What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
Nigerian In Law
Everett
Keke,
I can't confirm or refute the sacking rate at Everett, but the turnover there does seem to be high.
All the ex BHNL guys except two have moved on.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Cheers,
NEO
I can't confirm or refute the sacking rate at Everett, but the turnover there does seem to be high.
All the ex BHNL guys except two have moved on.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Cheers,
NEO
Last edited by Nigerian Expat Outlaw; 6th Jun 2014 at 18:57.
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Bristow Sending 20 Cadet Pilots to USA to Train
Akin Oni, managing director of Bristow helicopters Nigeria, has been advertising the company's efforts to get enough Nigerian pilots again. The company has more than 100 expatriate pilots and Nigerians leave to go to Caverton or oil companies, so how he is going to fulfil his talk from last time he spoke to the press and said all expatriates will be out by 2015 is difficult to see if just 20 Nigerians a year are going. It will also be interesting to see how the training at National College of Aviation Technology goes with all the problems in the north of our country. Last year when Bristow sent people up there for training, there was a curfew and all the Bristow people had to be evacuated by airplane and helicopter 
.
I wonder how much the training bond is now? Oni says the training costs $250,000 per student, but last I heard is that Bristow is asking their parents to sign a bond for N75,000,000 ($460,000).
NEO,
I talked to a friend who was working for CHC and he confirms what you said about Everett. I heard the people got sacked because the small helicopters barely fly, but also the company pays very poorly. I met one guy who went for an interview and said the pay was poor and almost nothing extra like Bristow pays. Guess I'll stay in Nigeria until something comes up, maybe with NHV Helicopters in a safer country than my own. Koen Neven, the former MD of Aero Contractors is their BU Manager in Ghana, so they should be doing quite well there.
.I wonder how much the training bond is now? Oni says the training costs $250,000 per student, but last I heard is that Bristow is asking their parents to sign a bond for N75,000,000 ($460,000).
Again, Bristow Helicopters, an operator in the oil and gas and aviation services, during the week, sponsored 20 Nigerians to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, for training in helicopter and subsequently more training at Bristow Academy in Florida, United States, for over $500 million.
Speaking at the pre-bond ceremony held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport office of the airline, Akin Oni, managing director of the company, said the gesture had become part of the company’s policy because “it prefers the services of Nigerians to expatriates due to the difference in cost.”
He disclosed that the 20 persons were keenly selected from 3,000 applicants, adding that they will eventually be divided into two groups to acquire initial commercial pilot training at Zaria and International College of Aviation in Ilorin.
Oni, who disclosed that the training for each of the cadet will cost $250,000, said Bristow was happy to be part of the growth in human capital in the aviation sector, saying “we have taken the extra step to increase the number of Nigerians we train. Today, we are sending 20 Nigerian students to get commercial pilot training in helicopter in Nigeria and the US. These students are extremely good with either first class or nearly first class in their fields. They will eventually go into training on the larger helicopter.
“The system that started 30 years ago has worked every well. It is not cheap, but this is our way of giving back to the society, it is like a requirement in giving back. We are limiting and replacing expatriates, we are now a global company, therefore, these students have become global materials, they can be required to fly anywhere, this gives confidence to those we recruit because they are not being tied, once you have the licence, you are a global person.”
The company has trained over 300 Nigerians running into millions of dollar, he said, adding that the aim was to continuously engage the services of Nigerians as against expatriates.
“We benefit a lot from the training because it is more competitive; I can replace an expatriate with a Nigerian, the difference is not in the pay but keeping an expatriate in Nigeria is much higher, you will pay both accommodation and look after their security yet they do the same thing as Nigerians. But until we have enough competent Nigerians, they may remain,” he said.
On why many Nigerian pilots are still in the labour market, Oni attributed inadequate flying hours, inability to pass competence tests, and low quality training as part of the reasons many indigenous pilots were unable to secure employment in the aviation sector.
The rising unemployment among young Nigerian pilots may be unchecked, because many young pilots do not have the mandatory 150 hours required of them to demonstrate command on any aircraft, he said, saying “it is either those Nigerians do not have the required flying hours or possess necessary qualifications to pass competent test.”
Meanwhile, parents of the cadets have signed bonds with the management of Bristow in order to prevent untoward event in the course of the training. The bond is to ensure that parents are responsible for their attitudes, especially when they are abroad.
“It becomes difficult to get visas when there is any misdemeanour, the parents give the confidence they require, they are able to put more pressure on them to be well behaved,” he said.
Speaking at the pre-bond ceremony held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport office of the airline, Akin Oni, managing director of the company, said the gesture had become part of the company’s policy because “it prefers the services of Nigerians to expatriates due to the difference in cost.”
He disclosed that the 20 persons were keenly selected from 3,000 applicants, adding that they will eventually be divided into two groups to acquire initial commercial pilot training at Zaria and International College of Aviation in Ilorin.
Oni, who disclosed that the training for each of the cadet will cost $250,000, said Bristow was happy to be part of the growth in human capital in the aviation sector, saying “we have taken the extra step to increase the number of Nigerians we train. Today, we are sending 20 Nigerian students to get commercial pilot training in helicopter in Nigeria and the US. These students are extremely good with either first class or nearly first class in their fields. They will eventually go into training on the larger helicopter.
“The system that started 30 years ago has worked every well. It is not cheap, but this is our way of giving back to the society, it is like a requirement in giving back. We are limiting and replacing expatriates, we are now a global company, therefore, these students have become global materials, they can be required to fly anywhere, this gives confidence to those we recruit because they are not being tied, once you have the licence, you are a global person.”
The company has trained over 300 Nigerians running into millions of dollar, he said, adding that the aim was to continuously engage the services of Nigerians as against expatriates.
“We benefit a lot from the training because it is more competitive; I can replace an expatriate with a Nigerian, the difference is not in the pay but keeping an expatriate in Nigeria is much higher, you will pay both accommodation and look after their security yet they do the same thing as Nigerians. But until we have enough competent Nigerians, they may remain,” he said.
On why many Nigerian pilots are still in the labour market, Oni attributed inadequate flying hours, inability to pass competence tests, and low quality training as part of the reasons many indigenous pilots were unable to secure employment in the aviation sector.
The rising unemployment among young Nigerian pilots may be unchecked, because many young pilots do not have the mandatory 150 hours required of them to demonstrate command on any aircraft, he said, saying “it is either those Nigerians do not have the required flying hours or possess necessary qualifications to pass competent test.”
Meanwhile, parents of the cadets have signed bonds with the management of Bristow in order to prevent untoward event in the course of the training. The bond is to ensure that parents are responsible for their attitudes, especially when they are abroad.
“It becomes difficult to get visas when there is any misdemeanour, the parents give the confidence they require, they are able to put more pressure on them to be well behaved,” he said.
I talked to a friend who was working for CHC and he confirms what you said about Everett. I heard the people got sacked because the small helicopters barely fly, but also the company pays very poorly. I met one guy who went for an interview and said the pay was poor and almost nothing extra like Bristow pays. Guess I'll stay in Nigeria until something comes up, maybe with NHV Helicopters in a safer country than my own. Koen Neven, the former MD of Aero Contractors is their BU Manager in Ghana, so they should be doing quite well there.
Nigerian In Law
Angola ?
Keke,
If you are set on leaving Nigeria and Ghana doesn't pan out, I hear Sonair are recruiting and from what people tell me the package is pretty good. Medical cover, pension, allowances, the whole nine yards.
Might be worth a look ?
Whatever you decide, good luck.
Cheers,
NEO
If you are set on leaving Nigeria and Ghana doesn't pan out, I hear Sonair are recruiting and from what people tell me the package is pretty good. Medical cover, pension, allowances, the whole nine yards.
Might be worth a look ?
Whatever you decide, good luck.
Cheers,
NEO
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Base Mgr PAAN resigns
Latest Information reaching the whispering palms of Escravos shores confirms that the PAAN Base Mgr, a long time Bristow pointy shoes has resigned and abandoned the sinking PAAN ship for another location in Nigeria. 
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One of the rumours I heard is that there may be no need for a new base manager at Agip as Bristow may pull out because of the old problem every company flying for Agip has - being owed huge sums of money for a long time 
. The Bristow contract is renewed every 2 or 3 weeks because NAPIMS wouldn't endorse the contract because no 'brown envelopes' were handed over to them 
.
. The Bristow contract is renewed every 2 or 3 weeks because NAPIMS wouldn't endorse the contract because no 'brown envelopes' were handed over to them .
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Superb Professionalism of Nigeria Army
Yet again the Nigerian army has given a superb example of its professionalism and it's easy to see why many ordinary people in northern Nigeria are more frightened of them than they are of Boko Haram
It's also a salutary lesson that democracy is more an illusion than a reality here.
When a Nigerian soldier on a motor bike had a collision with a bus rapid transit vehicle in Lagos on 4 July, the Nigeria army went on a rampage setting fire to buses, beating up hundreds of people and causing huge 'go-slows'. This only goes to show, that even though some people think that Lagos is safer than places like Port Harcourt and Warri, it would be only too easy for anybody driving in Lagos to get unwittingly involved in a dangerous situation
Soldiers Go On Rampage in Lagos
It's also a salutary lesson that democracy is more an illusion than a reality here.
