Kidnappers Abduct Biz Mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim's Mum

The 65 year-old mother of business mogul, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, Madam Mafe Jimoh, was kidnapped by four gun wielding men, Sunday, even as the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta Central Senatorial District, Chief Ighoyota Amori, whose 97-year-old mother, Mrs. Obireyibo Amori was kidnapped by gunmen, few days ago, refused to "play ball" to the chagrin of the kidnappers.

Kidnappers of Barrister Ibrahim's mother were yet to request for any ransom because a family source said the mother of the politician left her phone in the house when she was whisked away by the kidnappers.

Vanguard learnt that Madam Mafe was kidnapped by four armed men who invaded the billionaire's Igbotako country home, in Okitipupa Council Area of Ondo State.

The state Police Command's image maker, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, confirmed the kidnap of the mother of the politician yesterday, noting that the family of the politician reported the incident at the Igbotako Police Station around 11.30 p.m., weekend.

He said the Command has commenced full investigation into the matter to ensure that the woman was released unhurt.

Vanguard gathered that the four gunmen arrived the one-storey building around 8.00pm, and pretended that they wanted to buy some locally made mats which she sells.

One of the guards employed by the politician, Donatus Ekuma, told newsmen at Igbotako: "Mama was upstairs when the kidnappers arrived. Four of them came in a vehicle. Two came down from the car and demanded to see Mama. They claimed to be her customers and that they wanted to buy some mats. I told them that Mama was resting upstairs but they insisted on seeing her personally before making their purchase and I obliged them."

Ekuma said the story changed when the old woman came out to meet her 'customers' as she was held with force and dragged into their waiting vehicle.

He said: "I immediately raised the alarm but the gunmen pointed their guns at me and other domestic staff on duty, ordering us to lie face-down."

Vanguard learnt that the driver attached to Madam Mafe was said to have gone out when the kidnappers invaded the house but left the vehicle in front of the building.

Efforts to speak with the elder brother of the politician, Mr. Sola Jimoh, proved abortive as he failed to answer his calls.

Meanwhile, the senatorial candidate of the PDP in Delta Central, Chief Ighoyota Amori, has refused to pay N50 million ransom as requested by the kidnappers of his 97-year-old mother, Mrs. Obireyibo Amori.

Amori refuses to pay N50m ransom

Vanguard learnt that in line with the warning of the Anti-Kidnapping Task Force set up by the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Chief Amori has refused pay ransom to the kidnappers, who initially asked for N100 million.

The kidnappers who shifted their base from Warri metropolis as a result of the manhunt for them by the DWSC Anti-Kidnapping Task Force, stormed the Obokpa, Mosogar residence of Mrs. Amori and seized the old woman.

They reportedly found their way to Mosogar en-route Jesse and fled to the creek via Ajagbodudu with their victim.

A source told Vanguard: "They thought Amori would genuflect and start negotiating ransom with them, but so far, they have failed. They first asked for N100 million and reduced it to N50 million when they found out the PDP senatorial candidate was not responding. Before then, they threatened that he should pay the ransom or drop his senatorial ambition."

It was gathered that the kidnappers who have not received favourable response from Chief Amori have been calling him frequently on his GSM line to act.

The source said: "They know that the DWSC Anti-Kidnapping Task Force is already on them and that if they keep the woman for too long, they would be tracked down, so they want Chief Amori to pay money quickly to them."

The PDP senatorial candidate for Delta Central, Chief Amori, who confirmed the kidnap of his mother pleaded with the kidnappers to release the aged woman, who is old enough to be a grandmother or great grandmother to her captors.

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Nuhu Ribadu Vows to Jail Rogue Politicians

Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday threatened to jail those who have looted the treasury in the last 12 years if elected in 2011.

The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who made the statement in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital during his presidential rally, said the ACN is like a revolution that would sweep the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) out of Nigeria.

Ribadu and his running mate , Mr Fola Adeola and other party leaders, who brisk into the venue of the campaign rally along Iworoko road at about 3.55pm, said he would fix the country's economy if he becomes the president

"ACN is changing Nigeria and is going to kick the PDP out of the country. I represent the youth generation , a young man is taking over the country after 2011

"If we are elected, we are going to provide employment, build hospitals, create wealth, build industries to take care of the youths. PDP have destroyed Nigeria by its inability to impact on the lives of the people in the last 12 years.

"We are going to focus on peace and unity, provide security . This will not be a great task to achieve because of my experience in the public service and that of my running mate , Mr Fola Adeola in the private sector

"PDP have destroyed Nigeria. They have stolen our money and now, we should come together and rescue our nation", Ribadu said

Other party leader at the event include, the former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now an ACN chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh; ACN national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and ACN governorship candidate in Oyo state, Mr Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi.

Others are former Ekiti state governor and the incumbent, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Dr Kayode Fayemi respectively; two PDP members in the House of Assembly, Hons Adebayo Morakinyo and Femi Adeleye representing Ikole 1 and Ido/Osi 2 respectively who decamped to ACN.

