₦airaland Forum

Saudi Arabia and its state-run oil Saudi
Aramco did not immediately acknowledge
the blaze.
A raging fire has been reported at an
oil depot in the Saudi city of Jeddah
with Yemen’s Houthis rebels
acknowledging they had launched a
series of attacks on the kingdom.
Saudi state media on Friday reported
a string of drone and rocket attacks
by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi
group and a huge plume of black
smoke was seen rising in Jeddah
which is due to host a Formula One
race on Sunday.
While Saudi Arabia and state-run
Saudi Aramco did not immediately
acknowledge the blaze, it appeared
to be centred on the same fuel depot
that the Houthis attacked in recent
days.
Later on Friday, Houthi military
spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the
group attacked Aramco’s facilities
with missiles and the Ras Tanura
and Rabigh refineries with drones.
Sarea added that the attack also
targeted vital facilities in the Saudi
capital Riyadh.
The attacks targeted “Aramco
facilities in Jeddah and vital facilities
in the capital of the Saudi enemy,
Riyadh”, tweeted Saree. Facilities of
oil giant Aramco were also attacked
in Jizan, Najran, Ras Tanura and
Rabigh with “a large number of
drones”, he added.
Al Arabiya TV, quoting the coalition,
said the kingdom’s air defence
system destroyed two explosive-
laden drones targeting Najran.
Those on the F1 track could see the
large black smoke cloud in the
distance.
“The position at the moment is that
we are waiting for further
information from the authorities on
what has happened,” the F1 said in a
statement.
The attacks came as Saudi Arabia led
a coalition battling the Houthis, who
seized Yemen’s capital of Sanaa in
September 2014.
The kingdom, which entered the
Yemen war in 2015, has been
internationally criticised for its airs
raids killing that have killed dozens
of civilians – something the Houthis
point to as they launch drones,
missiles and mortars into the
kingdom.
Saudi state television acknowledged
attacks in the town of Dhahran that
hit water tanks while also damaging
vehicles and houses.
Another attack targeted an electrical
substation in an area of
southwestern Saudi Arabia near the
Yemeni border, state TV said.
The North Jeddah Bulk Plant stores
diesel, petrol and jet fuel for use in
the city. It accounts for more than a
quarter of all of Saudi Arabia’s
supplies and also supplies fuel
crucial to running a regional
desalination plant.
The Houthis have twice targeted the
North Jeddah plant with cruise
missiles: One attack came in
November 2020 while the last one
came on Sunday.
At the time of the 2020 attack, the
targeted tank, which has a capacity
of 500,000 barrels, held diesel fuel,
according to a recent report by a UN
panel of experts examining Yemen’s
war. Repairing it after the last attack
cost Aramco approximately $1.5m.


SOURCE: https://www.aljazeera.com:443/news/2022/3/25/saudi-aramco-jeddah-storage-facility-hit-by-attack
Lalasticlala Mynd44

is she truly her biological mother

Armed with a sharp knife, a megaphone and
dressed all in black, Gbenga Adewoyin could
have passed for a medieval witch hunter, a
herbal salesman or an urban preacher as he
walked around a market in the south-western
Nigerian city of Ibadan.


