CHRISTMAS DAY DIAPER-BOMBER, ARREST THE SENIOR MUTALLAB TOO!

It is either the father with the family was fully detached from their terrorist-son or they were totally and completely disinterested in all his activities. Remember terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab had earlier complained bitterly about being lonely in this wide world? Any parent who while still maintaining a close relationship with a 23 year old terrorist-son, sponsoring and providing him with more money than he reasonably needed, and allegedly 'not knowing the where-about of that son' while continuously still making available to him, more funds, is not telling the world the whole truth and all that they really knew about that son.

If the son was not reachable, why did the elder Mutallab not close his bank accounts to force him to return home to seek further financial aid, assistance and support directly from him? If his son became so radicalized, at what point did he become aware of it, to have reported it to the authorities in the last six months? It is our conclusion that the elder Mutallab is not telling the whole truth and should be taken in upon arrival in the US for further questioning and interrogation. Whatever questioning he probably went through in Nigeria cannot be detailed enough because of who he is, as deference to him will be uppermost in the minds of his interrogators there in Nigeria, to get at the meat in the bone. But unlike in the United Sates where his status will not necessarily be of an over-riding importance and of much influence, he will likely be more cooperative with his interrogators here. Therefore, Icheoku urges that the senior Alhaji Dr. Umaru Mutallab be arrested for further questioning, upon his forthcoming entering in the United States of America to witness his son's terrorism trial. Only his arrest and interrogation in America, a land that will not be intimidated by his status, will really bring out all that he possibly knows and force him to speak up truthfully and in full about his complicity in his terrorist-son's crime against the people of America.

Further the veracity of the Nigerian Information Minister Dora Akunyili that terrorist Umar Farouk Mutallab spent only 27 minutes in Nigeria on transit from Ghana to Amsterdam to Detroit is somewhat suspect in view of known aviation practices and requirements. Now the Nigerian airports authorities have come forward to debunk such a wide-eyed claim by Dora Akunyili as being ridiculous. According to them, "Akunyili's statement shows that she is ignorant of airport procedures, as they would never have permitted anyone arriving on an airline from Accra, Ghana or anywhere else, to board an international bound flight within such short period of his arrival at the airport - 27minutes? Continuing, "under current practice, most passengers traveling outside Nigeria are required to arrive at the airport several hours before departure. A KLM staff also said that their check-in counter usually closes about one hour before departure to enable passenger go through airport checks and screening before boarding." So Icheoku asks, in view of these established facts, how credible then was Dora Akunyili's claim that terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab spent only 27 minutes at Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos before departing to Detroit via Amsterdam? It is either she is deliberately covering up for another Nigeria's lapse or for the senior Mutallab or something else; but this her tales by the moonlight is not adding up. This is an angle the American authorities should probe further to reconcile this disparity in narrative, and why terrorist Umar Farouk was 'specifically' allowed to board a plane out of Nigeria within just only 27 minutes of his arrival?

The convoluted story of terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab becomes more complicated with the civil aviation authorities in Ghana now denying the claims that Farouk stayed in Ghana before he surfaced in Lagos for that journey of infamy to Detroit through Amsterdam. Therefore, where was this son of a bitch hibernating between December 7th 2009 when he left Yemen through Ethiopia to December 24 when he left Nigeria for United States of America's Detroit via Amsterdam. It can only be with his parents/family or he was holed up in a hotel somewhere with his father's provided funds. Icheoku believes that with proper interrogation of the elder Mutallab that the truth will certainly come out and hence our advocacy that he be arrested upon arrival in the United States for his son's coming terrorism trial. Somebody is not telling the whole truth here, not the Nigerian authorities, not the elder Mutallab and not anyone connected with this saga so far. We have earlier advocated for the firing of the American ambassador to Nigeria for not cancelling the visa of this terrorist upon being alerted by his father of his changed behavior and terrorist tendencies!

According to available reports, the Mutallab clan will soon be heading to the United States to be with their terrorist-son, in solidarity, during his trial? Icheoku wonders why they have not since denounced and disowned him for what he did, assuming they are truly innocent and ashamed of what he did? Why would they come to support a terrorist if they are not in denial or believe that their son did not do what he is accused of doing? The only explanation is that they do not really feel that attempting to blow up an American airline over Detroit is a sufficient terrorist act; otherwise why is the associated shame and odium not enough to keep them far away from his trial and in hiding in some remote place in Funtua, Kastina sharia Northern Nigeria? The theory of parent's love for a child does not fly with Icheoku as they allowed their son to grow into the monster he became and could not account for his where-about several months before the terrorist incident. So, what parent's love for a child are we talking about with these Mutallabs shamelessly coming to Detroit to witness their son's trial for his attempted terrorist incident of blowing up a United States airliner? The simple solution, arrest them upon arrival and make them yield whatever information they may be withholding from the authorities.

Our position is that if a driver of a terrorist could be arrested for the acts of his master, why not arrest the father of a terrorist for providing financial support for his terrorist son? It is the right thing to do and any other thing short of his arrest and interrogation here in the United States will not favor the war on terrorism. The elder Mutallab is by necessary implication a sponsor of terrorism and should be held to account for his commission or omission with regard to his son's terrorist act of December 25, 2009. It is a widely known fact that sharia Northern Nigeria, the birthplace of the Mutallabs, is a region of Nigeria with phenomenal growth of radical Muslim extremism, terrorism and bloody violence which manifests regularly as religious riots and continuing till this day.

If according to the tale being told by the elder Mutallab that the where-about of his son was unknown to him and that "his son hadn't lived in London for some time and that he wasn't sure exactly where he went to after London", Icheoku asks at what point did he know of these facts and what did he do about that? He allegedly reported his son's disappearing act six months prior to his terrorism act, but are there proof of this his reportage; and why didn't the elder Mutallab address a world press conference in addition to solicit everyone to help him wrangle in his now fully grown terrorist-son before the damage of December 25? The recalling question is, after the alleged report he made, what other necessary steps were taken by him to prevent and forestall the haranguing December 25 near miss over Detroit, United States of America. These are some of the issues that need some further clarification and only his arrest and interrogation in America can yield the desired answers; therefore Icheoku says, let Dr. Umaru Mutallab be arrested upon his arrival in the United States of America for interrogation!

This piece was written in collaboration with Jules Chuku.

"COUNTRIES OF INTEREST", NIGERIA NOW OFFICIALLY A TERRORIST STATE?

Regrettably, the Northern Nigerian Fulani Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab has succeeded in tarnishing Nigeria's image further, adding another dishonorable epitaph to it, - a terrorist country? Yes, A terrorist country; regardless of the subterfuge of a "country of interest" it has been branded by the United States Transport Security Administration, TSA. We all know when a person is suspected of a crime, he is initially branded a 'person of interest' while evidence is being gathered with eyes kept on him/her, only to be arrested as soon as warrant is perfected; thus a person of interest most always, graduates into a suspect. So cutting through the chase, Icheoku laments that Nigeria is now a terrorist country!

It is for all intent and purpose, practically speaking, FINISHED for the Nigerian travelling public; especially the innocent youth that desperately need to escape the hardship in the country for a better life anywhere, a hardship brought about by series of inept leaderships which the country has been cursed with and for so many years. Henceforth, many countries will be very reluctant to take in a Nigeria as no country wants to take in a potential terror-suspect; and added to the existing bad raps which Nigeria already have as a country of 419ners, drug-traffickers and epidemically very corrupt; this additional appendage of terrorism will be just too burdensome to grapple with.

The American Transportation Security Administration just announced that it will begin enhanced screening procedures immediately on any U.S.-bound air passenger traveling through "state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest" such as Pakistan, Yemen and Nigeria!

