Nigerian Troops Raid Hideout of Suspected Militants Killing 14 In Kano

House raided by JTF early Easter Sunday

Some of the weapons displayed by the JTF after the raid

Smoke billowed from a house inhabiting suspected Islamist militants planning an Easter Sunday attack on the city of Kano after soldiers from the Joint Task Force hit the building with explosives and gunfire.

The resulting gunfight lasted four hours. Residents said they saw  a dead soldier hurriedly moved from the scene of the gunfight while some were injured apparent from gunfire.

A military spokesperson said some 14 militants were killed in the shootout. The military had acted on a tip-off from residents that noticed suspicious movement of vehicles by militants in Unguwa Uku area on Zaria Road highway.

We won’t extradite Alamieyeseigha –FG

Chief Dipreye Alamieyeisegha

The Federal Government on Friday confirmed that it would  not extradite a former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to the United Kingdom to face money laundering charges.

 While reacting to a statement by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, the FG accused the envoy of challenging the sovereignty of the country.

The President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration stated that it was not willing to extradite Alamieyeseigha because the British government did not go through ‘appropriate channels.’

An highly-placed government official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “The UK cannot dictate to us. The government is not willing to extradite the former governor because of what they (UK) are saying on the pages of newspapers.”

Also, it was learnt that the UK request to extradite Alamieyeseigha predated President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Pocock was reported on Thursday to have said Alamieyeseigha, who recently got state pardon for his criminal conviction in Nigeria, still has an outstanding case of money laundering to answer to in the UK.

He said the UK government would not give up until Alamieyeseigha was brought to justice.

According to the envoy,  the UK had asked the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for Alamieyeseigha’s extradition and was still awaiting his position on the issue when Jonathan announced the state pardon.

He had said, “The former governor skipped bail in the UK on a charge of money laundering and returned to Nigeria. So, he has an outstanding charge in the UK, which is there for him to answer.

“We have already discussed it and the Nigerian government knows our views. But we would like to see him return and answer charge in the UK.

“I am very sure we asked in the past. But I am not sure we got a formal response. So, we are still waiting for a formal response from the Nigerian government.”

But a government spokesperson, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the request which Pocock talked about was an old one that was made shortly after the former governor returned to Nigeria.

When asked why the present administration refused to take action on an old request, he said, “The request is an old one. It was not made under this administration, you can check the date. The request predates this administration.

“I am sure the request must have been made in 2005/2006 when the events happened. That surely was before the inception of this administration.

“In any case, it is inappropriate for the envoy to be addressing issues such as this on the pages of newspapers. There are established diplomatic channels to address such issues because diplomacy has its own rules.

“What is expected of a foreign diplomat in another country is to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if he has such an observation to make.

“A diplomat is not expected to behave in a manner suggesting that he is interfering in the internal affairs of his host country. Diplomacy on the pages of newspapers is odd, it is almost like joining a protest movement.

“He is expected to go through the proper diplomatic channels. Reacting on the pages of newspapers amount to challenging the sovereignty of the country and meddlesomeness in the affairs of the country.

“The action also amounts to carrying placards and joining protest against the host country.”

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Ambrose Momoh, said he was not aware of the UK request.

Momoh also said the minister, Mohammed Adoke, was not in town, and as a result, he could not immediately reach the AGF to get his (AGF’s) official position on the matter.

Similarly, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, said he was not aware of the request.

“All I can tell you is that normally, such request is routed through the foreign affairs ministry.

“All communication between foreign missions accredited to the country is through the ministry. For example, if an ambassador wants to visit the president or any minister, he writes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clearance. The same thing applies to correspondence.

 “Anything short of this is a breach of diplomatic procedure,” he added.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, has warned the Federal Government against endangering its ties with other countries. He said Nigeria might be ostracised in the comity of nations if government did so.

Mohammed said, “We live in a global world and there’s inter-relationship between countries. Without commenting on the rightness or wrongness of the recent pardon of Alamieyeseigha, we warn the government not to jeopardise the interest of Nigerians because of any man.

“There is supposed to be cooperation among various countries on issues such as terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking, etc. To that extent, the government is not correct to say that the UK demand is an attempt to meddle in the internal affairs of the country.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin, said Jonathan would be playing with fire, if he attempted to shield Alamieyeseigha.

He argued that Alamieyeseigha committed an offence in Britain and jumped bail to avoid prosecution.

He said, “It is within international law; Nigeria is a signatory to an international treaty. It is not about Britain meddling in Nigeria’s internal affairs, no. The UK has the right under a known international law to request that Nigeria extradites him. The judicial process of his trial has not been concluded.”

Similarly, the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Debo Adeniran, said the Nigerian government shields corrupt leaders.

He said, “President Jonathan had declared that Alamieyeseigha is his benefactor. So, he has to protect him by all means.

“Nigeria has not been respecting the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty it signed with the UK. That is why it could not give enough evidence against James Ibori, when the UK requested Nigeria to confirm that he was  wanted for criminal activities. The Nigerian government is practically and openly protecting corrupt leaders.”

Alamieyeseigha, then a serving governor, escaped from the custody of the British authorities when he fled back to Nigeria in September, 2005.

The pardon granted Alamieyeseigha by Jonathan had also led to a diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States with the latter threatening to sanction Nigeria for Jonathan’s action.

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan

There are indications that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, has been flown abroad for medical treatment in an undisclosed German hospital.

Unconfirmed reports had it that the First Lady’s health might have relapsed, thereby necessitating her going abroad to receive fresh medical attention.

Mrs. Jonathan was conspicuously absent at a Good Friday service held at the Aso Villa Chapel on Friday although her husband attended with his mother, Eunice.

The President is currently in Lagos for the Easter break without his wife.

Her last public appearance was in France where she received a Global Women Leader for Peace Award 2013.

Our correspondent learnt that she returned to the country briefly after the event before embarking on a fresh trip.

But unlike the trip to France, a presidency source who pleaded anonymity, said Mrs. Jonathan did not embark on the current trip with her full entourage.

When contacted on the telephone, Mrs. Jonathan’s spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, confirmed that the First Lady was not in the country.

Osinlu however denied reports that Mrs. Jonathan is abroad for medical attention.

He said she was abroad attending to her foster mother who is sick. However, he did not disclose the country where the First Lady is attending to the ailing woman.

