Curfew in Bauchi, North East Nigeria Over Religious Clash afp20090727614002 Abuja Hot fm in English 26 Jul 09

They said: "The recent well-publicised re-organisation in the NNPC where out of the 15 persons retired, 13 came from the South and two from Kogi and out of the 38 promoted, 21 came from the North, 14 came from the South-West and South-East and only three from the South-South, has further disempowered the South-South.

"The current recruitment and promotion into other services like the Nigeria Customs Services (NSC) clearly discriminate against the people of the region, while promising staff from the South-South were prematurely retired."

The forum also picked a hole in the co ntentious Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), describing it as "mostly insensitive", coming at a time indegenes of the oil-producing communities were yearning for the benefits of the oil and gas extracted from their areas.

The communique further said: "The newly-introduced Petroleum Industry Bill appears to be most insensitive to such yearnings as it clearly states that benefits from oil and gas would be totally and exclusively for the sovereign Nigerian State, emphasising more of Nigerian content without any attempt to be sensitive to the local content."

The communique was signed by Chief Edwin Clark and 52 leaders drawn from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states who attended the meeting.

In attendance are: Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu, Chief Francis Doukpola, Chief Dixy Idaka, Gen. David Ejoor (rtd), Prof. B.I.C Ijomah. Gen. Idada Ikponmwen, Sen. Roland Owie, Alabo Tonye Graham -Douglas, Chief Tari Sekibo, Senator Fred A. Brume, Col. Wole Ohunayo, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi and Essien Okon, among others.

In Abuja yesterday, some suspected Boko Haram members were arraigned at a Chief Magistrates Court.

According to the prosecuting counsel, Usman Jubril, the 36 suspects were accused of unlawful assembly.

In the First Information Report, the police told the court that all the accused were arrested in a truck on their way to Lagos from Kano.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges and were later granted bail.

The police told the court: "The suspects were arrested on their way to Lagos from Kano in Zuba, Abuja. When they were arrested, they could not give a satisfactory explanation about where they were going".

After taking their pleas, their counsel urged the court to grant them bail. The police did not object to the application.

The case has been adjourned to September 9.

[Description of Source: Isheri Nigerian Compass Online in English -- Website of the privately owned newspaper close to former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili; URL: http://www.compassnewspaper.com]

Nigeria Transfers Borno Police Chief for Controversy Over Sect Leader's Death

AFP20090806583003 Lagos Daily Independent Online in English 06 Aug 09

[Report by Rotimi Akinwumi: "Boko Haram: Govt Redeploys Borno Police Commissioner"]

Borno State Police Commissioner, Christopher Dega, has been transferred out of the state following alleged complicity in the death of Mohammed Yusuf, leader of Boko Haram, the Islamic sect that visited violence on four Northern states last week.

Daily Independent gathered in Abuja on Wednesday that Dega was recalled to Force Headquarters on Tuesday and has been assigned duties at the Special Project Department with immediate effect.

Yusuf was allegedly killed by the police under the watchful eyes of Dega after the soldiers who captured him had handed him over for possible prosecution.

Inspector General (IG) of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo, who visited Borno State in the wake of the crisis then denied the involvement of the police in the alleged extra-judicial killing, insisting that Yusuf was killed in a cross fire with the police.

The army authority, however, faulted the claim, saying Yusuf was delivered to the police hale and hearty after he was captured, insisting that the police killed him in cold blood.

President Umaru Yar'Adua on Tuesday directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sarki Muktar, to investigate the killing on July 30 of Yusuf, with a mandate to turn in his report this week.

Yar'Adua issued the directive on Monday when he met with heads of the security agencies at the Villa in Abuja on his return from Brazil.

On Tuesday, he disclosed at a joint press conference with visiting Benin Republic President, Boni Yayi, that his administration remains committed to the rule of law but he would refrain from taking "precipitate" action until he receives Muktar's report.