When a Nigerian soldier on a motor bike had a collision with a bus rapid transit vehicle in Lagos on 4 July, the Nigeria army went on a rampage setting fire to buses, beating up hundreds of people and causing huge 'go-slows'. This only goes to show, that even though some people think that Lagos is safer than places like Port Harcourt and Warri, it would be only too easy for anybody driving in Lagos to get unwittingly involved in a dangerous situation
Stanley Azuakola: The Nigerian Army I saw today
First, an apology: I am sorry for all the times when despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I have tried to give the Nigerian Army the benefit of the doubt.
When satellite images released by Human Rights Watch showed the destruction in Bama last year after soldiers razed over 2000 homes, I still gave the benefit of the doubt. “What if we are wrong? Let’s support our military!” I told people.
I was touched but did not care much about the 32-year old fisherman interviewed by Human Rights Watch who said, “We had heard the soldiers say before the attack that since you people are not cooperating with us and are hiding your brothers, we will treat you as one of them. Everyone heard them say this. They were saying it in the open.”
That man lost his uncle who had a bad leg and could not escape when soldiers attacked and burnt the houses after a Boko Haram attack. But I still tried to make excuses.
Even when my Twitter friend, Salihu TankoYakasai (@dawisu) shared stories in April last year, claiming that soldiers in Kano have turned into “an even deadlier enemy than Boko Haram… and had become human exterminators,” I silently accused him of exaggerating. Somewhere in my mind, Bama and Maiduguri and Kano… were all too far for me.
In the last few months, I have become more critical of the army. After their ridiculous lie that they had released the abducted Chibok girls, and the back story which led to the mutiny at the Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, I knew my support could no longer be unconditional. I began to take anything the army said with a pinch of salt.
Today, I saw firsthand the Nigerian Army in action in Lagos… I have never seen anything like it in my life.
A soldier was knocked down and killed by a BRT bus in Lagos. Soldiers in army green stormed Ikorodu road where the buses ply and first thing they did was to close the road from Palmgrove where the accident reportedly happened. The closure immediately caused a massive traffic gridlock. But that was just the beginning.
The soldiers began attacking BRT buses on the road. They vandalised the buses, broke the glasses and windscreens, and deflated the tyres. I got a call about the incident and immediately went to see for myself.
The first scene that greeted me at Palmgrove was a journalist being viciously beaten by the soldiers. “Please I’m a journalist,” he kept saying, pleading with them. They did not care – a female soldier led that attack. The offence of that journalist was that he was bold enough to take photos of the vandalised buses. His ipad was seized and he was so badly brutalised that he had to be rushed to the hospital.
Soldiers demanded that Nigerian civilians passing along Palmgrove raise their two hands in the air, as though we are in a war situation. No one was permitted to hold his phone in his hand or receive a call. Not even those driving-by in their cars were spared. A young soldier slapped a man making a call inside a bus because he disobeyed an order he was not even aware of.
Things got even worse. Some of the onlookers told me that a senior officer came by and directed the soldiers on ground to burn the parked buses. I did not see that officer but I saw soldiers as they went into two nearby petrol filling stations, ordered the attendant to fill some kegs with petrol and carry it to a spot where one of the buses was parked. I watched as soldiers got into the bus and emptied the keg of fuel inside it right there by the side. Then they struck a match and it was in flames.
On either side of that burning bus, there was massive traffic and cars (including fuel tankers) were moving slowly. The soldiers did not care and commuters prayed as they moved past. They did not even have the luxury of turning back as the road was blocked.
I was there when a Peugeot car with a tinted glass and plate number NA-911934 arrived the scene and two young-looking officers stepped out. I do not know much about army ranks but a friend by my side saw their stars and cap and told me that one was a captain and the other a Lt-Colonel. I went close to see if I could get their names but they had removed their name tags of course. The other officers recognised the presence of their bosses with the usual greeting as the two men strutted calmly away from my spot.
I am sharing the entry of those officers because some people are currently trying to frame this story on social media as though it was something that was done by a few “disgruntled” soldiers in the rank and file. That is not and cannot be true. Those soldiers could not have been so bold to stay there for over 5 hours and all that time, there was not a call from their superiors asking them to desist. All of Lagos had heard the news, yet people who push this theory of a “few disgruntled soldiers” want us to believe that the bosses had not heard and could do nothing. That’s illogical!
