Christian Obodo narrates how he was kidnapped and rescued

What the footballer told Kickoff magazine
According to Obodo :

“I couldn’t believe it. I was on my way to church and I had just parked my car when six boys, very young boys, just came to me and started ordering me to come with them.

“I told them to take it easy, that I would do what they say, and they took me to their car, blindfolded me and drove away. I asked where we were going, and they said Port Harcourt, then Benin, then Asaba. Instead, when they took off the blindfold, we were in a forest. That night, I slept on the ground.

“But they were very nice to me. They didn’t touch me. They didn’t take any of my jewellery or wallet or anything else. We were just talking like old friends. They assured me that nothing would happen to me.
“I even prayed with them. Then the next morning, they started to move again. It was later that I discovered that it was because the whole state had been covered by security operatives. They told me all the roads, even the rivers and creeks were being watched by security."

“They said it was somebody close to me who set everything up. Someone that I have been helping. They said the person told them I would be in that church by 8am that morning. I couldn’t believe it. But they asked how they would know my movement to go and wait for me there. I didn’t know what to say.”

Most kidnappings take at least a week to resolve, but one day was all it took in this case, and Obodo played his part.
“Five of them left to go and get the money, leaving me with one of them. But he later said we had to leave this place because the area was being monitored. He told me to promise him that I would not shout or run away. I told him I’d been cooperating since they took me and since they had promised to release me that day, I would do what he said.
“When we got to the town, he got a call informing him that two or three of them had been captured.
“I heard the other one telling him to take me back and tie me up in the forest.
“At that point, I told myself I wasn’t going back into that forest. So I told him that it’s possible his people wanted to betray him, that they may have taken the money and run. I asked him to let me call my people to find out if the money had been picked up.

“He agreed, but said he did not have credit on his phone, so we would have to walk back into the village to buy airtime. As we were walking back to the village, we saw a group of people sitting around, so we stopped to ask for a recharge card. They said they didn’t have it there.

“He now said we should move on to the next place. At that point, I pushed him and started running and screaming that I am Chris Obodo and that they should help. The people immediately gathered. Luckily, they also had some vigilante people around, they call them Black Beret, and they came and got me.
“The police were also nearby, because they had been tracking them through the phonecalls. That was when I started crying and giving thanks to God. That is how I got out.”

Despite the trauma, Obodo says he has no immediate plans to stop returning home to Warri: “It won’t stop me from going to Warri. That is where I have lived all my life. I’m a Warri boy and it’s not like I go out anyhow. Whenever I come home, I play football, three-a-side, in my compound with my friends, I don’t go out clubbing like I used to when I was much younger, so why should I stop coming?”

He did, however, admit that the experience will leave scars.
“When something like this happens, you learn a lot. It opened my eyes to a lot of things.”
Obodo said he is grateful for the groundswell of support. “I just want to thank everybody. My family got a lot of calls, a lot of support, and we just want to thank everyone.”

The Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has ordered 24-hours security for Obodo throughout the duration of his vacation in the state.

Culled from KickOffNigeria.com

Dana Crash Victims’ Families Reject Joint Burial

Families of victims of last Sunday’s Dana flight 992 crash have rejected a Lagos State proposal to give the victims a joint burial.

The state had reportedly said that if the families agreed to a joint burial in a dedicated cemetery, the families would be allowed to exhume the corpses if they wished to identify them further.

One of the victims’ relative, John Akande, told our correspondent that the families rejected the option of a joint burial because of the stress it would bring.

“The process of exhuming the bodies could be tedious, which is why we rejected it. The government committee and our own committee will meet to sort things out so that we can all have the remains of our members on time,” Akande said.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who addressed journalists after a four-hour meeting with the families on Sunday, said they (famlies) agreed to be patient, while government identified the victims before their release for burial.

He said, “The families agreed with the process we adopted. They agreed to wait while we identify the bodies.

“We subsequently set up a relationship team (committee) to be made up of people from government and some members of the families. The committee will coordinate information between government and families and manage the release of the bodies.”

