Nigeria: SSS reports provisional findings on UN bomb

The State Security Services (SSS) have released a statement on their findings regarding the bombing of the UN office complex in the federal capital Abuja on 26th August.

According to the statement, released by SSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar, “On 18th of August 2011, precise intelligence was obtained by this Service that some Boko Haram elements were on a mission to attack unspecified targets in Abuja”.

According to the statement, on 21st August at around 1300 hours, a joint operation by all security services had led to the arrest of two Boko Haram leaders now believed to be involved in planning the bombing, namely Babagana Ismail Kwaljima (a.k.a Abu Summaya) and Babagana Mali (a.k.a Bulama). However, their detention was not sufficient to prevent the attack five days later.

According to the SSS, the men are currently being held at a military facility and have made “valuable statements”.

Further investigation by security agents confirmed reports that Al-Qa'ida has made incursions into the Boko Haram sect. According to the SSS, the mastermind of the UN bomb blast is one Mamman Nur, described as “a notorious Boko Haram element with Al-Qa'ida links who recently returned from Somalia”.

Nur, who has been declared 'wanted' is said to have worked in concert with two other suspects in masterminding the bomb blast.

The UN complex, which is located in the high security diplomatic area of Abuja, was bombed at around 10.45 on 26th August by a suspected suicide bomber or bombers, who apparently drove through the exit barriers of the building in an explosives-laden SUV, and into the front office wall of the building, setting off the explosives.

So far, 23 people have been confirmed dead in the blast, 18 of whom died at the scene, with the other five dying in hospital later. Thirty-two victims are still receiving treatment.

The UN has confirmed that ten of the dead were UN staff, and nine of them were Nigerians. The US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been drafted in by the UN to assist and lead the investigations into the bombing. According to UN Under-Secretary for Safety and Security Gregory Starr, the investigation nevertheless remains under the control of the Nigerian government.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Selection of President Jonathan's new government is ongoing

The process of nominating, screening and confirming the men and women who will make up President Goodluck Jonathan's new government and team of advisers is ongoing.

The president has sent six more names of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening, bringing the tally of ministerial nominees – including those already confirmed and sworn in as ministers – to 40. He has also communicated to the House of Representatives that he will be appointing around 30 presidential advisers.

There is talk that a couple more names will be communicated to the Senate for screening as potential ministers.

Prominent among the names sent is that of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Managing Director of the World Bank, who arrived in Nigeria a few days ago to hammer out the terms of her return to government and to undergo the mandatory screening by the State Security Services (SSS).

On 6th July, the former finance minister appeared before the Senate for the final phase of the process. She sailed through, was confirmed by the Senate and is expected to be sworn in as a minister in the coming days.

All the indications are that Okonjo-Iweala will resume her previous role. She served as Minister of Finance under the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a surprise move, the president has withdrawn the nomination of Tonye Cole, one of the founding members of the Sahara Energy Group, as the ministerial nominee for Rivers State. Cole, an architect by training whose father Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole was an adviser to Obasanjo, was tipped to be appointed to the Ministry of Works, either as the Minister or Minister of State (junior minister).

No explanation was given for the withdrawal of Cole's name but his nomination as the Rivers State nominee has been replaced with that of Ama Pepple, the former Head of Service at the Federal Civil Service.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates