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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012
NEWS Ex-militants get govt’s N5.6b contracts Continued from page 1
Ebikabowei “Boyloaf” Victor Ben and Gen. Ateke Tom, to have their men guard delta pipelines they used to attack. Another general, Government “Tompolo” Ekpumopolo, maintains a $22.9 milliona-year (N3.614billion) contract to do the same, the official said. The paper said: “A liaison to Mr. Tom declined to comment on the contracts. Mr. Ekpumopolo didn’t return phone calls and messages. Mr. Ben, when reached for comment, asked, “How much money is involved in this interview?” and then hung up. “Later, he sent an enigmatic text: “Very wel dn im nt dispose bt cnsider 100%al u wnt ,we need investors in niger delta absolute peace is •From left: Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Mustapha (second left), Yakowa; Amb. Ibrahim; Aliyu, Al’Makura, Wada and other members at guarante.” the Inauguration of Nothern Governors’ Forum Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security in Abuja...yesterday PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN
Negotiate with terror groups, North’s governors tell panel
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ORTH’S governors yesterday mandated some eminent personalities to launch a peace drive in the region. The Committee on Reconciliation, Peace and Security is to open dialogue with identified groups behind the violence that has held the region down. The panel of 40 members inaugurated in Abuja by Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is recommend a perma-
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From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja and Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos
nent resolution to the security challenge and ethno-communal crises in the region. Aliyu, who is also the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, gave the committee 90 days to submit its report. Three governors attended the ceremony at which some of the committee members were absent. They are Governors Patrick
Yakowa (Kaduna), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Tanko al Makura (Nasarawa). Some members of the panel, however, did not attend. A notable absentee was Sokoto Catholic Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah. But he was represented. Aliyu urged aggrieved groups to allow peace to reign in the region. The committee, which is to find a lasting solution to the
incessant killings and wanton destruction of properties in the region, is headed by Amb. Zakari Ibrahim. Nde Joshua Dimlong (Ngolong Ngas) is Deputy Chairman. Iliya Ithuve is secretary and Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi, Deputy Secretary. The panel will also look at religious extremism, intolerance and mutual disrespect which are creating more ethnic and religious cleavage that have further separated the
people. Other issues include the virtually collapsed northern economy, including the poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile; mechanisms for peaceful co-existence and integration; youth and women empowerment; ethnicity and indigene/settler syndrome; insecurity, kidnappings, murders and bombings; the almajiri syndrome and integration of IsContinued on page 59
INEC shake-up to affect 67 directors
ASSIVE reforms are on the way at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Twenty-nine departments are to be merged into seven or nine. Besides, 67 directors may be deployed to essential areas of need for optimal output. Presently, there are between three and four directors in some departments, which a recent staff audit report described as “inefficient”. But INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega is facing opposition from some forces outside
From Yusuf Alli, Abuja
the system who are whipping up ethnic sentiments. Jega is said to be resolute in reshaping the commission for efficiency. The reforms, which will take off shortly, follow manpower and policy audit reports by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Registration Election Review Committee (RERC), which was headed by Prof. Adele Jinadu. According to sources, when the management met on the two reports, a consensus was built on reducing the present
29 departments to either seven or nine. The new department that may emerge are Electoral Operations; Administration and Human Resources; Voter Education and Civil Society Liaison; Elections and Party Monitoring; Voter Registry and ICT; Legal Services; and Electoral Institute. Others being considered, but yet to be agreed upon are Finance and Account. A National Commissioner, who spoke in confidence, said: “The truth is that we cannot continue to manage a
structure like this and go into the 2015 poll with such a woobly directorate system. The pending changes have attracted opposition from some top officials who are claiming that appointments are in favour of Northerners. “The reality is that Jega’s administration inherited all the 67 directors in the system as appointed by a former Chairman of INEC, Prof Maurice Iwu. With the exception of the Director of Finance and ICT director, Jega has not tampered with the structure he inContinued on page 59
•Jega
We drugged Cynthia before killing her, say suspects Rohypnol: The drug they gave her
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close and decided to invite her over, thinking that as a businesswoman she would be coming with alot of cash. Although the suspects claimed that they did not rape the deceased, pictures taken by the police showed that they may have. One of the pictures of her private part taken at a close range showed traces of semen on it. Used condoms littered the hotel room, the police said. Besides, there is a picture showing the suspects tied up the late Cynthia’s mouth and hands. They also chained her legs. Ezekiel and Nwabufor claimed that the deceased came with a vibrator (sex toy), and that she used the condoms on the toy. They also confessed to have robbed and raped several other girls. Narrating his role in the murder, Nwabufor said: “It was a mistake. I invited Cynthia who is my friend, and in the process I hit her and she died in the hotel. “She came in from Abuja on Sunday morning, July 21. I was
R
OHYPNOL is the brand name for flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine drug in the same family of medications of Vallium and Xanax. However, unlike these other drugs, Rohypnol has never been approved for any medical use in the United States. It is illegal to manufacture, distribute or possess it in the US. Rohypnol is a potent sedative. The physical effects of the drug may be noticeable within twenty to thirty minutes after ingestion. The effects may last for many hours. trying to dislodge her by tying her and I hit her and she died. “I tied her because I didn’t want her to know I was escaping from the hotel. We had a mutual agreement for her to come over. I met her on Blackberry group chat, so she was coming to buy stocks for her boutique in Abuja. We had a disagreement. I didn’t rape her; it was the handwork of the devil. I wanted to run because I know I have committed a serious sin against her. “I thought she had things on her, such as money that I could collect. So, in the process of struggling, I tied her with cel-
If taken, Rohypnol may cause drowsiness, confusion, impaired motor skills, dizziness, disorientation, disinhibition, impaired judgment, and reduced levels of consciousness. You may look and act like someone who is drunk. Your speech may be slurred, and you may have difficulty standing or walking. Or, you may be rendered completely unconscious. It is very dangerous to mix Rohypnol with alcohol or other drugs. The combination can produce extremely low blood pressure, respiratory depression, difficulty in breathing, coma, or even death.