The families would meet at the mortuary of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on Monday (today).
Meanwhile, there are indications at the weekend that relatives of the crash in which all 153 on board perished were already talking to lawyers with a view to file charges against Dana airlines, operators of the Boeing MD-83, and national aviation agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Investigation by The PUNCH at the weekend showed that relatives of the crash in which all 153 on board perished were already talking to lawyers with a view to filing charges against Dana Air, operators of the Boeing MD-83, and national aviation agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

“We have resolved to go to court to seek justice. Why will they operate a faulty aircraft? Why did the regulators allow that to happen?”a close relative of one of the victims who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday said.

The source said the decision to go to court was taken at a meeting of the deceased’s family but that he was not authorised to speak to the media on the plan.
He said, “Now all we are hearing is that those who are responsible will not go unpunished, that is medicine after death. Will that bring our brother back to us?

“If the right thing was done, he and the other passengers, will still be alive today. The government can do whatever they wish to do but we are taking our grievances to court.
“We are not seeking compensation, we are not looking for money; how much will they pay for our brother’s life? We are seeking justice.

“We are yet to agree on that but even though it might be better to wait until the report comes out, some of us are concerned that it might take a long while before it is released,” he said.
Lawyers who spoke to our correspondent on the development noted that various reports on the plane crash indicated a high degree of negligence on the part of the airline and the aviation authorities.
The legal practitioners admitted that there were strong grounds on which the victims’ family members could sue the airline, as well as the aviation agencies.

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Pius Ofulue, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, noted that Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, reportedly complained to Dana Air officials about the condition of the aircraft.
Ofulue said, “The victims’ beneficiaries and relatives can sue Dana Air for negligence because, according to Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, he drew their attention to the condition of the aircraft.
“If that is true then they (the management of Dana Air) contributed to that by failing to maintain the aircraft.
“If they are guilty, then they risk paying much more than the normal insurance benefits. The civil aviation authority can also be sued because they failed to perform their statutory duties.”

Another lawyer, Mr. Oghenovo O. Otemu, Assistant Head of Festus Keyamo Chambers, told our correspondent on the telephone that the victims’ relatives can approach lawyers to file cases on their behalf.
Otemu added that the affected families could either as a group or individually approach the court.
But Otemu added that it would be unethical for a lawyer to approach the families to advise them to go to court.
“It will be highly unethical for a lawyer to approach the families and tell them to file charges – that is touting, it is unethical.
He said the families can sue Dana Air and the concerned government aviation agencies for negligence.
Otemu said, “They can file (charges) for negligence. Although we have not seen the report (of the investigations into the plane crash) yet, from various accounts, there is a degree of negligence involved in the accident.

“So, Dana Air could be sued for negligence. It is not only Dana Air, even the government agencies, including the civil aviation authority can also be sued for that. There are also reports of negligence on their part.”

Meanwhile, the white paper committee on the Oronsaye report on the restructuring of government parastatals and agencies is beaming its searchlight on staffing and financing of the aviation industry.

Investigations by one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday showed that the committee decided to place emphasis on agencies in the aviation industry after the June 3 Dana crash.
The recommendations of the white paper committee are said to have the potential to promote efficiency among staff and eliminate accidents.

The Oronsaye committee, in its report, noted that the Accident Investigation Bureau, an autonomous unit in the Ministry of Aviation, has only 45 personnel.

The staffing of the accident bureau, our correspondent learnt, had raised concerns that the investigation into the Dana Air plane crash would not be different from past ones, whose results were not released.
@punchng

Driver kidnaps 3 children after picking them up from school

The 3 boys pictured above (Chinemerem 5, Okechukwu 4 and Nzube 2) are missing. Their driver by name Godwin picked them up from their school ABC Academy Utako Abuja around 3:30pm yesterday June 7th in a new Toyota Avensis metallic colour (without plate number) and disappeared with them. They have not been found. Anybody that has seen or heard anything about their where about should report to the nearest police station.

please see the drivers picture below.

Funke Akindele Almoroof wedding video

Enjoy funke akindele wedding video
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=VfgeMBTLIJ0

Music Producer Solomon Oyeniyi-K-Solo releases official statement on wife battery and theft charges

              Music Producer Solomon Oyeniyi. K-Solo

Press statement from K-Solo's reps:

Over the past three days, I have been inundated with phone calls, text messages and emails from fans, friends, family members and well wishers from all over Nigeria and abroad over allegations of wife battery, assault and thievery by my wife, Mrs. Kikelomo Oyeniyi, as contained in an interview she granted City People Magazine.