He described the mayhem and the killing of Yusuf as "a very serious matter," saying it is important to get all the facts before taking further action.

Yar'Adua promised that once he gets the report, he will "determine what actions to take, whether we need to carry out further investigations into the entire matter".

[Description of Source: Lagos Daily Independent Online in English -- Website of the privately owned independent daily; URL: http://www.independentngonline.com]

Sectarian Leader's Family Reportedly Threatens To Sue Nigerian Government

AFP20090806583004 Lagos This Day Online in English 06 Aug 09

[Report by Michael Olugbode: "Boko Haram: Sect Leader's Family To Sue Police, FG"]

The family of the slain Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, is spoiling for a fight after it emerged that his father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, was also killed in police custody.

THISDAY learnt that the family is threatening legal action against the police, the Federal Government and any other party linked to the death of the 72-year old man.

The family claims Mohammed voluntarily gave himself up to the Borno State Police Command last Friday when he heard that he was a wanted man.

But he allegedly did not come out alive.

Spokesman for the family and son of the deceased, Baba Kura Alhaji Fugu, told THISDAY in Maiduguri, that his father fled his residence when the sectarian crisis erupted.

According to Fugu, his father sought abode in his sister's home but turned himself in when he heard the cops were searching for him.

He said news came back to the family that he was killed and his corpse deposited at the morgue of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). He was later buried in a mass grave at an undisclosed location.

Fugu stated that: "the news of his assassination came to the family and we are surprised how he would be assassinated by the police and his corpse deposited at the UMTH mortuary on Friday and he would be buried in a mass grave on Saturday."

Fugu, the eldest son of Mohammed, revealed that his father was diabetic, hypertensive and had been on prescription drugs for over four years.

He further revealed that his father who had 27 children and 50 grandchildren was a close friend of Yusuf's father. Mohammed, he claimed, took charge of the leader of Boko Haram because the latter's father had before his death, appealed that he treat him as his child.

Fugu revealed that his father gave the land on which Mohammed Yusuf built his house and mosque. He also continually warned him against his anti-government, anti-Western education rhetorics.

Furthermore, Fugu stated that he had sent a petition on the activities of his brother-in-law to the Borno State government before the incident last week.

He showed a copy of the petition addressed to the governor through the secretary to the state government to THISDAY and accused the government of laxity.

The petition was titled "Threatening Situation to Peace and Security of the State posed by Mallam Mohammed Yusuf and his Disciples."

Part of the petition written on July 15, 2009 reads: "It could be recalled that few weeks ago, some members of Mohammed Yusuf's disciples had a logger-head with Operation Flush II team near the Custom Bridge in Maiduguri in which few of Yusuf's disciples sustained injuries.

"Against this background, since the occurrence of this incident, the group under the leadership of ill-educated Mallam Mohammed Yusuf is mobilizing both men and resources to retaliate the injuries inflicted on them by the said Operation Flush II team."

It further reads: "The spate of which most of his disciples both within and far flung of Maiduguri are paying allegiance and solidarity visits to their leader shows they are busy preparing to launch an offensive attack on members of the Operation Flush II stationed at strategic locations in Maiduguri. In addition to this, they are targeting many government agencies and departments such as courts, the state house of assembly, police stations and formations across the state, the university and other tertiary institutions. They are also targeting all the democratic institutions and political office holders."

In the letter, Fugu advised the government to take action by alerting all security agencies in the North-east region.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that about 300 Christians held hostage by the Boko Haram leader were forced to denounce their faith and convert to Islam. Some of them narrated their harrowing experience to journalists after being released.

It was gathered that even after some were converted to Islam by their abductees, they were slaughtered.

One of the victims, Th omas Ali, who escaped said he was kidnapped by the sect and was forced to take a bath as a sign he had accepted Islam. He claimed his escape was miraculous.

