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1  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Ogun lawmaker’s mother abducted. on: 2-10-2014 04:21 PM
Mrs Racheal Hazzan, 65, mother of the lawmaker representing Odogbolu State constituency in the Ogun state House of Assembly, Pastor Remmy Hazzan was reportedly kidnapped last night by yet to be identified gunmen.
In a telephone chat with our correspondent Thursday morning, the aspirant of the Federal House of Representatives under the platform of Labour Party disclosed that his mother was kidnapped at her Omu Ijebu residence in Odogbolu local government area of the state.

He claimed that his mother was kidnapped on Wednesday around 8:00 p.m., adding that, he was informed about the incident by the victim’s neighbour.
“I saw my mum’s missed call when I came back from church last night and I called back and we spoke till around eight o’clock in the night only to receive a call some minutes later from her neighbour that she has been abducted,” the lawmaker stated.
When our correspondent contacted the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on phone, he confirmed the incident, saying that the lawmaker had notified him of the development.
Adejobi gave the assurance that the police would adopt proactive measures to unravel the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnap of the woman and would ensure her safe recovery from her abductors.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/ogun-lawmakers-mother-abducted.html
2  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Fashola sets the record straight on Ebola heroes. on: 2-10-2014 12:35 PM
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola appeared miffed Wednesday over the claims by the Federal authorities of containing the spread of Ebola in the sprawling metropolis of 20 million people.
Without mentioning names and leaving little doubt about whom his arrows were pointed, Fashola in his valedictory October 1 speech, said he had heard stories emanating from campaign podiums with claims of conquering Ebola.

“The question we must ask is whether those who make these claims saw Ebola?”, the governor asked and went on to attribute the achievement to ‘heroic health workers’.
“Because of their service and heroism, we were able to declare Lagos State Ebola-free on the 18th of September, 2014…
“It is women like Stella Ameyo Adedevoh to whom such a claim rightly belongs.
“It is young Nigerians like Dr. Morris Ibeawuchi, who first made contact with the index case patient and continued to treat him who saw and conquered Ebola. He got infected, from doing his job, got sick, survived and is back to his job.
“It is first responders from the Lagos State Ministry of Health like Dr. Jide Idris, Dr. Yewande Adesina, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Dr. Kayode Oguntimehin who saw Ebola. They responded to the call from First Consultant Hospital. They spent 12 (Twelve) hours daily in the early days supervising the construction of Ebola containment facility when the epidemic broke. The Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital which later became the epicenter of Ebola management used to house tuberculosis patients and patients with infectious diseases. Those patients vented their anger on these people when they had to be moved to create room for the Ebola centre. I know they spat at Dr. Adesina for doing her job.
“Dr. Abdul-Salam Nasidi of the National Disease Control Centre in Abuja saw and conquered Ebola. He helped in no small way to co-ordinate the containment.
“Dr. David Brett-Mayor of the World Health Organization saw and conquered Ebola. He single handedly started the Ebola isolation ward having cleared and cleaned the room. He admitted and cared for the patients before any Nigerian doctor joined him.
“Professor S. A. Omilabu, the dedicated virologist at LUTH, saw Ebola and conquered it. He coordinated the fault free testing for Ebola and managed all the samples professionally.
“Peter Adewuyi saw Ebola and conquered it. He led the contact tracing team of many dedicated officers for the first 2 (two) weeks.
“Mrs. Funmi Lagbokun, Mrs. Modupe Aiyedun Davies, Mrs. Basirat Adeoye, Ms F. O. Bamgboye, Mrs. K. O. Oshisanya, Mrs. Kazeem Abioye, Mrs. Abiola Lasaki and Mrs. K. Adeshina all saw and conquered Ebola.
“They were the dedicated team of nurses, nursing aid, care giver, health assistant and hygienist who commenced work voluntarily in the Ebola containment ward without any demand other than the sense of duty.
“Yemi Gbadegesin and Abdulsalam saw and conquered Ebola.
“They coordinated the de-contamination, removal and burial of the index case and other cases, and it is because of them that First Consultant can re-open for business.
“Dear Lagosians, these were the people who saw and defeated Ebola. Let no person tell you otherwise.
“These men and women, who showed courage, who risked their lives are our true champions and heroes.
“They showed the spirit of service, the spirit of Lagos and the spirit of our “good old days”.
“Nobody should take this credit away from them.
“They are not celebrating because they know that the work is not finished. They are already working with our people and planning to volunteer to go and give help in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“Their reward for hard work will be more work and they tell me that they are ready.
“You and I also know that Dr. Adaora Igonoh, Dr. Akinniyi Fadipe, Mr. Dennis Echelonu and Mrs. Kelechi Enemuo also saw Ebola and conquered it.
“They are the survivors whose stories you have read about. Whose anxiety we saw live, when they agreed to visit me in the office at the risk of stigmatization.
“At great personal discomfort, they stepped out and forward, to help you and I find our feet. To re-assure us that all was well.
“They saw and conquered Ebola.
“Businesses like First Consultant Hospital, and hotels that have suffered cancellations and yet have not laid off their staff are the heroes of our Ebola experience, and we all must rally round them in the spirit of Lagos to help them get back on their feet.
“Words will never be enough but bringing back those values they represent, will. This is the spirit that used to course through our veins; the spirit that made us the great nation that we are. And we can bring that spirit back. By changing our thinking.”
Fashola also used the occasion to rouse the patriotic zeal in Lagosians, urging them to ‘imbibe the Lagos spirit’
“How can you serve your country? I say, take the spirit of Lagos everywhere you go. From Badagry to Bayelsa; from Shomolu to Sokoto; from Epe to Ebonyi; Alimosho to Adamawa; from Lekki to Lafia; From Ikeja to Ijebu-Ode, all of us, Nigerians all should serve our country by changing our thinking and striving to give our best for collective benefit.
“By making a conscious determination to changing the way we act. We can serve our country by doing something good and positive in our homes, in our schools and in our communities.
“It doesn’t matter how little it is. Together it makes a whole. We can serve our country by pledging in our hearts to restore, share and protect our communities, our States and our nation.
He disclosed that in the weeks and months ahead, Lagos will begin to celebrate ordinary Nigerians doing extra-ordinary things.
“And on a dedicated day in the near future we will come together to celebrate and honour our heroes, and hold them up as shining examples. Heroes recognised and chosen by you and I for the things they are doing for the benefit of others and the society at large without expectation of reward.
“Let the arm bands you are wearing be a constant reminder to change your thinking. We will distribute wrist bands all over Lagos and beyond. Wear them with pride but more importantly, let them remind you to act with integrity.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/fashola-sets-record-straight-on-ebola.html
3  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Breaking News : Shekau appears in new video, debunks death claims. on: 2-10-2014 12:29 PM
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed Nigerian military claims of his death in a new video obtained by AFP on Thursday and said the militants had implemented strict Islamic law in captured towns.
“Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath,” Shekau said in the 36-minute video, adding that his group was “running our… Islamic caliphate” and administering sharia punishments.
Nigeria’s military said last week that Shekau was dead and that a man who had been posing as the group’s leader in the videos had been shot dead after fighting with troops in the far northeast.

