Al Qaeda's kinder, gentler image makeover

Al Nusra fighters stand ready to fight Syrian regime forces near Aleppo in April. Al Nusra has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda.An al Qaeda-produced video posted on a website in early July opens with uplifting images of smiling Syrian children and jovial old men listening to speeches delivered by al Qaeda militants.

The video seems startlingly out of place on a website usually devoted to serious young men learning to fire machine guns, bloodshed and graphic images of civilian casualties purportedly caused by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Instead, the video, featured on a site aligned with al Qaeda, shows a Jordanian member of al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria insisting that his group's poor image is just a myth propagated by Western media. He says: "The international channels try to twist the picture and portray the mujahedeen as bloodthirsty, as distanced from the people -- that they reject the people and don't love them." As the Jordanian militant speaks, young Syrian boys crowd around him

Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters have set up "Advocacy Tents" in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, where the jihadists can "educate the people on our point of view."

In another apparent attempt to soften its image, al Qaeda members in Syria held something akin to a town fair. Another al Qaeda video produced in Syria surfaced online in July, this one showing an al Qaeda-organized ice cream-eating contest in Aleppo.

Around the same time, an Arabic-language news outlet, Aleppo News, published a video of a tug-of-war between members of the two al Qaeda-affiliated rebel groups fighting in Syria. In the video, crowds of young boys and older men cheer on the members of al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda and its regional franchises understand they need to try to win the "heart and minds" of the local population; something they have generally failed to do in the past and something that the leaders of these groups have come to understand is a major problem.

In documents recovered in Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, bin Laden and his top advisers privately criticized the brutal tactics of al Qaeda in Iraq, which had provoked a tribal uprising known as "the Sunni Awakening" that almost destroyed al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate in 2006 and 2007.

Now, al Qaeda in Iraq and in neighboring Syria are experiencing a revival, a revival at least somewhat fueled by al Qaeda learning from some of the mistakes it made during the previous decade in Iraq.

This is significant because al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, al Nusra, is widely considered to be the most effective rebel force fighting the Assad regime, and the group pledged allegiance to the leader of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in April.

But videos of al Qaeda militants playing tug-of-war or joking with members of the local community are hardly signs of moderation.

Al Qaeda's Syrian branch releases lengthy and passionate sermons dedicated to denouncing Shi'a Muslims as apostates who should be killed.

And although some al Qaeda fighters in Syria might be engaging the public with ice cream, games and conversation, their colleagues in neighboring Iraq continue to launch bloody attacks on civilians.

On Monday, at least 50 people were killed in 15 separate car bomb attacks in Baghdad. Many of those bombings are believed be the work of al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate.

In all likelihood, al Qaeda and its allied groups are doing too little, too late, in their quest to win the public's hearts and minds.

The group's senior leaders recognized the dangers of killing too many Muslim civilians as far back as 2005, when Zawahiri reprimanded the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, for alienating the Iraqi people with indiscriminate violence.

And the majority of Muslims around the world reject violence in the name of Islam, particularly in the form of suicide bombings. This is unsurprising, given that al Qaeda's violence has primarily claimed Muslim lives.

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Civilian casualties in Afghanistan up by nearly a quarter, U.N. says

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased 23% in the first six months of this year, the United Nations said in a report released Wednesday.

The rise in the number of ordinary Afghans killed and injured reverses a decline in 2012. That was the first drop in civilian casualties since the U.N. began publishing the figures in 2007.

The increase in deaths and injuries so far this year was mainly driven by the stepped up use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in its report.

Civilian deaths increased 14% from the first six months of 2012 to 1,319, the report said, while injuries rose 28% to 2,533.

"The violent impact of the conflict on Afghan civilians marked by the return of rising civilian casualties in 2013 demands even greater commitment and further efforts by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians who are increasingly being killed and injured in the cross-fire," said Jan Kubis, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan.

Nearly three-quarters of all civilian casualties in the first half of the year resulted from actions by anti-government groups, notably the Taliban, the U.N. report found.

The remainder were caused by pro-government forces (9%), ground engagements between pro- and anti-government forces (12%) and unattributed factors like unexploded ordnance (5%).

The report singled out the devastating effect of the use of IEDs, which caused 35% of deaths and injuries. The devices killed 443 civilians and injured 917. That's a 34% increase in overall casualties from the first half of 2012.

"The increase in the indiscriminate use of IEDs and the deliberate targeting of civilians by anti-government elements is particularly alarming and must stop," Kubis said.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan welcomed the report, saying it had taken "a number of positive steps to reduce the number of civilian casualties in this country."

But the Taliban criticized the report, saying it was "in favor of Americans and part of the propaganda against the Taliban

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EU TAKES TOES IN EGYPT

Egypt's factions must find a way to bridge their differences and pave the way for a political solution that involves all sides if the country is to leave its current chaos behind, the European Union's top diplomat said Tuesday.

"Only an inclusive process will work," EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton told reporters Tuesday after visiting with the country's deposed president, current leaders, Muslim Brotherhood members and others during a brief trip.

"And though I recognize that is challenging, it is really important to begin now," she said.

Egypt has suffered from sporadic violence since the July 3 military coup that removed President Mohamed Morsy from power on the heels of mass protests against his rule. He is being held at an undisclosed military facility on a variety of criminal charges.

Most recently, violent clashes between security forces and protesters in Cairo on Saturday left dozens of Morsy supporters dead, and officials have threatened to disband a sit-in of the former president's supporters -- an act that could spur yet more bloodshed.

Several Egyptian human rights groups demanded in a statement released Tuesday that Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim resign over the Saturday incident and demanded that government forces refrain from further violence.

"The Egyptian security forces' recurrent use of excessive, lethal violence in the face of political protest will only exacerbate the political ills that led Egyptian society to rebel against the policies of Mubarak, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), and the Muslim Brotherhood," according to the statement, which was signed by 10 human rights, womens' and legal organizations.

From CNN correspondent: Egypt's revolution of the mind

Speaking at a news conference with Ashton, Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei said he agrees with Ashton's call for a non-violent approach that includes the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups in a political solution.

"I want to emphasize again that our immediate priority, as we shared with Lady Ashton, is to stop violence in all its forms and shapes and try every possible way to find a peaceful solution," he told reporters. "Violence is not a solution. It opens new wounds. It doesn't heal old wounds."

Muslim Brotherhood officials said on the group's website that they will continue protesting until Morsy is restored to office.

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WEDDING TURNED FUNERAL

Wedding plans have turned to funeral arrangements as New York authorities try to piece together what went wrong in a horrific weekend boating accident that killed a bride-to-be and best man.

"We're looking into every single thing," Rockland County, New York, Sheriff Louis Falco said. "What we're going to do is bring in an accident reconstruction team."

Lindsey Stewart and Brian Bond were planning to marry on August 10.

Mark Lennon, who was to have been the best man in the wedding party, and Stewart disappeared late Friday when a 21-foot Stingray power boat they were passengers on slammed into one of three construction barges strapped together near the Tappan Zee Bridge, 25 miles north of Manhattan.

Stewart and Lennon were thrown from the boat.

Stweart's body was recovered Saturday. But the search for Lennon continued until Sunday morning when a jet skier called police to report a body in the river. Investigators are working to positively identify the body.

It was supposed to be a short boat ride up the Hudson River from the village of Piermont in Rockland County to Tarrytown.

The couple had just dined at a restaurant with friends when Stewart and Bond boarded the power boat, along with three friends.

What went wrong?

Potential alcohol use and poor lighting are key points of interest as authorities look into the deadly crash.

The barge the power boat crashed into had been anchored in the river since April, according to Robert Van Cura, undersheriff of the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.

"The barge had some lights on it; whether or not it was properly lighted is part of the investigation," Van Cura said.

"On a clear, moonlit night, with the bridge lights on, you can see pretty well," said Tom Sobolik in a telephone interview from aboard his sailboat near the accident site.

The moon was last full on Monday.

But Craig and Celeste Kmiecik said they were boating in the area Friday night, and it was dark.

"There was a moon last night, but you really can't see anything," said Craig Kmiecik.

