108 inmates out of the 275 that escaped during a jail break at the Medium Security Prison in Minna, Niger State last week, have been recaptured, the Nigeria Prison Service has said.
It stated that the fugitives were apprehended through the combined efforts of the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Services, Prison personnel and cooperation of surrounding communities. However, 166 other inmates are still at large.
A statement by the NPS spokesman, Ope Fatinikun, on Monday in Abuja, said the total number of inmates presently in custody was 157 including 49 others that did not escape. It added that search for the other fugitives was ongoing.
The statement noted that the Comptroller-General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendu, who was recently appointed in the wake of the prison break, appealed to communities and surrounding states of Kwara, Kaduna, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory to be vigilant and to watch out for any suspicious movement around and report such to the nearest Police or Prisons formations. “Once again, the Comptroller-General of Prisons wishes to reassure the general public that from all investigations so far, there was no external or Boko Haram attack in the Prison’s escape incidence”, the statement added.
Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro has lost the governorship slot of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to newcomer, Jimi Agbaje.
The PDP primaries held yesterday, December 8, and Agbaje defeated “Koro” with 434 votes to 346. Obanikoro had already been pegged by many as the winner due to his political experience and longer membership of the PDP. However, here are three likely reasons why he lost to Agbaje:
He didn’t have the support of the party leadership
The leadership of the Lagos State branch of the PDP was against Koro’s emergence as its governorship candidate. A chieftain of the party, Adeseye Ogunlewe had stated before the elections that Obanikoro could not emerge as the Lagos State governorship candidate of the PDP and he urged delegates to vote for the person that could deliver Lagos to the party. “We will never pick him, we will never return to Babylon. We will do what the electorate want. We will never, never, never pick him. I have answered you, we will never return to Babylon, never,” Ogunlewe said of Obanikoro.
The PDP Elders’ Council of Lagos State, headed by Chief Olabode George, Ogunlewe, among others also stated that said Obanikoro was not electable.
He is too controversial Obanikoro has been severally described as a thug and Ogunlewe said that he could not be chosen as the PDP’s flag bearer because he is too controversial. “It is the candidate that will be able to convince the people and they must be able to appreciate the candidate. The time is too short and the aspirant will not have time to be answering questions about allegations.” “Questions like what happened in City Hall. What happened to the pilgrimage funds, what is your date of birth? Is it 1960 or 1954? Where is your school certificate? What is your proper name, is it Obanikoro or Onikoro? All those things we don’t have time to be answering them anymore…” “Nobody is saying the allegations are true but they are questions that are unanswered and a political party should not spend too much of its time answering questions that are already in possession of the opposition.”
Bode George also accused Obanikoro of bringing thugs to the venue of the primaries in a bid to tamper with the process. “You asked me who was responsible for the thugs who nearly marred the situation this morning. Who else can that be? It is Obanikoro of course. He has penchant for doing so,” George said.
He has lost once before
Obanikoro contested in the Lagos governorship elections of April 2007 on the platform of the PDP but lost to incumbent Governor, Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress, now All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ogunlewe also stated that the PDP would not choose a candidate who possessed qualities lower than Fashola’s saying that the lucky candidate would be a professional with appropriate pedigree, among others. “We don’t want hooligans again that will be carrying guns and fighting on the streets. We have passed that stage. We must move forward, Lagos is the centre of economic activities,” he added.
General Overseer of Believers’ Loveworld Inc. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, recently turned 51...he had a special thanksgiving on Sunday in his church in Oregun, Lagos but marked it in grand style last night.
The celebration was done in a ship built inside one of the church premises. Gospel singers Eben, Sinach, Joe Praize, etc were there.
A suspected gay, Mohammed Snu, has been murdered by his partner, Mohammed Umar, inside a room of a hotel in Garki, Abuja.
It was gathered that Snu died after he was stabbed multiple times in the ribs with a screw driver by Umar last Thursday.
The deceased, who was a regular guest at the hotel, was said to have invited Umar for sex, but their romance went sour when Snu refused to pay his partner for the second round of sex.
