Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be here trying to calculate how many margaritas we could buy with $1 billion.

Read more at HuffPost.

Nigerian Army’s False Claims Against 270 Slain Innocent Pro Biafra Activists & 370 Injured Others: How They Were Massacred And Maimed – Concluding Part 

The leadership of Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) had on June 18, 2017 released the first part of the graphic accounts as they concern the willful and premeditated massacre of over 270 unarmed, nonviolent and defenseless members and supporters of pro Biafra movements in Nigeria under the coordination of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Over 370 innocent and defenseless citizens were also shot and terminally wounded with scores of them crippled for life.

Scores of them have died as a result of injuries sustained and associated improper medical treatments. While the Nigerian Army accounts for 75% of the killings and maiming, the Nigeria Police Force is responsible for 20% and the SSS, Nigerian Navy and others account for the remaining 5%. The link to the first part of the publication is HERE.

The advocacy intent of these graphic accounts is to factually and verifiably expose and rubbish the Nigerian Army and its armada of lies contained in its recent report following a kangaroo Special Board of Inquiry it set up on 8^th March 2017 to look into allegations of gross rights abuses by its key personnel and commanders in Northeast, Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria in the course of its counter insurgency operations and undemocratic and unconstitutional involvement and interference in nonviolent public assemblies in Nigeria. The Nigerian Army must shut up and desist from lying against the innocent dead and the murdered.

As clearly stated in the first part, the willful massacre and maiming took place in not less than ten different occasions and locations in Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria. Apart from deployment and application of deadly force by the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, SSS, Navy and other murderous coercive establishments, the unarmed and defenseless citizens were targeted and shot at close range with automatic weapons or rifles loaded with live bullets at terminal parts of their bodies such as chest, waist, lung, heart, forehead, neck, reproductive and stomach regions.

More Graphic Accounts of 29^th and 30^th May 2016 at Biafra Heroes Day Massacre at Onitsha, Nkpor And Asaba:

Through existing inter-State security cooperation between Anambra and Delta States, the Delta State Police Command was also reached out and placed on alert and soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment secured the nod of the Delta State Government to extend the violent crackdowns to Abraka Junction and Asaba Airport end of the Onitsha-Asaba-Benin-Lagos Dual Carriage Way in the State.

The violent crackdowns including late night raids, mass arrests, abductions and shootings of suspected IPOB members and officials in their homes as well as those who squatted inside the classrooms of St Edmunds Catholic Primary School classrooms in the late night of 29^th May 2016 leading to death of several of them and injuring of others.

The massacre and allied atrocities continued in the morning and extended to noon hours of the following day being 30^th May 2016; leading to death of not less than 110 citizens at Nkpor and Onitsha and over 30 others who were massacred at the Asaba spill over murderous operation. In Anambra State, the murderous operation got extended to Umuoji and Nnewi parts of the State. A total of over 130 others were terminally shot and injured with several of them crippled for life till date.

The bodies of most of the slain defenseless citizens were picked by soldiers using their military trucks; leading to most of them not seen by their families, relatives, friends, lawyers and doctors till date. Some concerned security sources and survivors/eyewitnesses later disclosed that most of those killed were criminally lumped together and interred on Wednesday 1^st June 2016 in shallow graves located in one of the two military cemeteries inside the Onitsha Military Barracks.

In Asaba, soldiers of the Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment operationally commanded by one Major C.O. Ibrahim of the military police unit of the Nigerian Army as well as those deployed from the 82^nd Division in Enugu in conjunction with the Delta State Police Command were fully mobilized and armed with automatic weapons or rifles loaded with live bullets leading to shooting, killing and maiming spree along Onitsha-Asaba-Benin Dual Carriage Way targeting onlookers, passersby and unarmed pro Biafra activists trekking down to Nkpor to join their colleagues in their Heroes Day Anniversary.

One of the casualty victims was an innocent woman who was about eight months’ pregnant and was on her way to hospital in Asaba for her medical appointment. She had parked her car by the roadside to escape being hit by raining bullets of soldiers and police personnel only for soldiers to come close to her car and open fire hitting her sensitive parts. She later died in hospital in Asaba alongside her unborn child.

Soldiers had also opened fire on a group of crowd who clustered meters away from the tragedy arena around Abraka Junction to watch the event of the day. Members of the crowd were watching from a distance only for soldiers to open fire on them resulting in scores of deaths and injuries. As survivors were scampering for safety, some armed police officers went after them firing live bullets, leading to some of the police officers who ran out of bullets being pounced on and inflicted with varying injuries. Two later died in hospital of injuries sustained.

29^th And 30^th May 2016 Death Toll: The death toll arising from Nkpor and Onitsha massacre credibly put to at least 110 with not less than 100 of them taken away by soldiers and criminally interred in secret Army graves. The Asaba spill over massacre of same 30^th May 2016 also led to not less than 30 deaths and several injuries. That is to say that a total of over 140 defenseless citizens were slain and over 130 others terminally shot and injured. Many of those killed in Asaba including Citizen Chinedu Udoye were deposited at the Federal Medical Centre morgue from where they were ordered by the authorities to be criminally interred on 26^th June 2016 at a lonely location around the Asaba Airport area. A number of others got drowned or killed and thrown inside swamps in the State.

Some of the slain citizens in Nkpor and Onitsha massacre of 29^th and 30^th May 2016 whose identities were established with some of their lifeless bodies rescued by families and friends are: Citizens Nicodemus Azubuike, Chikaodi Uka Ume, Ernest Uzor, Chukwudi Ozioko, God’s Power Etukudo, Ifeanyichukwu Kalu, Sunday Ogudo, Ogechi Ejiogu, Daniel Kalu Ukagha, Chima Ezechiugo, Onuoha Jude Nnamdi, Chikezie Nwodo, Chibuzor Nwabuibe, Kingsley Onwo, Onyeka Chukwu Ekwe, Sunday Ogbonna, Sunday David, Patrick Anyika, Raphael Agwu and Chukwudi Nmadu. Among over 30 persons killed in the Asaba spillover massacre of 30^th May 2016 are Chinedu Udoye, Oluchukwu Odanibe, Ikechukwu Enebeli, Henry Nzekwe, Hero Vincent, Ojo Chimezie, Ogbuefi Obi, Ogochukwu Ijego, Apam Oyi, Okeke Obiora and Nwabueze Uzonna.

Pro Trump Rally Massacre of 20^th January 2017 at Igweocha (Port Harcourt): Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had gathered in their thousands in Igweocha or Port Harcourt for a solidarity rally in support of the new Donald Trump Government of the United States. The date was also the same with the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45^th President of the United States. Letters of notification were sent and successfully delivered by the IPOB leadership to relevant security agencies and the Government of Rivers State and the State Commissioner of Police.

Yet in spite of the notification, the soldiers of the 6^th Division of the Nigerian Army in Rivers State as well as other security agencies including Police SARS were deployed and armed with assault rifles loaded with live bullets leading to shooting and killing spree moments after soldiers stormed the rally arenas where the IPOB members and supporters had converged or gathered. Soldiers and Police SARS murderously opened fire on unarmed and defenseless citizens with live bullets targeting and shooting them at close range.

Not less than 15 to 20 citizens were killed and over 70 others terminally shot and injured. Eyewitnesses alleged that soldiers took away 10 dead bodies while the rest were picked and taken away Police SARS and other personnel of the Rivers State Police Command. Among the shot and injured others, and out of five who were rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, two survived and three died, and out of the three that survived, one was rescued and relocated to another hospital morgue, while the remaining two got entrapped in the hospital till date. Of 10 slain Pro Biafra activists whose bodies were picked in different parts of Port Harcourt and taken away by soldiers till date, one dead body was picked at GRA/Mummy Broad and two along Ada George Road and by Garrison area, while seven others were picked around Okporo Road.

20^th January 2017 Pro Trump Rally Death Toll: Names of three slain IPOB activists recovered and buried by their families are: (1) Uwakwe Justus Ikechi from Ezinihite-Mbaise LGA of Imo State; buried on 16^th February 2017, (2) Ndubueze Johnson Okoli (20yrs) from Orumba South LGA, Anambra State; buried on 3^rd February 2017 and (3) Kingsley Mathew Essien (17yrs) from Ikono LGA, Akwa Ibom State; buried on 3^rd March 2017.

Statistics of Shot and Injured Pro Biafra Activists:

30^th August 2015 in Port Harcourt: Among those shot and critically injured in Rivers by Nigerian Army and the Police are Citizens Sunday Udegbe, Nwabunne Udo, Agwasi Anthony, Meshach Emmanuel, Chinwendu Ogbonna, Amanda Onyekachi, Emmanuel Arinze, Okwudiri Ojah, Chibuike David, Uzochi Ugwojialili, Chukwuma Igwe, Kingsley Okere, Chinedu Solomon Iwu, Okon Emmanuel Udo, Kelechi Uwaeze, Dominic Uwalaka, Solomon Chikwe, Ikenna Ezekwem, Thomas Ubani, Amarachi Onyemachi and Chukwudi Ofoegbuliwe. Scores of others were killed including those shot and got drowned inside swamps

30^th August 2015 in Asaba: Those shot and terminally wounded in Delta State include: Chinedu Abel, Onovo Michael, Kingsley Anuife, Amechi Ojieh, Ogbonna Kanayo, David Ogbu, Charles Chukwuka, Elochukwu Uzor, Chinedu Chukwuma and Onyekanna Ifechukwudebelu.

30^th August 2015 in Onitsha: Those shot and critically injured on 30^th August 2015 in Anambra State are: Sampson Kalu, Chidiebere Nnaji, Onyekwelu Ovute, Felix Ndianaefo, Ikechukwu Okafor, Chimaobi Okafor, Christopher Oforah, Sunday Nwazugbo, Stanley Eze, Mrs. Eucharia and Mrs. Patricia.