"The barge was not lit up," said Celeste Kmiecik. "We saw that last night coming back to the marina."

Another area resident, Anthony Fowler, said having barges on the waterway were an accident waiting to happen.

"If you put an immovable object that's dark in the path of recreational boaters, you have a recipe for disaster."

Boat operator arrested

Meanwhile, boat operator Jojo K. John, 35, has been arrested.

"We have probable cause to believe that he operated the boat while intoxicated," Van Cura said.

John was arraigned at an area hospital on one count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter and three counts of second-degree vehicular assault. More charges are possible, Van Cura said.

John, along with the others who were not thrown from the boat, all suffered head injuries.

'In no condition to talk'

Bond, the groom, was hospitalized at Westchester Medical Center, said Stewart's stepfather Walter Kosik, who visited him Saturday. "He was in no condition to talk."

A spokesman for the medical center said Bond was in fair condition, with serious head injuries. He was the one who called 911 from the boat, reporting the accident.

For the families, the tragedy was magnified by the pending nuptials.

"She's supposed to be married two weeks from today," said Carol Stewart about her daughter. "It just can't end like this.

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5 FEARED DEAD IN TARABA ATTACK

Five persons were killed yesterday in Tapga Village of Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba state when armed militia group from the neighbouring Tarok Village of Plateau state attacked the Taraba village.

It was gathered that many others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the attack while others were forced to desert Tapga village. The injured were said to have been taken to some clinics in Wukari and Ibi towns for treatment. It could not however be ascertained the reason for the attack.

According to eye-witnesses, some of the refugees are taking refuge in Jibo -a settlement of Wukari.

Chairman of Ibi council Adamu Ishaku, who confirmed the attack and killing to newsmen, said “the attackers took my people unaware”.

Ishaku said the attackers had planned to invade Sarki-Kudu village of his council but they couldn’t succeed before “they ended up lunching the attack on the unsuspecting residents of Tapga,”

Ishaku however gave the casualty figure at three while eye-witnesses said the death toll rose to five as at press time.

Our source added that the fate of little children and women left behind was still unknown.

The Ibi chairman said security in parts of Ibi has been porous especially at the coastal and border areas.

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BLAST IN KANO

A series of loud explosions rocked Nigeria’s second city of Kano on Monday, residents said, describing at least four blasts in the Sabon Gari neighbourhood, which has been previously targetted by Boko Haram Islamists.

“There is confusion all over the place. There were four huge explosions, so huge that they shook the whole area. Everywhere is enveloped in smoke and dust,” said Chinyere Madu, a fruit vendor.

The blasts were said to have targetted Enugu street in Sabon Gari, a strip filled with outdoor bars and eateries.

Resident Kola Oyebanji said he believed “beer parlours” were the target.

“My house is not far from there,” he told AFP. “All my windows are shattered.”

Kano is the largest city in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, but Sabon Gari is a mostly Christian neighbourhood.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, with police and emergency officials in Kano not available to comment.

Boko Haram, the extremist group which has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, was blamed for coordinated suicide blasts at a bus park in Sabon Gari in March that killed at least 22 people.

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Authorities want answers in boating accident that kills bride-to-be, best man

Wedding plans have turned to funeral arrangements as New York authorities try to piece together what went wrong in a horrific weekend boating accident that killed a bride-to-be and best man.

"We're looking into every single thing," Rockland County, New York, Sheriff Louis Falco said. "What we're going to do is bring in an accident reconstruction team."

Lindsey Stewart and Brian Bond were planning to marry on August 10.

Mark Lennon, who was to have been the best man in the wedding party, and Stewart disappeared late Friday when a 21-foot Stingray power boat they were passengers on slammed into one of three construction barges strapped together near the Tappan Zee Bridge, 25 miles north of Manhattan.

Stewart and Lennon were thrown from the boat.

Stweart's body was recovered Saturday. But the search for Lennon continued until Sunday morning when a jet skier called police to report a body in the river. Investigators are working to positively identify the body.

It was supposed to be a short boat ride up the Hudson River from the village of Piermont in Rockland County to Tarrytown.

The couple had just dined at a restaurant with friends when Stewart and Bond boarded the power boat, along with three friends.

What went wrong?

Potential alcohol use and poor lighting are key points of interest as authorities look into the deadly crash.

The barge the power boat crashed into had been anchored in the river since April, according to Robert Van Cura, undersheriff of the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.

"The barge had some lights on it; whether or not it was properly lighted is part of the investigation," Van Cura said.

"On a clear, moonlit night, with the bridge lights on, you can see pretty well," said Tom Sobolik in a telephone interview from aboard his sailboat near the accident site.

The moon was last full on Monday.

But Craig and Celeste Kmiecik said they were boating in the area Friday night, and it was dark.

"There was a moon last night, but you really can't see anything," said Craig Kmiecik.

"The barge was not lit up," said Celeste Kmiecik. "We saw that last night coming back to the marina."

Another area resident, Anthony Fowler, said having barges on the waterway were an accident waiting to happen.

"If you put an immovable object that's dark in the path of recreational boaters, you have a recipe for disaster."

Boat operator arrested

Meanwhile, boat operator Jojo K. John, 35, has been arrested.

"We have probable cause to believe that he operated the boat while intoxicated," Van Cura said.

John was arraigned at an area hospital on one count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter and three counts of second-degree vehicular assault. More charges are possible, Van Cura said.

John, along with the others who were not thrown from the boat, all suffered head injuries.

'In no condition to talk'

Bond, the groom, was hospitalized at Westchester Medical Center, said Stewart's stepfather Walter Kosik, who visited him Saturday. "He was in no condition to talk."

A spokesman for the medical center said Bond was in fair condition, with serious head injuries. He was the one who called 911 from the boat, reporting the accident.

For the families, the tragedy was magnified by the pending nuptials.

"She's supposed to be married two weeks from today," said Carol Stewart about her daughter. "It just can't end like this.

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Bahrain enacts stiff laws against 'terrorism' before opposition protests

Lawmakers in Bahrain have passed tough new laws for "terrorism acts" ahead of massive protests planned by the opposition next month

The National Assembly, in a session Sunday, approved new penalties for those who commit or incite "terrorism," including stripping Bahrainis of citizenship.

Legislators also banned any demonstrations in the tiny kingdom's capital, Manama.

The anti-government opposition bloc has called for mass protests on August 14.

According to BNA, Bahrain's National Institution for Human Rights praised the efforts "to protect the Kingdom's gains and future generations and (face) the recent dangerous escalation that aim at pushing the country to unrest and political tension, which is contrary to the Islamic values and international norms, conventions and treaties."

But global human rights activists have denounced what they call appalling human rights abuses by Bahraini authorities, particularly in the past few years.

In April, Human Rights Watch said Bahraini security forces had raided homes and arbitrarily detained a number of prominent anti-government protest leaders.

Bahrain is an ally of the United States and home to the 5th Fleet, a large U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf.

Tensions in the kingdom remain high following the 2011 uprising, in which the majority Shiite population protested against the ruling Sunni minority.

The protests were spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

But the demonstrations failed to gain the traction of other Arab Spring uprisings after a crackdown by authorities in the island state, backed by troops from nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates under the banner of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

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LEADERS TRADE BLAMES IN EGYPT OVER CRISIS

All agree that scores angry at Egypt's military-backed government and the ouster of President Mohamed Morsy died in late-night clashes in the volatile nation's capital.

But they are of opposite minds as to who began firing first and who is to blame.

Dr. Mohammed Ali Sultan, chairman of Egypt's ambulance services, told CNN that 72 had been killed in Nasr City, an area of Cairo the Muslim Brotherhood has made its base after the group's former leader was forced from power and ordered jailed.

Medics in a Brotherhood field hospital there earlier Saturday had put the death toll at 66, with another 61 on life support and thousands more wounded.

How did they end up in such straits?

Ask the Muslim Brotherhood -- the Islamist group that was sidelined under longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak only to become the country's dominant political force after his forced exit in 2011 -- and its members will say police fired live ammunition on protesters Friday and Saturday.