A source in the hotel told PUNCH Metro that the two men had sex twice, but Snu allegedly refused to pay for the second round, which led to a scuffle.
The source said, “The man had just come back from a mosque where he went for prayers with his partner when we heard a loud noise from his room and a voice saying ‘ya kuri (please, don’t be angry)’. By the time we forced the door open, we saw Umar standing naked and Snu lying dead on the bed with stab injuries on his body. We immediately called the police and Umar was arrested.” It was learnt that the police came back later and whisked away the hotel manager for interrogation.
The incident was said to have generated an uproar around the Garki neighbourhood, as residents gathered in clusters to discuss the tragedy. The policemen from the FCT Command came in a white pick-up van and took the corpse away.
They also drove away his white Mercedez salon car with Abuja registration number, KUJ 883 AQ, which was parked on the hotel premises.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Peter Okechukwu, who confirmed the incident, explained that the deceased invited the suspect to massage him in his hotel room, saying he had pains in his ribs.
He said, “In the course of the massage, Snu asked Umar to UnCloth for sex, and from there, they engaged in a scuffle leading to the stabbing of the deceased by the suspect. It was the loud noise from their room that attracted the hotel workers. “When our men got to the hotel, we found the deceased and the suspect naked. Investigations have commenced and we will soon know what actually transpired behind the closed door.”
In a bid to stop the proposed demolition of his church, The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has dragged Lagos state Government and six others before a Lagos High Court.
Joined as co-respondents in the suit are the Lagos state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the state’s Attorney-General, Lagos state Ministry of Physical planning and Urban Development, Lagos state Building Control Agency, Lagos state Physical Planning Permit Authority, and Lagos state Task force on Environmental Sanitation, Pm News reports.
The Incorporated Trustees of Word of Life Bible Church, the claimant is urging the court for an order restraining the defendants their agents, servants, officers or privies from demolishing or further demolishing, destroying, or forcibly ejecting them. The claimant urged the court that they should not continue to take steps or in any other manner engage in any activity(ies) detrimental or contrary to the rights of the ownership or possession of the claimant in respect of the claimants land located at Plot 21E, Abdulrahman Okene Close, Off Ligali Ayorinde Street Victoria Island, Annex Lagos.
The claimants in an affidavit filed before the court averred that after applying for building plan approval from the respondents and it was not forthcoming within the regulated period the claimants through Pastor Oritsejafor made due enquires, wrote several letters, and also held meetings with the former governor of the state, Senator Bola Tinubu and the present governor of Lagos state Babatunde Fashola.
Consequently, in March 2013, the claimant received a letter from the defendants directing them to submit certain documents to facilitate the process of the approval of the building plan which it was complied with. However, while the claimant was still awaiting the building plan approval so as to continue with its Church building the claimant suddenly discovered that the defendants had pasted a certain contravention notice dated January 20, 2014 on its fence, alleging absence of development permit, as ground of seeking removal of the building on the land within two days.
The defendants, in their counter-affidavit alleged that the action of the claimants of not complying with rules and regulations generated the its supposed action.
They also alleged that the claimant commenced the erection of the structure on the said property without first obtaining a development permit. It was stated further that though, the claimant had applied for the permit, but it did not wait for the approval, rather it continued with the construction of the building.
The defendants further added that the claimant has also not provided all that was required to process its development permit.
The Peoples Democratic Party has described the All Progressives Congress as a “waste basket.”
Reacting to the primaries recently conducted by the APC ahead of the 2015 general elections, the ruling PDP stated that the majority of the candidates who have emerged on the platform of the opposition party were “expired substances.”
Writing on its Facebook page, the PDP particularly took on the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, and a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
The party described Tambuwal and El-Rufai, who defected from the PDP to the APC and recently won the latter’s tickets for the governorship elections in Sokoto and Kaduna States, respectively, as politicians who re-emerged from its “dump site.”
It also named Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Katsina State APC governorship candidate, Aminu Bello-Masari, as those emanating from the PDP “waste basket.”
“The All Progressives Congress is PDP’s waste basket. Many candidates who so far emerged from their (APC) primaries are either expired substances or spent quantity dumped by our great party.
“Besides, three out of the four APC presidential candidates were PDP members while over one third of the APC candidates for the National and State Assembly emerged from PDP dump site,” the PDP stated.
But Tambuwal has said that he would not join issues with the PDP or key presidential aides, no matter the level of provocation.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, Tambuwal stated on Twitter that only individuals who lack basic home training and manners would engage in heated exchange of “insults” in the public domain.
“The training we got at home won’t allow us to insult others,” he stated.
The Speaker, however, advised the PDP to learn some lessons from the way the APC and its members nationwide had so far conducted themselves during the party’s primaries (still ongoing).
Noting that the difference between the APC and the PDP was clear, the head of the lower chamber of the National Assembly was clearly confident that he would win the governorship election.
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Micah Gaiya (retd.), on Monday said that 100 ex-servicemen had been killed in the North-East part of the country, being ravaged by the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The legion caters for the welfare of ex-servicemen and persons who have distinguished themselves in the wars in which Nigeria has participated.
“We lost over 100 members to the current insurgency in the North East and the affected families are in dire need of help,” Gaiya said at the launch of the emblem for the 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He also told the audience that included President Goodluck Jonathan that only N30m had been redeemed out of the N105m pledges made by individuals and groups during a similar emblem launch held last year.
He said, “We intend to organise a special empowerment programme for the victims in the North-East zone and the Ministry of Defence will be duly briefed about the proposal in due course.
“Let me use this opportunity to honestly thank those who donated to the Nigerian Legion during the last launch.
“I however want to inform us that of the N105m pledged on December 16, 2013, in this very venue, only N30m has been redeemed to date.
“The saddest thing is that these pledges are made in the public eye, leaving us with no avenue to tell the world that such pledges have not been redeemed.
“We call with loud voice on those that have not redeemed their pledges to honourably do so.”
Gaiya appealed to those who attended the Monday event to pledge only what they could afford to redeem.
He said the appeal was necessary so that he would not be wrongly accused of embezzling the group’s money.
The Nigerian Legion chairman said the organisation had not been able to venture into the area of assisting its amputee members because of the cost implication of such an assistance.
Jonathan at the event directed his Chief of Staff, Brig.-Gen. Jones Arogbofa, to get the list of those who had not redeemed their pledges with a view to facilitate payments.
Normalcy is beginning to return to Mubi, Gombi, Hong, Maiha towns of Adamawa state after their recent recapturing by the Nigerian troops from the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents.
The towns were deserted as a result of the incessant attacks unleashed on them by the insurgents who were killing innocent residents and destroying property worth billions of naira in the affected area.
To know the true situation and build confidence in the minds of the people, the Correspondent Chapel in Yola visited Mubi and other affected towns Monday,
Some residents of the areas who spoke to journalists in Mubi confirmed that the town has been taken over from the control of the insurgents and they expressed happiness with the recent development.
Some residents who spoke exclusively to ThisDay said they can now go to bed with their eyes closed, saying the military has taken firm control of the area and that the soldiers have been kind to them.
However, a visit round the town shows low socio-economic activities as major streets of the town remains deserted while some shops across the major streets of Mubi have remained under lock and a few traders were spotted at the Central Market going about their normal businesses.
16-year-old Nigerian student, Kiahmarah Nwagwu, has not been seen for the past four days and has officially been declared missing. According to London24, Kiamarah was last seen leaving her school, Hammersmith Academy on Wednesday December 3rd at about 1.30pm.
Kiahmarah is slim and between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall. At the time of her disappearance, she had shoulder-length Afro-style hair, and was last seen wearing a dark knee-length wax coat, but might have taken a change of clothes. Anyone who has seen Kiahmarah or who knows of her whereabouts is asked to call Hammersmith & Fulham police on 101 or the charity Missing People on 116 000.
If the United States of America had subjected its entertainment industry to interational awards for recognition, they would not have come this far. What the American did was to create their own international Award shows that support their own industry. Today, the whole world follows the Grammys, American Music Awards and the Oscars-international events created by Americans and used to develop America’s entertainment industry. These American-owned award shows also reward foreign artistes, but strictly foreign acts that have done well in American society and worldwide.
