SSS smashes kidnappers camp, rescues 2

OPERATIVES of the State Security Service in Kogi state on Saturday, smashed a kidnapper’s camp in Kogi state.

The security operatives however released one Mr Reuben Sunday Babatunde, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria who had been held captive for over 10 days.

The State Director of State Security Service, Mr Mike Fubara, who briefed newsmen in his office in lokoja yesterday, said Babatunde, who came home for the celebration of Christmas, was abducted on the 22nd December in his residence in Ottite village near Okene by some masked men.

Fubara said a ransom of N20 million was first demanded from the victim who was moved to their camp located around Marks Farms Ltd, on Abuja - Okene highway before the family of the victim pleaded to pay the sum of N3 million.

The SSS boss explained that as the deal was agreed and sealed by both parties, the mobile phone of the victim which was in possession of the kidnappers gave him away as a bank alert came through the mobile phone which signified that a sum of N3 miilion was just deposited into the account of the victim.

It was learnt that the kidnappers who discovered that not the whole money was paid, threatened to kill Babatunde unless the ransom was increased to N5 million earlier demanded.

But the security boss said that a sum of N600,000 was paid as initial deposit to the kidnappers while the wife of the victim who was gripped with fear was said to have sourced for the sum of N3 million to pay the kidnappers for the release of her husband before operatives from the State Security Service waded into the matter.

The SSS boss said immediately his command got wind of the saga his men moved into action which led to the rescue of Babatunde from a hideout in the thick forest on Abuja – Lokoja- Okene highway.

He said on sighting his men, the kidnappers immediately opened fire which led to about 50 minutes hot exchange of fire leaving two of the kidnappers dead with 12 of them arrested.

Weapons seized from the kidnappers, according to the security operatives, include new Ak 47 guns, assorted rifles and ammunitions, while some other dangerous weapons including military uniforms and knives were recovered.

2011: Borno, Yobe delegates shun Atiku for Jonathan

The meeting of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with delegates from Borno and Yobe states suffered a heavy blow at the weekend in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where the delegates reportedly openly challenged and told the former number two citizen that their loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan was 100 per cent.

The former vice president was also told that his aspiration to occupy Aso Rock Villa in 2011 was not in the best interest of the generality of the people of the zone.

This came shortly after the Northern youths, under the aegis of Arewa Citizens Action for Change (ACAC), faulted the decision of the Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Elders Consensus Committee for not providing an alternative candidate that the North would support should Atiku Abubakar fail to get the PDP ticket.

The Northern youths had, after a joint meeting of its national working committee with the state and local government executives, in Maiduguri, said the process that led to the nomination of the former vice president cannot be called a consensus, because Atiku could not have emerged if the committee had to vote.

Speaking to Sunday Tribune in Maiduguri, one of the delegates from the state, who did not want his name in print, said they have no reason to deceive Atiku who is one of their own, because they know him, and his contributions to the North East zone while he was vice president is not hidden from the people.

According to him,“Atiku was vice president for eight years with all the powers to effect changes that would last in the North East zone but he forgot to leave his footprints for the people of this zone and you know our people are practical people. They can look you in the face and speak their minds, no matter your level in the society, as such, shunning this meeting, like some delegates did, is a feeler for Atiku, because from all indications, the people have already made up their minds on Atiku and their loyalty to President Jonathan Goodluck is unwavering.”

Nigeria police arrest 92 over northern sect attack

KANO, Nigeria — Police have arrested 92 suspected members of a radical Islamist sect in raids after a series of attacks that killed eight people in northern Maiduguri city, a police chief said Thursday.

"We have arrested 92 suspected members of the sect in raids we carried out on many parts of the city Wednesday through Thursday in connection with yesterday's attacks, including a man in his 70s we believe is the sect's major financier," Borno state police commissioner Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar told AFP on the phone from Maiduguri.

Eight people including three policemen were killed in five separate attacks by gunmen suspected of being Boko Haram members in the city late Wednesday, military and police officials said.

Policemen raided the house of the sect's alleged bankroller where materials linking him to the sect were found.

