Terry G Attacked In His Homeland

Self-acclaimed Akpako Master, Oche Gabriel Amanyi, otherwise known as Terry G got more than he bargained for in his hometown during the weekend. The singer, who was at the IBB Square, Makurdi in Benue State for Benue youth fiesta was attacked while performing on stage.

 

The Benue fiesta, which attracted hundreds of youths, including men and women, was organized by the member representing Guma/Makurdi federal constituency, Barrister Emmanuel Jime, who is known to be nursing gubernatorial ambition in 2015.

It was learnt that while the ‘son of the soil’ mounted the stage to perform, some youths, suspected to be hoodlums, began to throw sachet water on the musician and later broke bottles and charged towards him.

 

No reason was given for their action. The security men on ground eventually brought the situation under control. Prominent Nigerian artistes including J. Martins, I Go Dye, Ice Prince and Pastor Nicodemus Mbatsavtampu performed at the event, which was lively, before it was interrupted.

Army Re-enacts Odi Massacre in Borno, Burns Down Villages

A military offensive in northeast Nigeria that killed more than 50 Islamist rebels has destroyed four villages and left corpses scattered in bushes, with some civilians among the dead, witnesses said Tuesday.

The defence ministry has said the operation was launched in response to an attack Friday by Boko Haram insurgents on an army barracks in the town of Bama in Borno state, the epicentre of the Islamist conflict.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade identified those killed as “terrorists.”

But the destruction of the villages only brought back memories of a similar military attack in November 1999, on the Bayelsa village of Odi, which the Nigerian soldiers invaded as reprisal for the killing of 12 policemen.

•Nigerian soldiers on an operation.

The military invaders were said to have indiscriminately attacked the civilian population and the town’s buildings. “Every building in the town except the bank, the Anglican church and the health center was burned to the ground,”according to some accounts, with death toll put at 2,500

But the government put the death toll at 43, including eight soldiers.

Nigerian director of defence information maj-General Chris Olukolade

A similar invasion has been witnessed in Borno state, after Boko Haram militants attacked a military outpost in the border town of Bama and abducted wives and children of soldiers, killing also 15 soldiers, according to army spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade.

Residents told AFP that an unknown number of civilians also lost their lives as the military bombarded the fleeing rebels. While they reported finding scores of charred bodies in the area, many were thought to be those of Boko Haram fighters.

Area resident Karim Bunu told AFP the military onslaught “completely burnt down four villages,” specifically listing Awaram, Ali-Ali, Suwabara and Kashimri, all in Borno state.

“Civilians from the affected villages,” were among those killed, he said.

“We have never seen so much death,” added a tribal chief in the area, who asked that his name be withheld. “The bushes are littered with decomposing bodies.”

Bunu, the local chief and other residents said much of the destruction was caused by bombs dropped by fighter jets. Locals are collecting bodies and digging graves for those killed, residents added.

In a Monday statement on the operation, Olukolade only admitted the death of five civilians.

He said that “a good number of the insurgents escaped with bullet wounds while some have been arrested. Over 50 of them died in the course of exchange of fire with ground troops.”

Fifteen soldiers were killed during the Boko Haram raid on the barracks and “during the pursuit” of the insurgents, according to Olukolade.

The defence spokesman gave no indication that the military response caused large-scale property destruction or cost civilian lives.

Nigeria’s military has been accused of using scorched-earth tactics in campaigns against Boko Haram and not distinguishing between civilian and insurgent targets. Such accusations have however been typically denied.

According to multiple witness accounts, Boko Haram stormed the barracks before sunrise on Friday, spraying it with gunfire before torching the compound. There were reports that soldiers as well as wives and children were abducted in the raid.

The army said the Islamists had tried to escape across the border with Cameroon but were pursued through the weekend by ground troops with the support of fighter jets deployed from an air force base in Borno’s capital Maiduguri, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) away.

Borno and two neighbouring states were placed under a state of emergency in May, giving the military added powers in their bid to crush Boko Haram’s four-year uprising which has killed thousands.

The conflict has affected various parts of the north and centre of Nigeria, but the northeast has been the hit hardest, including communities near Bama, which has emerged as a hotspot in the insurgency.

Boko Haram has said it wants to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north. The southern half of the country is mostly Christian.

 

Credits: PM News

Funny! Other Elected Government Officials Kneel Down To Speak With Governor Okorocha.lol

Several PDP Senators May Soon Join APC

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday.

            
        

 

SOME Peoples Democratic Party’s senators are set to dump the ruling party for the opposition All Progressives Congress as soon as the senate resumes in January.  A source told our correspondent in Abuja on Monday that the number of PDP senators, who have concluded their defection plan, was “enough to alter the configuration of the upper chamber.”

 

The senators are said to be aggrieved over what they described as the shoddy handling of their party affairs by its elected officials and they are set to join their 37 colleagues in the House of Representatives who defected from the PDP to the APC last week.

 

One of the senators confirmed to our correspondent in Abuja on Monday that their movement to the APC had become fait accompli.The senator, who craved anonymity, said, “The country should be restructured on the foundation of truth. That is our position. We will soon join the APC like our governors and our colleagues in the House of Representatives. This will happen in January by God’s grace.

 

“We are in court already and the court has fixed January 22 for hearing. Already INEC had said it lacked the powers to declare our seats vacant. So we are on course.” The source added that a step in that direction had been taken last week Wednesday when the aggrieved senators and members of the House went to court to restrain the leadership of the National Assembly and the PDP from declaring their seats vacant in case they defect.

The senator who spoke to our correspondent is from the South-South zone. A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had last week restrained the leaderships of the PDP, the National Assembly and the INEC, from declaring vacant, the seats of federal lawmakers because of defection to another party.

The injunction specifically affected the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Senate President David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; and the INEC.

 

The order by Justice A.R. Mohammed was sequel to a motion filed by 79 lawmakers in the National Assembly, made up of 22 senators and 57 members of the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers, among others, sought an order of the court restraining the defendants from declaring their seats vacant.

 

The 22 senators named as plaintiffs were, Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Bello Gwarzo (Kano North), Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Senator Magnus Abe (River South-east), Wilson Ake (Rivers West), Senator Shaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) ,Aisha Alhassan (Taraba North), and Ali Ndume (Borno South). Others were, Ahmed Zannah (Borno Central) Simeon Ajibola (Kwara South), Bindowo Jubrilla (Adamawa North), Abdulaziz Usman (Jigawa North-east), Danladi Sankara (Jigawa North-west), Abdulmumuni Hassan (Jigawa South-west), Hassan Barata (Adamawa South), Umaru Dahiru (Sokoto South), and Ahmad Maccido (Sokoto North).

 

The rest were Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East), Garba Mohammed (Kano Central), Isa Galaudu (Kebbi North) and Ahmed Alkali (Gombe North). Some of the senators listed as plaintiffs in the matter had however dissociated themselves from the defection plan.

 

To date, no PDP senator has formally declared membership of the APC unlike their 37 House of Representatives’ colleagues who defected to the APC last week.

And while the PDP has lost majority membership in the House to the APC, the ruling party still controls the majority in the senate with 73 PDP senators against 33 for the APC.  Labour Party also has three while the All Progressives Grand Alliance has only one senator.

 

Credits: Punch Newspaper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

French Church Collapsed During Christmas Eve Mass

Christmas Eve mass in a church nestled in the French Alps came to an abrupt end Tuesday when part of the ceiling fell down on the priest’s head, police said. The 45-year-old priest was in the middle of celebrating mass at the Notre Dame d’Aquilon church in the town of Guilestre when the incident occurred.

The priest was injured in the head and taken to a local hospital as a precaution. The church was closed to the public.

Rights Group Petitions Lagos Speaker Over 2 Brutalised Ejigbo Women

Joe Odumakin of the Woman Arise

The Women Arise for Change Initiative, a rights based in Nigeria’s city of Lagos, has petitioned the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, over the inhuman treatment meted out to two women in the Ejigbo area of the state.
A video of the women which surfaced on the internet early this month shows the women stripped on allegation of stealing by some men whose identities were not revealed.
The women were first made to kneel and, then, flogged severely while they rolled on the ground in an attempt by the men to forcefully make them confess to committing the crime. They also forcefully inserted various objects into the women’s private parts after bathing them with pepper.
A compact disc containing the video was attached to the petition by the group which is seeking the House to immediately investigate the inhuman act with a view to getting the culprits punished.
The petition titled: ‘Dehumanisation Of Two Women In Ejigbo, Lagos State’ and signed by the group’s President, Joe Okei-Odumakin, stated that the women were recently subjected to the most vicious forms of human rights abuses and ” unspeakable horrors of brutality by certain depraved and savage men.”
According to the group, the video of the cruelty against the women had, since it was posted online, drawn global outrage.

The brutalised women

The petitioners said: “as Nigerians and fellow citizens of the world watched the horrific scenes, they wondered if these were shots taken in the dark ages of savagery and primitivism.
“Strangely enough, a statement this month by the Chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Kehinde Bamigbetan, at the height of the furore, acknowledged that this unimaginable horror took place in his domain in February this year, and that the victims were a mother and step daughter accused of stealing pepper, and that the husband and father was a palm-wine tapper; but Bamigbetan’s statement sadly to say, failed to outline the measures his office had taken since then to assure justice for the victims and ensure that the perpetrators are punished.
“Ironically, it is the same Bamigbetan whose gruesome kidnap few months back elicited genuine emotions and public goodwill, and the Lagos state government and concerned Nigerians spared nothing to guarantee his release, and bring the kidnappers to book.

One of the women

“Why did he appear to have turned a blind eye over the ordeal of the victims, and why is he just acknowledging to the public these atrocities after ten good months? Or is it that the victims’ lives are of no value to him because they are pepper sellers from the household of Mr. Palm-wine tapper?”
The petitioner said the group believes that everybody, including women, is created equal by the Almighty God, and should therefore be equal before the law.

The group said it wanted a panel of inquiry to be set up to dig into “this shameful incident and compel the Ejigbo LCDA Chairman, Kehinde Bamigbetan, to share his knowledge of the crime and what he has done in tracking down the purveyors of these bestialities so that they can be brought to justice; adequate provisions must also be made to rehabilitate the victims. “We strongly believe that there is a redemptive value for Lagos state in fishing out these criminals for punishment so that the state is not seen as a haven for atrocious human rights abuses, where barbaric and savage acts are tolerated by government officials.

“That is surely not a good face to present to potential investors and tourists to the commercial hub of the nation. “This is certainly one issue that will not die until justice is done, and we trust that you will act quickly and ably, and use your good offices to ensure that justice is done, for justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

After deliberating on the petition, the House appointed a 5-man panel made of the House Leader, Ajibayo Adeyeye, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet and Wahab Alawiye-King to investigate the issue and report its finding to the House

Alariwo Beaten & Disgraced By Area Boys

Rotimi Martins a Popullar artiste aka Alariwo of Africa will not forget December 19 in a hurry. He was allegedly beaten up on that day
by ‘area’ boys at the launch of the debut album of Ewade, wife of popular On-Air Personality (OAP) Soji Omotayo. The launch of the album titled Ore Ofe was full of music, fun and entertainment.

But Alariwo, the master of celerimony got more than he bargained for when he was accosted by street urchins Trouble was said to have started when he reportedly failed to acknowledge the presence of gospel music act, Busola Oke, alias Eleyele, on the occasion.

According to an eye witness account, Alariwo also asked the people whom he didn’t recognize to forward their names to him. “Immediately, Eleyele told some people that Alariwo was fond of looking down on her at events. She equally disclosed that her age-long problem with Alariwo is due to the fact that she has refused to address him as ‘Brother’,” the source said. However, what many could not explain was how the Area boys,who were outside the hall, got hint of what our source described as “Alariwo’s arrogant attitude.”

It was also gathered that immediately he wrapped up his performance and stepped out of the hall, the area boys descended on him mercilessly.
“He made an attempt to run for his dear life. He tried to seek cover in a building around the venue. While he was being beaten, the hoodlums screamed that he had disgraced Eleyele on several occasions, so he deserved to be beaten,” he disclosed. Nation

Advertising Guru,Ogunro, Murdered & His Vehicle Stolen

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Eminent Communications Limited, one of the biggest advertising agencies in the country, Mr. Sesan Ogunro, was murdered at Alausa area of Lagos State on Sunday evening.