Warning: This article contains details that
might be offensive to some readers


Those curious enough to get close in the
Gbagi market quickly dispersed when they
heard his message. "Anyone that can provide
any evidence for the existence of the
supernatural, be it juju or voodoo magic, will
be offered 2.5m naira ($6,000, £4,650)," he
announced repeatedly in Yoruba and English.
The 24-year-old atheist has recently emerged
as a rebel publicly contesting the powers of
the supernatural in this deeply religious
country.
Belief in African traditional religions and its
juju components are widespread in Nigeria,
with many combining them with either
Christianity or Islam, according to a 2010
report by the Pew Research Centre .
Many Nigerians believe that magic charms
can allow humans to morph into cats, protect
bare skins from sharp blades and make
money appear in a clay pot.
These beliefs are not just held by the
uneducated, they exist even at the highest
level of Nigeria's academia.
Dr Olaleye Kayode, a senior lecturer in African
Indigenous Religions at the University of
Ibadan, told the BBC that money-making juju
rituals - where human body parts mixed with
charms makes money spew out of a pot -
really work.
The naira notes that supposedly appear "are
gotten by spirits from existing banks", he told
the BBC.
Jude Akanbi, a lecturer at the Crowther
Graduate Theological Seminary in Abẹ́òkúta, is
also unequivocal about juju.
"This ability to be able to transform yourself to
[a] cat, to disappear and reappear, these
things are possible within the dynamics of
traditional African religion.
"Although [it] sounds illogical, like old wives'
tales, however from what we have seen and
heard, these things are possible," he said.
Such beliefs, especially that human body parts
and charms can produce money from a clay
pot, have led to a recent wave of gruesome
murders in the country, with single women
often the victims.
"I feel horrible to see young people engage in
these ritual killings.
"If money ritual worked, we would have seen a
massive inflation in the economy for the
decades that we have believed in it," Mr
Adewoyin told the BBC.
He was in Ibadan, Oyo state, on the second of
three planned in-country tours offering 2.5m
naira, crowd-funded via Twitter, to anyone that
can publicly demonstrate these juju powers.
"The knife is for anyone that claims their juju
makes them blade-proof," he said.
Questioning the existence of supernatural
powers is considered taboo in much of
Nigerian society.
To be openly expressing such thoughts, as Mr
Adewoyin was doing in a market, was risky.
He could just as easily be arrested for
blasphemy or lynched by an angry mob.
"Of course juju works, he doesn't know what
he is saying," said one trader who lingered
with a scowl on his face.
In his pocket was a black amulet, a small
leather pouch containing supposedly magic
charms, that he said was for protection.
However, he was not interested in publicly
demonstrating its powers, not even for
$6,000.
Belief in magic often coexists with Christianity
and Islam. Clerics from both monotheistic
religions often refer to aspects of traditional
African religions as evil - something real, but
which can be defeated by prayer and their
own higher powers.
Many pastors have become rich and famous
on claims of having supernatural powers that
can overcome juju and evil curses, something
which many imams also practise.
However, no-one has taken up Mr Adewoyin's
challenge at two of the venues in Ogun and
Ibadan and he is not holding his breath for his
next stop in Anambra state in the south-east.
While he has been dismissed by some as an
attention seeker, no-one can hide from the
grisly images of the bodies found recently
with missing limbs and empty eye sockets in
a resurgence of the sinister money-making
juju rituals.
This killing of humans to use their body parts
for magic purposes gripped Nigeria in the
mid-90s and led to riots in the eastern city of
Owerri after the kidnap and murder of an 11-
year-old boy in 1996.
Now, with social media, hardly a day passes
without reports of a missing person and
pictures of mutilated corpses linked to juju.
There was widespread outrage last month
after three men allegedly killed a 17-year-old
girl in Ogun state to use her body parts in a
ritual they believed would make them rich.
They confessed to the killing after they were
arrested by the police and have been charged
in court.
The clay pot and red cloths they were caught
with could have passed for a scene in a
movie from Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry
famous for depicting manifestations of juju,
but this was real.
And they were young men - the oldest was 21,
sparking the Twitter hashtag #At21, where
users described what they were doing at that
stage in life and bemoaning what they saw as
societal pressures on young people to get rich
quick.
The outrage over the girl's death made federal
lawmakers debate juju in parliament and
consider the "declaration of a state of
emergency on ritual killings in the country",
with its depiction in Nollywood movies
mentioned as a factor.
Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed
has also chipped in, blaming Nigerian movies
and social media for the spate of killings.
He wants the films censor board to engage
film makers "on the need to eschew money
ritual content in their movies".
But film makers are not having it - they feel he
has unduly picked on Nollywood in what is a
national crisis.
"The minister misfired, he cannot breach our
fundamental rights to create," actor and
producer Kanayo O Kanayo told the BBC.
He said the minister was neglecting what has
become a societal issue and the inability of
families, traditional and religious leaders, and
politicians to ensure the moral upbringing of
young people.
While the debate rages about who is to blame
for the killings, a much broader conversation
is to be had about Nigeria's educational
system that fails to persuade people that juju
and the supernatural are not real, says Mr
Adewoyin.
He is hoping that his rebellious tour can
expose those he calls tricksters, claiming the
supernatural powers of juju, and help put an
end to the spate of ritual killings.
"For a reasonable human being to believe that
a human with all his biological components
can turn to yam or banana is illogical, and
worrisome," he said.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60749496
Lalasticlala Myndd44

A soldier with the Nigerian army’s operation
Hadin Kai in Borno state killed three
civilians on Wednesday, March 23.
According to The Cable, the soldier said to
have been under the influence of
“psychotropic substances” without any
provocation, opened fire on the residents of
Mafa town in Mafa Local Government Area
of the state.
"The lifeless bodies of three persons were
laying down flat at Mafa presently while
many people sustained gunshot wounds,” a
witness said.
About 13 civilians are said to be currently
receiving treatment following the gunshot
injuries.
It was learnt that the military authorities
have already disarmed and arrested the
soldier.
There have been a couple of instances in
which soldiers serving in the north-east
opened fire on civilians or their colleagues.
In 2017, a soldier was sentenced to death
over the alleged murder of five civilians in
Borno.
In 2020, a soldier killed his superior who
refused to give him a pass to visit his family.

Source:https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2022/3/soldier-allegedly-under-influence-of-drugs-opens-fire-on-civilians-in-borno-kill-three.html
Lalasticlala Myndd44