The materials found included chemicals used in bomb making, audio tapes of the late sect leader's preaching and machetes, Abubakar said.

Abubakar said the suspects had been taken to the police headquarters in Nigeria's capital Abuja for further interrogation.

The sect launched an uprising in Nigeria's north last year that ended with a police and military assault which left hundreds dead.

"The policemen were killed in Ruwan Zafi district of Maiduguri in an attack on a police patrol team by suspected Boko Haram sect members who also burnt down the patrol van," army spokesman lieutenant Abubakar Abdullahi told AFP.

Lawal Abdullahi, the police spokesman in Borno State, of which Maiduguri is the capital, also confirmed that three policemen were killed in the attack.

"We lost three men in a shootout with suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram," he told AFP. "The suspects launched an attack on one of our patrol vehicles and burnt it. The policemen were outnumbered by the attackers."

Five civilians were killed in four other separate targeted attacks launched by motorcycle-riding gunmen in the volatile northeastern city.

In two separate attacks in the same city, suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed a policeman and retired police officer on Tuesday while three civilians suffered gunshot wounds, the police said.

That attack came barely a day after gunmen suspected to be part of a radical Islamic sect, calling itself on a website Jama?atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda?Awati Wal Jihad, claimed responsibility for Christmas eve attacks that killed dozens of people in the central Nigerian city of Jos.

The sect claimed responsibility for multiple explosions in Jos in which at least 80 people were killed in attacks and in reprisal killings.

The police said 32 people were killed in the Jos attacks.

The group also claimed to be behind the attack on three churches in Maiduguri on the same day in which six people were killed and a church was burnt down.

Boko Haram members have been blamed for a string of attacks in the north of the west African country targeting policemen and community leaders, especially in Maiduguri.

Jos is in the so-called middle-belt region between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south and has long been a hotspot of ethnic and religious friction.

Many attribute the unrest in Jos to the struggle for economic and political power between the Christian Beroms, seen as the indigenous ethnic group in the region, and the Hausa-Fulani Muslims, viewed as the more recent arrivals.

These attacks come ahead of elections set for April

Liverpool 2 - 1 Bolton

Joe Cole came off the bench to score a contested late winner as Liverpool fought back from a goal down to seal a much-needed win over Bolton at Anfield.

Under-fire Reds boss Roy Hodgson cut a dejected figure as Kevin Davies headed Bolton in front just before half-time.

Liverpool replied shortly after the break when Fernando Torres volleyed home from Steven Gerrard's pass.

Cole was introduced on 82 minutes and tapped in at the death from what seemed an offside position to grab the points.

The result sees Liverpool pull six points clear of the relegation zone, rising from 12th to ninth, while Bolton drop to seventh.

It was a dramatic end to a tense encounter and although Bolton may complain bitterly about Cole's strike, Liverpool are sure to toast a crucial three points.

Hodgson's men came into the match under huge pressure following Wednesday's shock defeat by Wolves.

That left the Reds perilously close to the bottom three and confirmed they would enter 2011 on their lowest points tally since the 1953/54 season, which ended in relegation.

606: DEBATE

I hereby offer my virtual handshake to Roy Hodgson! All is forgiven!

Andy1005

The home fans turned on the manager during the Wolves loss and reports on Saturday suggested the Anfield hierarchy were already considering replacements should they decide to sack the 63-year-old.

All of this surely made the game an absolute must-win for Liverpool and, having won 10 of their previous 11 home Premier League meetings with Bolton, the omens were good.

Captain Gerrard dropped to the bench after playing 90 minutes in midweek following six weeks out with a calf injury, but his side got off to an encouraging start - Torres looking particularly lively.

And the Spaniard was at the heart of a move that saw Liverpool threaten to open the scoring, his shot deflecting to the back post where Maxi Rodriguez volleyed across goal and Matt Taylor slid in to avert the danger.

As the half wore on, there was a distinct sense of nervousness around the ground and Bolton, who travelled with a squad of only 15 players, slowly began to grow in confidence.

An injury to Raul Meireles meant Gerrard was introduced on 21 minutes but it was the visitors who appeared more likely to break the deadlock, with Taylor curling a free-kick narrowly wide from 25 yards and Zat Knight heading wide from Johan Elmander's cross.

There seemed a greater urgency about Liverpool with Gerrard on the pitch and they were denied by the woodwork when a Maxi header from Dirk Kuyt's right-wing centre looped on to the crossbar.

Yet Bolton were holding out fairly comfortably and their day got a whole lot better when Kevin Davies pounced shortly before half-time for the Trotters' first goal at Anfield since 2003.

Fabio Aurelio, starting his first league match this season in place of Paul Konchesky, fouled Rodrigo Moreno on the Bolton right and Davies muscled his way ahead of Glen Johnson to power home Taylor's inviting free-kick.

It was a goal that drew anger from the terraces but Liverpool should have been level within a couple of minutes, with Leiva Lucas prodding wide from a Kuyt cross when it looked harder to miss than score.

Fortunately for the hosts, an equaliser was forthcoming just after the break.

David Ngog laid Johnson's chipped pass to Gerrard, who floated a delightful ball over the top for Torres to expertly volley past Jussi Jaaskelainen and send the Kop into raptures.

Liverpool now had the wind in their sails and Torres came close to giving his side the lead. The Spaniard was released by Gerrard and cut in from the left before fizzing a low effort narrowly wide of the far post.

Jaaskelainen then stood tall to deny Gerrard and although the rebound appeared to strike Mark Davies on the arm, referee Kevin Friend waved away Liverpool's appeals for a penalty.

Liverpool continued to probe and Torres volleyed wide from another accurate Gerrard cross, while at the other end Mark Davies shot powerfully at Pepe Reina in a rare Bolton attack.

But the pressure finally told as Gerrard's deep cross from the right was bundled towards goal by Maxi and Cole tapped in for his first league goal since joining Liverpool from Chelsea last summer.

Bolton's protests came to nothing and despite pushing for an even later equaliser - Reina saving well from substitute Ivan Klasnic - their efforts came to nothing.

Nigeria: Questions surround latest bomb attack

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Muslim extremists may have planted the bomb that exploded at an army barracks in Nigeria's capital, the country's president said Saturday after the latest attack in a nation beset by violence in recent weeks.

No one has claimed responsibility for Friday's explosion, which killed at least four people and wounded 21 as they celebrated New Year's Eve in the barrack's open-air beer garden and market. President Goodluck Jonathan promised people attending a church service in Abuja that those responsible would be found.

However, his vague remarks appeared to indicate that security agencies remain ill-prepared to halt such violence as the nation nears what could be a tumultuous April election.

"Some people say they are politicians, some say they are religious fanatics, but to me they are pure criminals, they are (the) ones demons are using these days, not only in Nigeria," Jonathan said. "For those of you who have time to listen to world news on Al-Jazeera or CNN, you will see that terrorism is crisscrossing the whole world."

On Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the attack, offered his condolences to the victims and their families, and offered to help Jonathan's government bring the perpetrators to justice.

"Killing innocent civilians who were simply gathering — like so many people around the world — to celebrate the beginning of a New Year further demonstrates the bankrupt vision of those who carry out these attacks," Obama said in a statement.

The blast struck the barracks, called the Mogadishu Cantonment, around 7:30 p.m. Friday in an area of market stalls and beer parlors referred to locally as a "mammy market." There, civilians, soldiers and the occasional foreigner regularly gather for drinks and its famous barbecued fish.

Local police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said the number of injuries in the attack rose to 21, while four people had died. The state-run Nigerian Television Authority reported Friday night that 30 people had died after the blast.

Moshood acknowledged the blast seemed to target both civilians and soldiers, but he declined to say where the explosive was placed.

"It is too early to draw any conclusion now," he said Saturday.

The blast came days after a similar attack struck a nation that remains uneasily divided between Christians and Muslims. On Christmas Eve, three bombs exploded in the central Nigerian city of Jos, killing dozens of people. That area has seen more than 500 people die in religious and ethnic violence this year alone.

