The fact that this was an extrajudicial killing doesn't let Sharia off the hook. The fact that stoning is prescribed for adultery (as often as apologists might also try to deny it for non-Muslim consumption), where the murderers in this case apparently decided for themselves her actions were tantamount to adultery, doesn't let Sharia off the hook, either.
No, the simple fact that this punishment exists in Islamic law, and Muhammad himself participated in it, means Sharia's inherent defects where human rights are concerned have a direct bearing on this case. So does the broader sense that originates in Qur'an 4:34 that violence is an acceptable recourse against "disobedient" women.
The murderers' consciences were informed by these ideas, hence the lack of regret expressed below. "Muslim girl, 19, 'stoned to death after taking taking part in beauty contest'," by Will Stewart for the Daily Mail, May 30 (thanks to Ian):

    A teenage Muslim girl was stoned to death under 'Sharia law' after taking part in a beauty contest in Ukraine.

    Katya Koren, 19, was found dead in a village in the Crimea region near her home.

    Friends said she liked wearing fashionable clothes and had come seventh in a beauty contest. Her battered body was buried in a forest and was found a week after she disappeared.

    Police have opened a murder probe and are investigating claims that three Muslim youths killed her claiming her death was justified under Islam.

    One of the three - named as 16-year-old Bihal Gaziev - is under arrest and told police she had 'violated the laws of Sharia'.

    Gaziev said he had no regrets about her death because she had violated the laws of Islam.

    http://4u2great.blogspot.com/2011/05/muslim-girl-stoned-to-death-in-for.html

CPC, ACN may sign deal Friday .
Thursday, 20 January 2011 00:00 Lawal Ibrahim, Katsina & Abbas Jimoh    .59

General Muhammadu Buhari


The Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] and the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] have concluded arrangements to sign a memorandum of understating [MOU] in Abuja tomorrow which is meant to field a joint presidential candidate in the general election of April.
 

Daily Trust learnt from high level sources on both sides that almost all the tricky details in talks which started some few months back have been resolved and the final meeting for the alliance is going be held in Abuja tomorrow where both parties will officially sign a working agreement towards the election. At tomorrow’s meeting, both parties will present their final submissions after which the pact will be signed, the sources said.
 

Earlier reports indicated that the alliance has already agreed to support the presidential candidate of the CPC General Muhammadu Buhari on the joint presidential ticket while the ACN provides the running mate. A source confirmed that some areas of friction had earlier stalled the process but were mutually resolved during the last meeting. He said it was now unanimously agreed that Muhammadu Buhari will become the presidential flag bearer, though under his CPC but with a joint mandate.

Though former Lagos State governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu has initially been touted as the possible running mate, Daily Trust learnt that certain political intrigues and calculations came to the fore, and it is unclear whether he has backed out or not.

However, a source said the names of former governor of Anambra State Dr. Chris Ngige, former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as well as that of Pastor Tunde Bakare were being pushed by some strong interest groups.

Daily Trust learnt that some religious groups met with General Buhari in Kaduna on Monday over the candidature of Pastor Bakare.

A source close to former Lagos State governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu who has been leading the ACN side in the talks said he [Tinubu] is in support of the pact with the CPC and, in fact, encouraging the consummation of the deal.

Daily Trust learnt that tomorrow’s meeting is the fallout of the last meeting of leaders of the two sides held in Lagos on January 11, 2011 where critical issues related to the agreement were sorted out.

He confirmed that the two had come to the realisation that they needed each other to win the presidential election, especially against the current state of the ruling party, which is sharply divided by the zoning arrangement of the party.

The source revealed that alliance talks were earlier put on hold due to the rush by all parties to conclude their primaries in order to meet with INEC deadlines and also resolve various crises that emanated in both parties during the primaries.

The ACN has already fielded former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] Malam Nuhu Ribadu after advising former governor of Sokoto State Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and another aspirant to step aside. Sources said the ACN leadership did that based on fears that Bafarawa may not agree to step down after the talks with CPC. But the leaders were said to be confident that Ribadu shares a similar ideological disposition with Buhari and could agree in the circumstance to withdraw. Political parties have up to the end of this month to submit their candidates to INEC.

