How Sunday Igboho Escaped From Beninese Airport, Was Lured Back Through Phone Calls SaharareportersJul 21, 2021Read original More facts emerged on Wednesday about how Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Igboho, initially escaped from security operatives at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, but was lured back to the place through phone calls by one of his travel agents.
Already, Igboho’s lawyers, led by Yomi Aliu, SAN, had moved to Benin Republic where they had joined up with Beninese lawyers in readiness for a legal battle to prevent the activist’s extradition to Nigeria.
Sunday Igboho
“You know that he has been under watch and he is someone who talks to too many people. These telephone calls were used to trail him and he was intercepted in Cotonou.
“He initially escaped from the airport when the security operatives wanted to arrest him. But the travel agent called him back saying the matter had been resolved. But on getting back, he was arrested with his wife.
“A lot of people made efforts to resolve the matter but we discovered that the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic (Tukur Buratai) was already aware and he said that he (Igboho) must be extradited,” a source said.
Another source noted that Igboho and his wife were detained at the “Benin Republic Criminal Police cell”, adding that “Buratai would have gone to the police station because he was the one that told them to arrest him.”
The source noted that the German Embassy was intervening in the matter because Igboho’s wife is a German citizen.
He added, however, the Nigerian Government could mount pressure on Benin Republic and extradite Igboho today (Wednesday).
“I was told they (Nigerian government officials) are coming today. My prayer is that he should remain in Cotonou or be allowed to go to Germany because I don’t know what would happen to him in Abuja,” the source said.
The first part of this piece published last week underlined the career of Major General Bashir Magashi who was one of the 74 military governors appointed by General Ibrahim Babangida in 1993.
Others are Colonel Idris Garba, Lt-Colonel Herbert O. Eze, Commissioner of Police Sani Ahmed Daura, Colonel Ahmed Mohammed Daku, Colonel Ishaya Bakut, Colonel Patrick Aziza, Colonel Abubakar Tanko Ayuba, Lt-Colonel Ernest Kizito Attah, Navy Captain Ekpo Archibong, Colonel Dan Archibong, Major Abdulmumuni Aminu, Lt-Colonel Mohammed Christopher Alli, Lt-Colonel Abu Ali, Group Captain Ibrahim Alkali, Colonel Robert Akonobi, Navy Captain Mike Okhai Akhigbe, Group Captain Frank Ajobena, Colonel Leo Lapade Ajiborisha, Adeyinka Afolahan, Navy Captain Adeyemi Afolabi, Colonel Abdulkarim Adisa, Group Captain Ernest Olawunmi Adeleye, Group Captain Luke Chijiuba Achulor, Navy Captain Joseph Abulu, Lt-Colonel Ahmed Aboki Abdullahi and Colonel Godwin Osagie Abbe.
In 1997, General Bashir Magashi was appointed a member of the Provisional Ruling Council headed by General Sani Abacha. It was the Council that was to decide on the fate of General Oladipo Diya, Major General Tajudeeen Olanrewaju alias Jasper, Major General Abdulkareem Adisa, Major Seun Fadipe, Colonel Olu Akiode and others. The 22 members of the Provisional Ruling Council included General Abacha, Lt. General Jeremiah Useni, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, Inspector General of Police, Major General John Inienger, Major General Abduallahi Sarki Mukthar, Major General Mufu Balogun, Rear Admiral Taiwo Odedina, Major General Victor Malu, Rear Admiral Rufus Eyitayo, Commodore Victor Ombu, Lt. Gen. B. Haladu, Air Commodore Kamis Uwenwailiri, Major General Felix Mujaperuo, Major General Ishaya Bamaiyi, Major General Peter Shaa, Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe, Commodore Anthony Oguguo, Major General Bashir Magashi and the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Abdusalami Abubakar. The Provisional Ruling Council was scheduled to meet on June 8, 1998 but it could not because of General Abacha’s death on that day. If you read the book: The Vindication of a General by General Ishaya Bamaiyi, you will be better informed on who Major General Magashi is.
