More than 150 people were evacuated from a US
Airways flight after a Florida-bound plane’s front
landing gear collapsed on a runway.
Flights were halted at Philadelphia International
Airport as those on board exited the plane via
inflatable ramps.
One person asked for medical assistance but no
major injuries were reported, airport officials said.
An airport spokeswoman said the plane was about
to take off when the malfunction happened.
The Airbus 320 was carrying 149 passengers and
five crewmembers.
A passenger, Dennis Fee, told local broadcaster
WPVI it was “very windy and when the plane took
off, the nose of the plane went back down, hitting
the runway”.
“We were airborne, then struck back down by the
nose,” Fee said.
The airport spokeswoman, Victoria Lupica, said all
the passengers had been rescheduled on another
flight to Fort Lauderdale.
US Airways spokesman William McGlashen said:
“Initial reports indicate Flight 1702 from Philadelphia
to Fort Lauderdale (Florida) blew a tyre on take-off
and the pilot elected to abort take-off.”
Three of the four runways were reopened later on
Thursday evening.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Landing gear of US Airways plane collapses
Iran dismisses claims on human rights situation
Iran on Thursday dismissed a recent UN report on
its human rights situation, saying the report was
“unacceptable and politically-motivated.”
Iran’s foreign ministry said the recent report by UN
Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon” lacks credibility
and legality, because it used “undocumented and
illegal accusations” against Iran. “Parts of the
released report indicates that the UN chief has not
been impartial, hence tampered.”
The ministry said it expects the UN chief to “act
fairly” and in line with the UN’s mechanisms when
reviewing human rights situation in Iran. It also
called on the UN to avoid interfering in Iran’s
internal affairs.
On Wednesday, Ban criticized Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani for not doing enough to improve the
human rights situation in Iran since he took office
last August.
Increased death sentences, arbitrary detention,
unfair trials, discrimination against minorities and
women, mistreatment of political prisoners, and
restrictions on freedom of speech are examples of
rights violation by the Islamic republic, Ban said in
his report.
He also called for “immediate release” of two
reformist opposition leaders, Mir-Hossein Mousavi
and Mehdi Karoubi, demanding their “urgent access
to medical care.”
Mousavi and Karoubi have been under house arrest
after the 2009 presidential elections. They used to
lead massive rallies protesting what they called
“fraud” in favor of hardline candidate Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
Some Iranian hardline officials, including Judiciary
Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, have reacted angrily
to Ban’s report, reiterating that it is an interference
in Iran’s internal affairs.
Larijani dismissed the “claims” concerning
pressures on political prisoners and minorities in
Iran as “part of the enemies ‘ campaign of lies
against the Islamic republic.”
In addition, the foreign ministry also criticized EU
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton for meeting
with a number of Iranian female rights activists in
her recent visit to Tehran.
“Ashton’s selective approach toward human rights
issues in Iran will only deepen the Iranian nation’s
distrust of the West,” local media said. “Such moves
will deepen our people’s suspicion of the West and
are not helpful to the relations between Iran and the
European Union.”.
The ministry said contacting civil society is
recognized as long as it does not interfere in the
countries’ internal affairs and respects local
customs and values. It said Ashton’s meeting with
the dissident Iranian females, which took place
without prior coordination with the ministry, is
rooted in the Western double- standards.
The ministry has sent an official protest note to the
Austrian embassy in Tehran, which reportedly
organized Ashton’s meetings.
On Wednesday Tehran’s university students also
held a rally in front of the embassy to protest
against the meetings.
e won’t repeal anti-gay law, FG tells UN
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu
Wali, has told the United Nations that Nigeria will not
repeal the law banning same-sex relationship and
marriage.
He urged the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay, who paid him a
courtesy visit on Thursday in Abuja, to accept
Nigeria’s position on same-sex marriage.
According to him, same-sex marriage is against
the way of life of Nigerians who have expressed
support for the government on the anti-gay law.
He said 99 per cent of Nigerians supported the anti-
gay law.
Wali said based on the culture and tradition of the
Nigerian people, they would never accept same-sex
marriage and relationship.
“With time, things may improve, but Nigeria is
fundamentally a very religious society and our
people cannot understand same-sex relationship.
“Personally too, I do not accept same-sex marriage
even though it conflicts with international norms on
human rights,” he said.
The minister chided some members of the
international community for making “a lot of noise”
after President Goodluck Jonathan approved the
law.
He said that Nigeria had always operated a legal
system that did not recognise same-sex marriage.
The minister cited the country’s common, Sharia
and customary laws as examples of the nation’s
laws that prohibited homosexuality.
He assured the UN chief that the law prohibiting
same-sex marriage in Nigeria would not allow
unnecessary prosecution of people.
The minister said that Nigeria had respect for
freedom of speech and human rights, adding that
“we have always had good records in all aspects of
human rights.”
On the Boko Haram insurgency, Wali said that the
Federal Government had consistently protected the
rights of insurgents captured during military
operations, even when they did not deserve such
protection.
Wali said there was no credible case of “extra-
judicial killings or summary executions” of
insurgents captured during military operations.
He said that the captured insurgents were in
various jails in the country, while some had been
subjected to prosecution.
Wali pledged Nigeria’s support for the UN Human
Rights Council resolution to end attacks,
harassment and reprisals against human rights
defenders.
The resolution was adopted in September 2013 by
the UNHRC.
Earlier, Pillay had said that the anti-gay law “is a
violation of the human rights enshrined in the
international covenant of civil and political rights. It
contravenes Africa’s charter and the Nigerian
constitution itself.”
She added that the UN was concerned with the
negative consequences the law would have on
some people.
Pillay argued that it might deter the affected
persons from taking up HIV education, treatment
and care facilities and also hindered government
and the civil society groups.
“I am seeking your good office to see some kind of
moratorium on prosecution at this moment. We can
do much more work to have all Nigerians respect
the human rights of all people, to respect diversity,
to promote values of tolerance, acceptance with
targeted training for law enforcement and other
things.”
