BOKO HARAM TAKEN OVER BY AL-QAEDA

There are very strong indications to suggest that al-Qaeda, the global terror organization founded by the late Osama Bin Laden, may have taken control of the notorious and deadly Jama’atu Ahliss-Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, Sunday Vanguard can report authoritatively.
In addition, it was learnt that some of the camps used by Boko Haram members as safe haven in Cameroon have been detected by Nigeria’s security forces.
The problem, however, according to sources, is that “except Cameroon enters into concrete collaboration with Nigeria, nothing can be done”.
Aqim and Boko Haram
The alleged arrowhead of the take-over, which is the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, has its headquarters in Algeria.
Intelligence sources disclosed to Sunday Vanguard that members of Boko Haram had had collaboration with AQIM since 2010.
As far back as 2010, intelligence sources said “the Algerian government had said available intelligence reports confirmed that extremist Nigerian Islamic group, Boko Haram, has linked up with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which has its North African headquarters in Algeria.”
One of the sources added, “The revelation confirms Nigeria’s intelligence services assessment and worries that the previously unknown group has received training and support from al Qaeda.
“Even at that time, Algerian Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel, told journalists that intelligence report showed both groups had been coordinating.
”We have no doubts that coordination exists between Boko Haram and al Qaeda.”
Reuters news agency quoted Messahel as saying “the way both groups operate and intelligence reports show that there is cooperation”.
AQIM was said to have grown out “of a conflict in Algeria between the government and Islamist militants”. An intelligence report said, “In the past few years, it has expanded its activities to include Mali, Niger and Mauritania but was not thought to have reached as far south as Nigeria”.
The report said Algeria’s assessment of ties between AQIM and Boko Haram carries authority because Algeria has the biggest intelligence-gathering operation on al Qaeda of any country in the region.
Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed that “the group sent out some six members to Algeria to learn how to make Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs.” A security source said, “Indeed, the students, in the light of Boko Haram’s bombing raids, appeared to have learnt well.
“It was discovered that after the ‘Arab Spring’- a peoples revolution across some North African countries – some of the militia and criminals hitherto nurtured by the fleeing leaders migrated southwards and were the ones largely responsible for and who inspired the civil strife in Mali.”
“The source went further: “It was these same people who moved easterly through Niger Republic and were causing problems in northern Nigeria.
“It was the emergency rule declared by President Goodluck Jonathan, the efficacy of which hemmed the terrorists to the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and even across the Nigerian borders that has restricted their activities to attacking soft targets”.
The source disclosed that the funding the sect members enjoy is not only derived from their robbery activities but from their links with AQIM; the sophistication of their attacks is also as a result of the strong involvement of AQIM.
Camps uncovered
Military sources confirmed that some of the camps used as hideouts by members of Boko Haram have been identified in North-western Cameroun.
Information provided last week by highly dependable sources suggest that the vastness of the border between Nigeria and Cameroun makes it very difficult if not impossible to fully police the area.
“The reality on ground is that it is not possible for Nigeria’s security forces to carry out aerial bombardment of the hideouts of the terrorists,” one of the sources told Sunday Vanguard.
“These camps have been identified but we cannot just go into another country and carry out bombing sorties.
“If the type of collaboration between Niger and Nigeria existed between Cameroun and Nigeria, we would have achieved more successes.
“Even at that, you will agree that our military forces have been intercepting and aborting some of the plans of the insurgents.
“But when people speed in and speed out into another country, you cannot pursue them into another country without the permission of that country”.
Led by the late Mohammed Yusuf, the first major uprising by Boko Haram actually began in Bauchi State on 26 July 2009 when hundreds of the sect adherents launched an attack on the Dutsen Tanshi Police Station. This attack failed, with reports of at least 50 people killed. In the next four days, the group carried out further attacks, with gun battles between the sect and the police reported throughout Bauchi, Kano, Yobe, and Borno States. The worst of the violence occurred in Maiduguri, where the group had relocated from its Kanamma base, Yobe State, a base aptly named Afghanistan.
Prior to July 2009 when the sect’s notoriety waxed strong, its members had been involved in dastardly incidents in Yobe in 2003 and in Kano in 2004. In April 2007, 10 policemen and a divisional commander’s wife were killed in an attack on the police headquarters in Kano.
On 13 November 2008, Yusuf was arrested following an attack on a police station in Maiduguri, in which 17 of his followers were killed. On 20 January 2009, an Abuja High Court granted him bail. This was to be an error, a fatal one.
He was apprehended again in December 2009 after the sect engaged the military in a gun battle lasting almost one week. He was handed over to the police where he died under circumstances that are still alleged to be extra-judicial.
Vanguard

