FACES OF THE DUBAI BASED MADAMS THAT LURE GIRLS INTO PROSTITUTION

“My name is Chisom, and I came to Dubai for prostitution. I will pay my boss fully. I don’t want any trouble. If I fail to do so, I won’t be able to face the trouble alone, my generation will do so! I shall make money in this country if I finish paying my boss.” The madam repeated harsh, stern words, ordering Chisom to repeat the words as she said them.

Chisom, mother of one looked visibly disturbed and embarrassed as the camera repeatedly focused on her boobs and private part as she was taken an oath somewhere in Dubai. 
Chisom left Nigeria to Dubai, with high hopes, she never realised she was going to be lured into sex slavery. She was expected to sleep with several men in Dubai and raise 30,000 US dollars to pay her madam. 

The money was allegedly to cover for transportation to Dubai, accommodation and feeding paid by her madam.
The payment of the money will release her from slavery. But as the camera rolled and her madam ordered her to take an oath, sealing her fate, Chisom knew she had bitten more than she could chew. 

As the video rolled, she attempted to cover her boobs and private part with her hands, but her madam, handling the camera, shouted, “Remove your hands!”

The madam, now identified by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), as Esther Otubo Nicole, was not satisfied with just the video recording, which she needed to force Chisom into submission to prostitution. She still needed to instil fear. Thus in a chilling voice that apparently sent shivers down the spine of Chisom who had just arrived Dubai, Nicole said: “You said the money you would pay me is N1.4 million. It’s not true! Its 30,000 dollars. That’s what I charge all my girls! Didn’t they tell you? If you don’t make me angry, it shall be well with you.

Nobody cheats me Chisom. If you fail to pay me, I shall post this video on Facebook and other social media for people to see. But if you finish paying me, I’ll call you and I’ll delete it. Nobody will see the video except me. Nobody can hide my money. Don’t lie to me. Go and ask others about me.

Don’t do anything that will make me touch you. My hands are too ‘strong.’ Make sure you fight and struggle with any guy to collect your money! It’s your money! Whatever I tell you to collect, is what you should collect. Don’t let the man go, except I tell you to let him go!” Chisom and another victim, Ann, tried all they could to carry out their madams’ demand. Chisom and Ann would later tell NAPTIP Agency that they decided to escape after they realised that it would take years for them to raise 30,000 dollars via sex.

They worked for between three to four months before they dared the lionesses and fled. They were each, already being forced to sleep with over 20 Arab men daily, but whatever they were paid, seemed like a drop in the ocean. A NAPTIP operative said: “They told us that most of the Arab men would sleep with them and wouldn’t want to pay them. Most of these men, because they didn’t want to pay, would beat them up and when they go back to their madams, the madams would beat them too. Chisom and Ann escaped because they were sure they would soon be killed. Ann is now in our shelter, but Chisom is still in Dubai. We’re already trying to bring her home.”

It was gathered that after the ladies absconded from their madams, a Good Samaritan kept them in hiding in Dubai. It was the same Good Samaritan that assisted NAPTIP via Facebook, in its covert investigations, leading to the arrest of five of the madams in Nigeria. The five suspects are Blessing Gabriel 25, who is the prime suspect, Precious Ejiro Owoh, 29, Rose Gabriel, 25, Priscilla a.k.a Prisca Effiong Bassey, 33 and Terry Homuere Smooth, 38.

When NAPTIP operatives stormed Smooth’s home, located at Lekki, they recued 27 girls. “The girls were being used for prostitution in Nigeria, but also in preparation to send them to Dubai. Each of these girls, used to pay Smooth N10,500 every week, said an operative.”

When the madams of Ann and Chisom realised that the ladies had fled the nest, they uploaded the nude videos. The idea was to cause social and psychological torture to the ladies and perhaps reduce them to spectres of mockery. Either way, the ladies would be traumatised. The madams however never bargained that their grand plan would boomerang.

The videos didn’t only cause international uproar, but also made international and local security agencies, which are in the forefront of fighting human trafficking, begin to hunt for them. Ann’s madam, Blessing Gabriel was said to have sneaked into Nigeria for her traditional marriage around September 12, 2015. She was picked by NAPTIP operatives the week she was about to go back to Dubai.
Gabriel said: “I got to know Ann through Precious Ejiro Owoh. My sister, Rose, sent pictures of Ann to me. Something happened. I told Ann that she had to swear, but she said she wouldn’t disappoint me. I work with a travel agency in Dubai. Our agency used to get jobs for people. When Ann came, Gina picked us up at the airport.
Gina took Ann into a room, I didn’t know what happened. Gina told me that she needed prostitutes.I called Precious, Precious called Ann and she agreed. Ann was asked to pay 30,000 dollars by Gina.” Investigation revealed that the syndicate used to lure unsuspecting Nigerian girls to United Arab Emirate (UAE), Dubai and force them into prostitution.

The girls would be made to strip naked and their nudeness videotaped and later used to blackmail them into submission. The syndicate is behind two videos which went viral some weeks back on the social media.
The videos showed two girls, stark naked, promising a woman, video taping them that they would never run away with her money. They had further taken an oath that calamitous events would befall them if they fail to keep to their promises. Assistant Director, Head, Press and Public Relations, NAPTIP, Mr. Josiah Emerole, said that NAPTIP was already working with Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and an international agency to arrest other fleeing madams in Dubai. Emerole said: “Early August 2015, the media, especially the social media was awash with nude visuals of two of our citizens, Ann and Chisom, filmed and uploaded by some of our unpatriotic citizens engaged in trafficking of girls from Nigeria to Dubai, the United Arab Emirate for sexual exploitation.

“The nude visuals which caused some uproar within many circles in Nigeria and raised questions among our international partners showed the two girls being forced to swear to an oath of allegiance separately while nude. They were made to claim that they came to Dubai of their own volition to engage in prostitution and ready to obey their madams without reporting to anybody. The women that filmed the videos threatened to upload the nude visuals if the girls did not act accordingly.

The blackmail videos are part of the Dubai Syndicate’s control mechanism which also includes oath taking, and confiscation of travel documents to ensure obedience and submission.” Emerole explained that based on this despicable and criminal act, NAPTIP went into action in collaboration with other sister law enforcement agencies locally and internationally to fish out these criminals and their agents in Nigeria and to rescue the victims. Emerole added: “One of the two victims, Ann, has also returned safely to Nigeria while Chisom is out of the reach of her traffickers. The Agency is in steady touch with her and working with other partners to assist her.”

