Congratulations to one of our favourite couples! Stunning actress Mary Remmy Njoku and her husband Jason Njoku who is also the founder of iRoko welcomed a bouncing baby boy early this morning in a London hospital.



The couple decided to name the baby after daddy, calling him Jason Obinna Njoku.

A massive congrats to the cute couple.

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday launched the new electronic ticketing (e-ticket) system for Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, buses in the state.

The e-ticketing system now allows BRT users to pay bus fare as low as N20 within a stipulated distance as against the fixed fare of N70 to N120.

The e-ticketing is being managed by the Lagos Area Metropolitan Transport Authority, LAMATA.

Governor Babatunde Fashola launched the e-ticketing system at the BRT CMS Terminal in Marina, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, saying that the development was to make the transportation system through BRT buses more efficient and fast for both operators and users.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire stated that users of BRT buses with the e-ticket could pay less for travel time as well as make the process of ticketing more users friendly.

According to Fashola, “we have over the years strived to ensure that we have very effective and reliable transportation system on the road, on water and on rail system. From the event of today, what we have done is to make road infrastructure more attractive, more reliable and more efficient for those who chose to use this service, especially those at the grassroots who will make use of this from today.

“It will give users the opportunity to save, instead of paying N120 or N70, you can also buy a week or a month worth on your card depending on your travel time which is more effective and makes the process efficient and fast.”

He said the e-ticketing system was the first of its kind in the country, saying that the government was looking forward to attaining the transportation system obtainable in developed countries.

Managing Director, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola said the new system was being developed not just for the BRT buses but also for journeys on ferries and trains subsequently.

He explained that the e-ticketing model was to make it easier for passengers to be able to travel at ease making use of this system as “it is equitable, simple, easier for collection, easy for control of operators, it is attractive to both users also for the administrators as well as the operators.”

A baby weighing almost a stone and measuring 22.6 inches long has been born in Germany. Baby Jasleen arrived on July 26 and weighed a massive 13.47 pounds (6.10kg). Babies her size are usually born via a caesarean section, but she was born naturally.

Doctors at the General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, are seriously battling to save the life of an 11-year old girl, Ita Bassey-Eno, who was allegedly set ablaze by the woman she lives with, Mrs Nkese Iroakazi, a nurse at a hospital in Surulere.

Iroakazi was alleged to have poured kerosene on Bassey-Eno before lighting a match stick to set her ablaze after the girl was said to have stolen a piece of meat from the pot.

Witnesses said the girl ran out of their apartment at  7, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, unto to the main road with fire all over her body as she cried for help from passers-by to rescue her.

It was gathered that someone quickly stopped his vehicle and used his fire extinguisher to put out the flame on her body.

The incident, which occurred last Saturday, was immediately reported at the Bode Thomas Police Station and the police from the station arrested Mrs. Nkese.

The little girl was rushed to the Burns and Trauma Centre, an annex of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital at the General Hospital, Gbagada, for urgent attention as the doctors in the hospital said she had suffered 95 percent burns and would take a miracle for her to survive.

Bassey-Eno’s private part was damaged, while almost all her body is burnt. The whole of her body, except her face and her feet, are bandaged, while she wears pampers because her private part was damaged.

On her hospital bed on Monday when P.M.NEWS visited, the little was groaning in pains while health officials described Nkese as callous woman and that she must be made to face the music.

Executive Director, Esther Child Rights Foundation, ECRF, Mrs. Esther Ogwu, who was at the hospital to see the girl, wept when she saw her pathetic state, saying that in all her life as human rights activist, she had never come across such a gruesome case as that of  the little girl.

According to Ogwu, “the situation is terrible. The doctor said the girl suffered 95 percent burns and that her private part has been damaged. This woman is more than wicked. Justice must take its course.

“One of the health officials at the General Hospital, Gbagada called me and said a woman poured kerosene on the little girl staying with her and lit up a match stick and set her ablaze. The girl ran out of the house to the main road where a Good Samaritan used her car fire extinguisher to put out the fire.”

