French family held in Northern Nigeria return safely to France

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The French family, father, mother, their four kids and father's brother, who were abducted in Cameroon on February 19th 2013 by Islamist militants and brought to Nigeria, have returned safely to France. They were welcomed by their family members and the president of France.

The Moulin-Fournier family, who were based in Cameroon, were kidnapped while visiting a national park in the northern part of the country. A few days later, they were taken to northern Nigeria where they were held by members of Boko Haram who asked Cameroon to free detained members of their group before they free the abducted family. The French family returned to their country yesterday Saturday April 20th. No word yet on how they were released.

TYPES OF HUSBAND ( Which Category Do You Belong ?)

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1: BACHELOR HUSBAND
Does things on his own without consulting wife. Hangs out a lot with
friends more than wife. Not serious about marriage life. 

2: ACIDIC HUSBAND
Is always boiling like acid and always angry violet, moody, dominating
and very dangerous.

3: SLAVE HUSBAND
Want to be treated like Kings and treat Wife like a Slave. Likes wife to
perform old tradition respect and hates being called by their first name. 

Brain Drain: Why Nigeria is bound to lose young talents to other countries

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Standard Liege’s Nigerian striker, Imoh Ezekiel

Young players who have never played for any Nigerian national team are thinking of playing for their countries of abode because of the …

The news broke early this week that Standard Liege’s Nigerian striker, Imoh Ezekiel was desirous of changing nationality to Belgium. The 19-year old former 36 Lions striker has scored 15 goals for Liege this season and his team is almost sure to be playing in Europe next season as their playoff form has been very good.

Goal.com sought out diverse opinions on why such a promising youngster would have decided to pledge his allegiance to Belgium and not Nigeria, his country of birth.

The first question that was asked was – are there more benefits to be gained playing for the ‘Red Devils’ as the Belgian national team is called than playing for the Super Eagles, who just became African champions once again last February?

Proudly Naija: "Nigerians are doing great all over the world" - Ambassador of Nigeria to The Netherlands, Akanbi

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Dr Nimota Akanbi is the Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinaire of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to The Netherlands. She has led many trade missions to Nigeria and organised several business and investment forum with the aim of attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) to Nigeria in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government. In this interview with KOLAWOLE DANIEL, she speaks on her activities and other issues. Excerpts:

WHAT is heard about some Nigerians living in Europe and other parts of the world is not too good; what is the situation in the Netherlands?
Nigerians are doing great all over the world. We have our doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals doing great things all over the globe. The fact that we have a few people who are not doing the right thing does not make all of us bad.

Fake drugs, unaccredited varsities, illegal buildings...Nigeria in carnival of counterfeits - Photos

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With Nigeria struggling as much as it can to redeem its image in the global community, the nation still finds it difficult to curtail the ravenous ruins caused by the army of quacks in various segments of her national life. KEHINDE OYETIMI reports.

HER situation looked hopeless and precarious. As she slept on the sofa, her mother wondered if miracles still happened. Anna’s health had deteriorated so rapidly that those who saw her a week before immediately beseeched whatever extraterrestrial powers that they knew to come to the ill girl’s aid. Weeks gave birth to months and her condition only worsened. Her father (Chukwudi), a self-proclaimed pharmacist, had dealt over the years in illicit drugs, and had sold same to many unsuspecting buyers. His family was oblivious of his dealings; they had trusted him implicitly. He had met with his friends hoping that they could help. He moved Anna to various medical centres but she was referred from one hospital to another. Anna’s father could no longer afford the bills; he took his daughter home, resorted to spiritual help and resigned to fate.

Terrorism and The Nigerian Situation

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How Did We Get Here?Before the infamous failed bid of the “Underwear Bomber”, Farouk Abdulmutallab, terrorism seemed to be alien to Nigeria. Terrorism was only heard of in the news and read about in the newspapers. Even after the failed attempt to blow up the Detroit bound flight on December 25, 2009, Nigerians were quick to denounce the act and deny the bomber. Nigerians were quick to claim that the young man schooled abroad and was initiated and indoctrinated into the ways of the sinister world of terrorism outside the shores of Nigeria. 