The admiralty confiscated most of the booty and auctioned it off to defray the costs of the expedition, although a sizeable group ended up in the British Museum. Among them is another of the same group of ivory masks. The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual sculptures astounded western audiences, and the dispersal of the Benin treasures paved the way for a reassessment of African art by artists and scholars. When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in London in 1947, he asked the family if he could exchange it for one of his sculptures. Its whereabouts remained unknown until the family contacted Sotheby’s last year. Jean Fritts, director of African and Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love. Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil.” From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a carved altar tusk, two ivory armlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with Portuguese figures and a bronze sculpture usually described as a tusk stand. A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a record $4.7m in 2007. The auction record for any African work of art is €5.9m.

Oba Ovonramwen’s £4.5m mask for auction in UK
Quote
By Agency Reporter
Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010
 16th Century Benin Ivory pendant mask put at £4.5m is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s in London, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The mask, according to the Financial Times of London, is to be auctioned in February. It said it was one of the last great masterpieces of Benin sculpture remaining in private hands and was believed to have been worn by Oba Ovonranmwen before the British punitive expedition to Benin Kingdom in 1897.
Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, whow as the deputy commissioner and vice-consul in the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891.
Galleway took part in the infamous expedition.
Meanwhile, the Director of African Oceanic Arts at Sotheby’s, Mr. Jean Fritts, has said the mask has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love.
“Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil,” he stated.
A bronze head of an Oba who ruled around 1575-1625 was sold for a record £44.7m in 2007.
There have been several calls for the return of artefacts stolen from the Benin Kingdom and kept in various art galleries around the world.

'Most commercial sex workers in Italy  are Nigerians'

 Written by Clement Idoko, Abuja
Thursday, December 16 , 2010

THE Chief Prosecutor, National Anti-Mafia Bureau, Italy Dr. Pietro Grasso, on Wednesday, in Abuja,  said that over 60  per cent of love-peddlers in Italy  were Nigerian young ladies, who were victims of  human trafficking. He also said so far, over 80 , 000  of the victims of  human trafficking rescued in the country had  been rehabilitated and empowered by the Italian  authorities. Dr. Grasso, accompanied by the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Roberto Colamine, made this  disclosure at the Headquarters of the National  Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and  Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Abuja, where he  signed a Memorandum of Understanding with  NAPTIP on the fight against trafficking in persons. Describing human trafficking as  sin against  humanity, the Italian prosecutor called on the  government to come up with stringent legislation  to give NAPTIP a bite in the fight against the  heinous crime.
   

Three Nigerians were yesterday jailed for a total of 18-and-a-half years for setting up a fake educational institution, called Bogus Colleges, to help illegal immigrants remain in the United Kingdom. The UK Border Agency’s London Immigration Crime Team, told the prosecution that its investigations revealed the dirty deals of the three, which include a husband and wife, Tiamiyu and Christiana Bello, aged 75 and 67 respectively, and a 39-year-old solicitor, Adeyinka Adeniran.

The couple were arrested following a raid on a property on New Cross Road in South London in July 2007, while Mr. Adeniran was later arrested following a search of his office on Old Kent Road. The sentence yesterday followed an 11-week trial at Croydon Crown Court, where the Bellos were found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to possess articles for use in fraud. They were both sentenced to five years in prison each. Mr. Adeniran was also found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration, which the judge described as a “disgrace to his profession.” He was sentenced to eight and a half years behind bars.

Revelations

The UK Border’s Agency said its raid on Mr. And Mrs. Bello’s office, which was registered to the address of “Academic College of Education” and the “Academic College of Training and Recruitment”, institutions for which the Bellos were the principals, led to the seizures of documents.
The UK Border’s Agency said its raid on Mr. And Mrs. Bello’s office, which was registered to the address of “Academic College of Education” and the “Academic College of Training and Recruitment”, institutions for which the Bellos were the principals, led to the seizures of documents.

“During a search, a large number of documents were seized, including letters purporting to be from the Academic College of Education and counterfeit qualification certificates. Many of the files seized from that address contained documentation from the Bellos’ college. Officers soon discovered that the building was a collection of bedsits and there was no evidence of lessons being taught there,” the agency said.

UK officers told the court that though the scam had been on for many years, the entirety of the business structure totally, “involved the supply of fake qualification documents which were then used to support visa applications to the Home Office. Many applicants were then represented by Mr. Adeniran through his legal practice.”

Chris Foster, who leads the London Immigration Crime Team for the UK Border Agency, described the structure as “a sophisticated criminal enterprise, which had the explicit aim of helping those who had no right to be in the UK evade immigration controls. As this case shows, illegal immigration can be big business. I hope this sends out a message that we are committed to tackling the criminal groups behind it, putting the ringleaders before the courts, and, ultimately, behind bars.”

Construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. has in the last one month retrenched 1,500 workers in Abuja.

Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that those affected were the aged, the unfit and those due for retirement. The purge which affected all its branches was necessitated by the delay in releasing payments to the company by the government for jobs already executed. Spokesperson for the company, Clement Iloba, told NAN that the affected workers were not sent to the labour market just like that, they were paid all their retirement benefits and or entitlements at the point of receiving their disengagement letters so that they can fend for themselves by establishing personal businesses. He also stressed that in any case, those affected were already at the point of leaving the company, a condition he added was very rare as lots of money were spent on training them on the job.
http://www.nigeriacurrentnews.com/1500-nigerians-lose-jobs-in-julius-berger-abuja/

www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/ct-met-dolton-shooting-1201-20101130,0,525269.story

chicagotribune.com
Graduate student shot, killed at his south suburban home
Brother found body in family's driveway in Dolton

By Lolly Bowean, Tribune reporter

5:41 PM CST, November 30, 2010
Advertisement

At only 21, Olubusayo Awomolo was so focused on obtaining his master's degree in mechanical engineering that he hardly did anything besides go to class and study, his father said.

His quiet life and single-minded devotion to school made it all the more difficult for his family to comprehend how Awomolo could be gunned down Monday evening in the driveway of their Dolton home.

"My son is gone," said Wale Awomolo, as he stood surrounded by friends and family Tuesday in their south suburban home. "He was a very, very, very quiet boy. I'm hoping the police will be able to tell me why."

Olubusayo Awomolo was a master's degree candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he also received his bachelor's degree, officials there confirmed.

He grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and joined his father and siblings in Dolton in December 2002, his family said. He graduated from Thornwood High School, then made it his mission to finish college.

"He was all academics," said his sister, Arinola Awomolo. "He was very quiet, easygoing and nice. He was an amazing brother."

He was returning home from the Chicago campus when a group of men approached him, Wale Awomolo said he learned from neighbors.

Although some neighbors said they heard the shooting and at least one saw several men go up to his son, no one called police, Wale Awomolo said. The man was discovered by his older brother, who was coming home and found him lying in their driveway in the 15500 block of Ingleside Avenue.

"My son said he saw a body and he called 911," Awomolo said. "He thought it was someone drunk or someone sleeping. Then we found out it was my son. I said, 'My God.'"

According to Dolton police Chief Bolden Jones, Olubusayo Awomolo was shot and killed between 7 and 7:45 p.m.

Police have no one in custody and are asking anyone with information to come forward, Jones said. "The most important thing is to find out what happened to this young man and who did this," he said.

On Tuesday, friends and family sat in the living room of the Awomolo family's modest brick house struggling to understand the tragedy. The boy's mother sat on the couch, crying quietly while friends hugged and comforted her.

"This is terrible. You never think this could happen in a neighborhood like this," said Adeyemi Adesuyi, a family friend. "We should be our brother's keeper and look out for each other."

Margaret Taiwo, the victim's aunt, said just thinking about what happened to her nephew made her angry.

"We want people to know this is very bad," she said. "People should not be afraid to call the police. It could have been their child. If he got help, he could be in the hospital right now, recovering. But he was left there. Only God knows.

"I pray, whoever did this, will not rest."

His friends and family described Awomolo as a bookworm who spent most of his time on his laptop computer. On his MySpace page, Awomolo said he liked to play video games and read war stories.

"He was a best boy," Adesuyi said. "He did what you asked him to do and he was very focused."

[email protected]

FG Names Location of Six New Varsities
From Bukola Olatunji in Abuja, 11.22.2010
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i yesterday named Nasarawa, Taraba, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Ekiti states, representing each of their geo-political zones, as the beneficiaries of the six new universities to be established by the federal government.

Rufai, who addressed newsmen on the creation of the universities Abuja said the choice of location in each zone was guided by the principle of equity. “Consideration was given to states without federal universities and the least concentration of other federal tertiary institutions in terms of existing polytechnics and colleges of education. Where the same number of institutions exists, consideration was given to states without their own universities.”

She further explained that the institutions are conceptually distinct from the current conventional and specialised universities. “They will be programme focused and shall seek to address the peculiar challenges of the zones where they are located.”
A healthy balance will also be struck “between expenditure on core academic activities on the one hand and overhead on the other, such that they will become cost-effective right from take-off with emphasis on the promotion of teaching, learning and research”, the minister further said.

Justifying the establishment of the universities, Rufai said, a total of 1, 305, 277 candidates applied for admission into universities nationwide last year out of which only 205, 170 or 16 percent of them were admitted.  She also gave the example of Bayero University, Kano, which had a carrying capacity of 5, 000 candidates, but had 39, 000 applicants, who made it their first choice.
The six universities are therefore being established “so that as many of our suitably qualified citizens as possible can have access to university-level education and earn the higher qualifications necessary for their own self-development  and the training of the high quality manpower needed for our national development and international competitiveness.”

The minister also seized the opportunity to explain that the federal government has neither abolished the colleges of education, nor was it in the process of doing so. The colleges will continue to produce teachers for the basic level of education and the polytechnics, to train middle-level manpower for the country.

According to her, “the federal government is only desirous of upgrading them so that they can also become autonomous degree-awarding institutions as they mature. Already, four federal colleges of education and two polytechnics are awarding degrees by affiliation with federal universities. Overall, 31 federal and state colleges of education and polytechnics have NUC approved affiliations for the award of degrees.”

A member of the all-conquering 1994 Super Eagles, Finidi George, has been appointed a member of the technical crew of his former club, Real Betis in Spain.

The right winger, who was at one time adjudged to be the best crosser of the ball, was officially presented on Wednesday as the new International Director for the Spanish club side. George would be working hand in hand with coach Pepe Mel.

One of his tasks will include scouting for players. He expressed delight at being recognised by the club where he played for four years, and expressed his readiness to start work. “It is an opportunity you (the club) gave me to join the technical body and I look forward to work to bring in good players,” he said. He went on to say he would use the opportunity of his global assess and profile to raise the club to greater heights. “I am going to focus on football outside Spain like Africa, Europe and other places where there are good players who can come to Betis,” he said. “I know the coach very well and I actually played with the assistant coach Roberto Rios and the trainer Jesus.”

His career

Finidi joined Real Betis in 1996 from Ajax, in a deal worth $7.6 million, scoring 38 goals in 130 appearances before moving on to Real Mallorca, and Ipswich Town, in the English Premier League, before ending his career at Real Mallorca. At Ajax, he cemented his place as a legend by providing many memorable assists. In that club, he scored 18 goals in 85 appearances. He started his career as a central midfielder with Sharks in Port Harcourt, joining his older brother, Alari George, before his skills drew the attention of national selectors. He then spent two seasons with Calabar Rovers before returning to Sharks in 1993. In Port Harcourt, where he grew up and began his career, he is most admired for his creativity in midfield; but it was as a winger that he gained global recognition for the accuracy of his crossing, which was even rated ahead of David Beckham and Luis Figo at his prime.

