Comic actor John Okafor weds longtime partner, Stellamaris

Comic actor, John Okafor this morning May 25th married his longtime love, Stella Marris, the mother of two of his children.

The couple have been together since 2008 but never married.

They had three kids, one died a few years ago.

The actor quietly married his lady in front of a few family and friends today.

There wedding reception will hold after Mr Ibu's mother's burial.

Congrats to the couple.

Lewis Hamilton gets touchy-feely with Gigi Hadid amid new romance rumours

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton may have finally moved on from Nicole Scherzinger as he's said to be enjoying a budding romance with newly single model, Gigi Hadid after they met at Cannes.

The 30 year old sports star invited the 20 year old model to the Monaco Grand Prix racing track yesterday where he was seen tenderly placing his arms around her.

Gigi's friends including Kendall Jenner were also invited.

Geoffrey Oji releases official music video to debut single, Bursting My Brain

The 960 Music Group, the music agency brand partner to MTN Project Fame is proud to present the music video for MTN Project Fame Season 7 Winner, Geoffrey Oji’s debut single, ‘Bursting My Brain’.

In the captivating video produced by Mr. Miagy, Geoffrey is infatuated with his best friend, but she’s oblivious to his advances, and instead friend-zones him and asks him to help pick an outfit for her date with another man.

After a disastrous date she realizes Geoffrey is the Best Man for her.

The video features celebrity dancer, ‘Ezinne’ of the CEO Dancers, along with Precious, Creamy and Ada.

Enjoy after the cut... Bursting My Brain is the first single off the Best of MTN Project Fame Season 7 CD compilation, and Geoffrey’s soon to be released 6-song EP - with production credits from Password (Winner of MTN SongStar competition), Masterkraft, Rundatraxx, Wilson Joel and a feature from MTN Project Fame Season 3 Winner - Chidinma Ekile.

Mark Redguard, the CEO of the 960 Music Group stated that since Geoffrey’s MTN Project Fame win, they’ve been filming a mobile reality series on the journey and making of the Geoffrey music brand - in studio creative recording sessions, street and club promotions, BTS pre-production and filming of his music videos, and Geoffrey’s stage performances.

In the past few months, thousands of music lovers have come to respect and love Geoffrey’s singing talent, when he performed at the Lagos Jazz Festival, Star Trek, the Beat FM and Rainbow FM NYSC concerts; along with glowing interviews in both Tush and MyStreetz Magazines.

Photos: LIB couple trekking from Warri to Bayelsa for GEJ

Michael & Edna Ayibaemi, who say they are huge fans of LIB, sent these photos in and said they are trekking from Warri to Otuoke in Bayelsa State in honour of president Jonathan.

Michael said he was supposed to go alone but this morning, his wife who just gave birth 25 days ago, decided to join him with their baby.

See more photos of the couple on their journey to Bayelsa after the cut...

Photos: Ghastly accident in Lagos this morning

A ghastly accident occurred along Estate bus stop in Yaba, Lagos this morning.

Thankfully, no one died.

President Jonathan urges Nigerians to pray for Buhari

President Jonathan has appealed to Nigerians to pray more for the President-elect, Buhari and the incoming government to ensure they succeed and not make costly mistakes that might have adverse effect on Nigeria.

He made the appeal while speaking at the Thanksgiving and Inauguration service which held yesterday in Abuja.

"I thank you for the support and I will call on you to pray for us who are leaving, because probably today is the last day I will speak to you here as the President of Nigeria.

But you should even pray more for the incoming government because we are now trying to manage our private businesses while they are coming to manage the whole country.

So they require more prayers because I can make a mistake and it will affect me, but if they make a mistake, it will affect the whole nation.

So I call on all of you and all religious bodies to pray for the incoming government to succeed because all what we want as a nation, both Nigerians at home and abroad, is for good government, prosperity, unity and peace.

We cannot achieve that without the help of God.

I am quite pleased today we are here not to celebrate disintegration of this country, but we are celebrating the unity of this country.

We are here not for service for mass burial, but we are here having service to inaugurate the new incoming government.

This being possible because of men and women like you who have been here praying for the country.

God has designed everything” he said.

Check out the queue for fuel at Capital Oil this morning

Last night Ifeanyi Uba's Capital Oil announced that it will release 13 million litres of fuel.

Well, Nigerians are there this morning to get some of it.

This is the fuel queue at Capital Oil, Berger.

Cars began to queue as early as 2am.

The amazing Calorad story from Timmie Duncan - USA

This is the amazing real life story of Timmie Duncan to inspire all who have weight challenges and all Calorad users to never ever give up.

Timmie was born in Toledo, Ohio in the US and somehow found himself to be extremely fat, (not sure how he got there), but whether eating habit, lifestyle or genetics most of us have similar challenges.

Above is Timmie before Calorad.

See him less than a year with Calorad after the cut... He literally became obsessed and depressed that he had no life.

His life was like a prison for him.

His situation was so bad that he had sleep apnoea (not able to breathe when sleeping and had to be given oxygen and a special helmet to aid his sleep), doctors gave him less than a year to live.

He heard a commercial on radio about the collagen based weight loss supplement CALORAD and decided to act, stop putting it off and act now.

Nigerians groan as transport fare is doubled due to persistent fuel scarcity

Nigerians are still feeling the bite of the persistent fuel scarcity as transportation fare for most public transport have been doubled and in some cases tripled.

In Lagos, a LIB reader said he paid N400 to Oshodi from Mile 2 which normally will cost him just N100.

Nigerians working on the Island this morning paid N500 from Ogba to CMS which normally will cost them N150-N200.

In many cases, there are no buses to take them to their destinations.

Lagos governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode releases official portrait

Lagos Governor elect, Akinwunmi Ambode has released his official portrait.

He has requested to be addressed simply as Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State.

Mocheddah's grandmother turns 100 + she shows off huge rock

Amazing! The rapper/singer shared a photo of her grandmother who celebrated her 100th birthday today.

Happy birthday grandma..!

Meanwhile, the rapper showed off a huge rock on her instagram page sparking engagement rumours.

See that after the cut...

Ifeanyi Ubah’s Capital Oil to release 13 million litres fuel tonight

Ifeanyi Ubah's Capital Oil and Gas released a statement this evening saying it is releasing 13 million litres this night, which is about 400 trucks of petroleum products to ease the fuel scarcity that Nigeria is currently facing.

They said they will release an additional 53 million litres in a few days.

Read the statement below... On Saturday 16th May 2015, we received an SMS ordering the suspension of loading activities in all depots from Monday 18th May 2015.

We later realized that this directive was as a result of unpaid funds owed to transporters by oil marketers who in turn are owed by the Federal Government.

This development has resulted in immense hardship to our fellow country men and women.

We believe that a better solution can be pursued towards solving this problem in a way that does not adversely affect our dear citizens.

Capital Oil and Gas has watched with so much pain, the suffering and hardship our citizens have been subjected to as a result of scarcity of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and house hold kerosene.

We are deeply pained to hear that hospitals cannot perform surgeries, laboratories are unable to carry out much needed tests especially for emergency patients leaving such patients at risk of dying, radio stations are shutting down, communication is being affected as MTN and other telecommunications company have announced an impending shut down while homes, offices and key facilities nationwide are experiencing blackouts.

In some parts of the country, petrol is already selling at an all-time high of N1,000 per litre.

Our citizens have left their homes and are now sleeping in fuel stations,facing the risk of robbery attacks and other attendant risk.

In a few days’ time, a new government headed by General Muhamadu Buhari will be sworn in.

Apart from our citizens being unable to watch the handover on television and unavailability of transportation for attendees of this historic handover, the resulting chaos from this scarcity may shutdown the Nation and sabotage the efforts Nigeria has made to attain greater heights.

We are constrained at this point and have decided that two wrongs cannot make a right.

We will not be part of this sabotage against our fatherland.

Therefore from this minute, we shall take the risk of opening our facilities and commence swift loading and distribution of products Nationwide.

Our facility has the capacity to load over 13 million litres of product before dawn.

This comes to approximately 400 trucks of petroleum products.

With this act, it is our belief that once again our citizens will begin to smile, return to normal family and work life.

We call on other petroleum marketers to follow suit and save our Nation from this impending economic and social crisis.

This is a period that requires patriotism and service to fatherland.

Let’s join hands to help our fellow citizens and save Nigeria.

We also call on striking bodies to call off the strike action.

Let us work together for the betterment of our people.

As we brief you this moment, our truck park, port reception facilities and our depot complex have been ordered opened.

We are ordering and resuming discharge of products from vessels at our berths.

We have ordered our trucks to commence loading of products and move overnight to every state of the Federation.

Most importantly, we wish to use this medium to thank NNPC and PPMC for their steadfastness in ensuring the availability of petroleum products.

Current PPMC stock level in our storage tanks and buffer stock on vessels awaiting discharge at our jetty is capable of meeting the Nation’s need for 15 days.

Furthermore, we wish to emphasis that we have a total solution to the traffic menace on the oshodi apapaexpressway.

In the coming weeks, we hope to engage the Federal Government (Federal Ministry of Transport), Lagos State Government and other stakeholders in the affected area, to optimally utilize our truck park facilities which has the capacity to accommodate over 1,100 trucks per time and 5,000 on a shift basis.

Capital Oil and Gas continues to appeal to Nigerians to accept and support deregulation as this will curb corruption, enhance competition, lead to reduction of pump price for petroleum products and ensure constant supply to meet Nigeria’s demand.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah Managing Director/CEO Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited Lagos, Sunday 24th May 2015.

Photo: Nigerian Ebola volunteers head home

Nigerian Ebola volunteers (in Liberia and Sierre Leone) pictured on their way home.

About 250 of them arrived Nigeria this evening on a chartered Ethiopian Airline...

Man stabs his mum, her husband & his 6yr old step-sister to death

Police are hunting a 21-year-old man suspected of stabbing to death his sister, six, their mother and her partner at their Oxfordshire home.

The victims, who were found dead in the quiet town of Didcot last night, were named by police as Philip Howard, 44, pictured inset, Janet Jordon, 48, and Derin Jordon, 6, pictured together centre.

Photographs of the family emerged this evening as officers continue their search for Jed Allen in connection with the triple murder.

Shocking images posted on Allen's Instagram show him holding an axe (pictured left) and even posing with Wolverine-style blades on his hands.

Armed police are now hunting the 6ft-tall former groundsman, who has a distinctive spider tattoo on his left hand.

Didier Drogba ends his football career with Chelsea FC today

Didier Drogba has announced he will be playing his last match for his current football club, Chelsea today May 24th.

He shared the news on his instagram page.

Chelsea will be playing with Sutherland at 3pm.

Drogba has done well for Chelsea!

Photos: How a man was nearly kidnapped by ritualists today

It was a terrible experience this morning at my farm located at Odoyanta, Ijebu Ode.

I just finished feeding the fish, so on my way back I heard a loud noise and the noise was coming from the father of the boy working for me although the man speaks in Igbo language.

I had to ask the boy working for me to translate what his father said.

He told me that his father said there are ritualist in the bush that they've taken someone from a fish farm nearby.

That we should come out on time.

It happened that the ritualist tried to kidnap a fish farmer.

They have succeeded in beating and chaining him like a dog.

It was while the incident was going on that someone in the bush saw them and quickly ran back to town to alert guys in the community.

They were able to arrest two out of the three ritualists and the last one escape.

The woman who is iyalode in the town was behind the operation Here are the pictures:

pic 1 and 2 are the kidnappers, pic 3 is the iyalode of the town and pic 4 is the guy they were trying to kidnap and use for rituals

PDP Berates Buhari For Snubbing Handover Programme

The peoples Democratic Party (PDP) views with disappointment the apparent snub by the President-elect, Gen.

Muhammadu Buhari of the handover programme lined up by the Federal Government to transmit power to him by Friday, May 29, 2015.

The PDP said such behavior was a measure of lack of democratic discipline.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Sunday said the President-elect owes Nigerians explanations on why he snubbed the prayer sessions scheduled for Friday and Sunday for Muslims and Christians respectively to usher in four years of his in-coming administration as well as the embarrassing protocol gaffe and low-down treatment that characterized his visit to British Prime Minister David Cameron last Saturday.

The PDP said it was disgraceful that due to poor coordination and crass ineptitude in the handling of issues, the President-elect was left almost stranded while waiting for about thirty minutes before he was received by the British leader and wondered if such is a foretaste of the muddling to be experienced under the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s administration.

“Nigerians, as citizens of a sovereign nation were thoroughly embarrassed when they saw their President-elect cheapened and kept waiting at the door of 10 Downing Street to see the British Prime Minister due to shoddy arrangements by his handlers.

“Indeed, they are becoming increasingly worried about the frightening unpreparedness of the APC for governance and the huge embarrassments they have been attracting to our nation.

We know that the APC has been lying over issues. We also know that the APC and the President-elect have been flip-flopping and reneging on their campaign promises; but to embarrass the nation by embarking on such a sensitive visit without adequate preparations is shameful and completely unacceptable.

“We share the fear of well-meaning Nigerians on how a party which cannot adequately handle a simple task of organizing a diplomatic outing will effectively administer a country as complex as Nigeria.

“The APC has continued to give signals that it lacks capacity to face the challenges of governance.

Such has been evidenced in the uneasiness of the President-elect who in apparent loss of confidence in himself has started reneging on his promises of quick fixes while confessing in a meeting with APC governors-elect on May 5, 2015 that he has ‘started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day’.

“Instead of settling down for governance and working out how to fulfill its promises of making the naira the same in value with the dollar, paying N5, 000, 000 monthly to 25 million poor Nigerians, providing electricity on 24/7 basis, providing free meals for school children and allowances for discharged but unemployed youth corps members among others, the APC is busy inventing excuses for failure and blaming everyone else but themselves.

We hope they will not blame the PDP for their Saturday’s embarrassing outing at 10 Downing Street.

"Furthermore, we find it curious and more than a co-incidence that the nation is experiencing an acute shortage of fuel and electricity supply at this point in time, when such has not been the case under the current PDP-led administration.

We ask, are there some forces sabotaging the system to create an impression that the APC is inheriting poor infrastructure and complete system breakdown?

"Is this also part of the larger plot to embarrass and defame the PDP-led administration in an attempt to justify APC's excuses for failure", the PDP probed.

The party insisted that despite the challenges of insecurity and global economic recession that negatively affected many other nations, its administration had in the last 16 years worked very hard in repositioning critical sectors of the polity and laying strong infrastructure backbone that that any prepared and result oriented in- coming administration can comfortably leverage on.

It therefore asked the APC to get ready to apply its much-mouthed manifesto or be bold to apologize to Nigerians for presenting false messianic posture and making false promises to them.

Is this not torture?

Unfortunately, some African mothers still force feed their children this way.

This practice - I think - needs to be phased out.

Singer Kcee hawks on the streets of Lagos once again (photos)

Yesterday Limpopo singer Kcee sold recharge cards along major roads in Lagos (see here). He changed his clothes and went back to the streets to sell another product. The singer explains why he's doing this.

3rd edition of Nollywood Week Paris Film Festival to hold from June 4th to 7th

The Nigerian film festival, NollywoodWeek Paris, has announced the 3rd edition of it's annual festival.

Haitian actor, Jimmy Jean-Louis, will serve as the festival ambassador for 2015.

The festival kicks off Thursday June 4th and ends on June 7th.

“Jimmy is a perfect representation of the open spirit that the festival advocates,” said the festival’s Executive Director, Serge Noukoué.

Atiku represents Buhari at inauguration Juma'at service

A special Juma'at service was held today in Abuja to kick-start the ceremonies leading to the May 29th inauguration and hand over ceremony.

Former Vice President Atriku Abubakar represented Buhari who left for London this morning. Vice President Namadi Sambo was also at the service.

MAY 22, 2015 : AGENCY REPORTS 17 Comments A suicide bomber has detonated his explosives at a Shia mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers, killing four people and wounding several others, witnesses said. One witness described a huge explosion at the Imam Ali Mosque in a village in the province of Qatif, where more than 150 people were praying. An activist told the AFP news agency that at least four worshippers were killed, while another source said there appeared to be at least 30 casualties in the attack. Pictures posted on social media purported to show the devastation, with dead bodies strewn across the floor and shattered glass covering the courtyard of the mosque.

Three feared dead as drivers and traders clash in Ekiti

UNCONFIRMED reports reaching us said three people were allegedly killed yesterday as the fragile peace reigning in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital was shattered when members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) led some hoodlums to attack Hausa traders.

Many people were left wounded and properties worthy millions of naira destroyed and burnt in the mayhem. Commercial and business activities were grounded in the tension generated in the violence where dangerous weapons were freely used. Schools hurriedly closed with sent pupils back home.

A source said that trouble began on Tuesday night when a bag belonging to a wife of the chieftain of the NURTW was snatched by unknown persons along Ijigbo Old Garage Area of the city and escaped into Atikankan, a community dominated by Hausas. The source said cases of bag snatching had been a recurring incident in the area, with the suspect allegedly being protected by the traders at Atikankan. However, most hit were Atikankan area where there is huge concentration of Hausa settlers as well as Oja-Oba, (kings market), Old Garage and New Garage, believed to be central trading places of the Hausas.

During the violence, no fewer than nine vehicles were vandalized and their windscreens smashed while about twenty houses and offices were either completely burnt or vandalized.' Anti-riot policemen, men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agents were in the market and were working hard to control the situation.

A cameraman with the Core Television, Mr. Sunday Adigun, who was beaten by the mob and was seriously injured, is currently receiving treatment in the hospital. Some hoodlums, wielding cutlasses and broken bottles also took advantage of the crises to loot shops and attack local bureau de change in the community.

It took the personal intervention of the newly posted Ekiti State Police Commissioner, Mr. Etop John James who led scores of both regular and mobile men to the trouble spots before the mob retreated. The new Police boss expressed regrets over the incidence and vowed to restore normalcy in no time.

James said he expected people of the state to give him the honour of information before going to the streets, knowing fully well that he just resumed on Tuesday on the orders of the IGP over the spate of kidnapping and other crimes in the state. Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, however did not confirm the death of anyone in the fracas, but said that four persons were injured and were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the state capital. Police sources on the field lamented that a fire truck that had gone to put out the fire in the market was prevented from carrying out the duty and said, “This does not speak well of the people as they have taken the crisis too far.” The state government has sued for peace and announced that it had started moves to ensure that normalcy was returned in the market and in the state capital. Chief of Staff to the state governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, who visited the scene, told newsmen “a committee would be set up to look into the crisis with the aim to finding a lasting solution to the problem and also nip a re-occurrence in the bud.”

Source: The Gaurdian.

Abuja Federal High Court Oders INEC cancel the certificate of return issued to Christian Abah

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the certificate of return issued to Christian Abah for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives of the forthcoming 8th National Assembly.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, delivering judgment in the suit filed in January 2015 challenging Abah’s eligibility to stand for the election on Wednesday, held that the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Abah by the plaintiff, Mr. Hassan Saleh, was established to be true. Abah was said to have forged an Ordinary National Diploma certificate in Accountancy purportedly obtained from the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, in 1985.

Justice Ademola said his findings revealed that an earlier judgment of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi delivered on September 6, 2011, and a letter by the Registrar of the polytechnic, Mr. Suleiman Buba, affirmed that the certificate presented by Abah to INEC was forged. After granting all the 11 prayers sought by the plaintiff, the court granted four other ancillary reliefs in which the defendant was ordered to be prosecuted for forgery, perjury and falsification of results. Abah, who is of the Peoples Democratic Party, had earlier been declared unopposed and elected being the only candidate presented for the March 28 National Assembly election.

The court, in its judgment, declared as wasted all the votes garnered by Abah in the PDP’s primary held on December 6, 2014. The court went further to declared Saleh, who came second in the said primary, as the actual winner. Justice Ademola ordered INEC to issue fresh certificate of return to Saleh. The judge also ordered the incoming Speaker of the 8th National Assembly to swear in Saleh as the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency. He berated the conduct of the counsel for the PDP and Abah in the suit, Mr. Sunday Ameh (SAN), for the frivolous applications and tactics to delay and frustrate the hearing of the case.

Justice Ademola therefore ordered that the processes filed in the suit and his judgment be served on the Nigerian Bar Association, the Body of Benchers, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee with a view to taking appropriate action against Ameh.

The court ruled, “The 2nd defendant (INEC) is hereby ordered to cancel the certificate of return issued to Christian Abah. “The 2nd defendant is also ordered to issue certificate of return to Honourable Hassan Anthony Saleh as member representing Ado/Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the 8th National Assembly and he be sworn in by the Speaker of the 8th National Assembly. “It is also ordered that the 3rd defendant (Abah) be handed over to the law enforcement agency to be prosecuted for forgery, perjury and falsification of documents in the light of the exhibits and the findings of this court just delivered.

“It is also ordered that the record of proceedings in this suit and all processes as well as senior counsel, S.I. Ameh be referred to the disciplinary committee of the NBA, the body of bencher, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee for appropriate action.” The judge also imposed N450, 000 fine on the three defendants – the PDP, INEC and Abah in favour of the plaintiff. The court berated both the INEC and PDP for promoting “the culture of impunity” by their failure to disqualify Abah from participating in the election in view of the tribunal’s judgment that had since 2011 affirmed that he (Abah) presented a forged certificate for the purpose of standing for an election. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Rivers Assembly complex to reopen May 31

Barring any unforeseen development, the complex of the Rivers State House of Assembly, located on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, will be reopened for legislative business on May 31, 2015.

The state Assembly complex was shut down on July 10, 2013, after the crisis rocking the state legislature escalated with members engaging each other in a free-for-all.

As an alternative, 25 lawmakers have been sitting at the old Government House in Port Harcourt, even as armoured personnel carriers were used to block the entrance into the Assembly complex for over one and a half years.

But speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the camp of the State Governor-elect, Chief Nyesom Wike, said everything, including ensuring that the Assembly complex was safe for lawmakers and workers, was being put in place. Chairman of the Nyesom Wike Inauguration Committee, Chief Austin Opara, who presented to newsmen the inauguration programme of the governor-elect, maintained that the 8th House of Assembly would no more hold plenaries in Government House.

Opara, who is a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, explained that part of the inauguration programme was the proclamation and inauguration of the 8th House of Assembly inside the chambers of the State House of Assembly on June 1, 2015.

The inauguration committee chairman also assured that the judiciary in the state would begin to function again and insisted that the state courts would be reopened.

“On Monday, June 1st, 2015, there will be the proclamation and inauguration of the State House of Assembly by the governor of Rivers State. We can tell you proudly that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will no longer sit in Government House but inside the State Assembly complex.

Solomon Arase, has assured the people of Ekiti State of a rapid response to the spate of kidnappings

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has assured the people of Ekiti State of a rapid response to the spate of kidnappings in the state. Arase, while playing host to the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Monday in Abuja, promised to deploy a special team in Ekiti and Kogi states within the next 48 hours to curb the trend. According to a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the IGP assured the governor that the police will do everything within their power to ensure that all states are rid of criminals. Earlier, the governor, who congratulated the IG on his elevation, noted that he was at the Police Headquarters to intimate him with the state of security in Ekiti. He said the dimension of kidnappings in the state was strange, noting that about eight people had been kidnapped in the last three weeks. Fayose appealed to the Police boss to deploy experts in the state to tackle the crime, saying people were becoming agitated and the government was very much concerned. While addressing journalists, the governor expressed his readiness to continue to create an enabling environment for the police to thrive in checking crimes in the state.

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained Chevron from selling disputed oil

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained Chevron from selling some disputed oil blocks to an oil firm, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited, following a pending appeal challenging the planned transactions. The appeal before the apex court was filed by Brittania-U Limited, seeking to halt any planned sale of the oil blocks – Oil Mining Lease 52, OML 53 and OML 55 – which it said rightly belonged to it. The appeal arose from the ruling of the Court of Appeal, setting aside an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining Chevron and Seplat from concluding any deal on the oil leases. On Monday, the five-man panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Tanko Muhammad, ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the appellant’s appeal. “Parties in the matter are ordered to maintain status quo. No party is allowed to take any step that will affect the res (subject matter) of the appeal,” Justice Muhammad ruled. The appellant’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN), had earlier reminded the court that at the last sitting on March 24, 2015, the appellant’s application for mandatory injunction was adjourned till Monday for hearing. But the counsel for Seplat, Damian Dodo (SAN), contended that instead of dissipating energy on the interlocutory application, the apex court should entertain the main appeal. Counsel for Chevron Nigeria and BNP Paribas Securities Corp, Uche Nwoye (SAN), and that of Chevron U.S.A Inc and Mr. Hermant Patel (also a respondent in the suit), Mr. A. V. Etuwewe, all agreed with Dodo’s submission. But in his response, Tarfa explained that it was necessary to hear his application for mandatory injunction as there might be nothing to benefit from the appeal if an injunction to protect the subject matter of the suit was not issued. Following Tarfa’s submission, the Presiding Justice, Justice Muhammad, asked the respondents’ counsel if they were ready to give undertaking on behalf of their clients not to take any action against the subject matter. In its unanimous decision, the apex court, then ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of the appeal, which it adjourned for hearing till October 6.

North Korea has “not even come close” to initiating talks

North Korea has “not even come close” to initiating talks by taking the steps needed to rein in its nuclear weapons programme, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said. Speaking in the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Monday, Kerry blamed North Korea for continuing to break promises, make threats and “show flagrant disregard for international law” by continuing provocative nuclear and missile activity while oppressing its own people. He said North Korea’s “horrific conduct” must be exposed and vowed to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang to change its behaviour, particularly since it has rebuffed repeated attempts to restart nuclear talks. The US secretary of state said that Washington continued to offer the isolated North the chance for an improved relationship in return for signs of a genuine willingness to end its nuclear programme. “To date, to this moment, particularly with recent provocations, it is clear the DPRK is not even close to meeting that standard,” Kerry said during a joint news conference with Yun Byung-se, South Korean foreign minister.

List of candidates who passed the U2much JA first round

So far, we are able to release a list of some candidates who made it past the first round. They get to advance to the second round...


Social Media Promoters


Name: Ayebs Olotuche Godwin GO
Position: U2much Social Media promoter.
Location: Markudi LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxx525


Name: Sule Godwin Peter
Position: U2much Social Media Promoter
Location: Otukpo LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx234


Name: Sunday Eric Etua
Position: U2much Social Media Promoter
Location: Markudi LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx585


Name: Serah Ann Victor
Position: U2much Social Media Promoter.
Location: Otukpo LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx952

U2much Nigeria News Editors


Name: Victoria Onche Godwin
Position: News Editor
Location: Otukpo LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx324


Name: Lara Sulle SO
Position: News Editor
Location: Markudi LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx820


Name: Vandra Pandora John
Position: News Editor
Location: Markudi LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx125

Content/Article Writers


Name: Sunday Peter Eric
Position: Content Writer
Location: Lagos LGA, Lagos State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx632


Name: Angel Doyin
Position: Content Writer
Location: FCT, Abuja.
Phone: xxxxxxxx008


Name: Victor Suirc Godwin
Position: Centent Writer
Location: Otukpo LGA, Benue State.
Phone: xxxxxxxx662


Name: Sunday Igba
Position: Content Writer
Location: Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State
Phone: xxxxxxxx027

APC condoles with family of late Senator Zanna

file...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condoled with the family of Senator Ahmed Zanna from Borno State, who died on Saturday. The post APC condoles with family of late Senator Zanna appeared first on Vanguard News...

Janet Jackson returns with new music and a proposed world tour

According to the report we've just recieved, Janet Jackson confirmed working on new music weeks after she was spotted with her Qatar based billionaire hubby, Wissam Al Mana.

Sikh man breaks strict religious protocol and removes his turban to help save life of little boy

New Zealand student Harman Singh, 22, broke strict religious protocol by taking off his turban to help save the life of a child hit by a car. He has been heralded as a hero. Singh removed his turban to help cradle the bleeding head of a five-year-old boy who had been hit by a car on his way to school.

Mr Singh heard the accident take place outside his home, before running outside to investigate. He broke strict Sikh protocol by removing his turban. Turbans become a part of a Sikh's body and are usually removed only in the privacy of their own house. Normally this is in the most intimate of circumstances, when bathing the head, or washing the hair.

Since the incident occurred, Mr Singh has received thousands of messages and comments on his Facebook page. 'Thousands of people have said "well done". I was only doing what I had to and trying to be a decent member of the community,' he said.

Source: UK Daily Mail.