The claim was debunked by several sources monitoring the insurgency in north east Nigeria. It was even further thrashed when the 7 seconds video on the Shekau look-alike went viral on the internet: the captured man who was later killed did not look like the man who normally taunted Nigeria’s leaders and their military in video clips.
The new 36-minute video showed Shekau, in combat fatigues and black rubber boots, standing on the back of a pick-up truck and firing an anti-aircraft gun into the air.
Standing in front of three camouflaged vans and flanked by four heavily armed, masked fighters, he then speaks for 16 minutes in Arabic and the Hausa language widely spoken in northern Nigeria.
There was no indication of where or when the video was shot.
The heavily bearded Shekau, who appeared to be the same as those in previous clips, said the military’s claim that he was dead was propaganda.
“Nothing will kill me until my days are over… I’m still alive. Some people asked you if Shekau has two souls. No, I have one soul, by Allah,” he said, apparently reading from a script.
“It is propaganda that is prevalent. I have one soul. I’m an Islamic student.
“I’m the Islamic student whose seminary you burnt… I’m not dead,” he added, apparently referring to the destruction of the group’s mosque in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in 2009.
There have been two previous claims by Nigeria’s security forces that Shekau was dead — once in 2009 during unrest in Maiduguri — and again in 2013.
Following each previous claim Boko Haram has issued denials in video messages.
Elsewhere in the new video, the militant leader said the group had implemented strict Islamic law in the towns that it had captured in recent weeks.
“We are running our caliphate, our Islamic caliphate. We follow the Koran… We now practise the injunctions of the Koran in the land of Allah,” he said.
The group also claimed to have shot down a Nigerian air force jet that went missing nearly three weeks ago.
An air force spokesman said the jet was missing.
“For any group to claim they shot it down is mere propaganda and rubbish,” Air Commodore Dele Alonge told AFP.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/breaking-shekau-appears-in-new-video.html
4  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Nigeria @ 54: Vision 20:2020 still achievable, realistic – Amosun. on: 1-10-2014 07:28 PM
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has stated that Nigeria can achieve the set Vision 20: 2020 despite the challenges facing the country as a nation. “Nigeria’s hope to become one of the twenty most developed economies in the world in the year 2020 could be said to be realistic and achievable considering the fact that it is already one of the ten fastest growing economies in the world,” he said.
The governor, in his address on Wednesday at the 54th National Day Celebration held at MKO Abiola International stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, hinged his hope on the fact that Nigeria was already adjudged one of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world.

Amosun however, enjoined all the citizens to remain supportive of the government and contribute their quotas to the task of nation building, stressing that the ability to surmount all the present challenges confronting the nation would lead her to her greatness.
The governor also tasked the nation leaders to be accountable to Nigerian masses in whatever they are doing and ensure that the nation’s economic growth reflected in the living standard of Nigerians, particularly, those at the grassroots.
“We have been told that ours is the fastest growing economy in Africa and so I am encouraged that we are on track concerning the vision. Though, the Nigeria government is facing its own challenges; yet, we must remain united as a nation and re-dedicate ourselves to national development.
“The truth, however is that this newly advertised growth has not reflected in the standard of living and / or the per capital income of the average Nigerian. A growing economy should be able to provide for the growth of not just the public sector and big industries, but also, the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This will go a long way in boosting provision of job opportunities; alleviating poverty; ensuring food security; stemming insecurity and criminal tendencies induced by hunger.
“We are still grappling with indexes of low income per head; high degree of illiteracy; maternal and infant mortality; low level of savings and investments and, a high dependency on importation of goods and services,” Amosun posited.
The governor who differed from the position of the All Progressives Congress, APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on the celebration of the anniversary, called for unity and total re-dedication to nation building by all Nigerians for the achievement of the objective.
“54 years down history lane, we have gone through various challenges and achieved a lot as a nation and people. We survived three (3) years of Civil war. We have been able to transit from a long period of military rule to a democracy; though, this new system of government is facing its own challenges; yet, we remain united as a nation and our diversity has remained our strength. If, for this alone, we have cause to celebrate.
“On this note, as good citizens of this great nation, all hands must be on deck to see that Nigeria remains a country to be reckoned with among the comity of nations. This will invariably help us in building a country with strong democratic principle, united, secure, stable, economically prosperous nation”.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun, however commented on the abducted Chibok girls, which he said, “they would have been celebrating with us in freedom and not in captivity as they are now”.
“Today however reminds us of the need to further appreciate the doggedness and determination of our founding fathers like Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe; Late Herbert Macaulay; Late Sir Ahmadu Bello;
Late Tafawa Balewa and, of course, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro , and a host of others who mid-wived the birth of this new Nigeria,” the governor stated.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has urged Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and stability of the country in order to achieve the lofty ideals of our founding fathers.
In his goodwill message to the good people of the state today on the occasion of Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary, Daniel, through his Media aide, Ayo Giwa called on Nigerians to support President Goodluck Jonathan towards achieving common goal.
“All the challenges facing us as a nation are surmountable, if we all put our differences behind us, come together and work for the progress of the country,” the statement read.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/nigeria-54-vision-202020-still.html
5  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / FORMER NURTW Chairman shot dead after beating Ekiti judge with Fayose. on: 26-09-2014 09:28 AM
The former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti state, Mr. Omolafe Aderiye has been shot dead.
Residents told SaharaReporters late evening that Aderiye was killed by unknown gunmen at Ijigbo area in Ado Ekiti.
Aderiye was on his way home when the gunmen numbering about four accosted and shot him at close range.

