NIGERIA PRESIDENCY ORDERS SECRET PROBE OF SUPREME COURT JUDGES

The Nigeria Presidency have ordered a secret probe of the Supreme Court judges and their immediate families.

The National security Adviser in a recent top level security meeting ordered for the probe, starting from the Chief Justice.

A reliable presidency source informed us that fears in the presidency of a possible unfavourable verdict in the Presidential election petition filed by retired General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples's party(ANPP)and Mr. Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress(AC)necesitated the probe.

The thinking in the Presidency is that the Presidential election tribunal which is equivalent of the Apppeal Court,can be arm twisted to deliever a judgement that will be favourable to the presidency,the fear however,lies in what the supreme court will do when the case eventually goes to the apex court, considering the recent judgements of the Supreme court,our source explained.

The Presidency, according to the source,have mapped out plans to manage any eventuality that may
arise from the Presidential election petition,chief amongst these plans being the secret probe of the Supreme Court Judges and their immediate families.The secret nature of the probe according to our source, is because of its sensitive nature.

The outcome of the probe may not be used to prosecute anybody, the aim may be to collect dossiers on the judges and members of their immediate families.Such dossiers may be used to arm twist the judges to deliever a favourable judgement, our source further explained.

This same method was used to arm twist the supreme court under Justice Muhammed Uwaise to deliever a favourable judgement to the retired General Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency in the presidential election petition filed my retired General Muhammadu Buhari challenging Obasanjo's re-election as president in 2003.

Buhari's lawyer was amasing victories at the Presidential election tribunal which culminated into a verdict that voided the votes in Obasanjo's State, Ogun and in the then Vice-President's State, Adamawa in that election.

When the case moved to the Supreme Court,the Obasanjo Presidency sensing a repeat of what happened at the tribunal, started a secret probe of the Supreme court judges and their immediate families. At a point, the office of the then chief justice was broken into and sensitve files taken away. The Supreme court justices only got respite when a verdict favourable to the Presidency was delievered.

Senior Presidency officials, when contacted declined comments,but a middle level official who does not want to be named, confirmed the probe and added that "probes of this nature are routine."

MEND: ONE BODY, THREE HEADS

The Movement for the emancipation of Niger Delta(MEND),an umbrella body of militants in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, formed for the purpose of collective actualization of the Niger Delta struggle is now seriously factionalised.

Our reporter who infiltrated MEND reports that there are three key factions within MEND now, these factions revolve arround key personalities in the struggle, namely: Henry Okah(a.k.a Jomo Gbomo),who is currently being held in Angola on allegation of gun-runing,Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and one unknown(to the public)fellow based in the creeks, who uses the pseudonym "General Government".

While the Dokubo-Asari faction favours peace meetings with the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with the wishes of Ijaw leaders,the Henry Okah faction wants their mentor released unconditionally before any peace meetings.The "General Government" faction, made up mainly of petty illegal crude oil bunkerers and sea pirates hiding under militancy to carry out their activities want the status quo to remain for obvious reasons.The Dokubo-Asari faction considers the demand of the Okah faction unrealistic in view of the fact that Okah is not in the custody of the Nigerian Government.Our reporter however believes that the main reason for opposing this condition is the personal animosity between Okah and Dokubo-Asari.Mr. Dokubo-Asari has been casting aspersions on the person of Mr. Okah in press interviews since Okah was arrested and detained.

MEND,a network of militant groups in the Niger Delta region was formed by Mr.Henry Okah and other militant leaders when Mr. Muajahid Dokubo-Asari was arrested and detained by the Federal Government of Nigeria on allegation of treason.Dokubo-Asari's arrest and detention slowed down militant activities, necesitating the formation of MEND,to co-ordinate activities. Mr.Henry Okah, a South-African based Nigerian businessman was appointed the spokesman.Okah was the first to use the pseudonym "Jomo Gbomo".

MEND first demanded for the release of Dokubo-Asari and D.S.P Alamesigha, a former Governor of Bayelsa State who was serving a jail term.When these conditions were not met, MEND responded with well co-ordinated attacks on oil and gas facilities and kidnaps in the Niger Delta region.Dokubo-Asari and Alamesigha were eventaully released, albeit conditionally.

Our reporter is however, of the opinion that this factionalization is as a result of divide and rule tactics introduced into this body of Militants by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Governments of the states in Niger Delta through some Ijaw leaders.

