NDLEA arrests barber with N50m cocaine

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A Nigerian based in South Africa, Ozoh Chukwuemeka, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for trafficking N50m worth of cocaine. The 45-year-old barber was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos with 6.100kg of the substance. The drug was detected during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to South Africa. NDLEA Airport commander, Mr Hamza Umar, said the discovery was made at the baggage checking desk at the departure hall.

2015: Opposition Coalition Floats New Party, All Progressive Congress (APC)

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The Four major opposition political parties, ACN, CPC, ANPP and APGA after a meeting in Abuja some few hours ago, announced the emergence of a new political party -  the All Progressive Congress (APC).The  chairman of ACN merger committee and the spokesman of the coalition told journalists that with the formation of the new party, the opposition parties would commence the processes of registering it with INEC.

Tragedy Averted: NNPC Aircraft Overshoots Runway

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An air tragedy was earlier today averted when an aircraft belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), 5NNOC operated by Aero contractors overshot the runway on landing at the Osubi airstrip, in Warri, Delta state. In a statement, the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Tumini Green, while confirming the incident, said the aircraft was on a routine operation to Warri when it overshot the runway of the airport.

The statement said there were no casualties or injuries and that the appropriate aviation agencies have been contacted and investigations have commenced.

Son Sends Mother To Prison In Lagos

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A 68-year old woman, Madam Silifat Abeni, broke down and wept at Ijeshatedo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, as she was being taken to Kirikiri prison because she could not meet her N10,000 bail condition.

The elderly woman was arrested and charged before Ijeshatedo Magistrate’s Court after she went to Ijesha police division and stood as surety for her son, Kunle. It was gathered that after Kunle was released from the station, he escaped and since then his mother has not seen him.

Kunle, 38, allegedly defrauded a woman identified as Prisca of N145, 000 under a false pretence and the matter was reported to the police.

We Have Spent N70 Billion In 6 Months – SURE-P Boss Reports To President Joathan

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Dr Christopher Kolade, the chairman of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), has revealed that about N70 billion was expended by the programme on projects in the last six months of 2012. Dr. Kolade made this known when speaking to State House correspondents after presenting the SURE-P 2012 annual report to President Goodluck Jonathan. He noted that the committee could not do more because its funds were not released on time.

Warri: Trapped between oil wealth and squalor

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Warri’s image as an oil-rich city and commercial hub of the Niger Delta is threatened by filth and slums, reports Chux Ohai.  Mercy Filatei lives in a small island, just behind the Ogbe-Ijoh Waterside Market in Warri. She lives with her husband and their two children. The place is called Fenigbene Camp and it is inhabited mostly by Ijaw fishermen, traders and a few boat builders.

A few weeks ago, Mercy’s husband, Timi, went in search of a job in Lagos. Like most other male residents, he was tired of earning a meagre income from fishing and living in a squalid condition at the camp.

House To Pass Law That Will Send Molesters To Jail For Life

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The Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Beni Lar, has said that defilers would face life imprisonment once the current Violence Against Persons Bill becomes law.

Lar, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja, said the National Assembly had decided to expedite action on the passage of the bill, considering the increasing prevalence of r*pe in the country. She pointed out that the bill would not only protect r*pe victims but equally provide protection for victims of violence including physical, s*xual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices and discrimination.

David Mark Implicated In SSS Recruitment Scandal

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Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Service or State Security Services (SSS) has been hit by arecruitment scandal involving the violation of the principle of federal character.  Senate President David Mark is also implicated in the sordid affair.

Impeccable sources close to the SSS told News Express that during the last recruitment exercise embarked upon by the Service “David Mark alone sent in over 40 names of his kinsmen in clear and flagrant violation of the Federal Character principle.”

Nigeria Police Threatens Strike Over Unpaid Salaries

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For delaying the payment of their January salary, junior officers in the Nigeria Police have threatened to embark on strike. Most of the junior officers from the Lagos State Police Command said they are embarking on strike anytime next week to force the authorities to pay their salaries.

“We are going to drop our guns and batons next week if the government fails to pay our salaries,” a junior officer at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID,said.

Porous Borders: Minister Identifies 1,487 Illegal Routes Into Nigeria

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About 1,487 illegal routes into Nigeria and 84 regular borders have been discovered by the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro has said.

Moro who was responding to  a  question on  the  porous nature of the nation’s borders against the backdrop of  the current security challenges facing the country  as well as the current  insurgencies across the nation’s borders said, “since I assumed office we have taken deliberate steps in conjunction with National Boundaries Commission, to identify our borders and the routes that leads to Nigeria from other countries.

Pensioners To Begin Nationwide Protest Feb. 25 – NUP President

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Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) said in Abuja on Tuesday that its planned nationwide protest would begin on Feb. 25. The National President of NUP, Alhaji Ali Abatcha, told newsmen that a meeting at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, ended in a deadlock.

He said the meeting was attended by representatives of the Head of Service of the Federation, the Ministry of Justice and others. Abatcha said the union is seeking the release of the one per cent check-off dues which members voluntarily contributed, “but seized by the Pension Reform Task Team.

Guys! Too Much TV Watching Can Result In Lower Spérm Counts – Study

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A study has revealed that men who do little exercise and spend much of their time watching television have lower spérm counts than more active men. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, shows falling sperm quality is linked to lower levels of physical activity.

The study found that young men who watch television for just three hours a day have half the spérm count of men rarely found in front of the box. Yet 15 hours or more of exercise a week boosts sémen quality, according to the results in nearly 200 college students.

10 opposition governors back merger to unseat PDP

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10 governors from four different political parties - ACN, APGA, CPC, ANPP met in Lagos yesterday Tuesday 5th February and unanimously endorsed merger plans to unseat the PDP in 2015.

The governors who attended the meeting in Lagos are: Babatunde Fashola (ACN, Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (ACN, Ogun), Kayode Fayemi (ACN, Ekiti), Abiola Ajumobi (ACN, Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (ACN, Osun) Rochas Okorocha (APGA, Imo), Umaru Tanko Almakura (CPC, Nasarawa), Abdulaziz Yari (ANPP, Zamfara). Kashim Shettima of Borno and Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe were represented by Senator Dejere Alkali.

President Goodluck Jonathan's message to Nigerians

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Our dear president posted this on his Facebook page this afternoon. See the full message after the cut..

Dear friends on facebook,

The determination of this administration to create wealth in Nigeria and for Nigerians has led us to focus our investment drive towards attracting Foreign Direct Investments in manufacturing and the service sector to ensure that jobs are created. And this drive is not an exercise in futility as Nigeria is becoming the preferred destination for FDI.

How to Overcome Séxual Temptation

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One issue that affects marital relationships is séxual temptation. We all face this from time to time, and it is essential that we learn how to handle temptation when it comes our way. That is why in today’s edition, we would be considering how to overcome séxual temptation. This is not just for the married only, as singles or divorced will also benefit from it.

Séxual temptation is a situation where one person is under pressure to have séx with another person. It could be with a colleague in the office, a neighbour, pastor, church member, friend’s wife, among many others. We become séxually drawn towards such a person and this can spell doom for marriages and the lives and families of those involved, if not properly handled.

Golden Eaglets In Car Crash

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Two players of the Nigerian men's Under-17 national team, the Golden Eaglets, have been confirmed to have been involved in a ghastly motor accident on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar and Friday Njengo were confirmed to have been involved in the car crash while on their way to the team's camp in Calabar.

The team's head coach, Manu Garba, has been in touch with the affected players, now receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo.

What More Does Achebe Want?... I Did All I Could For The Igbos ––Obasanjo

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In his usual no-nonsense posture, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has cautioned Prof Chinua Achebe and his likes to drop issues relating to the Biafra war in the trash can of history once and for all. Obasanjo a principal actor during the war, in a recent chat said Achebe keeps dragging Nigeria back with his negative views due to certain reasons. Below is how Obasanjo chronicled his efforts for the Igbos...

Celebrity Saudi preacher 'raped' and tortured his five-year-old daughter to death

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A Saudi preacher who tortured his five-year-old daughter to death has been released after agreeing to pay 'blood money', activists said.   Lama al-Ghamdi died in October having suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns.  The child had also been repeatedly raped and the burned.

Her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher who regularly appears on television in Saudi Arabia, served only a few months in jail despite admitting having used a cane and cables to inflict the injuries.

Activists from the group Women to Drive said the preacher had doubted Lama's virginity and had her checked up by a medic.

Migration Fraudster Tried to Slip Five Kids into NZ

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A Nigerian immigration fraudster used fake birth certificates in an illegal bid to bring five children into New Zealand.

Remi Eme Chukwu arrived in Auckland in January 2007 and was granted visitor permits until he applied for permanent residence in July 2008, after marrying a New Zealand woman. Seven children were named on the 46-year-old's application, five biological and two who were "customarily adopted", as is common in African nations. Immigration New Zealand investigators - conducting a review of Nigerian cases - noticed irregularities on the birth certificates Chukwu had supplied and then discovered evidence at his West Auckland home that the documents were forged.

Desmond Elliot,Genevieve Nnaji at the Lagos Premiere of Chisom Oz-Lee’s 'Unguarded'

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Chisom Oz-Lee‘s new movie “Unguarded” premiere in Lagos this past weekend at Marcopolo in Victoria Island, Lagos. Uche Jombo and Desmond Elliot represented cast members at the event while the movie’s producer/co-star Chisom Oz-Lee also drew in Nollywood celebrities Genevieve Nnaji, Monalisa Chinda and Emem Isong who graced the event. We hear a fan broke down and cried when he met his favourite star Genevieve at the event!