Thursday, August 4, 2011

Nigeria Ranks 19th On Terrorism Risk Index

Nigeria occupies nineteenth position on the list of "extreme risk" countries and territories, according to the latest Terrorism Risk Index (TRI) released by Maplecroft.


Maplecroft, a United Kingdom-based risk analysis and mapping firm, has an international team of 75 multidisciplinary experts-including over 50 research analysts.


It provides services used extensively by leading global corporations across all sectors, governments, United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations.


t developed TRI to enable business to identify and monitor the risks posed by terrorism to employees and assets in 197 countries.


In the latest TRI released by the firm, 20 countries and territories were rated as "extreme risk," with Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan topping the list in that order. These top four countries also sustain over 75 per cent of world's fatalities from terrorism.


Other countries rated as extreme risk include the newly independent South Sudan (5), Yemen (6), Palestinian Occupied Territories (7), DR Congo (8), Central African Republic (9), Colombia (10), Algeria (11), Thailand (12), Philippines (13), Russia (14), Sudan (15), Iran (16), Burundi (17), India (18), Nigeria (19) and Israel (20).


Other categories of ranking include high risk, medium risk, low risk, and no data countries.


The UK-based risk advisory company stated on it's website that none of the major Western economies fall within the 'high' or 'extreme risk' bracket.


It rated as "medium risk", UK which was ranked 38 because of the deteriorating security conditions in Northern Ireland, while United States was ranked 61 and rated as "low risk."


The latest TRI also noted that there is a 15 per cent increase in terrorist attacks globally.


The risk advisory firm said the latest index was based on data available to calculate the frequency and lethality of terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.


It also includes a historical component assessing the number of attacks over five years and the risks relating to countries' geographic proximity to terrorist hotspots.


On Nigeria, it said, "Security conditions in Nigeria remain fragile and a source of concern for investors."


It cited the activities of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which it said had launched attacks beyond the Delta, in Abuja, the nation's capital city.


It is, however, important to note that the ranking of Nigeria was based on the data available on terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.


Lately, there had been series of bomb attacks in the northeastern states of Borno and Bauchi, and North-central state of Niger by Boko Haram. Mid-June, the group struck in the heart of the nation's capital detonating a bomb at the car park of the Nigeria Police headquarters.


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Bus runs over and kills 14 passengers during robbery

At least 14 passengers were killed on Tuesday along Zaraki-Kabaa Junction, Okene-Lokoja Road, when a truck ran over them where they were lying face down in obedience to the order of some armed bandits who had earlier forced them out of the luxury bus in which they were travelling to Abuja.


An eyewitness told The Moment that the bus owned by Chisco Transport Company with registration number XL 300 ABC, was travelling from Lagos to Abuja when it was forced to pull up by armed robbers at about 5 a.m. Tuesday.


It was learnt that the robbers who used a vehicle to block the side of the road flagged down the bus, and immediately ordered all the passengers to come out and lay flat on the road before they started robbing them of their belongings one after another.


The source further said that while the robbery operation was going on, another incoming luxury bus and a truck also heading for Abuja axis, without knowing what was happening, allegedly ran over them, killing virtually everybody that laid on the ground.


The Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kogi Command, Mr. Sunday Maku who confirmed the incident said his men got to the scene of the accident after receiving some distress calls. He said 14 persons who were already confirmed dead had been deposited at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) and the state Specialists Hospital (SH), Lokoja.


He further said that the incident took place at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday, noting that it was difficult to identify the bodies because they were mangled beyond recognition, adding that those whose relations travelled on the bus from Lagos to Abuja should check the FMC and SH Lokoja for possible identification of the victims.


Maku warned travellers to shun traveling in the night, stressing that the dangers it pose outweigh its advantages (if there is any at all).


The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okansanmi, also confirmed the incident said only 13 people lost their lives in the incident.


The long drawn search by the anti-crime unit of the Kogi State Police Command paid off early hours of yesterday when the two dare devil armed robbers were shot dead by the police at Okene in Okene local government area of the state.


The police, in a show of bravery on their return to the state command from the operation, shot sporadically into the air. The development attracted a lot of people who trooped out en masse to catch a glimpse of the lifeless bodies of the gang leader, simply identified as Azeez, and one of his accomplices who have been terrorising the people of Okene local government and its environs for many months.


Last week, The Moment learnt that about four of the robbers were arrested and brought to the command for investigation, which led to yesterday's gun battle between the police and the robbers. The superior fire- power of the police eventually killed Azeez and his member gang while others escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds.


The Moment gathered that they held Azeez and his gang responsible for the killing of a Police Inspector in Okene early this year.


The development led the state Commissioner of Police Mr. John Abakasanga to have put his men on red alert for apprehension of the robbers. The intelligence gathering of the Okene Divisional Police Command paid off with information that led to arrest of four members of the gang.


Items recovered from the dead robbers include various designs of army uniforms, charms, machetes, AK 47 and other dangerous weapons.


When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command confirmed the incidents, and said the suspect will be paraded after conclusion of investigation.


The Moment


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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Former Chief security officer Major Hamza Al-Mustapha claims video evidence of Abacha death


Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who has been on trial for more than 12 years over alleged murder, yesterday, broke down in tears at a Lagos High Court, lamenting that he was kept behind bars because the authorities did not want him to reveal how late Gen. Sani Abacha and late Chief M.K.O. Abiola were murdered.


Al-Mustapha who is standing trial for the death of the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola opened his defence, yesterday.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Al-Mustapha, told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada,  that he had both audio and video evidence of how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Moshood M.K.O Abiola were allegedly murdered.


Al-Mustapha told the court that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was afraid he (Al-Mustapha) would make pubic, information at his disposal, hence he wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
He said: “My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abubakar to further keep me in prison.


“First were the events that happened after the murder of General Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola and for fear that I may divulge information that led to their death, they had to keep me in prison.”


He further told the court: “There is documentary evidence to show that shortly after the death of late Abiola, the then Head of State (allegedly) ordered that various sums of money be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He told the court that $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the CBN to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.


He told the court that all visitations to the late Abiola were on tape, disclosing that some people after visiting Abiola would come back at night to the Presidential Villa to speak against him.
How I made Abdulsalami Head of State


“I am an officer who is being persecuted. After the death of Abacha so much happened within three days and the country was without a President or Vice President. The then Vice President, Lt Gen Diya, was imprisoned for staging a coup. Many senior officers wanted to become Head of State, but God gave me the wisdom and I assisted General Abdulsalami Abubakar to become President. But, this is the price I am paying for my loyalty and for assisting him.”


Al-Mustapha said he did not order Sergeant Barnabas Jabila Msheila (alias Sgt Rogers) to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, saying: “On several occasions I assisted the Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Mr. Kola Abiola, his personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo and his lawyers to visit him (Abiola) in prison. Abiola would have been killed the very day Abacha died but I relocated him within the barracks and used the Strike Force to protect him from those who wanted to balance the equation.”


The matter was adjourned to tomorrow for continuation of the trial.


Vanguard


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