Boko Haram: More amnesty panel members to quit

• AfricCon News
  Africcon; Nigerian Talk Report: Boko Haram: More amnesty panel members to quit
  Africcon Media – News From: Africcon Media – NigeriaMore  members of the newly constituted Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North are set to reject their appointments over alleged irregularities in the formulation of the panel, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports.
  
  The committee is saddled with the responsibility of engaging members of Boko Haram in dialogue and designing a framework for resolving the violence precipitated by them.
  
  The President, Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, Dr. Datti Ahmed, and the Executive Director, Civil Rights Congress, Mr. Shehu Sani, had rejected their membership of the committee barely 24 hours after their names were listed among the appointees.
  
  While Sani’s rejection was on the grounds that he was neither consulted nor informed by the Presidency, Ahmed said he regretted his previous personal attempts to mediate between the government and Boko Haram.
  
  The National Coordinator, Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaidu Mohammed, who described Ahmed as a “heavyweight” in the region, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that the Sharia cleric was one of the first set of northerners to establish contact with Boko Haram, through a journalist, in order to facilitate negotiations between the sect and the government.
  
  “Some northern leaders were trying to facilitate a meeting between Boko Haram members and the Federal Government. But the Federal Government disclosed some of the demands of Boko Haram. And as a result of that, the sect withdrew in anger from the negotiation.
  
  “When the Federal Government started playing games and politics, Ahmed withdrew. No leader in the northern region would want to be in the kangaroo committee.
  
  “If you want people to negotiate on behalf of government, you have to consult them and secure an agreement with them. But that was not done.”
  
  Mohammed stated  some of the panel members had informed him about their plan to reject their appointments.
  
  “In fact, over 90 per cent of the people woke to see their names being mentioned as those who will work out modalities and negotiate. And I know about three of them who have told me they will decline the offer. Already, some people have started declining; they have said they would not serve.
  
  “This is to reinforce the fact that the majority of those whose names were put were not consulted,” Junaid added.
  
  Similarly, the National President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettimah, said more members would quit the committee because they were not consulted. He accused the Federal Government of making the programme political by inviting more politicians as mediators.
  
  He said, “You don’t just bring in politicians and make the situation more political at the expense of people’s lives, because we have lost over 10,000 people. It is serious business and the government must be serious about the issue. It’s not about politicians; it’s about people who will speak for members of the sect to listen.”
  
  In the same vein, the Borno Elders’ Forum said the FG should dissolve the committee and consult with those directly affected by the insurgency to nominate their representatives.
  
  Its secretary, Dr. Bulama Gubio, said the constitution of members of the committee was faulty and was not done in “good faith,” as relevant stakeholders were not consulted.
  
  Gubio said, “It is either they (FG) don’t understand what Boko Haram is all about or they did it deliberately so that the amnesty will fail; that is what I see. If they really know what Boko Haram is, they should not have constituted that kind of committee. That is why people are pulling out.
  
  “My advice is that all the state governors should be consulted to nominate those they feel can help in the matter.”
  
  Meanwhile, the Presidency on Friday faulted Sani and Ahmed’s refusal to serve on the amnesty committee.
  
  Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told one of our correspondents that the present administration “would succeed in its quest to restore peace to the country through the effort of the committee with or without the duo.”
  
  The presidential spokesman said Sani’s argument that the committee would fail in its assignment because some persons were not included was wrong.
  
  He said the right thing the activist should have done was to agree to serve on the committee and bring in his wealth of experience by suggesting to the committee those he feels could be contacted to make their job easier.
  
  Abati said, “The reported rejection is unfortunate. If he had taken up the assignment, as a member, he can now tell his co-members that there are people they can talk to. I hope this is not mischief. People should come on board. Grandstanding and negativity is not the best in this matter.”
  
  Abati stated that Ahmed was at a time recognised by Boko Haram as the only person that could help to restore peace to the country.  He said Sani had served in similar capacities before and was found to be capable.
  
  “They were chosen on the basis of their knowledge and experience. What kind of a man will have the experience and the opportunity to contribute to restoration of peace in his fatherland and reject such opportunity?” he said.

Corruption massive under Jonathan – US

• AfricCon News
  Africcon; Nigerian Talk Report: Corruption massive under Jonathan – US
  Africcon Media – News
  
  From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  The United States government on Friday indicted the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government of massive and widespread corruption.
  
  According to the United States Department of State, government officials and agencies frequently engage in corrupt practices with impunity.
  
  This was contained in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, which was released on Friday evening.
  
  In the report, the judiciary and security agencies, especially the police, were said be lacking in transparency.
  
  It read in part,“The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption; however, the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Massive, widespread, and pervasive corruption affected all levels of government and the security forces. The constitution provides immunity from civil and criminal prosecution for the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
  
  “There was a widespread perception judges were easily bribed and litigants could not rely on the courts to render impartial judgments. Citizens encountered long delays and alleged requests from judicial officials for bribes to expedite cases or obtain favourable rulings.
  
  “Police corruption remained rampant. Reports of checkpoint bribery and shooting incidents decreased in February after newly appointed Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar announced the closure of all police checkpoints across the country; however, illegal checkpoints remained common in some regions. Police routinely stopped drivers who did not commit traffic infractions, refusing to allow them to continue until they paid bribes,” it stated.
  
  Highlighting events that occurred in the country in last year that portrayed lack of transparency and probity, the US government listed the escape of the suspected mastermind of the Boko Haram 2011 Christmas Day bombing from custody, noting how the police commissioner, who aided the suspect went unpunished; the conviction of former Delta State governor James Ibori in the Southwark Crown Court in London of charges of money laundering and other financial crimes totaling N12.4bn, after he was acquitted by a Nigerian court; and the N1.067trn fuel subsidy fund lost to “endemic corruption and entrenched inefficiency” as examples.
  
  It stated that, “In July, the government released a list of those who had benefited illegally from the subsidy program, which included relatives and colleagues of key government officials. In late July, the EFCC began arraigning suspects, first with a group of 20 indictments, including six oil companies and 11 individuals. By  year’s end, the EFCC initiated prosecutions of approximately 50 cases related to the subsidy scam. The majority of these cases involved companies and individuals who had fraudulently received subsidy revenue. Investigations and trials had not produced any convictions by year’s end.”
  
  The US document also faulted the refusal of public officials to declare their assets as stipulated by law.
  
  It stated that in June 2012, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and other groups demanded that President Jonathan should disclose his assets from 2007 to 2012 but that Jonathan refused.
  
  The report also rated the anticorruption efforts of the Independent Corrupt Practises and other related offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as “largely ineffectual,” adding that despite ICPC’s wide mandate, it had only achieved 60 convictions since its inauguration in 2000.
  
  It also listed a number of cases being handled by the EFCC that have remained inconclusive, including the case of alleged misappropriation of one N1bn against former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and N40bn against his deputy Usman Nafada; and the cases against four former governors Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Aliyu Akwe Doma, and Muhammed Danjuma Goje, for allegedly misappropriating N58bn, N25bn, N18bn, and N12.8bn, respectively.
  
  Apart from corruption, the US accused the Federal Government of numerous unlawful killings.
  
  It decried frequent abduction of civilians and lack of press freedom, highlighting cases, where journalists were harassed and beaten up.
  
  It also noted widespread discrimination against persons with disability.
  
  The Presidency, however, described the report as an incorrect assessment of the situation in the country.
  
  Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati,  warned Nigerians to be wary of such assessments which he described as “parachute researches.”
  
  He said contrary to the picture the report painted, the present administration has remained the most transparent government since the return of democracy to Nigeria.
  
  He said it was in the spirit of transparency that the present administration exposed the scam in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry and passed the Freedom of Information Bill.
  
  He said, “In 2012 that the report is talking about, the EFCC alone got more than 200 convictions. This is in public domain.
  
  “This government did an audit to eliminate waste and leakages in the system.
  
  “On the checkpoints they talked about, it is important that they identify the difference between checkpoints and stop-and-search operation which is required especially in tackling security challenges.
  
  “Nigerians should be wary of these external assessors that jump into conclusion. What are the parameters used in arriving at their conclusion? How scientific are the analysis?
  
  “They assess Nigeria based on the instinct of a parachuter who jumps put of an aircraft without a fair knowledge of where he is landing.”

Expensive Sex: Tales of Men who took Prostitutes Home

• AfricCon News
  Africcon; Nigerian Talk Report: Expensive Sex: Tales of Men who took Prostitutes Home
  Africcon Media – News From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  The police officer asked the middle-aged woman sarcastically: “Did he pop you?” Apparently uncomfortable with the presence of a small crowd that had gathered, she was reluctant to answer the question. But the man at the centre of the matter roundly denied the accusation. The sex hawker he brought home the previous night had alleged that he slept with her and refused to pay for services rendered all night long. He told the policemen who arrested him, that he refused to pay her because he dozed off without touching her, due to excessive booze. It was obvious he did not convince the police because the prostitute was asked again: “Did he pop you?” and she replied: “He popped me.”
  
  This was despite the man’s insistence that, “I didn’t have sex with her and I can’t pay for what I did not eat.” The incident was one of the endless stories of men who go home with sex hawkers but end up with ugly experiences. Checks by Sunday Sun revealed that the fear of prostitutes who agree to go home with their randy male clients is the beginning of wisdom for most night crawlers. For the cautious among these men, they sleep with one eye open, mindful that the bag of most call-girls are usually loaded with weapons of ‘mass destruction’ including razor blades, powdery substances that could be charms or drugs, and knives that cool come handy when a client proves difficult. For the uninformed, the drugs come useful when the hawker wants to put her host to sleep to enable her steal and escape. Narrating his experience with a woman of easy virtue that he brought home one night, a man, Osas Ife (not real name), said: “These days, many prostitutes are not after sex or even their fees because for most of them, the fee is not enough.
  
  They can go any length to steal from the man who took them home. We (men) are after sex while they are strategizing on how to poison you, get your money and disappear. They want to get rich quickly, which makes them more devilish than armed robbers. “When you call a hawker to join you, you need to observe whether she is the kind of person that doesn’t take much drink because she might have a plan. While others are drinking and enjoying themselves, she keeps her head because she has a target – to loot. She came home with you, to drug you because maybe, she has an urgent financial need to meet. When you bring her to your house, she would take her bath before you. Then, as a man of the house, you would go to take your bath, and while you are still inside the bathroom, she would take a bottle of drink from your bar and drug it. She would pretend to like that particular drink and insist that both of you drink it.
  
  But the moment you drink it, she would quickly reject it, knowing you have consumed much, and demand for a different drink. “I had been drugged by a prostitute, and before I woke up, she disappeared. She ransacked my house and made away with some of my expensive items and a friend’s belongings that I had to pay for.” Osas was not the only one that had the ugly encounter with women of easy virtues. Ade who pleaded to use only his first name, told story of a man duped at prominent hotel at Ajao-Estate recently. “In the game between us and prostitutes, interests differ because they are after money, not for sex these days. Many of them have one thing at the back of their mind – how to drug you and take your money. Often times, they want to dupe you in order to attend to urgent needs either at school or their homes. They can eliminate you, to achieve their aim. It is really a cat and dog game. You really need to shine your eyes when you are with them because they can do anything.
  
  They always know why they came. “Last week, we were in a hotel at Ajao-Estate, when one man narrated his experience in the hands of a prostitute. He said he met the girl at Ikeja and took her to an apartment where he spent three days with her. Listening to the man’s different calls from his business partners, the hawker realized that he does not live in Nigeria. Moreover, he counted his money in her presence because, according to him, the girl looked very decent. “One day, the man came home with N500,000 that he couldn’t pay into his bank and kept the money in his bag. Later, he invited her downstairs for a drink but the call girl said she was too tired to move out of the room. The man went downstairs and before he came back to the room, the girl had gone with the money he kept in the wardrobe.
  
  “I opened the bag of a prostitute who came to my house some time ago. Do you know what I saw? Razor blade and white substance that I suspect, was drug. I refused to go and take my bath after her because of the fear of the unknown”, he stated. Also, Ayo and his friend recalled how they were locked inside their room for refusing to pay a prostitute they took home after heavy drinking. “My friend and I went out to drink and after taking some bottles, we decided to go home with a prostitute. When we got home, my friend and I took our bath but she told us she did not need a bath. Apparently due to the heavy drink, we soon fell asleep without touching her, and the next day, she insisted that we must pay her, whereas we had paid her madam. While we were still on bed, arguing with her, she walked out of the room and locked us inside. It was our shout for help that attracted my neighbours who begged her before she opened the door. She threatened to throw away the keys and make us spend the whole day inside the room.
  
  “My advice is, if you are going home with any of them, you must be smart and sharp. I didn’t pay her because we gave her madam N5000”, Ayo said. Another victim who identified himself as Bright told Sunday Sun, how a fight erupted between him and a sex hawker and he was forced to pay for services not rendered. “I am not the drinking type because I can’t drink more than one bottle and a half. Whenever I drink above my limit and I take a prostitute home, I can’t perform. On this particular occasion, I returned with one of them but I hardly touched her in the night because I was weak to the bone.
  
  She begged for it but I told her that I had no strength. She even came on top of me, yanked down my trousers and tried to arouse me but to no avail. The next morning, she demanded for her fee but I reminded her that I didn’t shag her at night. We had a serious fight before neighbours separated us and advised me to pay her. Unknown to me, she had stolen some of my belongings. It was after she left that I discovered that some things were missing. Up till now, I have not set my eyes on that prostitute. I still go out to sleep with them, but I hardly bring them home because that one thought me a lesson. Each time I bring them to my house, I sleep with one eye closed while the other is open enough to watch her

Threats from MEND are not real – Uduaghan

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: Threats from MEND are not real – Uduaghan
  Africcon New Media – NewsFrom: Africcon Media – NigeriaDelta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, discusses some challenges facing the Niger Delta, his administration as well as the threats posed by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta in this interview with JULIET BUMAH
  
  What are the key things you are happy that you have done or you are aspiring to do as governor?
  
  To answer that question means we need to mention all the programmes that we have undertaken in the state. For me, whatever I’m leaving behind will depend on the person that is assessing what I’m leaving behind. I will not say a particular effort is my legacy, neither will I say a new government house is my legacy. A legacy depends on the person who is assessing. A woman who has no access to health care and has not been able to deliver in a hospital before but is given that opportunity will say, we provided that opportunity. For her, that is our legacy. Likewise, a village woman who has never entered a new vehicle before but now has the opportunity to enter a new bus which is highly subsided, would likely say, ‘Yes, I now take a new bus to the market’. That’s my way of looking at legacies.
  
  So, how are you dealing with the problems?
  
  Generally, what we are doing is captured under the strategy of developing Delta State beyond oil. What that means is how to use the funds we are getting now, whether from oil or internally generated revenue. Let’s look at other areas of the economy. Yes, Delta State is an oil-rich state. Most of what we have is because of the oil. This oil is very volatile. It will not last forever. Tomorrow, the price may change or the oil may not be there. Preparing for that tomorrow is what we are doing. We are trying to look at other areas of the economy like agriculture, mineral resources, culture and tourism. In doing that, we have captured our programmes in two areas; a project aimed at attracting investment, like infrastructure. These are long-term projects. The other one is social infrastructure.
  
  For those that attract investors, we have power, transportation like the roads, airports, seaports, railway, health, ICT project and urbanisation. Virtually everybody is depending on the government for employment. There is a limit to which government can employ. I may even say government is over-bloated. The alternative is private investors to come and be able to employ the jobless youth. The challenge of any leader today is unemployment. If we are able to attract investors with the infrastructure that we have and the enabling environment of peace and security, then the possibility of eradicating unemployment is higher.
  
  To provide this infrastructure, in the area of power, we have keyed into the national power programme. We are shareholders in Niger Delta Power Holding Company. We just got our share certificate. We paid about N15.7bn in the company. One of the plants located in Sapele has been completed. We have got shortage of gas in only two of the plants.
  
  We are also constructing our own power plant. We have gone far in the project. Initially, it was supposed to generate 120 megawatts, but since it is a modular plant, it can generate up to 450MW. We have also invested heavily in distribution and transmission. The way it is now, private individuals and states are allowed to generate. But the transmission has only been by the Federal Government which has the responsibility of transmission.
  
  We believe that with adequate power, a lot of our problems in the state and Nigeria at large will be a thing of the past. The small-scale industrialists like the barber and seamstress need power. We are taking the issue seriously.
  
  We are also taking the issue of transportation seriously. Asaba-Orele is a major highway that is being dualised. It is a federal highway but we are working on it. Also, we have the Eku Road dualisation. It’s also a federal highway but we are working on it.
  
  Our economic road policy is that for a road to be constructed, there must be an economic reason. You know there is political road construction. There are some of my political colleagues who would construct a road to a house they may not visit in a whole year. That is not an economic road. I must confess that once in a while we go into it. But if you want me to construct a road to your place, let me know the economic value of constructing the road. In the urban centres we construct roads for its value within the urban centre.
  
  Delta State happens to be state that is not a one-town state. By that, I mean one can count at least 14 urban centres which we have to focus on. Another thing about Delta State is that it has two economic zones; one in Warri with economic activities revolving around oil and the other in Asaba with economic activities revolving around Onitsha market. Onitsha market is the biggest market in Africa. The separation between Asaba and Onitsha and also the separation between Anambra and Delta is just the Niger bridge. So, we have a lot of people from Onitsha living and working in Asaba. We are taking advantage of that to grow our economy and one of the things we will require is an airport.
  
  Apart from the Asaba International Airport, we are siting another one in Warri, being the oil-producing part of the state. There is an airport there but it has a short runway, which is only about two kilometres. We are trying to put up one with a four-kilometre runway. The seaport and railway are mainly Federal Government concerns.
  
  What we have done is to partner the Federal Government to improve the port. Today, Warri port is very active. We have been able to work with the Federal Government to complete the railway line between Ajaokuta and Aladja, which had 21 kilometres of it abandoned. We have all this transportation system across the state.
  