Aderiye, a staunch supporter of governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose was part of the thugs that Fayose took to court to attack a state high court judge on Thursday morning.
The alleged thugs attacked Justice John Adeyeye, beating him up and ripping his clothes for being allegedly rude to Fayose. Fayose, first slapped the judge and then ordered his thugs to beat him further.
The action of Fayose and his thugs triggered some pandemonium in the court, with judicial workers and others running into safety. As a result, the sitting of the Ekiti State Governorship Election petition Tribunal could not hold.
The action of Fayose and his thugs have led to the closure of all courts in protest. In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar, Obafemi Fasanmi, the state Chief Judge, A. Daramola, ordered all state courts to remain closed until adequate security measures are in place.
“The chief judge has noted with increasing concern the spate of attacks perpetrated by political thugs and their persistent presence in the premises of the high court Ado Ekiti in the past few days”.

source: http://pakurumoh.blogspot.com/2014/09/nurtw-chairman-shot-dead-after-beating.html
6  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Parents of Chibok girls ponder over funerals. on: 26-09-2014 09:24 AM
The parents of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria are considering whether to hold funerals to mourn their loss, United Nations education envoy Gordon Brown said Thursday.
“It’s a Nigerian custom that if people are missing for four months or more, then closure is required, funerals take place, a period of mourning happens,” the former British prime minister told reporters at the United Nations.
“And this, tragically, is what is happening to parents in Nigeria who are giving up hope that the children will be returned to them.”

In April, extremist group Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from their school dormitories in Borno state in northern Nigeria. A total of 219 are still missing.
The mass abduction triggered global condemnation and a social media campaign that forced Nigeria into accepting foreign help to locate their whereabouts.
Brown said he did not want the funerals to take place and as there is every hope that the girls will one day return to their parents.
“All the information we have is that they are likely to be alive,” he said.
A father weeps as he joins other parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls in Chibok. Photo: theguardian.com

The Nigerian government had been “unfairly criticized,” Brown said and was “doing everything in their power to recover the girls.”
Brown, who wants to make education compulsory for children all over the world, said 58 million children are out of school and that 10 million girls are married off each year as child brides.
He called for additional funding of $6 billion to help achieve 100 percent universal enrollment by the end of 2015.
Educating children would deprive extremist organizations of a fertile recruiting ground, he said.
Brown said the world had failed to marshall resources to get nearly 400,000 Syrian children in school this term in Lebanon, leaving them prey to extremist recruitment, trafficking, child labor and marriage.
Yet he said there was a global youth movement emerging to secure a right to an education. “I think people 100 years from now will see a global civil rights struggle underway,” he said.

source: http://pakurumoh.blogspot.com/2014/09/parents-of-chibok-girls-ponder-over.html
7  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Nigeria passes test to continue ‎US flights. on: 26-09-2014 09:17 AM
Nigerian planes are safe and will continue ‎to fly directly to the United States, the American Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, has said.
FAA said Nigeria has retained its Category 1 Safety rating which has allowed Nigerian airlines to operate direct flights to America with Nigerian crew.

The certificate has been handed over to Chidoka Osita, the Minister of Aviation.
Reports quoted Osita as saying that he would reform the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, and continue to improve the safety of the Nigerian skies.
Following the Dana and Associated airlines plane crashes in 2012 and 2013 that killed almost 200 people, many people expressed fears that Nigeria might lose its highest safety rating.
Without that rating, Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air, would be unable to fly from Lagos to New York with Nigerian owned planes and Nigerian crew.

source:http://pakurumoh.blogspot.com/2014/09/nigeria-passes-test-to-continue-us.html
8  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1 October, as public holiday. on: 25-09-2014 07:32 PM
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1 October, as public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 54th Independence Anniversary.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magaji A.G., in Abuja on Thursday.

The statement stated that the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, declared the holiday on behalf of the Federal Government.
Moro congratulated all Nigerians on the occasion, and urged them to build a more united and virile nation that would be the pride of all citizens.
The minister urged Nigerians to use the period to reflect on the giant strides made by President Goodluck Jonathan in the development and building of a formidable nation.
It said Moro wished all Nigerians a happy independence celebration.

source: http://pakurumoh.blogspot.com/2014/09/fg-declares-wednesday-public-holiday.html
9  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Ekiti shuts all courts indefinitely after Fayose beat up Judge. on: 25-09-2014 07:23 PM
Ekiti State authorities have on Thursday ordered the immediate closure of all state courts after governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, thugs attacked a judge and other staff.
The assailants attacked Justice John Adeyeye, beating him up and ripping his clothes for being allegedly rude to Fayose. Fayose, first slapped the judge and then ordered his thugs to beat him further.
The action of Fayose and his thugs triggered some pandemonium in the court, with judicial workers and others running into safety. As a result, the sitting of the Ekiti State Governorship Election petition Tribunal could not hold.

