Photos from Kaymu & Kinabuti Children's Day with Change a Life Foundation

It was a fun filled day as leading online shopping community, Kaymu.com.ng in partnership with Kinabuti Fashion Initiative celebrated Children’s day with kids of Change of Life Foundation .

The children were trained on how to brand clothing items by Kinabuti trainers and thereafter taken through the whole process of selling on Kaymu.

Items branded by the kids will be put up for sale on Kaymu and proceeds will be given to the Change A Life Foundation. See the photos after the cut...

Story by Linda Ikeji

House of Rep pass Petroleum Industry Bill

House of Reps members today passed the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill.

The House members had on Tuesday June 2nd suspended its deliberation on the bill due to some unresolved clauses and a committee was set up with the view of settling all the issues in the bill.

The members on resumption today chorused "Ayee" as the Deputy House Speaker Emeka Ihedioha called for a vote on the bill.

The Petroleum Industry bill will among other things help create a more conducive business environment for petroleum operations and enhance exploration of petroleum resources in Nigeria.

source Linda Ikeji

At least 55 killed in Boko Haram raids on two Nigerian villages

At least 55 people were killed in two Boko Haram raids this week near Maiduguri, capital of restive northeastern Nigeria Borno state, a vigilante and two residents said on Friday.

“Boko Haram fighters raided Bale and Kayamla villages where they killed at least 55 people and burnt several homes after looting them before proceeding to the outskirts of Maiduguri where they were crushed by troops,” a vigilante official, Abacha Zinnari, said. “They killed 30 people in Kayamla and another 25 in Bale,” he said.

A resident of Bale, Husseini Ari, said the village on Thursday buried 25 people killed in the previous day’s raid while several others who were injured were taken to hospital.

“The village is mourning the death of 25 people killed in the Boko Haram attack who were buried yesterday,” Ari said.

A group of heavily armed Boko Haram fighters late Wednesday launched an offensive on Maiduguri city which was repelled by troops from a military base on the outskirts of the city, according to the military and residents.

The insurgents had raided the villages before the foiled assault on the city but the story was slow to emerge following a round-the-clock curfew imposed on the city by the military on Thurday which restricted movement.

“The gunmen burnt around 50 houses and looted food stores and livestock,” said Ari, adding that the insurgents targeted homes they identified as belonging to vigilantes in the village Musa Kumbo, a resident of Kayamla, said at least 30 people were killed in the Boko Haram raid on the village and surrounding settlements.

“The attackers were heard shouting they would come back and finish their operation once they were done with Maiduguri,” Kumbo said.

At least three soldiers, six vigilantes and dozens of Boko Haram insurgents were killed during clashes in Maiduguri on Wednesday evening, sources have said.

The assault was the first on Maiduguri for three months and came after sweeping offensives against Boko Haram strongholds by a regional military coalition of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

UN condmens Boko Haram abuse of children in Cameroon

Nigeria-based Boko Haram jihadists are behind horrendous violence in neighbouring Cameroon, where they have kidnapped more than 1,000 children and used some youngsters as human shields, a top UN official said.

“The system they use is just inhuman,” Najat Rochdi, UN humanitarian coordinator for Cameroon, told AFP in an interview in Geneva this week.

The north of the west African country borders the area in northeastern Nigeria where a violent Boko Haram insurrection has killed more than 15,000 people since 2009.

Starting last July, the jihadists began launching cross-border attacks, initially just hit-and-run strikes to grab food, Rochdi said.

But the attacks soon escalated with the militants burning villages and killing people, and, by the end of the year, kidnapping children.

“The information I have is around 1,500″ have been taken since then, she said, adding that they were mainly used as servants, to help carry tents and fetch water. – Children on the frontline – At the height of the attacks in northern Cameroon in February, Boko Haram deployed children on the frontline, Rochdi said.

“To my knowledge, the children were used as human shields … (and) were aged between eight and 12,” she said.

In those attacks, which are no longer taking place, the children were backed by locally recruited youths, with hundreds of heavily- armed militants taking up the rear, she added.

“The worst was the children… Obviously this created a horrible situation,” she said, adding that many Cameroonian soldiers had been deeply traumatised by having to face children on the battlefield.

Rochdi said it remained unclear if the children were from Cameroon, Nigeria or elsewhere.

A four-nation fightback by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon halted the attacks for a while, but Rochdi said the jihadists had resumed weekly cross-border hit-and-run style attacks.

“We don’t feel in Cameroon that it is over at all,” she said.

While hailing new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to eradicating the group, she voiced concern that the onslaught might push more jihadists into Cameroon.

That would be disastrous for the country, which is already struggling to accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees from Nigeria and conflict-ravaged Central African Republic, in addition to nearly 100,000 Cameroonians displaced since the Boko Haram attacks began, she said.

Some 240,000 Central Africans have taken refuge in Cameroon since the conflict in their country escalated in 2013, joining nearly 100,000 already there, and around 70,000 Nigerians have flooded in since last year.

This has put huge pressure on resources in a country already hit by recurring natural disasters like floods and droughts, which have left more than a million Cameroonians wondering where their next meal will come from.

More than 200,000 children in the country were malnourished, Rochdi said.

She warned that the UN had received just 31 percent of the $264 million it had appealed for to help Cameroon this year, resulting in cuts to food rations and to education programmes.

She appealed to donors to step up their efforts, warning the multiple humanitarian crises in Cameroon were creating “fertile ground for recruitment for Boko Haram.”

Rochdi cautioned that without more help, Cameroon risked “becoming a real threat to the stability of the whole region.”

US airline apologises over anti-Muslim discrimination

United Airlines has apologised to a Muslim chaplain who said she was denied an unopened can of soft drink on an affiliated US domestic flight by an attendant who said it could be used as a weapon.

The US airline also said in a statement on Wednesday that the flight attendant had been banned from serving its customers.

United launched an investigation after Tahera Ahmad, Northwestern University associate chaplain, complained about the incident last week in social media posts that went viral.

Ahmad, who wore a headscarf aboard a flight from Chicago to Washington that was operated by Shuttle America for United, said in a Facebook post the flight attendant had discriminated against her when she was denied an unopened can of Diet Coke.

Ahmad’s description of the incident touched off a social media storm, including a Twitter campaign at #UnitedforTahera, which garnered global support and a call by many to boycott the airline.

Ahmad did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The attendant cited “security reasons,” saying the beverage could be used as a weapon, yet gave the man sitting next to Ahmad an unopened can of beer.

Toll rises in Ghana petrol station blast

A huge explosion at a petrol station in Ghana’s capital Accra has killed at least 90 people and set alight neighbouring buildings after floods swept stored fuel into a nearby fire, according to authorities.

The blast happened on Thursday as dozens of people sought shelter at the petrol station and in nearby shops in central Accra to escape the torrential rains.

The disaster raised anew concerns over the city’s inadequate infrastructure.

Al Jazeera’s Ama Boateng, reporting from Accra, said the city and the rest of Ghana have been experiencing torrential rains.

“This is a very busy area of Accra. Lots of people.

Lots of car traffic.

And because of the heavy rains people gathered at this gas station to seek shelter and this explosion happened,” she said.

TV footage showed corpses being piled into the back of a pickup vehicle and other charred bodies trapped amid the debris.

Floodwaters around the site hampered rescue and recovery efforts.

Officials at the nearby 37 Military Hospital said its morgue had reached capacity.

Photos: Fashola honored with a degree by Babcock University

Immediate past governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola was honored with an award of Honoris Causa by Babcock University in Ogun state this morning June 4th at the University's Post Graduate convocation ceremony.

According to the school, the former Lagos governor was recognized for his visionary leadership in innovatively attracting foreign investment to Lagos state among others.

Also recognized is Former Soko state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

More photos from the event after the cut ...

source Linda Ikeji

Woman faces Jail time after falsely implicating two innocent men on rape charges

22 year old woman Comfort Yinusa (pictured above) is now facing jail time after falsely claiming two men raped her.

Yinusa contacted emergency operators saying she'd been attacked outside a bar in London by two men and claimed they forced themselves on her.