  The third area is urbanisation. We are trying to improve on Warri and Asaba. If you drive round the cities now, you will see the improvements we have made in the areas of lights, roads and beautification. We have also put up this new government. We believe that a state like this should have a befitting government house.
  
  The fourth area we have focused on is the area of ICT. We have tried to improve the capacity of our youths.
  
  What about investors?
  
  Yes, we have been able to achieve something in terms of attracting investors. As at today, we have investment in agriculture. The Obasanjo Farms has opened a branch here, which is one of the biggest poultry farms it has in Nigeria. The biggest investment is a combination of petrochemicals, fertilizer plants and gas facilities. It is a multi-million dollar investment. These are long-term investments. On the short-term, what I call the low-hanging fruits, have to do with our social infrastructures and empowerment activities. They are in the area of health, education, micro-finance and transportation. In the area of education, which is our main focus area, because of the capacity to improve on human capacity, we have the student population, staff and infrastructure.
  
  Our initial focus was to see how our children will have access to education. One of the greatest hindrance to education in the state is finance. There are lots of people who are not in school because they cannot pay their fees. We ensure that we remove all these. Removing them means somebody has to pay for them. The government started paying every form of levy or exam fees. From primary to secondary level, it’s totally free. Even the payment for  WAEC and NECO is free. So, a child would have no reason not to go to school at least up to the secondary level.
  
  Beyond that, we have the university and the post-graduate education. We also have improved on scholarship. We have improved on our bursary scheme and scholarship for law students. We also have post-graduate scholarship. But the most interesting part of the scholarship is that once you have a first class we give them N5m a year to study in any part of the world. This is part of what we are doing to improve on human capital.
  
  In the area of education like I said, we found out that many teachers moving to the urban areas are leaving the rural areas empty. So, we had to do a redistribution of teachers. By the time we finished, we discovered that we have a shortage and we had to employ massively and lay emphasis on their welfare and their capacity to teach. We are also renovating schools massively. We are placing a lot of emphasis on education at all levels.
  
  In the area of health, we want to ensure that they have access to health from the day pregnancy starts to day they deliver. So, we put in place a free maternal health programme. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, the state government takes care of her till she delivers. We also have a free health programme for under-five children. The maternal-child health care centres are being constructed. Our teaching hospital is the most active in Nigeria. We want to stop the issue of travelling abroad for treatment. People who travel to India for treatment go with at least one person each. The person also spends money. So, there is a lot of medical tourism going on in India. We also want people to come to Delta from outside Nigeria and outside the state.
  
  We have our low-hanging fruits, which is the micro-credit programme. We have the most robust micro-credit programme in Nigeria today. As at today, over 120,000 of our people enjoy it. What we trying to do now is to grow some of the microfinance projects into small and medium scale enterprises. We have started exporting the products of the some of the women we have empowered.
  
  There has always been this complaint that development in Delta State is lopsided.
  
  Well, I try not to go into the ethnic politics of Delta. If you go to Warri, they will tell you that we are not doing enough. If you go to Isoko, they will tell you we are not doing enough. What has happened in Delta State and not even in Delta State alone, but also in the whole of Nigeria, is that there has been a lot of infrastructure decay over the years. Some attribute it to long military rule. Some will say the last time there was really any infrastructural development was during the Murtala/Obasanjo rule, when Murtala Muhammed Airport, Tin Can Island port, and all our refineries were built.
  
  After that, there has been nothing. It’s just like that too. Most of the infrastructure has decayed. It is not possible for any administration to fix everything in that short period, whether within four years or eight. The expectations of our people are quite high. But we have tried to spread infrastructural development evenly.
  
  Last year, many parts of the state witnessed flooding. As it has been predicted that the rain will also be heavy this year, what has been done between last year and this year to improve the situation?
  
  I would not say the floods took us by surprise last year because of the warning that was sent out by NIMET. Nobody expected the massive level it got to. Everybody was surprised at the magnitude. For us in Delta, one of “A states”, A in the sense that we are one of the most affected states, we had about 14 local governments that were totally submerged. It was a sad situation. But we were able to rise to the occasion to some extent by general assessment.
  
  What we did was to first mobilise the internally displaced persons into various towns and emergency camps. In those camps, we were able to provide shelter, beddings, food, water, medical care, education and skill training. It was a very difficult situation to manage, but at least we took care of them. When they were leaving we provided small relief money. Thereafter, we had a committee that went round to see to their welfare.
  
  At the same time, we set up a special committee of the (Delta State) university to go round and do a technical assessment. They are going to come out with a report. No state can deal with the problem of flood alone. I learnt that the rainfall for this year will be worse than last year’s. Now, that’s a cause for worry. But we have begun to put in place something that we believe we can do. We are also working with the Federal Government to ensure that NIMET, NEMA and the Federal Ministry of Environment are proactive this year.
  
  We are dealing with NEMA. Our officials have been attending their programmes. But on our own, we have started meeting to see what we can do.
  
  What strategies are you using?
  
  Our strategies are in three areas. First is to look at what the major causes of flooding are. One is rainfall, two has to do with water from rivers Niger and Benue. You know that of last year was a result of the release of water from the dam in Cameroun. That is beyond our control. Even the heavy rainfall is beyond our control. Some man-made activities also cause flooding like the blockage of natural water channels or drainages. Unfortunately, people build in places they should not build. What we are doing now is to open up natural water channels. We are removing all obstructions on the channels, whether private buildings or commercial.
  
  We are also clearing drains because some people have the bad habit of blocking drains with wastes. It is a comprehensive project we are doing. We are also constructing new drains. We are embarking on those programmes to ensure we have free flow of water when the rain comes. We are constructing permanent camps for the internally displaced persons so that if it does happen we will have a place to take them.
  
  The most important effort is that we are raising an advocacy team. They will go from community to community educating and advising them. They will also educate the people on the kind of crops to farm. A lot of the victims lost their crops last year. We are also in touch with NEMA and United Nations on their national programme.
  
  Talking about economic growth, why has the completion of the East-West Road been a big problem to the Federal Government and what are the Niger Delta governments doing about it?
  
