An Agege Customary Court on Tuesday sentenced a 39-year-old man to 14 days imprisonment for contempt, following his disobedience to the court order to maintain the peace with his estrange wife.

“The court hereby sentences you, Ibukun Oluwadamilare, to 14 days imprisonment for contempt of court for beating up your wife.

“I believe that if you get there, you will learn one or two lessons and you will control your temper thereafter,’’ the Court President, Mr. Emmanuel Sokunle, said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the court, had at the last hearing, ordered the couple in the divorce suit to maintain the peace.

However, the wife, the petitioner in the suit, informed the court a day later that the respondent beat her, in spite of the order.

The petitioner, Adesewa, 33, had filed the suit in September, asking the court to dissolve her 12-year-old marriage to Oluwadamilare over battering and threat to life.

Adesewa, who lives at No. 18b, Kayode Joseph St., Powerline, Oke- Ira, Ogba, told the court: “My husband had wanted to make love to me in the presence of our children but I refused.

“He then beat me mercilessly to the extent of removing one of my teeth. If my husband has money, he won’t give me and the children.

“He prefers to go to the club and declare surplus and when the money is finished, he comes home to steal my money,” she alleged.

The mother of three children, aged between five and 10 years, also added that her husband often malign her before their children by making unsubstantiated allegation that she was promiscuous.

“We live in one room but my husband won’t wait till midnight when our children will be asleep before drawing my pants.

“My husband started going to a white garment church in April, and so, brings home different colours of candle.

“He left the church we were both going because he accused me of going out with our pastor and I am fed up with all of his behaviour,” she said.

An Agege Customary Court on Tuesday sentenced a 39-year-old man to 14 days imprisonment for contempt, following his disobedience to the court order to maintain the peace with his estrange wife.

“The court hereby sentences you, Ibukun Oluwadamilare, to 14 days imprisonment for contempt of court for beating up your wife.

“I believe that if you get there, you will learn one or two lessons and you will control your temper thereafter,’’ the Court President, Mr. Emmanuel Sokunle, said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the court, had at the last hearing, ordered the couple in the divorce suit to maintain the peace.

However, the wife, the petitioner in the suit, informed the court a day later that the respondent beat her, in spite of the order.

The petitioner, Adesewa, 33, had filed the suit in September, asking the court to dissolve her 12-year-old marriage to Oluwadamilare over battering and threat to life.

Adesewa, who lives at No. 18b, Kayode Joseph St., Powerline, Oke- Ira, Ogba, told the court: “My husband had wanted to make love to me in the presence of our children but I refused.

“He then beat me mercilessly to the extent of removing one of my teeth. If my husband has money, he won’t give me and the children.

“He prefers to go to the club and declare surplus and when the money is finished, he comes home to steal my money,” she alleged.

The mother of three children, aged between five and 10 years, also added that her husband often malign her before their children by making unsubstantiated allegation that she was promiscuous.

“We live in one room but my husband won’t wait till midnight when our children will be asleep before drawing my pants.

“My husband started going to a white garment church in April, and so, brings home different colours of candle.

“He left the church we were both going because he accused me of going out with our pastor and I am fed up with all of his behaviour,” she said.

The Anambra State Police Command yesterday sealed off Eke-Awka Market in Awka, the state capital.

The action followed a clash between members of the Amalgamated Traders Association (AMATA) and the caretaker committee recently inaugurated by the state government.

It was learnt that the caretaker committee members wanted to hold a rally to announce their assumption of office but the traders resisted this.

The committee, led by Charles Arinze, held its ground and held the rally.

This led to shootings between both camps.

Though nobody was injured, the confusion that followed the shootings forced many traders to close their shops early.

The police deployed 30 of its men to the market and sealed it off.

Police spokesman Raphael Uzoigwe confirmed the incident.

He said the police had restored order in the market.

Uzoigwe said the command deployed it men to the market to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

According to him, the duty of the police is to protect lives and property.

The police spokesman, however, denied an exchange of gunfire between both camps.

He said the story would have been different if the police had not arrived early on the scene.

The caretaker committee, it was learnt, was inaugurated by the government to ensure peace in the market, following a clash in which one person was reportedly killed.

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, have been nominated for the Forbes Africa Person of the Year Award.

They are the two Nigerians who made the five-man list.

Others on the list are Malawian President Joyce Banda, Managing Director of Kenya’s Equity Bank Limited, Dr. James Mwangi and co-founder of Aspen Pharmacare, Mr. Stephen Saad.

A statement by the organisers said: “Aliko Dangote: founder and president of Dangote Group. Motivation: Last year’s runner-up to Forbes Africa Person of The Year, is still Africa’s richest man, worth more than $11.2 billion. Dangote continues to be one of the continent’s biggest employers. He promises to donate most of his fortune to charitable causes upon his retirement.

“Dr James Mwangi won the Ernest and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2012 as well as Africa’s Innovation Leader of the Year Awards in 2012. Equity Bank is planning to extend its financial services to Ethiopia when the country opens its banking industry for foreign investors.

“Banda, Malawi’s first female leader, has restored strained diplomatic ties with neighbours and the international community. Her administration has embraced investor-friendly economic policies: she cut her salary by 30%; sold the presidential jet and a fleet of luxury cars in an austerity drive.

“Elumelu: founder and chairman of Heirs Holdings. Motivation: The multimillionaire grooms African business leaders and entrepreneurs through the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He is the leading advocate of Africapitalism, an economic philosophy that embodies the private sector’s commitment to Africa’s economic transformation through long-term investments.

“Saad is the biggest shareholder of the largest publicly-traded drug manufacturer, Aspen. The company has a market capitalisation of $6 billion. Saad became a multimillionaire at 29. Now aged 47, he employs more than 6,000 people.”

The winner of this award would have had an influence on the events of the year gone by on the African continent.

To forfeit 25% of undeclared cash

 

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday convicted a 25-year old man, Abubakar Tijjani Sheriff, charged with false declaration under the Money Laundering Law.

Sheriff was arrested by security operatives on September 27 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for declaring less than the cash he had on him.

He declared $4.500million to Customs officials, but he was found to possess $7.05million when he was searched.

He was arraigned yesterday before Justice C. J. Anieke, on a one-count charge and was accused of violating the provisions of Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap F34, laws of Nigeria, 2004 and 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, offence punishable under Section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.

Sheriff pleaded guilty to the charge and appealed to the court for leniency.

Justice Anieke convicted Sheriff. He was not sentenced to any term of imprisonment, but was ordered to forfeit part of the money.

The judge ordered that he forfeits 25 per cent of the excess of what he actually declared – estimated at $637, 631, – to the government.

The judge, in considering his plea for clemency and the information that the funds were not proceeds of crime, ordered the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to release to the convict the rest of the money after the deduction.

He said Sheriff was a first time offender and that his incarceration since his arrest was “enough eye opener.”

Prosecution lawyer Aliyu Yusuf said after Sheriff’s arrest, the funds were deposited in a GT Bank account for safe-keeping.

He urged the court to convict Sheriff as charged, having pleaded guilty.

Sheriff’s lawyer Obafemi Ogundare prayed the court to be lenient with his client and temper justice with mercy.

He told the court that the money found on his client was contributed by 20 traders, who wanted the convict to help them buy cheap goods from Dubai.

He said the traders voluntarily went to EFCC office to claim ownership of the money on learning that Sheriff had been apprehended.

Ogundare further told the court that the money involved was not proceed of crime and that there was no intention to deliberately commit crime.

He urged the court to order the forfeiture of the 25 percent of undeclared amount as required by law.

Bishop Oyedepo's British Church In 'Cynical Fraud' Allegation**Allegedly Rakes Followers £17m

According to what Mail newspaper, UK reported, a church run by a controversial multi-millionaire African preacher has been accused of ‘cynical exploitation’ after its British branch received £16.7 million in donations from followers who were told that God would give them riches in return.

Followers are ferried in double-decker shuttle buses to the church, handed slips inviting them to make debit card payments, and are even told obeying the ministry’s teachings will make them
immune from illness.

Today’s Mail on Sunday revelations about the Winners’ Chapel movement have prompted the Charity Commission to review the charitable status of the church – one of the fastest-growing in
the UK.

Winners’ Chapel is part of a worldwide empire of evangelical ministries run by Nigeria’s wealthiest preacher David Oyedepo, who has an estimated £93 million fortune, a fleet of private jets and a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Dubbed ‘The Pastorpreneur’, he was accused earlier this year of slapping the face of a young woman he said was a witch. The assault case was struck out but is being appealed.

Branches of the church have sprung up in major UK cities in a huge recruitment drive centred on Mr Oyedepo’s ‘prosperity gospel’. This claims that congregants who make regular donations and pay tithes – a ten per cent levy on their income – will be rewarded financially by God.

Followers are urged to target vulnerable people such as the lonely, the sick, the homeless and the suicidal as potential candidates for conversion.

Last night, Labour MP Paul Flynn said Winners’ Chapel was cynically exploiting supporters. ‘They [Winners’ Chapel] are making clearly spurious claims and it seems to be a cynical exploitation of the gullible,’ he said. Referring to the slapping incident, Mr Flynn added: ‘What is also alarming is the reported violence and the lack of respect for the status of women. It’s taking us back to a previous age of ignorance and prejudice that we all thought the church had escaped.’

