I vote for Goshen360.

The police at Sango Ota, have launched a manhunt for the General Overseer of Praise Hosanna Aladura church, Pastor Bolaji Balogun, a.k.a. Hosanna, whose church is on 2/4, Ojo Aina Street, Oloye Bus Stop, Lemode, Ijoko, Ogun state.

He was alleged to have impregnated the wife of the secretary of his church after forcing her to swear to an oath. P.M.News investigations revealed that the 23-year-old pregnant woman, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Adeniji, and her husband, Kazeem Adeniji, 33, who reside at 19, Kevin Street, Lemode Ijoko, Ogun state, were members of the church.

The fleeing pastor was said to have brought out a horn wrapped with a red cloth and told her (Ifeoluwa) to recite some incantations. Thereafter, he gave her some concoction which she drank.

The woman’s husband, Kazeem Adeniji, a Geologist, told P.M.News: “I have been cheated by this pastor because I spent so much of my money and time for pastor Hosanna as the secretary of the church. I was loyal to him.

“I didn’t know that he was having sex with my wife. I got married in March, last year and I have been attending the church for two years. My mother introduced me to the church. In fact, the apartment I live belongs to the pastor’s wife, who works at the Nigerian Brewery. That is to show you how close we were.

“On three occasions, my wife said she wanted to say something to me but each time she looks into my eyes she would begin to weep. The next thing is that she would collapse and we will rush her to the hospital.

“But on Friday, last week, she let the cat out of the bag by telling me how pastor Hosanna has been having sex with her. This is an abomination.

“Immediately she told me everything, she began to vomit blood. I rushed out to call Mrs. Balogun (pastor’s wife), who also resides in the same building, and she directed me to take her to Azygus Hospital & Maternity at 12, Adekunle Adebayo Avenue, Ilupeju Estate, Ijoko Road, Agbado. The doctor demanded for a deposit of N100,000 and I paid it.”

On his next line of action after discovering the adulterous affair, Adeniji said: “I don’t want to say anything about divorcing her or not; what is important to me now is for her to recuperate quickly.”

Narrating her own side of the story on her hospital bed, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Adeniji stated: “I left Kano in the third week of July, last year. I resigned from an airline company I was working with to live with my husband in Lagos. When I joined the church, pastor Hosanna called me and told me that he saw some visions concerning me. He said that my mother-in-law was against me and that if I continued to stay with my husband, I won’t have a child of my own. He even told me to pack out of my matrimonial home as he would look for a place for me.

“I didn’t believe him. I love my husband dearly and I couldn’t explain to my husband because each time pastor Hossana talks to me, he often brings a horn wrapped with red cloth. We swore to a secret oath by reciting some incantations that if I reveal anything to my husband, I would begin to vomit blood and later die. So, I was afraid.

“Since then, he started having sex with me and controlling my life. I was always rude to my husband at home. Just last Friday, I called my husband and told him everything. Later, I began to vomit blood and I was rushed to the hospital. How would I know the father of this baby now?” she wept.

The woman was operated upon and the eight-month-old baby girl was removed by the doctors. The baby is alive and doing well. The pastor, it was learnt, confessed to the traditional ruler of Ijoko, Ogun state, and his confession was recorded. The pastor later fled and the case was reported at the Sango Ota Police station.

This may sound like fairy tale, but it is real. A Nigerian couple that migrated to God’s own country in search of greener pastures resorted to pseudo marriage to secure the green card believed to be a ticket to heaven. First, the man introduces his betrothed wife to his American darling as his sister to pave way for his marriage to the American lady.



When the marriage crashed, his wife marries an American to secure the life ticket. So how did it fail? Attempt by a friend to sleep with his pseudo sister (Nigerian wife) foiled the deal. His ‘oyibo wife realized she was a guinea pig and quit the affair.

Nigerians at a recent function in the United States were informed about the travails of fellow countrymen in a bid to get the coveted green card. A was asked: “Can a man betroth his wife to another in exchange for U.S. green card or a woman disguise as sister to the hubby under the same roof with another woman to enable him get a green card?

“Oh yes!” KK, a Nigerian, responded at the event, adding: “We know some people here who have married and divorced up to 18 times,” he jocularly remarked at the end of year party in Silverspring, Maryland, last December.

“In fact, there are some people here that betrothed their wives to other men to get papers,” the man fondly called KK said.

According to him, the craze for green card defies the sanctity of the biblical injunction that “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

To validate his point, he paints a gloomy picture. “One of our brothers who lived in the US for 28 years was deported last October after he handed his wife to another man to get papers.”

The man in his early 50’s identified as Johnson, from the South Eastern part of the country, may have to live with the psychological torture for the rest of his life. After 28 years of sojourn in the U.S., he was deported as an illegal alien.

How did it happen? He had gone to the Immigration office for green card interview after several failed marriages. After the interview, he was asked to go with his wife. As he stepped to the door, the immigration officer ordered him back and instructed him to look at the volume of file about him on the table. When he opened the file, he discovered that he had been advised to report for voluntary departure, which he failed and was placed on deportation status for violation of the order.

Johnson’s case is a bitter pill for the couple. He arrived the U.S. with his betrothed wife from Nigeria, but the couple cohabited as brother and sister under the same roof to accommodate the man’s American wife married to secure papers with the hope that once it was successful, Johnson would file a divorce and remarry his betrothed wife. The union lasted until the man’s friend attempted to date his real (Nigerian) wife. His resistance incurred his friend’s wrath and the latter spilled the beans by reporting him to the American wife. The wife lived with this emotional torture for years until the burble burst and they parted ways, yet the green card could not be secured.

Having exhausted the man’s option, the alternative was for the woman to move in with an American man as husband with the same intention. Since the woman and her hubby were at the mercy of the American, the woman appeased her new heartthrob with material and human needs in a bid to get papers. Interestingly, after several years of savouring the woman and milking her of hard-earned dollar as fees for the services, the Americana hubby declined on the interview date, leaving the woman in the cold at the Immigration and Citizenship Services that concluded that the marriage was contracted for immigration purposes.

But that would not deter the couple. With the couple’s fate hanging in the balance, the wife filed a divorce with her pseudo American husband and re-married another. This time, the process was thorough but short-lived. The snag was that having secured her green card, the attempt to file for her original husband landed them in trouble, resulting in the deportation of her husband by immigration officials. Efforts by his town union and lawyers to rescue the man were unsuccessful.

The joke that led to the revelation was initially intended to lighten the mood at the dinner party. However, it stirred various reactions from the audience and offered an insight into the trauma many Nigerians experience abroad. For many, it evoked feelings of anguish, nightmare, depression, and helplessness that characterize their daily life as they struggle to secure the ‘the green card’ perceived as ‘the life card’ in the United States of America. For some, the joke was reminiscent of the murky waters they swam to acquire the green card, widely believed to be ticket to heaven.

Shortly after the discussion that dominated a chunk of the discussion settled, further probing by Sunday Sun opened the floodgate of gory tales from the Nigerian comedian in his early 50’s, who is a chauffeur in a popular state in the US.

“My brother, I have lived in more than five states. I first lived in New York 23 years ago, when I arrived U.S. I married a lady but that didn’t work out, and because of the fear that she might report my illegal status to the immigration, I moved to Tennessee. Again in Tennessee, I remarried another lady. The marriage also crashed,” he told Sunday Sun.

According to him, the failure of the second marriage worsened his problem.

How? “After the necessary protocol by our attorney, we were invited for green card interview by the immigration. On the appointment day, I was full of joy, hoping for the ticket for a better opportunity to access educational grants that would transform my life.”

Unfortunately, KK’s dream never materialized. He was denied the green card. Worst still, he was requested to report for voluntarily deportation on a fixed date. The voluntary deportation warrant by the immigration sent jitters into his spine, having left Nigeria eight years then. He eloped. “I relocated to Missouri with cab driving as the only option of surviving, since I could not get work permit for employment” he further disclosed.

Twenty-five years down the line, KK was yet to visit home because that would amount to his voluntary departure. To persuade him to visit Nigeria, his brothers sent a mail purporting that his father had passed on, but that would not bring him home. Now in his early 50’s, KK still has no wife or child. But, he believes it shall get better someday.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jan/11/507.html

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/dec/31/602.html

In the next few hours, the year will come to an end, thereby ushering in a new year, that is . Nigerians’ expectations for this year have been high as they wish to know what the year has in stock for them and their country, Nigeria.

Prior to this time, the federal government under the leadership of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had assured Nigerians of great things to happen come . The president had promised to improve on the standard of living of the citizenry via socio-economic development of the country.

Incidentally, Nigerians have been trying to chart a new course in the coming year. Some of them have made several resolutions towards making not only a fulfilled year but a year of achievements and successes.