Dutchman Clemens Westerhof recognized this, and Finidi’s crosses brought out the best in Rashidi Yekini making the latter Nigeria’s all time top scorer. He has been living in Spain and is very fluent in Spanish and Dutch. At the national scene, he made a goal scoring international debut for Nigeria against Burkina Faso in a thrilling 7-1 defeat where he set up 3 goals, scoring the last after coming on for Austin Eguavoen at half time. He also scored twice in the World Cup qualifiers that secured Nigeria’s first ever qualification for the USA 94 FIFA World Cup. Finidi featured for Nigeria at the Senegal 92 (bronze), Tunisia 94 (gold and Cup,) Nigeria/Ghana 2000 (silver) and Mali 2002 (bronze).

He also represented Nigeria at the USA 1994 and France 98 World Cup and was vice-captain to Sunday Oliseh when the team qualified for the 2002 World Cup; but both of them were controversially omitted from the final squad. His goal against Greece is best remembered for his “dog” celebration and is often replayed.

Amos Adamu  has been suspended for 3 years by FIFA


Nigeria's Amos Adamu has been suspended from all footballing activity by Fifa's Ethics Committee for three years and fined $10,000.

Tahiti's Reynald Temarii was suspended for one year and fined $5,000 by the committee.

The move follows allegations that the pair asked for money in return for voting on World Cup hosting rights.

It means they will not be able to vote on which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.

Adamu released a statement protesting his innocence and vowing to fight the ruling.

"I am profoundly disappointed with the Ethics Committee's findings and had honestly believed I would be exonerated of any charges by now," he said.

"I am innocent of all the charges levelled against me by the Ethics Committee and I completely refute the decision they have made.

"I will be lodging a full appeal against it with immediate effect."

Four former executive members - Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, Mali's Amadu Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga and Botswana's Ismael Bhamjee - all received sanctions from Fifa.

Bhamjee was banned for four years, Diakite and Fusimalohi for three and Aloulou for two and all four were fined $10,000.

But the committee dismissed accusations of collusion between Spain/Portugal and Qatar, who are bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.

aija four life.

This lady is sick in the brain. There is absolutely nothing wrong in having a nickname for your country, especially among the youths. While there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed, this brain dead lady has chosen a trivial issue on which to waste her time.

Having nicknames for your country is commonplace:

United States is nicknamed Yankee Land or Yankeedom;

Australia is nicknamed Oz;

United Kingdom, the U.K.;

and the like.

A female friend was lamenting to me that the AWC champions and Super Falcons of Nigeria were picked up from the airport in a trailer as shown on channels news. Dont tell me this is true. Is it?
I will be gutted if that was the case!

The Federal Government has condemned in strong terms the use of “Naija” in place of Nigeria, saying that such usage is “very uncharitable and unpatriotic”.

Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, made the remarks while receiving the participants of Heir Apparent Reality Show in her office in Abuja yesterday.

Akunyili, who frowned on the continuous misrepresentation of the country's official name in place of a “corrupt” version, said: "It is very offensive to call Nigeria ‘Naija’. We are making plans to write companies to stop using the word Naija. I have heard that name Naija in adverts. I want them to go back and remove that word.

"If anybody says this is Naija, ask the person, 'Where is Naija?' We have to stop this word because it is catching up with the young. If we don't put a stop to its usage now, it will continue to project us wrongly.”

The minister's condemnation was prompted by a sentence in the presentation of the visiting group where “our world is Naija” was inserted.

Akunyili, who fervently spoke against the use of the word, ordered that the sentence be removed from the programme and changed to “our world is Nigeria”.

“Naija” is obviously a Nigerianised form of Niger, from where Nigeria derived its name.

The word is popularly used by musicians, artistes, advert managers and corporate companies and it could be positive or negative, although it is being used more positively in recent times.

It is believed to be trendier and is used by the younger generation.

Though no official condemnation of the word has been made, several reports have warned of the consequence of the usage of such words among the youths.

The first direct sign of the brewing diplomatic row between Nigeria and Iran occured on Monday as the Nigerian Football Federation postponed its friendly football match against Iran.



