₦airaland Forum

A police officer, Sergeant Oludare Ariyo, attached to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Special Protection Unit, Base 7 Command, allegedly shot a building engineer over an argument that erupted at a viewing centre during the match between Nigeria and Mexico on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Kpadna community of the FCT.

Police shoot victimThe spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Hyelhira Daniel, who confirmed the incident through a telephone chat, said though the officer was not serving in the FCT Command, he would be arrested and the matter investigated and if found wanting, would be prosecuted.

When LEADERSHIP visited Wuse General Hospital, where the victim Mr Joseph Akara, a native of Edo State, is receiving treatment, he said they were watching the match and trouble started when the policeman refused to pay for drinks he had ordered when the waiter requested for the money.

He said the duo was having an argument over the unpaid bills and it was while attempting to mediate that the policeman shot him on the thigh.



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TRUTH BE SAID

Yester-years, precisely, during Olusegun Obansanjo’s 1979 military regime, there was a serious conflict of ideology between the bourgeoising military elite and one pen-soldier ‘Arthur Nwankwor’. This tussle however polarized academicians’ ranks between those who loves their dare lives and never mind worshiping the military cadre for it, and other ‘radicals’ who also never mind loosing theirs in defense of what they believe. This hinted debate lasted and later mid-wifed the book “Before I Die” written by this pen martyr (Arthur Nwankwor) who suspected that the world may never know about the ‘other side’ of OBJ and Nigeria debt to World Bank if he never act fast by penning it down as his life already labeled for destruction by the-power-that-be can come to a mysterious end anytime. The detail of the fight between the duos is another day subject of discussion but one outstanding thing from this power/ideology clash is that majority of Nigeria leaders hate to be told where they have faulted. Thus, they consequently surround themselves with praise-singers; mostly mediocre.

But briefly, the fight is all about Arthur asking why the country should go burrowing from the International Monetary Fund IMF against the wish of entire Nigerian and against the recommendation of the committee setup by the Head of State himself, thus, OBJ felt dared and smirched for a mare Nigerian asking why his Alfa & Omega decision to borrow from IMF should be questioned by anybody. Meanwhile, Arthur argued that if there is even any need to borrow, it will be more rational to collect a little from our foreign reserve since we already have a stable economy and enough surpluses in our foreign reserve. This borrowing form IMF by OBJ Administration later turned to be the genesis of Nigeria currency devaluation and prognosis of our unending economic crisis.

As the ASUU strike surge, our dear President seemed more concerned with habouring praise-singers than tackling issues being criticize headlong. Thus, the falcons and falconers now becomes enemies just as the battle seem to have been shifted from Presidency/FG to National Association of Nigeria Students NANS; turning the battle to be NANS vs ASUU

Few days ago, I was told that the ASUU Chairman of UNILAG Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka had in an interview with a Punch correspondent said the bitter truth about NANS President Comr. Yinka Gbadebo which may be daring. I only gave a divided attention listening ear as I ain’t recently much interested in NANS politicking.

In the said interview, when the Punch correspondent asked Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka “NANS says it is no longer supporting ASUU in the strike. Is this not an indication that the union has lost one of its strong allies in this struggle?” he was quoted to have answered “The tragedy of this nation is that we killed leadership at the students’ level. The government penetrated the students’ body and destroyed it. We are aware that the President of NANS was rusticated about 10 years ago from the Ekiti State University. He appeared at the Obafemi Awolowo University where he got admitted for a diploma programme in Local Government Studies in order to qualify him to seek election as NANS President. Now we have a Diploma Student representing NCE, OND, HND, Bachelors students as their leader. The painful thing is that most students, even at OAU, Ife, do not know the President of NANS. It is doubtful if he has a regular matriculation number, knows his course adviser and fellow students. He runs NANS from the comfort of a hotel in Abuja. Our prayer is that the strike will be over, those parading themselves as NANS leaders will be back to school, and journalists will be able to locate them in their various hostels and classrooms if they are genuine students. We know our students and our students know us. These NANS people may be students but not Nigerian undergraduates”

Days later on, I noticed an unexpected post in Yinka’s Facebook Wall, the post was simple but funny. It reads “My Name: Adeyinka Gbadebo. School: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile/Ife, Osun State. Course: Local Government Studies. Matric Number: DLG/2011/207 and ended with a surprise rhetoric question “What else do you need?”

I tried endlessly to decipher the rationale behind such post until when the debate started heating the social media unendingly. It was then that I perceive that Yinka was responding to UNILAG ASUU Chairman Interview.

As if the there is a sinew sting on Yinka’s psyche, he decided to make an elaborate rejoinder on 17th Oct, 2013 which he captioned “The hypocrisy of ASUU and the dilemma of Dr. Ogbinaka of UNILAG in his inordinate desperacy to circumvent truth and assassinate decorum”.

Read details here: http://www.naijacenter.com/nans-politicized-jonathan-administration-detriment-nigerian-students/

(Reuters) - A Malaysian court ruled on Monday that a Christian newspaper may not use the word "Allah" to refer to God, a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension and raised questions over minority rights in the mainly Muslim country.

A Muslim woman recites a prayer during a demonstration outside Malaysia's Court of Appeal in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur October 14, 2013. REUTERS-Samsul SaidThe unanimous decision by three Muslim judges in Malaysia's appeals court overturned a 2009 ruling by a lower court that allowed the Malay-language version of the newspaper, The Herald, to use the word Allah - as many Christians in Malaysia say has been the case for centuries.

"The usage of the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity," chief judge Mohamed Apandi Ali said in the ruling. "The usage of the word will cause confusion in the community."

The decision coincides with heightened ethnic and religious tension in Malaysia after a polarizing May election, in which the long-ruling coalition was deserted by urban voters that included a large section of minority ethnic Chinese.


Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/court-rules-nonmuslims-allah-malaysia/

Four accused persons including the traditional ruler of Omokiri-Aluu, Alhaji Hassan Walewa, were granted bail yesterday as the trial of the killing of four University of Port Harcourt students in the community continued in a Port Harcourt High Court.

The trial judge, Justice Latam Nyordee, granted the four persons bail to the tune of N2 million and two sureties in like sum as the sureties must also be verified to be resident in the trial jurisdiction and have evidence of landed property and updated tax record in the past five years.

Justice Nyordee in the ruling on various bail applications for all 12 accused persons currently standing trial said the 9th to the 12th persons charged with negligence to prevent murder have basis to be granted bail in relation to the weight of allegations against them.

However the court denied bail to 1st to the 8th accused persons affirming that it does not find sufficient basis to grant the applications as the charge of murder carrying capital punishment against them, makes it impossible to grant them bail.

Those granted bail apart from Alhaji Walewa include Okogoro Endurance, Ozioma Abajuo and Chigozie Evans Samuel, the 10th, 11th and 12th accused respectively.


Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/aluu-4-court-grants-4-bail/

While confused, fighting and angry over the purchase of two armoured cars by the aviation minister during the aviation financial difficulty, president Jonathan fired Festus Odimegwu as Population Commission boss.

JonathanThe president who has sworn to fight against corruption has turned deaf ears and blind eyes to a secret that turned open transactions maybe due to the fact that the person involved is his untouchable.

Many Nigerians have condemned the propose national conference as a mere waste rather than concentrating on reducing corruption in the country. Nigerians can't really figure out why President Jonathan despite the indictment and proof of the scandals concerning the BMW cars, refused to take action.

Sources had it that Jonathan fired him the population boss because of a statement he made concerning population census in the past.

The former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc has been embroiled in controversy over the nation’s census history, with northern politicians calling for his removal.

Mr. Odimegwu referred to the past census in the country since 1816 as not credible and blamed the cause on the distortion and falsification of figures on selfish and political reasons.

Read details: http://www.naijacenter.com/president-jonathan-misfires/

The Former member of house of representative, Dino Malaye has taken a step forward to expose the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah over the purchase of the two Armoured Cars which according to the document exposed by Sahara reporters, cost N225 million each.

Dino contacted the company in US where the BMW cars were bought and discovered that the cars actually worth N96 million each.

"President Jonathan two bullet proof cars were bought at the rate of N135 million each, and i challenge Stella Oduah to tell us where she got hers", said Dino

Read More at http://www.naijacenter.com/dino-malaye-exposes-stella-oduah-actual-prizes-bmw-cars/ for his tweets and more....

PROTESTING traders, under the aegis of National Market Women Association, Monday, stormed the National Assembly, demanding that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, call off its more than three months old strike.

ASUUThe protesters, who had been at the Ministry of Education and Office of the Head of Service, arrived the Assembly complex at 11.30a.m.

President-General of the group, Mrs Felicia Sani, who led the more than 200 protesting women, said: “We are tired of seeing our children at home. We want our children back in school. Enough of this cheap blackmail.

