October and November last year, they obtained two loans, N6 billion and N4 billion, to augment the allowances and running costs of House members.

• In January and May this year, they used the overhead account of the House to obtain loans of N10.38 billion and N12 billion to augment allowances and running costs.

• They committed a felony, to wit: criminal breach of trust by agreeing to approve the allowances and/or running costs of House members in violation of the approved Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders by the RMAFC and the Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009.

• Bankole and Nafada sometime around January 2011, being entrusted with the House’s account number 00390070000018 with the United Bank of Africa (UBA), dishonestly used the account to obtain a loan of N10,380,000,000 from the bank to augment the allowances and running costs of House members in violation of the law.

However, Federal High Court Chief Judge, Ibrahim Auta, has blamed the EFCC for the delay in the trial of corruption cases.

He said the Commission files incessant amendments to charges, which delay cases, and amount to “dancing on one spot.”

Auta bared his thoughts when he visited EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri, in her office in Abuja.

He acknowledged that the judiciary system is slow, but said “one thing that also delays cases is this issue of amendment. Any time you amend a charge, the court will have to start all over again.”

He noted that interlocutory matters like bail applications, applications for release of travel documents, and jurisdiction, among other issues, are often used by defence counsel to delay cases and to start the process afresh – as “any motion, no matter how ridiculous, must be heard in court.”

Auta charged EFCC officials to conclude investigations before presenting suspects in court for trial.

“I will suggest that before arrest is made, everything is concluded. The moment the person is charged to court, or his liberties are breached, the facts to try him should be already there.

“You have to work on that so you do not file charges and later come and amend again. It gives the wrong impression anyway.”

He also sought an amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act so that suspects can be tried anywhere other than the location of the alleged crime.

He lamented a situation where a former Governor is tried in a state where he held sway and has made friends in the right places, saying even witnesses fail to turn up in court at such trials.

Auta stressed the need for collaboration between the judiciary and EFCC.

“If the EFCC is working left and we are working right, we are not going to hit the point, and the point is that justice must be done and corruption reduced drastically,” he added.

Waziri disclosed that the EFCC has over 65 high profile cases in courts across the country and many of them have been pending for over four years.

“They have not gone beyond the plea stage,” she noted.

“When the public tries to analyse the slow pace of the trial of high profile cases in comparison to the quick determination of small offenders, they tend to blame the EFCC.”

Waziri maintained that a high record of conviction would give a warning sign to others and help formulate policies for government.

Auta was accompanied on the visit by Justices Abdul Kafarati, Gladys Olotu, and Gabriel Kolawole.

Also on Monday, the National Renaissance Movement (NRM) asked the EFCC to extend its probe to other principal officers of the House who served with Bankole and Nafada.

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Kidnap of hunchbacked student sets Ogun university town on edge

The kidnap of an undergraduate of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Wasiu Olalekan Balogun has thrown the university community and the host town into serious confusion, with students threatening a violent protest if the student, who has an hunchback, is not released.

The 200 level accounting student, who went missing about a week ago, was said to have been abducted by some armed men while he was with his girlfriend in the town.

The missing students' colleagues at the weekend embarked on a protest to the palace of the traditional ruler of the town, the Ebuwame of Ago Iwoye, Abdul-Rasaq Adenugba, to lodge a complaint of their missing colleague.

The royal father, while profusely begging the protesting students not to be violent, recalled that the effect of an earlier violent approach used five years ago during a clash between the students and the community is still being felt in the community.

Mr Adenugba appealed to the protesters to be calm and assured them that security operatives were on top of the situation.

However, NEXT investigations in the town also revealed the presence of an active kidnapping gang in the town. Some of the residents say these people sometimes pretend to be alms beggars or lunatics to carry out their evil deeds.

Some colleagues of Mr Balogun however said the reason why they were worried was about his fate was the belief that people with a hunchback are usually killed for money rituals.

"Some dubious students who are involved in crime, known in the parlance as Yahoo plus, may not be ruled out from the crime," one of the student said, speaking anonymously.

Working on the rescue The University's spokesperson, Sam Oyeleye said the school authority is working with security operatives to unravel the kidnap saga, adding that the university has also put in place internal security mechanism to ensure the safety of other students.

Mr Oyeleye said the university was optimistic that the missing student will be rescued in due course and that his abductors will be fished out.

He assured the students body and parents not to entertain further fear, saying meetings were ongoing with security agents and community leaders towards ensuring an enduring peace. He also said on-going examinations would not be disrupted by the incident.

"The school is now working in conjunction with security agents to maintain the existing peace," Mr Oyeleye said. "We are not ready in any form to compromise, that is why meeting holds between security operatives, Director Students Affairs, Principal Officers of the university." The Police Command's Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi also assured that the victim would be rescue. He also gave assurance that the kidnappers would be arrested in due course, as the authority is closing on the criminals.

"We are on trail of the suspect kidnappers and the community is equally assisting us on this, and so far we are getting positive results," Mr Adejobi told Next. "We have deployed three teams of our men into the town to comb the area." He said the state Commissioner of Police, at the weekend travelled to the town over the case, pointing out that students have been warned not to embark on any violence of any form to avoid community clash.

"We are also working hand in hand with the students body, university authority as well as the community to get to the root of the matter, and by God's grace we are going to rescue the victim and arrest the suspects. We don't want any community clash as it happened about five years ago,' he said.

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Shell invokes force majeure over multiple pipeline incidents

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has fallen back on the force majeure clause in its contract on Bonny Light loadings for June and July 2011. The force majeure regime came into effect at noon yesterday.

The declaration, according to the firm, is as a result of the production cutbacks caused by leaks and fires which occurred last week on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).

Force majeure, a French legal term which means ‘superior force’, is a common clause in contracts that basically frees one or both parties from liability or obligation in the event of extraordinary circumstances which are usually beyond the control of both parties such as war, strike, riots, or natural disasters such as flooding, earthquake and so on.

“Joint Investigation Visits comprising government agencies, communities and SPDC found that the incidents were caused by hacksaw cuts which indicate third party interference and activities of unknown persons,” Shell said in a statement issued yesterday.

“The leaks have been repaired leading to resumption of production on June 12. The TNP which transports production from SPDC and third parties in its Eastern operations to Bonny Terminal, was affected by leaks and five separate fire incidents on both the 24” and 28” lines in Bodo, Bera, Biera and Mogho all in Ogoniland, on June 9. SPDC immediately shut the lines, mobilised its pipelines response and fire fighting teams and extinguished the fires by June 11”.

According to Shell, the production deferment over the period has affected the loading programme at the Bonny Terminal; it would now have to advise customers of a revised schedule.

Babs Omotowa, Vice President HSE, Infrastructure & Logistics, Shell Sub-Saharan Africa, said the leaks and fires show a worrying trend not only on the TNP but also on the firm’s facilities elsewhere.

“Sadly, the trend is continuing unabated. At the end of April, we recorded more than 35 sabotage spills,” Mr Omotowa said. “SPDC is continuing to upgrade facilities, replace pipelines and improve oil spill response systems. But no matter how much we improve our performance, until the activities of oil thieves and illegal refiners are brought to an end, the vast majority of oil spills in the Niger Delta will continue.”

Nigeria has suffered much crude oil theft, also known as bunkering, which remains widespread and out of control in the Niger Delta region of the nation. Efforts to destroy illegal oil refineries spotted among the creeks of the Niger Delta has proven to be almost as dangerous for the soldiers working there as for the oil thieves, who sometimes turn the stolen crude oil into homemade petrol.

About two years ago, the federal government introduced an amnesty programme for gunmen in the region, a move which industry watchers thought would bring the nation respite.

It is feared that bunkering, an activity which has been a part of life for years in Nigeria and has cost the nation fortunes, may still be around for years to come.

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Opinion leader commends Oyo workers over strike suspension

An Ibadan opinion leader, Lekan Balogun, has commended the Oyo State workers for their resolve not to go on strike as earlier threatened over the minimum wage.