Pillay, who noted that Nigeria had improved on
human rights protection, pointed out that the country
was still lagging behind in some of the human rights
reports.
“Nigeria is behind in many of its reports and I am
here to see how best we can support you in
catching up with those reports,” she said.
Citing the resolution adopted by the UN Council on
Human Rights in March 2013, she argued that the
use and abuse of national law to impair and
criminalise the work of human right defenders was
“a contravention of international law and must end.”
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Ugandan rights activists challenge anti-gay law
Ugandan rights activists and politicians have filed a
legal challenge to overturn a tough anti-gay law
condemned by Western donors.
The law violated the rights of gay people and
subjected them to “cruel and inhuman punishment”,
they said.
Several cases of “violence and retaliation” have
been reported since President Yoweri Museveni
signed the law last month, the activists added.
Uganda is a deeply conservative society where
many people oppose gay rights.
However, some people are beginning to question
whether punishments proposed in the law are too
harsh, reports BBC Uganda correspondent Catherine
Byaruhanga.
It allows life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of
“aggravated homosexuality” and also criminalises
the “promotion of homosexuality”.
The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and
Constitutional Law, which represents about 50
groups, filed the petition in the Constitutional Court,
asking for the law to be annulled.
Ruling party MP Fox Odoi, who is Museveni’s
former legal adviser, was among the lead
petitioners.
He broke ranks with his party by opposing the law
in parliament, and said he did not fear a backlash
from voters in the 2016 election, our reporter says.
“I don’t fear losing an election. There is only one
thing I fear – living in a society that has no room for
minorities. I will not live in a society that doesn’t
respect and protect people who are different from
the majority,” Odoi said.
Prominent Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda also
supported the court action.
“This Act not only represents an effort by the
executive and parliament to scapegoat an unpopular
minority for political gain, but we believe it also
violates the highest law of our country,” he said.
Some people known or suspected to be gay had
faced “violence and retaliation” since the law was
signed, the coalition said in a statement, the AFP
news agency reports.
It had documented 10 cases of arrests of people,
and at least three cases of landlords evicting
tenants, the coalition added.
Uganda’s authorities have defended the law, saying
President Museveni wanted “to demonstrate
Uganda’s independence in the face of Western
pressure and provocation”.
The World Bank has postponed a $90m (£54m) loan
to Uganda to improve its health services after the
law was approved.
Several European nations – including Denmark,
Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden – have cut
aid to Uganda to show their opposition to the law.
The sponsor of the law, MP David Bahati, insists
that homosexuality is a “behaviour that can be
learned and can be unlearned”.
Pension thieves cashed 400 cheques in one day – Witness
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of seven
persons accused of complicity in the over N20bn
police pension fraud, Mustapha Gadanya, has
narrated to Justice Hussein Baba of the Federal
Capital Territory High Court how 400 cheques were
cashed in a day by the accused persons.
Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Gadanya
told the court on Tuesday in Abuja that he obtained
and analyzed the certified true copy of instruments
used in making withdrawals in the name of
Veronica Onyegbula and the Directors of Police
Pension office, Esai Dangaba, Atiku Abubakar and
Inuwa Wada.
A statement by the head, Public Relations unit,
EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, explained that Gadanya told
the court that the directors carried out the cheque
transactions without any letter of exemption from
compliance with the e-payment circular from the
office of the Accountant General.
“Over 400 cheques were withdrawn and we got this
information from the bank statement furnished us
by First Bank Plc.
“We discovered that the three directors are all
signatories to the fraudulent cheques. We also
discovered that Mrs. Uzoma Attang, John Yusuf,
Gabriel Ikpe, Mike Okoro and one Mrs Amu
(currently at large), are among those who signed
the cheques,” Gadanya said.
Justice Baba who was apparently shocked by the
revelation, sought to know from the witness what
currency was involved to which the witness
responded, “Naira my Lord”.
Gadanya then went on to state that between
January 31, 2011 and May 6, 2011, over N1bn was
withdrawn and that the sum of N650m was
withdrawn on January 31, 2011.
Gunmen open fire on Benue gov’s convoy
Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam narrowly
escaped death on Tuesday when his convoy was
attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Suswam’s convoy was on its way to Gbajimba in
Guma Local Government Area of the state when the
incident occurred.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria , the
governor was on a fact finding mission following the
continuous invasion of many communities on the
Daudu-Gbajimba road by herders.
NAN which did not provide detailed information
about another attack on Tse-Akenyi, reported that
there was about an hour exchange of gunfire
between the bandits and Suswam’s security aides.
Suswam, who confirmed the incident, told the
victims of the attack in Gbajimba, that the situation
was disturbing.
He added that people must defend themselves if
security operatives failed to do their job.
The governor said, “I salute each and every one of
you for your courage and steadfastness throughout
this period. This is beyond the herdsmen; this is a
real war.
“On my way to this place, they exchanged gunfire
with us for over one hour before we were able to
get here.
“My people are being butchered and their homes
destroyed. So, if the security agents, especially the
military, cannot provide security for us, we will
have to defend ourselves.
“I cannot abandon you people at this point in time to
die. You voted me to provide security for you and
that I must do for you.
“These Fulani are not like the real Fulanis we used
to know. Please return to your homes and defend
your land. Do not allow anybody to make you slaves
in your home land. ’’
The Guma LGA Chairman, Mr. Frank Adi, condemned
the killings and destruction of homes by the
herdsmen.
Adi, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Godwin
Viashima, appealed to the government to provide
them with security operatives.
When contacted, Suswam’s Director of Press, Dr.
Cletus Akwaya, said the attackers killed some
people in the sacked villages.
He said “His Excellency went to the crisis area to
look at the level of destruction when he was
attacked. Schools in this area have been closed
down since the crisis started in 2011.
“The marauders sacked the villages and some of
the schools are now being occupied by their cows.
They sacked villages in Gwer, Guma-West. Some
bodies were recovered from some of these areas
without bullet wounds.”
Akwaya added that government officials suspected
that the invaders were insurgents who moved into
Nigeria from Mali.
He said, “There are suspicions that the marauders
may have used chemical weapons. They may be
people who moved from Libya to Mali and they are
here now.
“What they are doing in the North-East is what they
are trying to bring to the North-Central states of
Benue, Plateau and Nassarawa . It is not what the
state government alone can handle.”
He, however, said there was no casualty among
members of the governor’s convoy.
Meanwhile, suspected members of Boko Haram
have attacked the convoy of Gwoza LGA Chairman,
Hamman Ahmadu, destroying two vehicles and
leaving three policemen and two drivers missing.
It was learnt that Ahmadu and his convoy ran into a
siege laid by the sect members near a bridge on the
Bama-Gwoza Road at about 4.35pm on Monday.
Narrating the incident to journalists on Tuesday,
Mallam Baba, a driver attached to Borno State
Government House in Maiduguri, said, “On reaching
the bridge, after returning from Gwoza, and Barawa
on an official visit, we were surrounded by several
gunmen at the destroyed Firgi Bridge.
“They shot from all directions and that made three
drivers to reverse and escape. Two other vehicles,
including my Toyota Hilux, were abandoned. I had
to crawl for about 300 metres to escape from the
insurgents.”
Asked to give the number of people killed, Baba
said, “It is only God that saved our lives yesterday
evening (Monday), including the council chairman.
Three policemen and two other drivers are
missing.”
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Mother sells three-day-old baby for N260,000
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested
a nursing mother, Imaobong Udoh, for allegedly
selling her three-day old baby girl.
Also arrested along with Imaobong were four
persons for allegedly participating in the theft of the
baby.
They are the buyer, Mrs. Regina James; her
husband, Mfon James; the traditional birth attendant
who delivered the baby, Mrs. Comfort Henry; and
Mr Emmanuel Okon, a homeopathic doctor, who
arranged the sale.
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Gwadabe, said in
Uyo on Monday that the father of the baby had
reported the theft to the police, leading to the arrest
of the suspects.
Gwadabe said, “On March 3, 2014, a case of child
stealing was reported by Mr. Eteobong James, of
No. 33 Urua Ekpa Road, Itu Local Governmnet Area,
to the police, where a three-day-old baby girl was
sold for N260, 000.
“Based on the report, the suspects were arrested.
“Mr Emmanuel Etim Okon, was the one that
arranged the infamous deal and personally
conveyed the baby from the point of delivery at
Nna-Enin in Uruan Local Government Area to the
buyers at No. 37 Church Road, Uyo.”
The police boss explained that Regina allegedly paid
N150,000 to the mother of the baby and N110,000
to Okon, the homeopathic doctor, for his services.
The commissioner stated that the accused would
soon be arraigned in court and warned child thieves
to steer clear of the state.
He explained that the state would not be conducive
for their illicit trade.
Husband of the buyer, James, who spoke with
PUNCH METRO said when his wife told him she
was pregnant, he gave her money for ante-natal
care, but was surprised to hear that she bought the
baby.
He said, “l am a trader. My wife, Regina, told me
she was pregnant and I gave her money for ante-
natal. One day, she told me she was in labour and
later informed me that she had been delivered of a
baby girl.
“I did not know she bought the baby since she has
given birth to four children, though three died.”
However, the homeopathic doctor said Regina
brought the mother of the baby, Imaobong, to him so
that he could take care of her during ante-natal.
He said Regina had explained to him that the father
of the baby was not financially buoyant to take care
of her.
He denied collecting N110,000 from Regina, stating
that he only collected N30,000, which was the cost
of delivery of Imaobong’s baby.
“When Regina brought Imaobong to me, she told me
that the man responsible for the pregnancy was
unable of take care of her.
“The N30,000 I collected from her was for the
upkeep of Imaobong before and during delivery of
the baby. I did not collect N110,000.”
SOURCE: PUNCH NIGERIA
We won’t attend NGF retreat, says Jang group
Factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum
who is also the Governor of Plateau State, Mr.
Jonah Jang has dissociated members of his faction
from the planned retreat being organised by the
Forum under the leadership of the Governor of
Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
The NGF has scheduled a retreat for March 13 and
14 in Lagos where issues like corruption,
agriculture, education, security and others are to be
discussed by eminent Nigerians and scholars.
Invitations by Amaechi for the event were sent to all
the governors, including the faction being led by
Jang.
However, Jang in a statement released in Abuja
and signed by the Media Officer in charge of his
faction of the NGF, Mr. Kassim Yakubu stated that it
has come to his knowledge that there is a program
in circulation naming its members as participants in
the said retreat.
The statement further described the action as a
cunning attempt to give the retreat credibility
following what he described as “the dismal showing
of the first one held in Sokoto last year.
“They have realised that Nigerians now know that
they are an opposition governors forum and the only
way to get credibility now is to invoke the names of
governors who clearly do not belong to their group
nor share in their vision of turning the Governors
Forum into an anti federal government body.”
He said the first retreat was an anti-Federal
Government and that Nigerians would want the
governors to stick to their primary roles of
governing their states instead of attending retreats.
“The first retreat turned out to be an anti federal
government venting exercise and did not gain any
traction with the general public who want the
governors to stick with their primary functions of
running their states and the objectives of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum which is to work in
cohesion with all other tiers of government to
deliver needed development to the Nigerian people”,
the Jang group further said.
The statement predicted that the planned retreat
would turn out to be another federal government
bashing get-together where the opposition script
would be acted out.
Ugandan rights activists challenge anti-gay law
Ugandan rights activists and politicians have filed a
legal challenge to overturn a tough anti-gay law
condemned by Western donors.