“We all know what they do with our year-one daughters in the university. We equally know that they sell handouts and handbooks.

“Is this not worse than corruption of the highest order?”

Read details of what the market women said here :http://www.naijacenter.com/market-women-protest-ASUU-strike-national-assembly/

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — On the day of his induction, Baraa Rantisi was told to wait near a mosque after evening prayers.

At the appointed time, a white car drove up. Baraa and the driver exchanged passwords — Omar Ibn al-Khattab and al-Farouk, the name and nickname of an early Muslim leader — and Baraa got into the car.

In a room sparsely furnished with a desk and wooden chairs, a man instructed Baraa and two other recruits on the values of Islam and a life of sacrifice. When his turn came, Baraa placed his hand on the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and swore "unwavering loyalty and obedience."

With that oath 10 years ago, Baraa joined the Muslim Brotherhood, an exclusive, secretive and disciplined movement that sees itself on a divine mission to establish Islamic rule.

The story of Baraa, 24, and his extended family shows the strength of the Brotherhood: Its cohesion, careful vetting of members and strict rules have propelled an underground movement into a global network that seized power in the Arab Spring. However, some argue that the same closeness and authoritarian nature has worked against the Brotherhood, which now faces challenges to its power throughout the region.

The Brotherhood was toppled in Egypt in a July military coup, and former president Mohammad Morsi will go on trial in November. The coup is also threatening the 6-year-old rule of its Palestinian branch, Hamas, in neighboring Gaza, because the Egyptian military has closed smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, depriving Hamas of millions of dollars in foreign donations and customs revenue. In several Gulf Arab states, the movement has been targeted in a crackdown, and Tunisia's Brotherhood-dominated government faces a backlash.

"They fail to make the transition from a closed organization into an open and broad-based transparent government," Fawaz A. Gerges, director of the Middle East Center of the London School of Economics, said of the Brotherhood. "They behaved, while in government, exactly as they behave internally."

Over several months, AP reporters had rare access in Gaza to the Rantisis, a prominent Brotherhood family that reflects both the deep loyalty of followers and the worries and divisions brought on by recent dramatic setbacks.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/muslim-brotherhoods-cohesion-pitfall/

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE of the Progress Report of the Commission on the Implementation of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.482(XXI) on the International Jurisdiction, International Justice and the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Presentation made by the Republic of Kenya as well as the recommendations of the Executive Council thereon;

2. REITERATES, in accordance with the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), the AU ’s unflinching commitment to fight impunity, promote human rights and democracy, and the rule of law and good governance in the continent;

3. REAFFIRMS its previous Decisions on the abuse of the principles of Universal Jurisdiction adopted in Sharm El Sheikh in July 2008 as well as the activities of the ICC in Africa, adopted in January and July 2009, January and July 2010, January and July 2011, January and July 2012, and May 2013 wherein it expressed its strong conviction that the search for justice should be pursued in a way that does not impede or jeopardize efforts aimed at promoting lasting peace;

4. REITERATES AU’s concern on the politicization and misuse of indictments against African leaders by ICC as well as at the unprecedented indictments of and proceedings against the sitting President and Deputy President of Kenya in light of the recent developments in that country;

5. UNDERSCORES that this is the first time that a sitting Head of State and his deputy are being tried in an international court and STRESSES the gravity of this situation which could undermine the sovereignty, stability, and peace in that country and in other Member States as well as reconciliation and reconstruction and the normal functioning of constitutional institutions;

6. RECOGNIZES that Kenya is a frontline state in the fight against terrorism at regional, continental and international levels and, in this regard, STRESSES the threat that this menace poses to the region in particular and the continent in general, and the proceedings initiated against the President and the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya will distract and prevent them from fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities, including national and regional security affairs;

7. RECALLS that following the 2007 Post Election Violence (PEV), the mediation process in Kenya was initiated by AU which led to the enactment of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and the Agreement establishing the coalition government, and EXPRESSES concern that the ongoing process before the ICC may pose a threat to the full implementation of the National Accord of 2008 and prevent the process of addressing the challenges leading to the post-election violence;

8. EXPRESSES its deep appreciation for the full cooperation that the President and Deputy President of Kenya have demonstrated to the ICC process and CALLS UPON the ICC to show the same level of cooperation in the process;

9. DECIDES as follows:

i) REAFFIRMS the principles deriving from national laws and international customary law by which sitting Heads of State and other senior state officials are granted immunities during their tenure of office;