In the past, prominent religious leaders and clerics had made predictions that came to pass. This year will not be an exception as Nigerians await predictions for .

Nigerian Tribune spoke with some prominent clerics across the country on what Nigerians should expect in . Here are some of their predictions as recorded by Adebayo Waheed, Adelowo Oladipo and Jude Ossai.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Bishop David Oyedepo is the founder of the Living Faith Church World-wide. According to him, the worsening global financial crisis would result into 12 months of frustration in 2009. “Only those who are dedicated to God will secure their lives in the next 12 months which are months of frustration,” he said.



Bishop David Oyedepo





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“The next 12 months will be 12 months of frustration and men’s hearts will fail them for fear. The proud and the wicked shall grow more stubborn but all those who fear the name of God, the son of righteousness shall rise on their behalf,” the man of God said and called on Nigerians to watch out as coloured people are going to take over the world economy and the next three years would be a season of supernatural take over.


God will punish Iwu, Obasanjo, Ehindero on election - Prophet Anifowose, Jerusalem Ministry


Prophet Anifowose Prophet J.C. Anifowose of the Jerusalem Ministry, Ibadan, Oyo State said that the Lord had promised to inquire the blood of those who died in Jos and many who have died before as a result of the “controversial do or die election,” which had been doing the country a lot of havoc since its completion.



The Lord is planning a new generation of “Holiness, righteousness and prosperity in the country.”



The Lord, however, says the approval and validation accorded the last presidential elections by the Apex court “is an approval to their pockets and does not have any root in heaven.



“The Lord says only the elections of those states that came into power without shedding blood will be validated,” he said.



The Lord says President Yar’Adua is the greatest and faithful president Nigeria ever had since her independence but yet he is not the “messiah” whom he had chosen to rule the country in fulfilling His new generation plan for the country.



The Lord says for this purpose, He has allowed him (Yar’Adua) not to continue ruling but to conduct new, clean, fresh (bloodless) elections for Him. The Lord says He wants new election to be conducted in the country.



The Lord says he would begin His judgement against Morris Iwu, INEC chairman, because he has paraded himself “as a man without conscience before Him.



On former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Lord says that it was a mistake he made by imposing and forced a successor on Nigerians through his might (flesh) but not by his spirit. The Lord says former President Obasanjo failed to know that no man can work for God, you can only be with God.



But the Lord says He has forgiven former President Olusegun Obasanjo because He knows that he did this out of a “good heart.”



“On Sunday Ehindero, the Lord said He will punish him, and others for their roles in the 2007 general elections.


More Nigerians to lose their jobs - Rev. Emmanuel Obata, Gospel Church of Christ, Enugu
The spiritual leader of the Gospel Church of Christ, Enugu, Reverend Emmanuel Obatai described the year ending, 2008 as the worst year in the last decade, saying “it was the year the so-called giant of Africa had its worst general elections with catalogue or rigging and electoral frauds.”


He stated that Nigerians would not know peace unless the people and their rulers turn to God, while noting that year 2008 also witnessed the highest number of job losers.


On 2009, the man of God who predicted that a black man would rule America five years ago, said that Nigeria, as a nation, is doomed unless the people and their leaders changed their attitudes positively, stressing that many would still lose their jobs because of bad economy which he said was cutting across the globe.


The man of God, therefore, called on the Federal Government to reverse its policy on real sector with a view to creating employment opportunities in the country.” How can you think of throwing away 825,000 people to the labour market,” he said, arguing that “such development could lead to throwing away twice the figure in 2009.” He, however, urged government to always embark on policies and programmes that would have direct impact on the people.


Also, Pastor Olisemeka Jide Onwo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enugu, stated that Nigeria would still witness bright future despite the criticism trailing the one and half years of the present administration.

“With proper planning and effective management of the economy, Nigeria with her abundant natural and human resources would be better a place to live in,” the man of God added.

Labour unions will have wage increase - Primate Elijah Ayodele Babatunde


Primate Elijah Ayodele Babatunde Primate Elijah Ayodele Babatunde who predicted in 2007 that Senate President, David Mark would face a lot of problems so much that he may be impeached, said that the low income earners will be involved in taxation problem which would lead to mass protest.


He said”God also revealed to me that government would run into troubled waters in an attempt to raise internally generated revenue.’’


Speaking on what Nigerians should expect, Primate Babatunde said that there would be scarcity of aviation fuel and its prices would be increased thereby leading to increase in the cost of flight tickets.


“God showed me that the organised labour unions in the country would witness increase in their monthly wages in the year 2009. However, the Lord has also revealed to me that during the year, there is going to be inflation in the land, as there would be increase in the prices of foodstuffs,” he said.


In the year 2009, he said, a lot of people would die of malaria, diabetes and cholera diseases.” These are the things government at all levels should fight against. Parts of the South-South and Northern parts of the country would be greatly affected in the cholera epidemic.


“Also, we are going to witness upheavals. In Lagos State. Members of the NURTW should be closely monitored by the state government because they are going to cause mayhem in Iyana Ipaja, Agege and Mushin areas of the state,” he said.


God says that some secrets should be exposed, while not all the sitting governors would end their tenures, as some governors would change their commissioners in year 2009.


The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba (Dr.) Adekunle Aromolaran, the Obi of Onitsha should all pray to God to grant them long lives, while the Alaafin of Oyo should pray against scandals the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo should pray for good health including a one time president of the country should also pray for good health.


President Umaru Yar’Adua will not be able to tun for a second term because the power behind the scene would force him to resign from the presidency if he tries to nurse the ambition.


Also in 2009, March, August and October, the President should relax very well and he should not embark on any journey both within and outside the country, otherwise, it would affect his health adversely.


Above all, the president meant well for the country and he intends to do his best for the development of the country but we have to pray so that nobody prevents him from doing so.


There is not going to be any military coup in Nigeria but there is going to be a military coup in one African country. And we have to pray so that we do not loose any African Union (UN) leader and that there should be any problem in the continent.


We should also pray against the incursion of the Jihadists so that Nigeria would not witness the traces of some Islamic terrorists in the country.


Despite the creator of Niger Delta Ministry, there is going to be more problems in the region, we should pray very hard against the incident of suicide bombers in the oil producing states. The region needs more spiritual cleansing and a retreat to sanitise the people against sabotaging the efforts of the governments to develop the region.


There is going to be retrenchments in the Nigerian Customs Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Navy, the Nigeria Prisons Services, Nigerian Army and Air Force. Specifically, God told me that there is going to be crisis within the Nigeria Navy Command because a warship would be attacked and there is going to be a partial fire incident in one of the Navy’s dockyards. They should also pray against unexpected deaths among its high ranking officers.


Government would spend a lot of money to improve the agricultural sector, but we have to pray very hard as a people so that there would be no incident of poisonous foodstuffs like beans, rice and garri that is capable of killing people in their thousands.


There is going to be a lot of crisis within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s officials and the problem would lead to the changing of the name of the anti-fraud agency.


Government is still going to merge the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission including the Police Special Fraud Unit so that they can all work as one body.


Also in the police, there is going to be some problems and mass retirement of officers and men. Very soon, some people will accuse the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, of unjustifiable or not. The Police Science Commission would also be faced with the retirement troubles, accusations and fraudulent practices against its leadership.


In the new year, some Divisional Police Officers, Area Commanders, Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police are going to be transferred in the various police formations and commands across the country. Some top police officers are also going to be indicted in the year 2009.


The Bar Beach would overflow its bank some months into the new year. The entire nation should also pray against the incidents of collapsed buildings. There is going to be a new private telecommunication company in Nigeria, while the taints of the existing private telecommunication companies would cause some problems, others would be faced with problems of fraudulent practices among their employees while the National Communication Commission is going to fine some of the private telecommunication service providers for certain offences.


On the National Assembly, members are still going to be at logger heads with the president because of monetary issues. God says except some measures were taken, there are imminent problems for both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If the crisis at the National Assembly is not properly managed, it could lead to the break up of both Houses.


Similarly, the doctors are going on industrial actions and lecturers in the tertiary institutions are going to embark on strike in the new year. We should pray against petroleum pipeline explosion that would lead to the scarcity of gas, kerosene, diesel and petroleum.


The organised labour unions are going to stage protests about increase in wages and there is going to be increment in house rentage in the major cities of Nigeria. But government would try to proffer solutions to it but it is not going to work because there is going to be increase in the prices of building materials like cement, blocks, sands and granite. There is also going to be clamouring for states and local government creations across the six geo-political zones of the country.


In the new year, the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would take the state chapter of the Action Congress (AC) to , over the conduct of the last local government election in the state, but the PDP will not win the case and there is not going to be re-contesting of the election again in the state.


God told me that 57 local government councils in Lagos State would come into fruition as it would be gazetted by the National Assembly in favour of Lagos State.

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The highly respected Nobel prize for Literature has been won by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, a French writer, who lived part of his childhood in Onitsha, Nigeria, and even wrote a book named after the town, recollecting his memories of the city on the banks of the Niger.
Nice-born Le Clezio moved to Nigeria with his family at the age of eight when he commenced writing. He wrote his first works – “Un Long Voyage” (A long journey) and “Oradi Noir” – during a month-long journey to Nigeria. His father had been positioned as a doctor in Onitsha during World War 11.
During his stay at Onitsha, he also made a list of seven of his forthcoming books. French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a statement hailed the laureate as “A child of Nigeria and Mauritius, a teenager in Nice, a nomad of the American and African deserts, Jean-Marie Le Clezio is a citizen of the world, a child of all continents and of all cultures.”
Ironically, the region of Nigeria that inspired the writer has produced great writers such as Chinua Achebe, late Cyprian Ekwensi and just recently, Chimamanda Adichie.
While conferring the prize on him, the Swedish Academy which decides the winner of the coveted 10 million Swedish crown ($1.4 million) prize, praised the 68-year-old’s adventurous novels, essays and children's books.
“His works have a cosmopolitan character. Frenchman, yes, but more so a traveller, a citizen of the world, a nomad,” Permanent Secretary of the Academy, Horace Engdahl, told a news conference to announce the laureate.
Underlining his international credentials, Le Clezio, who describes himself as French and Mauritian, answered questions in English, French and Spanish at a Paris press conference.
In the past, Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organisation formed in Nigeria by French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, also won the Nobel.
According to the Swedish Academy's web site, Le Clezio studied English at a British university and taught at institutions in Bangkok, Mexico City, Boston, Austin and Albuquerque, among others.
Le Clezio also spent long periods in Mexico and Central America and married a Moroccan woman in 1975. Since the 1990s he and his wife have shared their time between Albuquerque in New Mexico, the island of Mauritius and Nice, the Academy added.
The author said he believed French culture was a melting pot of influences. “The French language is a result of a mix of cultures. It has received contributions from every corner of the world. That is what is wonderful about French culture. It is a place of encounters.”
Le Clezio's first novel was “Le proces-verbal” (The Interrogation), written when he was 23. It went on to win the Renaudot prize in France.
Seen as an experimental writer in the 1960s, Le Clezio was preoccupied by themes including the environment and childhood. His big breakthrough came in 1980 with “Desert”, which the Academy said “contains magnificent images of a lost culture in the North African desert, contrasted with a depiction of Europe seen through the eyes of unwanted immigrants.
“A great traveller, he embodies the global reach of France's culture and values in a globalised world.”
Even early on, Le Clezio stood out as an ecologically engaged author, an orientation that is accentuated with the novels Terra amata (1967; Terra Amata, 1969), Le livre des fuites (1969; The Book of Flights, 1971), La guerre (1970; War, 1973) and Les giants (1973; The Giants, 1975). His novel, Desert (1980), fetched him a prize from the French Academy. This work contains magnificent images of a lost culture in the North African desert, contrasted with a depiction of Europe seen through the eyes of unwanted immigrants. The main character, the Algerian guest worker Lalla, is a utopian antithesis to the ugliness and brutality of European society.
During the same period, Le Clezio published the meditative essay collections L'extase matirielle (1967), Mydriase (1973) and Ha• (1971), the last of which shows influences from Indian culture. Long stays in Mexico and Central America in the period 1970 to 1974 were of decisive significance for his work, and he left the big cites in search of a new spiritual reality in the contact with the Indians. He published Voyage de l'autre c™tÎ in 1975, the same year he married Jemia. The book gives an account of what he learned in Central America. Le Clezio began the translation of the major works of the Indian tradition, such as Les prophÎties du Chilam Balam. Le r_ve mexicain ou la pensÎe interrompue (1998) testifies to his fascination with Mexico's magnificent past.
Since the 90s Le Clezio and his wife share their time between Albuquerque in New Mexico, the island of Mauritius and Nice. All but one of the prizes were established in the will of 19th century dynamite tycoon Alfred Nobel and have been handed out since 1901. The economics award was established by Sweden's central bank in 1968.

Dozens of Nigerians designated as illegal aliens could be on their way home as American authorities have announced they will step up raids on homes and businesses in several key cities where they reside.
This action is coming after the administration scrapped a program for illegal immigrants to turn themselves in for deportation after only eight people volunteered during a nearly three-week trial.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offered the pilot program in five cities, like New York, Maryland, Los Angeles , New Mexico, Washington DC and Chicago, giving illegal immigrants facing court orders to leave the country 90 days to plan their departure and coordinate travel with relatives instead of facing the prospect of being arrested, detained and deported.
ICE will end its “Scheduled Departure” program when the trial period concludes, Jim Hayes, acting director of ICE's detention and removal operations, said. “The bottom line is it is not effective,” Hayes said. “Quite frankly, I think this proves the only method that works is enforcement.
“The initiative drew skepticism, even ridicule, from many immigration activists who have criticized ICE's increasing raids on homes and businesses.
Hayes said lack of support from those activists shows they are unwilling to accept any enforcement. “They want amnesty, they want open borders, and they want a more vulnerable America,” he said.
He said that other tactics have proven more effective. ICE has been tracking down so-called immigration “fugitives” by knocking on their doors at home, often during pre-dawn hours.
ICE offered the program to 457,000 illegal immigrants nationwide who have ignored judicial orders to leave the country but have no criminal record. ICE estimates 30,000 eligible immigrants lived in the five cities where the program was offered. Immigrant advocates said the program had few incentives and failed to consider undocumented immigrants’ ties to family in the U.S.
They said they worry that ICE will cite the weak turnout as a reason to step up the raids, since it now can say that it made an effort to enforce the law in a way that was less disruptive to illegal immigrants and their families.
“My hope is it isn't going to empower them or fuel their enforcement even further,” immigration lawyer Lisa Ramirez said. ICE said it hatched the plan to quell criticism of the surge in immigration raids. One supporter of tougher enforcement said the low turnout will help insulate the agency from some of that criticism. “It was calling their bluff,” said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
The program was criticized for offering little incentive for illegal immigrants to step forward since they would be barred from returning to the US for as long as a decade. And while ICE has increased arrests of illegal immigrants who fail to heed court orders to depart, several immigrants said many people feel they have a decent chance of sticking it out here longer than the government would give them if they came forward.
http://odili.net/news/source/2008/aug/25/513.html

A Nigerian, Ezekiel Ojo, 24, was weekend shot dead in south London.He was killed just streets away from where a teenager was gunned down earlier this month.
Police were called to Penrose Street in Southwark where they found Ojo. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post mortem examination found the cause of death to be gunshot wounds to the chest.
The attack followed the shooting of 18-year-old Ryan Bravo on August 6 as he entered a Costcutters store in Walworth, just a few streets away from Penrose Street.
It is thought he could have died as a result of mistaken identity.
While police said Bravo’s death was not thought to be linked to Ojo's, they are not ruling out any possibilities.
In recent times, knife culture has been on the increase in Britain as scores are often stabbed to death.
Nigerians are often the targets and recently, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for communities across Britain to "rise up" and help end the spiralling violence of knife crime by making the carrying of weapons socially unacceptable.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Prime Minister admitted to author Ian Rankin, creator of the fictional detective Inspector John Rebus, that the law alone was not enough to bring order to the streets and end the epidemic of fatal stabbings, the Guardian of London reported.
“Young people are thinking it's acceptable, fashionable, necessary for them to protect themselves, to carry a knife,” said Brown who called for parents and community leaders to help get across the message that carrying a knife put people at greater danger of violence than not carrying one. “Just like we made guns unacceptable, we should make knives unacceptable.”
According to him, “You need, not just young people but parents and other people to say that knives in Britain, like guns, like bullying, like racism, all these things are unacceptable.”
Brown interrupted his holiday to appear as a mystery guest at the festival, which is celebrating its 25th year.
“There are certain boundaries in a decent society you don't cross and these boundaries are cultural. In America it is acceptable for many people to carry guns, it's not in Britain. We've got to make it as unacceptable to carry knives. Most decent people would want to do that and I think what you will see over the next few months is this sort of campaign, which is led not just by government but people in the country, to say ‘get knives off our streets’,” Brown said.
On November 27, 2000 Damilola Taylor set off from Peckham Library at 4:50pm, on his way home, approaching the North Peckham Estate was stabbed in the left thigh.
Running to a stairwell, he collapsed and bled to death in the space of about 30 minutes. He was still alive in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
On August 9 , 2006 Ricky Preddie and Danny Preddie, after a 33-day re-trial, were convicted of the manslaughter.
In July this year, a model pupil, David Idowu, was stabbed in the chest and stomach in a London park because he was wearing the wrong school uniform.
Idowu, 14, died three weeks after. He was due to deliver a speech in the world's biggest speaking event for young people in which he was to implore teenagers to give up knives,
The Prime Minister said one of his biggest ambitions before leaving politics was to see Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi released and in power.
“I want Aung San Suu Kyi not only to be released but to be in power in Burma. That's one of the great causes of the 20th century, every country should be a democracy and Burma is one of these countries that has been prevented from doing so. There is a need for China, India and the other countries around Burma to bring pressure to bear on the Burmese government to embrace democracy and respect human life,” he said.http://odili.net/news/source/2008/aug/25/218.html

Since the advent of GSM in Nigeria, I have retained only one line which is MTN. This is because of the spread and it used to be efficient. But on 27/3/08, I bought a recharge card of N1,500.00 to load. It refused to enter but gave me a programmed response on text which read: “Sorry, there is a delay in loading this card on your account. We will credit your account within 24 hours. Do bear with us. Thank you!” About 80 hours later, MTN sent a text message which read: “Dear Customer, your account has now been credited with the value of recharge card you loaded on March 27. We apologize for the delay”.

Meanwhile, because I couldn’t load my credit, I had to buy other SIM cards and I have finally found out MTN is the worst GSM Company. It is a big fraud with the backing of powerful individuals. The regulatory agency for telecom, NCC, has a fine gentleman in charge, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, but he is surrounded by terribly ambitious people. The entire telecom industry needs serious overhauling to stop this obvious embarrassment and national shame.

Former defunct Flash Flamingoes FC of Benin and Dream Team IV chief coach, Samson Siasia, has said that he would be glad to accept the Super Eagles’ job.

Siasia, who played 46 international matches for Nigeria and scored 13 goals, said his interest on the job was based on the fact that many Nigerians had expressed their confidence in him, hence he would like to fulfil their yearnings.

The Bayelsa State-born coach, who also played for Julius Berger of Lagos, El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, before jetting out to Belgium for his professional career, while speaking further on the Super Eagles coaching job, said he was highly honoured to hear Nigerians clamouring for him.

“I would be happy if I’m given the Super Eagles’ job, since Nigerians want me to do it. In fact, I would be honoured only if I’m doing it to please not only my fans, but many football loving Nigerians. For holding me in high esteem, I strongly believed that if I’m given the job as Eagles’ chief coach, I would not disappoint.

“All I can say is that I will be happy if it is given to me. But talking about working with other coaches, I don’t mind, provided I’m made the chief coach,” he said

The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal has declared the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Adams Oshiomole, winner of the April 14, 2007 election in the state.

Head of the tribunal, Justice Peter Umeadi who read the judgment ruled that Oshiomhole, who contested under the banner of the Action Congress won majority of the votes.

Umeadi said that the Oshiomhole scored a total of 166,577 votes to Osunbor's 129,117. Osunbor's lead attorney, Dr. Alex Iziyon said his client will appeal the verdict.

Oshiomhole had challenged the victory of Professor Oserheimen Osunbor at the Tribunal.

Oshiomole is contesting the declaration of results in the two disputed councils of Akoko-Edo and Etsako Central after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer for the state had said on air that there was no election there.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Olabanji Orilonishe, retired from the Bench 24 days ago, after attaining the mandatory age of 65.

A new chairman, Justice Peter Umeadi, who until then was a member, was appointed to head the election petitions tribunal.

A school owned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, The Bells Nursery and Primary School in Ota, Ogun State, has been shut over the death of a pupil in the school.

Four-year-old Master Ayotunde Williams was reportedly crushed to death on Tuesday by a Coaster bus belonging to the school, which had dropped him off after school hours at his house on Unity Avenue, Oju Ore, Ota. Saturday Punch gathered that after the bus dropped little Ayotunde, the driver set it in reverse gear. Coincidentally, the pupil suddenly remembered that he forgot his lunch pack in the bus and rushed after the vehicle. Unfortunately, he was crushed by the bus.

Trouble, however started, the following day, when Ayotunde’s father, who is a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Obalende, Lagos branch, allegedly mobilised his colleagues for an attack on the school. The police in Sango area, however, prevented the angry NURTW members from reaching the school.

Berti Vogts has quit as Nigeria national team coach with immediate effect according to a statement from the former coach to German media.

The 61-year-old, who guided Germany to victory at UEFA EURO 1996 was heavily criticised in Nigeria following their CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final defeat to hosts Ghana.

In a statement to German sports news agency SID, Vogts criticised the Nigerian Football Association for their lack of support for his training team in the face of heavy attacks in the Nigerian media.

"The actions and behaviour of the Nigerian Football Association during and after the African Nations Cup have destroyed all trust between the two parties and further cooperation is impossible," Vogts' lawyer Stefan von Moers said.

Many expected the Nigerian Football Association to sack Vogts after the team's unconvincing performance in the tournament.

Nigerian media - and former Nigeria midfielder Sunday Oliseh - criticised the coach for putting together an all-German training team, including former Germany players Steffen Freund and Uli Stein.

Vogts, who took over the job last March, emphasised that "working with the team and players was a great pleasure" and said he particularly regrets he "cannot continue this cooperation and the building of a new powerful Nigerian national team."

Vogts' contract with Nigeria was due to run until the end of the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™. It is unclear who will replace the German ahead of Nigeria's qualifying campaign.

http://naijanet.com/news/source/2008/feb/20/1003.html

There is a controversy over the death of a 32-year-old commercial driver in Ibadan, Oyo State, Samuel Ayeni, three weeks to his wedding. The deceased was said to have been murdered by yet to be identified persons.

The father of the deceased, who confirmed the killing to the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night at Mobil area of Ring Road.

The man, who wept while narrating the incident, said the deceased used to ply Challenge- Apata road before the incident. However, investigation revealed that the deceased might have been hit by a police bullet.

According to a source, some policemen shot sporadically on Tuesday night between Akinyemi and Mobil areas. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ms. Bisi Okuwobi, confirmed the incident and said the incident took place around the Iyaganku Police Division.

According to her, the deceased was hit by a bullet from unknown persons around 10.00 p.m. on Tuesday. She said the incident was still being investigated.



Meanwhile, the remains of Ayeni have been deposited at the Adeoyo General Hospital mortuary.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/14/608.html

Campus babes: How Yahoo Boys are displacing Aristos

EMMANUEL ONYECHE writes that a new set of men is making impressions on ladies on Nigerian university campuses Though Bode Olumide (not real name) is in his middle 50s, he still thinks he is the typical “Big Boy” and does not mind being referred to as such. After all, he fancies himself as having all that it takes to lay a claim to that title – a liberal attitude to life, flashy cars and tons of cash to spend.

In addition to that, he dresses lavishly in expensive clothes, carries himself well and makes sure he is seen in the right places and circles. As a top executive in an oil company in Lagos, he delegates many of his responsibilities and spends considerable time planning his leisure.

Women figure prominently in that plan. Like most men, Olumide has this problem with regards to women – he can‘t keep his hand and eyes away from them. This is in spite of the fact that he is “happily married” and has two children.

He likes them young and goes about his business of hunting for them discreetly so as not to raise the suspicion of his wife. His favourite hunting ground is the University of Lagos, where he numbers among the rich men who throng the place daily, whisking away the campus ladies, who are willing to play ball to catch fun with them.

At UNILAG, as in other campuses in the country, the students refer to his type as “Aristos,” a coinage from the word “Aristocracy,” which refers to a kind of government, where power is controlled by a small number of individuals – the social elite and noble families.

Though the Aristos in this case may not necessarily have any attachment to nobility, they certainly belong to the social elite and, with their money, wield considerable power over many of the fun-loving campus girls. Up till the early part of the 21th Century, their power was such that the girls went to great lengths to outsmart one another for the attention and company of the Aristos.

They had enough reasons to. The money of an Aristo came in handy to the girls in their unending contest to outdo one another in the business of looking good. They also loved to be seen in the flashy cars of the Aristos, who pampered them with money and gifts.

However, the power and tenure of the Aristos is waning – and that, considerably. Beginning from the rise in the crime of advance fee fraud, otherwise known as “419,” the typical Aristo has had to contend with a new set of money lords on the campuses. These are the ‘Yahoo Boys,‘ the kingpins of local and international internet fraud, from which they derive their name.

Carol, a student at UNILAG, says, ”We call them Aristos on the campus, but they are more popularly known as Sugar Daddies. They are far older than the girls and most of them are married.”

Ronke, another student adds, ”They don‘t operate in the afternoon and they must go through agents since they don‘t have direct access to the girls.”

Daramola, a male student, says many of the agents are male students, who have direct access to the girls. ”Some of the agents in UNILAG are also little girls. They call them ‘any work’ because they help the female students to run errands and do other menial jobs like washing and ironing.” The agents have the pictures of the girls in their best, sometimes, provocative attires, to show to the prospective clients. It is from this lot that the Aristos make their choice.

Depending on the bargaining power of the agent, Daramola says, the Aristos part with at least N5,000 for the services of the agents. ”Some agents can make as much as N50,000 from one Aristo,” Daramola says.

Joyce, who schools at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, says, ”Most of the Aristos that invade my school are businessmen, politicians and contractors from all over the country. They usually come during weekends and, if they have parties, they pay for the services of many babes. They take some of them to far places like Port Harcourt and Abuja.”

But the Yahoo Boys are different. They have access to the girls and they operate at any time. Joyce says, ”When you see a guy with a flashy car, who dresses in different designer clothes, shoes and accessories of the same quality, the thing that comes to one‘s mind is either the person is from a wealthy family, or he belongs to the clique of the Yahoo Boys.”

She continues, ”The Yahoo Boys are students in the school or neighbouring schools. Their lifestyles are ostentatious, probably because they don‘t sweat for their money. Moving closer to them, you will discover that they hardly sleep at night because that is when they operate. Many of them are of the view that they are collecting back from the white men (whom they call mugu) what they took from Africa.”

On the campuses, the girls, who swing with either the Aristos or the Yahoo Boys, are different. Joyce says, ”One thing that distinguishes these girls is their mode of dressing. They spend their money on quality clothes and accessories of all sorts. Where they live, they have virtually everything you can think of that makes a home comfortable – electronics of all sorts and even cars.”

Sometimes, the brand of cars they drive gives the Yahoo Boys away. ”They are usually in love with Honda brands - Honda Hala, Honda Bullet and Honda Baby Boy etc,” Daramola says.

Carol says many of the girls prefer the Yahoo Boys because of the age advantage they have over the Aristos. ”They are not ashamed to be seen around with the Yahoo Boys, many of whom are their age mates and who are also equally capable of providing for their needs. Besides, the relationships with the boys can lead to other things, like marriage.”

She adds that what the Yahoo Boys do to make their money hardly matters to many of the girls.

The girls, who prefer the Aristos, according to Carol, do so because they (Aristos) still dish out more money than the Yahoo Boys. ”Besides, many of them regard the relationships as strictly business and are not as possessive as the Yahoo Boys, who monitor the movement of their girls and are ready to beat them black and blue if they fumble,” Carol says.

Still, the business of frolicking with strangers for money or fun is fraught with danger.

A conspicuous signboard close to the entrance of UNILAG warns students on the dangers of this vice. Other signboards warn of other vices such as drug addiction and cultism.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/3/400.html

What would make a man kill his wife two months after their celebrated wedding? This was the question asked by many when it was reported recently that an Abuja-based housewife, Mrs Stella Iloduba was found murdered and her husband, Uche, vanished into thin air, giving rise to suspicions that the self-professed prophet might have been involved in the assassination of his wife.

The long arm of the law caught up with Iloduba last week and, true to these suspicions, he confessed to killing his wife. But he said he did not do it out of hatred for Stella. Rather, he claimed he killed his wife so that he could live.

At the premises of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Abuja on Tuesday, Uche said he had no regrets killing his wife and that he would do it again if the opportunity represented itself. Looking the Commissioner of Police, Abuja Command, Mr. Haruna John, in the face, Uche, who claimed to have written more than 300 books on how to live a life devoid of sin, told his story. He said, “As a prophet, I preach in different churches. And since I married late Stella, I have been seeing blessings. I wrote over 300 books which will guide the world when I publish them.”

Uche then proceeded to explain why he killed his wife, accusing her of being the first to make an attempt on his life. He accused members of his family, who he described as cultists, of setting his wife against him. This, he said, was revealed to him in a dream.

He said, “The issue of killing my wife began from our families who are cultists. They set her against me. I saw her in my dream; she was struggling to kill me. I woke up and the environment was charged. ‘This is Satan,’ I said to myself, and I began to struggle with her in self defence. I went out and got a rope, overpowered her, tied her down and killed her with this hammer and cutlass,” he said, pointing to the two objects.

Seeing the doubts on the face of the Saturday Punch correspondent about his claim to pastoral calling, he said, “Look, I am a prophet of God. This incident happened because of my parents, especially my mother who is a cultist. My mother empowered my wife to kill me and on self defence, I killed her. I struggled and got a grip of the rope. Eventually, she began to change in to a creature because of the cursory power. I know what I am saying.”

Uche, an indigene of Anambra State, added, “I am a clergyman. I hosted many crusades. There was satanic power around us when the incident happened. This incident happened because of my occultic mother.’’

Asked why as a prophet he did not discover the evil powers in his wife before he married her, he said it was “very unfortunate that that did not happen. I am a man of God, who is spirit-filled. But it is not for me to say I want to know this or that at all cost except it is revealed to me.”

Uche had taken to his heels three days after he murdered his wife. He went to several places before he was apprehended by detectives in Kogi State. To conceal his identity, he decided to wear a bushy beard as against the clean shave he used to have before the incident.

Speaking on the incident, John said, the suspect was tracked with the support of the media that spread the information. He was arrested in Kogi State and he has confessed to killing his wife.

“He led detectives to their house where he showed them the hammer and the cutlass he used in killing his wife. He will be charged to court soon.” The death of Stella has however prompted a non-governmental organisation, the National Coalition on Violence Against Women, to call on the National Assembly to enact a bill against violence. The organisation, in a three-paragraph statement emailed to our correspondent, condemned the killing and called on the Federal Government to give priority to the “safety of women, particularly in their homes.”

The statement, which was signed by one Abigail Edo also said that since “Section 33 (1) of the constitution guarantees that every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his or her life, we urge the Federal Capital Territory police command to carry out a detailed investigation into the murder of Stella.”

A member of the family, Mr. Emmanuel Solomon, told our correspondent that the family had been told about Uche’s arrest. For this, he said, the family was grateful. But he added that what the family wanted was justice. This, he said, was the basis for their cry when it was discovered that the husband could be the brain behind the gruesome act. That is why we have not buried our sister. We wanted to know the outcome of the investigation. We want justice to prevail.”

It will be recalled that the body of Stella, who until her death was an employee of Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, was found at her home by one of her brothers, Mr. James Ubi.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/2/408.html

Nigerian pop sensation Tuface was robbed again yesterday just a few months after he survived gun shot wounds after another attack.

Saturday Vanguard authoritatively gathered that the Benue State-born talented young man whose music is making waves fell into the hands of robbers Thursday night at about 11 pm at Anthony Village, Lagos.


According to reliable sources, Tuface was driving in one of his jeeps when the robbers, who had been trailing him, eventually caught up with him and took away the car.


It was the third time he would be robbed in the past one year for the first and second time in the past three years. The first time was when the well armed assailants clambered into his Festac Town expansive duplex and robbed every- body through out the night.


The second time was a few months ago when he was returning from a foreign trip and the bandits accosted him and took his car on the Lagos Apapa express way. They also shot him on the thigh. On that occasion, he said his laptop saved him from immediate death as a bullet bounced off the laptop.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/2/303.html

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has enjoined Nigerians to pray ceaselessly for his eldest son, Gbenga, who recently accused him of sleeping with his wife, Mojisola.

The erstwhile president has also recommended medical examination for Gbenga, who, incidentally, is a physician.

Saturday Independent reliably gathered that Obasanjo told sympathisers, who visited him in his Ota Farms over his present travails, that he had no response to the allegations than to recommend prayers for his son.

In spite of entreaties by the sympathisers made up of old schoolmates, traditional rulers and kinsmen, on how to resolve the issue, sources said Obasanjo declined to make any comment on the vexatious allegations, but urged the people to implore Nigerians to pray for his son.

He was quoted as saying he did not have any regret over the allegations, but expressed concern over the frosty relationship between Gbenga and his siblings.

Myriad of problems surrounding the Obasanjo family seem not to be over yet as his eldest daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, has been declared wanted in the United States of America for child kidnapping and delinquency.

According to agency reports, Iyabo, now a Senator in Nigeria, was declared wanted by a U.S. District Judge, Charles T.L. Anderson for kidnapping and stowing away her son after the court had awarded custody to her estranged husband.

Iyabogate

, the saga of impersonation and contract scam involving her, is still on the front burner of public discourse.

The court document indicated that Iyabo Obasanjo and Akeem Bello solemnised their marriage shortly after her father was sworn-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999. The document further revealed that the marriage lasted only four years.

Iyabo was a plaintiff in the divorce suit presided over by Alonzo B. Coleman Jnr. of the State of Carolina General Court of Justice, District Court Division. Filed on May 19, 2003, the case had file number 03 CVD 384.

At the hearings, her former husband, Mr. Akeem Bello, had prayed the court to award him custody of their only child, Jimi Bello, born on January 1, 2000 in Chatham County, North Carolina.

The court acceded to his prayers and subsequently granted him custody.

On July 27, 2004, Senator Obasanjo allegedly "kidnapped" Jimi Bello from Akeem Bello’s home in Pittsboro and fled to Nigeria with the child.

Following a series of failed efforts to get her to return the child to the rightful custody of his father, District Court Judge Charles T.L. Anderson ruled on May 9, 2005 that she was in contempt of the court.

The court asked local, state and international law enforcement officers to take Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello into custody.

"If arrested, she should be committed to the Chatham County Jail located in Pittsboro, North Carolina, U.S.A," the judge ruled.

Agency investigation further revealed that beside the civil contempt charges preferred against her by the Chatham County authorities, which has thus kept her under the close watch of the Interpol, Iyabo contravened court order on custody payments (called "child support" in the U.S.).

According to court authorities, she was ordered to pay $875 per month in child support to her former husband, effective October 24, 2004.

According to records, Iyabo is now indebted to her former husband to the tune of $35,013.20 as unpaid child support fee.

Judge Anderson’s had ruled that:

•"Effective May 13, 2005 in event plaintiff does not purge herself under paragraph five below, that the plaintiff is hereby committed to the custody of the Sheriff of the Chatham County to be placed in the Chatham County Jail or other appropriate jail or prison until such time as she purges herself of contempt by complying with the Order of April 20, 2004 and August 23, 2004, signed by Honorable Alonzo B. Coleman.

•"Effective May 13, 2005 in event plaintiff does not purge herself under paragraph five below, it is further ordered that the sheriff of Chatham County, or any other law enforcement officer in North Carolina, the United States of America, or any international law enforcement officer shall take the plaintiff, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello into their custody and the plaintiff shall thereafter be committed to the Chatham County Jail located in Pittsboro, North Carolina, U.S.A. or other available detention facility until such a time as the plaintiff is purged of contempt by this court by delivering Jimi Bello (Date of Birth: January 1, 2000, social security (Bleep-93-XXXX) to the custody of his father, the Defendant as ordered herein."

Meanwhile, there are unending calls by Nigerians on President Umaru Yar’Adua to investigate the eight-year administration of Obasanjo, following allegations of serial acts of impropriety involving contract awards, violation of the rule of law, and misconduct.

Pioneer Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Solomon Lar, recently took Obasanjo to the cleaners when he accused him of committing "moral corruption against humanity" by allegedly engaging in sexual liaison with Mojisola, wife of his first son, Gbenga.

Ghana came from behind to earn a semi-final place with victory over Nigeria in a game full of drama.
Nigeria took the lead on 34 minutes through a Yakubu penalty, but Michael Essien's glancing header put the Black Stars level on the stroke of half-time.
Ghana were reduced to 10 men on the hour, as captain John Mensah was sent off for a professional foul.
But Ghana continued to attack, and with eight minutes remaining, Junior Agogo's close-range finish gave them victory.
Ghana had the upper hand for most of the first half, which was a scrappy, physical affair.
The first clear chance fell to Nigeria on 11 minutes when winger Ikechukwu Uche went on a bustling run and set up Yakubu, who fired wide.
Nigeria defender Joseph Yobo almost put the ball in his own net three minutes later, as he cut out a Sulley Muntari cross.
Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan hit the post with a left-footer on 25 minutes, and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's lively play persistently troubled Nigeria.
The Black Stars were still on top when they conceded the penalty, Eric Addo pulling Yakubu down.
The Everton striker stroked the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner, with Richard Kingson going the right way.
Ghana were down for the first time in the tournament, and faced a huge test of character.
The equaliser came with the last move of the first period, Owusu's cross was met with a glancing header by Essien.
The ball went in off the left post, and trickled along the goal line before going in.
The atmosphere at half-time was astonishing, with Ghana fans celebrating as if they had won the Nations Cup itself.
Nigeria came very close three minutes after the break, a 40-yard lob by Uche was pushed over the bar by a back-pedalling Kingson.
But Ghana remained in the ascendancy overall, with the crowd roaring on their every move.
The drama heightened when Mensah was sent off in the 60th minute for clipping down Osaze Odemwingie as he raced towards the penalty area.
Three Nigeria efforts were stopped from the resulting free-kick, but the Super Eagles failed to capitalise of their numerical advantage.
Ghana resisted the temptation to play for extra time and penalties, and the winner came on 82 minutes.
Muntari crossed inside the box to the unmarked Agogo, who finished from four yards out.
Nigeria were unable to respond, and Ghana beat them for only the second time at the Nations Cup, in what was a memorable match.


http://naijanet.com/news/source/2008/feb/3/1000.html

Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, spoke to the Northern Region Bureau Chief, Hassan Ibrahim, on issues of national significance. Excerpts:Balarabe Musa

Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), was in the papers recently where he gave reasons he supported Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to emerge as president in 1999. How would you react to his statements?

I did not read the report of his statements, but I know that it was Babangida and his friends who even organised Obasanjo’s release from prison. I also know for a fact that it was Babangida that vouched for Obasanjo to be accepted as a presidential candidate in 1999. I know this because even though I have no direct contact with him, I never had and there has never been any reason for it. I know that one leader in Nigeria who was very close to Babangida and I believe he is still very close to him, approached me and over a period of four weeks, we discussed the possibility of supporting Obasanjo’s candidature.

Finally, I and our group agreed that as compared with other presidential aspirants at that time, Obasanjo was the least risked. So I know for a fact that it was Babangida who vouched for Obasanjo not only in the North but throughout Nigeria. That is why we believe that Babangida made Obasanjo the president.

Among the reasons Babangida gave in the report was that Obasanjo loves Nigeria very much,

Yes, we also believed that, but we didn’t support him simply because Babangida vouched for him, we did because we believed what Babangida’s agents told us. His agents are people we have associated with and we have confidence in them. So, we believed that he was suitable and we said he was the least risked. We said he was the least risked because the role of money in Nigeria’s politics makes it very difficult to know who to support with confidence. But someone had to be supported and compared with others who competed with him, Obasanjo had the least risk.

Unfortunately, immediately after Obasanjo was sworn-in, he betrayed everybody, he betrayed himself, he betrayed his associates, he betrayed his conscience, he betrayed Nigeria and that is the problem.

Did he also betray Babangida?

Of course! Because he wanted to destroy Babangida through the Oputa panel. Not because he wanted Nigerians to know what happened, he just wanted to destroy former presidents, particularly military presidents and particularly Babangida.

Some people blame Babangida for ‘paving the way’ for Obasanjo to become president. Do you think such an allegation is genuine?

No, I don’t think we should blame Babangida because we also analysed the situation and agreed with him. Even though we were opposed to his political standing, we were opposed to him even when he was military president. But in 1999, we definitely agreed with his reasoning and we didn’t want to dismiss his reasoning simply because we had our own feeling about him as a leader or a person. They were important but they were secondary to the fact that he advanced credible reasons for supporting Obasanjo.

How would you assess Obasanjo’s eight-year tenure?

A disaster!

Why was it a disaster?

It is a disaster for Nigeria because he turned out to be the most corrupt president Nigeria has ever had; in fact the most corrupt public officer in the history of Nigeria if we go by the allegations, credible allegations against him. He also has appeared to be the lowest morally upright person that we have ever had. Now, there are so many allegations against him but I can only mention two.

One, the allegation that he participated in the sharing of the ecological fund of the Plateau State Government. Secondly, there are a number of projects which he established personally that he couldn’t have financed from his legitimate earnings. He must have financed them from a source which is of doubtful legitimacy. His university project and his library project are examples. We are saying this because in 1999, Obasanjo was virtually bankrupt particularly with regard to his farming project. Yet, four years after he became president, Obasanjo Farm admitted that it was making a profit of N30 million a month and it is now a very big project. How was he able to finance it? From his legitimate income? It couldn’t be . These are just few based on his own admission.

In the case of sharing of the ecological fund, the media has reported that when Obasanjo was confronted with this problem, he paid N50 million back to the Plateau State Government. Now, there are more serious allegations. They are becoming more serious and credible that we are not only calling for the probe of Obasanjo, we are calling for the probe of the Obasanjo regime from 1999 to 2007 because it is the only way Nigerians can know the truth of the theft of public property.

How about those who say Obasanjo has done well for the North by supporting the emergence of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua as president?

As far as Obasanjo is concerned, he betrayed everybody, not only the North. His support of Yar’Adua was purely based on his own calculations and the need for someone who will be his surrogate, someone who will protect him and keep his secrets. Unfortunately, these secrets can not be kept.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/1/610.html

Eight people, including two policemen, were killed in three violent incidents in Ogun and Lagos states on Thursday[/center.

The attacks began around mid-day when about 27 armed robbers violated the sanctity of Canaanland in Sango, Ogun State, by raiding four banks there.

