The state governors say more money is one of the things they need to tackle the rising spate of insecurity Nigeria’s 36 state governors have tabled a fresh demand for a raise in the controversial ‘security votes’ which they draw monthly from the federal purse. The governors say this demand is a result of the escalating violence by the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, which has stretched routine allocations.
The state executives also called for the creation of a special intervention fund to augment their monthly security votes, as well as the establishment of state police as ways of tackling the crises. But the bulk of the funds should go to states facing the onslaught, the governors said. The routine security fund, a package the governors draw in hundreds of millions of naira monthly, has been criticized in the past as fuelling corruption since its deployments are never made public and not accounted for. The governors met on Sunday night in Abuja under the aegis of its powerful body, The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, just after President Goodluck Jonathan’s televised media chat in which he, again, vowed to restore stability. Bouts of violence flared sporadically in mainly northern states of Kaduna and Yobe for most of last week resulting in the death of dozens of persons. Fragile peace has been kept in place in the two areas by a crippling round-the-clock curfew that was reduced only on Sunday. In the President’s interview, Mr. Jonathan reaffirmed his administration’s preparedness to implement a dialogue with the militant sect if its operators are known, in remarks that heralded no known fresh tactics. The president however said he would avoid public declarations since it had to do with national security. In a statement after their meeting, the governors condemned the spate of violence and called for newer approach to dealing with it. “Forum strongly condemned the current spate of insecurity and violence which has been drifting the nation towards anarchy and called for a multi-dimensional approach to security issues including enhanced coordination and collaboration among security forces, effective use of technology and intelligence, value re-orientation, employment generation and sincerity of purpose,†the body said.
They added that “state governments are currently overstretched in funding security and called for a special intervention fund from the Federal Government, especially to the States that are most affected.â€
“Finally, the Forum identified the increasing need for State police as a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country.â€
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Rev Chris Okotie’s second marriage has sadly ended after only four years. The Head Pastor of Household of God announced in church a few hours ago after the last service that he has separated from Stephanie Henshaw whom he married in August 2008. He told his congregation that he wanted to be the one to break the sad news to them and hoped for their understanding. He also said there was no going back…that the marriage was over!
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Rev Chris Okotie’s second marriage has sadly ended after only four years. The Head Pastor of Household of God announced in church a few hours ago after the last service that he has separated from Stephanie Henshaw whom he married in August 2008. He told his congregation that he wanted to be the one to break the sad news to them and hoped for their understanding. He also said there was no going back…that the marriage was over!
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
National Mirror had on Saturday, the 22nd June issued a two page press release stating strongly that indeed Charlyboy confessed to Ed Jato that he was gay and head of Illuminati in Nigeria, hence justifying the news released on their entertainment page quoting Charlyboy on the alleged confession. However, Charlyboy has made another press statement, cautioning National Mirror to be more reasonable and professional while putting up a defense against their action as the newspaper may be heading towards obliteration if it continues to report news in the manner it did against him and keeps “defend the indefensibleâ€
Below is the Press statement: I have read with considerable interest and amusement the latest publication from national Mirror this Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 concerning their vexing and defamatory publication concerning my alleged confession of being a homosexual preference and member of the Illuminati cult.
From the ramblings of the Editor of Saturday Mirror, it is clear that the Mirror Newspaper group still does not understand the basic tenets of responsible journalism. They appear incapable of understanding the ramifications of publishing a CONFESSION THAT NEVER HAPPENED regardless of their perceived notion about a subject of their story. This lack of fundamental understanding of the difference between a reasonable opinion based on observable facts, and the report of factual confession is at the heart of the problem. From the latest publication of June 23rd, 2012 it is clear that National Mirror lacks this understanding, or does not care to understand the difference, even after being dragged to court for reporting an opinion as fact and for repeating hearsay in bold print without the courtesy of seeking to confirm the story or speaking to their so-called friend.
It is also clear to any discerning member of the public that National Mirror is allowing its paper to be led to ruin as a result of the ego of the team responsible for that publication. Rather than accepting the obvious mistake of publishing a story without first hand facts; for NOT INVESTIGATING A STORY THEY SAW ONLINE and admit their negligence for CONFIRMING A FALSE STORY THAT WAS ALLEGED AS FACT by an online paper, they have sought to create a pitiful Red Herring, and diversion from the issues, by falsely suggesting that the lawsuit against them is related to some imagined column I wanted to syndicate in their paper and an attempt to make them change their editorial policy! This is such a cheap attempt at diversion, it is laughable.
The National Mirror in their June 22nd publication also compounded their comedy of errors by talking about their own staff that they fired illegally, without mentioning the fact that THEY USED THAT STAFFER’S NAME TO PUBLISH THE ORIGINAL STORY WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION OF THAT STAFFER! That Staffer was ALREADY on suspension when that story was published under his name without his knowledge or permission! When the staffer, who is very well known to me, complained, and actually denied writing the so called Gay Confession story bearing his name on his facebook page, rather than apologize to him, they actually summarily fired him! (and then they tried to rectify that criminal act of publishing a fake Confessional story under an unsuspecting staffer’s byeline by changing the name of the writer of the offending story, about 2 weeks after the fact! (We have evidence of the original and the new version for the public and courts to judge in due course).
These infantile attempts by National Mirror to cause a diversion from the fact that they goofed in publishing a story about a factual confession that never happened, is really a sad commentary about the level of professionalism at the Mirror Newspapers owned by Mr Jimoh Ibrahim. I would have expected more from a paper owned by a very smart person such as Jimoh Ibrahim, and edited by an experienced hand, such as Steve Ayorinde. Imagine, a paper is being sued for publishing an HEARSAY as first hand fact, and for repeating third party hearsay they found online as fact without verification, and all they can say is that they will not be forced to change their editorial policy or recall a staff fired illegally? Unbelievable!I am left wondering what all of that have to do with the fact that they damaged my reputation by publishing a false story without checking with me or investigating itproperly?Essentially, they are publicly defending, and standing by an editorial policy which allows publication AS FACT, stories they gleaned from the internet, without going through any due verification process! Really, is this what journalism has become in Nigeria?
In any case, I am sure the publication will be very useful in court as that appear to be more evidence of admission from the paper that they did not bother, or care, to investigate a story, and an admission that they never tried to contact the subject of a reported confession. Since the matter is in court, we will let the Law court draw whatever inference it can from that as to whether this paper had observed reasonable journalistic ethics, willfully negligent or taken reasonable care to ensure that my reputation was not tarnished with this bogus story.
I also note that they have published a purported interview with the publisher of the so-called DanfoExpress, the new publication whose advertisement sparked off this frenzy in the first place. They have reported that the man claimed I did confess to him and even has a recorded tape to prove it. I am very happy to read that because Mr. Ed Jatto himself, if indeed he granted the interview to National Mirror, (and from experience I must be careful to take as fact anything reported in Daily Mirror at this point), has finally allowed himself to be dragged into the matter by claiming I confessed to him as being gay and head of illuminati. Since I am sure I NEVER CONFESSED TO ANYONE EITHER IN PRIVATE TALKS, OR IN A TAPED INTERVIEW, I have instructed my lawyers to file a separate lawsuit against Mr. Ed Jato and Saturday Mirror for this latest publication. At least, this will finally force Mr. Ed Jato and Mirror Newspaper group to bring out the tape of the alleged confession into the public domain, if indeed there is such a tape. Frankly, I personally will also like to hear myself on that tape!
From my perspective, and for the solution of this matter, I think both National Mirror and Ed Jato can put this matter to rest once and for all by calling a Press Conference to play the tape of this alleged confession for everyone to hear. If they can do that, then this whole story will go away, and my lawsuits against them will also apparently collapse since I have been told that TRUTH IS ALWAYS A DEFENCE.
So, to settle this matter once and for all, I am issuing a PUBLIC CHALLENGE TO NATIONAL MIRROR AND ED JATTO to bring the tape to a PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCE and let the whole world learn the truth once and for all. That way we can save everyone the aggravation and let the whole world know if this is indeed a storm in a teacup or not.
Of course I know for a fact that neither Steve Ayorinde, nor Ed Jato, can take up this public challenge because they know they did not have any confession from me about being a gay person or being the head of the illuminati. After all, they cannot have a confessionthat does not exist on tape, unless of course they want to add criminal charges to their defamatory actions.In my opinion, the pride of National Mirror and the refusal of the Editor in Chief to be a man and admit to errors of judgment will eventually lead to the ruin of the National Mirror Newspaper. I do hope Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim is listening and reading. National Mirror is simply compounding its errors by continuing to defend the indefensible
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In an interview published on Transformation Watch, an ex member of the Boko Haram sect, fingers former president of Nigeria, Ibrahim Babangida as a key sponsor of the organisation. This might cause a major debate of true or false, that’s why we’ve put it in the rumour section. However, it’s a properly published content from a media outfit. See details below.
Full Interview
Question: Who are you and where are you from?
Answer: My name is Sheik Sani Haliru. I am from Niger Republic, but my mother is from Bornu State of Nigeria and I grew up in Wulari, Maiduguri, (Northern Nigeria) where I was trained.
Q: Trained as what and under whose tutelage?
A: I was trained as an Almajiri, after four years, at the age of 14, I was sent to Kano City, Kano State where I was trained in the Sheik Abubakar Gummi School of Arabic studies.
Q: So you know Sheik Abubakar Gummi?
A: Yes, and I also know his children and obeyed all the teachings he laid down before he died.
Q: So who tutored you and who is your mentor?
A: Sheik Abubakar Gummi tutored me. My mentor was Osama bin Laden, and until my conversion from Islam to the Christian faith, my dreams and aspirations in life was to do more than Osama bin Laden did before he died on Sunday, May 1, 2011.
Q: You said that your mentor was Osama bin Laden. Is he still your mentor?
A: I am now a changed person. The Sheik Sani Haliru is now a new creature, old things have passed away because I now have Jesus Christ that I hated and persecuted for 44 years.
Q: Tell me about your past and how many countries of the World you have been to?
A: I cannot tell all about my past because it will take several days to tell my story and about my conversion experience to Christianity. I have been to eight countries.
Q: Can you please name them?
A: I have been to Sudan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Egypt and of course to my own country Niger Republic.
Q: Where did you receive your training and as what?
A: I received my training in Libya and Pakistan as an Attack Strategist. I was trained along side with some highly placed Nigerians and other foreign Nationals who were marked (he showed me the proof of his mark with a sign) in the form of a sword in the hand to fight and kill for Allah.
Q: Can you give me some of the names of your colleagues with whom you received training in Libya and Pakistan?
A: They are scattered all over the country and we were not too many then.
Q: Just mention but a few names.
A: Ali Baba Nur, Asari Dokubo, Jasper Akinbo, Mohammed Yusuf, Salisu Maigari, Danlami Abubakar, Cletus Okar, Ali Qaqa, Maigari Haliru and Asabe Dantala to mention but a few.
Q: Which of the Asari’s do you mean?
A: The Niger Delta war king. He was a year ahead of me in Benghazi training camp in Libya.
Q: Who financed your training in Libya and Pakistan?
A: You will not believe me and only God will judge the Chief sponsor of terrorism in Nigeria whose name I will not mention because he is so powerful and even the president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, is so much afraid of the man.
Q: If you really know the Christ in you, why are you afraid to tell me the name of the man who sponsored you and the date or approximate period he sponsored you.
A: I am not afraid because he knows me and he cannot deny it if he sees me face to face.
Q: Then tell me, who is this powerful man?
A: The man is no other person than the man they call IBB now as I am talking to you, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has more than 600 men and women Jihadists who are under his pay role. They are scattered all over the Country and he (IBB) can use them to destroy Nigeria.
Q: Did you say six hundred?
A: Yes 600 + IBB’s agents of destruction are in the Nigeria Army (NA), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Navy, Air Force, Oil and Gas sectors, even in the finance home such as in top level positions of CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) and other banks. You find them in politics, in the Senate, National Assembly, in the media both print and electronic and even in Aso Rock, Abuja (Nigeria’s capital).
