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Friday, December 30, 2011

NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CONCERNED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF POSSIBLE EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS; TO INVESTIGATE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA.

Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission has expressed
deep concern over the escalation of violence in major cities in north-east
Nigeria, including Damaturu, Potiskum and Maiduguri, respectively in Yobe
and Borno States and calls on both the security agencies and the
Ahlussunnah lidda’awati Wal jihad (Boko Haram) to show respect for the
sanctity of human lives by co-operating in an impartial investigation of
the on-going situation in the region, including an impartial assessment of
the deepening humanitarian situation in the region.





The Commission has received reports from various sources which confirm that
since about 21 December 2011, violent encounters between alleged Boko haram
members and a deployment of the Joint Task Force (JTF) has resulted in
unspecified number of casualties, among whom are unconfirmed numbers of
security personnel and alleged Boko Haram members.These encounters have
also led to mass internal displacement of civilian populations from
settlements around Potiskum, Damaturu and Maiduguri, including women and
children who were said to have fled their homes for safety.





The commission’s Acting Executive Secretary Mrs. Oti ovrawah said: “The
Commission recognizes that there is a grave security situation in
north-east Nigeria but the scale of casualties reported in these operations
so far is quite disturbing. Any deployment of deadly force must be governed
by clear rules of engagement and proportionality. In the absence of such
rules, any killings that result must be seen as extra-judicial killings.
Extrajudicial killing is a grave violation of human rights that must be
fully investigated and sanctioned in accordance with applicable laws. Given
these circumstances, the Commission is currently examining the parameters
for undertaking an independent and impartial investigation into the human
rights situation in north-east Nigeria. The Commission will welcome the
co-operation of all concerned parties in this process.”



The Commission is extremely concerned that no appreciable progress has been
made in resolving the underlying issues leading to the violence in the
north-eastern States of Nigeria and calls on all stakeholders to cooperate
towards achieving a restoration of peace in the region and ending the
on-going loss of lives through violence. The Commission transmits sincere
condolences to all persons bereaved by these operations.





CONTACT: Muhammad Nasir Ladan

Director Public Affairs and Communications

National Human Rights Commission

ladan1910@yahoo.co.uk

+2348023025285

Syrian Forces Kill 19 as Monitors Visit More Regions

As thousands protested across Syria against the government, activists say Syrian security forces killed at least 19 people on Thursday, including some in an area visited by Arab League monitors.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least four of the deaths were in the Damascus suburb of Douma. It says security forces opened fire after thousands of people began protesting outside a mosque. Some residents said Arab League observers were in the area at the time.

Earlier, the observers announced plans to visit the Daraa, Hama and Idlib regions to check on government pledges to halt the deadly crackdown and release political detainees. The monitors also said they will make unannounced visits.

On Wednesday, activists and rights groups said government forces had killed at least 39 people since the monitors arrived Monday, including six people shot in Hama.

Some residents and activists raised concerns that the Arab observers were neither properly qualified nor independent. Residents of the hard-hit district of Baba Amr in Homs refused to allow observers in because army officers were with them. The standoff ended when the officers withdrew.

Syrian authorities agreed to the Arab League observers under international pressure and threats of Arab sanctions. The plan requires Syrian authorities to give the monitors freedom of movement except for sensitive military sites.

The United Nations estimates 5,000 people have been killed since March in violence linked to Syria's unrest. Syria says armed terrorists are driving the revolt. It accuses them of killing 2,000 security personnel since March.

MUSLIMS OR CHRISTIANS....LET'S FACE THE FACT, WE ARE BOTH WRONG & GUILTY

UNITED STATES ARMY and those notorious Al-QAEDA have left IRAQ.
YET, IRAQIS ARE STILL SUICIDE-BOMBING EACH OTHERS IN
RETALIATIATION UP TILL NOW. IRAQIS ARE MUSLIMS,
THERE IS NO CASE OF MUSLIMS AGAINST CHRISTIANS,
NOBODY FORGIVES WHOEVER KILLED THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELIGIONS.

To all Nigerians,

GREETINGS.