An enquiry sent to MEND Spokesman by e-mail has not been answered at the time of posting this report.

LIST OF FRAUDSTERS IN NIGERIAN SENATE MAY NOT SEE LIGHT OF DAY

Senator Nuhu Aliyu's list of fraudsters in the Nigerian senate may not see the light of day, if the current pressure being mounted on the Senator by diverse interests persists.

Sources in the National Assembly hinted to us that since Senator Aliyu made the statement that there are fraudsters in the Senate and was ready to submit the list, intense pressure have been mounted on him by diverse interests who feel threatened by his disclosure.

Before coming to the Senate, Senator Aliyu was of the Nigerian Police where he rose to become a Deputy Inspector-General, with investigations as one of his portfolios, he is a two-time Senator and have also headed the Senate committee on National security.

Last week was not the first time Senator Nuhu Aliyu made this disclosure,he had done that in the last Senate, but was ignored.

Sources said that Senator Aliyu who has re-located to a village in Plateau State and switched off his mobile telephone line to stave off pressure is ready to submit the list whenever the Senate leadership demand for it.

"Going by the amount of pressure on the Senator, his family and friends, one doubts if the man will summon enough courage to submit the list at the end of the day" a source volunteered.

A top Police source however, informed us that Senator Aliyu's list is likely to be the same one that was sent to the Presidency by the Police on the eve of the 2007 general elections, which the Presidency ignored due to the fact that most names on the list are politicians in the good books of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency.

The leadership of the Senate,had mandated its Ethics and Priviledges committee to investigate Aliyu's allegation.

Calls to the mobile telephone line of Senate spokesman,Senator Ayogu Eze at the weekend, did not go through.

NEWS OUTFITS IN NIGERIA IN SLUSH FUND PAY-OFF

The immediate past Governor of Abia State, Mr. Orji Uzoh Kalu, his Enugu State counterpart, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and that of Lagos State, Mr. Bola Tinubu in what is interpreted by sources as one of their last minute strategies to remain politically relevant in Nigeria, have respectively, at the twilight of their Administrations, invested substantially,with public funds in two online news outfits, with editorial focus on Nigeria and in a print medium that circulates in NIgeria.

Intelligence sources informed us that Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu invested in Elendureports.com, Mr. Bola Tinubu in Saharareporters.com and Dr. Chimaraoke Nnamani in Thesource magazine.These news outfits,sources continued, are regarded by Political and Business personalities in Nigeria as "stubborn",meaning that they can publish damaging materials about any Political or Business personalities at any time. A good number of Political and Business personalities in Nigeria are corrupt.

"The only way to effectively bribe these stubborn news outfits is to invest substantially in them whether it makes economic sense or not" sources insisted.

Messrs Kalu,Tinubu and Dr. Nnamani were first elected Governors in 1999 and were re-elected in 2003 for a second term,which terminated in May,2007.

Nnamani, Tinubu, Kalu and some other former Governors were accused of corruption while in office by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC),but the constitutional immunity they enjoyed while in office prevented them from being prosecuted.

Kalu and Nnamani on leaving office were however,arrested and charged to court for corrupt enrichment of self while in office, both are now on bail.The story in intelligence circles now is that Tinubu will be arraigned in court soon for same charges,unless his secret meetings with Mr. Umar Yar'Adua, the President of Nigeria,which aims at finding political solution to the problem succeeds.

When contacted for comments on this, the publishers of Elendureports.com and Saharareporters.com respectively avoided the issue but instead,launched personal attacks on our publisher.The publisher of Thesource magazine however, angrily denied the allegation through an article she posted on Elendureports.com.

A RIDICULOUS ALLEGATION

(This article was written by Comfort Obi and posted on www.elendureports.com on
Thursday, 24 January 2008.)


When I read the e-mail sent to me by one Chidi Anthony Opara, who runs an apparently new on-line publication, I burst out laughing. But as I thought about it later, my anger boiled over.
Opara’s e-mail dated January 23, 2008 reads: "We are investigating an information alleging that the former Governor of Abia State, Mr Orji Uzor Kalu and his Enugu State counterpart, Dr. Chimaoke Nnamani, and the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Bola Tinubu, at the twilight of their administrations, invested substantially with Public Funds (emphasis mine) in Elendureports.com, The Source Magazine and Saharareporters.com respectively. We will appreciate a timely reply to this enquiry so as to enable us to include your comments in our report to be published as usual on…"

Let me thank Opara for asking for our comments. In this age when any Tom, Dick, and Harry picks up their pen to write anything, no matter how unimaginable, and gets it published, thanks to global technology, he could have published without referring to us. Meaning: His On-line publication could become a huge success like Elendureports.com and Saharareports.com if he goes into serious reporting, and gives a red card to beer parlour gossips. For, if he had done that in the case at hand, he would have known, without asking us, that whoever gave him the information which he says his medium is investigating, did so for one reason: Discredit two successful medium owned by his fellow Igbo, and in the case of Saharareports, put its credibility on the line. Indeed, if Publisher Opara had made a little investigation, he would have known that the allegation is beneath contempt. The three gentlemen he mentioned do not have the same vision. Indeed, Nnamani is clearly an outsider there. He, Kalu, and Tinubu may have been colleagues, but he was not "chummy, chummy" with those two, and would never invest in the same outfit with them.

In the case of Tinubu, he appreciates the power of the media. He has already invested heavily in a couple of publications owned by his people. What our people, the Igbo, who were his colleagues, could not do for their people, he happily did for his people. He invested in his people and their political survival. Why would he then invest in The Source, in Elendureports.com and/or Saharareports.com?

I don’t know when Opara ventured into journalism. But every journalist in Nigeria knows that between Tinubu and The Source, as a corporate body, there is no love lost. All through his eight years in office, he held The Source in disdain because it dared publish what others did not publish. That disdain ensured that we never got any advert from his government, nor were we invited to anything they were doing. So, how could he have used Public Funds to invest in The Source?

Kalu, of course, is a friend of mine. But that did not translate to much while he was in office. In terms of adverts and patronage, our counterparts received from him more than we did. Until he left office, his government owed us for about five pages of adverts. Meaning that Abia State government still owes us. Again in specific terms, he already owns a soar-away newspaper. A second one will soon hit the market. Why would he then use public funds to invest in The Source in the "twilight" of his administration?

Nnamani’s case is much the same. My brother and friend? Yes. But what did that translate into for The Source? Like other media houses, we got advertorials from his government. Even less than some others. As I write this, his government is indebted to The Source to the tune of hundreds of thousands of Naira! If he didn’t invest in us when he was in a position to do that, why would he take the risk to do that in the "twilight of his administration" when he was under the searchlight of the EFCC?

I am very angry about this allegation. And this is why. We have had no help from the Igbo except from two gentlemen who once in a while ask us how we are doing, and follow up with appreciative gestures. The Igbo are like that. They rarely help, or build their own. In the history of The Source, no Igbo man has ever invested in us. We do not even receive adverts from them. Only about three or so give us once in a long while. Others would rather invest in other media houses, give them adverts, and come to us to publish things free for them when they are in trouble and/or are looking for something. That is when we hear: "The Source is our own. It is our sister’s own:" That is our lot here, especially, with a couple of them who were in power. Indeed, when, in order to help, I introduced a couple of my colleagues from other media houses to one of them, he preferred, thereafter, to patronise those media houses to patronising us. You will think we are running a charity organistion here at The Source. Often, they talk sweet, they make promises, they raise your hopes. But they amount to nothing. If we had been relying on them, we would have been off the streets since. This business is a death zone. It gives power and influence, not money.

Incidentally, this is not the first time either The Source, or I, will be connected to these stupid allegations. The first time, it was that Nnamani bought me a marble house in Lekki worth N70 million, and paid in N20million (only?) into my account. In March 2007, a former neighbour of mine came to me asking for a loan of six million naira. I thought he was joking. So, I burst out laughing. But he was serious. And you know why he came to me? He was told that Dr. Peter Odili, then governor of Rivers State, gave me the sum of N200 million! I was in shock. And now this!!

Each time I hear these allegations, I ask God why they are not true. Why nobody would give me even half of those millions and watch if I won't fly with The Source. But it has not worked. Now, I am very angry. Any of such beneath-contempt allegations made against The Source again will be responded to. We will fight back. And mercilessly too!


(Comfort Obi is the publisher of The Source Magazine.)