In sports, the Americans created a ‘world series’ for Basketball, Base ball and American football, games ONLY the Americans truly play (except for basketball).
In Africa, the South Africans have done something similar by creating world class media and awards platforms that seemingly provide credibility to African acts but in reality meant to generate revenue for South African companies and ‘perhaps’ curtail Nigeria’s dominance in the continent.
Without doubt Nigeria has the largest and most buoyant entertainment industry on the continent. Many Nigerian artistes sell out concerts in other African countries. Nigeria’s entertainment industry should have by now created world class media/award events to reward our own artistes and honor those from foreign lands we decide as worthy. Unfortunately, we have surrendered this task to the South Africans.
The just concluded Channel O 2014 Music Awards was an Eye-opener. Davido’s Aye, a song that prompted Rwanda’s President to personally receive Davido at Kigali international Airport for a private performance at the Presidential Palace. Aye, a music video with over twelve million YouTube views, received five nominations at the Channel O Awards but failed to win any. Rather, in one major category Davido’s Aye lost to South Africa’s “Doc Shebeleza” by Kasper Nyovest, a (good) song largely popular within SADC region whose video had a little over 600,000 YouTube views. Reasons given by Channel O organizers was that Davido’s fans did not vote. Ridiculous!
Most Nigerians do not have an idea of the psychological impact continuous losses of ‘international’ music awards can have, not just on the artistes but on Nigerian music fans across the globe.
Yes, yes Nigeria has dominated many continental music award shows in the past, we even won Big Brother Africa three times back to back at one time. However, some of us in our paranoid state of mind have conspiracy theories concerning Nigeria’s back to back BBA victories for example. I believe that Multi-Choice, the TV Platform and organizers of the reality show allowed Nigeria to win in order to curtail the aggressive onslaught by HiTV and Startimes back then, thereby endearing more Nigerian subscribers. HiTV folded up, Startimes and many more smaller Pay TV platforms are no competition for DSTV’s Multi-Choice in Nigeria. So, they can now relax...and do us anyhow.
It’s time Nigeria divorces herself from some of these biased so-called continental or international award shows and concentrates on developing her own version of the Grammys or the Oscars where we Nigerians get to decide who is ‘hot or not’ in both our domestic or international music scene. We have earned that right.
Let’s bring back Big Brother Nigeria, powered by a Nigerian platform.
By the way, who won the Big Brother Africa Hotshots? The South Africans need not bother about this because there is already a Big Brother SA version held every year, where a South African MUST win. The South Africans just sit back and allow ‘mumu’ Nigerians alongside other Africans to come hustle for Big Brother Africa’s $300,000 while their country makes a killing from Brand endorsements...and the shower hour.
Some say Nigerians are sore losers, we want to win every time...blah,blah blah!
On Saturday, December 6, 2014, Wizkid showed yet another aspect of lifestyle on stage at the 2014 Hennessy Artistry’s grand finale which held at the Landmark Event Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
While performing on stage, the pop star was handed stacks of Naira in N500 denomination by his crew members which he threw into the crowd, causing a stampede as fans, photographers and even cameramen close to the stage scrambled for the money without inhibitions.
This was not the first time the ‘Jaiye Jaiye‘ singer would invoke a cash rain at a gig; he also did the same at the 2013 Felabration where he threw N100K in N500 notes into the crowd and repeated same at this year’s edition also.
Iyanya looks very excited in his white briefs in this selfie he shared recently. The singer shared the sexy pic last week when he was in South Africa for the Channel O Music Video Awards and quickly deleted it because of too much criticism.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the comment by Chief Edwin Clark, that if the opposition has its way it can poison or kill President Goodluck Jonathan just to take power, is absurd, incendiary and unbecoming of an elder statesman of the Chief’s stature.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Chief Clark’s comment, which was widely reported by newspapers, is the latest in a string of statements by President Jonathan’s supporters that are overheating the polity ahead of the 2015 general elections and are even threatening the peace and unity of the country. ”We have waited for several days to give Chief Clark the opportunity to deny making such a fallacious statement, but he has not done so, which means he was not misquoted and that he indeed meant what he said. ”It is time for the President himself to call his supporters to order for the sake of the peace and unity of our dear nation. They have been threatening fire and brimstone if the President is not re-elected in 2015, as if elections are won by threats. One has even gone as far as saying there will blood on the streets if the President is not re-elected,” it said.