This newspaper’s investigation can further disclose:

**Congregants are handed a payment slip requesting payments using cheque, cash or debit card when they enter London’s Winners’ Chapel.

**Donations to the ministry in England almost doubled from £2.21 million to £4.37 million between 2006 and 2010.

**Mr Oyedepo’s superchurch in Nigeria received £794,000 or 73 per cent of the charitable donations paid out by the British Winners’ Chapel between 2007 and 2010. This was despite claims in Africa that he is enriching himself at the expense of his devotees.

**The registered charity has spent £6.81 million on evangelism and ‘praise, worship and fellowship’.

**The church’s ‘Joseph Squad’ preaches in British prisons and has a weekly broadcast named ‘Liberation Hour’ on satellite and cable TV here.

In the past three years, Winners’ Chapel churches have been established in Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford, adding to those in London, Manchester, Dublin and Glasgow.

An undercover Mail on Sunday reporter attended Sunday services at Winners’ Chapel’s ‘London HQ’ in Dartford, Kent, which attracts 1,000 congregants – chiefly African and Caribbean immigrants. It is run like ‘a business conference’ by Mr Oyedepo’s son, David Oyedepo Jnr. Packed buses deliver singing worshippers from South-East London, Essex and Kent to the huge auditorium.

The reporter saw a payment slip being given to every person entering the church encouraging them to donate money by cheque or cash or to fill in a form with their debit card details. The slip said tithes should be paid separately using a ‘Kingdom Investment Booklet’ and the reporter was informed that payments could also be made by phone. A pastor told the worshippers: ‘You shall be financially promoted after this service in Jesus’ name if you are ready to honour the Lord therefore with all your givings, your tithes, your offerings, your Kingdom investment, your sacrifices.’

Congregants were told to fill in their slips and hold them above their heads while the donations were blessed.

The service was interspersed with testimonies. ‘I received a bill from the bank that I didn’t understand, so I prayed,’ said one congregant. ‘A few days later, the bank wrote to apologise for their mistake – Hallelujah!’ ‘Hallelujah,’ the audience shouted back.

Congregants were told they could gain favour by persuading others to follow Mr Oyedepo’s teachings. His son said: ‘Look around you. Someone is sick and already wishing he or she were dead, that is a fruit ripe to harvest. Someone is confounded and considering suicide as an option, that is another fruit that is ripe to harvest.

‘Someone else is lonely and wondering if there is any future for him, that is another fruit ripe to harvest.

‘Also there are many men and women, young and old that are homeless, these are fruits ripe to harvest.’

The reporter was taken, with 20 other new recruits, to a room where preachers gave sermons claiming acceptance of the Lord would prevent them ever being ill or suffering misfortune.

The Mail on Sunday has seen video footage of Mr Oyedepo striking a woman across the face and condemning her to hell after she said she was a ‘witch for Jesus’. He attacked her in a Winners’ Chapel superchurch, believed to be in Nigeria, in front of worshippers. A separate video shows him saying: ‘I slapped a witch here last year!’

In May, he was sued for £800,000 over the alleged assault. The case was struck out – a decision which is now reported to have been appealed.

The Winners’ Chapel movement, also known as the Living Faith Church, has hundreds of churches in Nigeria and across Africa, the Middle East, the UK and the US.

Mr Oyedepo has received fierce criticism in Africa. One Nigerian journalist accused him of ‘leading a growing list of pastorpreneurs – church founders exploiting the passion and emotion that Christianity commands to feather their nests’.

Catholic Cardinal Anthony Okogie criticised such preachers for placing materialism above Jesus’ message. He reportedly said: ‘They have been skinning the flock, taking out of the milk of the flock.’

Among Mr Oyedepo’s fleet of aircraft are said to be a Gulfstream 1 and Gulfstream 4 private jets. It is also claimed he and his wife, Faith, travel in expensive Jeeps flanked by convoys of siren-blaring vehicles. He is the senior pastor of Faith Tabernacle, a 50,000-seat auditorium in Lagos reputed to be the largest church in the world, and runs a publishing company that distributes books carrying his message across the world.

His other business interests span manufacturing, petrol stations, bakeries, water purification factories, recruitment, a university, restaurants, supermarkets and real estate. The latest addition is a commercial airline named Dominion Airlines.

A Charity Commission spokesman said: ‘The Charity Commission is currently assessing what, if any, regulatory role there is to play with regard to the complaints made against the World Mission Agency. It is important to clarify that this does not constitute an investigation at this stage.’

Winners’ Chapel administrator Tunde Disu declined to comment.

Culled from Mail Newspaper, UK

The Senate has joined the House of Representatives in calling for the removal of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director-General, Ms. Arunmah Oteh, saying her continued stay in office could negatively affect the Nigerian Capital Market and the Nigerian economy at large.
 
Since her recall from suspension by the Executive in defiance to the resolution of the House of Representatives, there have been protests by employees of the agency against her style of administration.
 
The Senate Committee on Capital Markets in a release said rather than seeking ways to work harmoniously with employees, Ms. Oteh has continued with the same style of administration for which the presidential review committee had previously indicted her.
 
The Senate Committee said it would not have any dealings with Ms. Oteh.


 

The National Assembly Thursday directed the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to immediately stop further demolition of estates located within the jurisdiction of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
 
The joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the Federal Capital Territory specifically directed the Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stay action on the proposed demolition of 37 estates until investigations into the legality of the allocations are ascertained.
 
The Chairman of the Joint Committee, Sen. Smart Adeyemi during deliberations on the demolitions with officials of the FCDA and representatives of the developers over the demolished 500 houses in Mananuel estate, located in the Gosa-Lugbe district, along the Airport road, directed the development control "to stop the demolition of 37 estates until we investigate the issue.”
 
"We will like to reach out to the developers and investigate how they came about the title documents to establish whether they are valid or not. We will write to them and we will allow them to express their opinion," the senator said.
 
Adeyemi's order was made against the backdrop of the justification of such actions by a Deputy Director at the Development Control Office, Mr. Hamza Madaki. He told the joint committee that the demolished Mananuel Estate is located at fake layouts, which were sold to citizens allegedly using forged documents.
 
“We were not expecting any development in those places at all because there is on-going re-planning of those areas. But what we are seeing is that fraudsters are involved in forging documents and backdating building plans and selling such to unsuspecting Nigerians,” Madaki stated.
 
He refuted claims by the developers that they got the allocations from the Abuja Municipal Area Council, insisting that only Development Control in the FCT is authorised to give allocation to developers.
 
Madaki further explained that several notices were issued to developers; the last one being in March this year, just as they were mobilising to those sites to demolish the structures, which were at various stages of completion.
 
He lamented that developers went ahead to complete the estates, with the hope of evoking emotion and sympathy from public.
 
"It is unfair for people to ask where we were when they were building. They were so determined to go ahead with the building. The developers deceived the subscribers. Their plan was to finish the building and the issue of legality will be set aside and sentiments and emotion will set in.”
 
Also, the Zonal AMAC director, Hussain Mohammed, denied giving approval to the developer of the estate. AMAC does not have the authority to approve estates right from day one. Making his case, counsel to the developers of the estate, Mr. Nwoke John Kalu, admitted that the certifications for the land and the building approvals did not emanate from the Development Control, even though he maintained that the documents were original as at the time they were issued in 2004. He however stated that the land was acquired from a previous owner in 2000. Kalu said he did not receive any notice from the Development Control office, nor did he see the newspaper publications by Development Control in 2011, which warned developers to stop work on the land. He accused the FCDA of failing to follow due process in the demolition exercise.
 
However, on presenting the signed documents for the land, officials of AMAC denied approving the documents saying they were forged. AMAC officials further submitted that they do not have jurisdiction, as their development plan is yet to fully take off and as such they could not have allocated the land to developers.
 
However in his submission, Adeyemi described the action of the developer as criminal but said he has a moral case because of the civil servants who have to suffer for the demolition.
 
He said although the documents submitted by the developers showed that they did not comply with the law in acquiring the land, the committee will still need to do further investigations into the matter.
 
Sen. Adeyemi said the committee is sympathetic to the plights of those who bought plots, who are now at the risk of losing all their investments. He nonetheless promised to look into the case for possible compensation.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) rose from its Thursday meeting in Abuja with a decision not to recall Justice Ayo Isa Salami citing pending litigations over his reinstatement as President of the Court of Appeal.
The NJC had earlier directed President Goodluck Jonathan to recall the embattled former head of the appeals court following the recommendations of a panel it constituted to review his suspension.
THE NJC in rescinding its earlier stand on the matter agreed with the Presidency that it would be pre judicial to recall Salami, a source at the NJC’s council meeting told THEWILL.
The source further said that most council members agreed that the NJC should let the court processes end before the issue of his reinstatement can be revisited.
Meanwhile, the NJC has stood down the Chief Judges recommended for Adamawa, Osun and Kwara by their governors.
The rejected nominees are Justice Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun), Justice Suleiman Durosinlorun Kawu (Kwara) and Justice Binta Nyako (Adama); she is wife of Adamawa State Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako.
The council asked the governors to resend nominations base on seniority in the judiciary of their respective states.

