| Guber polls: Obasanjo storms Lagos | | President Olusegun Obasanjo played out his vow of the general elections as a do-or-die affair with his relocation on Thursday to Lagos and last minute campaign rallies across the nation’s economic capital.
The president’s action, perceived as a desperation bid to capture Lagos, which had eluded the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, came on the heels of apparent crackdown on opposition figure and naked use of state security apparati to hunt down opponents.
In Lagos, many chieftains of the Action Congress (AC) ruling the state have gone into hiding, amid a wave of indiscriminate arrests and detention by security agencies under the guise of mopping the state of political thugs.
Reports from across the federation indicate a similar trend. For instance, the AC last night expressed outrage at the mass arrest and incarceration of its candidates and supporters throughout the country "over spurious and unfounded charges by security agencies."
In Osun, the party’s governorship candidate, Rauf Aregbesola and many of his supports were detained, while in Kwara, more than a thousand party-men were reportedly hauled into police cell. Also two seven lawmakers and party chiefs were arrested in Gombe and Ekiti States and moved to Abuja. Chief Michael Koleosho an AC leader in Oyo is being held. In Lagos, Governor Bola Tinubu confirmed the arrest of his Chief Security Officer and Chief detail, describing it as arm twisting ploy that would take Nigeria back to the June 12 scenario.
Besides, Rev James Odumbaku, the chairman AC campaign committee and other top government officers went underground to evade arrest.
Tension, which the intense political manouvres generated, snowballed into a violent clash between supporters of AC and PDP last night at the popular Oshodi, learning at least two persons dead and scores of others injured.
The president, while in Lagos, took his campaign train to Alapere, Alimoso and Ajegunle, blaming Governor Bola Tinubu for perceived infrastructural decay in the state.
"What has happened in Lagos over the years is a shame," Obasanjo said, adding "it’s not that they don’t have money in Lagos, they misappropriate it. The money in Lagos is enough to make Lagos a state of pride.
"Lagos is a special case. Lagos is a special city and as such, it must be given special attention. It is the only city in Nigeria that is the immediate past federal capital. When we were planning to relocate it to Abuja, we knew that the Federal Government would still need to make input into the state.
"So, when we came in eight years ago, we told the Lagos Government to work with the Federal Governent, and they said no, hence, the deterioration of the infrastructure of the state."
Just as the president was campaigning for votes for PDP’s standard bearer Musiliu Obanikoro, in the Abesan, Alimoso area at about 6.30p.m. the party’s supporters squared up to their AC counterparts in another part of the city, Oshodi, in a violent encounter, which left two persons dead and many others injured.
Daily Sun gathered that trouble started when members of the AC were embarking on a house-to-house campaign and were challenged by thugs believed to be supporters of AC.
According to eyewitness accounts, thugs who were armed to the teeth shot sporadically, forcing motorists and residents of the area to run for dear life. The victims were said to have been shot during the mayhem.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olubode Ojajumi a Superintendent of Police, said some hoodlums had tried to foment trouble. Area ‘F’ Commander, Mr Habala Joshak quickly mobilized his men and put the situation under control.
Daily Sun also learnt that there was another clash in Ogba area of the metropolis between supporters of PDP and AC.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bashiru Azeez has ordered his men to arrest all thugs in the them all up so that peace would reign during tomorrow’s elections.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of zone 7 command, Mrs Ivy Okoronkwo also ordered police officers and men at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger and Kaduna States command to arrest anyone without lawful authority found within a distance of 300 metres of a polling station during the polls.
Asked how his men would be able to tell who is a thug and who is not, the Lagos CP said: "We’ll identify them through intelligence reports."
The State Security Service (SSS) also warned politicians in Lagos that they will face the wrath of the agency if they sponsor political thugs.
While addressing his officers and reporters at the officers mess, Ikeja, Azeez said: "All identified political thugs must be picked up. IG says he has a place he could keep them."
The commissioner of police raised alarm on the number of illegal arms in the hands of politicians and he told his men to raid wherever the suspects are and recover the arms and ammunition in their hands. He also urged his men to abide by the provisions of the electoral and the public order act.
The director of SSS, Lagos command, Mr Reuben Amao, however, told reporters at a news conference in the state that his command had repositioned to guarantee the state security.
Amao said that his men had already compiled a dossier on politicians who were planning to sabotage the elections | | Edo Police arrest three over female circumcission | | BENIN CITY — MEN of the Edo State Police Command, weekend, stormed four communities in the state and arrested three persons over their alleged involvement in illegal acts of threat to life and forceful female circumcision in violation of the law passed last year by the State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Police Command yesterday confirmed the receipt of a protest letter from a Non-Governmental Oganisation (NGO) on the disappearance of over 10 women from their homes and communities over alleged fear of harassment and death threat received for failing to agree to female circumcision.
Vanguard gathered that the raid on the four communities of Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government Councils of the state followed rising complaints by some women and families on the kidnap of their children by family members in order to force them to agree to female circumcision.
It was gathered that the operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had in the last few months put under surveillance some of the communities identified and the operators of such homes and those involved were arrested.
Vanguard learnt that the centre invaded were discovered to have over the years refused to stop the practice campaigned against by the State's First Lady, Mrs Eki Igbinedion.
A senior Police source at the State Police Command said the decision to swoop on the identified centres was taken to put a stop to the petition written to the command by women who felt the attempt by the family to force them to participate in the act was illegal, "we have observed from the various complaints made to the command that these centres exist after the law was passed. And the way and manner they operate has become alarming and threatening. We discover that some women run away from home due to some of these centres.” | | Should the Nigerian Government ban night journey | | Early this year, it was reported that a luxury bus that took off from Lagos had a fatal accident along Ibadan-Ife expressway very early in ... | | Uzoamaka Nwizu, 1949-2004 | | Nigeria's first female immigration comptroller-general dies of Leukaemia
When she returned from six months sick leave in January 2002, everyone thought that her health crisis was over. But last March, the terminal illness, which had taken Uzoamaka Nwizu, the first female comptroller-general of the Nigerian Immigration Service, to many hospitals, was back. She was forced to cancel her trip to Jerusalem and headed instead for the United States for treatment. It was her last trip. Nwizu died of leukaemia, cancer of the blood. She was 54.
At the NIS headquarters in Abuja, the news was greeted with shock and sadness. Musa Baraya, acting comptroller general, directed that all the flags in the premises to be flown at half-mast.
Adolphus Wabara, president of the senate, described the late Nwizu as a "thorough and dedicated professional with an uncommon passion for hard work."
Nwizu who was appointed as CG January 14, 2000, was credited with a number of reforms in the NIS. To her credit, a Nigerian international passport, can now be obtained within 24 hours. She managed to reduce the activities of touts at various passport control offices.
Nwizu started her career in immigration as a visa officer in 1974 and worked in various capacities in investigation and border areas. Nwizu was born September 21, 1949 in Ogbunike Local Government, Imo State. She began her education at the Christian Missionary School, CMS Primary School in Umudiako. From there she went to the Anglican Girls' Grammar School, Enugu. She attended the University of Hawaii, 1971-72, University of Vermont, 1972-74, where she earned a first class honours degree in geography. She received the outstanding student honour award of the department of geography. She also attended the University of Ibadan, 1992-94, where she obtained an MBA degree.
She is survived by her widower and five children. |
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