Friday, June 28, 2013

Lagos Threatens To Impose Similar Barriers To Britons Entering Nigeria





Lagos has threatened to impose similar barriers to Britons entering Nigeria, should it be enforced, according to the Financial Times of London. Britain’s proposal for a migrant bond has been dismissed by Nigeria as a “blunt instrument” that will damage commercial ties.

A pilot scheme, announced over the weekend by Theresa May, the UK home secretary, would levy a £3,000 bond on short-term visitors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ghana, as part of Conservative efforts to bring down UK net migration to 100,000 by the next election.

Beautiful Girl Dies After Sleeping With Alhaji And His Monkey



Cynthia, as we gathered, was picked up by an Alhaji, and after they had fun, he took her to his guest house, and gave her $2000 to suck and sleep with his monkey. She refused at first but after looking at the money again, she concurred.  After the ordeal the alhaji went to drop her and drove off and few hours later she started complaining of stomach ache, she thought it was a normal thing, but from the few things we gathered from the source, fews hours later, maggots started coming out from her private parts; her friend tried to rush her to the hospital but it was too late.She died before they could do anything.
‘It is true the poverty level of the country is driving everyone mad, but Nigerian ladies need to be careful with some extremities in their search for a means of livelihood’.  So much information wasn’t released concerning the lady, and it’s very understandable judging by the circumstances surrounding her death. Prayer is for her to find rest, even in death

Nigeria not apologetic on same s-ex marriage stance, to defend execution of Edo four before UN




WorldStage Newsonline--  The Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday defended the recent execution of four convicts in Edo State, the first since 2006, and indicated that it would not be apologetic on its stance on same s-ex marriage. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru said at a Consultative Forum on the forthcoming review of human rights in Nigeria under the UN Universal Period Review (UPR) in Abuja, that executions in Edo would likely come up when the country appears before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in October for a periodic review of its human rights.

Condemnations had trailed the June 24 execution of four convicts in Edo State as the UK Government, UN and the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton among others said it negated recent commitment repeatedly made by Nigerian officials  to maintain the de facto moratorium on executions. However, Ashiru told journalists that the execution would not act as an impediment to “’tremendous improvements” by government on human rights issues in the country, saying those accusing Nigeria of human rights violations should remember that the criminal code was inherited from the ‘colonial powers. He noted that in Nigeria, State Governments are autonomous and for the execution in Edo, Gov. Adams Oshiomole acted within the confines of the law.
Continue After The Break.

Political Critic Junaid Muhammad Blasts Illiterate Patience Jonathan over the recent crisis in PDP



Popular political critic, Junaid Mohammad has shown concern over the recent crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) warning that they are soon going to cause a major security crisis in Rivers State. In a today’s press release in Kano, Dr. Muhammad said Rivers “coming to the limelight because of the irresponsible, unconstitutional and bizarre, illiterate actions, of the so called first lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who hails from the island village of Okrika in Rivers State and who sees not only Okrika but the whole of Rivers States, as her personal domain to exploit, abuse and destabilize as she sees fit because her husband Jonathan happens to be the president.” 

He also noted that the constitution has no place for the post of the First Lady and confers no rights, privileges or responsibilities on the wife of our leaders “It is therefore illegal and completely ultra vires the constitution for any citizen, president or his spouse to usurp executive powers, and go about throwing their weight, as if they were legally recognized holders of such offices according to the law,” he warned. “ As at the time of writing, the commissioner of police in Rivers, his command structure and other security services are at the command of Patience Jonathan, and by her and presidential orders, most security facilities due governor, the speaker and others so entitled, have been withdrawn. Mean-while professional thugs and all manner of criminals are being recruited and pressed into service to destabilize the elected government of Rivers State.”

Traders Grumble as Tinubu’s Daughter Succeeds Grandmother. #What Do You Think?



It was a shock they never prepared for. Gathering at the home of their late leader, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, who until her death on June 14 at the age of 97, was the President-General, Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men, majority of them had only come to mourn their leader, for whom the family was holding the eighth-day fidau, a religious ritual for departed Muslims.

Like so many dignitaries and others from different spectrums of the society, who had converged on the late Mogaji’s Alausa, Ikeja home to take part in the eighth-day remembrance prayers for the deceased, the least the traders had expected was that on that Sunday, they would get a new leader.
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Full Update: The US Army restricted access to parts of The Guardian newspaper’s website



The US Army confirmed on Thursday that access to The Guardian newspaper’s website has been filtered and restricted. Gordon Van Vleet, spokesman for the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, or NETCOM, said in an email to the Monterey Herald that the Army is filtering "some access to press coverage and online content about the NSA leaks."

The Guardian's website has posted classified information regarding the NSA's surveillance activities, including PRISM, the massive domestic spying program that has Internet companies collude with military intelligence to keep tabs on Americans' online habits.
According to staff at the Presidio of Monterey, a military installation in California, employees told the Herald that they were able to access the paper’s US site, www.guardiannews.com, but were prevented from accessing articles on the NSA that redirected to the British site.
Continue After The Break.

