No fewer than 11,000 policemen have been deployed for Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa, announced this on Friday in Akure while briefing newsmen.
Indabawa also said a commissioner of police would handle the security apparatus in each of the senatorial districts.
He vowed that anyone caught in electoral malpractice would be treated as a criminal.
The police boss also warned politicians against inducing security agents with money, adding that the force was determined to ensure a free and fair election.
The commissioner, who warned against hawking around polling units, also advised those not on election duty to stay away.
He appealed to residents of the state to be law abiding and conduct themselves according to the electoral guidelines.
The Nigerian Embassy in Berlin was attacked with paint bombs on Wednesday night by unknown persons, the police have said.
According to police spokesman, unknown attackers threw glass bottles filled with a thick and sticky liquid at the front of the building in Neue Jakobstraße, (The name of the street where the embassy is situated), the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The spokesman said the police have handed over the investigation of the incident to state security authorities, adding that political motive may not be ruled out in the attack.
The police said security workers noticed the damage to the building on Thursday morning.
The spokesman said that on Monday, 120 activists, members of the “Refugee Protest March in Berlin campaign” gathered in front of the Nigerian Embassy to demonstrate against the practice of deporting asylum seekers from Germany.
According to him, 14 of the activists illegally entered to the embassy, in order to “occupy” it as part of the protest march.
He explained that those who entered the premises were later ejected by security officials while 25 of the protesters were temporarily detained and later released.
The spokesman stated that the demonstrators accused the embassy workers of “working closely with the German state to ensure that the processing of the largest number of deportations from Africa came from Nigeria.”
He emphasised that his agency would, however, investigate if there was a connection between the attempted occupation of the embassy on Monday and the recent paint attack on Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday.
There was good news for Real Madrid fans on Thursday evening after forwards Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain took a full part in training and should be available for Saturday's La Liga clash with Celta Vigo at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
PA PhotosGonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema are among the nine Real Madrid players who returned injured from the international break
Benzema limped out of France's 1-1 draw with Spain on Tuesday, while Higuain was substituted with an ankle problem after scoring in Argentina's 2-1 win in Chile. However, both appear to have overcome their respective knocks and are in contention to start against Celta Vigo, who have lost all three away games 2-1 so far this season.
Less positively for Real boss Jose Mourinho, German midfielder Sami Khedira missed training and is unlikely to feature on Saturday, while Madrid's three full-backs were injured on international duty in the past week, meaning Alvaro Arbeloa, Marcelo and Fabio Coentrao, are set for longer terms on the sidelines.
Marcelo was to undergo surgery on his broken fifth metatarsal of his right foot on Friday, with the operation carried out by Dutch specialist Cornelius Niek Van Dijk, who has previously treated Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie as well as many other leading footballers. The Brazilian left-back is not expected to play again this year. Arbeloa and Coentrao are recovering from muscle injuries and should be back next month.
Club captain Iker Casillas said on Thursday that he was sure Mourinho would find the right solutions to ensure the team coped with the absences against both Celta and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League next week.
"We have enough options to cover the absences," Casillas said. "With this 'FIFA virus' there are players from the 'cantera' who are capable of playing in the first team. Mourinho knows them. The boss will find the best solutions possible."
AS reported on Friday that Mourinho could play Michael Essien at right-back against Celta, as he occasionally did at Chelsea, although with Khedira missing the Ghanaian could be needed in midfield. Sergio Ramos looks more likely to again move across, with either Raul Albiol or Raphael Varane coming in at centre-half.
Left-back could be covered by one of Madrid Castilla defenders Nacho, 22, or Jorge Casado, 23, although Marca suggested that winger Angel di Maria may be pushed back to play in defence in a more attacking line-up as Real look to ensure they win to temporarily at least eat into Barcelona's current eight-point advantage in the Primera Division standings.
Should Di Maria be used at full-back, Kaka would likely get another chance to build on his recent good form - which included starts and goals against both Iraq and Japan on his return to international action with Brazil this week.
Wife of Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed
IG, Abubakar
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THE police on Thursday said the policeman involved in the killing of the four students of the University of Port Harcourt in Aluu, Rivers State, Sergeant Lucky Orji, had been dismissed from the force.
