PRESIDENT JONATHAN ESCAPES DEATH IN MINNA.

Death was averted yesterday as President Jonathan's N9bn aircraft developed technical fault and refused to fly at Minna in Niger state while the president and his entourage were already in the plane. Read more below as reported by Punch.

President Goodluck Jonathan and some top government officials on Saturday escaped an air mishap at the Minna Airport, Niger State, when a presidential jet developed a technical fault, while they were aboard.

The presidential jet, Nigerian Air Force 001 (5N-FGT), had earlier conveyed Jonathan to Minna for the -Peoples Democratic Party’s North-Central rally which held at the Trade Fair Centre, Minna.

BOKO HARAM BUTCHER ARRESTED BY SECURITY FORCES.

Nigerian security forces have arrested is ‘a lead specialist in butchering human beings’ who uses daggers and cutlasses for his dastardly work, Defence Headquarters spokesman Chris Olukolade said on Friday.

In a statement, Major General Olukolade also announced that the forces, part of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), on Thursday repelled a dusk attack by terrorists who were trying to overrun markets in communities in the outskirts of Monguno and NNPC at New Marte, Borno State along the Chadian border.

Over 50 assorted brands of grenades and 11 AK 47 rifles were recovered from the fleeing terrorists, he added, and cordon and search operations are ongoing along with heightened patrols.

He said the interrogation of captured terrorists from various locations has been yielding useful information as to their mode of operations.

“More assaults and encounters are continuing in other identified locations as intelligence sources confirm the routes being used by the fleeing terrorists,” the spokesman said, adding that troops have been directed to sustain aggressive patrols in certain areas where terrorists’ actions are anticipated.

#OBESERERAPESAGA - WE HAD CONSENSUAL SEX - OBESERE SPEAKS.

Popular fuji musician, Abass Akande, better known as Obesere, has denied the rape allegation leveled against him, claiming that he and the lady had a mutual sex.

Earlier in the week, one Olanike   Olaiya, a National Diploma graduate of business administration from Ibadan Polytechnic, had reported to the police that the artiste forcefully had sex with her and in the process, inserted a ring into her private part which caused her to bleed.

Speaking to Saturday Beats later in the week, Obesere admitted getting to know the lady recently but said the sexual aspect of the relationship was consensual.

NUDITY AND NIGERIA'S SOCIAL MEDIA CIRCLE.

It's very difficult for me to recollect the first post I saw or where I read about her. All I know is that her name, stage name rather, got stuck into my head after coming across 3 blog-posts at different times all referring to the same subject, NUDITY. 

Like one of my followers tweeted, "Sex sells". This is not about sex this time, it is about nudity that might not lead to sex. Figure this out.

Everyone is attempting to create a niche for himself/herself in Nigeria's vibrant entertainment industry and the truth is not all brands will sell. Her brand is selling, maybe not, but she now has the attention she needs to sell her brand. Without a cheering or jeering audience, her name will remain in oblivion. Whichever side you belong to, you should know her by now.

Beating the likes of Cossy and Old Mama Youngy "Afro Candy" in a section of the entertainment industry where they reigned supreme is no small task at all. 

How exactly did she become popular? Basic choice of words so I am sure the last sentence is in order. Where did you read about her story? That story about being born again after living as a sex slave. What about those nude pictures you opened secretly and later pretended like u dislike whenever you tweet or comment on such post.

What moral lessons are you communicating to this young generation? What life-saving bits which will aid in actualizing their dreams are you passing to them? Is it all about fame, popularity and money?  Do you have a policy at all?

The social media is a tool which has become very hard to ignore in this generation. Evidences abound to support this. This implies that the contents of your post as a blogger or columnist will reach different sets of audience who will interpret same based on their beliefs and orientation. Hence, the content of your post matters. 

We need to check ourselves and speak sense into our brains. We must stop promoting contents that adds no moral value to the audience. We must quit praising people who cannot boldly wish that their daughters step into their shoes. Radio and TV interviews have since followed. To what end?

She will make money, but definitely not from sponsorship deals from known brands. Those coded night clubs in Ikeja will embrace her, but in the end, she will fade away. One thing that will remain however is her legacy and the number of lives she must have influenced. 

Lest I forget, she already has a disciple.... I might tell you her handle. 

Cheers.

Xantaplus.

"UPDATE ON THE TORTURE & MURDER OF PEPPER SELLERS" - POLICE RELEASE PIX OF WANTED SUSPECTS.

This is one case that has received a lot of publicity and the police must be commended for their efforts so far.

Ten suspects have been arrested while four are still on the run.

See their pictures/description of three suspects below. Read previous post HERE & HERE.

The main suspect is the coordinator of Oodua People's Congress (OPC) in Ejigbo area.  The police descriptions are as follows:

CAPTAIN PHILIPS STAR WHO WAS NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR "BARKHAD ABDI" IS BROKE.

Last Sunday night, Barkhad Abdi, the Somali American actor who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in captain Phillips was mixing with the great and the good of Hollywood at the Oscars. The movie was the 28-year-old's film debut for which he was paid $65,000 for starring in the picture.

He left his job in his brother's mobile phone store when he got the gig, but now two years on, the money is spent and with no definite offers of work in the pipelines, he is completely broke.

Despite receiving supporting actor nominations not just at the Oscars but the Golden Globes, SAG and even winning a BAFTA Award, all the accolades in the world simply do not come with cash.

CURBING STREET GANG MENACE IN LAGOS.

AS unemployment bites harder, Lagos State is increasingly facing gang-related killings and youth crime. In a now too familiar pattern, gunmen struck at Amodu Street in Mushin, killing an eight-month pregnant woman, Musili Bello, and her 12-year-old daughter, Suliat Olowu, in late January. While the mother was shot in the stomach and in the face, the hoodlums put bullets through Suliat’s head in a 20-minute operation.

On February 3, a street gang stabbed a 300-level undergraduate, Opeyemi Odusanya, 17, to death in her house for rejecting their sexual advances. And, as usual, the state Police Commissioner, Umaru Manko, promised to give the criminals a hell of a time if they don’t “have a rethink.” But, to make the streets safe, the police chief should clamp down on criminals, not preach to them.

OUSTED PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE IS ILL AFTER SUFFERING HEART ATTACK.

Deposed president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych is in a Moscow hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack, it was reported in Russia today. His condition was said to be 'grave', Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, known as MK, has claimed, citing unofficial sources.

Vladimir Putin dismissed a report earlier this week that Yanukovych had died from a heart attack in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. 

On Tuesday, the Kremlin leader said his former ally was 'alive and healthy', and that he had met him several days earlier. However, Yanukovych has not been seen in public since giving a rambling press conference in Russia one week ago.

APC LEADER GOT A WHOOPING N84BN CONTRACT UNDER SANUSI - PDP ALLEGES

The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that an unnamed leader of the All Progressives Congress got a contract of N84bn from the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi.

The party said this was one of the reasons why the opposition party was pained when President Goodluck Jonathan suspended the CBN governor.

Apart from this, the party also alleged that another leader of the APC got another N5bn consultancy contract while Sanusi was in office.

FULL LIST OF DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE.

The Nigerian government yesterday released a full list of persons expected to participate at its National Conference billed to commence today. The full list of persons and the constituency they represent are listed below:

DELEGATES TO  THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

READ HOW ABACHA AND ASSOCIATES STOLE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM NAIRA.

Few days ago, Sadiq Abacha, the son of Late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha wrote an open letter, partly insulting the renowned Nobel Laureate, Prof.  Wole Soyinka for recounting the atrocities of his infamous father. No matter how hard Sadiq tries, his father will remain permanently entrenched in the black book of Nigeria's history even as SaharaReporters has obtained a 42-page document detailing the scale, spread and ruthlessness with which the late dictator in collusion with his associates stole billions of dollars during his military presidency.

Tendered at the United States District Court of Columbia by the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, the document is damning. It also implicated the late son of the ruler, Ibrahim Abacha; his second son, Mohammed Abacha; his associate, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; former National Security Adviser (NSA), Ismaila Gwarzo; associate of the Abacha family, Alhaji Ahmadu Daura; then Minister of Finance, Chief Anthony Ani; lawyer and associate of the Abacha family, David Umaru, in the use of phony offshore companies to divert  billions of dollars of Nigerian state funds into their private accounts in-country, and overseas.

WIFE OF LATE BANKER WHO DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY PETITIONS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

Ebun Oke, wife of Ecobank worker who died in police custody, has urged the National Assembly to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband, Babatunde Oke.

Ebun, in a petition to the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, wondered why the deceased was detained for over 72 hours. She equally questioned police claims that the deceased took a bottle of soft drink and left the cork in his pocket.

The petition, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, chronicled the circumstances under which the late Babatunde was kept in the police custody.

