Jos death toll hits 40

The death toll in the crisis that hit Jos, Plateau State last Sunday, has risen to 40. This is as Muslim community in the city said it lost 16 of its members in the riot.

Also the Red Cross confirmed that about 4,000 refugees are now scattered in three refuge camps in the city.

According to a statement by M. S. Mudi on behalf of Jos North Muslim Ummah, over 150 women and children are now in the central mosque taking refuge, with another 35 receiving treatment, as a result of the attack by some youths.

Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the clashes which claimed several lives and property.

The forum in a text message by its national publicity secretary, Mr. Anthony N.Z. Sani said the renewed clash in Jos was senseless and asked government at all levels to formulate policies that will engage the youths in productive ventures.

It said violence of whatever form was not acceptable to God and Nigerians, pointing out that religious, political and community leaders must wake up and inspire cultural renaissance which should be based on core values of humanity.

The text message read: "Following yet another report of violent clashes in the precinct of Nasarawa Gwom of Jos town in Plateau state, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) wishes to say enough of senseless violence leading top loss of lives.

"This is because violence, be it political, religious or ethnic differences are not acceptable to God or Allah as well as the peace loving people of Nigeria and to the atmosphere needed for socio-economic development. Surely, no society can thrive on the basis of its factions but by tolerant accommodation of one another.

"Religious, political and community leaders must brace up and inspire cultural renaissance by working hard to overcome differences that divide the people and this should be based on core values of humanity.

"Our leaders must also think and work harder in order to come up with policies and programmes that would preoccupy our youths in productive ventures.

"ACF commends the security agents and the Plateau state government for bringing the situation under immediate effective control. The government should also go further and investigate the incidences with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.

"ACF also commiserates with those innocent people who lost lives and properties in the course of the violent clashes. May God provide them with the fortitude to endure the losses and means for replacement", he said.

Meanwhile, commercial activities were paralyzed in the early hours of Monday, with corporate bodies like banks shutting their doors to customers, because of growing tension which enveloped the city centre.

The Red Cross officials said they are in dire need of relief materials and vehicles to cater for the 4,000 refugees now taken refuge at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) regional academy in Jos.

The NDLEA Commander in Plateau, Mr. Ralph Igwe, said in Jos on Monday that many of the victims complained that their houses had been burnt.

"Those whose houses were not burnt are afraid of molestation by hoodlums. They are feeding themselves. We are constrained by the lack of fund to provide their immediate needs, because we didn't anticipate the crisis," he added.

Igwe said there might be food crisis in the camp, except normalcy returned, noting that the displaced persons had exhausted their foods.

He said the state government's delegation and officials of the Red Cross Society had visited the camp, but had yet to supply any relief materials.

"Many of the children, who slept outside yesterday in the cold, were coughing this morning," he added, and called for humanitarian assistance from well-meaning organisations.

Most of the affected persons alleged that those who attacked them in the Rikkos area of the city, were people they had lived peacefully with for several years.

They appealed for the supply of water and food items by well meaning Nigerians and organisations.

Muslim youths who stormed a church at Nassarawa Gwong Jos said the attacks by the Muslim youths are with out provocation.

They said it was "unfortunate that this hasty remark is coming from a very highly placed security personnel who is supposed to be the custodian of peace in the society who openly shows his bias against the Muslim Ummah when investigation had not commenced to ascertain what actually happen".

The statement said the hasty conclusion was nothing but an open instigation for reprisal attacks on the Muslims by the Christian pointing out that the Muslim Ummah has lost confidence of getting any protection of lives and their properties from the plateau state command under the leadership of the current commissioner of police in the state.

Also speaking, the man who was in the centre of the storm, Kabiru Mohammed said his house was burnt down in 2008 which necessitated it renovation.

He said he brought labourers to the site to effect the renovation and when work commenced on the site, some Christian youth stormed the site to prevent the labourers from working saying the area is mainly for Christian.

He said some people who call themselves indigene said he should be stopped from working on the site which prompted him to report the matter to some soldiers in the area.

He said when this was going on, one of the youths ran from the scene and went to mobilize others to the scene telling them that some Hausa youth beat him to a stage of comma and before he could say Jack Robbin the whole community invaded the site and problem started.

Mohammed added that the soldiers were pleading to the youth to be patient so that it could be sorted out but the youth insisted and there were stoning people in the area, all of a sudden we were told that they are fighting around Baptist that is all I know.

Similar, the Chief Immam of the Jos central Mosque Sheikh Balarabe Dawoud has appeal to politicians, religious and community leaders to caution their followers not to foment trouble in the state.