At the Palmgrove bus stop, four BRT buses were parked, just in front of the MRS filling station. I saw a female soldier shout, “We suppose start one smoke from there.” I reached her and said, “Aunty please I beg, this is so close to the filling station, it might cause an explosion.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from this small, uniformless person: “If I send you slap ehn. Gerraway from here,” she told me, and I ‘gorrawayed.’
The soldiers got petrol, emptied it inside the middle bus and set it on fire. Before long, the four buses were on fire.
I and a few friends wanting to know the exact spot the incident happened, went to speak with security men guarding the entrance into the Palmgrove estate. They told us that they did not know what happened but that all of a sudden they saw a crowd rushing into their estate (the crowd was being chased by soldiers.) The guards quickly rushed to close the gates against the onrushing crowd. Apparently the soldiers believed that the BRT drivers had run into the estate and the guards were attempting to close the gates to shield them. They beat up the three elderly guards. One of them told us he had pains on his arms and legs, the other was still in shock, the last one was in the hospital.
We immediately left for the Ultima Medicare Clinic at 2A Cappa Avenue, Palmgrove where the third guard was admitted but we were denied entrance. According to them, “Chairman says it is an internal matter.”
By 1pm, when I left the scene, the soldiers were still there, most of them now seated in their Hilux vans with “OP MESA” written on them, others controlling the traffic, others seizing cameras, and others pushing back onlookers. Their colleague had died (some people I spoke to said the dead soldier was supposed to get married tomorrow and some said he was a colonel; I don’t believe either). Either way, he was gone. His colleagues will never see him again, but as I left, I noticed a group of soldiers, huddled together, laughing – it’s been a good day’s job. They had put the ‘fear of god in hapless civilians.’
On a final note, as I was writing this, I saw an update from Musiliu Obanikoro, the minister of state for defence (who was not at the scene), saying he has been briefed by the chief of army staff (who was not on the scene) that “some thugs in the area took advantage of the incident to wreak havoc and the military has taken necessary steps to restore peace and forestall further breakdown of law and order.” Obanikoro knows that he is lying, but he won’t stop – it’s just how they roll. Before there is even an investigation, there is already a cover-up.
I know that there are a few good men in our military and I thank them for all the times they have discharged their duties with uprightness and professionalism. But all over the country, it is now clear that there are certainly more lawless men in our army than responsible individuals. An army that believes in jungle justice is a perversion. The Army I saw today was not that glorious army which we used to rave about when they go on foreign missions and who people say are the most professional on the continent. The army I saw was a gang of buccaneers, a vicious rampaging locust-like evil on green that should be utterly ashamed of itself and that is in much need of a reform. But I am not hopeful.
First, an apology: I am sorry for all the times when despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I have tried to give the Nigerian Army the benefit of the doubt.
When satellite images released by Human Rights Watch showed the destruction in Bama last year after soldiers razed over 2000 homes, I still gave the benefit of the doubt. “What if we are wrong? Let’s support our military!” I told people.
I was touched but did not care much about the 32-year old fisherman interviewed by Human Rights Watch who said, “We had heard the soldiers say before the attack that since you people are not cooperating with us and are hiding your brothers, we will treat you as one of them. Everyone heard them say this. They were saying it in the open.”
That man lost his uncle who had a bad leg and could not escape when soldiers attacked and burnt the houses after a Boko Haram attack. But I still tried to make excuses.
Even when my Twitter friend, Salihu TankoYakasai (@dawisu) shared stories in April last year, claiming that soldiers in Kano have turned into “an even deadlier enemy than Boko Haram… and had become human exterminators,” I silently accused him of exaggerating. Somewhere in my mind, Bama and Maiduguri and Kano… were all too far for me.
In the last few months, I have become more critical of the army. After their ridiculous lie that they had released the abducted Chibok girls, and the back story which led to the mutiny at the Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, I knew my support could no longer be unconditional. I began to take anything the army said with a pinch of salt.
Today, I saw firsthand the Nigerian Army in action in Lagos… I have never seen anything like it in my life.
A soldier was knocked down and killed by a BRT bus in Lagos. Soldiers in army green stormed Ikorodu road where the buses ply and first thing they did was to close the road from Palmgrove where the accident reportedly happened. The closure immediately caused a massive traffic gridlock. But that was just the beginning.
The soldiers began attacking BRT buses on the road. They vandalised the buses, broke the glasses and windscreens, and deflated the tyres. I got a call about the incident and immediately went to see for myself.