One Emmanuel Ndah, who was also abducted said they were arrested by the sect on their way to visit a widow at her home. He said they were taken to the Mohammed Yusuf Camp. Their names gave them away as Christians right away.

They were thereafter asked if they were ready to denounce their faith. One Pastor George Orji encouraged them to stick to their Christian faith.

"It was his encouragement that kept us till the time we were released. The men outside killed so many of us Christians who were even forced into Islam. I could not say how I survived it but I made it by the Grace of God," said Ndah. But Pastor Orji never came out alive, he stated.

Also giving his testimony, one Okechukwu Nwankwo said he was abducted with his wife and children and was forced to wash up and accept Islam, which he did under duress.

Luckily, he was asked to leave. He however witnessed the death of Orji who was executed because he refused to cave in.

In another development, Governor of the state, Ali Modu Sheriff has said democracy has provided fundamental human rights on one hand. On the other hand, it has led to abuse, leading to incessant crisis in the system, he stated.

Represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Yuguda Dibal at a gathering of people from one of the most affected parts of the state, Sheriff observed that fundamentalists were abusing freedom by indoctrinating unsuspecting members of the public.

[Description of Source: Lagos This Day Online in English -- Website of the independent daily; URL: http://www.thisdayonline.com]

Nigeria: Court Grants Bail to 36 'Suspected' Islamic Sect Members

AFP20090806565011 Lagos Daily Sun Online in English 06 Aug 09

[Report by Esther Okugo: "Court Grants 36 Boko Haram Suspects Bail"]

The 36 suspected members of Boko Haram, who were last week arrested in Abuja, were on Wednesday arraigned before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court by the Police. They were, however, granted bail by the court.

Chief Magistrate Binta Mohammed granted them bail in the sum of N1,000,000 [Naira] and two sureties each in like sum.

One of the sureties, according to the court, must be a civil servant not below the rank of Grade Level 7 and a fixed permanent address.

Alternatively, the suspects must produce a village head who must be recognized by the local government chairman.

The suspects, who were charged for unlawful assembly were also requested to provide a letter of undertaking to the court for verification before they could be releases on bail.

It was Abubakar Animiokhali from the law firm of John Erameh who moved and argued the bail applications on behalf of the suspected sect members.

He urged the court to admit his clients to bail since the offence for which they were brought to court was bailable.

Besides, he said they were ready to provide reasonable sureties and would not jump bail.

The police prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Usman (DSP) had, earlier raised objection to the bail application on the grounds that they could jeopardize investigations, which, he said was on-going.

Animiokhali told the court that his clients were businessmen and not members of the Boko Haram.

According to him, they were on a business trip before their arrest by the police.

But in her ruling, Chief Magistrate Mohammed agreed with the submissions of the defence counsel and granted the suspects bail.

She relied on the provision of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution that deals with the presumption of innocence of an accused person until proven to the contrary by a court of law.

The case has been adjourned till September 9, 2009 for hearing.

It would be recalled that the police authorities in Abuja arrested the suspects in the early hours of last Friday in Zuba.

According to the FCT Command Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the 36 men were arrested last Friday in two buses at an intersection in Zuba on the outskirts of the FCT.

Two of the men are Nigeriens with no specific means of livelihood. They claimed to be travelling to the South western part of the country in search of greener pastures.

[Description of Source: Lagos Daily Sun Online in English -- Website of the privately owned daily close to former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu; URL: http://www.sunnewsonline.com]

Paper Criticizes Nigerian Authorities' 'Leniency' in Tackling Religious Riots

AFP20090806583012 Lagos Vanguard Online in English 04 Aug 09

[Editorial: "After Boko Haram"]

The only new thing about the religious crisis that spread from Bauchi through Borno to Yobe, Kano and Katsina, was that it was by a sect hitherto unknown - Boko Haram.

Loss of indeterminate number of lives, the attacks on police stations, churches and innocent individuals was typical. The assistance the rioters got across Nigerian borders is another usual trait of these uprisings.