The implication being that anyone from or originating his trip from any of these countries will automatically trigger 'enhanced screening' of that person's body before he/she could board any United States of America bound flight. Who knows what 'enhanced screening' will entail, but suffice it to say, it may be very intrusive! The other countries in this league of 'terror-nations' include Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. Icheoku says, what an unholy alliance and a despicable club of detestable countries for Nigeria to also belong; at a time when one thinks it is already very bad for Nigeria, now comes the whammy of terrorism, the mother of all things bad and loathsome! May God damn this Umaru Farouk Abdul Mutallab for bringing this global odium on Nigeria with his Christmas day terrorism, which has been described as "a Christmas gift to Nigeria which nobody wanted."

Anyway, a quick fix and possible way out of this very bad situation would be for travelling Nigerians to denounce their citizenship immediately and take new citizenship elsewhere? They should try and lose the green passport and take their newly adoptive country's as fast as possible; and also route their subsequent future trips through Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, South Africa or just any other country that does not sound Nigeria? They should as a matter of utmost urgency, avoid originating their flights out of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt? That way they will be spared the impending, demeaning and possibly very dehumanising "strip-search" they will encounter at any airport in the world, assuming they are lucky enough to secure a visa to even travel henceforth. Alternatively, the Nigerians authorities, since they cannot deny complete liability, should instead petition the American State Department to nudge their TSA to streamline the 'enhanced screening' of Nigerian travellers and confine it to people from the Islamic sharia Northern Nigeria only. These are the people that gave the world, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab and the same people who have suffered Nigeria with so many terrorist religious riots over the years since 1960? Nigeria as a country has suffered enough in the hands of these Hausa-Fulani terrorists from Northern Nigeria, through their usually unprovoked religious riots which have killed and maimed thousands, destroyed properties worth billions and which have terrorised millions of people of southern Nigeria. Icheoku asks, why must the people of Southern Nigerians and Christians alike, now suffer as a result of the Islamic North's infamy of terrorism?

Traveling as a Nigeria has now taken on an added burden of being a 'potential terror-suspect' or a 'terror-person of interest?' It is no longer advised to travel as a Nigerian to any part of the world, all courtesy of the Northern Nigerian Fulani diaper-bomber, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, who has by necessary implication, damaged every travelling Nigerians as a terrorism persons of interest? What a tag of shame! Cry thy beloved country, Nigerians; if only Alan Quaterman knew better and designated his work on Nigeria? Icheoku says, it shall not be well with you, Umar Abdul Farouk Mutallab.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010, HURRAY!

Icheoku wishes you, our numerous fans, visitors, commentators, followers, critics, contributors, readers and occasional drop-ins, a memorable 2010. Like the fireworks, may your new year be bright and vivacious; and may you find in the year that just arrived, whatever you are looking for that is positive and enriching.

We specially thank you for finding our portal a rendezvous of some sort, interesting and worthy of your precious time in an e-world with millions of other blog-sites, competing for your attention! If only you know how much we value your visits and contributions; they mean so much to us and encourage us to continue doing what we do, made fully aware that someone, somewhere, looks forward to clicking www.icheoku.com at a certain point each day to see what our thoughts are on a given subject. You are the reason we write; and we always have you on the back of our mind as we labor through stringing two sentences together to bring to you our almost daily commentaries. For this, we remain gratefully indebted, thank you!

Icheoku wants to remind you that the people who make it possible for us to continue to bring our thoughts across to you, our advertisers, count on your continued patronage of their products to continue placing their advertisement on your favorite blog-sites, www.icheoku.com! Therefore we encourage and beseech you to continue in the new year to also, check in on their products placements on our website, and buy and use them regularly. That way, the trickle-down economics makes it possible for our team to continue to bring Icheoku to you, fresh and crisp as ever! Once again, may the new year 2010 be all it can be for you, your family and friends! All the best.

From our family to yours, happy new year friends!

Signed: Icheoku Ebekuo J.M.A.

Facilitator@Icheoku.com

DORA AKUNYILI, A SLY MEGAPHONE OF A 'TERRORIST' COUNTRY IN DENIAL?

What a logic on its head that 'because Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab acted alone and chose Yemen for his terrorist-proficiency training, therefore, Nigerians are not terrorists and al-Queida has no base in Nigeria? Icheoku says, all Pakistanis are not enjoying full membership of the Taliban or al-Queida in Pakistan, yet it is a known terrorist state? Afghanistan too, not all Afghans blow things up, yet one cannot mention terrorism without firing off Afghanistan in one's brain? Even the Kingdom of Saud that gave the world 19 out of the 20 9/11 terrorists have some good non-extremists among their population. Somalia and Yemen inclusive, their functioning part are equally made of good people. So every Nigerian must not necessarily attempt to blow up a United States of America bound Delta airplane from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport for Nigeria to be tagged a terrorist state, period; and it does not matter what the authorities in Abuja would rather have, the decision is the world's to make and they have made it.

The gist of the catastrophe that was December 25 is that a Katsina sharia State of Islamic Northern Nigeria Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab became a finger that was dipped in oil which unfortunately have now soiled the rest of the fingers called Nigerians; and no amount of adumbration or wishful thinking will ever wash this stigma away and not this soon. It did not happen with 419 tagging; it did not happen with corruption notoriety; it did not happen with a known transit for narcotics and illicit drugs dealing; so why does any Nigerian with some modicum of sanity, now think and wish this latest case of terrorism is going to simply and quietly go away or vanish into the thin air? May be in their dreamland or such Nigerians are in a deep sleep and dreaming of a situation which they would rather have; instead of the one they are now saddled with. It is called reality check and Nigeria's have been checked in the terrorism column. Nigerians unlike many other more rational peoples the world who cope with whatever card nature deals them and sometimes use it to improve what is; only live in a wishful thinking state, without taking any proactive steps to fix what was or is broken. Perhaps, in this case, may be a good thing might come out of it as Nigerian officials have now pledged to install full body scanning machines at their airports. Icheoku says, provided it is not one of their usual white-elephant abandoned projects, such measure if it becomes a reality will be the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone. Those petty drug peddlers who swallow latex capsules of heroin and cocaine will then come to realize that it is game over for their nefarious trade; as these machines will also have the capability of spotting their ingested cargo of death. So may be, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab terrorism has inadvertently and unknowingly, helped Nigeria to deal with its ever intractable drug-peddling by ingestion. How about that for something positive out of a very really bad situation which have summarily baptised Nigerians as potential terrorists?

Icheoku listened in on an interview Nigerian Information Minster, Madam Re-branding Dora Akunyili granted one foreign news service, a few days ago, about the current terrorism of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab and its invariable link to Nigeria. According to her responses, there is no terrorism in Nigeria; Nigeria is not a terrorist country; there is no al-Queida base or bases in Nigeria; there is no terrorists living in Nigeria; that the CCTV at Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos captured "every move of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab from his entry to departure at the airport and that there is no evidence Umar Farouk Mutallab adorned his bomb-laden diaper from Lagos?" Ridiculously, Madam Re-branding failed and could not provide an answer to the interviewer's follow-up question on "how come the Nigerian authorities failed or did not capture the terrorist, whose father purportedly declared missing earlier, and who later turned the diaper-terrorist, since he was allegedly seen on her CCTV passing through the airport?' Why was Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, who was declared wanted by his father not 'captured' at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos? Why didn't the Nigerian security operatives do for the senior Mutallab what he allegedly 'begged' the FBI, M15, Interpol, MOSSAD and other security agencies the world over, to "help him locate, capture and return back to Nigeria his "radicalized" son"? What was the use of mentioning his appearance on the CCTV if a son whose father had declared missing and wanted was seen passing through the airport and no action was taken to bring him to his 'desolate and despondent' father? The question remains, assuming the senior Mutallab and father of the diaper-terrorist was sincere about 'finding and returning his wayward son back to him', which Icheoku have reasons to doubt, why then would the same hooligan of a son be seen in Nigeria and no action was taken to coral him in; and the elder Mutallab was pretending to be busy looking for help with his son's capture? Why would a Nigerian aspiring terrorist be seen in Nigeria and the same animal was a subject of an alleged international manhunt? Anyway, but it is in the same airport that fugitive from Nigeria's brand of justice, Nuhu Ribadu, came and went without notice while his manhunt was still on? Nothing surprises Icheoku about Nigeria any more, so it was no surprise that the father is now shedding the proverbial crocodile tears? Something appears fishy and does not necessarily add up with this aspect of the saga that is Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab and his journey into infamy! Now back to our rebuttals and rejoinder to Madam Re-branding responses to the referenced above interview.

The problem with Dora Akunyili's answers in the interview was that her responses preceded her thoughts, she did not adequately think through the questions to articulate silver-bullet answers before opening her increasingly becoming loud mouth. Dora was more interested in waging an imaginary war with the 'enemy' foreign press in defense of her war of re-branding Nigeria rather than appreciate correctly the intended destinations of those questions that were asked in the interview. If only Akunyili has not seen the interview as an attempt to sabotage her war of re-branding, maybe a more responsive answers, with better clarity would have been put forward instead of the apologetic performance that was later described as feisty! Icheoku also laments Madam Re-branding's very shallow or total lack of understanding of the meaning and purport of these words "terror", terrorism" and "terrorists!" According to definition, terror is intense fear or anxiety and any period of frightful violence marked by bloodshed. Terror also causes alarm, dismay, consternation, extreme fear in the presence of danger or evil? Terrorism on the other hand is the use of violence or threat of it to intimidate or coerce a point of view? This is very common with military juntas giving rise to the term terrorist governments, such as was witnessed during the hijack of Nigeria by Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and the midget of Kano, Sani Abacha.

Dele Giwa's parcel bomb murder was terrorism to silence journalists and maintain a lid on Gloria Okon story at the fear of bodily harm to any future adventurous journalist who may dare; a terror by terrorist Ibrahim Babangida? Kudirat Abiola, Pa Rewane and so many others were murdered by Sani Abacha goons on his direct orders to terrorize democracy and silence democracy activists, agitators and defenders; and maintain a solid lid on Abiola's botched presidential mandate; another terror by terrorist Sani Abacha? Olusegun Obasanjo used his terror machine in his attempt to annihilate and permanently silence the peoples of Odi Bayelsa State and Zaki Ibiam Benue State? So Dora Akunyili are these terrorists not Nigerians or did their brand of terrorism not victimize Nigerians enough to sufficiently qualify as terrorism as defined and understood by you? What about Maitasine religious terrorists, Zaky-Zaky religious fanatics, Boko Haram religious terrorists, Bauchi riots terrorists, Jos mayhem terrorists, Kano riots terrorists, Maiduguri riots terrorists, Kaduna riots terrorists, Zango Kataf upheavals terrorists and a gazillion of other Islamic Northern Nigeria engineered terrorism activities against southern Nigerians and Christains alike which they mask as religious riots; and through which anxiety and frightful violence was unleashed on Nigeria, marked by unimaginable bloodshed? What is your myopic definition or and idea of terrorism, Madam Akunyili if these instances do not qualify? So Madam Dora Akunyili, are you telling the world that Nigerians are incapable of being put to fear of bodily harm or anxiety; or that their blood does not qualify as shed-able blood for purposes of terrorism defined? Is it only when Americans and other foreign nationals are put in danger and fear for their lives that an activity can very appropriately qualify as terrorism? Our advise, and a candid one too, please find time to revisit your dictionary or even Wikipedia or Britannica that you may expand the horizon of your present micro-understanding or appreciation of the nightmare of terrorism incubating and taking roots in Nigeria; and which one day shall bring Nigeria to its knees.

Further you claimed that there is no al-Queida base/s or training camp/s in Nigeria and that was the reason why Umar Farouk had to travel to Al-Queida proving grounds in Yemen to burnish and hone in his terror credentials with further studies in their offered terror-graduate program? And in making this bold faced assertion, you failed to inform your interviewer, in which terror-schools the recent Boko Haram terrorists trained or was it in Yemen also? Icheoku asks you Madam Akunyili, before the last two months of intensive crashed-program on terror by the diaper-bomber, where was your countryman Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab receiving his instructions and indoctrination; or rather his bachelors degree in terrorism? In case you have forgotten, it was in your country Nigeria, in sharia Katsina State of Islamic Northern Nigeria and also partly in London as president of London Schools Islamic Society? Continuing in the interview, Madam Akunyili postulated that, 'if there were al-Queida terror training schools in Nigeria that terrorist Umar Farouk Adul Mutallab would not have had a need to go to Yemen for his terror-training but would have enrolled in the local school? To this Icheoku jumps to say, did terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab go to London University College for his botched mechanical engineering studies just because there is no school in Nigeria offering the same program? Not even to digress so much, your son Madam Dora Akunyili, whom you attended his commencement just recently, from a medical school in Illinois, was or is he in studying in America because there is no school in Nigeria which has a medical school?

As was pointed out earlier in this piece, this Nigerian megaphone is really a loud mouth who talks before thinking, running her mouth as if she is in one village market sqare hustling a potential customer? Her logic is illogical, it does not make any sense at all because it is not based on any rationalized clear thought; imagine her smudged reasoning which easily falls part upon close scrutiny. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, a son of extreme privilege, did not attend his terror-training school in Nigeria not because there is no shcool offering a program in terror somewhere in Islamic Northern Nigeria, but simply because he is too elitist for the local schools; hence his decision to go to the citadel of terror, Yemen. He could have easily gone to any of the terror schools in the north, which have been churning out all those religious terrorists, constantly causing untoward havocs and mayhem in Nigeria, but he chose not to share classes with acursed almajiris and bolted abroad to a Yemen terrorism university? He learnt well and very fast too, a doctorate in just within two months, except that the incompetence dogging his people in northern Nigeria also followed him with his evil plot and he 'forgot the proper amount of acid dosage to inject into his daiper laden PETN to ignite his diaper-bomb?' What a coward, an animal of the lowest cast and an uncircumsized dog.

Icheoku avers that those incessant religious riots plaguing Nigeria since ages are terrorism extra-ordinaire; and that those linchpins, perpetrators and sponsors alike are all Nigerians and live in Nigeria. Terrorism is terrorism, whether political terrorism, election-hijacking terrorism, economic terrorism, usurpation of power terrorism, stealing of Niger Delta oil terrorism, appropriation of other peoples stuff terrorism, concentrating of power in just Kano State and the north by extension terrorism, Boko Haram terrorism, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida terrorism, Sani Abacha terrorism, kidnapping terrorism including Governor Ngige's; unemployment terrorism, police and army brutality terrorism, lack of motorable roads terrorism, market women and men hoarding goods terrorism; petrol-scarcity terrorism, corruption terrorism, moribund medical care and facilities terrorism, unpaid salary of workers terrorism, looting of public funds terrorism and boundless other forms of terrorism which are suffocating Nigeria. Madam Re-branding, what qualifies as terrorism in your imagination if these enumerated acts of terror, terrorizing Nigerians does not do it for you? Are you seriously thinking that only an attempted mid-air explosion inside an airplane full of passengers and crew bound for America; or the flying of airplanes into the WTC is terrorism? It is all a function of inducing fear and trepidation in a people and Nigerians have had their fair share of such anxious moments and continuing till this day, of fear of bodily harm and wanton property damage caused by militant Islamic sharia Northern Nigeria; let the truth be told!

Dora Akunyili has shown that she has become infested with the Nigeria 'untruth-virus' which plagues most Nigerian public officials? it is either her understanding of this subject is very narrow or she chose not to understand at all or completely, feigning ignorance and covering up for an inept government which is in denial of the facts on the ground, that terrorism has endured in Nigeria and for so long. The only thing that recently changed is that one of their 'air-soldiers' took the act international and now the whole world knows what Nigerians have been forced to live with for too long. Northern Nigeria Islamic terrorism and Dora doesn't seem to get it! Dora Akunyili, a woman who has been variously described as feisty, combative, militant, loquacious, shouting, abrasive, thirsty, aggressive, loud, talkative and somewhat bitchy is once again shouting herself hoax over what many reasonable Nigerians would rather her government not gloss over, the fact of the existence of terrorism in Northern Nigeria, albeit Nigeria. Acceptance is 9/10 of problem solving and Nigeria is a country known for its denial-ability. Imagine the length of time it took the sickly President Umaru Yar'Adua to own up to his debilitating illness? Let us pray too that such a conflicted woman like Nigeria's mis-Information Minister Dora Akunyili, waging an un-winnable war on re-branding of a Nigeria in a cesspool, with another terrorism-side dish added to her plate, usually unwinds into a real woman whenever she returns home after each day at the office? Otherwise imagine what the man who have to put up with such over-militarized woman in the house 24/7, has to deal with? A woman who readily reels off her resume`and not necessarily thinking through her answers to such delicate questions and with such combative aggressiveness, mode and tone. Her demeanor, tone and aggressiveness is somewhat too frightening, that it might as well pass for giving-out-information terrorism?

Further, Icheoku urges Nigerians to learn to ignore whatever comes out of the mouth of this former darling NAFDAC Iron-Lady, she has also drank of the cool-aid hallucinogenic substance intoxicating many Nigeria public officials. The world and its media has learnt since to ignore her, the reason why she hardly gets any press each time and whenever she goes overseas; they already know the soundbits of her bullshit, which she spouts with such an ease, trying too hard and with zesty effort to launder a silly and sleazy government of hers, which no one in the world truly respects. What a fumble of great magnitude by the Nigerian government, trying uselessly to contain the spilled corrosive sulphuric acid that is Katsina sharia State born Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab's terrorism. Even Nigerians in America are utterly surprised that Nigeria's ambassador in the US, if they have any at all, has not flooded every media outlet trying to douse the inferno that is Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab which is sweeping everything Nigeria and every Nigerian into an abyss of global hatred for being another terrorist country? At least he or she should have been trouble-shooting and explaining and trying to repair or contain or control the ensuing damage to the Nigeria state; but he seem to have burrowed away from public sight and public airwaves, begging the question, what use are these money spigots when they cannot coordinate a damage control in situations as this Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab excursion into terrorism dragging Nigeria with him into oblivion!

The problem is that these government officials are always playing to a homeland gallery that are majority illiterate, less travelled, less educated and not well read, to know any better or the difference between a lying Dora Akunyili and the naked truth? If only majority of the population know how much their lives have been badly damaged by these so-called leaders, a mass movement would have since arisen from within the 150 million strong Nigerians and swept away the dregs that are the present and past leadership in Nigeria. Away with them and usher in a new vanguard for a rebirth and regeneration of a Nigeria, that could stand tall among the comity of nations and be counted; and not the present disparaged near-pariah state that is fast crumbling and in life support, just like her debilitated comatose President Umaru Yar'Adua? Tell Icheoku who your friends are and we will tell you who you are; and same goes with a country with a president in comatose and rudderless? It does not look good Nigerians; the situation is bad and very bad indeed. But regrettably some people seem not to get it, a case in point, one Henry Omoregie, a self described Nigerian oil and gas recruitment consultant and freelance online journalist based in Port Harcourt Nigeria. According to sources, the said 'HO' is organising an online petition group to condemn terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab and state that Nigerians are not terrorists?

Icheoku says, really, if only they have said, 'not all Nigerians are terrorists' or better still 'some Nigerians are not terrorists' or admit that 'Nigeria have some terrorists in northern Nigeria?' That would have been a more reasonable statement but not the blatancy of a naked lie that Nigeria is not a terrorist country and that Nigerians are not terrorists, except of course they are discounting Northern Nigerian as Nigerians? Please give me some oil to chew some palm fruits! Icheoku says, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab is not just one "lone numbskull who has just dragged Nigeria's already sodden image more into the mud;" no, there are so many other terrorsits like him in sharia Islamic Northern Nigeria who frequently orchestrate all those religious riots including this very past Monday's Bauchi blood-letting aka terrorism, get it Henry Omoregie? Addressing Henry further, Icheoku rebuts that there is nothing really great about a country that cannot temporary transfer power to a vice president, while the president is sequestrated in a hospital intensive care unit semi-conscious; and that the 150 million population do not all travel as only less than 1% of the population may have actually have and used an international passport? Again Icheoku retaliates that Henry and his group are merely pontificating and could not appreciate indeptly the terror that these recurring religious riots represent and which visit, on Nigerians qualify them as as full terrorism; thereby eminently making Nigeria a terrorist state? How about that for scientific analysis? And Dora Akunyili that one is for you too!

UNDERWEAR BOMBER, THE NORTHERN NIGERIA TERRORIST UMAR MUTALLAB!

As we write this final commentary on the son of a bitch and a depraved Fulani terrorist from Katsina Northern Nigeria, who almost brought untoward sorrow and grief to the world particularly Americans on Christmas day, Icheoku says, blame America less for the apology that was Flight 253 of December 25! It was not Americans that checked the animal into a plane nor was it in an American airport that he walked through the gates with his lethal ware; also Lagos, Sa`naa and Amsterdam are not America's territorial jurisdictions nor do we tell those governments over there what to do including how to police their airports or passengers to allow through?

The terrorist originated his journey from hell in distant land far and beyond our control and we should just be thankful, his evil plans was stopped by brave passengers acting in concert with one another in the spirit of vigilance post 9/11. If anyone is looking for those to blame, Icheoku says look to Nigeria, Yemen and Holland; especially the last since the over-sight was caused by a possibly drugged-out Amsterdam official who checked this madman into a plane without discovering his bomb-laden diapers! Icheoku says, the 'blame Americans' chorus must therefore stop and we all should bond together and be thankful that the good Lord Almighty intervened and saved us the intended grief of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab is a product of the decay in Northern Nigeria which the whole world are now forced to take a good peek at, just to see what other Nigerians have been forced to put up with all these years since 1960.

However the American ambassador to Nigeria should be recalled immediately and relieved of his/her posting, on account of the visa which was issued to this terrorist and the failure to cancel same as soon as he became a person of interest with ties to terrorism; following the alleged report filed by his father. Such a blatant breach of security is unacceptable and should not be condoned by the authorities irrespective of the present attempt at explaining an inexplicable failure of duty of diligence on the ambassador's part. Icheoku says, we are still talking about this incident with such a near carefree lackadaisical attitude because providence intervened and saved the 278 passengers and 11 crew members aboard that Flight 253 from Schiphol Amsterdam. What if these passengers were less vigilant or were sleeping or that this terrorist was competent enough to fully execute his heinous assignment from the devil? Just imagine the tempo of questioning and calling for blood in retaliation that would have enveloped America were he to have succeeded? With our knowledge of Nigeria, the embassy in Abuja probably issued this multiple entries two years visa to this terrorist because of his name recognition, period; they deferred to his all powerful father and did not care or ignored all the warnings including red-flags which were going off on this cold-hearted mass murderer, the diaper-terrorist killer. Our position is therefore two fold, the visa should never have been issued and since issued, should have been cancelled immediately the father personally alerted the authorities in Abuja that his son is a potential terrorist; or did the embassy officials pretend to know the son more than the father? Somebody should have to answer for some of these burning questions and the US ambassador to Nigeria should be that person or at least be among them. It was such a fatal error of judgment that as of necessity, calls for heads to roll; and the ambassador's head is one heck of such head, all present circumstances considered.

As for the airport officials in Amsterdam and Lagos, a strong representation must be made to them to lodge America's disgust that this tricked-out diaper-bomb wearing terrorist slipped through their gates undetected or facilitated, especially in Nigeria where his pedigree was enough to funnel him through airport security? Once this is done, we can go on carrying on but maintaining our vigilance; and should stop beating each other up for what we did not directly do or failed to protect. Admitted that current discussions on body-scanning should continue, but there is no way we could have stopped Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab with our scanners since he did not board the airplanes from our airports. Better still, the introduction of quasi-profiling at the airports should be considered and anyone who does not like it should stay back at where he was coming from. No one including all these petty terrorists must be allowed to destroy our ways of life just because of some political correctness or in our humane nature, we try to make everyone feel welcomed. These terrorists are not human-beings and should therefore not be accorded the rights and privileges of decent humanity. They deserve the gulags of the Soviet Union era and sometimes makes it very tempting, the introduction of torture to help deal them their own cards.

Lastly, the despicable piece of feces allegedly complained and wrote of being lonely, a loner in a bubbly world. A life carved out by his horrible father who have stolen his heart's delight from Nigeria; money he used to pamper and spoil his terrorist-son but who still remained lonely despite all the supposed comforts of a life of privilege including hibernating in a $4 million dollars London Oxford Circus flat and a pile of cash to use as he pleases. If Icheoku were calling the shots, the elder Mutallab will be held to account for sponsoring terrorism through his sustenance of his terrorist-son's habits, without asking the tough questions about where and how he spends all the money that were being made available to him. The FBI should run a check on the senior Mutallab finances and check how much the terrorist-Mutallab had access to and reconcile their legitimacy? It simply does not make sense that terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab transformed in just the last two months into the hard-core, pain-free terrorist he had become; who neither feels pain nor compassion nor empathy. Icheoku says, it must have been longer than just that and his father may not be innocent afterall, judging from the pain their people have been visiting on Nigerians for so many years and continuing till today. Further we pray that the terrorist will plead guilty to all the charges and be sentenced forthwith; afterall he was caught red-handed while committing the offense of terrorism of attempting to burn down an airplane and he has equally somewhat confessed to his terrorism links; to spare the American tax-payers the cost of a full trial. A 75 years to life sentence without the possibility of a parole will be a considered fair sentence; otherwise 264 years imprisonment calculated at one year for every person on that flight will also not be out of order. He has earned the right never again to walk a free-man on this earth, ever!

As President Barack Obama and his security team continue to fine tune the best way forward of tackling these terrorists and safeguarding Americans, Icheoku says neither Homeland Secretary nor Secretary of State nor Director of CIA or any other high-up government official should lose his or her job on account of this terror. It was not a direct fault of any of them; and once the ambassador who issued the visa and failed, refused or neglected to cancel it upon notification is let go, the falling on the sword should be completed. Whoever the ambassador is, he or she must be sacrificed for the great fatal error of judgment that was Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab's 'AMERICAN VISA,' which have cost America the mockery of the Al-Queida in the Peninsula, who are taunting our security? Also so many Americans would have lost their lives as a result of the gross omission. Not to let the ambassador go will be simply too much for Americans to bear; as a person with such a poor judgment that created a situation as horrible as December 25, is not fit to continue to represent America in a country as troubled and as diverse as Nigeria. Icheoku says, LET THE AMBASSADOR GO!

NIGERIAN HAUSA-FULANI TERRORISM, NOW GONE INTERNATIONAL!

Once again the world is witnessing a scenario similar to what happened immediately following 9/11 when instead of putting Saudi Arabia on the spot, world attention was shifted away to Afghanistan and later Iraq? Saudi Arabia which produced and possibly radicalized 19 out of the 20 terrorists that brought 9/11 into being, bringing down the World Trade Center in the process was left out of the firing range in what has been termed the politics of oil? Now the true identity of the Northern Nigerian Fulani terrorist, who master-minded and carried out the Christmas day attack on an American airline, Delta Airlines, and on American soil, Detroit, is now being papered over and the blame is being poured on Yemen, a place he allegedly received his training? What about where he grew up and got his primary indoctrination?

Icheoku says, why the taking it easy on Northern Nigeria, a known hotbed of Islamic extremism; which have imperiled Nigeria for so long just because they are in power in Nigeria and be extension makes decision about Nigerian oil? Why is the world not being inundated with the fact that it is the same area in Nigeria that have been terrorising their domestic population with many religious riots that gave the world this terrorist? Why is this particular information and fact not being forcefully put out there or are Northern Nigeria sharia state of Katsina receiving the same treatment that saw Saudi Arabia's slap on the wrist post 9/11? Icheoku says, public shame is one way of putting a stop to such shameful act of terrorism and the Islamic Sharia Katsina State Nigeria should be singled out and put on the spot for the infradig of their son, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab.

For so many decades terrorism under the subterfuge of religious riots have been plaguing Nigeria with over 38,000 Nigerians killed and properties worth several millions of dollars lost in the ensuing mayhem. When one factors in the terror of the Biafran Nigerian genocidal civil war that claimed over two million Biafran lives then the tolls' graph skyrockets sharply? Who are these terrorists that have shed so much of Nigerian bloods of innocents but the Hausa-Fulani Muslim northerners, who are so bereft of any sense of modernity, decency and positive thinking that their religion provides them the subterfuge and excuse to kill and maim innocent 'non-believers' who they consider not good enough to inhabit this earth with them? Icheoku wonders aloud why the American media is not harping on this terrorist's Islamic background and the fact that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, divergent peoples' country where the Islamic north is utterly different from the predominantly Christian south; and where the sharia north have been the source of all the blood-letting since going on in Nigeria from her independence in 1960? Now the whole entity called Nigeria and Nigerians are now being put on the spot for a mad Hausa-Fulani spoilt terrorist's action. This terrorist has a very powerful Nigerian Fulani father who possibly pulled strings to get him multiple USA entries visa, provided him with several thousands of dollars some of which he used to finance his terrorism including the $2831 cash he paid for his round trip ticket from Lagos to Detroit via Amsterdam, carrying only a back-pack?

The elder Mutallab is a well connected Funtua Katsina State Fulani Nigerian, a distant cousin of the ailing Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua and therefore America 'must tread softly' in order to avoid any possible oil interruption in retaliation? Icheoku says, once again the need to wean America off foreign oil has come to the fore by reason of this terrorist not being put on the x-ray machine to investigate his antecedents in view of his peoples' existing and continuing domestic terrorism in Nigeria. Our dependence on foreign oil has now made ordinary nitwit Fulani terrorist an object of extreme caution by the media who has not been hard-charging in going to the place that raised the animal to see things for themselves. Instead their searchlight is pointed at Yemen, when he just went the last few months to burnish his terror skills; but what preceded his terror-pilgrimage, no one seem to mind? Where did he come from, who are his parents; where is Funtua; where is Katsina state Nigeria and such other burning questions, no one among the press corp wants to unravel.

Terrorism has been a persistent scourge in Nigeria and for a very very long time; but that these northern Nigerian terrorists have grown bold enough to now take their blood-letting overseas. If any person is in doubt, ask southern Nigerian people and Christians alike the life of fear and trepidation they live in on account of these murderous north? How many times have there been religious upheavals in Nigeria which claimed several thousands of Nigerian lives and destroying properties worth several hundreds of millions in the process? Was Bauchi riot a picnic or were people not put in fear of their lives? Jos mayhem was not a cartoon character but many hundreds of lives were lost and many others put in permanent fear? Maiduguri, Katsina, Kano, Gongola, Benue etc are all hotbeds of terrorism in Nigeria including the Miss world riots that killed over 50 people? Nigeria authorities under Hausa-Fulani thump usually classify these mayhem as religious riots and you ask yourself what is religious about killing human-beings just for worshipping differently? So many people are killed, maimed and constantly put in fear for their lives and safety of their properties and what other definition of terrorism surpasses that? Icheoku does not get it especially the lack of hard-charging investigation by the world press on what has been ongoing in Nigeria's Muslim Hausa-Fulani north. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab is not just a freak or a streak occurrence, no, he is but one in several thousands of potential terrorists who the Muslim Northern Nigeria is churning out in great numbers and putting through the system. If anyone is in doubt, let the person check the dossier of the incessant and frequent religious upheavals that have occurred in Nigeria over the years since independence in 1960; including the one which occurred on Monday, December 28, 2009 in Bauchi State, the bedrock and centerfold of Islamic terrorism in Nigeria.

