Fears over relocation of Chibok Girls from Sambisa Forest

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">BORNO—There were fears yesterday that Boko Haram terrorists may have relocated the over 200 abducted girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok and other abducted victims from Sambisa forest  to their new haven in Balmo Forest, which borders Borno and Bauchi states.</span><br /> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Vanguard gathered that communities contiguous to Sambisa forest raised the alarm through phone messages when they saw a large number of Boko Haram militants leaving the dense jungle early in the day on Wednesday and driving towards the border town with Bauchi.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When Vanguard contacted a military source, it was learnt that the security agencies had started mapping out strategies to deal with the development while efforts are on to ensure security beef up in the areas where the insurgents were believed to be relocating to.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The apparent relocation of the insurgents follows an embarrassing incident two days ago when close to 500 Nigerian soldiers fled to neighbouring Cameroon in order to escape from a fierce contingent of Boko Haram militants that attacked Gamboru-Ngala, a major town near the border with Cameroon.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A text message sent by Vanguard last night to the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade on the issue, was not responded to.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It will be recalled that the Chibok girls were abducted in April this year.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Security sources believed that the insurgents were relocating from Sambisa forest for fears of a major offensive by the military in a bid to rescue the abducted girls and demobilise their operational headquarters.</span></div> </div>

Fears over relocation of Chibok Girls from Sambisa Forest

BORNO—There were fears yesterday that Boko Haram terrorists may have relocated the over 200 abducted girls of Government Secondary School, ...

Read more »

Chibok girls: Parents want case closed, say funeral rites already performed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">MORE than four months after unfruitful search for their abducted girls, parents of the kidnapped Chibok school girls said they want the matter closed.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Since the girls have been missing for more than four months, the parents said they presumed the students to have died for which their funeral rites have already been performed in their (parents’) minds according to their custom.</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_456121" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/bringbackourgirls-jonathan-meets-chibok-parents/jonachibok5/" rel="attachment wp-att-456121" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Parents of abducted Chibok girls during a meeting with President Jonathan at State House" class="size-full wp-image-456121" height="274" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/JonaChibok5.gif" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Parents of abducted Chibok girls during a meeting with President Jonathan at State House</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They, however, urged the federal government bring the girls’ corpses for honourable burial.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This position was disclosed yesterday by the #BringOurGirls advocacy group, during its daily sit-out meeting for the rescue of the missing school girls at Unity Fountain, Abuja.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“All they said they want is their corpses to bury them honourably,” the group said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As a way of driving their demand home, the group said it is vigorously mobilizing people on and offline and via social media towards holding a mega protest march in the FCT.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to them, over 200 groups in Abuja have so far been contacted and have given positive response to participate, with 135 individuals on the group’s database contacted.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While calling on federal government to double its effort to free the girls,  the meeting said only political and military action can rescue our girls, and that is why we do what we are doing to compel that.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The group added a new slogan #NotWithoutOurDaughters! in response to a question on when  it will  stop the campaign.</span></div> <br /></div>

Chibok girls: Parents want case closed, say funeral rites already performed

MORE than four months after unfruitful search for their abducted girls, parents of the kidnapped Chibok school girls said they want the ma...

Read more »

Chibok girls: Britain to send three Tornado planes

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="story-featured-image" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 15px; min-width: 378px !important; width: 368px;"> <img alt="Abducted Chibok girls" class="attachment-bigstoryimage" height="225" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Abducted-Chibok-school-grils-360x225.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; margin-right: 10px; padding: 4px;" width="360" /><br /> <div class="featured-image-caption" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px 10px 0px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Abducted Chibok girls</span></div> </div> <div style="float: left; padding: 10px 18px 5px 0px; width: 370px;"> <ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7167863529667065" data-ad-slot="6184555097" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="display: inline-block; height: 140px; width: 370px;"><ins id="aswift_0_expand" style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 140px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 370px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: none; display: block; height: 140px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 370px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="140" hspace="0" id="aswift_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_0" scrolling="no" style="left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="370"></iframe></ins></ins></ins></div> <div id="nrelate_flyout_placeholder"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">BRITAIN’s Royal Air Force   plans to send three fighter jets to help in locating the more than 200   schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 this year.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The RAF Tornado GR4s equipped with surveillance facilities, according to Daily Mail on Wednesday, will undertake “reconnaissance missions” over the Sambissa Forest where the girls are believed to be held.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A   British government source told The Times that the jets would help the Nigerian authorities in tracking the movements of the insurgents.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The report however added that the mission was dependent on a nearby nation giving the British government the nod to use its runway.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Ministry of Defence spokesman did not deny the report about the deployment of the planes.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “The United Kingdom continues to work with the United States and France as well as Nigeria’s neighbours and international partners to provide advice and assistance to the Nigerian government.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Together with our allies we have provided continuous surveillance support to the Nigerian authorities, including satellite imagery. We are still in discussion with partners on the deployment of further surveillance capability.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Last Friday,   Britain’s Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, had condemned the abduction of over 100 people in Nigeria and had pledged that the UK would continue to support in the fight against Boko Haram.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “I am appalled to see reports of another large abduction by terrorists in the North- East of Nigeria. Officials at the British High Commission in Abuja are urgently looking into the details. The UK stands firmly with Nigeria as it faces the scourge of Boko Haram.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The group on Monday killed at least three people and kidnapped 15 others in a fresh cross-border attack in northern Cameroon.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The attack took place on Monday afternoon when at least 20 armed men tried to get food supplies, stealing all the [food] stocks found in the Cameroonian village of Greya,” the source told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The source added, “Boko Haram militants killed at least three civilians and abducted a dozen others – presumably all Cameroonians.’’</span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div> </div>

Chibok girls: Britain to send three Tornado planes

Abducted Chibok girls BRITAIN’s Royal Air Force   plans to send three fighter jets to help in locating the more than 200   schoolg...

Read more »