  Well, the road is a Federal Government project. What we have been doing is to show concern. The major problem on the road has been funding. Fortunately, the Minister of Works was there two weeks ago. There is a lot of encouraging news about the project. Thirty-seven out of the 42 bridges on the road have been completed, which is encouraging. About 732 or 755 culverts have also been completed. It is a water-logged road. If they are able to finish the culverts, all they need to do is lay the tar. One other good news he was able to give us was that fund is now available for the completion of the project.
  
  The issue of militancy is returning with the threats of MEND.
  
  Something I keep telling people about the MEND threat is that even Okah himself and Tompolo said the threat is not true. Let me just say this. There are a lot of criminal activities going on  in whatever name. I am a Niger Delta governor who has been involved in the management of militant groups ever before I became governor. So, reasonably, I know some of these people very well. Militancy is not returning. There are criminal activities which are like flashpoints in the management of the issues of the Niger Delta.

Kwara ACN’s divided house and APC merger

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report:
  Africcon New Media – News
  
  From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  Success Nwogu writes that a major crack in the ranks of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Kwara State may hinder the birth of the All Progressives Congress in the state
  
  Although the National Working Committee of the Action Congress of Nigeria, through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hajia Hauwa Galma, had reportedly declared the purported dissolution of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee of the party led by Mr. Kayode Olawepo as a nullity, the recent leadership tussle in Kwara ACN appears to have shown that all is not well with the state chapter of the party.
  
  The situation may also be a signal that the integration or merger process of three opposition parties, who refer to themselves as the ‘progressives’ in the state, is either being shaken or threatened.
  
  The Kwara ACN led by Olawepo; its Congress for Progressive Change counterpart, Mr. Suleiman Buhari; and that of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Mr. Taiwo Eleja, had in a joint press briefing deplored what they called bad governance, lack of accountability and probity and underdevelopment in the state.
  
  They had declared their readiness to wrest power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. They had accused PDP of pursuing an agenda for the ruling oligarchy to the detriment and impoverishment of the masses.
  
  However, while they were giving the public the impression that the merger process was going on well and that all was well in their fold, it later became evident that there was a crack in the ACN.
  
  Sources had indicated that the ACN had been polarised along two major political lines and gladiators. One of the factions is said to be loyal to the ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, an indigene of the state; while another faction is said to be sympathetic to the governorship candidate of the party in the 2011 election, Mr. Dele Belgore.
  
  Although Mohammed and Belgore would hardly admit that the ACN is factionalised, events that later played out gave credence to this fact.
  
  The brewing schism, which had been covered up for some time, blew open when ACN stakeholders in the state, a few weeks ago, gave out the invitation for its summit scheduled to hold at the state ACN secretariat at Asa Dam, Ilorin.
  
  In a swift reaction, Olawepo sent letters to journalists, dissociating himself and the party from the planned meeting and urged invited guests to ignore the summit.
  
  However, the group had an upper hand as the meeting held under the watchful eyes of security agents.
  
  The group, in an address read by its Director, Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Jide Usman, said the state’s resources had been looted.
  
  “The heavy looting of the state’s resources has continued to hinder physical transformation and human growth. For instance, a civil servant on GL 15 in Kwara State earns N53,000 per month, while his counterpart in Osun State, on the same salary grade, earns N120,000. “These infractions have actually permeated all fabrics of our system. For such a government to be scheming to perpetuate itself in power by force is unacceptable,” Usman said.
  
  While he gave the gathering the impression that the group was out to fight what it perceived as ‘lack of good governance’ in the state, a member of the group, Dr. Saad Omoiya, in an interview with journalists, provided further insight into events that may later unfold in the party.
  
  Omoiya said the Olawepo-led executive was of a caretaker status, adding that it had overstayed its tenure.
  
  He accused Olawepo of not providing the party with quality leadership. He stated that the ACN leadership had been notified of the alleged leadership vacuum.
  
  But Olawepo dismissed Omoiya’s allegation of a leadership vacuum as a ‘ruse’.
  
  Olawepo went on to describe the ‘stakeholders forum’ as “a group of desperate politicians seeking relevance and defending the sole governorship interest of a former candidate of the party.”
  
  he said, “There are no factions in the party but the existence of a dissident group that is seeking relevance and working for the sole interest of a former candidate of the party.
  
  “There are a number of other groups within the party like the G 15, Integrity Group, Ifesowapo, among others and none of them has been using the secretariat for any of its meetings.
  
  “The dissidents are equally admonished to accept the party supremacy and its constituted authorities thereby desisting from making frivolous, libellous and unauthorised intra and inter-party criticisms,” Olawepo said.
  
  The CPC and ANPP further gave an insight into the main cause of the squabble in the ACN as they warned that there was no automatic ticket for any aspirant, including Belgore, who was the party governorship candidate in 2011.
  
  Sources alleged that the CPC governorship candidate in 2011, Abdulraham Abdul-Rasaq, had made discreet and strategic discussions with the chieftains of the CPC and ACN to emerge as the 2015 governorship candidate of the APC after its registration. It was said that the power brokers had seen Abdul-Rasaq, who is an oil magnate, as having the financial muscle to effectively contain the ruling PDP in the state.
  
  In their joint response, CPC’s Buhari and ANPP’s Eleja warned that there would be no automatic ticket for anybody. They added that all parties in their proposed APC merger were equal partners.
  
  They stated that the abiding principle for their proposed APC mega platform was that of mutual camaraderie that did not transcend individual party’s independence, adding that they would not meddle in the internal affairs of the respective merging parties.
  
  They stated that since they had mutually resolved to work together as a team without preconditions, any action or suggestion that a particular former aspirant from any of the merging parties had a leverage over others would be unacceptable.
  
  As the altercations were going on, the state ACN Secretary, Alhaji Toyin Ayinla, threw a bombshell.
  
  Through Belgore’s media aide, Rafiu Ajakaiye, the ACN secretary claimed that Olawepo had been suspended and sacked as the chairman of the party.
  
  He also claimed to have been appointed as the acting chairman of the party in the state.
  
  Ayinla said, “Kwara State ACN Caretaker Committee, a body charged by the National Secretariat with the day-to-day running of the party, held a special meeting in Ilorin on Tuesday, where some decisions were taken to smoothen the running and repositioning of the party.
  