Icheoku faults President Barack Obama's call 'to dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland,' for not also singling out and specifically mentioning Saudi Arabia and Nigeria among the named known terrorists-breeding countries of the world? It is our attempt at political correctness and not to hurt the feelings of our oil supplying countries aka oil politics that is militating against our resolve to fight terrorism to its conclusive logical end. Any effort which does not incorporate Saudi Arabia and Northern Nigeria is half-measure; and the earlier we start calling out these countries for their complicity, irrespective of the oil-levers which they hold on the world, the better for the effort at fighting and defeating terrorism. Why the president held out in calling out Northern-Nigeria for its continuing terrorism both in their religious intolerance induced domestic terrorism and this December 25 incursion into America, baffles Icheoku. Such tacit condonation of evil by these people should be condemned unequivocally irrespective of our dependence on their oil.

How a Fulani terrorist from Northern-Nigeria brought bomb-making materials aboard several airplanes is what those security operatives in both Amsterdam and Lagos should try to figure out. In Lagos however, it will be much easier for a person with his pedigree to be driven right straight into the tarmac without necessarily going through the security screening. But at Amsterdam, who knows, except his name recognition continued there in Europe or he had some other accomplice facilitating his movement? Also who gave this animal visa in view of what is already known about him and why was the visa not cancelled upon his father's notification of his terrorist inclinations or an APB declared on him through out the world?

Terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the Northern Nigerian Fulani Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula member, brought Nigeria an unholy Christmas gift they did not bargain for and which no one ever wanted. According to one analyst, what terrorist Umar Mutallab did has 'brought instant disaster to Nigerians everywhere, particularly those frequent travellers among them and those in economic and political exile in foreign lands?' Icheoku says, there is no faulting a well reasoned analysis and this is in tandem with the general thinking amongst Diaspora Nigerians. Icheoku says those well-documented history of Northern Nigeria religious fanaticism that frequently unleashed mayhem on peace loving Southern Nigerians and Christians alike, are nothing other than domestic terrorism; perpetrated by the likes of this Fulani terrorist from sharia Katsina state, Malam Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab! This has been of general knowledge the world over but they chose to ignore it as Nigeria's internal problem, but now that the genie has been let out of the bottle, the re-branding of Nigeria as a terrorist state will soon take a centerfold!

Icheoku condemns a certain commentator's attempt at rationalising or trying to explain the inexplicable that was December 25, 2009 that because al-Queda is a global scourge, with cells embedded not only in Islamic nations but also in such liberal democracies as Britain, Denmark, Canada and the United States of America; that in a sense, "there’s nothing really extraordinary that a Nigerian had stepped up to play his hideous part in a tragic plot." This is the most bizarre of thoughts to ever recently come out of any sane mind? Why must it be in such despicable and atrocious act of terrorism that Nigeria must stand up to be counted; why not in a more positive contribution to humanity or even in the search for a solution to global warming or HIV/AIDS epidemic? Whoever this human-being that tried to reconcile the sad event of December 25 to an understandable degree should have his head examined for some abnormalities. What Umar did is condemnable, irrational and should be so condemned by every Nigerian whose heart still beats and blood gushing through his veins.

Icheoku agrees intoto and completely with another commentator that the Nigerian state helped create terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab for their continuous and subsisting yielding and tacitly supporting of such crazed-out Muslim fanatics in Northern Nigeria like terrorist Mutallab who continuously shed bloods of innocents without ever being prosecuted or held accountable for their atrocities? They grew bolder and decide to export their mayhem and to America; the same way Al-Queida grew bold after Yemen ship bombing, embassies bombing in Africa and then decided to make incursion into the mainland. The solution, the United States of America should pay more attention and be more actively involved in Nigeria and Africa, without relying so heavily on sitreps from the British and the French; two people who profit heavily from the lopsidedness in the continent's political governance. Solution to problems of terrorism goes to the roots of the terrorism, the reason Icheoku called out Saudi Arabia and Nigeria as two countries that needed admonition and possible reprisals for their role in being technically supportive of terrorism. If America paid enough attention to all the terrorism masked as religious riots going on in Nigeria over the many years and continuing till date, may be this animal would have been flagged earlier and since taken out of commission, before he dared to strap some bomb on his butt intending to blow up our airplane and on our own soil. Enough of your terrorism, domestic and international, Muslim Sharia Northern Nigeria!

MARYAM BABANGIDA'S DEATH, ANY LESSON FOR NIGERIAN LEADERS?

Former Nigerian First Lady Maryam Ndidamaka Babangida is dead. She finally succumbed to ovarian cancer, which had plagued her for so many years, taking a turn for the worst in recent past. The ebony-black, elegant former first lady and wife of the evil-genius, the man who killed Dele Giwa, the self-styled prince of Minna, toothy General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, died at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centre in the United States. Maryam was 61 years old!

According to sources, Maryam died early hours of Sunday December 27, 2009 at the hospital where she was receiving treatment for the past three months; with her husband and children by her side for their final goodbyes! Her funeral as being planned by her family, will commence as soon as her remains is flown back to Nigeria. She is survived by a husband Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and children Mohammed, Aminu, Aisha, and Halima.

A native of Ogbeogo, Umuonaje Quarters, Asaba in present day Delta State, Nigeria the late Maryam Ndidamaka Babangida (Nee Okogwu), met and married then Major Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida of Minna Niger State in 1969; and commendably remained married to him until her death did them apart. Kudos to her husband, despite being a Muslim of great wealth, he remained loyal to his wife in a monogamous marriage as far as kept records are concerned; but whether he kept a harem of mistresses and concubines, Icheoku does not know! However, this apparent fidelity alone, does not forgive his numerous sins. Between them, they have four children.

Maryam Babangida will be remembered mostly for her pet-project, the 'Better Life for Rural Women programme' which 'touched' the lives of many rural women throughout the nooks and crannies of Nigeria? According to one of her admirer, commenting on the programme, "the Better Life for Rural Women certainly brought the issue of women to the forefront in a dramatic way. People, for once, became more sensitive to some of the issues concerning women." Another said, "she devoted her life to the emancipation of the womenfolk while she imbued her office with grace that radiated far and wide." Maryam Babangida was also credited for influencing the choice of Asaba as the capital of Delta State, which state was created by her husband during his hijack of Nigeria as a military junta head of state?

Icheoku says, may her soul now answer for the misdeeds of her husband to which she was privy and overtly or tacitly supported while she lived; especially those infra-digs they committed while in power. Dele Giwa, Gloria Okon, Mamman Vasta, Gideon Orka and crew, Ejigbo plane disaster, MKO Abiola's presidential election victory June 12th annulment, $12billion dollars Iraqi oil windfall and also the gift of draconian Sani Abacha to Nigeria, a midget despot who Babangida purposely left un-retired and who unleashed unquantifiable killer-venom on the people of Nigeria particularly the South-West? Like all mortals, the once all powerful Nigerian First Lady of yesterday has now given up the ghost and joined the list of soon to be forgotten once lived pieces of humanity? Any lesson whatsoever? For death, it does not matter that her husband helped himself enormously from the treasury of Nigeria and would have bought her health, cajoled, outfoxed or even bribed or lobbied to have her life spared; but no, Mister Death has no price, cannot be lobbied or bribed; and it does not matter that the Babangida family is reputed to be one of the richest former first family out of Africa, having stolen their heart's delight while in power? It was time-up and off she went with clenched mouth and fist and not with even a single dime out of this world? Any lesson Nigerian leaders?