But investigations by our correspondent showed that Mrs. Jonathan may be in Germany.

It was further learnt that she is expected back in the country this week.

The source however could not say exactly when she will be back.

An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had reported on Saturday that Mrs. Jonathan  was sick again and was shuttling between Spain and Germany in search of treatment.

The report quoted a source as saying the First Lady was also contemplating receiving medical treatment from a United States hospital.

Mrs. Jonathan disappeared from the country for several weeks last year to attend to her failing health.

During the period, both the Presidency and Osinlu denied that the First Lady was receiving treatment abroad for an undisclosed ailment.

Specifically, Osinlu said Mrs. Jonathan was vacating abroad after the rigour of hosting a conference of African First Ladies.

But during a special thanksgiving service held in her honour recently at the Aso Villa Chapel, the First Lady admitted that she was sick and “died” for a week.

NIGERIA AND THE DRONE IN THE SAHEL: The good, the bad and the bizarre

Will the drone be used in the Sahel? Put differently, will the United States order drone strikes on terrorist cells in West African states? That is the big question that confronts states and non-state actors in the on-going war against Al-Qaeda and its local affiliates in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.

But the reputation of the drone for causing collateral damage when in action remains a  concern about the usefulness or otherwise of the unmanned aircraft  especially  in fighting the invisible enemy. Yet there are other uses of the drone that recommends it to nations and organisations  for crime fighting.

When  news filtered in that the United States had reached agreement with the Republic of Niger to set up a drone base in the West African state, there were concerns about the location of this war machine, especially the possibility of violating Nigeria’s territorial integrity and internal security. Nigeria and Niger Republic share borders and essential demographic features, particularly in northern parts of Nigeria.

The move especially unsettles the security and intelligence communities in Nigeria about the  implications of having such equipment that can gather sensitive information about the country, but Prof. Fred Aja Agwu, a senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, told Sunday Vanguard that Nigeria has been weakened by its own internal crisis, that it could not utter a word on such brazen act the could compromise its intenal security.  Agwu said the activities of Boko Haram and other terrorists groups show  that  insurgency in region has been internationalised.

According to him, the local insurgents have been infiltrated and the “Nigerian security and intelligence communities  have proved incapable of coping with the situation”, so they need external help.

The activities of Boko Haram and Ansaru show that Nigeria is an area of interest for drone surveillance, whether in Niger or in Nigeria.

Prof. Ogbabe Oche, echoing Agwu, said the presence of drones in Niger Republic may serve as a deterrence to  terrorists but its implications for national security cannot be overlooked. He explained that the drone option has become necessary because Nigeria is not showing that it is capable of defending its territorial integrity and upholding the security of its citizens.

Drone Technology
The drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is used for surveillance  and targeted attacks on suspected terrorists and they have been used by the United States which developed the technology. The drone is  remotely controlled and has visual sensors that allow those operating it to focus on intended targets. It carries different types of weapons. For instance, the MQ-9 drones can employ four lasser guided Hellfire missiles and time sensitive targets.

Former US President George W. Bush was the first to order drone strikes in 2008  in Pakistan during his last days in office. There are various types of drones namely the MQ-IB predator which is used for medium altitude long endurance mission. It performs intelligence gathering and has what the military call munition capabilities. The second type is the MQ-9 reaper which is used primarily for hunting and killer mission. It also has the capacity for intelligence gathering. It is designed to find, fix, track, get, examine and assess against high value, fleeting and time sensitive targets.

Former CIA Director General Leon Panetta described the drone as “very effective” as it “has achieved high level of precision attacks on targets. Military experts believe that the US drone has changed the nature of modern warfare because it is surgically precise and high effective.”

Drone in War fare
Until 2008, drones were used for intelligence gathering in Pakistan. But, in that year, the US fired the first missile from a drone at a terrorist target in Waziristan. The US used the stealthy UAV RQ-17 drones to fly over Osama Bin Laden compound in Pakistan, to monitor the compound before the advance of the Navy Seals that killed him on May 2, 2011.

The US secret drone campaign against Al Qaeda ;and its affiliates has changed the face and nature of modern warfare. It has become a key weapon in US arsenal against suspected terrorists and the prospects of using it in the Sahel cannot be ruled out as Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb continues to grow in strength and presence in the region. Only US, UK and Israel have launched drone strikes against their enemies.

According to reports from Pentagon, the US has about 8,000 drones and it has carried out about 349 drone strikes in Pakistan, 61 in Yemen while it is estimated that between 1,500 to 2,500 persons may have died from this modern form of warfare. The casualty rate is believed to be high among non- combatants and non-terrorists but many people also argue that this is the propaganda of terrorists who want to draw sympathy to themselves and increase the criticisms against the use of drones to hunt them.

Global Drones Race
Israel has, over the years, led the world in developing unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAS).  According to America Aerospace Study (2011), there are about 680 of UAS. And about 70 countries including China, UK, Australia, Russia are known to have such technology. Even Iran, which claimed that it it brought down one US drone,  has acquired the technology.

China revealed in 2010 that it has 25 drone models. Today, there are more countries lining up to acquire the technology and usage of drones either for domestic or military purposes. In the US, the police  use drones for law enforcement  duties, especially to gather intelligence.

The Obama administration, which has been secretive about the use of drones, is known to have ordered more drone strikes against  suspected terrorists outside the shores of the US than its predecessor. The administration is now faced with the responsibility of mobilising a global consensus on the use of drones.

In the US, there have been debates within  government and Congress on legal justification for the use of drones especially  targetting US citizens on  American soil or abroad  if they are found to be involved in acts of terrorism. There is  increasing public demand for information on how the drones are used.

Apart from the issue of regularising the drone programme, it has become necessary to draw a guideline.  There is, therefore, the need “to ensure that the future use of drones conforms with existing international and humanitarian laws”.

Under the international law, terrorists are considered civilians and killing them is only legal if they are caught in the act of committing an attack. Some experts argue that drones create  more terrorists than they kill them.

Apart from military uses, drones have been used for search and rescue operations, tracking of weather disasters, especially after storms, hurricanes, earth quakes, etc.

The Ol Pejeta conservancy in Kenya wants to use drones to monitor wild life to deter poachers. This is an experience that could be useful to Nigeria in tracking incidence of pipeline vandalism.

OYERINDE’S MURDER: Our story, by police (2)

This is the concluding part of the police report on the investigation into the murder of Mr Olaitan Oyerinde, principal secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, presented at the public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions

STRENGHT OF THIS INVESTIGATION
Recovery of Deceased telephone handset through Forensic information.

Systematic reconstruction from scene to suspects that led to the arrest of all the suspects.

Recovery of face cap of Auta Umaru Ali identified by himself and gang members.

Identification of three suspects out of the four that raided late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde’s house by Mrs Funke Oyerinde.

Recovery of a single barrel locally made cut to size gun belonging to the gang.

Video capture of the scene reconstruction that revealed the role each suspect played at the scene.

Confessions of the suspects that have been attested to by Superior Police Officers in line with the law and practice.

Uncovering of other crimes namely

Murder of Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu

Attempted Murder of Alhaji Badamasi Saleh and his Deputy.

Involvement of Moses Asamah Okoro in the raiding of Agenebode Police Station in late 2010

Recovering of telephone handset of High Chief (Dr) Vincent Ifada in the house of Garba Usman Maisamari.

Recovery of over 20 telephone handsets from Girei in Adamawa stolen from Benin City.

Recovery of 23 SIM cards from Garba Usman Maisamari’s house.

Recovery of six wrist watches from Garba Usman Maisamari’s house.

Additional information to Police intelligence bank about sources of arms/ammunition to this elaborate gang and identities of other gang members.

ARRAIGNMENT OF SUSPECTS
Arising from this painstaking investigation and based on the quantum of evidence, the suspects were arraigned before an Oredo Magistrate Court, Benin City on 31st August, 2012. (See Document 9 in Appendix 3 for charge sheets)

Three charge sheets were presented to the court namely=
Charge No. MOR/326c/2012
Charge No. MOR/327c/2012
Charge No. MOR/328c/2012

LEGAL ADVICE
The Police forwarded Duplicate casefiles with respect to the above charges to the Federal Director of Public Prosecutions for vetting and advice on the 11th of September, 2012 in our letter No. CR: 3100/X/LEG/FGQ/ABJ/VOL.3/123

Surprisingly on the 9th November, 2012, the Edo State DPP rendered advice in a paid advertorial published in the Nation Newspaper claiming it received the duplicate casefile from Oredo Magistrate Court Benin City on the 5th of September, 2012 (See Document No. 10 in Appendix 3)

The controversy in this matter was generated by the unsolicited advice of the Edo State DPP. Even at that, the Edo State DPP posited that six of the ten suspects have cases to answer, he expressed doubts about two suspects based on misplaced facts and discharged two suspects for want of corroborative evidence. The Police had responded to the Advice of the DPP on 19th November, 2012 (See Document No. 11 in Appendix 3)

In response to our letter to the Federal DPP, legal advice was rendered on the 21st of January, 2013 (See Document 12 in Appendix 3)

Late Olaitan Oyerinde

CASE OF SEVEN SUSPECTS TRANSFERRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES ABUJA ACCUSED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE MURDER

BACKGROUND:
On or about the 1st of August, 2012, the Department of State Services paraded six suspects in a televised press conference. The SERVICE announced that they arrested the suspects for the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde and stealing from his house.

Similarly, the DG SSS followed up with a letter dated 1st August, 2012 to the Inspector-General of Police and requested the Police to take over the six suspects for prosecution. (See Document 13 in Appendix 3)

On the 23rd of August, 2012, the Department of State Services transferred seven suspects which now included LAWAL Abubakar (See Document 14 in Appendix 3).

The Department of State Services did not transfer ANY CASEFILE be it Original or Duplicate to the Police.

The Department of State Services did not transfer any Investigation Report-be it interim, preliminary or final report to the Police.

The Department of State Services did not handover any complainant, witness or suspect’s statements; enabling documents like search warrants or attestation by investigating officers to the Police.

None of the exhibits transferred by the Department of State Services to the Police related to any of the items stolen from late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde’s house. One of the victims Adeyinka Oletubo has confirmed this position after viewing the items.

The Police wrote to the Department of State Services requesting for information/interface which may lead to successful investigation but no response. (See Document 15 of Appendix 3)

Police had no choice than to perform its statutory responsibility of Criminal investigation hence a full investigation.

POLICE INVESTIGATION:
The three suspects identified by the Department of State Services as the suspects who murdered late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde namely Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi, Raymond Onajite Origbo and Edeh Chikezie were variously interrogated.

They admitted being armed robbers who usually operated as a gang of six made up of themselves, one Sani, one Ali alias Smally and one Ishiaka –all at large.

They also admitted to various armed robbery escapades in Benin City promising to take the Police to the locations but denied any involvement in the armed robbery of 4th May, 2012 at No. 65, 2nd Ugbor road, GRA Benin City at the house of late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

§  They also admitted that in their operations they were usually armed with three cut to size single barrel guns provided by Ishiaka- a Fulani nomad who is a member of the gang.

Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi posited that when his house was searched, only one hammer, one matchet and two kitchen knives were recovered by Department of State Services operatives and denied knowledge of 1 No Europa Magnum Pump Action gun and 2Nos Russian Double Barrel guns said to have been recovered from him.

§  The suspects claimed that they were never taken to the scene of crime and that the late Comrade Olaitan’s house was shown to them from a Black Berry telephone by their interrogators.

§  Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi, Raymond Origbo Chikezie admitted knowledge of Saidu Yakubu alias IMAM as a Receiver of stolen property at Ring Road Benin City. Raymond Origbo admitted knowledge of Sani Abdullahi Abubakar as a receiver of stolen property especially telephones.

§  Hassan Bashiru admitted being a receiver of stolen property and also admitted knowledge of Sani Abubakar and Lawal Abubakar.

§  Hassan Bashiru admitted that he bought telephone handsets and laptop from one Garba Usman Maisamari and he sold one of the telephone handsets to Lawal Abubakar.  Bashiru Hassan also admitted that he had sold several telephone handsets to Hassan Babete Aliyu in the past.

MOVEMENT TO BENIN CITY
The suspects were taken to Benin City on identification of crime locations and checking the credibility of their statements.

ARRAIGNMENT
Based on the preponderance of evidence adduced in the course of this investigation, the suspects were arraigned in Court at Oredo Magistrate Court 1 on the 1st of November, 2012. They were all remanded in Prison custody. The Duplicate casefiles have been remitted to the Federal Director of Public Prosecutions for vetting and advice. (See Document 16 in Appendix 3)

SPECIFIC RESPONSES TO THE ALLEGATIONS
(i)  The petitioners had argued that two of the suspects arrested by the Police in the course of investigation were in Police Custody when Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde was murdered. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Suspects Danjuma Musa ‘m’ and Muritala Usman ‘m’ were arrested on the 24th of May, 2012 and not 24th of April, 2012. The duo of Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman were arrested by good Nigerians on the 24th of May, 2012 and handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Oba Market Police Station Benin City who in turn handed them over to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Edo State Police Command on the same day for an offence of unlawful possession of cartridges.

In the course of diligent investigation in the late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde’s murder the operatives of the Force CID Abuja took over the suspects on the 27th of June, 2012. The statements made by the two suspects and witnesses who were present during the arrest elucidated this fact. The letter we wrote to the Edo State DPP on 19th November, 2012 stated the date of their arrest clearly and for purposes of emphasis is partly reproduced below:-

W e wish to unequivocally state that the duo of Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman were arrested on the 24th of May, 2012,”REPEAT 24th of May, 2012 AND NOT 24th of April, 2012”. The respective statements they made to the Police contained in the Duplicate case file which the learned DPP vetted contained this fact in pages B5a, B6d and B6f. Furthermore, the statements of eye witnesses to the arrest contained in pages A14 and A15 of the same casefile elucidated this fact. The Police investigation report clearly stated the date of arrest as 24th of May, 2012 in the following paragraphs and pages:-

(i) Paragraph 3.9, page 7
(ii) Paragraph 3.10.9 (x) page 23
(iii)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xi) page 24
(iv)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xxv) page 41
(v)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xxvi) page 45
(vi)Paragraph 4 xxix page 85

We admit a printer’s error in the investigation report where 24/04/12 was typed in page 78 paragraph 4 (viii), line four instead of 24/05/12. We also posit that in no other part of that report did such an error or such a meaning was conveyed. Similarly, we ordinarily thought that the learned DPP was actually vetting the duplicate casefile which included the investigation report and not the investigation report alone and would have taken into consideration the statements made by the suspects, witnesses and all other circumstances/ramifications of the matter before the opinion”.

Gov Adams Oshiomhole, Late Olaitan Oyerinde and IGP, M .D Abubakar.

From the foregoing, it is very clear and obvious that the date of arrest of Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman was 24th of May, 2012. Any other insinuation to the contrary is not only mischievous but frivolous and aimed at diverting attention from the real issues.

(ii)The petitioners also posited that the gun used for the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde was earlier used for armed robbery and recovered by the Police. And that by Police record this gun was already in Police custody when the murder took place. Again this is just simplistic and misleading. The four suspects who robbed and murdered Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde namely Danjuma Musa ‘m’, Muritala Usman ‘m’, Auta Umaru ‘m’, Moses Asamah Okoro ‘m’ used three guns for the operation and took away one Double barrel gun from the Deceased’s residence.

In the course of investigation Danjuma Musa ‘m’  told investigation that he usually custodied one locally made cut to size single barrel gun belonging to the gang. He equally stated that this gun was one of the guns they used for the armed robbery operation in Comrade Olaitan’s house.

According to him this gun was recovered by his land lady and handed over to Esigie Police Station Benin City after the landlady’s children stumbled on the gun in the course of their play where he Danjuma Musa hid it. Following the revelations of Danjuma Musa, the said landlady was contacted and she admitted the incidence but posited that she called a Police Corporal who lived nearby and it was the Policeman who recovered the gun to the Police Station. Investigation was extended to Esigie Police Station Benin City where the gun was finally recovered by the investigating team.

The documentation in the crime diary at the Police Station showed that the gun was received on the 24th of April 2012. Our job as Police Investigators is to bring the facts disclosed by investigation to the fore. Our duties cannot include to falsify, alter, change or even forge facts for whatever reasons. We are satisfied that this gun was recovered through the sequential narration of Danjuma Musa and formed part of the arsenal of this gang. Meanwhile the said gun has been forwarded to the Forensic Laboratory for Ballistic examination.

iii We wish to state for purposes of clarity and public records that the assertion by the Edo State DPP in his Legal Advice attached to the Civil Society Organization petition under reference “that he is aware that the casefile of some persons who reportedly made confessional statements have been handed over to the Police by the SSS is false in its entirety”. We challenge him to show proof. Apart from the documents referred to as Documents 13 and 14 in Appendix 3, the Police did not receive any other document from the Department of State Services.

(iv) We also wish to point out that in the same Legal Advice under reference, the DPP had opined that a prima facie case of Conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and murder is made out against Usman Adamu amongst others. We do not know Usman Adamu and he was never investigated by the Police.

CONCLUSION:
(a)In conclusion, we wish to state that the unfortunate incident of 4th May, 2012 which resulted in the death of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde received an unprecedented attention from the Inspector-General of Police IGP Mohammed Abubakar CFR,FCE,FCPA,FCAI,NPM,mni who is satisfied that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) and his investigators discharged their responsibilities diligently and with utmost sense of integrity.

The Investigating team displayed quality leadership and gave the assignment their best shots. If the petitioners “believe strongly that there are elements pulling weight to cover the real killers of Comrade Oyerinde” as alleged, they should name them without further delay. Since the petitioners believe that the real killers of Comrade Oyerinde have not been arrested, they should name them. He who asserts, proves same.

(b)In the wake of this avoidable controversy, the Police as an Organization has been disparaged, her Senior Officers maligned, humiliated and embarrassed for carrying out a statutory assignment. This case is not about the Police  or the Civil Society Organization. This case is about ensuring that the killers of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde are brought to justice. The Criminal justice system requires robust synergy from all stakeholders and all hands must be on deck to ensure that justice is done for both the victims of crime, the State and the suspects.

(c)    In the conduct of this investigation, the Police has carried the complainants along at every stage viz Mrs. Funke Oyerinde and Mr. Adeyinka Oletubo. It is therefore very surprising that the restlessness associated with this matter is coming from Quarters other than the persons who reported this matter. Who is crying more than the bereaved!

