Nigerian Times

Security Challenges in Nigeria ~ By Albert Akpor Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says he is determined to improve security in the country with a new administration that takes power with Sunday's inauguration. Security was a driving issue in the presidential campaign following bomb blasts by militants from the oil-rich Niger Delta and attacks on police by members of an extremist Islamic group in the north. President Jonathan campaigned hard to convince Nigerians that his government was meeting those security challenges. But rioting that immediately followed his election raised anew questions about security preparedness. The New York-based rights organization Human Rights Watch says Muslim-Christian electoral violence in northern states killed at least 800 people. President Jonathan says he is determined to protect Nigerians wherever they live. “As president, it is my solemn duty to defend the constitution of this country. That includes the obligation to protect the lives and pr...

Culture of Resistance coming to Nigeria In Nigeria, oil companies have destroyed farmland leaving behind dirty water and no food. When the people began protesting by making flyers and giving speeches the Nigerian government started killing the peaceful protesters, so the next generation has resorted to violence in order to get clean water and food. ~ Lara Lee, of Culture of Resistance speaking on her sensational documentary. Iara Lee is the director of the harrowing documentary "Cultures of Resistance," produced by George Gunn, and it is going to be shown at the second Eko International Film Festival this summer. The production of "Cultures of Resistance" began in 2003 before the Iraq war and it was judged the Best Documentary at the Tiburon 2011 Film Festival. "People were being killed and nobody cared. I started looking for small gestures-ordinary people that were relatable," Lee said. She said that the documentary covered 25 countries, with interview...

Photo Credit: Press S TV, 2011. Nigeria: Post election violence suspects escape from Jail The AFP reported Saturday that 12 of the suspects detained over the post-election violence have escaped after riot broke out in an overcrowded jail in northern Nigeria. The controller of prisons in Adamawa state, Andrew Barka said 18 of the 600 arrested this week escaped but six were later captured. "There was heavy congestion. The living conditions have worsened since the suspects were brought in," Barka told AFP. "Therefore yesterday they went on riot, burning a section of our (training) workshop and injuring two wardens. Some of them tried to escape by scaling over the fence," Barka added. Arrested suspects of the post election violence in Nigeria in April, 2007 The following is the rest of the report. Rights groups estimate that more than 1,000 people have been arrested since the riots broke out after last weekend's election won by incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan...

21 Apr 2011 21:04 Africa/Lagos Nigeria: emergency aid for people fleeing violence in the north ABUJA, April 21, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society are responding swiftly to the urgent needs of thousands of people displaced in the city of Kano and elsewhere in the north of the country following post-election violence that erupted on 17 April. "At least 12,000 displaced men, women and children are assembled in six locations in Kano," said Otchoa Datcharry, head of the ICRC office in the city. ICRC and Nigerian Red Cross staff have installed a 5,000-litre water storage bladder, and distributed 2.5 tonnes of emergency food rations (crushed cassava, sugar and bread) and 25,000 litres of water to 9,000 people. "Four more water storage bladders will be installed in coming days," added Mr Datcharry. In Bauchi, the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross distributed 600 kilograms of food ...

The causes and consequences of the recent post election violence in Nigeria The incessant ethnic, religious and political attacks on lives and properties in many states in Nigeria are caused by the appalling intellectual and political ignorance among majority of Nigerians. If the terrorists unleashing their grievances on both their perceived enemies and innocent people have been educated and informed on the sanctity of human life, the values and virtues of peace and stability for mutual benefit of all the citizens, they would not have committed the terrifying and horrifying atrocities in their own regions and other places they have attacked. The ruling political class is guilty of exploiting the ignorance of the poor majority in their power struggle and once they have secured their own families and properties, they no longer care about the fate of the victims of their political battles. • They have misappropriated the public funds for health care and abandoned the broken down public he...