News Release: Time To Educate President Buhari On What Referendum Is All About

President Buhari

We are cognizant of the educational limitations of Retired Major-General Muhammadu Buhari especially as he does not have any evidence of having completed secondary education nor is there any record of his West African School Certificate (WASC), a certificate that is statutorily issued by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) upon writing the WAEC exams in chosen subjects. We also know that from the day Buhari committed treason, which was on 31st December 1983, to the present day, he has not engaged in any formal education to improve his knowledge base quite unlike Retired General Yakubu Gowon who went back to school after he (Gowon) was overthrown by Buhari and his military colleagues on July 29, 1975.

Article: President Buhari’s New Change Ought To Begin With His Igbo Problem

President Buhari

By SKC Ogbonnia

For full disclosure, I am an Igbo man. I am also one of the pundits currently being lampooned for cheering President Muhammadu Buhari to democratic power. Yet, knowing what I know now, I will lend that support all over again—and even more. Unless we have begun to view the history from a tainted lens, the thought of the very alternative, which was to bring back Goodluck Jonathan, remains a portent of much bigger crisis. More relatively, I strongly endorse Buhari’s latest mantra: “Change begins with me.”  And that is exactly what this piece is set to accomplish.

News Release: Agility Announces Winners Of Africa 2016 Photo Competition

(Record number of entries offer riveting images and capture the rapid pace of change)

Agility, a leading global logistics provider, today announced the winners of its Africa 2016 Photo Competition (http://www.Africa-2016.com), a series of photographs that show how quickly Africa is modernizing, growing and even leading the way in new technology.

News Release: Sheikh El-Zakzaky Does Not Deserves Trial

El-Zakzaky

Our attention has been drawn to an editorial by the respected national newspaper Sunday Trust of 25/09/16, wherein a call for the trial of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky was made, instead of his outright release from illegal detention. We wouldn’t have joined issues with the newspaper, had it not been for the glaring contradiction in its stand on the Zaria massacre carried out by the Army in December 2015.

News Release: An Opportunity To Reform The Nigerian National Assembly

(“Every generation must out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” - Frantz Fanon)

The National Assembly is constitutionally mandated to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the country. It is also responsible for executive oversight and passing the country’s budget. Therefore, as civil society organizations, we are committed to ensuring that the nation has a credible and functional National Assembly that works for all Nigerians.

News Release: MEND Dissociates Self From Niger Delta Summit

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) dissociates itself from the 'holier than thou' and arrogant attitude of the Pan-Niger Delta Group over the proposed Niger Delta Summit convened by the Federal Government.

News Release: Nigerian Banks Remain Strong, Central Bank Governor Assures Afreximbank Board

Afreximbank President Dr. Benedict Oramah (left) makes a point as Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria takes notes ahead of his presentation

The third quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ended in Lagos, Nigeria, today with Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), telling the members that the country’s banks remained strong.

News Release: Public Awareness On Managing Peaceful Assemblies In Nigeria

It shocks and alarms us on continuous basis concerning orchestrated and systematic stigmatization and criminalization of the citizens’ rights to freedom of association, expression, movement, personal liberty and fair hearing by the Nigerian Security Forces and unprofessional print media; particularly since the inception of the Government of Gen Muhammadu Buhari. Despite the enshrinement of these fundamental human rights and their justiciability (S.46), on account of their containment in Sections 40, 39, 41, 35 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended in 2011; they have suffered gross brutalization and bastardization in the hands of the Security Forces and unprofessional print media.

News Release: “Bonny Export Line Is Down”-----Niger Delta Avengers

Photo Credit: nigerdeltaavengers.org

On the 23rd September 2016, our strike team at 20:40PM hours time has brought down oil productions activities at the Bonny 48 inches crude oil Export Line.  This action is a signature to the over dramatization of the so-called dialogue and negotiation process on the side of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government.

News Release: ETHYDCO Receives $75-Million Afreximbank Facility To Support Expansion Of Egypt’s Petrochemical Sector

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has granted a $75-million medium-term loan to the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company (ETHYDCO) to support expansion of Egypt’s petrochemical industry, boost its exports and natural gas processing capacity and equip the sector with better environmentally-friendly infrastructure, the Bank announced in Cairo.

News Release: Illegal Attack On Free Zakzaky Protest By The Security Forces In Abuja

Zakzaky

On Thursday 22/09/16, thousands of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) converged in Abuja to protest the continued illegal detention of our Leader Shaikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky, who remains to be unjustifiably be held without charges and access to appropriate medical care. 

News Release: Exposing Planned Massacre Of Innocent Citizens By Army Using Anti Sit-At-Home As Cover

It has come to the notice of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law that the Nigerian Security Forces particularly the Nigerian Army, are at it again. Our extensive investigations clearly indicate that ahead of tomorrow’s Sit-At-Home protest organized by leading Pro Biafra groups particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB); there are heavy deployment of soldiers in all nooks and crannies of the Southeast and the South-South parts of Nigeria; with the Southeast being the worst affected. 

News Release: Rotary Announces US$35 Million To Support A Polio-Free World

Rotary committed an additional $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio, bringing the humanitarian service organization’s contribution to $105 million in 2016.

News Release: Nigeria’s Fm Goofed In New York On Sheikh Zakzaky’s Detention

Sheikh Zakzaky

On Sunday 18/09/16, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, was reported to have told newsmen in New York that President Buhari's administration is still detaining the Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky because it is studying the report of the Judicial Commission of inquiry set up by Kaduna state government.

News Release: Guinness Reports First Total Beverage Alcohol Results

Guinness Nigeria has today announced its first set of results combining sales from both beer as well as International Premium Spirits (IPS) like Johnnie Walker and Baileys, following its acquisition of distribution rights from its parent company, Diageo in January this year. The company reported revenues of N102bn its financial results for the period ended June 30 2016 resulting in an overall Loss After Tax of N2bn when compared to the same period last year.

News Release: International Justice Appeal For Freedom Of Nnamdi Kanu (Leader Of Indigenous Of Biafra-IPOB) And Other Victims Of Regime Atrocities In Nigeria

Kannu

OPEN LETTER TO:

(1)    The Secretary General of the United Nations

(2)    The President of the United Nations General Assembly

(3)    The President of the United Nations Security Council

(4)    The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

(5)    The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on :

(a)    Truth, Justice & Reparation

(b)   Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

(c)    Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatments or Punishments

(6)    The Honourable British Prime Minister &  Distinguished British Parliamentarians

(7)    Distinguished European Union Leaders

(8)    The President of the United States & Distinguished US Congressmen & Women

(9) Distinguished Canadian Leaders & Parliamentarians

         (10) Other Internationally Distinguished Personalities:

                 (a) Human Rights Activists & Groups

                 (b) Former Heads of UN Bodies

                 (c) Former World Leaders

                 (d) Independent Experts on Justice, Peace, Security and Human Rights

         

Distinguished Sirs/Madams,

Our name is: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law; abbreviated as INTERSOCIETY. We are registered (Reg. No. 27239) rights based Civil Society Organization under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Our advocacy voice or thematic areas are: civil liberties and rule of law, democracy and good governance, and public security and safety. We are based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Southeast of Nigeria. For easy of reference, we can be electronically visited or accessed via www.intersociety-ng.org.

News Release: Afreximbank Closes $300 Million China Exim-Backed Loan

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has closed its first-ever China/Taiwan specific syndicated loan with a $300-million facility guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank).

Article: Donald Trump’s “Deplorable” Minority Outreach Has Backfired

Trump

By SKC Ogbonnia

Let me start by disclosing that I have been a Republican throughout my donkey’s years in America. This affinity is shaped by my values as an African. For we are fundamentally religious, pro-life, support prayers in school and advocate school choice. More profoundly, we promote traditional marriage between a man and a woman. We also work very hard, strongly oppose higher taxes, and are very cold to radical feminism. These conservative principles are widely shared by most people of colour as well as the Republican Party.

News Release: Tech And Media Leaders Meet In Lagos To Assess Investment And Growth Strategies

Leading strategy and investment heads from technology and telecom giants including Google, Uber, Intel, Africa Internet Group, Vodacom, Airtel, Nokia and Etisalat are meeting in Lagos on September 20 to discuss strategies for investment and regional growth at TMT Finance Africa in Lagos 2016.

News Release: Return Of The Chief Torturer And Killer In The Anambra Killing Fields As Officer In Charge Of State Anti-Robbery Squad

The leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) is saddened and dismayed by the return of CSP James Nwafor of the Nigeria Police Force as the Officer-in-Charge of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (OC/SARS) of the Anambra State Police Command. According to official records of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP James Nwafor with Force Entry Number AP31343, hails from Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria and was born on 1^st January 1961 (55yrs +). He joined the Nigeria Police Force on 1^st April 1983 and was promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) on 30^th January 2013 and will be due for statutory retirement on 1^st April 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc.) in Public Administration.

Article: The Case Of The Niger Delta Militants

By Austin Emaduku

The Managing Director of Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Chief William Makinde, speaking on Quest FM on Tuesday, 6th September, 2016, made a very serious point regarding the relocation of oil servicing companies from Delta State that should be a take home for every true lover of the Niger Delta. His major point was that we created the state of insecurity that chased away the companies that would have provided employment for our teaming unemployed youths.

Article: That Anti-Genetically Modified Rice Propaganda In Nigeria

A sample of Golden Rice compared to conventional rice

By Edel-Quinn Agbaegbu

Last week, the print and electronic media in Nigeria were awash again with a major propaganda news item on Genetically Modified Foods. This time, a false alarm was raised by unidentified sources that Dangote and Nigerian government have flooded Nigerian market with GMO rice. The news item was followed with a warning that ''eating GMO rice is as bad as eating rice laced with rat poison popularly known as sniper in Nigeria''. The news item was clearly the handiwork of uninformed groups and persons who have consistently been waging war against the policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria in joining many forward-looking countries of the world to fight poverty and hunger through modern Biotechnology. The propaganda is bound to fail because it is a product of falsehood and the National Biosafety Management Agency in Nigeria has reacted by unequivocally debunking the fake news.

U-Report: Over 50 Girls Abducted By Men Of The Nigerian Army In Zaria

Reported By Khalid Idris Doya

On Tuesday, 6th September, 2016 members of Mu’assatu  Abul Fadl Abbas wing of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Shaikh,Ibraheem Zakzaky accused the Nigerian soldiers of abducting more than fifty girls during the Zaria massacre which claimed the lives of more than a thousand members of the movement. Many of the victims according to Batula Muazu, the spokeswoman for “Bring Back Our Zaria Girls,” are students, married women and civil servants.

News Release: Djibouti Becomes Afreximbank Participating State

President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh of Djibouti (left) in handshake with Afreximbank President Dr. Benedict Oramah after their meeting in Djibouti

The President of Djibouti, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, has announced the country’s accession to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Establishment Agreement, making it a participating state of the continental trade finance institution. 

News Release: Constantin Von Moltke Joins Afreximbank As Head Of Syndicated Loans

Constantin von Moltke, Head of Syndicated Loans, Afreximbank

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the appointment of Constantin von Moltke, formerly of the African development bank, to the position of Head of Syndicated Loans (Structuring and Distribution).

News Release: The Ranting Of An Incurable Atrocious Regime

President Buhari

The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) is deeply pleased and highly appreciative of the widely published letter by the Republican Party’s Congressman, Tom Marino of Pennsylvania, to the US Department of State through the Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry, asking the US Government to withhold its planned security assistance to Nigeria until ‘President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assembly and freedom of speech’. Congressman Tom Marino assumed office on 3^rd January 2011 as Republican Party’s Congressman representing the State of Pennsylvania and presently, he is a member of the US House of Reps Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs as well as Chairman, House Sub-committee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial & Antitrust Law. 

News Release: UK Minister, James Wharton, Lied That He Was Unaware Of DfID’s Role In James Ibori’s Trial And Conviction But Now Confirms Investigation Is On

Ibori

Chief James Onanefe Ibori’s Media Office has described as totally false and misleading the British Minister for International Development, Mr. James Wharton’s claim that he did not know the “details of the specific allegations that have been made in Nigeria against the United Kingdom and its Department of foreign Investment and Development (DfiD) and Ibori’s trial and conviction”.

News Release: Soliciting For Unconditional And Immediate Release Of Shaikh Zakzaky And Other Members Of The IMN

  Shaikh Zakzaky

We are all aware of the unfortunate event that occurred at Zaria between 12th and 14th December 2015. Proofs abound to establish that the operations by the Nigerian Army were well coordinated and preplanned. It was not as a result of provocations due to "clash". Independent investigations by renowned and reputable human rights organizations have affirmed gross violations of human rights, other abuses and extrajudicial killings by the Army.

News Release: The Dubious Attempt To Appoint Solicitors For Our Leader And The Islamic Movement In Nigeria

Zakzaky: IMN Leader

The general public and members of the International Community will recall that on the 14^th day of December 2015, the Nigerian Military invaded the house of our leader Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and fatally wounded him and his wife, and killed his three children among so many hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

News Release: Edwin Clark Intervenes In N5b Libel Suit Against Former President Jonathan

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) hereby welcomes and endorses the mediatory and conciliatory moves by Ijaw National Leader Chief (Dr.) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark to reconcile the Okah brothers -Henry and Charles - with former President Goodluck Jonathan over the threat of the brothers to file a FIVE BILLION NAIRA (N5B) libel suit against the former President at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Open Letter: Gruesome Murder Of Chukwuemeka By Vigilante Group

The Inspector General of Police,

Nigerian Police Force,
Force Headquarters,
Louise Edet House,
Shehu Shagari Way,
Central District Area,
Abuja.   
   
Sir,
A Call For A Thorough Investigation Of The Gruesome Murder Of Master Chukwemeka Ekeh And Two Others By The Vigilante Group Attached To The Old Spare Parts Market, Ugwuagba-Obosi, Anambra State At The Instance Of The Chairman Of The Market, Chief Chudi Obiagwu.

News Release: Abduction Of IPOB Activists & Their Imminent Death In DSS

Following high cases of suspected death of Nigerian citizens in the custodies of the security agencies and recent violent attacks launched by security forces in some high profile prisons across the country, the leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) is deeply concerned that the abducted IPOB activists presently in incommunicado detention by the authorities of the Department of State Security; Nigeria’s secret police, may most likely die in the DSS solitary confinement under highly questionable circumstances.