30^th August 2015 in Enugu: In Enugu State, the following were shot and critically injured: Mr. Godswill Ojikeme, Mrs.  Chinyere Godswill Ojikeme, Ogbodo Monday, Jonah Kelechi, Onuigbo Paul and Obiorah Innocent..

2nd and 17^th December 2015 in Onitsha: Among those shot and terminally injured by soldiers, Police and Navy in Onitsha on 2^nd and 17^th December 2015 are: Citizens Jonah Kelechi, Nwode Friday, Ogodo Monday, Nwankwo Ejike, Onuigbo Paul, Mbonu Izunna, Obiora Innocent, Amadi Chinonso, Chukwudi Dabelechi, Alo Amechi, Nwaele Chigozie, Okonkwo Felix, Eneje Emeka, Uchechukwu Kingsley, Igwebuike Chinonso, Onyemaechi Ikeagu, Nwaoba Emeka, Nwajioha Chinonso, Nwaele Chinonso, Ijeoma Chukwu, Francis Ikechukwu, Ejike Jideoffor, Makuochukwu Ozobi and Okechukwu Okonkwo.

9^th February 2016 at Aba: Among innocent and unarmed citizens shot and terminally injured in Aba on 9^th of February by the Nigerian Army, joined by other security agencies are: Mrs. Charity Ahuruonye (40yrs) Abia State; Chibuzor Akabueze (29yrs) Imo State, Chukwuemeka Iwuoha Imo State, Chibuzor Chukwu Ebonyi State, Innocent Chinedu Okoro (52yrs) Abia State, Obinna Emmanuel Alaribe (26yrs) Abia State, Uchenna Ihuoma (28yrs) Imo State, Ekene Uzor (29yrs) Anambra State, Sunday Kalu (63yrs) Abia State; Mrs. Nnenna Okebe (55yrs) Abia State; Mrs. Comfort Kingsley (32yrs); Mrs. Ngozi Paul (34yrs) Imo State; and Ifiok Alexandra Ibanga Akwa Ibom State.

29^th and 30^th May 2016 at Nkpor and Onitsha: Out of over 130 terminal injuries recorded at Nkpor, Onitsha and Asaba massacres of 29^th and 30^th May 2016 are: Obi Nkemakonam, Ubani Nwenneakonam, Nwuzo Friday, Ilo Friday, Olisama Chukwuemeka, Awah Sopuruchi, Okoye Chinedu, Ezeilo Chuka, Onyeduna Ifesinachi, Nnamani Sunday, Chinonso Amadi, Tagbo Chibuzo, Anyanwu Chika, Egbe Johnson, Osukwe Ijeoma, Nkechukwu Ikechukwu, Kenneth Eni, Orjichukwu Chigozie, Solomon Izundu, Ebili Edward, Gabriel Onyedikachi, Ilo Ozoemena, Nwauju Charles, Onuoha Chidozie, Onyemaechi Nwaezeoma, Innocent Obodoekwe, Ifeanyi Azubuike, Adigwe Chukwudi, Ogochukwu Mbam, Obiosa Chukwueme, Ugochukwu Samuel, Onuoha Chigozie, Maduka Egwela, John Onuchukwu, Maduabuchi Onwukanjo, Izuchukwu Nwaogba, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Ibekwe Okechukwu, Felix Odianwu, Okafor Moses Madukasi and Egwu Joseph.

Some of the brutally shot victims who ran away from hospitals to their homes through the help of their friends and relatives to escape incessant raiding of hospitals and abduction of injured citizens in their sick beds by soldiers are: Chidi Nwigwe, Uchenna Odaa, Ezeaka Ejike, Chima Anamuasonye and Nwaowe John. Some who were rescued by their friends and relatives and taken to Abia State for safety and adequate treatments are Ifeanyi C. Azubuike (later died) and Ugochukwu Nnamu and some of those rescued and taken to Enugu State for safety are Ifeanyi Ogumma and Arinze Aja.

30^th May 2016 at Asaba: The following 29 names were among those shot and terminally wounded by soldiers and police personnel in Asaba. They are: Ichoku Ndu, Ebere Obidike, Nwabueze Uzonna, Okey Roland, Chukwudi Ifenna, Isaac Uzochukwu, Eberima Aguh, Henry Gideon, Efion Apani, Abuchi Obi, Ozoemena Chukwuma, Lotenna Ifeajuna, Ifebuchi Okenwa, Wisdom Omota, Ejike Abunchukwu, Ozobu Ogbonna, Emeka Madueke, Paschal Gideon, Afam Onyeburu, Izu Onwubiewe, Okey Agubata, Celestine Nnamdi, Obieke Lotenna, Nwabueze Oti, Chijioke Ozoro, Nwadike Chibuzo, Azuka Ifeake, Chioma Nkemjika and Obiora Okonkwo.

20^th January 2017 in Igweocha (Port Harcourt): Names of some of over 70 IPOB activists and supporters shot and terminally injured at pro Trump Rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on 20^th January 2017 are Udo Effiong Asukuah, Mrs Ojeanya, Wisdom Ugochukwu Agor, Mrs Sandra Nwachukwu (lost one of her eyes), Tizath Brownson Israel, Gideon Bassey, Dr. Chinyere Sunday, Bassey Ben, Friday Nsofor, Ibemera Ugonma, Sammuel Orji, Chikaodinaka Obasi, Magboh Nkeiruka, and Okoye Sunday Collins

Others are: Stanley Okechukwu, Oforegbu Victoria, Martin Anochirim, Emmanuel Chikwe, Daniel Friday Ukeh, Odinakachi Chinyere Ekeh (27yrs), Peter Etim Ebe, Arinze Uju, Uko Herald, Ifeanyichukwu Benson, Kingsley Ahamuefula, Ifeanyichukwu Okoli Imo State, Uchenna Ajogu Enugu State, Ugwuagbo Emmanuel Enugu State, Emmanuel Ike Imo State; and Odinakachi Chinyere. The degrees of injuries so inflicted range from loss of eyes, limbs, fingers, legs to wounding and piercing of chest, brain, heart, armpit, waist, face, buttocks, stomach, intestine, rung, and reproductive regions or parts of their bodies.

270 Death Toll Estimates: The breakdown of the killings starting from 30^th of August 2015 to 20^th January 2017 that led to over 270 deaths comprises of: six (6) deaths in the 30^th of August 2015 protests at Awka and Onitsha, thirty (30) in the 2^nd and 17^th December 2015 protest and jubilation killings at Onitsha Niger Bridgehead and environs, twenty (20) in the 18^th and 29^th January 2016 killings in Aba, thirty (30) in the 9^th February 2016 massacre at Aba National High School, one hundred and ten (110) in the 29^th and 30^th May 2016 Biafra Heroes Day massacre at Nkpor and Onitsha, thirty (30) in the Asaba spill over massacre of 30^th May 2016; and twenty (20) in the 20^th January 2017 pro Trump Rally in Igweocha or Port Harcourt, totalling two hundred and thirty six (236); out of which we cited 78 including 16 seen lifeless bodies dumped in two burrow pits near Aba in February 2016 and three persons that died of gunshot wounds at the Multicare Hospital at Nkpor in December 2015.The remaining 32 deaths or more resulted from killings that took place in the Yenogoa mega protest, Uyo protest as well as the 2015 and 2016 Igweocha or Port Harcourt protests and unrecorded others; technically called dark figures of crime statistics including post crime scenes’ deaths resulting from injuries sustained.

Estimated 370 Injuries: The estimated 370 terminal injuries arising from the referenced massacres are derived from Port Harcourt, Asaba, Onitsha/Awka and Enugu protests of 30^th August 2015; 2^nd and 17^th December 2015 protest and jubilation killings in Onitsha; 18^th and 29^th January and 9^th February 2016 killings/massacre in Aba; 29^th and 30^th May 2016 Biafra Heroes Day massacre at Nkpor, Onitsha and Asaba and 20^th January 2017 pro Trump rally killings in Port Harcourt as well as allied others in Yenegoa, Port Harcourt and Uyo; out of which we cited or mentioned 193 names. The actual total figures of those killed and those injured in connection with violent crackdowns on pro Biafra nonviolent protests may most likely be higher than the conservative figures given above.

Culprits in the 29^th and 30^th May 2016 Massacre & Ors: The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai is a vicarious and operational culprit. Others are the then GOC of the 82^nd Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu Major Gen Ibrahim Attahiru (a vicarious and operational culprit), the then Commander of the Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment, Col Isah Maigari Abdullahi (operational culprit), the operational leader/commander of the military massacre, Major C.O. Ibrahim of the Military Police (operational culprit), the then Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma, now AIG in charge of Zone 9 at Umuahia (a vicarious and operational culprit) and the then DCP OPS of the Anambra State Command who led the police murderous team in the massacre, now CP Babatunde Johnson Kokomo (operational culprit),. The rest are the then Officer –in-Charge of SARS or OC/SARS, CSP Bassey Anang, CSP James Oshim Nwafor (Anambra OC/SARS in 2015) who commanded the SARS murderous squad that co-participated in the 2^nd December 2015 killings and maiming at the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead and environs. He is now OC/SARS for Imo State and due for retirement in April 2018. Two chief policing culprits in the whole genocidal massacres are the then Inspector General of Police, retired IGP Solomon Arase (a vicarious and operational culprit) and the current IGP, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris who was then AIG Federal OPS (operational culprit).

Signed:

For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law

Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist & Graduate of Security Studies)
Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: botchairman@gmail.com

Barr Chinenye F. Akubilo
Head, Campaign & Publicity Department

Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org

The Christian Association Nigeria, CAN, has called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, NERDC, to publish the full details of the controversial new Curriculum of Education if they have no hidden agenda.