Little Bassey-Eno, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, southsouth Nigeria, was brought from the village with another girl, Happiness Okon-Bassey, 13, to live with Nkese in June 2013 on the premose that she would send them to school, but that was not to be as the two girls allegedly performed the function of domestic servants for Nkese.

The second house girl, Okon-Bassey, said she did not see when her colleague was set ablaze but that she heard her screaming when their mistress was beating her shortly before the she saw flame all over her body when she ran outside their home.

She alleged that they were maltreated and beaten thoroughly very often and that they had no time to rest as they work almost throughout the day for their mistress without going to school, saying that they normally eat twice daily.

Daughter of the alleged culprit, Ijeoma Akiti, 27, said she was not at home when the incident occurred and that she could not tell whether her mother poured kerosene on the little girl’s body and set her ablaze, but that she heard such story at the police station.

She said her mother was first married to her father and later remarried into the family of Iroakazi and that her mother’s husband had gone on a business trip to the eastern part of Nigeria.

At the Bode Thomas Police Station, police sources alleged that the little girl confessed that her mistress poured kerosene on her. The police at the station said the woman would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti for further investigation into the matter, but Ogwu alleged that the police were trying to shield the woman from prosecution.

In her statement at the police station, Iroakazi denied that she poured kerosene on the little girl’s body and set her ablaze.

According to her, she was in the sitting room when she heard a loud cry and rushed out only to see the girl on fire and called on people to help put out the fire.

Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, were at the hospital and the police station where they spoke with the woman, but she denied the story.

WAPA officials took Okon-Bassey, the second girl with them for rehabilitation pending when she would be reconciled with her real mother.

In this interview with Sam Olatunji, Uche Jombo speaks on cheating and new movie ‘Unconditional’.

What is it with the celebrity kids on your new movie, ‘Unconditional’?

We didn’t set out to use celebrity kids. I told everyone including you the age range I want and people suggested the kids. Aghahowa’s daughter has wanted to act since age 5, we auditioned Chigozie, and she did well and got a coach to coach them. 2face’s daughter is just a drama queen. And this movie, Unconditional is not all about them, Dakore, Ruth Kadiri and I acted in it. It’s the kind of move that will touch the heart.

If your husband were to be a serial philanderer like Desmond’s character in the movie, Lies Men Tell, what will you do?

I will castrate him, he knows and believes that. To me, there is no excuse to cheat, its either you are with someone or not, and if you are tired of the person, please accord the person decency of respect by saying it’s over. Don’t go making someone look stupid. The problem with me is there is no in- between.

Do you believe what you are saying or are you saying it for the purpose of this interview?

I am saying,Uche Jombo-Rodrigues doesn’t have in-between. That is the reason it takes me long time to make a decision or take a stand on something, but when I do, that is it. There is no excuse not to honour an agreement you have made, this doesn’t have anything to do with this interview. It is the principle that guides me. It is not just about marriage, it’s how I conduct my relationships, its either it is this or that, if that is mymind-set in a relationship, you should know that for marriage it’ll be 150%. There is no room for cheating.

So you believe your husband will or should not cheat on you?

I don’t have control over what someone will do, I’m not God. I’m talking about me, how I conduct things. It’s not an option that it will happen, I will not tolerate cheating.

Are you saying you will not forgive the man who cheats on you and is manly enough to say I’m sorry?

If you are in that situation Sam, oh God! You are going to slave for me for life. And do you know any man that will want to slave for a woman for life, answer?

Is it true you are older than your husband and the man you dated before him?

I have never dated or married someone I was older than in my life. If you have the illusion of someone’s age, that is your business, and I am even too mature for my age. That is the problem, because men of my age are ‘small boys’ around me, I can’t date them. I am someone who has to become a mother to some of my siblings at the age of 14. Because you are an under-achiever does not mean I should play down on my achievement. If age is the yard stick for you to succeed, you should not judge people with it, I don’t have an apology. If I’m learning from people who are older than me that is because I don’t hang out with my age mates; I don’t think there is anything else you want to teach me, and if you want to judge me by the people I hang out with or by when I started my hustle, where the hell were you at that time?  What really matters to me is that people who know me during my not-too-proud days are so proud that, this is me now. I have come far, it’s something I’m grateful for, and I couldn’t have even written it better if it were a story.

The first edition of Ankara Soiree Fashion show and Exhibition took place on Saturday 27th July 2013 in Lagos, Nigeria.



The exhibition which started earlier in the day saw designers display creativity, style, talent and originality in using the Ankara fabric to make elegant clothing, accessories and lots more. The visitors and some of Nigeria’s celebrities present mingled around the stalls to patronize exhibitors before taking their seats to watch the exclusive run way show anchored by the pretty and charming Mamuzo Ogbeta.



The Principal Consultant of Skyline Image and Events Limited organizers of the Ankara Soiree Mrs Prudence Onyejiaka said the event was born out of the need to provide publicity for young and upcoming designers/ entrepreneurs in Nigeria by showcasing their talent to a select public, promoting our beautiful culture and impacting this cultural creativity and patriotism on the entire public.

Examination Council, WAEC, has threatened to impose penalties on candidates who failed to collect their certificates on or before December 31.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Yusuf Ari, on Monday in Lagos...read the statement below:

“We wish to inform the general public that certificates up to May/June 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted by WAEC have been printed and dispatched to schools for collection by candidates.
“And certificates for external candidates for up to November/December 2012 WASSCE diet, also conducted by the Council have also been printed and are equally awaiting collection by candidates at WAEC offices nationwide.
“The external candidates, especially who wrote the November/December examination diets are advised to go and collect their certificates from all our zonal branches or satellite offices in the states.
“We urge candidates to go to where they sat for the examination because we no longer have enough space to harbour them. Most of these certificates have been lying fallow in our various offices with no one coming forward to collect them.
“Candidates come in trickles for them, only when they have absolute need for them and I think it should not be so. We therefore wish to warn that WAEC will be charging extra fee for the custody of these certificates if the candidates failed to collect them later than December 31,”

Indications emerged at the weekend that three major highways in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, being rehabilitated and expanded with billions of naira are based on 32-year-old engineering designs.

The roads, the Outer Northern Express (ONEX) Lot II; Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) Lot I; and Airport Expressway Project Lot I and II, worth N254 billion. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Agency FCDA) awarded the contracts for the three highways in 2009. Provision of engineering infrastructure to Abuja was also included in the contract.

The Outer Northern Express (ONEX) Lot II and Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) Lot I are roads measuring 19.5 kilometres each.

The two roads, Lot I-Asokoro Extension and Lot II- Kubwa Road, however, were awarded with different contract sums at N66 billion and N88 billion respectively. The rehabilitation and expansion of Airport Expressway Project Lot I and II costs N59 billion and N41 billion respectively, totalling N254 billion for the three highways.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) was the first government agency to finance the projects, but it suddenly withdrew, offering no reason for its action and the FCTA took over. Thereafter, variation was done on the contracts, which saw the contract sum jumping to N100 billion.

Senate Committee on the FCT uncovered these details on an oversight tour of the projects last week. Committee Chairman, Senator Smart Adeyemi said it was unacceptable that the highways would be rehabilitated with ‘obsolete engineering designs,’ which he described as ‘death traps’.

Project Manager of one of the affected construction firms, confirmed to the committee that ‘the engineering designs were truly obsolete’ but absolved the company of any blame when he informed the lawmakers that the engineering designs used for the road were made since 1981, adding that, “though the open drainage is for surface water drainage, although with a high risk of accident.”

Unimpressed, the committee asked why modifications were not done to upgrade the designs with the provision of kerbs, slabs and rails, as is the practise in most modern cities.

This, Adeyemi said, would not only act as safety nets for motorists, it would also provide employment for youths in the FCT, in terms of maintenance of the roads.

The committee promptly summoned the contractors to submit the engineering designs as well as appear in the Senate to defend them. Speaking with newsmen after inspecting the projects, Adeyemi said: “The committee observed with dismay that the three sites visited displayed a common feature of road construction with obsolete and outdated engineering designs.

His deputy, Senator Domingo Obende warned the contractors not to envisage any variation on the contract sum. He spoke against the backdrop of what he described as the “high cost of the contract sum.”

Brides-to-be in Georgia are apparently undergoing “virginity inspections” before marriage

It is very important for a girl to keep her virginity till marriage in Georgia. A large majority of Georgia’s population (83.9% in 2002) practices Orthodox Christianity where keeping one’s virginity is seen as honourable.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the world’s most ancient Christian Churches, and claims apostolic foundation by Saint Andrew. Maintenance of virginity before marriage is deeply entrenched in the country, although not everyone’s happy with the idea of it being documented.

One young interviewee branded it “disgusting”. She told the TV reporter: “I would say no if I were asked to do this… if I am to spend my whole life with him, he should trust me.” Web users also mocked the inspection service, circulating a digitally-altered image of an ID card with an added “virginity status” parameter.

The independent National Forensics Bureau in the country which gained independence from Russia in 1918 is offering the service for 175 lari (about N17,000), or twice that if you want it done quickly, reports Imedi TV. That’s more than it costs the average person to get by for a month, according to national statistics.

The women are often accompanied by relatives, their prospective husbands or – often – their mothers-in-law, bureau medical expert Eka Chavleishvili told the privately-run channel. “In many cases, they leave very happy when they find out the truth – that is, if the truth is acceptable to them,” she added.

A disease that turns your muscle into bone in a slow march toward paralysis might sound like a sci-fi nightmare, but it’s reality for 17-year-old Seanie Nammock. The London teen was diagnosed a few years ago with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), which is slowly turning her muscles and tendons into bone — even a small knock or bump can cause a flare-up.

The rare, incurable genetic disorder’s progress now prevents her from raising her arms high enough to brush her hair (she has a special comb) or apply make-up (she uses barbecue tongs). She insists it’s not so bad, crediting her friends and family for helping her cope. Now Nammock’s sister, Sinead, is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for those fighting the uphill battle against FOP.

Premier League defender, John Terry’s mum Sue lies flat out in the back of a taxi after a boozy night on the town.

Sue, 55, stumbled into the cab at 3am after partying with John’s wife Toni.

The grandma spread herself out on the back seat and closed her eyes while waiting for Toni.

When her daughter-in-law finally arrived the two women sped off from the Mayfair nightspot in London. Chelsea skipper John, 32, is always eager to get himself into photos — but even he would shy away from this unflattering snap.



An onlooker said: “Sue was staggering everywhere. She was a complete mess and had definitely had too many drinks.

“She had to come out of the club about half an hour before Toni did. And then she passed-out in the back of the taxi. At first she was lying on the cab’s floor.”

 In 2009, Sue was cautioned for allegedly shoplifting £800 of clothes and groceries from M&S and Tesco.



Terry’s dad was last week accused of head-butting an Asian man in a racist attack. Edward, 59, allegedly assaulted Amarjit Talafair in London.

He admits common assault but denies it was racially aggravated. He will face magistrates in November.

Former England captain Terry was cleared of racially abusing QPR star Anton Ferdinand following a trial last year.

She might not get paid as much as Iron Man, but there’s no doubt that celestial beauty Angelina Jolie is smiling all the way to the bank. This year, Jolie topped Forbes‘ annual list of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood with an incredibly robust $33 million.

Though her last big-budget feature was the much maligned The Tourist back in 2010, Jolie has spent the past few years developing, writing and directing flicks such as In the Land of Blood and Honey and the upcoming Unbroken, and even found time to film Disney’s Maleficent. You see, Angelina Jolie is so wealthy that she can basically stop acting, develop some very small indie flicks and still make money.

Everyone’s dream best friend Jennifer Lawrence came in second on the list, pocketing a cool $26 million, which will go well with her Oscar. Rounding out the top five was past pay-day queen Kristen Stewart ($22 million), America’s Sweetheart Jennifer Aniston ($20 million), and America’s Sweetheart Part II Emma Stone ($16 million).

So three out of the top five are under twenty-four years of age while the other two on the list have a very, very, very famous man in common. Plus, when added together, the top five women in Hollywood earned a collective $117 million — talk about Girl Power! Of course, this pales in comparison to the $308 million that Hollywood’s top five male actors earned last year but hey, baby steps.

Hailed as Nollywood’s must see film, “TORN” is a depictive psychological and emotional thriller of pals (Ovu and Nana) who both believe they have an identical spouse.

The movie was produced by Moses Inwang and stars Joseph Benjamin, Monalisa Chinda, Ireti Doyle, and Bimbo Manuel, with an appearance by comedian Julius Agwu.

Check out the video below:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=XybTWc3Juag" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=XybTWc3Juag</a>

A first-time entry for both player and country, Sunday Mba has been Nigeria’s revelation over the last year.

The midfielder’s inclusion, along with five other home-based players, in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations squad raised eyebrows but the 24-year-old played better than many of the nation’s more heralded foreign contingent.

Having started the tournament on the bench, Mba was Nigeria’s hero in the knockout stages. He scored the winner in the quarter-final against Cote d'Ivoire to spell the end for Didier Drogba’s trophyless 'golden generation'. Then in the final itself, Mba fired home the only goal against Burkina Faso to gift Nigeria their first Afcon title since 1994.

The 24-year-old was also one of Nigeria’s best performers at the Confederations Cup and has helped to draw attention to the depth of talent in the Nigerian league.

A drawn out transfer tussle between Warri Wolves - who own the player and his full transfer rights - and new club Enugu Rangers - where he will stay on loan until the end of the league season in September - mean he has played just a single domestic game, scoring one goal.

NIGERIA
GAMES: 10
GOALS: 3
ASSISTS: 0

ENUGU RANGERS
GAMES: 1
GOALS: 1
ASSISTS: 0

HONOURS: AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

Source: Goal.com

THE Police in Ondo State have arrested a 47-year-old bricklayer, Damilare Olotu, for allegedly poisoning his wife, Mary, for being barren.

The 45-year-old Mary who  hailed from Kwara State was a trader and had been having running battle with the suspect over her inability to conceive.
Reports had it that following the condition of the deceased the suspect married a second wife, Kemi, from Igbara Oke area of the state who bore him two children.

The suspect who is from Akure used to live with the deceased in Ibuji, Ifedore council area of the state.

It was alleged that the second wife reportedly insisted on packing into the suspect’s house but the deceased resisted.

The junior brother to the deceased, Mr. Lawrence Omotosho, told newsmen that the suspect and the second wife connived to poison his sister.

According to him, the sister had told him that the suspect had  threatened to kill her. Omotosho asked the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and bring the culprit to book.

Also the only child of the deceased from her former marriage, Shola Olatunji who is an undergraduate in Kogi State said the family of her late mother warned her not to re-marry but she refused.

Contacted, the police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said investigation into Mary’s death ws on-going, noting that the  case has been transfered from Igbara Oke to the headquarters in Akure for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the corpse of the deceased has been deposited in mortuary for autopsy.

Mr Ayinde’s former wife said he was trying to create a ‘pure family bloodline’ by impregnating his daughters. He even claimed during a pre-trial hearing before the first trial that 'the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen.

Award-winning music director found guilty of fathering children with his daughters will spend the rest of his life in jail.

Aswad Ayinde, 55, of Paterson, NJ, was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday after being found guilty in the second of five expected trials in which he is accused of repeatedly molesting his six daughters, resulting in six children being fathered. Mr. Ayinde was found guilty in his latest trial of having intercourse with a daughters when she was as young as eight-years-old. The second sentence adds to the 40 year sentence Mr Ayinde received in a 2011 trial for segxwally assaulting a separate daughter.

Mr. Ayinde is known for directing the music video for the Fugees 1996 smash hit ‘Killing Me Softly.’