As a first lady, Maryam charmed many Nigerians and exuded such elegance that her outward personality became very captivating to many if not most? But Icheoku cannot and could not vouch for her internals or whatever laid behind the fanciful facade; but for having steadfastly stood by an acclaimed 'evil genius' of a husband, whose reputed meanness was such that he killed his best-man based on a phantom coup, makes one to wonder if she was indeed a Lady Macbeth? Did she have a heart of cold steel within her palatable outward appearance not to dissuade her menacing killer-husband from carrying out all the rampages witnessed while he was in office? Who knows, but since a dead cannot hold court to defend herself, we are prepared to move on.

Like many Nigerian high-ups, Maryam Ndidamaka Babangida also died in a foreign hospital bed in far away United States of America! Whether her ghost will be able to find its way back to Minna from far away America is inconclusive, since city of angels, Los Angeles, is reputed to have so many lost and confused strange phenoms walking the streets which have lost contact with their bodies? If only these men and women of power in Nigeria know how insulting it is for the country for their bodies to be flown in as cargoes from different parts of the world for burial in Nigeria; dying in strange lands, among strange doctors and nurses who do not really know who they are and could care less, but are mostly interested in the bills and charges collectable from these health-tourists 'bigwigs' out of Africa, cash cows of some sort? If only they know, they would have done something to change the comatose health-care and facilities in their countries? Imagine a viable and thriving African hospital, where they would ordinarily be extra-ordinarily pampered, nursed, nurtured, loved, revered, respected and cared for with all imaginable tender loving care; which level of affectionate care they can never receive in a foreign hospital among strangers in a strange land.

Strangers they always remain in these foreign hospitals where they are sometimes looked down upon as black Africans with an accent, who must have stolen so much money from their people, so why not collect some of the loot? Some of these export-patients are even sometimes too timid and intimidated by the presence of White-people everywhere they go that they fail to fully articulate their thought to express their needs fully for fear of being talked back to in a way not befitting of their useless status? As leaders they failed, neglected and/or refused to develop their country's health care facilities and only concerned themselves with looting enough from their country's treasury to pay for such expensive overseas hospital stays whenever the need arises, including eventual death, from where they are shipped in for burial in cold and stuffy cargo bays of airplanes. Whatever happened to the dignity of one dying among ones own people, in his or her mother/father-land, surrounded by loving countrymen and medical personnel; which necessarily brings with it the right to refuse an autopsy and have your remains be buried intact, full and complete; and upon the time and manner of your choosing without the necessity to comply with several funeral and human-remains disposal codes and regulations, which are sometimes overwhelming for exotic health-tourists and outside their control, authority and influence? Nigerian leaders please change your ways and start thinking big and broad and into the future. Stop being very parochial and self-centered with your policies; instead pursue projects that will enable you to leave your imprint in the sand of time. Say to yourself today, I will not die in a foreign hospital bed but will help to develop a first-rate hospital in my country comparable to any in the world, where Nigerians including myself can receive a par-excellent medical treatment and eventually die with dignity among my people. It is doable and can be done, just be patriotic enough to stand up and be counted and say no to the cheapen health tourism! JUST DO IT!

Approximating Maryam's hospital bills and charges for the three months she was hospitalised without any health insurance; at about $510,000 for a ten days stay, her gross total cost of hospitalisation might be in excess of $4.5 million dollars? Enough to build a cottage hospital in rural Asaba or Minna and possibly equip same? But these short-sighted leaders so called of Nigeria, including her former husband had opportunities to develop the health care system and facilities in Nigeria but choose not to; lest ordinary Nigerians will avail themselves of such services; and would readily scamper out to a foreign hospital anytime they have a medical need. Thankfully enough, the leveler Death does not care and will get you, no matter where you run to in search of a cure, once your time is up. It does not matter whether it was to a rat infested, under-funded and drug-less medical clinic in rural Minna or an elitist center of medical excellence in fancy Los Angeles, California USA? No matter your reputation or depth of pocket or how far away the search for a cure takes you or how highly priced your medical/health consultant is, once the clock is up you must yield because 'the inevitable is always inevitable.' And so soon thereafter, the medical examiner who does not give a damn whom you were, will be starring down your prostrate cadaver, lying down naked on a cold slab and with a pair of giant shears, will cut same open without a quiff of any sentiment. This is the fate of all mortals and their curse of morbidity and so was Maryam Babangida.

Once again Nigerians, especially the leaders so called, should learn their lesson with the death of Maryam Ndidamaka Babangida. It does not matter who or what you are, or how much you have neglected the people of Nigeria or how much you stole from them, when your time is up it is up. The only question that will remain will be, what legacy did you leave behind and ask yourself, would your death be celebrated as a good riddance because of your very high negatives with the people?

If the death of the former first lady teaches you one thing, let it be for you to use every God given opportunity to breath his free oxygen, to do good for humanity, your fellow travellers in this journey called life. That is the only thing one really has - good deeds, and which one can really take with him/her to the world beyond as evidence, while facing trial and subsequent judgment to account of one's days while here on earth. To the IBB grieving family, Icheoku says, take heart in your loss of a loved matriarch, what a lesson learnt! And to the chief mourner, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, please use whatever is left of your time here on earth to do some real introspection and ask yourself, was it worth it? Adieu Ada Asaba!

A TERRORIST STATE, ANOTHER STIGMA NIGERIA CANNOT READILY AFFORD?

Now that the identity of the Delta plane leg-bomber has been conclusively determined, Icheoku says, Nigeria by necessary implication has now 'officially' become a terrorist state, courtesy of Malam Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab? In confirming the identity of the leg-bomber as his son, Dr. Umaru Mutallab senior said, “I have been receiving telephone calls from all over the world about my child who has been arrested for an alleged attempt to bomb a plane.” Like father like son, a northern Nigerian local economic terrorist who gave birth to an international bombing terrorist? This latest 'terrorist-state' identity for a country, Nigeria can ill afford in addition to a myriad of other inclement and unflattering things which it has been associated with and known for over the years. From 419 to pandemic corruption to being a transit camp for international narcotic and other illicit drugs; this other whammy of being a terrorist state is simply just one too much for a distressed Nigeria to stomach without tipping over? Therefore, Nigerian security agencies as well as whatever is left of the executive, since the president is still lying in coma in a foreign hospital in Saudi Arabia, must rally round to get to the root of this matter; and if it means sacrificing the senior Mutallab in the process, so be it; but this stigma must not be allowed to stick!

Icheoku says, northern Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab represents what is wrong with northern Nigeria and which they have arrogantly failed to address over the many years they have held Nigeria hostage and bilking it dry as much and as fast as they could possibly do? Nigeria is today a ghost of the many hopes at independence, frustrated, deprived, stagnated and left so anemic that its continuous survival as a country is being questioned by all that have some grey-matter in their brain and who should otherwise know. Now they have taken their nefarious activities overseas as one of them attempted to blow up an American Delta airplane inside American air-space and within American soil; but for their usual incompetence in anything and everything they handle, he ironically speaking, 'botched' it too? What a nitwit, hate-filled, nasty terrorist scumbag who have now succeeded in putting Nigeria on the hot seat of international odium and ridicule as a pariah state?

But how did northern Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab manage undetected to get flammable powder and a syringe of chemicals aboard two international flights and across three continents of Africa, Europe and America? Icheoku can attempt an explanation with the Lagos Nigeria side, since being who he is, he could have probably be driven right inside the tarmac without going through all the 'inconveniences' of airport security checks and screening? But in Amsterdam, who knows what his joker was to get through the security, except his last name also meant something overthere at Schiphol; or he had accomplices facilitating his nefarious and clandestine passages? This in view of the known practice of re-screening transferring passengers from foreign flights at the Schiphol, before they are allowed to take off in subsequent connecting flights? So at least the security agencies have a working platform for their already well cut out job. Northern Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab left Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos aboard a Boeing 777 KLM flight 588, at 11pm on Christmas Eve, arriving Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam at 5:37 a.m. on Christmas Day. After a 3hour lay-over he boarded an Airbus 330 Northwest/Delta Flight 253 to Detroit Metropolitan Airport alongside other 278 passengers and 11 crew members. The rest is now history as alert and vigilant passengers thwarted his idiocy and murderous plot before he could cause us more harm and grief? Another demonstration of the harm the crassly incompetent Nigeria's Hausa-Fulani north is willing and able to do to a Nigeria in distress!

Like the terrorist incarnate Osama bin Laden, this northern Nigerian Fulani terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab comes from enormous wealth. His father, the senior Mutallab is a multi-billionaire erstwhile chairman of Nigeria's First Bank Plc and many other sundry Islamic banks and establishments. He is from Funtua, Katsina State and by necessary implication, a distant cousin of the Nigerian President in coma, Umaru Yar'Adua. He is also a mechanical engineering student or graduate at a London University College and enjoyed a life of very pampered upbringing? So what could have driven this northern Nigerian Fulani malam into becoming a murderous terrorist, who tried albeit unsuccessfully to cause Americans so much harm. Icheoku asks, what drove such a Fulani scion of Katsina State northern Nigeria into terrorism, despite the well-heeled silver-spoon of his birth and upbringing? The answer could be found in the teachings of an intolerant religion which preaches that all infidels deserve no place here on earth and that it is a merciful act of compassion to just kill them off in order to save them from eternal damnation? What a logic on its head, one may say; but not when you are one of these God-forsaken uncircumcised zealots who have visited Nigerians with so much internal economic and physical terrorism over the many years that Nigerians have been independent; making majority of them an internally colonized and subjugated people?

One derivative out of this nightmare on Christmas day is that all the security in the world could not stop this animal from boarding two airplanes, traveling undetected for 19 hours, crossing several international datelines and time zones; and through three continents? Technically speaking he had succeeded and completed his act of terrorism, having brought the bomb-making materials aboard two international planes including a third one that brought him back from Yemen to Nigeria. He had also finished mixing the chemicals and put the gadget containing it on operational mode and was in the process of exploding it when the good Lord used some vigilant and watchful passengers to stop him cold. The fire and smoke were a result of a process in motion? Once again, a case where common-sense vigilance trumped over all the billion dollar security gadgets and equipments; and proved a more effective policing tool? Of all the gifts of the season, all Nigeria got was another stain on its ever stinking image, becoming now also a terrorist state? Regrettably, another horrible case of the north giving the whole Nigeria a bad name?

Is it ok to suggests that it is about time cameras are installed in airplanes lavatories with some blurring privacy application so that whenever a passenger spends so much time inside or engages in activities outside the normal number one or number two, it will be spotted immediately? Thhis Fulani terrorist spent over twenty minutes inside the loo practising his other trade as a terrorist chemist? These homicidal terrorists are incapable of reasoning as their motivation is something out of the ordinary and above our earthly existence. Just ask yourself, how a mechanical engineer with such a pedigree could engage in such bloody venture; except that we have precedents in Osama bin Laden, Al-Zawahiri and their fellow death merchants. Icheoku asks, what else was this guy looking for in life except that his mind is so messed up by the corrupted version of teachings of his religion that ration flew out of the window of his head? Such is atypical of most northern Nigerian Hausa-Fulanis who lack adequate reason or rationality in their actions; - hijacking everything in Nigeria without regard or let to the needs of southerners, a major stakeholder in Nigeria Plc? Our recommended panacea, saturate northern Nigeria with psychologists and psychiatrists to help resolve their conflicted selves; their brains are wrongly and negatively wired, which sometimes make them so frustrated that they often act out in this insidious way? It is our firm belief that they could use some shrinks up there in northern Nigeria, definitely!

Icheoku also asserts that contrary to the claims of the Nigeria Federal government, it does not "abhor all forms of terrorism!" Southerners and Christians alike in Nigeria, have had to put up and endure series acts of northern Nigeria induced terrorism, over the many years since Nigeria's independence without the federal government actively and proactivey doing anything serious enough to permanently stem the tide and/or punish the main pillars and sponsors of these terrorisms? Boko Haram was terrorism? Kano riots was another one? Maitasine riots another one? So was Bauchi riots was a terrorist act? And Jos; Zaria, Zaky-zaky etc. The killing of Ken Saro Wiwa was an act of terrorism perpetrated by northerner Sani Abacha. Odi and Zaki-Ibaim massacre were terrorism? The Biafran genocide was terrorism of the highest order and leading to it was systematic and continuing visiting of terror on the Igbo people before Ojukwu provided ladership to say enough is enough! Therefore, tell Icheoku, Madam Re-branding Dora Akunyili how the Nigeria Federal government "abhors all forms of terrorism;" being preached now that those northerners have exposed Nigeria's dirty little open-secret darkside by exporting their domsetic terrorism overseas?

But assuming that Mutallab senior actually warned American embassy about his terrorist son prior to his exhibition of stupidity, why was his terrorist son even granted a visa, and assuming it was an existing visa, why was it not cancelled based on the expressed concerns of his father? Is it possible that it was just a pandering embassy official who was trying to please the terrorist's all powerful northern Nigerian Fulani father and upon recognising his name, did not bother to take any necessary steps further to thoroughly screen the applicant now turned terrorist? Is it also because of his father's enormous wealth that terrorist Umar Farouk ABdul Mutallab was granted multiple entry visas to the United States for two years from June 2008 and valid through June 2010? It would seem that there is a possible culpability here too on the American embassy staff at Abuja Nigeria, and hopefully already begun investigation will uncover it.

A resident of a posh West London flat near Oxford circus and a mechanical engineering student at University College London, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had everything going for him in this world; but a good heart and properly informed mind. Even his father's decade long chairmanship of one of the biggest banks in Nigeria and its attendant pool of wealth could not buy this crazed-out terrorist love and a peace of mind? Icheoku asks, if according to this terrorist confessions, he acquired his bomb-making materials from Yemen, how come he was not detected all through the three continents he flew through until Detroit, Michigan United States of America? What a fatal inexpicable breach of security? But thankfully though, like his main tackler Mr. Schuringa said, “when you hear a pop on the plane, you’re awake, trust me;” many passengers heard the pop and awoke to their responsibility not to allow a dirty-cheap little terrorist spoil their Christmas! We agree completely with the philodophy and hereby say big kudos to all those who helped to foil this terrorist's evil plot.

The United States Federal authorities have charged the 23-year-old northern Nigerian Fulani terrorist, Abdul Farouk Abdul Mutallab, before U.S. District Judge Paul Borman, with attempting to destroy Northwest flight 253 with a "destructive device" as it descended into Detroit on Christmas Day. Icheoku hopes his eventual life imprisonment will find him inside a super maximum security prison burrowed several hundreds of feet below the ground somewhere in Colorado; where he will have a long time to properly think through his madness! It now behoves the Nigerian authorities to prove that they are real partners in the global struggle against the evil of terrorism. That no man who fathered and possibly supported a terrorist son of his, no matter how highly placed within the Fulani Oligarchy will go unpunished if investigations found him culpable. Now we wait to see whether heads would roll within Nigeria security apparatiques especially tose charged to maintain security at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos? Those who either directly or indirectly brought this international odium, shame and embarrassment to motherland should be punished for their action or inaction in allowing this terrorist take with him bomb-making materials out of Nigeria. It is also our candid opinion that even the senior Mutallab should be 'indicted and prosecuted for raising an imbecile who turned out to be an incompetent international terrorist; and for also technically sponsoring his terrorist trips both to Yemen and Detroit? His terrorist son is merely 23 and jobless, and spends his father's money; and used some of it to sponsor and carry out the terrorism under advisement. These are issues which Icheoku cannot wait to see how they eventually pan out and fall into their respective places. Until then, acursed be this animal, Umaru Farouk Abdul Mutallab that added extra woes to Nigerians' already overburdened and nightmarish international image, with his wicked act of terror!