Four Indians have been held in India for allegedly gang-raping a Nigerian national inside a moving vehicle after which they dumped her in East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar late on Thursday night.
According to police, some security guards at the toll plaza in Chilla village adjacent to Mayur Vihar noticed her late on Thursday night and made a call to the police.
A Police said: “The accused men had picked up the woman from a farmhouse in Saket, promising to drop her home in South Delhi but instead drove in another direction and took turns in raping her. The accused men also snatched the woman’s bag containing cash and mobile phone before dumping her near Chilla village”
“” security guard posted at the toll plaza noticed the woman. He saw her collapse on the ground and made a call to the police control room. A call regarding the incident was received around 2-40 a.m. after which the woman was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital,” the officer added.
Till late today, the woman was not in a state to record her statement. A case under sections of rape has been registered at Mayur Vihar police station.
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari has come up with a blue-print on how he would confront corruption in Nigeria if he is elected in the March 28 election. He said that he would start from himself by publicly declaring his assets and liabilities, and by leading the country from the point of view of security staying in front instead of remaining in the comfort of Aso Rock, the Presidential Villa. Buhari made detailed sketches in this regard in a document which highlights what he will do in his first 100 days if he assumes power on May 29. The document is titled, “I pledge to Nigeria.” He said: “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities encourage all my appointees to publicity declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC.” General Buhari also pledged to personally lead the war against corruption in the country, adding that he would inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act. General Buhari said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC), adding that he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly. On the fight against insurgents, the APC flag bearer said: “I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians.” He said that he would also work with the National Assembly towards the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act. On the other ways to strengthen the anti-graft war, he said: “We will work with the National Assembly to strengthen the Independent Corruption Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by guaranteeing institutional autonomy, including financial and prosecutorial independence and security of tenure of officials. “We will also make the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC autonomous and operational; encourage proactive disclosure of information by government institutions in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.” He also promised that his government would work with the leadership of the National Assembly and the judiciary to cut down the cost of governance, adding that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which he said had been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, would be made to concentrate on its principal function of policy making. On the fate of the kidnapped Chibok girls, General Buhari said that as a father, he had been feeling the pain of the victims of insurgency, kidnapping and violence whether “they are widows and orphans of the military, paramilitary, civilians and parents or the Chibok girls. “My government shall act decisively on any actionable intelligence to #BringBack Our Girls.” He made it clear that having had the rare privilege of serving the country in the military in various capacities and rose to the rank of a Major General and Commander -In -Chief of the Armed Forces, he would defend the integrity of the nation at personal and professional levels. If the APC candidate keeps to his promise, he will be the second Nigeria’s President to publicly declare his assets. The late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have publicly declared his assets when he assumed office. This action forced his then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available to the public. However, since he assumed office as the substantive President, Jonathan has refused to make the forms available to the public, saying that he did that when he was serving as Vice President to Yar’Adua. Asked during one of the media chats whether he would consider declaring his assets publicity, President Jonathan refused, saying he did not give a damn. [myad]
There are indications that many Nigerians who have been neck-deep in corruption, either in the government or in other aspects of private and public businesses are praying that the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari should not win the March 28 election and are planning to jet out of the country into exile in case he wins. Information reaching us indicated that the corrupt Nigerians, especially those in the corridors of power, known as cabals have already began to flee with their loots to other parts of the world to avoid falling into the trap of General Buhari’s anti-corruption stand if he emerges President. It would be recalled that one of the PDP national leaders, Chief Bode George recently made it public that he would flee Nigeria if General Buhari wins the Presidential election. His confession was seen as just one out of the many cases of suspected corrupt Nigerians’ plan to flee the country, and have been stashing their ‘loot’ overseas as the nation counts down to a likely Buhari/Osinbajo Presidency. Reports from Dubai indicate that it is overflowing with Nigerian cabals’ investors who have lately been buying up property in a mad frenzy as they hurriedly move their wealth abroad