The of Kano State has arrested an 18-year-
old Abdulsamad Suleiman, who is allegedly
killed Rukayya Jamilu and inflicted injuries
on her children.
On Wednesday March 23, SP Abdullahi
Haruna Kiyawa who is the spokesperson of
the command, affirmed that the suspect
pounded the 21-year-old to death with a
pestle and stole her mobile phones.
“On the 12/02/2022 at about 2030hrs, a
report was received from a resident of
Danbare Quarters, Kumbotso LGA Kano State
that, on the same date at about 2000hrs,
when he returned from his place of work to
his house, he met his wife, Rukayya Jamilu,
‘f’, 21 years old in a pool of her blood
motionless on her bed, and also his children,
(1) Anwar Jamilu, ‘m’, 3 years old, (2)
Amina Jamilu, ‘f’, 1-year-old with grievous
injuries,” the statement reads.
“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner
of Police, Kano State Command, CP
Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi raised and
instructed a team of detectives led by SP
Ibrahim Hamma, Divisional Police Officer,
Dorayi Babba Division to proceed to the
scene
“The team moved to the scene and rushed
the victims to Murtala Mohammed Specialist
Hospital Kano where the housewife was
examined and confirmed dead by Medical
Doctor and the two other victims admitted.
“Investigations conducted by the
Command’s Criminal Investigation
Department and DSS led to the arrest of the
Principal suspect, one Abdulsamad
Suleiman, ‘m’, 18 years old, of Dorayi
Chiranchi Quarters, Gwale LGA Kano State
and his accomplice, one Mu’azzam Lawan,
‘m’, 17 years old of the same address
“On discreet investigation, the principal
suspect confessed that on 12/02/2022 at
about 1600hrs, he went to the house of the
deceased as his relative and met her on the
bed.
“After he greeted her, he saw three (3)
Mobile phones and took them. Having
realized that, she recognized him, he used a
wooden-made pestle and repeatedly hits her
on her head and also hits her two children
and left with the Mobile phones.
“He further confessed that he gave one of
the Mobile phones to his friend and sold the
other two at Twelve Thousand Naira
(N12,000:00). His friend was arrested and
also confessed to having sold the mobile
phone given to him belonging to the
deceased at Two Thousand Naira
(N2,000:00). The case will be charged to
court upon completion of the investigation,”
According to reports gathered by
Dailytrust, the Commissioner of Police,
Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu
Dikko, has warned that evil perpetrators like
Suleiman will continue to be ratted out and
vidicated in Kano State. The only option he
gave in his advice is for them to either stop
or exile themselves from the State.
He mentioned that the Police Command will
continue its “Operation Puff Adder”, and
patrol the creeks of the state to keep
arresting criminals.

Source:https://dailytrust.com/how-teenager-murdered-kano-housewife-in-front-of-her-children
Lalasticlala Mynd44

Paul Pogba's house was burgled last
Tuesday while the midfielder was playing in
Man United’s Champions League match
against Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford;
Pogba won the World Cup with France in
2018, but his medal was taken during the
incident last week,
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has
revealed his World Cup winner's medal was
among the items stolen during a recent burglary
at his home.
The France international spoke last week of his
family’s “worst nightmare” after his house was
broken into while his children were asleep in
their bedroom.
The incident occurred last Tuesday while Pogba
was playing in Manchester United’s Champions
League match against Atletico Madrid at Old
Trafford and his children were in the care of
their nanny.
Pogba said his family had been robbed of their
“sense of safety and security”.
The 29-year-old has now given more details of
how he has been affected and added that the
medal he received after France won the World
Cup in 2018 was stolen.
Pogba said in remarks reported by L’Equipe:
“There were jewels from my mother, my world
champion medal.
“What scared me the most was that my two
children were at home with the nanny during this
incident.
“She overheard everything, called my wife and
security, then locked herself with the boys in a
room. For several days, she was shocked. The
main thing is that my children are well.”
Pogba is now back with his national side
preparing for their upcoming friendlies against
the Ivory Coast and South Africa.
He hopes the international break will refresh him
following the burglary as well as rejuvenate his
game after questions over his form at Old
Trafford.
Pogba, who is out of contract in the summer,
said: “This break gives me a real breath of fresh
air.
“I want to have playing time to come back in top
form at the club. Wearing this jersey,
representing my country, is more than ever a
source of pride.”

Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/12573108/paul-pogba-man-utd-midfielders-world-cup-winners-medal-stolen-in-recent-burglary
Lalasticlala Mynd44

US actor Jussie Smollett has been released on bond from jail in Chicago pending an appeal against his conviction for falsely claiming he was the victim of a hate crime. Last week the former Empire star, 39, was found guilty of lying to police and sentenced to 150 days in prison. Following his sentencing, his lawyers launched an appeal. Smollett has always maintained the hoax incident, which took place in Chicago in 2019, was real. He had to sign a $150,000 (£114,000) recognizance bond prior to his release and made no comment as he left Cook County jail surrounded by security. But his defence team said they were "very, very happy" with the appeal justices' ruling and said Smollett was the target of a racist justice system, CBS News reports. His team argued his imprisonment - for what was described as a low-level, non-violent crime - was excessive and that his health and safety were in danger while he remained in prison. They also questioned why he had been imprisoned after a previous prosecutor dropped the charges against him in 2019. "Regardless of what you think about this case... the real question is, should black men be walked into jail for a Class 4 felony? Shame on you if you think they should, that's a disgrace," his defence attorney Nenye Uche is quoted as saying in The Chicago Tribune. The prosecuting office said the claim that his health and safety were at risk was incorrect as he had been in protective custody while in prison. The ruling stemmed from an incident three years ago when Smollett said he was attacked by two assailants. The actor, who is black and gay, said the attackers had shouted slurs and a Trump slogan, dumped a "chemical substance" on him and tied a noose around his neck while he was walking late at night in January 2019. Police opened an investigation into the incident but later charged Smollett with filing a false police report, saying he had staged the assault.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60775521 Lalasticlala Mynd44

Hndrrxxx:
do you have sense??

do you ?

Former president Barack Obama said
Sunday he has tested positive for the
coronavirus , noting that his symptoms
appeared mild so far.
“I just tested positive for COVID,” Obama
said on Twitter. “I’ve had a scratchy
throat for a couple days, but am feeling
fine otherwise. Michelle and I are
grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,
and she has tested negative.”
“It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you
haven’t already, even as cases go down,”
he added.
Coronavirus cases in the United States
have fallen to their lowest levels since
last July, but more than 9,000 Americans
per week continue to die of covid-19, the
disease caused by the coronavirus,
according to data tracked by The
Washington Post. Nearly 1 million people
in the United States have died of the
coronavirus since the beginning of the
pandemic.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/13/barack-obama-tests-positive-covid19-coronavirus/
Lalasticlala Myndd44

fake

Paris St-Germain fans booed their own players despite cruising to victory over Bordeaux in Ligue 1. Neymar and Lionel Messi were among the players booed after PSG were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring at the Parc des Princes, before Neymar doubled the hosts' lead after the break. Leandro Paredes added a third as PSG stretched their lead at the top of the table to 15 points. Mauricio Pochettino's players were met by a cold reception as they took to the field following their exit from the Champions League. It follows calls by some fans for club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo to resign. Pochettino's side can now only win Ligue 1 this season and the Argentine said he was sad about the atmosphere at the game. "No-one who loves PSG, its colours, and who feels the frustration of elimination, can experience it in any other way," he said. "Sadness. I think that's the right word. The sadness of experiencing an afternoon like this here at the Parc des Princes. "Messi and Neymar? We are all affected, we understand the disappointment and frustration, which we also share. But we are responsible. We only have to assume it as a team and we will be united until the end." Centre-back Presnel Kimpembe added: "We understand their disappointment and their hatred but we have to more forward to lift our heads up and win the Ligue 1 title. "We're all at fault, we're a team. It's time to show that we have character and stick together." Neymar and Messi's former Barcelona team- mates Luis Suarez and Cesc Fabregas have since both posted messages of support for the pair on their social media platforms. Suarez wrote "As always, football has no memory", while Fabregas tweeted: "Football has no memory whatsoever… it's a shame."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60728701 Lalasticlala Myndd44

A 27-year-old heartbroken man has vowed to never
date again after realising that his girlfriend of two
years has been cheating with his biological father.
As if the sacrilegious infidelity was not bad enough,
Michael Kamau’s lover, Nicole (not her real name),
justified her action by saying her father-in-law to-be
treats her like a queen.
The Kenyan college student who spoke to
Tuko.co.ke, recounted that his lover, after he
confronted her, told him that he only takes her out
for lunch dates and doesn't give her money, but his
father does.
Kamau told the news website that he met Nicole in
January 2020 and they fell in love. During their
relationship, they only met on weekdays, so Nicole
"She used to tell me she travels every weekend to
Kajiado with her parents to take care of their
businesses. And most of the times, she would switch
off her phones," he said.
Although Kamau was planning to introduce Nicole
to his parents, that cannot happen anymore
because one day in February 2022, he found out
that she has been cheating on him.
"One Saturday, she uploaded photos of a house and
a Toyota V8 that looked familiar to me on her
WhatsApp status. She had blocked me on her main
line and couldn't see her posts, but forgot I had
saved her other number," Kamau recounted.
"I was heartbroken. I didn't talk to her that weekend.
The following week on Tuesday, she came for a
sleepover at my hostel. I didn't ask her about her
weekend. We had dinner and after she slept, I took
her phone and checked her WhatsApp and M-Pesa
messages and I almost fainted."
Kamau noticed that the house and a Toyota V8
whose photos Nicole uploaded to her WhatsApp
status were those of his father.
When he questioned her about cheating with his
biological father, Nicole said she did not know that
the elderly man was Kamau’s father. She, however,
explained that she gets better treatment from her
father-in-law to-be.
"‘He treats me like a queen. You only take me for
lunch dates and don't give me money. Heri nilie
kwenye Range Rover kuliko baiskeli.’" Kamau told
Tuko.co.ke.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/news/metro/ill-never-date-again-man-vows-after-girlfriend-cheated-with-his-father/z82yqck?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2w7iYU44oabOnXg2NorzmHno-eQpxjF6rwWym9jqKG3DqHHNR7IjwryOA
Lalasticlala Mynd44

picture

pictures

more

pics

Taste is subjective… up to a point. When it
comes to fashion, there are some design
decisions out there that might just make
most of you Pandas recoil in horror. And
these fashion disasters get shamed on the
popular Facebook group, ‘You can’t just slap
some fabric together and call it a dress.’