APC said in making his dangerous comment, Chief Clark probably mistook the party for the PDP, which has been described as the nest of killers. ”Our party has never and will never contemplate killing or poisoning President Jonathan just to take power, as Chief Clark carelessly said. We are neither a violent nor an anarchic party. We do not seek power by any means other than through the ballot box. Therefore we reject, totally, the statement by Chief Clark. ”We remind Chief Clark that since President Jonathan was voted into office by Nigerians, they also reserve the right to vote him out of office. This is the way it is done in every true democracy, and heavens will not fall if President Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015. His supporters should put their emotions in check and stop making comments that are downright treasonable,” the party said.
Oritse Femi Ekile revealed to Punch in an interview on December 6, 2014 that his late dad was strongly against him becoming an artiste. The profession his father had in mind for his son was for him to be an engineer. This is what he had to say: –
“My father wanted me to become an engineer like him, so he did not support my music career. He knew I am talented but when I started music, people who got involved were seen as miscreants. Although I am from a polygamous family, I was one of my father’s favourites. He did so many things to dissuade me from pursuing my career. Back then whenever I got back home from a show, it was certain that he would ask policemen to arrest me. Everybody in Ajegunle knew that my father often asked policemen to arrest me. It got to a point when the policemen in the area were tired of arresting me. So, whenever they were asked to pick me up, they would release me the following morning. When my father realised that the police were not helpful, he built a guard room in our compound because of me. I thank God that at the end of the day, I was able to convince him. I am really pained because now that I have made it big in the industry, he is dead. I wish he were alive to witness this but I cannot blame God”
Detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Homicides Section, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State have arrested a housewife for allegedly stabbing her husband to death over N10 TomTom sweet. The suspect, Aminat Aiyemobola, 22, a mother of two, was said to have stabbed her husband, Babatunde Aiyemobola, 40, to death, using a kitchen knife. The incident, which occurred at 4, Magbon Alade Street, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State on October 12, 2014, left many residents gasping in shock.
The incident was reported to the police by the elder brother of the deceased. Aiyemobola was said to have been asked by his wife to give her N10 so that she could buy TomTom for their little daughter. But the deceased allegedly refused.
Instead, he chided her for always buying sweet for their kid, adding that she was teaching the girl to have a sweet tooth. Soon, the couple started quarreling over the issue.
The argument was said to have degenerated into name calling. And before anyone knew what was happening, the angry woman stormed into the kitchen and came out with a kitchen with which she stabbed her husband three times on the chest.
While undergoing interrogation, Aminat told homicide detectives that she did not know what came over her, leading to her picking the knife. Aminat reportedly said to her interrogators: “I love my husband. “He was a very caring man to me and my children. “Oga, I don’t know what came over me. “We love each other. “We’ve been living happily as husband and wife. “In fact, I don’t know whether I’m under a spell. “God please forgive me.”
The deceased was a casual worker with an Indian company in Nigeria.
The music video director and filmmaker took to her twitter page this morning to slam all the people who are bugging her and other single women to go get married.
The Celebrity blogger bidded N1M for designer Lanre DaSilva's dress for an Ebola campaign at The Future Awards Africa 2014.
The Future Award Africa 2014 held yesterday Sunday December 7, 2014 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos. During the course of the award ceremony an auction took place that was to raise money to support the campaign against Ebola. Auctioneers funny man Bovi and marry me singer Falz the bahd guy begun the bidding of a gold and pink Lanre DaSilva Ajayi dress at N200,000. The prize kept increasing and increasing and when it finally hit N800,000 and the crowd thought that was it, celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji raised her hand and put down a million Naira for the dress.
Linda Ikeji who was dressed in a white full length monostrap Herve Leger dress received an applause for the huge donation and charitable heart.
One Mrs Caroline Anande, a widow with seven children has narrated how her younger sister was shot in the mouth by armed robbers, to Sun newspaper.
Read the report below:
Geri could not talk to us, but could only write down responses relating to the incident, because her tongue was almost cut off, her mouth terribly wounded by bullets robbers shot at her mouth.
She could not turn her head either because the bullet hit part of her neck.
She lay helplessly in bed with sanitary tissues stuffed into the mouth to suck up saliva that drips uncontrollably from there.
She indicated that they had lived in the same area of Abuja for over five years. Geri’s trouble further burdens her elder sister whose late husband was buried just three months ago. “My heart is heavy, I am heartbroken looking at my sister lying in pains, she was supporting me immensely with the little income since my husband died. We had been managing to cope with our lean resources until armed robbers surfaced to wipe sleep away from our eyes.”
This poor widow explained that Geri, always leaves home at 4:30am for work, though she left at 5am that morning, because of the daily traffic on the Nyanya-Mararaba express But she couldn’t get to Abuja-Keffi expressway to board a bus that will convey her to town that day. “My sister testified after regaining consciousness on a written note, how a masked armed robber snatched her phone and handbag. Thereafter, commanded her to UnCloth, she pleaded with them, they were two men the unmasked man was behind backing them while the operation was going on. But, they shouted at her to UnCloth amid her pleas explaining that she was menstruating. But these evil agents insisted on raping her In the struggle, she screamed loud in fear for help, and that angered the armed man wearing mask that shot a bullet into her mouth and vanished, leaving her unconscious and bleeding.
It was an okada rider residing within their vicinity that called to inform the sister of the incident. “In fact, I was devastated seeing her helpless on the ground. Sincerely I thought she was already dead with the quantity of blood on the ground and on her body from heavy bleeding. I remain thankful to God and my neighbours who assisted to take her to the Nyanya General hospital where received initial treatment to revive her before she was referred to the Maitama General Hospital where they told us that her was affected by the shot and her tongue almost chopped off.
At the time of visit, she still had stitches on her tongue and teeth and as a result cold neither eat nor talk.After spending 10 days at the hospital, she was discharged and referred to National Hospital or Zaria for further medical attention.
A member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Abdussamad Dasuki, on Sunday clinched the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC] for the Kebbe-Tambuwal Federal Constituency in Sokoto State.
If he wins the February 2015 election, Mr. Dasuki, who is the son of the former Sultan of Sokoto and brother to current National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, will succeed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who has occupied the seat for the last eight years.
Mr. Tambuwal was elected as the APC’s governorship candidate in Sokoto ahead of next year’s polls. Mr. Dasuki, from Dogon Daji in Tambuwal LGA, was affirmed as the candidate of the constituency by 176 delegates from 21 wards in Kebbe and Tambuwal local government areas of Sokoto State. The election, which took place at the Tambuwal Stadium, had in attendance political office holders from the constituency serving at both the state and federal levels.
Mr. Dasuki, a Harvard trained economist, is presently the chairman of Finance and Appropriation committee of the Sokoto State House of Assembly.
Davido just shared this photo on his instagram page. He said it's an early Christmas present to himself for a great 2014. Congrats to him. Her wrote: "Early Christmas present for myself. Been a great year. Thanks for all the support worldwide. I wouldn't have gone this far without you guys. 2015 gonna be mad!"
Nigerians Spend Millions On London Property-But WHERE? By Ruonah Meyer. My London based sister and friend Ruonah Agbroko - Meyer decided to do an investigative interview of rich Nigerian buying houses in London and she did a marvellous 'legedes Benz' interview...and spiced it up with 'we waffy' pidgin..
Check it out................*Catch the Kisses for a job well done Ronny!
''Wealthy Nigerians spent over $390 million on property in London over the last 3 years according to new research. They are the biggest spenders out of the whole Africa - who, as a continent, spent over $938 million.
