9ice has welcomed a baby girl with his live-in-lover,Olasunkanmi Ajala.
Their baby who was born in Houston/Texas last week has since been named
Michelle. The Gongo Aso crooner is also a proud father of twin girls
with Victoria Godis and a son with ex wife, Toni Payne.
advert
Monday, 15 September 2014
*GOBE* At least 44 dead in Nigeria church building collapse, official says
At least 44 people were crushed to death when a guesthouse at a large
church that's home to a famous Nigerian preacher collapsed in Lagos, a
rescue agency official said Sunday.
In addition to those
killed, there were "130 rescued from the rubble of the collapsed
guesthouse at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations," Ibrahim Farinloye,
spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, told CNN. "The
toll may increase as rescue operation is still ongoing because many
people are believed to be trapped under the rubble."
The two-story building is
located in the expansive compound of The Synagogue, Church of All
Nations, run by televangelist T.B. Joshua in the Ikotun area of Lagos,
said Farinloye.
The building came down Friday afternoon amid expansion work on three additional floors.
The rescue operation was
delayed by the refusal of members of the church to allow emergency
workers from NEMA access to the collapsed building.
"The church members were very aggressive and tried attacking emergency responders," Farinloye said.
Reporters covering the
incident were attacked by angry church members, who vandalized a TV
camera as a cameraman tried to capture footage of the collapsed
building, reporters at the scene said.
Joshua told Nigerian
newspapers Sunday that a low-flying aircraft had been repeatedly
circling the building and may have been responsible for the building
collapse.
NEMA's Facebook page
acknowledged the sabotage reports but also noted that two stories were
being added to the building without fortifying the foundation of the
initial structure. There is a "high probability" this is what caused the
collapse, NEMA said, adding that an investigation will ultimately
determine the cause.
Joshua, dubbed "The
Prophet" for his self-acclaimed healing powers and prophesies, has a
large following among Nigerians and followers across the world.
His church attracts
thousands of followers who attend his church every week to listen to
Joshua's sermons, which are also telecast live on the church's
television station.
"People travel from
around the world to witness and receive from the mighty work that God is
doing in the life of Prophet TB Joshua," according to the church's website.
Friday, 12 September 2014
Father Impregnates Daughter Thrice
What would make a father turn his 17-year-old daughter into his sex slave and in the process, get her pregnant, not once, but three times?
That is the puzzle the Edo State Police Command has been trying to solve after it arrested a 37-year-old man, Augustine Obodeke who turned his teenage daughter, Favour, into his sex object, flexing his muscle on her every night and in the process, making her pregnant thrice. But the bubble burst when the young girl refused to go for an abortion the third time.
According to reports, the girl had to take her plights to unsuspecting neighbours who reported the matter to the Ugbowo Police Station in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The randy father was promptly arrested and he is now cooling his feet in police cell.
Narrating her pathetic ordeal, Favour said that her father turned her into his sex slave shortly after the death of her mother.
He first impregnated me and we went for abortion. My father impregnated me the second time and I went for another abortion. He had arranged a doctor at Uselu who has been doing the abortion.
My father impregnated me the third time and told me that we should go for another abortion but I ran out of the house. He then threatened to deal with me if I told anybody what has been happening between us.
That is the puzzle the Edo State Police Command has been trying to solve after it arrested a 37-year-old man, Augustine Obodeke who turned his teenage daughter, Favour, into his sex object, flexing his muscle on her every night and in the process, making her pregnant thrice. But the bubble burst when the young girl refused to go for an abortion the third time.
According to reports, the girl had to take her plights to unsuspecting neighbours who reported the matter to the Ugbowo Police Station in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The randy father was promptly arrested and he is now cooling his feet in police cell.
Narrating her pathetic ordeal, Favour said that her father turned her into his sex slave shortly after the death of her mother.
He first impregnated me and we went for abortion. My father impregnated me the second time and I went for another abortion. He had arranged a doctor at Uselu who has been doing the abortion.
My father impregnated me the third time and told me that we should go for another abortion but I ran out of the house. He then threatened to deal with me if I told anybody what has been happening between us.
Oscar Pistorius found GUILTY of manslaughter over the Valentine's Day shooting of his lover Reeva Steenkamp
Guilty: Pistorius could now face a prison term of up to 15 years, but
equally may walk free from court with a suspended term when he is
sentenced at a later date
Oscar Pistorius is facing jail after being found guilty of manslaughter over the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend.
The Paralympian stood impassively in the dock, his hands folded in front of him, as the judge convicted him of culpable homicide after he shot Reeva Steenkamp dead at his home.
He could now face a prison term of up to 15 years, but equally may walk free from court with a suspended term when he is sentenced at a later date.
Judge Thokozile Masipa told the hushed courtroom: 'Having regard to the totality of this evidence in this matter, the unanimous decision of this court is the following: on count one, murder... the accused found not guilty and is discharged.
'Instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide.'
Miss Steenkamp's father Barry leaned forward in his seat when the manslaughter verdict was read, while her mother, June, showed no reaction.
Members of Pistorius's family embraced the shamed athlete.
The Paralympian stood impassively in the dock, his hands folded in front of him, as the judge convicted him of culpable homicide after he shot Reeva Steenkamp dead at his home.
He could now face a prison term of up to 15 years, but equally may walk free from court with a suspended term when he is sentenced at a later date.
Judge Thokozile Masipa told the hushed courtroom: 'Having regard to the totality of this evidence in this matter, the unanimous decision of this court is the following: on count one, murder... the accused found not guilty and is discharged.
'Instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide.'
Miss Steenkamp's father Barry leaned forward in his seat when the manslaughter verdict was read, while her mother, June, showed no reaction.
Members of Pistorius's family embraced the shamed athlete.
Strain: Reeva Steenkamp's mother June and father Barry react as the manslaughter verdict is delivered
The fatal shots: Four holes are seen on the toilet door from bullets
fired by Pistorius, three of which hit Miss Steenkamp - in the arm, head
and hip
Scene of horror: This photograph shows the blood-soaked bathroom where
Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the toilet
cubicle (top) with his 9mm pistol (seen lying on a bathmat, right) and
the blood-splattered cricket bat (bottom right) he used to break down
the toilet door after killing her
Grim: Another graphic image shows a pool of blood at the bottom of the
staircase where Pistorius carried Miss Steenkamp after shooting her.
Blue arrows point to specks of blood on the wall and floor
*GhenGhen* Tonto Dikeh Ignores Jim Iyke's Ice Bucket Challenge Nomination
This is very painful and we are about crying for Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke.
That's because it's seven days already since he took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and nominated Tonto Dikeh...and guess what? Tonto is yet to respond to his call!
That's sad...does it mean his words doesn't hold waters in the industry?
Jim took part in the challenge today Thursday, September 11 and donated to the cause, after which he uploaded the video on his Instagram and wrote;
‘#ForEbola #IcebucketChallenge #AfricaLives #WeDone #ATL‘ .
Tonto and the other two he nominated are yet to respond...
Haba PokoLee... save Jim from this shame na
That's because it's seven days already since he took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and nominated Tonto Dikeh...and guess what? Tonto is yet to respond to his call!
That's sad...does it mean his words doesn't hold waters in the industry?
Jim took part in the challenge today Thursday, September 11 and donated to the cause, after which he uploaded the video on his Instagram and wrote;
‘#ForEbola #IcebucketChallenge #AfricaLives #WeDone #ATL‘ .
Tonto and the other two he nominated are yet to respond...
