Aircraft, Truck Collide at Lagos Airport

A Kano-bound IRS Airlines plane departing the Lagos airport on Wednesday morning collided with an abandoned truck beside the taxiway, forcing the pilot to cancel the flight.
The wing of the Fokker-100 aircraft, it was learnt, collided with the truck which fell into a drainage on Tuesday.
The truck belongs to a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria contractor.
The 91 passengers on board the flight were later disembarked and put in another plane which left for Kano three hours later.
A statement by the Managing Director of IRS, Mr. Yemi Dada, confirmed the incident.
The statement quoted Dada as saying “This morning our flight LVB 3306 taxied out on a Lagos to Kano flight with a transit stop at Abuja. The aircraft taxied out at 7:48am with 91 passengers. While taxing on the taxi way the Captain observed a FAAN truck in a ditch. There were no marshals around it neither was there any marking to indicate that it encroached into the taxi way. There was no Notice To Air Men (NOTAM) issued to that effect as well.”
He added, “The captain continued on his taxi and the wing tip hit a protrusion from the truck towards the rear of the truck. This made the captain request a return to ramp from the tower and also notify the tower of the incident and the danger posed by the truck.
“The passengers were disembarked and accommodated in another aircraft which departed Lagos at 10:15am. The incident has been reported to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and we await the clearance of the NCAA to effect repairs and return the aircraft to service.”
A FAAN statement also confirmed the incident.
A statement by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Datti, said, “At about 8.30 pm last night (October 9, 2012), a gully emptier with registration number XT 461 LSD on official assignment accidentally fell into a drainage in the taxiway ramp of GAT and could not be evacuated immediately.
“At about 7.30am of today, October 10, 2012 an IRS aircraft, Forkker 100 with registration number 5N SAT left the parking bay of MMA2 for the threshold of runway 18L of MMIA. The pilot Capt. D Kelly of IRS was informed by an Arik Pilot of an obstruction on the taxiway towards Runway 18L and he (Capt. D. Kelly) felt he could manoeuvre the obstacle by his own judgment but this failed because the tip of the wing of the aircraft collided with a section of the gully emptier at about 7.45 am.”
It added, “Capt. D Kelly did not stop but continued to taxi back to the boarding gate of MMA2 to discharge his passengers. No passenger or crew sustained injuries as a result of the incident. All the passengers were later transferred to another IRS flight to Abuja. Officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority were immediately invited to the scene of the incident for the on-the-spot assessment of the incident while engineers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria were placed on stand-by to evacuate the stuck sewage tanker as soon as preliminary investigations by both AIB and NCAA were concluded.”

¡¡¡SHOCKER!!!: Senior Boko Haram commander caught: Nigeria police is a Yoruba Man.

Senior Boko Haram commander caught: Nigeria police

REUTERS | 2012-05-13 15:43:00

ABUJA - Nigeria's police said on Saturday they captured a senior commander of the militant Islamist sect Boko Haram in Kano, the largest city in the north and scene of attacks this year that have killed hundreds of people.

Security sources also said that the man police say they caught, Suleiman Mohammed, was known to be a leading Boko Haram figure in Kano. The sect has denied the arrest of senior members claimed by the police in the past.

"We made an arrest Friday based on intelligence reports concerning his hideout and he was arrested successfully with his wife and children in his hideout," the police commissioner in Kano State, Ibrahim Idris, told Reuters.

"He is now being interrogated by the security agents. He has been flown to Abuja. He is Suleiman Mohammed, a Nigerian, Yoruba by tribe. He is the operational leader of the sect in Kano."

The Yoruba tribe is mostly based in the southwest, away from the focus of Boko Haram's violence in the north. The Yoruba are split between Christians and Muslims.

Idris said his officers had recovered explosives, ammunition and guns at Mohammed's hideout.

Gunmen killed at least 15 people and wounded many more at a Christian service in Kano last month and in January coordinated bomb and gun attacks in Nigeria's second city killed 186, the most deadly strikes yet claimed by Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, which wants to carve out a Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has many factions and the leaders of the group in Kano often work independently from senior members in its home base in the northeast, security sources say.

The sect's attacks have replaced militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta as the main security threat to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, and Boko Haram has gained momentum since his election victory a year ago.

Africa's most populous nation of more than 160 million is split roughly equally between a largely Christian south and a mostly Muslim north. More than 100 ethnic groups live side-by-side peacefully in most of Nigeria.

Groundbreaking Nigeria Summit Results In Major Commitment To Reduce Child Deaths

    

Dramatic reduction in child mortality the goal of aggressive push to expand vaccine access in country with second-most child deaths worldwide

ABUJA, Nigeria, Apr 20, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nigeria's top government officials, civil society leaders and leaders of private industry resolved today to join forces to expand vaccine access nationwide, a major step in the fight to reduce child mortality in a country with the world's second highest number of child deaths. Among other commitments, the First Lady called for the creation of a fund to support the sustained introduction and scale-up of childhood vaccines as well as a biannual African Summit to assess progress, with the goal of achieving universal vaccine coverage for all Nigerian children by the year 2015.

"With over one million Nigerian children dying each hear from conditions that can easily be prevented by vaccination, we all would be failing in our duties as mothers, parents and leaders in the various segments of our society, if we don't take this advantage to do something concrete," said Dame Patience Jonathan, First Lady of Nigeria.

The discussions took place this week at Nigeria's first-ever national Vaccine Summit, which brought together leaders from across the nation to address the country's need to stem its precipitously high number of child deaths. Specific outcomes included a call to action for Nigerian policy makers and leaders from across traditional and religious sectors to commit to adopting and helping ensure excellence at primary health care facilities in their communities; a call to create the Nigerian Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (NAVI), a public-private partnership that would provide sustained vaccine financing from within the country's borders; and the announcement of the plan to convene a biannual African Vaccine Summit in order to measure progress against milestones set forth by the Decade of Vaccines.

Nigeria has taken important steps in recent years to address its child mortality burden, including increasing vaccine coverage rates for polio, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines in recent years and regionally introducing the meningitis A vaccine, designed specifically to curb meningitis outbreaks among sub-Saharan African populations. Yet vaccine coverage rates still fall short of the 90% target, and more than one million Nigerian children die before the age of five every year. Studies show that scaling up new and existing vaccines to 90% coverage could save more than 600,000 Nigerian children in the next 10 years, and eventually add an economic value equivalent to $17 billion to the nation's economy.

"The actions taken by Nigeria's leaders this week are a critical step toward protecting Nigeria's next generation. We salute their vision, commitment and political will to make needed changes," said Orin Levine, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Together with civil society, we look forward to assuring that today's political will translates into practical action on the ground."

An IVAC study conducted in collaboration with the government of Nigeria detailed what it found to be the most feasible and impactful Nigerian-driven solutions for scaling up vaccine access in the country. Currently, access to and availability of vaccines varies widely among the country's 36 states, and vaccine stock-outs remain an issue.

The 2012 Nigerian Vaccine Summit represents a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Pediatric Association of Nigeria, IVAC and other Nigerian and international partners. More information on the Summit and its outcomes can be found at http://nigeriavaccinesummit.org/ .

SOURCE: International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC)

Nigeria: FG Opens Secret Prison For Sect

Abuja - Nigeria is opening a secret detention centre to hold and interrogate suspected high-level members of a radical Islamist sect responsible for hundreds of killings this year alone, a security official has told The Associated Press.

While the facility could create a more cohesive effort among disparate and sometimes feuding security agencies in Nigeria to combat the sect known as Boko Haram, it raises concerns about its possible use for torture and illegal detentions. 

Nigeria's security forces have notorious human rights records, with a documented history of abusing and even killing prisoners.

The prison is in Lagos, far from the violence plaguing the country's predominantly Muslim north, where Boko Haram carries out frequent bombings and ambushes, said the security official, who is directly involved in the project. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the facility with journalists.

"All suspects arrested will be taken to the centre and would be interrogated by a security group," the official said. He declined to say exactly where it is or how many inmates it can hold. He said authorities are arranging to transport suspects to Lagos, Nigeria's largest city located in its southwest.

The detention centre was created at the orders of Nigeria's National Security Adviser General Andrew Owoye Azazi, the official said. Azazi's telephone number is unlisted and the AP was unable to contact him for comment.

Ekpeyong Ita, the director-general of the Nigeria's secret police agency known as the State Security Service, declined to comment on Thursday when the AP asked him about the prison.

Minutes later, secret police spokesperson Marilyn Ogar called an AP journalist and said anyone with information about the purported prison should go to the courts instead of talking to journalists. She refused to confirm or deny the prison's existence.

"Whatever we do, we're running a democratic system that respects the rule of law," the spokesperson said.

Taunting videos

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language of north Nigeria, is carrying out increasingly sophisticated bombings and attacks in its sectarian fight against the country's government. The sect carried out a suicide bombing in August at United Nations' headquarters in the country that killed 25 people and wounded more than 100 others, as well as a co-ordinated assault this January in the northern city of Kano that killed at least 185 people.

Diplomats and military officials say the sect has links with two other al-Qaeda-aligned terrorist groups in Africa. Members of the sect also reportedly have been spotted in northern Mali which Tuareg rebels and hardline Islamists seized control of over the past month.

Police officers shot and killed Boko Haram's former leader Mohammed Yusuf in 2009 while he was in their custody, underscoring the lack of respect for human rights among the security forces. Security agencies have been unable to find and arrest the sect's current leader Sheik Abubakar Shekau, who posts taunting videos on the internet promising more violence.

"The problem we have is lack of synergy among the security agencies," the security official told AP. Those agencies include the police, the military, and intelligence agencies like the State Security Service. 