POLITICAL COLD WAR IN IMO STATE NIGERIA; PRESIDENT TO THE RESCUE

The President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Umar Yar'Adua will be in Imo state, one of the states in south-Eastern Nigeria on a one-day official visit on Monday,21st january,2008. This is the President's first official visit to the state.

The President's visit according to Government official announcements is to lay foundations/commision Federal Government projects in the state.

Imo state government house sources however, informed us that the President will use the opportunity provided by the visit to put pressure on the state Governor, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim to join the President's political party, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP),as a permanent solution to the political cold war between the Governor and PDP chieftains in the state.The Governor contested and won the last gubernatorial election on the platform of Progressive Peoples Alliance(PPA).Similar pressure, we were informed, will also be put on the Anambra state Governor,Mr.Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).

Dr. Ohakim for sometime now according to well placed sources have been having a cold war with the PDP chieftains in Imo state, which sources attribute to the Governor's membership of another political party. The Governor was a PDP member.Sources believe that it is a matter of time before impeachment is introduced into the cold war through the PDP dominated Imo state house of assembly.

In the run-up to the 2007 gubernatorial election in Imo state,the PDP was well positioned to win, but lost to PPA due to an untidy gubernatorial candidate nomination proceedure.

Sources further informed us that when the Governor approached the President to intervene in the cold war, the President made it clear that the permanent solution to the problem will be for the Governor to join the PDP.We have not been able to ascertain so far,whether Dr. Ohakim will go with this option or not, but we can reveal that there will be a close-door meeting between the President and Imo state PDP chieftains on one hand and another between the President,the Governor and Imo state PDP chieftains on the other hand.

We were unable so far to get comments on these from the Governor or his spokespersons.We were not allowed ascess to the Governor's office in Owerri on Friday 18th january,2008.There is also no published e-mail address of the Governor's or that of his spokespersons known to us at this time.

NIGERIA'S IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT'S INCEST WITH DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IS PART OF OGBONI SECRET CULT'S REQUIREMENTS

Part of the requirements for joining and maintaining membership of Ogboni secret cult is the practice of incest, we can now reveal. Ogboni is a secret cult that originated from Yorubaland, south-western Nigeria.

A source in Abeokuta, a major Yoruba town hinted to us that the immediate past President of Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba from Abeokuta, is a member of Ogboni secret cult and so must practice incest.

The source further explained that "incest practice amongst members of Ogboni secret cult is a well known fact amongst families of members,this could be practised with mothers, sisters, daughters, e.t.c", and wondered why Mr. Gbenga Obasanjo, the controversial son of the immediate past President "should choose now to make noise about this".

"He knew that his father and father-in-law, who is also a member of the secret cult, were practising incest with his wife, but kept quiet, possibly because of what he was getting from his father when he was President",the source continued.

Mr. Gbenga Obasanjo had in an affidavit in a divorce case he filed against his wife, deposed to the fact that his father and father-in-law, had sexual relationships with his wife.The former president and Gbenga Obasanjo's father-in-law had since denied these allegations.

In 1999 when Mr. obasanjo won the presidential election for the first time,his election was challenged by Dr. Olu Falae,a fellow contestant in that year's presidential election, on the basis of Obasanjo's membership of a secret society, Dr. Falae then could not prove this allegation.

"Dr. Judith Asuni Is Actually A Spy" Says Former MEND Operative.

The leader of Academic Associates Peaceworks, a non- governmental organization which claims to work for peace in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region, Dr. Judith Asuni has been described as "a subtle spy" by a fellow who claimed to be a former operative of Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta(MEND).

The self-proclaimed former MEND operative who preferred to be called "Johnston" in a telephone chat with us claimed that "Dr.Asuni through her NGO has maps of the locations of important oil and gas platforms in the Niger Delta region which she makes available sometimes to MEND to help it in its attacks".

Asked why Dr. Judith Asuni, an American born Nigerian citizen,who has lived most of her life in Nigeria, would be doing this, he replied "my brother, oil and gas politics is very complex,dont you know that Dr. Asuni is one of those who represents American interests in oil and gas politics in Nigeria?".Asked to throw more light on his allegation,he dropped the call.

Dr. Judith Asuni was last year charged by the Federal Government Of Nigeria for spying alongside two German journalists and a Nigerian staff of Dr. Asuni's, the charges were later dropped. While the saga lasted, Dr. Asuni insisted on her innocence.

Mr. mujahid Dokubo-Asari, one of the key militant leaders in the Niger Delta region last year in an interview with Saharareporters.com accused Dr. Asuni and the erstwhile MEND spokesman, Mr. Henry Okah, who is currently in detention in Angola on allegation of gun-running, of complicity in the wave of criminality in the region in the name of militancy.

Academic Associates Peaceworks,Dr. Asuni's NGO claims to be active in the promotion of peace in the Niger Delta region.

When contacted for comments, MEND spokesman said that "the militants were born in the creeks where the oil and gas facilities are built and as such does not need anybody's help to locate them". Academic Associates Peaceworks,Dr. Asuni's organization have not replied to our enquiry so far.

EDITORIAL: THE GOVERNOR CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI BRAGGADOCIO

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State of Nigeria, who prefers to be addressed with the pre-fix of "RIGHT HONOURABLE"(whatever that means), made popular by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, can be considered an achiever by any standard.We salute and congratulate him.

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi comes from Ubima, a rural farming community in the Ikwerre axis of Rivers State, where opportunities for educational and other forms of personal advancements were and still limited,like in other communities in Nigeria.The community's only claim to fame is being host to the now moribound RISONPALM OILPALM PLANTATION.

The "RIGHT HONOURABLE" fom Ubima nonetheless, surmounted these initial seemingly insurmountable obstacles to emerge a graduate of the university of Portharcourt.

Coming in contact and maintaining friendship with Dr. Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers state from 1999 to 2007 in the 1980s,when Odili was already a well known local politician,having served as a member of the constituent assembly,albeit on a master-servant basis can be considered a feat for a rural young man fresh from school.

In 1999, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi contested for a seat in the Rivers state house of assembly under the Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP)and lost to the then more famous Uche Okwukwu of the then All Peoples'Party(APP)(now ANPP).Uche Okwukwu however lost the seat to Amaechi in a judgement of the Rivers state house of assembly election petition tribunal.

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi's doggedness culminated into his being installed as governor in October 2007 by the Supreme court of Nigeria, after a protracted legal battle that ran through the whole gamut of judiciary hierachies.

Surmounting these seemingly insurmountable obstacles may have informed the Ubima born politician's arrogant attitudes.

What we see and hear these days is a civillian governor and political leader in the most volatile region in Nigeria,talking down on his people like a victorious war commander addressing his prisoners of war.

Governor Amaechi recently,gathered chiefs and elders of Kalabari Kingdom,a major political bloc in Rivers state, and in the full glare of the press and public berated them for aiding and abetting cultism and ofcourse ended up handing them an ultimatum to turn in cultists and arms in their domains or be arrested, same scenerio played out at Okirika kingdom, another major political bloc in Rivers state.

The point here is not whether what was said was right or wrong, since we cannot claim to be privy to the information the governor had, the point here is that there should be better ways and fora where these issues can be addressed.The governor and the council of chiefs and elders in a close door meeting for instance,can deliberate and find solutions to these issues.

The governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi braggadocio in our opinion is not the best way to address the problems of Rivers state and by extension that of the Niger Delta.

HOTEL PRESIDENTIAL PORTHARCOURT, NIGERIA REACTS TO OUR REPORT.

The management of Hotel Presidential in Portharcourt, Rivers state of Nigeria have reacted to our report "FIVE STAR HOTEL IN PORTHARCOURT,NIGERIA PAY PROTECTION FEES TO MILITANT LEADER".

The general manager of the hotel in an e-mail sent to us denied that the hotel management has ever paid ten million naira or any amount to any militant leader as protection or whatever fees.

We had reported here that the hotel management was paying ten million naira to a militant leader as protection fees,that the payment was stopped, prompting the january 1st 2008 attack on the luxurious hotel.

An e-mail from us to the hotel management for comments was not replied before the date of posting the report.

FIVE STAR HOTEL IN PORTHARCOURT NIGERIA PAY PROTECTION FEES TO MILITANT LEADER

Inspite of media reports that the 1st january,2008 early morning attack on the luxurious five star hotel presidential in Portharcourt,capital city of Rivers state of Nigeria,being managed by the Chargourys,was a reprisal attack by a militant group,a source in Portharcourt whispered to us that the attack was actually as a result of failed personal financial relationship between the management of the hotel and the leader of a militant group.

The hotel management, according to the source had placed the leader of the group on a monthly allowance of ten million naira,but the allowance was however, stopped in october,2007 with the hotel management giving no reason for that.