The action of Fayose and his thugs have led to the closure of all courts in protest. In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar, Obafemi Fasanmi, the state Chief Judge, A. Daramola, ordered all state courts to remain closed until adequate security measures are in place.
“The chief judge has noted with increasing concern the spate of attacks perpetrated by political thugs and their persistent presence in the premises of the high court Ado Ekiti in the past few days”.

The statement noted that the attack on the court was the second of the week after thugs stormed another court in Ado Ekiti on Monday and attacked the judge, O. Ogunyemi. “The sitting was disrupted and taken over. The judge was ferried to safety by police after he was threatened by the militants,” it said.
The registrar said police officers who were at the court on Thursday did nothing to stop the second attack.
“On Thursday, another set of thugs invaded the premises of a court presided over by J.O Adedeye by beating up and tearing his suit while police on guard looked unconcerned and uninterested as judges, magistrates, and other members of staff had to run for their lives while court properties were damaged.
“The court room of the Hon. Chief Judge was not spared the orgy in the orgy of assault and destruction as members of staff attached to his office were beaten up and his court record book torn into pieces by these political thugs who also invaded and disrupted proceedings at the election petition tribunal within the High Court premises in Ado Ekiti,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ekiti State, western Nigeria, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, has vowed to sue Fayose for beating up the judge.
Fapohunda said he was going to personally take up the issue with Fayose’s lawyers for not teaching him what decorum meant at a court premises.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Attorney-General said the attacks by Fayose started days ago, but that the incident of Thursday sealed his level of impunity.
“I will hold lawyers of the governor-elect personally responsible,” he said.

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/ekiti-shuts-all-courts-indefinitely.html
10  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued Day old baby rescued from grave. on: 25-09-2014 07:04 PM
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued a day-old baby buried alive by the mother in a shallow grave in Afaha Abia Village of Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Gabriel Achong, made this known on Thursday in Uyo while briefing newsmen on the activities of the command in the last two months.

Achong said that the command had arrested the mother of the baby for attempted infanticide, adding that she was being investigated.
“Patience on Sept. 14, 2014 did bury her one-day-old baby boy in a shallow grave. The baby was rescued alive,” Achong said.
The commissioner said that the suspect was among the 37 persons arrested by the command over various offences in August and September.
He said that members of the command’s Quick Response Squad (QRS) had within the period also rescued four children reportedly stolen.
He said that the children had been reconciled with their parents.
Achong said that the command foiled two attempted bank robberies at Ikot Ekpene and Okobo in the last two months.
He said that, on the Ikot Ekpene bank robbery, the police intercepted the robbers, who had trailed and dispossessed a manager of a telecommunication company of N8.9 million meant for deposit.
Achong, who resumed duty two weeks ago as the police commissioner, said that other cases being handled by the command included murder, unlawful possession of firearms, stolen vehicles and possession of fake Nigerian currency.
He appealed for public cooperation to enable the police to fight crime effectively.

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/day-old-baby-rescued-from-grave.html
11  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Nigeria Police confirm release of Chibok girl. on: 25-09-2014 04:31 PM
The Nigeria Police has announced the release of one of the remaining 219 girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in a secondary school in Chibok, Borno state.

Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, told a press conference at the National Information Centre routine briefing in Abuja that the girl was dropped off by the insurgents along Mubi Road in Borno State at about 5pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the government says it has also commenced a process of de-radicalizing the 135 Boko Haram members who surrendered their weapons within the last two weeks.
The Coordinator of the National Information Center, Mr Mike Omeri said the process is to re-integrate them into the society.

source:http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/police-confirm-release-of-chibok-girl.html
12  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Any little thing My Husband will Ask for Divorce ––Doris Simeon. on: 25-09-2014 03:44 PM
Once again, beautiful actress Doris Simeon took time to trace the genesis of crisis with her estranged husband, Daniel Adenimokan. Speaking on TVC breakfast show on her failed marriage, Doris said:

"This man asked for divorce over seven times, long before we finally separated. At every little problem, he would say ‘I want divorce, I want divorce.' There are some people that he listens to when they talk to him, so I tried to call pastors, and they kept calling him, but he wouldn’t pick their calls. At some point, I just realized that he had made up his mind finally.
"It got to a point that I had to look at myself in the mirror, and I said to myself, ‘Doris, you are a beautiful woman, why would you want to kill yourself over nothing?’ I convinced myself to just try and move on with my life also. It took me a year to get to that point, but in between that time, I was trying to focus my mind on other things such as work...
"My advice to other women going through this is:
Put God first in everything. Put things behind you, make sure you look your best and work harder. Don’t kill yourself because of any man because you have kids to take care of."
You may wish to know that Doris has since moved on, while her estranged husband is believe to be doing things with another beautiful actress. Which actress? If you ask me, na who I go ask? *wink*

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/any-little-thing-my-husband-will-ask.html
13  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Boko Haram: Who Killed Shekau, Nigeria Or Cameroon?. on: 25-09-2014 03:29 PM
Controversy has continued to trail the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau (real name Mohammed Bashir) as Nigeria and Cameroon lay claim to killing him.
Earlier in the week, the Cameroonian army had claimed credit for killing the impostor during a cross-border raid deep inside Nigeria.
To butress their claim, the Cameroonian military also released the photograph of the dead man.

An online news portal, The Street Journal, said it reliably gathered from a Cameroonian military source that Shekau was killed following an aerial bombardment of his hideout inside Nigeria.
However, on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, DHQ, formally announced that the nation’s military had killed the man who had been posing as Abubakar Shekau at Konduga.
The spokesman of the DHQ, Major-Gen Chris Olukolade, said many terrorists were killed during recent raids in Yobe and Adamawa States, including Mohammed Bashir, while 135 of the insurgents surrendered.
He said Boko Haram made four attempts to seize Konduga, about 60 kilometres to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, but they were repelled by the Nigerian military.
As it is, no one is sure about who actually killed the leader of the insurgents, as the photograph of the dead Shekau published by Cameroon is similar to the one released by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters on Wednesday.
But some discerning observers of the war against Boko Haram were more disposed towards giving credit of the killing of Shekau’s impostor, Mohammed Bashir, last week to the Cameroonian military citing the fact that the Cameroonian military were the first to publish the photograph of the dead ‘Shekau.’
They wondered why it took the Nigerian military more than four days after the Cameroonians had published photograph of the dead ‘Shekau’ to butress its claim that it killed ‘Shekau.’
They recalled that the Nigerian military celebrated its well acclaimed victory over Boko Haram in Konduga by immediately releasing photographs of Nigerian soldiers marching triumphantly into Maiduguri with the captured armoured tank and cache of arms seized from the rebels in the battle for Konduga.
The observers also recalled the Australian negotiator, Dr Steven Davis confirming to a national daily immediately after the photograph of dead ‘Shekau’ surfaced on the internet that it was him.
Davis also confirmed to the newspaper in an e-mail that Boko Haram told him that ‘Shekau’ had been killed in the battle at Konduga.
The priest who was with Boko Haram insurgents for four months in Sambisa forest trying to negotiate the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls also disclosed that Boko Haram told him that the original Abubakar Shekau was killed on 19 June, 2013 during an internal disagreement over modes of operation.
When the Cameroonian military came out with its claim of killing Shekau on Sunday , the Defence Headquarters in  a report on its twitter handle denied the Camerooian claim, saying that there was no raid whatsoever in any part of Nigeria’s territory in pursuit of terrorists as claimed in some reports quoting the Cameroon military authorities.
“All operations ongoing in the environs on Konduga and all associated border locations within the country are completely being undertaken by Nigerian troops,” DHQ stated.

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/who-killed-shekau-nigeria-or-cameroon.html
14  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Temperamental Ekiti state Governor elect, Fayose beats up Ekiti court judge. on: 25-09-2014 03:11 PM
Temperamental Ekiti state Governor elect, Ayodele Fayose, slapped a court judge today for being rude to him and then ordered his thugs to beat him further.
The victim is Justice John Adeyeye of the Ekiti High Court, Ado Ekiti.
The action of Fayose and his thugs triggered some pandemonium in the court, with judicial workers and others running into safety. The sitting of the Ekiti State Governorship Election petition Tribunal could also not hold.

Premium Times quoting witnesses said that PDP thugs had besieged the court premises as early as 6am, while a detachment of policemen from the police headquarters were also seen on major streets and around the court.
Justice Adeyeye of High Court 3, who was miffed by the huge number of the thugs as they surged towards the court premises had approached Mr Fayose and urged him to prevail on “his supporters” to keep a safe distance from the court premises.
“An enraged Mr. Fayose was said to have shouted the judge down, slapped him and ordered his men to beat him up.
Immediately, thugs numbering about 20 pounced on Justice Adeyeye, beat him up and tore his clothes, while his co workers scampered and shouted for help.
Following the development, judicial workers hurriedly shut down the court premises thereby preventing any court proceeding for hours before the police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the hoodlums.
Justice Adeyeye is presently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
On Monday, PDP thugs had also attacked Justice Adeyeye, adjudicating in a case filed by Ekiti 11 to determine Fayose’s eligibility for the June 21 governorship election.
At a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Fayose had accused the state judiciary of working in cahoots with the ruling All Progressives Congress to disqualify him and dispossess him of his governorship mandate.
The governor-elect said this was the primary reason a socio-political group, Ekiti-11, went to court to ensure that it could achieve this through the back door.
He said it was through what he called a ‘dubious’ court judgement that a former governor, Segun Oni, was ousted, paving the way for Governor Kayode Fayemi of the APC in 2010.
Fayose, however, vowed that the people of the state would not allow his mandate to be stolen, as they were now more enlightened than before.
He said, “The whole scheming in Ekiti State is just about the APC obtaining judgement through the back door after losing elections on June 21, 2014. You will recall that Segun Oni’s tenure was truncated through this back door judgement by some judicial officers who have been compromised.
“They can go as far as losing their career if and when politicians pay them well. The Ekiti people have spoken and they have spoken well. I came back into the country on Tuesday night and I have been briefed on the developments in the state. I want to state clearly that we will not allow any back door judgement to stall my inauguration.
“Their target is to install the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who is an APC member, claiming that Fayose is not qualified to contest. I want to state that the people of Ekiti State are interested and they are equally more enlightened than before where someone will just come and obtain a judgement through the back door to stall a process and steal the people’s mandate.”
He said there was the need for the judiciary in the state to be objective and fair, alleging that the judges in the state had been compromised because some of them were members of the Ekiti-11.
15  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / U.S. Varsity Dons Want T.B. Joshua Tried. on: 25-09-2014 03:05 PM
For deliberately trying to cover up the truth about the cause of the collapse of a guest hostel in his church premises, Pastor T. B. Joshua should be arrested and tried. This is the position taken by a group of Nigerian intellectuals based in the United States of America.
The demand was made in a press statement jointly signed by Olufemi Taiwo of Cornell University, Ithaca; Ebenezer Obadare of University of Kansas, Lawrence; Akin Adesokan of Indiana University, Bloomington; Wale Adebanwi, of the University of California, Davis; and Tejumola Olaniyan of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The dons frowned at attempts by Joshua, General Overseer of the Synagogue Church for All Nations, SCOAN, to deny emergency services and the media access to his church when the incident occurred.
They also picked holes in his bid to link the collapse to terrorist attack, noting that the fact that the cleric attempted to bribe journalists not to report the incident lends credence to Joshua’s culpability and thus should be made to stand trial for his role in the unfortunate incident in which 115 people from across continents were killed.
In their opinion, T.B. Joshua’s actions amount to unpardonable impunity laundered under the cloak of “a man of God” with little or no respect and concern for the dead and their families.
The professors believe that his intention to divert attention from obvious neglect of stipulated building regulations is tantamount to callousness on the part of the pastor, thus he should be made to face the law.
Similarly, the dons frowned at the visits of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Babatunde Fashola to the troubled preacher to commiserate with him on the disaster that befell his church.
The signatories to the statement wondered why the meetings were not held in hospitals where some of the victims are being treated for injuries or at the homes of the dead where their relatives are still grieving.
“The president’s visit to the scene of the collapsed building in which he commiserated with Mr. Joshua was painful to watch. Why would the Nigerian president visit and express solidarity with the leader of a church who should be a person of interest in an ongoing police investigation?”
Governor Fashola was also chided for putting his reputation on the line by visiting Pastor Joshua and keeping their conversation private.
Rather than visit the premises, the professors said, the  premises should have been cordoned off to preserve evidence for investigation. The professors said that all efforts should be made to get to the root of the matter as well as provide support to survivors of the mishap.
Regardless of the high-profile visits by government officials, the group called for support for security agencies to unearth the truth.
Before then, they called for the arrest of Pastor Joshua not only for what they called his “callousness” but for his efforts to subvert the truth.

