NAIJAFEED

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Al-Qaida blames Germany for German hostage death in Nigeria

Al-Qaida's North Africa branch has blamed Germany for the death of a German engineer killed during a military raid in Nigeria, though authorities in Europe apparently complied with at least one of the terrorist group's demands by releasing a prisoner it wanted freed.

German Edgar Fritz Raupach, kidnapped in January by gunmen in the north Nigeria city of Kano, died May 31 as soldiers launched a raid against the house where his abductors held him. Nigeria's military later said it had no idea gunmen held Raupach inside the home and that kidnappers stabbed him to death as the raid began.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the terrorist group that claimed it held Raupach, issued a statement on an Internet forum this week saying the hostage's death came only after the German government refused to negotiate with it.

"Your government gave the green light for the operation," the message posted late Monday night reads.

However, the group, known by the acronym AQIM, had demanded that German officials release Filiz Gelowicz, a German woman convicted last year of supporting a foreign terrorist network. Gelowicz's husband was among a group convicted of plotting unsuccessfully to attack U.S. soldiers and citizens in Germany.

German officials released Gelowicz from prison in late April on probation after she served two-thirds of her sentence. In May, an unsigned advertisement appeared in The Daily Trust, the newspaper of record in Nigeria's north, showing a photograph of Raupach and messages in Arabic and English calling for him to be released. It remains unclear what went wrong in the negotiation or if there had been a demand for a ransom payment, which happens regularly in AQIM kidnappings.

In the message, first reported by the SITE Intelligence Group, AQIM also warned European governments to avoid "dealing in foolishness" during hostage negotiations, as that would endanger lives.

In Berlin, a government source said Tuesday that Nigerian authorities raided the house only in an effort to arrest terrorists, not as part of a rescue operation for Raupach.

"German authorities were not informed beforehand," the official said. "Nigerian authorities have already (said) ... they had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the German." The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Gunmen kidnapped Raupach from a construction site in Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city, where he worked for Dantata & Sawoe Construction Co. Ltd. Raupach's kidnapping came days after a coordinated attack in the city by the radical Islamist sect in Nigeria known as Boko Haram killed at least 185 people.

AQIM released a statement in March claiming they had Raupach, as well as a video showing him disheveled and asking in German and English for his country to help win his freedom.

AQIM had not carried out operations previously in Nigeria, a multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people split largely between a Muslim north and a Christian south. However, security officials and diplomats say AQIM has loose links with Boko Haram, a locally focused sect that wants to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria.

Boko Haram began its terror campaign with gun attacks from the backs of motorcycles. Last year, it started escalating its assaults with a string of suicide bombings targeting churches, government buildings, and even the United Nations headquarters in the capital Abuja. The sect has killed more than 560 people this year alone, according to an Associated Press count, while Nigeria's military and security forces appear unable to stop them from striking at will.

Nigerian security forces arrest 5 with 'Al Qaeda-links' over German kidnap

German engineer kidnapped in Nigeria

Christian Obodo's mother thanks President Goodluck Jonathan for son's release

As Nigerian international soccer star, Christian Obodo, savours regaining his freedom from ransom seeking kidnappers, his family has been thrown into a festive mood.

Monday, Christian's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Obodo, expressed gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan and a local Christian prophet, Jeremiah Fufeyin for their concerted efforts towards the release of her son.

Mrs. Obodo said in Warri said that she was overjoyed that her son was rescued hale and hearty, after gunmen whisked him away from in front of a church located in the Jakpa New Layout area of Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

She disclosed that the prompt action of the Delta Police Command, which culminated in her son's early release followed the marching orders of President Jonathan and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar, to secure the release of the ex-Super Eagles player within 24 hours.

Similarly, she said Prophet Fufeyin, who is the General Overseer of Christ Mercy-land Deliverance Ministry, Ekpan-Warri and others joined in fervent prayers for Christian Obodo's release without being harmed by his captors.

Mrs. Obodo however disclosed that the kidnappers had threatened to kill their victim if the N30 million ransom they demanded was not paid by Sunday. She said she sent the threat message to the church minister via a text message.

Fufeyin referred to her message thus, "I beg you pray for my son who has just been kidnapped yesterday (Saturday). The abductors asked for N30million ransom which should be paid before Sunday which is the deadline, else, he will be killed.

"As God would have it and after fervent prayers, Obodo's mother later called that her son had been released, praising God for his wonderful works."

This Day

Christian Obodo rescued from kidnappers

The kidnapped Nigeria and Udinese midfielder, Christian Obodo has been released by his abductors Sunday evening.

Obodo was released by the abductors who had initially requested a N30 Million ransom after frantic efforts by the Delta state Police Command. He was rescued at Enevo, a village in Isoko, Delta state.

When contacted at about 10 pm on Sunday, Delta State Chairman of Sports Commission and FA chairman , Pinick Amaju confirmed Obodo’s release. According to him, “Christian is with me now”, he disclosed.

It will be recalled that the former Super Eagles player was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Saturday in Efunrun, Delta, Nigeria.

Vanguard

Video - Nigerian Police Continue Hunt For John Mikel Obi's Father

Former Super Eagle Christian Obodo kidnapped

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Christian Obodo has been abducted in Warri, his family confirmed Saturday.

The player's family said Obodo, who last season played for Lecce in Italy's Serie A, was driving alone in his car following a visit to a relative when he was taken by unknown gunmen, reports AFP.

"His whereabouts are unknown but his car was left behind by the kidnappers. We are yet to receive any call demanding a ransom," said a family member, under condition of anonymity.

Last season Obodo, who has not featured for the Eagles for quite some time, played on loan at Lecce from Serie A side Udinese. Lecce were relegated to Serie AB on May 13 after finishing third from bottom of Italy's top flight.

Unfortunately the 28-year-old midfielder is not the first footballer to be abducted in Nigeria.

The brother of Everton defender, Joseph Yobo was kidnapped before he was later freed, while most recently the father of Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi was also abducted before he was freed after a police raid.

A brief statement from Lecce said: "We hope the situation can be resolved as soon as possible in the best possible way."

Obodo's brother, Kenneth Obodo, who is also a footballer in Italy and is currently in Nigeria, was quoted by Italian news agency ANSA as saying: "Christian is fine. We are in touch with the kidnappers, who want some money.

"We can't give them more than 100,000 euros ($125,000). Unfortunately these things happen in our country."

His brother-in-law, Obidike Okechukwu, was quoted by ANSA as saying that the kidnappers had asked for a ransom of 150,000 euros.

This Day

Video - Nigerian Police Continue Hunt For John Mikel Obi's Father

Video - John Mikel Obi's family speak about kidnapping

Monday, June 11, 2012

Air travellers flood to Arik Air for domestic flights after probe discloses age of planes

Following the publication of the probable age of aircraft operated by Nigerian airlines, considerable passenger traffic has gravitated to Arik Air, which has now become the first airline of choice for airline passengers travelling on domestic and regional flights.

The report, which was published a few days after last Sunday's crash of a Dana Air plane at a Lagos suburb, showed that while the average age of other airlines' fleets ranged between 13.5 and 25.6 years, the average fleet age for Arik Air was 5.5 years.

Meanwhile, the crashed Dana Air MD 83 plane that killed 153 persons on board, and six persons on the ground, was said to have been retired by Alaska Air in 2008 after two incidents of smoke in the cabin.

But Nigerian air passengers, most of whom are erroneously equating the fleet age of an airline with safety, have embraced Arik Air, reputed to have the newest fleet in the industry, with other airlines ruing their losses.

Industry sources, for example, confirmed to THISDAY that one of the airlines, Aero Contractor, whose average fleet age was put at 19.7 years in the report, has noticed a slight decrease in load factors.

As a result of the developments, touts have cashed in on the increase in load factors being witnessed by Arik Air to extort desperate passengers who are sometimes made to pay more than double the official airfare for a trip.

Also, the makeshift facilities at the General Aviation Terminal, from which Arik Air operates, owing to ongoing reconstruction work at the terminal, is currently overstretched as passengers compete for space with touts who are mopping up tickets to resell to passengers at outrageous prices.