In a disturbing disclosure during his first trial, Mr. Ayinde’s former wife said he was trying to create a ‘pure family bloodline’ by impregnating his daughters. He even claimed during a pre-trial hearing before the first trial that 'the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen.'

In this latest trial, it was revealed that Mr. Ayinde began having intercourse with his second daughter from the time she eight-years-old, impregnating her four times.

The segxwal assaults happened for almost 30 years until Mr. Ayinde and his wife separated, officials said. They occurred in numerous homes across northern New Jersey, even while the family was under watch of state child welfare officials, according to NBC New York. Some of the rapes even took place in an abandoned funeral home.

The family moving as far away as Florida to avoid investigation after case workers removed multiple children from the Ayinde household in 2000, resulting in Mr. Ayinde being arrested for kidnapping for trying to take them from state custody in a medical center, NBC New York reported.

Mr. Ayinde was found guilty of repeatedly molesting one of his daughters for decades - from the time she was only eight years old - and fathering four children with her

He pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received a year’s probation – as he continued molesting one daughter for at least another two years, according to officials.

The depraved father also beat and starved the girls using wooden boards and steel-toed boots for even ‘minor transgressions,’ Ayinde’s wife testified at the first trial.

Some of the children Ayinde fathered with his daughters were born in the home, with at least two babies who died in the home having been buried without notifying authorities or obtaining birth certificates, NBC New York reported.

Mr. Ayinde also fathered 12 additional children with an additional three women, according to court records

Ayinde’s tortured daughters were home schooled and isolated from other children, so as to keep the family secrets hidden, the station added.

With his wife too afraid to confront him, Mr. Ayinde carried out his evil plan without hindrance even while directing the music video for the Fugees 1996 breakout hit ‘Killing Me Softly, for which he won  ‘Best R&B Video' at the 1996 MTV Music Video Awards. The Fugees are also originally from Northern New Jersey.

Mr. Ayinde faces three more trials over the alleged assaults.

Nollwood actor Nonso Diobi was also spotted at the 'Torn' movie premiere last Saturday with friends, rocking his new blonde look.

Britain’s Prince William will reportedly leave the RAF (Royal Air Force) to rejoin the army so he can be closer to his family.

The 31-year-old royal has been working as a search-and-rescue pilot for the RAF in Anglesey, Wales but his tour of duty ends in September and he is planning the military move so he and wife Duchess Catherine and their baby son Prince George – who was born last Monday July 22, 2013 can be based in London.

William will rejoin his former regiment the Blues and Royals as a captain in the Household Cavalry’s Mounted Regiment, where his duties will include a role in mounted ceremonial parades, inspecting soldiers before they go on duty and drafting career reports for troops within his squadron. The division, which is based in Knightsbridge, west London, do not get sent on tours abroad.

An army source told the Sunday Express newspaper: ‘Our understanding is that he will finish with the RAF have some leave that is due and then return to the Blues and Royals and serve with the Mounted Regiment, where he will take an appointment as second in command of a squadron. It is not a difficult role but it requires a lot of attention to detail.’

A royal spokesperson refused to confirm the claims, saying only: ‘We will make a statement about the prince’s future role in due course.’

Super Hip Hop producer Timbaland has apologized to Chris Brown for his harsh statements on the pop star’s collaboration with late singer Aaliyah ‘Don’t Think They Know.

Timbaland apologized to Chris Brown via Twitter. ‘I want 2 publicly apologize 2 my lil homie @chrisbrown 4 my statements on revolt regarding the Aaliyah collaborations. I actually like the song wit him n Aaliyah, it’s just when you are talking about baby girl it’s a very sensitive subject with me. So the people who not only worked with her but grew a bond so tight we are like family so I’m very over protective over her’ tweeted Timbaland.

‘I have mad luv 4 my dude @chrisbrown. A mother lost a daughter. a brother lost a sister. That is still grieving over her passing. it just a very sensitive subject. I just want the family to be respected’ he further tweeted.

In past months, Timbaland has made it publicly known that he does not support Drake and Chris Brown using Aaliyah’s vocals on their songs.