The law violated the rights of gay people and
subjected them to “cruel and inhuman punishment”,
they said.
Several cases of “violence and retaliation” have
been reported since President Yoweri Museveni
signed the law last month, the activists added.
Uganda is a deeply conservative society where
many people oppose gay rights.
However, some people are beginning to question
whether punishments proposed in the law are too
harsh, reports BBC Uganda correspondent Catherine
Byaruhanga.
It allows life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of
“aggravated homosexuality” and also criminalises
the “promotion of homosexuality”.
The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and
Constitutional Law, which represents about 50
groups, filed the petition in the Constitutional Court,
asking for the law to be annulled.
Ruling party MP Fox Odoi, who is Museveni’s
former legal adviser, was among the lead
petitioners.
He broke ranks with his party by opposing the law
in parliament, and said he did not fear a backlash
from voters in the 2016 election, our reporter says.
“I don’t fear losing an election. There is only one
thing I fear – living in a society that has no room for
minorities. I will not live in a society that doesn’t
respect and protect people who are different from
the majority,” Odoi said.
Prominent Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda also
supported the court action.
“This Act not only represents an effort by the
executive and parliament to scapegoat an unpopular
minority for political gain, but we believe it also
violates the highest law of our country,” he said.
Some people known or suspected to be gay had
faced “violence and retaliation” since the law was
signed, the coalition said in a statement, the AFP
news agency reports.
It had documented 10 cases of arrests of people,
and at least three cases of landlords evicting
tenants, the coalition added.
Uganda’s authorities have defended the law, saying
President Museveni wanted “to demonstrate
Uganda’s independence in the face of Western
pressure and provocation”.
The World Bank has postponed a $90m (£54m) loan
to Uganda to improve its health services after the
law was approved.
Several European nations – including Denmark,
Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden – have cut
aid to Uganda to show their opposition to the law.
The sponsor of the law, MP David Bahati, insists
that homosexuality is a “behaviour that can be
learned and can be unlearned”.
Anenih appeals to South-West PDP on unity
As the battle for the 2015 general elections draws
nearer, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Annenih has
appealed to members of the party in the South-
West to unite in order to enhance the chances of the
ruling party.
Apart front this, he noted that reconciliation among
members of the party in the zone was also very
important.
Anenih spoke just as the Secretary to Government
of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, said all parts
of the federation had a stake in the continued
stability and political development of the country.
The PDP BoT chairman spoke when he received
executive committee and members of the South
West Network, a pressure group within the ruling
PDP, at his residence in Abuja on Tuesday.
The BoT chairman said it was imperative for the
group to work with elders of the party at the states
and the national levels in order to stem the
dwindling fortunes of the party in the zone.
The former minister of works commended the
initiative of the group and pledged his support for its
determination to ensure victory of the party at the
forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti and Osun
states and other future elections.
He said, “You must brace to remain steadfast
because some other people will try to attack you,
but since your goals are noble and genuine, then
you have my blessing.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the SWN, Senator
Hosea Agboola, said the group was formed to
redress the sliding relevance of the South-West in
the Nigerian political space, adding that disunity,
continuous bickering and leadership vacuum had
contributed to the maginilisation of the zone.
He said the group was embarking on reconciliation
of leaders and providing the platform to rally round
the South-West members of the PDP to take their
rightful position in the scheme of things.
Agboola , who is also Deputy Chief Whip of the
Senate, commended Anenih for his leadership and
relentless effort to stem the crisis in the party,
adding that a new lease of life was returning to the
party, which had helped the reconciliation process.
When the group visited Anyim, he told the its
members to continue to sensitise the people of the
zone on the need to see themselves as important
segment of the federation and contribute to the
empowerment of the people at the grass-roots
The SGF said, “Your group should look beyond the
elections and contribute to developing the
consciousness of the people towards the
transformation agenda of the present
administration.
“From the calibre of the members, your integrity
and level of achievement, your group possesses the
capacity and credibility to represent the interest of
the South-West.”
Agboola said the group had also visited former
President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Deputy
Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, and Chief
Shuaib Oyedokun.
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Lagos Bar: Where homosexuality thrives
There is no doubt that pockets of gay people in the
country would be living in fear as a result of a
recent law that criminalises homosexuality in
Nigeria, with the possibility of 14 years
imprisonment.
But Saturday PUNCH investigation shows that a bar
by the roadside in Agege, Lagos might be offering
comfort to members of this community.
Our correspondent visited the bar.
Aware of how dangerous this kind of curiosity could
be, our correspondent went under the guise of being
a model looking for where to have fun and also
“organise” young men and women for his
homosexual clients.
The bar, which is located next to a popular petrol
station in the area, brings to mind the popular
saying that the best way to hide anything is to put it
in plain sight.
Dressed casually to blend with the crowd, our
correspondent learnt on getting to the bar that a 24-
year-old young man owns and runs the place.
Stoutly built with an average height of about five
feet, the bar owner’s (name withheld) feminine
disposition seemed to suggest that he might be gay.
Still apprehensive about a possible raid, our
correspondent asked if the place had ever been
raided by the police.
“No, my shop is very safe and has not been raided
before,” the owner replied.
Outside the bar, left-over decorations used during
the last Christmas hung on the grey double-leaf
metal door outside.
To any observer, the bar is like any regular hang-
out spot but visitors would immediately be
conscious of the peculiarity that would suggest that
this might be a gay bar.
Our correspondent learnt that on a good business
day, homosexuality, prostitution and Indian hemp
smoking thrive in the bar.
But during our reporter’s first visit around 8pm, the
pub was not full. It had just three young men who
were in their early twenties in it, apart from the
owner.
Two of the men seemed to be the bar owner’s
friends from the way they acted, and the fourth, a
dark-skinned, scruffy looking man wearing
dreadlocks sat by the wall, enjoying the music
blaring from the only two speakers in the pub.
