Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has said the Federal Government is committed to ending illegal mining in the country’s mining sector.

Alake spoke when he led a Federal Government delegation to pay a condolence visit to the Oyo State Government over Tuesday’s explosion at Bodija estate in Ibadan.

The minister contended that powerful Nigerians were behind banditry associated with illegal mining in Nigeria.

He said a lot of banditry, terrorism and insecurity which were being associated with the mining sector were actually sponsored by illegal miners who are powerful people in the society.

“There are lots of connivance among the strata of the society —- both high, medium and low classes of the society —- in the nation’s mining sector.

“But the Federal Government is working together with the state and local governments, as well as the host communities, who have efficient knowledge of the local terrain to address the issue.

“Illegal mining is not exclusive to the high class alone, but cuts across the strata of our society. So, we are employing both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies and tactics to address the menace,” Alake said.

He disclosed that the Federal Government would await the final report of the forensic investigations into the causes, effects and possible remedy to the Bodija estate explosion.

Alake however said it was going to be after this that government would take critical decisions on the unfortunate incident.

“It would be presumptuous for the Federal Government to take any solid pronouncement or categorical announcement now.

“We will examine all the forensic analysis reports, and all the investigations from all the agencies and various intelligence arms of the security agencies.

“They are all working round the clock to provide an authentic and viable forensic report to the Federal Government.

“When the reports are ready, the Federal Government will be on a solid platform to make an informed judgment and a categorical statement.

“The final forensic report will also help the Federal Government in taking appropriate decisions concerning the victims of this ugly incident.

“Anything before then will be presumptuous and can be misleading at the end of the day,” he said.

The minister urged Nigerians to be conscious and always report suspicious movements and businesses in their environment, noting that failure to report early always lead to negative results.

“We need to be safety-conscious and develop the attitude of reporting atrocious  activities in our neighbourhood.

“For example, no one will expect that such deadly explosives could be stored in an elite estate like this without suspicion,” he said.

(NAN)

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro says he doesn’t have a preference on which country his team should face in the Round of 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

The West Africans confirmed their place in the knockout phase courtesy of a 1-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau on Monday.

They are now awaiting the completion of proceedings in Group A to know their opponent.

Peseiro’s side could face either Senegal, Guinea or Cameroon in the next stage of the competition.

The Portuguese however claimed they are ready to take on any team.

“We’re ready for meet any team,” he said in a post-match interview.

“I am not 100% happy because we deserved to finish top of the group.

“We deserved to beat Equatorial Guinea and then we would have had nine points.”

[Dailypost]

After Nigeria’s narrow win against Guinea-Bissau on Monday evening, Super Eagles star Moses Simon said the Nigerian team is ready to face any opposition in the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Naija News reports that today’s 1-0 victory against the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau helped the Super Eagles of Nigeria progress to the Round of 16 of the AFCON.

Despite being wasteful at the match played at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, the Nigerian team still ended the Group stage match at second place behind Equatorial Guinea, thanks to a cross from Simon which was diverted into the net by Opa Sangante in the 36th minute.

Commenting on the Monday evening match, Simon said: “It was a good win for us. To make it from the group was a good one for us.”

“We are not thinking about the opponent we will be facing in the next round. I can’t even say we have any preference for a team we want to face.

“We have to be ready for all opposition if we want to win the title. Any team that we draw in the next round, we are ready for them and all other teams too,” Simon told a press conference in Abidjan.

Danjuma Ali-Keffi, a former general officer commanding (GOC) of 1 division of the Nigerian Army, says Ibrahim Attahiru and 11 other senior military officers died in a “suspicious” air crash in Kaduna.

On May 21, 2021, Attahiru, then chief of army staff (COAS), and 11 other senior military officers died in a crash that involved a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane near Kaduna airport.

The former chief of army staff was heading to Kaduna from Abuja to attend the passing-out parade of army recruits

Speaking in an interview with THISDAY published on Monday, Ali-Keffi, a retired major general, asked President Bola Tinubu to probe the crash.

He alleged that the crash was linked to terror sponsors, adding that the full report of the investigation of the incident has not been made public.

Ali-Keffi said Attahiru developed a strategy to end terrorism, “part of which was the infiltration of terror groups and the instigation of crisis among their leaders, which culminated in the elimination of Boko Haram leader”.

THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

The retired major general was scheduled to receive the late army chief in Kaduna on the day of the incident.

Ali-Keffi questioned the sudden change of time for Attahiru’s trip to Kaduna, the change of airport of landing from the military airstrip to Kaduna airport, and the nature of the explosion.

He said there was no crater or impact on the crash area, and the bodies of the passengers were flung out of the aircraft.

He added that the bodies were beyond recognition long before the aircraft came down in flames

“About 2100 hours, on Thursday 20 May 2021, I spoke on phone with the Chief of Staff (COS) to the late COAS regarding their impending trip to Kaduna the following day,” he said.

“I had earlier spoken with General Attahiru on the same issue. We ended our conversation on the note that the late COAS and entourage would come by flight at about 1000 hrs the following day.

“About 0630hrs the following morning, I called the COS to the late COAS to confirm if their travel plan was as we discussed the night before, as I needed to make arrangements for the mosque that the COAS would attend Jummu’at (Friday) prayers.

“The COS informed me that there was a change of plan. He said after we finished speaking last night, they received a message that the late COAS was to attend a meeting either at the Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD) office or at the Presidential Villa at about 1000 hrs on Friday 21 May 2021 and that the late COAS was to attend in person and not send a representative.

“It is important to note that the late COAS’ trip to Kaduna was part of his visit to Zaria to attend the Passing Out Parade at the Depot NA slated for Saturday 22 May 2021.

“It is worth noting that the movement of service chiefs out of station (Abuja) is with the prior knowledge of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD), and the presidency.

Advertisement
“So, why was a meeting scheduled for about the same time that the late COAS was to have departed for (or arrived) Kaduna and why the insistence that he (COAS) should not be represented?

“In any case, the COS informed me that in view of the meeting, they would depart the Flag House (official residence of the COAS) at about 1530 hrs (after attending the meeting and also after the Jummu’ at prayers) for the airport.

“They expected to arrive the airport at about 1600 hrs, board the aircraft at about 1610 – 1615 hours and depart for Kaduna.

“At about 1600 hours, I was informed that they had arrived the Presidential Wing of the Airport.

“I then set off from the Stallion House (official residence of the GOC) with my entourage in a convoy and arrived the Air Force Base at about 1615 hrs.

“For reasons that I cannot understand till today, the flight was delayed for over an hour and did not take off until 1730 hrs or so.

“The reason for the delay, as I was informed, was that there was an issue with the aircraft that was initially assigned for the mission (to convey the COAS and his entourage) and that it had to be changed.

The retired general wondered why the plane left Abuja despite an alert of a stormy weather condition in Kaduna.

“Meantime, there was a meteorological alert that Kaduna airspace was going to experience heavy rainfall accompanied with a storm (wind shear), and it was advised,” he added.

“Already, the cloud had formed in Kaduna, which was visible to us at the airport.

“As a matter of fact, the cloud was so thick, which was indicative of a massive storm. I began to nurse doubts about the flight.

“At some point, I voiced my doubts to Air Commodore Iyamu and Air Commodore Ilo, who were with me to receive the COAS.

“I even suggested that they should advise Abuja of the weather condition with a view to having the flight cancelled.

“At that point, I was informed that the aircraft was airborne (at about 1745 hrs). I became concerned as to whether the aircraft would be able to land at the airport in such a heavy rainfall, storm (the rain had started falling then).

“Thus, I was not surprised when Air Commodore Ilo informed me that we had to go to the Civil (International Airport) as the NAF runway was not long enough to enable the aircraft land under the atrocious weather condition.

“We then set off for the international airport but at a snail speed due to the heavy rainfall, which was accompanied with shale (ice particles).

“When we got to the vicinity of the airport, there was a thunderous sound, which I thought was the sound of thunder.

“We had earlier sighted what I believed was the aircraft descending to land on the runway.

“When we turned the bend to enter the tarmac, the thought in my mind was that the aircraft had touched down and was taxing to the parking area.

“I couldn’t see any aircraft on the runway. I frantically looked around and by the far side of the runway there was a fireball. It was the aircraft conveying General Attahiru!

“We got out of the vehicles, crossed the runway and approached the burning aircraft.

“Fire fighters were on the ground to put out the blaze. At some point, we had to pull back due to the fear of exploding cylinders.

“We later recovered the corpses of the 10 passengers on board the ill-fated plane far from where the plane wreckage was.

“Apparently, their bodies, which were on fire, were flung from the aircraft before it came down.

“Was the flight deliberately delayed in order to be caught up in the rainstorm? Was the aircraft sabotaged, which caused it to explode mid-air?

“Was the explosion caused by explosives? Was a bomb planted in the aircraft or contained in a parcel, which a passenger unknowingly (or knowingly) carried?”

Earlier, Ali-Keffi had written a letter to Tinubu over his arrest, detention, and compulsory retirement after the revelations of a presidential investigative taskforce that he headed.

The panel, constituted by former President Muhammadu Buhari, exposed the involvement of senior government officials, a top banker, and a senior military officer in terrorism financing.

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, has presented a report on the explosion that occurred in Ibadan, the state capital, to President Bola Tinubu.

Makinde met Tinubu at the weekend at the presidential villa, Abuja.

While handing over the report to the president, the governor thanked Tinubu for his support following the explosion.

He said his administration would do everything possible to provide succour to victims and punish those responsible for the incident.

On the night of January 18, an explosion rocked Dejo Oyelese Street, Bodija axis of Ibadan.

So far, five persons have been confirmed dead, while 77 people were said to be injured in the blast.

On Sunday, Makinde said over 90 percent of the victims of the explosion have been discharged from the hospital.

The governor added that structural integrity tests are being carried out on about 230 properties around the site of the explosion in Bodija.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has encouraged Nigerians to maintain hope amid the economic reforms implemented by President Bola Tinubu‘s administration.

The association urged the President to persist in the direction he has taken since assuming office almost eight months ago, expressing its support for the government.

CAN President, Daniel Okoh, urged Nigerians not to lose hope but to have patience and persevere, acknowledging the efforts made by the President towards securing the nation.

Okoh made this statement to State House Correspondents after the audience with the President at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

The meeting on Monday marked the first interaction between the Christian Association of Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu since his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

CAN strongly criticised Tinubu’s predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing the previous administration of inadequately addressing incidents of killings and attacks on churches and communities in the Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and the Middle Belt.

CAN expressed particular concern about the killing of over 40 worshipers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.

The organisation criticised Buhari, urging an end to what it referred to as the recycling of criminals and terrorists under the guise of a de-radicalisation program.

The organisation had also criticised Tinubu, who was then the All Progressives Congress candidate, for advocating a Muslim-Muslim ticket, expressing concerns about potential marginalisation of Christian interests.

However, following closed-door discussions with the President on Monday, the CAN leadership described Tinubu’s administration as “inclusive,” noting that they had observed the composition of appointments he had made thus far.

“Sincerely, what we found out is that the President is actually sensitive to all the challenges that we have. He’s aware, and we see him making very positive steps, even from the beginning of his administration.

“By the way he has made appointments so far, he has come with a great sense of inclusiveness. And Nigerians have a sense of belonging.

“I tell you that his pronouncements so far and his body language have increased the confidence of Nigerians, and we believe that, given the chance, he will do a lot more. We are praying that the Lord will strengthen his hand to be able to do more and turn around the fortunes of this country.”

Okoh appealed for understanding from Nigerians, arguing that the challenges affecting the country existed before the current administration took office.

He noted, “We know that there are a lot of challenges. But what we tell our people is that this is just the beginning of this administration, and Nigeria is big.

“What we face now started many years back, and it will take a while to turn around these things.

“But the important thing is that there is an intentional step that the President has taken and is taking to reverse the trend of events, especially in the area of governance; we see it very clearly.”

“The advice we have for the President is for him to continue on the path that he is now determined to follow.

“He is determined to run a government that is for all, an all-inclusive government, that listens to the people, just like he made a pledge to us that he will continue to listen to us and he has opened the channels for us that anything that we see or any concern that we have, we should always come back to let him know.

