[center][size=14pt]John Nwodo arrested, flown to Abuja[/size]
From: Lawrence Njoku (Enugu)[/center]


FORMER Minister of Information, Chief John Nnia Nwodo was yesterday arrested and flown to Abuja by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in Enugu.

Nwodo, who was arrested at his residence in Enugu and detained for several hours at the Enugu office of the SSS, was at about 3.30p.m. yesterday afternoon flown to Abuja aboard Arik Airline.

Although no official reason was adduced for his arrest, The Guardian, however gathered that the action might not be unconnected with the speech he delivered last week at the two-day Security Summit organised by the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu for the South East and South-South Zone.

Nwodo had remarked during the interactive session of the summit that "We cannot thank you (army) enough for your professionalism and for your patriotism, but I dare say that it does not stop with keeping quiet. As Minister, I remember that General (Muhammadu) Buhari and other General Officers Commanding (GOCs) came to give the President ultimatum that if certain things were not done, they can no longer guarantee security."

He stated further : "The fact that you wear a uniform does not insulate you from the politics of your country, in fact, it gives you more responsibility because when everything fails, it rests on your shoulder to defend the territorial integrity of the country, so speak up."

Apparently uncomfortable with Nwodo's words, the Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahaman Dambazau, made a second appearance and vehemently denounced the suggestions.

He said: "Our business is there in Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution. We are not going to interfere in what politicians do. We are not saying that our democracy is perfect, but we are hopeful that the politicians would some day arrive at a point of perfection. If what happened in 1966 (first military coup) had not happened, Nigeria would have gone farther than this. So please, we do not want that suggestion from you".

It was learnt that perturbed by the comments, a signal was last night sent to the Enugu office of the SSS for the immediate arrest of the politician, who was picked up yesterday morning.

When The Guardian visited the SSS office located at the Independence layout, Enugu yesterday, scores of associates of the politician, including his lawyer, Anthony Mgboh (SAN) and former Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Obiora Ike, were around to know why he was arrested.

It was gathered that from morning till about 2.00p.m., the politician refused to eat the meal provided for him by the SSS operatives and under compulsion accepted to eat the food provided for him by the Secretary of the Enugu Centenary Committee, Vin Martin Ilo. Nwodo is the chairman of the committee.

The refusal was not unconnected with the denial of the operatives to allow him access to food said to have been brought by his relatives.

Efforts to speak with the Enugu State Director of SSS, Mrs. Funke Amos, met brick walls as she was said to be in a meeting for over an hour and thirty minutes that reporters waited. An official of the agency, who confirmed the arrest, stated that the headquarters only invited Nwodo "for a routine chat".

He said that had they travelled early enough as planned, he would still have returned yesterday, stressing that Nwodo was well and hearty.

Asked why he was being kept from morning till then, he stated, "we are trying to tidy our end of the matter".

Hmmm . . . .

He only asked the Army to speak up in the face of tyranny and corruption instead of being used like dummies all the time.
However, if its against the law to make such statement; he should be punished accordingly.

nuzo:

He only asked the Army to speak up in the face of tyranny and corruption instead of being used like dummies all the time.

I think he will be harrassed and aked to "go and sin no more" .

Personally as much as one is not pleased with the happenings in the country, it must be stated that inciting statements to military men will do the country more harm than good.

What baffles me is how our politicians play the victim whenever their relevance in the scheme of things wane.

Topic
Oh so that was the reason why dude got picked up?
I was wondering yesterday when i heard the news. . . . . .

This government is forever jittery!!

becomrich.:

[b]Nwodo is Inciting Army , the military is not the solutio[/b]n. david mark and bankole need to show us they are men before the military boys do something stupid. military is not the solution to nigeria problem.

Are you saying our military is mumu?. Nwodo can incite all those learned army officers to break the law?