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/us-varsity-dons-want-tb-joshua-tried.html
16  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Breaking News: 300 Boko Haram fighters surrender in Cameroun. on: 25-09-2014 03:01 PM
Cameroun’s defense ministry said more than 300 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered there in the past three weeks. Spokesman Lt. Col. Didier Badjeck said that the militants have given up their arms and asked for asylum in Cameroun. Their fate has not been decided. Fighters from neighboring Cameroun, Niger and Chad have been identified fighting alongside Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram group, which in recent weeks also has been attacking border towns and villages in Cameroun.

Boko Haram had seized a string of towns and declared an Islamic caliphate in a corner of northeast Nigeria before the setback suffered at Konduga.
In Nigeria, 135 Boko Haram fighters also surrendered to Nigeria’s army, following the military’s recent victories with air and ground attacks.
The Nigerian Defense Ministry has said it has killed hundreds of insurgents recently in the country’s northeast.
It said 135 insurgents surrendered Tuesday night, some at Buni-Yadi some 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Konduga and others at Michika, 165 kilometers (100 miles) south of Konduga.
Several militant commanders were among the dead including Mohammed Bashir, whom the Nigerian military identified as a double who posed in videos as Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, a military statement said Wednesday.
The military has claimed Shekau was killed in battle last year.
Nigeria’s military said it was victorious around Konduga town just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Maiduguri, birthplace of Boko Haram and the headquarters of the military offensive to contain the Islamic uprising.
“It became apparent that the terrorists … were determined to take over communities around Maiduguri, which is their prime target,” the statement said, adding the insurgents made four attempts to take Konduga between Sept. 12 and 17.

source:http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/300-boko-haram-fighters-surrender-in.html
17  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / What a terrible act! Director of Finance Kill and Buried Inside his Friend Room. on: 24-09-2014 09:43 AM
What a terrible act! Kebbi State Government House’s director of finance, Alhaji Yahaya Saidu has been killed and buried by people suspected to be his business associates at Kwanawa area of Sokoto metropolis.
Briefing newsmen at the Police Command Headquarters, the PPRO, El-Mustapha Sani, a DSP, said sad the incident happened on the 15th of September but they got the report on the 18th and effected arrest on the 19th of September, 2014. The finance director was said to have been called for a meeting by his agent, Bello Ubandawaki who resides in Kwanawa area of Sokoto metropolis on the 15th.
Parading the suspects, the PPRO said the police swung into action after getting the complaint from the late director’s wife that her husband had not been seen for three days. “Police swung into action and went to Bello Ubandawaki’s house, and discovered a newly dug hole cemented in his bedroom; the police dug it and found the corpse and exhumed it. On further investigation, we also arrested some of his accomplices who include Musbau Musa also known as Shagon Dankikiya, Yunusa Ibrahim, Aliyu Sani, Luba Salihu and Fatima Shehu."

The PPRO, however, noted that Luba Salihu is said to be a friend to the deceased while Fatima Shehu is the wife of the principal suspect, Bello Ubandawaki who happens to be one of the children of the Kwanawa village head, Alhaji Dabadda Ubandawaki.

The deceased, before his death, was said to have trusted Bello Ubandawaki as his agent to help him acquire some landed properties within the suburb of the metropolis, Kwanawa, where his father is the village head.

It was gathered that Bello was given no less than N3.5million to help purchase the landed properties, but he failed to deliver. He resorted to inviting the director for a meeting, only to kill and bury him in his house.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/government-house-director-of-finance.html
18  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / Synagogue Tragedy: TB Joshua Not Welcome in South Africa, ANC Warns. on: 24-09-2014 09:19 AM
The youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC) yesterday warned the spiritual head of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua, not to visit South Africa in the nearest future.
The ANC members were reacting to Joshua’s announcement of his proposed visit to the country to empathise with the families of the 84 persons who lost their lives in the church’s headquarters in Lagos more than a week ago.
A six-storey guest house belonging to the church collapsed on September 12, claiming at least 115 lives and leaving others missing.