Whatever we grow today, we shall all reap tomorrow. If we practice living together in harmony amongst each others, we shall all find and enjoy PEACE from every corners to other corners of our beloved country, Nigeria.
When we reap the sweet, we normally make NO noises, BUT whenever it is bitter, as seen going on in the recent bombings, WE ALL COME OUT CRYING.

Whatever is happening today, regarding the current insecurity, bombings, maiming and acts of random killings are as a result of what were done against each others in the past that are being avenged today.

To all of us who are now seeing the reasons to all those bombings in Nigeria RELIGIOUSLY,
as a case of ISLAM against CHRISTIANITY, we are totally wrong, let's all think again and again,
We will actually discover that all what is happening now are acts of REVENGE
which is actually TRIBALLY oriented, and has NOTHING to do with religion,
THERE IS NO CITY IN NIGERIA where both ISLAM and CHRISTIANITY are not simultaneously practiced,
NONE, from west to east, north to south of our country geographically.
Let anyone name a city in any state in any region in Nigeria that is 100% of a single religion.

ONE
We all saw it less than a year ago, In Jos, Plateau State, the whole world watched on TV when five handicapped men were publicly ordered by an AK-47 gun-carrying police officer, to lay face down and the police officer just executed them all at close range. By the language we heard being spoken by the police officers, we all know they are all from a different tribes and religions from those Hausa people that were executed on that horrible day in Jos, Plateau State, while one of the policemen shot the video and we listened to all the cheerful comment he was making while his colleague was shooting them after ordering them to lie face down.

Those five men shot have living families too,
they have wives and young children, brothers and sisters, who cried, cried and cried helplessly as their bread-winners were massacred while they watched.
Where was our government who sent those police officers there,
and where were we (you and I reading this) to condemn their acts then
as we come out now to condemn the current church bombings?

Please ask yourself as you are reading this, please be honest to yourself,
Had you been a brother or sister to any of those EXECUTED publicly by that police officer, will you (as a Christian) be in love with that police officer, had he been a Muslim or in love with other Muslims as a whole?

Honestly, such act is very tough to forgive, even if you are cross-married religiously. If a member of the victims family burns down a Christian church in revenge, we all will be yelling BOKO HARAM, bullshit. I am a Christian, if my only brother gets executed helplessly like what I saw on YouTube, I will pay to join BOKO HARAM for a supply of a waist-bomb- belt, for an opportunity to avenge my brother's death. Call me anything you want.

EVERY RELATIVE OF THOSE OPPRESSED HELPLESSLY, THOSE WHO LOST MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES TO THE SENSELESS MASSACRE BY OTHER NIGERIANS WHO MIGRATED TO THEIR LAND
ARE AUTOMATIC MEMBERS OF BOKO HARAM.
WE CREATED THEM, WE HARDENED THEM, WE BOLDENED THEIR MINDS,
WE WILL NEVER DEFEAT THEM, THEY HAVE NO KNOWN HOME ADDRESSES.
WE STUPIDLY LABELED EVERYONE BOKO HARAM. WE ARE TOTALLY WRONG.

That EXECUTION STYLE SHOOTING was shown to the world on India's national TV and other nations around the world, so shameful to all Nigerians, Nigeria and even Africa in general.

To remind you all, that incident happened when there were riots between
the Fulani cow herders and the local farmers, BOTH ARE NORTHERN NIGERIANS
The crisis was NOT between Muslims and Christians.

Unfortunately, when the rest of the world watch the video, which is still on YouTube till now, what is seen are CHRISTIAN police officers, who were sent to quench the riots, lining up handicapped MUSLIM villagers, shooting them EXECUTION STYLE. Please let someone tell me what became of those police officers till today.

Sir, Ma'am, including me Jerome Niang Yakubu, SE., PE. where were we then?
Yes, we were here in the forums. But how loud was our noises against our NIGERIAN POLICE OFFICERS then?

Was that what our police officers were trained to do, EXECUTE civilians like goats?.........NO
Did we protest their acts then as we are out in millions now protesting the current church bombings?.......NO,
Did we preach the break-up of Nigeria then?.......NO,
Let someone please post publicly here, what our Federal Government did to punish those police officers who turned to be judges, jurors and executioners openly.

Please don't expect the family of those that were executed by those Christian police officers to be friendly with any Christians and their churches that are existing in their Muslim cities. Live with that, it is natural, I don't care what you may think.