  “The caretaker committee, among other things, effected a leadership change by appointing Mr. Toyin Ayinla as chairman in place of Olawepo. Ayinla was until Tuesday secretary of the committee. Olawepo has, by this decision, ceased to be the chairman of the party.”
  
  But Olawepo said Ayinla’s claim was a nullity. He added that the caretaker committee in the state never met on any issue in the last few weeks and did not suspend him. According to him, it is only the ACN NEC that has the right to dissolve his committee and sack him.
  
  “The former candidate had insisted that he must be endorsed or better put, anointed for the 2015 ticket to bear the flag of the party. He had added that a merger was not possible in Kwara, but rather, an alliance where other parties become subordinates. This is our problem with him,” Olawepo said.
  
  But Ajakaiye stated that his boss neither said nor insisted that he would be the sole or anointed governorship candidate for the 2015 election. He also said his boss never stated that the ongoing merger would only be an alliance in the state.
  
  “The allegations are not true. They are contrived and that is unfair. There was never a time Belgore said or indicated that he is the anointed candidate; neither did he say, do or indicate anything capable of distorting the process meant to strengthen the opposition nationwide, including in Kwara.
  
  “He is not desperate for anything, other than his undying zeal to, alongside other like minds across Kwara, bring succour to the people. As a senior lawyer, democrat and politician known for his subtleties even in his reactions to whatever actions or inactions of the government, Belgore believes in and fully identifies with the common yearnings for transparency and true representative democracy in Nigeria,” Ajakaiye said.
  
  Some members of the PDP are said to be involved in the crisis so that the merger could be threatened.
  
  Galma, in announcing the endorsement of Olawepo as the chairman of the party, said only the ACN NEC had the right to dissolve the caretaker committee in the state.
  
  “The so-called Kwara Stakeholders Forum, which announced the dissolution of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee, is not one of the constitutionally-recognised organs of the party and lacks the power to dissolve the structure of the party at any level,” Galma said.
  
  Publicity Secretary, PDP, Kwara State, Alhaji Mas’ud Adebimpe, said the PDP had no hand in the ACN leadership squabble. He added that the crisis in ACN had vindicated his party.
  
  He claimed that ACN members were a bunch of opportunists, who had “nothing to offer than to pursue personal and selfish ambition.”

Producers Dare not Ask me for Sex

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: Producers dare not ask me for sex –Annie Macaulay-Idibia
  Africcon New Media – News
  
  From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  Recently married Annie Macaulay Idibia says being music star, Tuface Idibia’s wife has been no challenge.
  
  Annie, who spoke with an online news portal, Ibaka tv, on location of a movie, Girls in the mood, Annie Macaulay Idibia, says if at all there is any challenge, it will be that 24-hours is no more enough for her to take care of her two babies.
  
  Beaming with smiles, she says,
  
  “It has been nice, everything I thought and much more. There are no challenges; the only thing is shuffling my work, my home and my kid. I have so much to attend to; I almost feel like 24 hours is not enough. Now I have work, I have my daughter and I have my husband -my two babies to take care of. I also have my own personal runs. So, it is always very busy, my days are always extremely busy.”
  
  Her husband, Tuface, actually sprung a surprise on her on her birthday. He showed up with cake on location. Obviously surprised by his visit, Annie describes her husband’s surprise visit as cute.
  
  She says, “I was supposed to film half day but eventually filmed till pretty late, at about 9.30pm. I am sure he got tired of waiting. I don’t know how he did it with the director and he got the cake. I was just filming and he walked in and everybody started singing ‘Happy birthday’. It was nice and I thought that was cute. I was surprised that he came; I wasn’t expecting to see him.”
  
  In the movie, she plays the character of a girl named Tessy who is a drug addict. The producer of the movie, Prince Iyke Olisa, says this about her character. “She was a drug addict raped at the age of 13 by her uncle. The man denied and the wife sent her out of the home. She was introduced, forced into a kind of odd life. She started living wrong and ended up a drug addict and all manner of things.”
  
  The Tessy character however fascinates Annie as she keeps  saying how much she loves the character. According to her, she has never played a role like that and the character is a direct contrast to who she really is.
  
  Annie says, “I play the character called Tessy, I actually really love this character. It is something I have not played before. She is a drug addict; she takes a lot of cocaine, weed, cigarettes, drinks- she is just a very reckless girl. I think what is fascinating about the character is that she is an addict. She is always itchy and when she doesn’t have her fix, she needs to get some. I love the character; it is different from anything that I have played. There was a time she was in jail for about four days and she had had it up to here, she was all itchy and saying she needs her fix. She is a very reckless girl and she is the exact opposite of who I am. I love the fact that I could step out of Annie Macaulay Idibia’s shoes and be somebody else who is totally reckless. I love the character totally.”
  
  She adds that a character she will also love to play is either a blind girl or a hardened criminal.
  
  Annie also states that she has never got advances from marketers or producers.
  
  She says, “I really want to play the role of a blind girl; I want to play a hardened criminal. I have not faced advances from directors or producers. Before when they say it, I don’t get it. I just believe that if you have what it takes, if you have the talent, then eventually you will be called upon. I don’t think there is any field they don’t harass women but if you have it, eventually someone is going to see it and give you a chance. ‘Fear no gree them o’. Nobody tried to hit on me on that level.”
  
  Meanwhile, the couple was spotted last weekend at the MTV Africa All Stars Concert where Tuface flaunted his wedding ring.
  
  “It is official for those who don’t know,” he says, while showing off his  ring.

Boston Marathon Bombs Suspect Has Been Captured

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: Boston marathon bombs suspect has been captured
  Africcon New Media – NewsFrom: Africcon Media
  
  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old man suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings with his older brother has been captured by the Police.
  
  According to Reuters, the break in the case sent waves of relief through the Boston suburb of Watertown where armored vehicles roamed the streets and helicopters flew overhead through the day.
  
  Residents and police officers cheered and clapped when the suspect, Dzhokhar, was caught after an exchange of gunfire with police.
  