Babatunde was alleged to have defrauded Ecobank, Ladipo, Matori branch, of N1.2m while serving as the head teller of the bank.The money was said to have been missing from the Automated Teller Machine, which Babatunde and an unnamed customer service manager, were responsible for.

NIGERIA SQUANDERED $600BN IN FIVE DECADES - OBY EZEKWESILI

Former Minister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has said despite earning more than $600bn in revenues over the last five decades, government has been unable to improve the lot of ordinary Nigerians.

She said this while delivering a paper entitled: ‘The uncomfortable truth of elusive economic development- Nigeria’s century of old failures and prospects for a new Nigeria’, at the 1st National Summit organized by the All Progressives Congress in Abuja, on Thursday.

According to the two-time Nigerian Minister, poor governance especially the culture of corruption was largely responsible for Nigeria’s stunted growth when compared to its peers across the world.

(VIDEO) NIGERIA 0 MEXICO 0 - INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY.

NIG 0 MEX 0

CLICK HERE TO WATCH HIGHLIGHTS.

PATIENCE JONATHAN'S PASTOR GOES TO JAIL.

In October 2011, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was in South Korea as a participant in an international conference on church growth organised by Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Pentecostal church in the world. The photo-op that accompanied the report captured Dame Jonathan kneeling before the founder of the church, Pastor David Yonggi Cho; her bejewelled hands in his hands.

The First Lady was enacting what has come to be recognised as what she and her husband do best since they got to office – a public display of godliness that turns every church pulpit into a soap box. In the photo with Cho, she cut the perfect image of piety and religious devotion, but only if you didn’t know better.

Fast forward two years. She returned to South Korea to collect an honorary doctorate from Hansei University. The university said it honoured her for her “many good causes” and that she was a “defender of the poor” in Nigeria.

(VIDEO) - JOHNNY - YEMI ALADE

JOHNNY

WATCH VIDEO HERE.

STOP THE BLOOSHED.

IT is tiresome keeping track of the killings in the North East. It is almost impossible to have accurate figures of the death toll in four years of the war with terrorists. Neither the official reactions, nor the justifications adduced for the crisis, can bear out the attacks that have become daily, almost routine, with school children as major targets.

Perhaps more disturbing are some suggestions to end the killings. Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, have recorded attacks at different times. Adamawa, Borno and Yobe appear to be the last, cherished strong holds of the attackers.

Reactions to the killings that started targeting students in October 2012, when more than 40 students of tertiary institutions in Mubi, Adamawa State, were slaughtered in goriest manners, have evoked similar reactions – only condemnations that do not solve the problem.

OBESERE'S RAPE SAGA - CASE MAY HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO SCID.

There were indications, yesterday, that the case involving popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Abass Akande, also known as Obesere, arrested for allegedly raping a 29-year-old business woman, Miss Olanike Olaiya, in his Okota residence may have been  transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID.

Sources told Vanguard, yesterday, that the embattled musician preferred the SCID to the  Isolo Police division because the DPO had insisted on the matter going to court.

Normally, it is  the Divisional Police Officer at Isolo Division, Aminu Ibrahim, that should have ordered the transfer of the case to SCID for further investigations. But Obesere was alleged to have used his contacts in the police to have the case transferred to SCID.

US FREEZES MORE THAN $458M STOLEN BY LATE DICTATOR GENERAL ABACHA.

The Department of Justice has frozen more than $458 million in corruption proceeds hidden in bank accounts around the world by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and conspirators.  A civil forfeiture complaint unsealed today in the United States District Court in the District of Columbia seeks recovery of more than $550 million in connection with the largest kleptocracy forfeiture action brought in the department’s history.

The restraint of funds announced today includes approximately $313 million in two bank accounts in the Bailiwick of Jersey and $145 million in two bank accounts in France. In addition, four investment portfolios and three bank accounts in the United Kingdom with an expected value of at least $100 million have also been restrained, but the exact amounts in the accounts will be determined at a later date.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN THREE UNITY SCHOOLS FOR FEAR OF BOKO HARAM ATTACK .

Fear of possible new attacks by Boko Haram militants in the troubled Northeast, where over 40 students were last week killed in Federal Government College, Yobe State has forced the government to formally close down all Federal Colleges in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, made the unprecedented announcement in Abuja on Wednesday through his spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu, as the government appears to be losing faith in its ability to protect.

According to Wike, the affected federal institutions, also known as Unity Schools, are: