₦airaland Forum

Lebanese security forces have detained a wife and son of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi near the border with Syria, the army says.

The pair, whose names were not given, were picked up by military intelligence after entering Lebanon 10 days ago.

The al-Safir newspaper reported that Baghdadi's wife was being questioned at the Lebanese defence ministry.

In June, Baghdadi was named the leader of the "caliphate" created by IS in the parts of Syria and Iraq it controls.

Last month, the group denied reports that he had been killed or injured in an air strike by US-led forces near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It released an audio recording purportedly of Baghdadi in which he said the caliphate was expanding and called for "volcanoes of jihad" to erupt.

The Head of Information Unit, Defence Headquarters, Major-General Chris Olukolade, says troops are ensuring the protection of the entire Damaturu community with the active involvement of the Nigerian Air Force.

This comes after a Monday morning attack believed to have been carried out by members of the Boko Haram terrorist group in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital had left three civilians dead.

Olukolade was speaking about the attack and other recent attacks during a telephone conversation on Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.

According to him, a group of terrorists attacked Damaturu “from various angles and with all kinds of weapons and tanks but eventually they were forcibly repelled” and pursuit is still on to ensure that a number of them are apprehended.

“Also in Maiduguri, the arrangement to firm up security for the area is on… and the whole operation will continue.

“The important thing is that its enjoying the support and understanding of the communities around,” he said.

Olukolade explained that the civilian communities have been supportive of the military operations because of the mutual understanding they have of the mission to rid the state of terror.

He, however, called for a higher level of cooperation from them, especially on the back of reports that the insurgents usually mingle with the people, thereby making it difficult for the Army to fish out the criminals.

He urged the people to be brave enough to help the military identify the “bad guys” among them as these would go a long way in helping the fight against insurgency.

The protection of the people that give information to the military was, however, brought to the fore and the General, while giving the assurance that the military would not take this for granted, added that so far there had been no incident to prove otherwise.

He also advised that citizens should be on the lookout for groups of people moving into their communities and alert the military as there are proofs that the communities are more easily attacked by disguised insurgents from within.

“As much as possible we are getting what we require for our mission and the Government will keep trying to ensure that the military is duly equipped” he said, while asking not to be drawn into the politics of military motivation and how well equipped they are.

He also refused to comment on the reported withdrawal of the Nigerian military from a training which was supposed to have been carried out in conjunction with U.S forces.

Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh and First Consultants Hospitals where she worked until her death have won the 2014 Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Integrity award with a cash prize of N2.5m each.

Ms Arunma Oteh, the Director- General of SEC said that the award was the Commission’s contributions towards the promotion, recognition and reward for integrity. Dr Kolade Christopher, Former Chairman of Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P) who spoke at the Integrity award night held as part of the Capital Market Committee (CMC) Retreat in Abuja, called on the federal government to find ways of honouring Dr Adadevoh. He said: “It is important for us to come away from the territory of inadequate sense of what is right. In this county, where doctors have problems with employers, they withdraw their service so that patients will die.”

Also speaking at the event, Simon Tasie of First Consultant Hospital said that we “must live up to our individual and collective responsibility so that in 50 years time we will live to remember what Adedevoh has done.”

Nigerian security forces have succeeded in pushing suspected Boko Haram insurgents out of the Yobe state capital of Damaturu in the northeast on Monday after a dawn raid by the militants, a spokesman for the state governor said.
According to civilian vigilantes in the city, more than 40 Boko Haram fighters were killed. They did not however disclose the number of casualties from the military or civilian vigilante.

Their claim could not be independently verified by the Nigerian security forces. “The governor has condemned the attack as heinous and barbaric. He has also expressed appreciation to the security forces who worked very hard on the ground and from the air … As a result of their effort, Damaturu remains firmly under government control,” the spokesman, Abdullahi Bego said in an emailed statement on behalf of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

In Damaturu, residents in the Gujba Road area of the city were jolted out of bed by the sound of gunshots and explosions at about 4:45 am (0345 GMT) and many fled.
“The gunmen came in numbers. They have burnt down the police barracks…. We have left our home. We are now in the bush. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” said one local, Umar Sada.
The Yobe state police commissioner, Marcus Danladi, described the attack as a “serious situation”. Civilian vigilantes in the city claimed that more than 40 Boko Haram fighters were killed.