Members of a radical Muslim sect, known locally as Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the bombings and attacks on two churches in the northern city of Maiduguri the same night, killing at least six people.

In Abuja, Nigeria's capital, a dual car bombing killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens during an Oct. 1 independence celebration. The main militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, claimed responsibility for that attack.

In his remarks during the church service, Jonathan said the Oct. 1 bombs bore similarities to explosives used in parts of the Niger Delta. He said Friday's bomb appeared to be "identical with the ones that happened in Jos."

"So as long as the security operatives know the two routes, we will get to where these things are coming from," he said.

Nigeria is a vital supplier of easily refined crude oil to the U.S., and unrest in the West African nation has affected oil prices in the past.

Western diplomats worry that ethnic, religious and political violence could hobble the nation of 150 million people just as it adjusts to democracy after years of military dictatorships and coups.

___

Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

I strongly condemn the separate and outrageous terrorist bombing attacks in Egypt and Nigeria. The attack on a church in Alexandria, Egypt caused 21 reported deaths and dozens of injured from both the Christian and Muslim communities. The perpetrators of this attack were clearly targeting Christian worshippers, and have no respect for human life and dignity. They must be brought to justice for this barbaric and heinous act. We are continuing to gather information regarding this terrible event, and are prepared to offer any necessary assistance to the Government of Egypt in responding to it.

The attack near an army barracks in Abuja also reportedly killed more than 20 people and wounded many more. Killing innocent civilians who were simply gathering like so many people around the world to celebrate the beginning of a New Year further demonstrates the bankrupt vision of those who carry out these attacks, and we are similarly prepared to offer assistance to the Government of Nigeria as it works to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to the wounded in both of these attacks, and we stand with the Nigerian and Egyptian people at this difficult time.

IG Orders Arrest Of Senate Leader, Senator Folarin

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, has ordered the Commissioner of Police (CP), Oyo State, Baba Adisa Bolanta, to arrest and detain the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, for the alleged murder of factional chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Alhaji Abdul Lateef Salako (a.k.a. Eleweomo).

Salako was murdered on Thursday in Ibadan.

Ringim, who gave the order on Friday in Abuja, said that Folarin should be arrested wherever he was whether in Ibadan or Abuja.

According to informed sources, the IGP gave the order during his management team meeting held to review the situation in Ibadan, declaring that no law permitted Folarin to be going about with mobile policemen.

He directed that after the arrest, investigations should be carried out about him.

The Inspector General was further quoted as saying that there is no law that allows him to kill, as his immunity only covers him while sitting in the chambers of the Senate.

He warned that this madness must stop if the country wanted to grow, declaring that no one without authority could be moving around with gunmen to intimidate people.

The IGP further added that the step being taken by the police was to serve as a warning to politicians not to go to polling centres with policemen during elections.

Ringim, who was upset by the development, noted that all those involved in the killing of Eleweomo must be brought to book.

The NURTW factional leader was killed inside the IDC Primary School, Olunloyo in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state during the second leg of the PDP congress ordered by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The IGP further said that nobody was above the law, and as such the law must take its course in this case, adding: “We will not allow innocent blood to be spilled all in the name of politics.”

Meanwhile, two people including a councillor in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State have been arrested in connection with the killing of Eleweomo.

Bolanta told Saturday Tribune in Ibadan on Friday that the suspects were arrested by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.

The police commissioner, who disclosed that investigation was still on, threatened that anybody found to have been involved in the murder, no matter his position in the society, would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.

According to him, the PDP congress at the local government was peaceful until the arrival of Folarin, his police and civilian guards at the venue of the congress.

He recalled that before the incident which claimed the life of the union leader, there had been report that the senator had been going about in black jeep, escort vehicle and another bus loaded allegedly with police guards and his loyalists.

He said that at a time, he instructed the assistant commissioner of police in charge operations to arrest the senator and the loyalists.

Bolanta aleged that Senator Folarin had to force his way to the venue of the congress, adding that his loyalists attacked people during which 14 vehicles were vandalised and four burnt.