A wounded protester getting medical treatment at a field hospital said he saw men in plainclothes fire on pro-Morsy demonstrators with shotguns.

He referred to them as "thugs," a term commonly used for young men who support the government and resort to violence.

"Police forces were standing behind them. Also, military forces were outside blocking three entrances to Rabaa Adawiya neighborhood," the protester said, adding he had also seen corpses with gunshot wounds at the hospital.

Yet the prosecutor general's office, according to a report early Sunday on state-run Nile TV, concluded that protesters not only initiated the clashes but also fired live bullets on security forces.

A police spokesman likewise rejected any allegations police opened fire, saying they only used tear gas canisters and were not responsible for the deaths.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim offered a similar view during a televised news conference.

The protesters were at fault for starting violence that wounded 14 police, none of whom fired back, he said.

"I want to emphasize here that the Interior Ministry police force has never and will never fire its weapons at any Egyptian citizen," Ibrahim said.

Fresh clashes erupted early Sunday in Helwan south of Cairo between residents there and pro-Morsy protesters, reported state TV, citing witnesses.

Meanwhile, an attorney has filed a lawsuit at a district court in Cairo, asking that the military overthrow of Morsy be overturned. Tarek Al Kashef is basing his challenge on the country's constitution, specifically sections that stipulate that a presidential term is four years and that the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces. A hearing is slated for October 8.

source: CNN

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20 CIVILIANS KILLED IN BORNO BY ISLAMIST

Suspected members of Nigeria’s Islamist group Boko Haram shot dead more than 20 civilians when a vigilante group attacked them in the northern Borno state, a military spokesman said Sunday as gathered by RCRM(RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS)

“The suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over twenty innocent civilians,” Haruna Mohammed Sani, spokesman for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) said.

The violence took place on Saturday in Dawashe village, the army lieutenant said in a statement.

He said men from the Civilian Joint Task Force, a vigilante group formed in Boko Haram’s bastion Maiduguri to combat the Islamist gunmen who have been terrorising the region for years, entered Dawashe to search for suspects.

Suspected Boko Haram members subsequently opened fire in the village, the spokesman said, adding that the 20 victims were mostly fishermen and traders.

Sani said a dozen other civilians sustained gunshot wounds during the incident but provided no information on casualties among the belligerents.

The toll and circumstances of the incident could not immediately be verified independently.

The MNJTF, a joint military force set up in 1998 to combat border crimes, consists of troops from Nigeria, Chad and Niger.

Its mandate was recently expanded to fight Boko Haram, whose insurgency is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by security forces.

courtesy:RCRM

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UNDERAGE MARRIAGE: Playing games with child’s rights

We claim that we’ve embraced democracy, yet, our upper House is pushing a law which gives full right for male adults to sexually abuse very young girls, under the guise that a married girl, no matter the age, is considered an adult!
The endorsement of child marriage by the Senate through constitutional amendment is generating ripples. Sunday Vanguard learnt that Senate considered Section 29, which deals with renunciation of citizenship for amendment.

Section 29(1) provides that any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.’ Section 29(4) (a) and (b) provides, ‘For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section: (a) “full age” means the age of eighteen years and above; (b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.’ The Senate voted to remove the latter, that is, Section 29(4)(b).

Then, Senator Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara State – who had married a 13 year-old Egyptian girl -raised an objection on the grounds that the removal of the provision was ‘un-Islamic,’ citing Second Schedule, Part 1, Item 61 of the constitution entitled, ‘The formation, annulment and dissolution of marriages other than marriages under Islamic law and Customary law including matrimonial causes relating thereto.’
The senator mobilized his colleagues and got the amendment put to vote again and those who earlier supported the removal could not muster the two-thirds majority votes required to seal the removal. By not being able to get two-thirds majority votes, Section 29(4)(b) remains in the constitution.

Meanwhile, Nigerians, through social and conventional media, have continued to express their opinions on the issue. Some of them are reproduced hereunder:

The world is watching us – Dr. Princess Olufemi-Kayode

Ashoka FELLOW & Executive DirectorMedia Concern Initiative – for Women & Children

It is sad and disgraceful that at this time in the 21st century, we are voting for marriageable age for the girl-child in our Senate during a constitutional review.. It is shameful and does not portray our governance system as a serious one. We continually make a mockery of democracy – the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It is obvious that this is all about a one-man riot squad: Yerima.

He married a 13-year-old and nothing happened. If I recollect, the Senate called it a personal issue. We need to know that the world is watching us.

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The senate and child-wife as adult

Some time ago, a male teacher and his fifteen year-old pupil began a romantic relationship.  It was reported that the affair was not exactly a clandestine one as members of staff and other pupils were aware that they spent much time together, even outside school hours. No-one thought much of it until they both went missing, and were later discovered some months ago to be living together in France.

There was a huge outcry in the entire country as the teacher was called a paedophille and accused of seducing and then abducting the young girl.  He was arrested in handcuffs and brought back to Britain, and was charged to court. The girl who’s now 18, cried her eyes out and explained that she had not been seduced nor abducted, but that they fell in love and had been dating normally.  She said they were going to get married on completion of her education.

The law took its course anyway, and recently,  her teacher/lover was  sentenced to five years in prison.  She vowed to wait for him, and pay him visits. The man who’s now 30, also says he will marry her when he’s out of prison.  Tough luck, you may say, because, if it were in this country, some families would have allowed the couple to marry, and that would have been the end of the matter.  But that’s not what happens in a place where the child’s rights are truly protected.

The teacher’s case was made worse because it came at a time when several adults came out to claim that the late Sir Jimmy Saville (the seat belt ‘click clunk’ man, and presenter of Top of the Pops for the BBC,) had, for decades in his life-time, sexually abused them when they were children,.  The fondness and respect most citizens had for Saville quickly turned to dislike and condemnation, and the BBC was criticized for ‘turning a blind eye’ to the acts.  Saville died last year in his eighties, and since the accusations began to surface only after his death, nothing could be done to punish him for taking advantage of those young admirers of his who hung around his studio, sought audience with him at events, etc.

His knighthood from the Queen for philanthropy, raising funds for the needy,  and service in broadcasting was withdrawn.  Saville’s case has led to several other popular public figures in Britain  being investigated at present for sex offences that took place years ago.  That’s what happens in a truly democratic setting when  a child is abused. His/her rights are protected by the law, no matter how old or high-up the offender is, and how old the offence is.  If he’s found guilty, he gets punished!

Personally, I’m shocked that with all the enlightened law-makers we have in the Senate, such a retrogressive law is being considered.

Unlike the incident above where a fifteen year old fell in love with her teacher, and went off willingly  with him, in Nigeria, parents are very much involved in all marriages.

I challenge any of those Senators who think that would be a good law, to give out their under-aged daughter in marriage, like the poor people do!  I doubt if any of them would have daughters who are not as well-educated as she’s capable of.  The elite from areas where underaged marriage for girls is the norm, make it a point to educate all their children – both male and female – outside the country.   I can’t see their daughters being given out in marriage while they’re yet children.

If none of  our law-makers would want to give out their under-aged daughters in marriage, then why are they contemplating this law?

I think it’s an attempt to further oppress and keep in subjection, the poor of the land.  It’s only the poor and the uneducated who would give out their daughters in marriage in the girls’ childhood.  Why would they do this?   Because they’re told by those who lead them that it’s the right faith thing to do!  Also, giving out children in marriage, for them, is a way out of abject poverty, because it’s one less mouth to feed and body to clothe.  In addition, the son-in-law will help the family financially.

One gets this picture of  ‘big men’ cruising around in their vehicles, looking for ‘pretty-young-things’ to snatch from their cradles before other men get them.  They approach the parents of the girls, who of course would eagerly give out their daughters to a big man.  The girls are too young to be asked whether they want to get married yet, and to the big man. Some of them are yet to attain puberty and start their periods.   So, the decision is made for them and  then they are taken away to be raised by their husbands. How can such children be considered adults?