Don't let me do all the job for you.. read the details here: http://www.naijacenter.com/african-union-decision-africas-relationship-international-criminal-court-icc/

The Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is amused by the news of the setting up of a Disciplinary Committee by the faction of PDP led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Tukur and New PDP

The faction in a statement signed and issued by its spokesperson Mr. Eze Chukwuemeka Eze noted that the purpose of the said disciplinary committee led by Alhaji Umaru Dikko was to continue the witch-hunting of the progressive PDP members led by Alhaji Baraje, then there would be no need for further evidence that Tukur and his illegal National Working Committee (NWC) are indeed not ready for peace.

The breakaway PDP said, “By reviving the so called disciplinary committee at a time when the Party Leader, His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan, is busy holding peace meetings with the Baraje-led PDP shows that he is working at cross purposes with Mr. President. To call a spade a spade, it is tantamount to anti-party activities and exposes, exposes Tukur’s hypocrisy and vindicates our stand that he is an obstacle to peace in our great party”.

“If indeed a disciplinary committee has been set up by Tukur, we make bold to say that he should be the first with his illegal NWC members to appear before it for usurping the office of the National Chairman of our party even when he is not legally a member of the party as he did not revalidate his membership of the party during the 2011 revalidation exercise.

Read details here: http://www.naijacenter.com/tukur-nwc-disciplined-pdp/

At the conclusion of the 2013 World Bank annual meeting, yesterday, in Washington, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, lamented that Liechttenstein has continued to frustrate efforts by Nigeria to recover €185 million popularly called Abacha loot, after 14 years.

She said that the World Bank had agreed to help monitor how the recovered fund is spent.

world bankShe said: “There have been several hurdles put in Nigeria’s way in the central European nation’s courts by the Shell companies or their representatives, challenging every step, and the World Bank has offered to help ensure that the recovered funds are judiciously utilised for the good of Nigerians.”Okonjo-Iweala, who was fielding questions on the sidelines of the 2013 annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, said “it has gone to a stage where the courts in Liechtenstein have now litigated and said it should be returned.”


http://www.naijacenter.com/okonjoiweala-laments-liechtensteins-attitude-185m-abacha-loot/

In a recent media interaction, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State expressed deep concern over the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to fund the federation account and facilitate payment of monthly allocations to the three tiers of government, especially when crude oil has consistently sold at over $100/barrel in place of the budget benchmark of $79/barrel!

Furthermore, Uduaghan noted that the earlier reported production loss of about 400,000b/day, due to theft and leakages, has since been reduced to less than 100,000b/day, after repairs to vandalised pipelines! “So, where is the money?”, the governor asked in apparent consternation!

However, Tumini Green, the NNPC’s General Manager for Public Affairs, responded with a media statement that the NNPC does not owe the federation account after “outstanding subsidy and other associated cost of operation and losses are captured”. Nevertheless, she admitted that, “Not all revenue collected by the NNPC are paid directly into the account for federal allocations with the CBN”. According to her, some are paid into the accounts of other relevant agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Department of Petroleum Resources with the Central Bank of Nigeria!

Notwithstanding, 11 state governors on the platform of the Progressive Governors’ Forum have dismissed the NNPC’s defence as “escapist, dishonest and contradictory”. The governors therefore, demanded a statement on total receipts from sale of crude oil, and insisted that the NNPC should confirm the total amount paid into the federation account, and state “how much was paid to other relevant agencies and the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee.” Furthermore, the governors advised the NNPC to clearly specify the amount it had retained internally as subsidy refund for its fuel imports, as well as provisions made for operational costs and losses, as claimed by Green!

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, also corroborated the concerns of his colleagues and implored the corporation to pay over N2.3tn it allegedly owed the federation account.

According to Oshiomhole, “The truth is that there is a financial crisis in Nigeria, which has very serious national security implications …. In Edo State, like the rest of other 36 states, part of our July allocation has not been paid, about one-third of our August allocations has not been paid, and nothing has been paid from September allocation, and it is the first time since 1999 that this has happened.”

However, in a report in ThisDay’s edition of October 6, (page 11), the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, confirmed that the full balance of N121.1bn for July allocation had finally been fully distributed among the tiers of government; the minister also noted that “it had taken the Allocations Committee two months to fund July revenue shortfall”.

Paradoxically, such a critical fund shortage existed side by side with the burden of systemic surplus funds, which the CBN compulsively sought to reduce and thereby forestall inflation, by keeping idle, hundreds of billions of naira, which it borrowed at double-digit interest rates from the banks, with sales of treasury bills! It is equally ironical that these perceived “oppressive” surplus cash (excess liquidity) also existed simultaneously with the readily acknowledged shortage of cheap loanable funds to our beleaguered real sector.

Not finished yet, follow the link below to read the details:

http://www.naijacenter.com/fg-money/

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested 17 fake youth corps members at the NYSC Orientation Camp at Kubwa, Abuja.

The fake corps members were nabbed by operatives of the commission Thursday evening while taking pictures outside the camp during the passing-out parade.

“ICPC operatives stormed the NYSC Orientation Camp at Kubwa based on intelligence reports and effected the arrest of the suspects made up of eight females and nine males,” a statement signed by Folu Olamiti for the commission and made available to Sunday Trust read.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that 15 of the fake corps members claimed to have enrolled in degree courses run by consultancy services in the following institutions: University of Calabar (6), University of Jos (6), Ebonyi State University (1), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1) and Crown Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti (1),” the statement added.

It also said one of the other two fake corps members never attended any university, but said she was desirous of getting a Discharge Certificate.


Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/17-fake-corps-members-arrested-abuja/

Nigeria said it is ‘disappointed’ with the ICC over African affairs.

Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, has called for an amendment of the laws governing the International Criminal Court, ICC, to allow serving African leaders to enjoy immunity from prosecution for war crimes, genocide, and war against humanity.

Two serving African presidents, Sudan and Kenya, have been accused of war crimes by the ICC.

Mr. Jonathan stated this on Saturday in an address at the Extraordinary Session of African Union Heads of State and Government, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“Our (Nigeria’s) position is that certain Articles of the Rome Statute are of grave concern to Africa. In particular, Article 27 which denies immunity to all persons without regard to customary international law, conventions and established norms, must be amended.”

Read More at http://www.naijacenter.com/president-jonathan-seeks-immunity-african-leaders-icc-prosecution-war-crimes-genocide/

Patient Jonathan was on Thursday awarded with a Honorary Doctorate degree by a South Korean Univeristy called "Hansei University"

Patience JonathanMrs. Jonathan’s fourth doctorate since becoming Nigeria’s First Lady.

The awarding institution, Hansei University, said they honoured Mrs. Jonathan because she had worked“hard for many good causes.”

“She’s a humanitarian who has dedicated her life to working for the less privileged in Nigeria and Africa especially for women and children,”president and Chancellor of Hansei University, Sung-Hae Kim said.


Read more here.....http://www.naijacenter.com/patience-jonathan-honoured-doctorate-degree-south-korea/

The last Thursday’s crash of an Embraer 120 plane conveying the remains of former Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu, to his home state which killed 15 of the 20 people on board has been traced to human error.

A report by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) on Friday indicated that pilot error might have been the probable cause of the crash, but the bureau said it was yet to conclude investigations on the crash.

AIB in its preliminary report on the accident presented to journalists in Abuja said that investigations revealed that the aircraft was already faulty before the cockpit crew decided to embark on the journey.

According to the report, the captain in command, Captain Abdulraham Yakubu, insisted that the crew must continue with the journey even when the co-pilot suggested that the flight should be aborted.

The aircraft crashed exactly 31 seconds after take off from the runway.

Please read details here: http://www.naijacenter.com/agagu-pilot-copilots-warning-fly-plane-accident-bureau/

Kano State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Sanusi Abdulrasheed, has lamented that 89 per cent of corps members in the country could neither write good application nor communicate effectively in English Language.

He stated that the majority of the corps members were more at home with the use of “broken English” as a means of communication.

Mr. Abdulrasheed made the disturbing disclosure yesterday in Kano during the passing out parade (POP ) of the present batch of corps members, where he noted that the findings were based on a nationwide research facilitated by the management of the scheme.

He told outgoing corps members: “ I don’t want you to feel insulted, but it is a statement of fact. The management of NYSC noticed one thing in you; that a bulk of you were not communicating effectively in English.


Read details: http://www.naijacenter.com/89-corps-members-communicate-english-nysc/

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday accused the Federal Government of implementing the “No Work, No Pay” rule, even as there are indications that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had issued a directive to university governing councils to stop the salaries of the striking lecturers.

Speaking shortly after the zonal conference of the union held at the Gwgwalada campus of the University of Abuja to review the ongoing strike, ASUU Zonal Chairman, Clement Chup said his colleagues were yet to receive their September salary.

He explained that members have begun implementing a welfare scheme to cushion the effects of government’s latest action. Part of the strategy, he said, is distribution of food items, giving out soft loans and cash advances to lecturers.

Read details here: http://www.naijacenter.com/latest-ASUU-fg-invokes-noworknopay-rule/

The former Delta governor is serving jail-term for fraud.

Hearing in the case of confiscation of 90 million pounds (N22.5 billion) worth of asset belonging to ex-governor IboriJames Ibori ended inconclusively on Monday in a British court.

The case will now start afresh next year.

James Ibori, governor of the oil-producing state of Delta in southern Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, is serving a 13-year jail sentence in a British jail.

This was after he pleaded guilty in February 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering.

Once an influential power-broker at the heart of Nigeria’s ruling PDP, he is by far the most senior politician to be held accountable for corruption; although he is yet to be convicted for corruption in Nigeria, where a high court judge had once freed him of corruption charges.

The confiscation proceedings against him will determine whether he emerges from jail impoverished or still in possession of a large enough fortune to regain a position of influence in Nigeria.


Read More at http://www.naijacenter.com/ibori-n22-billion-loot-uk-court-restart-assetconfiscation-case/

Three hundred people were feared dead after a boat carrying up to 500 African asylum seekers caught fire and sank off Italian shores in the worst recent refugee disaster in the Mediterranean.

Rescuers and local fishermen were overcome with emotion as they spoke of chaotic early morning scenes in the water off the Italian island of Lampedusa, with “a sea of heads” as desperate refugees waved their arms and screamed.

There were also stories of survival such as a young Eritrean woman thought dead and laid out with other corpses before medical personnel realised she was still breathing and revived her.

A UN official blamed a repressive policy towards illegal immigrants for the tragedy, while UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he hoped the disaster would be a “spur to action” to protecting migrants’ rights, and improving the public perception of immigrants.

Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano initially reported “93 victims, including three children and two pregnant women”, but rescue divers later said they had identified at least 40 more bodies in and around the sunken wreck.

With only 150 survivors plucked from the water more than 12 hours after the disaster, there were fears that the final toll could rise further to 300 or more people.

“Seeing the bodies of the children was a tragedy. We have run out of coffins,” said Pietro Bartolo, a doctor. “In many years of work here, I have never seen anything like this,” he said.

Lampedusa is one of the main entry points into the European Union for asylum-seekers crossing from north Africa or the eastern Mediterranean.

Migreurop, a network of immigration charities, estimates 17,000 migrants have died at sea trying to reach Europe in the past 20 years, crossing on rickety fishing boats or dinghies.

Survivors said they were from Eritrea and Somalia and had left from the Libyan port of Misrata.

Read details: http://www.naijacenter.com/500-african-asylum-seekers-fear-dead-boat-caught-fire-middle-sea-italy/

The students claimed to be owed over a million naira each.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Russia, Ekanem Assam, has threatened to recommend the repatriation of some Nigerian students, who invaded the country’s embassy in Moscow on September 30.

Ex-militant Niger deltaMr. Assam made the threat in a telephone interview in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the embassy was invaded by 21 ex-Niger Delta militants, who are currently studying in Russia, under the Federal Government’s amnesty programme.

He accused the students of destroying furniture, cars, computers, televisions, communications system and a 17th century artefact donated to the embassy by the Federal Ministry of Culture.

The ambassador, who said he was in Nigeria when the incident happened, disclosed that the deputy defence attaché was beaten up by the protesting students.

He said the ex-militants were protesting unpaid allowances by the Federal Government, including warm clothing and transport allowances.

Their other demands included an increase in their housing allowance from $200 (N32, 400) to $1,600 (N259, 000) a month and immediate payment of their monthly stipend, he said.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/exniger-delta-militants-invaded-nigerian-embassy-russia-ambassador/

The plane conveying Mr. Agagu’s corpse crashed on Thursday in Lagos.

The family and associates of the late Olusegun Agagu, former Ondo State Governor, have stated their intention to proceed with his burial on Friday as scheduled.

In fact, as a demonstration of the family’s resolve to proceed with the burial of their late patriarch, a wake-keep for the late governor held Thursday night in his ancestral home even as aviation authorities are yet to release the names of the passengers and crew who died in Thursday’s ill-fated crash.

Mr. Agagu, who died on September 13, was scheduled for burial at his Iju-Odo home on Friday at 11:00 a.m. while his corpse was scheduled to arrive Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday.

However, the Associated Airlines aircraft that was conveying his remains to Ondo crashed on Thursday morning at the Lagos Airport few minutes after take-off.

The spokesman of the aviation minister, Joel Obi, confirmed the death of 13 of the 20 passengers and crew on the plane.

Although the casket carrying Mr. Agagu’s corpse was dented, his remains were intact and taken to the Nigerian Airforce Hospital in Ikeja several minutes after the crash, authorities said.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/agagus-family-associates-proceed-burial-friday-plane-crash/

It harms me to see somebody as high as Jim Iyke will stood so low tumbling to the trick of TB Joshua deliverance. The main thing to question is "was Jim Iyke a paid performer?"

Jim Iyke can act so he has the ability to persuade the crowd that he was experiencing deliverance.

He has travelled all over the places, met diverse individuals of distinctive calibres and you will believe he has everything. The ladies he dated in the past are even now wishing to have him once again as some described him as a man who gives everything, mindful, adoring and you have no guts to whine when you are with him. Why didn't Jim see wife in them that he needed to head off to TB Joshua for deliverance?

Then again, TB Joshua does deliverance regularly and why did he advertise the one with Jim Iyke?

Read the details and watch the past video by his closest worker: http://www.naijacenter.com/jim-iyke-tb-joshua-deliverance-deceit/

Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo aka BlackFace has opened up on some issues which have been uncleared and spread by media in this brief interview with Ekhator Ehi, NAIJA CENTER NEWS.

He revealed that him (Blacface) and 2face have 50/50 rights presently on the controversial song "Africa Queen" sang by 2face in the past without any form of recognition or royalty for the actual writer, (BlackFace).

He also cleared the speculation that he came to Nigeria with a white woman after his contract with Franchise. Below is the excerpt:

You have issues with 2face concerning the song "African Queen" which he sang without royalties, how is that going for you?

Read Details: http://www.naijacenter.com/contract-franchise-time-blackface/

We will appreciate if you found anything worth talking about, please kindly contact us and we will like to hear you. WE had to publish this because it was really appalling and we hope Nigeria government do something about the stupid attitude towards what they are asked to do or even paid to do... Our news room email is news@naijacenter.com

We will appreciate all information. It has to be current, not a repost.. Video, Pictures and details will be appreciated..

Though the front building of the embassy seems to be a bit attractive, wait until you get into the compound before you understand what deceiving is about.

In the compound is what the embassy calls "white house". A building set aside to attend to thousands of Nigerians. It is like a kiosk where Mallams sell petty things in Lagos.

Inside the white house is just one room, with some chairs, less than 20 arranged and a big table for the officers to sit and attend to various problems. Though it is a white house, the population inhale carbon dioxide instead of oxygen from themselves since there is no room for ventilation and the air condition is unable to take care of the population.

White house is situated outside the fence to deprive Nigerians from coming into the main compound. Though it is a Nigerian house, it is more or less mainly for the diplomat who only allows Nigerians to come into the compound for passport snapping and other petty things.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/state-toilet-nigeria-embassy-malaysia/

“To show your frustration is to show that you have lost your power to shape events; it is the helpless action of the child who resorts to hysterical fit to get his way” – Robert Greene.Medicare PDP

The above extract drawn from Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power succinctly and aptly captures the true picture of the recent visit to members of the National Assembly by a group of aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are also known by their collective sobriquet as the new PDP. No doubt, this singular visit by Alhaji Kawu Baraje-led faction was not only ill-conceived, ill-considered, ignominious and ill-fated, but also it completely lacked the befitting reverence and aura that ought to have characterized such a visit. And it is quite a pity that the Baraje-led aggrieved group has unconsciously shown that it is not only frustrated but inclined to shamelessly dance naked in the glare of the public.

In the first place, it still boggles one’s mind why and how Abubakar Kawu Baraje and his cohorts had come to the erroneous conclusion that carrying their burden of partisan politicking to the two chambers of the National Assembly, which comprise the PDP and non-PDP members alike, would provide the panacea for whatever perceived or imagined travails they seem to be going through. Or, could this visit be one of the of mischievous game plans the group wants to employ in drawing public attention to their selfish demands, thereby falsely impressing it on the unsuspecting Nigerians that they are fighting a just cause? Or, what has politics in Peoples Democratic Party and its attendant disenchantment got to do with governance activities in the National Assembly? Is the PDP the only political party in Nigeria? Why then should Baraje-led faction storm the legislative complex in a manner that disrupted the serenity and governance activities of the Assembly? Now, come to think of it, should all the disenchanted in-groups in the PDP and APC, for example, make it a point of duty to be visiting the National Assembly in the manner Baraje and his group members did, what kind of scenarios are we going to be confronted with in this country? What sort of terrible precedent has Baraje along with his men set for the young people of this country?

Read More at http://www.naijacenter.com/pdps-rant-demands/

Former Federal Capital Territory minister, Nasir El-Rufai, who for weeks has been locked in bitter exchanges with the president, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor, has characterized Mr Oritsejafor as CAN’s worst leader in many years.

Mr El-Rufai compared the CAN leader with his predecessor.

“The courage of the likes of Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola, the Reverend Sunday Mbang and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, for instance, are shining examples of faith in action, with compassion for the oppressed and chastisement for the tyrants,” he said.

“It is a mark of the sad and uncertain times our country faces that we have to be reminded that previous leaders of CAN have used that platform for nobler purposes than we currently see.”

He accused Mr Oritsejafor of turning the association into a political arm of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Read Full Statement here: http://www.naijacenter.com/oritsejafor-worst-christian-president-years-says-el-rufai/

Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Service, Thursday said it thwarted an attempt by some kidnappers to abduct one of the daughters of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Marilyn Ogar, the agency’s spokesperson, said two suspects, including a fake army general, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Details of the incident are still sketchy.

However, cases of kidnap are on the upsurge, especially in the South of Nigeria.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/breaking-news-sss-foils-kidnap-late-president-yaraduas-daughter/

The Nigerians in Malaysia have decried the abuse melted on them by the staff of the Nigeria High Commission in Malaysia.

The staff in the consulate have taken it as a right and to showcase their energy by abusing the individuals who need one thing or the other from the Embassy.

A portion of the Nigerians who spoke with Naija Center News reporter uncovered that, they now and then forget they are in Nigeria House because of the way they are, no doubt treated.

They additionally specified names like Chuks, in charge of passport, and his supervisor Mr. Umar who they said viewed themselves as alpha and omega of the consulate.

A Nigerian woman with an infant was seen crying due to the way she was attended to, insulted and yelled at by the said Mr. Umar.

Read more here: http://www.naijacenter.com/nigerians-malaysia-decried-inhuman-treatment-nigeria-embassy/

Upon his return from the USA, popular musician, Charlie Boy, also known as Area Father, returned to his village, Oguta in Imo State, where he spent seven years. The son of a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Charlie Boy, stuck to his guns as he insisted that for him, it was music or nothing. But his meeting with Tyna Onwudiwe in the village changed his life.

Charlie Boy said, “I will never forget Tyna Onwudiwe. While in the village, after my return from overseas, I refused to work although jobs were provided for me. I told my parents that I knew what I wanted.

I wanted to become Charlie Boy. I became Charlie Boy to tell the timid and myopic Nigerians that you have the right to be what you want to be, and that one must not follow only a ‘zombie’ way of thinking and doing things. Everybody cannot be the same and everybody can’t follow the same way. You can’t say I am crazy because I wear this, except you too are crazy.

Read more: http://www.naijacenter.com/woman-tricked-come-lagos-village-charlie-boy/

Following the dislodgement of Boko Haram camps in some parts of Borno State by troops which had forced many of the terrorists to scavenge for food from villagers, the terrorists have resorted to armed robbery thereby robbing innocent civilians and killing three passengers after collecting unspecified amount of cash and food items from their victims along Bama- Banki road.

This is even as intelligence information available to the newly established Headquarters of 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Maiduguri indicated that the terrorists have written threat letters to Dikwa Market/Traders demanding N1 million to enable them purchase food items and other logistical requirement or be ready to face deadly attacks.

These were contained in a press statement emailed to Journalists yesterday by the Acting Spokesman of the 7 Div, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Sagir in the statement said, “ at about 11:35 hours on 13th September, 2013, some troops of Banki Forward Operating Base (BFOB) on a mission of 202 Battalion Bama, on their way back to Banki, a border town with Cameroun Republic encountered some Boko Haram terrorists along Bama-Banki road carrying out armed robbery activities on innocent traders and travelers.


Read details : http://www.naijacenter.com/hunger-forces-boko-haram-kill-three-demand-n1m-traders/