President Goodluck Jonathan
Nigeria may be on the threshold of a major international condemnation as almost 500 underage prison inmates are being lined up for execution and death by hanging in an effort to decongest prisons across the country.
The decision follows a Federal government directive that a fast-track process of inmates papers should be embarked upon to decongest the nation’s a prisons in order to forestall a future calamity in the event of a major prison population explosion.
There are serious indications that the order is causing ripples in international community especially among the Human Right Activists in Nigeria and beyond..
The decision has thus pitched the FG against several Civil Society Groups prompting a petition by the allied groups. The group condemned the action of the government reminding that it contradicts the United Nations (UN) charter.
In London, reactions have been aired as youth organisations are squaring up to notify appropriate international civil Right Organisations to wade into the matter.
A voice lending report by Nigeria based National Daily expressing the dilemma of the government over the matter cried out: ”Children are leaders of tomorrow and so must be protected and treasured, but then, what happens when they are caught in criminal acts?. Should they be spared or make to face the full wrath of the Law?
It has been the contention of the Newspaper that many of the casees that sent the youths to prison were awash with irregularities and unfair trial.
Under-age inmates currently topped the list of those awaiting the hangman’s noose.
According to National Daily, many of the cases that brought the youngsters to court were not well assessed and properly handled by the police while the courts that sentenced many of the victims handled the cases without due processes and accountable precisions.
Many of the cases had been given ramshackle approaches and therefore were not properly handled by before the the trial judges.
Also, it should be noted that Police at times erred in their judgement to prosecute cases and act unilaterally to protect their interest irrespective of the victim guilt or innocence. Many of the cases acted upon in the death penalty submission may have been handled in ramshackle manner before being charged to court.
According to sources, the decision by the FG to execute those on death row as a way of decongesting the nation’s prisons was taken at a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), on Tuesday June 15, 2010.
The meeting presided over by the Vice President Namani Sambo later resolved that the 36 State Governors should review all cases of death row inmates and sign the execution warrants as a means of decongesting the country’s prisons.
According National Daily’s investigation, the June decision was the second time in two months the governors were given instruction to consider the signing of the death warrants of many inmates so that they could be disposed of.
A similar decision was taken in April, during a meeting of the Council of State, where 36 Governors were in attendance with President, Jonathan Goodluck presiding.
As Civil Society groups are now taking up the matter, many State Governors are hesitant in passing the execution papers and relevant death warrants which gives orders of the executions
Already, over 890 inmates are currently waiting for death penalty in total and they now while some in condemned to hang are waiting for the hangman’s rope.
Many civil rights activist in Europe are taking the government to task , asking many of our political actors if they are not guilty of negligence in not taking due care of Nigerian youths.
“ Devil finds job for an idle hand hand. Has the government taken up its responsibility in motivating the youths of Nigeria, asked Terry Babalola, a youth worker in London.
Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue state voicing for the Council of States in a cautious move had asked the Nigerian state governors to exercise restraints in their handling of all cases of those on death row.
The governor categorically advised that there should be no rush in signing the death warrants in order to be sure that innocent victims are not executed unduly.
He was quoted to have conscientiously expressed that he would not want to sign the death warrant of someone who would be disturbing him in his sleep at night.
A source at the Nigeria’s Minister of Internal Affairs in Nigeria playing down the story put the total prison population in the country at 46, 000, while 30,000 are sai to be awaiting trial.
The source confirmed there are approximately 870 death row inmates currently in Nigeria’s prisons, including women and juveniles.
However, source had said that there are concrete indications that hundreds of those awaiting execution on the natiopn’s prisons did not have fair trials and may therefore be innocent.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Institute and other Nigerian human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs] are reportedly joining hands in mounting a pressure against the mass execution plan.
Youth organisations home and abroad are said to be meeting over the hgovernment decision so that they can respond apprppriately.
Michael Olamide, a Nigerian law student in London said:” Nigerian youth is the worse treated in the entire world. They are all left to fend for themselves as id they there is no government in the country. Many of those passing the laws, especially the governors are more guilty of mass murder having ignored the Nigerian youths and sending them to untimely death. How can they pass a judgement to condemn Nigerian youths to deat
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Ibori pondering into the future.
All travelling documents belonging to James Ibori have been confiscated following his interrogation by a combined team of detectives from United Kingdom, Nigeria and United Arab Emirate.
Ibori was arrested Wednesday night by United Arab Emirate security authority on the orders of UK and Nigerian governments.
A warrant of arrest had been issued against him in Nigeria while law enforcers are looking for him in the United Kingdom to answer criminal charges on illegal financial deals including money laundering.
He had been granted bail following progress made by the security agents currently interrogatiing him. He now faces extradition to the United Kingdom.
The team of security intelligence drawn from United Arab Emirates, Britain and Nigeria commenced interrogating the former Governor Ibori’s following his arrest on Wednesday night in Dubai where he had been hiding after he was declared wanted in Nigeria.