Recollecting how the syndicate met its waterloo, Emerole said: “September 8, 2015, officers of the Lagos Zonal Command arrested the Dubai based Blessing Gabriel who trafficked Ann. She was trailed and apprehended at Agboroko Village, Iba New Site, Lagos where she was in hiding. She sneaked into the country for her traditional wedding.

Earlier surveillance and raid operations by NAPTIP officers at two residents in Lekki Phase 1 and Oke- Ira Nla, Ajah, Lagos led to the arrest of Priscilla Effiong Bassey and Precious Owoh who investigations identified as suspected recruiters for the Dubai Syndicate. Terry Smooth, owner of a hideout for girls, from where one of the victims, Chisom, was recruited and trafficked to Dubai was also apprehended. Rose Gabriel, the key suspect’s sister was also apprehended for her role in the trafficking ring.”

Emerole revealed that preliminary investigations indicated that Gabriel has other accomplices in Dubai namely: Gina, Fegor Ebony Ejeba, and Nicole Esther Otubu. He added: “Efforts are underway to track them down!”
Owoh denied having any discussion with Gabriel on taking Ann to Dubai for prostitution. She said: “There was no discussion between Blessing and I about prostitution. Blessing said she was a hairstylist. Ann said she didn’t care the nature of the job. She just wanted to go to Dubai and work. But Blessing told me that Ann would be going for prostitution!” Recalling how Ann and Chisom were trafficked, Emerole explained that sometime in April 2015, Ann was recruited from Lagos by Owoh for Gabriel who was in Dubai. Gabriel was responsible for her travel expenses. The process of preparing her for Dubai was coordinated by Gabriel’s sister Rose Gabriel who attempted to force her to a shrine for the barbaric oath of secrecy. On arrival in Dubai, the oath of secrecy which could not be administered in Nigeria was forcefully administered on her and video recorded.

“This recording was later released on You-tube after she escaped from her exploiters in Dubai, where she was forced into prostitution contrary to the initial promise that she would be given a job as a hairstylist,” said Emerole. In the case of Chisom, Emerole said that sometime in May 2015, one Princess brought Chisom a.k.a Gold to stay in Smooth’s housed Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The house which Smooth pays N3.2m per annum is a five-bedroom duplex with two-room Boys’ Quarters. She allegedly uses the building to harbour girls from within and outside Nigeria and charges them N10,500 each per week.
It was in this house that Chisom met Priscilla Bassey Effiong who claimed to be a businesswoman. It was from Smooth’s house that Effiong, also known as Prisca, recruited Chisom for Ebony Fegor who had been an ally of Effiong since 2011.
Emerole noted: “Priscilla has confessed that she knew that Chisom was going to Dubai for prostitution. She claimed that since Chisom left Nigeria in July 2015, she did not hear from her or Fegor until she saw Chisom’s nude video on the internet. She also claimed that when she called Fegor to enquire of the reason for such an action, Fegor denied any knowledge but admitted that she had recorded it to instil fear in Chisom so that she would pay back the money she expended on her.” Smooth in her statement, said that she knew Effiong and Chisom as both of them had lived in her house and stayed in the same room allocated to them by her.

She said she was still in possession of Chisom’s mobile phone and clothes because Chisom still owed her some money. Smooth however denied being part of the Dubai trafficking ring. She said: “I’m into Fashion. Gold (Chisom) came to me, to look for modelling work. She later left my apartment. When I saw her video, I alerted the police. Yes, I held onto Gold’s phone and clothes because she owes me some money. The entire girls that stay with me pay, because I can’t possible pay the gatemen, cleaners and stock the house with food, fuel the generator and all that alone!” Stating her own side of the story, Effiong said: “Gold and I met in Terry’s home at Lekki. Gold kept telling me to take her to Dubai. I connected her to Fergo. Fergo had been there for long. But Gold was a prostitute in Lagos before she left for Dubai. We stay with Terry and pay her N10,500 every week. We leave home every morning to ‘hustle.’”

Emerole said that all the above stated activities were in violation of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. He said that the suspects so far arrested and interrogated would be arraigned in court very soon, while efforts are being intensified at diplomatic level to track other members of the syndicate still in Dubai. Reacting to the incident, the commander, Lagos State Command, Mr. Famakin Joseph said: “These kids were lured into prostitution. The girls ran away because they had had enough of the slavery! Before they ran away, the madams forced them to take an oath. Now our boss has ordered us to go and fish out the traffickers behind the videos! We’re not done with our investigations, but once we’re through, we would charge them to court!”

INCREDIBLE: MAN BITES OFF FELLOW MAN'S LOWER LIP OVER WOMAN IN DELTA STATE

According to a  LIB source, a man named Kolawole allegedly caught a guy named Destiny Udoka Okoro in bed with his wife (Na wah o). During the fight between Kolawole and Udoka (pictured below with the woman in question), Udokah allegedly bit off the whole lower lip of the husband,( Kolawole.)..like totally took it off. The ugly incident happened at Owa-Alero Ika north east of Delta state on Sunday Oct 4th.

 Below is a graphic  photos of Kolawole after the incident - now see what he looked like immediately after it happened, after the cut. *viewer discretion advised*

PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

NOSTALGIA: CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO'S STATEMENT BEFORE HE WAS JAILED IN 1963

CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO G.C.F.R., S.A.N. March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987.

I must say, and this may have to be taken up with a higher tribunal,
that I do not agree with your Lordship’s verdict, and the premises on
which it is based.

For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during
this period I have operated in various important theatres in the life
of this great Federation. I have, with others, fought against
British imperialism with all my might, and with all the talents that
it pleased God to give me.

Together with other nationalists, some of whom are with me and many
of whom are not with me here, we have successfully thrown out British
imperialism and enthroned Africans in positions which, 20 or more
years ago, they never dreamt of occupying.

I have been an unyielding advocate of a Federal Constitution for
Nigeria. I have all along, with other leaders of this country, been
a very active and constructive participant in all the constitutional
conferences which have taken place since 1953, and which have
culminated not only in the attainment of independence but in the
production of a Constitution of which Nigerians are very proud.

This Constitution is now being gradually violated.

I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice. It
is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects of
Nigeria’s independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria’s three
years of independence under one form of confinement or another.