anticipating the May 29th handover. The fall of the Naira on the forex market has for a large part been attributed not only to the tanked oil prices but to the excessive demand of the Dollar by those filthy rich cabals that are actively laundering their money overseas. Many known and secret businessmen who have enjoyed unlimited direct access to Nigeria’s oil earnings at all levels of the marketing process are said to be seeking dual citizenship in neighboring countries like Chad, Ghana and Cotonou as well as further across Africa to places like Ivory Coast, English speaking Gabon, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa. It was gathered that other Nigerians desperate to move out before the likely coming of Buhari/Osinbajo anti-corruption regime are said to be buying permanent residences in Dubai, the United Kingdom and America. The Caribbean Islands too are not left out as Islands like St Kitts, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago like have reported an influx of Nigerians with Dollars seeking for asylum. Current government officials that have appeared to be prominently in the picture are the miniister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke aka oil godess, former minister of state for defence, Musliu Obanikoro and Ekiti governor, Ayo Fayose and others. They are said to be desperate for a fight to finish and to scatter the transition process as defeat becomes most imminent. Apart from top government and ministries’ officials that are alleged to have been deep in corruption, others in the business world, armed forces, traditional institution are said to be working sleeplessly, contacting all and sundry to see to it that General Buhari does not come to power, either by hook or crook. [myad]
All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation has said that the idea of having the military chiefs determine when elections will hold is a mockery of democracy, “because the military and democracy are not complementary and subjecting the fate of a democracy to the military is a coup against the people.” In a statement today, the director of media and publicity for the Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu appreciated the Nigerian military readiness to deploy troops for the March 28 and April 11 elections but said that its services should be better utilised in other pressing areas, especially in the combat of insurgency and protection of the territorial territory integrity of the country. Garba Shehu spoke against the background of Wednesday, February 18 assertion to the Senate by National Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega that the military service chiefs will have to ratify the March 28 date for the presidential election in the country and the military’s expression of readiness to deploy troops for the polls. The APC Campaign said in the press statement signed by Malam Garba Shehu Garba Shehu wanted INEC to take cognisance of the superior courts’ ruling on the role of the military in elections and the military’s own commitment of its readiness to deploy troops for the 2015 elections. “The idea of placing the fate of democracy in the hands of the military is not only alien to the Nigerian constitution; extant judicial pronouncements have clearly stipulated that the military has no duty to play in the conduct of elections. “We are not comfortable with any attempt to draft the military into election function and are reassured by the declaration by President Jonathan that the elections would hold as scheduled by INEC on March 28 and April 11. “We have carefully studied positions made by the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday and we want to put it on record that we are not in any way comfortable with the idea that the military service chiefs will determine whether the March 28 date of the presidential election is feasible or not. “The concepts of democracy and the military are never complementary, and to say that the military will determine when an election will hold is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. It is akin to a coup against the people of Nigeria to subject the fate of our democracy in the hands of a few military service chiefs. “For the avoidance of any doubts, the APC presidential campaign organisation will not accept any attempt to subvert the electoral processes of democracy in the country.” Garba Shehu made it clear that Nigerian constitution is very clear about how the electoral processes in the country should be run and that there is no single clause of the constitution that makes the military service chiefs to preside over the conduct of elections. He said that there are extant judicial pronouncements specifically at two Courts of Appeal, the recent being that on the Ekiti governorship election that bars the military from undertaking any role whatsoever in the conduct of elections in the country. These, according to the director of media and publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, are in addition to a similar pronouncement by the Supreme Court, adding that the only role that the constitution assigns to the military is to protect the territorial integrity of the country and not to determine if and when an election should hold. “As far as we are concerned at the APC presidential campaign organisation, we are ready for the elections on March 28 and April 11, and INEC is ready as confirmed by Professor Jega during the plenary of the Senate and Nigerians are also ready for the election.” [myad]