lotape and a chain. I also tried to make her not to shout by holding her excessively. “I was not the only one, it was myself and my cousin who tied her and beat her. “I invited her and in the process of the disagreement we felt like robbing her of all she has. The condom that was seen in the room is something personally not for her. I used it on the sex toy she has with her. She came with a sex toy, so I inserted the condom on the sex toy and later dropped it there. I didn’t sleep with her. “If the Police test the condom forensically, it will prove that I
One of the most disturbing effects of Rohypnol is that it can cause complete or partial “anterograde” amnesia (absence of memory for the events that occur after it is ingested). This means that you may not be able to remember what was done to you while you were under the influence of the drug, which may have been for a significant period of time. This “amnestic” effect is especially likely when Rohypnol is ingested with alcohol.
didn’t use it on her. She was with me for over 12 hours. Nwabufor spoke about how the late Cynthia was drugged. He said: “The drug was inside the Ribena I offered her. The Ribena was bought by my cousin and we mixed the drug, Rohypnol, inside the Ribena by injection. “It was three packets of Ribena but she didn’t finish the three. My cousin said about 10 tablets of Rohypnol was mixed in the three Ribenas. After she took some, she started feeling weak.” He also spoke about his background and escapades.
“I am a student of UNILAG, 300level Accounting (DLI). This is the first time I’m having a murder case, but I have used the drugs about four times on girls, before Cynthia, but none of the girls died. “I sleep with them and after they take the drink, they will lose memory of everything that happened to them,” Nwabufor said, adding: “The hotels I used to go to include Benny, Chelsea, OperaMini. And the hotel I took her to was Cosmilla Hotel, (Lakeview Estate, Phase 1, AmuwoOdofin). I live on Sixth Avenue, Continued on page 59
“For President Goodluck Jonathan, a Niger Delta native, such lavish expenditures have become a political liability. Despite a growing economy, his country of 167 million struggles to finance even the basics, starting with power plants, roads and sewers. A blossoming middle class in Nigeria’s cities has put further strain on public infrastructure.” The paper also said the country is spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year to maintain an uneasy calm in the oil-rich delta, where attacks ranging from theft to bombings to kidnappings pummeled oil production three years ago, to as low as 500,000 barrels on some days. It added: “This year alone, Nigeria will spend about $450 million on its amnesty programme, according to the government’s 2012 budget, more than what it spends to deliver basic education to children.” It quoted Jonathan’s aides as saying the treasury would face an even worse drain if a full-blown militancy in the delta flared up again. “If it’s too huge, what are the alternatives?” said Oronto Douglas, a senior adviser to Mr. Jonathan. But for the Managing Director of Shell, Mutiu Sunmonu: “For you to address the whole issue of poverty and development, you need some kind of peace. That is what I think the amnesty programme has offered.” The paper noted: “Theft fell sharply. Yet now, just as Nigeria’s state oil company has begun institutionalising pipeline-watch jobs for some ex-militants, theft has blossomed again.” Sunmonu said: “It’s quite an escalation. If nothing is done, it will continue to increase because more and more people will just come to feel that this is a gold field. We’re not going to give up on this and run away from it. We believe it can be stopped.”
CYNTHIA UDOKA OSUKOGU 1987-2012 •Born: November 10, 1987. •Place of birth: Jos, Plateau State. •Parents: MajorGen.\Mrs. Frank and Rita Osukogu. •Position in family: Last of four children and only daughter. •Did her National Youth Service in Plateau State. •Attended Nasarawa State University, Keffi, as a postgraduate student. •Opened boutique, Dresscode at age 21 in Keffi. •First modelling job in 2007 in Lagos. •Met her alleged killers on Blackberry group chat some months ago. •Came to Lagos on July 21. •Found dead in Cosmilla Hotel, Amuwo-Odofin on July 22.
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