I make bold to say that as much as no union is without its own trials and tribulations, I have never laid hands on my wife and will never because have got sisters and a mother.

I am a hardworking young man that has been in the music industry for over a decade and do not need any woman’s wealth to live. This is our own trying time and we would surmount it one way or the other.

Mistakes have been made and they would be redressed, God willing. Let no man be the judge of another man’s deeds or misdeeds, let God and law take their courses. I hereby implore everybody to please appreciate and understand that this is a very difficult moment for me and my immediate family and would not wish to comment on this issue any further.

Na So we hear am !

K-Solo & wife end marriage 6 months after their wedding Due to Abuse says Kikelomo Akinkunmi.

K-Solo & wife end marriage 6 months after their wedding  Due to Abuse says Kikelomo Akinkunmi.

Top music producer K-Solo married Kikelomo Akinkunmi in November 2011. By May 2012, the marriage was over. The wife told City People in an exclusive interview that the marriage ended because K-Solo was in it for money and also because he assaulted her so much she lost the pregnancy she was carrying when they got married.
What Kikelomo told City People magazine


                                Kikelomo's story...

K-Solo and I met on Facebook in April 2011 and continued our friendship on Blackberry. We eventually met face to face at a show in Eko Hotel in Lagos. I am not really based in Lagos. I am always in Warri, Port Harcourt, South Africa or Cameroon. I am always traveling because of my business. But because of K-Solo I started coming to Lagos frequently after we started dating.

By August of 2011 we started having issues. He was actually scamming one girl. One Leilani Ifeoma in Houston, Texas. Apparently they have not met physically, they met on the internet and she was also into entertainment so K-Solo started scamming her, collecting money from her and promising her marriage. The day I got to know I was in his house. He left his phone and stepped out, so I picked the call and I told her I am K-Solo's wife  and the lady said it wasn't possible because they were planning to get married. When I asked him about her, he said please don't mind her, and later said he was sorry. But when I continued to demand for answers, he started beating me despite the fact that I was pregnant. He carried a lamp and threw at me.

Before then, when I met him, he told me he wanted to shoot a video for his song 'Ni Igboro; and said he didn't have money for it. I gave him N515, 000 for the video shoot. I gave him another N100, 000 some weeks before the video shoot. All through this I didn't know he had a girlfriend that he had been living with for seven years. Each time I go to the studio, I see her there with a K-Solo tattoo on her arm. When I asked him who she was, he said she was his sister's daughter. I later found out that when I gave him the money for the video shoot, he used half of it to celebrate a birthday for Bimbo.

A few weeks later, the lady in the US, Ify, called his phone and I picked it up. When I told him I'd picked his call, he got angry and went outside the house to go talk with the lady. He was begging the girl and lying that I was his sister. He even asked her if she was ready to sponsor their wedding. After listening in on the conservation, I told him then and there that the relationship was over, that I wanted my N515, 000 back. Not just that, I'd spend a lot of money on him. He started begging and crying. A few days later, I travelled to South Africa.

While in South Africa, he kept calling and begging and I eventually for give him because I was pregnant and he convinced me he was a changed man. He actually told me he had gone for deliverance. That was when we decided to get married. The only money K-Solo spent on the wedding was N15, 000 for wedding invites. I took care of everything. The cloth K-Solo was wearing, my own, his pilot suits, clothes, shoes, bag his mum wore, the feeding and drinks. I did everything. I spend over N3.5 million.

On the night of the wedding, K-Solo woke me up around 3am and said now that he's my husband, when am I going to make him a signatory to my company's account, and when am I going to change all my property to his name. I got scared and first thing in the morning I called my brother and told him what happened. He advised me to move all my documents, chequebooks out of the house, which I did. Whenever I asked for money for feeding or upkeep, he would shout at me and say 'What's the meaning of that? Don't you have more money than me? What did I marry you for?

K-Solo started beating me up after the wedding and I lost the baby I was carrying when we got married on the 26th of November.

The marriage finally crashed in February 2012 when he called me and told me that Timaya just bought a Nigerian used Range Rover sport, that he wants me to buy him a brand new Range Rover worth 7.5 million and also put N10million in his account. I told him that even if I had the money, I won't do it because I expect him to talk about how to invest money in productive business and not buying Range Rover. Moreover, I gave K-Solo N2million to pay for house rent for our 4-bedroom home at Ogba Medium estate, but he only gave the agent N1million and squandered the remaining money to buy Hublot wrist watches, Blackberry phones expensive shoes and designer wears. When I pointed this out to him, he told me that he will make the marriage miserable for me. On February 14th, after a misunderstanding, K-Solo packed a few of his things and moved to his mother's house. I left our home too but was advised to go back since our marriage was still young. Because I wanted to make it work, I took my brother to K-Solo's mother's house to apologise to him and his mum. He later returned home. But immediately he returned, he asked me if I was ready to buy him the Range Rover and I told him it wasn't going to happen.

So in March we went to Shoprite and he wanted me to buy two wine glasses that cost N2, 500 each. I suggested that we should open our wedding gifts that there definitely will be wine glasses somewhere, and he just slapped me right there in Shoprite, and as he was coming close to me I ran into the car park, he ran after me, removed his belt and started beating me. People started taking pictures of us and some guys tried to drag him away, by then, my right eye started bleeding. While they were trying to calm him down, he ran away from them and went to carry a stone and threw it at me, and I just passed out. I woke up in the hospital and what he told my family was that I fell. he started begging me and crying that it was the devil's work.

After that beating, I stopped doing everything I used to do financially in our home and he became very frustrated and aggressive. But the marriage finally packed on a particular night I came back home late from going to buy fruits for the house. Immediately I entered the house, he got up and started shouting at me. He started coming close, and I tried to leave the room, but he dragged me back, locked the door and threw the key in the drawer. He started beating me, slapping me and broke a coke bottle on my forehead. I stood up and ran to the bathroom, he followed me, took the mopping stick, broke it and started hitting my stomach that the pregnancy must come out. By then I was pregnant again. I was bleeding on my forehead, and he picked up the washing machine in the bathroom and threw it at me. I was just there bleeding and lifeless, so finally some of his boys were able to break the door and they started holding him back. The guys tried to stop the bleeding on my forehead but couldn't stop the one underneath. They tried to take me to the hospital but K-Solo prevented them. So I was bleeding from 11pm to 7am the following morning, which was when they finally took me to the hospital. By the time I returned from the hospital, he had moved his things from the house. That was when I discovered that my trinkets box with gold over N2.5million was missing and this was not the first time he's stealing from me. I wrote a petition to the commissioner of police and on May 29th, the police went to pick him up. The case is with the police and I told them all I want is my trinkets back and for him to sign an undertaken that he will never touch me again and threaten to kill me. He has said he's not the owner of the pregnancy, which is fine with me. I don't want him to come close to the child and the child will not bear his name.

Dana Airline Crash Black boxes to leave Nigeria for US today

                    
                       Dana Airline Crash Black boxes to leave Nigeria for US today

Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah, on Wednesday said the black boxes retrieved from the ill-fated Dana Air flight that killed over 153 persons in Lagos on Sunday would on Thursday (today) be sent to the United States.

Oduah said sending the black boxes to the USA was to ensure that a thorough investigation was carried out to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The minister spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a special Federal Executive Council meeting organised to round off the three-day national mourning declared by the Federal Government in honour of the crash victims.

She said, “At the site of the incident, there were officials of the AIB who gathered information; they cut the parts from the aircraft, looking for clues. Every and any information that they take will be taken back to the laboratory where it will be analysed to get the exact reason for the accident.

“But in addition to that, because we do not have a laboratory for that, things like the black boxes, for instance, we need to take them outside the country for proper analysis and then they come back.

“I want to also say that amongst the team that worked with the Aviation Investigations Bureau were are international experts. So you are not likely to have collusion or reports that will have integrity issue. So, I want to assure that the report you will get will be a very authentic report.”

Oduah said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the setting up of a nine-man technical and administrative panel that will audit all airlines operating in the country.The move, she explained, was to avoid a recurrence of such incident in the nation’s airspace.

She said the committee, which has a time frame of six months to complete its assignment, was expected to come up with a comprehensive report on each of the airlines in the country.

The minister said the committee’s scope of work would include the immediate review of all domestic airlines; total auditing of all aircraft registered in Nigeria; outlining actions to be taken to improve safety as well as assessment of the financial health of airlines operating within the country, among others.