All threats, according to the source, by the leader of the group to the hotel management were ignored, prompting the militant leader who is already aggrieved by other developments to include the hotel in the list of targets to be attacked.

Following renewed upsurge in activities of militants in Niger delta region of Nigeria, companies in Portharcourt,Nigeria's major oil city have allegedly been paying protection fees to militant groups. The payments are always negotiated and paid through community liaison officers(C.L.Os)in the employ of these companies.

The thinking that informs this approach is that since militant groups can attack anytime, anyhow, anywhere, and have on some occasions killed law enforcement officers, relying on law enforcement agencies for protection is not a very safe strategy,the source further explained.

Peace meetings between the federal government of Nigeria and Niger delta region stakeholders, which includes militant groups, recently collapsed with Niger delta stakeholders accusing the federal government of insincerity.

Most oil and gas major and sub-contracting companies, as well as blue chip business concerns are located in Portharcourt.

An e-mail sent to the management of hotel presidential Portharcourt for comments have not been replied so far, but the spokesperson of MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF NIGER DELTA(MEND),"Jomo Gbomo" when contacted via e-mail, replied that "there is no truth in the report".

WHAT NIGERIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSSED WITH ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES AGENCY CHIEF.

Contrary to widely held belief that the recent meeting in Aso rock Presidential villa between the Nigerian President, Mr. Umar Yar'Adua and Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, that country's economic and financial crimes agency chief,centered on Mr. Ribadu's nomination to attend a one-year- course, we can now reveal that the close door meeting was actually arranged by a prominent first class traditional ruler from northern Nigeria to persuade Mr. Ribadu not to leak damaging dossiers he has on prominent politicians and traditional rulers, including the president, to the press and the international community.

Presidency sources informed us that Mr.Ribadu anticipated his removal and had used the instruments of his office to gather dossiers on prominent politicians and traditional rulers, especially the president and members of his extended family.The president was a state governor between 1999 and 2007, while his late elder brother was military vice- president between 1976 and 1979.

When Mr. Ribadu's removal was broached, according to sources,the economic and financial crimes fighter who learnt of this development through one of his numerous informers in the presidency,threatened through a proxy to leak the dossiers he has to the press and international community.This threat according to sources was taken seriously by the presidency.

It is in a bid, sources continued, to find a middle course between the intense pressure by political associates of the president to remove the economic and financial crimes agency chieftain and Mr. Ribadu's threat that necesitated the meeting which ended with no concessions made so far by either party.Presidency and economic and finanacial crimes commission officials have neither confirmed nor denied this reports so far, even though attempts have been made to reach both parties for comments.

Mr. Ribadu, an assisitant inspector- general of police, was last month nominated by police authority to attend a one-year course at the prestigious Nigerian institute of policy and strategic studies(NIPSS).The course is mandatory for police officers of Mr. Ribadu's rank.

The nomination has since been approved by the president, but this nomination and approval is generally seen as a ploy to remove Mr. Ribadu from the agency he heads.

The agency is currently investigating and prosecuting some former state governors for economic and financial crimes.Most of these former state governors undergoing investigations and prosecutions belong to the president's political party and are believed to have financed his election with part of the funds they looted from the public treasury.

PUBLISHER OF ELENDUREPORTS.COM REACTS TO OUR REPORT

The publisher of elendureports.com, Mr. Jonathan Elendu have reacted to our report titled "NIGERIAN OIL STATE GOVERNOR RECRUITS ONLINE NEWS SITE TO FIGHT OPPONENTS".

Mr. Elendu in an e-mail sent to us, denied being recruited by the governor or any person close to the governor for the purpose mentioned in the report.

The elendureports.com publisher further stated that that he has never met the chief publicist to the governor and according to him, does not as a policy,publish reports concerning his clients on his news site.

It will be recalled that we reported that the governor of Rivers state of Nigeria, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, through his chief publicist Mr.Ogbonna Nwuke and one other person we have not so far unravelled his identity, who resides in the United States of America, recruited and paid the publisher of elendureports.com,the sum of twenty-five million naira, to use his news site to fight the governors political opponents.

Before the publication of the said report,we sent e-mails to the Rivers State governor's chief publicist and to the publisher of elendureports.com for their comments.The e-mails were however, not answered at the time of posting the report.