President Goodluck Jonathan condemns church attack

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned Sunday's bombing at a Catholic church and reaffirmed his government's determination "to end the spate of mindless attacks and killings".

The comments came a day a suicide car bomber attacked St Finbar's Catholic Church in Jos, killing at least four people and touching off retaliatory violence that claimed an additional 10 lives. 

 

The bomb exploded as worshippers attended the final Mass of the day in Jos, a city where thousands have died in the last decade in religious and ethnic violence.

Security at the gate of the church's compound stopped the suspicious car and the bomber detonated his explosives during an altercation that followed, Pam Ayuba, Plateau state spokesman, said.

Several soldiers were also wounded in the blast.

The bombing sparked retaliatory violence in Jos later on Sunday, with angry youths burning down homes and soldiers guarding the city opening fire in neighbourhoods, witnesses said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility though the city has been targeted in the past by a radical Islamist group known as Boko Haram.

Jos lies in the so-called middle belt region dividing the mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, and hundreds of people have been killed in clashes in the city between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups in recent years.

Boko Haram claimed a series of bombings in Jos on Christmas Eve in 2010 that killed as many as 80 people.

The group also claimed a similar church bombing on February 26 on the main headquarters of the Church of Christ, which killed three people and wounded 38 others.

Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege, reporting from Lagos, said that the bombings have the hallmark of Boko Haram, though no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Bomb blasts are becoming a weekly occurrence in Nigeria and people in the affected states are feeling increasingly vulnerable," she said.

Violence blamed on Boko Haram has since 2009 has claimed more than 1,000 lives, including more than 300 this year, according to figures tallied by the AFP news agency and rights groups.

Aljazeera

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President Goodluck Jonathan condemns killing of hostages, Kidnappers arrested

President Gooodluck Jonathan has condemned the killing of two kidnapped foreigners - an Italian, Franco Lamolinara, and a Briton, Chris McManus, in Sokoto State on Thursday, March 8, by their Boko Haram captors before they could be rescued by a joint security raid on the kidnappers' hideout.

Describing their death as "sad, unfortunate and regrettable", the President on behalf of the Nigerian government and on his own behalf, extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved and the people and government of Italy and Britain.

The President, who particularly commended the cooperation and understanding of the British and Italian governments, assured that the perpetrators of the murderous act, who have all been arrested, would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

President Jonathan also assured that the Nigerian government would take every necessary step to protect the lives of foreigners in the country.

Nigeria First

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British and Italian hostages killed in Nigeria during failed rescue attempt

A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors before they could be freed by a rescue mission, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday.

Cameron said he had authorised the failed operation, conducted with the Nigerian government, after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger".

Cameron said Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamolinara had been taken hostage in Northern Nigeria in May 2011.

"Preparations were made to mount an operation to attempt to rescue Chris and Franco. Together with the Nigerian government, today I authorised it to go ahead, with UK support," Cameron said.

"It is with great regret that I have to say that both Chris and Franco have lost their lives.

"We are still awaiting confirmation of the details, but the early indications are clear that both men were murdered by their captors, before they could be rescued," he said.

In August a video of the hostages surfaced in the Nigerian capital Abuja with the two men on their knees and blindfolded, with three men wearing turbans and holding guns and ammunition behind them.

"The terrorists holding the two hostages made very clear threats to take their lives, including in a video that was posted on the internet," Cameron said.

"We also had reason to believe that their lives were under imminent and growing danger," he added.

The Italian government said it had only been informed about the rescue bid after it had begun. It said Cameron had called Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti to inform him of the "tragic conclusion" of the operation.

Reuters

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Nigeria deports 42 South Africans

The Federal Government yesterday continued to match its words with action by repatriating 42 South African, who had arrived the country.

Yesterday's deportation brought the number of South Africans who had been deported to 136. The deportation row between Nigeria and South Africa deepened, following the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African government last Friday.

THISDAY gathered that the 42 South Africans were deported on board a South African Airways flight 060. However, in an apparent move to retaliate same action, the South African authorities deported five Nigerians-two on board an Arik Air, while the other three were on board a South African Airways.