Nigerian military to court-martial over 100 soldiers for cowardice

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Nigeria Army" class="attachment-860x800 wp-post-image" height="169" scale="0" src="https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2013/04/nigeria-army.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="298" /></span><br /> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 6px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nigeria Army</span></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Nigerian military is in the process of constituting a trial panel to try over 100 soldiers said to have exhibited “acts of cowardice” and “disobeyed deployment directives” in Maiduguri on Saturday, reliable military insiders have said. The soldiers were among several hundred troops being deployed from the army’s 7th Division in Maiduguri to locations in Damboa and Gwoza for major operations planned to significantly rout the extremist Boko Haram sect from the areas. “But as we were about to depart, some of the soldiers began to behave funny,” a witness said. “They were acting in ways that were delaying the movement. This was a movement that had been timed and we had to arrive locations at a time that should coincide with other operational arrangements. And then these guys were slowing us down.” The witness said at a point, the commander of the troop became fed up with the antics of the “lazy soldiers” and he immediately ordered that they be disarmed, stripped of their uniforms and dropped from the operation. The rest of the detachment then continued the journey, our sources said. Other witnesses corroborated these disclosures. It is learnt that the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, [an Air Marshall] the Chief of Army Staff,  Kenneth Minimah [a Lieutenant General], as well as other service chiefs have been briefed on the development. The military chiefs, insiders say, have since ordered the arrest, interrogation and court-martial of the erring soldiers, some of whom are said to have gone into hiding. When contacted, the spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter. He however said, “Military personnel should be reminded that persons subject to military law risks death if found liable for refusing or inciting failure to perform military duties against the enemy in the course of the ongoing military operation.” Mr. Olukolade said any soldier or officer who fails to perform military duties or deserts his duty post risks dire consequences. “The military is a disciplined organization and we do not have room for indiscretions. Anyone who disobeys deployment directive or deserts his duty posts would be made to face due justice. “Indeed such deserters would be considered to have done evil similar to what terrorists are doing against the nation’s security. Act of cowardice and related indiscipline will not be condoned in the Nigerian armed forces. “While efforts are ongoing to improve on the available stock of weapons and equipment, no soldier or officer has been assigned to any duty without being duly armed. “Any soldier who subscribes to the excuse being peddled by some indiscipline ones would have himself to blame. “Soldiers are therefore warned that anyone who allows himself to be misled by enemies of the nation who have been trying to incite mutiny by various methods would face appropriate legal actions without any form of sentiment.” Mr. Olukolade urged the Nigerian media and Nigerians in general not to celebrate incidences of indiscipline within the nation’s security services, saying the security of all citizens depend significantly on the stability and discipline of the agencies. The Nigerian Army had in early July began the court–martialling of another 18 soldiers involved in an alleged mutiny in May, in which revolting troops opened fire at a car carrying the commanding general of the army’s 7 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State. Military sources had said at the time that the General Officer Commanding, GOC, of the newly-created 7 Division, Ahmadu Mohammed, a Major General, was targeted by soldiers who blamed him for the deaths of their colleagues. The attack in Maimalari cantonment, on May 14, angered the Nigerian military at a time the force came under international spotlight over the abduction of nearly 300 school girls in Chibok by the extremist Boko Haram sect. </span></div>

Nigerian military to court-martial over 100 soldiers for cowardice

Nigeria Army The Nigerian military is in the process of constituting a trial panel to try over 100 soldiers said to have exhibited “act...

Read more »

I am satisfied with Jonathan’s efforts to rescue Chibok girls— IBB

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /> <a class="thumbLink" href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/satisfy-jonathans-efforts-rescue-chibok-girls-ibb/" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;" title="I am satisfied with Jonathan’s efforts to rescue Chibok girls— IBB"><img alt="Babangida400" class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" height="224" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Babangida400.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="224" /></a><br /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, was 73 years old yesterday. In this interview to mark the occasion, Babangida, fondly called IBB, speaks on some critical issues in the country,   including the continuous detention of the Chibok girls by the Islamist group, Boko Haram, the power situation in the country, the 2015 general elections, among others.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It has been over 100 days since the kidnapping of the Chibok school girls. Despite the assurances by the international community,   the girls have not been found. What is the way forward? When do you think we can get these girls back home to their parents?<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Perhaps the way forward is what government is doing now. I know there are complications. It is no longer an issue that you could ask the military to move into Sambisa forest and rescue the girls. I think Nigerians want the girls rescued and brought back home alive not dead; that is a very daring thing to do. From my experience as a professional soldier,  a lot of planning, a lot of cooperation,  a lot of study has to be done to achieve this objective. 217 or whatever the number is, is a lot of population to lose just like that. So I think government is trying from what we got during our last briefing; I am quite satisfied that efforts are really being made to get the girls out. You see, the objective is to get them out of that place alive, the operative word is alive, you can order a full scale military operation and you could get them all killed which would defeat the objective.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> </div>

I am satisfied with Jonathan’s efforts to rescue Chibok girls— IBB

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, was 73 years old yesterday. In this interview to mark the occasion, Baba...

Read more »

Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="post-header cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 21px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="featured" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yakassi.jpg" itemprop="image" rel="prettyPhoto" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Yakassi" class="attachment-main-slider wp-post-image no-display appear" height="336" src="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yakassi-702x336.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 0.8; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters" width="702" /></span></a></div> <h1 class="post-title" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 35px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters</span></span></h1> <a class="comments" href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=77148#comments" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px -35px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="fa fa-comments-o" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </span></span></a></header><div class="post-container cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content-right" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content description" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px -1.857em; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yakassai hits Northern elders over ultimatum to Jonathan on Chibok girls</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">■ Tanko Yakassai blasts Northern elders</strong><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></b></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Former Political Adviser to ex-President Shehu Shagari, Al­haji Tanko Yakasai, has declared that the ultimatum given to Pres­ident Goodluck Jonathan by the Maita­ma Sule-led Northern Elders’ Forum to produce the over 200 abducted Chibok girls or forgo his 2105 presidential ambi­tion, is irrational.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yakasai, who spoke with <i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Saturday Sun </i>in Abuja, said the elders were only making such statement to amuse themselves. He added that such people would always blame the president for whatever action he takes to free the schoolgirls who were abducted from Chibok in Borno State since April 14 by <i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boko Haram </i>insurgents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to the 88-year-old Yakasai: “I think they are only making such statements to amuse themselves. By the provision of the constitution of Nigeria, the North alone cannot produce the president; and also the South. It will require the combination of efforts from the North and the South for anybody to be elected as president of Nigeria. Therefore, those who are making this statement are either deliberately ignoring the provision of the constitution or are ignorant about the constitutional requirement for the election of a president for Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I don’t think it is rational because you don’t give a time limit in an effort like this if you really want a successful outcome in this effort. You push somebody to do something in a rush and you are not sure of the end result of such an action.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yakassai, a member of the ongoing national conference, also spoke on the outcome of the conference and other national issues in this interview with <b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AIDOGHIE PAULINUS </b>in Abuja.<b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Excerpts:</b></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Northern Elders’ Forum gave President Goodluck Jonathan, ultimatum to produce the abducted Chibok girls or foreclose his 2015 ambition. What is your reaction to this?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I think they are only making such statements to amuse themselves. By the provision of the constitution of Nigeria, the North alone cannot produce the president, and also the South. It will require the combination of efforts from the North and the South for anybody to be elected as president of Nigeria. Therefore, those who are making this statement are either deliberately ignoring the provision of the constitution or are ignorant about the constitutional requirement for the election of a president for Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I am concerned about the orchestrated campaign on the release of the Chibok girls by some people. I have my fears whether some people are deliberately pushing the president to take a precipitate action which may not help in getting the Chibok girls back to the society without any harm. They are pushing for action that may not ensure the safety of the girls themselves for them only to turn round and blame the president for the consequences of such an action.  So, I hope that the president would bear this my fear in mind whenever people are trying to rush him into precipitating action on this matter.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">re you saying that the ultimatum given by the Northern Elders Forum is not rational at all?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I don’t think it is rational because you don’t give a time limit in an effort like this if you really want a successful outcome. You push somebody to do something in a rush and you are not sure of the end result of such an action.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is your view about the general insecurity in the North?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">First, it should be noted that the problem of insecurity is not universal in the North. It affected certain areas, limited areas and in particular, three out of 19 states in the North. And it is really not a welcome development to have insecurity anywhere in the country. But I think what Nigerians need to do is to assist the government with ideas as to how the government would overcome this problem.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the root cause of the problem?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The government is doing that. If anybody has any assistance to render to the government, I think it is a good idea. Let him go and tell the government. If you know the root cause of this problem, go and tell the government. I am sure the government will welcome you.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As a credible voice from the North, what in your opinion, led to this problem?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Everybody knows the root cause. The root cause is the activities of certain religious group, which started way back in 2002. That is a period of 12 years now. And it is developing because initially, it was not taken seriously by the government and a situation like this, once it is out of hand, you only need to command all efforts that would assist you to bring it to an end. It happened in the Niger Delta area. It took a number of years before the government of the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was able to tackle the issue and settled it amicably. And I am sure as time goes on, the government will be on top of the situation by getting the right approach to the issue and also, by getting the insurgents themselves to realise the need for dialogue. Anywhere in the world when a situation like this arose, usually, it is only resolved through dialogue. You know of what happened in Britain, the Irish Republic Army insurgency. It took more than 25 years to quell it. But through dialogue, by involving the international community and by stringent effort on the part of the British government, a dialogue was conducted and the outcome of the dialogue was the resolution of the problem. Now, they live in peace. I am sure we too, can achieve that objective if we get the correct ideas and if the insurgents themselves agree to come to dialogue with the government.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you see them agreeing to come to dialogue with the government?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sooner or later because what made the Irish Republic Army and Britain to come to the negotiation table after 25 years of struggle, I think, will make also the insurgents in Nigeria, sooner or later, to agree to come to dialogue with the government in order to find a way out of the situation.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, the idea that poverty led to the insurgency is nonsensical?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I didn’t say that.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But that is what some people believe, that the insurgency is as a result of the inequality in the land.</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But we had insurgency in the Niger Delta area. You see, there are so many reasons that you can have, that can lead to disturbances of peace. Poverty can be a factor, but I am not saying that poverty alone is the factor.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some also believe that the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2011 presidential election contributed immensely. How true is this?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But I told you it started way back in 2002. So, it is not something that started at the time of Jonathan. If you remember, the situation started when the insurgents were engaging the police, I think in 2007 or 2008 under Yar’Adua. The matter was such that the police could not cope and the result was that they appealed to the government for the military to assist them. And the military was involved. And if you can remember, it was the military that arrested the leader of the insurgents, Mohammed Yusuf, and handed him over to the police and unfortunately, somebody among the policemen shot him dead, which exacerbated the problem. But it is not a phenomenon that happened during the reign of Jonathan.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some have said the abduction of the Chibok girls is just a propaganda, that nobody was abducted. Is it true?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Well, I am not one of those.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What response do you have for them?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I said I am not one of them. I don’t believe them.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How do you see the response of the international community to the issue?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is very encouraging.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the course of the Chibok saga, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, came into the picture and said we may not have the complete number of the abducted girls back. How do you see his comment?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Obasanjo is an individual. We have 170 million Nigerians. Each individual has his own opinion. He is not a prophet. God has not given him power to foresee the future.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, granted an interview in which he said the North East governors, especially governors of the affected states, did not do their homework very well and that was why the insecurity escalated. He concluded that those governors deserve to be sacked. Do you share his view?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It sounded like a military language. The governors were elected.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But is it actually their fault?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians. You cannot single out one or two people to say that they are responsible. We are all responsible for what happened that led to the emergence of the insurgency.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At what point did you join President Jonathan? What attracted you to him?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I did not join Jonathan. You see, I am a Nigerian. I am 88 years old.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Really?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yes. 88 years old. I was born in 1926. If at this age, I don’t know the limit of my effort, then I am not worth my age.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How would you describe his administration?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Like any other administration in Nigeria, it has positive aspect and it has negative aspect.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Which outweighs the other?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I did not put them on a scale. Give me time and I will put them on a scale. But I know there are negatives, there are positives.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2015, will you support President Jonathan?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Let him come out. I will support the best candidate that comes out sponsored by the party. So, I am waiting. I have no candidate as of now. When the candidates are out and I see their programmes and I see their parties, then, I will be able to make up my mind.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If the president appoints you his campaign manager, will you accept?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I don’t have the energy.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Can’t you support with ideas from behind?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If he is the candidate of my choice, I will certainly assist him.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As the president’s campaign manager?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Not as campaign manager. I cannot be campaign manager for anybody because I am too old to do that. I don’t have the energy, but I have ideas. Not physical ideas, but mental.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You are a delegate to the national conference. What is going on there?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We were to resume yesterday, but when we went, we were given papers and the papers were voluminous. By my count, they are about 4000 pages. They wanted us to read them.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it possible to go through all of them?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is what they think. But all the delegates said they cannot cope. However, we were told to come to go through the report of the decisions taken by the conference and if we are satisfied that the report is a reflection of the collective decision taken by the conference, then we will approve it. Instead, we were confronted with new issues – a draft constitution which we did not deliberate upon, which is running into hundreds of pages and also, a draft bill which we also did not consider as a conference. So, most people feel that these are new elements in the responsibility of the conference and I am sure that tomorrow, we will be able to express our opinion on them and whatever is the decision of the majority of delegates, so be it.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">North-South dichotomy is really playing out at the conference. What this?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is not true. It is not true. It is not true.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But there are intrigues here and there?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Well, intrigue is part of politics. If there were intrigues on North-South dichotomy, we couldn’t have reached consensus on the 20 committees of the conference. If you follow the reports of all the 20 committees appointed, when they reported, they reached decisions by consensus.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How would you describe the conference so far?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Very successful. People were afraid that the conference would signal the dissolution of Nigeria, but it has strengthened the unity. You can see the outcome. We are more united. We understand each other better now than before.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Are you sure the report will see the light of the day?</b></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yes. I am sure because I can’t see all these efforts going down the drain.</span></div> <div id="adscontainer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.857; margin: 0px 0px 1.857em; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters

Ultimatum to Jonathan: Maitama Sule, others are jesters   Yakassai hits Northern elders over ultimatum to Jonathan on Chibok girl...

Read more »

Presidency reacts to report which alleges GEJ revealed location of Chibok girls

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3553228383595990263" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: auto; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; width: 616px;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Fm2A82EGi8vbfn-9LQChnQ_dq1YTbi025mjTKeXxipN1LaKPwkAdLzBnu4sSlf_SdCL5NadWZaR2QHwnPu8QbK0Z2dikQMr8M0YIbfNbQerOPv0tiWHz1qFP0vx-dF4nlbKrJkp30s/s1600/L-R-Abati-Jonathan-360x167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Fm2A82EGi8vbfn-9LQChnQ_dq1YTbi025mjTKeXxipN1LaKPwkAdLzBnu4sSlf_SdCL5NadWZaR2QHwnPu8QbK0Z2dikQMr8M0YIbfNbQerOPv0tiWHz1qFP0vx-dF4nlbKrJkp30s/s1600/L-R-Abati-Jonathan-360x167.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">     </span></span></div> <div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3553228383595990263" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: auto; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; width: 616px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">           Below is the State House Press Release</span></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <b>Press release which alleges that president Jonathan has revealed location of Chibok girls is political dirty trick...</b></blockquote> <span lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">ll media organisations and persons on my mailing list should kindly disregard the press release purportedly issued by me earlier today titled: <b>President Jonathan reveals location of Chibok girls and exposes Boko Haram masterminds</b>.</span></span></span></blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">No such press release was written or circulated by me. It is clearly the work of fraudsters who have hacked into my email account in an odious attempt to mislead the public at the expense of the credibility of the Jonathan Administration. Continue...</span></span></span></div> <a href="" name="more"></a></blockquote> <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;"></span></span></span></div> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">We totally condemn this criminal resort to political dirty tricks which seeks to cynically play on national concern and emotions about the Boko Haram insurgency and fate of the abducted Chibok girls.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">Aspects of the fraudulent press release, such as its incoherence and invitation to click on a<span> </span>link, <span> </span>would have alerted discerning persons who are conversant with the style and format <span> </span>of my press statements to the possibility <span> </span>of skulduggery.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">I find it necessary, however, to<span>  </span>issue this disclaimer for the benefit of the unwary.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">R<span class="il">euben</span> <span class="il">Abati</span></span></span></span></div> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">Special Adviser to the President</span></span></span></div> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">(Media & Publicity)</span></span></span></div> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 14px;">August 15, 2014</span></u></span></span></div> </blockquote> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </div> </div> </div>