The men were immediately arrested and they spent six weeks on police bail. About £3,000 was also spent on the forensic investigation to verify the report.

Fortunately for the men, it's since been confirmed that the attack never took place.

Installed CCTV installed showed them all at a McDonald laughing and joking together while mobile phone records (as should happen in any sane Country) proved one of alleged rapist was looking for his car at the time of the alleged attack.

When caught in her lie, she initially denied lying to police but changed her plea before she was due to go on trial.

She will be charged accordingly with the very possibility of her facing jail time.

Story by Linda Ikeji

Photo: President Buhari leaves Niger Republic

The days of commercial is over...:-)

Photos: Pres. Buhari arrives Chad, meets with Chadian president

President Buhari arrived Chad today to continue his bilateral talks with President Idris Deby on how to end Boko Haram activities in the West African region.

More photos after the cut...

Story by Linda Ikeji

Woman vanishes in Atlanta Airport, misses connecting flight

A woman taking a connecting flight through Atlanta simply disappeared at the world's busiest airport.

Anna Giannini has been missing since Sunday May 31st when she flew into Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport but never reached her final destination, Atlanta police said.

Authorities put out a missing person alert Wednesday for the 32-year-old woman.

She reportedly landed in Atlanta on a flight from Milan, Italy, at 5:10 p.m. and was expected to take a connecting flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Giannini's sister told police she never showed.

"We are not sure if she got on another flight or how she left the airport," Atlanta police spokesman Ralph Woolfolk said. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had more than 96 million passengers pass through its terminals in 2014, making it the world's busiest airport, spokesperson Reese McCranie told the Daily News.

Police describe Giannini as 5-foot-5, 145 pounds with brown eyes and hair.

Atlanta's bustling airport made news last week when passengers were panicked by an alarming sight.

A Georgia man walked into Hartsfield–Jackson Airport with his wife, daughter and, around his neck, a fully loaded AR-15 rifle, which was legal under state law.

Story by Linda Ikeji

10 die after eating meal at a wedding in Katsina

10 people reportedly lost their lives while many others became very ill after they ate food provided at a wedding in Katsina state recently.

According to a Vanguard report, many of those who died complained of stomach ache as they left the wedding.

They were rushed to the Federal Medical Center in Katsina where they were certified dead. Some died while on their way to the hospital.

A staff of Federal Medical Centre, said the hospital had received a number of cases relating to the incident.

“I think, from the information gathered so far, the case of some of the victims has to do with food poisoning,” the staff said.

Story by Linda Ikeji

Police rescue Kogi commissioner

The Police in Kogi on Thursday announced the rescue of the state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Stephen Maiyaki, who was abducted on May 30.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Shola Adebayo, said in a statement in Lokoja that Maiyaki was rescued at about 2am from the kidnappers hideout at Abobo village in Adavi Local Government area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the commissioner and six other persons were abducted at Osara village also in Adavi local government while there to resolve a land dispute.

The statement said Maiyaki had been reunited with his family but was silent on the fate of the other six persons abducted along with him.

It was also silent on the fate of Justice Samuel Obayomi of the state High Court who was abducted in the same local government area on May 25.

The kidnappers had killed the policeman attached to the High Court Judge before taking him away.

The judge was on his way to court when he was kidnapped by six masked men.

Already, judiciary workers and lawyers in the state have embarked on strike in protest over his abduction.

The police command in the state has since deployed units of mobile policemen and special anti-robbery squad to areas where Obayomi and others are believed to be held by the abductors.

Police rescue Kogi commissioner

The Police in Kogi on Thursday announced the rescue of the state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Stephen Maiyaki, who was abducted on May 30.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Shola Adebayo, said in a statement in Lokoja that Maiyaki was rescued at about 2am from the kidnappers hideout at Abobo village in Adavi Local Government area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the commissioner and six other persons were abducted at Osara village also in Adavi local government while there to resolve a land dispute.

The statement said Maiyaki had been reunited with his family but was silent on the fate of the other six persons abducted along with him.