Others described the scene as “chaos” as shells fell in the federal polytechnic compound and fierce fighting raged near detention facilities where Boko Haram suspects were being held.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Abdu Bulama, Monday, said Nigeria, in a bid to hasten the pace of socio-economic development, would launch its first “made-in-Nigeria” satellite by 2018.

Mr. Bulama said in Abuja that science and technology would fast track the Federal Government’s transformation agenda and sustain the growth of national economy.
“The African economy, I believe in the last couple of years, has shown a remarkable sign of growth; but this growth is unfortunately more of community drive, not of the manufacturing sector.
“For this growth to be sustained and for it to be transformed into a real national transformation agenda for the development of the nation it must be productivity-based; productivity aspect must come in.
“And the only way you can do that is to develop your time and technology, to apply science and technology in your economy.
“Such that the economy, while growing, the productivity of the manufacturer will have played a key role. This is what is happening in developed societies”.

The minister said the ministry would play role of an effective strategist and coordinator of all the research and development activities in the country.
“By this, Nigeria in the nearest future will be an acknowledged member of the fast developing scientific and technologically progressive nations of the world”, he said.

He said the ministry had excelled in the production of made -in-Nigeria tricycles, curtailing of trypanosomiasis, design and fabrication of interlocking blocks and launching of road safety guidelines among others.
Mr. Bulama added that the effort to partner international bodies to complete the science and technology park at SHESTCO was on-going.

(NAN)

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe prayed to God via Twitter yesterday, asking that sponsors and sympathizers of Boko Haram should be exposed.

He offered the prayer along with hashtag #GodExposeBHCollaboratorsin2014.

See the tweets:

The United States has announced the discontinuation of its training of a Nigerian Army battalion.

Although no reason was given for the cancellation, the development, it said, is at the request of the Nigerian government.

In a statement issued by its embassy in Abuja Monday, it was stated that the first two phases of the training were conducted between April and August 2014.

"Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and US trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills," it read.

The US expressed regret at what it said is the premature termination of the training, noting that the training was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram.

"The US government will continue other aspects of the extensive bilateral security relationship as well as all other assistance programs," it added.

Africa is set to re-make the evergreen ‘We are the world’ music to fight against Ebola!

Slated to be the biggest collaboration that Africa has ever seen, the re-mix of the ever green American song ‘We are the world’will feature African music stars – Banky W, Mafikizolo, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Dr. Sid, Don Jazzy, Praiz, Di’Ja, Reekado Banks, Iceberg Slim, D’Prince, Diamond, Iyanya, Mosa, Sean Tizzle and several others.

Quincy Jones’ ‘We Are the World’ was originally written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985 and 29 years after, Africa is releasing a new version of the track for Ebola.

The number of people with Ebola in west Africa has risen above 16,000, with the death toll from the outbreak reaching almost 7,000, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.

The number of deaths is more than 1,000 higher than the figure issued by the WHO just two days ago, but it is thought to include deaths that have gone unreported in the weeks or months since the outbreak began. Most of the new deaths were recorded in Liberia.

A Nigerian student, Nazifi Osman Muhammed was stabbed to death over the weekend in Ghana. Nazifi and his brothers Jamiru Osman, and Mustapha Musa were attacked in their home at about 3:30am on Saturday by masked robbers, armed with knives which they used in attacking the brothers.

The victims, all students of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the Sikkim Manipal University at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, in Accra were taken to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, by their neighbours. On arrival, the doctor pronounced Nazifi dead due to deep cuts inflicted on his chest. The incident has been confirmed by the Kotobabi District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Elizabeth Tiekuwa Dankwa, who disclosed that one person has been arrested in connection with the robbery attack.

Scientists have discovered a new frog species in southern New Jersey, United States that can make some “un-froglike sounds.” AP reports:
The Atlantic Coast leopard frog groans and makes coughing noises rather than croaking sounds. The unfamiliar call attracted the notice of wildlife experts several years ago in Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County.

They photographed the frog and concluded it wasn’t the northern leopard frog or southern leopard frog.

The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill reports a Rutgers University-led team recently identified the species in an online scientific journal. Experts say it shows that the state’s marshes and swamps are valuable to wildlife, even in urban or suburban areas.

The frog has been found along the Delaware River and bay, the Atlantic Ocean coastline, in the Meadowlands and New York’s Staten Island.

