The Nigerian Dream Team who just won the Bronze Olympic medal have another reason to smile as Japanese multi-millionaire and plastic surgeon ,Katsuya Takasu who has kept his promise to give them a huge cash sum if they won a medal in Rio..
Following their win,he met with the team and handed a $190k cheque to Mikel Obi and $200k cheque to Samson Siasia.
Nigerians in Nigeria could not win anything due to poor motivation, poor incentives, poor facilities for their training, etc. But Nigerians who are representing other countries who value their athletes and provide them with conducive atmosphere to excel are performing excellently. What a irony!
This beautiful Nigerian lady, Morolake Akinosun, won Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Her parents, Pastor Wale and Pastor Foluke Akinosun are from the Yoruba speaking area of Nigeria but based in the United States of America. She represented Team US in the just concluded Olympics and is a proud winner of a Gold Medal in the Women's Track and Field.
As soon as they return to US, they'll start training and practicing ahead of next games. But in Nigeria, we will wait for about 6 months to the time and start hearing their is no money, be patriotic. Issokay!
The Nigerian Military on Tuesday in Abuja said that no fewer than 8,000 Boko Haram members had voluntarily surrendered to its “Operation Safe Corridor” in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar disclosed this at a lecture organised by the FCT Correspondents’ Chapel of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The lecture with the theme, “Media-Military Relationship in the Fight against Insurgency”, was part of the activities marking the 2016 Press Week of the chapel.
He said that the surrendered insurgents were in a camp in Gombe waiting to be “deradicalised’’.
The general also stated that more than 10,000 Boko Haram captives had been rescued by the military.
He said some were reunited with families, while others were taken to Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camps.
Abubakar said that Boko Haram had been successfully decimated by the military and government was working hard on the rehabilitation of the victims and reconstruction of the affected areas.
The general also said that the military would soon launch “Operation Safe Corridor” to address the menace of herdsmen across the country.
He assured that the military operation would put an end to the wanton killings by the herdsmen.
Responding to questions on the recent action by the military declaring some journalists wanted, the general urged the media not to allow sentiments to influence their judgment on the issue.
Abubakar said the military should be allowed to do its work while assuring that no member of the media would be victimised unnecessarily.
He said that good military-media relationship was crucial to winning the war against insurgency.
Anita Jane Hare and Martina Loosemore have finally confessed before a North Devon Magistrate court after engaging in 0ral s*x and masturbating in a public place, on July 25.
Dailystar reports that Loosemore, 30, appeared shaky and sobbed throughout the short hearing on Friday. Co-defendant Hare, 45, remained composed as the charge was read to them.
The two had engaged in an indecent act in full view of the public. The pair, who both live in Barnstaple, Devon, will now be sentenced separately. Probation services reported Hare required an assessment for alcohol, which would need to be carried out before an appropriate sentence could be delivered.
Magistrates granted Hare unconditional bail and ordered her to appear at North Devon Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on September 2 at 11.30am. Loosemore was told that as she was in breach of a suspended sentence for an earlier offence, she would have to be sentenced at crown court.
She was also granted unconditional bail and ordered to appear at Exeter Crown Court on August 19 at 10.30am.
In a statement released by spokesperson of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Francis Enobore, the federal government has sacked 23 prison officers and suspended 11 others after the recent jailbreak at Koton Kafe prison in Kogi, Kuje prison in Abuja and Nsukka Prison in Enugu state.The statement reads in part…
“Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) considered the allegation of serious misconduct arising from your negligence of duty as leveled against you.
The Board thereafter approved your immediate dismissal from the Nigerian Prisons Service.. in line with the provision of the Public Service Rule 030402 (O) being an action prejudicial to the security of the State.
“Similarly the Controller-General of Prisons in his capacity has approved the dismissal of 7 junior staff serving in Kuje Medium Security prison and 10 other junior staff serving in Koton Karfe prison also implicated in the escape saga. The affected officers are to hand over all government properties in their possession to their immediate superior and proceed accordingly. “Meanwhile the officer in charge of Nsukka Prison DCP Okonkwo Lawrence and 10 others have been suspended over the recent prisoners’ escape from the prison.