Since 1957 I have fought, as your Lordship remarked, with vigour
against the feudal system in the Northern Region and for its
eradication. I have also fought to prevent the spread of this evil
political system to other parts of Nigeria.

During the same period I have strongly advocated the breaking up of
Northern Region into more states in order to have true federation in
Nigeria, to preclude the permanent subservience of the people of
Nigeria to the autocratic ruling caste in the North, and to preserve
peace and unity in the country.

In short, I have always fought for what I believe, without relenting
and regardless of consequences to myself. I have no doubt, and I say
this without any spirit of immodesty, that in the course of my
political career, I have rendered services to this country which
historians and the coming generations will certainly regard as
imperishable.

Naturally, Sir, in the course of my long, turbulent and active
political life, I have attracted to myself a sizeable crop of
detractors and political adversaries. Similarly, I have in the
course of this long career seen both triumphs and set-backs; and I
have met them with equal mind.

Peter, not Peter the Apostle, but Peter the hero of Hugh Walpole’s
novel entitled “Fortitude” said: “It isn’t life that matters but the
courage you bring to it.”

After life had done terrible things to Peter he heard a voice that
said to him, among other things, “Blessed be all sorrow, hardships
and endurance that demand courage. Blessed be these things: for of
these things cometh the making of a man.”

In the words of Peter, therefore, my Lord, I declare (not that I have
heard a voice): Blessed be your verdict; and I say in advance,
blessed be the sentence which your Lordship may pass on me.

I personally welcome any sentence you may impose upon me. At this
moment my only concern is not for myself, but that my imprisonment
might do harm to Nigeria for three reasons.

First, the invaluable services which I have hitherto rendered and
which I can still render will be lost to the country – at least for a
season.

Second, there might be a heightening of the present tension which has
lasted 15 months, and has done incalculable injuries to the economy
of the country.

Thirdly, for some time to come, the present twilight of democracy,
individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change
into utter darkness. But after darkness – and this is a commonplace –
comes a glorious dawn.

It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and with
faith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight into
the darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that a
glorious dawn will come on the morrow.

My adversaries might say who am I to think that if I am imprisoned
the country might suffer? What if I died?

The point, of course, is that I am still alive and will not die in
prison. Furthermore, the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies,
and can be projected to any part of the world.

This being so I am confident that the ideals of social justice and
individual liberty which I hold dear will continue to be projected
beyond the prison walls and bars until they are realized in our
lifetime.

In this connection, I must stress that in this very court room,
indeed in this dock and in the entire Federation of Nigeria, the
spirit of an new Nigeria is already active and at work. This spirit,
working through constitutional means which I have spent the whole of
my lifetime to advocate, is sure to prevail, before very long, to the
delight, freedom and prosperity of all and sundry.

Before I close, I must say that in spite of the delay of the past few
weeks on the part of your Lordship in giving judgement in this case,
and in spite of my disagreement with your verdict which I have just
given expression to, I must acknowledge your Lordship’s patience
throughout the trial of this case.

Particularly, I want to thank your Lordship for the due and especial
consideration which you have always accorded me and the other accused
persons.

I thank your Lordship; and I am prepared to abide by your sentence.

________________________________________________________________

THE SENTENCE

The Trial Judge Mr. Sowemimo speaks:

“….Whatever others may say, this is my personal view. I am not
speaking as a judge but as a Nigerian. Here we have one of the first
Premiers of the autonomous region standing trial. If you were the
only one before me, I would have felt that it was enough for you to
have undergone the strain of the trial. I would have asked you to
go. But I am sorry, I cannot do so now because my hands are tied.
Having sentenced those young chaps whatever happens I have to pass
some sort of sentence. If I made up my mind to sentence the other
accused persons who I find were tools in the hands of others, and if
my conclusion is right, it is for me to see that a punishment by me
in my court is such that others would see that there is no
preferential treatment.

I do not see what useful purpose a sentence of imprisonment will do
to you, but I have come to the conclusion that these things emanate
from you. To get yourself involved in this thing is enough shame.
But this is a political crime. There are things which one may never
know. All I know is what is before me and I am bound by the
evidence. You mentioned about the delay in giving judgement, but I
wish you were in my position and had to read some of these things –
the evidence which was about 800 pages and the notes of submissions
also about 600 pages. I was never hoping or thinking that I would be
called upon to try a former Head of Government and Leader of
Opposition. I am only happy that this is a court of first instance. ”

At the conclusion of the speech by Justice Sowemimo, Chief Awolowo
was sentenced as follows:

1st Count – 10 years I.H.L (Imprisonment with Hard Labour)
Treasonable felony, contrary to Section 41(b) of the Criminal Code

2nd Count – 5 years I.H.L.
Conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 516 of the
Criminal Code

3rd Count – 2 years I.H.L.
Conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, contrary to Section 518 (6)
of the Criminal Code

Sentences to be concurrent

NOTE: Statement By Chief Awolowo while before The High Court before sentencing for Treasonable Felony

September 11, 1963

In “Adventures in Power Book One: My March through Prison”

By Obafemi Awolowo [Macmillan Nigeria Publishers, 1985]; pp. 198 ff.

Ref: http://www.dawodu.com/awolowo6.htm

NOSTALGIA: OGEDEGBE-OWOH-OJUOLAPE ...FIRST SET OF DRUG DEALERS TO FACE FIRING-SQUAD IN NIGERIA

The war on drug smuggling in Nigeria became effective under the military rule of General Muhammadu Buhari, who was in power between 31^st  December, 1983 and 27^th August, 1985. The Buhari government enacted a De­cree 20, which had a retro­active effect and carried the death penalty.

Bernard Ogedegbe (29), Bathlomew Owoh (26) and La­wal Ojuolape (30), became first casualty of Decree 20 which stipulated death penalty for drug dealings in Nigeria. The case of Owoh drew particular global attention be­cause at the time the offence was committed, the maximum punishment in the country’s legal code was six months imprisonment.

 The execution of these three young men then was seen as an offence not worthy it by many Nigerians. To put it in a plain language, one of those three, Ogedengbe – was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeit at the time it was committed. However, military regime said that they took those actions to clean up the country and restore dignity to the citizenry.  