MAY 16, 2015 : KAYODE IDOWU & SUNDAY ABORISADE 38 Comments The re-elected All Progressives Congress Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ahmed Zannah, is dead. Our correspondent learnt in Abuja on Saturday that the 60 year-old ranking senator, who would have been inaugurated along with 108 others in the 8th Senate, died after a brief illness in a yet to be confirmed hospital within Nigeria.Zannah is the fifth senator who had died in the 7th Senate. Those who had died so far included Senators Gyang Datung (PDP Plateau North) who died in 2012; Pius Ewherido (PDP Delta Central ) who died in 2013; Awaisu Kuta (PDP Niger East) who died in 2015; and Uche Chukwumerije ( PDP Abia North) who also died last month.

MAY 16, 2015 : SUNDAY ABORISADE 39 Comments The African Peer Review Mechanism said on Saturday that the 2011-2015 development plan initiated by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration had failed to improve the nation’s economy and the well-being of Nigerians. The five-year development plan specifically focused on three key areas, Strong, inclusive and non-inflationary growth; Employment generation and poverty alleviation, and Value re-orientation of the citizenry. But the APRM, in a statement in Abuja, said, “While the plan looked good on paper, it has not succeeded in producing significant improvement. Indeed, corruption has worsened over the past five years.” The APRM was inaugurated on 9 March 2003 by African leaders within the context of their initiative – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development – as an instrument for self-monitoring for good governance in all its ramifications. The body has, at its fulcrum, the deepening of democratic and development practices and covers four themes: Democracy and Good Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance and Socio- Economic Development. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, National Steering Committee of the Second Peer Review of Nigeria, Senator Ken Nnamani and Senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development, Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, the APRM described the country as “having a paradox of extreme riches as well as mass poverty.” It added that stakeholders, mainly from the third tier of government in both private and the public sectors across the country, agreed after the exercise in Abuja on Friday that inspite of its abundant rich natural resources, the country’s over-reliance on its rich oil resource base has had an adverse effect on its economy. It noted that the development had resulted in the neglect of other sectors, leading to high levels of corruption, poverty, high unemployment rates, poor infrastructure, low growth rates, and widespread insecurity and crime. The validation meeting emphasised that it was imperative that Nigeria consolidates its efforts towards diversification of the economy to reduce the impact of external shocks, and encourage private sector-led development.

Boko Haram recaptures Marte, Borno fears multiple explosions

Marte, a town in the north of Borno State, again fell into the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists on Friday, security sources have revealed.

One of the sources, who spoke to our correspondent on Friday, explained that the terrorists, who fled from Sambisa Forest camps of the outlawed sect and their other strongholds across Borno State had regrouped in Marte, a town north of Maiduguri, the state capital. The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, also confirmed the recapture of Marte by Boko Haram terrorists during a press conference in Maiduguri on Friday. He said, “It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte is today (Friday) completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback.”

Mustapha also alleged that 600 women and girls had been dispatched by Boko Haram terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.

The deputy governor, who had to cut short his official engagements in Abuja to attend to the situation in the state, said residents must be patient with the security agencies in spite of the attendant hardships caused by the dusk to dawn curfew. He added, “It is unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided, following the taking over of Sambisa Forest by the military. “Our thinking was that every other place should have been blocked so that the insurgency would be contained in a restricted area.

But that has not been the case,because the insurgents have been fleeing to other communities. “Initially, we were opposed to the suggestion made by the military, but when we received a security report that about 600 women have been kitted as suicide bombers and are to be sneaked into Maiduguri during the attack, couple with the gory pictures of some of the women, who detonated themselves during the attack, we had no option than to okay the curfew.

“But the curfew has been relaxed from noon to about 5pm to ease the hardship and afterwards it may be reviewed. Our government is going to do everything humanly possible by supporting the military to see that Maiduguri and other secured parts of Borno State is not attacked or taken over by the insurgents.

“We want people to be patient with the government and the security; though 90 per cent of our communities have been liberated but the war is not over yet.

“We though all is over as we were even trying to fight for the reopening of the airport, which was almost okayed by the National Security Adviser before we heard about the attack on Maiduguri.

It was indeed a huge setback for us in Borno State.”