In my Idoma tribe,
ONLY A BASTARD SON WILL NOT AVENGE
THE BRUTAL KILLING OF HIS RELATIVES, EVEN IF IT IS SUICIDAL TO DO SUCH.

TWO
Boko Haram, bullshit !!! Anytime there's any explosion anywhere, we all shout Boko Haram. NONSENSE.
Relatives of those killed in those pictures would be begging Boko Haram for admission into their sect, just to have the opportunity to wrap a bomb around his waist and detonate in the family house of that Igbo-speaking man that killed his father, that is still walking the street openly with no law to punish him.
If the law can't help punish a murderer of a parent, the child will always be ready to register as a suicide bomber.
GO TO IRAQ AND FIND OUT. Children of those who helped USArmy killed their parents just waited till the USArmy are gone to wear the deadly suicide bombing belt. Read the daily news, Saddam Hussein is gone, USArmy are gone, yet the suicide bombing continues daily.

What we planted months ago, are now grown and fruitful,
some tribes, when you cause the death of their relatives, just won't forgive.

Don't be confused, thinking that I, Jerome Niang Yakubu, have not condemned the BOKO HARAM people yet, you are probably thinking that I am a Muslim, and that is why I am pitiful of the Muslims, Ask around, Jerome is a Christian name and don't be confussed with my "Yakubu" surname, you should remember that Yakubu Gowon is a Christian, I may not be able to tell you this TRUTH perfectly, however, read it from me first, WE CHRISTIANS CREATED AND EMPOWERED THE BOKO HARAM, unfortunately, we can NEVER defeat them. they have NO HOME ADDRESSES. Every homes in the north, where you, as immigrants were allowed to dwell side-by-side with them, prosper and live happily among the Muslims and you later raised your hands against them violently, has a little child growing up to avenge whatever the harm you as non-indigene-Christians have brought to his/her family.

THREE
Few months ago, During the Eid-al-Adha, a very important annual celebration to the MUSLIMS, which is when they joyously slaughter rams as sacrifices to their Allah, we all saw pictures of over fifty cars belonging to MUSLIMS being BURNT by non-Christian-immigrants, while the indigenous Muslim owners were in their MOSQUE worshiping. That mindless act against them completely destroyed their annual festival of joy and happiness, beside the loss of their most cherished properties (their cars), I am sure their rams were tasteless after the incidents.

We, living in civilized country may not worry about burnt cars because we have INSURANCE to replace the cars, let us imagine how long it took a man to save money and buy his own car in Nigeria cash, only to be burnt while he is praying in his mosque? Most of them may never own a car again, considering the economy of the country. Do we expect any of them with such loss of his car to be a friend of the people that did such to him?.........Hell NO!!!

Look, people, I personally don't give a damn on what you may say, just don't forget that I am a Christian too, I personally have a line drawn about forgiveness. You are probably reading this inside your house at this minute, will you forgive whoever set fire on your only car that you parked outside as you are reading this? I won't.

When that incident occurred, let me re-phrase it.
THOSE MUSLIMS' CARS WERE BURNT BY NON-INDIGENE-CHRISTIANS,
WHILE THE MUSLIMS WERE PRAYING INSIDE THEIR MOSQUE
DURING AN ISLAMIC FESTIVAL OF EID-EL-ADHA,
WHICH IS AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT FESTIVAL TO THE MUSLIMS
JUST AS THE CHRISTIANS' CHRISTMAS IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.

Up till this moment, none of those, whose cars were burnt were compensated, none of those perpetrators were ever arrested, condemned nor convicted. If I may ask you, Where were you in these forums to condemn such acts then?
Which one of us reading this in the forums expect such people that lost their cars, that are currently hopeless in having another car in future, to be forgiving?

Let's face the bitter fact,
THOSE MUSLIMS WERE ALL WAITING TO REVENGE MERCILESSLY AND CARELESSLY
IN A GODLESS MANNER ON A SIMILARLY IMPORTANT DAY TO THE CHRISTIANS.......CHRISTMAS DAY.
THE CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBING WAS A REVENGE FOR THE EID-ADHAH CAR BURNING RECENTLY.

Hey, I don't give a shit about who you may be, Igbo, Yoroba, Muslim or Christians, I have just told you EXACTLY THE TRUTH. Live with it......Period.

Nigeria will not break up, no matter what.
However, if you step on vipers' tails, you will get bitten venomously.
Those northern Nigerians are accommodating,
at least they allow you to live and prosper amongst them.
But if you step on their tails, Lord have mercy, they won't.
You can cry as loud as you want.

Ask yourself, why are churches being blown up now? It is NEVER acceptable anywhere in the history of Nigeria.
It is because, when the Muslims witnessed their mosques BEING burnt down by non-indigenous Christians and their is no government to arrest the situation, those people looked up and saw a non-Muslim presidents and assumed that they are helpless. They cried, and when the tears dried on their faces, they gathered themselves and avenged their loses. Up till now, when was there a time someone was arrested for those atrocities committed against those people on their land, by the people they considered immigrants?

How many bombs were EVER exploded in any churches during the regimes of these leaders, Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Shehu Shagari, Mohammed Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Sanni Abacha, Umar Ya'Adua?
Did you notice they are all Muslims? Did the Muslims feel empowered to maltreat the Christians when those Muslim leaders were in power? It was during their times that Christianity spread more, all over Nigeria.

During their regimes, if anyone ever vandalize a church anywhere in Nigeria during their regimes, such person would have been fried like SUYA or BALANGU instantly. Then came in the year 2000 onwards, Obasanjo (a Christian), Goodluck Jonathan (also a Christian), the Christian Nigerian citizens assumed that because Nigeria have Christian presidents,  it is a license that empowers them to disrespect, dishonor, disregard the non-Christians even on their lands, in their cities, in their states and in their regions in Nigeria. Evidentally, there were never any Boko Haram bastards before the year 2000 when Muslims like them were the heads of state.

As you read this, will you accept being dishonored,
disrespected and violated by any stranger that may knock on your door,
in your own house, wherever you may be living today?

I have asked these questions several times,
Why are all these major disgraceful bombing disasters occurring only in the north of
RIVER NIGER and RIVER BENUE
geographically in Nigeria?

It is because, those areas are predominantly the land of ISLAMIC practitioners and of a minimal population of CHRISTIANS however, populated by many immigrants from south of river Niger and river Benue.
The Christian immigrants are well established and prosperous, they bought lands and built their own homes and settlements, but in African culture, that will never erase the pride of INDIGENOUSNESS. If you migrate to any land, you are an immigrant, no amount of your wealth in such land CAN EVER MAKE YOU AN INDIGENE, so, you are asked to be humble and respectable to the people and culture of your the new land where you just found a better pasture.

YOU CAN NEVER BELONG TO TWO CITIES IN NIGERIA.
It will always be that you CAME from a city that you BELONG, to live as long as you want in a city that you DO NOT BELONG. The indigenes, the owners of the land, whom you knocked on their doors the first day you arrived in their city will forever remind you of that, regardless of how fluent you speak their languages.
Please swallow that bitter truth.

We are all CITIZENS of Nigeria, that is never disputed, but we are also INDIGENES of DIFFERENT LOCATIONS in Nigeria, that is naturally true. It is exactly as it is in every other civilized countries, you may go there, prosper, buy your own land, build your own house and live harmoniously among other citizens of such countries, the moment you start letting your big house and other expensive properties on their land get in to your head and you start forgetting that you are an immigrant, and immigrant you shall be forever, and you start disrespecting the culture of the land, you are just establishing a suicide bombing sect. Let an Ndi'Igbo tell me what his reaction will be if an Hausa man from Kano comes to Enugu, becomes prosperously rich and start disrespecting the Igbo people and the Igbo culture. I am sure it won't be pretty. Live with that fact.

Until we stop the nonsense of claiming that we are Nigerians and we have equal rights to everywhere, it is a game we will NEVER win. Nobody have equal right to anywhere. I live in the most advanced country in the world, the USA, but please don't be fooled, I live as humble as a puppy among others harmoniously. It is true that I own my own house, but the truth is that I do NOT own the land the house is on. Any stupid act on my on side, I will be reminded how far Nigeria is to the USA instantly. Same thing applies to anyone living in the USA, be you an Emir's son, an Eze, President's son, emperor's brother and so on. Run the city's traffic red-light, tell the police officer that you are the Eze gburugburu of Igbo land in Nigeria, he should not write you a punitive traffic ticket.

