Lagos, Nigeria - The death of the world's most-wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden relegated all other stories, including politics, to the background in Nigeria this past week. The recently-concluded general elections in Nigeria, which has dominated the front pages of local newspapers for some time, Tuesday gave way to the report of the killing of the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by US special forces. Almost all newspapers reported the killing on their front pages, complete with the pictures of the late terrorist and that of the mansion in which he was killed.

THE NATION headlined its story 'How they got him', giving the story the most prominent mention, with a big picture of bin Laden accompanying the equally-prominent headline.

'How Osama was killed' was the headline in THE PUNCH, with the picture of the house in which bin Laden was killed occupying more than half of the front page.

Riders on the front page included 'Obama followed battle via live video'; 'Navy SEALS: The US hit squad that got him'; 'The 40-minute gun duel' and 'His top 7 likely successors'. The paper also devoted several inside pages to the story.

THE TRIBUNE attempted to outdo the other papers by publishing a purported but gory picture of bin Laden after he was shot in the head.

'How end came for bin Laden' (GUARDIAN); 'Obama: Al-Qaeda head bin Laden dead' (DAILY TRUST); 'How bin Laden was killed' (DAILY INDEPENDENT) and 'How bin Laden was killed: Shot in the head, buried at sea' (VANGUARD) were some of the other headlines.

Expectedly, the bid Laden story triggered off security concerns in a country which had witnessed serious security threats over the recently-held general elections.

'Nigeria reviews aviation security over Bin Laden', was the headline of the GUARDIAN, which reported Thursday that Nigeria joined the rest of the world in tightening security at all airports to avert any reprisal attack from the followers of the fallen Bin Laden, was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on Monday.

The NATION, writing under the headline 'Nigerian airports raise security alert', also reported Nigeria has raised the security alert level at the airports as part of measures against a backlash over Monday’s killing of bin Laden.

Plain clothes security officials are carrying out surveillance duties around the airports to ensure that there are no unauthorised movements.

TRIBUNE newspaper also ran the bin Laden story with the headline 'Bin Laden: FG beefs up security at airports', with the riders 'As service chiefs meet in Abuja', 'Abuja residents panic over threat SMS' and 'US refuses to release photos of Bin Laden’s burial'

'OSAMA BIN LADEN: Service chiefs move to stem riots in 4 states, FCT' was the headline of the VANGUARD, which said the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin and the service chiefs, Wednesday held a marathon meeting that lasted nine hours in Abuja following strong intelligence reports of plans by some groups to use the killing of bin Laden to vent their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2011 presidential elections and cause crisis in the country.

Vanguard gathered that before the commencement of the security meeting, intelligence reports had shown that states like Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Bauchi and Sokoto, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, were targets of the attacks that were expected to take place before, during or after the Moslem prayers on Friday from the mosques and on Sunday from the churches.

On politics, some opposition parties have said they will not participate in a government of national unity being planned by President Jonathan following his victory at the April general elections.

'ACN, CPC to reject Unity Govt', the NATION newspaper wrote, saying Jonathan’s plan to form a government of national unity had suffered a setback, even before the modalities for the arrangement are announced.

The two main opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – said, during the week, they would not join the government to be formed after 29 May.

After being declared winner of the 16 April presidential election, Jonathan called on the opposition to support him, saying he would form an all-inclusive government.

However, ACN National Chairman Bisi Akande said Tuesday that ideological differences with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not allow his party to join forces with the President.

The CPC, in a statement, said: We shall not be part of this impending arrangement. As a party, we believe the presidential election that gave the PDP the impetus to make this call was one of the worst-ever experienced in the country, with new rigging technologies put to test.

The other papers reported the story as follows = 'ACN rejects unity govt, warns party members' (VANGUARD); 'ACN will never work in any PDP govt – Akande, Mohammed' (PUNCH); 'ACN shuns Govt of National Unity' (SUN); and 'ACN shuns Jonathan’s Govt of National Unity' (SUN).

Also during the week, Nigerian newspapers celebrated the country's 3-2 extra time victory over Cameroon in the final of the 2011 Under-20 African Youth Championship (AYC), which ended in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday.

The victory gave Nigeria its sixth title in the biennial championship, which usually serves as the qualifier for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

'AYC: Nigeria thrash Cameroon 3-2' was the headline in the LEADERSHIP newspaper, as the NEXT newspaper reported, under the headline 'Nigeria rise to see off Cameroon', that: 'The Flying Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday emerged champions of the 2011 African Youth Championship after a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Young Lions of Cameroon. It is the sixth time the Flying Eagles will be crowned champions of Africa and also their first AYC title since 2005.'

'Flying Eagles shoot down Cameroon, win sixth title' (GUARDIAN); 'Flying Eagles lift African U-20 trophy' (PUNCH) and 'Nigeria wins African Youth Championship trophy' (THE NATION).

Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt and Mali have all qualified for the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in July and August since they placed first, second, third and fourth in that order in South Africa.

Pana 08/05/2011