It was also silent on the fate of Justice Samuel Obayomi of the state High Court who was abducted in the same local government area on May 25.

The kidnappers had killed the policeman attached to the High Court Judge before taking him away.

The judge was on his way to court when he was kidnapped by six masked men.

Already, judiciary workers and lawyers in the state have embarked on strike in protest over his abduction.

The police command in the state has since deployed units of mobile policemen and special anti-robbery squad to areas where Obayomi and others are believed to be held by the abductors.

Scores dead in Accra petrol station blast

An explosion at a petrol station in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, has left at least 70 people dead, the country’s fire brigade said.

Many of the victims had sought shelter at the station due to torrential rain.

About a dozen people were taken to hospital after the blast, which is believed to have been an accident linked to the downpour, Prince Billy Anaglate, the fire brigade’s spokesman said.

EFCC quizzes ex-Borno gov, Modu Sheriff

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday quizzed a former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff.

The PUNCH gathered that the former governor, who got to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja at 6pm, was still at the commission as of the time of filing this report at 8.40pm. Modu-Sheriff is the second former governor the commission is interrogating this week.

It had on Monday quizzed a former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, who arrived in Nigeria on Saturday.

It was learnt that Modu-Sheriff was being questioned over N300bn his administration received from the Federation Account between 2003 and 2011 when he was the governor of Borno State.

When contacted, the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, told The PUNCH on the telephone that the former governor was at the EFCC on Wednesday. He said, “I can confirm that he (Modu Sherif) is at the commission.” The EFCC, had in May, said that it would declare Modu-Sheriff wanted.

Uwujaren, who disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja, said that the agency had summoned, Modu Sheriff to appear before it on Thursday, April 23, at 10am for questioning.

He had said that the former governor had yet to honour the invitation.. Uwujaren had stated, “We invited him (Sheriff) for questioning.

As I speak to you, he did not honour that invitation.

Once the commission invites a suspect in a matter and he fails to honour the invitation, options are opened to us.

We might declare him wanted.

Yes, we might do that.” 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.

Senate passes anti-rape bill, 45 others in 10 minutes

THE 7th Senate, on the eve of its lifespan on Wednesday, passed 46 bills, among them the Sexual Offences Bill, which has been pending in the upper federal legislative chamber since 2013.

Wednesday’s session at the Senate became rowdy as senators hurriedly said ‘ayes’ to the 46 bills which will be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, who introduced the bills said they had all been recently passed by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate for concurrence.

Enang said the Senate had expended much resource on the processing of the bills and that they were needed to be passed before the 7th Senate is dissolved.

Consequently, the Senate invoked Order 1 (b) of the Senate Standing Order 2011 as amended to adopt a special procedure on the bills for concurrence.

Besides, the Senate suspended Order 79 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, which portrayed all the bills as having passed first, second and third readings on the floor of the senate and concurred, as well as reproduced and circulated to senators.

Enang said, “The bills by this resolution are hereby read, and deemed read a third time and passed, to be transmitted to the President for assent in accordance with the Acts (Authentication) Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“That the votes and proceedings containing all bills be produced for adoption, as passed by the House.” Senators Domingo Obende and George Sekibo opposed the passage of the bills in less than 10 minutes through voice votes.

Senate President David Mark however urged the aggrieved senators to protest in writing during plenary on Thursday (today).

The Sexual Offences Bill prescribes life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of sexual offences like rape and child sexual tourism, among others.

Some of the offences listed in the bill included rape, child sex tourism and people who deliberately infect others with HIV/AIDS.

Chairman of the Committee on Navy, Senator Chris Anyanwu, sponsored the bill, which is expected to pass concurrence in the House of Representatives on Thursday (today).

The bill also prescribes 10 years imprisonment for incest; 10 years imprisonment for child pornography or a fine of N2m, while those who engage in sex abuse will go to jail for 14 years.

The Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, said the bill sought to redefine and consolidate existing laws on sexual offences.