The perceived dangers packaged in the new curriculum of education has brought the document to the fore since the leadership of CAN raised the issue in a meeting with the acting president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and asked the government to ensure there is no discrimination against any student because of religious beliefs in our public schools. ‎

Speaking through its president, his eminence, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, the umbrella body of all Christians in the country foresaw the danger ahead if the curriculum that merged Christian Religious Knowledge and Islamic Religious Knowledge with the Civic Education is made to stay.

It also disclosed some perceived discriminations against Christian students in the curriculum.

In a an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Thursday, June 22, 2017, Ayokunle said, “In this curriculum, Islamic and Christian Religious Studies will no longer be studied in schools as subjects on their own but as themes in a civic education. This undermines the sound moral values that these two subjects had imparted in the past to our children which had made us to religiously and ethnically co-exist without any tension.

“…Islamic Religious Knowledge was equally made available as a subject in another section without any corresponding availability of Christian Religious Knowledge. Is this not a divisive curriculum that can set the nation on fire? Is this fair to millions of Christians in this nation?”

To buttress his point, the CAN President cited a case in Kwara State where a student was punished for refusing to register for Islamic Religious Knowledge.

“A Christian student in a secondary school in Kwara State had his body lacerated with cane by the Arabic Teacher because the pupil refused to do Islamic Religious Knowledge when French Teacher was not available and Christian Religious Knowledge, Hebrew or Greek were not part of the options at all.”

But in a swift reaction, the Federal Ministry of Education debunked our claims that Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) had been removed as a subject of study from the secondary school curriculum and Islamic Religious Studies reintroduced.

According to the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Chinenye Ihuoma, the ministry has only designed a new subject which merged Civic Education, IRS, CRK and Social Studies into “Religion and National Values”.

But her words, to say the least, confirmed our fear when she stated that the ministry has designed a new subject which merged Civic Education, IRS, CRK and Social Studies into “Religion and National Values”.

According to her, “The alternation is not from the minister, this is purely from the National Council on Education. It is just as the council has said that History should be a subject of its own at the basic level in the first nine years.

“Now, a new subject has been introduced, called Religion and National Values. It is a fusion of religion and civics”.

Surprisingly, she admitted “I have not seen the details but in a case where you have subject combinations in the same period, everyone will attend lectures that correspond with their own religion.”

“Arabic and Islamic Studies are not standing alone. Islamic Religious Study and Christian Religious Study as well as national values will be taught under a new subject,’’ she said.

In his own reaction, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Professor Ismail Junaidu who also faulted our position, contradicted the position of the Ministry but his defence too is full of loopholes.

According to him, “NERDC hereby states that: CRK is still taught in schools; as a separate distinct subject with the accompanying Teachers’ Guide.

That “CRK is not a theme in Civic Education. Civic Education is a distinct subject on its own which teaches the rudiments of good citizenship”.

This position contradicts that of the Ministry. He went further to disclose a directive given by the Minister on the merger which the ministry under his watch claims has not been implemented.

His words, “For the avoidance of doubt, the last review of the curriculum was approved in 2013 and implementation commenced in September, 2014. In both instances, neither the Christian Religious Knowledge nor Islamic Studies was removed from the curriculum.

“In fact, at the commencement of the present administration, the Hon. Minister of Education sought and obtained the approval of the National Council on Education to make Christian Religious Knowledge compulsory for all Christians students and Islamic Studies compulsory for their Muslim counterparts.

“Efforts are in top gear to print the Christian Religious Knowledge and Islamic Studies Curriculum separately in order to maintain their characteristics and distinctiveness.

“In this Curriculum, no child should be coerced or compelled to learn or be taught in school any religious studies subject but only one (out of the two) that restrictively relates to the belief system professed by the child and his/her parents.”

If the two religions were different subjects in the new curriculum, why did the Minister has to seek the approval of the agency “to make Christian Religious Knowledge compulsory for all Christians students and Islamic Studies compulsory for their Muslim counterparts”?

Again, if the two religious studies are being taught separately, why is the agency stating that “Efforts are in top gear to print the Christian Religious Knowledge and Islamic Studies Curriculum separately in order to maintain their characteristics and distinctiveness.

These statements underscore our position that the subjects were merged before! Do we need to run away from underscoring the importance of these two subjects which focus on teaching the fear of God, love for others and so on at a time like when our nation is facing the challenge of violence and breakup?

If the new curriculum is treating the two religious subjects separately as being claimed, why do we have a satanic topic in the Civic Education like ‘IS JESUS THE SON OF GOD’? Or is the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who disclosed to CAN leadership that this was in the curriculum he earlier saw lying too?

The agency claims no student will be forced to register for a religion against his/her wish.

That is not true. In Kwara State, for example, the discriminatory curriculum has begun and Christian students who refused to register for it already had their bodies lacerated with cane! We have the names of the victims and their schools with us, including the text message from the parents of such students who were beaten.

Not only that, in the forth coming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) 2017 TIME TABLE, which runs from Tuesday, 4th July, 2017 to Thursday, 13 Julyin Kwara State, there is no CRK as subject to be sat for. Any reason for this? Instead, on the 13th July, 2017, it has the following; KW/BECE/ 203 Arabic CAIS, KW/BECE/204 IRK JIS; KW/BECE/407 ARABIC JIS and KW/BECE/205 Islamic History. Source:www.kwaraeducation.com.

The chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria in Delta State has also called to complain that students are calling him to say that their teachers are saying that they will no longer be doing CRK as a subject again. Who is deceiving whom?

As far as CAN is concerned, the curriculum is a time-bomb, obnoxious, divisive and ungodly and its implementation must be stopped until all the grey areas are addressed. Like we told the Acting President, it’s introduction is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good for so many reasons.

If we are going to do pilgrimage together as a nation, there must be fair play, mutual respect for one another and justice which can be brought about by different arms of government. We demand for justice from the government on this matter very quickly.

We request for a return to the curriculum we were using before this dangerous one which did not produce insurgents or a wrongly indoctrinated Nigerians. It was the students that came from a school system where morning devotion was removed that are behind the insurgency and kidnappings that are happening now and then.

Those of us who passed through the former system where we all did devotion in the morning and in the afternoon at closing in our schools lived together peacefully irrespective of our religions. The government must stop the operation of this new curriculum. It did not come out of a forward looking research but a backward one. A stitch in time saves nine.

We caution the Federal Government against the use of propaganda in addressing this sensitive issue because the unity of the country is at stake. We are not crying wolves where none exists.

We are disappointed hearing the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu claiming that CAN was believing a piece of misinformation received from the social media.

To say the least, that is a misleading statement from a Minister who is not only trying to Islamise the ministry with all the appointments he has made but denying the reality of discrimination policy under his watch.

We counsel Adamu to reconcile his position with the spokesperson of his ministry who agreed that both CRK, IRK and Civic Education had been merged to become one subject before denying the reality.

OUR DEMANDS

1. The implementation of the curriculum must be suspended till a workshop is organized where all the stakeholders must be well represented.

2. The Presidency should direct the Federal Ministry of Education to publish the full details of the curriculum on its website to enable everyone know what it contains.

3. There was nothing wrong with the old curriculum on Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Religious Studies. What people are yearning for is a return to Civic Education and History for obvious reasons as distinct subjects.

4. That the heads of the parastatals and agencies in the Federal Ministry of Education should be overhauled with a view to balancing the religious dichotomy. A situation where 13 of their heads are Muslims while the remaining four are Christians is an ill-wind that would blow no one any good.

5. We urge the Presidency to call for a meeting of all stake holders to look at this curriculum line by line and for all of us to own it together before implementation.

If our call is taken as for granted and nothing is done quickly about this curriculum, we may be tempted to take further action on this curriculum.

Thank‎ you.

Signed:

Pastor Adebayo Oladeji
Special Assistant, Media & Communications to the CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle

No fewer than 33 hoodlums have been reported killed by security forces and locals in Ihorombe region of Madagascar on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.

The bandits are part of the about 40 armed thieves who drove away 200 heads of cattle belonging to the local communities.

The security operatives and the local communities engaged the cattle rustlers in a clash that lasted for hours leading to the killing of 33.

Banditry remains a major security concern in several parts of Madagascar.

According to Africa Review, various media have reported an increase in the criminal activities of well-armed groups of young men, known as dahalo or malaso (‘bandits’ in Malagasy).

The groups have lately started to combine their ‘traditional’ cattle raiding with attacks on hotels, private houses, trucks and taxi brousse (bush taxis).

The issue of banditry has become the testing ground for all recent governments, which have tried – with little success – to reinforce their presence in regions where they have never been able to exert full political control.

Former mayor Fanomezantsoa Hariniaina lamented the rise in banditry, saying it was driving huge populations into the urban areas.

People were deserting their villages to avoid getting into trouble with bandits, Mr Hariniaina said.

The National Film and Video Censors Board, NFCVB, has confiscated no fewer than  6,000 obscene movies at major markets in Jos North and South Local Government Areas of Plateau.

Paul Ailewon, the zonal coordinator of the board in the North Central, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos that the exercise would be a continuous one.

Ailewon said that the exercise was part of the mandate given to the board under his leadership to ensure that only videos approved by the board were released to the public.

“The film board is expected to approve only those videos that will teach moral values, especially, among children,” the official said.

“ We have seized more than 6,000 pornographic movies at Terminus Market in Jos North and Bukuru Market in Jos South Local Government Areas, this year.

“This is to ensure that the public is fed with  only videos approved by the board as it has  guidelines that should be strictly adhered to by film producers and marketers.

“We are in partnership with traditional and religious leaders, because they command high respect in the society to achieve this task.

“We see them as partners that will be able to inculcate in their followers, the ills of exposing their children to movies and videos that have strong language, violence and obscene scenes, “he said.

