Freedom Of Expression Under Attack, As Gun Men Opened Fire In Media House In France!

Search is on top gear for two gun men, who are still on the loose, after the two terrorists, driven by a third person believed to have driven the dark grey 'get-away- Citron car', invaded CHARLIE HEBDO magazine premises at 10 Rue Nicolas Appert in  Paris - France, January 7, 2015, opened fire, killing twelve people in the process.

Two masked individuals dressed in black, armed with rocket launcher and machine guns, went into the magazine premises, opened fire as they shouted 'Allahu Akbar', "we have avenged the Prophet, we have killed Charb", killing ten journalists and two Police officers. The incident which left eleven more people wounded, of which four are reportedly in critical conditions, took place during the magazine's daily  editorial meeting.



The magazine "CHARLIE HEBDO" is best known for publishing satirical cartoons of political and Religious beliefs, it was gathered that publications on Islamic faith has in the past angered some Muslims sects.




Four of France well known cartoonists, Georges Wolinski, Bernard Verlhac, and Jean Cabut. including the magazine's editor Stephane Charbonnier, were killed in the attack. It was gathered that the magazine tweeted cartoon of Isis leader just before the attack.




The get-away-car was later found abandoned in 9th district, North East of Paris.



Leaders round the world like Barrack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Ban Ki - Moon, Pope Francis and French President Francois Hollande, have strongly condemned the attack. While security have reportedly been stepped up in other potential targets.

Photos from the attack:





















The hash-tag "Je suis Charlie" (I am charlie) in solidarity with CHARLIE HEBDO, has gone viral on social media, as people all over the world condemn the baseless attack.





France has declared Thursday January 8, a day of mourning over the incident. 

Fraudsters On The Loose, Circulating Scam NNPC Job Offer Mails!

As much as this may come as answers to teeming Nigerian job hunters' prayers; readers beware, the scam mail below is currently being sent to prospective applicants, from some gang posing as NNPC RECRUITMENT OFFICIALS, promising job opportunities with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), after a fee in the sum of N5,500 has been remitted to a First Bank Account, which they send to their victims; that is if applicants can not travel to Abuja to obtain alleged NNPC job application forms.

The Scam mail below:

From: nnpc recruitment <nnpc2015jobrecruitment9@gmail.com>
Date: January 6, 2015 at 9:37:45 PM GMT+1
To: (name withheld)
Subject: NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION APPLICATION FORM AND INTERVIEW DETAILS

"Dear Applicant,your resume and request application has been observed and processed,and you have been stated for listing and recruitment.Contact the human resource manager ENG Balogun Austen on 08146242571 for form purchase info and interview details.Be duly noted that job vacancy is only stated in Nigeria and applicants from outer countries will be asked to relocate for job opportunity.Any form of indiscipline is not tolerated as management will not be held responsible for disapproval of application due to inability to relocate to Nigeria. An agreement will be signed in your application form when purchased form licensed authority.

Signed:management
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation"

 After investigations, Roving Informant discovered that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is not in any way connected to this, and at the moment NOT recruiting. 

Be warned.....don't fall prey to this.

Ex U.S Governor To Spend Two Years In Jail For Corruption!

Having being found guilty September 4, 2014, on 11 of 13 federal charges against him, former Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell was on Tuesday, January 6, convicted of trading access to the power of the governor's office for more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts, and prosecutors wanted him to spend more than 10 years in federal prison. 

McDonnel was convicted by a jury on 11 charges, while his wife Maureen, was convicted on eight in September 2014. 

"I stand before you a heartbroken and humbled man," McDonnell reportedly said in court.

Maureen McDonnell, who was present at the court Tuesday, is to be sentenced next month.

What lessons can Nigeria learn from this?

Amnesty International Canvass For Release Of Tunisian Blogger Jailed By Military Court!

Yassine Ayari was sentenced under Article 91 of the Code of Military Justice. The article prohibits attacks on the “dignity, reputation and morale” of the army, acts that weaken military discipline, obedience and respect for superiors, as well as the criticism of high military command actions or the criticism of army officers that harms their dignity. 

Several Tunisian civilians have been tried by military courts recently for criticizing the army or state officials. 

In November 2014, Sahbi Jouini, a police union leader, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison for defaming the army, after he accused the army of failing to use information adequately to combat terrorism. 

In May 2013, blogger Hakim Ghanmi was tried before a military court for “undermining the reputation of the army” after he complained about the director of a military hospital. 

Former presidential adviser Ayoub Massoudi was also convicted of “undermining the reputation of the army” and defaming a civil servant in 2012 after he publicly criticized the extradition of former Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi from Tunisia to Libya in June 2012. 

International human rights standards are clear that civilians should not be prosecuted before military courts. 

Although Tunisia’s Code of Military Justice was reformed in July 2011, it did not limit the jurisdiction of military courts to offences of a purely military nature committed by military personnel. 

The right to freedom of expression also allows for the public criticism of officials and institutions. 

The right is enshrined in Tunisia’s new constitution, as well in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Tunisia is a state party. Laws which provide special protection against criticism for public officials and criminalize defamation are not consistent with respect for freedom of expression. Defamation offences should be treated as a matter for civil litigation. 