The suspension is to allow for detailed and uninterrupted investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident in order to facilitate appropriate action by the authority.
“It would be recalled that in the wake of incessant escape of prisoners from some prisons in the country the CGP, Ja’afaru Ahmed on the 2nd of August, 2016 convened an emergency meeting of Command Officers and 241 officers in charge prisons across the country to reassess security measures for safe keeping of prisoners. Although a number of escapees have been recaptured, efforts are still being made to ensure that all the fugitives are apprehended and returned to prison custody.
“The Controller General wishes to assure all officers and men of the Nigerian Prisons Service of his readiness to support and encourage hard work and dedication to duty but frowns at acts of negligence capable of embarrassing the Service and the nation at large. While appreciating the collaboration of security agencies, vigilante groups and members of the public for their support, the Controller General further assures that all necessary measures are being put in place to guarantee maximum security of persons in Prison custody.”
A yet-to-be identified Nigerian pilgrim has landed in trouble in Saudi Arabia for taking kolanuts to the holy land.
The pilgrim, it was learnt, was caught with 10 kolanuts on Monday afternoon.
The pilgrim was said to have been fined 10,000 Saudi Riyals, amounting to 1000 Riyals per kolanut.
A source who spoke with the acting Ambassador of Nigeria in Saudi Arabia Monday afternoon confirmed the development, saying the Saudi authorities viewed the importation of kolanuts into the Kingdom as illegal.
As at the time of filing this report, officials of the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah were still pleading for the pilgrim.
Our correspondent gathered that under Saudi law, anyone caught with narcotic drugs will face the death penalty.
“political decision” that is beyond its powers.
The chief of defence staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, on Monday said that the military is “going ahead” with its operations against the sect.
His position came days after Boko Haram released new video showing the girls that were kidnapped over two years ago.
A Boko Haram man who spoke in the video claimed that some of the girls had been killed by military airstrikes, while some were either seriously wounded or married off.
The video showed about 50 girls of the over 200 girls believed to still be in Boko Haram’s captivity.
The armed man said the girls would only be released if government sets free detained Boko Haram militants across the country.
General Olonishakin told journalists after a meeting of service chiefs at the presidential villa that swapping the militants was an entirely a “political decision”.
“Military decision is that we are going ahead with our operations. The operation is being conducted appropriately,” he said.
He said the military was “analysing” the video released by Boko Haram and would make appropriate comments at the right time.
Caskets from graveyard float through the streets after devastating flood in Louisiana
In shocking photos showing the devastation following floods in Louisiana, caskets that had washed up from a graveyard floated down the street in Denham Springs.. President Barack Obama declared Louisiana was in a state of disaster on Sunday after the historic flood left at least five people dead, with emergency crews working to rescue thousands more.
Governor John Bel Edwards said more than 10,000 people are now in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana.
More than a foot of rain fell overnight on Friday - in a deluge estimated to occur once every 500 years, according to the Pacific Standard.
These pictures show the incredible moment a man was pulled out of the rubble alive after a concrete wall collapsed on four shanty homes in Manila, Philippines. Two teenage girls, who were also rescued from the debris on Saturday, have since died from their injuries according to local reports.
An unknown number of residents remain trapped underneath the rubble, which is thought to be home to around 20 people.
The boundary wall near the city’s prison collapsed on Saturday morning after heavy rain in the area according to the Inquirer.
The Registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, on Friday, said it was untrue that the board was imposing candidates on universities for admission.
Oloyede told journalists in Benin, Edo, during his visit to JAMB’s zonal office that the board had resolved all issues of admission into tertiary institutions after due consultation with all stakeholders.
”I know many of you are bothered and you want to hear from me about the admission.
“There is no stalemate; after due consultation with the Senate, House of Representatives, because they were worried and invited us, the matter was totally resolved,’’ he said.