The zonal coordinator said that media literacy campaigns had been carried out in 20 schools across five local government areas of the state, in partnership with members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He listed the council areas to include, Jos North, Jos South, Bassa, Bokkos, and Barkin Ladi.

“The campaign was to educate school age children on film classification, incorporate them as our ambassadors in sending messages to the public and teach them how to be safe online, “he said.

NFVCB, North Central Zone, inaugurated the NYSC members as media ambassadors for its campaign at the community levels in Plateau in February 2016.

The partnership was the first in Nigeria because of the enthusiasm showed by the corps members after the various outreach to their camps.

The North Central Zone in March also hosted an international conference on film classification in Jos.

Theme of the conference was, “Leveraging  on Institutional Collaboration/Models For Improved Standards and Social Inclusion in an Open Society.’’

The process for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye is gathering momentum as his constituents, Kogi West Senatorial District, submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanding his removal from the Senate.

Melaye, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), represents the district at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Leader of the constituents, Chief Cornelius Olowo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in INEC headquarters on Wednesday, shortly after submitting the petition, that electorate in Melaye’s constituency were resolved to recall him.

He said that the petition, which had signatures of more than 52 per cent of the electorate in the area, was submitted at the office of INEC Chairman.

Olowo said that the move to recall Malaye was based on his “abysmal performance’’ since he was elected to represent the district in 2015.

He accused the senator of distancing himself from his constituents, saying that the lawmaker’s performance was low.

“In the last two years, some senators have been meeting with their people quarterly. They update them on what has been happening and seek their contributions on issues and their aspirations to be presented at the senate.

“For the past two years, Sen. Malaye has not organised one town hall meeting anywhere in Kogi West to meet with the people to present his scorecard or stewardship.

“He has been completely disconnected from the people. Since he won his election and the legal battle at the court, he is no longer reachable.

“He has no constituency office in Kogi West as we speak, as a way to reach him on matter of interests from the people that elected him,’’ Olowo said.

He said that the petition had signatures of registered voters in the senatorial district, who endorsed the recall.

“We have over 360,000 registered voters in Kogi West and after about one week of collection of signatures, we were able to gather over 188,500 signatures, endorsing the recall of the senator.

“We have submitted the petition at the office of INEC Chairman. It is now left for INEC to go and do confirmation of the signatures before going on the process needed for the recall,’’ he said.

On the allegation that the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was sponsoring the recall and that people fought over the money disbursed for the exercise, Olowo said it was untrue.

He said that the genuineness of the demand would be confirmed when INEC would visit the area for confirmation of the signatories.

He expressed optimism that INEC would do what was required of it over the petition.

The Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, confirmed the receipt of the petition by the commission.

“Yes, such petition was submitted today (Wednesday),’’ he told NAN in a short message reply on telephone.

Etisalat has repaid 42 per cent of the debt owed Nigerian banks and is not owing the humongous $1.2 billion, as being reported in the media.

The clarification was made by the troubled telecommunications company today.

“As at today, we can categorically state that the outstanding loan sum to the consortium(of banks) stands at $227m and N113bn, a total of about $574m if the naira portion is converted to US Dollars. This in essence means almost half of the original loan of $1.2bn, has been repaid.

“Etisalat continued to service the loan up until February 2017, when discussions with the banks regarding the repayment restructuring commenced,” Ibrahim Dikko, vice-president, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs of Etisalat Nigeria said.

The company also denied it was under any investigation by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The denial was spurred by reports Tuesday that some of the banks have asked the EFCC to probe the use of the loan by the company as they claimed they could not see proof that the money was used by the company.

Etisalat fired back to debunk the story.

“The attention of Etisalat Nigeria has been drawn to media reports that the management of Etisalat Nigeria is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following a petition to “the Federal Government asking that Etisalat be investigated” on how the funds from the syndicated loans were utilized.

“Etisalat wishes to categorically affirm for the avoidance of doubt that the reports are patently false and most unfortunate considering the damage such misleading information can have not only on our business, but indeed on the telecommunications industry and the country as a whole. A simple interrogation of the rigorous process for securing a syndicated loan from a consortium of reputable banks would have exposed the truth to the original writer of this story and other media channels who have subsequently re-circulated the falsehood without interrogation or verification.

“Concerned parties have access to our books and do not require an investigation into how the loan sum was utilised. All of the infrastructure investment and services for which the loan was secured, were paid through our banks and these are verifiable”.

Etisalat said it obtained the $1.2bn loan, a medium-term seven-year facility to expand its network and improve the quality of service on its network.

The company said the economic downturn of 2015 and sharp devaluation of the naira negatively impacted on the dollar-denominated loan by driving up the loan value, thus prompting Etisalat to request a loan restructuring from the consortium of banks.

Etisalat said it had consistently and conscientiously met up with its payment obligations, before the twin crisis of 2015.

At least 34 Nigerians were deported on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 from six European countries over immigration-related offences.

The deportees were sent back home from Switzerland,  Germany, Iceland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary, it was gathered.

They arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos at about 6.30am, according to officials who received the deportees aboard a chartered Airblue Panorama aircraft.

The deportees comprised 32 males and two females, it was gathered.

They arrived barely 48 hours after some 170 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya.

The returnees were made up of of 34 males, 122 females, 10 children and nine infants. They were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

The Nigerians, who returned voluntarily, were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Police, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), among others.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Airport Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, in a text message confirmed that all the deportees were repatriated for immigration related offences.

It was learnt that all the deportees were allowed to go to their various destinations after profiling by the immigration officials at the airport.

This would be the third time in 2017 that Nigerians would be deported from Europe apart from the deportations from other African countries.

Austin Tam-George, the commissioner of information and communication in Rivers State has resigned from the cabinet of Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to a source with intimate knowledge of the situation, Dr. Tam-George, dropped his resignation letter with Governor Wike at about 1pm on Friday, June 23, 2017 in a move that “surprised even close friends”.

“No reason was given for his resignation in the letter,” the source in the Rivers State Government House told The Trent.

Efforts to reach Tam-George for comment were futile. According to a source, he had taken a flight to Lagos and was “still airborne”.

This is a developing story. More details will be uploaded as they come in.

Ibrahima Yakubu, a journalist, who was arrested by the police on Friday, June 23, 2017 in Kaduna while covering the civil clash between the Shi’ite sect and Kasuwan Barci community, has been released after being grilled for seven hours.

Yakubu, who reports for the Hausa Service of Deutsche Welle, DW radio, Germany, told our reporter on phone last night: “I have just been released on bail to some officials of the Kaduna Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists around 7:30pm after being arrested at the clash Shiite/mob scene and detained since 1:30 pm at CID.

“I am on my way home now to break my fast after grilling me to confirm whether I am a member of the Shiite sect,” Yakuba said.

“They (Police) asked me to return to the CID where I was detained on Wednesday for further questioning.”

Mr. Yakubu said he had presented himself to the police to identify himself at the scene of the incident because he had misplaced his identity card. “Only to end up being arrested and whisked to police headquarters before being transferred to CID,” he had told our reporter earlier while in detention.

The Shi’ite sect had confirmed two children injured while the army said 10 were arrested during the clash that occurred around 1pm when the Shiite sect resisted mob action to disperse the group during the annual procession along Kasunwan Barci round about, Tudun Wada.

Nigerian State Declares War On Shi’ites

Following a street clash in December 2015, between the sects members and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, following which the army conducted a house-by-house raid on the sect, killing over 800 members in cold blood.

Governor Nasir El Rufai went on television and declared the group guilty and promised to “end this problem once and for all” as he repeated the dubious claim by the army that there was an assassination attempt on the life of the Chief of Army Staff.

That same month, El Rufai in a destructive show of power ordered the demolishing of all properties, worship centres, schools, tombs, and even a cemetery belonging to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. The Kaduna State agency, KASUPDA carried out the illegal operation.

On December 23, 2015 the Islamic Movement of Nigeria complained that under the protection of Nigerian Army and the Nigeria’s Secret Police, the Department of State Security Services, DSS, officials of KASUPDA “razed to ground” what remained of the sect’s Husainiyya Islamic centre.

“We are particularly irked by the demolition of our newly bought property adjacent the Husainiyya Baqiyyatullah, a former NTC compound, which they did yesterday. That compound has been in existence since the colonial times,” the statement said.

The Dubious Attempted Assassination Claim

According to the Nigerian Army, it’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buraitai was trying to make his way through a procession of the Shi’ia sect when an assassination attempt was made on his life by followers of El-Zakzaky who is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. In an attempt to repel the attack by assailants who “brandished dangerous weapons”, Nigerian troops opened fire on the crowd and killed an undisclosed number of people. According to some reports as many as seventeen people were killed.

In an attempt to win the hearts and minds of Nigerian by justifying the killings of Shi’ite faithfuls in Zaria, the Army authorities released a video showing its officers negotiating with followers of leading Shi’ia cleric, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.

But the video released by the army doesn’t prove its claim. It only shows some of Buraitai’s men negotiating for passage, presumably for their boss, and being declined. It doesn’t show the arrival of the army boss to the scene, neither does it show the alleged assassination attempt. It doesn’t show the troops engaging the unruly youth.

Gross Human Rights Abuse Against Shi’ites

Following the street clash between the army and followers of the sect, the Nigerian Army proceeded to invade the home of the leader of the sect, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, kill his son and wife, shoot him four times, drag him out from his house like an animal, bloodied, disrobed, and dump him in a wheelbarrow.

For several months after El Zakzaky was arrested, his whereabouts were sketchy as the chief of army staff claimed he had “handed him over to appropriate authorities”, and the then inspector general of police, Solomon Arase has refused to disclose his location to interested parties.

In a two-day rampage of unrestrained violence, Nigerian soldiers killed 800 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, demolished buildings including a mosque belonging to the Shi’ite sect, and destroyed properties. Associated Press reports that the Nigerian Army has secretly buried their victims to cover-up their crimes against humanity.