The squalid cubicle-size bar can only
accommodate a table with about ten chairs
arranged round it.
The coloured lights in the bar made it impossible to
determine the colour of the interior. Even though
there was no television, guests had to manage the
non-stop party music. It was later learnt that those
who could not get inside the bar stay outside to
have their drinks.
The small bar is divided into two sections, the
section is where the drinks are inner and
sometimes used for quick romance as observed by
our correspondent. The outer part is where the
table and chairs are arranged for customers to sit
and have a good time.
Immediately our correspondent settled in the bar,
the owner came to sit close.
“I think I saw you earlier in the day strolling around,
or was it not you?” he asked.
“Yes, that was me. I actually noticed you were
looking at me and that’s why I decided to come and
hang out here. I came to see a friend and I would
leave here in some days,” our correspondent said.
It was a cue to earn his trust.The conversation
ended there.
Barely five minutes after the brief conversation, the
bar owner astounded our reporter as he kissed one
of his friends on the mouth before he briskly went to
attend to another male customer that had just
walked in.
When he came back, he sat playfully on the laps of
his friends before finally settling down in the middle
of the two men.
The young man whom the bar owner kissed wore a
shirt with the inscription ‘T-boi Swag.’ He stood up
and started dancing seductively. It was not clear
whether the theatrical gesture was for the benefit of
our correspondent or the bar owner’s.
He was at it for a long while before he finally
stopped.
Shortly after, another young man walked in and
ordered a drink. As if jolted from a long sleep, the
scruffy looking dark skinned guy with the
dreadlocks ordered a can of energy drink, dipped
his hands in his pocket and brought out a roll of
Indian hemp which he smoked as he drank.
This reporter invited the young man who came in
last to sit with him and started a conversation to
determine if he was a part of the happenings in the
bar.
He looked puzzled.
“I only came to see a relative around here and I
decided to come here to have some drinks out of
boredom,” he said.
He left shortly after.
Another scenario played out when one of the young
men was eating diced pineapple. The bar owner
asked to be fed some and when his friend opted to
feed him, he shook his head signalling that he
wanted a mouth-to-mouth feeding with his friend.
Without hesitation, his friend obliged and a brief kiss
was shared.
Some other three young men walked in, all ‘sagging’
their trousers, ordered drinks and brought out their
stash of Indian hemp. A smoking session soon
began as they puffed on their stuff freely.
Just when this reporter thought he had seen it all, a
set of four girls dressed in skimpy and tight-fitting
clothes walked in and greeted the bar owner in a
very familiar manner.
It was later discovered that they were commercial
sex workers. They ordered some drinks.
Few minutes before this reporter left, another pair of
commercial sex workers came into the bar.
Our correspondent spent three hours at the bar.
Before leaving, he called the bar owner outside for a
brief discussion and to get his phone number. The
young man initially hesitated.
But when the bar owner was told that there was
money to be made if he could arrange men for
orgies for our correspondent’s homosexual clients
his disposition became friendly and receptive at this
point.
He told the reporter that he was also a make-up
artiste and asked where the reporter was headed.
“I close around 12.30am. When you are done, you
can come and pick me and we would have a nice
time. I will call my aunt to tell her I am not coming
home tonight,” he said.
This reporter never showed up till a few days later.
The next time our reporter visited the bar, it was
around 1pm, but the bar was locked.
While pondering on what to do, he noticed a light-
skinned lady staring at him. Just when he wanted to
turn and leave, the lady and her friend came and
tapped at his car glass, asking if he wanted to see
the bar owner.
“I recognised you from your first visit,” she said.
The ladies got into the vehicle and took him to the
bar owner’s house.
The young man came out 10 minutes later with
signs that he must have been sleeping.
Our correspondent and the bar owner drove away
from the compound.
In the car, both our correspondent and the bar
owner had an extensive talk, which was secretly
recorded.
Our correspondent said he was a model based in
South Africa. The bar owner was asked to handle
the business our correspondent had told him about
during the previous visit, promising that he could
make between N50,000 and N70,000.
He was also asked how safe his bar was for the
business as no interruption by the police would be
needed. He said his bar had never been raided by
the police since he had been running it for about
five years.
The bar owner later opened up on his life as a gay,
his bar and how he deceived his parents into
thinking that he had a normal sexual orientation.
When asked about the kiss with his friend, T-boi, he
said it was a normal thing but he was not in a
relationship with the young man. He said that he
was in a relationship with a boy and a girl. The girl
was to serve as decoy to friends and family, so they
won’t know his sexual preference.
He said, “I just kissed him that day but there is
nothing between us. I am in a relationship with a
guy and a girl; both of them.”
He explained that whenever his friends, the
commercial sex workers, wanted to go out and
have a good time with their customers, his bar was
always the first point of call.
“They come to my bar first, drink, smoke shisha or
weed if they want. From my bar, they go to their
various destinations,” he said.
The bartender said that he also organised young
ladies and men for interested clients. He said that
for clients with a normal sexual orientation, he
charges between N10,000 and N15,000. But
homosexual clients pay more.
“Yes, I have girls that can have sex with other girls.
If there is money, they can do anything. If they want
to do two some, not with lesbians, sometimes they
collect N20,000 or N30,000 for the night. T-boi, on
the other hand, does it for money. They always give
him money. The guys I have collect about the same
amount. If you give the girls about N20,000, they
would be interested in being with a lesbian partner
but if it is a normal day that they are not going to
club, you can give them about N10,000.”
He told Saturday PUNCH that he would rather be
with someone who has a normal sexual orientation
and wait till the person flirts with him than with
someone who already knew he was gay.
The young man said he was more of a romantic
person and would not readily want to have sex with
another man for money. He, however, said if he
needed the money, he would take it.
He said, “I am always scared when I go out with a
complete stranger. I am always careful when I
meet people for the first time. I don’t know what the
person could be up to; that is why I am scared.