The money –bag political power wielder whose influence was supreme within the polity deceased President Umaru Yar’ Adua had snaked away two weeks ago from Nigeria out-smarting security experts as he was being sought after by the agents for illegal financial deals while he was Delta state governor. His credibility as a genuine business man is currently being questioned seriously by the internationally community especially in the UK.
At a stage, he was shielded by local militants when EFCC security agents trailed him to his local government in Delta state. The Militants engaged EFCC security men in gun battle and the men had to retreat to forestall a major bloodbath, botching the attempt to arrest him.
Local women in his Oghara areas of Delta state also carried out nude protest claiming that the former governor was a victim of a witch-hunt.
Two weeks ago, EFCC had debunked a report which claimed that Ibori had escaped to Dubai.
Fews days later, EFCC which denied the rumour said they believed he was still in Nigeria and that the escape news was an attemt to created a distraction.
A group of concerned Nigerians also in a reaction to Ibori’s alleged escape from Nigeria claimed they were motoring activities at Airports across Europe especially in United kingdom if Ibori would sneak in so they can inform the authority.
By Thursday afternoon, there are reports that he had been arrested in Dubai and currently ‘holidaying’, with a combined team of security agents from Britain and Nigeria while their counterparts from Dubai are keeping eyes in case he attempted to escape.
United Kingdom authorities had been looking for ways to extradite Ibori to London to answer to cases of money laundering and illegal financial deal.
EFCC had declared Ibori wanted acting on a petition sent to it by a group of Delta State leaders and elders headed by Chief Edwin Clark, a former Minister of Information.
The petition claimed that Ibori used 800 million units of shares belonging to Delta State in Oceanic Bank Plc to secure a N44 billion private loan from Intercontinental Bank Plc while he was still governor.
Farida waziri, EFCC leader.
He is also being alleged to have used the 800 million units of shares to acquire Ascot Oil, and American Oil service company whose headquarters is in Port Harcourt.
The petitioners said not less than 520 million out of the 800 million units of shares were sold under questionable circumstances.
According to a source, Ibori, rather than make himself available for investigations by the EFCC, attempted to dodge questions over the allegations, hiding away from the law and using money power to flex his muscles against the nation’s authorities.
About two weeks ago, the PDP kingpin caused stir at the Private jetty of the local wing of MurtalaMohammed International Airport as government attempted overhauling security at the Airport . It was suspected Ibori had escaped from the country through the airport flying in his private jet.
Ibori, since leaving office as governor three years ago, has been under the pressure of huge weight of allegations of corruption levelled against him nationally and internationally. Rather than respecting the law of the land by answering questions, he had been docking and diving creating more suspicion in the eyes of Nigerians and other international communities.
EFCC on the eve of his escape had to issue a fresh statement signed by Femi Babafemi, its Head of Media and Publicity, that Ibori was wanted in connection with investigations into allegation of official corruption and money laundering.
Subsequently, a court warrant was issued for his arrest.
Metropolitan Police
But Ibori, rather than make himself available for investigations by the EFCC, has attempted to dodge questions over the allegations hiding away from the law and using money power to flex his muscles against the nation’s authorities.
His media assistant Tony Eluemunor, however, denied that Ibori was invited by the EFCC.
Last week, a media source at EFCC told EMNnews.com that the former governor was still being wanted as he could not have been above the law of the country.
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Gun hidden inside The Bible
A twenty-five-year-old had claimed he resolved to settle a score between him and a rival who was molesting his girl friend through a gun trigger. The gun was discovered hidden inside a Bible, according to Daily Sun Newspapers report.
The suspect is presently being held at the Anambra Police Command cell’. He claimed to be a 400-level Architecture student of Anambra State University, Uli.
He was said to have been caught at a criminal hideout where he concealed his gun inside the Bible in Ihiala Local Government to Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government of the state.
He claimed to be a cultist of Black Axe Fraternity and was on a mission to harass another student who, according to him, was disturbing his girlfriend.
But according to police report, the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Awkuzu, stormed a criminal hideout at Awkuzu on February 20, 2010, and arrested the suspect who hails from Umuota village, Obosi with his gun, a locally made pistol and a cartridge.
Police also said that he confessed to be an armed robber and also gave them the names of other members of his gang who are now at large.
But while speaking with Daily Sun at the police headquarters, where he was paraded, the accused who tried to be smart said he went to the school with the gun only to protect himself because the guy who was harassing his girlfriend threatened to kill him:
“I have a problem with somebody and the person is a cultist too. The person is schooling at Anambra State University, Igbariam campus. He is threatening my girlfriend and that thing caused a problem between my girlfriend and I. I decided to come to Igbariam to see the person and know what the problem with him is.
“The person is threatening me that anywhere he sees me, he will kill me. So, I borrowed this thing (gun) from somebody. I have never touched this thing (gun) before. I didn’t pay anything for it. I borrowed it from just a local village boy.”