He also urged the youths to be patient with one another adding that no one should burn people's house or attack people on the street saying they should stop peddling unnecessary rumour which will also fuel the crises in the state.

Daily Champion

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Nigeria records first swine flu death

The Federal Ministry of Health yesterday warned the public to beware of the deadly HINI Influenza virus, commonly known as Swine flu, as Nigeria has officially recorded its first death from the pandemic.

Before the latest case, there was a suspected Swine Flu death in December last year but the victim had died before samples could be collected, according to the ministry.

A statement signed by the Special Assistant (Communica-tion) to the Minister of Health, Mr. Niyi Ojuolape, advised people with associated symptoms to go for medical check-up without delay.

Giving an update on the incidence of the H1N1 Influenza, he said as at January 18, 2010, Nigeria had recorded 11 laboratory confirmed cases.

Last year, a nine-year-old American girl had the flu sometime last year but she later recovered.

The most recent case was that of a 38-year-old woman from Bayelsa State living in Lagos who tested positive, according to the Ministry of Health.

She was said to have travelled to the US about three months ago. She fell sick six weeks ago and died on Tuesday, January 5, at a hospital in Lagos.

He explained that the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health had collected samples from the index case and her contacts for further investigation.

Eight out of the 40 samples of close contacts collected were found to have tested positive to Influenza H1N1.

This, he noted, had prompted a meeting of Epidemiologists of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) along with the World Health Organisation (WHO) States' Surveillance Officers during which vaccine deployment plan was discussed among other important issues.

Ojuolape said enhanced disease surveillance including active case search in some designated health facilities is currently on in all the states of the federation and FCT.

He also said all documentation for the donation of Influenza H1N1 vaccine to the country including vaccine deployment plan had been completed and forwarded to WHO headquaters in Geneva.

In addition, the government is putting together all the required processes for the deployment of the vaccines, he explained.

Swine flu has flu-like symptoms such as coughing, lack of appetite, fever, running nose, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throats among others.

It is highly contagious and is believed to have killed thousands across the world.

This Day

Resurgence of religious riots in Nigeria

There is a troubling dimension to the agonizing state of things in Nigeria today. Despite the magnitude of crippling problems such as poverty, ignorance, hunger, disease and inept leadership ravaging the country, religious fundamentalists and purveyors of violence are still on the prowl. In what has now come to be seen as a recurrent ritual, an Islamic sect, this time known as Kala-kato (meaning "he has said") and claiming to be an offshoot of the original Maitatsine sect of the 1980s, clashed recently with soldiers from the 33 Field Artillery Brigade, Bauchi leaving over 80 people dead, according to reports, and scores of houses and property razed. Innocent victims of the holocaust are still counting their losses.

Yet, as concerned Nigerians ponder over the crisis of internal security mechanism in the country, the pervasive culture of impunity and the government's seeming complacency and lethargic disposition to the menace, certain questions beg for answer: For how long shall we continue with this situation as a nation? What are our national values? Does the country have enough intelligence structures in place to checkmate the recurring religious mayhem? What are the security agents doing to put a stop to this ugly trend? Why do we lack the political will to treat issues that are criminal in nature as such?

Under successive administrations until, perhaps, the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida in the mid-1980s, religion in Nigeria was practised in the context of a secular state; it was institutionalized and rarely disruptive of the Nigerian public life. But unfortunately, the years since then have brought unanticipated developments in the relationship between religion and the polity.

First, contrary to the constitutional position, religion is very much in evidence in government, which means that the secular paradigm and freedom from religious bias that had dominated Nigeria's official life have come to be questioned. Second, rather than being contained within private endeavours, religion has increasingly been suffusing state institutions, establishing itself firmly in official matters. We strongly believe the country should be wary of this trend. Nigeria does not have an official state religion and no one individual or group should think of foisting it on the country.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 clearly states: "Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance." Regrettably, certain actions or inactions of the Nigerian authorities, concerning their official approach to religious matters in recent times, all point to the contrary.

Besides the official posturing by Nigerian leaders during the regime of General Babangida that Nigeria was a member of the controversial Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the official representation of Nigeria at a meeting of an organization known as the G8 (group of eight Islamic nations, namely: Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Egypt and Palestine) during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, there is an embarrassing rumour that Nigeria is a leading member of yet another organization called "Islam for Africa". We are apprehensive that official meddlesomeness in religious matters is at the root of the incessant religious tensions and crises bedevilling the nation.