“I really don’t like people that are openly gay; I
prefer people who have a normal sexual orientation
and do not know about my sexual orientation but
make advances.
“I like them like that, but if people that are gay like
me offer to give me money, I don’t accept it. I would
rather introduce them to another guy. I have friends
that would be interested mostly because of the
money,” he said.
He believes that being a homosexual is his destiny.
He said he embraced it wholeheartedly about three
years ago when he turned 21.
The young man told Saturday PUNCH that there
were tell-tale signs that he was homosexual when
he was young as he always mingled with the
opposite sex. He said it was his nature and that was
the way he was created.
He said, “While growing up, I was always mistaken
for a girl till I began to grow beards. Now, I’m
attracted to men instead of women.
“I believe it is the nature of my body and my
destiny. I cannot deceive myself anymore because I
have more feelings for men than women,” he said,
making feminine mannerism.
“I count myself lucky because when people come
from South-Africa, they come to my shop. I don’t
know how they know my shop. This thing is natural,
you cannot hide it. I was still a kid when I knew I
was gay. Then, I used to play with girls and I was
always involved in girls’ games like ten-ten, playing
with dolls and the likes.
“Back then, people used to ask me to take money or
bet on whether I was a girl or a boy. It was not until
I started growing beard that they knew I was a man.
While growing up, my girlfriends would always
come to my house to invite me to play with them.”
The bartender said that he did not like the location of
his shop as the neighbourhood sometimes scared
away his customers. He told Saturday PUNCH that
when he got more money, he would establish a
hotel with a much bigger bar for his customers.
“I want to move because there are times when I
meet some clients and I give them the address of
my shop and they are scared to come because of
the location. Most times, they like me but the
location of my shop discourages them,” the
bartender said.
The last born in a family of four, he said that he
came from a good Christian home and none of his
family members was aware of his sexual
orientation. He said he once impregnated a girl to
prove that he was not a homosexual.
He said that the baby had a striking resemblance
with him and that he had been responsible for the
child as the mother insisted on keeping the baby.
“My family confronted me about whether I was gay
once but when I got the girl pregnant, they stopped
doubting me. People in my area were the ones
feeding them with all sorts of rumours,” he
explained.
The young man who said that he could play the role
of both a male and a female in a relationship, gave
hints on how to know who is the “king or queen” in
a homosexual relationship.
He said, “In a homosexual relationship, it is easier
to know the king than the queen. For example, the
king in a lesbian relationship is the one that acts
like a man. She likes men’s sports, dresses like a
man and even fights like a man.
“The queen is not so easy to spot. If a girl is naked
before her, once she sees her nipples, she would
become aroused and attempts to touch the nipples.
That’s when you would know the person is a
lesbian. I play the two roles of both a male and a
female.”
SOURCE: SATURDAY PUNCH
Centenary award to Abacha not unlawful – Presidency
The Presidency has defended the centenary award
given to the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha,
saying the award was not a glorification of
corruption.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who defended the
posthumous award given to Abacha during Nigeria’s
centenary celebration last week, said that the
award was not meant to celebrate moral virtues.
A cross section of Nigerians had questioned the
government for honouring some controversial
recipients, one of whom was Abacha.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, even rejected
his nomination for the centenary award, saying he
could not share the award with Abacha, who he
described as a “murderer and thief of no redeeming
quality”.
However, Abati told Saturday PUNCH that the
award did not mean that the government was
supporting sharp or corrupt practices, adding that
the allegation about money laundering and forfeiture
of money was another matter entirely in which the
government was also interested.
He said, “This (award) does not in any means
translate to supporting sharp practices or corrupt
practices. It is important to make the clear
distinction in this regard.”
He said, in giving the award to Abacha, the
committee in charge made it clear that he and
others under the same category were honoured
with regards to their contributions in keeping Nigeria
together.
Abati said, “I think it is important to make the
necessary distinction here. The centenary award,
like every award, has its own criteria. That
centenary award was in relation to the
amalgamation, the national unity, the history of
Nigeria and the roles played by certain individuals.
“The centenary award was not a test of sainthood.
In giving the award to the former Head of State,
Gen. Abacha, the committee in charge made it very
clear that the award in the category in which the
former Head of State appeared was awarded with
regard to the contributions of those individuals in
keeping Nigeria together.
“You will find out that under that category, there
were largely former Heads of State, persons who
have at one time or the other presided over Nigeria
and under whose watch, in spite of whatever
challenges they might have faced, helped to sustain
the unity of the country and helped to defend the
integrity and sovereignty of the country. That was a
specific criterion in this particular category. Of
course, every award at all, be it for beauty or any
other thing has its own criteria.”
Abacha was honoured during the nation’s centenary
award last Friday under the category of
“outstanding promoters of unity, patriotism and
national development.”
The reason given for his nomination was that “he
took over power when the nation was on the brink
of precipice. He mobilised the nation’s most
prominent political class into his cabinet and
succeeded in ensuring the continued unity of the
nation. He also raised Nigeria’s international
standing for his peace keeping military interventions
in Sierra Leone and Liberia.”
His award was received on his behalf by his widow,
Mariam.
Meanwhile, Abati added that the Federal
Government had always initiated moves to ensure
that stolen money is repatriated back to the country.
Abati said this while responding to questions by
Saturday PUNCH about the moves being made by
the Federal Government to recover $458m Abacha
loot seized by the United States.
He said, “The allegation about money laundering
and forfeiture of money is another matter entirely
and it is also a matter in which the Nigerian
government is interested in.
“The Nigerian government has consistently over the
years initiated efforts to ensure that stolen money is
repatriated back to the country and that such
repatriated funds are used for the benefit of the
people.”
Boko Haram: Soldiers complain of poor welfare, low morale
There are mounting concerns in security circles
over the issue of special arrangement for the
security operatives deployed in the operational
areas in the three states of Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa which are under emergency rule.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that low morale occasioned
by lack of motivation and poor welfare package
might be some of the factors working against the
successful execution of the war against Boko
Haram militants in the zone.