Q: How do you mean by this statement “and even in the finance…�
A: Yes, I mean every word I say; even the Islamic bank champion was planted by IBB to help in Islamizing Nigeria.
Q: So how can you describe IBB?
A: IBB is a “green snake†in green grass. He is the main problem of Nigeria along with members of the Cabal.
Q: Have you forwarded any of these evidence(s) to Aso Rock or to SSS (State Security Services)?
A: I attempted to do so a few weeks ago and I was arrested and detained for two days because IBB’S men are so many in SSS (State Security Services) as well. After I was released by the grace of God, they (the Police) warned me never to blow up the polity or provoke violence and I should keep my so-called-born-again with me or else I will go to jail.
Q: So you were a key member and a registered jihadist hardliner.
A: Yes, I was.
Q: Under what group?
A: I was a Boko Haramist. But Boko Haram is just a cover name to give it a name. I have my identity as a founding member of the dreaded jama’aful Ahlul sunna wal Liddawati wal Jihad, aka Boko Haram.
Q: Apart from IBB, who are the other top sponsors of terrorism in this country?
A: They are many, but IBB is the major financier. He introduced the suicide bombing that started when he killed Dele Giwa. I have the names of six traditional rulers and seven present & ex-Governors as well as several top military and security officers who are co-sponsoring the so called Boko Haram. That apart, I have documented evidences to prove that General Mohammadu Buhari, Alhaji Abubaka Atiku and other top politicians and traditional rulers are some of the people behind Boko Haram. Very soon, nemesis will catch up with them.
Q: What if I use my influence to guarantee you safety, can you brief the press to expose IBB (General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida) with all these documents that I am seeing with you right now.
A: Only God can guarantee my safety. He did so on that fateful day when the SSS and police wanted to secretly kill me because of what I unveiled. I would have been a dead man by now if not for a man of God who came as an “Angel†to quietly free me. Right now, I am wanted dead or alive by IBB and his agents of destruction in high places. The SSS are busy hunting for me up & down and arresting and torturing innocent people because of me.
Q: What if I connect you to a man of God by the name of Brother Mike Ejiofor, who is a lawyer, a professional negotiator and a mediator who was the Director of SSS until October 2010?
A: I only wish to be connected to God.
Q: So how can you describe this country?
A: Nigeria is sifting under an Islamic barbaric bomb (IBB). Only God can rescue this nation because 75% of Christians are prayer less. Why? Because they are in their own comfort zone. They do not know what the Christians in Northern Nigeria are passing through and they ignorantly are thinking that the Allah of the Muslims is the same as the God of Christians in the Holy Bible who says: “Thou shalt not killâ€.
Q: What does the Qur’an say about Islam being referred to as a religion of peace by numerous Muslim scholars?
A: Let me tell you in a very clear language that Islam is not a religion of peace, but it is of violence, of killers and fighters as already stated in their so called “Holy†Qur’an which I ignorantly followed all these years when I was spiritually blinded as a Muslim.
Q: Can you prove these statements from the Qur’an?
A: [Sani Haliru, who is now known as Solomon Haliru (Paul Haliru’s brother)] brought out two copies of the original Qur’an in the Arabic & English translation. He gave me one, and told me to open the book to Surah Al- baqarah chapter 2 vs 216. It says, “Holy fighting is ordained (prescribed) for all muslims, whether they like it or not, as far as it is good and approved by Allah through his prophet Mohammed.â€
Q: Where is it in the Qur’an that killing is also permitted by Allah?
A: Look at Surah Al-baqarah chapter 2 vs 191 “And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. An Al-Fitnah is worse than killing. And fight not with them at Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (the sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.†Muslims are told to kill and fight in the cause of Allah.
Q: Does it mean that IBB and all these Muslim traditional rulers and Governors that are sponsoring Boko Haram to kill Christians and burn our churches in the North are not aware of the passage in the Qur’an that says there must not be compulsion in Islam as Mohammadu Buhari asserted in a widely publicized interview on Saturday, the 21st of April, 2011?
A: I have worked so closely with Mohammadu Buahri for five years, and I can prove it that General Buhari is the most notable outspoken jihadist hardliner in Nigeria who is also strategically sponsoring Boko Haram.
Q: General Buhari told a group of pressmen in April 2011 that there is no compulsion in Islam and it is a religion of peace. He quoted Surah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2:225. What can you say to that?
A: What I can say to that is General Buhari, like all other true Muslims, is a hypocrite who is shying away from the fact.
Q: How do you mean by saying that most Muslim millionaires and highly placed Muslims are “pretenders and shying away from the fact�
A: What I mean is that they (Muslims-both rich and poor) are told to use their position of wealth (or otherwise) to promote Islam or else they will face destruction from Allah.
Q: Where can you find this in the Qu’ran?
A: Open Surah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2:195, it is written here that you must use your wealth to champion Jihad of all kinds or else destruction is waiting for such a person on the last day.
“And spend in the Cause of Allah (i.e. Jihad of all kinds) and do not throw yourselves into destruction (by not spending your wealth in the Cause of Allah), and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers).â€
Q: Have you ever been detained or arrested?
A: Nobody could arrest me until the year 2009 soon after my immediate boss Mohammed Yusuf was killed. About 23 of us were arrested in one of our hideouts in Bauchi. But when Governor Isa Yagiuda heard about it, he immediately arranged for me to be free. Even before his official broadcast in 2010 that he was using his position as the executive Governor of Bauchi State (Northern Nigeria) to free 28 prisoners from Bauchi Central Prison, I was already a free man along with several of my colleagues.
Q: Now can you tell me some of the horrible crimes that you committed and how you got born again and became converted.
A: Old things have passed away and I don’t want to talk about the past, because like Apostle Paul said, we need to press forward in Christ Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Q: Just mention a few to assist some of us who are making efforts to unravel the mystery of the menace called Boko Haram which you have renounced.
A: I took part in the Kaduna riot of 1992 and in several northern states of Nigeria, but the state I operated more from was Bornu (northern Nigeria) where I was the State Commander/Chief Strategist.