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde is a household name in the entertainment industry. The actress who made her debut into the Nollywood scene in the year 1995, is set to celebrate her 20 years in the industry by 2015.
Having featured in over 50 notable and recommendable movies, the award winning actress has indeed carved a niche for herself in the Nigerian and African entertainment industry.

The 'Blood Sister' actress took to the social media to make the announcement;
‘It’s my pleasure to announce to u that in the year 2015!!! I will be Marking 20 YEARS IN ENTERTAINMENT. THANK YOU LORD ! 20 YEARS IN ENTERTAINMENT! 2 DECADES ! Can you believe it? Just like yesterday.’ - she said.

Omotola asked her fans on twitter what they want from her as she marks her 2 decades;

So at 20 years in Entertainment what do you expect to see of me? More of me? or to start doing? - she asked.
Replying to fan who suggested that she directs a movie, Omotola reveals that she has directed a soap opera titled 'The Smoke'.
‘I’ve directed a soap opera ‘THE SMOKE’ you’ll be able to buy it online soon.’ Omotola replied.

Congratulations to her.

As the world marks World HIV/AIDS day, the Project Manager of Taraba AIDS Control Agency, Dr Garba Danjuma has disclosed that about 30,000 people of the estimated 150,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Taraba State are currently on treatment. He disclosed this yesterday at a press conference to commemorate the 2014 World AIDS Day, adding that the state’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 10.5 per cent is the highest in the entire North-east region, and that the state government is collaborating with international partners to tackle the pandemic. “Here in Taraba State, the government is complementing provision of ART free to people living with HIV and more HCT centres have been established. “The state government has also awarded contract for construction of a permanent secretariat for the agency,” he said.

Nigeria’s naira touched a new record low of 183.05 against the dollar on Monday, driven by concerns over a sustained low oil price and expectations foreign investors would demand more dollars to pull out of local assets, dealers said.
The currency was trading down 2.4 per cent from Friday’s closing level.

The central bank has struggled to keep the naira within its preferred band even after devaluing the currency by 8 per cent last Tuesday in a bid to halt a decline in the foreign reserves of Africa’s biggest economy.
Oil sales provide around 95 per cent of those reserves.

The bank’s target band after devaluation is 5 per cent plus or minus 168 to the dollar, but doubts remain about whether it went far enough given the likelihood of continuing low oil prices and the fact that Nigeria’s oil savings were being depleted even during a period of record high crude prices.

The coming weeks will test the bank’s ability to maintain that level – the naira is trading well below it and forex reserves are running out, reports Reuters.

Nigeria’s naira touched a new record low of 183.05 against the dollar on Monday, driven by concerns over a sustained low oil price and expectations foreign investors would demand more dollars to pull out of local assets, dealers said.
The currency was trading down 2.4 per cent from Friday’s closing level.

The central bank has struggled to keep the naira within its preferred band even after devaluing the currency by 8 per cent last Tuesday in a bid to halt a decline in the foreign reserves of Africa’s biggest economy.
Oil sales provide around 95 per cent of those reserves.

The bank’s target band after devaluation is 5 per cent plus or minus 168 to the dollar, but doubts remain about whether it went far enough given the likelihood of continuing low oil prices and the fact that Nigeria’s oil savings were being depleted even during a period of record high crude prices.

The coming weeks will test the bank’s ability to maintain that level – the naira is trading well below it and forex reserves are running out, reports Reuters.

A G-Wagon has been spotted in Lagos been used for public transportation. It transports passengers from Lagos to Ibadan and also plies Ile-Ife and Akure.

The military appears to have taken control of the situation in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, which was massively attacked by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, early Monday.

A security source told our correspondent that the insurgents numbering over 100 had attacked the town from Gujba road, which indicated that they came from Gujba town which they have had control over for some months now.

He said they attacked the town as early as 4am, trying to take control of the security facilities in the town.

According to him, they attacked the Police Mobile Unit where they exchanged gunfire with the police on duty and were able to push them back.

He said: "The military jet has to be deployed to push the insurgents back as the situation is now under control and the entire town has been cordoned off."

He stated: "The casualties cannot be counted now but it is massive, the insurgents were overwhelmed and they suffered a lot of deaths but few police officers and civilians were also killed in the crossfire."

A resident, Ibrahim Abdul, who spoke on phone, said: "We were woken up by sounds of gunshots and explosions and up till now (8:30am) we cannot leave our homes as we are still hearing gunshots though less deafening than about two hours ago."

"Everyone is indoors and our children are all at home with us as no one dares go out,"

A victim of the explosions that occurred at the Central Mosque near the palace of the Emir of Kano said the suicide bombers’ improvised explosives were remotely detonated by a strange white man at the mosque.

One of the victims of the Friday explosions, Malam Shehu Ahmed, currently receiving treatment at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala, shared his experience with Channels Television.

It was a different story and one strange enough to aid investigation into the attack that occurred during the Friday jumaat.

Malam Adamu was right inside the mosque when the explosions occurred.

“I saw an uncomfortable white man enter the mosque alongside two black teenage boys who later remotely detonated the explosives in the bodies of the said boys,” he said.

Other victims of the attack receiving treatment at the hospital also recounted their experience in the aftermath of the tragic incident which killed over 150 worshippers and left over 130 injured.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but another victim, Sani Bello, believed the Boko Haram terrorist group was responsible for the incident that hospitalised him and his father.

Hospital official, Dr. Nura Aminu, confirmed that injuries sustained from the attack were very severe.

“There are injuries which are irreparable, which means the persons affected may likely lose their legs,” he said.

The Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company, ANAMMCO, has begun third-party assembly of trucks, bringing its factory in Enugu partially back to life.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the company now assembles Shacman trucks for Transit Support Services, a Nigerian company, after recalling some of its previously downsized personnel.
Speaking during a policy monitoring visit by the National Council on Privatisation at the weekend in Enugu, the Chairman of the company, Godwin Okeke, said the development was made possible by the new Nigeria Automobile Industry Development Policy.

Mr. Okeke said the policy, pronounced in 2013, had enhanced investment, employment and capacity utilisation of assembly plants which had been “overtly sub-optimal’’.
“In order to sustain the growth and development of this policy, it is expedient that it is entrenched by appropriate legislation to guard against frequent and arbitrary policy reversal which has constituted a high risk factor to investment in the country.
“Faithfulness in adhering to the implementation timelines would engender confidence of global stakeholders on the viability,’’ he said.
The industrialist also called on the Federal Government to curb the activities of smugglers which threatened the industry.

He also pleaded with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria to reschedule the company’s legacy debts by one year and to stop the litigation arising from the debts.

A cesspool of fraud and lies in the banking industry has come to light since the financial crisis of 2008, raising questions about how such rogue behaviour could have happened.
What caused traders, asset managers and others in the money business to behave dishonestly?
And how can dodgy behaviour be curbed?

Scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland conducted an unusual psychology experiment to find out.
Their results provide the first objective data for anecdotal evidence that the risk of fraud is rooted in a bank’s culture — and changing it may be painful.
“Our results suggest that the social norms in the banking sector tend to be more lenient towards dishonest behaviour and thus contribute to the reputational loss in the industry,” said Michel Marechal, a professor of experimental economic research.
In research reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday, the team recruited 128 employees from a large international bank and 80 from other banks.

On average, the employees had 11 and a half years’ banking experience.
About half worked in core businesses like share trading, private banking or asset management, and the rest in support units such as human resources.

The scientists prepared an intriguing barometer of honesty.
In their trial, each volunteer was asked to flip a coin 10 times and report the outcome online.
If it concurred with a pre-programmed choice of head or tails, there was a reward each time of $20 (16 euros).
But before each toss, the banker was tipped off about what the outcome would be. Whether he or she chose to report it faithfully was the test.
In a move meant to mimic the competitive nature of the banking profession, the trialists were also told they could only collect their winnings if they outperformed another, randomly-chosen participant.
Before the experiment began, the volunteers were divided into two groups.

A “control,” or comparison, group was asked about their everyday life and wellbeing, while the test group were questioned about their work.
One group was asked, for example: “How many hours per day do you watch television on average?” and the other: “What is your function at this bank?”