Presidency reacts to report which alleges GEJ revealed location of Chibok girls

                 Below is the State House Press Release Press release which alleges that president Jonathan has revealed location of ...

Read more »

GEJ reacts to Northern Elders ultimatum over missing Chibok girls

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-5wQjjU_VLlIVZwMtuP_siSly186JL-crkb1BQVUmccTEStjp0Kwu6GJuO4gqClKodKEK65bMnO1Qui5DpncfP_7JxDnJfWBquCTRERsQjAfyeIww7vc4GkpxxfloQU3jmaymOKMA_u0/s1600/President-Jonathan-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-5wQjjU_VLlIVZwMtuP_siSly186JL-crkb1BQVUmccTEStjp0Kwu6GJuO4gqClKodKEK65bMnO1Qui5DpncfP_7JxDnJfWBquCTRERsQjAfyeIww7vc4GkpxxfloQU3jmaymOKMA_u0/s1600/President-Jonathan-300x225.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President Jonathan has reacted to the October ultimatum handed to him by the Northern Elders Forum to return the missing Chibok girls to their families and end insurgency activities in the north. They made this demand at a press conference yesterday August 11th, alleging that the sect activities are politically motivated with a grand agenda to weaken the political and economical interest of the North, with a view of exploiting this weakness in the 2015 elections.</span><br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We are convinced that most of these conflicts are being engineered to weaken the North politically and economically by interests, which intend to exploit such weaknesses for electoral benefits. In the light of our firm conviction that the insurgency and related security challenges pose threats to the 2015 elections and the survival of our nation, we strongly advise President Goodluck Jonathan to bring an end to the insurgency in all its manifestations and produce the Chibok girls before the end of October 2014. Continue..</span></blockquote> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The circumstances under which our fellow citizens in and around Gwoza in Borno State in particular live and die will not be tolerated by any people who have a government and a leader sworn to defend them, and they must be reversed immediately,” the Northern Elders said.<br /><br />Reacting to the deadline, President Jonathan through his SSA on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, released a statement today describing the threat by the Northern leaders as "preposterous" and "contrary to common sense".<br /><br />Find the statement below...<br /><br />We read with deep concern the statement published in the Media today by the Northern Elders Forum giving President Goodluck Jonathan a two ultimatum on the Boko Haram Insurgency and the Chibok Girls abduction Saga.<br /><br />We wish to state categorically that President Jonathan does not require any threat or ultimatum from any group of persons to be alive to his responsibilities to the Nigerian People.<br />The issue of Insurgency especially those ideologically based on Islamic extremism is a global phenomenon and requires tact, military capability, serious de-radicalisation techniques and community based counter insurgency programmes to ensure success.<br /><br />In these areas, the Federal Government is making progress:<br /><br />a)   We are improving on our operational capabilities and efficiencies by acquiring more advanced weapons and technologies for our military and security agencies.<br />b)   We have drafted more military personnel to the region to strengthen the fighting power of our armed forces.<br />c)   We are taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to assist in identifying key locations.<br />d)   We are working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London.<br />e)   We are deploying more resources to maximize operational efficiency, acquire more advanced and relevant weaponry and boost the general morale of our combatants. This is why the Government recently requested for an additional funding of $1bn.<br />f)    And the last piece in the puzzle is targeting the domestic and international funding, and stopping the money flows into the coffers of the terrorists.<br />g)   With all these efforts and the support of our allies, these steps will help fight the threat of the Boko haram and move us closer to bringing the girls back safely.<br /><br />Lastly, the suggestion that the Government is carrying out any scheme to annihilate any section of the country for political gain is preposterous, contrary to common sense, divisive and essentially a deliberate attempt to disseminate “hate mentality” and cause mischief.<br /><br />President Goodluck Jonathan was voted for by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the board, and he will never promote any policy that is either divisive or inimical to the wellbeing of any section of the polity.<br />What the country needs today is total co-operation, of all its citizens and stakeholders, with the Government and our military and the security agencies.<br />We wish to assure Nigerians that in spite of this and many more distractions, the President is focused on continued successful executions of his transformation Agenda; and the guarantee of the security of lives and properties of the Nigerian people.</span></div>

GEJ reacts to Northern Elders ultimatum over missing Chibok girls

President Jonathan has reacted to the October ultimatum handed to him by the Northern Elders Forum to return the missing Chibok girls to ...

Read more »

Chibok girls fingered as suicide bombers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The delay in freeing the over 200 girls seized from Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, may have exposed them to radicalisation by their captors, who are now using them for suicide bombings, a source told Sunday Vanguard at the weekend.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The source spoke about the possibility that the girls had been indoctrinated by the terrorists in the last three months of their captivity, hynotised and sent into various parts of Nigeria and beyond with a view to carrying out deadly missions.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Serial attacks carried out by female bombers in Kano, last week, lent credence to the claim.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The source, who has contacts with the Boko Haram leadership, pointed out that it may be difficult to change  radical orientation of the girls, who may now see their malevolent disposition as an act of righteousness.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_444980" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing. " class="size-full wp-image-444980" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/BringBackOurGirls6.jpg" style="box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="412" /></span><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.</span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />“It may shock you to know that some of the girls being used for suicide bombings in parts of the North are among those taken from Chibok in April this year,” the source said.</span><br /> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continuing, the source insisted that “it is rather unfortunate that government wasted precious time in rescuing the girls either through negotiation with Boko Haram or other means possible.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It was clear from the outset that the girls would not come out the same, after being kept with their unwanted hosts for a long time”.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Although the Federal Government said, last Wednesday, that the Chibok girls were not among the female bombers, its spokesman did not provide any evidence to prove his claim.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At a media briefing in Abuja, Coordinator<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, tried to ward off the suggestion that the 219 school girls currently in the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents could have turned suicide bombers.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It will be recalled that few days after the abduction of the girls, a human rights activist,  who had taken part in failed bids to broker a truce between the Federal Government and Boko Haram leadership,   Shehu Sani, had raised the alarm that the girls could be indoctrinated if not urgently freed.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sani told Sunday Vanguard, in an exclusive interview in May, that the prolonged detention of the girls by the terrorists could dramatically alter their fate and orientation.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to Sani, the longer the girls were being kept  by their captors, the higher the potential of their being brainwashed to accept radicalism and terrorism.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said:”But the danger of keeping these girls, without either using negotiation or force to free them is that, everyday these girls are being brainwashed by the insurgents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">” If we are not careful, the Chibok girls that would come out of captivity would not be the same girls that went into captivity. They would be indoctrinated, they would be hypnotised and brainwashed to the point that they would be transformed into insurgents themselves. And of what use would they be?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“These are very young girls in their teens with very open and vulnerable minds but open to dangerous ideas. You can see how a man would abduct a girl whose parents don’t like him and, by the time the girl comes back she is ready to fight her parents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“So, the danger is that as the clocks ticks, it is ticking for us , for the girls and for our reputation and integrity as a country”.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/chibok-girls-fingered-suicide-bombers/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/chibok-girls-fingered-suicide-bombers/#sthash.HE7QCZvy.dpuf</span></div>

Chibok girls fingered as suicide bombers

The delay in freeing the over 200 girls seized from Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, may have exposed them to radicali...

Read more »

#Bring Back Our Girls: Where are our Juju men?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> -By Charles Dickson<div> <br /></div> <div> <a href="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Image" class="size-full wp-image" height="190" id="i-1818" originalw="190" scale="2" src="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg?w=380" src-orig="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg?w=190" style="border: none; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="190" /></span></a><br /><div> <br /></div> <div> <br /><div class="entry" style="border: 0px; clear: left; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Nigeria is the only country in the world where the best is impossible and the worst never happens.” </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">My friend Dr. Dabin is the PDP chairman in Plateau state, with him over the weekend, he told a story of the Igalas of Kogi state. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Igalas have a dancing festival, in which the community is supposed to dance all night, starting from mid-night to the next morning. The dance is supposed to be uniform by all dancers. However there is a caveat, as at some point as daybreak beckons, the beat changes. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And that’s where the danger lies, and the essence of the festival. If you miss the beat and don’t change your dance steps to the new beat and continue the old dance. You are used as a sacrifice/you are offered and killed to appease the ‘gods’.  </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While I ruminated over the narrative, for me, it was not about the killing, it was about the change of the beat and the naïve dancer. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, its the five weeks, we are still looking to #bringbackourgirls, the United States one thought was going to wave the magical wand, storm chibok, niger, cameroun and chad and fish out Shekau and his bandwagon of insane goons. While that doesn’t seem to have happened, one thing though has occurred. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Okay, this is it; Rann is a border town with Cameroun and about 160 kilometers northeast of Maidugiri, the Borno state capital.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Boko Haram came calling, as usual with their Hilux vehicles and motorcycles laden with explosives, infact we are informed that they had the benefit of an Amoured Personnel Carrier APC (And by the way, I am beginning a campaign to ask car manufacturer Toyota how their hilux has become a terror operational vehicle for boko haram).<br /> </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The dreaded Boko Haram group was overpowered by vigilance group and what we know as Civilian JTF, this is the catch… “They foiled the attack on the town by confronting the suspected insurgents with weapons and CHARMS TO BLINDFOLD THEM FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Infact at the end, over 200men of the Boko Haram group were killed, the story continued that about 10 or so of the insurgents with rifles and other ammunitions could not fire any shot. And please don’t ask me why…<br /><br />Before the attack the residents of the town we are told had fortified the town against any attack, so must of the towns and villages in the Kalabalge Local council have been fortified “spiritually” with dane guns, double barrel rifles and bow and arrows.<br /><br />Before going far, what strikes one about this story is that it was corroborated by a military that was near mutiny due to so many reasons including poor firepower against a seemingly more formidable foe.<br /><br />It happened while we were waiting for American commando and marines. It happened while #bringbackourgirls as a message or campaign had hit over 2million retweets. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My fear is that the beat may have changed and we are still dancing to the old tune, as we engaged on the propriety or otherwise of Mr. President not going to Chibok or going to Le’shibok in Paris, the conspiracy theorists spurn more stories. Shettima was in London doing CNN when none of the actors think much of our own NTA on this matter, not that I do either. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If the beat has or can change, the use of voodoo and or juju represents is part of the new beat to #bringbackourgirls. I am not asking you my reader to believe in african scud missile or baba ijebu skype that uses only a basin of water or mirror–no need for electricity or internet connectivity. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But its time I ask, where are the jujumen, the voodoo. Those juju men from Igala, the ijebus noted for their “I go show you” jazz.  Where are the Benin arrangement, una wan carry last. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Maidugiri as is Kano despite strong Islamic core have reputable seer zones, I know a place where policemen go in Zaria to get “cooked”. I mean fortified from bullets and all sorts. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Where are the prophets that see everything, and anything including why Jonathan should not contest. Can’t they see where Shekau is or is it that the Sambisa forest coordinates are too strong or have defied. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If voodoo worked in Rann, should our spritualists not be called to help, can’t our prosperity drone preachers weigh in, they perform miracles and magic, how about the mallams? We really need them now as the beat has changed. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We need that association of witches and wizards that endorsed Jonathan in the last election to fly their drones and help locate our girls and destroy Shekau.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, while we ‘politik’ on security, on state of emergency, across party lines etc. I end this admonition on this note. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong – and he was just as convinced that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I couldn’t believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.”<br />It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side it was black.<br /> <br />Have we done enough to #bringbackourgirls, or just arguing about who stole what, what is the color of Shekau’s canvass. The beat has changed, let’s call the jujumen, the bokas, or else, would I be still writing on chibok–only time will tell. </span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

#Bring Back Our Girls: Where are our Juju men?

-By Charles Dickson “Nigeria is the only country in the world where the best is impossible and the worst never happens.”  My friend...

Read more »

Oby Ezekwesili condemns Jonathan, Okupe over ‘N100m’ gift to Chibok parents - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/oby-ezekwesili-condemns-jonathan-okupe-n100m-gift-chibok-parents

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Former Minister of Education and a leader of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has condemned the presidency for allegedly doling out money to the parents of the abducted Chibok girls during a visit to the Aso Villa.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Chibok4.gif" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Chibok4" class="alignleft wp-image-456149 size-full" height="269" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Chibok4.gif" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></a>The Presidency through the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe in a text message to Vanguard newspaper has denied the alleged act, maintaining that the presidency only took care of the feeding, accomodation and transportation of the Chibok parents.</span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The President did not give any N100m to the visitors from  Chibok.  Government took care of their accommodation, feeding and transportation.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Government’s plan is robust rehabilitation and resettlement of the girls who have  escaped so they can continue their education.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The government also plans to rebuild the school and in general terms, repair damaged infrastructure as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ezekwesili refuses to accept the denial of the presidency has she took to her twitter handle to lambast the presidency and Dr.Okupe.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Read her tweets below.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/oby-100.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="oby-100" class="alignleft wp-image-457206 size-full" height="228" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/oby-100.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="580" /></a><a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Oby-100m.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Oby-100m" class="alignleft wp-image-457207 size-full" height="311" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Oby-100m.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="561" /></a></span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Three months after the Chibok girls were abducted, President Jonathan finally agreed to meet with their parents following an appeal by the Pakistan girl-child education activist Malala Yusoufai. The Presidency had faced intense criticism over its handling of the kidnap of the Chibok girls being held by the extremist Boko Haram sect since April 14.<a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Oby-N100M1.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Oby-N100M" class="alignleft wp-image-457208 size-full" height="345" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Oby-N100M1.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="547" /></a></span></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/oby-ezekwesili-condemns-jonathan-okupe-n100m-gift-chibok-parents/#sthash.OrFMOrl4.dpuf</span></div>

Oby Ezekwesili condemns Jonathan, Okupe over ‘N100m’ gift to Chibok parents - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/oby-ezekwesili-condemns-jonathan-okupe-n100m-gift-chibok-parents

Former Minister of Education and a leader of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has condemned the presidency for allegedl...