Q: So as Chief Attack Strategist, what crimes have or did you commit before you renounced the deadly sect?
A: In the early months of May 1986, I was among the 36 Jihadist hardliners, who went on a rampage to attack Christian students of the University of Sokoto (Sokoto State in northern Nigeria). In that same week, the Federal Government of Nigeria under the brutal leadership of IBB mobilized us and provided some military vans and Army uniforms which our men used and started killing innocent and defenseless Christians all over the Northern states. I and the son of the Emir of Kano, who is now a Christian by name Rev. Paul Ado Bayero, were among the Muslim fanatics who razed down the sculpture of Jesus at the University of Ibadan (Oyo State in western Nigeria).
The following year, March 5, 1987 to be very precise, the “Evil Genius†General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida secretly armed us through one of his close aids by the name of Captain Hassan Abubakar (now a Pastor with a fast growing church in Lagos). We went to go and kill some targeted Christians including Rev. Nuhu Kure (Throne room founder) after the destruction we committed at the College of Education in Kafanchan, Kaduna State (North Central Nigeria). And of recent, I was the leader of the team of soldiers of Allah that destroyed Church buildings and properties in Bornu State (northern Nigeria).
Q: Can you name some of the buildings and Churches you and your Boko Haramists destroyed?
A: There are many, but our main targets which we succeeded in destroying included: Goodnews & ECWA Church, Damboa Road, Maiduguri E.Y.N.L.C.C. Wulari, National Evangelical Mission Inc. Divisional Headquarters Wulari, Elijah Apostolic Christ Church, Oke Ayo Celestial Church of Christ, Deeper Life Bible Church, the Lord’s Chosen and six others in Railway Area and all over Wulari in Maiduguri, Borno State. Other church buildings we destroyed and looted include the Aposotic Church, COCIN Church, Evangelical Church/Mission Headquarters, Anglican Church, Baptist Church/Mission, Redeemed Christian Church of God, El-Shaddai Parish, Watchman Charismatic and several others.
Q: Where were the security officers when you were destroying all these church buildings and killing Christians?
A: Since 1985 when General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) started using us to persecute Christians, the Nigerian Army has been an extension or shall I say an arm of the Muslims agenda to Islamize Nigeria. Wherever they go to attack Christians, the Muslims in the top military positions give the cover by providing the logistics. Since the day of Babangida (1985) Christians suffer violence. This is the time that we must attack them and take what belongs to us by force.
Q: You don’t seem to like IBB and you talk so much of his evil deeds. Are you the only one he used or is there more revelation we can investigate or ascertain further?
A: Babangida is the most wicked and heartless man I have ever seen or worked with. He used many Muslim fanatics (Most of who are now Christians) to commit a lot of atrocities. For example, he used Alhaji Sannusi Dasuki (now Solomon Dasuki), Alhaji Ahmed Ado Bayero (now Rev. Paul Ado Bayero), Alhaji Mohammed Usman (now Evangelist Blessed Usman), Alhaji Sani Jegga (now Isaac Jegga) to attack the following men of God: Late Papa Idahosa, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Rev. Uma Ukpai, Rev. O. Ezekiel and other men of God. He used some of the people whose names mentioned above to burn down several million copies of the Holy Bible. Along with the late MKO Abiola, they both sponsored the sinking of three million copies of the Holy Bible into the high sea.
Q: With all these revelations, can’t IBB be arrested and charged to court?
A: Who will arrest him? Is it Goodluck or who? Even when we provided the proofs to them that IBB killed Dele Giwa and that he sponsored the burning and looting of the Jos main market (Terminus) and also planted the seed of the present crises in Plateau State in 1991, they refused to arrest him because he is very cunning in his evil ways. He leaves no trace of his evil deeds, but nemesis will soon catch up with him because the sardonic spirit in him will soon expire.
Q: In a simple language, how can you describe IBB?
A: Ibrahim Babangida is a wicked and heartless man. As a military officer he was very brutal and as a politician he is very selfish and tricky. He better repent and confess his numerous sins and wickedness before it will be too late.
Q: Can you prove to the readers that fighting and killing in the name of Allah is justified in the Holy Qur’an?
A: I can site more than 28 passages from the Holy Qur’an where fighting and killing is justified as approved in the cause and for the sake of Allah. Please turn to the Qur’an (it goes from the back to the front) and see the book Surah At-Taubah Chapter 9:29 “Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.†In this passage, every true Muslim(s) is specifically instructed to fight against four (4) groups of people especially the Jews and Christians.
Q: So what is the meaning of Jizyah and how was the name coined?
A: From the footnote as you can see in the Qur’an, Jizyah is a tax levied against the people of the scriptures (i.e. the Christians) who are under the Islamic government. Jizyah was coined out after the Jaiz bank that the Muslims are wanting to use to take over the financial world via Islamic Banking.
Q: Are you saying indirectly that Islam is not a religion of peace as most Muslims will want us to believe?
A: I am saying it directly not indirectly that Islam is a religion of violence It is a religion of force. More than 95% of Nigerian journalists and people of the world are ignorant of what the Qur’an teaches and/or says about Islam and violence.
Q: How do you mean?
A: Open the Qur’an to Surah Muhammad Chapter 47:4. In this very passage, Muslims are commanded by Allah to kill and smite the neck of anyone who does not accept the teaching of Islam, and according to the satanic verses they (Muslims) would be helping Allah by so doing.
I quote exactly as it is written in the Muslims Holy Qur’an: “So, when you meet (in fight-Jihad in Allah’s Cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free from them without ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden. Thus [you are ordered by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam and are saved from the punishment in the Hell-fire or at least come under your protection], but if it had been Allah’s Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.â€
Q: So is that why all Muslims are indirectly supporting Boko Haram?
A: Yes, Boko Haram is just a name coined by satan to Islamize the world. That is why every true Muslim is directly and indirectly supporting Boko Haram.
Q: Can you explain further?
A: In Surah Al-Baqarah 2:195, the wealthy Muslims and all those in high position of authority such as IBB, Buhari, Atiku, Isa Yaguda, etc. are told to use their wealth and any position they find themselves in to promote Islam and the cause of jihad of all kinds or else they will face destruction from Allah.
Q: Is that how the suicide bombers come into the picture?
A: Yes,
Q: My readers will like to know from the Qur’an if Islam is the zenith of wickedness as you earlier said.
A: In the Qur’an Allah commanded thus “(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes.†(See the Qur’an of Surah Al-Anfal 8:12)
Q: So you did accordingly?
A: Yes! Satan used Buhari and Tunde Bakare, the false prophet, to smite the necks and chop off the fingers and toes of several Christians in Zaira, Maiduguri, Bauchi and several other places.
Q: Which passages say that the Christians are enemies of the Muslims? Some ignorant Christian leaders and pressmen are of the opinion that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
A: Christians and journalists (about 95%) are very ignorant. Let them search the original Qur’an (The Noble Qur’an). The more the Muslim leaders try to block the original Qur’an from circulation, the more the lie spreads that we’re serving the same God. That is why the Lord says “I will build my church; and the gates of (hades) hell shall not prevail against it.†Matthew 16:18
Q: Mention another satanic verse that makes every true Muslim(s) to hate Christians.
A: In addition to the several passages and mentioned earlier, please take a look at Surah An-Nisa 4:101 and I quote “For the Unbelievers are unto you open enemies.â€
Q: What is the solution to this problem of the Boko Haram menace?
A: The problem is not Boko Haram. The problem is the Spirit of Islam which must be crushed by the prayer of the Saints. Was it not through prayer that people like Rev. Paul Ado Bayero, Bishop K. K. Degaya, Apostle Johnson Suleman and hundreds of others got saved? Was it not through prayer that I got saved on my way to assassinate both Rev. Samuel Dasuki and Evangelist Blessed Usman when they were in their training camp in a crusade/ministration to their converts? I tell you from my experience this past few months as a Christian, many Christians are not united. In the north Christians are more united and sincere, but in the south & west, Christians are in comfort zones and if they don’t wake up, they will be surprised of what Muslims will do to them.
Q: What can Muslims do in Warri, Port Harcourt and other southern and western zones?
A: Look let me tell you one top secret. Before I repented, an average of 2,500 Muslim fanatics came to Delta State every month, 2,000 to the Eastern states and 2,000 to Cross River State and 2,500 to other zones. All of these Muslim fanatics were sent in preparation of the holy war (Jihad).
Q: Where are they camped?
A: In various Mosques and Islamic training schools which they use as training camps at odd hours (—for security reasons, the author/interviewer have decided not to publish the other details of this answer in print).
Q: What advice do you have for Christians in the comfort zones?
A: Pray for our Christian brethren in the north. Secondly, stop giving your ladies to Muslims. Thirdly, do no sell your land to a Muslim any longer. Fourth, do not employ them as security men. Fifth, beware of what they do with your finger nails and hair. Finally, watch them carefully and be very prayerful because Nigeria is sitting on an Islamic barbaric bomb (IBB) and the Muslims are prepared to fight you in your backyard.
Q: Any advice for the president?
A: They are desperate to get him/his family by kidnap/killing them, not only by Spiritual means, but through some well trained security men who he think can never disappoint him. About six suicide bombers are in the presidency and one of them is a student from NDA-Nigerian Defence Academy (other details I am keeping for security reasons).
Q: Do you know anything about bombing?
A: In answer to this question, I shall give you a top secret document which is supposed to be for only committed Muslims which I smuggled out and gave to some Christian leaders in the south.
Q: But tell me a little of how they got the knowledge to manufacture a bomb? Who sponsored your people to do these wicked acts?
A: We were sponsored by the man they call IBB and some top Muslims within and outside the country. We also worked hand in hand with Al Qaeda. As far back as 12th of June, 2011 when I got converted to Christianity, I gave several documents to Police and SSS. They arrested and detained me. But the Holy Spirit released me the same day that they wanted to kill me secretly by poisoning.
Q: What secrets did you give them?
A: I told them that the Muslims are using trailer and vehicles in military colour and are escorted by northern soldiers to smuggle weapons to various mosques and Islamic training schools in Aba, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Calabar, Sapele, Warri, Ebonyi and Enugu States, etc.
Q: What about the bomb manufacturers?
A: I told them that the Traditional Rulers in the northern part of Nigeria and many state governors in the far north are sponsoring Boko Haram. I told them that I was paid a deposit of 5 million Naira to go and bomb NDA in the month of August 2011 when they will be planning the graduation that just took place where I would have driven straight to the Commander’s Office with a covering letter from a Garrison Officer commander whose name I gave to the police and who is a close relative to IBB.
Q: Did you give the name of the bomb location where the training is going on?
A: Yes, I gave them and told them where they were training 65 new Islamic Youths in two bomb factories in Bauchi, Bornu and Niger states and also the bomb factory at Hanyan Nassarawa Iku, Niger State.
Q: Any more revelation?
A: Yes, I gave them many bomb factories even in the southern and eastern states and seven in Kaduna State, Plateau State and Abuja. It was in the Niger State bomb factory that we manufactured the improvised explosive devices that was used to operate in Abuja on October 1, 2010.
Q: Did the police take immediate action?
A: The news leaked to IBB immediately and he immediately instructed his ground soldiers to relocate the bombs. The Police and SSS were afraid to search some of the mosques because the presidency must be aware that by so doing, the country Will explode into a religious war between Christians and Muslims. That is why I said Nigeria is sitting on Islamic time bomb or shall I say Islamic Barbaric Bomb
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
I hope this letter meets you and your beautiful family in good health. Yes, I know that the patriarch of your family is right now battling for his life. And I pray that the good Lord grant him the strength to overcome this difficult time. I will use the above quoted Igbo proverbs to address my missive to you. “Ukwu jie agu, mgbada a bia ya ugwo†as you probably know, means that when a tiger is demobilized, the antelope becomes his creditor. Sadly, this can be said of the Ikemba of Nnewi in his present condition. The tiger is right now lying on a sick bed in a London hospital fighting for his life. And in his absence, many things that wouldn’t have transpired in his home are commonplace. The most notable, and the one I’m concerned about, because it’s public knowledge is your recent appointment as President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs. Congratulations on your appointment, and I shall speak more of it later in this letter. The second proverb, “Ufufe fee, a hu ike okuku,†means that when the wind blows, the chicken’s rump is exposed. In case you didn’t know, many people are wondering whether you married the Ikemba of Nnewi because you loved him or because of his ability to keep you at the corridors of power.
I write this letter with due respect for your person and I want to tell you how we met. It was in late 1988 and I was glued to my family black and white television watching the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria pageant. I didn’t really care about who would be the winner because you ladies were all beautiful in your ways and hues, in my young opinion. You came out tops. I loved your gait and tried walking like you for a long time until I gave it up. You were you and I was I – two people perfect the way we were created. I loved everything about you and read up every article in the newspapers and magazines about you. Yes, I read the gossip columns that chronicled the relationship between you and Dim Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, the Ikemba of Nnewi. I loved the fact that you were defiant of their criticisms and stuck to your man. I read that you even defied your father, the late Governor Christian Onoh, because you loved Ojukwu. Apparently, you loved your man enough to stick with him through thick and thin. Eventually, I read that you married him and your father refused to attend your wedding. I saw pictures of your wedding. Your brother stood in for your father who vehemently opposed the marriage and allegedly disowned you. You were blessed with two lovely kids, a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Mother of fertility smiled on your union again and you had another child for the Ikemba. Something moved in your father and he later forgave you and gave his blessings for your union to the Ikemba a few years after your white wedding. Why am I saying all these things?
First, you are a public figure, and unfortunately, what that means is that your private affairs are often made public. And many people take interest in the lives of public figures. Magazines make fortunes from chronicling the lives and adventures of celebrities. So, please pardon the fact that this young woman is aware of the little details of your affair and life with the Ikemba. I am fully aware that you married a public figure. Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu is not only your husband he is also (at least that’s how many people view him) the leader of Ndigbo – he’s Ezeigbo Gburugburu. Hence, things that pertain to him can easily be replicated in other Igbo homes. That is the reason why as an Igbo woman, I chose to write you this open letter. I do so with the uttermost respect for your person. I pray that I don’t sound condescending for that is the last thing on my mind for you. I admired you greatly as a young girl. I still admire your courage and fortitude in staying with your man through his travails. But the Ikemba is no longer whom he used to be. He’s human and it’s the fate of all human beings, including you Bianca, to age and eventually die. But the Ikemba is not an ordinary man.
He’s a tiger and I bet you married him because of a profound love and respect for him. But recent events are making us Ndigbo and in fact well-meaning Nigerians to wonder whether you married him because you loved and cared about him or because you saw in him a ticket to continue to live out your quest for power. You are the daughter of a former governor of Anambra State. You know politics and you probably know what good can come from knowing influential people. Your Ikemba made a few failed attempts to becoming the president of Nigeria. Did you always see yourself as one day emerging a first lady of Nigeria? Were you willing to do anything to make this happen? Are you always ready to defy anyone (and this would now include your own father) to stay in the public arena? While I believe that you are very qualified, judging from your educational background and your personal achievements, to hold the post given to you, I don’t think this is the best time for you to do this. Bianca, this is a wrong time to take up an appointment in Abuja when your husband is lying critically ill in a London hospital. But I am being practical here.
Does your family need the money from the potential salary you will earn? I mean your immediate family? Do you have enough financial support for your young children? And if not, is this position the only means of sustaining you and your family? While we can’t speak for the sick, it is alleged that the Ikemba was against you accepting an earlier offer the President made to you. Are you now not defying your husband in accepting this offer now? Don’t you even wonder about the integrity and wisdom of a man who would defy another man’s wish just because he’s ill? Chei! Ukwu ejiela agu, mgbada abiala ya ugwo!! Have you wondered what the Ikemba would say if he were healthy and strong? Do you think he would have allowed you to accept this offer? Are you abandoning him now because he can’t help himself? Is your action not considerably opportunistic? Are you not acting like a gold digger? Does this not show that you possibly care more about power than the people in your life? Ufufe o feela a hu ike okuku? Bianca nwanne m nwaanyi, please don’t shame Igbo women.
Umuada Igbo are ashamed of a woman who will abandon a sick husband for power. Personally, I could care less whether your husband was the Ikemba or not. While you are an adult who should continue with her life despite extenuating events, you are right now the wife of a very sick man. What are you coming to tell Nigerian women in Diaspora? In case you didn’t know, our women in the Diaspora are notorious for having forgotten our “African culture.†Now, tell me what you are coming to share with people in the Diaspora. Are you coming to embolden the women who would leave their husbands in the lurch just because they aren’t rich, strong, and powerful as before? Please don’t come to see us, because we will BOO on you. We don’t want to completely forget who we are because we are in obodo oyibo. Please go and take care of your man. Stay with him and grant him the respect and dignity that he deserves in the last few months and years of his life. You have endured well all this time. Please endure well to the end. If it’s God’s will, a better position will be waiting for you at the right time. Don’t be in haste and spoil the respect we have for you. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We don’t want history to remember you as the opportunistic wife of the Ikemba of Nnewi. You are a beautiful adaigbo.
But you have the choice to ignore all of us and tell us to mind our own business. In case, you didn’t know it’s women who abandon their husbands that Umuada or Umuokpu will discipline and even ostracize from the community. The fact that we are Nigerians doesn’t take away our indigenous culture. Yes, I know it’s Igbo culture for a woman to wait on her husband. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Igbo, if that will at least help you understand where I’m coming from. I have a master’s degree in Dispute Resolution and currently pursuing further graduate education. But I know that as we say in Igboland, “Ugwu nwanyi bu di ya,†and a doctorate degree won’t take the place of a happy home. No success outside compensates for failure at home. As a single woman in her early thirties, I am praying for someone worthy to call “di m.†It’s a privilege to find a man who has accepted all your idiosyncrasies to call you “nwunye m,†“Omasiri m.†The Ikemba has adorned you with all he has please don’t shame him now. I wouldn’t know of any marital problems you had with him prior to his illness. But on behalf of Umuadaigbo, I’m pleading that you forgive him and allow him some dignity in distress. If you received permission to accept this and similar offers from the Ikemba before he became critically ill, please let us know. Otherwise, we will believe that you are defying the intention of an ill man, and that you are a very power-hungry woman. I am not preaching from a morality stool. I’m not perfect and make no such claims to it. It’s not just about morality, it’s about African culture and common sense.