Haba PokoLee... save Jim from this shame na
Mikel Obi's Girlfriend Shows Off Her Love For Him
Nigerian footballer Mikel Obi was in the news some few days back, when he told Nigerian girls to leave his girlfriend Olga Allegra alone and stop attacking her. One of his fans told him that his girlfriend was badluck to him, because he doesn't play his matches well anymore.
His girlfriend, Olga Allegra is not bothered at all about all being said about her, instead she went onto her social media page to posts pictures of him and how much she misses him. According to one of her posts, she said love can be found anywhere.
"Miss you more than a fat kid misses cake...Midnight chats, about all and nothings..can't wait for you to be back, long chats, love you tomorrow, one more sleep, miss you, Bolognese" she said on another post.
His girlfriend, Olga Allegra is not bothered at all about all being said about her, instead she went onto her social media page to posts pictures of him and how much she misses him. According to one of her posts, she said love can be found anywhere.
"Miss you more than a fat kid misses cake...Midnight chats, about all and nothings..can't wait for you to be back, long chats, love you tomorrow, one more sleep, miss you, Bolognese" she said on another post.
Love na beautiful thing, abi?
Thursday, 11 September 2014
*LOBATAN* HOW STAR ACTOR, DAMOLA OLATUNJI’S MARRIAGE CRASHED + HOW ROMANCE WITH BUKOLA AWOYEMI A.K.A ARUGBA SCATTERED THE UNION
There is nothing new again in the entertainment world.
What can only amaze people are those that are involved.
Top Yoruba actor, Damola Olatunji, we learnt has abandoned his wife, Damilola for fast rising actress, Bukola Awoyemi popularly known as “ Arugba”.
According to the source, Damola and the said mistress are having a rollicking time outside the confines of Damola’s matrimonial home.
The duo were said to have met at a movie location and the chemistry clicked right away. The romance started after Damola who has always been a big fan of the actress finally got the opportunity of coming in contact with her and both kicked it off from there.
We learnt that since the Romeo and Juliet romance started, Damola’s wife who is based in UK has been facing hell in their marriage.
Findings revealed that the highly revered actor’s wife have not set her eyes on her hubby for the past two months now.
We were even told Damola presently hibernates with Bukola a.k.a Arugba in her Magodo home.
According to those in the know, the bond between Damola and his new found love, Bukola is so strong that they can hardly stay apart from each other.
What may have attracted Damola to the actress is obviously her dazzling looks and physique, though beyond all that, it was revealed that it’s her charm that got him love-struck to the extent that he decided to walk out of his a year old marriage.
Bukola, today is one of the fast-rising actresses who hardly goes to parties, and she has never been linked with any man in the past, however, we learnt that she is a woman of zero morality despite her public posturing..
We tried to contact Damola and Bukola as at press time to hear their own side of the story but their mobile lines was switched off.
What can only amaze people are those that are involved.
Top Yoruba actor, Damola Olatunji, we learnt has abandoned his wife, Damilola for fast rising actress, Bukola Awoyemi popularly known as “ Arugba”.
According to the source, Damola and the said mistress are having a rollicking time outside the confines of Damola’s matrimonial home.
The duo were said to have met at a movie location and the chemistry clicked right away. The romance started after Damola who has always been a big fan of the actress finally got the opportunity of coming in contact with her and both kicked it off from there.
We learnt that since the Romeo and Juliet romance started, Damola’s wife who is based in UK has been facing hell in their marriage.
Findings revealed that the highly revered actor’s wife have not set her eyes on her hubby for the past two months now.
We were even told Damola presently hibernates with Bukola a.k.a Arugba in her Magodo home.
According to those in the know, the bond between Damola and his new found love, Bukola is so strong that they can hardly stay apart from each other.
What may have attracted Damola to the actress is obviously her dazzling looks and physique, though beyond all that, it was revealed that it’s her charm that got him love-struck to the extent that he decided to walk out of his a year old marriage.
Bukola, today is one of the fast-rising actresses who hardly goes to parties, and she has never been linked with any man in the past, however, we learnt that she is a woman of zero morality despite her public posturing..
We tried to contact Damola and Bukola as at press time to hear their own side of the story but their mobile lines was switched off.
*WHEW* Iggy Azalea Seven-Figure Offer for Alleged Sex Tape
Iggy Azalea allegedly recorded a sex tape that could make her millions upon millions -- according to a Hollywood porn boss, but Iggy tells TMZ she can't cash in on the vid ... because it's NOT her!
Vivid honcho Steven Hirsch tells us he has seen some footage which he says appears to be Iggy with an ex-boyfriend -- and from the little he's seen ... he's sure it could easily top Kim Kardashian's legendary sex tape in sales.
Hirsch says he's already reached out to the 24-year-old "Booty" rapper to open negotiations on what could be a multi-million dollar deal -- but the problem is Iggy's camp says Hirsch's eyes are playing tricks on him. They tell us the I-G-G-Y is not the chick on vid doing the dirty ... and they're ready to sue over the alleged footage.
Of course, without Iggy signing off on it ... the vid can't be legally released. It also means she won't collect years and years of mailbox money ... like Ray J still does.
Vivid honcho Steven Hirsch tells us he has seen some footage which he says appears to be Iggy with an ex-boyfriend -- and from the little he's seen ... he's sure it could easily top Kim Kardashian's legendary sex tape in sales.
Hirsch says he's already reached out to the 24-year-old "Booty" rapper to open negotiations on what could be a multi-million dollar deal -- but the problem is Iggy's camp says Hirsch's eyes are playing tricks on him. They tell us the I-G-G-Y is not the chick on vid doing the dirty ... and they're ready to sue over the alleged footage.
Of course, without Iggy signing off on it ... the vid can't be legally released. It also means she won't collect years and years of mailbox money ... like Ray J still does.
*Nawa OOO* Nigerian man arrested for abducting & raping a woman in the US
29 Nigerian man based in Brookline, Massachusetts, Samuel Okorie is accused of grabbing a woman at a public place & sexually assaulting her. The incident took place over the weekend in a residential neighbourhood.
According to police report, early Sunday morning, police came to the house (right), in Brookline and arrested Samuel Okorie. He was booked on charges including rape, kidnapping and robbery. A 21 year old woman identified Okorie as the man who sexually assaulted her. Police say the victim ran up the street, crying for help. Neighbours said she was screaming 'help me, help me'. When a neighbour approached her, she said "he raped me, he's coming to get me.".
He's such a good looking guy, why would he turn to rape? And then the story is somehow. Continue..
Police report says Okorie grabbed the woman from behind near a gas station on Saturday night, grabbed her cellphone and pushed her into nearby bushes where he sexually assaulted her. Reports states that Okorie then dragged the girl to his home where another sexual assault took place.
Detectives said the victim attempted to escape many times but was restrained by Okorie. Eventually she did manage to get away and ended up at a neighbour's house down the street, who then called the police.
Neighbours described Okorie as quiet, friendly and were surprised he was involved in something like this.
He has been arrested and is currently held at the Allegheny county jail. His bail is set for $150,000. A hearing is scheduled for next week.
According to police report, early Sunday morning, police came to the house (right), in Brookline and arrested Samuel Okorie. He was booked on charges including rape, kidnapping and robbery. A 21 year old woman identified Okorie as the man who sexually assaulted her. Police say the victim ran up the street, crying for help. Neighbours said she was screaming 'help me, help me'. When a neighbour approached her, she said "he raped me, he's coming to get me.".
He's such a good looking guy, why would he turn to rape? And then the story is somehow. Continue..
Police report says Okorie grabbed the woman from behind near a gas station on Saturday night, grabbed her cellphone and pushed her into nearby bushes where he sexually assaulted her. Reports states that Okorie then dragged the girl to his home where another sexual assault took place.
