RANCOUR IN ONDO PDP OVER MIMIKO

All is not well within the fold of the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party following the return of Governor Olusegun Mimiko to the party.Mimiko was formally received back to the PDP fold at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday by its national leaders, confirming a perennial speculation that he would be joining the party.The Publicity Secretary, Wale Ozogor, told our correspondent that some party loyalists feared they might lose all their investments in the party, having signified interest to run for various offices.He said, "It appears while we are willing to negotiate, the leaders of the party are trying to negotiate out some people, that is what we are against."He also noted that the party's constitution recognized the tenure of the officials and Mimiko's return should not annul the arrangement.According to him, officials of the party are ready for negotiation, hoping that Mimiko, as a mature politician, would be fair by allowing the executive members to run their tenure at all levels.Our correspondent however gathered that some notable members were threatening to dumpthe party for the rival All Progressives Congress.A top official of the party who would not want to be named said party members who felt theywould no longer be able to actualise their political ambition with the coming of Mimiko were already thinking of alternative platforms to pursue their ambitions."Some feel they have toiled hard and we're looking forward to the election, but that could be swept away with Mimiko coming in with his men who also have political ambitions. I must tell you the truth, that is the reality," he said.The Deputy Chairman of the party, Fatai Adams, told journalists on Friday that he and members of the state executive committee were prepared to protect the interest of members who had contributed to building the party."However, the state working committee having met in Abuja, have resolved that there is a need to protect the structure of the party at the state, local government and ward levels. We have filed an injunction in the FCT High Court to protect this structure."This is because the primaries are a month away and a lot of aspirants have indicated their interest to contest under this umbrella. We are fully prepared to protect the interest of all members who have labored and spent their resources to make the party to become the beautiful bride today."We are not ready to surrender the structures of this party to anybody, because we were elected and we are prepared to ensure the success of this party," he said.The Director of Publicity, Ayodele Fadaka, raised the issue of the party's Constitution which states that elected officers of the party at state, local government and ward levels were to run for a particular tenure.But the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, in his comment on the development, noted that the standoff was unnecessary as Mimiko, as the leader of the party would be fair to all the members of the party.He however noted that changes were inevitable as Mimiko would be leading a horde of political office holders to the PDP, adding that it was home coming for the governor."The governor is the leader of the party in the state. He will certainly ensure that the interest of everybody is protected," he said.

CULLED FROM PUNCH

EID EL-KABIR: 600 RAMS,COWS STOEN IN ZAMFARA

Armed bandits stormed Billashe village in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State, and carted away about 600 rams and cows, Daily Trust gathered.
Residents of the village said the incident occurred in the night, lamenting that the situation will prevent many of them from slaughtering rams during the Eid-el-Kabir festival.  
Earlier in the week, the Divisional Police Officer attached to the local government and a suspected cattle rustler escaped lynching by a mob in Nassarawa Godel village, when the former attempted to rescue the latter from being killed by youths.
Resident of a village neighbouring Billashe, Ibrahim Aliyu, said the bandits carried out a house-to-house operation.
He added that some residents went after the bandits and recovered their animals.
He added: “You know Eid el-Kabir is approaching and it is a tradition for families in rural Zamfara to rear rams and other domestic animals for sacrifice and sale, but the bandits have disrupted the plans by their action. Some residents of the village fled the area for safety and I accommodated two of them in my house.”
The spokesman of the police command Lawan Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, adding that they were working with the military to recover the stolen animals. He said cattle rustling is persisting in the area because of its difficult terrain. He said most of the villages are inaccessible due to bad roads and poor telephone networks.  
He, however, added that between June and August this year, the command in collaboration with the military was able to recover 2,219 stolen cows

Culled from Daily Trust

Pilot of Missing Airforce Jet Beheaded by Boko Haram

Boko Haram beheads pilot of ‘missing’ airforce jet
A new Boko Haram video shows the beheading of a man identified as the pilot of a missing Nigerian Air Force jet and burnt out parts of a plane — the first indication that the Islamic extremist group has the capability to bring down aircraft.

It also allegedly features Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, a man the military has claimed to have killed last year. Two weeks ago, the military said they had killed in battle a Shekau lookalike who had posed in the group’s videos.

“Here I am, alive and I will remain alive until the day Allah takes away my breath,” the man says in the Hausa language. “Even if you kill me … it will not stop us imposing Islamic rule … We are still in our Islamic state, reigning and teaching the Koran.”

The United States still has a $7m ransom on Shekau’s head, despite the death claims.

The video was made available to The Associated Press through the same channels used previously and seems to show the same man claiming to be Shekau.

In the latest video, he says they are prosecuting in accordance with Shariah law in areas under their control. Examples of punishments are shown, including the stoning to death of a man apparently accused of adultery; the amputation of the hand of a young man accused of theft; the lashings of a man and what appears to be a girl covered in the hijab.

The video ends with a show of burnt out plane parts in rugged bush.

Two pilots and an Alpha jet have been missing since September 11 when it left Yola, Adamawa State, on a bombing mission against Boko Haram.

The video shows a kneeling man in a camouflage vest with his right hand in a sling, with a fighter hovering over him with an axe, which is later used in the beheading.

Speaking in English, the victim identifies himself as a Wing Commander in the Nigerian Air Force and says he was undertaking a mission in Kauri area of Borno State on September 11.

“We were shot down and our aircraft crashed,” he says, appearing to keep his composure throughout the ordeal. “To this day, I don’t know the whereabouts of my second pilot.”

Shekau claims in the video to have brought down 10 military aircraft.

The Defense Headquarters has denied speculation that Boko Haram brought down a helicopter gunship that crashed in August. The pilot died, two crew members survived.

82 Foreigners Arrested in Jos, Plateau State

The Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, Plateau State, yesterday said it apprehended 82 foreigners, mostly of Cameroonian, Nigerien and Chadian origins within Rikkos community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The STF Media and Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, said the suspects were arrested within Rikkos community which has been under surveillance due to the high number of foreigners there.
Captain Iweha said: “We did not just wake up and went about arresting people; the area has been under surveillance for a long time. It should have been a joint operation with the Nigerian Immigration Service but there were contending issues so we had to move swiftly.”
He said the 82 suspect were in the custody of the STF and will remain with them until operatives of the Immigration Service come for them. However, Babangida Musa, whose relative, Umar Ahmad, was arrested, said the suspect is a Nigerian from Kaduna State, but residing in Jos.  
“He is just 21 years and has a provision shop in Rikkos, he was arrested after he had closed from his shop and was sleeping at home,” he said.
He called on law enforcement agents to release any of the suspects found to be a citizen of the country.