This isn’t a question of you not having the right to do whatsoever you wish with your life. It is about doing the right thing. I have been called a feminist, but believe me feminism has nothing to do with this. Questions to be asked would include, “What if you were a man; would you have been asked to tend to a sick wife?†I will leave others to answer these questions. I am very happy for you and the position you were offered. I believe that you can perform optimally and serve the country in this and other capacities. But ask yourself, “How would I feel if the coin were flipped?†Do you think the Ikemba would abandon you at your worst moment? I think not. You have done us proud in the past and we are counting on you being the Amazon that you have always been. You will be fine and blessed of the Lord. Jisie ike, nwanne m nwanyi. Tell the president, “Thank you, but no thanks for now.†It’s not just about you. It’s about all of us. United we stand; divided we fall. Not just because we are Ndigbo, but we are human beings that have emotional intelligence to choose love and loyalty over expediency and politics. I wish you well. Thank you for reading this letter.
Sincerely,
Ijeoma M Njoku
Dallas, Texas
On behalf of Umuadaigbo and well-meaning Nigerians.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
My aim is not to apologize for my religion; I will not write as one who is ashamed of my way of life, and before you shout ‘Southern Muslim!’ like I’m certain you’re probably already thinking, let me inform you that Muslims all over the world are one and the same. Once, the Prophet (PBUH) was asked ‘who is a Muslim?’, his reply made it clear that anyone who believes in the Oneness of God and offers as-salat (prayers) regularly is a Muslim; I call this the ‘minimum requirement(s) into the school of Islam’, a School of which I’m a proud student. I have faith in the Oneness of God, I observe as-salat, I give Zakat (charity), I fast during Ramadan, and I hope to go on pilgrimage soon. Muslim, I am, and I will die as one (Insha Allah). Many times, I’ve had cause to dispel rumours about my religion (I do not conform to any form of stereotype, so I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of lies and conjecture). Once, on a bus from Enugu to Lagos, a preacher decided to get the attention of his ‘mobile congregation’ by misquoting and murdering verses from the Holy Qur’an. I respectfully waited for him to end his hateful sermon, then produced my Quran and read the actual verses to everyone in the bus. I even took time to explain what Jihad means, what it entails, and what led to it. Yes, I’m a woman; No, I’m not a scholar. But do you have to be male or a Reverend to understand the Bible? As you most probably already know, Jihad means Holy War. There are two forms of Jihad- the one you fight within yourself (this entails choosing between what’s right and what’s wrong), and actual warfare. Now, what led to it? When the Prophet (PBUH) began to spread the message of Islam, the unbelievers (pagans, idol worshippers) of that time decided that Muslims didn’t deserve to live; they attacked Muslims, took over their properties, killed them. Muslims were oppressed. Initially, they were asked to ignore the pagans and maintain peace, but when the situation became unbearable, God asked them to fight back. The first verse revealed with respect to Jihad (V 2:190) says ‘And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors‘. This verse is the ‘foundation’ of Jihad, it prescribes THE standard for warfare in the name of God. Fight against those who fight against you; God did not say ‘fight against those who piss you off’, He didn’t say ‘fight against those who you don’t like’. ‘Fight against those who fight against you’ means self-defence is the ONLY form of violence that’s permitted. ‘But do not transgress limits’; self-defence was the previously established limit. ‘Transgression’ would then mean fighting people who didn’t attack you first. This is termed ‘irjaf’. Irjaf and Jihad are two extremely different things. Before you judge the over one billion Muslims in the world by the actions of some hell-bound transgressors, kindly permit me to draw your attention to the Muslim Capital of the World; Saudi Arabia. Do Christians live there or not? How many times has a suicide bombing occurred there? How many times have some obviously deluded, highly misguided maniacs demanded that they all revert to Islam? This brings me to another issue- suicide. My Qur’an tells me that suicide is a one-way ticket to Hell. Couple that with aggression, and tell me what the outcome would be. This brings me, inevitably, to Boko Haram. Personally, I believe what happened in this case was a deliberate move by government to hijack a problem that should have been solved at inception, and turn it to a political tool for division. Nigerians have always had a penchant for tribalism; add different religions to the mix and the potion becomes even more volatile and potentially lethal. Just how lethal that potion is, is what we’re all experiencing now. Frankly, what this is about is speaking for myself and others like me, and most importantly, sparing Islam the pain of being seen as something it’s not. Claiming Islam encourages violence is akin to saying that Christianity or Buddhism or Zoroastrianism, or even Scientology, gives room for a vice that some of its followers have. Right now, I’m just so glad that Hitler and Truman weren’t Muslims. My point? PEOPLE are evil, PEOPLE kill, and taking up arms and killing little children is no justification. Boko Haram does not have the mandate of Nigerian Muslims to exterminate Christians. When Boko Haram killed Imams almost on a daily basis, there were no reprisals. Nobody said ‘Muslims have asked Boko Haram to kill the clerics’. When busy areas of Kano were bombed, no one said ‘Muslims are killing Christians again’. This selective anger, this selective pity, is what I do not like. My eldest sister is an evangelist, my niece bears the name ‘Chukwuamaka’, her father is an Igbo man. Why would I, a Muslim, then decide to send Boko Haram on a mission to kill Christians? Or why would I harbour murderous thoughts towards Christians at all? My Quran tells me that ‘…….he who takes a life will be judged like he killed all of mankind….he who saves a life will be judged like he saved all of mankind’ (5:32). If Boko Haram is following any sort of manual, it is not this Qur’an (or any other for that matter because there are no different versions. The Qur’an is the same anywhere in the world). Perhaps if we did the right thing and displaced those thieves and murderers from their seats of power, we would find copies of the manual beneath those seats. There’s a rule I abide by; ‘if you don’t know it, don’t say it’. Seventy-two virgins as reward for suicide? I’ve read the Qur’an from cover to cover countless times and not once have I come across it. The Holy Qur’an does not portray Paradise as a reward for suicide and/or murder. I pray that God gives all those who’ve lost their loved ones- Muslims, Christians, Traditionalists, free thinkers- the fortitude to bear the loss. Rinsola Abiola @Rinsola_Abiola
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Audio recordings from phone calls George Zimmerman made while in jail in April were released Monday by Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey.