Read more »

Don’t negotiate for Chibok girls, Muslims tell Sultan

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="post-247868 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news entry" style="margin: 0px 0px 30px;"> <h1 class="entry-title" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: url(http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/themes/punch/images/dots-horizontal.gif); background-position: 0% 100%; border-top-color: rgb(255, 1, 1) !important; border-top-style: solid !important; border-top-width: 1px !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 9px 4px;"> <br /></h1> <div class="post-info" style="margin: 5px 0px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="date published time" title="2014-07-27T00:00:45+00:00">JULY 27, 2014</span> BY LEKE BAIYEWU</span></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><div class="entry-content" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="story-featured-image" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 15px; min-width: 378px !important; width: 368px;"> <img alt="Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III" class="attachment-bigstoryimage" height="225" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Sultan-of-Sokoto-Alhaji-Muhammad-Abubakar-III-360x225.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; margin-right: 10px; padding: 4px;" width="360" /><div class="featured-image-caption" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px 10px 0px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III</span></div> </div> <div style="float: left; padding: 10px 18px 5px 0px; width: 370px;"> <ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7167863529667065" data-ad-slot="6184555097" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="display: inline-block; height: 140px; width: 370px;"><ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 140px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 370px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: none; display: block; height: 140px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 370px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="140" hspace="0" id="aswift_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_0" scrolling="no" style="left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="370"></iframe></ins></ins></ins></div> <div id="nrelate_flyout_placeholder"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has warned the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, against holding talks with the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, until he receives an official approval from the Federal Government.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The apex body of Muslims in the country fears that the Sultan might be blackmailed by the government if he goes ahead to negotiate with the terrorist group, especially on the over 200 pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School abducted by the sect on April 14, without an official consent.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The council warned that the Islamic leader should not be hoodwinked into making such moves by those calling for his intervention in the insurgency by the sect.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Some Islamic elite, under the aegis of Concerned Muslim Professionals, had written to the Sultan earlier in July, asking him to lead the dialogue with the Boko Haram sect.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The group told the monarch, who is the President-General of the NSCIA, to use his position and engage members of the sect in dialogue that would make them stop their campaign of killings.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Similarly, a human rights activist based in the North and President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Shehu Sani, had earlier in May asked the Sultan to spearhead the moves to secure the release of the abducted pupils from the group’s captivity.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sani, in a letter to the religious leader, had said, “You (Sultan) have a moral duty and a spiritual responsibility to be visibly and actively involved in seeking the resolution of this impasse happening within areas you have religious influence.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, the Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking to <em>SUNDAY PUNCH</em> on Thursday, warned that the President-General of the council should not be hoodwinked into taking up the task of negotiating with the terrorists.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “The Muslim community had always been taking action; it had always been appealing to the people (Boko Haram) but Muslim leaders are also cautious because in your process to go out to look for these people; if in the process you’re caught talking with them, the government can even turn against you and say you’re part of part of Boko Haram.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“No matter the level of the Muslim leader, he has to think twice before he begins to communicate with these people (sect) because the same government that you want to work for can turn against you and accuse you of complicity; and you will be on your own.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“They (government) have enough machinery to present you as a devil such that members of your family will believe that you’re a devil.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When asked if such could be done to the Sultan, the professor insisted that the Islamic leader could be implicated without the backing of the government, especially at a time when “many of us are being unduly monitored.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He added, “I am not the Sultan but fortunately the Sultan has dual status; traditionally, he is the Sultan of Sokoto; religiously, he is the leader of the Muslim community. I relate with him as far as his mandate as the leader of the Muslim community is concerned.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“In that capacity, I will not advise him to hold any unilateral action with the sect without having the full confidence of the government of the day. If anybody makes such calls, somebody like the Sultan should think twice before venturing into searching for people you do not know.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Oloyede asked why the Federal Government kept the findings by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, which was chaired by the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I believe that by now, as Muslims leaders, we should have access to the findings; we don’t. We are just working in darkness. By now, even if the report had not been released, we should have had access to it. Then, we will be able to have some clues to what is happening,” the NSCIA scribe stated.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, an Islamic pressure group, Muslims Rights Concern, said it was the responsibility of the Federal Government, and not the Sultan, to seek an end to the insurgency by the group.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Founder, MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, told <em>SUNDAY PUNCH</em> in an interview on Friday that the Sultan had spoken out against the activities of the sect on several occasions, “what else do they want him to do?”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “I stand by the decision of the Supreme Council; it is a very correct position. The Sultan cannot negotiate, particularly without the Federal Government’s green light. We don’t support the idea of the Sultan negotiating because he would be seen as somebody who has vested interests. Why can’t the Federal Government take that up?”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Professor of Islamic Eschatology stated that there was no reason for the Muslim community to rise up to the challenge separately, as it would be “tantamount to sedition, separatism and rising when the Federal Government should rise.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Efforts to get the Presidency for comments on Friday and Saturday proved abortive. Calls made to the mobile phones of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, respectively, were not picked.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, they did not reply to text messages sent to them.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In the letter to the Sultan, the President, Concerned Muslim Professionals, Alhaji Mohammed Saidu, said, “A failure on the part of the Muslim leadership (under His Eminence the Sultan) to discharge these responsibilities/actions to the later will render it of questionable ability, doubtful recognition, decimal loyalty or an outright dismissal as a mere smoke-screen. As obedient and loyalists to His Eminence the Sultan, our hearts bleed on these realities.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sani, in an exclusive interview with <em>SUNDAY PUNCH</em>, had stated that the sect would prefer Islamic clerics as its negotiators.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “The group (Boko Haram) is mostly comfortable with Islamic clerics. The insurgents are more comfortable with people that are considered neutralists. .</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“For the purpose of negotiation, if the government is setting up a team, I strongly advise that the team should be made up of Islamic clerics, who are going to reach out to them to seek the release of the girls.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just as the Islamic bodies have requested, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan must approve his planned move to secure the release of the Chibok schoolgirls.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In an interview with <em>Bloomberg TV</em> on May 31, 2014, the ex-President had said while he had not been officially mandated to lead the mediation, his next step was to get an approval from the government. He insisted that the President must know about his moves.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Again on June 12, 2014, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Obasanjo had expressed his regret that the Federal Government had not yet given him the green light to reach to the insurgents for the release of the girls.