Relations between the agencies are testy at times as each fights for its own budgetary allotments and there are suspicions that some have been influenced by ethnic or religious factors in this nation of more than 160 million people with two dominant religions and more than 250 ethnic groups.

Intelligence agencies allegedly released a suspected Islamic radical in 2007 who later masterminded Boko Haram's suicide car bombing of the UN headquarters. Leaked US diplomatic cable also show US officials complained in 2008 about Nigeria's government quietly releasing other suspects into the custody of Islamic leaders as part of a program it called "Perception Management."

Suspected sect members have been arrested and kept locked up for months without being charged. Authorities also routinely arrest women and children related to suspected Boko Haram members in attempts to draw them out. Amnesty International has said some Boko Haram suspects have been "subject to enforced disappearances."

Incommunicado detention

This record leads to fears among human rights groups that the secret detention centre could see more suspects disappear, deprived of the right to challenge their detentions in the courts.

"Attacks by armed groups do not absolve the Nigerian government of the responsibility to conduct security operations in a manner that complies with national and international law," Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday. "Widespread unlawful, incommunicado detention must cease immediately."

Ogar, the secret police spokeswoman, appeared later Thursday on the state-run Nigerian Television Authority before the AP published its story. In an interview, she said that a "group of disgruntled people have gone to the foreign media to say that Nigeria has now produced another Guantanamo Bay," referring to the US military detention camp in Cuba.

It is unclear whether any foreign governments have offered Nigeria advice or assistance in opening the detention centre. US Ambassador to Nigeria Terence P McCulley, speaking to journalists April 4, said the US is "working with the Nigerian government to help them develop a counter-terrorism strategy that includes perhaps a centre even to better co-ordinate information and intelligence that they receive".

But Deb MacLean, a US Embassy spokesperson, told the AP that she was unaware of the new detention centre and said that the US had no role in it.

50 Foreigners Held In Anti-Boko Haram Raid

Security agents swung into action at the weekend, following Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau’s Youtube threat.

Fifty foreign nationals were arrested in Abuja.

Those arrested were mostly illegal aliens from Niger, Chad and Mali, it was gathered.

But the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday said it was only intensifying surveillance not only in Abuja but in the 36 states.

The Nation learnt that following a tip-off, Immigration operatives stormed a quarters at about 8.15pm. They came in a Coaster bus, painted in the service colour. The bus was escorted by a Toyota Hillux van carrying armed men, mostly.

Most of the armed operatives were in mufti.

A source, who witnessed the surveillance, said: “Having known that it s a hideout of foreign nationals, the Immigration officers came for the combing of the area.

“Gunshots fired into the air sent everyone scampering to safety, including children, nursing mothers and expectant women.

“The gunshots also threw commercial motorcyclists operating in the area into confusion.

“After a 45-minute operation, the Immigration Service succeeded in arresting a bus-load of foreign nationals illegally in transit. They were no fewer than 50.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “They worked on the suspicion that some Chadians, Nigerien, Malian Tuaregs have made Galadinmawa their first port of call in Abuja.

“I think the recent intelligence report, which linked some foreign nationals with Boko Haram informed the raid.

“Confused residents also believed that the raid may not be unconnected with the manhunt for Boko Haram members in the FCT.

“Even before the raid, most residents of Galadinmawa have not been comfortable with the huge presence of foreign nationals in the area.

Immigration Service spokesman Joachim Olumba, said: “I don’t have any information about that yet. What I can tell you is that our operatives are intensifying surveillance in all the states.

“We are intensifying surveillance because of the security situation in the country. These are not the best of times for us as a nation, but we are determined to ensure that peace and security return to the country.

“This surveillance is not only in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is being carried out in the 36 states.”

It could not be immediately ascertained what has become of those arrested.

An Immigration Service source said: “Normally, when Illegal aliens are arrested, they will undergo security screening before being deported.”

Security around hotels, churches and other strategic areas remained fight in Abuja yesterday.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who went round the city, observed that policemen, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and FRSC officers were in strategic locations to ensure peace.

At Sheraton and Transcorp Hilton hotels, it was observed that some military men were deployed to complement the internal security arrangements of the hotel managements.

At Holy Trinity Catholic Church, THISDAY Dome, St Mathew Anglican Church in the Maitama axis, road blocks were mounted and vehicular movement restricted to secure the areas.

At the dome, one of the policemen, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the idea was to ensure effective monitoring of movement of vehicles.

“As you can see, our major focus is to make sure that those who come here to worship go home safely. We are blocking the road just for safety.

“You can see that people pack their vehicles outside; if we don’t block this road, there will be serious traffic here.’’

At Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, FRSC man Mr Jonah John told NAN that the focus was more on free movement of people at the end of the service.

“What we are doing is part of the security work, but we focus more on ensuring that no accident occurs here.

“You can see that nobody parks inside the church compound; everybody is encouraged to park outside.’’

Security was also strengthened at the Assemblies of God Church in Garki 2 as well as Dunamis Church, Mountain of Fire and Living Faith Church, all in Area 1, Abuja.