I hope he gets locked up for two years or more by the military. A whole info minister is trying to incite foolishness so that later later he can say nna we we. nuthing like dat. lock him up, seize his account based on fear of funding the military. Cuz at this times of depression is when the military strike cuz naija is very distrustful within itself and they are many more voices of discontentment which is receipe for a coup but God forbid. The streets wont be a good site if that happens now and thats just my imagination/ expectation. it might exceed expectation.

To be real honest,,,,,,,,is militocracy the best form of government?

This Nwodo is a real buffoon, he has shown that his thinking is not aligned with the current democratic climate. When did it become the role of the military to serve as a check for a government "duly elected" by the people. What a boob!!

Bold move,ehn!
Suffer the consequences and sin no more

nigeria na funny country oo! no be small. becos he only asked the military to speak about what is happening in this country. if the military wants to strike any time they can do that without nwodo saying a word. i will always say it that the worst civilian govt is better than the best military govt. shekena!

i am surprised at most of u ,do u people think before u type or what,what has the man said ,did he ask them to plan a coup,no,he only said they should speak up ,that i would say is very patriotic,in an era when the armed forces have been used to harrass innocent citizen its healthy to tell them to spaek up against political manoveuring,if the government is doing well we will no need the military to invade the nigerdelta ,we will not need the military to militarise the country,if they go on peace keeping mission they should be paid,are this people not nigerians,well now i know why people just dont prosper in this country ,its a shame,if a military coup will put our ass in order ,so be it

@Topic, LOL Well anyway sha, atleast, he did speak up. it just that how he did it made me laugh.

PROJECT:

i am surprised at most of u ,do u people think before u type or what,what has the man said ,did he ask them to plan a coup,no,he only said they should speak up ,that i would say is very patriotic,in an era when the armed forces have been used to harrass innocent citizen its healthy to tell them to spaek up against political manoveuring,if the government is doing well we will no need the military to invade the nigerdelta ,we will not need the military to militarise the country,if they go on peace keeping mission they should be paid,are this people not nigerians,well now i know why people just dont prosper in this country ,its a shame,if a military coup will put our ass in order ,so be it

Oga we are not talking of America here. We are talking Nigeria. No African country with the weak existing democratic structures will sit and watch someone talk to soldiers like that.

At least he needs to explain to the SSS that he did not mean any harm.

Haba lets be careful .

Naija 4 life ! When we go stop all dis kind rubbish sef ?

Nezan:

To be real honest,,,,,,,,is militocracy the best form of government?

Well I never had to beg for food during militocracy._{Bitter truth!}

the wicked runneth when no khaki pursueth

a professional army has no business in politics.

Did they even understand what he said?

If Nigerians are not happy with the way they are being governed by this inept administation is anything wrong in making a SUGGESTION on the way out?.
Nigeria belongs to Nigerians I therefore do not see anything wrong in a Nigerian telling the military to call this politicians to order. He did not ask them to topple the government he only asked them to warn Yardua administartion of the consequencies of insecurity and povert in country. He even gave an example that, "As Minister, I remember that General (Muhammadu) Buhari and other General Officers Commanding (GOCs) came to give the President ultimatum that if certain things were not done, they can no longer guarantee security."
What then warrant being picked up for saying your mind. It might sound 'an inciment to coup' but you don't make treasonable comments in public, plus the military have their own minds, so what is the fuss about

This Joe Gadzama running the SSS is the most parochial individual I have ever known

What will they charge Nwodo for? holding a crazy opinion?

I think Nwodo's opinion is not the sort of things you say publicly even though most Nigerians nurse that fear . . . . but I am not sure its either an arrestable or indictable offence.

So why does the SSS have to arrest him.

The SSS are a bunch of useless morons! Well, I'm not surprised by their actions, it's the way Nigeria is being run by goats in Abuja.

Don't we have any laws in that country?

Why should animals in human skin, called SSS or whatever, disturb the peace of a citizen?

Why should a private citizen be arrested for expressing his/her opinion?

Does he have any powers to make the army do what they do not want to do?

Hmmm, Nigeria! NigeriaaaA!


Under normal circumstances, this man should die.