The 2004 ethno-religious turmoil in Plateau and Kano States exposed the Federal Government's lack of objectivity in handling such volatile matters. The then President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian, chose to tongue lash Christian leaders at the slightest provocation, subsequently imposing emergency rule on Plateau, but leaving Kano, with a record of more violent riots, untouched. Ever since, the frequency with which Islamic extremists have unleashed terror on the nation leaves much to be desired. The danger inherent in such costly misadventure is that Nigeria is continuously on tenterhooks, but apparently unmindful that the thin thread of peace and tranquility might snap without notice.

That Bauchi alone witnessed three violent religious riots in 2009 is not a good omen for the peace of the nation. The deplorable trend persists because government appears helpless and lacks the courage to prosecute offenders and perpetrators of these evil acts. Besides, the government must take further responsibility for its failure to provide jobs for the growing population of idle youths. Until the underlying economic hardships are addressed, desperate youths will continue to be manipulated by selfish politicians and religious bigots to cause trouble. Islamic leaders themselves should not be exonerated from blame in the mass hysteria afflicting sections of the nation.

Community policing will go a long way in arresting this ugly development. Yet, we believe that Nigeria has a functioning intelligence network; the main challenge has always been acting on the available information. We must pull back from the brink. Nigeria cannot afford a religious war.

Daily Independent

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American Varsity expels Yar'Adua's nephew over drugs

A nephew of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Akilu Musa Yar'adua, aged 18, was expelled by the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, over his alleged involvement in drug-related offences.

Akilu, son of late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, elder brother to the President, who was Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters during General Olusegun Obasanjo's military administration from 1976 to 1979, was one of the 10 students expelled by the elite institution over various offences.

Speaking at the orientation organised for new batch of intakes of about 300 students, weekend, Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. David Kosoko, said the institution has zero tolerance for all vices within and outside its campus and charged the new intakes to strictly conform with the institution's rules and regulations.

He said authorities of the school would not hesitate to show any deviant student the way out, no matter how privileged the family might be.

Kosoko said 10 students were expelled for various offences, out of which six were expelled over drugs, and four over laptop thefts, adding that four others were suspended for various infractions against the school regulations.

He said a disciplinary committee of the university had to invite the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to test the students involved and ascertain their levels of involvement in drug usage. Kosoko, who declined to mention the type and quantity of the illicit drugs found with the students, said an almost foolproof system of checking vices such as drugs and cultism have been put in place by the institution to check their students and call on other tertiary institutions in the country to come and learn from AUN, Yola.

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17 feared dead in Jos crisis

At least 17 persons were feared killed and many wounded, as crisis yesterday erupted in Nasarawa Gwong, part of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. 

The government has since imposed a dusk to dawn curfew even as the state police commissioner, Mr. Greg Ayangting could not confirm whether places of worship were destroyed. Daily Champion gathered that 35 suspects have been arrested. 

This is coming barely  three weeks after the presidential panel looking into the killings of November 28 2009 Jos North crisis sat to unravel the causes and implication of the last crisis in some parts of the same local government.

Though there are two versions to the cause of yesterday’s crisis, our Correspondent gathered that problem started when a man whose house was destroyed during the last crisis attempted to rebuild his home. Some youths reportedly attacked him because he did not consult them before embarking on the project.

However, another version said the conflict began from a football pitch where a local match took place among the youths of Dutse Ukwu. The said match ended in controversy as fans and players of both teams engaged themselves in a free-for-all which led to tension in the area.

A statement by the state police command said there was a breach of peace in the afternoon at Nasarawa Gwom, Jos, and that the police have been able to rise up to the challenges.
The statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Muhammed Lerama, urged citizens to go about their normal business and warned that the police are ready to deal with anyone who puts the law into his or her hand.

Areas mostly affected by the crisis apart from Nasarawa Gwom include, Bauchi road, Dutse Ukwu, Congo Russia, Sarkin Mangun, Sabon Layi, Alikazaure and Massalacin Jumaa.
Meanwhile, a statement on the imposed curfew signed by the state commissioner of information,. Mr. Gregory Yenlong advised residents to “strictly adhere to this directive as all efforts are being intensified to ensure the safety of live and properties”.

He called on the citizens to “cooperate with the police and security agencies charged with the responsibility of maintaining peace and order and to remain calm as government was doing everything possible to nip in the bud, the prevailing security situation.” 

 Champion

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Wole Soyinka says Nigeria is becoming a failed state

Nigeria ranked 15th in the 2009 index of failed states in the world