Nigerian Navy Smash Crude Oil Theft Syndicate

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ezeoba

…Suspects store product in 100 local tank farms/refineries

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

In its continuous quest to curb the menace of crude oil theft as encapsulated in the Strategic Guidance 01 of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, weekend smashed a top oil theft syndicate in Rivers State.

SEGUN ADENIYI: A Space at the Mortuary...

ADENIYI

 The Verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi. Email: olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

If there is any development that depicts the state of affairs in our country today, it is what happened last week following the coordinated attacks by Boko Haram on police, army and prison formations in Bama, Borno State. As it is now well documented, Boko Haram gunmen had attacked the two police barracks, the army barracks, the main prison, the LGA secretariat, the magistrate court, the revenue office, the primary health care center and a public school in the border town. At the end of the invasion during which they also set ablaze the Divisional Police Headquarters, 22 policemen, 14 prison officials and three soldiers were killed.

DELE MOMODU: The Dark Lonely Road

MOMODU

Fellow Nigerians, after several years of prevarication, dilly-dallying and apparent confusion about how to tackle the dangerously volatile menace of Boko Haram, as well as other terrorist groups the chickens finally came home to roost last Tuesday, May 14, 2013. The government of President Goodluck Jonathan had been largely seen as a lame duck and criticised for its inability to curtail the spread of violence in the country and by the manner he seemed to have handled the issue of general insecurity with kids’ gloves. He was accused and summarily convicted by most citizens of timidity. They hinged their decision on the fact that the President had announced to the whole world that he knew those who were behind the ferocious spate of bombings and killings but had done nothing to hunt down, arrest and prosecute the culprits. That was not all.

SIMON KOLAWOLE: Nigeria in a State of Emergency

KOLAWOLE

Police and SSS officers ambushed and massacred in Nasarawa. Bama and Baga overrun by insurgents. Kidnappings continue in the South-east. Fulani herdsmen in bloody battle with Benue villagers. Scores killed at Wukari funeral clash. Massive oil theft in the Niger Delta. Silent killings in Southern Kaduna villages. Bomb attack on passenger bus in Kano. Body bags are now as common as sachets of “pure water”. Pray, is the end nigh for Nigeria? Any unbiased observer is bound to conclude that things are getting out of control, and even the finest of optimists will readily admit doubts about the future of Nigeria. It seems there is a fierce competition for horror and violence across the nation. And, most disturbingly, it appears the state is too overwhelmed to arrest the torrent of tragedy.

Nigerians Dominate 2013 Caine Prize Shortlist

Four out of the five writers shortlisted for the 2013 Caine Prize for African fiction are Nigerians. They are Chinelo Okparanta, for “America” from Granta, Issue 118 (London, 2012); Elnathan John for “Bayan Layi” from Per Contra, Issue 25 (USA, 2012); Tope Folarin for “Miracle” from Transition, Issue 109 (Bloomington, 2012); and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim for “The Whispering Trees” from “The Whispering Trees”, published by Parrésia Publishers (Lagos, 2012).

The fifth writer is Pede Hollist from Sierra Leone for “Foreign Aid” from Journal of Progressive Human Services, Vol. 23.3 (Philadelphia, 2012).

Maku: Why Achebe Did Not Win Nobel Prize

Chinua Achebe

But for his  preference for African motif in his books, especially the Igbo tradition, the  late Prof. Chinua Achebe would have received the Nobel Prize like other international authors, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said  Sunday. The minister, who said Achebe lived and died for his strong belief in exposing Africa’s rich culture to the world,  added that he failed to win the coveted prize because he refused to pander to the literary taste of the international community.

Maku, speaking at the commendation service organised by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), in Abuja, praised the late author for his ingenuity and doggedness in promoting African culture.

He said: ”I’m not totally surprise that late Chinua Achebe did not win the Nobel Prize in his lifetime. Rather than dancing to the tune, I mean the style of the Western world, he concentrated on our tradition here in Africa, especially that of the Igbo extraction, thereby projecting our culture in a good light to the whole world. We will miss him.”

Finally, Lagos Commences Work on Fourth Mainland Bridge

Governor Fashola

The Lagos State Government has finally started a preliminary work on the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

The 26-kilometre infrastructure would be designed to link Ikorodu to the state’s economic hub in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, disclosed this in an interview with THISDAY, saying there was no problem on the development of the project contrary to speculations that it had been abandoned.

Hamzat, who once served as the state Commissioner for Science and Technology, explained why full work had not commenced on the proposed bridge linking it to a good number of buildings, which he said, would be affected if the old alignment was the state’s preferred option for the right of way.

Jonathan: Emergency Rule is Yielding Results

president Jonathan

As the military continues its onslaught against Boko Haram in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, President Goodluck Jonathan has thanked Nigerians for their support for the emergency rule declared in the three states, assuring them that the effort of the armed forces has already started yielding positive results.

His statement coincided with the pledge by the country’s armed forces to continue their offensive against militants in the north-east for "as long as it takes" to achieve its main objective.

Nasarawa Massacre: Police Dole out N1m Each to Bereaved Families

IG OF POLICE, ABUBAKAR

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

It is perhaps a new dawn in the police force as compensation packages were doled out at the weekend to families who had lost their breadwinners during the massacre of policemen in Nasarawa State recently. This is even distinct from their formal terminal entitlements.

The bereaved families of the over 60 police officers of the Mobile Police Force, Squadron 38, who were killed in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, by the deadly militia group, Ombatse, have been given N1 million each as a prelude to the compensation process.