I see some respondents saying that he only said they should speak up. The army speaks in action and through their guns. Put a naked woman in front of a blind man and tell him to "see" what's in his front. You'll understand.


If he wants to address people who should speak up, it should be journalists and reporters or musicians not military men.


If I were to be in government,I'd have him tried for treason and hope he gets the death penalty.

There's another school claiming that he only opined. Well, an opinion sounds like this: "I believe in speaking up". Now compare that to what this fellow said. First off, I don't even know who he is, but he really messed up.

@ All, Lets accept the fact that Nigeria is already a failed State, why are we not praying for the return of Zombie, but we are living with Baboon

nex:

Hmmm, Nigeria! NigeriaaaA!


Under normal circumstances, this man should die.


I see some respondents saying that he only said they should speak up. The army speaks in action and through their guns. Put a naked woman in front of a blind man and tell him to "see" what's in his front. You'll understand.


If he wants  to address people who should speak up, it should be journalists and reporters or musicians not military men.


If I were to be in government,I'd have him tried for treason and hope he gets the death penalty.

There's another school claiming that he only opined. Well, an opinion sounds like this: "I believe in speaking up". Now compare that to what this fellow said. First off, I don't even know who he is, but he really messed up. 

What are you saying?

This guy is a private citizen invited to speak in an army function, not a general in the army going against army mores.

If the army's entire hierarchy abides by their code of "don't speak up", how can that hierarchy be fatally threatened by the speech of one private citizen who is firmly outside the army hierarchy and has no significant influence on that hierarchy?

If such a threat even exists or is admitted, it shows that the army has problems with their declared values and not the private individual who has given his suggestion/opinion/comment/wish/hope!

That mindset of suppressing speech, made law, by the many gangs of military men that have ruled Nigeria has sunk deep into the psyche of the average Nigerian, unfortunately!

@RichyBlack

i'm saying that asking the military to speak up is same as asking them to act, asking the military to act up is instigating a coup.

Whether military officer, civilian, private citizen or day old baby, It's a very serious crime.

nex:

@RichyBlack

i'm saying that asking the military to speak up is same as asking them to act, asking the military to act up is instigating a coup.

Whether military officer, civilian, private citizen or day old baby, It's a very serious crime.

Nigeria is the only place in the word where people justify the arrest of others for an implied offence, or the percieved consequences of an action rather than the action itself.

@mikeansy

it is bad to be in a position where you only realise how deeply you are in shît when you're facing the Crime Fighters camera and answer to their two favourite questions:

1. Didn't you know that what you were doing was wrong?

2. What advice do you have for the youth?

this Nwodo guy is a typical Nigerian Politician, when things dont go their way, they invite the military. Yes things are bad, so Nwodo does not believe in the same democracy he professes, he cant mobilize his people like Mahatma Ghandi, cant sacrifice his life like Mandela, cant engage the government in legal tussles like Gani. he seeks the easy way; MILITARY intervention. He doesnt care about the consequences; the lives that may be lost and the years it will take to recover. Oh yes, as long as i cant have it, or things are not good, let every thing spoil. Yes damage it all, after all he may be made a minister when they take over. Nwodo needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Its for the likes of him that we are in this mess.

@mikeansy
Another take on Nwodo's story on Buhari
The Military has no right givin ultimatum to their commander in chief more so giving him the story of not being able to guarantee security or stability because of whatever. They follow orders pure and simple. Anything other than that is mutiny or insurbodination. it is a seroius crime. implying that or refering to such in the speech for justification of influencing politics was definitely out of order.

the comment was out of order but not an indictable offence

you arrest someone because you think they have committed an offence you could charge them to court for.

arrest is not a tool for intimidation but a first stage for charging someone to court for breaking the law.

speaking out of order is not breaking the law

anyone that still thinks that the worst civilian rule is better than the best military rule should pls have a rethink cos after almost a decade of dysfunctional democrazy or still democracy, am throwing that theory far away from our solar system.