The Nation November 22,2011

Page 1

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

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Indigenes renew call for creation of Ibadan State Coach Keshi considers recalling Yakubu, Utaka Chief Justice issues code of conduct for judges

P8 P24 P2

www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 1952 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

KOGI 2011

N150.00

•Echocho urges INEC to stop election •AND MORE •I’ll run transparent govt, says Wada •Audu: PDP has turned Kogi to a failed state

•COUNTDOWN TO THE DECEMBER 3 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION IN THE CONFLUENCE STATE

•PAGES 5 & 37

Boko Haram sponsors: SSS detains senator Suspect names ex-Governor Sheriff, ex-envoy as backers

S

ECURITY agents last night arrested a Senator who a suspect named as a Boko Haram sponsor. Senator Ali Ndume (Borno), who is being held by the State Security Services (SSS), is likely to face trial today in Abuja. The Nation learnt also that 13 suspects have been arrested by the Joint Task Force in connection with the recent bombings in Damaturu, Yobe State. Ndume will be arraigned in court with some members of the sect already in SSS custody, sources said.

From Yusuf Alli and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

A source, who pleaded not to be named for security reasons, broke to The Nation news of the senator’s arrest at about 10.20pm. He said: “He is presently being detained in SSS custody, pending his arraignment in court. “Based on the confession of some Boko Haram suspects in custody, we have interrogated Ndume and he has made a statement accordingly. We are going to charge him to court on Tuesday (today) with some of the suspects in our custody.

“With this development, we hope that Nigerians will appreciate that security agencies are doing our best to tackle terrorism.” Attempts by some Senators to see Ndume last night failed. A suspect named Ndume, former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Sao Tome and Principe, the late Saidu Pindar, as financial backers of Boko Haram. The suspect, Ali Sauda Umar Konduga (a.k.a Usman al-Zawahiri) spoke at the Continued on page 2

•Ndume

•Boko Haram suspect Konduga ... yesterday

•Sheriff

CBN depreciates troubled naira

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) depreciated the naira yesterday, bowing to demand pressure at the foreign exchange market and prolonged weakness of the currency. A dollar will now exchange at the CBN’s official window wholesale Dutch Auction System (wDAS) at N150-160 as against the previous N145-155. The apex bank, however, left its benchmark interest rate (Monetary Policy Rate - MPR) unchanged at 12 per

ALEX IBRU (1945-2011) PAGES 6&7

By Ayodele Aminu and Nduka Chiejina

cent and its 200 basis point corridor around the benchmark rate – meaning that its recommended deposit rate is 10 per cent and its lending rate is 14 per cent. The MPR is the interest rate at which the banking watchdog lends to commercial banks. This influences other rates. Addressing reporters in Abuja after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the governor of the CBN, Lamido Sanusi said: “The committee decided to adjust the mid-point of target official exchange rate from N150.00/US$1.00 to Continued on page 2

•Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke cutting the tape to open Oando PLC’s South-South 128km natural gas pipeline spanning Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in Calabar ... yesterday. With her are (from left) Cross River State Governor Senator Liyel Imoke, Mr. Omamofe Boyo, Deputy Group Executive, Oando and Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive.

•ENERGY P17 •SPORT P23 •PROPERTY P25 •POLITICS P37 •MARITIME P49


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The Nation November 22,2011 by The Nation - Issuu