There is much danger to a girl’s health and general well-being if she’s married off at a very tender age, and forced into early child-bearing.  Her reproductory system is not yet ready to carry pregnancy and  deliver babies, so, many of them have the dreaded VVF ailment later; where a woman leaks from her uterus uncontrollably.  The smell she emits, which attracts hordes of flies, makes her a social outcast, as the husband sends her away, and she’s also rejected by her family and the community.  She ends up by the roadside as a beggar; eventually dying in the bush when the condition deteriorates.

Over the years, I’ve attended and reported on many conferences/seminars, dealing with the condition. Thanks to the good NGOs we have on women’s health, and some cooperative government officials, there are hospitals around the country where surgeries are successfully carried out on victims.

Apart from the health aspect of underaged marriage, what about the girl’s general well-being.  We talk of the Rights of the Child, and yet we want marriage to happen so early in a young girl’s life, that she has no way of contributing meaningfully to national development.  Aren’t we taking away her rights to choose a life for herself if we give her parents the right to marry her off as a child, and the husband the  right to sexually assault an under-aged girl, and force early womanhood and parenthood on her; all in the guise of  being her husband?

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How does reckless driving testify to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Jimmy Peters was on his way back to Lagos from a wedding in Benin City.  Suddenly, the road ahead was blocked.  Before he could say “Jack Robinson,” some armed men sprang out of the bushes.  Instinctively, Jimmy’s wife hid their baby on the floor of the backseat of the car; quickly throwing a cloth over him.

The armed robbers were professional and clinical.  They rapidly stripped them of their money and valuables.  They hit the jackpot when they found thirty-five thousand naira in the boot of the car.  But just as they were about to leave, the thing Jimmy’s wife feared happened.  The baby cried out; not surprising, since he was practically smothered by the cloth thrown over him.  One of the armed robbers stopped in his tracks.  “There’s a baby, there’s a baby,” he exclaimed.  He removed the cloth for confirmation.  There indeed was the baby, cooing away, totally oblivious to the tension in the air.

The armed robber was very angry.  He turned to the mother; scowling.  “You people are very strange,” he said.  “Do you think I would hurt a baby?”  Then he went further: “I want you to know that I am a Christian, so I would never hurt a little baby like this.”  To demonstrate this beyond reasonable doubt, he decided to give the baby twenty naira out of the thirty-five thousand he had stolen from the parents.

Sunday-Sunday Christians

This story is not fiction.  It actually happened; and it serves to underscore the widespread confusion that now exists among those of us who call ourselves Christians.  Christians are now a motley group of very strange bedfellows.  It would appear that virtually anybody can claim to be a Christian without fear of contradiction.  But who exactly is a Christian?

Today, Christians are often identified by church affiliation.  We are people who go to church on Sundays.  We are people who “read their bible and pray every day.”  We are people who pay tithes.  We have a tendency to quote the scriptures.  We like to pepper our speech with “hallelujahs” and “praise the Lord.”

But we are also people who fail to show compassion when it is required.  We are people who despise Moslems and people of other faiths.  We are people with deep hatred for homosexuals.  We are people who insist on retributive justice, even to the point of going to war.  We are those who go to church on Sundays but also beat our wives on Mondays.  We are those who pray down the rain but also use our tongue to lie, deceive, insult, abuse and curse.  Of such is not the kingdom of God.

Some church workers came to a high-rise building to ask for “Sister Mary.”  But nobody seemed to know her.  “What does she look like?” the residents asked.  The visitors gave an elaborate description of her, from her favourite hairstyle to her preferred manner of dressing.  “That sounds like Mary Ikejiani,” somebody replied.  “Is it Mary Ikejiani you are looking for?”  “Yes,” replied the visitors.  “We have it on good authority she lives in this building.”  “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” the residents chorused.  “Instead, you asked for ‘Sister Mary.’  Do you mean to tell us Mary is a Christian?”

Mary was a Sunday-Sunday Christian.  At church, she was the epitome of holiness and virtue.  But at home, she could not continue the lie.  Had the people asked after “Quarrelsome Mary,” instead of “Sister Mary,” there would have been no difficulty in identifying her.

Christian hypocrisy

Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do men say that I am?”  Let us turn the question around.  Who do men say Christians are?  Are we known by virtues or by vices?  Does the designation, “Christian,” denote someone of sound character who is honest, godly and peace-loving?  The truth is it does not.

When Jesus sees Nathanael coming down the road, he says about him: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit.”  Jesus refers to Nathanael as a real Israelite, thereby differentiating him from Jacob; the man to whom God first gave the name Israel.  Jacob, of course, was a liar and a cheat.  But Jesus identifies in Nathanael that the real Israelite (or Christian) is a man of proven integrity.

If Nathanael is a real Israelite then there are fake Israelites.  If Nathanael is a true Christian then there are fake Christians.  Indeed, many professing Christians are much more dishonest and deceitful than the average unbeliever.  We seem to forget that people are supposed to be drawn to Christ because of what they see of him in us.

A lady asked me to pray for her.  When I asked what her petition was, she said she was the Chairperson of the Armed Forces Officers’ Wives at a particular military cantonment.  Her colleagues kept a certain amount of money with her for safe-keeping, but it now appeared she had misplaced the money.

“What happened to the money?” I asked her.  “I tampered with it,” she said.  “What does that mean?”  She said: “I spent the money.  I didn’t know they would want it back so soon.”  “So what do you want me to do now?”  “I want you to pray that God should have mercy on me,” she replied.  But what about the money with which she was entrusted?
Disciples of Christ are called to follow his example.  Why then do Christians steal, cheat, fight, lie, fornicate and commit adultery?  Surely we know that the kingdom of God is only for those who stand in the righteousness of Christ.

Foolish faith

Have you ever had the experience where a man literally drives you off the road and, as he speeds away, you see the inscription on his windscreen declaring: “Jesus is Lord?”  How does reckless driving testify to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Some cars were waiting at a railway intersection because a red light indicated a train was approaching.  But one driver felt all the others were daft.  He was convinced he could quickly cross over before the train arrived.  So rather than wait on the queue with others, he decided to drive across quickly at top speed.

Onlookers shouted at him to stop, warning him of the danger in his line of action.  But he ignored them, accelerating all the more.  At the last minute, he suddenly saw the train.  It was much closer than he had anticipated, but it was now too late to slam on the brakes.  If he did, he would be crushed for sure.  So he had no choice but to continue on his suicidal path.

Somehow he managed to get across unscathed.  But just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the train hit his back bumper and sent him on a tailspin.  His car went through several somersaults but finally ended right side up.  Dazed but uninjured, the man opened the door and came out of the car.  “Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you, Jesus,” he cried.

But was it Jesus who told him to take such an idiotic risk?  Was it Jesus who led him to presume all other drivers were daft but he alone was smart?

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UNDERAGE MARRIAGE: A final word on child marriage

According to the respected Islamic scholar, Professor Ishaq Akintola, there is ‘no age restriction in Islamic marriage’. He may well be right and I honestly believe that Islam, like Christianity, is a humane and compassionate faith which seeks to protect the weak and guide its adherents on the path of righteousness and light.

I must however point out that Nigeria is not a Muslim or indeed a Christian state. She is a secular state and she is governed by secular laws.Religious laws have no place in our land or constitution.Our constitution is a secular docuement which specifically says that the state shall not adopt any religion. This must remain so if we do not want a divided country and if we do not want continued controversy, strife and possibly even a fully blown religious conflagration and conflict.

We should all keep our religious sensitivities out of certain matters if we want continued peace. Paedophilia, child sex, child slavery, child rape and child marriage cannot be justified under any circumstances in any civilised country.

It is not a matter of religion. It is a matter of human rights, civil liberties and basic morality. There is nothing more repugnant to the natural mind and wholesome soul than the prospect of a fully grown man mounting, defiling and having carnal knowledge of a child that is between the ages of 6 and 18.

Every child, whether she be a Christian, a Muslim, a pagan, an atheist or an agnostic has the right to be fully protected by the state and by the laws of our land from sexual predators, sexual deviants, statutory rapists, unrepentant perverts and child molesters. That much we ought to be able to achieve and we ought to insist on. We are meant to protect our children and not bed them.