Asked how he knew the “local village boy” has a gun, he said, “he normally comes to our lodge. I told him that there is someone that is threatening my girlfriend. The boy said okay, what is my problem? I told him that the boy said that anytime he sees me, he will shoot me.
“My intention of collecting the gun is for my protection, so that wherever the boy sees me, he will not do anything to me.
“I didn’t hide it inside the Bible. I came only with it. When I got to Igbariam, I didn’t see the guy, so I decided to go and see my girlfriend so that we can settle the whole issues.
“When I got to my girlfriend’s house, my mind told me that this thing (gun) is terrible, is going to put me in trouble. I decided that I should collect this thing (bible jacket).
“This thing (Bible jacket) was empty, I didn’t see any Bible inside it. I just collected it to hide the gun. It was while I was in my girlfriend’s house that security men came and arrested me.”
Claiming that he did not know the real name and house of the boy that lent him the gun, the accused said “the boy who gave me the gun is from Uli and is called Obaino. I don’t know his house but all I know is that he normally comes to our lodge
The suspect is presently being held at the Anambra Police Command cell’. He claimed to be a 400-level Architecture student of Anambra State University, Uli.
He was said to have been caught at a criminal hideout where he concealed his gun inside the Bible in Ihiala Local Government to Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government of the state.
He claimed to be a cultist of Black Axe Fraternity and was on a mission to harass another student who, according to him, was disturbing his girlfriend.
But according to police report, the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Awkuzu, stormed a criminal hideout at Awkuzu on February 20, 2010, and arrested the suspect who hails from Umuota village, Obosi with his gun, a locally made pistol and a cartridge.
Police also said that he confessed to be an armed robber and also gave them the names of other members of his gang who are now at large.
But while speaking with Daily Sun at the police headquarters, where he was paraded, the accused who tried to be smart said he went to the school with the gun only to protect himself because the guy who was harassing his girlfriend threatened to kill him:
“I have a problem with somebody and the person is a cultist too. The person is schooling at Anambra State University, Igbariam campus. He is threatening my girlfriend and that thing caused a problem between my girlfriend and I. I decided to come to Igbariam to see the person and know what the problem with him is.
“The person is threatening me that anywhere he sees me, he will kill me. So, I borrowed this thing (gun) from somebody. I have never touched this thing (gun) before. I didn’t pay anything for it. I borrowed it from just a local village boy.”
Asked how he knew the “local village boy” has a gun, he said, “he normally comes to our lodge. I told him that there is someone that is threatening my girlfriend. The boy said okay, what is my problem? I told him that the boy said that anytime he sees me, he will shoot me.
“My intention of collecting the gun is for my protection, so that wherever the boy sees me, he will not do anything to me.
“I didn’t hide it inside the Bible. I came only with it. When I got to Igbariam, I didn’t see the guy, so I decided to go and see my girlfriend so that we can settle the whole issues.
“When I got to my girlfriend’s house, my mind told me that this thing (gun) is terrible, is going to put me in trouble. I decided that I should collect this thing (bible jacket).
“This thing (Bible jacket) was empty, I didn’t see any Bible inside it. I just collected it to hide the gun. It was while I was in my girlfriend’s house that security men came and arrested me.”
Claiming that he did not know the real name and house of the boy that lent him the gun, the accused said “the boy who gave me the gun is from Uli and is called Obaino. I don’t know his house but all I know is that he normally comes to our lodge
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Police IG Onovo.
Almost 200 people have been arrested by Nigerian Police over the recent religious riot in the Central Nigeria city of Jos, in plateau State Nigeria.
They are now to appear in court over the cold massacre of hundreds of victims, allegedly from the minority Christian community. The suspects are set to be charged mostly with offences ranging from terrorism to arson, authorities said at the weekend.
“In its resolve to deal decisively with perpetrators of violence in the nation, the Nigeria police has concluded investigation into the mass killings in Dogo Nahawa, Rasat and Jeji villages, which occurred on 7th March 2010,” police said in a statement.
In all, about 164 suspects were arrested, but two of them will serve as prosecution witnesses, according to police.
It said 41 are to be charged with terrorism and culpable homicide while 121 face multiple offences of unlawful possession of firearms, rioting, arson and causing grievous hurt.
Homicide can result in a death sentence while terrorism is punishable by a life jail term.
Hundreds of people — mainly women and children from predominantly Christian communities — have been killed in the past two weeks in villages near the city of Jos.
Police say over 100 were killed with machetes, while government officials insist more than 500 were massacred by the nomadic Fulani.
On Wednesday, Muslim herdsmen disguised as soldiers butchered around a dozen Christians in two villages near Jos, setting some of them ablaze.
Some residents said the killings were part of a spiralling feud between the Fulani and Berom, who are farmers, which had been sparked by the theft of cattle, rather than for religious motives.
Others said it was reprisal for the killings of more than 300 mainly Muslims in January in and around the same city.
Police also said 213 suspects have already been charged for various offences connected to the January violence and were being held in various prisons across the country.