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has denied allegation by one Pastor Musa Dikwa that its leadership was bribed by President Goodluck Jonathan to the tune of seven billion naira not only for his re-election bid but to disparage the Presidential candidate of opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari. This is even as the Association believes that the Church is now under threat. In a statement reacting to the allegation which made a lot of media headline yesterday, the General Secretary of CAN, Rev. (Dr.) Musa Asake said: “Ordinarily, we would have ignored this baseless and worthless allegation but for the vulnerable public which believes in anything no matter how incredible the source could be, especially in this era of politics.” He said that Pastor Musa Dikwa allegation that the leadership of CAN was given N7 Billion by President Goodluck Jonathan to campaign for his re-election was a tissue of lie. “For the avoidance of doubt, CAN has no knowledge of any N7 billion transaction as alleged by Musa Dikwa who claims to be the Executive Director of a non-existent group, Voice of Northern Christian Movement. CAN is not a political party, let alone getting involved in partisan politics. Christians who are members of CAN belong to different political parties. It is therefore surprising to hear that CAN is campaigning for one candidate.” Rev. Musa Asake made it clear that revered men of God, “including Pastors Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN President; Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel (Secretary-General of National Christian Elders Forum) are too upright to be linked with any such deal. “CAN is therefore not surprised to see Musa Dikwa doing a yeoman’s job the next day through his allegations. This is the hands of Esau but voice of Jacob.” The CAN scribe said that allegation by Dikwa is masterminded by those who were not happy with the recent press statement by the CAN leadership in which it denounced the endorsement of the Presidential candidate of APC, General Buhari, by a group of people using the name of different Christian organizations to perpetrate fraud. “We still insist that Buhari has fallen into wrong hands because his endorsement for the March 28 general election by Northern Christian Leaders Eagle-Eye Forum led by Aminchi Habu is fraudulent. “We are therefore calling on security agencies to commence investigation of the activities of this Voice of Northern Christian Movement and Musa Dikwa himself to unravel the N7 billion mystery which is intended by their sponsors to throw the country into serious crisis. “We repeat for emphasis, that neither Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and CAN was given any money by the presidency, let alone N7 billion. The allegation is the height of mischief and desperation. Unfortunately, our psyche as a nation has been bastardized and abused by the institutionalized corruption introduced by successive military rulers (in uniform and out of uniform) that we no longer believe that anyone can speak the truth without financial inducement or gratification. Fortunately, there are still people in the nation who act without financial inducement. “We are Christians and our candidate is Jesus Christ. So long as we believe that the Church is under threat, we will speak for Jesus Christ and maintain the Wake Up Call to the Church.” [myad]
All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation has condemned a plan by the Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through some government controlled security agencies, to witch-hunt some Northern Muslim clerics and District Heads as having stolen Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), to rig the March 28 presidential election in favour of their kinsman, General Muhammadu Buhari who is the flag bearer of APC. This move, Director of media and publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, is aimed at shifting the paradigm of public perception of corruption on them to the camp of the opposition (APC), “If this clandestine plan is hatched like the use of the military to rig the polls in governorship election in Ekiti State last year, or the underhand treatment currently being given to INEC and other state institutions, we in the APC and majority of fellow Nigerian men and women would disbelieve it, resist it and question it till such an oppressive decision is rescinded and the anomaly rectified,” In a statement today, Garba Shehu said that APC is in possession of information that shows that “certain state agencies like the Customs, Immigration, Police and so on are waiting on the wings to mop up PVC across the country (possibly from illegal immigrants) and bundle them on hapless religious leaders and District Heads of Northern extraction, to corroborate PDP’s over-flogged narrative that people in the Northern States have collected voter’s cards by proxy; even though INEC top-shots have publicly denied such allegations. The ploy to also heap this electoral offence on APC cum Buhari supporters is, to say the least, dastardly, cruel and heinous.” Garba Shehu stressed that election must not be seen or taken as a do-or-die affair even as he insisted that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and that the best hands should govern it. “After all, the opposition has won elections in Senegal, Ghana, Sri Lanka, among others. Why should ours be an exemption? Shehu queried. “What President Jonathan and his party should learn from their multifarious campaign of malice and mudslinging, to which millions of state funds are daily being pumped, is that Nigerians are not buying their lies and they will voice out their anger through the ballot at the polls in March and April. No amount of cajolement or harassment can bottle the people’s power to elect their leaders. It is a constitutional right that not even the military has the power to remove. General Buhari is a man of proven integrity and honesty. These are the tangible and incorruptible attributes that endear him to the masses. “ [myad]