In an interview with Al Jazeera television, sometimes ago, Buhari  said :“The question of executing people was about people dealing in drugs. We said cocaine and associated drugs were not developed or produced in Nigeria. People who want to make money at the expense of health, lives of people go to the countries that produce these substanc­es and make Nigeria a tran­sit camp for drugs, destroy­ing Nigerian communities and extend the destruction even to developed countries just to make money. We were concerned that if people want to make money, they should go out and work hard and make money, not to go and bring drugs, sell it and destroy our youth, sell it and destroy other countries just to make money. We made the law, that whoever did it should be executed. Let him go and make the money else­where, not in Nigeria. 

In an interview granted the Sun Newspapers some years back wher President (then General) Muhammadu Buhari those who destroyed others shouldn't be allowed to enjoy the loot.
Here's the excerpt:

Before I come to that, there was also this issue of Decree 4, alleged drug peddlers who your regime ordered shot. Looking back now, do you think you made mistake in those areas?
You see, maybe my rigidity could be traced to our insistence on the laws we made. But we decided that the laws must be obeyed.

But they said it was retroactive.
Yes, they said so. But I think it should be in the archive; we said that whoever brought in drugs and made Nigeria a transit point committed an offence.
These drugs, We We (Indian hemp), is planted here, but the hard drug, cocaine, most Nigerians don’t know what cocaine is. They just made Nigeria a transit point and these people did it just to make money. You can have a certain people who grow Ashisha or We We and so on because it is indigenous. Maybe some people are even alleging that those who want to come for operation, brought the seed and started to grow it in Nigeria. But cocaine, it is alien to our people. So, those who used Nigeria as a transit, they just did it to make money. And this drug is so potent that it destroys people, especially intelligent people. So, the Supreme Military Council did a memo. Of course, I took the memo to the Supreme Military Council and made recommendation and the Supreme Military Council agreed.

There was no dissenting voice?
There was no dissenting in the sense that majority agreed that this thing, this cocaine, this hard drug was earning Nigeria so much bad name in the international community because Nigeria was not producing it, but Nigerians that wanted to make money didn’t mind destroying Nigerians and other youths in other countries just to make money. So, we didn’t need them. We didn’t need them.

But there were pleas by eminent Nigerians not to kill the three men involved in the trafficking?
Pleas, pleas; those that they destroyed did they listen to their pleas for them not to make hard drug available to destroy their children and their communities?

So, it is not something you look back now at 70 and say it was an error?
No, it was not an error. It was deliberate. I didn’t do it as a head of state by fiat. We followed our proper system and took it. If I was sure that the Supreme Military Council then, the majority of them decided that we shouldn’t have done so, we could have reduced it to long sentencing. But people who did that, they wanted money to build fantastic houses, maybe to have houses in Europe and invest. Now, when they found out that if they do it, they will get shot, then they will not live to enjoy at the expense of a lot of people that became mental and became harmful and detrimental to the society and so on, then they will think twice. 

PHOTO CREDIT: AD 76.COM

BLACK STUDENT BARS FROM USING RESTROOM BECAUSE OF HIS SKIN COLOUR IN YORKN NEW

 "I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 28 years, I’ve never been denied the use of a bathroom anywhere," said Ohaegbulam, who grew up in Alabama and Florida.  Kim Ohaegbulam, 28, a student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ended up receiving a summons for disorderly conduct for making “unreasonable noise” after the manager called police.

According to him, he is planning to file a lawsuit against the Landmark Tavern alleging he was the victim of racial discrimination, and the city for false arrest. "I don’t like to play the race card, but it is what it was,” he said. "It was a blatant form of racial discrimination. I’ve got to make sure it doesn’t happen again at that establishment" "I’m a medical student but I'm also a black man. I felt like what happened to me is the same as what happened during the civil rights era and Jim Crow."

Ohaegbulam was celebrating the completion of a school project with two friends, a fellow medical student who is from India and a law student who is Asian, who were buying the drinks. His friends used the bathroom, but when Ohaegbulam got on the line, he said he was stopped by the night manager who told him it was only for paying customers.

Ohaegbulam insisted that he had been drinking there for 45 minutes, and was backed up by his friends and even the bar’s security guard, but the manager refused to budge. "I told Don (the manager) that I had checked his ID on the way in," the security guard, who requested anonymity, told The News.

"Don has the type of personality, what he says goes" Ohaegbulam demanded to speak to the owner, Michael Young, and waited outside. When five cops arrived, a sergeant told him he could make a complaint “to the Better Business Bureau,” but he had to leave the area.

After Ohaegbulam persisted in stating his complaint, he was handcuffed and taken to the precinct stationhouse, where he received the summons. "It’s very unfortunate but not surprising that persons of color, particularly black and Hispanic males, endure this sort of unlawful conduct on a regular basis," said Ohaebulam’s lawyer, Eric Sanders.

A lawyer for the bar insisted there was never an issue of Ohaegbulam using the bathroom, claiming the manager called police because Ohaegbulam was “inebriated” and “menacing.” The lawyer, Robert Ferrari, said the manager told him the bar “has many black customers” and was sticking by his claim that Ohaegbulam was “hanging out” at the bar but was not a customer.

Ferrari said the Landmark Tavern has a surveillance camera, but every two weeks it tapes over the previous recording, so he didn’t think there was a record to prove or disprove anymore whether Ohaegbulam was a customer. But Ohaegbulam said his witnesses, and the bar receipts, will prove he is telling the truth. "This was blatant discrimination and it’s just wrong," he said

Source: Daily News

VIDEO: VINCENT ENYEAMA ISSUE IS A CASE OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION....OLISEH

Sunday Oliseh, Super Eagles coach has finally told his own side of story regarding the issues he had with goal keeper, Vincent Enyeama, in an interview with NFF's media officer, Oluwatoyin Ibitoye, Oliseh said:

"Its puzzling really because it because to say the least I am very hurt, I am very disappointed at the character assassination that Vincent has taken on my personality as regards this issue. If you want to retire, retire. You don't have to drag and lie and insult somebody who did nothing. I will take you down to when this thing. We called everybody to camp We invited 24 players and most of the players, infact even Mikel came in on Sunday night. He was supposed to be here on Monday which was very good and most of the players came in on Monday but I knew Vincent had gone for the burial ceremony of his mum,  that he might come in late.

He came into camp on Tuesday afternoon by 5.20 or 5.30, just as the training was almost over he drove in from the airport and there are even pictures that we snapped of me hugging him because I was happy to see him back in camp. But when we trained that Tuesday afternoon, I wasn't happy with the physical involvement and input of my players so we had dinner and I spoke to the players and made it clear to them that  I wasn't happy and that I needed an improvement for us to play more as a team and that we deserved better and I could see the body language of the players that they were very receptive and were conscious of what it was. 