Like I said earlier elsewhere in this debate, even animals don’t sleep with their own infants. Some may hate me for these words today but I speak nothing but the truth and tomorrow people will thank me for them. This is my final contribution to this heated debate. Outside of this, I have nothing more to say on this vexed and contentious issue. Shalom.

According to the respected Islamic scholar, Professor Ishaq Akintola, there is ‘no age restriction in Islamic marriage’. He may well be right and I honestly believe that Islam, like Christianity, is a humane and compassionate faith which seeks to protect the weak and guide its adherents on the path of righteousness and light.
I must however point out that Nigeria is not a Muslim or indeed a Christian state. She is a secular state and she is governed by secular laws.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/underage-marriage-a-final-word-on-child-marriage/#sthash.MKIPE1RQ.dpuf

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Blood, tears in Oturkpo as David Mark’s men, villagers go to war!

Senate President David Mark’s quest for a vast land where he is said to be planning a university in his native Otukpo, Benue State, has pitted him against peasant farmers in Asa III, who claim that the retired military officer-turned- politician wants to deprive them of their farm land, their only means of livelihood.

The move was said to have started in the first quarter of the year when a delegation of the nation’s number three citizen, led by one Chief Obogo Alapa, met some  Asa III elders  to inform  them of the proposed university which, it  stressed, would bring development to the area.

It was learnt that the villagers told the delegation that they welcomed  the development, but that they needed to know the exact size of land and in which area of the village before they could give their terms.

Consequently, it was agreed that the delegation should take representatives of the villagers to the area and show them the  location and size.

This was later undertaken, with a bulldozer setting out what represented the area of interest for the proposed institution. The said land, according Mr. Sam Obochi, measures about “4 x 4” km, covering the farmlands of many families. The area demarcated alegedly extended from Asa III to their boundary with Akpegede village on the one hand, and their boundary with Otobi  on the other.

However, trouble started when the villagers discovered that bulldozers were sent in to clear the vast farmland without any further discussions with them. “The Alapa delegation that went to show the villagers the area to be taken by the university project did not rvillagers any feedback”, the villagers claimed.

Some of the villagers went to their farms and asked the bulldozer operators to stop work on the grounds  that the said land belonged to their families and that at no time did they hand over the land  to anybody for any project.

As learnt, the workers ignored the villagers which led to  protests during which the villagers blocked the main road that passes through Asa III in their efforts to attract public attention to their plight.

Attacks
If the villagers expected any form of sympathy, what they allegedly got was a rude shock  as, rather than coming for negotiations, those taking their land were said to have mobilized persons from Igbanomaje,  Otukpo, to attack them. The assailants were said to have invaded Asa III  and shot six of the villagers, burnt down houses of those considered as the arrowheads of the alleged  land-grab opposition, and looted  every store in sight.
The villagers ran into the bush and kept away from their homes for four days. Those who ventured into the village were said to have been arrested by gun- wielding vigilante and policemen brought in from Otukpo. 18 persons were allegedly arrested including three minors. 15 were detained in Makurdi Police Station while the minors  were detained in the Juvenile Detention Center, Gboko.
As learnt, six men were shot by the attackers and had to be rushed to the General Hospital Otukpo.  But even at the hospital, the police went after them  and attempted to arrest them.  It took the resistance of the hospital staff to stop further action against the villagers who then sneaked out of the hospital that night to secret locations outside  Otukpo to seek medical help.
Two weeks after the attack, leaders of the village, it was learnt, sent an emissary to Alapa, the alleged leader of Mark’s representatives,  to express their disappointment over the attack on  Asa III.
A peace meeting was reportedly held with the Alapa group on June 21. The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Dr. Innocent Onuh, was one of the leaders that attended the meeting.  That meeting was held at the palace of the Ad’ Alekwu of Asa III, Mr. Inalegwu Onche, where the villagers claimed to have told  Mark’s representatives that due process should be followed if the Senate President wanted to acquire land for his university project.
Killing
The following day, the villagers said policemen from Otukpo Divisional Police Headquarters invaded the village at  about 5.30 am to arrest some youths.
Those who noticed the arrival of the policemen were said to have alerted others by  phone.  Those who could not get the information on time were arrested while those who escaped arrest had their Okadas  (motorcycles) taken away. The villagers then mobilized and insisted that every villager must be taken to the police station.  Overwhelmed, Sunday Vanguard was told, the police started firing into the air to disperse the crowd. In the process, one of the police constables was shot due to accidental discharge  by a fellow police man.
This was said to have infuriated the policemen the more as they insisted on arresting as many of the villagers as they could.  But  the policeman behind the shooting  allegedly reported himself to the police authorities in Otukpo.  He was said to have declared that he could not bring himself to accuse the villagers of a crime they did not commit.
The policeman was arrested and detained, then transferred to the Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi where he was detained, pending his orderly room trial.  In spite of truth about who  shot the deceased policeman, the team that left the village only reinforced with more officers, soldiers and armed vigilante, and stormed the village later that day.  The raid was unprecedented, according to the villagers, as they could not resist the large armed team that stormed their little village.  Several villagers were arrested with others running into the forests.  At the end of the day, many houses were  allegedly burnt down and shops looted, creating a scenario of a village at war.
Strangers
After the raid, Mr. Obochi, a  senior civil servant in Makurdi,  but whose family land is part of the parcel in dispute, decided to meet the Senate President’s representatives in Otukpo.  He was arrested and detained for one week, in Makurdi, along with those earlier arrested.
Obochi told Sunday Vanguard, in an interview  in Makurdi, that what  was happening in  Asa III since the beginning of the year was a clear case of intimidation of the peasant farmers.
He said he was arrested in the process of trying to resolve the issue between the Mark group and his brothers and sisters in his village.  According to him, “my offence was that I bailed those who were arrested by a combined team of policemen, soldiers and vigilante”.
Narrating the situation, Obochi said, “The Mark group claims that the villagers are strangers and as such  will not receive any compensation for the land and their crops. Rather, they said that compensation will be paid to Otukpo indigenous people.  Their informants misled them.  They told them that those farming on the land in question are ‘Aalala’”.
Those referred to as ‘Aalala’ are those from south of Idomaland, especially Ogbadibo and Okpokwu Local Government Areas.
Obochi insisted that those who own the land and even currently own farms on the land in question are aboriginal  Otukpo people.
He added that most of the houses destroyed and the looted shops belonged to indigenes of Asa III and not strangers which made it difficult for any reasonable member of the society to comprehend.
Obochi said the villagers had no intention of fighting Mark but that they won’t allow anyone to forcefully take away the land which they inherited from their ancestors.
Effort  to see Mark
Asked if the aggrieved villagers made any effort to meet the Senate President in person, he said, “I met Adakole Elijah ( an aide of the Senate President) and requested to see Sen. Mark.  He promised to facilitate my meeting him.  That was before the arrest and that was the last time I saw the man.  I also had a chance meeting with one Onyilokwu Ekwo (said to be very close to the Senate President) and I told him that we don’t want bloodshed in our village and that he should arrange a meeting for us to meet Mark.  There was no response and I cannot just walk to Senator David Mark’s house”.
Demand
According to Obochi, the demand of the owners of the farm land is, “the Senate President should follow due process  by coming to the owners of the land.  If a dirty man has something which you need, the person cannot look dirty to you.
“He should come to us and make a request,  then we will decide whether to give him the land or not; or  give him part of the land; but certainly not the whole land as demarcated.  We don’t have any personal problem with Mark He chose the wrong process.  Those he is working with are not representatives of the farmers who own the land. He should stop further work on the land in question until the issue is resolved”.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/blood-tears-in-oturkpo-as-david-marks-men-villagers-go-to-war/#sthash.rPoC1XqV.dpuf