  A Massachusetts State Police spokesman said Tsarnaev was bleeding and in serious condition in a hospital. He had been hiding in the stern of a boat parked in the backyard of a house in Watertown, police said. A resident called police after seeing blood on the boat.
  
  President Barack Obama told reporters at the White House after the suspect’s capture that questions remained from the bombings, including whether the two suspects received any help.
  
  The Boston Police Department said in a message on Twitter: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.”
  
  Boston Mayor Tom Menino said, “we got him” on Twitter.
  
  Tsarnaev is one of two brothers believed to have set off bombs made in pressure cookers and packed with ball bearings and nails at the finish line of the world-famous event, killing three people and injuring 176.
  
  The older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed on Thursday night in a shootout with police less than a mile from where Friday night’s capture took place.
  
  “We are so grateful to bring justice and closure to this case,” Massachusetts State Police Chief Colonel Timothy Alben told a news conference. “We are exhausted folks, but we had a victory here tonight.”
  
  Monday’s bombing have been described by Obama as “an act of terrorism.” It was the worst such attack on U.S. soil since the plane hijackings of September 11, 2001, and set nerves on edge across the United States with a series of security scares.
  
  Police cars and armored vehicles surrounded the house on Friday night shortly after police told a news conference that the suspect fled on foot and was still on the loose. After the capture of Tsarnaev, authorities said the investigation was still open.
  
  Police in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 60 miles south of Boston said three other people had been taken into custody for questioning about Monday’s bombings. No other details were provided.
  
  Earlier on Friday, Alben said that officers went door-to-door in Watertown and searched houses. During the search for the men on Friday, two Black Hawk helicopters circled the area. SWAT teams moved through in formation, leaving an officer behind to ensure that searched homes remained secure, a law enforcement official said.
  
  The normally traffic-clogged streets of Boston were empty on Friday as the city went into lockdown during the manhunt. Public transportation had been suspended and air space restricted. Famous universities, including Harvard and MIT, closed after police ordered residents to remain at home.
  
  Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said late on Friday afternoon the “stay-in-place” order for Boston had been lifted and mass transit reopened.
  
  The brothers had not previously been on the radar as possible militants, U.S. government officials said. But the FBI in 2011 interviewed the older of the two brothers, acting at the request of an unidentified foreign government, a U.S. law enforcement source said. The matter was closed when it did not produce any derogatory information, according to the source, who declined to be identified.
  
  ‘PUT A SHAME ON OUR FAMILY’
  
  Some details emerged on Friday about the brothers, including their origins in the predominantly Muslim regions of Russia’s Caucasus, which have experienced two decades of violence since the fall of the Soviet Union.
  
  The younger brother described himself on a social network as a minority from a region that includes Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.
  
  A man who told reporters he was an uncle of the brothers said they came to the United States in the early 2000s and settled in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, area.
  
  Ruslan Tsarni, who lives in suburban Washington and has not spoken to the brothers since 2009, said the bombings “put a shame on our family. It put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity.
  
  In separate interviews, the parents of the Tsarnaev brothers said they believed their sons were incapable of carrying out the bombings. Others remembered the brothers as friendly and respectful youths who never stood out or caused alarm.
  
  “Somebody clearly framed them. I don’t know who exactly framed them, but they did. They framed them. And they were so cowardly that they shot the boy dead,” father Anzor Tsarnaev said in an interview with Reuters in Dagestan’s provincial capital, Makhachkala, clasping his head in despair.
  
  The FBI said the twin blasts were caused by bombs in pressure cookers and carried in backpacks that were left near the marathon finish line as thousands of spectators gathered.
  
  The mother, Zubeidat Tsaraeva, speaking in English, told CNN, “It’s impossible, impossible, for both of them to do such things, so I am really, really, really telling that this is a setup.”
  
  The bombings elicited a response from Moscow condemning terrorism and from the Russian-installed leader of Chechnya, who criticized police in Boston for killing an ethnic Chechen and blamed the violence on his upbringing in the United States.
  
  “They grew up and studied in the United States and their attitudes and beliefs were formed there,” Ramzan Kadyrov said in comments posted online. “Any attempt to make a connection between Chechnya and the Tsarnaevs is in vain.
  
  The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the biggest mosque in the area, said in a statement that “after the terrible and sad events of last night, the criminal of the bombings on the loose” it was shutting its doors until further notice.

American School Pupil Sixteen Year old Was Kidnapped in Lagos

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: American school pupil Sixteen year old was kidnapped in Lagos
  Africcon New Media – News
  
  From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  A 16-year-old pupil of American International School, Lagos, has been confirmed kidnapped. The PUNCH had reported on Thursday that the pupil was last seen in his parents’ Sports Utility Vehicle on his way to school
  
  It had also been reported that the victim was kidnapped on Tuesday morning while going to school while the drivers’ whereabouts remained unknown.
  
  The vehicle was however found abandoned at the Palms shopping Mall, located in Lekki area of the state.
  
  Although the identity of the victim was not initially known, school authorities have identified him as Olufolabi Adeniji, an 11th grade pupil.
  
  It could however not be immediately confirmed if the kidnappers had made contact with the family.
  
  Adeniji’s kidnap is the third case of abduction this week.
  
  The chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde Bamgbetan was kidnapped on Monday on his way home while a lady, Nnena Edu, was kidnapped in front of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Sabo, Yaba, on Sunday. She was however released three days later.

5,000 Boko Haram Members May Get Amnesty

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: 5,000 Boko Haram members may get amnesty
  Africcon New Media – NewsFrom: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  Over  5,000  as well as their wives and children members of the militant Islamic sect,  Boko Haram, may benefit from the proposed Federal Government amnesty for members of the group.
  
  Saturday PUNCH learnt that members of the Federal Government’s amnesty committee would, among other things, recommend a phased release of members of the sect currently in detention.
  
  It was gathered that children and wives of the sect members would be released first before other detainees.
  
  This, it was gathered, would assist the committee and the Federal Government in winning the confidence of the sect.
  
  The committee, which is to be inaugurated on Wednesday next week, is expected to initiate dialogue with leaders of the sect at a yet-to-be determined date, time and venue.
  
  Saturday PUNCH also gathered that members of the group, who earlier rejected government amnesty plans, have  yet to make public their response to the latest development.
  