Anyanwu said the new sexual offences law had criminalised actions of “people who deliberately lace drinks with drugs with intent to stupefy and sexually abuse persons with mental disabilities, among others”

The other bills passed during the Senate record performance on Wednesday are, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment etc) Act (Amendment), 2015; Office of the Nigerian Financial Ombudsman Bill; Institute of Chattered Trustees of Nigeria Bill; National Convicts and Criminal Records (Registry) Bill, 2015; Community Service Bill; People’s Bank of Nigeria Act (Repeal) Bill, and Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry Act (Repeal).

Others are, National Commission for Rehabilitation Act (Repeal), Bill; Maintenance Orders Act (Repeal) Bill, 2015; Federal Saving Bank Act (Repeal) Bill 2015, Loan (State Development) Act (Repeal), 2015; Nigerians in Diaspora (Establishment) Commission, 2015, and Electronic Transactions Bill, 2015.

The rest include the Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria, 2015; Nigerian Metallurgical Industry Bill, 2014; Federal Audit Commission Bill, 2015; National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation Act (Amendment,) Bill; Nigerian International Financial Centre (Establishment, etc) Bill, and the Investment and Securities (Amendment) Bill. 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.

Anger over Caitlyn Jenner being chosen over Lauren Hill for ESPY courage award

When it was announced that Caitlyn Jenner was to be honored at next month’s ESPY’s with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Jenner excitedly wrote on Twitter “What the hell am I going to wear?” But now some are crying foul over ESPN’s decision to choose Jenner, 65, instead of Mount St.

Joseph basketball player Lauren Hill, who courageously battled brain cancer while staying on the university team.

The 19-year-old lost her fight against cancer on April 10.

Several fans took to twitter to vent their frustration.

But Hill wasn't the only overlooked candidate people were made about.

Iraq veteran Noah Galloway, who lost most of an arm and a leg fighting, but still competes in extreme sports and almost won this season's "Dancing With the Stars," also had hundreds of tweets from fans irate over Jenner's choice.

ESPN would only say of their decision-making process that “many people are discussed every year,” and that "there is no such thing as a runner- up."

They also provided a written statement which said Jenner was chosen "to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance."

NBC.12.com

Story by Linda Ikeji.

Dr. Dre & Ice Cube named as defendants in lawsuit against Suge Knight

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube have been included in a lawsuit over Suge Knight's alleged murder running over actor Terry Carter in a fast food restaurant parking lot.

Carter's wife and kids have filed the lawsuit, naming Knight, Dre and Cube all as defendants. It states that Dre and Cube hired known gang members to provide security for Straight Outta Compton's location shoots in areas with high gang activity.

The two are both producers on the film.

The lawsuit claims that some of these gang members incited the fight and threatened Knight when he showed up at Tam's Burgers, leading him to flee in a panic, running over and killing Carter.

Tam's Burger is also being sued by Carter's family, claiming that violent crimes are commonplace in its parking lot, so the restaurant should have had security.

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Forget about being 'Likable'

Nigerian novelist and renowned feminist thinker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a speech at the 2015 Girls Write Now awards ceremony about the pitfalls of pursuing likability.

Women are taught from a young age to be inoffensive, Adichie explains, which can ultimately stunt our growth as human beings, preventing us from leading fully self-actualized lives. She said:

I think that what our society teaches young girls, and I think it’s also something that’s quite difficult for even older women and self-professed feminists to shrug off, is that idea that likability is an essential part of you, of the space you occupy in the world, that you’re supposed to twist yourself into shapes to make yourself likable, that you’re supposed to hold back sometimes, pull back, don’t quite say, don’t be too pushy, because you have to be likable.

And I say that’s bullshit.

So what I want to say to young girls is forget about likability.

If you start thinking about being likable you are not going to tell your story honestly, because you are going to be so concerned with not offending, and that’s going to ruin your story.

Story by Linda Ikeji

Ciara and her new boyfriend visit children's hospital together

The singer and her NFL boyfriend, Russell Wilson visited a Seattle Children's hospital yesterday to spread good cheer to the children in the hospital fighting life-altering diseases. See more photos after the cut...

Story by Linda Ikeji

Photos from accident involving four NNPC fuel tankers today

Four fuel tankers, all traveling along the Benin Bypass were involved in an accident this afternoon.