Before the robbers left with huge amounts of money from the banks, two policemen lay dead. Two bank officials were seriously injured but one was said to have died around 5pm at the Covenant University Health Centre.

One banker was lucky during the attack. Bullet reportedly pierced through one of his shoes and came out at the other side.

Canaanland accomodates the Covenant University, Faith Academy, Kingdom Heritage Schools and the Living Faith Church, otherwise known as Winners Chapel, among others.

The banks involved in the raid are Oceanic Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa, Spring Bank Plc and Covenant Micro-Finance Bank.

Our correspondents gathered that the robbers divided themselves into four groups and struck at the same time at the four banks.

An eyewitness said the robbers, who drove into the Christian community in three vehicles, virtually emptied the banks‘ vaults.

The witness claimed that the bandits were provoked into killing the policemen and the bank official following resistance at the UBA branch.

Another witness said people who saw the men could not believe they were armed robbers because they dressed like gentlemen.

“I was actually about to enter one of the banks when I suddenly heard gunshots. I was too afraid to move, it was my brother-in-law who was with me that dragged me away from the scene,” she said.

When our correspondent visited the scene on Thursday afternoon, bullet holes were seen on the UBA‘s building.

Besides, the beret and shoes of one of the slain policemen were seen on the floor within the bank‘s premises. There were also bloodstains on the floor and walls.

But just as the news of the attack on Canaanland spread, policemen shot dead three people in Ijaiye- Ojokoro on the Lagos -Abeokuta Expressway.

The three men who were riding in a Mazda 323 car were said to have refused to yield to the demand for gratification by the law enforcement officers attached to the Ijaiye- Ojokoro Police Station.

A source said that the policemen pursued the vehicle and shot at the occupants when the car slowed down because of a bump at Car-Wash bus stop.

Angry residents of the area then took to the street and marched towards the police station, causing mayhem.

It was gathered that the residents chased out policemen from the station before setting it on fire.

However, the timely reinforcement of policemen from the Area ‘G’ Command, Ogba, saved the station from complete destruction.

When contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Mr. Joseph Apapa, said he was yet to receive details of the Canaanland incident.

Apapa said, ”You know Canaanland is a private estate. I am yet to be briefed on the incident. I just came back from Abuja. We don‘t have anything to hide, as soon as I get the facts if you call me back, I will give you everything. However, you can call the PPRO.”

But the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Awoyale, who confirmed the incident, claimed that the bandits only struck at Oceanic Bank.

He said, ”You are aware that Canaanland is a private property. When the robbers came, our men were alerted and they fought them gallantly, although we lost two men.

Also, at the Trade Fair International Complex on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, two people were feared killed in a clash between rival factions of the Auto-Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association.

Trouble was said to have started when a former president of ASPAMDA, identified as Chief Okeh, stormed the market with riot policemen in a bid to force out the incumbent president, simply identified as Adidax.

Our correspondents gathered that Okeh lost his bid for a second term in 2007 but headed for the court, claiming that the election was rigged.

It was learnt that he came back to the complex on Thursday with a court injunction showing that he had been declared winner.

A source said that fracas broke out when Okeh attempted to move into the ASPAMDA office. Two people were feared dead and many injured in the process.

The Acting PPRO, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Olumide Jimoh, said policemen had taken charge of the Ijaye-Ojokoro and the Trade Fair incidents.

He claimed that the driver of the Mazda car at Ijaye was driving recklessly, thereby arousing police curiosity.

At about the same time, our correspondents learnt that another gang of armed robbers attacked a bank at Mushin, Lagos.

It was not clear as at press time, however, whether the robbers succeeded in getting to the bank’s vault.

But Jimoh said he was not aware of any bank robbery in Mushin.

In a related development, one policeman was feared killed at Aguda, Surulere, Lagos area of Lagos State on Wednesday night when a gang of bandits allegedly ambushed a police van.

The van, marked NPF 9542 B, was sighted at the premises of the Aguda Police Station on Thursday, riddled with bullets.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/1/423.html

The police have arrested a lecturer with the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, for allegedly raping one of his female students at gun-point.

The suspect, who teaches at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, was also accused of robbing his victim of N10,000 and a Motorola telephone set.

The suspect was paraded on Thursday in Abakaliki, by the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Fredrick N-Nudam.

The police spokesman said the lecturer also took nude photographs of the student.

He said that investigations had linked the suspect with a secret cult, “the ” fraternity in the university.

In a related development, the police also paraded members of two syndicates, who allegedly specialised in defrauding people through blackmail and offer of fake overseas university admissions.

N-Nudam said that on January 16, 2008, the command arrested a couple for allegedly blackmailing a civil servant.

The police said the man arranged with the civil servant to sleep with his wife but later emerged with a gun, forced him to sleep with his wife, while he took nude photographs of them.

N-Nudam said because of a threat to expose their victim as a rapist, the couple forced him to pay N920,000 “to forestall public ridicule of his person.”

The couple, however, denied the allegations.

The police also paraded another man living in Abakaliki for allegedly swindling one Christian Chukwu of N1.3m.

N-Nudam said the suspect promised to secure his victim admission at the City of London College, United Kingdom.

N-Nudam said all the suspects would be prosecuted as soon as investigations were completed.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/1/405.html

ANOTHER dimension has crept into the fresh police discovery into the infamous Abacha loot, with the sudden disappearance of numerous Ghana-Must-Go bags loaded with hard currencies in a pent house in Kano.

Sunday Tribune, our sister newspaper, had exclusively reported the fresh discovery of a house loaded with foreign currencies in the state, allegedly traced to the family of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who was said to have looted the public treasury.

Following the arrest of a prime suspect in Kogi State, the police had put the house under surveillance, only for the stored foreign currencies, according to sources very close to the case, to have taken wings.

The disappearance of the loot is reportedly causing disquiet in the top echelon of the police, with a Commissioner of Police in a North Central state and another retired Assistant Commissioner of Police said to be in trouble already.

The house, where the loot was reportedly kept, according to sources, is located at No F1, Sani Abacha Way, Kano.

It is said to be an eight-storey building, with the missing loot reportedly kept in a vault on the eighth floor.

The scion of the Abacha family is said to have been a regular caller at wee hours to the house, though he had reportedly exonerated his family during his interrogation at the police headquarters in Abuja.

Another suspect, who hails from Kogi State, who was a security guard in the house, is also said to have been picked up by the police, while the prime suspect who released the first seizure of over N30 million to the police is said to have been released on bail.

The prime suspect, during interrogation, was said to have confessed to laundering the money for the Abachas, while he was said to have also indicted many senior police officers who he reportedly accused of extorting several millions of naira from him in order to get him off the hook.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/1/609.html

The craze to travel abroad by all means arguably became a noticeable fad in Nigeria about 20 years ago, when unemployed graduates, prostitutes and school drop-outs began to explore every crooked method of finding their way into western countries. Methods common to these sets of desperate youngsters include the most dehumanising stowing away system. By this, young Nigerians hide themselves in cargo compartment of ships so that they could be ferried out of the country without the knowledge of the owners of the ship. Another harrowing method of running out of the country is crossing the border on foot and escaping into any of the North African countries, especially Libya, from where they cross to Spain. Many have lost their lives in the process.

Perhaps, the most criminally-inclined method of travelling abroad is the use of another individual‘s passport in which the new, albeit fake owner of the passport bears the data identity of the original owner of the passport. In a few cases, such fraudulent people had been lucky to beat the screening machinery at foreign embassies’ entry borders and had triumphantly entered the foreign country of their choice. But most often, many others have not been so lucky. The fortunate ones among them were simply refused visas, while the unfortunate ones were arrested at the embassies and handed over to the police.

In the last one year, detectives at the Criminal Investigation Department, Lagos State Police Command, and the Special Fraud Unit, Nigeria Police, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, have prosecuted over 30 suspects for passport-related offences. An investigation by our correspondent showed that 17 of the suspects pleaded guilty and were summarily tried and convicted. However, the sentences seem not to be a sufficient deterrent for the convicts. The sentences ranged between six and 18 months imprisonment, and in most cases, with an option of fine.

The investigation further showed that sometime in 2005, a gang of armed robbers raided the Lagos home of a media executive. The executive (names withheld), who was still at work at about 8pm when the robbers struck, had his passport stolen among other valuables. The passport, seen as hot cake, had expired visas of many foreign countries. The case was reported at all the embassies concerned. Over two years after the robbery, precisely in December 2007, a 31-year-old man, Segun Amure, was arrested with the stolen passport at the British Embassy. He was processing a UK visa when he was arrested. Amure was not alone. After adopting the name, date of birth, state of origin, marital status et al, of the original owner of the passport, he was joined in a phoney marriage with a lady, Joy Alarape, so that the lady could obtain a British visa as the wife of a ‘frequent traveller.’ The lady was also arrested.