Why has there NEVER been any religious and tribal riots in the southwestern, southern and southeastern Nigeria. I have NEVER been told of a time when the Yoroba or Hausa people who are traders with their homes in Anambra or Imo State caused any violent riots in any part of Igbo States. It is because those Yoroba and Hausa immigrants respect the culture and the indigenes on their lands, they thereby live together harmoniously.
That is another fact. Prove me wrong.

I repeat, NIGERIA WILL NEVER BREAK UP, we will just remain stupid and be counting our dead daily. WE ARE TOO INTER-WOVEN, tribally, religiously, matrimonially and maritally. It is whenever the guilt hits us that the guilty ones start shouting about breaking Nigeria into pieces. Trust me, if that ever happens, those who secede will beg to re-unite.

What is going on now is in the north, let's beg God it does not happen in the southwest Yorobaland, where there are so many PROSPEROUS non-indigenes who dominate the Yoroba people's coastal landscape. A lot of immigrants will be forced to buy maps of Nigeria to know which roads lead to their hometowns whenever the exodus starts. I am sure the south-westerners will open books that they own their lands, take your houses with you. I repeat, NIGERIA WILL NEVER BREAK UP, the refugee situation will just continue. I think some tribes in Nigeria are used to being made REFUGEES every ten-ten years in their own country. They just can NOT learn that landlords will always be landlords, ONLY THE TENANTS SHALL BE FORCED TO LEAVE.

Hey, Ask yourself before you come out shooting at me, Does Jerome have his own right to his own opinion?
Yes, I do.

You just have it, Swallow it, it is a bitter truth.

Jerome Niang Yakubu, SE., PE.
  Civil/Structural Engineering.

When Idegenious Journalists paid a courtesy call on the Delta State Police Commissioner.

 Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Mamam I. Tsafe, branded as cowards those behind the Sapele xmas bombing, he pledged his commands preparedness to partner with the journalists towards effective community policing.
 
 The police commissioner fielding questions from the visiting journalists, from left is Godwin Udoh of Premier magazine, Okonta Emeka Okelum of Asaba Post News Wire and special reporter for Abuja Enquirer.
 A cross section of the team of journalists who visited the police chief, on the left hand side to the police commissioner is the leader of the delegation, Comrade Okonta Emeka Okelum of Asaba Post News-Wire on white shirt, with the Assistant commissioner of police-operations, ACP Hafiz M Inuwa on the far right of the first row.

Foundation, christian youth group and international youth coalition fight HIV/AIDS through video screening

 The Pentecostal youth forum, Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation and Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Delta State Chapter, Screening to Asaba based christian youth leaders the movie                       LOVE IN A TIME OF HIV
Youth leaders viewing a scene from the video LOVE IN A TIME OF HIV.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

PRESIDENT JONATHAN WELCOMES SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION OF HIS VICTORY IN APRIL ELECTIONS

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE:

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan welcomes the unanimous confirmation by the Supreme Court of Nigeria today of his victory in the April, 2011 Presidential elections.

The President applauds the ruling by seven justices of the court which puts a final seal of approval on his victory which was already acknowledged by the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians, political parties and the international community.

He also commends the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari for availing himself of the country’s legal and judicial system in expressing his reservations about the conduct of the elections.

Now that that process has run its full course, President Jonathan hopes that General Buhari and his party will accept the ruling of the esteemed Judges of the Supreme Court in good faith and join hands with him and other well-meaning Nigerians to build a united, stronger and prosperous nation that present and future generations of Nigerians can be proud of.

He expects that General Buhari will continue to contribute positively to national development and also mobilize his supporters across the country to join in the process of national reconciliation and national renaissance.

President Jonathan thanks all Nigerians once again for their trust and confidence which gave the Jonathan/Sambo ticket an overwhelming victory in the elections.

He assures the nation that the federal government, under his leadership, will remain fully focused on its objectives and continue to work assiduously to implement its agenda for national transformation in fulfillment of his promise of better living conditions for all Nigerians.



Reuben Abati, Ph.D.

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

December 28, 2011