Although the NFF Acting Secretary -General, Mr. Musa Amadu, told the Associated Press that the “non-availability of our key players,” was responsible for the development, a source in the NFF Glass House headquarters told THE PUNCH that it had “to do with the seized arms and ammunition at the Apapa port in Lagos.”

“We cannot go ahead with the match in view of the misunderstanding between our country and Iran over the weapons that were seized by intelligence agencies in Lagos port. We have to show understanding by postponing the match,” the source added.

They, however, did not say when the match would now be played. When pressed further on why the federation took the decision, the NFF chief replied, “You are free to speculate.”

The postponement of the match comes days after Nigeria said it would take action against Iran if its investigation showed it violated international law.

The arms and ammunition concealed in 13 containers were shipped from Iran to Nigeria. Two Iranians believed to be the importers are reported to be hiding in the Iranian Embassy in Abuja.

Reuters quoted diplomatic and security sources on Monday as saying that the suspects were senior members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

But as indications emerged in New York, United States that the United Nations Security Council might investigate Iran’s alleged involvement in weapons sales, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manouchehr Mottaki, said the oil- rich country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hussein Abdullah, had been recalled.

Mottaki, at a press conference in Tehran, said a new envoy whose name he did not give, had been posted to Nigeria.

He also did not state the reason for Abdullah’s recall but said that the ‘misunderstandings’ between Iran and Nigeria had been solved.

“I think the misunderstandings have been settled in this field,” Mottaki said, adding that they were created by ‘enemies’ to damage Iran-Nigeria ties.

In late October, Abdullahi had said there was no clear evidence linking Iran to the weapons shipment.

The Iranian news agency, IRNA, also quoted the minister as saying on Monday that the two Iranians implicated in the importation of the arms and ammunition had given necessary information to Nigerian investigators.

Mottaki said, “The Iranian national working for the private company involved in the issue has provided Nigerian officials with necessary explanations and I believe the existing misunderstandings about the issue were now removed.”

The minister also explained that his trip to Nigeria on Friday was ‘a short working visit’ made in line with his four-nation tour of West Africa.

He also confirmed that he discussed the issue of the seized weapons with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), whom he said would soon visit Tehran.

The minister, however, insisted the consignment was actually bound for an unnamed West African country.

“The seized cargo belonged to a private company and it was for sale legitimately to a West African country,” he added , without naming the country.

Although there had been reports that the weapons were heading to The Gambia, the State Security Service claimed that they were ordered by some politicians to destabilise Nigeria if they failed in the 2011 general elections.

When contacted on Mottaki’s claim that the misunderstanding between the two countries had been resolved, the spokesman of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ozo Nwobu, said investigations into the matter had not been concluded.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing different from what our minister ( Mr. Odein Ajumogobia ) said at the weekend. The matter is still being investigated.

“If at the end of our investigations we find that international law has been breached by any foreign country, Nigeria will take appropriate steps.”

A United States-based Nigerian news agency, Empowered Newswire, reported on Monday that the Security Council had set up an eight-member expert committee to find out if Iran had breached its resolution on the sale of arms.

The committee headed by Ms. Salomé Zourabichvili of France has a Nigerian, Maj.-Gen. Ishola Williams, as a member.

Empowered Newswire said although the panel would examine all the issues on the arms embargo on Iran, the shipment to Nigeria might have compelled its establishment.

The agency added that the US had also indicated interest in assisting Nigeria to investigate the matter.

“If these reports are true, these are potential violations of Security Council resolutions; we will obviously encourage and assist Nigeria in any way that we can with its investigation,” the State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley. said.

Ajumogobia had said on Friday that he would report Iran to the Security Council if it found any evidence that the shipment broke UN sanctions imposed over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities.