The sect that caused the latest in Nigeria's long list of religious riots is said to be opposed to Western ways of living, including education. Its members shun those ways and attack those who do not.

Nigerians are tired of riots. The fact they are rooted in religion should give the authorities some concerns about the liberties that are permitted under the guise of religion.

Granted that our Constitution permits freedom of worship, this provision does not allow the abbreviation of others' rights to worship whatever they believe in. In the same way, religious belief is not a reason to take the lives of those who hold contrary views.

The role of governments in these riots worries ordinary Nigerians. It is no longer enough to condemn them. Governments must monitor and maintain security in their domains. It is a constitutional and primary responsibility of governments to the people.

Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of Boko Haram was well known. The position of his sect was not a secret. The threats to attack institutions and individuals with different views of life were made publicly, yet there was no official response to them.

If security agencies acted proactively, they would have been able to forestall the riots and the losses they caused.

Nigerians would soon be bored with a post-mortem verdict of security lapse. Was that not the verdict given on last year's riots in Jos? When would the security agencies start living up to their responsibilities?

It is important that the roots of these riots are noted beyond the usual explanations that youth unemployment and religious fanaticism propel them. It is obvious that there must be some people sponsoring the riots. What are their motives?

Money would be required to mobilise the rioters and procure the arms they used. Their ability to secure those arms hints at compromises of security. The attacks on police stations and prisons to release their held members exposed the poor security of those places.

The authorities exhibit too much leniency in dealing with religious riots. This attitude is a dangerous precedent that can only encourage more riots. There should not be a different law for religious rioters and other criminals.

What would the security agencies learn from Boko Haram? What would be the attitude of the authorities towards improving security? Would they wait for the next riot before acting?

Religion has its place in society. It does not include taking others' lives if they do not believe differently. This standard must be impressed on all sects, in addition to stiff punishments for those who choose to disturb the peace.

[Description of Source: Lagos Vanguard Online in English -- Website of the independent daily; URL: http://www.vanguardngr.com]

Nigeria: Ulama, Sultan, Blames Politicians On Religious Crisis

AFP20090806696001 Kaduna KSMC Kaduna in Hausa 1720 GMT 31 Jul 09

["From evening news"]

The Council of Ulamas, Kaduna state chapter, has called for an urgent meeting between Muslim governors, Islamic organizations, and Ulamas, to fashion ways of dealing with un-Islamic groups in the country. This was contained in a communiqué after the council’s meeting in Kaduna. According to the communiqué, the proposed meeting would look at issues that border on the cooperate existence of the Muslims according to the teachings of the Quaran. It condemned the recent act of violence by the Islamic sect, "Boko Haram", and also blamed the government for not taking drastic action early enough to stop the activities of the group. They commended the house of representatives for its stance on the issue of the "Boko Haram" group.

Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has warned Nigerians against making inciting comments on the current sectarian crisis in some northern states. He gave the warning when he led the northern traditional rulers to a meeting with their south-eastern counterparts in Owerri. The Sultan stressed that any defamatory comment in any part of the country could be misinterpreted and lead to breakdown of law and order. He said the current crisis was among Muslims, and regretted that some youths attacked police stations without any cause. He also lamented that the crisis was not unconnected with some "self-serving" politicians who may have caused this to "unleash terror on people".

[Description of Source: Kaduna state media corporation radio in Hausa -- Kaduna state government owned radio station]

Nigeria: Report Says Boko Haram Leader Lived False Life Contrary to his Teachings

AFP20090807619001 Lagos Newswatch in English 03 Aug 09 - 10 Aug 09 pp 12-18

[Report by Demola Abinboye and Sam Adzegeh: "Mayhem in Northern Cities"]

Members of Boko Haram, an Islamic sect, attack some Northern cities killing more than 1000 people

The attacks had all the ingredients of a well planned onslaught. Before Nigerians could fathom what was happening, the religious zealots who tagged themselves Boko Haram, meaning, "western education is a sin," had struck in four states - Borno, Bauchi, Kano, and Yobe, all in the northern part of the country. The attacks were simultaneous, between Friday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

When the smoke from burning churches and mosques cleared partially, charred remains of hundreds of innocent citizens as well as those of the fanatics lay on the street. Guesstimates put the death toll between 1,000 and 1,400. Thousands of people abandoned their homes and moved to barracks which they considered safer.