 Only for me at the end of my speech for me to go to my seat to sit down, was for Vincent to stand up to say he wanted to say something and I told him, look this is not the time to say anything because we just had a discussion about how to improve, we will discuss personal issues after. He said no he wanted to say something and I refused and said No i don't want you to say anything. Please sit down, later you can come to me, we could sought whatever it is out. He said No and he was adamant he wanted to say something. So I told him with all dues respect, this is the Super Eagles and I am the coach. We are not going to have two coaches. I decide who talks and when to talk at a meeting and at the moment I am telling you no. If you refuse to do what I am saying then it is better you go out. He was still adamant and trying to raise his voice and then I said it is either you go out or we leave the room for you or I will get you to be taken out because you are stopping the team from even having dinner and eventually his team mates got up and took him out and said hey come off it Vincent.

 At one point I told him, its either you stop this now or you can go back home and when he continued I gave him a handshake and told him Now you can go home. I have released you. You just came in, you have not even trained and you are already looking for an argument or problem and so I told him go home  because he had not even had any training session. So I went to my room and 5 of his colleagues Mikel, Emenike, Musa Onazi and Echejile, came to me and said coach we have spoken to him and he is aware. We know him sometimes he talks before he thinking. I said okay he can stay, we are trying to build a team, you can stay.

The next morning he came, everything was settled, we ate breakfast. As we were about to go for training, I received a message from back home where Vincent had insinuated publicly that I had insulted the memory of his mother when I spoke to the team and this was really hurtful and a blatant lie and I find it quite, with all due respect, insane because you can't make an accusation, a false accusation when there are so many witnesses as much as 19 players, 3 other officials and there was no reason to talk about your mum because you were just coming into camp. There was nothing to talk about you. So to now try to make a character assassination and try to like make the people sympathize with the fact that he was mistreated against his mum. He was the captain of this team. When we played in Tanzania, I called the team administrator, Dayo, and we had arranged for the team to wear a black band and to have one minute of silence before we play in Tanzania in honor of Vincent's dead mum. The only reason why that was not done was because Dayo came back and said they refused us because we had to have a request for it. CAF made out and the time was too short. So how would a man that is sensitive enough to try to honor Vincent Enyeama's mum now try to insult his mum"he said

According to Sunday Oliseh, before he was appointed coach of the Super Eagles, Vincent Enyeama had a big rift with the NFF. He reacted to insinuations that he never wanted Vincent to be captain of the super eagles during his tenure hence he never carried him, Vincent.

"Listen, before I was appointed coach of Super Eagles, Vincent Enyeama had a big rift with the NFF concerning the statements he made concerning the pitch in Kaduna. I was not yet a coach. I was in Nigeria and I stood up for Vincent because I felt that he shouldn't be castigated for representing his team mates. When I was appointed as Chief coach of Super Eagles, the first thing I did was to pick up my car very early in the morning, drove and spent a whole day watching Vincent train, took him to Lunch which I paid for. I had Lunch with him to intimate him with my plans to build the team with him as captain of the team.

 When I spoke to him, I spoke to him about the tactical things we wanted to change the policy changes we wanted to make like you do with a captain. When I spoke to him then, he made one statement. He was talking about retiring in a year or two years time and I told him, Vincent, I am trying to build a team till 2018. I don't need a captain who is thinking of retiring or who is planning for after football while we were preparing and nobody does that in football. You wait till your last game or your last match then you announce retirement. Let this be out of the agenda. Two weeks ago to this time, Vincent called me to discuss about the funeral arrangements for the Mum and I told him its saddening what has happened to you but I cant be available because of some other reasons but I have spoken to the NFF president and he was going with a delegation. He said he will be there so we will be represented and while we were having this discussion he was talking again about retirement. That was when I decided to pick Ahmed Musa as captain because I felt then that he is probably not into it anymore. Personally I don't know Vincent so to carry a grudge against a person that i don't know is..."he said

OLISE'S INTERVIEW

TRIBUNAL NULLIFIES THE ELECTION OF BURUJI KASHAMU

The National and state Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital has cancelled the election of Buruji Kashamu,a Nigerian senator.

The Justice Ebiowei Tobi led tribunal has ordered re-run in 110 polling units and a re-run of the election will take place in 90 days.

DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE'S FAMILY RELEASES PRESS STATEMENT

Below is a press release issued by Alison Madueke and the Agama families about the travails and media trial of their daughter and wife.

The Truth Versus The Media Hysteria Against The Madueke Family

1.   In this era of cyber terrorism, decency dictates that one should response to false and defamatory allegations with silence. But there is a limit to how much any reasonable person can bear the tactics of these cyber terrorists. We all know that what makes a lie fly is the little truth contained therein. This happens to be the weapon used by most online news media to feed their weird obsession with defaming highly placed people. Continue below...

2.   The Madueke family is appalled at the ongoing media frenzy against Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke by a section of the mass media following an invitation to her by the British authorities last Friday for reasons which have yet to be disclosed. For the avoidance of doubt, the family would like to state categorically that it has no issues with any persons from the family being invited anywhere in the world to answer questions about their private or official conduct. The Madueke family believes in law and order, honour and due process.

3.   However, it is clear that here is  a deliberate and vicious campaign to demonise members of the Madueke family, with all manner of frivolous allegations. For example, an online news media gleefully published that Mr. Ugonna Madueke “owns at least three properties in the United States.” It even called the properties “POSH” and went on to state the addresses. THEY LIED.

4.   Mr. Ugonna Madueke has NO PROPERTY ANY WHERE in the United States and has NEVER OWNED ONE. The USA is a country which runs on transparency, accountability and technology. A little honest effort by the online news media would have provided in a few minutes the true ownership of the properties at issue.

5.   For historical accuracy, the Madueke family avers without any fear of contradiction that 11711 Scooter Lane (a three bedroom town house) in Fairfax, Virginia, was acquired by the Madueke family in 1997 when Ugonna was only 10 years old. Ugonna’s siblings lived in this property while attending George Mason University in Virginia, USA. Records available to the appropriate authorities in the United States can also show that 13116 Silver Maple Court in Bowie, Maryland, USA belongs to an uncle of the Madueke siblings and was purchased in 1995 when Ugonna was only 8 years old. As a student of the University of Maryland in 2002, Ugonna stayed with his uncle at the said address. All of this was before Mrs. Diezani was appointed to government office. No Madueke or a distant relation has anything to do with the ownership of No. 4227 Summit Manor Court in Virginia.

6.   It is evident that what the online news media did was to turn on an internet search engine and maliciously reported that every property where Ugonna Madueke has ever lived in the United States or used as his address must belong to him. The description of the properties as POSH was the icing on the propaganda cake. This is not only unprofessional, as it offends the tenets of journalism, it is clearly not in resonance with good conscience.

7.   The online news media also reported that Ugonna and his cousins registered a company by name Hadley Petroleum Solutions Limited which they have been using to deal in Nigerian crude oil sales. As young men bubbling with enthusiasm and fantasy, they registered a company but after two years of no jobs, the company folded up. The company never had a bank account, let alone being a trader of Nigeria’s crude oil. They lied.

8.   The online news media took its campaign to the in-laws of the Maduekes. It claimed that Mrs. Beatrice Agama, the 81 year old mother of Mrs. Diezani Madueke, owns a house in the United Kingdom. A LIE! Mrs. Agama has no house or property in the United Kingdom. She has been staying in a rented two-bedroom flat from where she is receiving medical attention for a broken femur. Her son, Timi Agama who has been living in the UK for decades, used to have a house in the UK long before his sister was appointed to government and he sold it long ago. Since then, he has no house in the UK. Archbishop Doye Agama of the Apostolic Pastoral Congress in Manchester, who is in his 60s, is a successful professional and consultant well known amongst his peers, but he does not own Unit 8 Quebec Building in Manchester which the online newspaper ascribed to him.

9.   As though to outdo the sensational allegations in the online publication, the mainstream media in Nigeria has been alleging that Mrs. Diezani attempted to purchase a property on Hyde Park Street in London for a whooping amount which embarrassingly ranges from 12.5 million sterling pounds to 13 billion sterling pounds. This claim is utterly false and laughable, for  the amounts mentioned are only in the imagination of the reporters. This property is quite popular. It belongs to a well-known eminently successful Nigerian entrepreneur who would also find this allegation embarrassing as the intention to sell the property has neither been contemplated nor disclosed to any person.

10.  It is worthy to note that despite all the frenzy over Mrs. Diezani Madueke, not even one reporter or journalist has tried to contact the family to verify any of the rumors they have published with reckless abandon. This may be because they know the stories are false but it feeds the mood of the moment. Hence, the silence from Diezani all along. It is worth emphasising that Mrs Alison-Madueke was never arrested or detained and her passport was never seized. She was merely invited, and she honoured it promptly.

11. The Madueke family, like most other families, have their own challenges. For instance, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has been receiving treatment for cancer in the UK which started while she was in office. The health crisis has unfortunately exacerbated in recent times. She completed months of chemotherapy just last week and she is scheduled to undergo surgery next week in London. The family has been bearing this challenge with prayers and as much grace and fortitude as possible; and would plead with all reasonable Nigerians to pray for her recovery so that she can face this allegation and give account of her stewardship. Yes, she can—and very well, too.

12. The Madueke and Agama families would want the decent public to know that neither Ugonna nor Somze or Abiye or anyone related to the two families was picked up or arrested or invited for questioning by anybody whatsoever. Ugonna’s father (the Rear Admiral) has been in Lagos and working in his office. The lies about his having travelled with a team of lawyers should please stop. The Madueke family has taken a decision on how to appropriately deal with those who are on a mission to soil their hard earned family name.

Signed for and on behalf of the Madueke and Agama families.

Barrister Oscar M. Onwudiwe.

Legal Attorney

MINISTERIAL NOMINEES: SENATE GIVES CONDITION FOR SCREENING

Chairman of the Senate ad hoc committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye has announced that the senate plenary session resolved that all ministerial nominees must have the endorsement of 2 senators from their state before they could be granted a pass during their screening also the upper legislative arm will adopt other constitutional provisions and conventions for screening nominees.


He said the Senate would also apply Section 147 of the Nigerian constitution which states that a ministerial nominee must be an indigene of one of the 36 states of the federation, before that person can be screened.

Melaye however did not state what will be the outcome if a ministerial nominee fails to get the support of 2 senators from their state of origin. It appears former River state governor, Rotimi Amaechi may be having a tough time at the senate with this new condition as all 3 PDP senators from his state have expressed their opposition against his nomination.

In a related development, some of the ministerial nominees have reported to the Nigeria Police Headquarters for profiling as directed by President Buhari. Those that have reported so far includes former Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola, Audu Ogbe, Chris Ngige, Udoma Udo Udoma and Abubakar Malami.

MUST READ: HOW DIEZANI &HER GANG (OMOKORE,ALUKO +IHENACHO) STEALS OUR MONEY !!!

Just two days before the federal cabinet dissolved to allow President Goodluck Jonathan appoint a fresh one in recognition of his new electoral mandate, officials in charge of our oil and gas resources secretly signed a deal assigning production rights in at least two large oil blocks to a shadowy company with no prior experience and no fixed address.
Under the direction and with the approval of then petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, the officials with a magic wave of a pen effectively transferred hundreds of millions of US dollars – possibly billions – in public assets to private individuals without a public tender.
The deal is in apparent violation of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act, which forbids no-tender bids for the procurement of goods and services by any government-owned institution under penalty of imprisonment.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has been arrested and remains in detention in part for allegedly violating the same law. Mr Bankole faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of those particular charges.
The man at the heart of this strange and secretive deal is one Jide Omokore, chairman of a company not yet a year old and which has never produced a barrel of oil. The company, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, is the beneficiary of this gift by Mrs Alison-Madueke. For paying to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, a fully owned subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (of which Mrs Alison-Madueke, as minister, was chairman) an initial “entrance fee” of slightly more than $50 million for each of the two oil fields, Atlantic now has effective control of the NPDC’s 55 percent stake in the oil block. These are rick blocks known in the industry as OML 30 and 34.
Shell, the giant multinational that produces around 50 percent of all of Nigeria’s crude, is the beneficial owner of the remaining 45 percent of the blocks. Shell had subjected its share of these oil blocks to an open and transparent competitive bidding process, fetching up to $1.3 billion in a single field. By comparison, Mrs Alison-Madueke’s no-bid approach via a so-called “Strategic Alliance Agreement” fetches the federation account an upfront cash payment of little more than $50 million. The true market value, if the Shell approach had been followed, would have been upwards of $1.5 billion.
Mrs Allison-Madueke has shut out established industry players, including local companies, by opting for these secret deals. The transcripts of these “strategic alliance” agreements can be found on our web site, 234NEXT.com.