(d)   The scope of this investigation so far was very extensive; the conduct required diligence and commitment, the approach needed integrity; the analysis/documentation required painstaking humility and dedication; the Investigating team displayed these qualities. We must learn in this Country to appreciate what we have –our own-and continuously encourage them. We did not need to be called criminals, we did not need to be dismissed for doing a job that both the Edo State DPP and the Federal DPP have already said has tremendous merit. As mortals, we felt pain but in God we shall always trust.

(e)    We also wish to point out that all the Security Agencies in this Country are doing a commendable job towards crime reduction as there is no known crime free society. The Department of State Services by their arrest of seven suspects contributed immeasurably in the fight against crime and criminality. These suspects are by their confessions and follow up investigations carried out by the Police habitual criminals who have terrorized Benin City Metropolis. Police investigation has been able to link them to specific acts of criminality with the locations and victims positively identified. We are satisfied that the evidence disclosed by our investigation will sustain the charges for which they have been arraigned.

(f)    The petitioners must always avoid by their comments, utterances, inferences and opinions to put in jeopardy a case that its prosecution in Court is yet to begin. To do so would amount to making them Investigators, Prosecutors and Judges in this matter. By the unnecessary controversy generated in this matter, witnesses are continuously being tampered with through intimidation and inducements, the Judges who will try this matter are reading the controversies in the media and as human beings may form preliminary opinions before trial commences. Legal Advisers to the prosecution are already playing visible roles as Defence Attorneys while Defence Attorneys just listen and laugh. This can only lead us to an unfortunate exercise of Recycling criminals through the intentional or inadvertent conspiracy of the Elite.

(g)   Finally, we have by our transparency compromised the identity of most of our witnesses, victims, investigators and other characters in this investigation including classified documents. THIS IS IN REALIZATION OF THE FACT THAT PARLIAMENT ALL OVER THE WORLD HOLD THE KEY TO QUALITY OVERSIGHT THAT REVEALS TRUTH AND MAKE TRUTH SACRED. It is our plea Mr. Chairman that these victims, witnesses and investigators be protected within the privileges inherent in your powers.

Kwara police commissioner’s assassination: We have recorded 90% success on investigation – AIG

THE new Assistant Inspector General of Police [AIG], Zone 9, Umuahia, Abia State, Mr. Tambari Yabo Muhammad, has called on the governors in the zone to set up security trust fund to assist in providing logistics for security agencies in the zone.

Muhammad, who spoke to journalists shortly after meeting with police commissioners in the zone, urged the governors under his jurisdiction, comprising of Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo states, to emulate Lagos State by setting up security trust fund in the states.
He said the initiative to be funded by  corporate bodies, among others, would help the states as the governors may no longer dip their hands into state coffers to provides logistics for security agencies in their area.

The  AIG also disclosed that the police investigation into the murder of former Kwara State Police Commissioner, Chinwike Asadu, has recorded 90% success, and hinted that, before long, the investigation would be concluded.

According to him, he came to the zone with renewed vigour to fight crime, but would require the assistance of the people  to succeed. He said that the people could help by providing information on crime and assured of the protection and confidentiality of informants and the information.

Late Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu

“We really need their [governors] support in the area of  logistics. Police  are doing their best within the meager resources available to them, but I believe that with support from the  governors, we will do more,”Muhammad said.

“Almost everything is anchored on security, without security there will be investment. So we are appealing to the Governors of the zone to come the assistance of the security agencies to do more. I suggest that they set up security trust fund in their states like in Lagos so that money  can be raised to buy equipment for security agencies. Lagos State has up to 300 patrol vehicles and every place is covered”.

The AIG also promised to resuscitate Police Community Relations Committees across the zone to encourage the people to volunteer information.

Gunmen kill policeman at daughters’ wedding

A policeman was killed by unknown gunmen at the wedding  of his two daughters  in Damboa town in Damboa local government area of Borno State, local sources said yesterday, saying the incident happened on Friday.

Residents told our correspondent that the deceased policeman was shot dead in front of his house while conducting the wedding Fatiha of his daughters shortly after the Friday congregation prayer(Jumat). It was gathered that the policeman ran from the  town for months following death threat sent to him by unknown persons only to return to the town last week in order to marry out his daughters.

”He came back last week to marry out his two daughters but was shot dead on Friday after Jumat while the wedding was going on”, a resident who did not want to be named said.Our reporter learnt that the deceased  officer was from  Michika local government area of Adamawa State but resident in Damboa. In another development, a telecommunications  network mast has been burnt down  in Ajigin village, an outskirts of Damboa local government area.

Locals said that the Airtel’s mast, was just repaired Thursday,was burnt  for the second time. No official statement on the two incidents and efforts to get the Borno police spokesman,DSP Gideon Jibrin, weres not successful as at the time of filing this report.

2015 PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

Fresh facts emerged, at the weekend, that former President Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo is intensifying his opposition to the 2015 re-election aspiration of incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.

This is at a time when some hawks in the Presidency are pressing for decisiveness on the part of Mr. President, with a view to clipping Obasanjo’s wings.

The latest indication about the former President’s  moves are what sources described as the “series of meetings and consultations between Obasanjo and traditional rulers in the North”.

A former state governor familiar with the surreptitious movements of Obasanjo in the last one month told Sunday Vanguard: “The former president has been moving round the North under the guise of being a special guest at functions; but the real reason for his visits to the North is the series of consultations he is holding with traditional rulers across the zones – save, of course, North East geo-political zone where the dreaded Jamaatu Ahlil Sunna Lidawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, holds sway”.

It was learnt  that Obasanjo’s latest moves are “with a view to pacifying the North which heaps on his head all the blames for the loss  of  its hold on power as occasioned by the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a death which paved the way for the enthronement of Jonathan as president.

“What Obasanjo has come to realize is that even most of those he considers his traditional friends and confidants poke disdain at him for his role in the imposition of the late Yar’Adua and Jonathan as presidential candidate and running mate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2007, and he is very desperate to make it up to ‘his people’”.

When the going was good…President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo

“The meetings are centred on how best the North can present a united front against the aspiration of Jonathan.  And because of his vast network of friends across the country, Obasanjo is cashing all his cheques because of this project”.

Sunday Vanguard can also report that the off-and-on relationship between Obasanjo and former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has again engaged the ‘ON’ mode.
“When you see Obasanjo and Babangida coming together again with their interests coalescing, then you know something is in the air”, our source said.

Another source – a former presidential aide – that is very familiar with the scheme, said, “It  is not so much of what Obasanjo wants from the northern traditional rulers but what the rulers want from him.  Yes, I can confirm to you that he has been all over the place and he has been holding series of consultations.  The agenda is to work against the 2015 aspiration of President Jonathan”.

Asked about the rumoured rapprochement between Obasanjo and his ex-deputy, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the source was emphatic in saying that “the two have not sat down to meet one on one but there are behind the scene consultations with a view to ensuring that happens”.

In addition, Obasanjo is also said to be in consultation with a few PDP state governors who are very loyal to him, specifically Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State.

Indeed, sensing this emerging threat, PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, launched a counter offensive.

Already, the BoT Chairman has held talks with Lamido, Kwankwaso, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, and Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State, among others.

His rescue mission is to “ensure that a proper reconciliation is engendered between the President and the state governors”, a very dependable source told Sunday Vanguard.
The talks, which are continuing, are said to be “yielding very positive results”.
On his part, Jonathan himself held talks with a section of Yoruba leaders three weeks ago in Lagos.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that the meeting, which had some elders in the land as well as a very strategic traditional ruler in attendance, explored ways of pacifying the S/West geo-political zone which is increasingly becoming vociferous about its claims of marginalization under the Jonathan administration.

The Yoruba leaders, who do not appear to be on the same page with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, or its intended successor party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, are to hold another round of talks with the President at a later date.
Interestingly, even as the President patience is being taxed by Obasanjo’s scheme, some hawks in Aso Rock Presidential Villa are of the view that the former President’s wings should be clipped.

A Presidency source told Sunday Vanguard:”It  is because President Jonathan is mild-mannered; if not, are we not living witnesses to how the former President deployed state power to haunt those he perceived as capable of stopping him from achieving his failed Third Term agenda?

“That he is walking the streets of Nigeria free does not mean he is a saint, especially the way he’s been carrying on. Is it not the mess that he created after eight years in office that this administration is still battling to clear”?, the Presidency source quipped.

2015: North rejects Jonathan as sole PDP aspirant

President Goodluck Jonathan

The North has opposed to the plan by the leadership of the People Democratic Party to choose President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole aspirant for its presidential primaries.

The Arewa Consultative Forum and the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, described the move as undemocratic, stating that it could lead to chaos and collapse of the party.

The spokesman of the ACF, Anthony Sani, confirmed that the North was opposed to the move because it would limit the choice of Nigerians during the election.

 He however, added that PDP does not have the final say as to who becomes president in 2015.

He said, “I am not aware of this kind of move by the ruling PDP. But I want to say such practices, if allowed, would limit the democratic space by reducing the choice of candidate. As a result, members of the ruling party’s right to participate in the choice of their presidential candidate will be short changed. Nigerians’ choice will also be limited.

 “It is to be noted that even in America, when candidacy is conceded to the incumbent, it is not forced but brought about by consensus by members of the ruling party. And that was why Senator Kennedy was not barred from contesting the primaries with President Jimmy Carter in the early 80s. The practices of limiting candidacy to incumbency cannot promote democracy that is premised on triple foundation of liberty, justice and common decency.

“When you talk about effect of such development on the aspiration of the North to vie for the presidency in 2015, you at once convey an impression that the primaries in PDP is final. Nigerians can still make judicious use of their democratic rights and vote candidates in some other parties, more so in a clime where most of the political parties are mere clones of one another in terms of their approach to solving the myriad of problems of Nigeria.”

Sani advised Nigerians not to let such action by the PDP result to chaos in the country.

“Nigerians should not allow the actions of a few or of a party to determine how they think, what they say and what they do. Nigerians should shape events, and not allow events to shape us. There is no need for chaos, since voters have the final say. Instead of causing any chaos, voters should make judicious use of their democratic rights and vote leaders of their choice,” he added.

Sani added that it was too early to determine if the North will look in the direction of the All Progressives Congress to actualise it’s aspiration for presidency in 2015.

On the one-term agreement northern governors allegedly signed with Jonathan, Sani said, “I have said agreements (whether signed or not) and court cases do not produce presidents in a democracy. Only Nigerian voters can produce the president. Somehow, I believe that  both the controversy about agreement and court cases have been brought into the open for a higher cause. Nigerians deserve leaders they can rely upon to deliver on their promises.

“Though northerners aspire to be president in 2015, they would do so democratically, and not undemocratically. So the question of forcing northerners into one political party does not arise. They do not have to be in one party in order to make their votes count.”

On his part, the convener of CNPAPB, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, said imposing Jonathan as the sole aspirant in PDP would tear the country apart.

“Let them try it. If they try it, let us see what will happen. The second term governors are not the only ones aspiring to be president. Let PDP become an automatic consensus candidate party, and let’s see how the party survives. That will lead to a collapse of PDP and that is the best possible outcome for the country.

“If they do that, there will be reaction and the reaction will not be only from the rest of the country, but also from the international community. This because the  international community will not want to pay the price of Nigeria breaking down, because they will not want to bring their marines here to stop us from tearing ourselves apart,” he stated.

Obasanjo, El-Rufai and I — Atiku

Atiku Abubakar was the Vice-President during the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration between 1999 and 2007. The founding member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party shares his experience in the party and the privatisation exercise under his leadership in this online interview.

As a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, why did you leave your party for the opposition Action Congress in 2006?

I had to leave because I was pushed to the limit. You know what happened during that period and we don’t have to go through it all over again. A scheme was introduced, by which I and my supporters were removed from the party under the guise of re-registration. Of course, the bigger scheme was to ensure that I did not succeed my boss (Olusegun Obasanjo). You saw how the cards were stacked against me to pursue my presidential aspiration under PDP. They had me suspended from the party, even beyond the length of time permitted by the PDP constitution. The party rejected and flouted all courts orders in respect of my rights as a party member.

Events were unfolding rapidly and I had a deep conviction that with the help of the courts, we could establish a precedent to ensure that no one trampled upon the rights of citizens – not just I – and got away scot-free. I was eventually compelled to seek alternative platform to prove this point and to advance my aspiration. That was how I joined others to found the Action Congress.

Why did you later dump AC to go back to the PDP, despite your vow never to do so?

Don’t forget that I was among the founding members of the PDP. I was forced to leave the party and I joined AC then because forces in the party (PDP) were ferociously determined to frustrate me at all costs. However, when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was elected as the President, he initiated the policy of reconciliation and appealed to aggrieved members to return. The committee for this purpose was headed by former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme.

I invested energy, time and political capital in the formation of the PDP and, therefore, because of that sentimental attachment, I responded to the policy of reconciliation and returned to the fold. Should you blame a child for reconciling with his parents after he ran away over disagreement? The circumstances of my departure from PDP are well known to Nigerians. When I returned, I did so to promote the growth of what I helped to build in the first place.

Basically, the destruction of internal democracy in PDP made me to leave the party against my will. You are aware of the policy of de-registration of certain party members by the former President. My supporters and I were the target of this hostile and anti-democratic policy. I was between the rock and the hard place and, ultimately, I was technically expelled from PDP by the hand-picked party national executives. It is, therefore, unfair for anybody to describe my departure from PDP as opportunistic, considering the insurmountable and deliberate obstacles laid on my path by the former President (Obasanjo) and the party national leadership.

When you were the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation and also as former Vice- President, you were accused of selling major public corporations to political office holders, including yourself. One of such is Pentascope. How true is it that the privatisation process was shady?

These allegations are not new. The interesting thing is that those spreading these allegations couldn’t come forward with any iota of proof against me. You forgot that I was accused of selling African Petroleum to myself, using a front. However, when the facts eventually emerged in respect of this particular allegation, my traducers were disarmed and were forced to retreat. Indeed, I was the most investigated public office holder under the former administration and, if this allegation was valid, it could have been conveniently used to bring me down and tarnish my name. Thank God I survived this smear campaign, just like others before it.

The Senate conducted a public hearing on privatisation under my leadership as the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation. That was the best opportunity for those accusing me of selling public assets to myself to come forward to prove the allegation. Surprisingly, they never did because they relied mainly on hearsay. A cabinet member in Obasanjo’s government, who was promoting this idle rumour, was eventually left looking small because he didn’t have the facts to substantiate his allegations against me.

On Pentascope, one would have expected your paper to direct the questions to El-Rufai himself. The Pentascope scandal was one of the issues investigated by the National Assembly and it accused El-Rufai of ignoring wise counsel by imposing the company on NITEL. Despite proven allegations that Pentascope was not financially capable and technically competent to handle NITEL management contract, the former Bureau of Public Enterprise Director-General ignored public outcry and forced the Dutch company on NITEL. Before the coming of Pentascope, NITEL was making an estimated N100bn profit annually. However, as soon as Pentascope took over, NITEL’s profits were nose-diving incredibly. With telecom stakeholders, the National Assembly and the Nigerian public insisting that the imposition of Pentascope on NITEL was ruinous to national interest, the Federal Government eventually cancelled the management contract against El-Rufai’s desire. I had no hand, absolutely, no connection or knowledge of how that company was brought into Nigeria.  Curiously, El-Rufa’i avoided the Pentascope issue in his book, “The Accidental Public Servant.” Therefore, if there is anybody to explain the details of the Pentascope scandal, it is El-Rufai himself. The fact of the contract are like this: Obasanjo agreed with the NCP that the former BPE DG was wrong not to have disclosed his interest and that he had failed the test of transparency by not disclosing that his brother was on the board of Motorola. I know you are very familiar with the laws of the federation. You know, for instance, that it is a very serious offence to fail, refuse or neglect to disclose your interest whether directly or through someone else, in dealing with such an important transaction. But, the President in his wisdom decided that the contract be split into three, with each of the contenders, Motorola, Ericsson and the Chinese company – I think Huawei – taking a portion. As if to vindicate the NCP, by 2007 when we left office, the two others apart from Motorola had completed their own contracts. You can go and find out if they (Motorola) have finished.

El-Rufai, has challenged you to explain what happened with the NITEL GSM contract that Motorola lost to Ericson, despite the American company submitting the lowest bid? What is your explanation?

Personally, I dislike the idea of exchanging words with the former FCT minister over this issue. But for the sake of your question, I would like Nigerians to be smart enough to read between the lines. Why does the former FCT minister treat the Motorola issue with such persistent personal bitterness? Why is he making it a heavy matter? Anybody can play to the gallery and deceive the people. Transparency is a key issue of conducting any business, including privatisation. Conflict of interest is inconsistent with transparency. If you are a privatisation head and you have a relationship with a particular person connected with one of the companies making bids, it is a moral and legal duty to disclose that relationship or interest. Pretending that you have no relationship with the person who is rooting for a particular bidder is not altogether tidy and transparent. If he had no interest in a particular company for sentimental reasons, why is he making too much fuss about Motorola losing the bid? Did El-Rufai accuse me of promoting Ericsson because I had any connection with the company directly or indirectly? If, indeed, I had promoted Ericsson for personal interest, Obasanjo wouldn’t have let me get away with it. He would have exposed me and disgraced me, and even ordered my prosecution.

Why is it that these corporations have relatively failed, despite being run by private investors?

I don’t agree with you that privatisation has failed altogether, despite the challenges some of the new investors are facing.  The GSM operators in the country are doing well, despite their challenges caused by infrastructural problems in the country. Look at banks and ports, they all are doing well. Some of the new investors are finding difficulties, maybe as a result of the scope of the challenges or ill-preparation. Some of them have resorted to asset stripping rather than restoring the companies to functional state and start production to create jobs, such as the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. Large-scale privatisation is relatively new in Nigeria and some of the new investors appear to have swallowed more than they can chew. But the privatisation exercise under me was a narrative of huge success, not of failure.

How could the proposed amendment to the PDP constitution seeking to make President Goodluck Jonathan the sole presidential candidate in 2015 affect your ambition?

As a loyal PDP member, I am keenly watching this development and could do anything within democratic means and internal mechanisms of conflict resolution to tackle this challenge. As the ruling party that boasts to be the largest in Africa, the PDP should set standards for internal democracy which should be a template for other parties. In fact, they (members) should not only be proud of its size but also of its credibility in the eyes of Nigerians. Promoting the principles of democracy is the bedrock on which the PDP was founded in 1998 by like-minded Nigerians. Therefore, any attempt to stifle internal democracy, make level playing field impossible and imposing a candidate on the party before the elections would damage the perception of the party. I am happy that the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, has been speaking along these lines. President Jonathan is entitled to seek the party ticket but that doesn’t mean others should be shut out completely through a party constitutional amendment. This amendment is unnecessary because it would set precedents that would undermine the democratic principles to which the party declared to be committed. Nothing gives us psychological satisfaction and ease better than winning fairly. With this amendment, however, can the PDP improve its public perception and convince fellow members that it is committed to fairness, transparency and a level playing field in the conduct of its internal affairs? If we don’t reject this amendment now, it would produce problems in the future that the party may find too embarrassing to handle. This effort to amend the constitution to please the ambition of any individual is in bad faith. In fact, it defeats the whole purpose of the policy of reconciliation and re-uniting aggrieved former members.