MALAYSIA AIRLINE WITH 239 PASSENGERS VANISHES INTO THIN AIR

Malaysia Airlines said Saturday that it lost contact with one of its planes carrying 239 people to China.
Flight MH370 was on its way to Beijing when contact was lost, two hours into the flight early Saturday, the airline said in a statement.
Find the full statement below:
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are deeply saddened this morning with the news on MH370.
Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH370 had lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am, today. There has been speculation that the aircraft has landed at Nanming. We are working to verify the authenticity of the report and others.
Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. It departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time.
The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew – comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 14 different nationalities – citizens from:-
1. China – 152 plus 1 infant
2. Malaysia – 38
3. Indonesia – 12
4. Australia – 6
5. France – 3
6. United States of America – 3 pax plus 1 infant
7. New Zealand – 2
8. Ukraine – 2
9. Canada – 2
10. Russia – 1
11. Italy – 1
12. Taiwan – 1
13. Netherlands – 1
14. Austria – 1
This flight was a code share with China Southern Airlines.
We are working with authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.
Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.
The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a Malaysian aged 53. He has a total flying hours of 18,365hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981. First officer, Fariq Ab.Hamid, a Malaysian, is aged 27. He has a total flying hours of 2,763 hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 2007.
Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members.
The airline will provide regular updates on the situation. The public may contact +603 7884 1234. For media queries, kindly contact +603 8777 5698/ +603 8787 1276.
Next-of-kin may head to the Support Facility Building at KLIA’s South Support Zone. For directions, call 03 8787 1269.

JONATHAN DECLARES WAR ON RIVER STATE

PRESS STATEMENT
We have learnt with shock and disbelief, of the zero allocation to Rivers State in the 2014 Budget of the Federal Ministry of Works. What this means is that Rivers State will not receive any Federal Government project this year!
No one is deceived by the claim of the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, while defending the Ministry’s budget on Tuesday before the House of Representatives Committee on Works, that neither the Federal Government nor his ministry was at war with Rivers State. If that is the case, then what could have warranted the omission of Rivers State from the list of States that will enjoy Federal Government presence in terms of capital project execution this year? If this is not war, then what is it?
This is very sad and condemnable. It is simply unbelievable that President Jonathan could stoop so low as to direct the Ministry of Works to bypass Rivers State just because he has some differences with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
We must, in this regard, commend Hon. Dakuku Peterside, Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), for proving to be a worthy representative of the people of Rivers State by staging a walk-out in protest over the zero allocation to the state during the Works Ministry’s budget defence.
According to Chief Peterside who represents Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State, “I decided to leave the budget session on discovering from the ministry’s details of on-going projects and 2014 budget proposal that there was no single allocation for projects in Rivers State. The few projects listed in Rivers State got zero allocation. For such criminal neglect, there is definitely more to this omission than meets the eye”.
A breakdown of details of on-going highway and bridge projects in Rivers State shows that no single allocation was given to such projects as construction of Eleme Junction Flyover and dualization of the access roads to Onne Port in Rivers State; access roads to Eleme Port Harcourt Refinery; construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo Channel and the rehabilitation of the Abalamabie (Allison Hart) bridge. It will be recalled that Rivers State government awarded and completed Eleme Junction Flyover project in the year 2009.
If we may ask, what joy does President Jonathan derive in continuing this ill-advised war against Rivers State and her people? Under the watch of President Jonathan, Rivers State has lost much revenue as our oil wells were transferred to neighbouring states. They have taken away the oil wells in Soku and given them to his home State, Bayelsa. They have taken the ones between Oyigbo and Etche and given them to Abia. So, our resources continue to dwindle. We used to make between N19bn and N20bn; now we are doing N13bn.
To continue this senseless war against Rivers State and her people, other areas that the administration of President Jonathan has haunted the Rivers State people include the blatant refusal of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to sign the necessary documents that would have assisted the State to obtain an African Development Bank loan to provide pipe-borne water for the State and save people of the State from dying from diseases related from bad water.
Refusal by the Federal Government to authorize the release of the two surveillance helicopters procured by the Rivers State Government at N30B so that the State will be paying demurrage in hard currency annually. These helicopters would have assisted the Federal Government to fight oil theft in the Niger Delta region thereby increasing the dwindling revenue accruable to the Federation Account.
The refusal of the Federal Government to approve the release of these machines into the country that would have benefitted the entire Nigerians is a demonstration of how not to play politics with the life of Nigerians. This is a demonstration of how this government has alienated itself from those it governs and prefers to have our common patrimony kept in private hands while majority of Nigerians continue to wallow in poverty in the midst of plenty.
Refusal by the administration of President Jonathan to implement the UNEP report that would have assisted in the cleanup of the ecological devastated Ogoniland of Rivers State.
With all these sad events it is now very glaring to any sound mind that Rivers State is being treated as a conquered State in a nation in which we are a key player and sadly all these are happening after delivering the highest number of votes that made Dr Goodluck Jonathan the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria during the general elections of 2011.
The All progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State therefore is deeply saddened by this bizarre turn of events as orchestrated by the Presidency. The State Interim Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibamu Ikanya, is full of sadness; he is dumbfounded that President Jonathan and his administration should declare and sustain a war on Rivers State and her people by ensuring that since he assumed office Rivers State cannot boast of one single Federal Government presence. We as a federating state of this nation pay our taxes and Rivers is among the major states in Nigeria that contribute much to the revenue of this country. Therefore, to be treated as if we are no longer part of this nation because of politics is no longer acceptable to us!
We, therefore, demand an end to this senseless war against an innocent people even as we urge the good people of Rivers State to continue to identify with Gov. Amaechi, who is the face of change in Rivers State. In the words of Dr. Ikanya, “Gov. Amaechi represents change and the people of Rivers, as true progressives, should remain loyal to APC, a vehicle for change both in the State and in the entire Nigeria.”
Long Life APC!
Long Life Rivers State!!
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
SSA Media and Public Affairs to the Interim State Chairman, APC Rivers State
06-03-14