After Gen. Abacha’s death in 1998, he was appointed as a member of the Provisional Ruling Council headed by General Abdulsalam Abubakar. It was this council that handed power to President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999. Other members of the Provisional Ruling Council at that time were Musuliu Smith (Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zonal Headquarters, Kano; Group Captain Ikechukwu Nnamani, Commodore Emmanuel Acholonu, Rear-Admiral Victor Ombu, Major-General Idris Garba, Major General Yunana Nom, Air Vice-Marshall Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru, Air Vice-Marshal Emmanuel Edem, Air Vice-Marshal Isaac Mohammed Alfa, Rear-Admiral Peter Ebhaleme, Rear-Admiral Taiwo Odedina, Rear-Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi, Major-General Samuel Victor Leo Malu, Major-General Oladayo Popoola, Major-General Ekpo Archibong, Major-General Peter Gyang Sha, Major-General Abdullahi Sarki Muktar, Air Vice-Marshal Idi Musa, Major-General Suleiman Said, Major-General Bashir Salihi Magashi, Major-General John Mark Inienger, Major-General Godwin Abbe, Lt-General Rufus Kupolati, Ibrahim Coomasie, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok, Vice-Admiral Jubril Ayinla, Lt-General Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi, Air Marshal Al-Amin Daggash, Vice-Admiral Okhai Mike Akhigbe and General Abdusalam Abubakar.
On his assumption of power on May 29, 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo, later retired 93 military officers who had earlier served in various political positions during the military era. General Magashi was one of them. The others are Major-Generals Leo Ajiborisha, Samud Omlago Ango, Patrick. Aziza, ldris Garba, Joshua Madaki, Bashir Salihi Magashi, Abdul-One Mohammed, Garba Ali Mohammed, Abdullahi Sarki
Mukhtar, Brigadier Generals Yusuf Abubakar, Sule Ahman, Ibrahim Aliyu, Bassey Asuquo, Ernest Attah, Salihu Tunde Bello, Samai!a Bature Chamah, Cletus Komena Emein, Lawal Ja’afaru Isah, Aliyu Kama, Fidelis Makka, Mohammed Buba Marwa, Yakubu Mu’azu, Dominic Oneya, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, John Yeri, Colonels Bzigu Afakirya, Usman Ahmed, Daniel Akintonde, Hameed Ali, Anthony Amebo, Theophilus Bamigboye, John Dungs, Moses Fasanya, Dauda Musa Komo, Aminu Konragora, Mohammed Mana, Musa Mohammed, Anthony Obi, Peter Ogar, Aina Joseph Owoniyi, Habibu Idris Shuaibu, Musa Shehu, Ahmed Usman, Jibril Bala Yakubu, Tanko Zubairu, Lt-Colonels Joseph Akaagerger, Mohammed Bawa, Ahmadu Garba Hussaini, Abubakar Maimalari, Bawa Mande, Rear-Admiral Afolabi Afolahan, Oladehinde Joseph, Sunday Olukoya, Adetoye Sode, Commodore Emmanuel Acholonu, James Aneke, Temi Ejoor, Amadi Ikwechegh, Anthony Oguguo, Kayode Olofinmoyin, Navy Captains Adedurotimi
Adeusi, Adewunmi Agbaje, Walter Feghabo, Joe Kalu-Igboamah, Omoniyi Olubolade, Anthony
Onyearugbulem, Christopher Osondu, Rasheed Raji, Anthony Udofia, Atanda Yusuf, Air Vice Marshals Gregory Agboneni and Frank Ajobena, Air Commodore Ibrahim Dada, Peter Gana, Baba Iyam, Ibrahim Kefas, Ndong Essiet Nkanga, Abubakar Salihu, Group Captains John Ebiye, Sam Ewang, Rufai Garba, Lawal Haruna, John Ben-Kalio, Joe Orji, Wing Commander Adamu
Mshelia and EU Ukaegbu, Assistant Inspector General of Police Dabo Aliyu, Simeon Oduoye, Amen Oyakhire and Commissioner of Police Mustapha Ismail.
After retirement, General Magashi vied to be Governor of Kano State under Democratic People’s Party, DPP and later became the National Chairman of the Party. Along with President Muhammadu Buhari, he became a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and in 2007, he was the Kano’s state governorship candidate of DPP. Major General Bashir Magashi is representing Kano State in the Federal Executive Council and at present Kano State has two ministers of full cabinet rank, including Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, unlike states like Ondo and Kogi, who for the two terms of President Buhari are compensated with just Ministers of State.
Leadership is a lonely job. Very lonely indeed. The success and failure of a leader is always judged by actions taken or actions not taken. But a leader can only take an action based on information available to him. Sometimes friends and aides can misled a leader, because most of the time most leaders are imprisoned by those close around them. General Magashi is not just a Minister; he is a man who has been in power and government for years. He knows the mechanics and rudiments of power structure. For him to say that “Nigeria is bleeding”, we have to take him seriously.
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, in this interview, speaks on state of the nation and defection of PDP governors to All Progressives Congress, APC, among other issues.
Some governors elected on the platform of your party have defected to All Progressives Congress, APC. Don’t you think the development will affect the chances of PDP in 2023?
I have been in this game since 1982 which is about 40 years now. You always see this type of drama. Some people are afraid of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. That is why they are defecting to APC. Recall that a former Chairman of APC once said that if you defect to APC, your sins are forgiven. The PDP has refused to offer that kind of kangaroo forgiveness of sins. But I have always told people to do the right thing. Some are running away from the PDP because they are afraid of prosecution. That is why they are running away from the PDP to APC.
But we must all realise that there is no hiding place for any criminal or thief. The eye service you see happening around, when the day of reckoning comes, nobody will stop the authorities from fishing out whoever has committed a crime in this country. That is why I have always said that prevention is better than cure. I have resolved that I will better go back to my village as a farmer than get myself involved in anything that is questionable. That is also why I try as much as possible to be decent in the handling of the finances and other things of government. So, we are not disturbed. You will see what will happen in 2023.
I may not be a prophet, but I might be near it. So there is no cause for alarm. This is a democracy, people are free to associate with anyone they want but I can tell you that PDP is waxing stronger. The reason we are constantly holding PDP Governors’ Forum meeting is to reposition the party. We want to be able to offer Nigerians good leadership. I believe in the saying that if you have not eaten the soup of another mother, you will think your mother is the best cook in the world. But now Nigerians have tested APC and the basis for comparison are there.
State of the nation
What was the exchange rate when the APC took over? What was the security situation when the APC took over the governance of the country in 2015? What was the economic status of this country, employment rates, state of education and all sectors when they took over in 2015?
What is the situation today? If somebody sits down to analyse what used to be and where we are now, I don’t know what you will score the APC. I am sure it will be below average. They have not performed at all. And I am praying every day that we can surmount our current challenges as a nation. Remember that God cannot just come and turn things around. It behooves us to do it. I believe in Nigeria.
Recently you were in Rivers State. You later traveled to Delta State. Today, you are coming from Oyo State. Is there any political undertone in these trips?
There is nothing like political undertones in my movement. Recall that the governor of Sokoto State was in Benue to commission my projects. You also recall that Governor Wike was here to commission projects. The governor of Enugu as well as His Excellency in Nasarawa, who was represented by his Commissioner, came here to commission projects. More projects are coming up and I will also be inviting more of my colleagues to come and commission the projects. It is a good idea because it enables us to go around and interact. It helps us to understand each other better and see how we can provide good governance to our people.
You know that the governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are the only ones commissioning projects.
Many people say you intend to reshuffle your cabinet. How true is it?
You just acknowledged that it is only a rumour. At the appropriate time, it would happen. For now, I am comfortable with my cabinet.
Several groups from different parts of the state have been wooing you to consider their axis when picking your successor…
I have always said that power belongs to God as stated in John 3 verse 27 which says a man can receive nothing except it is given to him from above. I believe that at the appropriate time God will bring the right person to succeed me. For now, people are jostling. I have told those in my cabinet who are interested to desist from all forms of campaign activities. If they want to continue, they should resign or wait till the end of this year. It is too early now and it will constitute a distraction for me because I am committed to ensuring that I provide dividends of democracy for the people of the state.
2023 is fast approaching. What are your plans?
I don’t want to be that dog that took a bone across the river and, upon seeing a big reflection of the bone on the water, decided to dump the bone he had for the bone on the water. Nigerians and indeed Benue people have been good to me. I have held positions at the local government level, state, and federal. Now, I am concentrating more on finishing well and strong.
A wife to Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu, a Germany based-business man, Mrs. Ijeoma Unachukwu, yesterday said that her children watched and cried as the Airforce officer, shot their father in his car on his forehead at the Imo Airport, Air Force checkpoint and he bleeded till he died.
She disclosed this in Owerri, while narrating how her husband was killed in a petition letter addressed to Imo governor, Hope Uzodimma, through her lawyer, Akponye Ihediohanma.
The petition was tagged: “Urgent and critical complain request for your personal and direct intervention of unlawful shooting and gruesome killing of Germany based Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu by security agents at the Airforce checkpoint, Owerri Airport.”
Mrs Unachukwu, said that her late husband met his untimely death after he had been cleared and pass by three other military checkpoints before the Imo Air Force checkpoint that took his life.
According to Mrs. Unachukwu’s lawyer “That our clients husband, Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu was shockingly brazenly and willfully murdered by security agents believed to be of the Air Force security base or checkpoint at the Owerri international Cargo Airport, while going to the airport with his family to catch a flight to Lagos at about 08:40am on the 31st day of May ,2021 enroute to his base in Germany through Lagos.
