Black Thursday: 32 burnt to death, 18 crushed in multiple accidents

An automobile accident on Azare- Potiskum road in Bauchi and Yobe states on Thursday claimed 32 lives, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said. Also 18 people were crushed in a multiple accidents at the foot of the Niger Bridge in Anambra State.
The Spokesperson for FRSC in Bauchi, Malam Ibrahim Geidam, made the confirmation in Bauchi, saying the accident, involved two Yobe Line buses about 11.45 a.m.
He said that all occupants, including the two drivers, died when the buses coming from opposite directions collided and caught fire.
Geidam said one of the buses was coming from Kano and heading to Potiskum while the other was coming from Damaturu and heading to Kaduna.
“The accident occurred about 10km away from Azare town, near a village, called Kuskure, and it involved two commercial buses owned by Yobe Line Transport Company.
“We learnt that one of the buses was travelling to Potiskum from Azare while the other one was heading for Kaduna from Damaturu in Yobe State,” he said.
He said that from all indications, the vehicles were over-speeding and trying to change their lanes. .
He stated that the 32 bodies had been deposited at a mortuary in a hospital in Azare town. (NAN)
While in ONITSHA it was a black Thursday for residents of Onitsha, the commercial nerve-centre of Anambra State, as a truck loaded with two 20ft containers yesterday lost control and crushed 18 people in a multiple accidents at the foot of the Niger Bridge.
The accidents, Vanguard learnt, occurred when some urchins allegedly collecting emblem fees for Anambra State government forced the driver of the lorry with registration number XM 858 MUS to stop. The driver lost control in the process and rammed into other vehicles.
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Keshi recalls Yakubu, Kaita to Eagles

Estranged striker Yakubu Ayegbeni and Sani kaita are back to the Super Eagles squad as Stephen Keshi invites 11 foreign-based players for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup qualifying match against Rwanda in Kigali on February 29.

The two players have not featured for Nigeria since the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa. Kaita earned a red card for retaliation in Nigeria’s second group phase match against Greece in Bloemfontein while Ayegbeni has been overlooked since missing a sitter against the Republic of Korea in Durban. The goal would have qualified the Eagles for the Round of 16 at Africa’s first World Cup finals.

Also called are goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, team captain Joseph Yobo and Taye Taiwo. Midfielders Joel Obi, Dickson Etuhu and Victor Moses, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Ikechukwu Uche and Osaze Odemwingie made the list. It will be Moses’ first cap for Nigeria after getting FIFA clearance but subsequently turning down the chance to play against Zambia and Botswana in international friendlies last year.

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Milan horror: Wenger ignored Taiwo’s warning

If Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had taken former AC Milan defender Taye Taiwo’s warning before the Champions League San Siro horror on Wednesday, perhaps the Londoners would have had a better result than the 4-0 bashing.

Taiwo, who joined Queens Park Rangers on loan from the Milan giants, had given an in-depth analysis of his former team ahead of Arsenal’s San Siro visit but apparently Wenger did not heed the warning, leading to the Gunners worst performance in the competition.

Before the game, Taiwo gave a scouting report on Milan in the Daily Mail: “Don’t sit back. Attack Milan in the San Siro. They aren’t used to teams doing it and won’t know how to deal with it.

“Theo Walcott should target Gianluca Zambrotta, he won’t be able to deal with his pace.

“Arsenal’s front three should target Alessandro Nesta with their pace. He does not like tracking runners and is short of pace. If Alberto Aquilani plays, Alex Song should get in his face. He needs time to pick out his potentially deadly passes.

“Laurent Koscielny can’t let Zlatan Ibrahimovic bully him. If he imposes himself, then Arsenal could be in for a long night.”

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Villas-Boas: I don’t need all players’ support

Under-fire Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas only needs the support of owner Roman Abramovich to carry out his duties and does not require the full backing of his squad, the Portuguese said on Thursday.

Media reports have suggested there was a row between the coaching staff and players when they met up at the training ground the day after last Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 defeat at Everton in the Premier League.

After the game Villas-Boas described it as Chelsea’s worst performance of the season.

Asked whether he still had the support of his players, the manager told a news conference on Thursday: “They don’t have to back my project; only the owner needs to back my project”.

Mark, govs, others urge credibility in public service

The Senate President, David Mark, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, his counterparts in Oyo and Rivers states, Abiola Ajimobi and Rotimi Amaechi respectively, on Thursday urged credibility and honour in public service.

 Mark and the governors were backed by the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Bisi Akande; billionaire industrialists, Molade Okoya-Thomas and Oba Otudeko; former governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, and a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, who also acknowledged that these qualities were present in Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora.

 The dignitaries spoke at the presentation of Mamora’s memoir, titled Mamora: Years of Legislative Activism, which was also used to mark Mamora’s 59th birthday. He was a member of the upper legislative chamber between 2003 and 2011.

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Attacks on judges dangerous to judiciary –ACN

The Action Congress of Nigeria has warned that growing attacks on judges by dissatisfied litigants  may eventually destroy the judiciary, if allowed to persist.

In a statement in Lagos on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said danger loomed the moment a judge could no longer feel safe enough to perform his duty because of the fear of being attacked by litigants.

It said an example of such attacks was the one  mounted by the Peoples Democratic Party, “with the backing of the Presidency, against Justice Ayo Salami, simply because he courageously adjudicated in the election appeal cases involving Ekiti and Osun states.”

The statement said, “The latest of such attacks is the move initiated by former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Segun Oni, to compel the prosecution of Justice Ayo Salami for alleged perjury, which has led an Abuja High Court in  Bwari to grant Oni leave to apply for an order of mandamus compelling the Attorney-General to commence criminal proceedings against Justice Salami.