The Emir of Kano, Sanusi II has issued a statement on the incident saying that the Shi’ia sect “insults relatives of Prophet Mohammed” and said that the sect’s ideology is “unacceptable to all Muslims”. The King of Saudi Arabia congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on phone calling the brutal crackdown on the minority sect as “fighting terrorism”.

Human Rights Watch has released a report which says that Nigerian soldiers murdered over 300 Shi’ite members and buried them secretly in mass graves to cover up their crimes.

The Kaduna State government admitting to burying more than 370 bodies of the victims of the Army genocide in mass graves.

Two videos have emerged showing the extent of human rights abuses committed in Zaria by the Nigerian Army. Unlike the ‘promotional’ video shot through the eyes of the troops which has been traced to Army Spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, these videos paint an unsettling picture of a siege on unarmed civilians by a bloodthirsty army, these videos are those recorded by eye-witnesses to these crimes.

In one of the videos, soldiers are seen laying a firing squad around a Shi’ite shrine. in preparation of an onslaught on the sect. The second video shows soldiers going house-by-house committing acts of murder as the victims scream in helplessness.

Legal Reprieve

On December 2, 2016, close to a year since El Zakzaky was shot several times in his home and bundled out of his house with his wife by troops of the Nigerian Army, a federal high court ordered his release and awarded N50 million in damages to the Zakzakys.

The court ordered that the federal government provided the cleric and his wife with a new accommodation and security in any part of Kaduna or Northern region that they prefer within 45 days. The federal government is yet to obey the court order and he remains illegally in detention.

Today, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 marks 486 days that the Shi’ite leader has spent in detention, illegally, on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Shi'ite Properties Demolished in Kaduna | Before And After, Looters at work

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The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has assured 21 million Etisalat subscribers that the telco’s N541 billion debt and brewing takeover will not, in any way, affect them negatively.

In a statement issued on Thursday, June 22, 2017 by Tony Ojobo, NCC’s director of corporate affairs, the commission said it attempted to find a resolution to the challenges facing the company, but could not get desired results.

NCC however said it would do all in its regulatory capacity to ensure subscribers enjoy the best of service.

“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a planned takeover of Etisalat by a consortium of banks,” NCC said via a statement.

“As a result of this planned action the Commission wishes to state as follows:

• The Commission is aware of the indebtedness of Etisalat to the consortium of banks;
• In conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it mediated by holding several meetings with the banks, Etisalat and other stakeholders with a view to finding a resolution;
• Regrettably these meetings did not yield the desired results.
• The NCC wishes to reassure the over 21 million Etisalat subscribers that it will do all within its regulatory power to ensure that Etisalat subscribers continue to enjoy the services provided by the operator.

“The Commission has taken proactive steps to cushion the impact of the takeover, this is without prejudice to the ongoing effort between Etisalat and the banks toward negotiated settlement.

“In view of the recent development, NCC wishes to reassure all stakeholders in the telecommunications sector in particular the subscribers on the Etisalat Network that the Commission will ensure that the integrity of Etisalat Network is not compromised.”

Accordingly, the commission says it had drawn the attention of the banks to provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 Section 38:

“Sub section 1 – The grant of a license shall be personal to the licensee and the license shall not be operated by, assigned, sub licensed or transferred to another party unless the prior written approval of the commission has been granted;

“Sub section 2 – A licensee shall at all times comply by the terms and condition of the license and the provision of this act and its subsidiary legislation.

“Whilst the banks and Etisalat are working at resolving the issues, the Commission wishes to assure subscribers that they will continue to enjoy the services provided by Etisalat.”

Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor of Lagos State, has signed into law life imprisonment or death penalty for the offence of kidnapping and forceful extortion in Lagos State as he signs into law the state kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016.

The law provides for death penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Lagos State House of Assembly passed the bill on January 5.

The governor said that the law was enacted to address key issues bordering on security.

He said that kidnapping has become a major threat to the safety of residents and, therefore, required decisive action by the government.

“This law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment for kidnapping for ransom.

“The law stipulates that, where a victim dies in the course of kidnapping, the suspect is liable on conviction to death.

“Security is of utmost importance to our administration, and we are confident that this law will serve as a deterrent to anybody, who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of Lagos State.

“Our justice system will be required to execute this law in absolute and make sure that any criminal caught faces the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Based on this, it is very likely, that billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeje George Onwuamadike, alias Evans, who was recently arrested by the Nigerian police would be facing a death penalty when his case is taken to trial.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said  an Indonesian firm, PT Intim Perkasa Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of PT Intim Perkasa, Indonesia, has indicated interest in building a 10,000-barrel per day modular refinery in Akwa Ibom State.

The state-owned oil corporation made this known in a statement issued by  Ndu Ughamadu, group general manager, Group Public Affairs Division, in Abuja, on Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

It said  Mr Adi Hartadi, Head of Investor Relations of PTPP (Persero) Tbk, partners to PT Intim Perkasa Nigeria Limited, disclosed the intention of the company during a business meeting with the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru.

Hartadi stated that the company had more than 50 years of experience in construction and engineering and it was desirous of diversifying into downstream operations in Nigeria.

The statement quoted Baru as saying that the NNPC placed high premium on investment in the nation’s refining sector, adding that the corporation would give necessary support to the Indonesian Company’s interest in the downstream sector.

Represented by Chief Operating Officer, Refineries and Petrochemicals of the NNPC, Mr. Anigbor Kragha,  he stated that the country’s three refineries, with a combined capacity of 445,000 barrels per day, could not function optimally over the years due to lack of investment.

Baru further explained that given Nigeria’s expected population by 2025, more than 40 million litres of petrol would be required for local consumption.

He added that the combined capacity of the nation’s three refineries would only be able to satisfy just above 50 per cent of the projected local demand.

He expressed optimism that with this kind of investment coming steadily, Nigeria could serve as a regional hub of refined petroleum products for West Africa and beyond.

He called on the investors to be mindful of clean fuel policy across African countries and ensure that they produce fuels that meet specification with regards to sulphur content.

“On our end, we have embarked on ambitious plan to fast-track programmes to restore our capacity utilization from 30 per cent to a minimum of 90 per cent in the next 24 months.

To do that, we are working on securing financing from third parties, not just funding, but also technical expertise to help us increase our performance to world class levels that they should be.”He added

Baru also said that in line with the Federal Government’s policy on modular refineries the NNPC had set up a Greenfield Refinery Department that specialized in new refinery projects and also provide professional support to potential investors in modular refinery in the country.

Also,  the Third Secretary for Economic Affairs, Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria and the leader of the Indonesian delegation, Mr. Dwiyatna Widinugraha said that the visit was a follow-up to the earlier visit by the Indonesian envoy to NNPC, the bilateral meeting between the Indonesian Trade Minister with his Nigerian counterpart as well as the visit of Indonesian Prime Minister to Nigeria.

The country’s decision to build a refinery in Nigeria was coming few weeks after Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Harry Purwanto, had expressed the interest of the country in purchasing more crude oil from Nigeria.

Just like a thriller typically involving crime and mystery, the story of arrested Kidnap Kingpin, Chukwudumeje Onwuamadike, aka, Evans has remained captivating. Like a Hollywood movie with an exciting plot and phenomenal characters, the issue begets interesting and surprising angles each day.

When you think Evans had narrated nearly all his escapades, more sensational and suspenseful narratives would emerge, producing new angles to the most intriguing criminal case in Nigeria’s recent history.

Frankly, only the Lawrence Anini case of the 1980s could rival the Evans episode given that like the former, the latter was also the king of the underworld. Interestingly, the same kind of tragic flaw ended their respective episodes given that women were key to their downfall. At an exclusive encounter with Saturday Vanguard, during the week, Evans pondered on the events leading to his arrest and concluded that visiting his girlfriend, Amaka was the weakness that led to his fall.

An unassuming Evans, whose expression was a mixture of sobriety and impenitence, summarized the pre-arrest events thus: “I f***ked up.”

At the latest meeting with Evans at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, where he is being detained, the Nnewi-born kidnap kingpin made fresh revelations amid regrets about not leaving the country with his family.

I failed to follow my instincts

He told Saturday Vanguard that he knew the Police had identified the area he was living, a discovery he made on May 23, 2017, when the officer-incharge-of the IRT, Abba Kyari, visited Magodo Estate and held a meeting with the Divisional Police Officer and some residents of Magodo Estate.

Evans revealed that one of the residents, who was part of that meeting alerted him to the Police presence in the area. The person, he said, informed him, who the Police were looking for and how they planned to carry out their operation.

How my problems started

Evans said he quickly moved his family out of Magodo and relocated to a hotel in Ikeja. He said his failure to follow his instincts and leave the country immediately, having known that his girlfriends, sister and gang members had been arrested, gave him out.

Narrating the new angles to his story, the Junior Secondary School dropout said: “My problem started on Friday, May 12, 2017, when one of my captives, Mr. Donatus Dunu, a Pharmacist, who I abducted at Ilupeju area of Lagos escaped.

I got a call from one of my boys looking after my victims at my den at 6: am that Mr. Dunu escaped from that den at 4:30 am. They looked for him without success. At that time, I knew trouble had come. The next news I heard was that the Police had visited the place and my AK47 rifles, pistols and over 40 loaded magazines were recovered by the Police.

‘’ I was worried and I called my gang members wanting to know what actually transpired. They all blamed Uche, who was in charge of the den. I told them that I was going to deal with him. At that time, my mind started racing and I was trying to think of what to do because I knew that the Police would come after me with force.

I read a story in Vanguard

“Five days later, I read a story in Vanguard Newspaper that the IGP had deployed, Abba Kyari and his men to Lagos State, to track my boys and 1 and they have also visited the den, where Mr. Dunu escaped from. That was about the same time they placed a bounty of N30 million for information that could lead to my arrest.