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Federal Government had, however, insisted that Obasanjo had access to President Jonathan, if he truly wanted to make inputs. Sources at the Presidency had also expressed doubts over Obasanjo’s sincerity with his plan.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <strong><em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Copyright PUNCH.</em></strong></div> <em><div style="text-align: left;"> <em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.</em></div> </em><br /> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong>Contact: </strong><a href="mailto:editor@punchng.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><strong>editor@punchng.com</strong></a></span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> </div> </div> <div class="story-bottom" style="position: relative; text-align: center; top: -10px;"> <div class="wrap"> <div class="widget wpbr-widget" id="story-bottom"> <div class="widget-wrap"> <div class="wpbrad wpbrad-zone" id="wpbrbannerajax7a614fd06c"> <div class="wpbrbanner" id="wpbrbanner469" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; clear: both; height: 60px; margin: 0px auto; width: 460px;"> <div class="wpbrbannerinside"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.hmmnaija.com/okonjo-iweala-dances-to-p-squares-chop-my-money/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">(MUST WATCH VIDEO) : Okonjo-Iweala Dances To P-Square’s ‘Chop My Money’</span></strong></a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wpbrad wpbrad-zone" id="wpbrbannerajax26e359e838"> <div class="wpbrbanner" id="wpbrbanner452" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; clear: both; height: 90px; margin: 0px auto; width: 460px;"> <div class="wpbrbannerinside" style="text-align: left;"> <span id="show_ads_450a2b2147d2c88a5d2dfa92dce1ad74_4204" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" scrolling="no" src="http://www.searchnigeria.net/adsnigeria/publisher-show-ads.php?id=4204&ht=100&r=f&blockcount=1&content_type=UTF-8&search=&title=on%E2%80%99t%20negotiate%20for%20Chibok%20girls%2C%20Muslims%20tell%20Sultan&desc=&ref=" width="486"></iframe></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="wpbrad wpbrad-zone" id="wpbrbannerajax92fb0c6d17"> <div class="wpbrbanner" id="wpbrbanner139" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; clear: both; height: 90px; margin: 0px auto; width: 728px;"> <div class="wpbrbannerinside" style="text-align: left;"> <ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7167863529667065" data-ad-slot="7473145091" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="display: inline-block; height: 90px; width: 728px;"><ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 90px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: none; display: block; height: 90px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="90" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" scrolling="no" style="left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="728"></iframe></ins></ins></ins></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="nr_related_placeholder" data-permalink="http://www.punchng.com/news/dont-negotiate-for-chibok-girls-muslims-tell-sultan/" data-title="Don’t negotiate for Chibok girls, Muslims tell Sultan"> <div class="nrelate nrelate_related nr_clear nrelate_default nr_110 nr_1row widget_id_0 nr_setup" id="nrelate_related_0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 5px 1px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"> <h3 class="nr_title" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; min-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">You may also like -</span></span></h3> <div class="nr_inner" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 4px 0px; width: 638px;"> <a class="nr_panel nr_rc_link nr_link nr_internal nr_unit_1 nr_col_1 nr_row_1 nr_first_col nr_first_row nr_odd_row nr_odd_col" data-tracking-params="{"nrid":"763cca7bbd1d8e0e12865da9e41401d2"}" href="http://www.punchng.com/business/industry/chibok-kidnapping-insurgency-threaten-investment-experts/" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent !important; box-shadow: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; margin: 1px; min-height: 189px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 1px 0px; position: relative !important; text-decoration: none; width: 118px;"><span class="nr_img_div" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="Chibok kidnapping, insurgency threaten investment — Experts" class="nr_img" scale="0" src="http://imgcdn.nrelate.com/image_cache/www.punchng.com/dbdedd87ec1a92d4fe942829eb8c859e_thumb_Scene-of-Wednesday%E2%80%99s-bomb-blast-in-Kaduna.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: block; height: 110px !important; margin: 0px !important; outline: rgb(221, 221, 221) solid 1px; padding: 2px !important; width: auto !important;" title="Chibok kidnapping, insurgency threaten investment — Experts" /></span><span class="nr_text" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px; width: 118px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="nr_post_title" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chibok kidnapping, insurgency threaten investment — Experts</span></span></span></span></a><a class="nr_panel nr_rc_link nr_link nr_internal nr_unit_2 nr_col_2 nr_row_1 nr_first_row nr_odd_row nr_even_col" data-tracking-params="{"nrid":"b527b66a3ff23af7087755c70207df76"}" href="http://www.punchng.com/news/we-have-capacity-to-win-bharam-war-fg/" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent !important; box-shadow: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; margin: 1px; min-height: 189px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 1px 0px; position: relative !important; text-decoration: none; width: 118px;"><span class="nr_img_div" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="We have capacity to win B’Haram war – FG" class="nr_img" scale="0" src="http://imgcdn.nrelate.com/image_cache/www.punchng.com/f75d07cb0aff705bccedaec8c0ea44dd_thumb_Minister-of-State-FCT-Olajumoke-Akinjide.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: block; height: 110px !important; margin: 0px !important; outline: rgb(221, 221, 221) solid 1px; padding: 2px !important; width: auto !important;" title="We have capacity to win B’Haram war – FG" /></span><span class="nr_text" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px; width: 118px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="nr_post_title" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We have capacity to win B’Haram war – FG</span></span></span></span></a><a class="nr_panel nr_rc_link nr_link nr_internal nr_unit_3 nr_col_3 nr_row_1 nr_first_row nr_odd_row nr_odd_col" data-tracking-params="{"nrid":"7d997932c617b19944c58afe7b7e6e23"}" href="http://www.punchng.com/news/sallah-mark-canvasses-collective-action-against-terrorism/" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent !important; box-shadow: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; margin: 1px; min-height: 189px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 1px 0px; position: relative !important; text-decoration: none; width: 118px;"><span class="nr_img_div" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="Sallah: Mark canvasses collective action against terrorism" class="nr_img" scale="0" src="http://imgcdn.nrelate.com/image_cache/www.punchng.com/e56f8e455830e22cca0bc235d2f5c5ea_thumb_punch110x110.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: block; height: 110px !important; margin: 0px !important; outline: rgb(221, 221, 221) solid 1px; padding: 2px !important; width: auto !important;" title="Sallah: Mark canvasses collective action against terrorism" /></span><span class="nr_text" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px; width: 118px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="nr_post_title" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sallah: Mark canvasses collective action against terrorism</span></span></span></span></a><a class="nr_panel nr_rc_link nr_link nr_internal nr_unit_4 nr_col_4 nr_row_1 nr_first_row nr_odd_row nr_even_col" data-tracking-params="{"nrid":"6740f5b1a06d2e5d94a44655f88b9882"}" href="http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/weekendstarter/eavesdropper-40/" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent !important; box-shadow: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; margin: 1px; min-height: 189px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 1px 0px; position: relative !important; text-decoration: none; width: 118px;"><span class="nr_img_div" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="Eavesdropper" class="nr_img" scale="0" src="http://imgcdn.nrelate.com/image_cache/www.punchng.com/e56f8e455830e22cca0bc235d2f5c5ea_thumb_punch110x110.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: block; height: 110px !important; margin: 0px !important; outline: rgb(221, 221, 221) solid 1px; padding: 2px !important; width: auto !important;" title="Eavesdropper" /></span><span class="nr_text" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px; width: 118px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="nr_post_title" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Eavesdropper</span></span></span></span></a><a class="nr_panel nr_rc_link nr_link nr_internal nr_unit_5 nr_col_5 nr_row_1 nr_last_col nr_first_row nr_odd_row nr_odd_col" data-tracking-params="{"nrid":"0d49ee970287a2822dcd735cda95d36c"}" href="http://www.punchng.com/news/patience-expresses-concern-over-delay-in-chibok-girls-rescue/" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent !important; box-shadow: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; margin: 1px; min-height: 189px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 1px 0px; position: relative !important; text-decoration: none; width: 118px;"><span class="nr_img_div" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="Patience expresses concern over delay in Chibok girls’ rescue" class="nr_img" scale="0" src="http://imgcdn.nrelate.com/image_cache/www.punchng.com/0ef51022962cec3ca98b920d826b8cfe_thumb_Patience-Jonathan.