He explained that it was one of the men who identified Eleweomo before they descended on him and stabbed him to death.

He debunked claims that two supporters of the Senate Leader were killed while other have their arms chopped off, adding that there was no report at any of the police station in the state of such incident

He also debunked the claim that he refused to pick the senator’s calls, saying that “ I picked his calls and the only time I did not pick his call was when I was praying.”

Bolanta, who disclosed that the police were still waiting for autopsy report, said that the corpse would be released to the deceased family immediate the report was ready.

Jonathan preaches security, development

High-level insecurity and poor public power supply, two social plagues that have aggravated the woes of the nation since political independence will soon be a thing of the past, says President Goodluck Jonathan.

The President has also assured that Nigerians would soon witness significant improvements national infrastructure, education, healthcare and employment generation in the year 2011.

In his new-year message to the nation, Jonathan pledged that his administration will work even harder in the coming months to ensure that ordinary Nigerians begin to feel the tangible benefits of the economic growth recorded in recent years.

He said his administration would give particular attention to the effective implementation of the new national job creation scheme for which N50 Billion has been earmarked in the 2011 Appropriation bill to create thousands of new jobs for the unemployed.

To further boost employment, he said government will initiate a massive national public works programme in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory for renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of schools, medical facilities, roads and other public utilities.

Jonathan said that in addition to the N500 Billion intervention fund which has been established for the country’s power, manufacturing and aviation sectors, a $500 million facility will also be made available to support small and growing businesses.

The President however noted that these and other measures being evolved by his administration to improve the quality lives of Nigerians can only be effectively implemented in a secure, peaceful and politically stable environment.

He urged all stakeholders in the country to play positive roles in ensuring that next year’s general elections are conducted peacefully to further consolidate Nigeria’s status as a stable democracy.

Jonathan expressed his gratitude to Nigerians for their support, loyalty and cooperation since his assumption of office in May 2010.

He stated that with their continued support and votes in the 2011 elections he and Vice President Namadi Sambo will continue to give dedicated and committed leadership to ensure that Nigeria moves much more rapidly towards the fulfillment of its immense capacity as a nation

Nigeria: Bomb explodes at army barracks

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A bomb blast tore through a beer garden at a Nigerian army barracks where revelers had gathered to celebrate New Year's Eve, causing casualties, witnesses said.

A local police spokesman said the blast occurred at about 7:30 p.m. Friday in Abuja, the capital of Africa's most populous nation.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion in this oil-rich nation, where bombings at other locations had killed dozens of people several days earlier.

"It's unfortunate that some people planted (a) bomb where people are relaxing because of the new year," Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin told journalists. "Nobody has been able to give accurate figures (of casualties), but we have rescued some people."

Officials declined to comment further.

"The details are still scanty," police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said.

A local journalist at the scene told The Associated Press that soldiers carried injured people away, with one officer saying he feared there were fatalities.

In the minutes after the explosion, police and soldiers swarmed the area, blocking onlookers from entering the area. Later, an AP journalist saw police carrying out covered bodies and putting them in the back of police vehicles. Officers shouted at each other to keep the bodies covered and hidden from onlookers.

The base, called the Mogadishu Barracks, includes an area of market stalls and beer parlors referred to locally as a "mammy market." There, civilians and soldiers regularly gather for meals and drinks.

The blasts come days after a similar attack struck a nation that remains uneasily divided by faith. On Christmas Eve, three bombs exploded in the central Nigerian city of Jos, killing dozens of people. That area has seen more than 500 die in religious and ethnic violence this year alone.

Members of a radical Muslim sect also attacked two churches in the northern city of Maiduguri the same night, killing at least six people.

The sect, known locally as Boko Haram, later claimed responsibility for both attacks in an Internet message. Police say they are still investigating those attacks.

Boko Haram means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language. Its members re-emerged recently after starting a July 2009 riot that led to a security crackdown that left 700 people dead.

