UN Security Council Approves Sanctions on Boko Haram

  Members of Boko Haram with the group's leader Abubakar Shekau (middle)

The United Nations Security Council al Qaeda Sanctions Committee has on Thursday blacklisted Islamist group Boko Haram after the insurgents kidnapped nearly 300 girls from a Chibok secondary school.  The sanctions on the sect include an international asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
In the council committee's list of individuals and groups associated with Al Qaeda, Boko Haram recorded as "affiliate of Al-Qaeda, and the Organization of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Associated with and Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (Ansaru)."
The chair of the al Qaeda sanctions committee, Australia's UN Ambassador Gary Quinlan, said they had "very clear evidence" that members of the Nigeria-based group had trained with AL Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
"We will work to try and make that anyone providing material assistance to Boko Haram, whether funding or arms, will in effect be stopped," Quinlan told reporters on Thursday in New York City.
Nigeria had formally asked the council committee to blacklist the Islamist Boko Haram on May 21. The Nigerian mission to the United Nations said that the Boko Haram listing request had been "necessitated by the recent upsurge in its activities, particularly in northeast Nigeria".
"By adding Boko Haram to the U.N.'s 1267 (AL Qaeda) sanctions list, the Security Council has helped to close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons to Boko Haram, and shown global unity against their savage actions," US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said in a statement.

The militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language means "Western education is sinful", was created 12 years ago. It demands the creation of an Islamic state in the largely Muslim northern Nigeria.
More than 4,000 people were killed in Boko Haram atrocities since 2009. The group carries out most of its attacks which include bombings, assassinations and abductions in the northeast Nigerian states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
One of the most recent attacks occurred on May 20 when the suspected group members killed 17 residents of Alagarno village, Borno State. On May 22, unknown gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents, attacked Gumboru Ngala town, Borno State, leaving dead at least 27 people.

Screen capture of a Boko Haram video showing sone of the kidnapped girls. Credit: AFP

It's been more than a month since Boko Haram have kidnapped nearly 300 students from the dormitories of the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Some of the hostages escaped, while 234 girls remain missing. On May 12 the insurgents released a video showing 137 of the abducted girls, threatening to sell them so slavery. The girls are believed to be kept inside Sambisa forest, the stronghold of the radical group.

Okonjo-Iweala promises adequate security for World Economic Forum participants

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Friday allayed fears of insecurity in Abuja as the World Economic Forum on Africa begins on Wednesday, May 7.
Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke at the backdrop of Thursday’s Nyanya bomb explosion, said that the Federal Government would provide adequate security for participants.
She told newsmen in Abuja that President Goodluck Jonathan would make a statement on the forum and security issues shortly.
She said ``with the World Economic Forum, of course, it's not easy; the news we have so far is that people are asking questions but it's seems encouraging.
``I think that by the time we hear some of the security measures that the president is going to announce, we will see that we will calm the nerves of those who are proposing to come.
``We have also sent a press advisory but we should focus now on the feelings. I told you that I was sad about the abducted girls and we should focus on what to do to bring the girls back.
``And, we should also focus on families of those who lost their lives; that is very important.
``It is not that the forum is not important but more important is the issues of the girls and supporting the families which have lost people.
``We will see what will happen with the forum; I am confident that things will be okay but our minds are not in it right now as on the issues of those who lost their lives and their families."
Meanwhile, an economist, Mr Eze Onyekpere, urged the Federal Government to ensure that the forum scheduled to begin in Abuja on Wednesday was held in order not to give in to terrorism.
Onyekpere told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that government ``must re-enforce security in the capital and around the country to enable the forum participants and other visitors to come without fear.
``I think the forum should go on; it will show a very wrong signal if we stop it because it means we are saying that Nigeria is no longer secure.
``If we cancel an international event that has already been planned, it will be a very dangerous signal,’’ he said.
Similarly, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah, said it was sad the blast occurred at a time that the nation was planning to host the world.
``We should take it in our stride just for the interest of those who lost their lives, and one thing to say is that we should move forward in their memory to help us to build a better society,” Kukah said.
Kukah added that those who loved Nigeria would always stand by it at moments of trials and would come for the forum, adding that Sept. 11 incident in U.S. did not stop any event.
``If this thing is happening in the U.S., London or anywhere in Europe, people will not cancel their flights; they will still travel.
``I call on our president to occupy the moral high ground and be more assertive.
``We need to know that somebody is in charge and in control because that is the signal that everybody requires,’’ Kukah said.
SOURCE: (NAN)

Akingbola loses bid to quash N47.1bn theft charge

An Ikeja High Court on Friday dismissed an application filed by Erastus Akingbola, a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank.
In his ruling, the judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, held that the offences listed in the proof of evidence were stealing, obtaining money by false pretences and receiving stolen property.
``All the counts listed above have nothing to do with banking transactions and capital market,’’ he said.
Lawal-Akapo said Akingbola's case was, therefore, different from that of Nwosu.
The judge further held that the court could not determine if the charge was an abuse of court process as the defence had failed to furnish it with the information before the Federal High Court.
According to him, the Lagos State High Court has jurisdiction to try offences charged under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
``The offences as charged are within the purview and competence of the state high court. In the result, I find no merit in the applications and they are hereby dismissed,’’ the judge held.
The judge also dismissed a similar application filed by his Co-defendant, Bayo Dada, General Manager of Tropics Securities Ltd., for lacking in merit.
He, consequently, adjourned the matter till June 23 for re-arraignment of the defendants.
Akingbola had asked the court to quash the N47.1 billion theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Both defendants had through their counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun and Prof. Taiwo Osipitan both senior advocates of Nigeria (SAN), challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the 22-count charge.
Olanipekun had argued that the subject matter of the alleged offences related to banking operations and capital market issues.
He contended that only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain such under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Olanipekun had cited a judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Nov.21, 2013 in a matter filed by a former Managing Director of Finbank, Okey Nwosu, against the EFCC.
According to him, the Appeal Court had struck out the theft charge preferred against Nwosu on the grounds that the Lagos High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
He had maintained that Nwosu and Akingbola's cases were similar, adding that the lkeja High Court was bound to follow the decision of the appellate court.
Olanipekun had argued that the charge was also an abuse of court process because a similar charge involving Akingbola and the EFCC was currently pending before the Federal High Court, Lagos.
On his part, Osipitan had said that the offences allegedly committed by Dada related to buying and selling of shares on behalf of Intercontinental Bank.
Opposing both applications, the EFCC counsel, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), had urged the court to dismiss them, arguing that it had jurisdiction over the matter.
``This court has jurisdiction to entertain any matter brought under Section 14 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,’’ Obla argued.
According to him, the defendants are charged with stealing which clearly distinguishes it from Nwosu's case. SOURCE: (NAN)

NO PLAN TO RAISE PUMP PRICE

President Goodluck Jonathan said in Abuja on Sunday that the Federal Government had no plans to increase pump price petroleum for now.
Jonathan, who gave this assurance at a Presidential Media Chat, noted that such action could not be taken without following due process and the consent of Nigerians.
``I have no plans now to change petroleum pump price, but if I have to do it, I will do it following due process’’, the President said.
He denied insinuations that his administration was not decisive enough to fight corruption in the country.
According to him, the federal government is doing everything possible to investigate and bring to book every corrupt public officer.
He assured Nigerians of improved electricity supply, adding that the present epileptic electricity supply in the country would soon be a thing of the past.
``We are not moving as fast as we are supposed to, but the steps we are taking will lead this country to a greater level.
``We will surely improve on it; I assure you it is not going to be worse than this.
``This government is committed and we are doing our best and we are seeing rays of hope’’, Jonathan said.
He added that the federal government was, however, looking on how to get loan to invest robustly in the energy sector.
On the fight against insurgency, the president noted that he had never said that his cabinet was infiltrated by members of Boko Haram as was being insinuated in some quarters.
``I used the word government, I never said cabinet’’, he stressed.
He maintained that due to his government`s determination to fight insurgency in the country, some government officials and security personnel were being interrogated on grounds of acts of insurgency.
On the issues of his delay in declaring his intension to contest the 2015 presidential election, Jonathan said that; ``this should not be a problem to Nigerians.’’
He added that the nation`s economy and its survival should be the concern of the people and not his presidential ambition.
``ACP as the major opposition party has not even named their candidate and you are talking of PDP.
SOURCE:  (NAN)