Detectives said the victim attempted to escape many times but was restrained by Okorie. Eventually she did manage to get away and ended up at a neighbour's house down the street, who then called the police.
Neighbours described Okorie as quiet, friendly and were surprised he was involved in something like this.
He has been arrested and is currently held at the Allegheny county jail. His bail is set for $150,000. A hearing is scheduled for next week.
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
2Face Idibia now becomes a Red Cross Ambassador
On Friday 4th July 2014, the Red Cross Society of Nigeria honoured the pop star at a press conference to announce a partnership between 2Face Idibia’s Million Voices for Peace campaign and the Red Cross Society of Nigeria.
The partnership with the Red Cross
Society of Nigeria seeks to explore areas of collaboration in raising
awareness on the needs of people affected by violence in Nigeria with
the aim of mobilizing support for them.
Through this initiative, 2Face Idibia
joins a list of renowned celebrities who have shown commitment in
speaking up for some of the world’s most vulnerable groups.
“Today we take a big step in improvising the plight of internally displaced persons in Nigeria through our partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society. My colleagues and I have followed closely the humanitarian efforts of the Red Cross society and I must confess that we are inspired and excited at the chance to support this cause.” 2Face said at the event.
A few months back, a track titled – Break the Silence,
was released by the Million Voices for Peace campaign. Proceeds from
the sale of the song will go towards supporting the work of the Red
Cross Society of Nigeria.
Nigerian singer Essence was also present at the event.
Essence
Kano State Wants 14-Year-Old Killer Bride Dead
While the world is frowning against child marriage, the Kano State
government wants to kill a 14 year old child-bride, Wasila Umar, who
poisoned her husband to death. Na wa oooo, i no talk anything sha ......
At a time many countries all over the world are doing everything
to protect under aged girls from being given out in marriage, the Kano
State government is seeking the death sentence for a 14-year-old
child-bride, Wasila Umar Tasiu, who allegedly poisoned to death a man
she was forced to marry with rat poison.
The little girl who has been traumatised by the event, faces death as she has been charged by the state government with culpable homicide punishable by death.
In April this year, the 14-year-old Wasila, from Yansoro village, Gaya Local Government Council of Kano, was forced to marry an older man while she insisted on being sent to school.
Not satisfied with her situation, the child-bride allegedly mixed rat poison into the food she served the husband and unfortunately, his three relatives who ate the food also died from the poison.
According to the police then, she admitted to killing her husband and against condemnation from various human right groups both within and outside the country for her to be tried in a juvenile court, Wasila's case was transferred to a Kano State High Court over what judicial sources attributed to “lack of jurisdiction by the lower court”.
She was subsequently tried and found guilty of murder.
Now the state prosecution has urged the Attorney General of Kano State to authorise her death sentence to be carried out.
The little girl who has been traumatised by the event, faces death as she has been charged by the state government with culpable homicide punishable by death.
In April this year, the 14-year-old Wasila, from Yansoro village, Gaya Local Government Council of Kano, was forced to marry an older man while she insisted on being sent to school.
Not satisfied with her situation, the child-bride allegedly mixed rat poison into the food she served the husband and unfortunately, his three relatives who ate the food also died from the poison.
According to the police then, she admitted to killing her husband and against condemnation from various human right groups both within and outside the country for her to be tried in a juvenile court, Wasila's case was transferred to a Kano State High Court over what judicial sources attributed to “lack of jurisdiction by the lower court”.
She was subsequently tried and found guilty of murder.
Now the state prosecution has urged the Attorney General of Kano State to authorise her death sentence to be carried out.
Davido Welcomed To Rwanda By President And Family
2014 has in many ways shaped up to be the year of Davido as the "Aye" crooner keeps attaining new heights.
Fresh
out of his MTV Base and BET award win, Davido arrived Kigali, Rwanda
for the country's annual Liberation Day celebration and the 21-year old
was received by none other than the first family. Rwandan President Paul
Kagame in the company of his wife and children were on hand to receive
Davido at the airport who was the headline act for the celebration.
The
concert which held at the Amahoro National Stadium had a crowd of over
60,000 fans who were thrilled by Davido's back-to-back hits including
'Gobe', 'Skelewu' and 'Aye' . Also in attendance were 9 East African
presidents including Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Kenyan
President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Davido was also reportedly later invited to perform 'Aye' at the president's home.
Friday, 16 May 2014
How i make 30-50K per day, without investing a dime.
How to Remain POOR...
1: NEVER WAKE UP EARLY. Keep stretching and turning in bed until you get too hungry to continue dozing. If there are no bedbugs, why hurry to get up? ...
2. Never plan how to spend your money.
Whenever you get money, start spending it right away and when it is finished, try to count and recall how you spent it.
3. Don’t think of saving until you have real big money....... How can you save when you earn so little? Those telling you to save are not sympathetic to your burning needs.
4. Don’t engage in activities usually
reserved for the “uneducated.” How can you, a graduate, engage in petty trade or home-based production? That is for people who never went to school.
5. Don’t think of starting a business until an angel comes from heaven and gives you capital. How do they expect you to invest before you get millions of Naira or Dollars? Even though more than half the businesses in your town were started with a few hundred Naira, you, as a smart person, can only start with millions.
6. Complain about everything except your own attitude: Blame the system, the government and the banks that refuse to lend you money. They are all bad and do not want you to get rich.
7. Spend more than you earn. To achieve this, buy consumer products on credit and keep borrowing from friends and employers.
8. Compete in dressing. Make sure you wear the latest clothes among all the workers in your office. Whenever your neighbour buys a new phone, get one that is more expensive.
9. Get yourself a nice second-hand (used) car that costs more than three times your gross monthly pay. That will surely keep you in debt long enough to hinder the implementation of any bad plans that could make you accumulate capital.
10. Give your children everything they ask for since you are such a loving parent. They should not struggle for anything because you do not want them to suffer. That way, they will grow up lazy and hence poor enough to ensure they cannot help you in your old age.
1: NEVER WAKE UP EARLY. Keep stretching and turning in bed until you get too hungry to continue dozing. If there are no bedbugs, why hurry to get up? ...
2. Never plan how to spend your money.
Whenever you get money, start spending it right away and when it is finished, try to count and recall how you spent it.
3. Don’t think of saving until you have real big money....... How can you save when you earn so little? Those telling you to save are not sympathetic to your burning needs.
4. Don’t engage in activities usually
reserved for the “uneducated.” How can you, a graduate, engage in petty trade or home-based production? That is for people who never went to school.
5. Don’t think of starting a business until an angel comes from heaven and gives you capital. How do they expect you to invest before you get millions of Naira or Dollars? Even though more than half the businesses in your town were started with a few hundred Naira, you, as a smart person, can only start with millions.
6. Complain about everything except your own attitude: Blame the system, the government and the banks that refuse to lend you money. They are all bad and do not want you to get rich.
7. Spend more than you earn. To achieve this, buy consumer products on credit and keep borrowing from friends and employers.
8. Compete in dressing. Make sure you wear the latest clothes among all the workers in your office. Whenever your neighbour buys a new phone, get one that is more expensive.
9. Get yourself a nice second-hand (used) car that costs more than three times your gross monthly pay. That will surely keep you in debt long enough to hinder the implementation of any bad plans that could make you accumulate capital.
10. Give your children everything they ask for since you are such a loving parent. They should not struggle for anything because you do not want them to suffer. That way, they will grow up lazy and hence poor enough to ensure they cannot help you in your old age.
And lastly, missing an opportunity is like missing a way to heaven.
Actually i have been into online affiliate for a very long time, many have even swindled me off my money with nothing to show for it until a friend reffered me to this and the first question i asked was, hope it is not about money because if it is, i am out.
Firstly he showed me how much he had made within a week without investing a dime and i got interested, immediately i signed up through the link he gave to me and immediately i was given my referral code.
I shared it with all my friends on facebook and twitter and it was like a miracle. I got credited $10 (1,630) on each people i reffer.
So imagine you reffer 10 people in a day that is $10 * 10 = $100 i.e (#16,300), now think of the numerous people you have on your social media. Do you see how much you can make for keeping friends on social media?
Let's get started, like i said previously this is a different programme than what we've been seeing out there. IT IS 100% FREE. Just sign up here http://openadnation.com/signup/oyebode101, you will be given your referral code, you share it with others to sign up through you. Thats all. SEE YOU AT THE TOP
REMEMBER ME IN YOU PARADISE
Call or comment to give your testimony
08168591393
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
I Know Where the Abducted Female Students Are but I Wont Tell Anybody ––Senator Opens Up

As an insider, he was asked where the girls are, the senator said: “I won’t tell where they are being kept again because I have told the Federal Government where they are likely being kept before the video was released. Now that I saw the video, the vegetation in the clip confirmed what I have told them earlier.
“If they want to know where they are being kept, then the government should remember what I told them before. What I can tell you is that the girls are no longer here in Chibok.”
Senator Zanna made this declaration on Monday on CNN when he was being interviewed by Isha Sesay.
When the lawmaker was asked by the reporter about what he felt about the latest video released on Monday by the Boko Haram terror group showing some of the abducted school girls, the senator said he experienced mixed feelings when he saw the video.
Sen. Zanna opined that while he was happy to know that the kidnapped girls are still alive, he also informed that he felt sad to realise that the teenagers are being used as ransoms by the terrorists in exchange for some of the members captured by the military.
While saying he was privy to information about the movement of the insurgents when the girls were abducted, the Senator said he told security agents that contrary to their belief that the abducted girls were in Sambisa forest with their abductors, that they have since been split and ferried through Lake Chad to neighbouring countries among which he said were Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
Senator Zanna blamed the military for failure to rescue the girls before the development given that they got all the necessary information about the movement of the insurgents from him personally.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
GROUND BREAKING OF ANOTHER ICON

Akin Ambode is an Accountant, Administrator, Public Finance expert, a retired Civil Servant who served Lagos State meritoriously for 27years; holding key positions across all cadres of the state’s civil service such as the Auditor General for Local Governments, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Accountant General of Lagos State.
After his retirement from the Civil Service at 49, he established Brandsmith Limited – a public finance and management-consulting firm with a deep knowledge of the Nigerian public sector. He serves as the Managing Consultant/CEO and has used his wealth of experience and social network to build alliances that will establish Brandsmith as a world-class professional services provider, engaging in strategic planning, operations improvement, business planning and public financial management. The firm and its associates are presently working with State and Federal government agencies to cut-over to the new IPSAS system of public accounting which takes effect from 2014.
He graduated with Honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at the age of 21. At 24, he had become a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and finished a Masters degree in Accounting specializing in Financial Management, also at the University of Lagos, via a Federal Government Scholarship. He also received a US Fulbright scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship at Boston University in Massachusetts.
He is an alumnus of Wharton Business School Advance Management Programme. He has attended courses at renowned institutions such as Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England, the Institute of Management Development Lausanne, Switzerland, INSEAD Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, USA.
He is passionate about Lagos, developing young leaders and professionals and contributing to the society from which he has gained so much. Managing Director
Brandsmith Consulting Limited
August 2012 – Present (1 year 10 months)Nigeria
Public Finance & Management Consulting Services.
Permanent Secretary/Accountant General
Lagos State Government – Ministry of Finance
2006 – 2012 (6 years)
Key Responsibilities
• Responsible for the global revenue and expenditure profile of the State Government.
• Providing leadership and supervision to over a thousand accountants across all ministries and agencies.
• Leading strategy formulation process for the operations and growth of STO.
• Leading strategic implementation for meeting and managing the State finance requirements.
Permanent Secretary
Lagos State Government – Ministry of Finance
2005 – 2006 (1 year)
Key Responsibilities
• Coordinating the revenue enhancement machinery of the Government.
• Responsible for the coordination of the implementation of the financial policies and regulations of the State Government.
• Providing leadership and supervision over a hundred finance Officers as the Accounting Officer of the Ministry.
Auditor General
Lagos State Government – Office of the Auditor General for Local Government
2000 – 2005 (5 years)
Key Responsibilities
• Constitutional oversight functions over all the Twenty Local Governments in Lagos State, in terms of controls, inspections and statutory reports.
• Liaising with public Accounts Committee of the State House of Assembly on the report of the audit of Local Government.
• Ensuring compliance with statutory audit guidelines and audit manuals for all audit engagements.
• Providing quality assurance and supervision over a hundred Auditors in the office.
Assistant Treasurer, Auditor, Treasurer and finally, Director of Finance
Lagos State Government – Local Government Service Commission
1987 – 1999 (12 years)
Key Responsibilities
• Managed the treasury and finance profiles, increasing the total revenue of all the Local Governments worked throughout the period.
• Redefining the accounting process of all the Local Governments worked in accordance with financial regulations.
• Administrative Head of the Finance and Supplies Department with an average management staff of twenty Officers and over twenty middle and support staff.
• Ensuring efficient financial resources management of the Local Governments through advice to the executives at the Funds Management Committee meetings.
• Funds and debt management functions of the Local Governments.
Accountant II
Lagos State Waste Management and Disposal Board
1985 – 1987 (2 years)
Key Responsibilities
• In charge of wages and salaries function of the establishment.
• Carrying out accounting and administrative functions of the organisation.
ONE MAN ONE VOTE, GOD BLESS NIGERIA GOD BLESS LAGOS STATE!
Friday, 9 May 2014
Ten Things All Guys Want from Girls That Isn’t S*x
S*x is great and all, but when it comes to women, men want more
from than to just fulfill their primal instinct — whether they know it
or not.

The good news is that there are plenty of fish in the sea — someone for everyone, or so they say.
Nonetheless, guys still problematically reduce the opposite gender to a simple, black-and-white purpose — s*x
It’s not the end all and be all, bros. The sooner you realize that, the easier life will be.
Here’s what guys are looking for in girls other than the old in-and-out:
1. Communication
A
guy talking to another guy in a social setting is so entirely different
then a guy and a girl talking in a social or intimate setting. The dick
and fart jokes — or political chatter if that’s your shtick — and the
endless Game of Thrones banter is replaced with raw honesty about
aspirations, preferences, and, yes, feelings.
Hey,
I’m not trying to saying we’re all softies here, but every guy should
own up to the fact that he enjoys a conversing with women. They enable
us to talk about the “stuff” we simply do not talk about in a bro-only
setting.
Not to be overlooked: deep down guys love
to be challenged by a strong woman who can express herself well and
openly state her opinions, as well as her feelings. Sure arguments with
the guys are always a riot, but an argument with a female can be equally
rewarding as long as it doesn’t turn into a fight.
2. Laughter
Although
enjoyable, getting a guy to laugh at a joke has its limitations within
the male ego; meanwhile, when a chick laughs at something you say, you
end up feeling like a $1,000 bucks for the rest of the day. And for the
most part, you don’t know why.
And if you think I know the answer, then you’re sorely mistaken — this isn’t psychology class.
Similar
to No. 1, it’s overlooked too often, guys like girls who are funny and
playful. Having someone to laugh at your jokes is the best, but it’s
also nice to be with some who cracks you up and doesn’t have a penis.
3. Organization
To
some women out there this will seem demeaning, but that couldn’t be
further from the truth. Bros are unorganized slobs who simply need help
getting their respective shit together. It’s not a bad thing that
females are better at managing clothes and organizing rooms. In fact, I
for one am kind of jealous of their ability to keep things tidy and make
it look so easy.
And yes, I’m aware there are plenty of girl slobs out there. These women are not wife material, just saying.
4. Belief
Confidence
dictates the rules of the road with pretty much everything associated
in pursuing females, so it’s no surprise to see belief (also known as
support) on this list. Guys want girls who believe in them and who see
their potential. While sex is important, it’s pretty obvious that men
want women because they give us some sort of X-factor in the confidence
department that we would otherwise be without.
Yes, ladies, without your belief in us we’d be half the men we are today. There, I said it.
However, men also do seek a…
5. Care-giver
Again,
I’m not trying to belittle females, but guys are looking for a good
nurse in their woman. Any girls who can apply a bandage or reduce a
fever is going to win thousands of subconscious points with a guy that a
sexual freak will simply never be able to score.
Yea,
it’s cool that the chick you brought home last night could put her legs
behind her head, but that flexibility means absolutely nothing if she
doesn’t know how to help you when you’re puking your guts out the next
morning or, worse, when you’re suffering from a mean case of diarrhea.
See, s*x isn’t everything.
6. Independence
This
should be higher because the s*x could be dynamite — the best you’ve
ever had, but the reality is you won’t be sticking around for long if
she’s a stage-five clinger. In fact, every positive attribute — looks,
intelligence, support — can be ruined instantly if she’s always nagging
you with texts/calls or even worse: uninvited visits to your apartment.
Men require freedom (golf, poker, etc.) and they actually want the same
out of their women. Constantly being around each other is how
relationships sailor dive to an abrupt and unfriendly halt. Everyone
needs space, guys and girls.
7. Tolerance
Man is this important! Raise your hand if you’ve ever acted like a drunken buffoon before. Everyone’s hands raised? OK, good.
Bros
want a girl who can tolerate this sort of behavior and not judge them
based on one or two (or twelve) nights of complete and utter mayhem. A
guy wants someone who will stand by him through thick and thin, and that
— again — is a lot more than just having sex with someone. It requires
patience, understand, and…you get the picture.
8. Honesty
This
goes hand and hand with tolerance, as well as other items on this list.
Although painful most of the time, guys do need the honesty a girl
gives them. How else would we change and become better people?
A
man needs a helping hand every once and a while — OK fine, everyday —
when he acts like a headless Neanderthal, and a woman gives him that
balanced assessment that he wouldn’t be able to make with his own
partial judgments.
Speaking of hands…
9. An old fashioned
What?
This doesn’t count as sex, but it’s an important part of the
male-female relationship. Sure, bros can take care of their own needs,
and some prefer to do it manually, but there are some instances in life
when a good, old-fashioned jerk is the best cure in the entire world.
(Side note: this would make for a great column idea. Everyone available next week?)
10. Sensuality
Looking
good is too obvious to have on this list, and I wanted to stay away
from looks in general, but sensuality is different because it’s all
about how a girl carries herself. If chicks are attracted to confidence,
then guess what? Guys are too.
A girl with an air
of sexiness and confidence can trump a better looking broad any day of
the week, and guys don’t even realize it. All it takes is a woman who is
comfortable with her own sexuality. Sometimes hot chicks are very
insecure, and are therefore not as sexy as their physical looks
Hillary Clinton Ignored Nigeria's Terrorist Group
Dereliction: For two years on Hillary Clinton's
watch, the State Department refused to designate a Nigerian Islamist
group as a terrorist organization. This group has murdered thousands as
it wages a real war on women.
Sometimes Hollywood celebrities get it right, as Jay Leno, Ellen
DeGeneres and others did in a protest outside the Beverly Hills Hotel.
That property is one of the Dorchester Collection of hotels owned by the
Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who has announced his country's
embrace of Shariah law.
The protesters recognize that Shariah law is a brutal criminal code
employed by Islamists that prescribes amputations and floggings, plus
the stoning to death of those who violate its rules or simply for the
crime of being too Western.
Case in point: the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, which means "Western education is a sin."
When the Global Terrorism Database of the University of Maryland's
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to
Terrorism compiled its list of terrorist organizations and ranked them
by the number of their terror acts in 2012, Afghanistan's Taliban came
in first. Boko Haram was not far behind.
The world's attention is now focused on the kidnapping of some 300
girls from the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School in Lagos,
Nigeria.
"I abducted your girls," a man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau, the
group's leader, said in a video seen by the Guardian newspaper. "I will
sell them in the market, by Allah. I will sell them off and marry them
off. There is a market for selling humans."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined the campaign to
free the girls, expressing her concern in a May 4 tweet with the hashtag
"BringBackOurGirls." On Wednesday, she called the abduction
"abominable" and "criminal."
"It's an act of terrorism," she said, "and it really merits the
fullest response possible, first and foremost from the government of
Nigeria."
Yet for two years, the State Department refused to acknowledge the
growing threat and barbarism of Boko Haram. As Josh Rogin at The Daily
Beast reports, the Clinton State Department "refused to place Boko Haram
on the list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011" after the group
bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
"The one thing she could have done, the one tool she had at her
disposal, she didn't use. And nobody can say she wasn't urged to do it.
It's gross hypocrisy," wrote Rogin, quoting a former senior U.S.
official who was involved in the debate.
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Five Ways to Screw Up Your Life with the Internet

Granted, they are aware that they do need to be careful about a few things: viruses, hackers, identity thieves, Nigerian princes who want to give them millions of dollars, all your standard stuff. But there are some lesser known dangers of the Internet that can steamroll your life like Paris Hilton stampeding towards a line of cocaine.
1) Your naked pictures and videos can end up on the Internet. You'd be surprised how many people have naked pictures of themselves. Maybe they’re guys like Anthony Weiner who have the mistaken impression that anyone wants to see their junk. Maybe they’re women who get a little excited at the idea of a man seeing them naked. Maybe they’re even a couple that wants to take it to the next level by filming themselves having sex to see if it looks more like a porn movie or two sea lions fighting under a blanket. Whatever the case may be, the problem is that in a digital age, these pictures and videos can get out to a much larger audience than originally intended. Just ask Anthony Weiner about that.
Personally, I once had a roommate call me in to look at some woman he’d met online who was trying to turn him on via webcam. I’ve also had more than one guy who broke up with his girlfriend who just flat out offered to show me naked pictures of her. One of them had dated the girl for almost two years. In all of those cases, the offers were completely unsolicited, so who knows how many other people got a look? I could tell you another half dozen disturbing stories about naked pictures (Yes, it’s really that common of an issue) — but instead, let me just say this: you’d be surprised at how often those pictures end up causing problems. Think very, very hard before you take those pictures in the first place because once they get out of your control, you’ll never get them back.
2) The Internet can get you fired. Ever had someone notice that you were posting on your blog during work hours and reported you to your boss? I have. It nearly got me fired. Ever known someone who was fired for even having a blog? There is someone talking about that on my Facebook page on the same day I am writing this column.
That actually happens more than you might think. The Internet’s full of small, vindictive, unbalanced and ugly people who don’t have the slightest qualms about using any and every tactic imaginable to go after people who irritate them. Does that include calling your boss? Yes, indeed. Could it include calling your boss and making up stories about you? That’s happened to multiple people that I know and it’s why I’d recommend that if possible, you should avoid sharing where you work with everyone on the Internet.