Tinubu who had harsh words for the PDP said youths' revolution has entered Nigeria even as he called on all and sundry to embrace the progressive revolution and chase away the PDP out of Nigeria

He regretted that PDP has not been able to proffer lasting solution to the lingering crisis of poor power supply in Nigeria in the last 12 years after spending $17 billion on that sector without commensurate electricity generation.

Describing the PDP as a "power disaster party", the ACN leader posited that the party and other progressives will rescue the country like the Biblical Babylon in the Holy Book.

"God will deliver Nigeria the way it delivered the Babylon. PDP has become a disaster to this country. When the former President Olusegun Obasanjo got to power in 1999, he promised to provide stable power in six months; but did nothing after eight years, this was a confirmation of my belief that the PDP is a power disaster party.

"Despite the disaster in Japan, about 100 per cent of the power supply was taken away and within a week, over per cent had been restored, but the PDP spent 70 billion dollars in eight years and nothing to show for it

Tinubu said the 2007 elections which he said were massively rigged as a lesson to Nigerians, charged members of his party to be vigilant in the next elections and prevent rigging.

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Jessica Tata returns to U.S. to face charges

A Texas woman who allegedly fled to Nigeria after authorities say four children died in a fire at her day care facility is on her way back to the United States, a U.S. congresswoman said Sunday.

Jessica Tata was charged after she left a group of children alone inside a home with the stove on, officials have said. Four children died and three others were injured in the February blaze.

"I am glad she decided to make the right decision, which is to return to this country of which she is a citizen in order to face the charges against her," U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said in a statement.

Lee, D-Texas, said Tata left on a flight from Lagos, Nigeria, at about 5:30 p.m. ET and is expected to arrive in Houston within the next 24 hours.

"Hopefully, the return of Ms. Tata will begin to bring the right kind of closure, even as these families continue to mourn their loss, most likely throughout their lives," she said.

The U.S. Marshals Service declined to comment on Tata's status Sunday. Earlier this month, the agency added Tata to its "15 Most Wanted" fugitive list.

Tata allegedly left the seven children unsupervised in the home day-care facility and drove off in her car in February, authorities have said.

The blaze likely originated on an electric stove, which was on and had a pot on it containing oil, according to Houston Fire Department arson investigator Thomas Wood.

A definitive cause for the fire will be announced once the investigation is complete.

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Nigeria votes for No-Fly zone in Libya

The Nigerian Mission to the United Nations (UN) has explained that the actions of Libyan authorities to violate the terms of the resolution and fundamental principles of international law informed its vote for the no-fly zone over Libya.

The United Nations Security Council had onThursday evening approved a draft resolution calling for a no-fly zone over Libya to assist rebels.

The draft resolution passed with 10 votes in favor and none opposed.

Five countries, including China, Russia, Germany and Brazil, abstained from voting on the issue.

Addressing the Security Council's debate in New York on the situation in Libya, the Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Joy Ogwu said that the resolution being adopted was necessitated by the persistently grave and dire situation in Libya.

"Notwithstanding the clear expression of our common will and the comprehensive measures instituted under Resolution 1970, the Libyan authorities have continued to violate the terms of the resolution and fundamental principles of international law," She said.

Professor Joy Ogwu added that the current state of affairs leaves an indelible imprint on the conscience and moves the Nigerian government to act, adding that the magnitude of this humanitarian disaster is, indeed, what compelled Nigeria to vote in favour of this resolution.

She further noted that Nigeria's persistent calls for peace are rooted in the need to ensure the safety, dignity and availability of humanitarian assistance for a population in need, many of whom are Nigerian nationals.

She also noted that the emphasis of the resolution on the protection of civilians under threat of attack and the provisions for humanitarian assistance do much to address these concerns.

Saying that the League of Arab States and the African Union (AU) have spoken with one voice in condemnation of the situation in Libya, and rightly so as the crisis is one of regional import, the Nigerian top envoy stressed that Nigeria, as a member of the security council and a member of the AU maintains that foreign occupation is not an option to secure peace in Libya.

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97 Year Old Politician's Mother Kidnapped

Ninty-Seven year old mother of PDP senatorial candidate for Delta central senatorial in the April 2011 election, Mrs Ovireyibo Amori, has been kidnapped.

The Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that she was abducted in her Ugbokpa-Mosogar community, Ethiope West Local Government Area residence at about 8 o'clock Thursday night. Mrs Ovireyibo Amori was said to be taking fresh air outside her apartment when the kidnappers struck. Her political son Chief Ighoyota Amori confirmed the incident on phone, explaining that he got a ditress call at about 8pm that she had been kidnapped by yet unknown persons.

Amori said the kidnappers were in touch with him, giving him two conditions for therelease of their victim.

He said: "The kidnappers have been calling me, asking me to either dump my senatorial ambition or part with N100 million as ransom."

He called the kidnap political. He said he had informed the police of the situation.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Charles Muka confirmed the incident, saying Madam Amori was taken through Jesse River in a waiting boat.

Muka said the Mercedes Benz car with number plate AZ 70 ADJ, in which the woman was driven from her compound, was submerged in the Jesse River, but was later recovered by the police.

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