Not very long after, Nigeria found its way to the terror watch list. Nigeria was listed as a “country of interest”. The Nigerian government even went as far as giving the US an ultimatum to delist the country from the countries on the terror watch list. The Government even stated then that Abdulmutallab could not be used as a yardstick for the over 150 million people in Nigeria.

The Need to Renegotiate Nigeria as a State, By Bosede Olalekan Davies ( Do you Agree ?)

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By next year, this geographical entity called Nigeria would have existed for 100 years and going by reports from the Presidency, there will be a massive centenary celebrations to mark our 100 years of existence but a fundamental and germane issue needs to be addressed and it’s more desirable than rolling out the drums to celebrate.

Hundred years in the life of a nation is not a child’s play. Obviously and indisputably  a lot of things have happened. It will be of little or no use dissipating energies on discussing the inexhaustible adventures and events of this “soon to be” 100-year old nation. Rather the emphasis on the mind of any right thinking individual should be if truly the Nigerian state should still remain as one indivisible entity.

The Shell Game Ends

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BETWEEN the administrations of George Washington and Jimmy Carter, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) lay dormant. The statute grants American district courts jurisdiction over “any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or of a treaty of the United States”. At the age of 190 it sprang back to life on April 6th 1979, when it was used to allow two Paraguayans to sue a former Paraguayan policeman in an American court for acts of torture committed in Paraguay.

Since then, roughly 150 lawsuits have been filed against American and foreign corporations for actions committed around the world. Four local plaintiffs used the ATS to sue Unocal in a federal court in Los Angeles for human-rights violations allegedly committed during the construction of an oil pipeline in Myanmar. A human-rights organisation used it to sue Yahoo on behalf of two Chinese democracy activists for actions committed in China by a subsidiary. ATS suits against DaimlerChrysler and Rio Tinto, among others, are pending. Though most ATS cases have been dismissed or settled, the costs of settlements can be high and the negative publicity damaging

Nigeria: Kidnapped high-ranking Lagos govt. official released unhurt

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Security - Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, Chairman of the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, a suburb of Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, who was abducted by gunmen Monday, has been released unhurt, according to local media reports.

The reports said the Head of the Council’s Information Unit, Rabiu Hassan, confirmed the release of the Chairman who was kidnapped Monday.

The reports said Mr. Bamigbetan, who was abducted a few metres from his home, was released over night Friday after the kidnappers collected over 20 million Naira (about US$ 133,000) in ransom.

The reports said the kidnappers had asked for a ransom of US$ 1 million.

Family members said Mr. Bamigbetan, a former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in good health.

Obasanjo Had a Killer Squad As President - Former Associate

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A former associate of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Richard Odusanya, on Saturday alleged that the former chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees was in charge of a killer squad that was formed under the military regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha.

 

Odusanya reportedly worked behind the scenes when Obasanjo was in power.

In a live interview, with an online news portal, Sahara Reporters, Odusanya  alleged that the former President lodged the killer squad at a State Security Service headquarters, known as ‘Yellow House.’

16-year-old American school student, Olufolabi Adeniji, kidnapped

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16-year-old Olufolabi Adeniji (pictured above right), a student of American International School, Lagos, is missing. He was last seen in the early hours Tuesday April 16th on his way to school with his mother's driver. The SUV was later found abandoned at the Palms shopping Mall, Lekki with his school bag inside the vehicle.

The driver who took Olufolabi to school that morning has not been heard from since that day...and the schoolboy's abductors are yet to make contact with his family. Anyone with any useful information should please contact the nearest police station. And please watch the people you leave your children with. Kidnapping is on the rise now. God protect us all!