The Islamic sect had killed close to 200 people in
the last one and half weeks including the massacre
of 53 schoolchildren in Yobe State. Thirty five
persons were also killed on Sunday during a fierce
gunfight between the insurgents and soldiers in
Mafa, a community that is 45 kilometres to the east
of Maiduguri in Borno State.
The Mafa attack was the third within 24 hours in the
troubled state. Last Saturday, a twin bomb attack
left 52 people dead while another attack on Mainok
village by the insurgents killed 39.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that both the medical care
and welfare packages for the fighting soldiers were
grossly insufficient to motivate them.
Saturday Punch had in a previous edition reported
that outdated military weapons hindered effective
war against the Islamic insurgents. It was reported
that the last time serious military hardware was
purchased for the Nigerian military was during the
Alhaji Shehu Shagari regime in the early 80s.
Also, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had
warned that from what he had seen, the
sophistication of the weaponry of the Boko Haram
insurgents could not be compared with that of
Nigeria’s military.
But Saturday PUNCH findings showed that apart
from outdated weapons, other issues bordering on
welfare and motivation might be hindering effective
war campaign against members of Boko Haram.
Some of the soldiers who spoke to Saturday PUNCH
on the condition of anonymity, because it is against
military rules for unauthorised soldiers to speak to
the press, alleged that apart from the poor welfare
package, some of the wounded soldiers pick their
own medical bills while others do not get the
required comprehensive medical attention.
It was gathered that most of those injured in
conflicts were treated at the barracks while
complicated cases were referred to government
hospitals, including the University of Maiduguri
Teaching Hospital.
A soldier said, “Some of the injured are compelled to
pay for their drugs, they have to pay for the
expensive drugs, the only drugs available are
usually paracetamol and phensic. ’’
He claimed that some soldiers’ limbs had been
amputated due to lack of proper medical attention.
Another soldier told our correspondent that there
was a time one of them was shot in the stomach
and admitted at the UMTH. “’When we visited him,
we could not but be moved to contribute some
money towards his medical care, because he was
in great pain and had no money to treat himself.’’
Investigations revealed that since President
Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency
in the three Boko Haram endemic states on May 14,
2013, the Joint Task Force, which assumed initial
responsibility of combating the insurgents, put in
place an arrangement to pay N1,000 per day to
each security operative involved in the operation.
It was learnt that the same amount was paid to
soldiers, riot policemen, State Security Services
officials and other security operatives under the
JTF.
Security sources said that while the Federal
Government paid N45,000 per month to each
security operative, the authorities deducted the sum
of N15,000 from each personnel as feeding
allowances in the camps.
It was further learnt that the allowances were paid
strictly on a daily basis as N31,000 is paid for
months with 31 days; N30,000 for months with 30
days and N28,000 for the month of February.
Investigation further revealed that the present
arrangement makes a provision of N50, 000 for the
family of any soldier or security operative who gets
killed in action.
It was further learnt that no extra financial
arrangement was put in place to cushion the pains
of injured soldiers in the frequent audacious attacks
of the sect.
It was also learnt that while in principle, medical
arrangement was supposed to be made available
for injured soldiers, some of them with gunshot
wounds were left at the MRS.
The MRS is a short term for the traditional medical
facility in any military formation in the country.
In most cases, the MRS is not equipped to the level
of a standard medical facility with the capacity that
could give adequate treatment to gunshot wounds
inflicted on soldiers during gunfights.
It was further learnt that even those who were
taken to the general hospitals where they are
supposed to be treated for free had issues with the
quality and frequency of the feeding arrangement.
It was stated that a good number of security
operatives were being lackadaisical because of the
magnitude of risk and the associated loss involved
in the operation if things went the other way.
The source said, “What they pay is N45, 000 per
month to each security operative. When you say
soldiers, there is no difference between a soldier,
police, SSS, immigration, customs or any other
security agent.
“Out of the N45, 000, they deduct N15, 000 per
month from every operative for feeding.
“What they pay is N1,000 per day because they
pay N30, 000 when the month has 30 days and
N31, 000 when the month is 31 days. They pay
according to days in the month. As for allowances
for the injured, I am not aware of any such
allowances.
“If you are unlucky and you are injured, you are
taken to a general hospital, where you will be
treated. They will feed you but if you rely solely on
that and you don’t have money , hunger go wire
you .”
“There are also occasions when soldiers are taken
to the MRS where they simply dress the wounds if
there are no spaces in the general hospitals.
“And if a soldier or security operative is killed, they
pay N50, 000 to the family, they take the body back
home and that is it. Of course, this is apart from the
entitlement of the personnel in his service.
The source said that the issue of the N50, 000
death allowance to the family was a major
disincentive to the soldiers and security operatives
involved in the fight.
It was stated that many security operatives were
reluctant to be transferred to the operational areas
because of the feeling that N50,000 could be easily
made in a non-operational area and was not worth
the risk.
In Borno State, some of the soldiers who spoke to
Saturday PUNCH said they were not being paid the
feeding allowance.
One of them who said, “We were supposed to get
N45,000 monthly allowance which should also take
care of our feeding but instead of getting the whole
amount, we are only paid N30,000 monthly with the
understanding that the remaining N15,000 was
deducted to prepare food for us.”
The soldier, who is of the infantry unit of the
Nigerian Army, said that he was returning to the
troubled Maiduguri. He explained that in his first
sojourn to the troubled region, soldiers were served
thrice daily.
He said, “But now the food is brought just once; the
whole three meals are brought at the same time.’’
He also lamented that the quality of the food was
poor.
Another soldier, a Lance Corporal said, “I just dey
manage the food, it is not something that is worth
the N15,000 they are taking from me monthly but
wetin man go do?”
He said he believed that the allowance was jointly
contributed by the state and the Federal
Government.