Mr. Ogunro was also the Chairman of the Board of Broadcasting Services of Ekiti State before his untimely death. His son, Sesan Ogunro (jnr.), is a popular video director, who directed popular musical videos, including Jayejaye by Wizkid.According to police authorities, the victim was shot on Jobi Felle Way, Alausa, around 10.40pm by a four-man robbery gang. The victim was said to have been returning from a church programme with members of his family, who were in a separate car, when they were accosted by the robbers in a Honda minivan.

The robbers were said to have attempted to snatch the victim’s Mercedes Benz Sports Utility Vehicle, but he was said to have refused to cooperate with them. PUNCH Metro learnt that after shooting the deceased, the robbers snatched his wife’s Toyota car and sped off. A police source at the Alausa Police Division, said, “Around 11.24pm, on Sunday, we received a distress call that about four armed men, operating in one Honda Odyssey beside Regency Hall, attempted snatching a Mercedes jeep from one Mr. Ogunro. We were told that Ogunro resisted and the armed men shot him.

“The robbers abandoned the Honda Oddsey and escaped with a red Toyota Yaris car, belonging to the wife of the victim who was also at the scene. We visited the scene and the Divisional Police Officer visited Lagoon Hospital where the victim was receiving treatment.” Our correspondent learnt that Ogunro, however, died two hours after being rushed to the hospital. Police authorities said preliminary investigations revealed that the Honda vehicle, which the robbers used for the operation, was stolen from one Ali Balogun in the Ebute Meta area of the state two hours before Ogunro was attacked.

A family friend, who wished to remain anonymous because he had no authority to speak on behalf of the family, said the family did not understand why the robbers shot the deceased.
“I was not at the scene, but I was told that he (Ogunro) did not do anything to annoy the robbers. In fact, they stole all their valuables as well. We are all in shock as he was killed in the presence of his family during the Christmas period. “This is a trying time for all of us and all we want is prayers.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told our correspondent that investigations were ongoing. Braide added that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects. “None of his relations could volunteer any statement yet. The Honda which the robbers used was confirmed to have been snatched from one Ali Balogun at Ebute Meta around 8pm on Sunday. She was dropped at Jobi Felle way, Alausa, where she was rescued and taken to the station. Efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing suspects.”

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, expressed shock at the killing, saying Ogunro’s (Snr) murder had broken the hearts of the people of the state whom he served diligently in his lifetime. Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, urged security agencies to work hard and ensure that the killers were brought to justice within the shortest possible time.

Lydia is AMAA Brand Ambassador

Lydia Forson, Ghanaian A-List actress and one time winner of the African Movie Academy Awards for the Best Actress in the Lead Role, has been declared as 10th anniversary brand ambassador in Lagos. She has been announced as the Brand Ambassador for the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).

Lydia has shared her experience and said that she went to Nigeria but did not win the award. She added that at that time, she was very impressed by the quality of filmmakers and professionals in the industry she met with.

Lydia said that she met with Kunle Afolayan at AMAA, who praised her by saying that she is a good actor and he will be pleased if she will work with him. She said that an icing on the cake for her was, when she won AMAA as Best Actress with Jackie Appiah.

This was the time, which opened doors for her career as she was crowned with best actress award in Africa. She said: "There are challenges here and there which people have talked about but for me AMAA is bigger than any logistics problem and the advantages and benefits are huge".
Lydia said that being AMAA's ambassador, she would like to travel across Africa and around the world to get involved with critical stakeholders.

Edo Sacks 836 Teachers After Verification Exercise

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole

The Edo State government has sacked 836 teachers following a verification exercise carried out by the state’s department of Information and Communication Technology.

 

The affected teachers according to reports learnt of their lay-off when they discovered their names were missing from the December salary voucher.
Those sacked were said to have either  over-stayed their number of years in service, mentally unstable, physically blind or falsified their age and credentials.

A man who gave his name as Osahon said his wife was affected by the lay-off. State commissioner for basic education, Patrick Aguinede, who confirmed the sack said those affected were de-certified by the ICT after the screening.

He said, “Those that have over-stayed in service gave a scenario that the state government could not recruit new teachers. “The teachers were found to have stayed above 35 years. Some were physically blind, some manipulated their results and age which later showed they finished school before they were born.”

State secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Akin Adeojo said the union was aware of the sack as a rumour, but that the affected teachers have not been issued sack letters. Adeojo said some of the teachers were found to have stayed above 35 years in service and others physically and mentally challenge. He said the NUT would scrutinise the letters before taking a decision and that anybody found victimised would be resisted.

Osahon! Who earlier said that his wife was among those affected by the action, appealed to the state government to reconsider its stand on the sacked teachers. He said, “I don’t have a reliable job. It is my wife that is taking care of the home. My wife is not up to three years in service. She is not up to 35 years old. The governor should give the young ones a second chance. They should regularise their age.”

Emenike named among top 100 world footballers

IMPERIAL … Emenike is congratulated by team mates after scoring.

British newspaper Guardian has published on its electronic edition a list of the top 100 footballers in the world for the year ended 2013.

Ranked in the 97th position is Super Eagles and Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike, who  scored  four goals for the Nigeria  at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

 

“Emenike staked an early claim as one of Africa’s most influential players when his exploits propelled Nigeria towards a long overdue success in the Cup of Nations.

 

“Emenike was prolific, consistent and finished as the competition’s top scorer.

“It is the determination and pace of his runs that make the difference to Nigeria’s counter-attacking strength – Emenike’s team-mates figure that if the pass is half decent, he should find it.

 

“Brazil 2014 could be a useful shop window for the Fenerbahce striker,”said the editors of Guardian.

This season, Emmanuel Emenike has netted 6 goals in 14 Super Lig matches for his Fernerbahce side

 

D’banj set to celebrate 10 years on stage…steps out with Genevieve

D'banj & Genevieve

Dapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D’banj is gearing up to celebrate his 10th  year in the Nigerian Entertainment Industry come 2014. The world has watched D’banj grow in his career and it is no doubt that in 2014, the biggest celebration as well as the biggest project is expected to stem out of DMK Media.

Details of the celebration are yet to be disclosed, but insiders say, it is going to be one of the biggest things that will happen to  the nation’s entertainment industry in 2014. This development is coming just a week after the Kokomaster stepped out with Nollywood actress, Genevieve in grand style.
They were spotted at the Gulder Club Ultimate party, which held last Saturday, at Oceanview, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

 Looking dapper in a white shirt, straight cut black jeans and a black waist coat, D’banj drove into the event in a Black Bentley, seconds after Genevieve came in her G-Wagon.
The second season of GCU, which hosted some of the biggest names in the Nigerian entertainment and media industry had the two celebrities partying and enjoying each others’ company throughout their stay at the event.

Meanwhile, in the past 9  years, as a musician, songwriter, actor and businessman, D’banj  has written his name in gold, receiving a lot of accolades for his accomplishments. His name has opened doors for  the entertainment industry in the country.
 

Herbalist Arraigned Over Sexual Intercourse With 2 Boys

The police on Monday arraigned a herbalist, Atahiru Obey, 45, at a Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of two boys.The Prosecutor, Sgt. Atteh Effiong told the court that the offence was reported at the Life Camp Police Station on Nov. 26, by the mother of one of the boys.

He said that the case was, however, transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, on Dec. 6.Effiong said that the mother alleged that the herbalist, living in Jabi Dakibiyu, Abuja, had been having sexual intercourse with her son and another boy, both aged 13 since 2012.The prosecutor told the court that Obey had during the period had sexual intercourse with the boys eight times.Effiong said the offence contravened Section 284 of the Penal Code.

When the charge was read to him, Obey pleaded not guilty, and the Chief Magistrate, Mr Anthony Ogboyi, granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with one reliable surety in like sum.Ogboyi said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and together with the accused, deposit their passport photographs to the court’s registry.

He adjourned the case to Feb. 7 for hearing.

EFCC Arrests 11 Principal Officers of Kano House of Assembly

Kano State Assembly Complex

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arrested 11 principal officers of Kano House of Assembly. The arrested lawmakers were flown to Abuja in connection with the passage of N28billion supplementary budget into law by the lawmakers on Monday.

 

Those taken into EFCC custody include the Speaker, Gambo Salau, his Deputy, Majority leader, Hamisu Ibrahim,  Deputy Majority leader, Minority leader, Deputy minority leader, the Chief Whip, Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, chairman, House Committee on Finance and the Clerk of the Assembly.