SARAKI POLITICAL DYNASTY IN OVER IN KWARA STATE - PRES. JONATHAN

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday threw a massive electoral challenge to the supporters of the Saraki family, saying that the Saraki political dynasty is over in Kwara State.
The President also observed that the era of god-fatherism in politics is gone in the country at large.
Speaking at a reception tagged ‘Unity rally’ at Metropolitan Square, Asa Dam, Ilorin, Jonathan, who was accompanied by Vice President Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, Senate President David Mark and other national leaders of the party, said PDP is the true party that is free of dictatorship.
His words: “As a President, I did not control the governor of Bayelsa State, my home State, because the party gives room for freedom and allows governors and ministers to work without being controlled.
“PDP is the only party that liberates people. It is only in PDP that you can come from nowhere like me and become President of the country. I can confirm now that the mammoth crowd here has shown that Kwara people are ready to free themselves.”
“I am a President, but I have a governor I don’t have control over. We at the apex level of government can only monitor people in positions of authority to make them deliver dividends of democracy to the people, and we don’t dictate to them,” he added.
He explained that his government is working based on the PDP manifesto, adding that Kwara State should expect more dividends of democracy and goodies from the Federal Government in due course.
President Jonathan maintained that the PDP remains the only party that can give the people of the state the freedom they desire, saying: “If you are not in PDP you are not in politics, as it is only PDP that can guarantee your freedom in the State and the country at large.”
Emir of Ilorin throws weight behind Jonathan
Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Council, Mai-Martaba Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has assured President Goodluck Jonathan of his helping hands in whatever areas he may sort for in advancing his political career.
The monarch stated this on Monday in Ilorin while receiving President Jonathan and members of his cabinet and national working committees of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, at his Palace.
The monarch who described the president as a leader with clear political records noted that Ilorin his peaceful and strategic to the peaceful co-existence of the nation serving as a gateway to the northern and southern parts.
“When you were serving as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, you never knew you will become the Governor, when you were the Governor, you never knew you are going to become the Vice President nor acting President. But at long last, you finally became the President of the great nation in substantive capacity peacefully. All these are God’s
work.
“It is the same God that we besiege to grant you what you are looking for peacefully”, even as the emir presented a horse to the President as a mark of honour.
In his response, President Jonathan told the monarch that he had never be in Ilorin for negative rather, all his missions to the state have always being positive despite the ugly experiences of the Boko Haram insurgence in some states.
According him, “We are not yet here to campaign, when the time comes in about six to seven months time, we shall visit you again. At this time, we are here to formally receive decampees into our party and also give them the sense of brotherhood and belonging.
“When the time also comes, we shall introduce to you some of your illustrious sons and daughters we hope to use for various elective positions and seek your supports for our victories.”

