The adultery allegation against Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Power Ministries has been described as “high level conspiracy meant to destroy the integrity of the pastor and silence his critical and principled voice of truth and dissent in a nation fast becoming a one-party state.”

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose disclosed this on Wendesday, March 15.

He said; “This was the same way they tried to drag the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in the mud. The whole world was aghast at how they insulted and ridiculed the highly-revered RCCG General Overseer. But for the outcry from all over the world, they almost bundled out Pastor Adeboye from his position as RCCG General Overseer and could have even arrested the General Overseer of Winners Chapel, David Oyedepo.”

In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor declared unequivocally that; “I stand by Apostle Suleiman and other men of God being directly or indirectly persecuted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) cabal.”

The governor said; “their evil plan is to destroy the Church so as to silence every perceivable strong voice of opposition. And their mode of operation is to take on every vocal, principled, and popular man of God one after the other.

“Should it not interest Nigerians and the international community that up till today, none of those herdsmen that killed thousands of Nigerians in Benue, Enugu, Delta, Ogun, Plateau and Kaduna States have been arrested? Even those arrested in connection with the murder n Abuja-based female pastor, Eunice Elisha have been released.”

Governor Fayose wondered why all the adultery allegations and blackmail against Apostle Suleiman surfaced only after he spoke out against the reckless and indiscriminate killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna and his subsequent encounter with the Department of State Services (DSS).

“This, no doubt, is a continuation of the desperate but despicable and condemnable attempts to destroy opposition and the voices of reason in this country so as to subjugate every decent Nigerian and turn the country into a banana republic.

“After politically subjugating many Nigerians, including a section of the Judiciary that refused to do their bidding; they have now turned on men of God, this is condemnable,” the governor said.

Governor Fayose charged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other Christian bodies not to stay aloof but to stand up resolutely and speak out vociferously against what he called “orchestrated attempt to destroy the Church and respected Church leaders in Nigeria.”

He berated those behind the travails of Apostle Suleiman as confirmed polygamists, serial adulterers, and others whose holier-than-thou attitude was sheer hypocrisy.

“Anyone who has a case against any man of God should swear an oath, proceed to the law court and face the rigours, rather than engage in media trial and character assassination, which have become the hallmark of this administration.”

Governor Fayose wondered why the perpetrators of the wicked scheme against Apostle Suleiman were not relenting even after the father of the woman making the wild allegations had punctured her loathsome and outrageous claims.

“The family of Stephanie Otobo has disclaimed her and her claims. Rather than own up and recant, those paying for the entire drama are making her to keep changing and modifying her claims, with they all still collapsed like a pack of cards. All other efforts to enlist other blackmailers against this man of God have likewise collapsed irretrievably.

“I therefore make bold to say that I stand by Apostle Suleiman. I also call on all those who believe in me to do likewise and carry the message abroad. To me, this plot against Apostle Suleiman is madness carried too far.

“One wonders why this same resources and vigour with which Apostle Suleiman is being blackmailed have not been deployed into confronting those murderous herdsmen that are slaughtering Nigerians like animals across the country,” Fayose concluded.

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A mentally-sick mother has reportedly stabbed 8-month-old baby boy in Ebonyi state. According to reports,  the knife  was still stuck in the boy’s abdomen as he was wheeled to the ward for surgery at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHA), Abakaliki, Daily Sun reports.

The alleged suspect, who was said to be a wife of a serving police Sergeant, was said to have been taken to hospital for treatment, it was gathered that the incident happened at the police barracks, Abakaliki.

It was gathered that the woman who allegedly has periodic major mental disorder pierced her baby’s stomach with kitchen knife and left the knife stuck in the baby’s stomach when somebody saw it and raised the alarm that attracted neigbours.

An eyewitness and a medical practitioner at the Federal Teaching Hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said the baby was brought into the emergency ward with the knife still stuck in his stomach while he had lost so much blood.

Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Dr. Emeka Ogar, said the baby had been operated upon and the surgery was successful and expressed shock at the incident.

However, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jude Madu, said full details concerning the incident were still being awaited and disclosed that the woman was a mentally unstable wife of a serving policeman in the command.

He disclosed that the baby had undergone a successful surgery and the knife had been successfully removed from his system while his mentally sick mother had been taken to psychiatric hospital for medical check.

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Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has vowed never to run against President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general elections.

Okorocha was speaking during a breakfast meeting with journalists in the state at his private residence in Owerri on Tuesday.

“I will never run against President Buhari but would continue to support him in the overall interest of the nation, especially when he has stabilized the nation.

“I want to also say that those in Imo who made many political enemies should forget the Douglas House. We need people with free mind. I have killed the clannish nature of the state where people consider where you come from before doing anything for you.

