Suspect Lures, Kidnaps Uncle

The suspect; Tony Anene

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

The alarming spate of kidnapping especially those instigated by insiders, was again brought to the fore weekend, when the Nigerian Army (NA) arrested one Tony Anene, who connived with two others who are currently at large, to kidnap his uncle, Mr. Dominic Nwaezeapu.

Pretending to be Mr. Augustine Ehikioya, the Economic Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan,  the suspect had on April 9, called and lured the victim out of the house and then kidnapped him in company of his accomplices.

Based on his insider status, Anene who was fully aware of the victim's long standing relationship with Ehikioya, capitalised on it and convinced the victim to come for a meeting where the land squabble would be settled amicably. 

Dele Momodu: The Monetisation of Fresh Air

Fellow Nigerians, please permit me to thank all those who responded to my last letter. Your comments convinced me that most of you truly care about our dear country. Even those who make it their lucrative trade to abuse me every week must be saluted for finding the time to read my column religiously as well as the bountiful energy to disparage my genuine effort at advising our leaders on how to make Nigeria better.

It is our collective duty and responsibility to help our government to govern right. When our country is a better place to live in, all of us would thrive and have a place to be proud of, including those who did not lift a finger up to help in the process. I do not claim to have all the solutions just as I don’t pontificate like cardinals would do. Unlike many Nigerians who travel to different places and studiously forget what they saw and the things we can copy and replicate in our nation, every trip I make is a torture to my soul and body.

SIMON KOLAWOLE: Amnesty: The Debate We Badly Need

Simon Kolawole Live!: Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

History, dare I say, has perfected a way of repeating itself. It’s either we don’t pay attention to it or our memories are pretty too brief. In 2009, when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua offered amnesty to Niger Delta militants, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) flatly rejected it. They wrote an open letter to Yar’Adua which partly read: “The civilised world expected your apology to the hundreds of the displaced and relatives of dead civilians caused by the indiscriminate aerial bombing targeted at innocent impoverished communities from cowardly armed forces meant to instil fear.” A few days later, MEND bombed Agip and Chevron facilities to drive home their point. Nevertheless, Yar’Adua went with his convictions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Cue 2013. President Goodluck Jonathan is exploring the possibility of amnesty for Boko Haram militants who have been unleashing terror on Nigerians in unprecedented proportions. Although Jonathan’s amnesty offer is not yet on the table, the group has rejected it in advance. Its leader, Abubakar Shekau, said: “The Nigerian government is talking about granting us amnesty. What wrong have we done? On the contrary, it is we that should grant you pardon.” He said it was the government that had been committing atrocities against Muslims, in what clearly stands the fact on its head. In my records, Boko Haram has killed uncountable number of Muslims – in addition to their soft target, Christians.

Ribadu Appeals to Boko Haram to Accept Amnesty

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

Former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Saturday appealed to the Boko Haram sect to accept amnesty from the Federal Government. Ribadu explained that dialoguing with those involved in the dreadful acts would bring the desired hope of stopping the carnage.

The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman spoke while fielding questions from newsmen in Ikenne, Ogun State, during a visit to the Awolowo family, saying the Federal Government should not deter in its peace moves, despite foreseen stumbling blocks.

Armed Robbers Kill NNPC GMD’s Brother

NNPC GMD

The spate of insecurity ravaging the north has continued with yet another attack on Mr Yohanna Yakubu , 47, the younger brother of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),  Mr. Andrew La'ah Yakubu. The younger Yakubu was murdered yesterday by suspected armed robbers in Idon village, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, about 110 kilometres away from the state capital, Kaduna.

River Tragedy: Body of Ikoyi Golf Club Manager Recovered

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Hours after a Toyota Hilux van plunged into the Majidun River in Ikorodu, Lagos State, killing four persons believed to be inside it, including the manager of the elite Ikoyi Golf Club, Lagos, Mr. Kolawole Ahmed, in the wee hours of Saturday, the rescue team yesterday recovered Ahmed's body.

The rescue team comprised personnel of the Nigerian Navy (NN), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the state police command who were assisted by local divers.

Why Wearing a Bra May Be Bad

A bra

Marilyn Monroe slept in a bra to keep her assets firm and perky, according to Hollywood lore. A new study out of France suggests it might have been more effective for the screen goddess to go "au naturel" instead.

Researchers spent 15 years studying the breasts of over 330 French women, and concluded that wearing a bra does not prevent sagging or ease back pain as commonly thought. "Medically, physiologically, anatomically—breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity, Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, from the University of Besançon, told France Info Radio. "On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra."

Obafunwa: Cynthia Osokogu was Asphyxiated by Her Killers

Cynthia Osokogu

Chief Medical Examiner of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. John Obafunwa, Friday told an Ikeja High Court that the post-mortem examination conducted on the Cynthia Osokogu revealed that she died from asphyxia (absence of Oxygen supply to the body). 

Obafunwa was testifying at the resumed trial of four men allegedly involved in the Cynthia's death before Justice Olabisi Akinlade said their findings revealed that the deceased was gagged and choked by her killers.

Ikoyi Golf Club Manager, Three Others Plunge into River

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

No fewer than four persons including the manager of the elite Ikoyi Golf Club, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mr. Kolawole Ahmed, plunged to their death at the wee hours of yesterday in the Majidun River, along Ikorodu Road.

The four persons were in a Hilux pick up van with registration number KSF918AU belonging to Ahmed. THISDAY gathered that the Ahmed alongside the other three occupants were on their way back from the golf club when they plunged into the river.

Boko Haram: We’ve Done Nothing Wrong to Warrant Amnesty

Former Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Yahaya Kwande

Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group that has killed about 4,000 people since 2009 when it began its campaign of terror, for the second time in one week, threw a spanner in the works of a committee set up to consider amnesty for its members as it rejected the amnesty deal being worked out by the federal government.

But in a reaction to the Islamic sect’s rejection of amnesty for its members, former Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Yahaya Kwande, who was also part of the Northern Elders' Forum (NEF) that met and pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan last week to grant Boko Haram amnesty, advised the federal government not to go back on its bid to explore the amnesty option despite its rejection by the sect's members.