However, Arik's head of communications, Banji Ola, who acknowledged the surge in load factors on his airline, said that it has not altered the prices of the airline's tickets, which range from between N26,000 and N27,000 for economy class fares on the Lagos-Abuja route.

He said unlike other airlines that increased their fares based on increase in load factors, Arik hardly increased fares on cue.

"The number of passengers cannot make us increase fares. Our fares from Lagos to Abuja are about N26,000 to N27,000, so even if there are one million passengers that fare cannot change," he stated.

He said the airline could not be blamed for the activities of the touts, adding that passengers who patronised them are taking undue risks.

He admitted that because of the ongoing reconstruction work at GAT where the airline is using makeshift canopies for its ticketing and check-in desks, it would be cumbersome for some people to go in and buy tickets but the situation was beyond the airline's control.

He was hopeful that the chaos would end in the next three months when the reconstruction work would have been completed.

Ola said the airline was concerned about the invasion of the terminal by touts but remarked that it was beyond Arik's control, because the facility is managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

"I have received several reports on the activities of touts but what baffles me is why people would not follow the proper channel for buying tickets from the airlines, instead they will prefer to patronise touts.

"These touts are damaging the image of this country, but there is nothing the airline can do about it; concerned authorities should act," he added.

Against the backdrop of the report on the average fleet age of the airlines, airline operators have said the major issue about safety in air transport is the effective maintenance of an aircraft and not its age.

Operators noted that a new aircraft that is not regularly maintained was far more dangerous than an old aircraft that is well maintained.

Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Dr. Steve Mahounwu, said in Lagos at the weekend that the publication on the average fleet age of the airlines could create psychological problems for intending air travellers.

Mahounwu stated that if an airline regularly goes for all the mandatory checks, such as the 'C' and 'D' checks, during which the whole aircraft is overhauled, "it will come back like a new one."

The Secretary-General of OAN, Captain Mohammed Joji, corroborated Mahounwu, saying that the fact that an aircraft is still relatively new was not a factor in determining its airworthiness, "but how regularly all the checks are done."

Joji who frowned upon the knee-jerk reaction of the federal government to the Dana Air crash, faulted the Senate for setting up a panel to probe the airlines, adding that aviation is a technical sector that should be handled by professionals.

Meanwhile, a report by Associated Press has indicated that the crashed Dana plane was originally owned by Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which acquired the aircraft from McDonnell Douglas in October 1990 and later sold it in May 2007 to North Shore Aircraft LLC that operated it under lease until the aircraft was retired in August 2008.

Spokesman of Alaska Air, Paul McElroy, was reported to have said the aircraft was maintained according to the stipulation of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States regulations and had a valid certificate of airworthiness even after the two incidents of smoke in the plane in November 2002 and August 2006.

Alaska Air was said to have operated 26 MD-83 aircraft, which it replaced by August 2008 with an all-Boeing 737 fleet.

Reacting to the tragic crash, Boeing, which bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said it was ready to provide technical assistance to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

However, several industry experts have blamed the crash on the failure of regulation and on the airline for possibly cutting corners, but not on the age of the aircraft, because if well maintained, a 22-year-old aircraft is still considered airworthy.

THISDAY also learnt that preliminary investigations indicated that the aircraft had suffered engine failure prior to the accident while still under Alaska Airlines and on November 4, 2002, when it suffered a technical hitch which led to an emergency due to smoke in the cabin when the light ballast was overheated. A similar incident occurred in 2008.

These incidents prompted the management of Alaska Airlines to withdraw the plane from service and got it stored at Victorville, US on September 11, 2008, where the plane was sent to a maintenance facility at Miami.

It was after this that the plane was sold to Dana Air on February 17, 2009 and the registration number changed from the American code N944AS to Nigeria's 5N-RAM.

However, barely one year after delivery to Dana Air, the aircraft had an emergency landing following the loss of engine power after a bird strike on take-off in Lagos.

Recently, in Calabar, it suffered another technical hitch before it crashed last Sunday due to engine failure.

This Day

Nigerian government suspends Dana Air indefinitely

Video - President Goodluck Jonathan visits Dana plane crash site in Lagos, Nigeria