In teresting times in Nigerian political scene. News re[ports have it that James Onanefe (or is it Ohanefe) Ibori and his cohorts have launched a media propaganda to keep Nigerians (mis)informed about the situation in London as regards his money laundering trial. Part of this sceme is to send out image launderers (that word again!) to blogs such as the one we are on (I have noticed some of them already, lol) and use popular newspapers in Nigeria to give favourable versions of the daily court proceedings. Here is the full story from sahara reporters:

When the trial of three of James Ibori’s female associates commenced in London on Monday, the thieving former governor of Delta State had thought he would exercise control over its coverage.  As soon as his associates were docked before his honor, Judge Christopher Hardy, their lawyers launched a massive effort to obtain a media ban.

They experienced limited success when the judge agreed to ban the UK media from covering the trial until at least January 2010 when a second set of trials involving his first wife, Theresa Nkoyo, and his lawyer Bhadresh Gohil, would commence.

It was Ibori’s calculation that with the British media out of the way, he could seize control of the Nigerian media using a sizeable bribe budget and deploy his propaganda over Nigerians. In anticipation of the trial, Ibori had set up a website to counter Saharareporters with two former journalists: Tony Eluemunor and Sunday Are, leading a core of staff “writers.” They had also set up an “anti-bloggers” unit to sneak into and control Internet chat-rooms and social networking websites such as Facebook and Naijapolitics.

To take a large chunk of the Nigerian print media, Ibori had directed the Delta State government to buy a huge dome from Nigerian media wheeler-dealer, Nduka Obaigbena of ThisDay, an arrangement he had initially opposed because he does not trust Obaigbena. The transaction was concluded before the trial commenced. When Saharareporters spoke to the Delta State Commissioner of Information, Omah Djebah, about the transaction, he told our reporter that Delta needed the “ThisDay Dome” to host the upcoming “Governors Forum”. Obaigbena was having problems keeping the Dome on a Lagos state property he illegally acquired at Lekki, as the current Lagos State governor refused to let him continue his regular jamborees at the venue. The Delta State government did not disclose how much it paid for the Dome.

ThisDay commenced the payback last week when the paper began a sloppy reporting of the recent V-Mobile scam involving Yar’Adua’s Principal Private Secretary, David Edevbie.  The paper claimed that Mr. Edevbie was not declared wanted by the London Metropolitan police saying they had spoken to an officer over the phone.  It further claimed that Edevbie was planning to “resign” and to visit the UK to clear his name, but when Saharareporters countered with proof of the Edevbie’s involvement, the paper offered another ruse the following day claiming that Edevbie was not on “trial,” in the UK, although it published the charge sheet which listed Edevbie in the first.  Edevbie, to our knowledge, has not honoured his resignation boast.

By yesterday, ThisDay continued on the mission by regurgitating a report personally written by Ibori’s media aide, Tony Elumenor, regarding Day 2 of the trial, the web version of the story did not carry a byline. Also, the Vanguard newspaper shamelessly repeated Tony Eluemunor’s report. With ThisDay out of his way, Ibori needed not worry about The Guardian newspaper, whose family owners (The Ibrus) are entangled in the same predicament with Ibori in the toxic bank loans scams.  Other newspapers, with the exception of The Punch, 234NEXT and Leadership, are being taken care of by a special budget for that purpose created by Ibori.

Things have not turned out as planned for Ibori as Facebook and Saharareporters have become choice destinations for those seeking the latest information on the trials. A photo of Ibori’s sister, Christie and his mistress, Udoamaka Onuigbo, taken as they left the courtroom on Monday, has shocked the Ibori’s team.  Observers noted that his wife, Nkoyo, whose court dates begin in January 2010, was not in court to support her sister-in-law or her husband’s mistress.

http://saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3777:london-money-laundering-trial-ibori-launches-propaganda-offensive-to-keep-nigerians-misinformed&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Meanwhile, this is a suggestion from the same website on how to fight this media propaganda. It was written by a certain 'we the people'.

written by WeThePeople, September 23, 2009
Nigerians Mobilize!!!! From September 28, 2009 we will be boycotting the Vanguard Newspaper, we will take these corrupt news media down 1 by 1. First on the list VANGUARD. How can we do it, simple
1. send text messages to everyone on your phone to forward on to their friends letting them know from 28 September the Nigerian public should stop buying the Vanguard Newspaper.

2. Send Text messages and emails to all Banks (and any other major advertsiers in the paper you know) let them know it will be a waste of time putting an advert in the VANGUARD newspaper. DO NOT ADVERTISE WITH VANGUARD
Below is the bank list:
first bank - firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com
zenith bank - ebusiness@zenithbank.com
GTBank - E-mail: corpaff@gtbank.com enquiries@gtbank.com, complaints@gtbank.com
oceanic bank - customercare@oceanicbank.com
UBA - CIC@ubagroup.com

add as much to this list as possible. Soon and very soon they'll get the message.

Interesting times indeed. What do you guys think?

Any idea if he is currently in London? If yes, does he attend the court hearing?
I wan take my eye see Ibori.

This guy is a slime ball.

I make it a duty to committ it b/4 God every morning dat all public theives must b disgarced/jailed so if Ibori is a PT he must fall & other theives must follow says the lord of Host

Solomon227:

I make it a duty to committ it b/4 God every morning dat all public theives must b disgarced/jailed so if Ibori is a PT he must fall & other[b] theives [/b] must follow says the lord of Host

Solomon227,

Pls this is the lastest way of spelling THIEVES??

proudly9ja:

written by WeThePeople, September 23, 2009
Nigerians Mobilize!!!! From September 28, 2009 we will be boycotting the Vanguard Newspaper, we will take these corrupt news media down 1 by 1. First on the list VANGUARD. How can we do it, simple
1. send text messages to everyone on your phone to forward on to their friends letting them know from 28 September the Nigerian public should stop buying the Vanguard Newspaper.

2. Send Text messages and emails to all Banks (and any other major advertsiers in the paper you know) let them know it will be a waste of time putting an advert in the VANGUARD newspaper. DO NOT ADVERTISE WITH VANGUARD
Below is the bank list:
first bank - firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com
zenith bank - ebusiness@zenithbank.com
GTBank - E-mail: corpaff@gtbank.com enquiries@gtbank.com, complaints@gtbank.com
oceanic bank - customercare@oceanicbank.com
UBA - CIC@ubagroup.com

add as much to this list as possible. Soon and very soon they'll get the message.

Vanguard newspaper is a joke. The media watchdog should shut them down.

If convicted will he be jailed there or extradited or what?

OMO IBO:


Any idea if he is currently in London? If yes, does he attend the court hearing?
I wan take my eye see Ibori.

This guy is a slime ball.

He is not in london. If he was, he would probably have been arrested. His wife is under house arrest (?) and I think her passport seized.

goodtimes in naija politic