The Headies Awards Latest: Why Organisers Changed Venue, Date

1. The producer of The Headies, one of Nigeria's most prestigious musical award events, Ayo Animashaun has explained why the event, which had been scheduled for October 25, 2014 suddenly had a change of date to December 14, 2014 while the venue was also changed to the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos instead of the previously announced Landmark Events Centre in Lekki, Lagos.
   

   
   Animashaun explained that the change was to ensure that the 9th edition of The Headies gave Nigerians a spectacular show. "...and we’re working round the clock to do what we’re best known for,” he added.
   
   Phyno and Kcee presently top the list of nominees with 5 nominations each in a total of 21 categories.
   
   In the Next Rated Category, which comes with the prize of a brand new car, the 5 nominees are Patoranking, Runtown, Orezi, Skales and Yemi Alade.

Jonathan, Sanusi settle rift

L–R: Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan and Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, at the Presidential Villa... on Thursday

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Thursday visited President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock and allegedly apologised to his host for all his actions and inactions that strained their relationship.

The relationship between the two became strained when the President suspended Sanusi as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Jonathan had suspended Sanusi as the apex bank’s boss over what was described as financial recklessness.

Since his appointment as Emir, Thursday was the first time Sanusi would be visiting the President alone, although he was one of the Northern Traditional Rulers who joined Jonathan in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the breaking of Ramadan fast on July 23.

A Presidency source, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that Sanusi used the opportunity of the Thursday meeting to apologise to the President.

The source added that the traditional ruler promised to support the present administration.

He said, “Sanusi during his visit to the President today(Thursday) apologised to the President.

“He actually told the President that all his previous actions against him (the President) were based on misinformation.

“He then promised that going forward, he would be supporting the President and the present administration.”

Sanusi did not speak with State House correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting.

He was driven in an old model Rolls Royce.

FG Vs Coca Cola, NBC: Court Fixes NOV 4 For Hearing

— Oct 31, 2014 | 6 Comments

The Federal High Court 8, Abuja, under Justice E.S. Chukwu, has fixed Tuesday, November 4 for the hearing of the suit filed by the federal government against Coca Cola Nigeria Limited and Nigeria Bottling Company Limited for alleged violation of the Consumer Protection Council Act.
The global soft drink giant, Coca Cola Nigeria Limited, and its Nigeria’s franchise bottler, Nigeria Bottling Company Limited, are currently facing prosecution for allegedly violating the Orders of the Council, which were given to ensure compliance with laid down safety standards and regulations and enhanced consumers’ welfare.
This was after an administrative panel set up to investigate a consumer complaint regarding two half-empty cans of Sprite manufactured by Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited under the licence and authority of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited found them culpable.
If found guilty, the chief executive officers of both companies risk a jail sentence ranging from three to five years, according to the Nigeria’s Consumer Protection Council Act.
As part of the administrative panel’s recommendations, CPC, a parastatal under the supervision of the ministry of industry, trade and investment, had ordered Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company to subject their manufacturing processes to its inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with laid down safety standards and regulations, while demanding necessary compensation for the consumer/complainant.
Also, Coca-Cola and NBC were also directed to formulate a shelf-life policy for their products; to review their consumer grievance resolution policy; supply chain management policy, product traceability policy, and to present written assurances that they will refrain from a continuation of any conduct, which is detrimental to the interest of consumers.
In a bold move aimed at ensuring the protection of Nigerian consumers, the federal government last week, dragged the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and their Chief Executives before a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged criminal breach of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Act.

LET THE SHADE BEGIN...."RHOA" Star Kenya Moore FIRES SHOTS At Porsha Williams For Riding Her Coattail, Porsha POPS Back

Those darn Georgia peaches are firing shots, throwing shade and reading volumes.  Check the slick exchange that went down between "RHOA" "peach holder" Kenya Moore and "friend of the housewives" Porsha Williams inside...

Season 7 of RHOA won't premiere on BRAVO until Nov. 9th at 8/7c, but the fireworks have already started. It appears that Miss USA Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams have not kissed and made-up since their exchange at last season's reunion became one of the most talked about fights in reality tv history.
During a recent interview with Enstarz, Kenya was asked about Porsha's demotion to "friend" and the shade began. First Kenya said,

"Um, honestly I don't have any thoughts about it." Then she added, "It's just that I've made people relevant on this show for negative occurrences and I'm just not doing that any more. I think people need to stand on their own two feet and not ride my coattails, and you see when they don't ride my coattails, they don't get very far."

Oh ok then.......
Now...Porsha no longer holds a peach, but she IS nationally syndicated on Dish Nation. When she got wind of what Miss USA said, her new co-workers at "DN" didn't waste anytime getting a rise out of her over Kenya's comments. She fired back with,

"She can't be talking about me.  I mean....you'd have to be doing something for somebody to ride your coattail right?  You've got to be on the way to progression and being successful for somebody to ride your coattail.  I thought. Is that not what that means? I'm just sayin...."

Check it here:

As "Hollywood Diva" Golden Brooks would say, "Let the games begin."


By the way, remember when Tamar Braxton threw shade at Kenya last week, calling her thirsty?  Kenya had a few more things to say about that to Enstarz,
"It's so interesting because this is not the first time I've heard that and I was on her show, "The Real" last week, and we were all very pleasant to one another and I think that was the only time I've met her in person and there was a very pleasant exchange. So, to see her say that on Bravo, which is my family and that's my home... So you're going to come into my house and disrespect me? I couldn't just stay quiet about that. If it was someone else, I would just ignore it like I always do. But you don't get to come into my house and disrespect me. I was disappointed by her but I will always be nice to her. And I will continue to be nice to her because that's just who I am. But sometimes, when people see you shining--again, she was in my house so maybe she felt some type of way about that."

Whole family paralysed after eating deadly pufferfish

Pufferfish poison is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide (Picture: Getty Images)

Eleven members of the same family are in critical condition in hospital after accidentally cooking and eating a poisonous pufferfish.
The Souza family, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were given the fish as a gift by a family friend who had just returned from a fishing expedition.
But only seconds after taking their first bite of the fish, family members began to throw up, before losing all feeling in their face, arms and legs.

Pufferfish or fugu is a delicacy in Japan (Picture: Getty Images)

‘My husband was the first to say he couldn’t feel his tongue, then his face, and then his arms. Then his legs went dead and he couldn’t stand up any more. It was terrifying,’ said Cristiane Souza.
‘My brother-in-law was the same. He didn’t even make it out the door. We had to carry them out and rush them to hospital in a car.’

The family had no idea that what they were eating was a deadly pufferfish, which contains a toxin 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide – a drop of which can kill in under 24 hours.
Pufferfish – a delicacy known as fugu in Japan – is strictly controlled and only chefs who have qualified after three years training are permitted to prepare the fish.
Nevertheless, statistics from the Tokyo Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health say 20 to 44 incidents of fugu poisoning happened every year between 1996 and 2006 in the country – and one incident can carry multiple casualties.
There is no known cure for the poison, which paralyses the body and eventually suffocates the victim while they are still awake. Doctors can fight the poison by quickly emptying the stomach and feeding patients activated charcoal to bind the toxin.

World’s longest snake Thelma the python has virgin birth

Thelma weighs 91kg and is six feet long (Picture: Louisville Zoo)

A reticulated python who holds the title of world’s longest snake has had a virgin birth, a study revealed.
Thelma, 11, produced six female offspring in June 2012 at Louisville Zoo in Kentucky – despite no male being anywhere near the 200lb (91kg) snake.
And new DNA evidence published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society has revealed that the six-foot snake is the sole parent in what is the first example of virgin birth in reticulated pythons.
‘We didn’t know what we were seeing. We had attributed it to stored sperm,’ the zoo’s curator of cold-blooded animals, Bill McMahan, told National Geographic.
‘I guess sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.’

