PaulNaija

Increasing wave of violence and insecurity casts a shadow on the Independence Day celebrations, writes CHUX OHAI A s Nigeria marks its 53rd anniversary today, the fear of possible attacks by Boko Haram and other insurgents appears to becloud the celebrations. Scared by the violent events of the last few days, it is easy to imagine how most Nigerians might spend Independence Day. The majority, no doubt, may consider staying away from crowded spots to avoid falling victim to terrorist attacks. Hardly any day passes without newspapers announcing yet another deadly attack by unidentified gunmen in screaming headlines. Only two days ago, about 50 students of a College of Agriculture in Yobe State were reportedly murdered in cold blood by gunmen believed to be members of the violent Islamic group known as the Boko Haram.  Most of the victims of the attack were said to have been killed while they slept. The rest were taken outside and simply cut down in a hail of bullets by the

In 53 years, Nigeria has operated varied policies in the transport sector under different guises of transformation. Successive administrations at federal and state levels have always found reasons to tinker with whatever transport programme their predecessors left behind. They often sweet the old schemes aside, initiating new ones. This, experts note, offers them a good excuse to vote huge amount for the execution of the new projects. Opinions are divided on the level of progress the nation has attained in the transport sector under eight military rules and seven civilian administrations since independence. Some say every segment has received appreciable attention in terms of budgetary allocations; but many note there is hardly any justification for the allocated funds, insisting that it is all ‘motion without movement’. Corruption has denied the nation the expected gains of its moderate investment in the transport sector. For instance, virtually all the 50 new locomotive

The teenagers The Airport Command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested three teenagers for allegedly attempting to illegally board some international flights in Lagos. Commissioner of Police for the command, Salahu Waheed, said the suspects, Lateef Popoola, 13; Amadi Joshua, 14; and Ukpabio Onyedikachi, 14, were arrested at different times at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja. Waheed, while handing over the suspects to their mothers, said there was a need for their respective state governments to rehabilitate them like the Edo State Government did with teenage stowaway, Daniel Ihekina, who was arrested on August 24, 2013 after sneaking into the tyre compartment of a Lagos-bound Arik plane. He said, “These boys were found at different times at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Their aim was to get into any plane and travel out of Nigeria. “I decided to hand them over to their parents so they will be well taken care of and stop dwelling on