Super Eagles crush Liberia 6-1

Super Eagles yesterday banished the ghost of 2012 disaster when they walloped the Lone Star of Liberia 6-1 at the UJ Esuene stadium Calabar to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Eagles opening goal came in the first minute of the first half from an unlikely source when lanky defender Ambrose Efe rose high to nod home the opener.

Expectations for more goals however waned as the Eagles lost the midfield to the Lone Star with danger man Oliseh Jambateh consistently threatening to break through in the weak side of the Eagles defence.

Ahmed Musa who did much to keep the Lone Star defence under pressure came close in the 15th minute but his effort went wide.

The Lone Star would have equalised in the 34th minute when Oliseh subdued Nosa Igiebor in the midfield but his shot on target was parried for corner by Enyeama.

The Eagles doubled their lead in the 38th minute when CSKA Moscow man, Ahmed Musa made good use of a through pass from Emmanuel Emenike.

The second half witnessed a harvest of goals as Chelsea new boy Victor Moses hit Eagles third goal of the night and his first for the national team in the 48th minute.

Moses Chelsea team mate, John Mikel Obi scored his second goal for the national team and the fourth for the Eagles on the night in the 50th minute when he stepped forward to convert the penalty kick that was awarded the Eagles when Real Betis man, Nosa Igiebor was badly brought down in the box.

In a bid to score more goals, Keshi brought on Ikechukwu Uche in place of lack-luster Emmanuel Emenike.

Shortly after the Lone Star captain, Gobro George Demen was sent off in the 62nd minute for a second yellow card, new entrant, Uche fired in the fifth goal in the 72nd minute.

In the 77th minute, Eagles went in search of more goals when Brown Ideye came on for Nosa Igiebor and went straight into business.

The Liberians consolatory goal came in the 83rd minute when substitute Foday Baakai Eddie cashed in on a defensive mix up to score for the Lone Star.

Lazio boy Onazi Ogenyi got his senior team debut when he came on toward the end of the match for Obiorah Nwankwo.

Victor Moses got a brace in the 87th minute to make it goal number six for Eagles.

From then on it was entertainment for the fans as the Eagles used the remaining minutes of the match to teach their opponents some rudimentary lessons in football.

Daily Trust

Video - Shell due in court over damages the oil company has caused in Nigeria

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell is to appear in court this Thursday for causing damage in the Niger Delta. It's the first time ever that a Dutch multinational is being put on trial at home to account for damage caused abroad.

The case has been filed by four Nigerian farmers and Friends of the Earth Netherlands.

"This court case will have groundbreaking legal repercussions for multinational corporations globally, and especially for European corporations," says Geert Ritsema, globalization campaign leader at Friends of the Earth Netherlands.

Shell argues that for many years, it was unable to clean up oil spills because of insecurity in the region. The Anglo-Dutch oil firm also claims that 75 percent of the oil spills are caused by sabotage and theft. Every day, 150,000 barrels of oil disappear in the delta.

RNW

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Boko Haram distances itself from Mubi killings

Boko Haram has denied killing about 40 students in Mubi, Adamawa State, last week an online publication, Premium Timesreports.

Gunmen invaded the Federal Polytechnic,Mubi and the state university located in the town and killed 40 of the students. The killings were condemned across the country.

A man, who claimed to be a senior member of the Islamic sect, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday that his group had nothing to do with the killings.

“We have no business with students or student politics. If students are our target we would have killed them randomly on sight and in their school and not sneak on them in the creeping darkness in an area occupied by both students and residents,” he said.

The man, who PREMIUM TIMES’ investigations revealed to be a member of the group, said if the sect wanted to attack educational facilities, it would have gone for structures and not students.

He said, “What would have been our target as far as I am concerned would have been the building and property of the institution, since it is owned by the government. At least, by now other students elsewhere would have been attacked if students are our concern.”

He said the mode of attack was not characteristic of the sect’s numerous attacks.

“Several statements by our spokesman and Imam in the past have made it clear who our enemies are. I don’t have to repeat it here. I don’t think anybody among us has the time to draw up a list or read it out before executing the students.”

The group’s denial throws another controversy into the likely perpetrators of the dastardly act. Some of the murdered students were shot while others were slaughtered. Security agencies are already investigating the criminal act.

The Boko Haram member, according to the report, also admitted that the Joint Task Force in the North had killed many of the sect’s members but claimed that some of those killed were innocent people having no links to the group.

He accused the JTF of hiding the casualty figure suffered by the force in various confrontations with Boko Haram.

He said, “We have killed a lot of security personnel in the North, especially in Yobe and Borno states, far more than the lies the JTF sell to you, media.

“A significant number of our brothers were killed but most of the people the JTF have killed have nothing to do with us. They are just youths in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

PUNCH

Related story: Video report on student massacre in Nigeria

Canada to assist Nigeria in fighting terrorism

Canadian government has pledged to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria in the fight against terrorism in the north of the country, while restating its commitment to strengthen the ties between both countries.

Canadian Foreign Minister, John Baird, who made the pledge in a statement in Abuja shortly after concluding his official visit to Nigeria, noted the mindless killing of innocent persons by terrorists in the north and said his country would not abandon Nigeria in her hour of needs.

Baird said: "Sadly, Nigeria is dealing with a deadly insurgency by radical extremists in the North, who are bent on using a warped reading of religion as a pretext for cowardly violence. I pledged Canada's support in the struggle against the scourge of terrorism."

On the Bi-National Commission between both countries, he said: "I was honoured to inaugurate the Bi-National Commission, which is evidence of our cooperation as mature partners and friends. I'm confident that it will lead to real action and new opportunities for political, economic, security and development advances.

"We are prepared to announce today the start of exploratory talks toward a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement to encourage more Canadian businesses to come to Nigeria.

"Our discussions were productive and brought home just how much our two governments have in common: both are focused on creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for our peoples; both understand that prosperity and security are inextricably linked; and both are committed to religious pluralism."

Baird also met with the business community in Lagos, including representatives of the newly-formed Canada-Nigeria Business Association.

He expressed the satisfaction of his government about the expansion of Canadian business interests in the country, especially in the areas of oil and gas, aeronautics, electricity and information technology.

He said: "Our government recognises the importance of forging deeper ties with countries like Nigeria, whose economies are booming and where Canadian companies can expand and succeed. Canada's ties with Nigeria are strong and getting ever stronger, and that's good news for both our countries."

Vanguard

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Video - How Nigeria should tackle Boko Haram

University of Port Harcourt shuts down as student protest killings

Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was on the boil Tuesday as students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) protested the killing of four of their mates last Friday.

The protest forced the university authorities to order the closure of the institution indefinitely with a directive for students to vacate their hostels.

Also, 11 out of the 13 suspects arrested at Omuokiri Village of Aluu Community in connection with the murder were arraigned yesterday before the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

The students, under the auspices of the South-south and South-east zones of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), had barricaded the busy East-West Road, carrying placards, which blamed the Federal Government for not putting adequate facilities in the institution, a situation they said, led to the murder of the students.

The protest caused a massive traffic gridlock on the road, which leads to other South-south states.

NANS Treasurer of the zone, Iyere Onono, said the students would not leave the roads until they got assurances from either Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, or the Federal Government that their grouses would be addressed.

He, however, expressed disappointment at the low turnout of students of UNIPORT, saying they had not shown enough concern over the death of their schoolmates.

The protest spread to Omuokiri Village where rampaging students burnt down not less than 12 houses. More houses would have been torched but for the arrival of the Joint Security Task Force (JTF).

The protesting students were also said to have tried to attack UNIPORT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, before the arrival of men of the JTF.

Ajienka, who later addressed reporters on the murder, condemned the killing, stating that nobody has the right to engage in extra-judicial killing.

"Inasmuch as we condemn all forms of criminality, the authorities of the University of Port Harcourt wish to state in unequivocal terms that nobody has the right to engage in extra-judicial killing or resort to self-help, no matter the level of provocation," he said.

Ajienka listed the names of victims as Biringa, Chiadika Lordson (Year two, Theatre Arts), Ugonna, Kelechi Obuzor (Year Two, Geology) and Mike, Lloyd Toku (Year Two, Civil Engineering).

He said the fourth victim, Tekena Erikena, was "yet to be formally identified as a student of the University of Port Harcourt."

He said in honour of the murdered students, the university authorities, in consultation with the Students Union Government (SUG), had also suspended the Students Union Week indefinitely.

Confirming the closure of the university, the institution's Public Relations Officer, Dr. Williams Wodi, said the authorities shut down the school to safeguard lives and property.

He said the authorities had also asked students to vacate the hostels, adding that the university would remain shut until normalcy returned to the area.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Thomas Etomi, said 11 of the suspects were arraigned to ensure that their human rights were not abused.

He told a delegation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) led by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, that the remaining two suspects were still assisting the police in their investigations.

He said the police were poised to ensure a speedy investigation and prosecution of all that were involved in the murder of the students.

Angwe said the NHRC had received petitions from across the world on the murder of the four students.

He condemned the murder and said the commission would hold a watching brief and follow the prosecution on the matter.

THISDAY gathered that the main actor in the murder of the students was arrested yesterday by men of the JTF.

A source said he was picked up in the community, stripped and marched round Omuokiri community by men of the JTF before being whisked away.

The university has declared seven days of mourning for the students.

This Day