If the PDP goes ahead with the amendment to make Jonathan the sole candidate in 2015 without primaries, would you be tempted to join the All Progressives Congress as you recently applauded the merger of opposition parties which aims to oust your party?

Provided PDP members are free to vote according to their conscience or personal convictions of what is right, the amendment may face tough opposition. The sanctity of the democratic principles on which the PDP was founded should not be sacrificed on the grounds of expediency to gratify the ego of individual leaders. Should we mutilate a whole legal document by which a party is run for the sake of anyone else’s ambition or ego? President Jonathan can throw this hat into the ring, if that is what he wants. It is important, however, that the process of his nomination by the party should be open, fair, just and transparent. The contest should be conducted through open primaries. Other party members should be allowed to participate in the primaries. If they ultimately lose to Jonathan through a fair contest, they will embrace and congratulate him. What is wrong with open primaries or level-playing ground? Amending the PDP constitution for the sake of making President Jonathan the sole candidate is absolutely unnecessary. Exclusion in the nomination of candidates amounts to imposition which is inconsistent with democratic practice. I have read all manners of arguments by proponents, saying that the American system gives the option of first refusal to the incumbent and that the PDP should do the same. That is very misleading.

In the first place, it is not true that American incumbents are not challenged at party primaries; there is no such rule in the United States. The late Senator Edward Kennedy mounted a vigorous challenge against the then incumbent Jimmy Carter. Although Carter won, the contest went down to the wire. It was resolved through a vote at the nomination convention of the Democratic Party. On the second aspect of your question, I wish to make a clarification. As a loyal PDP member and as one of the founding fathers, I couldn’t have said the emergence of APC is good for the death of PDP. What I said in Ibadan was that, with the emergence of APC, a two-party system seems to be unfolding in the country and that this development is consistent with my advocacy for a two-party system in Nigeria. I never said the merger of opposition parties as you alleged is good for the ouster of PDP from office.

Can you shed more light on the controversy surrounding your membership of the PDP Board of Trustees?

On my alleged removal as a member of the Board of Trustees of PDP, I do not wish to engage in speculation. No one has communicated such decision to me yet. It would, however, be unfortunate if it turns out to be true. As I said, it would be a setback for the policy of reconciliation embarked upon by the Alex Ekwueme-led committee. This move is like undoing the positive outcome of what Dr. Ekwueme had achieved in that respect.

Is it true that President Jonathan signed a one-term agreement with the North?

With the zoning policy of the PDP virtually dead, talking about agreements at this point is somehow a tricky issue. I am not sure I am in the right position to talk about what you call the one-term agreement. Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State recently referred to that agreement or understanding. A gentleman’s word should be his bond. I contested against Jonathan during the 2011 PDP presidential primaries and, therefore, anything I say now might be subject to misinterpretation. Because of this fact, I don’t want to belabour the points about agreements or understandings. I am, however, primarily concerned about the image of my party in the eyes of Nigerians. Changing rules or the constitution of the party for the sake of expediency is not my idea of honour. If we conveniently live in denial or pretend that the party didn’t reach any understanding on anything, then who would take us seriously? How can you be a beneficiary of something and later pretend that the policy that put you in office is no longer relevant? The emergence of (House of Representatives) Speaker Aminu Tambuwal against the party insistence on zoning was a consequence of abandoning principle for the sake of expediency. With the election of Tambuwal as the Speaker, following the party’s declaration that zoning was dead, the PDP leadership was morally disarmed to prevent the emergence of Tambuwal as Speaker in the so-called breach of zoning policy – the same power sharing formula, which the party declared dead. Such is the consequence of hypocrisy.

The election of Tambuwal was a most embarrassing moment for the PDP. If you rejected zoning for the nomination of President Jonathan, what moral right do you have to tell lawmakers to elect their Speaker based on zoning, which you discarded?

When people are blinded by expediency, they hardly foresee the consequences of opportunism. Today, the President is from the South-South geopolitical zone; Vice­-President, North-West;  President of the Senate, North-Central;  Speaker of the House of Representatives, North-West; Chief Justice of Nigeria, North-West; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, South-East; Deputy Senate President, South-East;  and Deputy Speaker, South-East. This wasn’t the intention of the abandoned zoning policy, but we have to live with this unpleasant reality because of the myopic attitude of some people. The South-West is today crying very loudly about marginalisation, thanks to the abandonment of zoning for the sake of expediency. This issue is not about Atiku but about the imperative of sustaining arrangements that would guarantee every section of Nigeria access to the nation’s highest public office. We have been called names by people that benefitted from this arrangement. Zoning had successfully achieved the objectives of equitable power sharing. If anybody now says zoning is not good, that wouldn’t change the reality of its benefits. The arrangement had significantly reduced the fear of domination by any section or group over others.

Would you, as a president grant amnesty to Boko Haram?

If I were the President, I would have no hesitation to throw the ball into the court of the Boko Haram leaders. As was case with the Niger Delta militancy, I would declare amnesty for the sect members with a deadline within which to surrender their arms. With the expiration of the deadline, if the sect members don’t lay down their arms, then my government would be in a better position to face its critics that accuse it of not taking the initiative. The deadline for the surrender of arms would show whether the Boko Haram fighters want peace or not.

Do you see the revived Peoples Democratic Movement as strong enough to stop Jonathan from winning election?

I have nothing personally against President Jonathan. The issue here is about principle and internal democracy. This is not about PDM; it is about a struggle to entrench internal democracy. Should we destroy everything internal democracy stands for just for the sake of forcing anybody into line to support only one contestant? The PDP, like any political organisation, is a convergence of various political interests and forces that came together to form the party, as it is today. I would work together with all stakeholders within the PDP to bring about positive change from within PDP. This issue is not merely about PDM. The principle behind my struggle is beyond the PDM.