“So we believe that now we have a listening president. And we urge him to continue on that path. And to continue to always look out for those who mean well for this nation and put them to good use,” Okoh advised.

The Christian body stated that its presence at the seat of power was to congratulate the President on his electoral victory.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, the leadership of CAN decided to pay a courtesy visit to express congratulations to President Tinubu and to pledge their support for his administration.

A member of the House of Representatives for Umuahia North/Umuahia South/Ikwuano Federal Constituency of Abia State, Obi Aguocha, has slammed the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, over the option of eliminating the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Naija News learnt that Buhari’s thoughts about the option of eliminating Nnamdi Kanu were conveyed in a new book written by his former aide, Femi Adesina.

In the book, Adesina said there was an option of eliminating Kanu, stating that bringing Kanu back to face trial in Nigeria was a favour.

In response, Aguocha, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said the remarks by Buhari regarding Kanu’s handling are deeply concerning.

The lawmaker said that suggesting that the elimination of a citizen was an option, even in retrospect, is alarming and raises serious questions about the commitment to the rule of law and human rights.

He further called on Buhari to come out clean and confess all that he did to Nnamdi Kanu and the Southeast while in office.

He said: “The suggestion of ‘elimination’ as a viable option undermines the principles of justice and due process.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria, in its recent judgement, roundedly condemned Buhari’s government on the attack on the home of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and also his rendition from Kenya.

“For the former President to summarily suggest that being subjected to such illegality was a favour for a citizen is totally reckless and reeks of all things personal vendetta, and so far from the high standards of civility expected from a leader.

“President Buhari should rather come clean by confessing all he used his office to do to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the South East.

“Nobody, including Femi Adesina and his principal, should play God in respect of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. There is an inordinate obsession with the former President seeing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in detention because of his prejudice.”

In his renewed bid to regain freedom, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has, through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, filed a petition to the United Kingdom’s International Relations and Defence Committee of the House of Lords.

The six-page petition to the House of Lords dated January 18, 2024, not only reminded the House that Kanu is a British national and was “renditioned, tortured and imprisoned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, since June 19, 2021.” 

Part of the petition read: “Mr. Kanu, a British national, is a political activist, advocating self-determination for the people of Biafra (Eastern Nigeria), with the singular aim of creation of the sovereign State of Biafra from Nigeria through a referendum.

“He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which he founded in 2012, for actualisation of the creation of the State of Biafra.

“IPOB is registered as a legal entity in the United Kingdom and it has numerous offices and chapters around the world. It operates in the open as a non-violent group, including in Nigeria, before the Government of Nigeria, GON, unfairly proscribed/declared it a terrorist group in 2017.

“However, in October 2023, a High Court in Nigeria declared as unconstitutional, the executive actions of the GON in the proscription of IPOB and its declaration as a terrorist group.

“The court awarded significant damages against the GON and ordered it to apologize to Mr. Kanu.
“Over time and after 18 months in detention without trial, Mr. Kanu was released on bail, due mainly to domestic and international pressure.

“Following this, Mr. Kanu returned to his ancestral home in Umuahia, Abia State, South-East Nigeria, where he stayed and awaited his next court date scheduled for October 20, 2017.

“From September 10 to 14, 2017, Nigerian security forces led by the Army, levied lethal attacks at Mr. Kanu’s home. The security forces used live bullets and other lethal munitions and several people including Mr. Kanu, his parents (now late), his siblings, children, women, the elderly, and numerous visitors were at the said home with Mr. Kanu during the attacks.
“At the end of the attack, Mr. Kanu’s home was badly damaged, dozens of people were killed, many were wounded and maimed, and the security forces captured several people alive and took them to unknown locations to this day.

“In January 2022, a High Court in Nigeria declared the military attack at Mr. Kanu’s residence as unconstitutional and a breach of his fundamental rights and awarded him substantial monetary damages.

“In March 2018, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, ACHPR, issued an interim decision, holding that the military attacks on Mr. Kanu and the contemporaneous proscription of IPOB, violated the African Charter; and accordingly, the ACHPR wrote the former President of Nigeria to remedy the situation but the GON never implemented the Provisional Measures to this day.

“In October 2020, the United Nations Special Rapporteurs transmitted a Communication/Decision, No: AL NGA 5/2020, to the GON, conveying its disapproval of the executive or administrative action of the GON on the proscription of IPOB.
“In particular, the said Communication/Decision expressly stated that the action of the GON in this regard was motivated by ethnic bias and discrimination against the Igbo.”

The petition graphically narrated how Kanu was forced to flee Nigeria and go into voluntary exile, to save his life, his entry into Kenya on May 12, 2021, as a British citizen, and how several armed security agents working for GON, violently accosted and abducted, handcuffed, blindfolded and bundled him in a vehicle and sped away, to a nondescript private house, somewhere in Nairobi, Kenya and chained him to the floor.

After taking a hard look at the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, Kanu’s Special Counsel expressed happiness that the Justices “strongly condemned both the said military attacks against Mr. Kanu and his extraordinary rendition,” stressing that “Mr. Kanu remains in limbo without any clear prospects of ever being brought to trial since this saga begins almost nine years ago.”

He then pleaded: “Given the foregoing, we hereby most respectfully urge the House of Lords to urgently intervene with His Majesty’s Government, to promptly make demands on the GON to unconditionally release Mr. Kanu from detention and repatriate him to the United Kingdom, and to levy sanctions against the GON, if it fails to comply within a reasonable time.
“It is pertinent to stress the point that extraordinary rendition inherently destroys every prospect for a fair trial in the jurisdiction that levied the rendition.”

I’m not averse to genuine restructuring of Nigeria — Kanu

In a related development, Kanu has said he is not opposed to any genuine restructuring of Nigeria along the 1963 Constitution.
The IPOB Leader insisted that unless those opposed to holistic restructuring of Nigeria repented, his demand for a referendum to determine whether the people of Biafra would like to exit or continue as part of Nigeria remained sacrosanct.

Kanu’s position was conveyed to Vanguard by his younger brother, Prince Emmanuel after meeting with him at his solitary confinement at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services, DSS.

He quoted Kanu as saying: “We are not averse to the genuine restructuring of the country. We know that the country cannot grow or make progress under the current unworking unitary structure. The facts are clear for all to see.

“Our position remains the same as our submission in the presence of Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko on 30th August 2017 at the meeting with the South East Governors in Enugu. We have no reason to add or subtract from our position six years ago.

“We reiterate that we are not opposed to a consensual but wholesome restructuring of the country along the 1963 constitution.”
Kanu blamed those who disrupted an earlier attempt by the Federal Government in 2017 to reach a truce with him, for the current insecurity in the South East.

Kanu’s family cries foul over S’Court’s non-release of CTC

Meantime, the family of the detained Kanu has cried foul over the delay by the Supreme Court to release the Certified True Copy, CTC, of its judgment in the suit involving the IPOB Leader.

Kanunta Kanu who spoke for the family said the action of the apex court “is impeding further legal moves” by the family to seek justice for their son.

He regretted that over one month after the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the matter, the Justices of the apex court who abdicated in the matter were yet to append their signatures on the judgment.

Recall that the Supreme Court had on December 15, 2023, refused to affirm the ruling of the Appeal Court which had ordered the immediate release of Kanu.

The Supreme Court ruled that instead, Kanu should be tried at the appropriate court.
Kanunta expressed surprise that the Justices of the apex court allowed the normal two weeks to elapse without signing the judgment.

Suspecting foul play over the unnecessary delays, Kanunta said the action amounted to a gross violation of the principles of the rule of law.

He said: “Unlawfully withholding the CTC in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has confirmed that Nigeria will not obey her treaty obligations. 

“These justices, the presidency, and the Nigerian entity are officially terrorists according to the laws of Nigeria.”
Citing Section 2 (3)(f) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022, Kanu said, “In this Act “act of terrorism” means an act wilfully performed to further an ideology, whether political, religious, racial, or ethnic and which violates the provisions of any international treaty or resolution to which Nigeria is a party, subject to the provisions of section 12 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; and Cap C23, LFN 2004