The warning came as the Botswana  Government yesterday said following the collapse of a church building, its High Commission in Nigeria with the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the leadership of the church had managed to locate 10 Botswana citizens who were in the vicinity of the collapsed building at the time of the incident.
Stressing that Joshua would not be welcomed, the youth wing of the party further warned the South African government not to issue a visa to him if he applies for such.
The group, which made this disclosure in a statement by its spokesman, Bandile Masuku, said they would make sure such trip never come to pass.
He said: “TB Joshua should not be allowed to come to South Africa until we know what happened to our fellow countrymen at his church.
“We will make sure we engage with the department of international relations and co-operation to make sure they do not issue him a South African visa.”
Although 25 injured persons were flown back to South Africa for treatment and rehabilitation at the Steve Biko Academic hospital in Pretoria, three of them have been adjudged permanently disabled.
Social Development Deputy Minister, Hendrieta Bogopane Zulu, who made this disclosure said the government would also provide counselling to the affected families to enable them cope with the trauma.
Meanwhile, to fast track the release of the 84 corpses of South Africans at the Isolo General Hospital morgue in Lagos, the South African forensic team yesterday began collecting the fingerprints and DNA samples that would aid investigations.
The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, who made this disclosure, said finger prints and the DNA samples were expected to be sent to Pretoria tomorrow to help confirm the identity of the South Africans who died.
He said: “There are 115 bodies out there, but we have our 84, and we will then confirm from our people. We have taken DNA samples from family members who were here and we have taken DNA samples from family members in South Africa.
“That will help us determine who is South African and who is not, and then get our people released back to us.”
Also, in a statement issued on Monday, the Botswana High Commission in Nigeria said it had established that the 10 Botswana nationals were in an adjacent building in the same compound when the tragedy occurred and all of them have been accounted for and returned home.
“Botswana government conveys its heartfelt sympathy and condolences to those who lost their loved ones and wish that all those reported missing are found quickly,” the statement said.
However, the Lagos State Government yesterday said it had suspended all decisions on the collapsed building in the church.
The state government also said it put all its decisions on hold due to a panel of inquiry, which it said; the federal government had constituted to investigate the building collapse incident.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, said the state government had suspended investigation because the federal government had also set up a panel to investigate the incident, saying the state took the step to avoid working at cross purposes with the federal government on the issue.
Ibirogba said the tragedy had both national and international dimension because Nigerians are not the people who died in the incident, but also nationals of other countries, especially South Africa.
He said the state was working in tandem with all parties “to get to the root of the issue and forestall a recurrence. “We are all aware that the federal government has set up a committee.
“What we are saying is that in order for us not to preempt that committee and hold anyone responsible, the best thing is for us to put this news conference on hold,” Ibirogba said.
He added that agencies of governments “are working together so that at the end of the day, we will have a comprehensive report. Until that is out, it will not be right for us to say anything.”

source:http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/synagogue-tragedy-tb-joshua-not-welcome.html
19  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / The House of Reps, split over seized $9.3m cash,smuggled into South Africa. on: 24-09-2014 09:04 AM
ABUJA—The House of Representatives was sharply divided, yesterday, with All Progressives Congress, APC, members staging a walk-out over failure of the House to commence debate on the $9.3 million cash that was allegedly smuggled into South Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli  for the purpose of purchasing arms for the Nigerian Intelligence Service.
The Senate on its part said it has commenced investigations into the arms deal which the Federal Government said was a legitimate transaction.

The House of Representatives motion which was stepped down last week Thursday, entitled: “The Need to Investigate the attempt to smuggle $9.3m cash into South Africa” and sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila was rejected without a debate.
This development did not go down well with APC lawmakers who immediately staged a walk-out from the chamber and addressed the press to register their anger.




Trouble started when Kawu moved that his motion which was stepped down last week be taken under matters of national importance as he was unavoidably absent at last Thursday’s plenary.
The presiding officer, Emeka Ihedioha, who had earlier in his presentation referred to Chairman, House Committee on Rules, Albert Sam-Tsokwa on the issue, summoned him to guide the House.
Sam-Tsokwa told the House that the motion was stepped down last week because Kawu was absent, without explanation. “So, there was nothing we could do about that and I advised we step it down. He did not inform the Rules & Business (committee) that he was travelling with the Speaker and we were not given enough notice for the motion to be taken.”
Apparently believing that the motion may not be taken, yesterday, Kawu  rose up saying: “Mr Speaker, I hope you are giving me the assurance that my motion will be taken tomorrow if it is stepped down today.”
Ihedioha at this point declared that he had consulted with the House leadership and the motion would be taken immediately.
The motion
Kawu rose and reeled out the content of his motion. He said that “the report in the City Press Newspaper of South Africa on September 5, stated that two Nigerians and an Israeli citizen flew into Lanseria International Airport, northwest of Johannesburg, in a Challenger 600 Jet piloted by one Captain Tunde Ojongbede while carrying the sum of $9.3m cash.”
The motion sought a “thorough investigation of the matter” by the House committees on Defence and Aviation, to be reported back within two weeks.
Kawu explained that if legislative action was not taken on the “national embarrassment, the situation may further degenerate and overheat the polity.”
He said the development, if allowed to go un-investigated, the image of the country would be at stake before the international community.
After reading his motion, the presiding officer said: “This motion does not need to be debated, rather we will vote on it.”
Ihedioha put the motion to a voice vote and the nays nullified the  ays of the APC.
Apparently peeved by the pattern the voice voting followed, Kawu beckoned on his party members and they all left the chamber to register their anger.
Press briefing
Samson Osagie, APC, Edo at the briefing said: “We are here this afternoon to bare our minds on a very scandalous, very disgraceful and very appalling event that took place a week ago that borders on the image of our country, Nigeria. Let me state clearly that we are not just here as the members of the APC caucus of the House.
“We are also here as concerned Nigerians who hold the mandate of the Nigerian people to defend their interest, to ensure that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum if not totally eliminated, to ensure that our country’s integrity remains intact in the eyes of the international community.
“We are all aware that a week ago or so, the South African government impounded an aircraft purportedly belonging to a top religious leader in this country that was used to carry $9.3 million. They were said to be in mint (never been used).
“As if that was not enough, the Federal Government has come to own up that such money was carried for the purchase of arms and amunition to fight insurgency.
“The questions that we have for the Federal Government are as follows:
 Questions for FG
lIs it faster or safer to do an international transaction of such magnitude by ferrying cash across the continent or simply through wire transfer that can go through in matter of seconds or matter of few hours.?
lIf  indeed, the matter involves security issues like the purchase of arms by a foreign government like Nigeria, why was the South African government not brought into the picture before hand and how could the South African government be sure that the arms were purchased legitimately by the Nigerian government and not by the insurgents when there were no officials of the NSA (National Security Adviser) office or the Director, Department of State Service, DSS, that accompanied such money?
lIf indeed the manufacturers of such equipment were expecting large sums of money by cash, why did they not make adequate arrangements with the authorities  in South Africa to declare the cash on arrival since it was the law in South Africa that you must declare any amount in excess of 2,500 dollars?
lWhy was the money belonging to the Federal Government and meant for the purchase of equipment for the Federal Government moved by a private jet when we have over five to six airplanes in the Presidential air fleet?
lWhy would the government that is at the peak of promoting cashless policy in our country be the chief breaker of that policy by moving such amount of cash if indeed, it was a legitimate transaction of the Federal Government?
lWhy were the officials of our embassy in South Africa not on hand to make the entry easier and smoother? Since the South African government has said the amount was above the limit of cash allowed into the country, why would a whole government like Nigeria not know the simple immigration law of a sister country and why would they have to take it out of the Oliver Tambo International Airport and land in a village where you have a local airport?
lWhy would the Federal Government seek to carry 9.3 million dollars? A country that is regarded as a giant of Africa smuggling an amount worth 1.5 billion Naira, in a country where citizens are wallowing in poverty for unexplained reasons?
lIs it just a wicked coincidence that the aircraft belonging to the President of CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) was used to carry cash to South Africa? If contrary to the above posers, the transactions were contracted out to a private company in Nigeria, does it amount to the offence of money laundering under our laws for the Federal Government to have allowed that company to attempt to pay for the equipment by cash to the tune of that amount without passing through financial institutions?
“For us as a people and for us lawmakers, we find this unacceptable, unethical, illegitimate and in our view, it is an illegal transaction. The Nigerian government owes the Nigerian people an explanation as to what source that money came from.”
Walk-out normal —Sam-Tsokwa
When contacted, Chairman House committee on Rules and Business, Albert Sam-Tsokwa said: “What transpired today on the floor of the House was nothing new because in advanced legislatures of the world, lawmakers walk-out of the assembly.
“It will not start here and it will not end here but my advice to Kawu and other lawmakers is that next time, they should lobby their colleagues because the nays carried the day.
“We had advised Kawu to step down his motion for another legislative day but he refused and the majority had their way and, like you know, the minority will always have a say but the majority must always have their way.
“They would have studied the mood of the House before going ahead with the motion; they had the option of stepping down the motion till the time they would have more members on their side.
“Hon. Kawu made the House move a motion of urgent public importance and Mr Speaker directed that the motion should be taken the next legislative day.
“We put the motion on notice and even on the order paper to be taken on the next legislative day. But he came back with something different from what was initially given and it was late to change the order paper. Mr Speaker appealed to him to kindly move the motion in the next legislative day, but he refused”.
Senate begins probe
Meanwhile, the Senate said, yesterday, that  it had started investigation on the $9.3 million which was seized in South Africa.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Thompson Sekibo disclosed this shortly after a closed-door meeting between the Senate committee and the Service Chiefs represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Marshal Alex Badeh and Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting on the position of the Senate over the seized money, Senator Sekibo briefly said: “We are still investigating (the seized $9.3m); we have started the investigation, when we get through the investigation we will brief you. The money belongs to the Nigerian Government.”
He said there were several questions that were asked which the Senate was digging to find out details and facts of what happened, adding that the committee was satisfied that it was on top of the matter.
He also disclosed that the meeting with the CDS and the COAS went well as other issues of national importance were discussed, but he refused to mention some of the issues discussed.

source: http://odunlade.blogspot.com/2014/09/reps-split-over-seized-93m-cash.html
20  Forum / Naijapals Base (Metro life) / 2015: I fixed Imo, I’ll fix Nigeria if elected president – Okorocha. on: 24-09-2014 08:45 AM
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state says he is the right man to lead Nigeria in the next four years and has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to give him the party’s presidential ticket for the 2015 presidential election.Speaking at the celebration of his 52nd birthday in Owerri yesterday, Okorocha said in a short period of time he fixed Imo state an indicator that he would fix Nigeria with the right values if he is elected.

“If elected the president of this country, I would remain a detribalised leader, as true Nigerian born by Igbo parents, educated by the North and empowered by the West. With the help of God, I have fixed Imo State and I will also fix Nigeria to the glory of God,” he said.
The governor then explained how he has been influenced by the three major tribes in the country. He said that his success story would not be incomplete without acknowledging the North for giving him the needed education adding that the West gave him the contact which gave him his financial success.
He vowed to make education free at all levels in the country as he has done in Imo state if elected the next president of the country saying: “my joy lies on the fact that God has blessed me to bless others. Seventy-five percent of my wealth goes to charity.”
Okorocha advised Nigerians to do away with ethnic sentiments and religious factors.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/2015-i-fixed-imo-ill-fix-nigeria-if.html
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