Osinbajo Holds Emergency Meeting Amid Threat by Militants

Newspaper headlines for today, June 8, have focused on the continued bombing of oil installations by militant groups in the Niger Delta regions. A new militant group called the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), had said it will attack Aso Rock, the police headquarters, defence headquarters, NNPC towers, Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters, national assembly, military formations across the country, among others, on Tuesday, June 7.
It threatened to launch six missiles in the regions in an operation it said would surprise Nigerians and the entire world. But this turned out to be just threats as no attack was reported. The group said that their missiles are capable of bringing down any aircraft no matter how big. Apparently moved by the threats, the federal government called for an emergency security meeting, yesterday, June 7, Vanguard reports. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The meeting, which appeared to be a strategic one, had in attendance the acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, governors of oil producing states; service chiefs; Minister of Defence, Dan Ali; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu;  Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme, Gen. Paul Boroh, among others. Governors in attendance at the meeting included Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia). Service  chiefs at the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. Held at the conference room of the Acting President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the meeting which started at about 10a.m. ended at about 3pm. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said they took briefings of the situation in the Niger Delta by the security chiefs and Minister of State for Petroleum. He said the meeting particularly noted the unhealthy developments in Delta and Bayelsa states, saying a solution was underway. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Panic in Onitsha, army kills 30 pro-Biafra activists Still on the threats by the JNDLF to attack the presidential villa and other strategic locations, an emergency security council meeting convened yesterday, June 7, with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presiding directed that the heavy military presence in the Niger Delta communities be reduced considerably, Guardian reports. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter But the council stressed that the presence of the military on the waterways be sustained in order to ensure adequate security while discussions with the leaders of the communities continue. Moving away from the Niger Delta militants attack on oil pipelines, The Sun reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has informed the National Assembly that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will act on his behalf during his 10-day medical vacation in the United Kingdom. In a letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Buhari said he informed the lawmakers of his vacation in compliance with section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Share on Facebook Share on Twitter “In compliance with section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I wish to inform Senate that I will be away on a short medical vacation from June 6-16, 2016, and while I am away, the vice president (Osinbajo) will perform the functions of my office,” Buhari’s letter read. In other news, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday and Tuesday arrested key leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Northeast states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe, The Punch reports. The arrests, it was learnt, were part of investigations into the $115m (N23bn) allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter This is just as Senator Saidu Kumo, who is the Special Adviser, Political Matters, to the embattled PDP Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff; and a former PDP Chairman in Gombe State, Paloma Nuhu, returned N2m each from their share of the money. Some of those arrested include: a former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil (Borno); a former Minister of Science and Technology, Alhaji Abdu Bulama (Yobe); and the PDP chairman, Mr. Joel Madaki (Adamawa). The accountant of the Gombe State Government House, Mr. Mohammed Balbaya, was also arrested for the Diezani bribe. Explaining the reason for the arrests, a reliable source at the EFCC told our correspondent that the suspects handled N450m each for their respective states. READ ALSO: Buhari to dialogue with Avengers, Jonathan under investigation The front page of The Nation newspaper has also focused on the anti-corruption war of the EFCC. The media outfit reports that former Chief of Air Staff Mohammed Umar is proposing an out-of-court settlement in his N7.3billion money laundering case before the Federal High Court, Abuja. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Umar is the predecessor of Alex Badeh, who is also standing trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja in a similar case. He was arraigned on May 11 before Justice Binta Nyako on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption involving about N7.382billion. It alleged that Umar removed the money from the account of the Nigerian Air Force while he was the Chief of Air Staff.