The six phone calls are part of the state’s evidence alleging that Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, misled the court during an April bond hearing.
The former neighborhood watch volunteer is charged with killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February. Zimmerman, a licensed handgun permit holder, said he shot in self defense during a scuffle with Martin.
A judge released Zimmerman on $150,000 bond after the couple testified they had little money. But on the calls recorded after his arrest, Zimmerman is heard coaching his wife and sister on how to move tens of thousands of dollars donated to his legal defense fund.
Prosecutors say the phone calls are proof the Zimmermans had access to nearly $130,000 when he was freed. During one jailhouse conversation, George Zimmerman tells his wife how much it means to him that strangers were donating to his PayPal account.
“Ah man, that feels good,” he said.
“… so many people, your-your site kept crashing,” Shellie Zimmerman replied.
After his wife was able to start transferring funds, Zimmerman instructs her to pay off nearly all the couple’s bills and to purchase bulletproof vests for her, him and his attorney.
“We need to get on it ASAP, cause you know … personally, I want you wearing one,” Zimmerman said from the Seminole County Jail.
“OK,” she replied.
“As uncomfortable as it is, I want you wearing one,” he said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Want to stay away from germs during your next hotel stay? Then don’t turn on the TV or lights — new research shows that TV remotes and light switches are among the most contaminated items in hotel rooms.
Researchers from the University of Houston took bacteria samples from several items in hotel rooms in three regions of the United States. While the toilet and the sink were expected to have high levels of bacteria, researchers also found more surprising items with high contamination levels, such as the remote and the switch on the bedside lamp.
Hotel rooms “don’t have to have it ready for surgery,†said study researcher Jay Neal, a microbiologist at the University of Houston, but there certainly is room for improvement in their cleanliness.
The amount of bacteria on the remote may not mean that it’s “any dirtier than at home, but there’s a stranger factor†in a hotel room, said Neal, who oversaw the research performed primarily by student Katie Kirsh.
Housekeepers clean spend about 30 minutes cleaning each room, Kirsh said. If the researchers could pinpoint the most contaminated parts of the room, the cleaning process could be made more effective.
The highest levels of contamination were found in the maid’s cleaning cart, specifically, on the mop and sponge. That’s a problem because it means that bacteria are being carried from room to room, according to the researchers.
Such cross-contamination could be reduced, though, by replacing cleaning liquids during housekeeping shifts, they said.
The lowest levels of bacteria were found on the headboard, curtain rods and bathroom door handle.
The researchers tested for bacteria in general, and did a separate test for coliform bacteria, which are found in feces and are more likely to cause illness.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
GENEVA (Reuters) – A U.N. investigator has called on the Obama administration to justify its policy of assassinating rather than capturing al Qaeda or Taliban suspects, increasingly with the use of unmanned drone aircraft that also take civilian lives.
Christof Heyns, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, urged Washington to clarify the basis under international law of the policy, in a report issued overnight to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The 47-member Geneva forum is to hold a debate later on Tuesday.
The U.S. military has conducted drone attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, in addition to conventional raids and air strikes, according to Heyns, a South African jurist serving in the independent post.
“Disclosure of these killings is critical to ensure accountability, justice and reparation for victims or their families,” he said in a 28-page report.
“The (U.S.) government should clarify the procedures in place to ensure that any targeted killing complies with international humanitarian law and human rights and indicate the measures or strategies applied to prevent casualties, as well as the measures in place to provide prompt, thorough, effective and independent public investigation of alleged violations.”
Citing figures from the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, he said U.S. drone strikes killed at least 957 people in Pakistan in 2010 alone. Thousands have been killed in 300 drone strikes there since 2004, 20 percent of whom are believed to be civilians.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week defended Washington’s use of drone strikes, days after one killed one of al Qaeda’s most powerful figures in Pakistan, Libyan-born Abu Yahya al-Libi.
DRAMATIC INCREASE
“Although figures vary widely with regard to drone attack estimates, all studies concur on one important point: there has been a dramatic increase in their use over the past three years,” Heyns said.
“While these attacks are directed at individuals believed to be leaders or active members of al Qaeda or the Taliban, in the context of armed conflict (e.g. in Afghanistan), in other instances, civilians have allegedly also perished in the attacks in regions where it is unclear whether there was an armed conflict or not (e.g. in Pakistan),” he said.
Human rights law requires that every effort be made to arrest a suspect, in line with the “principles of necessity and proportionality on the use of force”, the investigator said.
There had been no official or satisfactory response to concerns laid out by his predecessor, Australian expert Philip Alston, in a 2009 report on his investigation a year earlier.
“The Special Rapporteur again requests the Government to clarify the rules that it considers to cover targeted killings … (and) reiterates his predecessor’s recommendation that the government specify the bases for decisions to kill rather than capture ‘human targets’ and whether the State in which the killing takes places has given consent,” Heyns said.
Pakistani Ambassador Zamir Akram took the floor in Monday’s opening session to say that his country consistently maintained that the use of drones was illegal and violated the sovereignty of Pakistan, “not to mention being counter-productive”.
“Thousands of innocent people, including women and children, have been murdered in these indiscriminate attacks,” he said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who made an official visit to Pakistan this month, said in a speech on Monday it was “unclear that all persons targeted are combatants or directly participating in hostilities”.
States had an international obligation to ensure that attacks comply with international law and to conduct transparent, credible inquiries, she added.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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