“That on the 31st of May, 2021 be drove to the airport but unfortunately he was shot directly on his forehead by a trigger happy Air Force personnel at the Airport checkpoint in an unprovoked execution style in front of his innocent little children and wife.
“Again, before getting to the Airport checkpoint, our client with the family met and passed over 3 other military and police checkpoints where he calmly identified himself and explained his going to the Airport to catch a flight on his way to Germany that day and on each occasion he was given a pass.”
She pointed out that, “When they got to the Airport checkpoint of the Air Force, our client stopped for a check and cleared his car only for the Air Force personnel to open fire on him in front on his children and he fell to the bullets that hit his forehead.”
“We are in total shock at the brutal murder of her husband and the nightmare and everlasting torment, torture and trauma this will bring to her and the innocent children who watched the shooting to death of their unarmed father. Our client’s children have now become fatherless while our client is now a widow.”
She however, called on the governor that, “Your personal intervention will certainly help in showing empathy to the family and help stop this unfortunate situation particularly now that the police are complaining to losing their men to the same trigger happy Air Force personnel.”
Killings: Silent Igbo leaders, benefiting from insecurity in Igboland – Senator Anyanwu
June 5, 2021By David O Royal
By Chinonso Alozie
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who represented Imo East Senatorial district, Saturday said that Igbo leaders who have been silent in the face of the killings in Igboland are those conspiring with external forces to benefit from the insecurity in Southeast states.
Senator Anyanwu spoke in Owerri, while expressing worry over how some Igbo leaders kept silent on the insecurity in their own states.
Anyanwu said that to end the insecurity everybody should be seen taken action to put a stop the the continued damages in Igboland caused by insecurity.
In his statement, “Following reported extra judicial killings in the South East geopolitical zone, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has accused some leaders in the zone of conspiring with external enemies to perpetuate evil, citing their continued silence as evidence of the hatched job.
“Their silence is not only worrisome and suspicious, but a calculated attempt to pitch the zone against the North. We are calling on political, religious and traditional leaders to rise up to the occasion with a view to proffering lasting solution to nip the ugly trend in the bud and condemn the rate in which the youths of the zone are being unjustly arrested or killed.”
“When the youths of a tribe are listed in a black book, the future of such tribe is not only unknown but worrisome. We are also calling on security agents to apply caution in discharging their duties, if the purpose for which they were established which is to protect lives and properties is defeated, their relevance becomes useless to the society.” Anyanwu said.
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.
35 unidentified corpses dumped in FMC Owerri, Residents of S/East cry out: We’re bleeding, hiding, living in fear
June 5, 2021By vanguard
By Chidi Nkwopara, Steve Oko & Chinonso Alozie
The South Eastern part of the country is bleeding. The east has not recorded such killings since the civil war ended in 1970. Residents are picked from the comfort of their homes and killed by both known and unknown gunmen while scores of unidentified corpses are dumped daily in the mortuaries.
As indiscriminate arrests of innocents citizens are going on, the residents are living in fear and families of the victims are crying for justice. It is a tale of sorrow, tears and blood in the region.
In Abia, a widow, Edith Amadi, 46, narrated how her son, Onyebuchi Anthony Amadi, 27; and nephew, Obinna Onyebuchi Egekwu, 30, were allegedly killed by security personnel in the aftermath of the attack on the State CID by unknown gunmen. The widow who hails from Oforola in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, lost her husband in 2009.
Accusing the Nigerian Army of murdering her son and others in cold blood, she said her son, nephew and another boy simply identified as “Onye Photo” ( photographer) were arrested in their family house at Ugwunchara Umuahia, hours after the attack.
The window said her son and other victims whisked away from their family house were not members of the gang of the unknown gunmen that allegedly attacked the police station, and wondered the justification in their extra-judicial killing.
A special report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche and Chidimma Udegbunam said the rights group was in possession of graphic details of how soldiers, police and other Nigerian security operatives presently deployed in the East abducted innocent citizens and allegedly killed them.
According to the report, “these have led to not less than 170 open killings, secret abduction and permanent disappearance or feared unlawful execution in custody of no fewer than 550 and general arrest/abduction of not less than 2100.
“The arrested/abducted are presently held in different open and secret dungeons located within and outside the East and among those outside the East are Makurdi Prisons in Benue State where over 300 were recently found to have been transferred and kept. Others are conventional and unconventional military, police and SSS detention facilities in Abuja, Niger State and other undisclosed locations in the North.