Fuel from one of the tankers spilled on the road but thankfully no one was killed in the incident. See more photos after the cut...

Story by Linda Ikeji

Footballer Taye Taiwo shared these lovely photos of himself, his wife Nimot and their 2 children. Continue to see more photos...

Story by Linda Ikeji

Ijewere Expresses Confidence in Adesina’s Ability to Pilot AfDB

The Chairman and Coordinator of Nigeria Agriculture Business Group (NABG), Messrs Sani Dangote and Emmanuel Ijewere respectively, Wednesday expressed confidence in the ability of the newly elected President of African Development Bank (AfDB), and former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina to pilot the continental bank to an enviable level.

In a statement signed by the Acting Secretary of NABG, Temitope Oluwo on behalf of the chairman and coordinator, which was made available to the media, described Adesina as a big thinker and futuristic person imbued with the capacity to take AfDB to the next level.

The statement said: “It is a well-deserved appointment and we are all happy about it; he is a big thinker and also a futuristic person.

“In our own case, when the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) came up with the idea of setting up an umbrella body for agribusiness in Nigeria, he quickly bought it, pursued it and today we have that body which makes agribusiness future brighter in Nigeria.”

According to them, the former minister is the kind of person that can convert the AfDB into an institution that will take advantage of Africa’s comparative advantages.

“The NABG wishes to show its support for his vision to help build a new Africa with prosperous, sustainable and inclusive growth; one that is peaceful, secure and united, regionally integrated and globally competitive,“ the statement said.

It added: “His leadership in the agricultural transformation of Nigerian agriculture and his valuable achievements in the field of agricultural research for development in Africa are examples of his commitment to what he believes in and we are honoured to have had the pleasure of working with him over the last four years.“

U.S. urges stiffer opposition to Nkurunziza’s third term bid

The U.S. has urged east African states to send high- level representatives to Burundi to reiterate their opposition to President Pierre Nkurunziza third term bid and to press for free and fair elections.

Demonstrators take part in a protest in Bujumbura on May 13, 2015.

A top Burundian general announced today the overthrow of President Pierre Nkurunziza, following weeks of violent protests against the president’s bid to stand for a third term.

State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said the U.S. opposed Nkurunziza’s decision to run for another term. His ambition is in breach of the Arusha agreement that brought an end to the country’s civil war in 2005.

“The United States … encourages high-level visits from Burundi’s neighbors to Burundi to reiterate the importance of upholding the Arusha Agreement.

“The U.S also encourage ensuring the conditions necessary for free, fair, and credible elections are in place,” Kirby said in a statement.

More than 11,000 Burundians—about one percent of the country’s population—have already fled across the border for fear violence will spread outside the capital.

Kirby said Washington supported the outcome of a summit of African leaders in Tanzania on Sunday which called for a delay of at least a month and a half in the poll.

The summit of the East African Community included Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, and was joined by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.

Nkurunziza’s decision has triggered the worst crisis in the small African country since 2005.

It has raised concerns his desire could reignite ethnic violence.

His opponents say he is violating the constitution, while supporters say a constitutional court ruling allows him to run.

JUNE 3, 2015 : REUTERS/NAN 3 Comments The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Wednesday the country’s business confidence slumped to a 16-year low in May.

SACCI said in a statement that the drop was due to power supply shortages weighed on output in sectors such as manufacturing.

It said the Business Confidence Index slipped to its lowest level since 1999 to stand at 86.9 in May from 89.9 the previous month.

“The disruption by electricity supply shortages is having a telling impact on the output of sectors such as manufacturing and electricity.

“Although (the economy) is in dire need of foreign capital for financing struggling public sector institutions, infrastructure and complement overall local fixed investment, the business and investor climate are not convincing,” it said.

South Africa is battling its most serious power supply shortages since 2008 and state-owned power utility, Eskom, implements frequent power cuts to avoid overwhelming the grid. South Africa produces about 40,000 Megawatts of electricity for its 53 million population.

JUNE 3, 2015 : SUNDAY ABORISADE, ABUJA 18 Comments

JUNE 3, 2015 : SUNDAY ABORISADE, ABUJA 18 Comments The Senate on Wednesday passed 46 bills into law within 10 minutes.

The bills were earlier passed by the House of Representatives in the outgoing Seventh Assembly.

The bills were introduced by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang.

The development generated arguments and side talk but the Senate President, David Mark, had his way when he called for a voice vote, and ruled in favour of those in support of the passage.

Mark asked those who were not satisfied with the passage of the bills to raise objections in writing at plenary on Thursday.

The Senate had earlier suspended Order 79 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, creating the impression that all the Bills had passed first, second and third readings on the floor of the Senate and concur to same.

Meanwhile, Mark has said the Senate will continue further deliberations on the controversial Fourth Alteration Bill, which seeks to further amend the 1999 Constitution, on Thursday.

He also added that the valedictory session to formally close the Seventh Senate would also be held on Thursday.

‘Boko Haram ‘slaughter wives’ to prevent them from marrying soldiers or non- believers’

Dozens of Nigerian women who were forced to marry Boko Haram fighters were reportedly slaughtered by their “husbands” before a battle with troops in the northeast town of Bama, multiple witnesses said Thursday.

Five witnesses who recounted the massacres to AFP said the Islamist militants feared they would be killed by advancing soldiers or separated from their wives when they fled the town. They killed the women to prevent them from subsequently marrying soldiers or other so-called non-believers, they added.

“The terrorists said they will not allow their wives to be married to infidels,” said Sharifatu Bakura, 39, a mother of three.

Nigeria’s military along with forces from neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger have claimed huge victories over the insurgents in recent weeks but defenceless civilians still face serious threats.

– ‘Dozens’ of corpses – According to Bakura’s account, which was supported by others, Boko Haram fighters received word of a military assault on Bama, formerly an Islamist stronghold in Borno state.

The insurgents had decided to flee to the nearby town of Gwoza before the troops’ arrival but first decided “to kill their wives so that nobody will remarry them”, she said. Bukara’s husband was killed by the insurgents four months ago but she was spared from a forced marriage because she was visibly pregnant.

Boko Haram forcibly married scores of women in Bama after seizing it in September.

Nigeria’s military announced the recapture of the town on Monday.

Witnesses who were taken under military protection this week to Borno’s capital Maiduguri, 73 kilometres (45 miles) away, said the killing of women began 10 days before Bama was liberated.

The Islamists said “if they kill their wives, they would remain pious until both of them meet again in heaven, where they would re-unite”, said Salma Mahmud, another witness.

A vigilante who fought alongside the military in the battle to retake Bama, Abba Kassim, said he saw “dozens of women corpses” in the town. – Commander’s instructions – While other witnesses reportedly a similarly high casualty figure the numbers were impossible to verify.

Fanna Aisami, 52, also in Maiduguri after escaping Bama this week, said the executions followed a warning from Boko Haram’s top commander in the town.

“He informed them of the situation and the consequence of the takeover of the town by the advancing troops.

“He warned them that when soldiers killed them they would take their wives back to the society where they would be forced to marry and live with infidels,” the mother of seven said, speaking by phone to AFP in Kano.

The commander “said it would be better for them to kill their wives and send them to heaven,” Aisami added.

A number of women were shot dead in front of the commander’s house, she further said.

Yagana Mairambe, 58, reported similar details but told AFP that “some Boko Haram men refused” and fled with their wives towards neighbouring Yobe state. Nigeria’s national security spokesman Mike Omeri told AFP he would try to verify the reports while the military could not immediately be reached for comment.

With Boko Haram gunmen facing heavy military pressure across northeast Nigeria, attacks, including suicide bombings, have persisted, even as the government in Abuja tries to assure voters that March 28 elections will be secure.

The Islamist uprising has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2009 and President Goodluck Jonathan has faced fierce criticism over failure to contain the violence.

The latest reported atrocities in Bama recall similar massacres at high schools and colleges across northeast Nigeria, where Boko Haram has executed scores of students learning a so-called infidel curriculum.