SHEKAU'S DEATH: Residents Live In Fear Of Boko Haram's Revenge

The Federal Government has placed some states in the North on a comprehensive security surveillance following intelligence reports that some members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect may avenge the death of their leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Also, National Mirror learnt last night that the action became necessary to forestall any breach of the peace by hoodlums who might want to perpetrate violent crimes in the name of the sect.
“As I speak to you now, our men have been placed on the alert. Some states considered as flashpoints are also under strict surveillance because we know that some of the fleeing insurgents may want to launch more vicious attacks in order to restate their relevance,” said a senior operative of the State Security Service, SSS, who would not want his name mentioned.
The Joint Task Force, JTF, in Maiduguri had on Monday said that Shekau might have died due to fatal injuries he sustained in a clash with government forces.
Some of the states that are currently under renewed surveillance are those in the North-East and others, including Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger. Curiously, Kogi also made the list.
There has been no official confirmation of the emergency security measures as the police said such measures would be covert.
Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had in an earlier chat with journalists in Abuja stated that those strategies would not be disclosed.
Apart from series of ongoing undercover operations involving most of the security agencies, there would also be an increased deployment of troops in the states under focus, “as their presence is likely to deter crime”.
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2015 ELECTION: APC Bans Buhari

The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday barred former military Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, from publicly commenting on his 2015 presidential ambition.

The party gave the order at the first meeting of its national leaders in Abuja, which was attended by the state governors, officers and major stakeholders. The meeting was called to mobilise for nationwide registratioan of new members and solicit the support of members for finance to run the new party.
The leadership also gave its nod to the former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, to carry the flag of the party in the November 16 governorship election.
APC, however, said that the party would still hold primaries in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had last month formally registered APC with the fusing together of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.
During the question and answer session with newsmen, Buhari was asked to confirm if he would contest the presidential election in 2015 and before he could answer, the party’s Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, cut in to restrain Buhari.
Akande said: “I overrule Buhari from answering that question. This is my press conference and if anybody wants to declare to contest, he should call his press conference in his house.”
Buhari also declined to comment on the ongoing restructuring in the party, saying that henceforth all questions about the party and its politicies must be directed to the national chairman.
Akande noted that the meeting was to commence the process of sensitising party members and millions of supporters to “who we are and what we stand for, as a party that represents and champions the aspirations of most Nigerian citizens.
He said: “It is common knowledge that our country has for many years now been confronted by fundamental, daunting and multi-dimensional challenges.
“This is clearly indicated by the recurring crises that bedevil its social fabric, political processes, structure of governance, and indeed, its economic and developmental processes. The result is that the nation and its citizenry continue to exist in a state of near permanent trauma.
“The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the APC, therefore, is the determination to bring the country back from the brink of collapse, despair, and possible disintegration; reposition it decisively on the route to emerging into a modern stable democratic nation, with a productive economy that is based on equity and justice for all citizens.
“This would be attained through the harnessing of the abundant energies, enterprise and intellect of all Nigerians.
“We believe that at the core of the paralysing challenges confronting Nigeria today is the failure of governance, which is manifested in the continuing inability of the Nigerian State to meet the basic requirements and aspirations of the nation and of its citizenry.”
The national chairman, however, said that the task before APC was to create a partnership with the people to decisively change both tone and substance of governance in the country.
“The Nigerian state must not only be strengthened but reconstituted to become the veritable tool of resolving and managing the fundamental challenges confronting the nation.”
He said that such challenges could be broadly categorised to include the challenge of national unity and integration; perennial threats to security, law and order; ensuring rapid economic growth with equity (people centered economic management); protecting and consolidating Nigeria’s emerging democratic tradition.
Others are prioritising human development in health, in education – particularly intensification of mass women education and employment opportunities for all our youths; instituting a sustainable management of the environment; and that Nigeria assumes its proper place in world affa
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BOKO HARAM LEADER'S DEATH: We Reserve Our Comment - FG

The Federal Government has said it will not get involved in the controversy over the military Joint Task Force claim that the leader of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, might have died after being fatally wounded during a gun duel with the Nigerian Army.

The JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, had said in a statement that Shekau sustained serious gunshot wounds in an encounter with the troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on June 30, 2013 and that it was believed that he was dead.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government’s position since the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states was to allow the military carry out their operations and manage information emanating from the operations without interference.
Maku said it was the government’s view that the military should be allowed to tell its story without undue “political comments” by government officials.
He said, “You will notice that since the President proclaimed the state of emergency three months ago, we have kept political comments out of it. We decided that it is better for the military to tell their story and that is why I have not spoken on it.
“We want to remove this security operation from any misunderstanding, especially from politicians. As a government, it is our operation but the most important thing is to allow the military tell the story of what is happening.
“From the story you and I have read, it is very clear that this state of emergency has achieved a lot of result for which all Nigerians are proud of the performance of our military and security services.”
The minister however said the information released by security agencies on the possible death of the sect leader was a morale booster for Nigerians and the military.
He said the implication was that security forces were closing in on the insurgents.
He asked Nigerians to continue to pray for the security operatives so that they could continue to succeed in their bid to rid the nation of terrorists.
He said, “Relating to the story (Shekau’s possible killing) that we have read, I think it is better we leave it at that. These people are on the run and we will allow the military to tell the story.
“The military said that it would appear that in one of their operations, the leader of the insurgents was mortally wounded and they were rushing him from place to place and they believe that he could indeed be dead. There is no question of losing confidence. It should give us more confidence.
“What it means is that the security forces are closing up on some of the kingpins of this murderous group that has denied thousands of Nigerians their lives. Some of the key leaders have been pronounced dead.”
The minister said that normalcy was gradually returning to troubled northern states as a result of efforts of security forces.
He said many parts of Borno State that had already come under siege had been reclaimed and the militants dislodged.
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Why Northern Voters Will Back Jonathan – Tafawa Balewa

Dr. Abduljhalil Tafawa Balewa, son of Nigeria’s first prime minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan would be returned to office in 2015 based on his good works, saying the sophistication of northern voters would shock many.

In a session with newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, Abduljhalil, who holds a Ph.D in nuclear chemistry and spent 49 of his 56 years outside the country, said President Jonathan has renewed confidence in the country through repair of infrastructure and empathy to northern interests and the dignity of women.
He especially praised Dr. Jonathan’s affirmative action on women, which he said, has promoted women to the highest level of governance as never before.
Dr. Tafawa-Balewa also dismissed the major opposition party in the country represented by the All Progressives Congress, APC, as doomed to failure, saying that it was full of failed PDP politicians.
He nevertheless made an exception with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom, he described as a good politician.
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"We Will Soon End ASUU Strike"

Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim, has stated that contrary to the claims by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government has demonstrated commitment to the implementation of the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Sam Nwaobasi, he said the Federal Government was fully committed to ending the ongoing strike and bringing  students back to school.
He however, stated that many of the issues in the 2009 agreement, which ASUU had with the Federal Government and which it claimed were still unresolved, had been resolved.
Among the contentious issues, according to the statement, were the rent approved by the governent and the consolidated salary structure for non teaching staff.
These, he said had been fully implemented as all teaching and non-teaching staff had been on the consolidated salary structure since 2009. Another issue was the amendment of the pensionable retirement age of academics in the professional cadre, as professors now retire at 65 instead of 60 years.
He stated: “Besides the issue of retirement age and consolidated salary structure, the government has always assisted state universities through the federal intervention agencies, and the present special revitalization programme covers both state and federal universities.
“On the issue of the transfer of landed property to universities, the government has made it clear that it cannot transfer landed property to ASUU because it has no structure to manage or maintain such property. Government is however, willing to support any university that sets up a property company with management structure to compete with others in the industry.
“There was also the consensus that revitalizing the tertiary institutions is of critical importance to the nation. ASUU, therefore agreed with the government to jointly undertake a NEEDS assessment of the universities with a view to harnessing all the funding that hitherto goes into the system in a haphazard manner.
The NEEDS Committee that was set up has completed its work and the report has been approved by the Federal Executive Council and the President has approved N100 billion for the committee’s disbursement.
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OKADA PROTEST: 5 Policemen Arrested, Another Protester Shot Dead

Commercial activities were paralyzed for the better part of Wednesday in Ikorodu area of Lagos, as commercial motorcyclists took to the streets in continued protest of the death of one of them, Tuesday, by a policeman attached to the Rapid Response Squad, RRS.

However,  the policeman whose bullet allegedly snuffed life out the motorcyclist identified as Olalekan Ajayi has been arrested alongside other members of his team.
The protest which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums turned violent as some  motorists plying the routes reportedly had their windscreens shattered while a lorry loaded with fruits was allegedly hijacked by the protesters.
A corpse identified as that of one Femi, a mechanic, was reportedly discovered at Ikorodu roundabout. He was said to have been hit by stray bullets, with the actual circumstance yet to be ascertained.
While eye witnesses alleged that Femi felled from stray bullets from the police, another version had it that he was hit by stray bullet from some members of a cult group.
The protesters, as gathered, attempted to burn down the Shagamu/Ikorodu road police division but were dispersed with teargas canisters fired by policemen from divisions under Area N command.
The traditional ruler of Ikorodu town was sighted with the Area commander, Amos Macus, appealing to the protesters for calm.
It was, however, gathered that a policeman attacked, Tuesday, by some motorcyclists was still on danger list at an undisclosed hospital. The policeman with an unknown identity was among the RRS men  who accosted a commercial motorcyclist for violating  traffic laws. Appeal by the erring motorcyclist with unknown identity to the policemen reportedly fell on deaf ears as his motorbike was confisticated.
At that point, his colleagues were said to have clustered round the police team and in the process, allegedly attacked them in a bid to free their colleague’s motorbike.
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