The soldiers described the N1,000 per day
allowance as grossly inadequate. One of them said
it was generally believed that the allowance is
N5,000 daily, but that the officers were short-
changing them.
He said the most annoying thing was that the
soldiers were made to go back home empty-
handed after the exercise. The soldier, who said
this was his second time of being deployed in the
state, explained that: “The other security outfits in
the Joint Task Force deployed out of the state went
away with N1m when they were being deployed
from the state but those from the Army went with
nothing.”
One of the soldiers lamented that other incentives
from the governor of Borno State were not given to
them by their superiors. He said, “There was a day
we went out with the governor and he gave the
officers N12,000 each for a soldier but the officer
just bought a can of coke for each of us and did not
give us anything.
“It is a pity that there is so much corruption in the
system and this is discouraging, especially at times
like this when morale should be high to deal with the
insurgents.”
The soldiers, however, said the state governments
in the region had been helpful to families of soldiers
that lost their lives in the fight against the
insurgents.
“The states give N1m each to the families of slain
soldiers,’’ they said, but lamented that this,
sometimes, does not get to the family of the
deceased intact, alleging that officers sometimes
give as little as N250,000 to some families.’’
When Saturday PUNCH contacted the Director of
Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, for
comments, he said that he was not in a position to
state what local and state governments were giving
to the security operatives and asked that the inquiry
be directed to them.
He stated also that the assistance being rendered
by states was not general as each state had
arrangement which might differ from the others.
Olukolade explained that the military did not have
any special conditions of service for soldiers
engaging the Boko Haram insurgents in the ongoing
operation.
He said that the statutory conditions of service for
the operatives were in place in the event of any
incident.
He also debunked the claim that N50, 000 was the
standard compensation to families who lose their
members in action, noting that the amount was
dependent on the rank of the personnel.
He said, “That is not correct, the conditions of
service apply; there is no special condition for Boko
Haram, the conditions of service apply.
“There are other entitlements and it depends on the
rank of the personnel; there is the Nigerian Army
Welfare Insurance, which is paid to them; there is
Benevolent Funds which are also paid to them.
“All of them are meant to augment other benefits
that would come up. The details of the conditions of
service for soldiers apply and they differ…
“On the issue of what states or local governments
are giving, what Borno claims to be using to assist
may be different from that of Yobe and Adamawa, it
is not universal.”
SOURCE: SATURDAY PUNCH
How Obasanjo’s govt spent $500m Abacha loot – Okonjo-Iweala
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
has explained how the Olusegun Obasanjo
administration spent the loot recovered from the
late maxiumn dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha.
She said that contrary to reports that the sum of $
2bn was recovered from Abacha’s loot, only $500m
was recovered under her watch when she was first
made finance minister.
The minister made the clarification amidst
conflicting figures about the actual amount
recovered.
For instance, speaking in London in November
2006, the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,
had said that “Abacha took over $6bn from
Nigeria,” and that $2bn of the loot had been
recovered.
Ribadu repeated the same figure in the same month
during the 12th International Anti-Corruption
Conference in Guatemela.
Three months ago, Ribadu repeated the same claim
in Dakar at the 2nd Annual High Level Dialogue on
Governance and Democracy in Africa.
As Minister of Finance in the Olusegun Obasanjo
administration, Okonjo-Iweala, in 2005 – a year
before Ribadu made his claim – at a news
conference in Switzerland reportedly said that
Nigeria had recovered about $2bn total of asset
from Abacha.
But reacting to the conflicting claims on the stolen
money, the minister who spoke through her Special
Adviser Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said
that the recovered $500m under her watch was
verified and used in a structured manner for
developmental projects.Nwabuikwu said, “The
minister did not say only $500m was recovered as
the entire loot of Abacha. What she actually said
was that under her watch when she was in
government as a minister, it was that amount that
was recovered. And that money was used in a
structured way to carry out some programmes of
government.
“You will recall that at a point, she left government
to return after some years and she cannot be held
accountable for whatever happens when she was
not in office.
“So the bottom line is that only $500m was the
amount recovered when she was in government.”
On how the funds were utilised, the minister through
her special adviser said part of the recovered loot
was used to fund projects in the power, health,
works, health, education and water sectors.
The minister supported her claims with a report
jointly prepared by the World Bank and Ministry of
Finance – a copy of which was made available to
our correspondent,
According to the document, the sum of N21.70bn
was spent on power (rural electrification and power
generation); N18.6bn on works (priority economic
roads); and N10.83bn on health (primary health care
and vaccination programme).
Also, N7.74bn was utilised on basic and secondary
school education (primary schools, junior secondary
schools and federal government colleges) and
N6.20bn on water (potable water and rural
irrigation).
The political situation in Rivers State is getting messy by the day as an improvised explosive device was thrown at the Administrative Block of the Office of the Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, in the early hours of today, causing a minimal damage to the building.
The Deputy Governor was unhurt in the explosion.
There has not been any official statement yet but
Mr. Godswill Jumbo, the Press Secretary to the
Deputy Governor confirmed that an incident like that
happened, adding that he would issue a statement
later.
Sources at the Government House assured that an
official statement will be issued after Governor
Chibuike Amaechi had inspected the scene.
Phone calls to Ahmad Muhammad, the Police Public
Relations Officer, PPRO, for the state, were not
answered.
Facts are also emerging that the fire that engulfed
the old section of the Mile One Rumuoji Market
today may have been caused by an explosive
device thrown into the stores in the market.
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, the state Commissioner of
Information and Communications, said that arson
was not ruled out in the burning of the market as
explosions were heard in some parts of the state
capital the previous night.
She said explosives might have been thrown into
the market.
Interestingly, Police Public Relations Officer Ahmad
Muhammad told Premium Times that he was not
aware of any explosion in the state.
If the attack is proven, it would be a fresh twist in a
series of political crises that have rocked the
volatile oil producing state for months.