 

Vanguard reports that there was a mild drama when the security details attached to each of the principal officers of the Assembly were withdrawn before they were flown to Abuja an hour latter.

The EFCC invasion triggers panic among serving commissioners and Head of juicy parastatals in the state who were compelled by the exigencies to go underground to avoid been arrested by EFCC operatives.

 

Credit: Vanguard Newspaper

Amnesty International calls on Jonathan to reject anti-gay bill

Amnesty International urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reject a bill that would outlaw gay marriage and crackdown on gay rights after lawmakers approved a final version for his signature.

The key elements of Nigeria's anti-homosexuality legislation, which also criminalises public displays of affection between same sex couples, had cleared the upper and lower houses of parliament in May.

But there were minor differences between the drafts passed by the two legislative bodies.

Those discrepancies were resolved on Tuesday and the bill is now ready for Jonathan's signature.

"This discriminatory bill, which not only criminalises same-sex marriage but also makes public displays of affection and even socialising in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex community illegal, must be rejected by the President," said Aster van Kregten, Amnesty International's Africa Deputy Director.

 

"If the President signs the bill into law it would make Nigeria one of the least tolerant societies in the world and have catastrophic consequences for the country's LGBTI community and human rights organisations."

 

Uganda's parliament on Friday adopted its own anti-gay bill that calls for repeat offenders to be jailed for life. Like the Nigerian bill, it will only come into force if the country's President Yoweri Museveni signs it. Both pieces of legislation have been widely condemned by rights groups and world leaders, including in the US and Britain.

 

Nigeria is seen as being less susceptible to pressure from Western governments because, as Africa's top oil producer, it receives very little foreign aid. Under Nigeria's bill, anyone who enters into a same-marriage or "civil union" can be sentenced to 14 years in prison.

 

It also says "any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations or directly or indirectly makes a public show of same-sex amorous relationship commits an offence and shall be liable to a term of 10 years imprisonment."

Jonathan's intentions regarding the bill are not clear.

Mrs Clara Chime: I Don't Have Mental Problem

Mrs. Clara Chime

Estranged wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Clara Chime, Saturday said she went through emotional and mental torture during her period of incarceration, although her current physical state belied that assertion.

 Chime, who made the disclosure in an interview with THISDAY in Lagos, also stressed that she had no mental problem as earlier claimed by her husband, Governor Sullivan Chime.

 

She said after her release from incarceration in Enugu, she had flown to the United Kingdom to run extensive medical tests and her condition was diagnosed as reactive depression, not mental disorder.
She also said in her five years of marriage, she had on four different occasions planned to escape but was caught and brought back to her apartment in the government house.

 She said, “Before I cried out for help, I was only suffering from a case of depression which I got from my stay with him in the government house but he made people believe I had mental problems.

“During the press briefing he called after human rights commission and my lawyer, Femi Falana, came to my rescue, I didn’t answer the questions of journalists because I didn’t know about it.
“When I got married to him in 2008, never at any time did I envisage that this kind of ordeal would happen to me. I was then working with Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PDTF).

“He made me stop work and the mental torture started after our marriage. Once he married me, he changed and the mental torture started gradually until it came with force. My situation was a case of domestic violence. It was horrible and terrifying”, she revealed.

 Chime who said her incarceration started when she flouted the alleged ban of her friends from the government house, said the governor allegedly got her and her friend arrested.

 

On her several attempts to escape she said, “Several times, I tried to escape the government house but there was no way as they always caught and brought me back. So this last time, a friend helped me contact Falana and he came to my rescue because my husband had restricted my movement as well as banned my family and friends from seeing me. My friends started coming to see me about three years ago because he claimed they were diabolical like me. He accused me of so many things but I wish him well.”

 

She however said at no time during her depression did she try to commit suicide although she was fed up with her situation, adding that all she wants now is to start life afresh.  She said, “I wish him well in all his endeavours but we have started the process to get custody of my son after which I would start my life afresh. I would also work on myself now because I have added tremendously and it was because of the drugs they were giving me, which according to the doctor in UK was the wrong prescription.”