"The most expensive property we've ever sold to a Nigerian is actually a transaction we're in the middle of working on at the moment," says Camilla Dell, from Black Brick Property Solutions. "It's a property in the region of £50million (or $78million)."
While buyers from Africa account for only 1.5% of transactions in the "ultra-prime" London property market, they make up 5% of sales by value - which is up from 2%. And this is by spending between £15million and £25million on each home.
"I would like to buy in Mayfair," says one Nigerian lady. "But unfortunately, I cannot afford to live there."
The most sought after areas for Nigerians, in particular, in London are around Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Belgravia. Buyers include Africa's richest man - Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian businessman who has an estimated fortune of £16billion.
And the world's richest woman - Folorunsho Alakija, is an oil tycoon, fashion designer and philanthropist based in Lagos, but is also a big investor in the London. She recently bought four apartments in One Hyde Park, the super-exclusive development in Knightsbridge.
"They're running banks, oil and gas companies, telecomms companies and over the last ten or fifteen years have made a lot of money," explains Camilla Dell.
But many Nigerians are suspicious of such large amounts of money being spent on such lavish property, outside of Nigeria.
"You have to ask - where do they get the money from? Was it stolen money, because if you steal money from government or wherever - you want to live big," says one man.
On Tuesday December 9th, 2014, The Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winner’s Chapel International, will begin its annual programme tagged Shiloh 2014. In its 16th edition, this year’s event has been themed “Heaven On Earth” and will hold at the International headquarters of the church inside the 50,000-seater capacity auditorium situated at Km 10, Idiroko Road, Otta, Ogun State. The annual programme which will run from December 9th through 13th, will be rounded off with a special anointing service on Saturday December 13th 2014.
According to Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of the ministry and convener of Shiloh with its inaugural edition in September 1999, this is a prophetic mandate anchored on the Bible book of Joshua 18:1-3. He described the one-week programme as a gathering of the Winners family worldwide. “It features marathon Word sessions, Businessmen Summit, Youth Summit, Ministers’ Conference and Specialized Healing Classes,” he said.
Continuing, the 60-year-old Apostle of Faith described the event as a platform where delayed inheritances are speedily delivered. “Shiloh is a place where everyone’s inheritance would be delivered to him or her. It came with the master plan; it was in God’s agenda to gather us annually for a Word feast”. He ended by hammering on what members of the church and all attendees stand to gain by attending the great programme, which he described as the epitome of the liberation mandate and a place where spiritual graves are opened.
“Let me tell you what I see coming to happen at Shiloh 2014. The graves of your health condition will be opened, the graves of general curses will be opened, the graves of your career struggles will be opened, the graves of generational curses will be opened. The graves of marital spells shall be opened; you are going to have the best of your times. He ended by urging everyone to attend saying it will be for their own good. God is not looking for a crowd, He’s looking for whom to bless, He’s looking for whom to crown. God doesn’t need you, you are the one who needs God, Your membership is a burden to God, if you are not advancing in life.”
Super Eagles speedy forward, Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow led five other Nigerians who found the back of the net in various European Leagues. Musa scored the games lone goal on the dot of half time, finishing off a fine pass from Valron Berezutski to put his side 1-0 up against Kuban Krasnodar. The goal was Musa’s seventh of the season from 17 games this season and it was good enough to keep the Russian Champions in second spots 10 points behind leaders, Zenith St Petersburg. Jerry Mbakogu scored his 9th of the season for Serie A promotion hopefuls, Capri, their lone goal in a 1-0 win over Bari to keep them top of Serie B. In Germany Anthony Ujah was on target for the 5th time this season but was unfortunate to be on the losing side as they fall 1-2 at home to Augsburg. Former Nigeria Under 20 invitee Theophilus Solomon scored his first league goal for his loan side NK Zadar in the 2-5 loss to Lokomotiva Zagreb in the Croatia top flight league.
Politics › Minna: Nigeria Prison Service Recaptures 108 Escaped Inmates by TheRealMrStan(op): 1:25pm On Dec 09, 2014
