Aftermath of the Abuja Bomb-Blast, Yusuf Ciaxon Still Missing

A man who live-tweeted from the scene of an attempted jailbreak in the Nigerian capital Abuja 13 days ago, has disappeared. Activists believe he may have been arrested, and have launched a Twitter campaign for his release.

 

The hashtag #FreeCiaxon and the Twitter handle @ciaxon have been trending in Nigeria since late on Wednesday. There’s also a lot of discussion about it on Facebook. On 30 March, the man who runs the @ciaxon account found himself at the scene of a dramatic fight between Nigerian security forces and detainees trying to escape from the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters.

It was big news in Nigeria. The SSS HQ is a stone’s throw from the presidential palace, and the detainees were – according to officials – suspected militants from the notorious group, Boko Haram. Official sources say more than 20 people were killed.

Much of the news came from social media sources at the scene – like @ciaxon. It’s believed Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi – also referred to as Isiaka Yusuf – runs @ciaxon. He tweeted developments, including a series of images showing both the attackers and Nigerian soldiers. The pictures were picked up by news outlets in the country. But since then, there has been complete silence on Twitter from @ciaxon. And the silence has not been just virtual. Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi’s brother Sanusi told BBC Trending that he has not been able to reach him since that day. His car has been left abandoned.

“Nobody has given us any information. We are in the darkness. It’s inhuman, it’s very, very unfair,” he says. When a friend contacted Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi’s workplace to ask where he was, he was told he had been arrested.

# Scene of the blast in Abuja

The SSS has not responded to confirm or deny Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi’s detention. But Nigerians have taken to social media to demand answers. “How can you arrest people for taking pictures – this is the 21st Century,” says Fola Lawal, a Nigerian now based in Qatar, who started the Twitter hashtag #FreeCiaxon. “I would have done the same in his shoes. It’s called citizen reporting.”
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission has started an investigation into his whereabouts. High-profile figures, including the World Bank’s former Africa vice-president Obiageli Ezekwesili, have tweeted calling for his release. “It’s very, very important this gets attention,” says lawyer and writer Ayo Sogunro, who’s been researching and tweeting actively about the case. Critics say the government is trying to regulate social media. The irony in this case, says Sogunro, is the tweets from the @ciaxon account were broadly supportive of the security forces.

Called from: BBC

PDP Plans to take over Borno & Yobe as the 2014 Election Approaches

As the 2015 general elections approaches, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has concluded arrangements to take over both Borno and Yobe states through a tactical team headed by the Minister of State for Power, Hon Mohammed Wakil.

A tactical committee has been put up comprising of some key leaders from the zone with series of meetings already held in Abuja and Maiduguri. The party’s plan is to take over not just Borno and Yobe states but Ekiti and Osun states to compensate for whatever loss the party may experience in the North/Western part of the country at the 2015 general elections.

The committee, said to have the blessing of the Presidency is said to have prepared an elaborate plans hinged on three pronged strategies for the operation take over Borno and Yobe states. The agenda is based on three strategies which implementation is said to be ongoing in the affected states.

At a time debate is on as to whether election should hold in the two states or not, checks showed that the Presidency accepted the three pronged agenda in anticipation that election will still be held in the two states. Wakil, who is a former North-East zonal vicechairman of the party, is particularly tasked with the implementation of the three point strategies starting with Borno State.

The first plan, according to a source privy to the agenda, is to push ahead with the ploy to lure the Borno State governor, Kashim Shetimma, into the PDP. The plot is said to have reached an advanced state even though the reconciliation between Senator Ali Modu Sherrif and the governor is still shaky.

A PDP source said the party, through Wakil, is reaching out to ensure that the governor is given a space to rerun for the governorship in 2015 on the platform of the PDP.

Checks showed that Wakil is a childhood friend of the governor and he was said to have had several meetings with the governor with the plan to impress on the governor on the need to cross over to the PDP. Wakil just last week travelled to Borno and met the governor, who was also full of praises of Wakil and top PDP leaders who visited him at the Government House.

The second plot was the immediate rebuilding of Borno PDP, which has started in earnest going by development in Borno chapter of the party. It was learnt that the PDP structure was virtually paralyzed with series of defection and very low morale among party members.

The inner caucus of the President were said to have concluded that Wakil’s records placed him in good stead to lead the rebuilding efforts. A source in the Presidency said Wakil is expected to provide leadership for the party by strengthening its structures across the 27 local government areas of the state. “The PDP structure is said to have collapsed.