Source: https://www.boredpanda.com/horrible-dresses/
Lalasticlala Mynd44

godofuck231:
Who deployed those dss guys , that person would be held responsible

maybe he didn't obey dey commands, torching his pocket made dem shoot him thinking he got a gun or sumtyn else,

Russia Russia Russia

I Dnt Get it

Fellow Nigerians, let me confess that what I
did on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, was
nothing short of a commando operation. In
planning and execution, it was daring, bold
and brave. I had to keep my visit to Kaduna
to meet with the irrepressible Sheikh Gumi
close to my chest. Even my closest aides did
not know what I was up to. My wife was kept
totally in the dark because I knew she would
be scared for a variety of reasons, chief of all,
being my welfare and security.
Only a couple of my closest confidants knew
what I was up to, and they fully agreed in the
need to shroud my movement in absolute
secrecy. Uncharacteristically, I did not utilise
my aides in sorting out the logistic demanded
by such a high-profile trip. I was not going to
be dissuaded or discouraged from doing
something which I believe needs to be done
by any leader worth his salt, which is
dialoguing with those that can majorly affect
the unity and security architecture and fabric
of our dear country.
So, it was like taking a kamikaze plunge as I
headed to Kaduna, almost incognito, to keep
an appointment with the one and only Sheikh
Gumi. Depending on which side of the divide
you belong, the name of Sheikh Gumi instantly
conjures up different images of a pious and
devout Muslim, almost Angelic in appearance
or that of an oversized monstrosity who
seems to have access to the most dreaded
bandits who have been terrorizing many parts
of Nigeria, and worse still seems to enjoy
their confidence. He has been described as
their spokesman and treasurer. However, his
defenders see him as a simple patriotic man
who is ready to risk his life to find a lasting
solution to the grave problem of insecurity in
our country and is thus prepared to dine with
the bandits for this purpose.
My view is that, say what you will, Sheikh
Gumi is a man who deserves to be engaged
by our government and security forces. His
knowledge of those that are causing the grave
security meltdown that we are currently
experiencing in the country and their
unqualified acceptance of him makes him a
veritable treasure in the fight against the toxic
insecurity and the divisiveness that is eating
into our diverse nations and its peoples. His
uncommon confidence and courage have both
attracted him to me, even before we met for
the first time.
I was not just curious to know what propels
him, but also interested in knowing how he
has been able to achieve what this
Government has strived to achieve in almost
seven years with limited or no success
depending on your viewpoint. How did he
manage to win the confidence and friendship
of those tormentors of Nigerians, strong men
who are able to trek thousands of kilometres
to wreak havoc and vanish into thin air within
a twinkle of an eye? I had many questions
begging for answers. I was determined to get
some answers to some of my questions
because I am of the firm belief that no matter
where I find myself, those answers may well
help in shaping the course of our country and
I can be one of the catalysts for bringing it
about.
I have been deeply concerned about the
widespread fear and dread of wanton killings,
rape, kidnappings and unending destruction of
lives and property in Nigeria. No part of our
nation has been spared the pillaging, maiming,
murder and denudation that has accompanied
or trailed the bandits and herdsmen. Indeed,
one of the main reasons some of us
supported the return of Major General
Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015, was
the assumption that he would be able to tackle
the catastrophic problems of insecurity head-
on because of his military antecedents and
past role as a much feared and respected
military dictator. Seven years on, he has not
yet succeeded. For a man well trained in the
art and science of military tactic,
manoeuvrings and war, his failure should
worry us all. His failure is a failure of all of us
because we clearly made a wrong choice and
having done so have failed to support him or
push him in the right direction to take the
proper decisions and make the necessary
sacrifices.
As we crawl towards the next general
elections in 2023, I felt we need to seize the
bull by the horns and search for the root
cause of this dangerous situation, that we are
now confronted with in our country. How can
any government succeed when it is unwilling
to engage anyone in dialogue? Despite the
trillions of Naira thrown into fighting this war
of attrition, not much has changed. War is
never a tea party. Dialogue is to be preferred
to war at any time because it saves lives and
property. Nobody has ever been able to
predict the outcome of any skirmish, let alone
a battle or war.
Even those with superior weaponry, science
and technology now understand that war is an
imprecise science that follows not the dictates
or plans of man. Ask the Russians in the
unfolding tableau that the world is being
forced to partake of. Even if battles are won,
the war is never over. Guerrilla warfare
becomes the order of the day. Vigilantes and
freedom fighters appear as far as those on the
defensive are concerned and the more you
push them underground, the more lethal they
become as we have now found to our huge
chagrin. I have decided to assign myself this
task of information gathering and peace-
seeking by reaching out to the dramatis
personae in this orgiastic theatre of the
absurd.
Apart from banditry, we have those ethnic
groups seeking to break away from Nigeria
due to a serious feeling of rejection,
marginalisation and exploitation by one
overhyped group, especially in the South East
and the South West. For a country that
survived a civil war about 50 years ago, it is
sad and distressing that we want to risk a
second civil war which experts have warned
against. No country can survive two internal
conflagrations that pits brother against brother
as we all are in Nigeria. I am of the firm
opinion that we remain better off as one