He added that education and examination regulatory institutions “like NBTE, NCCE, NUC and JAMB itself, were also dully consulted’’.
According to him, there is no ambiguity on what will happen. As it has been announced by the Minister Education, there will be no written examination, no written Post-UTME examination by any institution.
“Apart from that, every other thing remains as it used to be, because the authority, autonomy and independence of the academic boards or the Senate of the respective institutions remain sacrosanct.
“They should determine their criteria, following the directives of the Federal Executive Council to all Federal universities about what should be merit, catchment areas, educationally-disadvantaged states and other things.
“Things remain the way they used to be. The only addition this year is, for now, there should be no written Post-UTME examination.
“Every Senate and academic board should determine its own admission policy.
“We must be fair to all; we must be federal in our attitude; we must be equitable in whatever we do. We must not extort the students.
“We must not exploit the masses of this nation; every other thing remains; that is the position of JAMB,” Oloyede said.
Pressed on the allegation of imposition of admission-seeking candidates on universities, he said, “I am telling you what the situation is today and that does not arise.
“The admission should be conducted as directed by the academic boards of the Senate of every respective institution except that there should be no written Post-UTME examination.
“The traditional guidelines as to spread in terms of merit, catchment area, educationally-disadvantaged states for federal institutions remain so.
“So, each proprietor at the state level and private level will determine the criteria and once that is done, you will ensure they are strictly followed. There should be no extortion of students.
“There should be no imposition of students on the institutions and also, every institution should be equitable to all,’’ he clarified.
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd on Friday declared force majeure on exports of Bonny Light, Nigeria’s reference crude oil grade, the second time in three months.
This is coming four days after the oil major declared force majeure on gas supply to the Nigeria LNG’s export facility on Bonny Island following a leak on the Eastern Gas Gathering System pipeline through which Shell supplies the bulk of its gas to NLNG.
Force majeure is a legal clause that allows companies to cancel or delay deliveries due to unforeseen circumstances.
The Media Relations Manager, SPDC, Mr. Precious Okolobo, told our correspondent that the declaration of the force majeure on Bonny Light was as a result of the shutdown of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line by the pipeline operator, Aiteo following a leak.
Shell had on July 7, 2016 lifted the force majeure it declared on Bonny Light exports on May 10.
Few days ago, reports made the rounds about Faiza Sheikh, a student of School of Nursing, Reno in Yola, Adamawa State who had been missing since Thursday, August 4th. According to fresh reports, Fa’iza was found in Kaduna state yesterday. She is with her family in Yola now.
In a fierce shoot-out between the Army and armed bandits, 19 people have lost their lives on both sides, with about 57 arrested.
The Nigerian Army has said that 11 military personnel including an officer and eight bandits died in a gun battle at Kopa, Dagma and Gagaw villages of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the dead military personnel comprised nine soldiers and two Airmen.
He said the soldiers were from 31 Artillery Brigade, Division and the Nigerian Air Force detachment on International Security Operation MESA. Usman added that two other soldiers sustained serious injuries while one was missing.
According to Usman, the troops were on a cordon and search operation to recover suspected cache of weapons and arrest armed bandits when they came under attack from the hoodlums.
Usman added that the bandits also burnt down four operational vehicles, vandalised two others and went away with four AK-47 rifles, and a Fabrique Nationale rifle belonging to the deceased soldiers.
He explained that the troops killed eight of the attackers, arrested 57 and recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition from them.
The Acting Army Spokesman disclosed that the recovered items included three AK-47 rifles,10 Local AK-47 rifles, nine locally-made pistols, six revolver guns, which fires 7.62mm (special ammunition), 45 loaded dane guns, 10 clubs and cudgels, 41 arrows, 18 bow cases, 122 cutlasses and machetes as well as 20 daggers.