Lawlessness: Provision of weapons to Syrian opposition by West contradicts Geneva 2 policies - Lavrov



The Western activities aimed at providing weapons to the Syrian opposition means that the West supports opposition activists' condition that the balance of power should be restored in the world before Geneva 2 is held.

"The activities aimed at providing weapons to the opposition, which have recently intensified, only means that the precondition [set by the opposition to restore the balance of power on the battle ground] is supported by the West and other countries which are going to supply such weapons, this contradicting the very concept of the conference, which is to begin without any preconditions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference following his negotiations with his Moroccan counterpart.

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US lawmaker calls on FBI to take down ‘racist’ anti-terrorism ads



After numerous complaints the FBI has decided to hals its anti-terrorism ads campaign in Seattle. Critics say the FBI’s “Faces of Global Terrorism” ads on billboards and buses people have to observe every day create the stereotype that terrorists are exclusively people with brown skin or Muslims.

The “Faces of Global Terrorism” ads featured 16 men wanted around the globe for terrorist activities.
Rep. Jim McDermott, a Washington Democrat, called the ads “racist” and demanded they should be pulled. “You look at the pictures, they’re all one color of folks,” he said as cited by The Washington Times.
According to the lawmaker, “terrorist come in all shapes and skin”. In McDermott’s opinion, it is wrong that an image of a person with brown skin pops up in one’s mind, whenever one speaks about terrorists.

Inhuman: Baby Girl dumped Inside Public Waste Tank In Lagos





Wonders shall never seize to take place in our dear
Nigeria. As a blogger and news aficionado i won't
visit a crowd gathered without trying to understand
WHY?
Moving closer to the scene, only to have reports
that it was a case of an abandoned baby. Quickly
i introduced my iPhone hoping to have firsthand
images of a live baby, and then i realized the
baby was shot-putted in to the huge road side
public waste tank along Ace Bentley on (Lagos-
Badagry Expressway)

Continue After The Break.

Robbers Strike 5 Days After Informing Residents



Armed robbers who wrote residents of New Oko Oba last Friday telling them to prepare for their visit carried out their threat five days later when they struck early on Wednesday morning 26 June, 2013, at Church Street, off Olaniyi Street, New Oko-Oba Lagos state, southwest Nigeria.


In the said letter, the robbers allegedly told the residents to prepare for their visit as they were coming for money, gold or blood.

After receiving the letter, the residents alerted the police and the Divisional Police Officer  (DPO), Adeyemi Adebowale, summoned an emergency meeting with members of the  Community Development Association (CDA) in his office to assure the residents of adequate security protection in the area.
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Detained Boko Haram Suspects Plead For Second Chance, Say They Were Brainwashed



Over 50 detained members of the Boko Haram sect have appealed to Federal Government to offer them another chance as these were ‘brain washed'into picking up arms contrary to the Nigerian state and its citizens.
The sect members made the appeal once the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the North visited one of many detention centres in Maiduguri, Borno State capital on Tuesday.
According to one of many detainees Adam Konto, who introduced himself to the chairman of the committee, Kabir Turaki since the Amir (Commander) of the Bayan quarters, among Boko Haram's strongholds in Maiduguri, the detained members if released, is going to be law abiding and assist the FG in bringing the deadly insurgence to an end.
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Why Governor Amaechi Was Stopped By Jonathan's Bodyguard From Greeting Him



The Presidency on Thursday defended the prevention of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State from exchanging pleasantries with President Goodluck Jonathan by a security operative during dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
It said the  incident was purely a security issue that should not be politicised,especially by opposition political parties.
The governor, who was sitting two tables away from the President, had risen to greet him but the security  operative attached to the President stopped him halfway.
 In order not to create a scene at the event that had nearly all his colleagues and two  heads of government (Joyce Banda of Malawi and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia) in attendance, Amaechi quietly returned to his seat and waited for  about five minutes before leaving the venue.
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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Snowden, Obama, Ecuador Updates: Russia did not invite Snowden, Obama will not intercept plane



Russia did not invite Edward Snowden onto Russian territory. This was announced on Thursday by the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. Former CIA officer and NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed the details of secret U.S. intelligence spying programs, fled from the U.S. to Hong Kong, and on June 23, flew to Moscow intending to move onward to Havana.

Currently he is in the transit area of Sheremetyevo international airport, pending a decision by Ecuador from which he has asked for political asylum.
Kislyak does not believe that the problem of Snowden, who did not cross the border into Russia, could complicate relations between Moscow and Washington.
Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama said he "would not use fighter jets to intercept the plane with Snowden, wherever he was going."
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U.S. Senate passes immigration bill, 11 million foreigners on a path to American citizenship.




The U.S. Senate, after a decade of trying and failing, on Thursday passed a wide-ranging immigration bill that would put 11 million foreigners now living illegally in the United States on a path to American citizenship.