“The politics of sentiment must be discarded and discouraged. It is shame for somebody to hope on zoning to win elections,” he said.

He also insisted that his administration had never borrowed a dime from any bank in the country.

Okorocha stated that his detractors were cooking up the stories, because of the numerous projects he has executed in the State.

He said: “For posterity ,this government is not owing any bank or person any amount except for the bailout fund for which 100 million naira is being deducted from the source monthly. Any subsequent government that comes and says that Rochas borrowed is a criminal one.”

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A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced a 27-year-old Nigerian man to seven years imprisonment after finding him him guilty of grooming underage girls for sex.

According to reports, Taheeb Udusole pretended to be the rich son of an African king while grooming his two victims aged 14 and 15 years.

The Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how the unemployed Nigerian met the girls on social media, lied that he was 17 years old son of an African king, offered them gifts and money and sent taxis to collect them so they could visit him.

The taxi would deliver his victims to an address near to his east London home so they would never know where he actually lived.

Both the victims, who did not know each other, believed that ‘Daniel’ was their boyfriend and came forward with allegations separately, the Met Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation Team said.

“Taheeb Udusole is a predator who claimed that he believed the girls were adult because neither arrived in school uniform. Both girls had told Udusole their age and he continued to force them to have sex regardless,” Detective Sergeant Laura Hillier, the investigating officer, said in a UK’s Evening Standard report.

“Unaware that they were victims, these girls have gone through a traumatic experience and should be proud of the strength of character they have shown during the investigation and approaching trial. I hope that today’s sentence brings them a measure of comfort and closure and that they can move on with their lives.

“We cannot be certain that there are not more victims who have suffered from the actions of this man who have not yet come forward. I would urge anyone who has been a victim to contact police immediately by dialling 101.”

Udusole pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with two girls aged 14 and 15.

He will be deported after his sentence.

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Fake Big Brother Naija housemate, Ese Eriata is an Instagram comedienne, make-up artiste, singer and beauty queen.

The bubbly fake housemate took to social media to address men who physically abuse their wives and eventually destroy the marriage. According to Ese, the rate of domestic violence in Nigeria is terrible and how she wishes she can help fight for the women who suffer it.

See below:

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The Nigerian Senate again failed to confirm the nomination of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financian Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman due to a new security report it got from the Department of State Services (DSS).

The latest rejection which came exactly three months after they declined,the Red Chamber relied on three-paragraph memo from DSS dated March 14, affirming the Services’ earlier report on Magu.

Below is the Report:

In August 2008, following a search at his residence during the tenure of Farida Waziri (AIG/rtd) as the commission’s chairman, some sensitive EFCC documents which were not supposed to be at his disposal were discovered. He was subsequently redeployed to the police after days of detention and later suspended from the Force.

In December 2010, the Police Service Commission (PSC) found Magu guilty of “Action prejudicial to state security, withholding of EFCC files, sabotage, unauthorised removal of EFCC files and acts unbecoming of a police officer,” and awarded him severe reprimand as punishment.

Notwithstanding, sequel to the appointment of Ibrahim Lamorde as Chairman of the EFCC in 2011, he made the return of Magu to the EFCC a top priority. Both men had worked together at the commission when Lamorde served as Head of Operations of the agency. Magu remained a top official of the commission until he was appointed to succeed Lamorde.

Magu is currently occupying a residence rented for N40 million, at N20 million per annum. This accommodation was not paid for from the commission’s finances but by one Umar Mohammed (Air Commodore/rtd), a questionable businessman and ally of subject who has subsequently been arrested by this service. For the furnishing of the residence, Mohammed enlisted the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to award a contract to Africa Energy, a company owned by the same Mohammed to lavishly furnish the residence at the cost of N43 million.

Investigations show that the Acting EFCC chairman regularly embarks on official and private trips through a private carrier, Easyjet, owned by Mohammed. In one of such trips, Magu flew to Maiduguri, alongside Mohammed and a third generation bank chief, who was being investigated by the commission over complicity in funds allegedly stolen by the immediate past Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke.

Furthermore, the EFCC boss has so far maintained a high profile lifestyle. This is exemplified by his preference for First Class air travels. On 24th June, 2016, he flew Emirate Airlines’ First Class to Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj at the cost of N2, 990,196. This is in spite of Mr. President’s directive to all public servants to fly Economy Class.

Investigation also revealed that Magu parades a twin personality. At one level, he is the czar who has no friends, no favourites and is ready to fight corruption to a standstill. However, with a key friend in the person of Umar Mohammed (Air Commodore/rtd), a controversial businessman, he has betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the present administration.

Whereas Magu portrays himself as very secretive, he has fostered a mutually beneficial relationship with Mohammed who, by his confession, approaches ‘clients’ for possible exploitation, favours and associated returns. This was facilitated with official secrets divulged by Magu and from which dealings he is believed to have been drawing considerable benefits.

This was evidenced by the number of official and classified documents he made available to his associates, especially Mohammed. After a search of Mohammed’s premises, a forged letter of the Office of the Vice President, dated 20th May, 2016, was recovered. The letter was a fictitious investigation report from Vice President to Mr. President, requesting for approval to commence further probe into a matter allegedly involving Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum. Attached to the letter were two EFCC letters dated 13th April, 2016, and another 24th March, 2016, addressed to the vice president being investigation reports on the activities of Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Dumebi Kachikwu. Similarly recovered during the search were information on assets and personal details of Kachikwu.

Also, following the arrest of three former Airforce chiefs by EFCC, namely, Alex Badeh, Umar and Adesola Amosu from whom huge sums of money and property were recovered, Umar and Badeh were arraigned in court. It was only after the arrest of Mohammed by this service that the EFCC hurriedly arraigned Amosu. Mohammed later confessed that he never wanted Amosu tried, describing him as his former boss and he saw in Magu, a willing accomplice.

Furthermore, findings revealed that in a bid to settle some personal scores, subject placed one Stanley Inye Lawson on a Security Watch Action, while in actual fact, Lawson was working in the interest of the Federal Government. However, the action was later expunged following the discovery that Lawson was falsely accused by Magu for personal reasons.

The circumstances surrounding Magu’s return to EFCC at the instance of the former chairman, Lamorde, and their close working relationship ever since is a clear indication of his culpability in the allegations of corrupt tendencies of the Lamorde-led EFCC.

To cover his tracks, Magu uses only his police cronies to execute operations. This, coupled with discoveries that such police cronies have acquired a lot of landed property, lends credence to the questions about his integrity.

In the light of the foregoing, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the present administration.

See the report below;

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Pastor Godwin Emmanuel, the founder and head pastor of Love Fire Ministry, a Pentecostal church located at 3, Ugiagbe street off Country Home Motel Road in Benin, Edo State has been assaisinated.

The Clergyman popularly known as Prophet Speed was shot dead on Sunday night, March 12 by unknown gunmen along Oko Central road, off Airport road, Benin, Edo state who pretended to be pushing their car that broke down.

Head of media of the church, Festus Edema, who confirmed the tragic incident to journalists, said the pastor was on his way to distribute food items to members of the church who are in need and to drop one of his members at Oko Central road, when he was shot dead by yet to be identified gunmen.

“The man of God stopped for them to pass so that he can have his way. He never knew that they were the people came to attack him. So that is how they gave him shots in the chest and the stomach,” said Mr Edema.

“Being the strong man, he still tried to put the car in reverse and as he was reversing the car, he hit the fence and they came to give him a close range shot that silenced him,” Edema added.

Also speaking, a member of the church who identified himself simply as Pastor Esquire, said the news of the death of cleric devastated him.

“When I heard about the news of his death, it was devastating and shocking. It is a painful one, very painful, but God will give us the strength to go through it,” Esquire said.

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US President Donald Trump’s revised executive order temporarily closing the country’s borders to refugees and nationals from six Muslim-Majority countries has once again been blocked by a federal court in Hawaii.

US District Judge Derrick Watson ruled on Wednesday, March 15 that the state of Hawaii, in its legal challenge to the order, had established a strong likelihood that the ban would cause “irreparable injury” were it to go ahead.

The court in Honolulu was the first to rule in a trio of legal challenges against the ban, which had been set to go into effect at midnight.

Decisions were expected later Wednesday from federal courts in Washington state and Maryland.

The ruling means a nationwide freeze on enforcement of section two of the order, banning entry by nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days.

It also halts section six, which would have suspended the US refugee admissions program for 120 days.

There was no immediate comment from the White House, which had argued that the travel ban is necessary to keep extremists from entering the United States.

The Trump administration’s wide-ranging initial travel restrictions imposed on January 27 were slapped down by the federal courts, after sparking a legal, political and logistical furor.

Trump signed a revised ban behind closed doors on March 6 with a reduced scope exempting Iraqis and permanent US residents but maintaining the temporary ban on the other six countries and refugees.

The White House said those six countries were targeted because their screening and information capabilities could not meet US security requirements.

But Watson rejected the White House claim that the order wasn’t a Muslim ban, ruling that it would not be a leap “to conclude that targeting these countries likewise targets Islam,” because of their Muslim populations range from 90.7 percent to 99.8 percent.

The judge made reference to several examples of Trump explicitly framing proposed action on immigration in religious language, including a March 2016 interview during which the then president-elect said: “I think Islam hates us.”

“Mr. Trump was asked, ‘Is there a war between the West and radical Islam, or between the West and Islam itself?’ He replied: ‘It’s very hard to separate. Because you don’t know who’s who,’” the judge added.

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Following the decision of the Senate not to confirm his nomination as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has said he would not be deterred from his anti-graft battle.

Reiterating that he doubted the credibility of the DSS report on whose back the senate rejected his nomination, Magu told a coalition of civil society groups at the entrance to the National Assembly after his screening: “My priority is to fight corruption. We have always been on duty. I will work until the last day whether confirmation or no confirmation.

“The greatest violation against human right is crime against the society and the humanity but everybody has a duty and responsibility to fight corruption and I also have a responsibility. I assure you that we will fight to the finish.

“We will never be deterred because what we are doing is trying to investigate what has gone before and protect the future of our children and our future generation. So, if we don’t work today and fight against corruption, the future is not guaranteed, the future of our children is not guaranteed.

“So, we must wake up, where ever you find yourself, fight corruption. Anytime you discover that I am corrupt, expose me.”

Challenging the DSS report on him, Magu said: “Those allegations cannot stand the test of time because they cannot be proven. You know, you can’t just raise mere allegations without giving the person the opportunity to answer you. There is the issue of fundamental human rights and the right of fair hearing.

“Up till this time, the DSS has not called me and I am even surprised that the same report is coming back and this time around it is signed by somebody. I doubt the genuineness of that report. But I think we need to identify those who have the interest of this country at heart.”

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Brazilian second division club, Boa Esporte have signed goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes, who was convicted for killing his ex-girlfriend and feeding her to his dogs.

Fernandes, known in Brazil as Bruno, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the 2010 murder of Eliza Samudio.

According to reports, the former Flamengo player was released last month on a legal technicality.

“I am very happy for the opportunity I have been given,” said Bruno at a news conference.

The signing has been widely condemned in Brazil, and has sparked protests from fans and the withdrawal of several Boa Esporte sponsors.

Both Boa Esporte’s main sponsor, Gois and Silva Group, and kit maker Kanxa have removed themselves from association with the club as a result.

At his news conference, Bruno, who has been released pending an appeal, refused to answer questions about the murder of Ms Samudio, his former partner and mother of his child.

Although Ms Samudio was never found, Bruno’s cousin told the court her body had been fed to dogs.

Prosecutors said she was killed after demanding that Bruno pay child maintenance for their baby son.

At his trial, the footballer admitted to knowing that Ms Samudio had been strangled and her remains fed to dogs, but denied ordering the killing.

“I want to help Boa Esporte to get to the first division,” Bruno said after joining his new club.

“I thought several times that I wouldn’t make it. But I can’t throw in the towel, my wife wouldn’t accept it. I have to believe in me.”

The 32-year-old added he had been made “very welcome” in Varginha, the city where the club is based.

He said: “People demand a lot of me for what happened in the past. Boa Esporte is opening the doors for me.”

He has also said he did not rule out making Brazil’s national team, having once been tipped as a likely starter for the 2014 World Cup.

“One should always keep dreaming. One day I dreamed of making my comeback and I am now living this moment.”

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Two siblings that escaped death by a whisker are currently at the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, seeking to reunite with their family.

Their mother was among some passengers that reportedly lost their lives to an accident along the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road on Sunday.

PUNCH reports that the woman and her children between the ages of eight months and two years had boarded a bus from Ijebu Ode en route to Ibadan, Oyo State.

The bus was said to have had a head-on collision with another vehicle around Awa community – a few kilometres from the take off point.

It was learnt that policemen and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps removed corpses of the victims and took the injured to various hospitals in the area.

The men, however, did not see the siblings and another child, aged four, who were reportedly trapped in a river around the scene of the crash.

A good Samaritan reportedly heard some faint noises coming from the river area and thereafter rescued the kids.

The three children were said to have been brought to the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, with varying degrees of injury. The four-year-old child later died.

A nurse at the hospital, Tope Asiru, who tends to the kids at Iye Subomi Child Care Centre of the hospital said that the children were brought to the hospital in the presence of policemen.

She added that the police operatives had not come back to check on them since Sunday.

Although the identities of the policemen could not be ascertained, the hospital is within the Igbeba Area Police Command.

Asiru stated that the FRSC office was called early on Wednesday when the police did not show up. The latter had also yet to visit the hospital as of 8.30pm.

She said, “The children are siblings. One is a female of about eight months and the other, a male, of about two years old. He has not really told us his name. He is just saying, ‘Abu,’ which means father in Arabic. Their mother got to the hospital, but she had multiple fractures. We were unable to get any information from her before she gave up.

“The children are still here; nobody has come to look for them. They were brought on Sunday around 3pm.

“FRSC officials and policemen brought the victims to the hospital. Some were taken to private hospitals. A good Nigerian saw some particles in the river around the scene of the accident. He moved near and saw the children and another four-year-old boy, who died on arrival at the hospital.

“Policemen were still around when the children were brought to the hospital. They even collected some property from some victims and recorded them. But they have not visited the hospital since then.

“The mother of the deceased child is alive in the hospital. She was the one who told us that she boarded the same vehicle with the deceased mother and that she saw the two kids with her.”

The nurse explained further that the hospital management had tried to reunite the children with their family to no avail.

The Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Clement Oladele, said he had directed the unit in charge of the area to visit the hospital.

He said, “Thanks for the information. I have told the area commander at Ijebu Ode. But if there is an accident, the moment we take victims to hospitals, that is where our work ends. The only thing we can do is to be checking if they have not died.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the case was not formally reported to the police.

He said, “I have called the Igbeba Police Division and I was told that no case of such was reported. Let the hospital management make a formal report at a nearest police station and necessary actions will be taken.”

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A 90-count criminal charge has been slammed by the Federal Government against the Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dickson Akor over alleged recruitment scam and extortion of applicants to the tune of N1.4 billion.

The Incorporated Trustees of the Corps was equally cited as a defendant in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/45/2017, which was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The defendants were further charged for wearing of uniforms and other identification marks contrary to section 24 (1) of the Private Guard Companies Act Cap P30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under section 32 (1) of the Act.

The charge signed by an Assistant Chief State Counsel, Aminu Alilu, also accused the defendants of laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity contrary to section 7(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other fraud related Offences Act, Cap A6 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act. They were accused of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other fraud related Offences Act, Cap A6 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act. Meantime, no date has been fixed for the defendants to be arraigned before trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole.

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Babagana Bukar and his family woke up earlier than they would have done in previous months, just to have Sahur – the pre-dawn meal taken by Muslim faithful in the month of Ramadan, in preparation for the day’s fast.

After the meal, they had their ablution and were preparing for Salat al-fajr – the first Muslim prayer of the day – when Boko Haram insurgents laid siege to their homes.

“Any man who was old enough was killed,” Bukar tells TheCable, smiling at how he led his life afterwards – for him, the journey to independent manhood began too early.

“I watched them slaughter my father,” he says, this time with a dim countenance, wiping his face like he wants to waive off the memories of the past.

The 14-year-old and others whose fathers had just been put to such brutal death were asked to join the Boko Haram sect as foot soldiers.

BRAINWASHING KIDS

“They rallied us and we were forced to follow them, with the goods that they took from our homes,” he says in Kanuri, a very popular language among the dwellers of Kala Balge, Ngala and Gamboru.

Bukar was not willing to join a sect which killed his father in their quest to gain territories and do “the will of Allah,” as they continually said in attempts to brainwash the young boys.

“When I had my chance, I ran, and as God will have it, I escaped Boko Haram. I came across a river, which was knee-deep. I carried my bicycle and walked through the river, on my way through Gamboru.”

Bukar slept along the Gamboru border of Nigeria and Cameroon on his first night, but his destination was Chad.

For him, it was more reasonable to travel to Chad than to make his way to the state capital, Maiduguri, Nigeria, and his reasons are understandable.

SHORTCUT TO SAFETY

First, his grandmother – who fled Nigeria, owing to insurgency in the northeast – was living in Chad. She was the only one he could think of running to at such hard times. Maiduguri to Rann is a 172-kilometre stretch of largely dilapidated roads. For locals, it is easier to go to Maiduguri, through Cameroon, than to come to the state capital through Kala Balge.

N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, is only 96 kilometres away from Rann, through Cameroon. It is not only better, it is also shorter for anyone fleeing Kala Balge.

Bukar, now 16, said he avoided every path where he saw prints of motorcycles and cars, finding his way through bushes and villages.

“Engineer”, as he is fondly called because of his skills with phone repairs, narrated how he went from Gamboru, to Gwado, to Afade, then Kousséri, a city in northern Cameroon, before crossing over to Chad, where he met up with his grandmother, after four tiring days on the road.

At least he survived and he is alive to tell his story. If he would end up a qualified engineer is another matter entirely.

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I have been reluctant to write anything about the clash between the Yoruba and the Hausa Fulani in the ancient city of Ile-Ife and in which far many more people were killed than anyone cares to publicly admit. I was reluctant because Ile-Ife happens to be the home of my ancestors and indeed my hometown and for four generations my family have had a stake there and have been making meaningful contributions to the affairs and development of the community.

Consequently I have an emotional attachment to the town and when I hear that a son or daughter of Ife is in trouble or is in any way hurt or harmed it hurts me to the marrow. This is because the Ifes are more to me than just my kinsmen. I consider them to be part of my family and deep down I love each and everyone of them whether they be friend or foe.

Yet despite all this, on this occassion, I am constrained to set emotion aside, look at the cold facts and write about this ugly and tragic episode. I compelled to do so out of a sense of loyalty, honor and morality. This is especially so given the fact that the victims in this conflict appear to have no voice and no-one appears to be ready to speak for them. I am ready to be that voice. I owe my people, history and posterity that much and I have no apology for doing so.

The crisis in Ile-Ife started when a group of Hausa Fulani men molested and physically abused a young Yoruba woman by the name of Kubura and almost killed her in the process. She went home covered in blood and when her husband, Akeem (a leading member of the NURTW in Ile-Ife) found out what she had been subjected to he went back to the Hausa-Fulani quarters (commonly known as Sabo) with her in tow to find out why she had been subjected to such barbaric treatment and who the perpetrators were.

On getting there instead of being received with sympathy and remorse the husband himself was viciously stabbed and almost lost his life. After that the Hausa Fulanis in Sabo went on the rampage killing many sons and daughters of Ile-Ife their host community and in the process they proceeded to behead a young Yoruba man and they paraded his head on a pole through the streets.

This infuriated the people of Ile-Ife and they retaliated by attacking the perpetrators. After that all hell broke loose and many Hausa Fulanis were killed. I have been reliably informed that at the end of the day, a large number of Hausa Fulanis were killed and buried in mass graves whilst an equally high per centage of the houses in Sabo were burnt down. The Ifes lost also lost heavily in the conflict. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions for each and every one of us.

The casualty rate on both side is unacceptable and I wholeheartedly condemn the taking of human life for ANY reason unless it is in self-defence. As sad and tragic as this event may be we must point the fingers at the right places and place the blame for the conflagration where it belongs. Many have failed in this respect. For example instead of blaming the aggressors for the crisis and the carnage and warning them to stop killing our people and raping and beating our women, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been shamelessly begging the Hausa Fulani and saying such an attack will never take place again. It is right and proper for him, and indeed all responsible leaders, to call for restraint, to sue for peace and to encourage people not to break the law or take the law into their own hands in the name of retaliation and I must commend the efforts of our most reverred traditional ruler, his Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11 in this respect. However it is equally important for Aregbesola to condemn the aggressors, the wife-beaters, the rapists and the murderers and to tell them in simple and clear language that Ile-Ife, the source and cradle of the Yoruba race, or indeed anywhere else in Osun state or the south west is NOT the sort of place that they can commit such atrocities and get away with it. We are not Southern Kaduna or Agatu in Benue state.

We find it difficult to sit by idly and watch our people being slaughtered in cold blood. And neither do we bow down before our oppressors. There is something deep in the Yoruba spirit and soul and particularly that of the Ifes that resists and rebels against injustice, brutality, barbarity and subjugation and the history of the Yoruba proves that. We are slow to anger but irresistable in battle and the fact is that for one hundred years before the British colonial masters arrived on our shores we were fighting brutal civil wars against one another. We know the tragedy, the pain, the terror, the evil and the horrendous sacrifice that comes with war and conflict and though we avoid it as best as we can, we never shy away from it once it is forced upon us. Worse still the youth of Ile Ife, many of whom are veterans of numerous Ife-Modakeke wars, are hardened and battle-ready any day and any time. This is indeed a potentially volatile and dangerous mix. In this respect relevant and insighful are the words of Oloye Gani Adams, the leader of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), when he said, just yesterday, that “the Yoruba cannot be conquered!”. And if anyone has any doubts about that they should consider the sheer courage and unconquerable spirit of a loyal anf faithful son of the Yoruba like Ayo Fayose, the Governor of Ekiti state. This is where Aregbesola missed it. This is what he appears to have forgotten and this is what slipped his mind. This is the point that he failed to appreciate and instead of doing so he chose to tread the disgraceful path of servility and appeasement whilst sacrificing the lives and interests of his own people. Though I am a firm believer in the right of self-defence, I do not seek to incite anyone to violence and neither do I advocate, condone or encourage it in any shape or form. I am simply stating the facts and pointing out that it is important to call an aggressor an aggressor and call a spade a spade. My old friend Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso who is the former Governor of Kano state then entered the ring and made matters worse. He went to Ile-Ife, met with the Hausa Fulani community and had the nerve and effontry to tell Aregbesola that our people must pay compensation for the killing of his people: sounds familiar? I remember General Muhammadu Buhari’s words to Governor Lam Adesina in 2001 when, after a conflict between the Hausa Fulani and the Yoruba in Oyo, he asked “why are your people killing my people?” Kwakwanso came to Ile-Ife 16 years later, demanded an answer to the same question and asked for compensation!