She gave the names of members of the committee as Group Captain John Obakpolor (rtd) (Chairman); Capt. Austin Omame; Capt. Dele Sasegbon, Dr. O.B Aliu, F.C. Onyeyiri, Capt. Mfon Udom, Capt. Mukhtar Usman, Dr. Tony Anuforom and Capt. A. Mshelia.

She said, “This review panel that we have established will immediately perform a comprehensive assessment of all the domestic scheduled airlines. They will ensure that management culture as well as effectiveness of NCAA’s oversight of airline maintainable practice is maintained and enhanced.

“The panel is mandated to make bold recommendations to the Federal Republic of Nigeria on actions that will need to be taken to improve the overall safety net of aviation sector.

The panel will complete its assignment within six weeks. Their mandate includes assessing the financial health line of airlines that are operating within Nigeria, because this has direct and indirect co-relation with the ability of the airlines to function effectively and maintain their obligation.”

She added that despite the setback occasioned by the Dana crash, the Ministry had resolved to intensify its ongoing institutional reforms. This, she said, would include the strengthening of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. She said the President had also approved the implementation of the report of a Central Bank of Nigeria/Ministry of Aviation’s committee on the financial stability of the airlines.

Oduah disclosed that reports of committees on the Sosoliso and ADC Airlines crashes were ready.

She promised that the findings would soon be made public because of the lessons to be learnt from them.

“I want to say that all the reports of past air crashes, the Sosoliso, ADC, etc are ready and when we get the proper approval to release to the public. We will do so because it serves no purpose to keep them because it is for public knowledge, because there are lessons we should learn from such incidents and not allow it re-occur, that is the purpose,” she said at least 108 persons died in the Sosoliso 1145 DC-9 plane crash on Saturday, December 10, 2005 at the Port Harcourt Airport, while the 2006 ADC crash led to the death of 96 passengers and one on-the-ground victim. Among the dead in the ADC crash was the then Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido; and Abdulrahman, son of the second republic President Shehu Shagari.

Money is not worth Life Value : Dana's insurer, Llyods of London, to pay compensations.

Dana's insurer, Llyods of London, to pay  compensations to the families of those in the crash and on ground.

Reps of Llyods of London, the group insurer of Dana Air, said at a news conference yesterday that it would pay adequate compensations to the families of the victims of the Dana air crash. The reps said compensations would be paid to the victims families, according to aviation standards.

The international law and standards stipulate that the sum of 30,000 dollars (N4.6 million) must be paid to each of the victims' family within the first 30 days of the accident, as initial payment.

A sealing of 100,000 dollars (N15 million) should be paid to the victims family after they must have completed all the requirements expected of them by the law. The rep said.

The compensation would be for the families of the passengers and those on the ground. They've asked family members of the victims to come up with evidence to proof their claims that link them with the deceased.

I Personally believe the lives of those dead due to negligence and greed are WORTH more than Cash Value ... Very sad !!

Boko Haram claim responsibility for the killing of former DIG Ningi

According to Militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the killing of a former Nigerian Deputy Inspector General of police, Abubakar Saleh Ningi, in Kano.

In their words "Yesterday God gave us victory and we succeeded in killing a former DIG in Kano city. By God’s grace very soon top government officials will have no peace as we will intensify attacks on them wherever they are.” The sect said in an email statement to reporters yesterday.

DIG Ningi was shot dead along Sauna Kawagi road in Kano on Tuesday night June 5th, alongside two police aides attached to him.

 

Oh Well , God Dey !!!!:(

Captain Peter Waxtan, Dana Air Pilot who flew the Aircraft Said Final Ordeal.

Update on Dana Aircraft Crash:

Air traffic controllers have told Saharareporters confidentially that the crashed airliner Dana aircraft most likely had one failed engine long before the pilot declared an emergency.  Multiple sources confirmed that the pilot had requested to land on Murtala Muhammad Airport’s longer runway 18R before calling air controllers back a few minutes later to report a total emergency.

They believe that second call was most probably when the second engine failed.  The aircraft crashed about seven nautical miles from the local airport.

One source further explained that the MD 83 plane was overloaded with passengers and luggage to the extent that when the first engine failed, the pilots urgently reduced speed to enable the flight land safely on the longer and better runway, an action that led the flight to an extra 20 minutes delay before crashing at 3:43p.m.  It had been billed to land at 3:21p.m.