 

Ruling out any chances of reconciliation, she said although she was separated from her husband, she would begin divorce proceedings after the two years interval as stipulated by the law elapses. While thanking Nigerians, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, and the Director General, State Security Services, Ita Ekpeyong, the first lady said it was pertinent to reiterate the excellent state of her mental health.

 

Credit: This day Newspaper

Mass Wedding - Kano Spends N278 Million to Marry Off 1,111 Women

 

A cross section of the Brides at the wedding
 

According to the Vanguard Newspaper, Kano State government has said that it spent a whooping N278. 270 million to facilitate the wedding of 1,111 couples under the fourth phase of its divorcees, widows and spinsters mass marriage programme. This translates to an average of N250, 468. 046 per couple.

 

Addressing the couples at a civic reception organized by the state government, Governor Rabi'u Kwankwaso stated that the money was used to procure furniture, textile materials, foodstuff as well as provide grants for the brides and other essential items.

A cross section of the Grooms

 

 Kwankwaaso who described the event as unprecedented in the history of the West African sub-region, further stressed that the marriage programme was initiated to help people strengthen the family institution and halt social crimes in the society, most of which were as a result of erosion of family values.

 

He maintained that his administration also initiated a special family orientation programme aimed at preventing and minimizing the rising cases of divorce in the state in addition to evolving capacity building programmes especially for women to enable them support their families.

Pastor Chris Okotie Acquires N120m Rolls Royce To Mark 30 Years As A Born Again Christian

Pastor Chris Okotie

According to the Sunday Punch Newspaper, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church International, has added a Rolls Royce Coupe, the 2014 Bespoke Edition, to his acquisitions.  The Punch reported that the controversial pastor and former pop star bought the car to commemorate his 30 years as a born-again Christian and 27 years as a pastor.

The car was said to have cost Okotie’s deep pocket N120m.

Okotie had earlier bought a Range Rover autobiography 2014 model for 33m. Checks on the Internet showed that the base price for Rolls Royce Coupe is $430,000. It could be as high as $500,000, depending on the features wanted in the car.

 

The Rolls Royce Coupe is a luxury extra-ordinaire on the wheels.

“Stately, sumptuous and sybaritic, the Roll-Royce Phantom Coupe is the automotive embodiment of opulence. It boasts a decadent hand-built cabin, an enormous V12 and a truly regal street presence.

Outside, the Coupe blends traditional long-hood, short rear-deck proportions with modern cues such as LED running lights. An oversized grille capped by the prestigious Spirit of Ecstasy lends a commanding air to the front of the car, while a gently sloping tail adds a touch of elegance. Overall, there’s no mistaking the Coupe for anything else on the road, and passerby (not to mention paparazzi) will take notice,” was how the car was described on www.leftlanenews.com.

Fifty-five-year-old Okotie stirred controversy recently when he claimed during a church service that “all Catholics will go to hell,” and called Pope Francis anti-Christ.

Actress Mercy Aigbe-Gentry & Hubby Lanre at Their Court Wedding In Ikoyi

Wedding bells are ringing! It’s Christmas, and you know what that means, love is in the air as it’s wedding season. Actress Mercy Aigbe-Gentry made it official at the Ikoyi registry in Lagos, with her hubby Lanre Gentry yesterday.

 

The couple did their traditionally wedding a few years ago and also had an infant son.

-The newlyweds celebrated afterwards with a romantic lunch.

Source: Instagram.com/mercyaigbegentry

Afrocandy Facebook Account Suspended For X-rated Stuff

US-based Nigerian soft-porn star, Judith Opara Mazagwu, a.k.a AfroCandy has bounced back weeks after she was restricted from posting nude pictures on her facebook page by the administrators of the social network.

 

The mother of two announced her comeback on her facebook page during the week, saying "I was gone for a minute now I am back again... I won't be posting anymore sexy stuffs here because of the censorship imposed on me by facebook.

 

Even though I am not as explicit as the Hollywood stars are..on the social network."

 

She also announced launching her own social network site."For that reason I have created my own socialnetwork; www.afrocandysnetwork.com where I can post whatever I want and feel like,"she said.

 

Meanwhile, Afrocandy posted some x-rated pictures to show what the website is all about.