The spokesman for the police in Rivers, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam confirmed to our correspondent in Port Harcourt that Orji had been dismissed and that he was among the 13 suspects arraigned in court on Wednesday.
“He (Orji) was among those arraigned in court yesterday (Wednesday). He is no longer a policeman because he has been dismissed,” Ugwuegbulam said.
The four male students, Lloyd Toku, Ugonna Obuzor, Chiadika Biringa and Tekena Erikena, were beaten and set ablaze by a mob suspected to be residents of Omuokiri Aluu, a community located about three kilometers to UNIPORT.
Thirteen suspects, including the traditional ruler of the community, were arraigned in court on Wednesday.
Suspects paraded at the Rivers State Police command.
| credits: Chukwudi Akasike
THE Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday remanded 13 suspects arrested in connection with the killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt.
The accused persons were allegedly part of a mob that tortured the four undergraduates to death in Omuokiri Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The suspects, who were escorted by security agents, were driven into the court premises about 9.45am in a Toyota Hiace bus with number plate FG 120 F50.
The suspects were in handcuffs and chains as they appeared in court on five counts of conspiracy and murder.
Presiding Magistrate, Emmanuel Woke, however, said the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Woke immediately announced the transfer of the case to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice and subsequent arraignment in a High Court.
The magistrate also said the suspects should seek bail from the high court.
A Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Henry Njoku, stood as counsel for the prosecution while Mr. A.A. Finebone was the counsel for the first accused and village head of Aluu, Alhaji Hassan Walewa.
Mr. Austine Ojekudo and others from the Nigeria Bar Association and the Human Rights Commission were in court as concerned parties.
The charges against the accused as contained in Charge Sheet Number PMC/2009C/2012, are “That you conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 324 of the criminal code Cap 37 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”
The suspects and others at large were accused of lynching Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekenah Erikena, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 319 of the criminal code Cap 37 volume III laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
The court, however, adjourned the case till December 20, 2012.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, has explained why he removed Dr. Andrew Efemini, as Head of Department of Philosophy.
Ajienka, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said Efemini made an inflammatory statement that incited students to embark on a violent protest in Aluu.
The students had carried out a protest against the killing of their colleagues by suspected members of Aluu.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the former HOD’s action on the day of the protest inflamed the already tensed situation, which the university was battling at all costs to contain.
Ajienka stated that such situation would not be tolerated by a responsible administration management, even as he insisted that the decision to remove Efemini was in order.
The Vice-Chancellor added, “Efemini’s ill-advised action on that day inflamed an already tensed situation that we were battling on all fronts to contain. Under the untenable situation in which Dr. Efemini’s action put me, it was better to protect him and myself.”
Inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison have complained about slow and sometimes unfair judicial process as well as the subhuman conditions they are facing.
The inmates told the National Human Rights Commission during the commencement of the 2012 South-West Zonal prison audit, that many of them had been awaiting trial for years. They added that some of the convicts were facing health challenges due to lack of health facilities in the prison.
Health problems
A death row inmate, Matthew Nwokocha, who is asthmatic, complained that due to the stuffy nature of the cells, he had had frequent asthma attacks. He said the prison’s medical unit had run out of inhalers.
He said, “I was sentenced to death in Imo State in 2006 but was transferred to Kirikiri. When I get asthma attacks, it’s always unbearable. One night I almost died but for one of the doctors that gave me an injection.
“I’ve asked for inhalers and other drugs but they said they don’t have any.”
A doctor at the prison, Hemeson Edwin, said there was need for the government to increase funding especially in the area of health.
Edwin said the prison authorities usually paid for treatment of inmates referred to hospitals outside the facility.
He added that due to lack of funds, all inmates eat the same food even though some of them need special diets due to health challenges.
He said, “All patients, including the diabetic ones are made to eat the same food because that is what we can afford. Inmates who have been referred to hospitals are also made to pay. Recently, a female inmate gave birth through caesarean section and has been bleeding since. We took her to a government hospital and we were made to make down payment.