Pension Fund Probe: PRTT, Maina Petition Mark Over Alleged Witch-hunt

The Management of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) led by Abdulrasheed Maina has petitioned the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, accusing the Senate joint committee on Establishment, Public Service, State and Local Government Administration of witch-hunt.
 
The Senate joint committee has been probing allegations of mismanagement of pension funds by the PRTT. Over 20 billion naira is believed to have been siphoned from the pensions fund.
 
In the petition titled, “Letter of protest against the Senate joint committee on Establishment, Public Service, State and Local Government Administration”, the PRTT said it has lost confidence in the ability of the Senate committee to conduct a fair and equitable investigation in view of “display of glaring persecution” exhibited by it.
 
“We have received yet another invitation dated October 3rd 2012 requesting that we appear before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, State and Local Government Administration for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive investigation into the management/administration of pensions in Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO) which was addressed during the public hearing earlier conducted during the year by the same committee,” the PRTT wrote.   
 
Though it acknowledged the constitutional right of the Senate to investigate matters of interest, the PRTT however noted that where a Senate Committee has failed in its constitutional duties and responsibilities, the Senate has a duty to critically review same, in order to protect justice, fairness and equity and the integrity of the Senate as an institution.   
 
The petition in part said, “During the Senate hearing, Nigerians witnessed through a live TV transmission the high level of persecution against the task team.   
 
“From the first day of our appearance before the Senate committee, our chairman was declared ‘wanted’ and was ordered to be arrested by the police, while the committee embarrassed and vilified him as if it is a crime to sincerely sacrifice for this country.   
 
“Senator Aloysius Etok used the police to harass and prevent the chairman of the Pension Task Team from going to the mosque for Friday prayers, a serious breach of personal religion rights, as a Muslim.   
 
“He also asked on one occasion that the legal adviser of the Task Team to be detained by the police for presenting a medical report showing that the Task Team chairman was ill.   
 
“Even during the Senate committee’s hearing in Abuja, the Senate Committee had already convicted the Task Team as guilty when the duo of Senators Etuk and Kabiru Gaya appeared on television studios and press conferences condemning the PRTT while their investigations were still going on.   
 
“That there are elements of vindictiveness because the investigation has now changed to a personality affair as the committee demanded in writing that the chairman PRTT should present his educational qualifications, letters of appointment, and all letters of promotion for investigation.   
 
“This SHOWS a personality attack on the person of our chairman.   
 
“To our utmost surprise, the leadership of the Senate probe committee was very polite, accommodating and so friendly to Dr. Shuaibu Teidi Sani, this is a suspect who was arrested for pension loots running into billions of naira seized from him.   
 
“Shuaibi Teidi Sani was protected by the Senate committee and given ample time to talk and present his position without interference unlike the chairman of PRTT (Maina) who was also hosed down each time he wants to explain very important point thereby making the ‘hunter to become the hunted.’   
 
“Senator Aloysius Etuk sought protection of the police for Dr. Shuaibi teidi Sani during the public hearing on 9th March, 2012. Senator Aloysius Etuk verbally queried the former Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Afolabi for suspending Dr. Shuaibu Teidi.   
 
“Throughout the report of the committee as presented to the Senate there is no single place that the committee mentioned one single pension thief that the Task Team caused its arrest, seizure of their pension loot and subsequent persecution.   
 
“The committee report did not ask or explain to Nigerians who stole N5.25 billion on monthly basis in the Police and Head of Service Pension Office before the Task Team came in to stop the looting and subsequently restructure the offices   
 
“Why is the Senate Committee report so silent on the over N19 billion stolen through the withdrawal of N300 million daily that our forensic experts detected? Some of the suspects are presently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.”   
 
It insisted that members of the PRTT have “no faith or confidence on the Senate Joint Probe Committee as currently constituted especially its leadership, given the level of bias displayed throughout the public hearing as also evidenced in its report.”   

The influence and power of the online media has forced the Rivers State government to come clean on the kidnap of its Commissioner for Power, Mr. Augustine Nwokocha by gunmen over the weekend.
 
The online media had broken the story and stayed on it even after the state government successfully blocked reports of the incident in the local media.

The State government embarrassed by the incident had opted to keep it out of the media because of the all-important meeting of the US-Nigeria Binational Commission holding in Port Harcourt today and tomorrow.

 A U.S. delegation led by the Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Cynthia Akuetteh is scheduled to attend the meeting, which is the second of the Niger Delta working group, and the eighth in a series of working groups convened through Binational Commission since its establishment in April 2010.