Attacks
If the villagers expected any form of sympathy, what they allegedly got was a rude shock  as, rather than coming for negotiations, those taking their land were said to have mobilized persons from Igbanomaje,  Otukpo, to attack them. The assailants were said to have invaded Asa III  and shot six of the villagers, burnt down houses of those considered as the arrowheads of the alleged  land-grab opposition, and looted  every store in sight.
The villagers ran into the bush and kept away from their homes for four days. Those who ventured into the village were said to have been arrested by gun- wielding vigilante and policemen brought in from Otukpo. 18 persons were allegedly arrested including three minors. 15 were detained in Makurdi Police Station while the minors  were detained in the Juvenile Detention Center, Gboko.
As learnt, six men were shot by the attackers and had to be rushed to the General Hospital Otukpo.  But even at the hospital, the police went after them  and attempted to arrest them.  It took the resistance of the hospital staff to stop further action against the villagers who then sneaked out of the hospital that night to secret locations outside  Otukpo to seek medical help.
Two weeks after the attack, leaders of the village, it was learnt, sent an emissary to Alapa, the alleged leader of Mark’s representatives,  to express their disappointment over the attack on  Asa III.
A peace meeting was reportedly held with the Alapa group on June 21. The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Dr. Innocent Onuh, was one of the leaders that attended the meeting.  That meeting was held at the palace of the Ad’ Alekwu of Asa III, Mr. Inalegwu Onche, where the villagers claimed to have told  Mark’s representatives that due process should be followed if the Senate President wanted to acquire land for his university project.
Killing
The following day, the villagers said policemen from Otukpo Divisional Police Headquarters invaded the village at  about 5.30 am to arrest some youths.
Those who noticed the arrival of the policemen were said to have alerted others by  phone.  Those who could not get the information on time were arrested while those who escaped arrest had their Okadas  (motorcycles) taken away. The villagers then mobilized and insisted that every villager must be taken to the police station.  Overwhelmed, Sunday Vanguard was told, the police started firing into the air to disperse the crowd. In the process, one of the police constables was shot due to accidental discharge  by a fellow police man.
This was said to have infuriated the policemen the more as they insisted on arresting as many of the villagers as they could.  But  the policeman behind the shooting  allegedly reported himself to the police authorities in Otukpo.  He was said to have declared that he could not bring himself to accuse the villagers of a crime they did not commit.
The policeman was arrested and detained, then transferred to the Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi where he was detained, pending his orderly room trial.  In spite of truth about who  shot the deceased policeman, the team that left the village only reinforced with more officers, soldiers and armed vigilante, and stormed the village later that day.  The raid was unprecedented, according to the villagers, as they could not resist the large armed team that stormed their little village.  Several villagers were arrested with others running into the forests.  At the end of the day, many houses were  allegedly burnt down and shops looted, creating a scenario of a village at war.
Strangers
After the raid, Mr. Obochi, a  senior civil servant in Makurdi,  but whose family land is part of the parcel in dispute, decided to meet the Senate President’s representatives in Otukpo.  He was arrested and detained for one week, in Makurdi, along with those earlier arrested.
Obochi told Sunday Vanguard, in an interview  in Makurdi, that what  was happening in  Asa III since the beginning of the year was a clear case of intimidation of the peasant farmers.
He said he was arrested in the process of trying to resolve the issue between the Mark group and his brothers and sisters in his village.  According to him, “my offence was that I bailed those who were arrested by a combined team of policemen, soldiers and vigilante”.
Narrating the situation, Obochi said, “The Mark group claims that the villagers are strangers and as such  will not receive any compensation for the land and their crops. Rather, they said that compensation will be paid to Otukpo indigenous people.  Their informants misled them.  They told them that those farming on the land in question are ‘Aalala’”.
Those referred to as ‘Aalala’ are those from south of Idomaland, especially Ogbadibo and Okpokwu Local Government Areas.
Obochi insisted that those who own the land and even currently own farms on the land in question are aboriginal  Otukpo people.
He added that most of the houses destroyed and the looted shops belonged to indigenes of Asa III and not strangers which made it difficult for any reasonable member of the society to comprehend.
Obochi said the villagers had no intention of fighting Mark but that they won’t allow anyone to forcefully take away the land which they inherited from their ancestors.
Effort  to see Mark
Asked if the aggrieved villagers made any effort to meet the Senate President in person, he said, “I met Adakole Elijah ( an aide of the Senate President) and requested to see Sen. Mark.  He promised to facilitate my meeting him.  That was before the arrest and that was the last time I saw the man.  I also had a chance meeting with one Onyilokwu Ekwo (said to be very close to the Senate President) and I told him that we don’t want bloodshed in our village and that he should arrange a meeting for us to meet Mark.  There was no response and I cannot just walk to Senator David Mark’s house”.
Demand
According to Obochi, the demand of the owners of the farm land is, “the Senate President should follow due process  by coming to the owners of the land.  If a dirty man has something which you need, the person cannot look dirty to you.
“He should come to us and make a request,  then we will decide whether to give him the land or not; or  give him part of the land; but certainly not the whole land as demarcated.  We don’t have any personal problem with Mark He chose the wrong process.  Those he is working with are not representatives of the farmers who own the land. He should stop further work on the land in question until the issue is resolved”.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/blood-tears-in-oturkpo-as-david-marks-men-villagers-go-to-war/#sthash.rPoC1XqV.dpuf

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Dialogue with Boko Haram is inevitable – Senator Ojudu

Senator Femi Ojudu, a journalist, represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District in the Senate. He spoke to Sunday Vanguard in his Abuja office on several national issues.

When you wake up in the morning and you look at the Nigerian situation, what comes to your mind?

What comes to my mind is that things could be better and ought to have been better if we have taken Nigeria seriously.

How do you mean taking Nigeria seriously?
I have a feeling that those of us who are leaders have not taken Nigeria seriously and there is a need for us to do so, quickly, before things got out of hand. There are so many problems that need to be solved quickly. And I look at the environment and see most of our people moving around without hope; that does not portend a society that will create a future. Today, the young ones do not even have any compass as to where they are going, and we are not assisting them to know. So, how do we have a future that is going to be better than today?

When you have a problem and you have a solution, you are happy that things will get better. But we have so many problems today and nobody seems to be addressing them or, do I say, they are not being addressed seriously. There is no hope for a better future if we continue this way.

When one observes the Nigerian situation so well, it is possible to see a disconnect between the leadership and followership, which makes it difficult for anybody to want to believe that there is any good leader left in the country. What is the problem with Nigeria and the leaders?

It is true that there is a gulf between the leaders and the led. And this is due to the fact that the masses lost hope in the leaders. Anybody in the position of authority, either at the executive, legislative or the judicial level, is seen as a thief. And why it is so is that the people have been betrayed over the years by the leadership. You believe in somebody and you sing his praise to high heavens, he gets to the position of power and he begins to do things contrary to what you have known him to profess. Under no circumstance would you then believe in such person again. So, we need to work very hard to return that credibility into the person because if you are not trusted by those that you are leading, there is no way they would follow you. We must work hard to return that credibility.

You were one of those who had it rough under military regime.  But given our current experience under civil rule, some people have been tempted to say things can be better under the military.  What do you think?

Under no circumstance would I glorify military regime. I believe that what we have today, as unfortunate as it may seem, is much better than the military. Again, we have to be cognizant of history. How did we get to where we are? History will show you that we were brought to where we are today by the military. The few years that we had civil rule before and after independence showed the giant strides the country made. Suddenly there was military intervention till 1979 when soldiers handed over power briefly and they came back again up till 1999.  So, all of the things you are seeing today are symptoms that came into being when we were under the military. Therefore, glorifying the military is not going to help.

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Gov. Obi wades into Catholic Church, community rift

Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra has waded into the rift between the Catholic Church and some traditionalists in Awka.

NAN recalls that no fewer 30 persons were injured on July 24 when the two groups clashed over burial rituals.

The governor had called for restraint and assured that government would reconcile the two groups.

Obi,during a meeting with people of the community and some members of the State Security Council at Umudioka, Awka on Saturday, cautioned against any form of violence.

He said the government would take all necessary steps to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis.

He assured that he would discuss with the Catholic Church and other principal actors in the issue.

Obi assured that his administration would continue to upgrade infrastructur to give the town a befitting capital territory status.