APC CALCULATION ALTERED BY ATIKU

Findings by Sunday Newswatch have revealed that the recent defection of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have completely changed the scheme of things within the opposition mega party.
Sources, who confided in our correspondents, said that the former presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – one of the constituent parties of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, initially had an agreement with APC chieftains on the presidential ticket before Atiku joined the train.
One of the sources noted, however, that the condition Atiku gave APC chieftains before defecting to the party may now be restraining them from giving Buhari, or any of his nominees, an automatic presidential ticket.
“Immediately Atiku came on board, he changed the calculations. And there are fears that he might pick the big slot, because the man has a deep pocket. He told them before joining the party that there must be primaries, in which everybody would be given a level-playing ground.
“They foolishly agreed because they were desperate to have him in APC. Now, they must conduct primaries, and we know that, if that happens, Atiku will win. Buhari has no money to dole out to delegates, and elections are all about money; we are in a fix now.
“We just hope that Buhari won’t leave the APC, because that will spell doom for the party. Some of his people are mounting pressure on him to quit, because they know he won’t get the ticket. Atiku has changed the whole game plan,” he said.
Other sources equally insisted that members of the defunct CPC were insisting that the retired General should quit the APC, if there was no assurance that he would pick the presidential ticket of the latter.
However, contrary to prevailing speculations that Buhari and his supporters in the APC were set to dump the party, following Atiku’s entry, sources close to the former Head of State have maintained that he would remain in the party, for now, and that he had not indicated any interest to dump the APC.
Yet other Sunday Newswatch sources pointed out that the presence of the retired General Buhari in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last week during the Progressive Governors’ Forum, was a confirmation that he had not bowed to pressures from within his caucus to quit the APC.
However, those who believed there is formidable pressure on Buhari to quit, insisted that the various meetings of party leaders at different locations in recent times were to persuade Buhari to remain in the party.
Buhari was sighted in Ibadan last week, where he was full of life and conviviality, as he discussed at length, on how the APC would ensure the desired change in the country, particularly, in the area of unemployment.
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Newswatch, a former governorship candidate of the defunct CPC in Ogun State, Alhaji  Abdulraheem Adebayo Shittu,  assured it was only a rumour that Buhari was planning to quit, stressing that if such pressure was being mounted, he (Shittu) would  not be out of the arrangement.
Shittu said if Buhari was planning to yield to such pressure, he would not have been in Ibadan during the Progressive Governors’ Forum meeting that took place last week.
He said: “It is not in the interest of Nigeria that Buhari should leave APC, which he co-founded. His home is APC, and he cannot go elsewhere. I can categorically tell you that the rumour has no basis.”
In another twist, the Adamawa State chapter of the APC appears to be engulfed in a crisis of defections, thereby necessitating moves by the party leaders in the state to stem the gale. While some party faithful are still basking in the euphoria of Atiku’s defection to the party, others are now worried by the mass exit of defectors, which has hit the state chapter of the party in recent times.
Apparently worried by the loss of its members to the rival PDP, leaders of the party in the state are making moves to persuade aggrieved members from defecting to other parties.
Stakeholders, such as former Atiku, Governor Murtala Nyako, Brigadier Buba Marwa, Boss Mustapha and a host others,  are billed to hold  an emergency meeting on Wednesday at the Government House, Yola. The purpose of the meeting is to salvage the party from the internal wrangling, currently bedevilling it.
The party recently held a widely-publicised rally in Yola, the state capital, to formally receive former Atiku. But no sooner had the rally been concluded than the party started losing members to PDP.
Those who defected to the PDP were led by CPC governorship candidate in the 2011 general elections, Markus Gundiri. The party also lost M.C. Tahiru, a member of the House of Representatives from Yola North/South and Gerei Federal Constituency. He was said to have tendered his letter of resignation, recently.
Interim Treasurer, Alhaji Adamu Kamale, confirmed that the leaders of the party would meet during the week to chart a way forward. He admitted that there wwere cracks in the party, as the Interim State Executive of the APC was “working at cross purposes, which resulted in serious crisis in the state chapter of the party.”
He expressed the belief that nothing good would come out of the party under the leadership of Hon. Kobis Aris as the interim state chairman.
According to him, Kobis handled the affairs of the party as if it was a personal estate. He said the party chairman lacked the required charisma to move the party forward, and pointed out that the recent crisis in the party led to movement of the key players to PDP, which he claimed was as a result of the fall-out of the recent membership registration exercise carried out by the party in the North East.
He said the Interim Committee Chairman, Aris, sidelined most of the party faithful so much that political thugs were sponsored to threaten the Interim Secretary of the party, Amb. Fati Bala, who was harassed by Nyako’s Commissioner for Local Government, with a mission to concede the party’s structure to Nyako, illegally. He stressed that many stakeholders of the party were denied registration during the membership exercise.
One of the party chieftains, who did not want his name in print, said that the latest crisis actually started during the recent rally held by the party in the state, adding that, “The state government was to help provide 50 buses to bring party supporters from the 21 local government areas to the rally venue.
“But Nyako’s loyalists from the new PDP prevented members of the legacy parties from entering the buses, which was the reason Engr. Markus Gundiri protested and did not participate in the rally. It was because of the humiliation they meted to his supporters.”