Our sources stated that the drastic reduction in thrust was the undoing of the pilot, given the heavy pay load.  To underscore their point that the operators of the jet knew of its mechanical troubles, one of our sources said the jet conducted a short flight test between the Lagos and Ibadan airport on Saturday, apparently to prove to regulators that the jet was “airworthy”.

Several employees of the Dana airlines have publicly stated that the owners were aware as early as Sunday that the jet had mechanical troubles, as it had struggled on a flight to Calabar, but the operators forced the crew to fly it anyway, obviously with an eye on maximizing profit.

Residents that witnessed the crash at Iju Agege area of Lagos have also told Saharareporters that they watched as the pilot seemed to struggle to give the aircraft a final thrust of flight power before the crash, which killed everyone on board.

But speaking for the first time officially today, Dana Air's Director of Flight Operations, Captain Oscar Wason, suggested that a "bird strike" may have caused the crash.  

Appearing on Silver Bird TV in Lagos, he said the management of the grounded airline found remnants of birds in one of the engines of the crashed plane.

According to him, “I don’t know what could have been responsible for the crash, but this morning we found remnants of birds in one of the engines.”

He noted that birds were a problem in Nigeria he has experienced several times.  “We have bird strikes and it might have been that a mass of birds went through the engine and caused it to lose power.”

However, he said the investigations must be left to come out with an answer.  “We have found the voice recorder and that has to be sent to either the UK or Washington. I am planning to travel out myself so that we can found out what is the real cause of the accident.”

It will take several months, if not years, to arrive at the real cause of the fatal crash of Dana Air 992, as Nigeria typically relies on American investigators to unravel the cause of airline accidents.

Hmmn "a mass of birds went through the engine and caused it to lose power" Please i don't believe that . how can you see that when the craft was burnt ? what kind to Birds are those *****

Idowu Aliyu, female student killed by a cannibal or a ritualist agent ?

The suspect, Jimoh Obabu Salau and Idowu Aliyu, the slain girl

On May 2, when Idowu Aliyu decided to embark on a trip from her town, Egayi back to Zamfara where she’s studying in the School of Health Technology, little did she know that will be the last time she would see her family. Apparently, she would have bade them goodbye with smiles on her face but fate lurked in the dark .The day was not only full of evil but she ended up being a victim of the evil.

On every other day that Idowu went to school, she was always dropped at the garage by one of her brothers but on this particular day, the brother was busy and Idowu was in a hurry and couldn’t wait for her brother to return from his busy schedule to drop her at the park as earlier agreed. Even the persuasion of her Uncle who is their custodian to tarry for a while for her brother to come back fell on deaf ears. Idowu was just in hurry.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the late Idowu got an okada to convey her to the park which was driven by Jimoh Obabu Salau. But unknown to her, Jimoh was an okada man with an ulterior motive.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that midway through the journey, Jimoh Obabu drove into the bush where he took his time to kill her. To achieve his aim, it was gathered Jimoh smashed a stone against the innocent victim and subsequently ensured she breathed her last.

Idowu would have gone to the world unknown without people knowing what killed her but providence presented a farmer who was watching from a close distance where Jimoh had taken the victim for the act. The farmer quickly mobilised people to the place where Jimoh was caught trying to bury the victim. He was apprehended and handed over to the police.

Jimoh confessed being responsible for the death of the 22-year old Idowu but the confession is causing a lot of controversy. Jimoh specialises in using okada to lure victims to the bush where he kills them for meat and sell the remaining part to ritualists.

The police are of the view that Idowu’s death is not only for meat but has a ritual angle to it. Parading the suspect, the state commissioner of Police, Muhammed Katsina said Jimoh Obabu Salau was arrested while trying to bury his victim, Idowu Aliyu, a student of School of Health Technology, Zamfara, aged 22 years.

Kastina revealed that “the suspect was dismissed from the Army while on ECOMOG duties in Liberia after showing cannibalistic behaviour. He was also arrested and sentenced to death in 2003 for killing his wife and two kids; eating their intestine and selling the remaining parts. The suspect was however released from Kaduna prison through the aid of influential, wealthy and highly connected individuals.”