He enjoined youths to tread with caution and avoid acts capable of engendering violence as government was determined to find lasting solution to the problem.

The spokesman for Umudioka, Chief Michael Nwobu, commended Obi for his intervention, saying it was a pointer that the governor was a man of peace.

The Special Adviser to the President of Inter-Party Matters and an indigene of Awka, Sen. Ben Obi, said Awka as the seat of government should remain peaceful and stable.

He said the people were proud of the achievements of the governor and highlighted the benefits of peaceful co-existence.

The President General of Awka Town Union, Mr Anthony Okechukwu, said they had made representation to the Bishop on the issue and had set up a committee to look into the matter.

Another community leader, Chief Ogugua Nwosu, observed that the governor was the first state executive to provide Awka with good governance.

He assured Obi that the people would maintain peace in the area.

The Traditional Prime Minister of Awka, Chief Austine Ndigwe, assured that they would continue cooperate with the governor to ensure lasting peace. (NAN)

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Drone strike kills 4 suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Four suspected al Qaeda militants were killed in Saturday night when a U.S. drone struck their vehicle in southern Yemen, four Yemeni Defense Ministry officials said.

Residents in Abyan province described a powerful explosion.

The latest strike comes amid Yemen's campaign to uproot al Qaeda and its offshoot Ansar al Sharia from the country. Officials hailed the strike, calling it a success in the efforts to wipe out al Qaeda.

The province's Mahfad district has been one of the most targeted districts in Abyan by U.S. drones over the past two years.

"The militants have been tremendously weakened over the last year," said AbdulSalam Mohammed, president of the Sanaa-based Abaad Strategic Center. "Abyan was the backbone of the militant group, while today it is under the control of the Yemeni government."

Last year, the government intensified its offensive against al Qaeda after political turmoil in 2010 saw al Qaeda militants takeover the majority of Abyan province. Upon coming to office in 2012, President Abdurabu Hadi vowed to fight al Qaeda until its members are killed or surrender to the government.

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Turkish embassy in Somalia attacked

Three suicide bombers in a single car attacked a building in Somalia that is part of the Turkish Embassy, a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry said.

One Turkish security officer was killed and three others were injured.

The Turkish foreign ministry is monitoring the situation closely, the spokesman said. Details later

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Soldier returns from Afghanistan to learn his beloved dog is gone

A purebred yellow Labrador retriever, Oakley likes to run, swim and get into most everything -- "whether it's trouble or not," his owner 1st Lt. Brandon Harker affectionately says.

And as much as anything, Oakley enjoys cuddling wherever, with whomever. That's just what Harker wanted to do with him this month, when he got back from a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan.

Except Oakley was gone. The friend with whom Harker had left Oakley said he'd gotten rid of the dog.

"I'd just like to get him back, safe and sound," Harker said Friday night. "That's about it."

1st Lt. Brandon Harker plays with Oakley before being deployed.

About a year after joining the Army, Harker got the playful lab over Memorial Day weekend in 2011, while he was at Fort Benning in western Georgia.

Describing him sweetly as "a very big baby," Harker said Oakley loved to snuggle.

"It doesn't matter who it was, he'd try to crawl up on your lap."

Whenever Harker was in the United States, Oakley would go with him. And whenever he deployed, his beloved dog would be left with a friend.

That's what happened last year, when the lieutenant left Oakley with someone he described as a "good friend" before he headed off to Afghanistan.

"Every time, while I was gone, I asked about him," Harker said, recalling how his friend would insist Oakley was "doing good (and) acting like his regular self. "I'd ask for a picture every now and then. But I never got any pictures sent to me."

Harker learned the truth as he was flying back to Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington.

"What do you mean you got rid of my dog?" he told his friend.

In the few days since coming back, Harker has been on a mission. He posted a plea to find Oakley on Craigslist, noting that he didn't know if the dog had been sold or given away -- something he'd been told happened in May, though Harker isn't so sure.

That online item describes Oakley as being "good with kids and other dogs," with darker yellow spots on his face and going down his sides and legs. He is registered to Harker and has a microchip identifying device, and is a few days shy of being 2 years, 4 months old.

Writes the soldier: "If anyone has any information on this and can help me, please do."

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CAN JONATHAN END THIS CONFLICTS?

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from the south, has been facing increased pressure from those at home and abroad to put an end to the deadly violence and volatile animosity between the nation's Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. But critics claim the president may be ill-equipped to bring peace on his own. 

Nine months after being elected Nigeria's president in April 2011, Jonathan's popularity has plummeted. Already having to tackle brutal acts of violence in the north, where Muslim extremists are targeting the Christian community, the embattled leader has also faced massive protests over his decision to cancel oil subsidies, a problem of a different nature for those distressed by the religious violence.
Jonathan has faced criticism for not taking efficient steps to protect Christians regurlarly targeted in attacks by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. In fact, the president incited something of a scandal recently when he publicly admitted that he is convinced there are Boko Haram sympathizers in his own government.
"Jonathan has come across as clueless when it comes to dealing with Boko Haram," journalist and commentator Tolu Ogunlesi told CNN recently. "No senior security officers have lost their jobs, nothing seems to have been done."
In September, Jonathan responded to critics during a speech, saying: "I don't need to be a lion ... I don't need to operate like the pharaoh of Egypt, I don't need to be an army general, but I can change this country without those traits."
Yet, since then, Jonathan has ramped up efforts to eradicate extremists. In a recent post on his Facebook page, the president suggested that he plans to get tougher with terrorists, writing: "a terrorist attack on one person is an attack on all of us."

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On Thursday, Jonathan challenged Boko Haram members to come forward and state their demands as a basis for dialogue, BBC News reported. The day prior, Jonathan also sacked the chief of police and his six deputies amid calls for a shake-up in the security forces.
But will his efforts convince observers that he can lead a conflict-torn nation? Many experts remain skeptical.
Nigeria's Civil Rights Congress Shehu Sani reacted with no enthusiasm to the news of the president's call to negotiate with Boko Haram.
"It's better late than never, but the question the president needs to answer is why the government has waited for so long?" the congress said in a statement to BBC. "Thousands of people have lost their lives over a path that was taken by the group and then a strategy that was taken by the government that has not been able to produce a result."
After a rise of violence in recent years, including church bombings during the Christmas season, which were launched in five cities and left over 30 people dead, Christians reportedly started to migrate out of the north. After the recent Christmas bombings, Boko Haram issued a statement in which it called for Christians to leave the region and for other Muslims to come back to the north.
Local Christian organizations are also pointing to continuous, scattered acts of violence against Christians.
Although official Muslim leaders in Nigeria declared that there is no conflict between Christianity and Islam, Boko Haram declared the mainstream followers of Islam "traitors," reported CNN. The group was also reported to have associated with foreign Islamist terrorism organizations.
The acts of violence are reportedly already causing instances of retaliation from Christians against Muslims, especially in the south, as confirmed by International Christian Concern. Such turn of events have prompted prominent Nigerian authors, including 1986 Nobel Prize winning playwright Wole Soyinka, to issue a statement urging calm.
Just facing the religious conflict will be a difficult challenge, which Jonathan might not be able to face without outside help, sources have told The Christian Post. Some experts have even suggested that it might take a Muslim leader to really handle the situation properly.
The fact that Jonathan is Christian is a disadvantage, Jonathan Racho, regional manager for Africa and Middle East at ICC, told CP recently. If he takes drastic action against Boko Haram, he might be accused of marginalizing Muslims, since a part of his government is Muslim (including some politicians allegedly sympathizing with Boko Haram). At the same time, the president needs to act quickly to prevent more violence on both sides, as well as identify and get rid of officials associated with the terror group, Racho said.
Financial support from the outside might be necessary to help rid the government of those who "identify themselves with their religion more than with their nation," Racho said, referring to Muslim extremists who are willing to exterminate Christians in the name of fulfilling the Boko Haram ideology.
Foreign intelligence skills would be of value as well, he added, as the president and his government "need advice in how to deal with domestic and international terrorism." It is crucial to cut Boko Haram's financing, and President Jonathan might need help in identifying the source of the terror group's funding.
Nigeria's case is additionally complex because the country lacks the tradition of strong leaders who would unify the country and suppress sectarian conflicts, unlike in the Middle East, which has a tradition of dictatorships which, nevertheless, tend to hold sectarian violence under relative control, Thomas Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, told CP.
Farr expressed skepticism about Jonathan's chances to succeed in ending the religious violence. Bringing stability to the country might actually call for a wise, liberal Muslim leader, he said. "In some way a Muslim can do that in a way a Christian never could," he told CP.
Farr added he did not have anyone specific in mind, suggesting that a good alternative to Jonathan might not exist at this point. At the same time, generally, Christians have to be very cautious of elections, as Nigeria is one of many countries ailing from corruption. It is often the case that officials, once elected, no longer consider themselves representatives of the entire nation, Farr said.
"Can Christians survive under a Muslim? It would depend on the Muslim," he said. "At the end of the day it would have to be a liberal, tolerant Muslim that brings that country together."
But Ryan Mauro, a national security analyst and Adviser on Radical Islam at Christian Action Network, is cautious about wishing for a Muslim leader, and skeptical that such a leader would indeed be liberal and tolerant.
"The Islamists in Nigeria will never be happy until they have a Muslim leader that makes demonstrable progress towards Sharia-based governance," he told CP. "If Jonathan were a Muslim who stood for democratic values, they'd be fighting him as well. There will never be peace until the Islamists, and especially the terrorists like Boko Haram, are marginalized and defeated."
Jonathan needs to rid the country's government and security forces of Islamist infiltrators, Mauro told CP. He also needs to find anti-Islamist Muslims he can ally with in condemning the actions of extremists.
"The stories of Muslims persecuted by the Islamists should be told loudly," he added. "There has to be an ideological battle."
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and accounts for over half of West Africa's population, with 250 ethnic groups calling the nation their home, according to the U.S. Department of State. The dominant ethnic group in the northern two-thirds of the country is the Hausa-Fulani, most of whom are Muslim. The Yoruba people – comprised of both Christians and Muslims – are predominant in the southwest.

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CAN JONATHAN END THIS CONFLICTS?

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from the south, has been facing increased pressure from those at home and abroad to put an end to the deadly violence and volatile animosity between the nation's Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. But critics claim the president may be ill-equipped to bring peace on his own. 

Nine months after being elected Nigeria's president in April 2011, Jonathan's popularity has plummeted. Already having to tackle brutal acts of violence in the north, where Muslim extremists are targeting the Christian community, the embattled leader has also faced massive protests over his decision to cancel oil subsidies, a problem of a different nature for those distressed by the religious violence.
Jonathan has faced criticism for not taking efficient steps to protect Christians regurlarly targeted in attacks by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. In fact, the president incited something of a scandal recently when he publicly admitted that he is convinced there are Boko Haram sympathizers in his own government.
"Jonathan has come across as clueless when it comes to dealing with Boko Haram," journalist and commentator Tolu Ogunlesi told CNN recently. "No senior security officers have lost their jobs, nothing seems to have been done."
In September, Jonathan responded to critics during a speech, saying: "I don't need to be a lion ... I don't need to operate like the pharaoh of Egypt, I don't need to be an army general, but I can change this country without those traits."
Yet, since then, Jonathan has ramped up efforts to eradicate extremists. In a recent post on his Facebook page, the president suggested that he plans to get tougher with terrorists, writing: "a terrorist attack on one person is an attack on all of us."

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On Thursday, Jonathan challenged Boko Haram members to come forward and state their demands as a basis for dialogue, BBC News reported. The day prior, Jonathan also sacked the chief of police and his six deputies amid calls for a shake-up in the security forces.
But will his efforts convince observers that he can lead a conflict-torn nation? Many experts remain skeptical.
Nigeria's Civil Rights Congress Shehu Sani reacted with no enthusiasm to the news of the president's call to negotiate with Boko Haram.
"It's better late than never, but the question the president needs to answer is why the government has waited for so long?" the congress said in a statement to BBC. "Thousands of people have lost their lives over a path that was taken by the group and then a strategy that was taken by the government that has not been able to produce a result."
After a rise of violence in recent years, including church bombings during the Christmas season, which were launched in five cities and left over 30 people dead, Christians reportedly started to migrate out of the north. After the recent Christmas bombings, Boko Haram issued a statement in which it called for Christians to leave the region and for other Muslims to come back to the north.
Local Christian organizations are also pointing to continuous, scattered acts of violence against Christians.
Although official Muslim leaders in Nigeria declared that there is no conflict between Christianity and Islam, Boko Haram declared the mainstream followers of Islam "traitors," reported CNN. The group was also reported to have associated with foreign Islamist terrorism organizations.
The acts of violence are reportedly already causing instances of retaliation from Christians against Muslims, especially in the south, as confirmed by International Christian Concern. Such turn of events have prompted prominent Nigerian authors, including 1986 Nobel Prize winning playwright Wole Soyinka, to issue a statement urging calm.
Just facing the religious conflict will be a difficult challenge, which Jonathan might not be able to face without outside help, sources have told The Christian Post. Some experts have even suggested that it might take a Muslim leader to really handle the situation properly.
The fact that Jonathan is Christian is a disadvantage, Jonathan Racho, regional manager for Africa and Middle East at ICC, told CP recently. If he takes drastic action against Boko Haram, he might be accused of marginalizing Muslims, since a part of his government is Muslim (including some politicians allegedly sympathizing with Boko Haram). At the same time, the president needs to act quickly to prevent more violence on both sides, as well as identify and get rid of officials associated with the terror group, Racho said.
Financial support from the outside might be necessary to help rid the government of those who "identify themselves with their religion more than with their nation," Racho said, referring to Muslim extremists who are willing to exterminate Christians in the name of fulfilling the Boko Haram ideology.
Foreign intelligence skills would be of value as well, he added, as the president and his government "need advice in how to deal with domestic and international terrorism." It is crucial to cut Boko Haram's financing, and President Jonathan might need help in identifying the source of the terror group's funding.
Nigeria's case is additionally complex because the country lacks the tradition of strong leaders who would unify the country and suppress sectarian conflicts, unlike in the Middle East, which has a tradition of dictatorships which, nevertheless, tend to hold sectarian violence under relative control, Thomas Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, told CP.
Farr expressed skepticism about Jonathan's chances to succeed in ending the religious violence. Bringing stability to the country might actually call for a wise, liberal Muslim leader, he said. "In some way a Muslim can do that in a way a Christian never could," he told CP.
Farr added he did not have anyone specific in mind, suggesting that a good alternative to Jonathan might not exist at this point. At the same time, generally, Christians have to be very cautious of elections, as Nigeria is one of many countries ailing from corruption. It is often the case that officials, once elected, no longer consider themselves representatives of the entire nation, Farr said.
"Can Christians survive under a Muslim? It would depend on the Muslim," he said. "At the end of the day it would have to be a liberal, tolerant Muslim that brings that country together."
But Ryan Mauro, a national security analyst and Adviser on Radical Islam at Christian Action Network, is cautious about wishing for a Muslim leader, and skeptical that such a leader would indeed be liberal and tolerant.
"The Islamists in Nigeria will never be happy until they have a Muslim leader that makes demonstrable progress towards Sharia-based governance," he told CP. "If Jonathan were a Muslim who stood for democratic values, they'd be fighting him as well. There will never be peace until the Islamists, and especially the terrorists like Boko Haram, are marginalized and defeated."
Jonathan needs to rid the country's government and security forces of Islamist infiltrators, Mauro told CP. He also needs to find anti-Islamist Muslims he can ally with in condemning the actions of extremists.
"The stories of Muslims persecuted by the Islamists should be told loudly," he added. "There has to be an ideological battle."
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and accounts for over half of West Africa's population, with 250 ethnic groups calling the nation their home, according to the U.S. Department of State. The dominant ethnic group in the northern two-thirds of the country is the Hausa-Fulani, most of whom are Muslim. The Yoruba people – comprised of both Christians and Muslims – are predominant in the southwest.

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