He is expected to address the Security Council on Tuesday (today) on Sudan and might also be meeting with other diplomats on the Iranian shipment issue.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Silverbird to build Africa's Tallest building - Silverbird Stratosphere in Lagos

Ben Murray-Bruce-led Silverbird Group wants to build the tallest building in Africa, a 64-story building called the Silverbird Stratosphere. It will consist of a shopping mall, a five star hotel and much more and it will be located in Banana Island, Lagos.

http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2010/11/silverbird-to-build-africas-tallest.html

http://www.prlog.org/11026299-nigerian-novel-honored-as-finalist-in-usa-best-books-awards.html

Oct 26, 2010 – FEDDIE GIRL the international adventure/thriller detailing  the experiences of an American teenager in a Nigerian (West Africa) boarding school has been presented two Best Books 2010 Finalist Awards sponsored by USA Book News.

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of THE “BEST BOOKS 2010” AWARDS (BBA) on October 26, 2010. Over 500 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2010 and late 2009, and Feddie Girl by Nona David was honored emerged as Finalist in two categories.

Winners and finalists traversed the publishing landscape: Simon & Schuster, Penguin/Putnum, Rodale, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Moody Publishers, American Cancer Society, Sourcebooks, Bernard Books Publishing & hundreds of independent houses.

FEDDIE GIRL - The recent double Award-Winning Finalist by author Nona David published in February of 2010 - Tells the tale of thirteen year old Carlotta Ikedi who didn't like attending her American schools, and gets into constant trouble leading to two expulsions as a result of her behavior. Seeking a solution to Carlotta's problems, her parents enroll her in a private girls school in Nigeria. Carlotta faces a culture shock unlike any that she has ever known, and faces the challenge of succeeding on her own in a strange environment. In this wonderful coming of age novel, author Nona David weaves a fine story of character, friendship, and triumph over adversity.

Nona David, the celebrated author of this Award-Winning novel, currently lives with her husband in Cincinnati Ohio. She has a passion for foreign cultures and zeal to visit new places, learn new languages, and experience new things. Her background, friends, and experiences in Nigeria, West Africa is the major influence for her debut novel, FEDDIE GIRL.

Copies of FEDDIE GIRL can be purchased from the publisher: Bernard Books Publishing https://bernardbooks.com

A Facebook Page, dedicated to the fans of this novel at http://www.facebook.com/FeddieGirl already holds over 10,000 fans and readers.

Excerpts and Reviews of this novel are available on the publisher's website https://bernardbooks.com

A complete list of the winners and finalists of the “Best Books 2010” Awards are available online at http://www.USABookNews.com

Volcanic eruption in Benue, one person feared dead
A volcanic eruption has occurred at the mountainous Mkomon district of Kwande Local government of Benue State with one person feared dead while properties worth millions of Naira have also been destroyed.

Residents of the affected community have deserted their homes in search of safer place. Sources of portable water have been polluted by the heavy magma emitted from the eruption.

Vanguard gathered from eye witnesses that there were heavy vibrations around the mountains at the border with Cameroun Republic, followed by eruptions at six points on the mountainous terrain.

The vibrations spewed magma which covered streams and hand dug wells and the entire community leaving the people without portable water.

At the moment, there is panic amongst the people who are said to be cut off completely from the rest of the world as a result of the occurrence and damages to roads and bridges which was occasioned by the heavy vibration.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/volcanic-eruption-in-benue-one-person-feared-dead/

10,000 bootleg DVDs of 'Nollywood' Nigerian movies seized in Brooklyn

More than 10,000 bootleg DVDs of popular Nigerian movies have been seized this week after complaints from "Nollywood" film  execs about rampant piracy in Brooklyn.

The pirated DVDs were found at nine stores in the borough, along with several high volume disc duplicators, said District Attorney Charles Hynes.

"The sale of bootleg and counterfeit goods deprives the city and state of New York of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue," Hynes said yesterday.

 "And it deprives the artists who made the movies of their well-deserved proceeds."
 
The Nigerian film industry, known globally as "Nollywood," is extremely prolific, second only to India's Bollywood in terms of the number of films made.

Most are straight to DVD or TV,  but extremely popular throughout the African continent.

That popularity has followed to the communities of immigrants from Africa in the United States, where they are legally sold in DVD form for $5 apiece while the fakes sell for $3 each.

Among the titles recovered in the sweep this past week are feature films like "Material Girl," "Mind Games," the "Governor's Gift" and "Stolen Will."