Ever since this revelation , the whole state has been clouded in suspense. While some believe that Jimoh is only looking for ‘meat’, others believe that a popular politician who is seeking election is Jimoh’s sponsor. Those who are alleging political undertones to the murder of Idowu by Jimoh hinged it on the fact that Jimoh had been very close to the politician who is among the top contenders for the SSG office since it was zoned to the area.

Jimoh also appears to be complicating the matter. While not arguing that he is guilty, he is said to be singing a new song. Jimoh, Saturday Vanguard gathered, allegedly claimed the victim was brought to him to kill by two other men from the town rather than the popular assumption that he picked her with his okada. Jimoh has since mentioned more than six names of those who ‘brought’ the lady to him.

Police investigations revealed that the first two persons Jimoh mentioned their names were innocent. When further prompted, Jimoh allegedly mentioned other names which the police discovered were unconnected to the act as well. As at the last count, Jimoh who is now behaving abnormal has implicated eight people as his accomplices in the alleged murder.

Presently, police are in a tight corner over how to unravel the truth behind Idowu’s death. Is it a political or ritual killing or Jimoh’s way of feeding his cannibalistic appetite?

However, the family of late Idowu Aliyu is now calling for justice. They are calling on the federal government and police to ensure that the killer of their daughter did not go unpunished. Head of the family, Mr Aliyu Onuto, who spoke with Saturday Vanguard in his compound in Egayi, Ajaokuta said late Idowu was killed on her way to board a vehicle to Zamfara state where she was schooling.

Mr. Aliyu noted with dismay that although the suspect has been arrested and he has confessed to committing the crime, he is yet to be charged to court for prosecution. “Idowu had dreams but could not live to actualise her dreams due to blood thirsty Jimoh. I understand he killed his wife (a police officer) in 2003 and was let off the hook without punishment. If justice had prevailed that time, this would not have happened. “Today it is Idowu, tomorrow it might be another person. All that we want is for justice to be done,” he said.

Mr. Aliyu, the uncle of the slain victim who revealed that the late Idowu and her siblings lost their parents recently and that he has suffered to take care of her along with her younger siblings wondered why Jimoh could take the life of his innocent niece who was promising and looked as if she would aid the family after graduation.

The state police command is however saying the delay in prosecuting Jimoh Salau is due to the fact that they believed he must have accomplices who buy some of the human parts from him as he could not have been alone in the crime.

The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Katsina said the cannibal who was dismissed from the Army usually eats the inside of his victims and sells the other parts to ritualists and “so, the command is still investigating to get those buying the human parts from him”.

Culled from Vanguard

Press Release From Office Of The First Lady On Dana Crash

We all  probably heard the rumors yesterday that the Dana plane that crashed was distressed for a while but could not make an emergency landing because the airspace was closed for 2 hours for the Presidential Jet carrying Dame Patience Jonathan.  Below is a letter from the office of the first Lady...


Our attention has been drawn to the orchestrated plan to politicize the Sunday Dana Air crash in Lagos in which many people lost their lives, through rumours about the possible cause of the accident citing VIP movement involving the wife of the President.

We consider it callous, inhuman and devilish for anyone to have thought of wrapping such national calamity in political garb by insinuating that the plane crashed because the airspace was closed for the First Lady's movement in Lagos.

For the avoidance of doubt, the First Lady arrived Lagos at about 2pm on Saturday, 2nd June, 2012 for a private engagement and was billed to leave for Abuja on Monday, 4th June, 2012.

In compliance with her itinerary, the First Lady arrived Lagos on Saturday. She was at a public event on Sunday when the accident occurred and promptly abandoned the ceremony as a mark of respect for the victims and retired to the State House, Marina. She left Lagos at exactly 13.15hrs on Monday, 4th June, 2012, according to schedule.

It is therefore surprising that some mischievous persons will see this moment of National mourning as an opportunity to blackmail and impugn the First Lady's integrity.

This is the time for all Nigerians to be sober and pray for the repose of the souls of the victims and not a time to subordinate the interests of our nation to narrow self-serving interests.

Let us all put the interest of the Nation first in whatever we do.

Mrs. Jonathan had no intention to travel on Sunday and never did. Like all Nigerians, she has been mourning the dead.

Signed
Ayo Osinlu
Special Assistant to the President