More Abia suspects linked to Boko Haram as kingpin is relocated

The military has relocated a Boko Haram kingpin, who is among the 486 suspects detained in Abia State, to a detention facility for a comprehensive investigation, The Nation learnt yesterday.

Of the suspects, 86 are said to have link with Boko Haram, the Islamist sect that  has killed thousands. More interrogators, comprising crack officers from Military Intelligence and the Directorate of State Security (DSS), have been sent to Abia State to join the suspects’ grilling.

None of the suspects had been released – as at press time – in spite of pressure from many quarters.
The suspected kingpin was relocated out of Abia because of what a source described as “valuable information and clues” he had released to the military.

It was learnt that the arrest of the kingpin was, however, heralded with a drama as he gave a wrong name to interrogators.

According to a military source, unknown to the kingpin, a DSS officer in the interrogating team was one of those who had been on his trail. He recognised him.

After much gruelling, he disclosed his real name and admitted that he had been on the wanted list of security agencies.

The source said: “Based on confessions, the military has moved the Boko Haram kingpin out of Abia. He has revealed a lot and the clues cannot be ignored.

“He is at present in a secret detention facility.”

The source gave insight into the interaction with the kingpin and why his identity would not be revealed yet.

The source added: “When the kingpin was arrested, he gave a different name to those quizzing him.

But luck ran against him when DSS officer, who had been on his trail, succeeded in identifying him.

He knew the game was up and he revealed his real name.

“We have to relocate him because we have been receiving enquiries on the real identity of the arrested kingpin. It is quite disturbing that some people wanted to know the exact kingpin.

“So, his arrest has generated more than a mere passing interest from some bigwigs. They were consistently asking which particular one had been picked? Who is the person? Do you have his photograph?

“We are suspecting that some of those raising concerns might have other sinister motives too.”
On the extent of the investigation, another source said:  “Contrary to the public outcry on the suspects, there was more to their movement.

None of them had up to N1, 000 as at the time of their arrest. You will then wonder what manner of business they were going to do.”

There were other suspects who claimed that they were going to look for jobs in Port Harcourt and they don’t know the city.

Following the discovery of 86 of the suspects’ link with Boko Haram, more military and SSS officers from intelligence units were yesterday deployed in Abia.

The team is expected to interrogate some of these suspects who have been coming up with fresh information.
The 86 suspects have been isolated for intense grilling. The additional team is expected to speed up the investigation.

“We can only talk of releasing any of the suspects after these new interrogators have completed their assignment”, another source said.

The 486 suspects were arrested last Sunday morning by officers and men of the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Aro Ngwa and Imo Gate along Enugu, Port Harcourt Expressway.

Their arrest has attracted protects from the Hausa Community in Rivers State, some prominent Northerners and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

But Governor Theodore Orji urged Northern groups to allow security agencies do their work.

He said: “The position of Abia State Government is that security agencies should be allowed to thoroughly investigate the matter.”

NSIA posts N1.2b profit

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Agency (NSIA) has realised about N1.2billion profit as at the first quarter, ending March 31.

The amount is nearly N1billion over the return made last year.

NSIA Managing Director/CEO Uche Orji broke the news in Lagos. With him was NSIA’s Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer, Hanspeter Ackermann. He said the result aligned with the expectations of his team, adding that although it is impossible to predict what the future outcome might be, given the volatility of the economic environment, he expressed confidence  that “the NSIA is on the path to deliver a more robust performance by the end of 2014”, all things being equal.

Orji said  given the level of performance by the agency in the last three months from April, there could be a repeat performance of the March ending figures. Nonetheless, he would prefer that the accounts go through audit scrutiny before they are finally released, adding that a N2.7billion projected profit for June ending will not be off the mark.

Said Orji: “We are on track to deliver similar or higher numbers as seen in Q1. We will be in a better position to release the specifics,”  in the course of July. He said the proceeds are coming from about 50 per cent of NSIA’s investment of its total investment fund.

Orji said the agency has split its Fund into three broad categories -  Stabilisation Fund, Future Generation Funds and Infrastructure Fund. Of the fund, 20 per cent is allocated to Stabilisation. The other two are allocated 40 per cent apiece.

He said due to low interest rates and other contending market forces, the Stabilisation Fund is not structured to yield much returns. Nevertheless, it has made modest returns of about 0.55 per cent, Orji said, adding: “We have decided  to tweak the strategy of this fund as we adjust to the near zero-interest rate environment in developed markets and the uncertainty of rising rates. As such, we have reallocated the growth portion of this portfolio to managers with the expertise and latitude to navigate such contrasting environment.”

The NSIA chief said the agency has  deployed its infrastructure quotient of the  Fund to play in the realisation of the Second Niger Bridge, and would soon get involved in the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He listed the  Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing Company , the power sector and health as other areas on the NSIA list.

On insinuations that the Second Niger Bridged is mired in politics, Orji said nothing could be farther from the truth.

Work on the bridge is progressing as planned, Orji said, adding that nothing has delayed the pace of construction in any way. He said the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report  had been done and compensation  paid to those whose land and properties were affected.