They are also in Owerri, Awka, Port Harcourt and Abakiliki State CIDs and Prison or Correctional facilities such as Owerri Prisons holding over 130 including 107 remanded days ago.
“Shockingly, in the past one week or Monday 24th to Sunday 30th May 2021, not less than 30 open and secret killings by soldiers and police have taken place with most taking place in Imo State where scores of corpses have been freshly traced to the mortuaries of the Government Medical Centers.
The slain are all victims of extra-judicial killings including innocent citizens ‘killed after the act’ at crime scenes and falsely labeled for gallantry. The findings above cover the first five months of 2021 or January to May 2021.”
“Intersociety had investigated and found as follows: That: soldiers, police and other security operatives have since January 2021 openly shot and killed over 170 persons in the two regions out of the number, at least 145 are innocent citizens or victims of extrajudicial killings while 25 others are combatively involved.
“That: the named security agencies have abducted over 2100 and falsely labeled over 90% of them “ESN hoodlums/terrorists” including over 300 dumped recently in far away Makurdi Prisons in Benue State, over 70 dumped at Awka State CID and over 107 others recently remanded in Owerri Prisons after “mobile court” mumbo jumbo arraignment.”
“That: soldiers accounted for most of the abductions and disappearances including not less than 550 citizens who disappeared since January 2021 or suspected victims of unlawful executions. That: over 90% of those paraded by soldiers and police as “ESN hoodlums/terrorists” are innocent; and same goes for over 90% of the slain bodies tagged “ESN hoodlums killed in gun duel with security forces”. They are victims of ‘after the act’ crime scene shootings and killings,” they said.
However, they added: “The six innocent citizens of Imo State wrongly arrested and falsely labeled by the Imo State Command have been released. Five of the six regained their freedom late night of yesterday, 3rd June 2021 from Imo State CID Headquarters and Owerri Correctional Headquarters or Prisons. The five newly freed innocent citizens are: Smith Amadikwa, Casmir Ugbor, Ojukwu Ukonu, Emeka Mbonu and Engineer Ikechukwu Okomah. They were wrongly arrested on 12th, 13th, 14th, 13th and 19th May 2021, respectively; and publicly paraded on 28th May 2021 and falsely labeled “ESN hoodlums that attacked Imo State Correctional/Prisons Headquarters and others”.
Also reacting to the spate of insecurity in the region, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Anthony J. V. Obinna, lamented the careless and stealthy dumping of no fewer than 35 unidentified corpses in the Federal Medical Centre morgue, Owerri, within a few days.
The cleric equally expressed worry that 106 young men arrested from various locations, for alleged treasonable felony, are languishing in Owerri Correctional Facility.
In a statement titled: “Stop the killings, Convoke a cease fire meeting, Save Imo State; A charge to Governor Hope Uzodimma and all stakeholders”, Archbishop Obinna said; “last year, exactly about this time, I charged Governor Hope Uzodimma and other Igbo leaders, to protect our people and defend our lands. That charge was provoked by threats and acts of invasion on our farmlands by Fulani herdsmen.
“Now, our very lives are at stake, as killings of Imo people are taking place in broad daylight and at nights, by both officially and unofficially armed men. Imo people are on the run from known and unknown gunmen.
There is scare in the air and anxiety on the ground. Imo people are hiding, living in fear. Reports of indiscriminate arrests for no clear reason and killings, as a show of power or in alleged retaliation continue to spread.
“On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, I personally went to the Federal Correctional Centre, Owerri, to see the 106 young men arrested from various locations, accused and charged to court jointly, for planning to commit felony.
They are yet to be released.
“On Thursday, June 3, 2021, I visited Owerri Federal Medical Centre mortuary. As I painfully surveyed the 35 corpses, stark naked on the bare floor, stealthily dumped there within the last few days, victims of runaway killers, military, police and unknown gunmen, with no identification on them, I thought of many others who have been kidnapped, taken to unknown locations, killed and even butchered, as we continue to hear. Imo is bleeding.
“On behalf of the already killed and even more, on behalf of the living, now threatened daily with brutal death, I charge Governor Hope Uzodimma, as the Chief Security Officer for Imo people, to step up and stop the killings by whoever is responsible for them. I equally charge all users and abusers of guns and deadly weapons, to stop the killings, to renounce violence and to denounce any show of pride in killing fellow human beings.
“I urge the Governor to convoke a cease fire meeting of all Imo stakeholders, no matter their disposition or leaning, for a concerted approach to quench the bloody fire, already ravaging Imo people and destroying Imo State. Save Imo people, save Imo State.”.
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof
GBSM.UAR 