3) Everyone is not what they seem. I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of people in real life that I first met on the net. The good news is that most of them were the same in person as they were on the Internet. However, that’s not always the case. Once, for example, I knew a “woman” whom I talked to occasionally for months. Later, I found out “she” is a guy. I never entirely understood the point of the deception. Another time, a friend of mine was considering moving to spend time with a guy she had a romantic connection with on the Internet. Then, she found out he had a heavy drug habit. Just last week, on my blog, I found out that one of my bloggers is a 4-person collective. And that’s not even getting into scary crazyland, which is inhabited by people like the Craigslist Killer. The point is, it’s very easy to hide a lot of truth about yourself on the Internet. You post what you want people to see, you project the image you want, and it’s very difficult for people to check behind you. Just remember that — before you make any big decisions that you could later come to regret.
4) Think before you post. You may think that the only people reading what you write on the Internet are your friends, but that’s not really true. That funny pic of you doing the faux lesbian thing on Facebook when you were drunk? That may not be so funny if your mom somehow sees it. Your quip about how you’d like to kill somebody also might not sound so fantastic if it’s read in a courtroom in front of a judge — and don’t think it could never end up there. The fact of the matter is, unless you really know what you’re doing, all it generally takes is a warrant from the police to track you down. Your weird inside joke on Twitter that makes you sound like a psycho? That may not look so cute when a woman you’re interested in reads your Twitter feed to get an idea of what you’re like.
Remember, folks, the Internet can be FOREVER and whatever dumb thing you do today may still show up when someone does a Google search for you a decade from now. Here’s a little secret: over the years, I’ve had multiple people write me and ask me to take down unflattering articles at Right Wing News because what I’d written was showing up in Google searches and they were afraid it would affect their chances to get a job. Most of the time, I did it, not because I had to, but because I tend to have some sympathy for ordinary people who get judged for the rest of their lives based on a stupid comment or mistake. However, not only were there times where I declined for whatever reason, there were other times when I Googled the person’s name and found another half dozen different articles covering the same ground. Once you get to that point, you’re screwed because there’s no chance that ALL of those people are going to show you a little mercy.
5) The Internet can eat up your life. Everybody, well, probably everybody has heard the most extreme stories. The guy who keeled over dead after playing 50 straight hours of Starcraft. How about the four month old who died while his parents were playing World of Warcraft together? The baby who starved to death, ironically, because her parents were online raising a virtual character?
The Internet doesn’t have to get that over-the-top to start impacting your life. I’ve known people who spent so much time talking with their pseudo-friends on different social networks that they ended up killing their real life friendships. I’ve known people who’ve gotten so into gaming that it has affected their performance at work. Once in my own life, I spent months wasting hours a day playing a game that I’d come to find tedious because I didn’t want to let my online friends down. Don’t let that be you. Use the Internet, but don’t let it use you.
Boko Haram Has Been Terrorizing Nigeria for Years. Why Did We Just Start to Care?
For five years, the world has paid scant attention to scores of gruesome attacks by the Islamist group, which recently made international headlines for kidnapping nearly 300 girls.
In the wake of the April
kidnapping of 276 Nigerian schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko
Haram, fearsome images of the militants—in army fatigues and turbans,
brandishing automatic weapons and rounds of ammo—have been splashed over
the front pages of the international press. But the Al Qaeda-linked
group has been slaughtering Nigerians by the hundreds since 2009.
They've also kidnapped scores of women and children and attacked dozens
of schools over the past year, with little attention from the Western
media. Why did the foreign press decide to start paying attention now?
Part of the reason is the sheer scale of the kidnapping. According to the latest numbers, nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted on April 15 from Chibok boarding school in the northern Nigerian state of Borno. Last year, Boko Haram abducted handfuls of children, as well as Christian women, whom the group converts to Islam and forces into marriage. The group attacked 50 schools last year too, killing
more than 100 schoolchildren and 70 teachers. The number of kids taken
during the raid on the Chibok school is staggering, however. "It is the
largest number of children abducted in one swoop in the country," says
Nnamdi Obasi, a senior Nigeria analyst for the International Crisis
Group, a nonprofit conflict resolution organization. "Certainly not a
minor incident that could be ignored."
But it's not just the shock value of the Chibok school attack that's
put a recent spotlight on Boko Haram. The group has terrorized the
country on this scale before, having killed thousands over the past five
years. In November 2011, the militants attacked
police facilities in the northern state of Yobe, killing 150. That
year, the group also carried out a brazen attack on the UN compound in
the capital city of Abuja. In January 2012, coordinated bombings
by the Islamist militants in the city of Kano killed about 150. And in
July of that year, the group attacked multiple Christian villages in the
north, killing more than 100. Those attacks prompted obligatory reports by the likes of the New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, and the BBC.
The
real reason for the disproportionate amount of press coverage and
outrage this time around, experts say, has to do with a combination of
things: the Nigerian government's tepid response to the missing girls,
the international media's initial indifference, and Nigerians becoming
fed up with both.
"The initial assumption was that the girls would be rescued in a
matter of days," Obasi says. But "this tragic situation dragged on, with
the Nigerian government seemingly unable to find a solution." From the
start, Nigerian security forces did not appear particularly motivated to
find the girls, Mausi Segun, a researcher for Human Rights Watch based
in northern Nigeria, told Mother Jones last week.
She says the military was not making use of information provided by
parents and locals in its rescue efforts. Meanwhile, the government of
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has formed no rescue operation, and falsely reported earlier on that some of the girls had been rescued. Jonathan waited 19 days
to create a "fact-finding" committee. (Nigerian First Lady Patience
Jonathan recently alleged that women protesting in Abuja against the
government's weak response to the Chibok abductions had fabricated the kidnappings.)
Adding insult to injury, the international media largely ignored the
massive abduction for the first week or so. In response, some Nigerians lashed out at the Western press for not covering the kidnapping of hundreds of black girls in the way that it likely would have covered the kidnapping of hundreds of white girls,
and launched the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. The campaign to
rescue the girls spurred the belated outpouring of global press coverage
on the abductions and on the origins and motivations of Boko Haram.
"I think that the media in certain
places…which did not initially report much on the most recent
kidnapping, may be trying to 'make up' for their tardiness."
The kidnapping and the initial radio silence "hit a nerve in the
Nigerian diaspora and among communities of color, and in particular
women and girls," says Adotei Akwei, a former Africa advocacy director
for Amnesty International. Christopher Anzalone, an expert on political
violence and terrorism at McGill University, agrees. "I think that the
media in certain places, such as the United States, which did not
initially report much on the most recent kidnapping, may be trying to
'make up' for their tardiness."
Adding fuel to the growing international outrage over the attack is
the fact that the Chibok abduction comes on the heels of other assaults
on girls' education around the globe over the past few years, as
Nicholas Kristoff noted Sunday in the New York Times. In 2012, the Pakistani Taliban shot 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai because she advocated for girls' education. The Taliban in Afghanistan has terrorized girls who go to school with bombings, death threats, and acid attacks.
Boko Haram means "Western education is sinful" in Nigeria's local Hausa language. The group—which the Obama administration recently designated
a terrorist organization—believes the Nigerian government has been
corrupted by the West and wants to return the country to the
pre-colonial era of Muslim rule. The terror group has killed roughly
5,000 Nigerian men, women, and children since 2009, and has become more
brazen of late. In the the first few months of 2014, it has already
killed 1,500 people.
The barrage of media coverage likely prompted Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday to offer to send a team to Nigeria
to help search for the girls. But press attention has adverse effects
too. The kidnappings have been good PR for Boko Haram, and now the group
is doing everything it can to pile onto the media frenzy. On Monday,
the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, vowed in a homemade video to sell the girls off as slaves. And on Tuesday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped another eight girls from a northeastern village.