Some of my men, who got news started panicking, but I assured them that I was on top of the situation and that the police would not get me. My Second-in-Command, Felix called me and expressed fears, but I assured him that the Police can’t arrest me and I was also making preparations to kidnap one other person.

I then informed him that I would commit suicide rather than allow the police to arrest me. When Suoyo, who lives in Bayelsa State, called me and expressed fears, I also assured him that nothing was going to happen. I told him I was making plans for another operation and needed him to go into the creeks and buy a new set of arms and ammunition for me.”

The shock of my life

“But in the afternoon of May 23, 2017, I got the shock of my life when a call from a man living in our estate informed me that Abba Kyari and his men, held a meeting with the estate security and the local police. He said they had information that the man kidnapping businessmen in Festac Town and Amuwo Odofin, receiving $1million as ransom from his victims was residing in Magodo Estate.

The man also informed me that the estate and the Police have agreed to shut one of the gates leading into the estate to enable them to track me down through the vehicle I was using.

He also told me that some of Abba Kyari’s men would disguise as LAWMA officials cleaning the streets and some of them would operate as PHCN staff to enable them to have access to people’s home within the state. The man, who gave me this information didn’t know that I was the one who the Police were looking for. I quickly moved my family out of the house and we relocated to a hotel in Agidingbi, Ikeja, where we started planning on how to relocate to Ghana.

I buy my cars from Beger Motors

“While at the hotel, my mind wasn’t at rest, I didn’t know where the police would be launching attacks from. I was on hyper-alert and I started thinking of how to make sure the police didn’t get me.

I quickly sold my Lexus SUVs because from the information I gathered from the man who called me, I learnt the police were looking for a man, who drives a black and silver coloured Lexus SUVs. Then I got someone to move my mother out of Nnewi because I believed the police may go after her and would want to use her to lure me.

While I was making these plans, news came in that my Second-in-Command, Felix had been arrested by the Police. Someone from Berger Motors on Oshodi Apapa Expressway where we normally buy our vehicles called and informed me that the Police operatives picked him up at their park.

I trusted Felix so much because he wouldn’t divulge any information about me to the Police. He had told me on countless occasions, that no matter the amount of torture he receives from the Police that he would not divulge any information about our activities.

My girlfriend, Ijeoma

‘’While I was still contemplating on what to do next, I received another call from one of my girlfriends, Ijeoma, who I was so fond of. She said she wanted to see me. Immediately, I had this feeling that the police had arrested her.

I told her that she could not see me because I knew she was with the police, then I dropped the call. I was very worried and needed to hasten our journey out of Nigeria. I planned to travel with my entire family to Canada but the Canadian Embassy refused to grant me a visa.

So we decided to move to Ghana where I have three houses so we could apply for Canadian visa from Ghana.

Two days later, Ijeoma’s twin sister who lives in the east called and informed me that her sister called from the police station that she was arrested because of me and the police wanted her to bring the sum of N200,000 as a bribe for her bail.

I told her the police were only deceiving her because the matter at hand was beyond N200,000 bribe.

My instruction to my boys

‘’I asked her to look for a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who could stand for her. I also told her to look for someone who knows the Inspector General of Police, so they can take her case to him. I told her that with such pressure the police will release her because she didn’t commit any offence that would warrant her arrest.

A few days after that, the police swooped on my younger sister, Nzube and her husband and they took them to the police station. I didn’t know how they did it, but I called their numbers for two days and they were switched off.

It was then that I suspected that they have been arrested. Immediately I called my mother in Bayelsa State and told her that the people chasing me had apprehended my sister and her husband. Luckily my sister has never been to my house in Magodo Estate, it would be difficult for her to lead the police to my place. I became confused. I didn’t know what to do.

For me, I knew I was secured because I know how security agents track their targets but I was scared of my boys some of whom didn’t know how to secure themselves. I sent messages to some of my boys alerting them that security operatives were clamping down on us and they should all be careful. I asked them to stop sleeping in their houses and I also gave them tips on how to stay secured.

My girlfriend, Amaka

‘’One week before my arrest, one of my girlfriends, Amaka, who lives in Okota called me and demanded money. I asked her what she needed money for and she said there was no food in her house, adding that her children were hungry.

“I was surprised and suspected something must be wrong because I gave her N25,000 for feeding two days before she made that call. I asked her about the money I gave her earlier, she said she had spent it. From that point, I suspected something was wrong.

Then I switched off the phone she was calling me with. I had one special phone. Whenever the phone is switched off I will receive messages from her asking why my phone was switched off and she would be begging me to come and see her. At one point I called her mother and told her that I was suspecting that something was wrong with Amaka.

I asked her to visit her house to confirm. Her mother sent someone there and after spending about two hours with her, I was informed that she was alright but she only needed money and they gave her N3000. That confirmed something was wrong. Amaka is the one that gives them money, not the other way round. They couldn’t be giving Amaka N3,000 because I know what I give to her.

I became very drunk

‘’That singular action confirmed my suspicions that policemen were with her. I called her and told her that I had a feeling that there were policemen with her and they were trying to use her to arrest me but she denied. I asked her to give the phone to her children one after the other and asked them if there was any stranger in their house.

They all said there was none. I wasn’t convinced because I knew how the police do their job and how they think. I also knew that for a high-profile target like me, the police will do everything possible to get at me. A few days later, my wife and children left for Ghana.

Amaka was still calling and begging me to send money to her. The night before my arrest, I lodged in a hotel in Okota, close to her house and I could not sleep.

I was busy drinking all night and I became very drunk. At 4:am I summoned the courage to see her. Her house is close to the road. When I got close to her gate, I stopped on the road and called her, when she picked I asked her not to drop her phone. I said she should stay on the call and meet me outside. She came bare-footed and was still on the call.

I opened the door, she came in and I drove off with her. When we got far from the house, I took her phone and switched it off. I asked the identity of the people in her house but she said there was nobody in the house. I became angry, held her neck and I tried to kill her. She screamed and confessed that the policemen had been with her in the past one week and they were trying to use her to lure me. Instantly I pushed her out of my car and I zoomed off.

I was stupid

‘’While at Iyana-Ipaja, I saw some vehicles trailing me seriously and thought that they were policemen. At a point, I lost control of the vehicle and rammed it against a culvert on the expressway. I quickly abandoned the car and took a trycicle to where I could get a cab that could take me to my hotel. While in the hotel, I decided it was over and I needed to leave the country as soon as possible. At 7:am I checked out of the hotel and called someone to pick the car from where I left it. I took another taxi home.

I knew Amaka was used to hunt me down, but I was stupid, I f**ked up. Going to see Amaka was my biggest mistake. It made me fall. It brought my downfall. I ought to have been at the front of that vehicle that took my family to Ghana.”While in the house, I called an Uber taxi driver to come and pick me from the house. The driver was to take me from my house to Seme Border, where I would connect to Ghana, but while in the house and I was packing my things into the Uber taxi, the police showed up at my place and arrested me. I regretted going to see Amaka .

How I beat security operatives

When Saturday Vanguard inquired from Evans on how he was able to evade arrest during his reign, he said he knew the dangers associated with kidnapping. Evans revealed that he maintained multiple identities, adding that he ensured there were no pictures of him in circulation.

He said: ‘’I beat security operatives over the years because my system is a sensor that detects problems. I don’t use charms of any kind but I developed the ability to detect danger since my early days as an armed robber. That was why I was able to know that the Police were close to me even when they haven’t informed me. I don’t snap pictures. In fact, I don’t have any picture. Nobody on earth had my picture before now. Even those who are very close to me don’t have my picture.

I don’t snap pictures

‘’My mother doesn’t have my pictures. My wife and siblings don’t have them as well. My pictures are not in my house and that made it difficult for security agents to apprehend me because they don’t know how I look like. Another issue you may have to take into consideration is the fact that I have numerous names for different people. My wife knows me as Somtochukwu, while all my girlfriends knew me as Mike. My neighbors at Gowon Estate knew me as George.

‘’I was also known as Sunny in Benin while in Portharcourt, I was known as Richard. These are the reasons it was difficult for policemen to track and arrest me. No one has my pictures and the names I bear in Lagos weren’t the names I had in other states. Ifeanyi (calling our reporter’s name), I would have been worse than this if I had proper education. With education, I could have done worse things and be elusive. But thank God it’s over and I have been stopped.

I don’t collect ransom abroad

‘’I don’t give bank account to my victims because it could be traced. Whoever made the allegations that he paid part of his ransom in South Africa isn’t sincere. I would have been arrested and they should bring the account number they paid the money into. The Interpol can trace the account and know the owner. I collect my ransom in Nigeria and after collecting it, I also do not travel abroad. I usually ask the people keeping my victims to tell them that I have traveled abroad. I usually call my victims’ relatives with my satellite phones and inform them that I was out of the country. This would make them relax a little and after some time, I will ask my boys to release the victims and drop them where they could locate their people.”

I was fair to my victims

Evans further disclosed that he treated his victims fairly, adding that the only wrong things he did were to chain, blindfold and detain his victim for months. He said he was doing these because he wanted his victims to meet his demand.

He added that the only victim, who he treated wrongly was Mr. Cosmos Ojukwu, who he said he collected an extra sum of $200,000, from after receiving an initial payment of $1million.

Evans said he threatened Ojukwu into paying the additional ransom of $200,000 because members of his family paid the $1million he demanded swiftly without wasting time.

He said: “After he paid the $1million I demanded swiftly than I expected more. I informed him while he was being released that I would be collecting another ransom from him. I told him he would have to pay me an additional $200,000 because the $1 million he gave me earlier were in old currencies. I asked him to bring my balance.

He felt I was joking, then I informed him that I was not just going to kidnap him again, but would hunt his entire family. He panicked and called me that he had raised the money. I asked him to bring the money to Awka. When he got there I asked him to lodge in a hotel, he obeyed me. At night I asked to bring the money to where I was. He obeyed me and paid me the money. From that time I left him alone.’’

Read more at Vanguard.

The claims that Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, gave order for the extermination of Fulani ethnic group, is untrue and those spreading the falsehood are uninformed, his senior special assistant on public affairs, Emmanuel Bello, has said.

He, however, condemned the ongoing fracas between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government.

According to him, bloodshed must be condemned wherever it happens, and not only when one group decided that they had been affected.

Bello in an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Saturday, June 24, 2017 demanded that critics accusing Ishaku of instigating genocide, should produce a memo, tape or video recording of how the directive was issued, adding that they were out for mischief.

He described the accusers as people displaying their inability to properly use the term, genocide.

The outbreak of communal unrest between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nguroje Village, had spread to other parts of the Mambilla Plateau resulting in the loss of lives and properties.

He said, “The accusers of Governor Ishaku are saying that he, at some point, actually gave orders by way of a broadcast or in some secret location that a certain ethnic group should be wiped out of Taraba.

“They must have a tape recording of such instructions or directives. They probably have a memo by the governor where he clearly gave the plans for eliminations, stating timelines.

“They also probably know the armed militia he had planned with to carry out the dastardly act. Now, if they don’t have all of these, as I’m sure there is nothing like that, then, it is amazing how they could sit before journalists and tell a civilised world that a genocide has been planned against them.

“If they want to see genocides, ample examples are there but certainly not in our dear Taraba state. We don’t profile people in this very lovely state or plan the eliminations of same. Life is sacrosanct here.”

The governor wondered why the term genocide had not been used in other places where the country witnessed horrendous cases of crimes against humanity.

“In Taraba state, all human lives are precious to us. That is why Governor Ishaku keeps pushing for peace. That’s even his mantra: he says, ‘give me peace and I would give you development’; he is too refined, too peace loving to engage in any kind of blood letting or encourage such. The governor is a very civilised man of the world who has interacted with various segments,” Bello said.

Chief Bode George has said that the ongoing consultations by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is not enough to drown the drums of war beaten across the country.

Osinbajo had embark on consultations with stakeholders in the nation over threats of secession and quit notice given to Igbos by northern youths.

However, Bode George was a former national deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said that the federal government must widen the scope of the consultations.

According to the PDP chieftain who spoke to the press in Lagos, in a speech captioned, “Enough of the drum beats of war,” “the current consultations that our government has embarked upon across the tribal divide is laudable and exemplary. But they should do more.

“They should widen the consultation efforts by inviting the formidable elders and statesmen who were active participants and managers of our Nation during the dark drama of our civil war.”

He said that there are persons scattered across different areas of the country that need to be consulted to douse the tension in the land.

“The chastening voices of General Yakubu Gowon, General Obasanjo, General T.Y. Danjuma, General Alani Akinrinade, General Alabi Isama, General IMB Haruna, General Babangida, General Abdulsalam, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Gov. Udenwa, Col. Iheanacho Rtd, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and many others on both sides of the divide at that time,” he said, “will go a long way in tempering the flight of fancy of the intemperate agitators who have never heard a gunshot in anger.”

Bode George warned the youths to stop beating war drums as they are too young to know the sacrifices paid for the nation’s unity, adding that not country survives two civil wars.

Leave The North By October 1 – Arewa Groups Warn Igbos

A coalition of prominent groups in Northern Nigeria on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 issued an ultimatum to Igbos living in the north to return home by October 1, 2017 or else they will face a situation similar to the pre-civil war pogroms visited on their kin in the 1960s.

The order was contained in an error-ridden statement, obtained by The Trent, issued after a meeting in Kaduna State. The groups, Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum, and the Northern Emancipation Network, asked the Igbo residing in the region to “start making plans to leave.”

The chilling statement condemned the renewed call for the independent republic of Biafra and also expressed disdain for the Igbos and their culture saying that “the Igbo people of the South-East, not repentant of the carnage it wrought on the nation in 1966,  is today boldly reliving those sinister intentions connoted by the Biafran agitation that led to the very first bloody insurrection in Nigeria’s history”.

In 1966, the Igbos were the victims of the largest genocide in Nigeria’s history with over 100,000 of them killed in Northern Nigeria by northern mobs. This pogrom led to the declaration of the Republic of Biafra which led to the Nigerian civil war in which over 3 million Igbos died.

The northern groups’ threat to Igbos is now widely referred to as the Kaduna Declaration and has been widely condemned by public officials and political groups. However, it has also received wide support from northern elements like Professor Abdullahi.

One month after kidnappers abducted six students from Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, the suspects have threatened to carry out yet another attack at the Lagos State Model College, Kankon, Badagry.

In a letter written to the school in Badagry, the suspects claimed responsibility for the Epe incident and vowed to kidnap six students and the principals of both the junior and senior secondary schools.

“Kidnappers are visiting the school the same way we did at Igbonla, Epe. We are going to capture three pupils from senior school and three from junior school,” read the letter posted on the corridors leading to the offices of the principals of the junior and senior sections of the college respectively.

“We are kidnapping both principals. We are coming in two days’ time. No security put in place will stop us from gaining entry and fulfilling our mission as stated in this letter. Be expecting us!”

Although Fatai Owoseni, Lagos state commissioner of police, described the letter as “empty threats”, parents have expressed concern, with some withdrawing their children from the school.

The state government has also deployed officials of the Lagos state Neighbourhood Safety Corps in the school to beef up security.

The principal of the junior school, simply identified as Olude, told Punch that some parents came to the school to pick their children.

“It is just about six parents that came and we told them to be calm. We assured them of their children’s safety. But since the school will go on Eid-el-fitr holiday on Friday (today) and the parents came from far places, we allowed them to take their children away. But I can tell you that security men are on ground,” Olude reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Akinwunmi Amdode, governor of Lagos state, has vowed to ensure that the abducted Epe students are freed.

“If there is anything that makes me feel terribly inadequate, it is my inability to quickly get those schoolchildren back,” Ambode told reporters in Abuja on Thursday, June 22, 2017.

“I want to assure everybody that we are on top of it. We cannot be putting all the efforts that we are making on the pages of newspapers. That will jeopardise our efforts to recover those children.

“I cannot compromise their security just because I want to look good in the eyes of the public. But believe me, I am working 24 hours a day to make sure that they come back safely.”

Recently, kidnappers have been targeting secondary schools.

In January, kidnappers invaded the Nigerian Turkish International College, Isheri, Ogun state, and abducted five students and three members of staff.

The captives regained freedom after parents and the school management parted with an undisclosed amount of money.

The police later arrested some suspects who were arraigned in court and later remanded in prison.

Read more at TheCable.

The Nigerian Senate on Friday, June 23, 2017 told Babatunde Fashola, the minister of works, housing, and power, to stop spreading wrong information and half-truth about the 2017 budget as the legislators worked to ensure equity across the country on all new and outstanding projects.

In an e-mailed statement to The Trent by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate noted that Mr. Fashola did not give the public full details about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has been on a private finance initiative from the beginning because he would prefer an arrangement that allows the ministry to continue to award contracts and fund the project through government budgetary allocation at a time when the nation’s revenue is dwindling and at an all time low.

Abdullahi stated that the Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Federal Executive Council in 2013, approved the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a Public Private Partnership project using the Private Finance Initiative, with the federal government providing about 30 percent of the funding while the balance shall be provided by the private sector. The project was on course for completion by end of 2017 when the private finance initiative was being implemented, with over 30 percent completion rate attained as at early 2015.

Abdullahi further noted that in a blatant disregard for existing agreements, constituted authorities and extant laws, Fashola on assumption of office got Government through the Ministry to start voting money for the implementation of the project.

“Even as at last year the 2016 Appropriation Act voted N40 billion for the project on the insistence of the Ministry and only N26 billion was released. If we had known, the rest N14 billion could have been allocated to other critical roads across the country”, he said.

“In the spirit of consensus building and effective stakeholder engagement, the Leadership of the Senate met with key relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Works and finance. It was agreed that we should give the Private Finance Initiative a chance to complement Government’s resources in the delivery of critical infrastructure assets across the country.

“Hence, in this year’s budget, we have engaged with the Government and private sector groups who have assured that they will resume funding of the project. So, we only provided the fund in the budget that would ensure work does not stop before the funds from the private sector start coming in .What we reduced from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the 2017 budget estimate was spread on Oyo-Ogbomoso road in the South-west, Enugu-Onitsha road in the South-east, and two other critical roads in the North-east and North-west; and this was done to achieve equity. The Minister should realise he is Minister for the entire country and not just that of Lagos State.

“It is our view that the Federal Government cannot fund the reconstruction and maintenance of all the 34,000 kilometres of roads under its care. We are looking for private funds for some of these roads, particularly those with high potentials of attracting private investors. These include the Enugu-Onitsha road, Kano-Abuja road and Abuja-Lokoja road. It has been our hope that the Lagos -Ibadan road would be a model for private sector funding of infrastructure in the country”, the spokesman stated.

He added that Fashola knew that Federal Government cannot fully fund this road for completion by 2019 as he is promising Nigerians. “It’s deceit of the highest order. Just going by the last two years of funding where an average of about N30b per annum was released then the nation would have to wait for the next six years for completion of the work .But with Private sector Finance Initiative, this project can be completed on time because full funding will be provided and there will be more certainty”, he stated.

Abdullahi noted that since Government did not have enough money and/or unlimited resources to provide all the needed road infrastructure on a sustainable basis, the use of funds from the private sector to complement Government’s resources would ease pressure on the annual budgetary provisions for infrastructure provision, as more money will be spent on less commercially viable roads that would not ordinarily attract private sector investment as well as other social services like education, health and human capital development.