The first theatre of war was the organization’s headquarters in Maiduguri, sprawled over four kilometers. The mayhem began in this ancient centre of Islam when a locally made bomb exploded in the home of one of the Islamic fundamentalists. It killed one and wounded many others. Thereafter, the militants, armed with home made hunting rifles, bows and arrows and scimitars, attacked police stations, churches, mosques, prisons and government buildings.

By press time on Thursday, July 30, guns still boomed in Maiduduri, the Borno State capital. There was a fierce battle the previous night between federal troops and the armed militants. Major General Saleh Maina, commander of the army garrison in the town, said that the fundamentalists were felled. Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the sect, reportedly escaped with scores of his followers.

The man who taught his disciples to detest western education escaped in motor vehicles manufactured through western technology. He was reportedly sighted in a convoy of two jeeps heading towards the country’s border with the Chad Republic. But his deputy was unlucky. He was killed in the midnight shelling of the group’s headquarters by soldiers. However, by evening of last Thursday, the police in Borno announced that Yusuf was dead. Isa Azare, spokesman for that command said: "He has been killed; you can come and see his body at the state police command headquarters."

Newswatch gathered that the sect leader was arrested by soldiers after he fled his organisation’s headquarters. He was picked up in a goat pen in his in-laws house in Maiduguri and handed over to the police. But few hours later, the police announced his death. The husband of four wives and father of 12 children was said to have been shot while attempting to escape from custody.

A source said that the casualty figures among the sect members numbered more than 500. "They are killing these people like chickens," he told Newswatch.

For a greater part of last week, Nigerians were awestricken especially the governors of the affected states. "Their plan was to attack everybody. Governors should brace up and clean their states of this rubbish," warned Isa Yuguda, governor of Bauchi State on Sunday, July 26, 2009 after the riot broke out in Bauchi, the state capital. But he had hardly finished this warning when the religious militants who were clamoring for the abolition of western education in Nigeria and the imposition of Sharia on all the states of the country struck almost simultaneously in Kano and Yobe States last Monday.

At least 43 people were killed on Wednesday in the clashes between security forces and the group in Yobe State. Not fewer than 41 persons, including a soldier and a police officer lost their lives during exchange of fire with the fanatics in Bauchi.

It was like Nigerians underrated Yusuf. Indeed, for many years, he has lived among the residents of Maiduguri without the people feeling any negative impact of his strangle Islamic teachings. It only took one week of bloodshed and wanton destruction of properties in Bauchi, Maiduguri, Gombe, Kano, and Portiskum for his true identity to be unmasked.

People who knew him said Yusuf that lived a false life and deceived his followers. Yuguda said that he was the opposite of what his followers believed he was. Speaking to journalists in Bauchi last week after a combined team of soldiers and policemen rescued the state from terrorism unleashed by the group, the banker-turned politician made a startling revelation:

"Imagine, their leader who is about 32 years old but he rides exotic cars including expensive jeeps, he has his children in choice private schools receiving sound and quality education, has private lawyers and doctors who treat and attend to him, yet he has the powers to indoctrinate people."

Mohammed Ali Ndume, minority leader in the House of Representatives and an indigene of Maiduguri, told Newswatch that Yusuf was known everywhere in the state. He revealed that the man had been arrested twice by security agents in the state but released to continue with his business. "He should have been checked. The problem is that we are never serious about security issues in this country, otherwise the problem should have been nipped in the bud" he said.