As she campaigns furiously for reappointment into Mr Jonathan’s cabinet, whose nominees may be sent to the Senate for approval as early as this week, Mrs Alison-Madueke has become a major political burden for the president. Her presence in the new government is certain to prove a distraction to the president, who has expressed a strong determination to steer the country away from its persistent underperformance and avarice. As in the past, all attempts to reach Mrs Alison-Madueke for comment were rebuffed. She has said elsewhere that she did nothing wrong and threatens to sue us for exposing these deals.

“The question is why?” said one prominent energy sector source. “Why these particular companies and these particular individuals? Why do these deals secretly? Why deny experienced industry players the opportunity to bid for the same contracts?”
Connecting the dots
Mr Omokore, as chairman of Atlantic Energy, similarly got a sweetheart no-bid deal from Mrs Alison-Madueke in three other oil blocks, as detailed in our report last week. Mr Omokore also is a part-owner of Seven Energy. Septa’s managing director, Kola Aluko, also is a director of VistaJet, the private jet leasing company. VistaJet has provided private jets for Mrs Alison-Madueke’s use, including as recently as last month, to the annual international petroleum conference in Houston, Texas.
Seven Energy, through its lawyer, Femi Falana, who also acts on behalf of the NNPC, has served notice to this newspaper that it intends to file a lawsuit against us. Phillip Ihenacho, chairman of Seven Energy, has told our reporter that his company has conducted itself honourably and legally in the no-tender transaction approved for his firm by Mrs Alison-Madueke. What is more, an oil trading company controlled by Mr Omokore, called SPOG, faces accusations of fraud in a petition to the office of the attorney general and minister of justice. SPOG is alleged to have, on at least one occasion, imported 3,000 metric tonnes of refined petroleum but claimed subsidy refunds on 13,000 metric tonnes from the PPPRA, the petroleum pricing agency under Mrs Alison-Madueke’s supervision. The payoff from that single alleged inflated transaction was N400 million.

Mr Omokore did not respond directly to our inquiries. Atlantic Energy was incorporated only in July last year. As far as we can determine, it has no office or personnel. In its registration documents, the company gave Plot 1267, Ahmadu Bello Way, Abuja as its official address. But our inquiries established that no such company has ever operated out of that location. The company has also never executed a single oil-related contract, undertaken any project, or produced one barrel of crude since it was registered under the names of three people who claim to live in the same address listed as the company’s offices.

But it was to this shadowy and inexperienced company that Mrs Alison-Madueke turned for operating rights to two of the most lucrative oil blocks in Nigeria three days before the end of the last administration. Just hours before she attended her last cabinet meeting on Wednesday, May 25, Mrs Alison-Madueke’s subordinates, with her approval, basically handed over OMLs 30 and 34 to this barely functional company Atlantic Energy to fund the Nigerian Petroleum Development Co’s share of expenditure in exchange for recovering its cost and sharing profits.
Assigning the blocks without open, competitive bidding appears to be a clear violation of industry guidelines, which demand that allocation of oil blocks and the award of service contracts shall be based on an open competitive bidding process to allow every investor, indigenous or foreign, an equal opportunity to explore and develop Nigeria’s petroleum resources. The arrangement also seems a violation of the Public Procurement Act 2007, which regulates all procurements by ministries and agencies of the Nigerian government. Officials breaching this law risk a term of imprisonment of between five and 10 years without an option of fine.

The former minister and spokesperson of the NNPC did not return calls or text messages seeking comment. The Department of Petroleum Resources, the agency statutorily charged with supervising all petroleum industry operations being carried out under licenses and leases in order to ensure compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, requested an emailed enquiry but eventually did not respond to our reporter’s questions.
Sweetheart deals
The multiple controversial deals in which the former minister is embroiled has made it all but impossible for the president to reappoint her, according to highly placed political leaders. Atlantic Energy’s deal with the NPDC to provide financial and technical services in respect of its 55 percent stake in the lucrative OML 30 is perhaps the most astonishing example of these deals shrouded in secrecy. Shell is selling its 45 percent shareholding in the block, after an elaborative competitive bidding process, to Mike Adenuga’s Conoil for $1.3bn. For a field that is so lucrative that it yielded 45,000bbl of crude per day in April, Mrs Alison-Madueke’s favourite company is to pay, as entrance fee 30 cents per barrel of oil to the Nigerian government and two cents for gas equivalent.
Industry players are aghast

“These people are truly audacious; I have never seen anything like it,” said one industry operator who asked not to be identified for fear of jeopardising business relationships with the all-powerful petroleum ministry and the NNPC. A similar deal, hurriedly packaged and finalized on May 25, was signed with Atlantic in respect of OML 34, where Shell also is selling its 45 percent to the Niger Delta Energy and Petroleum Company for $600 million. Earlier in September, the former minister had entered into a service contract with Seven Energy International Limited, through its Nigerian subsidiary, Septa Energy Nigeria Limited, in respect of OML 4, 38, and 41. According to the agreement signed with the company, the firm is to pay a “paltry” $54 million as entrance fee for participating in the three blocks which has Seplat Exploration Production Company as operator.

The company will also recover its cost and share profits with NPDC. It can lift crude from the fields and keep the entire proceeds of its sale abroad, contrary to the guideline that requires companies to keep at least 10 percent of their proceeds in Nigerian banks. In a memo to its stakeholders after NEXT broke the story of its deal with the NPDC last week, Seven Energy claimed that its strategic alliance agreement in respect of the three blocks was “modeled after valid service contracts with oil majors in the past.” But NEXT’s investigation indicates this claim is untrue.
The NNPC acted right in the past

In 2001, NPDC and Agip Energy went into a service contract agreement for the development of OPL 91 (now known as OML 119) – Okono and Okpohu fields – under a joint operatorship. This newspaper can confirm that Agip won the contract after an open, competitive bidding process. The NNPC had at the time advertised in December 1999 for a partner to develop new fields in the block, which is in about 100 meters water depth, and located in the southeastern Niger Delta. The corporation received applications until December 31, 1999, after which it declared Agip the winner of the bid.