What a gratuitous insult this is delivered at a time when everyone is suing for peace and calling for calm. If the truth be told who should pay compensation to who? Who is accomodating who? Who did the attacking? Who killed first? Who drew first blood? Whose land and soil is it and who are the guests and visitors? You come into a man’s house and enter his land and you start killing members of his family and people and then you ask him to pay you compensation? Does this make sense? How many people did the Fulani compensate after they slaughtered the indigenees of Southern Kaduna, Benue, Enugu, Abia, Delta,Taraba, Lagos, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Adamawa, Nassarawa, Niger, Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Ekiti and numerous other states in the country in their own land? How many did they compensate after the sectarian and barbaric killings of Christians and southern Muslims all over the north over the last 56 years?

How many did they compensate after the pogroms, mass murder and genocide perpetuated against the Igbo all over the north just before the civil war in 1966? Who should apologise and who should compensate who? Honestly I cannot stomach all this. It would have been better for Kwakwanso to start with an apology for the beating, raping, carnage and barbarity that his Hausa Fulani brothers indulged in and unleashed on their generous and accomodating hosts before the fighting started. Do some people have a greater right to life than others in Nigeria? Is the blood of some more precious than the blood of others? Do the lives of the Ife people mean nothing to these people? Does anyone not feel a deep sense of outrage about what the Hausa Fulani did and how this whole thing started? Are we supposed to brush it under the carpet out of fear and our accursed desire for peace at ANY price? How do we expect the woman that was beaten and whose husband was almost stabbed to death for attempting to defend her honor to feel? How do we expect the family of the young man that was beheaded and the families of the other Yorubas that were killed to take all this? Are we not dancing on the graves of those that were slaughtered for no just cause?

What does that say about us as leaders and as a people? Are we not meant to defend the weak and stand up for the oppressed and the defenceless? Do the people of Ile-Ife, a proud, gentle, kind and accomodating people with a rich and distinguished heritage, deserve to be visited with such violence from their guests and such contempt from their leaders? (TO BE CONTINUED).

The post [OPINION] The Hausa Fulani, The Yoruba And The Slaughter In Ile Ife (1) By Fani-Kayode appeared first on LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS.

The Nigerian Customs Service Comptroller-General Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has arrived the National Assembly ahead of the rescheduled hearing during which he is expected to brief the Senate on the proposed policy on vehicle duty payment.

Ali entered the National Assembly around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 16 and was ushered to the office of special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Senate, Ita Enang.

Following his failure to appear before the Senate as earlier expected, the Senate had on Wednesday invoked Section 89 of the constitution to compel Mr. Ali to appear Thursday or risk arrest.

Although the Customs had suspended the controversial policy Wednesday morning in obedience to the Senate, the lawmakers insisted he must appear before them.

But against the demand of the lawmakers, Mr. Ali came to the National Assembly in a white mufti, not “appropriate” uniform as demanded by lawmakers.

The Senate is at the moment in an executive session believed to be for deliberation on how to treat Mr. Ali when he appears without uniform.

His briefing is the Senate’s first business of the day.

Watch Video of His Arrival Below;

VIDEO: CG of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) walking towards the Senate chambers in mufti pic.twitter.com/IqGRFikU0g

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 16, 2017

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The World Bank Group has disclosed that the economic recession currently being experienced in Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past.

Mrs Eme Essien-Lore, Country Manager, International Finance Corporation, a member of the group, made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.

”In our perspective and with the numbers that we have seen coming from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeria’s economy has recorded about one per cent real growth.

”That is a bit lower than government’s expectation which is about 2.2 per cent growth for 2017.

“It is a bit modest, but we certainly expect that the economy of Nigeria will rebound and recover from last year’s recession, ” she said.

Essien-Lore commended Federal Government`s new economic plan, but said that there was need to set priorities for implementation of the plan by the year 2020.

According to her, the plan is very comprehensive, ambitious and thoughtful.

She said that the World Bank had been consulting with the Nigerian Government on the plan, saying that the bank was happy that the plan had been published.

”Now we can sit down and look at it to see how we will align our objectives around what the government wants to do.

Essien-Lore said that the plan was an opportunity to look at the priorities and what the World Bank could do for the Nigerian government as ‘it comes up with its development agenda’.