  A top security source, who pleaded for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue,  said, “Some wives, children and relatives of members of the sect are among those being detained.
  
  “The government may start with the release of this category of people as a sign of its commitment to peace. I believe members of this committee will be favourably disposed to making this recommendation.”
  
  As for the venue of talks should members of the sect accept dialogue, the source said, “They may opt for Saudi Arabia or any other country they consider a neutral ground, like they did in the past. This is because they still cannot trust that government will not use the venue of the talks to further hunt them down.
  
  “Trust is still a big issue here; the question remains whether the sect will trust that government will be sincere this time around and not resort to behaviours that led to the breakdown of similar attempts in the past.
  
  “Just like those in government, they also have hardliners. This group of members are likely to give near impossible conditions such as the rebuilding of their homes and places of worship destroyed by government forces and the like. ”
  
  The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, had in Kaduna last month urged the Federal Government to give amnesty to the sect members.
  
  The call was echoed by a number of prominent Nigerians.
  
  It has, however, been strongly opposed by the Christian Association of Nigeria.
  
  President Goodluck Jonathan had few weeks ago said his administration would not hold talks with members of the sect, whom he described as ‘ghosts’.
  
  But after some meetings with northern elders and security chiefs, the President promised to set up an amnesty committee for Boko Haram.
  
  The President made good his promise on Wednesday by naming a 26-member amnesty committee headed by the Minister of Special Duties, KabiruTuraki.
  
  Two members of the committee, Shehu Sani and Dr, Datti Ahmed, rejected their nomination on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
  
  A leading member of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, confirmed that 5,000 Boko Haram fighters were likely to benefit from the amnesty.
  
  He also debunked the notion that Boko Haram members are faceless.
  
  Abdullahi said, “We cannot say these people are absent because about 5,000 of them are in detention. You (journalists) are the ones reporting that (Boko Haram) commanders so, so, and so have been arrested.
  
  “So we agree that there are senior commanders in detention and I think there is this opportunity even for physical contact between the group and some members of the group and government.
  
  “Most reasonable opinions agree that the use of force will not solve this problem. The way forward is to encourage dialogue; it may be difficult at first, but we must try everything possible to encourage interactions between members of the group and the committee.”
  
  Asked whether the Northern Elders Forum would be involved in the talks, he said the committee wouldn’t decide which role groups and individuals would play.
  
  He added that members of the NEF were prepared to help restore peace to the North.
  
  However, a civil rights activist who declined to serve on the committee, Malam Shehu Sani expressed doubts about the possibility of success for the committee.
  
  Sani said, “I have not seen people in that committee whom members of the sect will trust enough to dialogue with.
  
  “A committee headed by a serving minister does not look to me as serious. For this committee to make progress, these three people must be part of it: Ahmed Shilkida (a freelance journalist), Hamza Idris and Mustapha Zanna. If these people are not part of the committee, it is difficult for it to succeed.”

I Didn’t Bomb Madalla Catholic Church–Kabir Sokoto

• Africcon News
  Africcon Report: I didn’t bomb Madalla Catholic church–Kabir Sokoto
  Africcon New Media – NewsFrom: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  An alleged Boko Haram commander suspected of masterminding the December 25, 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, Kabiru
  
  Sokoto, on Friday pleaded not guilty to an amended two-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
  
  Sokoto, whose real name is Kabiru Umar, was arraigned amid tight security before an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice Ademola Adeniyi.
  
  The arraignment was initially slated for March 20, 2013, but the absence of counsel for the accused person stalled the process.
  
  On that day, the suspected Boko Haram chieftain had asked the court to give him time to get a lawyer.
  
  When the matter resumed on Friday, a team of five lawyers, led by H. A. Ibrahim, appeared in court to defend Sokoto.
  
  The other lawyers are Hassan Lukman, Yahaya Saidu, S. Okoh, and a human rights lawyer from Kaduna, Sadau Garba.
  
  Sokoto’s wife and child were also present in court.
  
  Speaking through a court interpreter, the alleged terrorist denied the two-count charge when it was read to him by the court clerk.
  
  Apart from the charge that he had prior knowledge of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church bombing, Sokoto was also accused of planning to bomb the headquarters
  
  of the Sokoto State Police Command as well as other government organisations in the state.
  
  Count 1 reads, “That you, Kabiru Umar (alias Kabiru Sokoto) member of an illegal terrorist organisation known and called Boko Haram, between 2007 and 2012,
  
  at Masiwa, Sokoto State, did facilitate the commission of terrorist acts to wit: by planting and encouraging your boys (now at large) at Masiwa, Sokoto, in
  
  Sokoto State, with the intention to bomb the police headquarters Sokoto and some other government organisations in the state, and thereby committed an
  
  offence contrary to section 15(2) of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, and punishable under the same Act.”
  
  In count two, the SSS alleged that on or about December 25, 2011, at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, Sokoto had information about the
  
  bombing of the church and failed to disclose such to law enforcement officers as soon as possible, an offence contrary to section 7(1) of Terrorism and
  
  Prevention Act 2011, and punishable under section 33(1)(c) of the same Act.
  
  After the accused person had taken his plea and denied the charge, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Chioma Onuegbu, asked for a date for trial.
  
  She had earlier informed the court that about eight witnesses have been pencilled down to testify against Sokoto.
  
  The suspect’s lead counsel rose to move an oral application, asking the court to grant Sokoto bail “in the most liberal terms.”
  
  But the judge instructed Ibrahim that the rules of the FHC stipulated that such an application must be formal.
  
  “If you propose to make any application, you must come formally and also serve the prosecution,” Justice Adeniyi said.
  
  Ibrahim thereafter asked the court to transfer Sokoto from the custody of the State Security Service to prison custody.
  
  He claimed that Sokoto’s lawyers were having challenges in getting access to him in the SSS detention facility.
  
  “We need access to the accused person to enable us to prepare his defence,” Ibrahim added.
  
  In a short ruling, Justice Adeniyi fixed May 2, 6 and 9, 2013, for trial.
  
  He also ordered that Sokoto be remanded in prison custody until the trial date.