‘Jonathan’s govt has little credibility’

On Tuesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Boko Haram, the ruthless Islamist group that claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, abducted more young girls from their homes in the same part of the country in the northeast over the weekend. The group, whose name roughly means “Western education is a sin,” has waged war against Nigeria for five years. Its goal is to destabilize and ultimately overthrow the government. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in a video released on Monday, “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”
This is not the first time Boko Haram has attacked students, killing young men and kidnapping young women. The security situation in Northeast Nigeria has steadily deteriorated. In the first three months of this year, attacks by Boko Haram and reprisals by government security forces have killed at least 1,500 people, more than half of them civilians, according to Amnesty International. Until now, there has been little response to the violence, either in Nigeria or internationally. But the kidnapping of so many young girls, ages 12 to 15, has triggered outrage and ignited a rare antigovernment protest movement in Nigeria.
On Sunday, after weeks of silence, Mr. Jonathan admitted that “this is a trying time for our country,” and he said that Nigerians were justified in their anger against the government and appealed for international help. The reaction of Mr. Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was stunningly callous; according to state news media, she told one of the protest leaders, “You are playing games. Don’t use schoolchildren and women for demonstrations again.”
Boko Haram’s claim that it follows Islamic teachings is nonsense. A pre-eminent Islamic theological institute, Al-Azhar in Egypt, denounced the abductions, saying it “completely contradicts the teachings of Islam and its tolerant principles.” Although Boko Haram is believed to number no more than a few hundred men, Nigerian security forces have been unable to defeat them.
Mr. Jonathan, who leads a corrupt government that has little credibility, initially played down the group’s threat and claimed security forces were in control. It wasn’t until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls’ school, to discuss the incident. There is no doubt the intelligence and investigation help President Obama offered on Monday is needed.
The kidnappings occurred just as President Jonathan is about to hold the World Economic Forum on Africa, with 6,000 troops deployed for security. That show of force may keep the delegates safe, but Nigeria’s deeply troubled government cannot protect its people, attract investment and lead the country to its full potential if it cannot contain a virulent insurgency.
Culled from Newyork times an editorial
Why we may never find the abducted schoolgirls
Dear Nigerians, by the time you read
this, it would have been three weeks that Boko Haram insurgents stormed
the hostels of Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State in the
dead of the night and abducted more than 200 girls. The abduction of
the girls, who had been sitting for the just concluded Senior School
Certificate Examination had happened almost simultaneously with the
Nyanya motor park bombing which claimed scores of lives and fatally
maimed many others. Both incidents, which were premeditated, had
shocked the nation. The country is still in shock as to how terrorists
could invade a school and cart away pupils unchallenged. In the days
since the incident took place, the girls have been speculated to be in
the custody of Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest.
But just a few days ago, Boko Haram,
which had earlier claimed responsibility for the Nyanya bombing, finally
owned up to the abduction. The leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, in
a video boasted that it carried out the abduction and promised more
attacks. Nothing could be worse than imagining those vulnerable girls in
the midst of terrorists. The Chibok girls’ kidnap which had previously
been a Nigerian affair has now sparked off global outrage. Several
international bodies, world leaders and celebrities have added their
voice to the campaign to bring back the girls. The social media also
brought the campaign to the attention of the global community with the
evocative hashtag, BringBackOurGirls. What the current campaign has done
is its exposure of the lethargic response of the Jonathan’s
administration. When the news broke, Nigerians were outraged by the
insensitivity of a President who went dancing on a political rally in
Kano.
Apparently, the President had treated the
disappearance of the girls as inconsequential, as he would other
matters pertaining to the nation. But it was not surprising because the
President’s lacklustre response fits into the administration’s approach
to the insecurity that is crippling the country. In recent years,
Nigerians have questioned the incompetence of the Jonathan Presidency to
the Boko Haram insurgency. But not until the abduction of the girls has
the issue gained global concern. The Chibok kidnap has thus exposed
this administration’s confused strategy to the worsening security
situation in the country. As I ponder on the fate of the girls, I came
to a terrifying conclusion that we may never find the girls. It is a
troubling thought. Emerging facts have shown that the girls are too far
gone and it may now be too late to find them. It is indeed distressing
to think that the once promising girls have become sex slaves to a band
of marauding terrorists.
Dear Nigerians, this is not doomsday
prediction but I think we should be prepared for the worst case
scenario. The reality on the ground has shown us that the government is
even more befuddled as to what to do. It appears it has exhausted all
the strategies that can be deployed in finding the girls. The
administration is caught in a dilemma. What it had thought will be a
business as usual reaction by Nigerians has developed into a worldwide
demand to find the girls. Now, there is no hiding place as public
protests at home and abroad have forced the President to seek a belated
international help especially from the United States to locate the
girls.
No example demonstrates the
administration’s confusion than the President’s media chat where he
revealed that he did not know the location of the girls. It was a
shocking revelation. The question that came to mind was; if the
President and his security chiefs do not have an idea of the girls’
whereabouts, then who will? So why search if they don’t know their
location? What technology has been deployed in their search? In the end,
Jonathan will have to admit that his failure to respond quickly when
the news broke weeks ago is the reason why we are in this mess. At the
time the President was dancing away in Kano, the girls were being driven
deeper into the forest or across the borders. If the authorities had
treated the situation with the urgency it required a few days after the
abduction, perhaps the terrorists could have been intercepted. But the
terrorists had gained enough time to disappear without a trace. What is
the use of a fact-finding committee, which the President
characteristically set up, when the girls were long gone? In a vast and
porous border that connects Nigeria with its neighbours, it would be
easier to find a pin in a haystack than to find the girls.
Another reason that has confirmed my
fears that we may not find the girls, at least as a group, is the
intelligence report by the American government which shares the State
Department concern that the girls may have been moved out of the
country. If this is true, then any hope of finding the girls will be
seriously jeopardised. Intelligence reports such as the one shared by
the US is crucial in the war against terrorism. However, this is one
area the Nigerian government has failed woefully. If there is any hope
of finding the girls, it must be when they are in a group. But such an
intervention should have happened as soon as they were abducted by the
terrorists. Now, more than two weeks after the abduction, what hope do
we have that the girls are still kept together? I do not see the
possibility. That is why I consider it an impossibility that the girls
will ever be found as a group. With American intelligence assessment,
the girls would have been taken to different locations separated from
one another.
The American intelligence assessment also
confirms Jonathan’s revelation that the military do not know the
location of the girls. To underscore the point that the abducted girls
may never be found at least as a group, the leader of Boko Haram,
Abubakar Shekau, in a video released earlier in the week, said that he
had a divine duty to sell the girls. Experts have suggested the video
may have been made shortly after the girls were abducted. That was more
than three weeks ago. Shekau boasted that the girls would be sold. If
the video is true, then it is likely that Boko Haram may have already
carried out its threat of marrying off the girls. So, what hope of
finding the girls if they have been shared to the warlords in different
locations?
These interrelated incidents paint the
hopeless picture of the situation as we continue to demand the return of
the girls. Now 11 more girls have been reportedly abducted. After three
weeks of fruitless search, we must know that the insurgents are smarter
than keeping 276 girls in one camp. They are no fools. Jonathan says he
does not know where the girls are kept; America says the girls may have
been taken in several groups across border to Cameroon and Chad; then
the bombshell by Boko Haram that the girls would be sold only point to
one depressing fact: That time is running out on any hope of finding the
girls. The President has asked America for help but that may be a
little too late. His government must accept the blame for not acting
fast enough. Now, we can only hope that the girls will find the courage
to escape their captors individually as they have done or that we simply
just pray, hope and wait for a miracle.