“When prisoners die, we are also made to pay mortuary fees. The only hospital that gives concession as regards corpses is the Isolo General Hospital and that may soon end because there are moves by the state government to privatise that as well.”
The Controller of Prisons, Abayomi Oguntuase, urged the state government to offer free healthcare to inmates.
“The issue of treating inmates for free has become pertinent. When we don’t have funds, taking an inmate to hospital becomes a problem,” he said.
Awaiting trial inmates and congestion
Some of the inmates complained that the slow judicial process was unfair. One of them, Ogechukwu Obioma, said, “I was brought here in 2005 for robbery and conspiracy and was taken to Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court but I haven’t been to court since then.”
Another inmate, Paul Samuel, said, “I was brought to Kirikiri for alleged robbery in 2005 from Yaba Magistrate’s Court 4 but the Director of Public Prosecutions has yet to issue advice.”
Another inmate, Emmanuel Uzor, said he had been on trial for 11 years despite the fact that witnesses had yet to come forward.
Oguntuase said the congestion was majorly caused by the awaiting trial persons. He said, “The medium prison for instance, has had no less than 2,400 inmates at any point in time this year as opposed to its capacity of 1,500. The cells are no longer conducive for habitation.”
Aged, long-standing inmates seek release
Some of the old inmates pleaded with the government to release them as they no longer posed a threat to society. One of such inmates, Steven Ojoko, convicted of robbery, said he had been in Kirikiri for 34 years.
He said, “I was brought to Kirikiri in 1978 and was convicted in 1984 for robbery. I was initially sentenced to death but my sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. I beg the relevant authorities to release me. I am old and reformed.”
Another inmate, Edet Akpan, 52, who has been in prison for 30 years for robbery and another inmate incarcerated in 1984 for attempted robbery, Ibrahim Lasisi, urged the government to release them.
It was learnt that the oldest inmate is 82 years.
NHRC canvasses increased funding, speedy trial
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, NHRC, Prof. Ben Angue, urged the judiciary to address the problem of prolonged trial to ensure fairness.
Angue said prisoners had the right to life and deserved to be taken care of, adding that a country’s human rights index was most times judged by the condition of its prisons.
He said, “A trial is no longer fair when it goes on for too long. For instance, a trial spanning 11 years could affect the witness’ ability to recollect.
“If after 11 years, such a person is found not guilty, how would you compensate the person for the years lost? Some inmates are innocent, many of them are victims of false allegation or were arrested by the police during raids and branded as armed robbers. I’m not saying criminals should go scot free but the innocent ones should not be criminalised.
“The cost of N200 for the daily feeding of an inmate is too low and government needs to increase funding. Some prisoners need to be on special diet due to health conditions and it is their right.”
Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Potiskum in Yobe State on Wednesday, residents said, after violence this week left at least 24 people dead in the sister city of Maiduguri in Borno State.
Blasts and shootings shook residents of the town, previously hit hard by violence blamed on the extremist group Boko Haram, residents told Agence France Presse.
Yobe State Commissioner of Police, Patrick Egbuniwe, said there had been a bomb explosion and security forces afterward cordoned off the area and began house-to-house searches.
He did not say whether there had been any casualties.
“There was a bomb explosion this morning and the Joint Task Force has already cordoned off the area for the safety of residents,” Egbuniwe said, referring to a military and police task force.
“Right now, there is a house-to-house search by JTF to fish out the perpetrators of the terror attack.”
Residents said the unrest began just before 6a.m.
“It started with a huge explosion followed by successive blasts and gunfire,” one resident told AFP.
The blasts and gunfire came from an area of the town where a bank, a military base and the office of the anti-narcotics agency are located, residents said.
On Tuesday, Nigeria’s military said 24 Boko Haram members were killed in violence that rocked the city of Maiduguri, Borno State after the extremists launched attacks with bombs and rocket-propelled grenades.
The military has been regularly accused of abuses, including the killing of civilians. Tuesday’s statement said there were no civilian casualties and one soldier was wounded, but the claims could not be independently verified.
Maiduguri is considered the base of Boko Haram. The conflict is believed to have killed at least 2,800 people since 2009.