“The Minister’s statement is in bad taste and we believe he has been quoted out of context as an experienced public servant with over 15 years of high level responsibility will not be uttering such statements. He should desist from spreading half-truths. When he said the National Assembly imported projects into the 2017 budget, he did not mention that these include the 26 projects which the Federal Government approved in the 2016 budget, awarded contract for them in January 2016, but totally omitted them in the 2017 budget. One of them is the Abuja-Kaduna road. These ones would have become abandoned projects. We reduced funds across board to make provision for these omitted projects that are of critical importance to the socio-economic development of the country in line with equity and fair play.

“Mr. Fashola obviously wants the Federal Ministry of Works to have many construction projects it can award contracts for and that is why he would always oppose any attempt to allow the private sector financing initiatives through Public Private Partnerships or other levels of Government to fund construction of roads under the control of the Federal Government. That was why he waited until he was arm-twisted on the Lagos Airport road before he allowed the Lagos State Government take up the reconstruction, using private funds. Same thing happened to the proposal for the Apapa Wharf road, which was frustrated for over a year before the stakeholders reined in the Ministry to grudgingly approve that Dangote and Flour Mills should take over the project.

“It should also be explained that nobody introduced budgetary provisions for the sinking of boreholes and construction of clinics under the budget of the Works division of the Ministry. However, the Housing division would ordinarily have provision for such facilities in its estimate, so as to meet the Sustainable Development Goals as provided for by the United Nations . This is aimed at reducing slums and improve the well-being of our citizenry.

“The National Assembly already have an agreement with the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that if for example, the Private Finance Initiative does not materialize to provide the needed funds for the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just as in other areas where government has issues with the budget, the instruments of Virement and supplementary budget can be used.

“This is as a result of our belief that it is one Government and we all share the gains of the successes and pains of the failure. However, with all these blackmail game and backbiting going on, they are already laying the foundation for the failure of the agreement with the Executive”, he stated.

Abdullahi added that the National Assembly acted in the national interest to ensure equity and fairness is achieved in the distribution of projects and to ensure that all sections of the country have representation in the national budget as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

Former Super Eagles defender, Chikelue Iloenyosi, has given a detailed narrative of how his father, Pa James Iloenyosi, was kidnapped and murdered by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeje George Onwuamadike, alias Evans, after collecting N15 million ransom.

Chikelue, who played professional football in France and Turkey, described his family’s encounter with Evans and his gang as a lengthy hide-and-seek game.

He said one early morning on November 25, 2013, his father who was 86 at the time, was on his way back from their local Catholic church when three SUVs double-crossed him and whisked him away.

According to the football star, that fateful day was the last time he would ever see his father alive again.

Chikelue, who is actress Stephanie Okereke-Linus’ ex-husband, told Punch, “When they took him away, they did not talk to us until after five days. They phoned my twin sister. She was sobbing when she called me that the kidnappers had made contact.

“When we, the children, gathered, my sister called the kidnappers again and they simply told us that they would call back. They did not call back until after another five days just to build our anxiety.”

According to Chikelue, the kidnappers on the morning of the fifth day called to demand a ransom of N50m.

The routine of begging and pleading for the reduction of the ransom started at this point and after many days, they eventually reduced the ransom to N15m.

Chikelue said, “When we paid the N15 million, my father was already dead and we did not know.

“What made me upset was that despite how seriously we worked to get him back, my father did not come out of it alive.”

But upon payment of the ransom, the kidnappers said they were not releasing their victim until the family brought more money. But they never heard from the kidnappers again.

However, after four months of investigation into the kidnap, said to have involved hundreds of policemen in Anambra State combing the forest at the time, security agencies got a break when a member of the gang that kidnapped Chikelue’s father, a suspect known as Nonso, was arrested along with three other members of his gang.

Chikelue said at the time, Evans was already a popular criminal well known to the State Anti-Robbery Squad of the Anambra State Police Command.

He was said to be a wanted robber known for hitting bullion vans.

“The SARS boss in Anambra told me at the time that any suspect arrested for any major crime always mentioned the name of Evans,” he said.

According to him, the family had to involve a private investigator in the case at a point when there was no longer news about their father’s whereabouts months after the family paid the ransom.

In addition to this, he said a friend of his based in Israel helped to track his father’s line and traced it to a young lady, who said Nonso was his boyfriend.

“When we arrested the girl, she said Nonso only gave her the phone for safe-keeping, instructing her not to put it on. We started tracking Nonso. At a point, the current leader of the IRT, Abba Kyari, gave us 18 of his men to follow us to Cotonou, Benin Republic because our trace on Nonso’s line showed he was there.

“We got there and the police arrested a young man, who said he came to buy a car. He said the number was not his and that he only wanted to use it to call somebody in Nigeria. The police had to let him go when it was clear he knew nothing.

“Later, we left the Cotonou guy. Again, our private tracker traced him to Lokoja, Kogi State, ” he said.

According to him, he and other members of the gang were said to have relocated there immediately they shared the ransom because many security agencies were after the gang.

Chikelue said after identifying the hotel the suspect might be hiding in, some members of the SARS team in Kogi State moved in to make the arrest.

He said, “I was in Lokoja for two months with a private tracker before we arrested Nonso.

“When we got to the hotel with the police that day, we requested for the list of the people staying at the hotel. The hotel staff mentioned a “small boy” with his girlfriend in one of the rooms.

“We knocked on the door and the girlfriend came out. He said her boyfriend was in the bathroom. But I was hearing a sound inside. He was trying to escape through the window but SARS operatives were already stationed around the hotel.

“He eventually came out and said his name was Emmanuel. But I knew it was him right away because we had been able to obtain his photograph ahead.

“But because I did not want him to panic, I pretended it was not him and told the SARS operatives in his presence that the person we were looking for was an older man.

“He relaxed and was going inside when I called him and said I wanted to ask him something. I dialled his phone number there and then when it rang, we took it and it showed the name ‘Kidnapper football’. The SARS operatives immediately pounced on him and handcuffed him.

“I asked Nonso if he knew me, he said he did not. I told him I was the footballer whose number he saved with that name. He then asked if I was ‘General’ – my alias – and I said yes.”

“When Nonso was arrested, he became submissive, and pleaded for his life; saying he would provide any information the police needed.

“He immediately told us that his leader was Evans. But he said there was no way we could get Evans because he had fled to Lagos after the completion of the operation. At this point, Nonso kept our hope alive. He said my father was still alive. He refused to give precise information,” Chikelue said

The ex-footballer added that he was very hopeful at that point and believed he was indeed going to get his father back alive.

Nonso, who was transported back to Anambra in the company of SARS operatives later provided the police with Evans’ phone line, with which they started tracking him.

When the police team got to Anambra with the suspect, he reportedly began to plead not to be taken to SARS headquarters in the state for fear of being tortured and killed. He said he was willing to give up all the necessary information.

Nonso told the police that Evans was always on the move after each operation.

Chikelue said, “We were calling Evans to pinpoint his location but it was all abortive. Nonso was later made to call another member of the gang called Awolowo to inform him that there was an operation.

“But Awolowo said he did not want to do any operation at the time because his wife had just put to bed. Nonso said Awolowo was part of Evans’ Asaba, Delta State group.”

The police later arrested Awolowo and two others.

For many days, these suspects were said to have kept mum.

It was learnt that they refused to divulge any information about Evans, which the police suspected was owing to the fact that they had taken an oath.

In fact, one of the suspects, who was on the verge of confessing was said to have suddenly started acting like someone with a mental illness.

Even Nonso’s girlfriend who was also arrested was said to have refused to give any information that could implicate her boyfriend.

“The most shocking thing was that when the police interrogated Nonso, he said that if the SARS ever wanted peace in Anambra, they should kill the lady. He said she was the one responsible for taking care of the gang and that she helped them buy drugs and collected ransom on their behalf,” Chikelue said.

But he said while all these were going on, his only concern was knowing his father’s whereabouts.

One day, while Chikelue was at the SARS office, he found a sudden ally in an armed robbery suspect called Onyeso, who was detained there.

Chikelue said, “He pulled me aside and said, ‘My brother, you are a good man because you always give money so that the police could buy us food when you come here’. He said he wanted to give me a privileged information.

“He said if we wanted any result, we should take Awolowo to the backyard and tell the police to shoot their gun in the air as if they had killed him. He said the other one would start confessing because they had indeed taken an oath.

“When the police did this, Nonso started confessing when he was told Awolowo had been killed. He said he would take us to where my father was buried.

“We journeyed into the forest for three and half hours before we got to where they buried him. I broke down and my sister who was there at the time fainted.”

It was gathered that the late Pa Iloenyosi was buried around Nneyi village in Umueri community.

But most heartbreaking was the information that the old man might have been starved or beaten to death.

When Nonso was asked how the old man died, he explained that it was the fault of those manning the hideout where Evans kept the man.

Pa Iloenyosi was said to have been stripped to his underwear, kept in a cold room and beaten regularly in order to put more pressure on his children.

Chikelue said, “While we were negotiating for ransom, they would call and put the phone on speaker so I could hear how they beat him. My father would cry and beg me to find a way to ensure his freedom.

“We reburied him in at our hometown – Abagana in Anambra state – a few days after we found his body and started the search for Evans. One of the vital information Nonso gave us was that they were on their way to a robbery when they got information about my father and they diverted to Abagana to kidnap him.

So, I was really particular about the arrest of Evans so that he could tell us who in our community gave them the information.”

Chikelue said he was the happiest man in the world the day he heard Evans had been arrested. But he said he was particularly upset when he read that Evans was begging for his life with the excuse that he had never killed a victim before.

“What Evans did to my family was the most painful thing anybody can experience. When I read he has been begging for sympathy, I just laughed. The death penalty for people like him is the only solution. Evans can never repent despite all the second chance he is begging for.”

Read more at Daily Post.