Since the stolen passport had only expired visas, the culprits needed to apply for a visa renewal before the passport could be used. However, since the case had been reported to both the police and the High Commission, it was easy to invite the culprits for an interview and arrest.

During interrogation, Amure, who is in the custody of the SFU and will soon appear in court, told our correspondent that he had been making futile attempts to emigrate since 1998. He said a passport racketeer, identified as Fola Arogundade, offered him the stolen passport and promised him a visa for a fee of N300,000. ”I never met Joy before, it was Fola who arranged everything and told me that both of us would appear at the embassy as husband and wife. After we had been given our passports, Fola gave me Joy‘s number so that I could call her. Some days before the Ileya festival, I received a call that we were to appear at the embassy for interview on January 3. I met Joy there. A security man first sent us away, but I met another man who promised to assist us. The man collected our papers and went inside. He came out about 20 minutes later and asked us to follow him in. We were asked to sit down and we waited for about four hours before a white man opened the door and asked if we were the couple intending to travel. I said yes and he just beckoned to a man standing by the door and pointed at us. The man, who we later discovered is a policeman, took us away from the embassy and that was how we found ourselves here,” Amure said.

However, after his arrest, detectives at the SFU, who were bent on getting to the root of the matter, had a Herculian task tracing the whereabouts of Arogundade, the man behind the sale of the stolen passport. At a point, the suspect was said to have travelled to London. He was also said to have been deported. After about two weeks of search, the detectives traced him to a house in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he was arrested.

Arogundade himself admitted that he had been preparing fake passports and other travel documents for desperate travellers for many years for a fee. “I do most of the paper work at Oluwole (Lagos Island‘s now demolished notorious spot for forging and counterfeiting documents). All I do is to buy an original but stolen passport, I will then take it to Oluwole where they will remove the original passport photograph and fix the fake owner‘s passport photograph. It costs me N20,000 to do that,” Arogundade said.

The suspect claimed to have bought the passport he used for Amure from one Alberto, who he said was in London and a kingpin in passport racketeering. He further linked the passport to another suspect, Abiodun Adewunmi, who is also in the SFU net. Alberto allegedly sent a telephone number to Adewunmi and asked him to call the line. The owner of the line was the one who reportedly delivered the passport to Adewunmi and the latter then handed it over to Arogundade.

Arogundade, 35, who confessed that he had no stable job, said some of the people he had procured fake travel documents for had successfully used them to travel out of the country, usually by bribing departure point officials and then pleading for assylum in Europe; while a few others had not been so lucky. Although all the suspects are still in SFU’s custody, the commissioner in charge of the police formation, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, told our correspondent that the suspects would have been charged to court two weeks ago but for some legal and administrative bottlenecks.

The Deputy Director, West Africa, Entry Clearance, British Deputy High Commission, Mr. Adrian Loxton, blamed the dubious persons behind passport scams in Nigeria for the increasing number of people having forged travel documents at the embassies. In an interview with our correspondent, Loxton said, ”We are not out to prosecute Nigerians, but we want to discourage those behind the fraud. We are aware that they are making a lot of money from the dubious business. They paint a rosy picture for the people but the reality is very different. We love Nigerians and we like to do business with them. We want those who have genuine intentions to come to the UK. We‘ll definitely give visas to Nigerians who have all the qualifications to travel to the UK. It takes an average of a fortnight for anybody to secure a visa here. We give the visas after looking at the applicant‘s background, whether he has a work or not. We consider his bank account and also find out whether he has a family, wife and children here in Nigeria or not. If he satisfies all the conditions, we‘ll surely allow him to travel.”

Loxton said the embassy had introduced biometrics in its screening process and this had been helpful in detecting more fraud, especially of applicants using Ori Olori. In addition, he noted that some of the officials of the embassy had been sent on a special course abroad to detect all travel-related crimes. He said he had discovered that there were great opportunities for the youth in the country, adding that Nigerians preferred to travel abroad because they erroneously believe that it is easier to make more money in a foreign land. The envoy also praised the SFU men who are attached to the embassy, describing them as ”very effective and cooperative.”



http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/1/424.html

DESCRIBED as the single largest drug seizure this year, a Nigerian undergraduate, Adebowale Adeleke, 31 years, studying in the United States (U.S.) was on Tuesday arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 13.5 kilogrammes of cocaine.



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The arrest, according to the NDLEA Spokesman, Ofoyeju Mitchel, took place at the departure hall of the airport during screening of passengers on British Airways flight to London.

The estimated street value of the drug, which he carefully packaged in chocolate wrappers, according to him "is N33,750,000".

Reacting to the arrest, Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said that recent arrests recorded across the country, particularly at the airports, vividly demonstrate the agency's determination to make 2008 a drug-free year.

He said: "We have started on a very positive note and unless drug traffickers quit the obnoxious trade, we shall continue to apprehend them. We have successfully ridiculed their tricks by our superior trade craft and intelligence network".

The NDLEA boss noted that "this is a very special case because if not for the arrest, the parents would not have known what their son is doing abroad besides his studies".

He urged parents to be vigilant and monitor their children and wards carefully and directed that the case be investigated.

According to him: "This is the single largest seizure made since January 1, 2008. The suspect, Adebowale Adeleke, of No. 55 Sumonu Street, Ogba, Lagos and No. 648 Judges Station Road, Maryland, U.S., was to travel on British Airways flight to London when he was caught with the suspected substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 13.5 kilogrammes. His passport and ticket numbers are A35823 39A and 12524472715-75.

Adeleke is a final year student of Business Administration, Baltimore City Community College, U.S.

The suspect, under interrogation, accepted ownership of the drug, which he claimed to have bought himself.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jan/31/21.html

The Special Fraud Unit of the Lagos State police command has arrested seven suspects over cases of forgery and impersonation during visa applications and interviews at the US Embassy, Lagos.

The suspects, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the SFU, Mr. Yinka Balogun, said in a in interview with the Nigeria Tribune on Wednesday, were Islamiyat Agoro, Emeghara Joseph, Popoola Stephen, Adebisi Ogunpola, Babatunde Akindele, Hadijat Balogun and Emmanuel Chukwu.

He said the crimes were allegedly committed with the international passports the suspects presented at the embassy. According to Balogun, Agoro had gone to the embassy on January 8 for a visa interview and upon review of the embassy’s records, it was discovered that she had previously travelled to the United States using another identity.

The SFU boss pointed out that the embassy officials detected that on July 30, 2007, the suspect had entered the United States with a United Kingdom passport number 094480424 bearing the name Salimot Agoro.

Balogun said the crime was confirmed through fingerprints and physical recognition software at the embassy, stressing that the final analysis showed that the finger print was that of the suspect and recovered documents were later forwarded to the SFU for further investigation.



He said the suspect had confessed to have travelled to the United States using a UK passport and that Salimot was her sister, with whom she shared some physical attributes.



“The said Salimot Agoro presently resides in the UK and efforts are on to reach her for questioning,” Balogun said. The commissioner said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations on the matter were completed.



Similarly, he said Joseph had on January 4, applied for a visa with a Nigerian passport containing Canadian and Hungarian visas, which, on inspection by the consular officer, were discovered to be fake.



According to him, during investigation, the suspect also confessed that both visas were forged by one Shola Iyun for N80,000. Balogun said the suspect explained that fake visas were done to make his passport appear used, thereby creating an impression that he was a frequent traveller.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jan/25/604.html

Sam, a fourteen year old purebred Chinese Crested Hairless dog was rescued by Susie Lockheed over five years ago. He was considered "un-adoptable" by local shelters, but Susie took him in on a 48-hour trial period. During that time he lived in a cage because he acted like a rabid dog. Susie had to shove food and water into his cage and run. The 48-hour trial became several days, and then Sam just walked out of the cage and became "one of the pack" of other hairless dogs who found harbor in Susie's domain.

He was the three time (2003-2005) undefeated winner of the Ugliest Dog in the World contest. His ugliness earned him TV appearances, limo rides and even a meeting with Donald Trump.
Sam passed away on Friday, November 18, 2005. The news traveled quickly, and Susie received emails from people all around the world expressing their condolences, with many expressing how Sam had affected their lives. There truly was an outpouring of love. Sam touched people in very different ways, from eliciting almost uncontrollable laughter to a little fright, but mostly it was Sam and Susie's relationship that enamored them to so many.
There have been emails telling Susie that more and more animals that had once been considered unadoptable are now being taken in and loved by new parents. Although Sam will be missed by millions, he certainly did his good deed while on this earth, and his legacy lives on!
Check out Sam's stories and picture

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/22/ugly.dog.ap/

hey, madam Ce-yohn,
why den go commot TINUBU,
Is dat ur surname?


All off them carry Go