A statement by Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, who had earlier feigned ignorance about the incident said, "The Rivers State government wishes to confirm that on October 13, 2012 the Commissioner for Power, Mr Augustine Nwokocha was seized by unidentified men who are suspected to be hoodlums and career criminals. The information available at the time of the incident indicated that he was on a spot assessment of some areas affected by the recent flooding in the state. It is believed that he was on his way to monitor relief materials and the situation in one of the camps before the incident happened."
 

The statement was however silent on three (3) other persons kidnapped alongside the commissioner.

 

Ibim said Nwokocha was on a tour of areas in the state that were struck by flood when he was taken.

 

"Although the details are sketchy, the government wishes to confirm that the security agencies are on top of the situation and have the full cooperation and backing of the government to ensure that the official is rescued and the perpetrators brought to book.

 

“Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has directed the security agencies to ensure the safe return of Nwokocha without delay," the statement added.

The statement further urged the public to assist the police by providing useful tips.


"The security agencies are working on a number of leads and a combined search mission is in full swing to unravel the untoward development.


"It is pertinent to state that the state has enjoyed relative peace and quiet until now. The government wishes to assure all citizens of their security and safety. In the same vein, members of the public who may have useful information are encouraged to pass same on to the Police or any of the security agencies.


"Clearly this incident has generated much interest and further information will be shared as events unfold. As always we appreciate the support of the media in ensuring that our society is crime free."

Fighting between Nigeria’s military and the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram killed at least 24 people in a northeast Nigerian city that remains in the grip of violence, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.

Soldiers dropped off 24 corpses at the Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, where explosions and gunfire rang out into the night Monday, a worker there said. Most of the dead wore the long, flowing robes favored by Boko Haram members and soldiers identified the dead as suspected members, the worker said. However, there was no independent investigation immediately carried out Tuesday to determine their identities.

The worker spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of angering either the military or the sect.

Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, a military spokesman in the city, said the dead were all Boko Haram members. However, the military routinely claims everyone it kills belongs to the sect, despite incidents where dozens of civilians have been killed by soldiers.

Musa said only one soldier suffered an injury during the fighting Monday, though residents of the neighborhoods where the attacks took place said they saw other wounded people wearing military fatigues. Boko Haram fighters used small-arms fire, as well as rocket-propelled grenades in their attack, Musa said.

“The atmosphere in Maiduguri has been normalized since the early hours of Tuesday as people are going about their normal businesses,” Musa said in a statement. However, soldiers continued to deny people access Tuesday to the Zannari and Gwange neighborhoods in the city.

The fighting Monday saw at least one school burned down, witnesses said.

Attacks in Maiduguri, Boko Haram’s spiritual home, have grown increasingly commonplace, but the apparent sustained strikes, which began Monday afternoon and continued into the evening, saw soldiers lock down nearly every street in the city center.

Boko Haram has been launching guerrilla attacks against Nigeria’s weak central government for months as part of its efforts to free its imprisoned members and enact strict Islamic law across the multi-ethnic nation largely halved between Christians and Muslims. In recent days, it has begun a renewed offensive in Maiduguri.

On Oct. 5, a bombing in Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram members that killed an army lieutenant sparked a violent retaliation by soldiers. Troops opened fire with assault rifles and heavy machine guns mounted on armored personnel carriers on a busy street near the local headquarters of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, according to witnesses.

Afterward, an Associated Press journalist counted the bodies of more than 30 dead civilians and saw more than 50 shops and homes burned.

The military later denied it killed civilians, but offered contradictory explanations about what happened. Activists say they worry that other recent military strikes against Boko Haram may have killed civilians as well.

Boko Haram, which speaks to journalists in telephone conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night. The sect has killed more than 690 people this year alone, according to an AP count.


Associated Press

Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Bello and 10 other principal officers of the House were Tuesday morning impeached from office.

A new Speaker in Honourable Lawal Jimoh was elected to lead the Assembly.

A group of aggrieved assemblymen have been planning to remove the Speaker and principal officers for months following disagreements between them and the leadership of the House. The Executive is also believed to have played a key role in their removal.

The Assembly was not scheduled to convene Tuesday as the leadership had set Thursday for reconvening. THEWILL could not independently ascertain the number of assembly that participated in the impeachment exercise.

Facebook's first engineering centre outside the United States opened in London on Tuesday, boosting the British government's ambition to make the digital economy a central plank of its growth strategy.

The company's vice-president of engineering, Mike Schroepfer, said that London is "rapidly emerging as a global technology hub", providing access to the best engineers and a place where other talented engineers would be willing to relocate.

The London team will develop products to improve the Facebook experience on mobile devices and perform work on the social network's platform, Schroepfer said.

Developing mobile products is a priority for Facebook. The social network crossed the billion threshold this month, but it has struggled to make money from the growing numbers of people accessing its services on smartphones.

British finance minister George Osborne, who attended the opening in Covent Garden, central London, said that Facebook's move highlighted the attractiveness of the city for technology businesses.

"I hope it also reflects something of the work we have done as a government over the last couple of years to make this a go-to place for technology businesses," he added.

Osborne said the government had taken a range of measures including better computer science teaching, the expansion of superfast broadband and the improved availability of government data to apps developers.

Facebook's initial 12-strong team is headed by engineer Philip Su, who relocated from Seattle, site of the company's first engineering centre outside California. Su said that he has already recruited a handful of people locally.

REUTERS

In 1956, while living with my uncle, we had our fair share of poverty. He was poor but I was poorer. We mutually shared whatever we had. One day, we were very hungry and there was no food in sight. Then all of a sudden a young girl approached us and said her sister asked her to give us the food she was carrying -pounded yam with vegetable soup and chicken. My uncle told her he did not know her sister and asked if she was sure we were the right people the food was meant for. She replied in the affirmative, so we received the gift and my uncle told her he will be expecting more gifts from her sister like this one she brought. Immediately the girl left, we pounced on the food. As soon as we were done eating the food, the girl resurfaced and said it was all a mistake that the food was not for us. Who will give a hungry lion a goat and expect to get it back?

NOTE:
The mercy of God can corner what was meant for somebody else for the recipient of His mercy. This season, the mercy of God will bring you blessings and opportunities including the ones not initially meant for you. By an unplanned move or deed, mercy will connect you to your destiny. Mercy turns mistakes into appointments. When mercy is involved, there are no mistakes!

READ THIS LINE:
Father, let Your mercy compel mistakes to work in my favor in Jesus' Name. AMEN

  , may God preserve his soul

This woman's husband was said to have begged the man on the bed to employ his wife so they could have money to feed until he could sort out his financial problems. The man accepted after several pleas.

But unfortunately, because her husband no longer has money the woman started disrespecting him and keeping late nights. Acting on a tip off, the husband and his friends caught her live in the act with her boss.

What's more annoying, according to the source who sent the photo to an online media, is that she didn't even look for an handsome man to sleep with but one who's "uglier" than her husband.

Branama singer, Kefee, discusses her new marriage, her latest album, her ex-husband and a few other issues with ’NONYE BEN-NWANKWO.

One of the issues was her controversial post on a social networking platform that early morning sex is good, just a few weeks into her second marriage. Enjoy the read...

My new album
The last time I released an album was in 2008, but I’ve been releasing many singles. I released No bi Sapele Water not too long ago. I also released Dan Mariyo before I releasedBeautiful. Now, I decided to put everything in an album titledBest of both Worlds. The album will contain two CDs in one. One CD will be my normal spiritual or gospel album, while the other one will have play and love songs. I will release one now and I will release the other one next year.

About being labelled as ‘just’ a gospel artiste
I don’t want to be boxed into a corner. I get so many ideas and inspiration that I cannot limit myself to gospel music. I just have to separate them. That was why I decided to have two CDs in one. I’m a complete human being. I have my spiritual part like every other person. Everybody knows how to pray. Then again, as a human being, I have feelings. I love people. I love my parents. I want to appreciate them. I don’t want everything to be ‘churchy.’ If I like you and I want to sing about you, I should be able to do that. I don’t want to be restricted because I’m being tagged a gospel singer. The days are gone when I was referred to as a gospel artiste. It doesn’t have to do with the fact that some people think that secular music is where the money is. I do inspirational songs as well. There are issues I want to talk about. I have my fans and I know what they like. That is why I decided to separate my CDs.

Meeting Ghanaian star Becca
Becca is a big star in Ghana. I featured her in Dan Mariyo. I was in Ghana and I saw her video. People around me told me it would be nice to do something with her. I agreed. My people contacted her manager and she also agreed to do a stuff with me. She came down to Nigeria and we did the song and it turned out very beautiful. You know she is a wonderful artiste.

Joy of the awards I’ve won
I agree that I have gone higher in my career. It is the Lord’s doing. I thank God for it. I feel good that people appreciate what I do and honour me with awards. It makes me want to do more and try to get better. I’m enjoying it. I appreciate every single award I have received. I’m so grateful to everybody for the awards.

Me and Timaya
I featured Timaya in my Kokoroko song and we were a wonderful combination. I don’t agree that we are two extremes. Timaya loves God. He may not be singing pure Christian songs, but that doesn’t mean he is not a good person. He is God-fearing. He is an amazing person. I listen to his songs and I like them. Everybody loves God and that is what counts. If I like somebody and I feel I should work with the person, I go ahead and do it, not caring what some other people think about the person.