”The plan is for 2017 to 2020, it is a relatively short period, but we need to know what the priorities are and collectively work with government on how to achieve them, ” she said.

On the high rate of unemployment in the country, Essien-Lore urged the Nigerian government to partner with the private sector to create more quality jobs to reduce poverty and prevent social unrest.

She said that Nigeria was growing very fast and would soon become the third largest country globally, after India and China.

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Boko Haram terrorists have killed a Nigerian army Lieutenant in an attack in Magumeri town in Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State on Wednesday evening, Sahara Reporters reports.

The source said the militants ambushed Lieutenant Akinwale Christopher Oguntoye and his colleagues on their way to Gubio from a shooting range competition in Monguno. The officers were pinned down by terrorists in Magumeri where they razed down houses, including a police station in the town. Lt. Akinwale was a member of the 60 Regular Course cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy and was briefly an  Aide De Camp to a former President of Guinea-Bissau

The militants rode into the area in 10 utility vehicles, shooting and attacking military formations. A press release from the Nigerian police stated that a police Sergeant Haliru Aliyu was also killed in the attack while another sustained leg injury from gunshots.

A spokesperson to the Nigerian army later said the insurgents who were being shielded by members of the Magumeri community have been subdued.

See another photo below

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The Yoruba movie industry has not taken the backseat as regards movie production in Nollywood and they have unarguably produced great movies with seasoned actors who interpret their given roles exceptionally.

Some of this talented Yoruba movie actors are not even from the South West yet they are well known in the Yoruba movie industry.

We bring you 10 non yoruba actors that have excelled in the Yoruba movie industry.

1 Fathia Balogun

Beautiful actress, Fathia is from Urhobo in Delta State. She started acting Yoruba movies after she returned to Lagos from Dublin.

2 Rachael Oniga

Rachael Oniga Veteran Nollywood actress hails from Eku in Delta state. Though Delta Igbo, Oniga features in mainly Yoruba movies and less of English. Oniga was married to a Yoruba man from Epe, Lagos state.

3 Liz Da Silva

Elizabeth Omowunmi Tekovi Da Silva is a Nigerian (Nollywood) actress and producer born in Obalende to Togolese parents. She features mostly in Yoruba indigenous movies and started her professional acting career in 2004 when she was introduced by star actress Iyabo Ojo.

4 Mercy Aigbe

She hails from Edo State and is happily married to Lanre Gentry. The beautiful thespian is blessed with two children, a boy and a girl.

5 Toyin Abraham

Toyin Abraham formerly known as Toyin Aimakhu who was once married to Adeniyi Johnson is from Auchi in Edo State.

6 Kevin Ikeduba

Kevin Ngozi Ikeduba born on August 21 in Ebute-Metta is from Delta state and widely known as the ‘Bad Boy’ in Nollywood, he is one of the few stars that act in both Yoruba and English movies.

7 Doris Simeon

Doris Simeon was born in Lagos but her parents hail from Okpella in Benin, Edo state. She has a son with ex-husband, Daniel Ademinokan.

8 Richardo Agbor

He is from Ikom local government area in Cross River State  but was raised in Lagos. He has in popular Yoruba and English movies.

9 Regina Chukwu

Regina Chukwu who lost her husband about 14 years ago is an Igbo lady popularly known for her roles in Yoruba movies.

10 Rose Odika

Although she is based in Ibadan, the Yoruba actress hails from Aniocha North local government of Delta state.

The post 10 Non-Yoruba Actors Who Have Excelled In The Yoruba Movie Industry appeared first on LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS.

Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos has withdrawn himself from further presiding over the alleged N4.9bn fraud charge pressed against a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The judge ordered the return of the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for re-assignment to another judge.

He directed Fani-Kayode and his co-defendants to go and await further directive from Justice Auta.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to immediately release the second tranche of the London-Paris Club loan refund to states.

He said the presidential order should be carried out “appropriately and with dispatch.”

The President, who returned to the country on Friday, March 10 from his 49-day medical vacation, also turned down advice by state governors to take more rest.

Buhari said he would not take any further rest until he had addressed all issues affecting Nigerians.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while addressing a meeting of the National Economic Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The council, which is made up of state governors, is chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Buhari, who had earlier released the first tranche of N388bn to the state governments in December 2016, said the latest release was meant to ease their financial hardship.

He stressed the need for the state governors to ensure the settlement of unpaid salaries and pension arrears of their workers with the funds.

“I will not rest until I address those issues that affect our people.

“One of these basic things is the issue of salaries. It is most important that workers are able to feed their families, pay rent and school fees, then other things can follow,” the President was quoted to have said.

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