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Christians, Muslims trade words over bombing of churches

The umbrella body of Muslims in the North, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, on Thursday accused Christians in the region of disguising as Muslims to raze churches in order to create disharmony in the country.

The JNI also warned all “Christian zealots in Nigeria” to stop taking for granted,  Muslims who “constitute a majority of people living in the North.”

But spokesman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and Abuja, Sunday Oibe, described the allegation by JNI as “baseless.”

Oibe said it was unthinkable that Christians would disguise to burn churches in the North.

The JNI asked the Federal Government and the nation’s security agencies to immediately launch investigation into what it described as act of terrorism perpetrated by Christians in the North.

The group, in a statement issued at the end of its three-day retreat, also tackled the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, for making what it called “unguarded ulterance capable of eroding the long existing cordial relationship between Muslims and Christians in the country.”

The JNI statement which was signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, therefore advised Oritsejafor to call on Christians in the North to stop perpetrating acts of terrorism “while mischievously disguising as Muslims.”

It warned that the JNI would no longer tolerate the alleged “double face attitude.”

 The statement reads in part, “Participants condemn in totality, the ongoing spate of bombings and killings of guiltless Nigerians irrespective of their regional, religious or ethnic inclinations. JNI calls on Nigerians to shun violence and embrace peaceful means of settling their legitimate grievances.

“JNI urges the Federal Government to call the president of CAN to order before he causes religious crisis in the country, through his unguided utterances which have started eroding the long built mutual respect between Muslims and Christians.  CAN president must direct his people to stop mischievously disguising as Muslims in perpetrating acts of terrorism.

The Northern CAN spokesman however said JNI was merely trying  “to divert attention.”

He said,  “It is very irrational for any right thinking person to say that a Christian could disguise as a Muslim to go and throw bomb at churches and kill people  in places like  Madalla, Jos, Maiduguri, Adamawa, Damaturu and other places.

“If they don’t know, let them be aware that the President of CAN speaks the mind of Nigerian Christians, particularly Christians in the North and we are solidly behind him.

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FG condemns Sudan’s hostility to Nigerian officials, troops

The Federal Government has expressed bitterness over the harsh disposition of the Sudanese government to the Nigerian contingent to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan.

The government is particularly irked by the decision of the Sudanese Government to prevent the Chief of Army Staff from visiting the Nigerian contingent in Dafur when he visited the North African country.

The Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, made this comment while playing host to the United States Senior Adviser on Dafur, Mr. Denis Smith, and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence Macaulay, in Abuja on Thursday.

Bello said the government was deeply concerned about the harsh and shoddy treatment of Nigerian troops to the UN mission in Dafur, and other top officials of the government visiting the country by the Sudanese authorities.

THE PAST CAME CALLING, A film by Ruke Amata Premieres Today At The Greenwich ODEON.

THE PAST CAME CALLING, A film by Ruke O. Amata Premieres February 17 at the Odeon in Greenwich. Red carpet starts at 9pm: Stars Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, John Dumelo, Marie Kumba Gomez, Oliver Jolliffe, Penelope Bouchot Humbert, Demetri Turin And Others. For More Details Click The Banner Above.

Popular London babe and columnist, Yetunde Oduwole marries Yoruba actor Baba Tee

The divorced mother of two, 41, who writes the popular Bustline column for City People Magazine, last week married up and coming Yoruba actor, Babatunde Bernand, popularly known as Baba Tee, 31. Congrats to them.

Security agents re-arrest 25 Kogi prison inmates

I'm sure you all heard that Boko Haram gunmen invaded the Federal Government run Koton Karfi Prison in Kogi State yesterday evening, killing one prison guard and freeing 118 inmates.

Well, according to the News  Agency of Nigeria, 25 of the 118 inmates who escaped, have been re-arrested and an intense manhunt is under way for the remaining inmates.

Former actress Rita Nzelu turns born again

We haven't heard much from this popular 90's actress. But now I hear the former actress, who has been in the UK for over 10 years, is now a born again Christian and may soon become an evangelist like Eucharia Anunobi.

EFCC re-arraigns Femi Fani-Kayode on 47-count charge

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on a 47-count charge of money laundering before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, Feb 16th.

The former Minister, who was first arraigned in December 2008, pleaded not guilty to all the counts and was granted bail.

The former minister is accused of laundering various sums of money totaling N230 million through some of his aides, his wife, Regina Fani-Kayode and daughter, Remilekun between August 2006 and March 2007.

Abdulmutallab Gets Life in Prison

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, known as the underwear bomber, was yesterday, sentenced to four life sentences plus 50 years, for trying to blow up a plane near detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

What a waste!

NYSC boss seeks support for reorganisation

The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia, has called for support from Nigerians for the reorganisation of the scheme.
Okore-Affia said the reorganisation would help the scheme to fulfill its mandate.
A statement on Wednesday by the Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations) in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, said the NYSC boss stated this during a visit to the Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Sali.
Okore-Affia explained that the visit was “to discuss issues relating to the on-going reorganisation of the scheme”.
He said, “The visit is to tell you the progress being made in the implementation of the approved restructuring of the administrative machinery of the corps and solicit further assistance in solving specific problems arising from the reorganisation process.”
Sali emphasised the role of the scheme in strengthening unity in the country.
The HOS said, “Despite the recent challenges, the NYSC scheme has always been a strong factor in the efforts being made to build a united and strong nation.
“Most of the people in leadership positions in Nigeria today have gone through the scheme and benefitted from it immensely.”
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