The workers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), held a congress at the weekend to discuss the intervention by eminent citizens of the state over the issue of the N18,000 new minimum wage, and agreed to suspend their plan to commence strike today (Monday).

Shortly before the end of his tenure, the immediate past governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, had approved the new minimum wage and signed it into law.

He also told the workers that the state government headed by Abiola Ajimobi will implement the new pay regime as soon as he comes into power.

But, Mr Ajimobi, on assumption of office, told the workers that the current income of the state would not support the pay. He, instead, offered to increase the workers' pay to meet with that of the highest paying state in the Southwest, reiterating his interest in raising the standard of living of workers.

State chairman of the congress, Bashiru Olanrewaju, appealed to members at the weekend and made them see why they had to wait till further negotiations are made with the government before making up their minds on the strike.

Matured workers

Mr Balogun said the decision of the workers is a reflection of their high level of maturity.

While calling on the state government to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that living wages are paid to workers, he opined that committing about 80-90 percent of the state's resources to salaries every month will not augur well for the state.

"There is no way the state can progress with the commitment of about 80-90 percent of the total revenue of the state to the payment of workers salary and there is no way the state can progress with ill-motivated workers which is why I said there should be more dialogue to arrive at a middle level approach for the benefit of all and sundry," he said.

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Boko Haram Demands Governor’s Resignation!

While the Federal Government and the Borno State Government have indicated readiness to enter into a dialogue which might eventually lead to the pardon of members of the Boko Haram sect that has unleashed violence in some parts of the Northern Nigeria, the sect seems ready to continue its nefarious activitiesin the region. The Boko Haram sect has listed a number of demands which it says would determine whether it would enter into any negotiation or not.
The demands were printed in leaflets and circulated around Maiduguri, Borno State and they include the resignation of the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, the adoption of strict Sharia Islamic law in the northern part of Nigeria, as well as the release of all its detained members.
The Islamic sect is also demanding the prosecution of the immediate past Governor of Borno State for the killing of its leader two years ago. According to the statement issued by the sect, the deployment of more security personnel will not deter them from carrying out attacks in the state.
The sect has been launching violent attacks on Borno State and environs since 2009. The group has also claimed responsibility for some of the bombings in the northern part of Nigeria as well as attacks on a number of police stations across Borno State. The group is also believed to be responsible for the death of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party’s governorship candidate just before the last elections.
The state government was yet to issue an official reaction as at the time of filing this report.

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Nigerian Islamists open fire on beer garden, kill four

Suspected members of a radical Islamic sect have shot dead four people at a beer garden in a north Nigerian town where the group recently staged bomb and gun attacks, police said Monday.

"Four people were killed in an attack by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect on a beer parlour in the Bulunkutu surburb of the city last night," Zakari Adamu, assistant police commissioner for Borno state told AFP.

The attack occurred in Maiduguri, the northeastern city which has been the focus of many attacks and where the group staged an uprising two years ago.

"The gunmen opened fire on people drinking in the beer parlour, killing four before engaging in a shootout with police who were attracted to the scene by gunshots", Adamu said on the phone from Maiduguri.

The assailants escaped.

Although Borno state is one of the 12 northern Nigerian states that have adopted the Muslim Sharia law, which bans alcohol, people there still drink beer openly.

The attack came a week after multiple bomb explosions and shootings targeting two police stations and a church rocked the city.

At least 14 people, including a pentecostal church pastor, were killed and 17 others seriously injured in the attacks.

Police have intensified surveillance in Maiduguri since last week's attacks, leading to 19 arrests and the recovery of weapons including two rocket launchers and kalashnikov rifles.

"We arrested 14 people along with the weapons while five others were arrested for bringing in bombs into the city," said Adamu.

The suspects have been taken to the police headquarters in Nigeria's capital Abuja for further investigation, he said.

Boko Haram, also known as the Nigerian Talibans, launched an uprising in 2009 which was put down by a brutal military assault that left hundreds dead.

The sect, which has pushed for the creation of an Islamic state, has been blamed for shootings of police and community leaders, bomb blasts and raids on churches, police stations and a prison.

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