The President believed Wakil with his records, despite his young age, is the right man to lead the rebuilding and take over plot,” the source said. In pursuance of the agenda, Wakil was in Borno State holding clandestine meetings and setting up what a source called task forces.

He was said to have moved round the dangerous part of the state, meeting PDP leaders including a visit to the heart of Maiduguri where he had closed door meeting with an undisclosed elder statesman.

Further findings showed that the third approach was a deliberate increase in federal presence through accelerated implementation of federal projects in the area. As at the time of filling this report, it was learnt that the PDP has largely encircled the ruling party in both Yobe and Borno states.

Wole Soyinka seeks Non Partisan Approach Over Boko Haram War

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said that Nigeria need to seek non partisan approach towards solving the problem posed by the Boko Haram sect to the country.

Soyinka said this in Osogbo on Monday at colloquium organised by the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding(CBCIU) entitled “Fundamental Imperatives of Cohabitation Faith and Secularism.”

Soyinka, who is the Chairman of CBCIU said that the killings by the sect transcended  partisan politics saying every Nigerian irrespective of religious or political leaning must rise up against it.


He described the  incessant killings by the  sect as nothing but a war with the nation.

He said, “What is happening now goes beyond politics. I think there should be a non partisan approach  to it. Enough atrocities have been committed, programmed structured atrocities with a goal in view".

“What is happening is not unique to Nigeria and I think there are histories we can learn from either to reject solutions there  or play varitions on them. but a truthful and obejctive analysis of them.  This is not a partisan situation".

“I said it about four years ago before David Mark and one governor that this is a war situation. It is internal war, it cant call called civil war but this nation is at war with itself. A war situation is a non partisan situation. This  is no the time to start playing politics  with what is approaching. It is happening again in Abuja. We can’t contribute to smear mentholatum over leprosy. It doesn’t get us anywhere.”

He described the killing of students in Bunu Yadi in Borno State and the killing of students traveling to write last Saturday Unified Tertiary Matriculation  Examination as highly condemnable.

He said that thinking that what is happening  in the North did not concern those down South was erroneous belief because

Soyinka said that the emergence of religious centers along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway constituted nuisance to travelers on the ever busy roads while blaming the Christian for starting it.

He said that the Muslims waited for a long time before some of them joined saying the road would have been totally blocked if traditional religions worshipers also had placed their camps along the highway.

Dare Art Alade Lost His Cool On Nigerian Idol Print

Just as the first episode showcasing the first group of the Top 30 contestants of the music talent show, Nigerian Idol, aired on Sunday, 23 March, Darey Art Alade, R&B star and one of the Season 4 judges lost his cool and lashed out at a contestant after a woeful performance.

•Darey Art Alade

Royal George, a contestant from Benin, performed Rihanna’s all time hit song, ‘Diamonds’.  Aside from having pitch issues, George also made a mess of the lyrics of the song.

“That was a royal mess. Messy lyrics, pitch issues, you know you didn’t do well,” said a disappointed Darey.

Irrespective of Darey’s outburst, it had been a hard-won battle to make it to the top 30 for the Nigerian Idol contestants who have struggled with exhaustion, nerves and against thousands of other hopefuls also looking for their ticket to fame and stardom.

Ten of the Top 30 contestants selected had to battle it with Sellar and impressive performances for an opportunity to win the hearts of both the judges and the viewers at home.

Performing songs from various international artistes, the first group of 10 had four golden tickets from the audition phase. Only three of the acts in the group were able to impress the judges.

When asked to sum up his experience for the day, Darey said Evelle, Daniel Buba and Elvis Jay, were the three contestants that did it for him that night.

“Unfortunately, the judges don’t get to decide which contestants go on to the next stage, only the votes of viewers at home will determine who goes home or stays back to battle for the coveted Idol crown,” Darey said.

Meanwhile, Afrobeat musician Dede Mabiku, another of the judges, brought back the legacy of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti during the recording of the first group of Top 30 contestants of Nigerian Idol Season 4.

“Fela influenced who I am today greatly, so though he is no more in body, he constantly remains in my heart,” said Dede, who dressed in a black T-shirt that had a painted picture of Fela Kuti in front with the legendary Fela pose and an inscription behind saying ‘United We Stand’.

Hosted by On-Air Personality, Ill Rymz; International soul singer, Nneka Egbuna, made up the trio of the judges.

SOURCE: PM NEWS

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