He pointed out that the 1.2kilimetre six-lane bridge and the additional piled bridge stretching a distance of 12kilometers that the Fund is financing would be ready in four years, as planned.

Dr. Orji’s view the Future Generations Funds is the NSIA’s toast as most of the returns are derived from it. He said the investment in this segment are factored into hedge funds, Long-Only Equity Managers, Emerging Markets, Private Equity and into  Developed Markets.

He said the Funds’ timing for allocating capital to emerging markets had been excellent, “as we practically picked the bottom of these markets resulting in strong performance for the asset class”.
Orji said one of the funds had returned yields in excess of seven per cent.

Ekiti Election: Fayose’s campaign manager says big win “unexpected”

The Ekiti governor-elect, Mr. Fayose, will address the press later Sunday.
The Director-General of the Ayodele Fayose Campaign Organisation, Dipo Anisulowo, has thanked the people for Ekiti State for electing Mr. Fayose, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Mr. Fayose the winner of the election Sunday morning after Saturday’s election. Mr. Fayose polled 203,090 votes of the 733,766 votes cast. The incumbent, Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, come in distant second with 120,433 votes followed by Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party, LP, who polled 18,135 votes.

Mr. Anisulowo, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, said the PDP and Mr. Fayose are happy at the outcome of the election and the love shown to the party by Ekiti people.

Mr. Anisulowo said he personally did not expect the huge win although it was predicted by Mr. Fayose.

“When our candidate predicted that he would have landslide victory, I couldn’t envisage it that it would be so massive. But after careful reflection we now found out it was mass movement. It was a revolution. They don’t want the present government because of their shortcoming and so they want a change. Ekiti people we speak the same language. Even our body language is the same. And you can see that there is peace in Ekiti. People are happy,” he said.

He said the result of the election is a reflection of the efforts put by the PDP in convincing the people that Mr. Fayose is a better leader than the incumbent, Kayode Fayemi.

“I’m happy about the outcome. We’ve put in place a lot of efforts in this election and the success has now come and naturally we should be very happy. My party, my candidates are very happy about the outcome. We are happier with the reaction of Ekiti people and the love they have shown for us,” he said.

Celebrations that erupted Saturday evening in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, as results from different local governments started trickling, continued Sunday morning with youth and PDP supporters holding street parties with loud music while motorcyclists took over the streets, screaming “power”, “power” as they rode dangerously on their bikes.

Mr. Anisulowo also promised that Mr. Fayose will keep true to his antecedent of delivering a people-focused government which is the yearning of the Ekiti People.

“This is a man who has done it before without borrowing one kobo from the bank compared to the N226 billion debt these people have taken and we have our blueprint to meet the expectation of the people. In the first regime we did not disappoint them and now that he is more experience, I’m sure he would not disappoint them.”

He also dismissed allegation by the APC that soldiers and policemen deployed to maintain peace in the election intimidated their supporters, scaring many away from casting their votes.

“When people fail they will always ascribe reasons for failure. It is not expected. In fact the presence of those agencies should affect all the parties either positively or negatively because what they came to do was to maintain peace and we thank God there was peace during the election. So if people have failed for one reason or the other they should not ascribe it to other peoples’ action or inaction,” he said.

The governor-elect, Mr. Fayose, will address the press at noon at the Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti.

Jonathan congratulates Fayose, offers support to Ekiti Governor-elect

The president says the new governor should see his second coming a divine mandate.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan heartily congratulates the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on his overwhelming victory in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

President Jonathan also commends the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Security Services and the good people of Ekiti State for the successful and peaceful conduct of the elections in keeping with the present administration’s avowed commitment to ensuring that elections in all parts of Nigeria are progressively freer, fairer and more credible.

As Mr. Fayose readies himself to assume office in fulfilment of the clearly expressed wish of his people, President Jonathan urges him to be humble and magnanimous in victory and commit himself to forming an administration that will work for the advancement of the interests of all Ekiti people irrespective of their political affiliations or loyalties.

President Jonathan calls on Mr. Fayose to regard his second chance to serve as Governor of Ekiti State as a sacred mandate from God Almighty and his people which he must discharge with immense dedication, wisdom and vigour to achieve a much more rapid pace of socio-economic development in Ekiti State for the benefit of its people who resoundingly reaffirmed their trust in his leadership by voting overwhelmingly for his election yesterday.

The President assures Mr. Fayose that the Federal Government will give all necessary support and assistance to his incoming administration and cooperate fully with him in furtherance of the present administration’s objective of significantly improving the living conditions of Nigerians in all parts of the country.

He wishes Mr. Fayose continued good health and a very successful second tenure as governor of Ekiti State.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 22, 2014

I want to be the Awolowo of Ekiti – Fayose

The governor-elect of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose has pledged to be on the side of the common people of Ekiti State, saying he wants to be “the Awolowo” of the southwest state.

The late Obafemi Awolowo, the former premier of the defunct Western region, is revered among the Yoruba for his people-oriented developmental programmes.

Speaking to journalists at Spotless Hotel in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, Mr. Fayose who won by a landslide in Saturday’s gubernatorial election said: “I want to be the Awolowo here. Awolowo is long dead but nobody can come out to insult him.”

While commending the other contenders in the governorship race for conceding and accepting the result of the poll, Mr. Fayose said he was now “older and wiser” and was ready to work with everybody.

“Governor Kayode Fayemi, my brother Opeyemi Bamidele, and others that we contested together have accepted me as the governor-elect, I want to thank them too and assure them that I would work with all of them,” he said.

“These four years would be four years for all of us in government. There will be no winner, no loser,” he added.

He particularly thanked the incumbent, Mr. Fayemi, for his service and pledged to continue any uncompleted project initiated by the incumbent.

“Whatever projects are left by our predecessor we will continue. It is not about Fayemi; it is in the interest of the people. It is about Ekiti,” he said.

He particularly thanked the common people of Ekiti for believing in him, noting that without them his victory would have been impossible.

“My charge to every politician is to target the common people. When you’re voted to power, don’t forget the common man.

“I left the government house on 16 October, 2006 and by God’s grace I will be back in Government house 16 October, 2014. I owe it all to God and the common man in Ekiti.”

During his first term as governor, Mr. Fayose was impeached and subsequently charged to court for an alleged N1.2 billion fraud. Prosecutors from the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, told the court that Mr. Fayose converted the money meant for a poultry project for his personal use. The case is still in court.

The governor-elect pleaded with the police to release all those who were arrested during electioneering, no matter their political leaning.

 He also promised to compensate all those who were injured or whose properties were destroyed. For those who lost loved ones in the various violent clashes that characterised the run-up to the election Mr. Fayose said his government would “alleviate their suffering and support them.”

He said he would approach his time as governor with the tenacity he did the job the first time. He said he would take the welfare of civil servants seriously and promised to pay salaries every 21st day of the month.

Guinea Bissau’s judge emerges ECOWAS Court President

A Nigerian judge was elected vice president
Guinea Bissau’s Justice Maria Silva has been elected the new President of the Community Court of Justice of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

Nigeria’s Justice Friday Nwoke and Justice Jerome Traore of Burkina Faso were elected as Vice-President and Dean of the court, respectively.

This is contained in a statement issued by Sunny Ugoh, ECOWAS spokesman on Sunday in Abuja, which stated that the three judges would serve the court for two years.

The other new judges are Justices Yaya Boiro, Guinea; Micah Wright, Liberia; Hameye Mahalmadane, Mali; and Alioune Sall, Senegal.

The statement said the judges succeed Justices Awa Daboya, Togo; former President, Benfeito Ramos, Cape Verde; Hansine Donli, Nigeria; Anthony Benin, Ghana; Clotilde Medegan, Benin; and Eliam Potey, Cote d’Ivoire.

The seventh judge, Sidibe Soumana, of the Republic of Niger died in 2011.

ECOWAS Chairman and Ghanaian President, John Mahama, who spoke at their inauguration, said the role of the court in the community’s integration process could not be overemphasised.

Mr. Mahama said it was a role that was likely to increase the changing dynamics of the region.
He assured the new judges of the support of regional leaders in their mandate to contribute to the promotion of justice, peace and security in the region.

He also commended the outgoing judges for helping to nurture the court from its humble beginnings in 2001 into an institution that had become the pride of the region.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Ouédraogo, underscored the court’s major role in the protection of human rights.

Mr. Ouédraogo highlighted the court’s role in the interpretation of community texts among its other responsibilities.

(NAN)

PDP, Aliyu, Tambuwal congratulate Fayose

PDP governors welcome the outcome of the polls
 The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has congratulated the newly elected governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, describing his victory on Saturday as well-deserved.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement Sunday described the Ekiti governorship poll as credible, free and fair, adding that it was an unequivocal statement on the preference of the PDP by the entire people of Ekiti state, and Nigeria.

“The outcome of this election confirms the popularity and acceptability of the PDP and its candidate, the governor-elect of Ekiti State. It brings to the front burner, the genuineness of the crowd that throng our rallies across the country, especially in Ekiti state,” the party said.

Mr. Fayose contested and won the Ekiti State top seat on the platform of the PDP.

He dethroned incumbent Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The PDP attributed the victory to its “strict adherence to the principles of internal democracy, the kernel of transparency in the conduct of our governorship primary which produced a popular candidate, the overwhelming choice of party members.”

It said the victory was also a clear conformation of its position that the APC is not really on the ground and has no genuine followership even in states that are under its control.

“We demand of the APC, the sportsmanship required of democrats in an electoral contest by congratulating the victorious candidate just as we did in Edo state where it won and in Ondo and Anambra States where Labour and APGA won respectively    instead of taking to incitement and other bad loser syndrome”, the statement said.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said Mr. Fayose’s victory is a reflection of what the PDP will achieve in 2015 general election.

The Speaker of the House of Representative, Aminu Tambuwal, also congratulated the elected governor, as well as the outgoing governor, Mr. Fayemi, for conceding defeat.

Also, the Kogi State governor, Idris Wada, congratulated the governor-elect.

Mr. Wada said in a statement that outcome of the election is a “loud voice of the masses” and an endorsement of programs of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the party under which Fayose contested the election.