“So if NPDC could follow due process 10 years ago, what has changed now?” said a senior official in the NNPC. “Why must they give away assets belonging to the Nigerian people in such a non-transparent way especially when the country now has a procurement law in place?”
A member of the recently defunct Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), which undertook to investigate Mrs Alison-Madueke but was stymied, argued that what the minister did was a tactical reintroduction of single-source procurement abolished in the industry in 2004.

“Single-source negotiation contract has been discontinued in the country since the days of Edmund Dakouru as minister,” said the source, who did not want to be specifically identified for fear of reprisal. “It was discontinued because it was causing a lot of fraud. It is shocking that the practice resurfaced under Diezani.”
Thine deal be done

As a key figure in this web of secretive arrangements, Mr Omokore cuts an astonishing figure. A wealthy businessman and politician, his Energy Resources Group has an 11 percent stake in Seven Energy International Limited, owners of Septa. Having swung OML 4, 38 and 41 in Septa’s favour, Mr Omokore’s coup de grace was to corner OMLs 30 and 34, using the newly formed Atlantic Energy. Company documents give Messrs Albert Bassey Akpan, Bankole Opashi and Sanni Mohammed as shareholders and directors of the firm, a veritable WaZoBia of ethnic balancing. But when time came to sign the controversial agreement with NPDC, Mr Omokore emerged, signing as chairman of the company. Atlantic also gave its registered address as Plot 1267 Ahmadu Bello Way, Abuja, which is a former location for one of Mr Omokore’s numerous companies, SPOG Petroleum, which has now moved to Millennium Builder’s Plaza in central Abuja. Chijioke Isiolu, the Atlantic Energy company secretary, told our reporter that his company is competent to execute the contract awarded to it because it has a sister company in Seven Energy. Mr Omokore was not available for comment. When our reporter called his Abuja office, an official simply directed enquiries at Mr Isiolu, whom he said could speak on Mr Omokore’s behalf. Mr Isiolu later said on the telephone that the allegations against Mr Omokore were false. He promised to provide further information if our reporter could agree to a meeting, not in his office but at unspecified location.

Mrs Alison-Madueke is not officially connected to Seven Energy, but she does indirectly enjoy the hospitality of the company. In June 2010, Vistajet, the UK-based private aviation company, extended its operation to Nigeria through an alliance with Seven Energy. Sources said Vistajet Nigeria, headed by Kola Aluko, one of the owners of Seven Energy and the managing director of its Nigerian subsidiary, Septa Energy, routinely provides a private jet for the minister’s convenience, including her trip to the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston last month. Mrs Alison-Madueke accepted this expensive hospitality as she was approving the secret no-bid deal to assign production rights in the oil blocks to Septa, Atlantic and Seven Energy – an apparent contravention of section 6 of the fifth schedule of our constitution.

The constitution stipulates that: “A public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial wfirms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention of the said sub-paragraph unless the contrary is proved.”


By Peter Nkanga and Idris Akinbajo
Editor’s Note: This story, which was part of the famous Diezani series, was first published on April 10, 2011, in 234next.com. It is being republished for record purpose only, especially because the 234NEXT website is down.

REED DANCE: FALANA DRAGS KING MSWATI III TO COURT OVER THE DEATH OF YOUNG WOMEN KILLED IN BUS CRASHES

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has sent petition to UN Special Rapporteurs requesting them to use their “positions and mandates’’ to thoroughly investigate reports of the unnecessary deaths of at least 60 girls and young women in Swaziland killed in bus crash on their way to dance festival where King of Swaziland, King Mswati III picks one of thousands of topless virgins as his new wife.”

The petition dated 2 October 2015 was sent to Mr Juan Ernesto MENDEZ Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the petition reads in part: “According to reports, a car or a van hit the back of one truck which resulted in a pileup. The dead were reportedly thrown from the back of the truck which was usually used for transporting building materials and some were said to have been hit by on-coming cars. The festival still went ahead despite reports on the deaths.”

“I urge you to investigate allegations of cover-up and blatant failure of the authorities to prevent the violations of the rights to life, to human dignity, and violence against girls and women, forced marriage as well as to provide effective remedies for the victims and their families.”

“I am seriously concerned that King Mswati III’s regime rather than addressing the serious violations of human rights has continued to prevent and prohibit the publication of these abuses against innocent girls and young women while also compromising the law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their lawful functions.”

“The girls were forced to stand up in the back of an open truck cheek-by-jowl. There was no space to sit down or even to turn around. By forcing the girls and women to travel on the back of open trucks in a convoy, the government of Swaziland has violated also their rights to freedom from cruel, inhuman, degrading or ill-treatment.”

“I argue that the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance itself is unlawful as it has continued to perpetuate forced marriages, entirely inconsistent with international human rights standards.”

“The right to life is enunciated in article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Swaziland has ratified. It is the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted even in time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation. It is a right which should not be interpreted narrowly.”

“Article 2 of the Covenant in fact makes clear that the government of Swaziland has affirmative duties to protect the right to life from abuses within its territory or jurisdiction, and General Comment 31 reveals that this duty requires of the government the due diligence to prevent foreseeable violations.”

“I argue that the government of Swaziland has the supreme duty to prevent acts such as those highlighted above that can cause arbitrary loss of life such as the unnecessary deaths of these girls.”

“The expression “inherent right to life” cannot properly be understood in a restrictive manner, and the protection of this right requires that Swaziland adopt positive measures to prevent violation of the right to life, something the government has failed to do in this instance.”

“I also argue that religion, culture and tradition cannot be used to justify human rights violations, including violence against women, which is what the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance constitutes. The continuation of the Umhlanga Reed Dance also gives rise to other human rights abuses, including forced marriages.”

“Under international human rights law, states like Swaziland are to be held accountable if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights such as those highlighted above or to investigate and punish acts of violence against women and provide effective remedies and access to justice for victims and their families.”

“By packing the girls on the back of open trucks, the government of Swaziland should have reasonably foreseen that this would lead to violation of their rights to life and human dignity. In fact, due diligence places a strict standard of conduct upon the government of Swaziland to protect all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including the girls and women.”

“I look forward to your urgent intervention in this case so that the government of Swaziland can be held accountable for these serious violations of human rights and victims and their families can receive justice and effective remedies.”