The U.S. Senate's vote passing a broad immigration reform bill fell two votes short of what some of its main backers had said was necessary to pressure the House of Representatives to act.
The Senate voted 68-32 for the bill, giving more than two-thirds support in the 100-member chamber. Earlier, backers said they were pushing to get 70 votes to help sway the more conservative House to consider it.

Nelson Mandela is on life support Machine



Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela is on life support, unable to breathe on his own, an elder in the South African icon’s clan said Wednesday, all but extinguishing hopes for his recovery.

“Yes, he is using machines to breathe,” Napilisi Mandela told AFP after visiting the much-loved 94 year old’s bedside in Pretoria. “It is bad, but what can we do.”

Just how bad becomes clearer by the hour. President Jacob Zuma late Wednesday abruptly cancelled a visit planned to neighbouring Mozambique after visting Mandela’s Pretoria hospital.
 
It is the first time Zuma has scrapped an engagement since Mandela was hospitalised nearly three weeks ago.

Tsarnaev indicted on 30 counts, including using weapon of mass destruction



A federal grand jury has returned a 30-count indictment against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, the U.S. attorney's office said Thursday. Tsarnaev was charged with using weapons of mass destruction, among other charges.

The double bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 killed three people and injured at least 264.  Police took Tsarnaev into custody on April 19 after finding him hiding in a boat in the backyard of a Watertown, Massachusetts, home.  The other bombing suspect, his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died after a gunfight with authorities hours before his brother's arrest. After much secrecy and protest, Tamerlan was buried in a rural Virginia cemetery.

FG recovers £22.5m stolen assets abroad – Adoke




Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, said on Thursday that his ministry had recovered more than twenty million pounds allegedly stolen from Nigeria’s coffers.
Adoke, who said this at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja, noted that the money was recovered from one Raj Arjandes Bhojwani, an Indian national and associate of late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
He said that the assets were recovered in 2011, adding that the ministry was able to recover and repatriate the money following its negotiations with the Island of Jersey.

“During the period under review, the ministry intensified its efforts to trace and repatriate Nigeria’s stolen assets abroad.  “In this connection, we have maintained effective liaison and communication with targeted jurisdictions to keep pace with assets recovery proceedings in those jurisdictions.
“In 2011, our close liaison and negotiation with the Island of Jersey led to the recovery and repatriation of the sum of £22.5 million confiscated by the Royal Court of Jersey from Raj Arjandes Bhojwani, an Indian national and associate of General Sani Abacha on account of his money laundering transactions from Nigeria.“

UK visa bond: Nigeria’ll reciprocate – Sen Nwagwu



Senator Matthew Nwagwu (PDP Imo North), chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, is not happy with the proposed UK visa bond policy which seeks to compel visitors from some countries, including Nigeria to deposit to UK immigration authority, the sum of 3,000 pounds which they would forfeit if they overstay their visits. In this interview, he said Nigeria would pay UK in her own coins at the appropriate time.  What is the position of the Senate on the proposed United Kingdom policy that seeks to force visitors to UK to deposit 3,000 pounds to their immigration authority?

But as a Nigerian, I have to say that any government including the UK government has the right to make a law that will protect its interest. So it’s left to Nigeria also to make the law that will protect Nigerian citizens’ interests also. When they inform us officially on this policy, we will sit down to study it and then respond to them officially. We will not accept it if Nigeria is branded among the countries they are targeting and we will respond to them in that order. That is what we call reciprocity. If the policy comes into effect, it’s left to Nigerians also to begin to find alternative travel destinations.

Two People Killed As Fulani People Steal Their 50 Cows



Two people have been killed and 50 cattle rustled by some suspected Fulani militias in a mid-night attack on Rebet community in Foron District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The names of those killed are Yakubu Ishaya and Jawo Gyang.  Confirming the incident yesterday in Jos, the state capital, the Special Task Force (STF) spokesman, Captain Salisu Mustapher, said: “There was an attack on Rebet community of Bakin Kogi village in Foron District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. Two people were killed while some cattle were rustled in the process.”  Mustapher, however, said that two suspect were arrested in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State in connection with the incident.
According to him, security personnel have embarked on efforts to arrest the perpetrators.

Worrisome :Two choristers cut younger member’s face with blade over affair with choir master




Two women, Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi, have already been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate's Court in Ebute Meta on a three count of conspiracy, assault and grievous harm.  Abigeal (26) and Remi (28), choristers at a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Ebute Meta, were speculated to have assaulted Hannah Okurabe (18) with razor blades at Abule Nla junction, a few metres from the church.   The incident was reported to be caused by a youthful fight over the church's choirmaster, Joseph Unuigbe, a father of two. Joseph Unuigbe is married to a girl who is also a member of the same church.  Hannah is presently receiving treatment at the Lagos Island General Hospital, while Abigeal and Remi have already been remanded in Kirikiri until they meet their bail terms

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