Nigeria decided to respond on equal measure to the hostile attitude of the South African authorities, following the many reports of how the country maltreated Nigerians who travelled there.

An Immigration official who spoke to THISDAY, before the arrival of South Africa Airways flight, said the Service had not received any directive to back down on the decision of government to deport South Africans who did not meet Immigration conditions of Nigeria.

So immediately the aircraft arrived, the Immigration officials promptly carried out checks and deported the 42 South Africans who did not meet the stipulated conditions.

Last Friday 125 Nigerians were forced back to the country on the allegation of not having authentic yellow fever documentation that showed that they were inoculated against the disease.

The action of South African authorities was seen by Nigerians as hostile because they did not carry out well known diplomatic procedure before deporting those Nigerians there is no indication that yellow fever is prevalent in Nigeria as World Health Organisation (WHO) had designated Nigeria as yellow fever free. Clarifying on the issue, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, had said there was no report of the disease in the country since the past 13 years.

According to the Immigration official who spoke to THISDAY, the action Nigeria decided to take on the issue was instructive because "by reciprocating their action it shows that nobody has all the wherewithal. If they are educated they would have known that everybody that has South African visa must have been vaccinated of the disease."

At the diplomatic level, both countries have been meeting to resolve the matter and also after a crucial meeting on Monday, top officials in aviation agencies and organisation, including South African Airways and Arik Air, which operates to the country decided that they would send emissaries to know that was actually the problem which has led to a soured relationship between the two countries that are the bastion of hope in the continent.

This Day

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South Africa gives Nigeria apology for mass deportation

The Governments of the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Nigeria are considering implementing a variety of measures to strengthen the historic bilateral relationship between the two sister African countries.

South Africa and Nigeria have long-standing bilateral relations. The two countries share a common commitment to the unity and prosperity of the African continent as well as a just and equitable world – and we continue to work together at various levels to achieve this common objective.

Notwithstanding the above, recent unfortunate events involving immigration matters may have created contrary impressions.

On 02 March 2012, a total of 125 Nigerian citizens were deported from the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) for allegedly being in position of fraudulent yellow fever vaccine certificates.

On this particular day, there was an operation at OR Tambo International Airport to check all passengers arriving from countries which require yellow fever certificates.

Subsequent to that, 28 South African citizens were deported from Lagos, Nigeria, after arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on a South African Airways flight in the evening of 05 March 2012.

The passengers were deported on grounds of invalid documentation and relevant health certificate clearance. Some passengers were also asked for their letters of invitation, stating their reason for visiting Nigeria.

The governments of South Africa and Nigeria view these developments in a serious light. Accordingly, the two countries have, through diplomatic channels, consulted at the highest levels on ways of avoiding a recurrence of such developments.

Furthermore, the South African government has sent a letter of apology to the Nigerian government following this regrettable incident which the South African government believes could have been handled better.

Amongst other things, the two countries agree that:

1. The Bi-National Commission between South Africa and Nigeria should be revived as soon as possible. There is also agreement that the Immigration Working Group should also be revived.

2. The National Department of Health and the Gauteng Health Department should consider re-opening the vaccination clinic at the OR Tambo International Airport so that passengers without the yellow fever card can be vaccinated upon arrival at the airport, rather than be deported.

3. The South African and Nigerian Health authorities would exchange vaccine batch numbers and details about the official institutions that administer the vaccine for verification purposes at the port of entry. This information would also be made available to the Missions in Lagos and Abuja who issue visas based on the proof of a yellow fever certificate. The airlines will also be informed about the verification process.

4. Immigration officials should be the first officials that deal with the passengers at the port of entry and if they experience challenges, they should invite other units (such as health) to help and not the other way round.

5. When it comes to mass deportations, it was agreed that senior officials at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (including Protocol) should be consulted by Immigration and Health officials at the airport before undertaking such action. This will provide the Senior Officials to consult with the Department before deporting large numbers of people.

We believe that these measures, when fully implemented, will address the current immigration challenges affecting citizens from the two sister African countries and help us avoid a recurrence of the regrettable incidences we have seen recently.

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