Jonathan Meets Security Chiefs, Postpones EXCOF Meeting – Daily Independent

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan postponed the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF) on Wednesday and instead met with the Service Chiefs.

Ministers did not come to the Villa for it, which implied that they were informed ahead of time.

However, Jonathan held a lengthy closed-door meeting with the Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Kayode; Minister of State for Defence, Murtala Yar’Adua; Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo; Chief of Defence Staff, Paul Dike; Chief of Army Staff, Abdulraham Dambazau; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim.

No statement was issued after the meeting, which ended about 2:30 p.m.

Soon after the security meeting, Jonathan chaired another closed-door one on the power sector, with key Ministers in attendance.

Northern Union urges FG to address insecurity – Vanguard

The Northern Union, NU, said yesterday that the state of insecurity in the country today was no longer acceptable, just as it stressed that with the death of former Kano State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, death has robbed the north and indeed Nigeria one of its brightest.

In a statement by the Union’s Elders’ Council Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki in Abuja yesterday, the Northern Union, however, called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency investigate the attack, as well as the need to address these concerns early.

Saraki who described late Rimi as a colorful and focused political leader who spent a greater part of his life fighting on behalf of the masses, said, “on behalf of the Northern Union, I hereby express our heartfelt grief on the passing away of the first Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi. The death of Alhaji Rimi has come to us as a rude shock at a critical period of national stress which requires interventions from patriotic citizens like him, to chart the way forward.

Anxiety as Kidnappers, robbers regroup in Anambra – Vanguard

Anambra Leaders of Thought have raised alarm over alleged regrouping of kidnappers and armed robbers in the state to disrupt the peace that is now reigning in the state.

The group raised the concern in a communique in Onitsha, made available to newsmen after their emergency meeting, which centered on the state of security in Anambra State.

The group said that their investigations showed that the kidnappers had already mapped out strategies to strike in the major cities of the state, such as Onitsha and Nnewi, where they believed that their would be victims are residing and could pay the huge sums of money as would be demanded from them.

The group, in the communique by Ogbuefi Eze Ugonna, condemned the residents and traders in Onitsha, many of whom, he said failed to pay their security levies. He accused such people of being agents of the kidnappers.

Jos: Panic in Lagos, Ogun – The Nation

There was panic in Lagos and Ogun yesterday, following the reported influx of armed Hausa-Fulani herdsmen into the states.

But the police doused the tension, assuring residents that all was well.

Many residents received text messages on their mobile telephones that the herdsmen came into the states from the North.

Some of the messages claimed that the herdsmen came from Jos, Plateau State, where hundreds of children and women were killed in Dogo Nahawa last Sunday.

The messages asked residents to be “alert” and beware of “strange faces”.

The Lagos and Ogun Police commands said there was no truth in such claims.

At Mowe, Kara and Ibafo on the outskirts of Lagos yesterday, the herdsmen were seen trying to settle down.

They were arranging their household items in makeshift homes.

They rebuffed attempts in speak with them.

The Lagos Command described the text messages alleging the arrival of trailer loads of strange elements with dangerous mission as false.

Gen Gusau bounces back as NSA – Daily Trust

Top spymaster Lt. Gen. Aliyu Mohamed Gusau (rtd) bounced back as National Security Adviser (NSA) to the president yesterday, four years after he last quit the post in 2006 in order to seek the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential ticket. It would be the fourth time in 25 years that Gusau would hold this post, having held it twice under military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida and for another 6 and a half years under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Gusau’s appointment was announced last night after Acting President Goodluck Jonathan removed retired Major General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar, who was appointed to the post by Obasanjo in 2006 and retained by President Umaru Yar’adua in 2007.

Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mr. Ima Niboro announced the changes in a terse statement soon after yesterday’s inaugural National Security Council meeting chaired by Jonathan.

Religious mayhem claims 30 in Bauchi – The Guardian

No fewer than 30 persons, including four soldiers from the 33 Field Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, may have been killed in a fresh clash between members of an Islamic sect called kala-kato and security personnel in the Zango area of Bauchi Metropolis in the early hours of yesterday.

The kala-kato (which means “he has said”) sect claims to be an off shoot of the original Maitatsine sect of the 1980s.

Among the victims who died were 15 children between the ages of three and seven.

A cripple, Yusufa Abba, was said to have been slaughtered like a ram by the sect members.

A number of houses in Zango were set on fire by members of the sect who went on rampage demanding the release of their leader arrested by the authorities.

Affected, was Gambo Nabarasi whose house opposite the sect’s enclave in Zango area was burnt down completely. When The Guardian visited the Federal Low-cost House Estate, which is near the scene of the clash, sound of gunshot exchange between security personnel and the members of the sect still rent the air.

Mutallab: I warned US about my son’s activity – The Nation

The Mutallab Family recovered yesterday from the shock of the arrest of its son Umar Farouk for attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Detroit on Christmas Day.

The family said the suspect disappeared about two months a hours of Saturday, 26th December, 2009 to the news of an attempt to blow up a plane by a young Nigerian man, who was later identified as Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab.

“Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is the son of Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab, the head of this Family.

“Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.

“We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home.

“It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.

“The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents reported it and sought help.

“The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.

“We, along with the whole world, are thankful to Al-Mighty God that there were no lives lost in the incident. May God continue to protect us all, amen.