Usman said, ‘‘The troops also recovered 31 axes, 63 rounds of 7.62 (special) ammunition, 10 Bajaj motorcycles, assorted charms and amulets, two vehicles, 38 mobile telephone handsets, a wristwatch, five identity cards, passport photographs, sum of N23,870. 00k, five Japanese Yen and 35 different denominations of old Nigerian currency, 15 catapults, eight torch lights, two gun powder bottles, four empty cases of ammunition and 41 cartridges.”
Usman further listed the recovered items to include a military waist belt and a pair of military combat boots.
He explained that the military undertook the operation in response to covert surveillance and intelligence report on the activities of the gun-runners in the area.
He said the military would ensure that those behind the dastardly act were apprehended and brought to justice.
“It is important to stress that the nefarious activities of the gun-runners and the armed bandits has direct bearing with the influx of weapons and general insecurity in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory and the North-West geo-political zone of the country.
“The same gun-runners have been confirmed to be the suppliers of arms to armed robbery gangs that were involved in series of armed robbery attacks along Minna-Bida Road and the general environment.
“Although the situation is under control, the military will not rest on its oars until all those involved are arrested and brought to justice. The military will continue to deal with any violent threat to our national security,” Usman stated.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, at the presidential villa.
We had earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari’s list of engagements for Friday which was seen by a publication reveals that he will meet the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at the Aso Rock villa, Abuja, probably over the budget padding scandal rocking the lower legislative chamber.
According to a Tweet by Bashir Ahmad, the president’s special assistant on new media, President Buhari is currently meeting with Speaker Yakubu Dogara, at the presidential villa.
This is a developing story, we’ll be bringing you more details from the closed-door meeting as soon as its made available.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is finalising plans to unveil German coach as the new technical adviser of the Super Eagles.
According to an exclusive report by TheCable News, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is finalising plans to unveil German coach, Gernot Rohr as the new technical adviser of the Super Eagles.
Investigations by the publication, reveal that the former coach of Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso is set to be unveiled by the Amaju Pinnick board of the federation.
It was further revealed that Rohr has already accepted the terms and conditions of the job and is ready to stay in Nigeria and lead the Eagles to the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
A top official of the NFF, who did not want to be named, disclosed that Rohr is due in the country soon to go through formalities.
This is the shocking moment a father felt happy as he forced his 10-month-old baby to drink beer from a glass bottle in India. The father was seen handing the 10-month-old baby two glass bottles for him to drink and probably get high…
The footage, which was widely shared on social media, shows how the man first pretends to give the youngster a swig of the beer, but the bottle cap is still on. He then bites off the cap before placing the drink to the child’s mouth. Later in the footage he pushes the baby’s head towards the bottle.
There is another brown-coloured bottle that the child can be seen trying to drink from. The man and woman in the video were not identified in local reports and it was not made clear whether the baby was a boy or a girl, however the man can be heard calling himself the child’s father throughout the footage.
Many condemned the parents on social media for putting their child’s health at risk.
The United States Government has listed 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states as unsafe and asked its citizens living in the country to stay away from them.
Among the 20, it cited Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as a complete no-go area as “the ability of the US Mission to provide assistance to US citizens” in those states remains severely limited.
Members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect recently renewed attacks in Borno State, while Fulani herdsmen have scaled up killing of villagers and farmers in Adamawa State.
The travel warning, published on Wednesday, replaced an earlier one dated February 5, 2016.
In addition to the three frontline states, the Department of State also “recommends against all but essential travel to the following states due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks: Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
“The Department also warns against travel in the Gulf of Guinea, because of the threat of piracy”, the advisory published online added.
It added that based on safety and security risk assessments, the embassy maintains restrictions for travel by US officials to the states listed above.
Officials must also apply for advance clearance by the US Mission for any travel to those states.
The statement particularly urged vigilance around government security facilities; churches, mosques, other places of worship; locations where large crowds may gather such as hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping malls; and other areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
It added: “Security measures in Nigeria remain heightened due to threats posed by extremist groups, and U.S. citizens may encounter police and military checkpoints, additional security, and possible road blocks throughout the country.
“Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been displaced as a result of violence in the north.”
The Department of State noted that kidnappings remained a security concern throughout Nigeria, as criminal elements across the country orchestrated kidnappings for ransom; Islamic extremists, operating predominantly in the North, also have been known to conduct kidnappings.
Criminals or militants have abducted foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, from off-shore and land-based oil facilities, residential compounds, airports, and public roadways.
It said: “Separatist groups have staged demonstrations in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, and Rivers states, some of which have turned violent.
“Militant groups have destroyed oil production infrastructure in Bayelsa and Delta states.
“U.S citizens are advised to avoid the areas of these states where these incidents have occurred.
“Attacks by pirates off the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea have increased substantially in recent years.
“Armed gangs have boarded both commercial and private vessels to rob travellers.
“The Nigerian Navy has limited capacity to respond to criminal acts at sea.”
African Development Bank (AfDB) has donated $150 million as intervention funds to support Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba states on reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of areas ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Representative of the AfDB, Mr. Tom Robert at a 1-day interactive meetings of all the state governments of the north east held yesterday in Maiduguri, said the bank has earmarked $150m for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of the areas specifically affected by the Boko Haram insurgency as intervention funds on health, finance, education, agriculture, economic development and water.
He added that the bank held a similar to disclose its intention and this second meeting was aimed at streamlining and ascertaining interest areas of the respective state governments on whether their areas of needs were similar or different with those of the AfDB.
Robert added that it was of interest and hope that the funds would assist the respective states in each other’s way of improving the living condition of the internally displaced persons and other citizens of their states.
According to him, the intervention funds would form part of facilitation of capital and social projects in the areas of health, education, economic development, agriculture, water resources and finance.
The ADB Representative further explained that the bank expected each state to forward its proposal through their Secretary to the State Government, SSG immediately for the commencement of the projects latest by November or December 2016.
The Permanent Secretary, Borno state Ministry of Water Resources, Alhaji Nasiru Mohammed Askira, told newsmen in an interview shortly after the meeting that all the state governments had agreed and accepted the ADB proposals and areas of intervention as the areas of support of the bank coincided with the specific areas of needs of each of the six states of the north east.
He, however, commended the AfDB for their support and interventions, noting that, such a support was timely and indeed a welcome development while calling on other banks for similar support.
Nigerian trafficker who threatened to use ‘juju magic’ against the women and children she helped to bring into Europe for forced prostitution, has been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment today.
A trafficker who threatened to use "juju magic" against the women and children she helped bring into Europe for forced prostitution has been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment today.
Franca Asemota, 38, was convicted on 3rd August at Isleworth Crown Court of eight counts of conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual exploitation, two counts of trafficking persons outside of the UK for sexual exploitation and two counts of assisting unlawful immigration.
Asemota was part of a criminal network that trafficked girls, boys and women from Nigeria to Europe, using the threat of "juju magic" to guarantee their compliance.
David Davies, CPS London reviewing lawyer, said: "This case demonstrates how the CPS will work with partners, in the UK and overseas, in order to tackle the trafficking gangs who make huge profits from human misery.
"Franca Asemota played a key role in exploiting the poverty and vulnerability of her victims with the aim of forcing them into prostitution to make money for criminals.
"These girls were from poor, rural backgrounds with little education or knowledge of the world. They were targeted because of this and promised legitimate jobs in Europe. Only when they were far away from their homes were they told the truth – that they would have to work as prostitutes.
"The traffickers used alleged juju magic to exert complete control over their victims, using rituals to ‘curse’ them and ensure their compliance. The girls were told that if they disobeyed their captors or tried to escape, the curse would cause them injury, infertility or even death.
"Although only five victims have been identified the evidence showed that she facilitated the trafficking of around 40 people, mainly young girls, between August 2011 and May 2012.
"I would like to thank the victims in this case for supporting the prosecution and giving evidence in court. They have been through a traumatic ordeal and their bravery and courage has helped bring Asemota to justice."
