INTERVIEW: Why We Killed Ironsi And Installed Gowon — Jeremiah Useni

Lt. General Jeremiah Useni needs no introduction. The prominent role he played during the reign of late Head of State, Sani Abacha, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is well known. However, there are two things about Jeremiah Useni, who was referred to as ‘Jerry Boy’ at the time. He was indeed a Boy, because he joined the Army at the age of 14. Firstly, he was one of the soldiers who fired shots during the coup against General Ironsi in which the General was killed in Ibadan. Mr. Useni was also the closest person to General Abacha up to his last moments.

This interview, conducted in Hausa by the Hausa language newspaper, Rariya, and translated to English by PREMIUM TIMES’ Sani Tukur, reveals a lot of things many of us didn’t know, including the conspiracies that denied him the opportunity of succeeding Mr. Abacha after he died. Enjoy…

You joined the Army as a fourteen year old, and you were posted to England for a Course at sixteen, how did you feel at the time?

Honestly, it was like a dream to me because I broke my left leg during a game of football, just one year after I joined the Army. As a young footballer, I had very strong shooting ability with my left leg. Anyone who was unfortunate to be hit with my shots really suffered no matter their size. I spent about four months at the hospital In Kaduna. Most of the hospital staffs at the time were Europeans, and they were very efficient. They joked a lot with their patients and they related with you as if you had known them for ages. One day, they decided to come and test all of us and see those who had made progress, so that they would be discharged. When they came to me, they asked; ‘can you stand up?’ And I said, ‘yes’. Then I was asked to stand up and walk. The whiteman said, ‘this one is ok now, he can be discharged’.

Later, they said there would be exams to select those who would go to England, and I had spent four years without studies or anything. However, there was a senior officer who was teaching me, and I went to write the exams, and I passed. I was not even sure we were really going to Europe until one day when they came to the dining room and called out our names, five of us; they asked us to go to a particular building, that our attention was needed there. On getting there, we saw that they had prepared omelet and other kinds of delicacies of the Europeans. At the time, we were used to eating Garri only, we either soak or prepare Eba with one green soup like that. We realised that we might really be going to Europe.  That was how I went as a very young boy, and I thank God for that because before we left Nigeria, they were paying us one naira, in fact, we were first paid seventy kobo, until after one year, when they increased it to one naira.

When I went to England, under the Boys Company battalion, they started paying us four pounds after only two months. I wrote to my father to tell him that we were now receiving four pounds as pay, and I asked him to pay any tax he was asked to pay because I was also enjoying. I told him that just to show him how happy I was.

Many people were afraid of joining the Army at the time you joined. Were your parents alive at the time?

They were alive. It was my father’s friends that did not want me to join. My father was a Royal Guard, and you know a royal guard does not fear anything. He was the most influential official next to the emir, who knows any judge at time? We didn’t even see a policeman until we went to Jos. My father’s friends were advising him not to risk his only son, because I was an only child, but he said since that was what I wanted, I should go ahead, he told them that only God would decide if I live or die.

You had some time with the Sardauna and his Ministers, such as Michael Audu Buba?

We just hear them speak on the radio, or read about them in Newspapers, but I saw Sardauna a lot when I was in Boys Company. He used to visit us, because there was a sugar cane farm, where we used to train, and after such trainings, most of us do get some sugar cane in the farm. Sardauna used to come there and we saw him a lot. I first saw him in 1957.

After your return from England, Sardauna , Tafawa Balewa and others were killed in 1966. Where were you at the time?

I was with 4th Battalion Ibadan. The coup came to us as a surprise, like a thief in the night. We just heard in the morning that Sardauna and the rest were killed. In fact, we did not get the news on time. Where was our C.O Lt. Col. Largema? And Brig. Maimalari and Col Kur Mohammed? We learnt they were all killed. And we asked, what type of coup was that? At the time, we were not concerned with where you came from or what your religion was. As long as you were from the north, we cherish each other so much.

So we organised ourselves and agreed that what happened was very dangerous. We also learnt later that a broad government was being formed. A northerner will be transferred to the South, while a Southerner will be transferred to the north. General Hassan katsina was the governor of the north at the time. People like Kashim Ibrahim were also gone. So those of us, Army officers from the north were very angry really.     

by. Kingsley: read more on the daily newsonline............

Boko Haram linked to group behind Kenya mall attack

Boko Haram linked to group behind Kenya mall attack

A report by a committee of the United States House of Representatives has linked the fundamentalist Islamist sect, Boko Haram, to al Shabaab, the terror group that carried out the September 21 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya.

Al-Shabaab is a Somali-based group whose members are said to be highly proficient in suicide bombing.

The report dated September 13, 2013 and entitled, ‘Boko Haram: Growing Threat to the US Homeland’, also acknowledged the growing relationship between the Nigerian sect and another terror group, the Al Qaeda in the land of the Islamic Maghreb.

The 39-page report noted that “while there is no evidence that al Qaeda’s core in Afghanistan and Pakistan commands Boko Haram’s operations, it is clear from the words of multiple US officials and media reports that Boko Haram is supportive of, and supported by Al Qaeda networks such as AQIM.”

It noted that “it is the unity of ideology and mutual hatred for the West between the Al Qaeda networks that exposes the danger Boko Haram poses to the U.S Homeland.”

The committee described Boko Haram as a “hardened and sophisticated terror network” that required multiple simultenous local and international efforts to enhance the capacity and capability of the the Nigerian Police and the military to curtail its activities.

It said there was an urgent need by the US to designate the sect as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation because it has shown no signs of ending its aggression against the government of Nigeria and the Western world.

The commiteee wrote, “The world is coming to know more about Boko Haram; their intentions, what they’re capable of, and who is supporting them.

“The US Intelligence Community is working to erase the gaps in our understanding of Boko Haram, but it is already evident they are a serious threat to US interests and potentially to the US Homeland.

‘‘Acknowledging this threat publicly by designating Boko Haram an FTO will establish a legal mechanism for prosecuting any supporters within US jurisdictions.

“This is an increasingly important tool given their attempts to market themselves to a wider international audience.

“Boko Haram shows no signs of ending its campaign against the government of Nigeria and the Western world. Two years after their August 2011 bombing of a United Nations facility in Abuja, Nigeria, Boko Haram remains a threat to the international community, and continues to be a developing threat to the US Homeland.”

The report said that Boko Haram had “highly skilled bomb makers who might have received training from experienced militants elsewhere, potentially indicating a stronger relationship between them and AQIM or Al Shabaab.

It said that besides building sophisticated weaponry, it was now possible that Boko Haram had acquired or will acquire SA-7 and SA-24 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.

The SA-7 missile is effective up to 1,300 metres, while some newer models reach altitudes of almost four kilometres. Although most aircraft cruise around 9,140 metres, the SA-7 could be used to target aircraft during takeoff and landing.

In the report, the committee warned, “It does not take much imagination to picture the threat these weapons would pose to commercial aviation in Abuja if they fell into Boko Haram hands.”

Out of the 20,000 such weapons in Libya, only 5,000 of them had been secured through a $40m US programme to buy up loose missiles during the fall of the Gadhafi regime. Most are believed to have found their way into countries that share common boundaries with Nigeria.

The committee acknowledged that the Goodluck Jonathan administration had taken some potentially promising steps in its effort to fight Boko Haram.

It said the appointment of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), a northern Nigerian Muslim, to the position of National Security Adviser on June 23, 2012, demonstrated Jonathan’s willingness to give northerners and Muslims a visible role in Nigeria’s struggle with Boko Haram.

“Dasuki has taken the lead in organising government’s fight against Boko Haram, and his background as a Muslim from the North may give him obvious and potent symbolic significance,” the committee said.

In spite of this, the committee observed that concerns regarding the capability of the Jonathan administration to effectively deal with Boko Haram remained prominent.

Princess Chimeke, Nollywood Actress, On Ex-President Obasanjo's Lap In New York

For fast-rising Nollywood actress, Princess Chimeke, there might not be anything better than being with one of Nigeria's powerful men, who also is an ex-President of the most populous black nation in the world, Nigeria.

She was recently in New York, USA, at the United Nations General Assembly meeting, which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan attended.

Ex-President olusegun Obasanjo was also at the meeting and the actress hooked up with the Ota farmer. She sat on Baba's lap for a photograph. 'Winking here already'.

Did anyone notice where Baba's hand is in the picture? Hope this amebo won't land someone in jail? Well, if it happens, na to become the next President of Nigeria be dat o, after leaving the prison.

Lagos Police Commissioner Sued For N25 Million over Neglect of Taskirat Anjolaiya

The family of a woman, Taskirat Anjolaiya, who was hit by a reckless and negligent police driver and knocked into a comatose state along with her new born baby, has filed a N25 million lawsuit against the police. Inspector General of Police Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Umar Manko are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The accident occurred three months ago in Lagos as a police driver in an official van drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street.

The lawsuit alleges that the culprit, Corporal Friday Azukah, drove an official police van recklessly, hitting the nursing mother and her baby on June 23, 2013 as they alighted from a commercial vehicle at Church bus stop along the busy Oshodi-Apapa Express road in Lagos.

The accident occurred as Corporal Azukah drove a female friend of his supervisor, Divisional Police Officer Ibrahim Zango of FESTAC police station, to catch a flight for which she was almost late. Eyewitnesses stated that the police driver cut into the one-way lane of the express road to avoid traffic, speeding dangerously until he knocked down the victims.

After the accident, Corporal Azukah had focused on arranging a cab to transport his superior’s mistress to the airport. He later deposited N70, 000 at a hospital so that the victims could be admitted for treatment.

But the victims’ family said they have since incurred costs running into millions of naira both in medical treatment and sundry care for both victims.

Doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital diagnosed Mrs. Taskirat with pelvic fracture as well as severe brain and other internal injuries. Her baby, Ammarah Eletu, reportedly suffered a broken jaw among other serious injuries.

Currently an outpatient at LUTH, the woman also receives ongoing treatment at a psychiatric facility for mental handicaps that developed after the accident.

Two sources familiar with the case told SaharaReporters that the DPO, Ibrahim Zango, whose mistress was being transported to the airport when the culprit hit the victims, was later transferred from the FESTAC station. “His transfer was all a game by the police authorities to make the case fizzle out,” said one source, who is close to the victims’ family.

Another source stated that Sulaiman Bashir-Eletu, the husband and father of the victims, has been experiencing severe psychological agony from coping with the burden of the accident. The source, who disclosed that Mr. Bashir-Eletu is a teacher, added that the man “cannot understand the callousness and neglect of the police in this case. That’s why we persuaded him to take the case to court.”

Apart from the Inspector General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the suit also joins Mr. Zango and Mr. Azukah as defendants. In addition to seeking N25 million in general damages, the lawsuit also seeks N1.7 million in specific damages.

The plaintiffs, among them the victims’ husband and father, are also asking the court to declare that Mr. Azukah’s act of driving at high speed against traffic on the day of the accident was illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

T.B. Joshua: "I Would Have Halted President Mills' Death If..."

Founder and General Overseer of the Synagogue Church, Prophet T.B. Joshua says in an unusual manner, God did not reveal the death of Ghana’s President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, which occurred on Tuesday in Accra.

The renowned cleric in a mournful mood affirmed he would have intensified prayers to avert the sudden departure of the late President if he had received any revelation from God.

“The Ghanaian President was like a spiritual son to me so I could pray to God to avert the death, if I had received any revelation from him,” Prophet T.B. reportedly told reporters in Legos, Nigeria when ommenting on the death of President Mills.

On that score, he revealed President Mills and other senior government officials had visited his temple thrice this year to receive special prayers, but God never revealed his death to him in all the three instances.

“Of course, I knew he had been ill for some time now and he had come for special prayers concerning his health thrice this year, and I and my other ministers had prayed fervently for him. I was so hopeful he would recover his health completely, but it is sad and only God knows best why he should die now,” he asserted.

Against that backdrop, Prophet TB Joshua expressed profound shock over the death of Prof. Mills and urged Ghanaians to remain calm in this torrid period.

T.B. Joshua added: “Mills was a very committed person in the things of God and also very dedicated. Each time he was in church, you could see the fervor and hunger and thirst for God written all over his countenance. He was a very dear son to me and I was his spiritual godfather.

“I know many persons will be saying how come my fervent prayers did not save his life. All I can answer such persons is, why God allowed Stephen in the New Testament Bible to be stoned to death. Why did God not save the life of Stephen, an innocent man, as he was being stoned, dying?

The answer is simply this: sometimes God allows things to happen for unknown reasons, and indeed reasons no man can explain, that is why God is Almighty Sovereign God; who indeed can question Him, who can challenge God?

 “When we humanity eventually see God in the glorious city of Heaven, then, can we have answers to all our questions. For now, he can only get a 99 percent answer but never a 100 per cent answer”.

Damilola Adegbite's Outfit To 'Flower Girl' Movie Premiere

The London Premiere of FLOWER GIRL is today and it's all going down at the Odeon Cinema in Greenwich London.

There are several words that correctly describe Damilola Adegbite and ‘visibly boring’ does not fall into the list of such words. For this gorgeous actress, acting comes as easily as cold comes to winter; naturally!

It therefore doesn’t come as a surprise why she is constantly considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

While some are born with that so much talent that acting could be said to flow through their veins, others who do not enjoy this privilege ensure they are passionate about acting and in a way, this makes up for the deficit in their basket of talents.

However, Adegbite happens to be one of those rare actresses who enjoys from both dimensions; she is profoundly passionate about acting and is also immensely gifted in the art of interpreting roles.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bowen University, Iwo, in Osun State.

She was further shot into prominence after she played a lead actress named Telema Duke in a soap opera called ”Tinsel”, MNet’s first multi camera production.

She made her debut in the movie industry, starring in a Ghanaian movie titled ‘6 Hours to Christmas.’ The movie directed by renowned director, Shirley Frimpong-Manso also starred Chris Attoh and many other notable Ghanaian actors.

She played lead and supporting roles in a series of stage performances, including ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ which dwelled on gender inequality as well as addressed sensitive issues such as female genital mutilation and wife battery.