The Christmas Eve killings in Jos and Maiduguri add to the tally of thousands who already have died in Nigeria in the last decade over religious and political tension. The bombings also come as the nation prepares for what could be a tumultuous presidential election in April

Another Bomb Explosion in Jos

There was another bomb explosion in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, about thirty minutes drive south of Jos. The device exploded and killed the bearer while he was trying to plant it.

More Details to follow

PDP asks Akintola to apologise within 7 days or face sanction

The South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed surprise that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola, could say the party never won any election in the South-West in 2007 and has, therefore, demanded an apology from him within seven days or he would be reported to the disciplinary committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

The party said it was shocked to hear a man who was paid by the PDP to defend its interest in the Agagu/Mimiko case now repudiating the very essence of the case for which he was paid.

Akintola was quoted on Tuesday by a national newspaper (not the Nigerian Tribune) as asking the PDP not to blame the judiciary for its loss of some states at the Court of Appeal, saying that it never won any election in the first place.

The PDP, in a statement on Tuesday by its national vice chairman (South-West), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, said it was unfortunate that Akintola, who was the lawyer for the party in Ondo State governorship tussle, could turn round to say such.

OBJ slumps in church •He did not slump -Aide

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, slumped during a church service to mark the 70th birthday of one of his associates, General Olu Bajowa.

The former president was said to have slumped during the service that took place at the St. Stephens Anglican Church, Igbotako, in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the incident which happened at about noon while the service was going on, caused panic among the dignitaries that attended the ceremony.

It was learnt that Obasanjo had complained of stomach pain and later caused a stir in the church as he slumped and was immediately rushed out of the church.

The chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was rushed to General Bajowa’s house, where he was given medical attention.

The governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who was also present on the occasion, was said to have directed his commissioner and personal physician, Dr A. Adegbule, to attend to the former Nigerian president.

It was gathered that it took the team sometime before it could stabilise Obasanjo and ensure that he regained consciousness.

However, after sometime, the former leader managed to surface again at the ceremony to join other dignitaries that had expressed worries over the incident.

He was said to have managed to see the end of the event.

But Obasanjo’s spokesman, Mr Ojekunle Adeyemo, said it was not true that the former president slumped.

“I don’t know why people are saying what they are saying. Chief Obasanjo did not slump anywhere. He went for a ceremony and also joined them at the reception. Where did they get the story?” he asked.

The retired Bishop of Akure (Anglican Communion), Reverend Bolanle Gbonigi, at the church service, enjoined Nigerians to ensure that they were upright while on earth.

He noted that since whatever men did would live after them, people should strive to contribute to the development of their communities while alive.

Mimiko, in his speech at the reception, extolled the virtues of Bajowa and described him as one of the illustrious sons that had come out of the state.

Besides, he also eulogised former governor of the defunct Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo, for his contributions to the development of the region.

Dignitaries at the event included Governor Mimiko; Chief Obasanjo; General Adebayo; former Governor Olusegun Agagu; Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo; traditional rulers in Ikaleland, among others.

Jos, Maiduguri violence political, say Sultan, CAN

Leaders of Christianity and Islam, Nigeria’s two dominant religious groups, were yesterday united in condemning the perpetrators of the Christmas’ eve bomb blasts in Jos, Plateau State and burning of churches and killing of worshippers in Maiduguri, Borno State.

They said the violence was politically motivated but with religious colouration. The masterminds, they added, “want to make Nigeria ungovernable at all cost.”

At a joint press conference in Lagos yesterday, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor, who reacted to the twin incidents, warned that “the seemingly unending killings and violence in Jos must stop immediately.”

The religious leaders, who met under the platform of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), which both they are co-chairmen, charged the appropriate authorities to check the trend and bring the perpetrators to book.

How Reps Shunned Atiku For Jonathan

Facts emerged on Friday as to how former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was denied a planned endorsement by the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The planned adoption was scheduled a week after the lawmakers had endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as their candidate ahead of the National Convention of the PDP.

Sources confirmed that shortly after Jonathan was adopted by the legislators during a consultation with the president, Atiku also moved to secure their backing.

A source in the National Assembly told the Saturday Tribune that Atiku’s supporters in the House, led by Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, reached out to Speaker ‘Dimeji Bankole to request that the Speaker set up a consultative meeting with the former number two man.

Source further confirmed that the Speaker told the emmisaries that the PDP caucus in the House did not have any resources left in its coffers to host Atiku.

It was leant that Ihedioha, who was later joined by returnee Honourable Dino Melaye, ran back with the message that the House caucus was broke.

Sources confirmed that the camp of former vice president offered to offset the bills for drinks and other logistics that would go with the meeting.

“The Speaker agreed to host the meeting when the aspirant’s men gave their words that their man would offset the bills,” a source said, adding that Atiku’s men then began an intense lobby of members of the House so as to upturn Jonathan’s earlier endorsement.

Another source said that Atiku’s men in the House, who are only four, moved from House to House to convince members that the former number two man would perform.

It was gathered that the main issue on the agenda was to get the members of the House of Representatives upturn the earlier endorsement they gave Jonathan.

After Atiku spoke, his loyalists were eager to hear Bankole put the question which they were eager to chorus a loud ‘ aye’, but they were disappointed that the speaker never provided any such opportunity.

“What the Speaker did was to clearly send the signal that Jonathan remains the adopted and anointed candidate of the 257 members of the House of Representatve caucus. The message was very clear,” a source said.

It was gathered that the Speaker only gave Atiku the floor after which he asked one of the members to give the vote of thanks.

Sources also confirmed that a plan to set up a similar meeting with members of the Senate caucus of the PDP had failed since the Senate President David Mark did not provide the space for the meeting.

Sources in the Senate said that the senators had adopted President Jonathan as their candidate for the presidential election.

A source who monitored the Reps’ meeting with Atiku said: “Atiku’s loyalists in the House had apparently told him that they would push the Speaker to put the question, just like it was done for President Jonathan. They thought that it would be a big blow for Jonathan if the Reps could pull that off, but Speaker Bankole did not provide them the chance.

“They kept shouting, Mr. Speaker put the question repeatedly. Bankole kept his cool and followed a pattern of the usual courtesy visits. A member only gave a vote of thanks afterwards. The aim of securing the House and Senate endorsement were defeated,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the animosity between President Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku at the weekend assumed a new twist as Jonathan raised an alarm about purported bid by the former vice president to blackmail him ahead the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries early January.

Jonathan alleged that the Atiku Campaign Organisation had compiled fictitious information about his person and has been moving round media houses to sell the document with some measure of desperation, just to malign him and portray him as unfit to get the PDP presidential ticket for the 2011 election.

The president, however, warned Atiku, his co-contestant on the platform of PDP, to desist from any attempt to blackmail him, just as he counselled the media to discountenance any pressure put on them to use any damaging information against him.

Director Planning, Research and Strategy in the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Mr. Mike Omeri, in a statement, said the president would not take kindly to any attempt to blackmail him on any issue and hence warned media houses to be wary of the intent to blackmail him by his opponents.

Meanwhile, the Campaign Organisation of Abubakar has reacted and stated that the president was only crying wolf where there was none.

In a chat with Saturday Tribune, a member of the media team in Atiku’s Campaign Organisation, Mr Paul Ibe, said the organisation was not aware it circulated any documents against the President, stating that the former vice president was too busy at the moment to contemplate doing such a thing.

“We are at the moment getting prepared for the primaries of our party and moreover, this is a season of celebration and so, we are not aware of any plan to blackmail anybody because we are busy,”he said.

During the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of PDP in Abuja, President Jonathan had warned the former vice president to desist from making remarks capable of jeopardising national security. He warned that he would not hesitate to wield a big stick against any aspirants noted.

Christmas Eve bombings in Nigeria leave dead, injured

Five blasts went off in the Nigerian city of Jos Friday night as residents were celebrating Christmas Eve, leaving dead and injured, a regional government official said.

The exact number of casualties was not determined, but an eyewitness said he counted eight dead.