Credits file copy:
Bayo Olupohunda
American security experts may hit Abuja today
Strong indications emerged on Wednesday
that security experts from the United States of America may arrive in
Abuja, today (Thursday) to help in the rescue of the over 200
schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State.
Impeccable sources at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport told one of our correspondents that the flight
document indicating that the security team would be in Nigeria today had
been tendered to the NAIA authorities.
The source, who noted that the
government had stepped up its fight against terrorists, stated that
delegates for the World Economic Forum had been guarded around the
airport by both local and foreign security officials who were mostly in
mufti.
Asked if he was sure that the security
experts from the US would arrive Nigeria today, our source said, “Yes, I
will call you once they land at the airport. The fight against terror
in Nigeria is gathering momentum and the information I have is that the
security experts are likely to come with an American flight. As of today
(Wednesday), they (security experts) have not arrived, those that we
saw are delegates and officers of the WEF.”
Investigations from military sources
revealed that the United States Special Forces expected to participate
in the operation to find the missing girls might be deployed from the
United States Africa Command under the leadership of Gen. David
Rodriguez.
The source said that the US authorities
could send in troops and equipment from the US Drone Base in Niger, a
neighbouring country, the Gulf of Guinea, and other bases in Africa.
The source said that the Africom Command
established to deal with such issues on behalf of the US would deploy
the personnel, additional equipment required for the sensitive operation
could come from the homeland.
“The President waited for so long; now
he wants results; you know that there are problems within us; this is a
difficult operation; you need equipment.
“You think that the Americans are coming
in next week? Who says so? They have all the elements in the various
bases they have in Africa. They can do their deployment in hours
“Remember, they have a drone base in
Niger, they have a base in the Gulf of Guinea, and the sea of Somalia,
they have the relevant equipment, the technology and they are
motivated.”
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Suspected kidnapper set ablaze in Lagos
LAGOS — A woman accused of an attempt to kidnap three primary school pupils in Ekoro area of Abule-Egba, Lagos was yesterday set ablaze by an angry mob.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after two primary school pupils were rescued from a suspected kidnapper at Ile-epo area of Egbe.
Report said the three pupils, two males and a female, whose ages were put between seven and 10 years, were on their way to school at about 7 a.m when the unnamed woman accosted them on a pretense that she was taking them to school.
But a female hawker said to have suspected her moves reportedly alerted bystanders along Ekoro Road who challenged the woman.
Eye witnesses said the woman claimed the children were hers, but the names she called them differed from those the children gave.
Eye witnesses further said the direction the woman was taking the children to was not that of the school the children attend.
According to an eye witness, who gave his name as Chionye, “All the responses she gave were contrary to that given by the pupils.
“When asked of the name of the school, she had to strain her eyes to see if she could read it from the badge on the children’s school uniform. When we asked the pupils if they knew her, they shook their heads.
“It was at that point that a man from the crowd that had gathered round her said the woman parked her car somewhere around the direction she was taking the children.
“Not satisfied with her explanation, the mob was said to have descended on her, in the process of which she was set ablaze before the arrival of policemen.
The incident reportedly caused a hitch in the free flow of traffic.
Effort to get the reaction of the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, failed as she could not be reached on phone.
Meanwhile, effort by another woman to kidnap two primary school pupils, Monday, at Ile-epo area of Egbe was foiled by passers-by.
Report said the woman had succeeded in abducting the children and took them under the bridge and was making calls to some unknown person that she had found some ‘goods’ when she was apprehended.
Passers-by among whom was one Colonel Adeniran, reportedly kept the woman hostage before the arrival of policemen from Ejigbo division.
Sources at the division said investigation was ongoing.
The arrest brings to fore, five cases of foiled kidnap attempt in two weeks.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after two primary school pupils were rescued from a suspected kidnapper at Ile-epo area of Egbe.
Report said the three pupils, two males and a female, whose ages were put between seven and 10 years, were on their way to school at about 7 a.m when the unnamed woman accosted them on a pretense that she was taking them to school.
But a female hawker said to have suspected her moves reportedly alerted bystanders along Ekoro Road who challenged the woman.
Eye witnesses said the woman claimed the children were hers, but the names she called them differed from those the children gave.
Eye witnesses further said the direction the woman was taking the children to was not that of the school the children attend.
According to an eye witness, who gave his name as Chionye, “All the responses she gave were contrary to that given by the pupils.
“When asked of the name of the school, she had to strain her eyes to see if she could read it from the badge on the children’s school uniform. When we asked the pupils if they knew her, they shook their heads.
“It was at that point that a man from the crowd that had gathered round her said the woman parked her car somewhere around the direction she was taking the children.
“Not satisfied with her explanation, the mob was said to have descended on her, in the process of which she was set ablaze before the arrival of policemen.
The incident reportedly caused a hitch in the free flow of traffic.
Effort to get the reaction of the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, failed as she could not be reached on phone.
Meanwhile, effort by another woman to kidnap two primary school pupils, Monday, at Ile-epo area of Egbe was foiled by passers-by.
Report said the woman had succeeded in abducting the children and took them under the bridge and was making calls to some unknown person that she had found some ‘goods’ when she was apprehended.
Passers-by among whom was one Colonel Adeniran, reportedly kept the woman hostage before the arrival of policemen from Ejigbo division.
Sources at the division said investigation was ongoing.
The arrest brings to fore, five cases of foiled kidnap attempt in two weeks.
Boko Haram activities un-Islamic, devilish – Muslim students
Kaduna – The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) on Wednesday, said the activities of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, was un-Islamic and devilish.
The President of the group in the North, Malam Yusuf Arrigasiyyu, made the condemnation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
He also condemned the recent bombings at Nyanya in Abuja and abduction of over 200 students by the insurgents.
“This bombing and killing of innocent souls by the Boko Haram has to stop.
“The teaching of boko haram is not Islamic and they don’t represent Islam, they are not Muslims. Islam is a religion of peace.”
He expressed the belief that the present security challenges facing the country has some external influences which the government must look into.
Arrigasiyyu also said the government should not allow the insurgents to continue operating with impunity, adding that their activities must be checkmated in the interest of the nation.
The MSSN president cautioned against politicising the current security challenges, saying that fighting terrorism require collective action.
He also called on political leaders in the country to discharge their responsibilities with diligence and the fear of God.
Arrigasiyyu advised youth in the country to seek for knowledge so as not to be misled by “selfish and bad religious scholars espousing wrong ideologies”.
He expressed optimism that the present security challenges facing the country will soon come to an end. (NAN)
The President of the group in the North, Malam Yusuf Arrigasiyyu, made the condemnation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
He also condemned the recent bombings at Nyanya in Abuja and abduction of over 200 students by the insurgents.
“This bombing and killing of innocent souls by the Boko Haram has to stop.
“The teaching of boko haram is not Islamic and they don’t represent Islam, they are not Muslims. Islam is a religion of peace.”
He expressed the belief that the present security challenges facing the country has some external influences which the government must look into.
Arrigasiyyu also said the government should not allow the insurgents to continue operating with impunity, adding that their activities must be checkmated in the interest of the nation.
The MSSN president cautioned against politicising the current security challenges, saying that fighting terrorism require collective action.
He also called on political leaders in the country to discharge their responsibilities with diligence and the fear of God.
Arrigasiyyu advised youth in the country to seek for knowledge so as not to be misled by “selfish and bad religious scholars espousing wrong ideologies”.
He expressed optimism that the present security challenges facing the country will soon come to an end. (NAN)
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