The first scene that greeted me at Palmgrove was a journalist being viciously beaten by the soldiers. “Please I’m a journalist,” he kept saying, pleading with them. They did not care – a female soldier led that attack. The offence of that journalist was that he was bold enough to take photos of the vandalised buses. His ipad was seized and he was so badly brutalised that he had to be rushed to the hospital.
Soldiers demanded that Nigerian civilians passing along Palmgrove raise their two hands in the air, as though we are in a war situation. No one was permitted to hold his phone in his hand or receive a call. Not even those driving-by in their cars were spared. A young soldier slapped a man making a call inside a bus because he disobeyed an order he was not even aware of.
Things got even worse. Some of the onlookers told me that a senior officer came by and directed the soldiers on ground to burn the parked buses. I did not see that officer but I saw soldiers as they went into two nearby petrol filling stations, ordered the attendant to fill some kegs with petrol and carry it to a spot where one of the buses was parked. I watched as soldiers got into the bus and emptied the keg of fuel inside it right there by the side. Then they struck a match and it was in flames.
On either side of that burning bus, there was massive traffic and cars (including fuel tankers) were moving slowly. The soldiers did not care and commuters prayed as they moved past. They did not even have the luxury of turning back as the road was blocked.
I was there when a Peugeot car with a tinted glass and plate number NA-911934 arrived the scene and two young-looking officers stepped out. I do not know much about army ranks but a friend by my side saw their stars and cap and told me that one was a captain and the other a Lt-Colonel. I went close to see if I could get their names but they had removed their name tags of course. The other officers recognised the presence of their bosses with the usual greeting as the two men strutted calmly away from my spot.
I am sharing the entry of those officers because some people are currently trying to frame this story on social media as though it was something that was done by a few “disgruntled” soldiers in the rank and file. That is not and cannot be true. Those soldiers could not have been so bold to stay there for over 5 hours and all that time, there was not a call from their superiors asking them to desist. All of Lagos had heard the news, yet people who push this theory of a “few disgruntled soldiers” want us to believe that the bosses had not heard and could do nothing. That’s illogical!
At the Palmgrove bus stop, four BRT buses were parked, just in front of the MRS filling station. I saw a female soldier shout, “We suppose start one smoke from there.” I reached her and said, “Aunty please I beg, this is so close to the filling station, it might cause an explosion.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from this small, uniformless person: “If I send you slap ehn. Gerraway from here,” she told me, and I ‘gorrawayed.’
The soldiers got petrol, emptied it inside the middle bus and set it on fire. Before long, the four buses were on fire.
I and a few friends wanting to know the exact spot the incident happened, went to speak with security men guarding the entrance into the Palmgrove estate. They told us that they did not know what happened but that all of a sudden they saw a crowd rushing into their estate (the crowd was being chased by soldiers.) The guards quickly rushed to close the gates against the onrushing crowd. Apparently the soldiers believed that the BRT drivers had run into the estate and the guards were attempting to close the gates to shield them. They beat up the three elderly guards. One of them told us he had pains on his arms and legs, the other was still in shock, the last one was in the hospital.
We immediately left for the Ultima Medicare Clinic at 2A Cappa Avenue, Palmgrove where the third guard was admitted but we were denied entrance. According to them, “Chairman says it is an internal matter.”
By 1pm, when I left the scene, the soldiers were still there, most of them now seated in their Hilux vans with “OP MESA” written on them, others controlling the traffic, others seizing cameras, and others pushing back onlookers. Their colleague had died (some people I spoke to said the dead soldier was supposed to get married tomorrow and some said he was a colonel; I don’t believe either). Either way, he was gone. His colleagues will never see him again, but as I left, I noticed a group of soldiers, huddled together, laughing – it’s been a good day’s job. They had put the ‘fear of god in hapless civilians.’
On a final note, as I was writing this, I saw an update from Musiliu Obanikoro, the minister of state for defence (who was not at the scene), saying he has been briefed by the chief of army staff (who was not on the scene) that “some thugs in the area took advantage of the incident to wreak havoc and the military has taken necessary steps to restore peace and forestall further breakdown of law and order.” Obanikoro knows that he is lying, but he won’t stop – it’s just how they roll. Before there is even an investigation, there is already a cover-up.
I know that there are a few good men in our military and I thank them for all the times they have discharged their duties with uprightness and professionalism. But all over the country, it is now clear that there are certainly more lawless men in our army than responsible individuals. An army that believes in jungle justice is a perversion. The Army I saw today was not that glorious army which we used to rave about when they go on foreign missions and who people say are the most professional on the continent. The army I saw was a gang of buccaneers, a vicious rampaging locust-like evil on green that should be utterly ashamed of itself and that is in much need of a reform. But I am not hopeful.
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It looks like our government is losing the battle everywhere and that the fuel depot explosion in Apapa on 25 June was not actually caused by a gas bottle exploding and there were 4 people killed. The government is trying to cover up the fact that the explosion was actually caused by an IED AFP and Control Risks International have both investigated the blast and revealed that it was, in fact, a deliberate bombing, though not necessarily by Boko Haram. Is nowhere in our country safe any more? 
AFP and Control Risks International have both investigated the blast and revealed that it was, in fact, a deliberate bombing, though not necessarily by Boko Haram. Is nowhere in our country safe any more?
The federal government, while battling to stem an escalating Islamist insurgency, covered up a bomb attack in the financial capital Lagos by claiming a blast near a major fuel depot was an industrial accident, according to an AFP investigation.
The explosion ripped through an area of Nigeria’s biggest city on June 25, just hours after a suspected Boko Haram car bombing in the administrative capital Abuja, which killed 21 people and stoked fresh fears that the group’s deadly campaign was spreading.
The Lagos blast in the Apapa area, on a main road feeding Nigeria’s busiest port and in an area housing most of the city’s fuel depots, was blamed on a cooking gas cylinder which exploded, with no casualties.
But the photographs of the scene showed a destroyed car plus damage to surrounding vehicles, which the British army’s former head of bomb disposal said left no doubt as to the cause.
After reviewing the images, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and a specialist in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Bob Seddon, said: “This was definitely an incident involving the use of high explosives.”
The former Royal Logistics Corps colonel said: “The type of blast effects and fragmentation pattern you would get from a gas explosion are quite different,” assessing that 25-50 kilos (55-110 pounds) of improvised high explosive were used.
Senior foreign diplomats also indicated privately that the blast was deliberate, attributing the official denials to fears over the potential effects of a confirmed first attack on Lagos, which drives the country’s economy.
The first suggestions of an attack appeared on social networking sites after 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) on June 25 and in local media the following day but failed to gain wider attention because of government denials and the focus on the deadly Abuja bombing.
Flat denials or no comment from the government are not uncommon in Nigeria, particularly involving Boko Haram, whose five-year insurgency has intensified in the North-east and seen almost daily attacks.
But questions have lingered about the Apapa incident because Lagos, in the South-west of the country, has so far escaped the violence.
Lagos is home to about 20 million people as well as major overseas companies in key sectors such as oil and gas. The city is also seen as a gateway to trade in the wider west Africa region.
There has been no claim of responsibility and Lagos State police have launched an investigation.
The Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mike Omeri, who deals with homeland security issues, said the probe would “look at all issues… whether it is IEDs, car bombings or accidents.”
Political and security consultants Control Risks, which has an office in Lagos, said the Apapa blast was a bombing that killed at least four people, according to a briefing note seen that it sent to foreign business and government clients.
“Drawing on eyewitness sources, Control Risks assesses that the incident was a militant attack rather than an industrial accident,” the group’s senior West Africa analyst, Roddy Barclay, said in a separate interview.
Since June 25, the Lagos State government has ordered tighter security at key fuel and infrastructure installations, and beefed up state hospitals’ capacity to deal with mass casualty emergencies.
The state Commissioner for Health Jide Idris, said measures included increasing blood stocks and buying new ambulances as well as putting all emergency units on stand-by.
But he maintained the measures were only because of the countrywide state of alert.
Seddon’s analysis and Control Risks’ assessment chimed with the accounts of seven eye-witnesses, who all said independently that there were two explosions.
The first happened in and around the gates of the Folawiyo fuel depot on Creek Road while the second minutes later when a Toyota Sienna people carrier exploded in the road nearby, they said.
“I was on duty that night,” said security guard Samuel George. “All of a sudden, we heard a loud explosion and we quickly shut the gate… Some minutes later, a car that was parked in the middle of the road exploded.
“My colleague and I were hit by broken pieces of metal from the car. I had a deep cut on my face and head and since then have not been able to work. Many people were killed, including those I knew,” the 25-year-old added.
Another local worker added: “I don’t know why the government is lying. The explosions were nothing short of bombings.”
Claims that the first explosion was caused by a female suicide bomber could not be verified with certainty.
The head of the Yinka Folawiyo Group of Companies, which runs the fuel depot, had denied that the blast happened inside the facility and dismissed reports of fatalities, according to local media.
A US government official said Boko Haram had the “operational reach to get to Lagos” but only Control Risks has so far directly linked the bombing to the group.
But Barclay qualified: “The incident is likely to have been staged by a local Islamist network rather than being planned and coordinated by Boko Haram’s core leadership in the North-east.”
Local groups had more parochial agendas, he added.
Further attacks were credible, probably on “soft targets”, but the bombing did not necessarily signal the start of a “sustained insurgency” in Lagos, he said.
The explosion ripped through an area of Nigeria’s biggest city on June 25, just hours after a suspected Boko Haram car bombing in the administrative capital Abuja, which killed 21 people and stoked fresh fears that the group’s deadly campaign was spreading.
The Lagos blast in the Apapa area, on a main road feeding Nigeria’s busiest port and in an area housing most of the city’s fuel depots, was blamed on a cooking gas cylinder which exploded, with no casualties.
But the photographs of the scene showed a destroyed car plus damage to surrounding vehicles, which the British army’s former head of bomb disposal said left no doubt as to the cause.
After reviewing the images, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and a specialist in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Bob Seddon, said: “This was definitely an incident involving the use of high explosives.”
The former Royal Logistics Corps colonel said: “The type of blast effects and fragmentation pattern you would get from a gas explosion are quite different,” assessing that 25-50 kilos (55-110 pounds) of improvised high explosive were used.
Senior foreign diplomats also indicated privately that the blast was deliberate, attributing the official denials to fears over the potential effects of a confirmed first attack on Lagos, which drives the country’s economy.
The first suggestions of an attack appeared on social networking sites after 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) on June 25 and in local media the following day but failed to gain wider attention because of government denials and the focus on the deadly Abuja bombing.
Flat denials or no comment from the government are not uncommon in Nigeria, particularly involving Boko Haram, whose five-year insurgency has intensified in the North-east and seen almost daily attacks.
But questions have lingered about the Apapa incident because Lagos, in the South-west of the country, has so far escaped the violence.
Lagos is home to about 20 million people as well as major overseas companies in key sectors such as oil and gas. The city is also seen as a gateway to trade in the wider west Africa region.
There has been no claim of responsibility and Lagos State police have launched an investigation.
The Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mike Omeri, who deals with homeland security issues, said the probe would “look at all issues… whether it is IEDs, car bombings or accidents.”
Political and security consultants Control Risks, which has an office in Lagos, said the Apapa blast was a bombing that killed at least four people, according to a briefing note seen that it sent to foreign business and government clients.
“Drawing on eyewitness sources, Control Risks assesses that the incident was a militant attack rather than an industrial accident,” the group’s senior West Africa analyst, Roddy Barclay, said in a separate interview.
Since June 25, the Lagos State government has ordered tighter security at key fuel and infrastructure installations, and beefed up state hospitals’ capacity to deal with mass casualty emergencies.
The state Commissioner for Health Jide Idris, said measures included increasing blood stocks and buying new ambulances as well as putting all emergency units on stand-by.
But he maintained the measures were only because of the countrywide state of alert.
Seddon’s analysis and Control Risks’ assessment chimed with the accounts of seven eye-witnesses, who all said independently that there were two explosions.
The first happened in and around the gates of the Folawiyo fuel depot on Creek Road while the second minutes later when a Toyota Sienna people carrier exploded in the road nearby, they said.
“I was on duty that night,” said security guard Samuel George. “All of a sudden, we heard a loud explosion and we quickly shut the gate… Some minutes later, a car that was parked in the middle of the road exploded.
“My colleague and I were hit by broken pieces of metal from the car. I had a deep cut on my face and head and since then have not been able to work. Many people were killed, including those I knew,” the 25-year-old added.
Another local worker added: “I don’t know why the government is lying. The explosions were nothing short of bombings.”
Claims that the first explosion was caused by a female suicide bomber could not be verified with certainty.
The head of the Yinka Folawiyo Group of Companies, which runs the fuel depot, had denied that the blast happened inside the facility and dismissed reports of fatalities, according to local media.
A US government official said Boko Haram had the “operational reach to get to Lagos” but only Control Risks has so far directly linked the bombing to the group.
But Barclay qualified: “The incident is likely to have been staged by a local Islamist network rather than being planned and coordinated by Boko Haram’s core leadership in the North-east.”
Local groups had more parochial agendas, he added.
Further attacks were credible, probably on “soft targets”, but the bombing did not necessarily signal the start of a “sustained insurgency” in Lagos, he said.
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Our troops are losing the battle against Boko Haram and if this continues, the terrorists will surely start pushing further south. Boko Haram recaptured 45 of 63 women who managed to escape 3 days ago. Now the Nigerian army has taken heavy casualties in tis bid to recapture Damboa military base from the insurgents who over-ran it a few days ago. The army sent in more than 200 troops, but they were ambushed by the militants who had dug a trench and were lying in wait. At least 15 soldiers were killed and scores injured in the operation and the survivors were angry that they were sent on an operation against an enemy who had more firepower than they did. Boko Haram are known to have increased their weapons arsenal after the fighting in CAR brought many new weapons across the border via northern Cameroon.
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Considering there have been whisperings of Senior Military and even Cabinet level involvement with Boko Haram, I am hardly surprised they are making inroads.
Factor in that the Military has done nothing to endear themselves to non-BH civilians with their overhanded tactics and it starts to become no surprise that soon the North will be controlled by BH and Nigeria will be a country divided.
Factor in that the Military has done nothing to endear themselves to non-BH civilians with their overhanded tactics and it starts to become no surprise that soon the North will be controlled by BH and Nigeria will be a country divided.
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Interesting to see if the latest 2 announcements from the Nigerian centre of aviation excellence, Caver....... are related
With effect from 1 August Captain Josiah Chomsky is appointed Managing Director. Apparently he was a training captain with Bristow (why did he leave them again?). Apparently his degree from Oxford is in fact a Doctorate from the University of Wales
Captain Charles de Mannoury, who is on leave will not be returning and is being replaced as Director of Flight Operations by Captain Pato Agbonlahor
With effect from 1 August Captain Josiah Chomsky is appointed Managing Director. Apparently he was a training captain with Bristow (why did he leave them again?). Apparently his degree from Oxford is in fact a Doctorate from the University of Wales
Captain Charles de Mannoury, who is on leave will not be returning and is being replaced as Director of Flight Operations by Captain Pato Agbonlahor
Nigerian AF Mi-35 crash
A NIGERIAN Air Force Mi-35 Helicopter on a training mission on Monday afternoon, crashed due to technical fault at a location in South of Bama.
According to a press release signed by Major-General Chris Kolade, Director Defence Information, investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances that led to the accident. He said that the crash is not as a result of any enemy action. Further details on the crash will be made known as investigation progresses.
According to a press release signed by Major-General Chris Kolade, Director Defence Information, investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances that led to the accident. He said that the crash is not as a result of any enemy action. Further details on the crash will be made known as investigation progresses.
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Peppersoup,
As far as I know, aero has fires seven pilots in the past two weeks. NNPC wants to sell the helicopters which belong to them.
I think aero has only one contract and the other jobs are charter and vip movements...
As far as I know, aero has fires seven pilots in the past two weeks. NNPC wants to sell the helicopters which belong to them.
I think aero has only one contract and the other jobs are charter and vip movements...
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It's worrying that the Liberian man who arrived in Lagos on an Asky flight last weekend has died in a private hospital. Our government has said that it has put all airports on red alert and has traced all the other passengers who were on the flight and is monitoring them, but I have no faith that this is the case.
According to our own government figures there may now be as many as 21 million people in Lagos and most of the city is terribly overcrowded. It doesn't help that our government doctors are all on strike. What happens if more cases are found - will our expensive (and not very good) private hospitals wasn't to have any Ebola cases there and risk being quarantined by the government. I just hope that there will be no more cases in Nigeria as this is a terrible disease with a very high mortality rate.
According to our own government figures there may now be as many as 21 million people in Lagos and most of the city is terribly overcrowded. It doesn't help that our government doctors are all on strike. What happens if more cases are found - will our expensive (and not very good) private hospitals wasn't to have any Ebola cases there and risk being quarantined by the government. I just hope that there will be no more cases in Nigeria as this is a terrible disease with a very high mortality rate.
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It's worrying that the Liberian man who arrived in Lagos on an Asky flight last weekend has died in a private hospital. Our government has said that it has put all airports on red alert and has traced all the other passengers who were on the flight and is monitoring them, but I have no faith that this is the case.
According to our own government figures there may now be as many as 21 million people in Lagos and most of the city is terribly overcrowded. It doesn't help that our government doctors are all on strike. What happens if more cases are found - will our expensive (and not very good) private hospitals wasn't to have any Ebola cases there and risk being quarantined by the government. I just hope that there will be no more cases in Nigeria as this is a terrible disease with a very high mortality rate.
According to our own government figures there may now be as many as 21 million people in Lagos and most of the city is terribly overcrowded. It doesn't help that our government doctors are all on strike. What happens if more cases are found - will our expensive (and not very good) private hospitals wasn't to have any Ebola cases there and risk being quarantined by the government. I just hope that there will be no more cases in Nigeria as this is a terrible disease with a very high mortality rate.