Choji Gyang, a special advisor to the governor of Nigeria's Plateau state, said two bombs went off in the Angwa Rukuba area of Jos. Within five to 20 minutes, three more blasts happened in the area of Kabong, he said.

"We have a lot of casualties and are struggling to cope," Gyang said.

Hassan John, a Jos resident and journalist with the media department of the Anglican Diocese of Jos, had just come out of church about 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET) when he heard the sound of the first explosion. He rushed to the site, which he described as a beer parlor frequented by locals.

"By the time I got there, there were women crying, people screaming. It was all chaos, people were screaming, blood everywhere."

"I counted eight corpses all over, seven in the building," John said. He added that a second blast went off within a couple of minutes after the first one. "We cannot say if there are more bodies under the rubble because it was dark," John said.

Gyang, who is special advisor on religious affairs to the governor, said it was unclear who set off the blasts or whether they were related.


"It was Christmas Eve, lots of activities was going on. People were still preparing for Christmas, lots of people were coming into town. A blast went off, those around the area -- some were killed, some injured and the houses and cars caught fire," Gyang said. He said he received reports of "a lot of dead bodies."

"The way they went off was in the same manner. They all went to where people were concentrated,"Gyang said.

Several injured people were taken to a local hospital while some who were not severely injured left the scene on their own.

John said the beer-parlor scene was chaotic as residents, especially young men, became agitated over the lack of security in what has been a volatile area. Hundreds of people from both faiths have died in violence between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria in the past decade.

"Soldiers fired a couple of rounds into the air because a riot was developing," John said.

The first blasts occurred just a few buildings away from a police station and a military checkpoint, according to both Gyang and John.


Gyang said that during the preceding two days, a special task force that had been sent to the Plateau state by the federal government had gone on radio telling residents to go about their business and not to worry about the security situation in the area. The government had increased security and checkpoints throughout the past week, including additional a patrols in various areas of Jos, Gyang said


"Five different bombs blasts in the heart of Jos. This is the height of insecurity in this city," Gyang said.


"There is a lapse in security, specifically by the special task force," he said. "They have not been doing what they were expected to and as a result we had these attacks."


In recent weeks, the governor's office had received letters purported to be from some Muslim organizations threatening attacks against Christians, Gyang said. "The security officials didn't take the threat letters seriously. They were thought of as gimmicks, and at the end of the day, they became reality."

Mass failure recorded in WASCE •As 80% of candidates fail English, Maths

THIS Christmas may not be the best period for most candidates who wrote the October/November 2010 West African Senior School Examination (WASCE) as 80 per cent of them failed.

The Head of National Office (HNO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr Iyi Uwadiae, said at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos that 62,295 (20.04 per cent) of the candidates passed with English language and Mathematics.

According to him, a total of 324,998 candidates registered for the examination out of which 310,077 comprising 168, 835 males and 141,242 females sat for it.

Statistics showed that 250,487 candidates representing 80.78 per cent had two credits and above; 217,161 candidates (70.03 per cent) had three credits and above while 180, 480 (58.20 per cent) had four credits and above.

The results also revealed that 141,167 candidates (45.52 per cent) obtained five credits and above while 99, 750 candidates obtained six credits and above.

According to the HNO, a total of 133,507 candidates obtained credit and above in English language while 151, 569 candidates (48.88 per cent) obtained credit and above in Mathematics.

However, the results of 51,876 candidates, representing 16.73 per cent were being withheld based on various reports of their involvement in examination malpractice.

Commenting on the poor results, which had gone progressively worse in the last three years, Uwadiae attributed it to lack of quality teachers and infrastructure in various schools.

He stated that the results had fluctuated from 23 per cent pass in 2008; 21 per cent in 2009 and 20 per cent in 2010. He called on teachers and students to pay more attention to the use of WAEC syllabus, saying it could go a long way towards improving subsequent results.

Uwadiae said that unless the students, parents and teachers changed from their habit of cheating during examination, more candidates would continue to fail.

He said that 15,567 candidates still had their results being processed because of various anomalies, adding that errors were committed during the registration and actual conduct of the examination.