The point was to prime the second group to enter the experiment with a banker’s focus.
The outcome pointed to a stark difference in honesty, driven by a sense of professional identity, according to the research paper.
The “control” group reported winning coin flips in 51.6 percent of cases, close to a benchmark 50 percent — the one-in-two statistical probability of predicting a tossed coin.
In the “primed” group, though, 58.2 percent of tosses were claimed as winners — a number “significantly above chance”, said the paper.
The authors calculated that about 16 percent of the “control group” had cheated at least once, compared to 26 percent in the other.
The team believed the phenomenon was specific to bank employees.
They repeated the experiment with two groups of non-bankers — workers and students — whose honesty levels did not change when their professional identity was “primed”.
– Changing culture –
“The prevailing business culture in the banking industry favours dishonest behaviour,” the study authors said — with fraud the likely outcome.
“The prevailing business culture in the banking industry weakens and undermines the honesty norm, implying that measures to re-establish an honest culture are very important,” said the team.
Fixing the problem, though, could mean radical and unsettling choices like scrapping bonuses derived from dishonest behaviour, the scientists suggested.
There could also be an oath of ethics, similar to the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors.
“Such an oath, supported by ethics training, could prompt bank employees to consider the impact of their behaviour on society rather than focusing on their own short-term benefits,” the paper said.

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has ordered the immediate reduction of the tuition fees being paid by the students of the Ekiti State University from N50,000 to N30,000.

The governor also directed the school to allow the students pay the fees twice.
Fayose, who gave the order while featuring on a radio/television programme: “Meet your governor,” on Saturday, said his administration would also ensure an enabling atmosphere for teaching and learning in all state-owned institutions in the state.

No fewer than five persons were killed while properties estimated at millions of Naira were razed when Fulani herdsmen allegedly attacked Abugi community in Lokoja Local Government area of Kogi State.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the incident, which took place on Friday evening, was a reprisal attack.

A source who pleaded anonymity for fear of attack told journalists in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on Sunday, that the problem between the herdsmen and Abugi community started few days ago when some of the herdsmen allegedly robbed and killed Alhaji Abdullahi Zakari,who was sent to deliver money to an unnamed person in a neighbouring community.

The source said that, angered by the killing of Zakari, their kinsmen and youths in Abugi engaged in a reprisal attack in one of the Fulani settlements in the area, which allegedly led to the death of one person.

It was further learnt that some Fulani elders later met with the paramount ruler of the community, Alhaji Kabir Isa, for an amicable resolution of the crisis.

The source said that surprisingly, the Fulani herdsmen, about 5pm on Friday, attacked the Abugi community, killed people and burnt houses and other properties worth millions of naira.

It was gathered that the Kogi State Police Command had deployed police officers to the area to prevent further break down of law and order and to bring normalcy to the troubled community.

The Kogi State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Elvis Aguegbo, when contacted, said he was with the Commissioner of Police and would respond later but he never did as of the time of filling this report

No fewer than five persons were killed while properties estimated at millions of Naira were razed when Fulani herdsmen allegedly attacked Abugi community in Lokoja Local Government area of Kogi State.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the incident, which took place on Friday evening, was a reprisal attack.

A source who pleaded anonymity for fear of attack told journalists in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on Sunday, that the problem between the herdsmen and Abugi community started few days ago when some of the herdsmen allegedly robbed and killed Alhaji Abdullahi Zakari,who was sent to deliver money to an unnamed person in a neighbouring community.

The source said that, angered by the killing of Zakari, their kinsmen and youths in Abugi engaged in a reprisal attack in one of the Fulani settlements in the area, which allegedly led to the death of one person.

It was further learnt that some Fulani elders later met with the paramount ruler of the community, Alhaji Kabir Isa, for an amicable resolution of the crisis.

The source said that surprisingly, the Fulani herdsmen, about 5pm on Friday, attacked the Abugi community, killed people and burnt houses and other properties worth millions of naira.

It was gathered that the Kogi State Police Command had deployed police officers to the area to prevent further break down of law and order and to bring normalcy to the troubled community.

The Kogi State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Elvis Aguegbo, when contacted, said he was with the Commissioner of Police and would respond later but he never did as of the time of filling this report

Pope Francis has condemned the deadly attacks that occurred at the emir of Kano’s Central mosque in Kano, northern Nigeria, describing it as an “extremely serious sin against God”.

Pope Frances made the comments on Sunday, the final day of his trip to Turkey.

At least 150 people were killed and 135 wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers on Friday at the Grand Mosque in Kano.

In a meeting with Turkish political and religious officials, at the start of his second trip to the Middle East this year, the Pope further urged Muslim leaders to condemn the “barbaric violence” being committed in Islam’s name against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

Pope Francis visit is aimed at improving inter-faith ties.

God Of Life And Peace

He reaffirmed that military force was justified to halt the Islamic State group’s advance, and called for greater dialogue between Christians, Muslims and people of all faiths to end fundamentalism.

“As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human dignity and human rights,” Francis told Mehmet Gormez, Turkey’s top cleric and other religious officials gathered at the government-run Religious Affairs Directorate.

“As such, any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the omnipotent is the God of life and peace.”

Francis condemned the “barbaric violence” by IS against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities and the destruction of their places of worship.

The Vatican has voiced particular concern about the expulsion of Christians from communities that have had a Christian presence for 2,000 years and has demanded that they be allowed to return home in safety once the conflict settles.

Francis’s three-day visit comes at a sensitive moment for Turkey, as it struggles to cope with 1.6 million refugees fleeing the IS advance in Syria and weighs how to respond to US calls to get more engaged with the international coalition fighting the extremists.

“Those who veer away from the message of Islam – which is a call for peace – and spread violence and savagery are in a state of rebellion against Allah no matter what they call themselves,” Mr Gormez told the Pope, stressing Turkey’s opposition to the fundamentalists.

The Pope’s comment is coming two days after the attack in Kano, which was also condemned by President Goodluck Jonathan.

President Jonathan has ordered full-scale investigation into the attack, emphasising his administration’s commitment to ending the incessant attacks which the Red Cross says had left displaced over 400,000 persons.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Boko Haram sect is the prime suspect, as the group had carried out similar attacks in the past.

According to this twitter user, this little boy was brought to the hospital for treatment after the blast at the Central Mosque in Kano on Friday. They are trying to locate his parents.

Not less than 230 voters card were on Saturday snatched by hoodlums at the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voters Card, PVC, in Nasarawa State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Ahmed Makama said that 91 cards were snatched in Karu, 50 in Akwanga while another 90 were carted away in Agyaragu area of Obi Local Government.

The distribution of the PVC commenced on Friday and about 1.2 million cards are expected to be distributed till Sunday.
Mr. Makama explained that all the culprits have been apprehended and would be charged to court. He said some of the cards have been recovered and his officers, in the areas were the cards were recovered, continued with the exercise.
“We encountered voters card snatching in Agyaragu ward area of Obi where some hoodlums were so inpatient, they at a point said that they were the ones that will be distributing the PVC’s, they didn’t know our process, so they snatched cards and were arrested”.
We invited the police and those arrested have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
“My staff were faced with another challenge in Bagaji primary school Unit in Karu local government where the people said after the first day’s work that our staff will not leave their unit with the cards.
They insisted that the cards had to be deposited in the chief’s palace and ignorantly the Chief supported them”.

Mr. Makama said for peace sake, he allowed the cards to be left in the chief’s palace after which he invited the police who retrieved the cards. He said those involved will be charged to court.

Confirming the incident, the police spokesperson, Ugochukwu Theodore, said some boys attempted to snatch PVCs and INEC materials from Sabon Kwarra unit in Agyaragu of Obi and his men arrested two of them.
“Also at Tsowon Kasuwa, in Karu area, our men arrested two persons who also attempted to snatch PVCs from the area, and the four of them had been transferred to state CID for further investigation and would soon be charged to court”.

Few months back, news hit the Blog sphere about talented Musician, Chinedu Okoli popularly known as Flavour’s love life.

According to the source, we learnt the Enugu State born singer is in sizzling romance with Former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Anna Ebiere Banner.

This rumor mongers equally informed that the light skin musician must have dumped his lover of many years, Orange Drug Beauty Queen, Sandra Okagbue who a had a daughter for him few months back.

According to them, Flavour and the Ex- Delta Soap Beauty Queen were inseparable, cohabited as live in lovers and gave people the confidence that the future holds them together as husband and wife. Before they could blink their eyes, Flavour has dumped Sandra for Anna.

We were also informed that it is heartwarming to his colleagues and friends, as they have waited many years for Flavour to take their enviable relationship to the next level, but to no avail.

However, Flavour’s heart seems to be with Anna Ebiere as we learnt that the Ada Ada crooner is making secret and candid plans to walk down the aisle soon with Anna Ebiere, although he’s denying that in most of his interviews in other not to court any controversy.

Flavour knows that any form of controversy in his career at this point in time, may dwindle his career and affect the sales of his newly released album ‘ Thankful’.

Flavour has not only been flaunting his relationship with Anna, he also featured her in his new video ‘ Golibe ‘ where he professes his undying love for her.

The video depicts what true love is all about and how love conquers all.

The video was shot by ace music video director, Clarence Peters with cameo appearances from Pete Edochie amongst others.