SOURCE:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/04/2010-11-04_10000_bootleg_dvds_of_nollywood_nigerian_movies_seized_in_brooklyn.html

More than 64 million Nigerians, constituting 46 per cent of the country’s 140 million population, are illiterate and cannot contribute to socio-economic development of the country.

The Board Chairman of the National Commission for Mass, Adult and Non-formal Education (NCME), Paschal Bafyau, said this yesterday when the Senate Committee on Education visited the commission’s headquarters yesterday.

Bafyau told the lawmakers who were on oversight visit that it was necessary for government to give an accelerated impetus in its annual budget to the commission in order to eliminate the problem.

He also said the commission needs a total of 200, 000 facilitators who will reach the target of at least 150,000 illiterates in each state of the federation.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Alhaji Jibril Yusuf Paiko, said they were financially incapacitated to effectively meet their statutory mandate of ensuring Nigerians are educated at both formal an non formal sectors.

He also said apart from Lagos and FCT, other state governments have been failing to settle the N7,000 allowances to the facilitators, calling on the federal government to intervene by calling on governors to accomplish their promises.

http://www.nigeriaindependent.com/index.php/news/nigeria/806230-64m-Nigerians-are-illiterate.html

6 Iranians arrested over seized ammunition
By CHRISTOPHER ORJI and CHIOMA IGBOKWE with agency report
Saturday, October 30, 2010


Six Iranians were yesterday arrested at Medina Estate, Gbagada, Lagos, in connection with the arm and ammunition discovered in 13 shipping containers in Lagos recently. They were arrested in the compound of one Alhaja Soyibat Mogaji, who owns a factory, where the Iranians work.
Saturday Sun gathered that plain clothe security men, who effected the arrest, also took some documents after ransacking the entire building.

Before the Iranians were arrested, one of the security operatives believed to be a member of the State Security Service (SSS) was heard shouting on top of his voice: “You have been indicted in the imported explosives saga; you are to come with us and explain yourselves, ”

The whereabouts of the Iranian nationals is not yet known, as the 85-year-old Mogaji, who boycotted yesterday’s Jumat over the arrest in his premises has expressed fear over the fate of her workers.
According to a reliable police source, the arrest was based on series of petitions written by clearing agents that the Iranians may have a hand in the importation of those arms and ammunitions,

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the port, as Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, has ordered the stationing of anti-bomb unit and joint military patrol permanently there. There were slow activities at the port yesterday, as people were afraid of possible explosion and arrest by the police.
Also, security has been beefed up at the borders. Vehicles coming into Nigeria from neighbouring countries, like Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire through Seme are thoroughly searched before being allowed entry.

In a related development, agency report in Jerusalem said that the discovery could signify that Iran is trying to develop a new route to smuggle arms and explosives to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, defence officials said.
According to agency report, Iran has been known to use ports in Sudan and Eritrea to unload weaponry and then take same over land, via Egypt, to the Philadelphi Corridor – the 14-kilometer strip of land between Egypt and the Gaza Strip – where the weaponry is then smuggled by tunnels to Hamas.

The largest rocket appeared to be a 107-mm. Katyusha, which Iran is known to manufacture and which makes up the backbone of Hezbollah and Hamas’ arsenals.
The authorities said that it was possible the discovery of the arms and ammunitions in Nigeria means Iran has abandoned the Sudanese route, due to the difficulty it has encountered in operating in the Red Sea, under international surveillance.
Agency report has it that Israel also operates throughout the Red Sea, revealing last year that navy submarines and missile ships regularly passed through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea for operations.

Earlier this week, IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, said that the navy’s elite commando unit Flotilla 13 – known as the Shayetet – had recently conducted an operation “far away from Israel.”
He said that if Iran were using Nigeria as a port, it would also entail a major logistical operation to facilitate the transfer of the weapons by land from Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan and then via Egypt.
In January 2009, Israel reportedly bombed a convoy of trucks that was carrying advanced weaponry destined for Gaza, as it was travelling through the Sudanese desert.