New insight into Branama
It is true I have done several versions of the song Branama. It is not really my fault. Branama means ‘Show off’ in Urhobo language. Most people don’t even know my real name, they just call me Branama. I like the name a lot. Some people also think it is my surname, and to be honest, I don’t even mind. When I opened a restaurant recently, I decided to name it Branama. I love cooking. Even before I opened the restaurant, my house used to be like a restaurant, so I decided to go commercial. There are a lot of things I would want to do, but I have not even done half of them yet. In all, I don’t intend to leave music. There is even no way I can leave music.

My new marriage
I decided to surprise everybody with my (new) marriage. I didn’t want to make it public and I am so happy I was able to pull it off. I didn’t want to discuss my marriage and my husband was so cool with the idea. There wasn’t any need telling everybody about it. The surprise added to the spice. I thank God. I am happy. This is one testimony I don’t want to share with anybody. I really want this part of my life to be private. I just want to enjoy it. Marriage has been good. All I know is that he is such a blessing. Old things have passed away and all things have become brand new. I have never been happier. My parents are so happy with my marriage. I wrote 'Beautiful' for my husband. The song was inspired by him. My career takes me outside my home but it doesn’t affect it. My husband is cool with what I do. I am just blessed to have him as my husband.

My ex is not my enemy
I am not at war with anybody. I have told you, I don’t want to talk about old times or my former marriage. I have forgiven and I have forgotten. I don’t want to say anything that you will use as a headline. So please, I am not at war with anybody. I am at peace with everybody. I have forgotten about every low moment. It is even a part of life. I think such things make people better. That is what I believe otherwise things would be so boring. With such drama, your life will be exciting. It is all good. I don’t look back on anything. I don’t have any regret. I don’t have time for regret.

Comment on Twitter
I didn’t expect that my comment, ‘Early morning sex is good,’ which I posted on Twitter would generate such number of comments. I was being factual. That was how I felt that particular time. I don’t regret the post.

My age
The controversy about my age was in February. I wanted to celebrate my birthday and Eva, my friend and colleague, went on Twitter and posted that she was celebrating her friend Kefee, who just turned 21. The comment went viral immediately. People started saying all sorts of things and the debate concerning my age started. How can I be 21? In Dan Mariyo, I almost said my age in the song. I said I was born in the early ’80s. So, where does the age 21 come in? I read the comments and I was just laughing. I am proud to be the ’80s child. I don’t know why everything about me becomes news. People do similar things and get away with it but once it is Kefee, it becomes controversial. But I even see it as a blessing. People are looking for such popularity. That is what I believe in

This is not the first time Dapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D'Banj is rumoured to be in sizzling romance with a high class lady and this may not be the last. In time past, the Kokomaster, as he is also fondly called, had been romantically linked with superstar Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji.

Now, there is a romance tale trailing D'Banj with Adama Indimi, who is the younger sister of IBB's son's first wife, Muhammed Babangida, Rahama Indimi. She is the daughter of Maiduguri based multi-millionaire, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi. Adama is a student of
Lynn University, Florida, USA.

It is reported that a series of tweeted started this speculations. This has made some people ask if D'Banj has finally dropped Genevieve for Adama.

On August 13, 2012, Dbanj tweeted, "On my way to Club Icon with Naeto C and the crew! Tonight, we are drinking to celebrate my baby @Presido_Adama (Adama). Happy birthday love!

This was later followed by a tweet on August 27, 2012 when Dbanj performed at a London concert London which read, "You make me do happy." She now posted some pictures of herself then of D'Banj's dancers backstage. Soon after, she posted a picture of the two of them together.

On August 29, 2012 she tweeted, "Happy love, happy laugh, happy soul! And afterwards. "You make me do happy!" Hours later, she tweeted, "Mumsi said 'I like your new Hannah Montana remix'

“I have heard a lot about my relationship with D’banj. Some people call me his houseboy, bouncer, and the rest, but let me say this, I have been close to D’banj since day one.



The first time I saw him was at Obi Asika’s house, when he was about signing to Storm Records…and if you’re observant, you would have discovered that we have similar features; he’s lepa just like me and we have same swagger. So we’ve created some kind of bond right from time which I was not opportuned to share with Don Jazzy.

I only find people that find me, simple! Those that I am important to are those that are important to me. I am just chilling with D’banj and now that he’s making a stand abroad, it’s going to be stupid of me not to utilize the situation he already has. So, we are not just friends, we are also doing business” –

The rapper tells Encomium magazine in an exclusive interview