indivisible entity. Our problems stem not from
our grundnorm, constitution or institutions, but
from the players in our polity who have
ascribed to themselves the status of deities
when they are fallible, weak and actually
pitiable. It is us as a people that give them
whatever strength we perceive them to have
because they are a tiny minority, a miniscule
element that have us at the jugular merely
because we succumb to their crass bullying.
On my part, I feel the need to proceed in
search of peace and hopefully meet and
speak to those who can help me give meaning
to our variant of madness without methods. I
believe I have been given the opportunity to
do this because I have no alignments and I
am a liberal minded person who does not
judge without listening to the other side. I
believe in fairness and equity. The lawyers
always talk about a right of fair hearing, and I
am a devout advocate of this. As a
responsible journalist, I must ensure the
people hear and see both sides and then
make up their minds. In something as volatile
as the security and well-being of our nation, it
is imperative that we must find ways of
making peace and the first way is by listening
to the other side.
Some of my meetings would have to be
clandestine. I knew that I would have to cross
borders into certain territories and do what
needs to be done and return to compile my
findings in readiness for what God might do
for us soon. While most politicians are only
concerned with preparing their war chess for
the next rounds of elections, a few of us
should be thinking of the next generation. It is
for them we aspire to lead because the future
is theirs and not ours. Our present crop of
politicians are yet to grasp this fundamental
principle. I have succeeded to some extent in
reaching out to some very influential people,
some of my findings cannot be made public
yet due to certain circumstances. But I’m
greatly enriched by the knowledge I acquire on
my travels. Doing this has been an enriching
and ennobling personal experience as well.
My meeting with Sheikh Gumi had to be made
public because of the volatility, controversy
and sensitivity that his name attracts. I’m glad
he raised no objection whatsoever to this
happening. I had called him late last week and
left a message for him. He called back and
apologised for not getting him on the phone
when I had called earlier. I told him my
mission, that I would love to meet him last
Wednesday. He said Tuesday would have
been better for him as he wanted to go
somewhere but agreed to stay back for me.
My next move was how to get a flight to
Kaduna. I was shocked to discover that only
two airlines fly to Kaduna daily from Lagos,
Air Peace and Azman, both in the morning,
with their returns also before 12 noon. I had
to arrange heavy security based on what I had
read and heard. According to reports, Kaduna,
one of my favourite cities in Northern Nigeria
has fallen on bad times despite the efforts of
its energetic Governor, Nasir El Rufai. As soon
as we landed, I could feel the tension in the
air. Our drive into town wasn’t the usual
bubbly affair. Fuel scarcity was palpably
causing its own mayhem. We eventually
meandered our way to Sheikh Gumi’s house.
Only one young man at his main gate who
swung the gate wide open and led us to the
rear building. A fire incident had occurred only
last week in the front wing. I empathised and
offered my sympathies.
Sheikh Gumi was all dressed waiting for me.
He looked very handsome, certainly better
than in the previous pictures of him I had
seen. He is obviously highly charismatic and
cosmopolitan. We hugged, backslapped like
old buddies although we were meeting for the
first time. This immediately calmed any
tension and nerves there might have been
between us. My sense of unease disappeared.
I was made to feel at home, and I felt at
home. Wow, it was such a delight to meet
him. He disarmed me with his warmth and
simplicity and his frankness. We got on so
well. He spoke with so much candour in
impeccable English. He did not mince words.
For him, the Buhari government did not trust,
or want, anyone to assist in finding solutions.
There was definitely an agenda. Some people
were also milking the security budgets, which
according to him is mainly in cash and
unaudited. He is of the opinion that career
politicians can never change Nigeria. He gave
me fresh insight into the mindset of the
herdsmen and why they are so cantankerous.
He likened them to the aggression of Russia
against Ukraine.
He said while the world sees what Russia is
doing as illegal, Russia feels otherwise by
seeing it as self-defence and self-
preservation. We touched on the leadership
crisis in Nigeria, corruption, nepotism and so
on. He concluded that Nigeria deserves fresh
leaders who would not be bogged down and
encumbered by the ghosts of their past
misdeeds. Those fighting for emancipation in
the various parts of Nigeria simply do not
trust the current crop of politicians because
they have been betrayed time and again.
Nothing that they have done so far engenders
in them any faith or trust that they are capable
of changing, hence the conundrum and
quagmire that the nation is presently
presented with.
Sheikh Gumi was such a good host, and we
could have talked well into the night and the
next day. However, I needed to rush back to
the airport, and he saw me off to my car and
he said goodbye. I was happy to establish that
first contact in an atmosphere of camaraderie.
I look forward to further tapping into his
wealth of experience in the near future. In the
fullness of time, I will publicise fuller details
of our discussions. This is not the most
appropriate forum anyway. Suffice to say, I
met a man determined to work for the security
and unity of this nation when he sees the
same interest, seriousness and desire
displayed by those who lead us.
I firmly believe that this kind of approach and
rapprochement that I am pursuing is the way
forward for a secure and united Nigeria. We
must continue to believe in our country and
our fellow countrymen no matter where they
may come from and their antecedents. With
the right attitude to discussions and peace we
will achieve the elusive trust, peace and unity
that we so earnestly yearn for.




Source:https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/03/05/my-encounter-with-sheikh-gumi-in-kaduna/
Lalasticlala Mynd44

he sleep wit 1 eye open just in case

So

Star Boi

Jaden Smith reacted to
bizarre heresay around his
death that flooded the
social media on
Wednesday morning.
The Karate Kid star took to
Twitter to react to bizarre
social media hoax as
netizens claimed that he
had died in an car crash.
The 23-year-old turned
down the speculations by
simple tweeting, “Invisible.”
Earlier, fans expressed
their worries and concerns
over the claims. Some
users even started
extending their
condolences to Will Smith.
The Life In A Year star
previously sparked massive
concerns among his well-
wishers for seemingly
losing weight rapidly.
“I was able to work with
the doctors and really get
my vitamins and get my
supplements and protein
shakes,” he talked being
thoughtful of his health
with fans during his
appearance on Red Table
Talk.
“That’s half of my diet. It’s
like a password that I have
to find to my body,” he
detailed his weight gain
journey.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/4759975/jaden-smith-rumor-dead-fans-claimed-car-crash/
Lalasticlala Mynd44

freshkpomo:
Seems Yoruba people are born as ritualists, Especially the ones that worship the Arabian idol called Allah... Look at what one wrote to me while we were discussing. Now I know why Igbos call them Kings of Skullership

Mynd44 rule 2

Many users reported either having
trouble registering for an account or
were added to a waitlist.
Donald Trump’s new social media
venture, Truth Social, launched late
on Sunday in Apple’s App Store,
potentially marking the former
president’s return to social media
after he was banned from several
platforms last year.
The app was available shortly before
midnight ET (0500GMT) and was the
top free app available on the App
Store early Monday. Truth Social
was automatically downloaded to
Apple Inc devices of users who had
pre-ordered the app.
Many users reported either having
trouble registering for an account or
were added to a waitlist with a
message: “Due to massive demand,
we have placed you on our waitlist.”
The app has been available for
people invited to use it during its
test phase, Reuters news agency
previously reported.
Trump was banned from Twitter Inc,
Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s
YouTube following the January 6,
2021 attack on the US Capitol by his
supporters, after he was accused of
posting messages inciting violence.
Led by former Republican US
Representative Devin Nunes , Trump
Media & Technology Group (TMTG),
the venture behind Truth Social ,
joins a growing portfolio of
technology companies that are
positioning themselves as champions
of free speech and hope to draw
users who feel their views are
suppressed on more established
platforms.
So far none of the newer companies,
which include Twitter competitors
Gettr and Parler and video site
Rumble, have come close to
matching the popularity of their
mainstream counterparts.
“This week we will begin to roll out
on the Apple App Store. That’s going
to be awesome, because we’re going
to get so many more people that are
going to be on the platform,” Nunes
said in a Sunday appearance on Fox
News’ Sunday Morning Futures with
Maria Bartiromo.
“Our goal is, I think we’re going to
hit it, I think by the end of March
we’re going to be fully operational at
least within the United States,” he
added.
Truth Social’s app store page
detailing its version history showed
the first public version of the app, or
version 1.0 was available a day ago,
confirming a Reuters news agency
report. The current version 1.0.1
includes “bug fixes”, according to
the page.
On Friday, Nunes was on the app
urging users to follow more
accounts, share photos and videos
and participate in conversations, in
an apparent attempt to drum up
activity, according to a person with
knowledge of the matter.
Among Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a
new user who appeared to be a
Catholic priest and encouraged him
to invite more priests to join,
according to the person with
knowledge of the matter.
Even as details of the app begin
trickling out, TMTG remains mostly
shrouded in secrecy and is regarded
with scepticism by some in tech and
media circles. It is unclear, for
example, how the company is
funding its current growth.
TMTG is planning to list in New York
through a merger with blank-check
firm Digital World Acquisition Corp
(DWAC) and stands to receive $293
million in cash that DWAC holds in a
trust, assuming no DWAC
shareholder redeems their shares,
TMTG said in an October 21 press
release.
Additionally, in December TMTG
raised $1bn committed financing
from private investors; that money
also will not be available until the
DWAC deal closes.
Digital World’s activities have come
under scrutiny from the Securities
and Exchange Commission and the
US Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, according to a regulatory
filing, and the deal is likely months
away from closing. DWAC is headed
by a Florida-based capitalist who has
ties to an investment vehicle in
Wuhan, China, the filing said.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com:443/economy/2022/2/21/trumps-truth-social-tops-downloads-on-apple-app-store-many-waitlisted
lalasticlala mynd44

Investors are being urged to vote against a
$99m (£73m) pay package awarded to Apple
boss Tim Cook last year.
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) said it
has "significant concerns" over the size of the
award, up from $14.8m the year before.
Mr Cook, whose net worth is reportedly more
than £1bn, received the pay in shares, salary,
and for other costs.
The BBC has contacted Apple for comment.
In a letter to shareholders, the ISS said there
are "significant concerns" over the "design and
magnitude" of the package. "Half of the award
lacks performance criteria," ISS said.
Mr Cook, 61, who has often spoken publicly
about his concerns over equality and human
rights issues, said in 2015 that he would give
away his entire fortune before he dies.
According to ISS, Mr Cook's pay was 1,447
times more than the wage of an average
Apple employee.
His package included $630,600 in personal
security costs and $712,500 for personal use
of a private jet. ISS said the cost of such
perks "significantly exceeded" comparable
companies last year.
Last year, a US Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) filing showed that Mr
Cook donated almost £7.4m worth of Apple
shares to charity, without naming the
recipient.
The company behind the iPhone, iPad and
MacBook became the first company to hit a
$3tn (£2.2tn) stock market value in January
before dipping to its current value of $2.8tn
(£2.1tn).
Shareholder returns are now more than
1,000% since Mr Cook took over in 2011.
Apple is due to hold its annual meeting for
shareholders in the first week of March.
However, shareholder votes are only advisory,
while Apple's board decide on pay packages.
At last year's meeting, 95% of shareholder
votes supported Apple's executive
compensation programme.
Growing opposition
Companies in the US, and UK, are facing
stronger shareholder opposition over pay and
compensation.
General Electric, IBM and Starbucks failed to
win a majority of shareholder backing for
executive pay in 2021. US oil firms
ExxonMobil and Chevron also saw
shareholder revolts from climate activists last
year.
Asset manager Blackrock, Exxon's second
largest shareholder, doubled its votes against
executive pay proposals in the Americas in
early 2021, compared to 2020.
In the UK, more than twice as many FTSE 100
companies faced shareholder revolts than in
2020, condemning executive pay-outs when
many employees faced added financial
hardships in the pandemic.
President Joe Biden and congressional
Democrats have called for higher taxes on the
billionaires and big business to help pay for a
major social spending package. The proposal
would raise about $16bn by limiting
deductions for executive compensation.
The tax hike plan would pay for federally
funded paid family leave, expanded education
budgets and climate change problems.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60403548

Swearing-in ceremony takes place some three weeks after military coup that overthrew Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has been inaugurated as Burkina Faso’s president, just over three weeks after he led a coup that overthrew democratically elected Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

In a televised ceremony on Wednesday, Damiba took an oath before the country’s top constitutional body to “preserve, respect, uphold and defend the constitution”, the nation’s laws and a “fundamental act” of key decisions approved by the military.

Damiba was dressed in camouflage uniform and a red beret, and wore a sash in the colours of Burkina Faso’s national flag.

The ceremony in a small room at the offices of the Constitutional Council in the capital, Ouagadougou, was not attended by any foreign representatives.

Kabore was elected in 2015 following a popular revolt that forced out longtime ruler Blaise Compaore. He was re-elected in 2020, but the following year faced a wave of anger over the mounting toll from an increasingly bloody conflict that has spilled over from neighbouring Mali.

The fighting has killed thousands of people and forced millions from their homes across West Africa’s portion of the Sahel region in the face of attacks by armed groups affiliated with ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. This year, nearly 15 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will need humanitarian assistance, four million more than in 2021, according to the United Nations.

On January 24, Damiba, 41, led disgruntled officers to force out Kabore amid public anger over his handling of the worsening security situation.

Last week, the Constitutional Council formally determined that Damiba was president, head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces.

The move confirmed an announcement by the military on January 31 that Damiba would be appointed to those roles for a transitional period, and be assisted by two vice presidents.

The military suspended the constitution immediately on taking power, but later reversed this in the face of pressure from neighbours in West Africa demanding a return to civilian rule.

The military authorities have promised to re-establish “constitutional order” within a “reasonable time” but the issue of a date for elections remains unsettled.

Earlier this month, Damiba created a 15-person technical committee charged with proposing a timeline for a transitional government that will lead the country to elections. The committee is expected to announce its proposal on how the country should return to democracy in a few weeks.

While the military government has so far received widespread support from people across Burkina Faso, the international community has condemned the coup. Burkina Faso has been suspended from the West African regional body known as ECOWAS as well as the African Union, which stopped short of imposing sanctions.

Both those organisations are calling for a fast transition to constitutional rule and for Kabore to be released. The former president is still under house arrest in Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest countries and one of the most volatile in Africa.

The landlocked Sahel state has experienced repeated coups since gaining independence from France in 1960, and is battling a brutal armed operation.

More than 2,000 people have died, according to an AFP tally, while the country’s emergencies agency says more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes.

SOURCE: https://www.aljazeera.com:443/news/2022/2/16/burkina-faso-coup-leader-inaugurated-as-president

Super Cop My Ass.........Anyway
Ftc

ALGIERS: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Tuesday that the government would introduce youth unemployment benefits as the North African nation struggles with a jobless rate of almost 15 percent. The payments will be made “to preserve the dignity of young people,” Tebboune said in an interview broadcast on Algerian television. Algeria will offer its jobless a monthly grant of 13,000 dinars (around $100), a decision aimed at alleviating the economic crisis,d Tebboune told reporters. The allowance — equivalent to nearly two-thirds the minimum wage of 20,000 dinars ($142) — will begin in March. It will be accompanied by medical benefits, while some taxes on consumer products will also be suspended, Tebboune said. Algeria, Africa’s biggest gas exporter with around 45 million people, earns some 90 percent of its state revenues from hydrocarbons. Tebboune said the youth payments were part of the 2022 budget. In November, lawmakers voted to scrap generous state subsidies on basic goods that had long helped maintain social peace, but that had strained state budgets as energy revenues fell. Meanwhile, the Algerian leader also said that an Arab League summit will be held in the fourth quarter of this year, after previously announcing that it would be postponed. The 31st Arab League Summit was set to be held in March after Tebboune said his country would host it in November. The new date of the meeting will be announced next month.

Source:https://www.arabnews.com/node/2025611/middle-east Lalasticlala Mynd44

Good For Him