Some of the offspring resemble their mother, while others have completely different patterns (Picture: Louisville Zoo)

Virgin births – known as parthenogenesis – occur when cells produced with an animal’s egg that would normally die behave like sperm and fuse with the egg.
And while it has been documented in other animals – boa constrictors, birds and sharks, for example – scientists are still unsure as to why it happens.
Mr McMahan has speculated that in Thelma’s case, her virgin birth may have been triggered by ideal living conditions.
‘It takes a lot out of pythons to reproduce, and she had everything she needed. I had fed her a really big meal, 40lbs of chicken,’ he said.
‘She was living in an exhibit larger than the typical size. There were heat pads. Everything was optimal.’
Despite having only one parent, the offspring are half-clones, with some looking similar to her and others displaying different patterns altogether.
While they are healthy in the zoo, they would struggle in the wild because they are ‘highly inbred and often die early’, said biologist Warren Booth, of the University of Tulsa, said.

Fighting Terrorism with Amnesty – Theophilus Ilevbare

God help our country nigeria oooo.

Never mind the barefaced denial from Dr. Reuben Abati, Presidential Spokesman that the Commander-In-Chief, President Goodluck Jonathan, did not offer the Islamist group, Boko Haram, amnesty. On democracy day, we heard the speech of the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni Haruna, loud and clear, and should anyone be in doubt, here are his words, verbatim: “President Goodluck Jonathan has declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect.”

The minister added that, “Series of integration programmes have been lined up for the members of the sect who would surrender their arms and embrace peace.”

Reiterating his earlier declaration, he emphasised: “Let me use this opportunity on behalf of the Federal Government, to call on the members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace the government’s gesture and key to amnesty programme.”

To all intent and purpose, every line of that statement by the minister on behalf of the federal government was denied by Reuben Abati. How low can an administration sink when it thrives on falsehood and deceit? How can a government continue to speak with discordant tune on a critical issue like national security that requires a clear and emphatic position? Who is fooling who? When will this government show some responsibility, sincerity of purpose, courage, seriousness and true leadership to begin to actually lead? How is the citizenry expected to support the fight against terrorism when the government does not even know what it wants? We know that should Abubakar Shekau (Boko Haram leader) contact Mr. President this very moment requesting for amnesty, this administration will grant it. What is the implication of this for the ongoing fight against the insurgents? Is this how we will immortalize our armed forces for the sacrifice and ultimate price they are paying in Nigeria’s north east? Is this how we will honour the many innocent men, women and children Boko Haram has visited with untimely death?

Government deliberately made plans for such declaration not to come from Mr. President to create the impression that he remains ruthless in his stand against the religious extremists.

The greatest disservice we can do to the lives that are being lost to the Haramite’s machetes, guns and bombs, is to, in one fell swoop, blot away their atrocities and reward them with billions, turning Shekau and his Amirs – as he calls his generals – to the latest Tompolos, Boyloafs, Ateke Toms and Asari-Dokubos in town who now waltz the corridors of power.

The proclamation of amnesty is nothing new. For as much as we know, since last year, the government’s amnesty offer has been on the table. Any attempt to declare amnesty for the vicious group now or in the nearest future will throw up more questions than answers like: When did Boko Haram request for amnesty? Why is the President offering what wasn’t requested even in the face of escalating bloodshed? Does he want to feign ignorance that the Islamist sect bluntly rejected his first amnesty offer? What makes him think they have changed their stance? Has the Commander-In-Chief lost confidence in the ability of the Nigerian security operatives to effectively wipe out the fundamentalists? Who are the sponsors of this terror groups in Nigeria? Why is it taking so long for the government to expose them? Or are they bigger than the country?

The emptiness and indiscretion of that pronouncement by Mr Haruna was laid bare as the government had hitherto make an offer of amnesty to the terrorists through the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflict in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. Their offer of amnesty is still on the table. So why declare amnesty again for Boko Haram when they spat on the face of the government by stating unequivocally and categorically that they don’t need amnesty but the government should instead, plead for amnesty from them. The government still doesn’t get it that these terrorists don’t flinch at the thought of getting billions from government as amnesty package.

In a desperate and clumsy bid to bring the terrorists to the negotiation table, the government is offering amnesty to faceless people – ghosts. Such ignominious gesture is tantamount to ‘radicalising’ the youths across the country to think that the way to get government’s attention is to pick up arms against the state. We say no, to all forms of bestiality of our youths, which this amnesty charade is all about. It defies every logic and rationale that the FG even contemplated amnesty to faceless terrorists, mindless killers and maniacs that have sent over 15,000 Nigerians to their graves since their Jihad began. More than 4,000 of that figure have being killed this year alone.

It is foolhardy to think amnesty can de-radicalise a terrorist. To the Jihadists, terrorism is a way of life they’ve come to know, a new religion and message that they are ready to die for while forcefully propagating. Granting amnesty to Boko Haram is yet another indication that the Jonathan government is at crossroads. Besides, there is more politics in this amnesty charade than meets the eye. The religious radicals have a warped ideology that everything about Western Education is forbidden. How then, can government, in the name of amnesty, send Shekau for instance, to study Aeronautic Engineering in United Kingdom or Medical Science in Australia in the guise of rehabilitation for integration? I don’t think the FG has thought this through. Amnesty or any such thing can never completely dissect this tumor out of the northern community.

Moreover, calling on Boko Haram members to unconditionally renounce their evil acts and embrace peace and days later denying that such a call was never made must have heightened the curiosity and skepticism of the Islamist group over the (in)sincerity of the government to any peace deal.

Dr. Jonathan, it appears, wants to exploit the window that the prisoners swap for abducted Chibok schoolgirls present to negotiate an armistice with the dreaded sect. Their demand over the Chibok girls should not be misconstrued as amnesty.

Sadly and expectedly, the present administration has failed to take responsibility for the welfare of soldiers who daily put their lives in harm’s way in the war against terror. Nothing has been done to rehabilitate the victims of Boko Haram bombings, no one talks about taking responsibility for the bereaved families of our gallant fallen heroes in the frontlines, and no one ensures that owners of properties destroyed are adequately compensated.

Before now, the government’s position was to crush the marauders with military might but the war is now beyond the capability and capacity of the Nigerian security operatives. Though, the posture of FG signifies the carrot and stick approach as its strategy, it is now glaring to every discerning observer that only the ‘carrot’ approach is now the Jonathan administration’s best bet.

That the President has buckled yet again shows the FG lacks courage, political will, 21st century military equipment, personnel and intelligence to challenge and discomfit the salafist sect headlong.  Begging terrorists cap in hand is tantamount to resigning to fate and handing the initiative of the terror war to the monsters. They’re now in a position of strength. This is indeed, the impetus they need to overrun the troubled states. God forbid.

Apparently, we lived in self-denial that our security operatives were up to the task, or underestimated the capacity of the enemies to wage a potent, sustained campaign against the state.

Rewarding terrorism, militancy and all forms of hooliganism, cultism and brigandage are sure fire highways to an irrevocable descent to a failed nation. There are handwritings on the wall that Nigeria is on the road to Yugoslavia, Somalia or Syria.

Victims of the insurgency will not be impressed. And such victims are many: immediate and long-term victims, direct and indirect victims, individual and co-operate victims. Even the terrorists are not impressed; they want a war with the Nigerian military. They cherish a quick pathway to meet ‘Allah’ should they be killed in such duels.

Amnesty to the Haramites is the greatest disservice to the lives lost to the insurgency, while it takes the assault on the collective psyche of Nigerians to dizzying heights.

Oshiomhole’s 2015 Presidential Ambition?

we need a man like him.

Reports has it that, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has submitted a letter of intent to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, just as he intensified consultations with the likes of the former president and stakeholders across the country.
Also, reports say that majority of the APC governors may soon endorse him as their candidate because they believe that his popularity cuts across the country, which is one of the attributes they intend to explore to stop President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. We also learnt that His former governorship campaign office will serve as his presidential campaign office in Edo State.

U.S. Joins War Against Boko Haram, Ansaru

we need their help a lot.

Lagos — After years of diplomatic patchwork and foot-dragging, the United States, yesterday, formally declared war on Boko Haram, classifying the Nigerian-based Al Qaeda affiliate, a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The declaration would make Washington mobilize resources and intelligence to combat the ninth deadliest terrorist group in the world.

A statement issued by the US State Department, yesterday, in Washington, said the US government was invoking Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 to designate Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

The Federal Government which had hitherto mounted pressure on the US against taking such action, also issued a statement through Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US to explain why it accepted the US classification of Boko Haram and Ansaru as terrorist groups.

Decision taken November 8, 2013

According to Ambassador Ade Adefuye, the decision to declare Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, was taken at a meeting at the State Department on Friday, November 8, 2013, and they took immediate steps to inform the authorities in Abuja.

He said: “For the past couple of months, this embassy successfully countered pressures from religious organizations and politicians both in Nigeria and the US on the American government to make this declaration. Our belief then was that the twin-track approach of enforcement and dialogue adopted by the Nigerian Government would make Boko Haram see reason. Regrettably, the continued intransigence of the sect compelled our government to proscribe the organization on June 4, 2013.”

The Federal government said its earlier opposition of the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as FTOs by the US was “because of the wider implication and exposure to stringent measures that such actions will impose on ordinary Nigerians”. But the State Department said its assistance to Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human rights are respected. It said designation of these groups as FTOs demonstrates U.S. support for the Nigerian people’s fight against Boko Haram and Ansaru.

Ambassador Adefuye said: “We have taken note of the statement by host authorities that the latest action is meant to enhance further co-operation between Nigeria and the US in tackling this issue. The Government of Nigeria remains committed to bringing to an end the atrocities of Boko Haram in collaboration with our foreign partners.”

Activities of the radical Islamic sects have become worrisome to the United States and other countries that are uncomfortable with Boko Haram, which has been responsible for the death of thousands of civilians and security personnel across religious divides in North-East and central Nigeria since it commenced its campaign in 2002. Also operating in Nigeria, Ansaru is a Boko Haram splinter faction that earlier in 2013 kidnapped and executed seven international construction workers.

Diplomatic sources said the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as FTOs is “an important and appropriate step, but just a step in a comprehensive approach by the Nigerian government to counter these groups through a combination of law enforcement, political, and development efforts, as well as military engagement, to help root out violent extremism.”

Global FTOs

With this designation, Boko Haram and Ansaru would be treated like other terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Salafis movement or Al-Qaeda, Al- Shabbab in the Horn of Africa, Taliban in Afghanistan, Haqqani in Pakistan and Hamas in the Middle East, including Mujoa and Ansar Dine in Mali. These are global networks of jihadist organizations that want to institute orthodox theocratic states based on Islamic tenets and doctrines. They have relied on criminal activities such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling and kidnapping to raise funds for their campaign of terror worldwide.

The United States has been concerned about the link between Boko Haram and Ansaru and Al-Qaeda in Magreb AQIM and the Al-Shabaab Islamic sect operating in East Africa from where the group gets its training and logistics support. Al-Qaeda in The Maghreb stretches from the North African nations of Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, to Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Cameroon and Northern Nigeria.

Implications for Nigeria

The consequences of these FTO and E.O. 13224 designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with Boko Haram and Ansaru, includes freezing of all property and interests in property of the organizations that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

These designations will assist U.S. and other law enforcement partners in efforts to share intelligence, training of security operatives in counter intelligence strategies, investigation and prosecution of terrorist suspects associated with Boko Haram and Ansaru.

Security and Intelligence experts said this declaration would require the US Congress to enact relevant legislation to back the anti-terrorism campaign in Nigeria. ” There are also strong beliefs that the US might use its controversial drone programme to attack leaders of these radical groups which have declared that they would attack the US and her interests in Nigeria.

Dr. Dan Mou, a retired director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abuja told Vanguard that designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organisations means that America will now treat Nigeria as a terrorist country and Nigerians travelling to the US, would be singled out for special attention. It would mean that Nigerians applying to travel to US would face a stringent visa regime.”

Special security scrutiny

Foreign Affairs Ministry sources further told Vanguard that “the classification affects members of Boko Haram sect would of course, affect innocent Nigerians while the issue of who is innocent is purely subjective so we as citizens of Nigeria will have to pay the price.”.

Vanguard learnt that Nigerians who have visited countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, Niger, Yemen, and Chad where Al-Qaeda and its affiliates are known to operate are marked out for special security scrutiny in the United States.

Among its most lethal attacks, Boko Haram carried out indiscriminate attacks in Benisheikh, Nigeria in September 2013 that killed more than 160 innocent civilians, including women and children. Boko Haram has also conducted attacks against international targets, including a suicide bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja on August 26, 2011, that killed 21 people and injured dozens more, many of them aid workers supporting development projects across Nigeria.

Ansaru’s attacks have focused on Nigerian military and Western targets. In November 2012, Ansaru raided a police station in Abuja, killing Nigerian police officers and freeing detained terrorists from prison. Also in January 2013, Ansaru attacked Nigerian security services when its members ambushed a convoy of Nigerian peacekeepers. Ansaru has also conducted several kidnappings of foreigners living and working in Nigeria.

Nigeria-US relations

Ambassador Adefuye further said that the action of the US State Department would not affect relations between the two countries negatively. He said “The Embassy wishes to assure American investors and tourists that our country remains a favourite destination for investors and tourists”.

He said “Every nation has its security challenges in one section of its geographical entity. The threat of Boko Haram exists in some parts of the 36 states of Nigeria.

According to the envoy, there are “many American investors who are presently in Nigeria and we have received firm assurances from the host authorities that the declaration is only to speed up the process of ending Boko Haram atrocities. The intensity of US-Nigeria relations will not in any way be adversely affected: The Nigeria-US Bi-National Commission will continue to be implemented with vigour. Our citizens will not be subjected to unnecessary harassment at Immigration border posts. The economic, social and political ties with the United States will continue to wax stronger”.

Chibok students’ exam results ready—Minister

whats the use.

Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau has disclosed that the Senior School Certificate results of Chibok students are ready.

Over 200 schoolgirls of Chibok, Borno State, were abducted in April by Boko Haram insurgents.
The minister, who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Education yesterday over schools’ resumption palaver, said the West African Examinations Council notified him of the results, yesterday. He said his ministry would look at this development in view of its security implication.
He said: “In fact, by 1pm today (yesterday), the president has scheduled a meeting in which I am attending, specifically to address some of the issues of girls education in that troubled zone. In fact,  this morning, I got a communication from West African Examinations Council that the result of the Chibok Secondary School is out.
“But we have to look at it via- a -viz the security situation and implication before the formal release, because when the abduction took place, some remained and completed their exams, some were taking exams and they were abducted. So, the result is haphazard.
“So, we’re addressing that this (yesterday) afternoon. Right now, we are dealing with the situation of Chibok school result. I want to let you know that we are not sleeping, we are having regular meetings. Don’t go and quote me that the Chibok school result has been released. Don’t forget boys and girls were in the exams, it is not just the girls.”

whats your own opinion; Surrendering Shekau’s Head and the Army Credits- Noel Onoja

Firstly, the question as to whether bringing Shekau’s head to the stake will end the insurgency problem is a matter of discussion for another day, the first and foremost news on the mind of Nigerians and indeed the world is bringing to justice, dead or alive – however means necessary, the leader of the boko haram terrorist group Abubakar Shekau and his cohorts for their crimes against humanity. 
Secondly, most people think it is a secondary issue as to which troop get credit to claims to have killed Shekau – the Nigerian troops or the Camerounian troops, what is paramount is that the leadership of the sect and all its members are brought to book and on time. The wanton destruction of lives and properties by the dreaded, blood-thirsty islamic extremist group boko haram has come on for too long and Nigerians are waiting and hoping the head of this monstrous group will be turned in any time soonest.
 At first the insurgency was considered a purely Nigerian problem with Cameroun accused of been reluctant to join the fight at its earlier stage but as time went on, the dynamics of the group’s threat began to spread and affect other countries especially Nigeria’s neighbour Cameroun, Chad and Niger with reports of constant kidnapping and raids by the sect prompting the setting up of a Multi-National Joint Task force to counter the insurgency. 
 Although it is not clear as to the level of military cooperation and coordination between Nigeria and Cameroun as regard the fight against the terrorists group but one thing clear is the drive of the military of both countries to prove a point in the anti-terrorism battle. 
 Following the recent resolve by the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan government and Nigerian miliitary to totally crush the group with persistent offensive and attendant victories at various fronts with members of the boko haram sect surrendering self and arms to the might of the Nigerian Army; The Camerounian Army on the other side of the bother have also reported various times of how it has successfully repelled attacks and dislodged the group from its bother area propelled by massive offensive from across the Nigerian border. 
Two days ago the Camerounian Army posted a picture showing the leader of the boko haram sect killed apparently by gunfire, the picture which was posted on its facebook page with profile name ‘Armée camerounaise’ was not elaborated upon but it completely suggested that the boko haram leader had been killed purportedly by Camerounian troops. 
Aside claims some time in July this year by the Nigerian Army to have allegedly killed Shekau in a June 30th battle before he resurfaced again in propaganda videos, fighting in recent days have however purported that prominent Boko Haram Commander suspected to be the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau might have been killed.
 However, one factor that appears conflicting in the report is whether the alleged victory was actually won by the Nigerian Army or the Cameroonian soldiers on the otherside of the border.
The conflicting reports stemmed from the claim by troops of both countries of being responsible for the killing of the most wanted terrorist in the region.
While troops from Cameroon on Sunday night claimed responsibility for killing Shekau with photos of the Boko Haram leader’s corpse as one of the proofs, the Nigerian Army has equally claimed that its troops killed the sect leader. The report from the side of the Nigerian troops was however not backed by images.
The conflict reports in the claim became obvious when troops from Cameroon said it killed Shekau at the Gamboru Ngala border town, contrary to claims by the Nigerian Army that said Shekau was killed in Konduga town, few kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
 Both troops also have different versions to how the terrorist was allegedly killed. While Cameroon military disclosed that Shekau was killed in an aerial bombardment in his hideout inside Nigeria, the Nigerian military claimed that its troops might have killed Shekau on September 17 when the sect members tried to take over Konduga, and consequently launch an attack against Maiduguri.
 The Nigerian Military has further claimed that “It is getting more certain that the terrorists’ commander who has been mimicking Shekau in those videos is the one killed in Konduga on September 17, 2014?.
 The military however cautioned that, “The process of confirming that the dead body we have is the same as that character who has been posing as Shekau is ongoing. He is definitely a prominent terrorist Commander. I don’t want to say anything about this yet please.”
 A military source had further revealed that the semblance between Shekau and the corpse in their custody was too striking and cannot be a coincidence, citing his facial marks, beards and teeth in addition to the recovery by the Nigerian troops of some of the Armoured Vehicles and Hilux jeeps that had featured in previous videos of the prime suspect as possible evidences.
 The Army further assured that the Defence Headquarters will soon address the nation after full investigation is carried out to verify the real identity of the dead leader.
 Although reactions pouring in suggest that people are not yet convinced that the leader of the sect has been killed, a Saudi based Nigerian journalist Ahmed Salkida who has offered to help negotiate with the sect responded on twitter by saying 
 “Mark my words: I have it on authority that Shekau is well & alive, the picture going round is NOT the person who torments us with his group”
 
 Salkida further tweeted ” Mark my words: There is NO negotiation either by the @ICRC or any negotiator on the release of #chibokgirls with #BH Shura as I write this”
 
 However this sounds, the killing of Shekau obviously sound like a delightful news in the fight against this terrorist that have succeeded in tormenting, killing, maiming and destroying properties for years now, this type of news will also encourage the morals of troops fighting the insurgency making sure that it is finally brought to an end just as the Government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has shown a renewed effort in defeating this extremists.
 For Nigerians and the world at large, we will urge the military of countries involved to carry out a quick investigation into the purported killing of Shekau with the aim of coming out with a confirmed account into the death of Shekau, we can sit down and give credit later to which ever army could have been responsible, let it remain in the minds of citizens and soldiers of both countries or any other country for that matter that the fight against boko haram Is a collective responsibility that must be devotedly executed to the sustenance of peace and prosperity of the region.

breaking news; Chibok Schoolgirls ‘Free In Nigeria’- Military

Nigeria’s military has told the BBC that some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok town in April by Islamist militants are now free.

Army spokesman Brig Gen Chris Olukolade did not say how many girls were now in military custody, saying the exercise was “ongoing”.
More than 200 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Borno state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
Protests were organised under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, calling on the authorities to do more to free the girls, who had gone to the school in Chibok from surrounding areas to take their final year exams

Chibok Girls Not Released Yet, We Are No Longer Sure – Defence HQ Retracts Earlier Statement

Premium Times is reporting that the spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, Gen. Olukolade has retracted his earlier statement about the release of the Chibok girls. Read news here Girls Not Released Yet – DHQ

Jonathan attacks Obasanjo again over open letter

President Goodluck Jonathan was in his element again yesterday. He lashed out at politicians “who think they own Nigeria, doing what we ought not to do, making statements we ought not to make and writing letters we ought not to write.”

Jonathan mentioned no names, but it was clear he was referring to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who rattled him with an 18-page letter.

He accused the former president of not acting like a statesman, saying Nigeria does not belong to any politician or a group of politicians.

The President spoke at the Anglican Diocese of Abuja, The Cathedral Church of the Advent in Lifecamp, where he attended the Christmas Day service with his family members and some senior government officials.

Obasanjo, in a December 2 letter made available to the media almost two weeks later, hurled some weighty allegations at the President, who was accused of training snipers and putting over 1,000 on a political watch list ahead of the 2015 elections.

Obasanjo said Jonathan would be “fatally flawed”, should he contest in 2015 because, according to the former president, he committed himself to a single term in office when he was seeking his party’s nomination.

But Jonathan, in his reply to Obasanjo’s letter, denied all the allegations.

He has referred the Obasanjo letter to security agents and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who are to probe the allegations.

The President said yesterday: “For us at this time, especially we the politicians that we think we own this country, begin to think about next election and doing what we ought not to do, making statements we ought not to make, writing letters we are not supposed to write.

“I call on clergymen and statesmen who really own this country because this country belongs to our statesmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our men, our women and our youth. Nigeria does not belong to any politician or group of politicians. So we continue to urge you to pray for this country.”

On terrorism, he said: “The primate mentioned a number of issues that deal with a number of nations that deal with crises. For those who know about terrorism, countries that are infested with terror will hardly get out of it.

“If you look at a country like Pakistan – we even go to Pakistan to train our soldiers – in some parts of Pakistan, as we are talking now, there appears to be no government. So this country could have been worse.

“Look at the incidents in Abuja. The Police Headquarters was bombed, the United Nations (UN) building right here in the seat of government (was bombed). May be the next target would have been State House. So we have to thank God that we have been able to bring it to a reasonable level, though we are far from getting over. There are lots of challenges but we have to thank God.”

Speaking further on terrorism, Jonathan said: “Primate said if it were to be like Syria, what would we have done? Look at South Sudan. They were part of Sudan and they felt that they were being dominated. They have resources; there is oil in parts of South Sudan. They carried arms against the state. The entire world through the UN liberated them. This week, we will be going for the Security Council meeting under the African Union. My envoy just came back on Sunday from where he had conversation with them on how we could stop this madness.

“So we have to thank God, even though we still have this security challenges in our country, at least we are reasonably better.

“In terms of Nigeria having crisis, the Primate was saying: ‘can Ghana accommodate us? Can Sierra Leone accommodate us?’ I was just laughing because even now, there are so many Nigerians in these countries; the people are not even comfortable. From Cameroon to Senegal, Nigerians are everywhere. If not for political and diplomatic reasons they would have even asked some of them to leave. Then, assuming we have crisis, what would be the state (of things)? Where will you go? Is it the Atlantic Ocean? So, I urge you to continue to pray.

“I also thank the religious leaders in this country. They have been praying and I believe God has been hearing our prayers. We will do our best within the period that God has asked us to occupy the positions we are occupying.”

Delivering the Sermon titled “Peace and joy”, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh noted that the first coming of Jesus Christ brought peace and joy, which will only be full at His second coming.

According to him, no part of the world is enjoying total peace. He urged Nigerians to continue to thank God for not making Nigeria’s situation worse like other countries.

Quoting Luke 2: 10, Isaiah 9: n6, Galassian 3: 28, 2nd Corinthians 5: 18, John 14: 27 and Mattew 5: 9, he urged Nigerians to continue to be a source of joy to themselves, their neighbours and the world.

Rev. Okoh said: “But we have challenges; how can you be talking of peace and joy to people in Syria, DRC, Southern Sudan, Middle East, Egypt, Indonesia and Ukraine? Will they understand? How do you explain joy to somebody who is bed-ridden? These are the issues.”

Blaming the western world for these crises, he said: “The western world sells these arms to other parts of the globe and are still talking about peace. The money that people steal, they take it outside and they receive it and turn back to say these people are bad.

“Only God can give us peace and joy because man has so much complicated himself. If you have three good stories that give you joy, you are likely to have six stories that will upset you.”

He also urged Nigerians to pray against agents of darkness who are thirsty for blood.

Nigerians, Rev. Okoh urged, should continue praying for peace as they have no other place to go.

“Nigerians ought to be grateful to God and live responsibly. Do not join anybody to cause trouble. If we follow life diligently, Nigeria will blossom, your lives will blossom. Refugees are not the happiest of people; don’t make yourself a refugee,” he pleaded.

First Lady Dame Patience read the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 9: 2, 6 and 7.Dr. Jonathan read the Epistle from Hebrew 1: 1 to 12.

Minister of State (FCT) Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of Information Labaran Maku, Minister of Police Affairs Caleb Olubolade, among others, attended the service.

A Short History Of Boko Haram – Cheta Nwanze

Members of the Boko Haram sect

This morning, members of the Boko Haram movement attacked a DSS detention facility close to the seat of power in Abuja. Who is Boko Haram, and how did they come to be?

Nigeria has a long history of communal conflicts, many of which were only suppressed under military rule. Despite the heavy handed tactics of the dictators, some of these conflicts came to the fore, the best example being the Maitatsine conflict which was eventually wiped out in the early 1990s.

A lot of these conflicts and the groups that aid them found more freedom after the return to civilian rule.

One of these groups is Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad, which became the Boko Haram sect. This group started in and around Maiduguri in the early part of the last decade. Starting out as a radical group at the Ndimi Mosque in Maiduguri about 2002, they saw society, particularly the government of Mala Kachalla as irredeemably corrupt. So, in the middle of 2002, the group, under its founder, Mohammed Ali, embarked on a hijra to Kanama in Yobe state.

In Islam, a hijra is a journey from the bad world to go and be closer to God. The Prophet undertook one, from Mecca to Medina. Usman dan Fodio also undertook his own hijra, to Gudu, when Yunfa wanted to kill him. This should give us some context.

Back to topic, and this period at Kanama, is probably where they had their first foreign contact. While there, more members joined, some of these new members, the kids of influential Northerners, such as the son of Yobe’s governor at the time, Bukar Abba Ibrahim. Bukar Abba Ibrahim is now a senator, and his son’s involvement meant that the group was in a typically Nigerian style, more or less immune from punishment.

Towards the end of 2003, the group had a communal clash with the Kanama community over fishing rights which led to police involvement. In the crisis which followed, they defeated the police, which in turn led to the Army getting involved, and the group was defeated, the founder, Mohammed Ali, was killed, and the group “scattered”, a few of the survivors, including a chap called Shekau, went north to training camps in the Sahara desert.

The other survivors of the Battle of Kanama returned to Maiduguri and reintegrated into the Ndimi Mosque, where they were now led by Mohammed Yusuf, who started the process of starting a new mosque without molestation. The land on which the new mosque was built was donated by Baba Fugu Mohammed, Mohammed Yusuf’s father-in-law. Baba Fugu Mohammed, was an influential, but moderate figure, who while never a full member, was to be murdered by the group. His crime, was attempting to negotiate with former President Obasanjo after things got out of hand.

Between this time (early 2004, and 2009), Boko Haram was largely left alone, and grew as a movement. In that time, they started a farm, provided employment for their members, provided welfare for those members who could not work, gave training to those who could, in short, they provided an alternative to the government of the day, and this very viability attracted more members, and a lot of zakat donations from prominent members of the Northern elite.

The only incident which brought them to prominence was in 2007, when Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam was murdered. Ja’afar had started criticising them, and predicted that someday, because of their extremist ideologies, they would clash with the government. It is generally believed that Mohammed Yusuf ordered his murder

For another two years after the Ja’afar assassination, they were left largely alone, growing, and attracting more followers. Then, in February 2009, the government of Ali Modu Sheriff banned riding bikes without the use of helmets. This seemingly innocuous event, is what led to the meltdown.

Five months later in July, a prominent member of Boko Haram died, and a large number of them were on the way to bury him. They were stopped by the police who quizzed them about their lack of helmets as the new law dictated. An argument began, and in the process, shots got fired. People on both sides got injured and things went out of hand. Boko Haram attacked in Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states, killing several policemen. In Maiduguri, they took over town, and controlled it for three days, doing what they pleased, until the army was called in to help. Eventually, the army regained control, and arrested a lot of Boko Haram members, including Mohammed Yusuf.

However, when Mohammed Yusuf was handed over to the police, he died. According to the police, “while trying to escape”. Boko Haram on their part, say that he was murdered extra-judicially, in cold blood. To be frank, there is evidence that Mohammed Yusuf’s arrest and an eventual trial would have exposed some prominent people. One of the Boko Haram members killed in that time was a former Borno state commissioner, Buji Foi, who was shot in the back by policemen. The video is available online till this day. Asides Yusuf and Foi, a large number of people were also killed in cold blood by the police.

After this, Abubakar Shekau, who had returned to Nigeria in the time being and had become Mohammed Yusuf’s right hand man relocated to Northern Cameroon. Shekau decided that there could be no negotiations with such a government, and set about reorganising the group. He adapted the Al-Qaeda model, and broke the group into cells which are largely independent of each other.

This is currently Boko Haram’s structure; a cellular structure, and no centralised command, and seemingly no unity of purpose. This “lack of unity” makes them particularly difficult to negotiate with, as you cannot tell who exactly represents the group. When someone attempts to negotiate on behalf of the group, think Baba Fugu Mohammed, he is quickly hunted down and killed. So, as things stand, the extremist elements within Boko Haram are the ones fully in control of the narrative.

Rep Members Storm Out Over South Africa ‘Cash Arms Deal’

About 50 House Of Rep Members  have stormed out of Nigeria’s lower house of parliament after a motion to discuss an alleged South African arms deal was blocked.

Last week it was reported that government agents took $9.3m (£5.7m) in cash to South Africa to buy weapons.
The deputy speaker of the House of Representative said that, as it was an issue of national security, it could not be broached.
The upper chamber has also summoned security chiefs over the issue.
Correspondents say the revelations have shocked many Nigerians and there have been calls for an inquiry.
South African police said last week customs officials seized the money in $100 bills in three suitcases that arrived on a private jet from Nigeria at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport earlier in September.
The two Nigerians and an Israeli allegedly did not declare the money and it was impounded.
However, they were not charged.

Nigeria & Cameroon Tussle over “Killing Shekau”

this is the worst conspiracy ever. the two pictures above dont even look alike

Nigeria and Cameroon are locked in an argument over who killed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and where he was killed.

A Cameroon military source, according to Cameroon Concord, said on Sunday night that Shekau was killed following an aerial bombardment of his hideout inside Nigeria.
Releasing photos of Shekau, the Cameroonian army claim the terrorist was killed  during a cross-border raid within the Nigeria territory by its military

Before You Abuse Our Police And Soldiers – Japheth J, Omojuwa

Nigerian troops patrol at Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Aug 1, 2009. Banks and markets reopened in this northern Nigerian city after five days of fierce fighting between police and a radical Islamist sect. The city was largely quiet Saturday _ the streets of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, had been cleared of bodies and the blood spilled during gunbattles that left at least 300 people dead.(AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

We miss the point a lot. We expect police officers whose salaries can barely feed our own pets to be up and doing at dilapidated rat holes called police stations. When they leave their workplaces for the barracks, they stay in some of the most demeaning housing projects you’d see anywhere in the world. We want them to serve and protect with integrity but right from the point they are hired, we take their dignity away from them. We can pretend all we like, but the mess we see in our system is the mess we invested in it.

Channels Television got knocks from those who ought to praise it for bringing the state of the Police College Ikeja under public scrutiny. They said it was done to discredit the President, the same way anyone who points out the way to make our country better is said to do it to discredit the President. How can a President who hardly has anything going for his government continue to assume citizens who want the best for him as President would want to take away the little credit he has going for him?

The flies which perch around the sugar offered by power often forget that this is about our country first and foremost before it is about whoever is running it. Power comes and goes, countries remain for longer. WhatChannels Television showed of the Police College, Ikeja was not an outlier, it is the normal reality of filth, lack, hunger and penury that have bedevilled the force. It is even getting worse now!

Many of us want our soldiers to help #BringBackOurGirls now and alive, in reference to the abducted #ChibokGirls. While we make that much needed call, let us also spare a thought for these men of the armed forces. Think about it; they read newspapers, they listen to the radio and at times watch the news. They know all about the trillions budgeted for security every year and they also know all about the poverty that comes with doing what they do. They know that cronies of our rulers are feeding off their allocations. They are privy to the fact that children of their bosses will feed them and their fellow soldiers for years with wealth accrued from denying their rights as the defenders of the Nigerian people. They defend our country with their lives, this while the country hardly pays attention to ensuring each soldier lives a respectable life. Politicians steal from us for decades, die and have streets named after them; our soldiers die in battlefields like the falling of the branch of a small tree in the forest, we hardly notice. No glory in life, no glory in death yet, we expect them to chase glory for our country. Or, as in the case of the Chibok schoolgirls, rescue them fast and now! Let us at least face it; this is one difficult country to do good!

It is easier to see those serving today and imagine how tough things are in a country where “corruption is not stealing and stealing is not corruption” as long as you steal enough to donate to powerful people for elections. If they were abandoned and forgotten while they are serving, imagine what happens when age calls and they must be retired? Retired officers are some of the poorest of our country’s 54 per cent extremely poor population. We sing, “The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain,” and some of us actually think that line of the national anthem only refers to the dead ones who fought for our Independence. We should know better. Most of our heroes and heroines are still living and the bulk of them are living in poverty and squalour. Their labour has been in vain not only for the nation they fought for and defended with their lives, that labour has been in vain even for their personal lives.

We rightly or wrongly like to compare our officers with their United Kingdom or United States counterparts. A new police constable in the UK receives about N5.8 million/year. This eventually rises to about N10 million/year. Apart from this basic, the officers receive a London weighting and allowances amounting to about N1.7m. Added to these monetary benefits are annual leave reaching 30 days and not less than 22 days depending on one’s length of service. This is apart from public holidays and the average two rest days per week. Other benefits include maternity, paternity and adoption leave, special leave with pay, special leave without pay, parental leave and career breaks of up to five years (See http://www.metpolicecareers.co.uk/newconstable/pay_and_benefits.html). When next you expect so much from our police officers, ask yourself, how much has our system given into their welfare and livelihood?

As the benefits of being a police officer in the UK are as far from that of being one in Nigeria, the same applies to other service units including the Army, Navy and Air Force.

In our country, a few men and women are feeding fat on the destinies and livelihoods of the majority yet our so-called leaders are always quick to spout tales of patriotism and dedication to service. Who wouldn’t be dedicated to service with the benefits listed above? Mind that those numbers apply to the most junior of officers.

It started from us. First, the military overthrew the irresponsible civilians, then the military took over power. Not willing to share the responsibilities of power with the police, the military crippled the police and treated them like scum. Today, the police are in a worse state than the scum left by the military. When civilians took over power in 1999, one of the first shots fired was at the military, some would argue rightly so, seeing as the military had got so used to having political power for so long. Out of fear of the military, successive civilian governments have found a way to allocate enough money to the top echelons of the military to get them fat and keep them fat while forgetting that the rank and file is the fulcrum of military might. By our own selves, we have hurt our pride and strength. A country that was once the saviour of Africa, an Army that was once the pride of West Africa, now needs the support of Ghana, to fight insurgents. We have come so far.

Ghana in 2013 allocated about N51.3bn to defence while Nigeria allocated about N348.9bn in the same year. Based on these numbers, Nigeria’s defence spending is about seven times that of Ghana. That in itself is to be expected, what is not to be expected is that we would be needing Ghana’s help to fight insurgents in our country. We have come so far.

A time comes in the history of a nation when it must look at itself and ask itself pertinent questions. At the moment, our country is like an old man with many grandchildren, many children poor and desolate yet this old man wakes every morning thinking all is well and he calls his rich and not so rich friends to come party with him. Our old man wants the world to see he is rich and great but those who live with the old man know that all his claims of transformation are lies fed to the most gullible of his offspring. You have to fear for this old man. God bless every soul serving this country, in the midst of plenty, yet, living on the crumbs from the table of Father Abraham, sorry Nigeria

Ebola's latest nd deadliest threat

Ebola's latest nd deadliest threat

Share this story:

TORONTO -- The unprecedented spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa may be pushing the world toward a viral disaster, a commentary published in Friday's New York Times suggests.
The article reveals that experts are worried ongoing transmission of the virus through people runs the risk of giving rise to mutations that might allow Ebola to spread through the air, like some of the world's most contagious viruses. The virus currently spreads when a person has contact with contaminated bodily fluids.
The article bears the headline: What We're Afraid to Say About Ebola. It was written by Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy.
It is among the first signs that experts who have been watching the outbreak with mounting alarm are ready to go public with grave concerns about an Ebola outbreak that is unlike any the world has ever seen.
To date nearly 4,800 people have been infected and roughly 2,400 have died, the World Health Organization said Friday. The global health agency has repeatedly cautioned that its numbers are likely an underestimate.
A few weeks back the WHO warned that 20,000 people might be infected before this outbreak is over. That's nearly 50 times as many cases as the largest Ebola outbreak on record before now.
Before this epidemic, fewer than 3,000 people were known to have contracted the virus in roughly 19 outbreaks dating back to 1976. So when the 20,000 figure was raised, it was almost an unthinkable number.
Now some experts believe 20,000 is optimistic. A modelling study, released Thursday in the online journal Eurosurveillance, suggested that if the pace of new cases continues as it has, there could be between 77,000 and 277,000 additional Ebola cases before the end of 2014.
The authors of that study called that a worse-case scenario and said the scale of containment efforts should prevent case numbers from getting that high. But they said that as of Aug. 26, there was no indication the efforts were turning the tide.
And the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said Friday there still isn't. The group, which is also known as Doctors Without Borders, recently called for governments with military field hospitals to deploy those resources to the Ebola zone. The response has been modest at best.
"To this day, the pledges to dispatch field hospitals with isolation capacity remains light years away from what is needed on the ground," the group said Friday.
"If we add up the commitments that we have heard of, we barely reach 100 extra beds when more than a thousand are needed in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Monrovia, for example, an estimated 1,200 beds in isolated wards are needed, but only 240 are available -- including 160 provided by MSF. These new centres must serve affected people regardless where they are from or their profession."
That last remark was likely a reference to the fact that earlier this week the U.S. Pentagon said it would send a 25-bed field hospital to Liberia -- to treat health-care workers who become infected with Ebola.
MSF said that without places for the sick to go, there is no way to keep the infected from spreading the disease to family or friends who take care of them.
Viruses like Ebola mutate constantly. And each time an animal virus such as Ebola infects a person, it has the chance to develop mutations that make it better adapted to spreading among people.
No one knows what cycling Ebola viruses through so many people would mean in terms of the virus's evolution. But scientists who study Ebola -- one of the deadliest viruses to afflict humankind -- would prefer not to watch the experiment in action.

Pres. Jonathan to decide whether he will rerun with VP Sambo

Pres. Jonathan to decide whether he will rerun with VP Sambo

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, says President Jonathan will be the one to determine if he would still like to run with his Vice, Namadi Sambo in the 2015 general elections.
Metuh said this at a press conference yesterday September 21st in Abuja. He also said that President Jonathan is yet to respond to the decision the party members took on Thursday September 18th where he was adopted as the sole Presidential candidate of the PDP

“The President is yet to communicate to the party or to the entire country because he is not only the President of the PDP, he is the President of Nigeria and I cannot inform you of decisions that have been taken in terms of what will happen because subjective opinions is not part of my job. I believed a lot of people are trying to speculate on Jonathan/Sambo ticket but why don’t we wait until when the President declares? But I must inform that part of the reasons the PDP has not mentioned that, is because it is a winning team. What the President has done he has done it very well and he’s the winning team. I believe that there is no need to magnify or attempt to import any difference between the President and the Vice President. They have worked so well. The Vice President has continued to be the second most loyal Vice President in the history of this country so I believe that he enjoys the confidence of the President. In the 2015 elections if the President accepts to run we will be able to take it to the next level.” Metuh said

Finally: Boko Haram Commander Shekau Has Been Killed

Boko Haram Commander Shekau Has Been Killed
Finally the big iroko has been brought down and Nigeria will soon begin to experience peace again, after a long while, courtesy of the activities of heartless Abubakar Shekau and his Boko Haram boys.
It was gathered that multiple sources in and around Borno are confirming that Nigerian military air-strike in the Konduga area has sent the dreaded Boko Haram leader to his grave. News of the death of Shekau and some of his top commanders in the latest battle with troops in Konduga is spreading.

Confirming that Shekau has been killed, one of the residents said: “Look, this picture is being circulated after the attack in Konduga. If you know Shekau very well, you will know he is the one in this picture…

“We all know him very well. Many of his commanders were also killed during the attack. We learnt that some of them that were caught alive are held in the barracks.

“The remaining ones are those attacking people now. They have gone wild, but we were also told that the soldiers are in pursuit of them. Our prayer is that they would all fall and our state can experience peace again.”

Shekau’s reported death is also contained in the account of some of the survivors of an attack of the sect on Mainok on Friday, as they said they were afraid of returning to the town “because we are told the insurgents are mad as a result of the killing of their leader, Abubakar Shekau, in Konduga.”
Reports reaching Tribune in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, indicated that over 300 people were killed when Boko Haram attacked Mainok market on Friday in what was believed to be a retaliation for their leader’s death. They attacked when villagers were in the peak of trading on the market day.
A local, Modu Jakana, who narrowly escaped that attack, told Tribune that the insurgents came in from all angles, “shooting the people as if they were exchanging fire with the military. We don’t know how we escaped, but we were so lucky. They were so determined to kill everybody. I saw so many corpses while we were running for dear lives. At the main road, vehicles that were on top speed also killed so many people as there was confusion everywhere.
“This morning, some of our people told us that over 300 people, including some of the insurgents, were killed because we learnt that the military came and engaged them in a fierce fight. There is calm, but we won’t return to Mainok.
“For now, they said calm has returned, but we cannot go back because these people may strike again. They said the people (Boko Haram) are mad, following the killing of their leader, Abubakar Shekau, during the attack in Konduga.”
It was gathered  that Nigeria military authority is trying to confirm the development.


akar Shekau (pictured) has reportedly been killed in Konduga, Borno after a September 17 operation
(AFP)

A photo supposedly showing the corpse of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau
(360Nobs)

Unconfirmed reports have it that the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau is dead.

Military sources have reportedly said that they might have taken down the helmsman of the dreaded sect during a September 17 battle in Konduga, Borno state.

Vanguard reports that intelligence and military personnel said:

“It is getting more certain that the terrorists’ Commander who has been mimicking Shekau in those videos is the one killed in Konduga on September 17, 2014.”

According to PRNigeria, Shekau’s purported death is suspected to be the reason why members of the sect have scattered and sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Cameroon.

Security sources also reportedly said:

“The process of confirming that the dead body we have is the same as that character who has been posing as Shekau is ongoing” “He is definitely a prominent terrorist commander. I don’t want to say anything about this yet please.”

Reports have it that another high ranking military source said that the resemblance is too striking to be a coincidence.

“They cited his facial marks, beards and teeth apart from the recovery by the Nigerian troops of some of the Armoured Vehicles and Hilux jeeps that had featured in previous videos of the prime suspect.

The reports of the terrorist leader’s death are awaiting official confirmation from the Defence Headquarters.

Abubakar Shekau was previously believed to have been killed in August 2013 after the Joint Task Force released a statement to that effect.

Ebola crisis: schools in Lagos state to resume Oct. 8th

Ebola crisis: schools in Lagos state to resume Oct. 8th

Primary and Secondary schools in Lagos to resume Oct. 8th

The NUT and other bodies and individuals who were against the September 22nd resumption date of primary and secondary schools in Lagos have succeeded as the Lagos state government have approved a new resumption date. Schools will now resume October 8th. Governor Fashola approved the new resumption date at a stakeholders’ forum which held today Sunday September 21st in Lagos. He said they decided to postpone the date to allow for the distribution of Ebola preventive materials in schools across the state

King Sunny AdeJuju Legend Turns 68 Today!

King of Juju Music, King Sunny Ade is a year older.

• Published: 14.13, Refreshed: 38 minutes ago

play King Sunny Ade
(360nobs)

• Sunny Ade at 28
  (Rate Your Music)
• Sunny Ade in Glo Advert
  

King Sunny Ade is a year older today September 22, 2014 as he turns 68.

The Nigerian musician and dancer  has been churning out great music for decades and is an influential force to reckon with in the Nigerian music industry. The Ondo state native whose genre of music is often referred to as the Bob Marley of Africa.

The legendary singer who has been nominated severally for the Grammy awards has released over 100 albums is known to have about five wives. KSA has been on tour to America, United Kingdom, Canada and in 2009 was inducted into the Afropop hall of fame in America.

The juju maestro is also popular for creating the first theme song for Glo Mobile Nigeria.

Boko_Haram_leader__Abubakar_Shekau Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis has said that he firmly believes that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau was killed by Nigerian troops in June 2013. He made the disclosure in an emailed statement to the Vanguard. Davis said: “I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were close to concluding a peace deal. Videos immediately prior to that time were produced using a “fake” Shekau. The fake Skekau is Isa Damsaka. It was confirmed to me by Boko Haram that he was killed in the recent military engagement at Konduga. “Most members of Boko Haram have never seen Shekau. They believe what they have been told that Shekau is their leader. The real Shekau is dead. The Shekau the world has been seeing in videos is a “fake” and Boko Haram fighters have been fooled. They have followed blindly. “The message of Boko Haram purifying Islam is also fake. When the Boko Haram leaders broke the news of Shekau’s death in June last year, they said he had diverted from the Holy Qu’ran through the kidnappings, rapes and beheadings. The fake Shekau continued these atrocities under the patronage of the sponsors and escalated their terrorist activities. Shekau is dead but they will try to find another to perpetuate the lie. “This is the time for Boko Haram commanders to come forward and release the captive girls. There are Chibok girls and many other girls who have been kidnapped. Let commanders come forward and release a large number of girls as a first step towards a peace dialogue. “I have no doubt the sponsors will try to prevent any commander releasing the girls as part of a peace deal. The pressure must therefore be put on the sponsors so the commanders can come forward. “Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 as we were concluding a peace deal. I have spoken at length to several senior people who were present. The Shekau impersonator recently killed was Isa Damsaka. Boko Haram leaders have been using him for quite some time to make their propaganda videos. The script is written for him by another commander which he then reads as he delivers his message on-camera.”

Read more at: Australian Negotiator Reveals When The Real “Shekau” Was Killed | LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS

Boko_Haram_leader__Abubakar_Shekau Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis has said that he firmly believes that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau was killed by Nigerian troops in June 2013. He made the disclosure in an emailed statement to the Vanguard. Davis said: “I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were close to concluding a peace deal. Videos immediately prior to that time were produced using a “fake” Shekau. The fake Skekau is Isa Damsaka. It was confirmed to me by Boko Haram that he was killed in the recent military engagement at Konduga. “Most members of Boko Haram have never seen Shekau. They believe what they have been told that Shekau is their leader. The real Shekau is dead. The Shekau the world has been seeing in videos is a “fake” and Boko Haram fighters have been fooled. They have followed blindly. “The message of Boko Haram purifying Islam is also fake. When the Boko Haram leaders broke the news of Shekau’s death in June last year, they said he had diverted from the Holy Qu’ran through the kidnappings, rapes and beheadings. The fake Shekau continued these atrocities under the patronage of the sponsors and escalated their terrorist activities. Shekau is dead but they will try to find another to perpetuate the lie. “This is the time for Boko Haram commanders to come forward and release the captive girls. There are Chibok girls and many other girls who have been kidnapped. Let commanders come forward and release a large number of girls as a first step towards a peace dialogue. “I have no doubt the sponsors will try to prevent any commander releasing the girls as part of a peace deal. The pressure must therefore be put on the sponsors so the commanders can come forward. “Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 as we were concluding a peace deal. I have spoken at length to several senior people who were present. The Shekau impersonator recently killed was Isa Damsaka. Boko Haram leaders have been using him for quite some time to make their propaganda videos. The script is written for him by another commander which he then reads as he delivers his message on-camera.”

Read more at: Australian Negotiator Reveals When The Real “Shekau” Was Killed | LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS

Boko_Haram_leader__Abubakar_Shekau Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis has said that he firmly believes that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau was killed by Nigerian troops in June 2013. He made the disclosure in an emailed statement to the Vanguard. Davis said: “I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were close to concluding a peace deal. Videos immediately prior to that time were produced using a “fake” Shekau. The fake Skekau is Isa Damsaka. It was confirmed to me by Boko Haram that he was killed in the recent military engagement at Konduga. “Most members of Boko Haram have never seen Shekau. They believe what they have been told that Shekau is their leader. The real Shekau is dead. The Shekau the world has been seeing in videos is a “fake” and Boko Haram fighters have been fooled. They have followed blindly. “The message of Boko Haram purifying Islam is also fake. When the Boko Haram leaders broke the news of Shekau’s death in June last year, they said he had diverted from the Holy Qu’ran through the kidnappings, rapes and beheadings. The fake Shekau continued these atrocities under the patronage of the sponsors and escalated their terrorist activities. Shekau is dead but they will try to find another to perpetuate the lie. “This is the time for Boko Haram commanders to come forward and release the captive girls. There are Chibok girls and many other girls who have been kidnapped. Let commanders come forward and release a large number of girls as a first step towards a peace dialogue. “I have no doubt the sponsors will try to prevent any commander releasing the girls as part of a peace deal. The pressure must therefore be put on the sponsors so the commanders can come forward. “Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 as we were concluding a peace deal. I have spoken at length to several senior people who were present. The Shekau impersonator recently killed was Isa Damsaka. Boko Haram leaders have been using him for quite some time to make their propaganda videos. The script is written for him by another commander which he then reads as he delivers his message on-camera.”

Read more at: Australian Negotiator Reveals When The Real “Shekau” Was Killed | LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS

Boko_Haram_leader__Abubakar_Shekau Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis has said that he firmly believes that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau was killed by Nigerian troops in June 2013. He made the disclosure in an emailed statement to the Vanguard. Davis said: “I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were close to concluding a peace deal. Videos immediately prior to that time were produced using a “fake” Shekau. The fake Skekau is Isa Damsaka. It was confirmed to me by Boko Haram that he was killed in the recent military engagement at Konduga. “Most members of Boko Haram have never seen Shekau. They believe what they have been told that Shekau is their leader. The real Shekau is dead. The Shekau the world has been seeing in videos is a “fake” and Boko Haram fighters have been fooled. They have followed blindly. “The message of Boko Haram purifying Islam is also fake. When the Boko Haram leaders broke the news of Shekau’s death in June last year, they said he had diverted from the Holy Qu’ran through the kidnappings, rapes and beheadings. The fake Shekau continued these atrocities under the patronage of the sponsors and escalated their terrorist activities. Shekau is dead but they will try to find another to perpetuate the lie. “This is the time for Boko Haram commanders to come forward and release the captive girls. There are Chibok girls and many other girls who have been kidnapped. Let commanders come forward and release a large number of girls as a first step towards a peace dialogue. “I have no doubt the sponsors will try to prevent any commander releasing the girls as part of a peace deal. The pressure must therefore be put on the sponsors so the commanders can come forward. “Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 as we were concluding a peace deal. I have spoken at length to several senior people who were present. The Shekau impersonator recently killed was Isa Damsaka. Boko Haram leaders have been using him for quite some time to make their propaganda videos. The script is written for him by another commander which he then reads as he delivers his message on-camera.”

Read more at: Australian Negotiator Reveals When The Real “Shekau” Was Killed | LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS BREAKING HEADLINES NEWSPAPERS