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-transform: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: block; height: 110px !important; margin: 0px !important; outline: rgb(221, 221, 221) solid 1px; padding: 2px !important; width: auto !important;" title="Patience expresses concern over delay in Chibok girls’ rescue" /></span><span class="nr_text" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px; width: 118px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="nr_post_title" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Patience expresses concern over delay in Chibok girls’ rescue</span></span></span></span></a><div style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-transform: none; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="within-story" style="border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; float: right; margin-left: 15px; padding-left: 10px; width: 640px;"> <div class="wrap story-wrap"> <div class="widget widget_sp_image" id="widget_sp_image-10"> <div class="widget-wrap"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" class="attachment-full" height="25" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Latesssst.jpg" style="max-width: 100%;" width="150" /></span></div> </div> <div class="widget widget_recent_entries"> <div class="widget-wrap"> <ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;"> <li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(218, 218, 218); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; display: table-cell; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-right: 12px; padding: 0px 8px 6px; width: 144px; word-wrap: break-word;"><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/russia-lambasts-new-eu-sanctions/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="Russia lambasts new EU sanctions"><span style="color: black;">Russia lambasts new EU sanctions</span></a><span style="display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; padding: 2px 4px;">06:57</span> <em style="visibility: hidden;"></em> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/russia-lambasts-new-eu-sanctions/#comments" style="text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on Russia lambasts new EU sanctions">Comments</a></span></span></li> <li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(218, 218, 218); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; display: table-cell; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-right: 12px; padding: 0px 8px 6px; width: 144px; word-wrap: break-word;"><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/omisorell-surprise-aregbesola-on-august-9-babatope/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="Omisore’ll surprise Aregbesola on August 9 – Babatope"><span style="color: black;">Omisore’ll surprise Aregbesola on August 9 – Babatope</span></a><span style="display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; padding: 2px 4px;">06:35</span> <em style="visibility: hidden;"></em> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/omisorell-surprise-aregbesola-on-august-9-babatope/#comments" style="text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on Omisore’ll surprise Aregbesola on August 9 – Babatope">3 Comments</a></span></span></li> <li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(218, 218, 218); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; display: table-cell; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-right: 12px; padding: 0px 8px 6px; width: 144px; word-wrap: break-word;"><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-killed-three-of-my-sons-32-others-el-zakzaky/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky"><span style="color: black;">Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky</span></a><span style="display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; padding: 2px 4px;">02:17</span> <em style="visibility: hidden;"></em> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-killed-three-of-my-sons-32-others-el-zakzaky/#comments" style="text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky">35 Comments</a></span></span></li> <li style="border-bottom-color: rgb(218, 218, 218); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; display: table-cell; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-right: 12px; padding: 0px 8px 6px; width: 144px; word-wrap: break-word;"><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-trade-blame-over-attack-on-buhari/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari"><span style="color: black;">APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari</span></a><span style="display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; padding: 2px 4px;">01:41</span> <em style="visibility: hidden;"></em> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-trade-blame-over-attack-on-buhari/#comments" style="text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari">19 Comments</a></span></span></li> <div class="navigation" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 20px 0px; width: 640px;"> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/latest" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 10px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">More »</span></a></div> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <span data-source="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/themes/punch/lib/counter.php?postid=247868&server=http://www.punchng.com/" id="display-counter" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Read <strong>4,280</strong> times</span><div id="more-category-stories" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px;"> <h4 class="widgettitle" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: url(http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/themes/punch/images/dots-horizontal.gif); background-position: 0% 100%; border-top-color: rgb(255, 1, 1) !important; border-top-style: solid !important; border-top-width: 1px !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 9px 4px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">More Stories in News</span></h4> <div class="featuredpost" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 6px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; width: 204px;"> <img alt="Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky." class="attachment-listimage wp-post-image" height="48" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Sheikh-Ibrahim-El-Zakzaky-48x48.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; height: 32px; margin-right: 10px; padding: 2px; width: 32px;" width="48" /><h2 class="posttitle" style="margin: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-killed-three-of-my-sons-32-others-el-zakzaky/" rel="bookmark" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky "><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky</span></a></h2> <span class="postmeta" style="clear: both; display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 27th, 2014 / <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-killed-three-of-my-sons-32-others-el-zakzaky/#comments" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky ">26 Comments </a><br /><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-killed-three-of-my-sons-32-others-el-zakzaky/" rel="bookmark" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title="Soldiers killed three of my sons, 32 others– El-Zakzaky ">Read Full Story</a></span></span></div> <div class="featuredpost" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 6px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; width: 204px;"> <img alt="Odigie-Oyegun and Mu'azu" class="attachment-listimage wp-post-image" height="48" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Oyegun-and-Muazu-48x48.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; height: 32px; margin-right: 10px; padding: 2px; width: 32px;" width="48" /><h2 class="posttitle" style="margin: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-trade-blame-over-attack-on-buhari/" rel="bookmark" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title=" APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari</span></a></h2> <span class="postmeta" style="clear: both; display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 27th, 2014 / <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-trade-blame-over-attack-on-buhari/#comments" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari">15 Comments </a><br /><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-trade-blame-over-attack-on-buhari/" rel="bookmark" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title=" APC, PDP trade blame over attack on Buhari">Read Full Story</a></span></span></div> <div class="featuredpost" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 6px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; width: 204px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); height: 32px; margin-right: 10px; padding: 2px; width: 32px;"><img alt="Members of Boko Haram sect" class="attachment-listimage wp-post-image" height="48" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Members-of-Boko-Haram-sect-48x48.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; height: 32px; margin-right: 10px; padding: 2px; width: 32px;" width="48" /></span><h2 class="posttitle" style="margin: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/boko-haram-clashes-with-cameroonian-soldiers/" rel="bookmark" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;" title="Boko Haram clashes with Cameroonian soldiers"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Boko Haram clashes with Cameroonian soldiers</span></a></h2> <span class="postmeta" style="clear: both; display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 27th, 2014 / <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/boko-haram-clashes-with-cameroonian-soldiers/#comments" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title="Comment on Boko Haram clashes with Cameroonian soldiers">6 Comments </a><br /><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/boko-haram-clashes-with-cameroonian-soldiers/" rel="bookmark" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" title="Boko Haram clashes with Cameroonian soldiers">Read Full Story</a></span></span><div> <br /></div> </div> <div class="clear" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 0px; line-height: 19px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Don’t negotiate for Chibok girls, Muslims tell Sultan

JULY 27, 2014  BY LEKE BAIYEWU Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III The Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs...

Read more »