President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Lagos residents to vote for him for second term and all candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March/April elections, promising that they will be liberated from the tyranny of one man. The President who addressed leaders of market women groups, the Iyalojas, in Lagos and environs who paid him a solidarity visit at the State House, Marina, Lagos last night, was responding to the complaint of high handedness and witch hunt made by the Iyalojas against the Lagos state government. Jonathan said that the PDP administration would provide the enabling environment for them to operate their trade without harassment, saying: “Our victory at the polls will free all Lagos traders from oppression. You need to be free. We will remove Lagos from bondage.” President Jonathan thanked the women traders for standing solidly behind his re-election bid and urged them not to be intimidated by the antics of the All Progressives Congress (APC). “I have listened to you. You have been carrying the PDP flag. You have been humiliated but you still marched on. Thank you for working hard for PDP. This is the final struggle and time for us to use all our strength to achieve victory.” The President emphasised that the country belongs to every Nigerian even as th leader of the market Women from Lagos, Hajia Aminat Hussein told the President that the women had stood behind PDP since its inception but regretted that the members suffered harassment under the Lagos State administration. She said that in spite of the attempts to buy over many of the market women by the APC, the women would mobilise their members in the State and other states in the federation to ensure victory for President Jonathan. “We are promising you that you will not lose in Lagos. This coming election is for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and God is with you.” Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who accompanied the group, told the President that the group is working to tell the world that the ruling elites in Lagos “are not untouchables.” “These women are more concerned about the reality than news in the social media. APC will be shocked on Election Day. We believe in our President. “I do not know of any President that is as humble as Jonathan. If you have such a man as President your interest will be protected.” [myad]
Diplomats from some European Union (EU) capitals are believed to have come to terms with the fact that time is ripe for restoring diplomatic relations with Syria, where President Bashar Assad remains in power four years after the start of a brutal civil war. Although London and Paris are reportedly opposed to shifting their stance on Syria, adhering to the US line that Assad “must go,” diplomats from a growing number of European Union countries support a move toward the renewal of relations. The countries that appear to be leaning towards a rapprochement with Damascus include Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania and Spain. The Czech Republic, which did not withdraw its ambassador, is in favor of the initiative. Norway and Switzerland, which are not members of the EU, are also on board. But even in those EU countries that are officially opposed to renewed relations, there is talk that the Syrian crisis could have been handled better. One senior French diplomat admitted that closing the embassy was a mistake, the news agency said. The gradual change in attitude toward Syria has increased since the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) made territorial gains in Syria and Iraq, prompting US-led aerial attacks on IS positions in the country – despite harsh criticism from Damascus, which accused Washington of violating its territorial integrity. Some diplomats have even hinted at the possibility of Assad being of assistance in the anti-jihadist campaign, which has become more outspoken following a series of deadly attacks in several EU countries. “Some states say Bashar is a reality, we have to take this into account if there are threats to Europe,” one European diplomat was quoted as saying. In 2011, the EU imposed sanctions against Syria as the authorities resorted to strong-arm tactics to put down the protests, which escalated into a full-blown civil war. Amid the changing undercurrents regarding Syria, the United Nations Syria envoy said on Tuesday that Damascus was prepared to halt its bombing of Aleppo, a rebel stronghold, to pave the way for a possible ceasefire. “It is important the European Union support the UN mediator and his effort to create a ceasefire,” Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Martin Lidegaard said, adding: “in relation to that, we cannot avoid to talk to the regime in Damascus since they represent an element of power.” EU diplomats said that the US, despite its objections to Assad remaining in power, has no any viable alternative solutions, aside from continuing to support the opposition. “We don’t know what this coalition wants and the United States is not deciding,” Bassma Kodmani, director of the Paris-based Arab Reform Initiative and a former member of the main Syrian opposition in exile, said, adding: “that’s leading to calls in Europe that Assad is the lesser of the two evils. The debate has come full circle.” Meanwhile, several EU states have diplomats who travel to Syria but are not based there officially. “Others who kept them open were able to have eyes on the ground and keep a relationship with Assad,” another French diplomat said. “We don’t have a clear idea of what’s going on. Within intelligence circles the will to renew the dialogue is there.” [myad]
President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to establish the Nigeria’s first University of Cooperatives. He said that as a precursor to the establishment of the university, he will send a Federal Government delegation to Nairobi, Kenya to understudy the University of Cooperative there. President Jonathan who played host to members of the Odua Cooperative Alliance (OCA) from the 6 southwestern states in the State House, Marina, Lagos today, was responding to the requests by leader of the delegation, Asiwaju Adetokunbo Osisanya that the Federal Government should take a cue from Kenya which already has that institution. President Jonathan confessed that he was hearing about the existence of such an institution in the East African country for the first time, promised to take action on it immediately and situate the university in the southwest. The President Jonathan said that he always believed that Nigeria needs specialized universities, and that such belief had given rise to the establishment of a Maritime University in Delta state. “On the issue you raised about a University of Cooperative. I will send a team to Kenya to go and look at the University there. They need to look at the courses they offer, the departments and how the entire institution is structured. Then we will establish our own and it will be located in the southwest.” On the request for the institution of 200 billion naira national cooperative development fund as provided in the national cooperative policy of year 2002, the President promised to get the Central Bank of Nigeria to consider the inclusion of that in its operations. While promising to look at many other requests made by the group if Nigerians return him to office on March 28th, on the demand for the review of cooperative laws, the President told the group to form a team within itself and recommend specific laws to the Federal Government. President Jonathan promised to sit with them, look at their recommendations and send a draft bill to the National Assembly for deliberations. The President who thanked the leader of the delegation for his brilliant presentation, acknowledged that he had become more enlightened about how the cooperative movement can contribute to the advancement of his Transformation Agenda. “After listening to your well written address which was also articulately presented, I now appreciate better the role cooperative movements can play in our transformation agenda. We will cooperate with you and include your ideas as parts of efforts to move this country forward.” Other requests made by the group include grant/ intervention for the take-off of the national cooperative transportation scheme; reduction in the collateral to access the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund; favorable policy framework on the federal mortgage for housing to enable conventional cooperatives to benefit; special funding for cooperative movement; creation of full fledged ministry of cooperative and rural development. The group leader promised to mobilize over two million votes for the President’s re-election bid out of its 6 million membership strength. [myad]
Minister of water resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe has given details of how the former Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), headed by the current Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari abandoned a water project at Okpella in Etsako Local Government Areas of Edo State even as she admitted that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has also not been able to complete the project. The minister reacted in a statement today to what she called “a very unpleasant publication” in some national newspapers alleging to have been made by the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole to the effect that PDP – led Federal Government siphoned N800 million meant for the project. The governor was said to have alleged that record at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja, shows that the project had been completed without single water pipe laid. The minister said that there is no such record or claims by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources that the water project in Okpella is completed or in use, even as she admitted that “the Okpella Water Supply Project was awarded by the defunct Petroleum (special) Trust Fund (PTF) in December 1998 “For the avoidance of doubt, the Okpella project is one of the failed projects of the current flag bearer of the APC – General Muhammadu Buhari when he was the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust fund (PTF).” Mrs. Ochekpe said that her ministry, at the inception of this administration, undertook a nationwide assessment of several abandoned projects in the water sector, including the Okpella water supply project, and documented them properly for completion by the Federal Government of Nigeria. “You may wish to note that some of them have been completed, such as Ilesha Dam in Osun State, Ogwushi-Uku Dam in Delta state, among others across the country. Admitting that the Okpella water project was not one of those that have been completed by the ministry, the minister described Oshiomhole allegation as spurious, adding that the allegation had been trumped up in the past and reported to the EFCC which carried out investigations and discovered that there are no such records of completion in the Ministry, nor were there any funds appropriated and released to the tune of N800m and expended by the Ministry on the Okpella water supply project. “If Governor Oshiomhole wants to undertake water projects, especially for the people of Edo State, which is his statutory responsibility any way, let him go ahead and do so without joining issues with the PDP led Federal Government.” She made it clear that the role of the Federal government in the provision of water to rural communities is interventionist not statutory, even as he asked Governor Oshiohole to brace up to his responsibilities and provide water for Edo people. “Governor Oshiomhole needs to know that no Government of Nigeria over the years has demonstrated as much political will and delivered on its promises in the water sector, like the President Jonathan led Federal Government. You may wish to check the scorecard of the Ministry. “The Federal Ministry of Water Resources therefore demands that the Comrade Governor use the same media to retract his unfounded allegations against the Federal Government of siphoning N800m that never existed.” [myad]
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