Yassine Ayari was sentenced to three years in jail last November. The decision by a military court to continue the detention of Tunisian blogger Yassine Ayari is a gross violation of the right to freedom of expression, said Amnesty International as his re-trial started January 6. 

Amnesty International called for his immediate release from prison, and for his conviction on charges that he had “defamed the army” in a series of Facebook posts to be quashed.  

“It is unacceptable that Yassine Ayari has been imprisoned for criticizing state officials. As a civilian, he should never have been tried by a military court and he should be released immediately,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. 

“Tunisia’s new parliament, elected two months ago, should make it a priority to repeal laws that make defaming state officials and institutions a criminal offence, and that allow civilians to be tried by military courts.” 

Yassine Ayari was arrested at Tunis airport as he stepped off a flight from France on 24 December. He was informed that a military court had tried him in absentia in November 2014, and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment. He was taken to Mornaguia prison. 

Yassine Ayari was convicted of “defaming the army” in posts on his Facebook page, dating from August and September 2014. The posts criticized Defence Minister Ghazi Jeribi, as well as specific appointments made in the military command. 

Yassine Ayari was sentenced to the maximum prison term under provisions that prohibit attacks on the reputation of the army, as well as “criticism” that undermines the authority of military commanders. 

His re-trial which resumed today has now been adjourned until 20 January, during which time he will remain behind bars. 

Yassine Ayari is the latest Tunisian to have been prosecuted by military courts for criticizing the army or army officials. 

“There is a persistent tendency to use the military courts to punish critics of the army,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. 

“Tunisia must repeal laws that allow for such prosecutions if it wants to show it is making a clean break from the past,” she said. 

Three Generals Who Ruled Nigeria: General Sani Abacha's Regime!

Sequel to our 12 December edition, we bring you the concluding part of the series on : Three Generals Who Ruled Nigeria. In this edition, we take a peek into what chiefly characterised late General Sani Abacha's regime.

Nigerians got more than was bargained for when late General Sani Abacha took on the mantle of leadership after Ernest Shonekan's resignation. General Abacha, being the most senior Military official and the Defence Secretary, took over power on November 17, 1993.

Regarded by many as the proverbial "child of circumstance", late Sani . Abacha's years of  Military draculian rule took advantage of the clamour by civil societies and the press, following aftermath of the annulled June 12, 1993 election. 

Once in power, General Abacha dismissed elected civilian governors in all the states and re-placed them with Military Administrators. In what appeared a desperate move to check the Media and public criticisms on June 12 elections the first anniversary, the Abacha administration promulgated some anti-Press laws: "Degree 48", which demanded stiff registration of even existing Newspapers. As a result, many Nigerian press were forced to go under ground, and practice "gorilla journalism", while many journalists were arrested, detained or killed.  

This regime saw to several forced exile of civil rights activists, senseless killings, disappearance of presumed enemies of the state, false accusations, invasions,  massive arrests or substituted arrests, detentions without trials, and staged trials. General Abacha's administration banned and un-banned Press publications at will.

A former Head of State under military regime, major critic of the Abacha administration, and a critic of all governments after his, General Olusegun Obasanjo, was arrested and imprisoned.

Records has it that all Nigerian refineries went down under the watchful eyes of late General Sani Abacha's regime resulting in Nigeria's incessant  importation  of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), remember the 'foul fuel' times? 

Nonetheless the Abacha administration is believed by some as one of the best things that happened to Nigeria.  It was during the Abacha regime that peace and democracy was restored in war torn Sierra Leone and Liberia. This school of thought equally believe that General Sani Abacha was a good economist who stabilised the exchange rate at N22 - $1, and an unofficial rate of N80 - $1. This administration saw to the creation of six new states: Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe and Ekiti states. 

It is pivotal to note that the price for PMS product was increased only once during late General Abacha's administration. The Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) thought to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention program in the health water and educational sectors was established by the late Abacha's regime.  

The National Hospital for Women and Children, now simply known as National Hospital -Abuja , one of the top most public hospitals in the Nigeria to-date, was set up by late General Sani Abach's wife, Mariam Abacha.

Late General Sani Abacha died suddenly while still in office on June 8, 1998. Although his death is shrouded in mystery, an official accounts stated that he died of heart attack.

Find stories on General Ibrahim Babangida and Major General Muhammadu Buhari's regime below: 

http://rovinginformant.blogspot.com.ng/2014/12/three-generals-who-ruled-nigeria-buhari.html

http://rovinginformant.blogspot.com.ng/2014/12/three-generals-who-ruled-nigeria.html

President Goodluck Jonathan Losses Younger Sister!

Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, lost his younger sister Mrs. Nancy Jonathan- Olei, on Sunday, January 4, at the age of 52.

 The late Nancy Jonathan- Olei

Information reveled she passed on, after a brief illness, at an undisclosed hospital in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital.

Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.

May her soul find eternal rest in the Lord's bosom.

Brad Pitt Steals Spotlight With Singing A Yoruba Name!

Brad Pitt steals the spotlight With singing O-y-e-l-o-w-o, a Yoruba name, at the 2015 Palm Spring Film Festival  awards gala. 
The festival honored the British born Nigerian actor David Oyewolo, for his outstanding performance in the historic 'Martin Luther King' epic 'Selma', a film produced by Brad Pitt.

Watch: