Tiwa Savage Assaulted By Tee-Billz

Rumors of a strain in the 5-month wedding between Tiwa Savage and Tunji ‘Tee Billz’ Balogun surfaced this week, and it seems there’s a lot more wrong in the union. The Wanted singer had reportedly fired Tee Billz as her manager, and now a new report alleges that Tee-Billz beats his wife. According to blogger Kemi Filani, Tee Billz has been beating Tiwa Savage even before they got married.

Boko Haram New Commander Captured By Cameroonian Soldiers

According to reports, Cameroonian soldiers have captured one of the top commanders of terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Meet the Female Pilot Who Led Airstrike on ISIS

 
The United Arab Emirate's first female pilot led a mission this week against ISIS in Syria, according to the UAE ambassador to the United States.

Major Mariam Al Mansouri, 35, was the first woman to join the Emirati Air Force. The UAE this week joined the United States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain in implementing airstrikes against ISIS.
Born in Abu Dhabi, Mansouri is one of eight children. She told Deraa Al Watan magazine recently that her family supported her career goals, but she had to overcome gender stereotypes along the way. It likely helped that she graduated from high school with a 93 percent grade average.

She attended UAE University, the first of the three government-sponsored universities in the country, and received a degree in English literature. She graduated from Zayed Air College in 2007 and is an operations pilot who works with F-16 Block 60 aircraft, according to Abu Dhabi's English language news outlet, The National.

The UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba confirmed on the talk show "Morning Joe" today that Mansouri led the airstrike.

There is no doubt, we killed Boko Haram Leader

The Nigerian military have confirmed the death of one Mohammed Bashir, the man who poses as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, leader of terrorist insurgent group, Boko Haram.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Has Dragged Christianity Into The Mud – Bishop Kaigama

The Archbishop of Jos, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, has accused Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of denting the image of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), over his recent involvement in the recent “arms deal” in South Africa.
Speaking  With us,  in Kaduna yesterday, Archbishop Kaigama, said they had been watching with sadness how Oristejafor had been hanging out with the Presidency for long.
He accused the CAN President of dragging Christianity into the mud.

After Divorce Or Break-Up, Should Wedding Rings Be Returned?

A ring is an unbroken circle which many cultures understand as a symbol of never ending love.

A wedding ring symbolizes eternity, whether it costs 8 million dollars or is a paper ring which costs less than a dollar. Lets put aside the fact that  today’s society no longer has any real respect for a wedding ring or what it signifies-

Ekiti shuts all courts indefinitely after Fayose beat up Judge

Ekiti State authorities have on Thursday ordered the immediate closure of all state courts after governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, thugs attacked a judge and other staff.
The assailants attacked Justice John Adeyeye, beating him up and ripping his clothes for being allegedly rude to Fayose. Fayose, first slapped the judge and then ordered his thugs to beat him further.
The action of Fayose and his thugs triggered some pandemonium in the court, with judicial workers and others running into safety. As a result, the sitting of the Ekiti State Governorship Election petition Tribunal could not hold.

Wenger rues Arsenal’s failure to sign defender: It's been very difficult

 
Sep 26, 2014 10:40:00

The Gunners embarked on the new season with just six senior defenders to cover four positions but the Frenchman insists he did all he could to reinforce his backline this summer
Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have been unlucky with their amount of injuries in defence and insists buying cover in the summer transfer market was difficult.

Thomas Vermaelen's departure for Barcelona in a €19 million deal, combined with the failure to sign Greece international Kostas Manolas, ensured the Gunners embarked on the new season with just six senior defenders for four positions.

Mathieu Debuchy has since sustained twisted ankle ligaments and will be sidelined for up to three months, while Nacho Monreal is also out with a shorter-term back problem, leaving Arsenal even more stretched in defence.

Woman hit by California officer gets $1.5 million

 
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman punched repeatedly by a California Highway Patrol officer on the side of a freeway in an incident caught on video will receive $1.5 million under a settlement, and the officer has agreed to resign.

CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement and an attorney for Marlene Pinnock confirmed the dollar amount for The Associated Press.

The punching occurred after motorists' 911 calls reported that Pinnock, who is bipolar, was walking along the freeway and the responding officer pulled her from traffic, according to a legal document in the case.

Van Persie lifts lid on 'confronting' Manchester United meeting

 
Sep 26, 2014 09:13:00

The Dutchman says the Red Devils held a lengthy and uncompromising inquest into Sunday's second-half collapse against newly-promoted Leicester City
Manchester United held a "confronting" hour-long inquest into their embarrassing collapse at Leicester City, Robin van Persie has revealed.

Top 8 Signs To Know If Your Partner Is Cheating On You

There are quite a handful of ways to know if your spouse/partner is cheating on you but here, I'll discuss just eight (8) of them.


I'm writing this from experience because when I cheated on my partner, I did most of them. Be patient and read through, you'll learn something.

1. "I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You."

US man's N. Korean prison life: Digging, isolation

 
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — An American man recently sentenced by North Korea to six years of hard labor says he is digging in fields eight hours a day and being kept in isolation, but that so far his health isn't deteriorating.
Under close guard and with only enough time to respond to one question, 24-year-old Matthew Miller spoke briefly to an Associated Press Television News journalist at a Pyongyang hotel, where he had been brought to make a phone call to his family. It was his first appearance since he was convicted Sept. 14 of entering the country illegally to commit espionage.

Sunday Mba - Nigeria's Forgotten Hero

 
Sep 25, 2014 10:00:35

The Afcon superstar has fallen on hard times since those glorious days in 2013, here's where it all went wrong for the Super Eagles midfielder

DEBATE
By Solace Chukwu

When the ball ricocheted to him on the edge of the penalty box on the 10th of February, 2013, Sunday Mba had one thing on his mind: fashioning the shortest route to goal.

Three touches later, the ball nestled in the back of the net with Abdoulaye Soulama rooted to the spot. The FNB Stadium in Johannesburg erupted, having witnessed another decisive moment in a cup final. In terms of execution, this was the rival of Andres Iniesta’s winner in the World Cup final on the same ground some 30 months earlier.

Hoisted up in celebration, the then-Warri Wolves player let out a guttural scream. Joy, unbridled and a measure of relief too, stood out on Mba’s exultant face. He did not know it then, but that goal was the one to end two decades of hurt in Nigeria’s football. Also, unbeknownst to him, that was his apogee.

The 25-year-old made his debut just the year before that Nations Cup campaign, a legacy of the successful WAFU Cup team of 2010. He scored a brace in his second international, a friendly victory over Liberia, but surely could not have been the only one surprised to hear his name read out as part of the 23-man Afcon squad. Indeed, he was one of six Nigerian Premier League players called up to the Super Eagles.

This was not the norm.

Indeed, it was standard practice for team handlers to opt for foreign-based players upon qualification, having given locally-based players a run-out in the preliminaries. However, coach Stephen Keshi kept faith with the likes of Godfrey Oboabona, Reuben Gabriel, Mba and Ejike Uzoenyi.

Will it ever get this good again?

That faith would be repaid handsomely: Oboabona forged an impermeable partnership with Kenneth Omeruo at the heart of the defence, but it was the contribution of Mba that proved truly decisive.

Keshi is often prone to experimentation in the middle of major tournaments, often leading to strange selection choices (the same quirk that saw Babatunde Michael make a name for himself at the World Cup). It worked a treat for the pacy midfielder: his introduction in South Africa brought verticality to the Nigeria midfield, thanks to his direct running and dribbling with the ball. In a crowded midfield zone, up against physical man-markers, the ability to turn on the ball is priceless.

This quality was on show against perennial favourites Ivory Coast in the quarter-final, incidentally Mba’s second game of the tournament. Both teams cancelled each other out essentially, until he picked the ball up from deep and roared forward past a number of challenges, before scoring off a deflection with about 15 minutes left on the clock. It was a goal that encapsulated all that Mba is about: quick thinking, intrepidity and frightening acceleration.

That winner against Ivory Coast announced him, but it is for the goal against Burkina Faso that he will be remembered most fondly; a strike thoroughly out of place in a disappointing final. In a cagey, dour match, his goal was a bright streak of colour.

The epithet of the local deity of the Igbo clan Amadioha speaks of his propensity to take a man’s life at the height of its sweetness. In Mba’s finest hour, storm clouds had begun to gather. An ill-advised move to Enugu Rangers was declared null and void in March by the NFF due to an extant contract with Warri Wolves. The Flying Antelopes were directed to pay a full transfer fee, but were unable to come to a workable agreement with Wolves as negotiations dragged on and on.

In the interim, Mba’s career stalled with no competitive football. When eventually the matter was resolved, it was agreed he would spend the rest of the league season on loan with Rangers, before returning to Warri Wolves. Mba spoke of his relief at the resolution to BBC Sport, saying, “Both parties have agreed to a new decision and this is good for my football career. I wish to thank both clubs, everyone that stepped in and hope to take my career to the next level from here.”

Unsurprisingly, having been inactive for such a long period, Mba was unable to hit the ground running. However, that did not prevent a call-up to the Super Eagles for the FIFA Confederations Cup in June: Keshi is fiercely loyal to his players, and expects (and gets) the same back.

The hope was that a familiar set-up would evince the same game-changing ability that brought Mba to the limelight.

He thoroughly underwhelmed, and Keshi would later ruefully admit to Futaa.com, “I didn’t get Mba at the Confederations Cup.”

Has Mba's Bastia move killed his Super Eagles career?

However, it seemed the worst had passed, as the very next month, Mba was in sparkling form for the Super Eagles Championship of African Nations team as they spanked their Ivoirian counterparts 4-1 to seal qualification for the 2014 tournament in South Africa. He provided two goals and two assists, and appeared back to his best.

Having regained the trust of the national team handlers, he seemed poised to lead an impressive local-based selection to victory in South Africa. Then came yet another misjudgement: a January move to French second division side CA Bastia, thereby rendering him ineligible, on the eve of the Chan.

Keshi wished him well, but surely viewed this as an act of disloyalty. The Big Boss has a notoriously long memory, and this showed itself when preparations for the World Cup began. Mba’s visa problems kept him from hitting camp at the right time; he was ultimately dropped from the final 23, but it was telling that Keshi had begun to seek alternatives as early as the Mexico friendly in March.

He has not been called up since.

As the Super Eagles laboured to one point against Congo and South Africa in Afcon qualifying, the hero of Nigeria’s finest footballing hour of the past two decades was being shown a red card in a French National game against Chambly. In his absence, Les Noirs rallied to claw back a goal-deficit in stoppage time.

From being indispensable to the Super Eagles to being expendable in the French Third Division in 18 months is as steep a fall as is possible.

If ever Nigeria needed a hero, it is now.

In 2013, Mba answered the call to deliver glory. Like Disney’s Mr. Incredible, he may be in no shape to deliver once again, but God knows we need him now.

Ronaldo: Mourinho issue is not important

 
Sep 23, 2014 21:49:00

The striker says he is concentrating on performing well for the Blancos, after scoring four goals in his side's 5-1 victory over Elche on Tuesday night

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says his relationship with former coach Jose Mourinho is "not important".
The Chelsea boss made headlines last week when he revealed that he and his fellow Portuguese have not remained in touch since leaving Santiago Bernabeu in 2013.
But Ronaldo, who scored four of Madrid's goals in their 5-1 win over Elche on Tuesday night, says he is simply concentrating on playing well for his club.
"It is an issue that is not important; what matters is Madrid," the 29-year-old told reporters. "It is fine for me personally, I just want to help this team. It is not for me to speak out on these subjects."
The former Manchester United star also talked about his four-goal haul at the Bernabeu, as well as the penalty he gave away at the other end of the pitch that led to his side going 1-0 down.
"I've done this [scored four goals in a match] two or three times," he continued. "It is a matter of service. I thank my team-mates for helping me score the goals. The match ball is for my son.
"It was a very good game. We started a little badly. I gave away a penalty, but we responded well, with two goals in a row.
"Although I complained to the referee, it was a penalty, I have to confess. It was a surprise attack I did not expect. But it was a correct decision by the referee."
The forward also gave his take on the debate over which keeper should start for Madrid: Iker Casillas or Keylor Navas.
"We must not always talk about the same things," he added. "Iker and Keylor are the best goalkeepers in the league. That question has been exhausted. The important thing is to continue and improve."

Luis Enrique: We couldn't find Messi

 
Sep 25, 2014 01:22:00

The Barcelona coach says it is to Malaga's credit that they kept the Argentina international quiet at La Rosaleda

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique says Malaga did well to keep Lionel Messi quiet in the two sides' 0-0 draw on Wednesday.

The Blaugrana failed to register a shot on target in the entire match in a frustrating evening which brought to an end their 100 per cent record so far this season.

Messi struggled for many meaningful openings, meaning he must wait to score his 400th senior career goal, but his coach believes the opposition deserve credit for keeping him on the fringes.

“The fact that Messi didn’t participate so much is a credit to Malaga," the 44-year-old told reporters.

"It’s clear that the more he participates, the more dangerous we are.

“For us, finding Messi is key – and if we find him we will be more dangerous.

"That was what we found most difficult and it’s clearly credit to our rival.”

The former Spain international also made clear that any criticism of his players would not be made in public.

"Self-criticism will come behind closed doors. These players do that when we win, so imagine [what happens] when things don't work out.

"There is a long way to go, but we are on the right track and we will look for solutions, not excuses.

"These players aren't machines - we are competing every three days."

Luis Enrique also defended the performance of debutant Douglas, who came in for criticism from some quarters after a largely anonymous display.

“Douglas? He was at the same level as his team-mates,” the coach added.

Pellegrini: Lampard could extend Manchester City stay

 
Sep 25, 2014 00:23:00

The former Chelsea midfielder bagged a double in the 7-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, with his manager hinting that he may extend his loan
Manuel Pellegrini paid tribute to Frank Lampard after he scored twice in Manchester City's 7-0 Capital One Cup rout of Sheffield Wednesday and admits that he may extend his loan stay at the club.

The holders took a while to get going at the Etihad Stadium, but Lampard followed up Sunday's crucial equaliser against former club Chelsea by opening the scoring at the start of the second half.

Edin Dzeko also scored a double, while Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and Jose Pozo were also on target before Lampard rounded off the scoring with his second in stoppage time.

The former Chelsea midfielder's loan is set to expire in January but Pellegrini has revealed that City will look into extending his stay when the transfer window reopens.

"It's an issue I will see further, in this moment it's not the most important thing," he told reporters. "We'll see what happens in January, we have two or three months more to decide, we'll do what is more important for the club and for the player.

"We are going to do what is best for team and the player so we have time to decide, we must talk about a lot of things but it's not impossible to stay."

He added: "For me is never difficult to put a good player in the team, the problem is when you don't have players.

"It's very important for Frank to score again, he's a very important player. I said after the game against Chelsea he was important for our team.

"Maybe he's 36, he can't play three games in a row but he knows how to play the sport and he's a top player in that sense."

City will host Newcastle in round four and Pellegrini insists they have no intention of giving up this trophy without a fight.

"It was a very satisfying result and very good to get back to our best scoring form," added the Chilean.

"It was not the real difference between the two teams as they played well, especially in the first half, but I'm happy because we returned to being a scoring team.

"Maybe in the last two games here at home [against Stoke and Chelsea] we didn't do it, so I think for the team it is very important.

"We are just in round number three, but it's important to defend this title the way we did."

Where Did Ebola Come From?

 
   In some parts of Africa, myths that Ebola was brought to the regions by health care workers have hurt the ability of workers to respond to the outbreak. But where did Ebola really come from?

The true reservoir for Ebola — that is, where the virus hides when it's not causing outbreaks in people — is not known for sure, but experts say that bats are the likely source of the deadly virus.

"There's a strong circumstantial case, but we haven’t actually got a total smoking gun," said Derek Gatherer, a bioinformatics researcher at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

The first known human cases of Ebola occurred in 1976 during two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which sickened more than 600 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Nearly 20 years later, in 2005, researchers looking for the reservoir of Ebola sampled more than 1,000 small animals in the Central African nations of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo, which have also experienced outbreaks of Ebola. They tested 679 bats, 222 birds and 129 small terrestrial vertebrates.

The only animals found to harbor the Ebola virus were bats, specifically, three species of fruit bat: The hammer-headed bat, Franquet's epauletted fruit bat, and the little collared fruit bat. [10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species]

Where Did Ebola Come From?

At least two of these fruit bat species are also found in Guinea — which is where the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa began — so it's possible that these bats were sources for the outbreak, Gatherer told Live Science.

Researchers in Guinea are now sampling bats in that region to see if any test positive for Ebola, Gatherer said. The current outbreak has sickened more than 5,000 people, and of these, more than 2,600 people have died, according to the World Health Organization.

If bats are the source of the virus, one way people might become infected is by handling bats that are eaten for food, Gatherer said. For example, bat soup is a delicacy in the region.

Officials in Guinea took the step of banning the consumption and sale of bats in March, after the outbreak began, he said.

But it's not necessarily the eating itself that leads to Ebola infection —cooking would likely kill the virus, Gatherer said. Instead, it's the butchering of bats and handling of raw bat meat that's more risky, he said.

Still, it's not known for certain whether bats are the only reservoirs of the virus, or whether it is infections in bats that spilled over to people, Gatherer said.

A stronger case could be made for bats as the source of infection if researchers found the same genetic sequence for Ebola in people and in bats in the region, Gatherer said.

There is some evidence that, rather than being a virus that is always carried by bats, Ebola is actually causing an outbreak in bats — that is, it is being spread among bat populations.

By looking at the virus' genetic material, researchers have found that the same Ebola virus has been carried from bats in Central Africa to bats in West Africa over the past 10 years, Gatherer said.

The virus could have been carried by bats or by people, but if it was carried by people, researchers would have expected to see cases along the way, Gatherer said. "It's probably more likely that there's an epidemic going on in bats, but we can't be absolutely certain," Gatherer said.

White tiger kills youth at New Delhi zoo

A white tiger on Tuesday attacked and killed a youth who apparently jumped into its enclosure at a zoo in the Indian capital.

Witnesses said the tiger grabbed the young man by the neck as horrified onlookers at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi screamed and threw sticks and stones to try to save him.
One witness said he raced to the enclosure after hearing screams to see the victim locked in the tiger's jaws, "writhing badly in pain".
"He kept suffering for the next 10-15 minutes, but nobody helped him," Himanshu, who only gave one name, told the CNN-IBN news channel.
The head of the zoo told AFP that a guard posted at the enclosure raised the alarm, but the victim was dead before anything could be done.
"We do have tranquilising guns but they are at the zoo hospital. By the time we could have organised those, he was killed," said zoo director Amitabh Agnihotri.
A television frame grab from Indian news channel Headlines Today shows a youth confronted by a white …
Witnesses had said the railings around the tiger enclosure were low and speculated that the victim may have fallen in.
But Agnihotri defended the zoo. "There are guards there. If we increase the height of the fencing, how will people be able to look at the animal?" he said.
A statement from the zoo said the victim was about 20 years old, contradicting earlier reports that he was a teenager.
One official said he also appeared to have been "under the influence of alcohol".
"Security had tried to keep him away from the enclosure, but he somehow managed to jump in and the white tiger who was present at the enclosure leapt on to him," junior official Rohit Kumar told AFP.

"This is the first time such an incident has occurred in this enclosure."
- Tiger taken away -
Photos posted online of the attack show the tiger standing over the victim, who was lying on the grass curled into a ball and trying to protect his head with his hands.
The victim's body was lying in a corner of the enclosure, draped in a white sheet, while the tiger had been taken away and locked up, an AFP reporter said.
The enclosure is separated from visitors by a concrete ditch, with shrubs on the tiger's side followed by a 60-centimetre (two-foot) railing.
Another witness said the tiger kept "roaming around" the enclosure, holding the victim by the neck.
"The tiger first caught his neck and then left him before coming back again and taking him to the other side (of the enclosure) by his neck," Bitto, who only gave one name, told TV networks.
The zoo has three white tigers, although only one of them is let out into the enclosure daily for visitors to see, a zoo official said.
White tigers are found in southern and eastern Asia, particularly India, and owe their appearance to a recessive gene. They are regarded as an endangered species.
India is home to 1,706 Royal Bengal tigers and fewer than 100 white tigers, according to the last census in 2011. All the white tigers are in captivity.
Rampant poaching and loss of habitat due to human encroachment are cited as the major challenges to tiger conservation efforts.

Two UNILORIN Students Get Merrill Lynch Appointments!

 

Two students of the University of Ilorin, Abeeb Adebayo and Ajoke Ogunshola, have been offered full time jobs with one of the world's top financial institutions, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch, London, after undergoing a nine-week internship training programme with the Bank in London.
Ogunsola, a graduating student in the Department of Counsellor Education, and Adebayo, a 400L student of the Department of Accounting, were selected to participate in the 2014 summer undergraduate internship having started out as “Campus Ambassadors”. The programme is targeted at engaging undergraduate students from select universities across the country regardless of their disciplines or courses of study, but with flair for Finance.

Texas soldier beat toddler to death for soiling diaper: police

By Lisa Maria Garza
DALLAS (Reuters) - A Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier beat his 2-year-old daughter to death after he became upset that she soiled her diaper, police said on Monday.
Dartarious Graham, a 20-year-old U.S. Army specialist, was arrested by El Paso police and charged with capital murder in the death of his daughter. Peyton Graham was found unresponsive with suspicious injuries in her father's apartment and later died at a hospital on Saturday, police said.
Graham's cousin, Robert Franklin, 19, witnessed the beating in the child's bedroom and walked away without calling for help, police said in a statement.
The child's mother, Elizabeth Graham, 23, was not home at the time of the incident. Investigators learned the father had a history of beating the child and that the mother had failed to protect her and report the abuse, police said.
The mother and the cousin were also arrested and charged with "injury to a child by omission," meaning that they failed to take action to prevent the child's injury.
All three are being held in El Paso County jail. Dartarious Graham, whose bail is set at $250,000, could face the death penalty or life without parole if convicted.
(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza in Dallas; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Doina Chiacu)

Luis Suarez to feature in Barcelona B friendly

Sep 23, 2014 13:57:59
The Uruguayan will participate in Wednesday's non-competitive fixture in a bid to improve his match fitness for his return from suspension next month
 Luis Enrique has confirmed Luis Suarez will play for Barcelona B in their friendly against an Indonesia youth select team on Wednesday.
The Uruguayan signed for the Catalan giants for €88 million in July but has been unable to feature competitively due to his suspension for biting Giorgio Chiellini, which runs until October 25.
However, the Barcelona boss has revealed the striker will line-up for the club's second team in an attempt to boost his match fitness ahead of a possible first-team debut in the Clasico against Real Madrid.
"It is beneficial that Luis Suarez will play," Luis Enrique said in a press conference. "There are many nuances but we talked and he wants to play, albeit it in another context.
"The player wants to play and have match fitness, so tomorrow he will play the minutes that [B team coach] Eusebio [Sacristan] decides."
While Suarez features for Barca B on Wednesday, his team-mates travel to Malaga and will be hopeful of cementing their place at the top of La Liga.

10 Things You Should Never Do When You’re Angry

Getting into a heated argument doesn’t just put you in a bad mood. It can also compromise your ability to perform everyday tasks—like driving—in ways that could be dangerous for you or the people around you. Here, top experts discuss what you should never do when under the influence of anger, with tips for regaining your composure.

1)You shouldn’t sleep on it
The saying “never go to bed angry” is valid advice. Going to sleep may reinforce or “preserve” negative emotions, suggests a study in the Journal of Neuroscience, which found that sleep enhances memories, particularly emotional ones. “We are learning that sleep seems to help us process and consolidate information we acquire while we are awake,” says Allen Towfigh, MD, a New York City-based board certified sleep medicine doctor and neurologist. So going to bed after an argument will likely cause that experience to be consolidated more effectively than if you went on to remain awake for that same eight-hour period, says Dr. Towfigh.

Dead or alive? Rumours swirl again over Boko Haram leader

Lagos (AFP) - Is he alive or isn't he? Fresh claims have emerged in Nigeria that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, or at least someone impersonating him, may be dead -- and not for the first time

Rumours have been flying since last Thursday when the military tweeted that "a seriously wounded high ranking terrorist leader" had been captured during clashes in Konduga, Borno state, in the country's strife-torn northeast.
The unnamed militant was wounded and said to have been treated at a military medical facility, top brass said, as they trumpeted their apparent success over the insurgents.
Speculation moved into overdrive at the weekend when a photograph began circulating of a heavily bearded man said to have been killed in Konduga and talk of an imminent government announcement.
"At this point, I will not be able to confirm or deny the information," army spokesman General Olajide Olaleye told AFP on Monday. "Investigation is ongoing.
"(Defence spokesman) Major General Chris Olukolade will be able to throw more light on the issue very, very soon. Be on the watchout," he added.
But with two previous public statements about Shekau's death, the military has some potentially tricky explaining to do.
Police in the city of Maiduguri said on July 30, 2009 that Shekau -- then deputy to Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf -- was one of about 200 members of the group killed during clashes.
But he then appeared less than a year later in video clips.
The security taskforce in northeast Nigeria on August 19 last year issued a statement saying Shekau "may have died" from a gunshot wound after a clash with soldiers on June 30.
Several weeks later, another video emerged.
"Here is Shekau, Shekau, Shekau, Shekau, original... I want the whole world to know that I'm alive by the grace of Allah," a bearded man in combat fatigues and sporting a military assault rifle says.
There have been 10 Boko Haram videos since last September, the latest of them on August 24, when "Shekau" proclaimed the captured Borno town of Gwoza as part of an Islamic caliphate.
The military high command in Abuja has never confirmed the claims about Shekau's death.
Some claim that he actually died in 2003 and his name has been used since by at least two others.
But with no concrete proof of Shekau's demise provided by the authorities, rumours have persisted.
The military's Olukolade has previously dismissed talks about whether Shekau is alive or dead as immaterial.
"That's not the issue in this matter. They're all terrorists," he told AFP in an interview earlier this year.
Marilyn Ogar, spokeswoman for Nigeria's secret police the Department of State Services, told reporters on May 13 this year: "What I know is that the original Abubakar Shekau is dead.
"The person claiming to be the national leader (of Boko Haram) is not the original Abubakar Shekau."
Unsurprisingly given the precedents, analysts were sceptical about the latest claims.
Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at Red24 risk consultants in South Africa, said it was unlikely that as Boko Haram commander, Shekau would be in the thick of battle in Konduga or anywhere else.
"A more likely scenario is that Shekau remains stationed at one of Boko Haram's central operational and logistical bases which are claimed to either be located within Sambisa Forest or the Mandara Mountain range which straddles the Nigerian and Cameroonian border," he added.
But Jacob Zenn, from the Jamestown Foundation think-tank in the United States, said the death of a body-double in Konduga was plausible.
"It's important to note, however, that Shekau may have had 'doubles' who appeared in some videos. And the army has a record of being incorrect about claims of Shekau's death," he said.
"So it may be important to wait until the video from Shekau -- or someone who purports to be Shekau."

What Do Boys Gain In A Relationship Without Sex?

I am really asking because i think some Boy's are being used to achieve financial needs.

Take for instance, a student that is probably not going to marry in the next 5yrs.
And he is in a so called relationship that does not involve sex or any romantic activities.
But he spends on her, he takes her out and pay for her private needs.

Let me ask you officially

Manchester United must spend another €127m to become title challengers, says Phil Neville

Sep 23, 2014 13:28:00
The Red Devils recruited a number of marquee players in the summer, including Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, but the former defender believes another spending spree is needed
 Phil Neville believes Manchester United need to spend another £100 million (€127m) before they can be considered genuine title challengers.

The club embarked on a large spending spree in the summer, acquiring the likes of Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw, but have secured just five points from their opening five games this season.
 Many have criticised United's failure to recruit a world-class centre-back in the summer – though the club did spend €20m on Marcos Rojo – and Neville believes further additions are required.
 "I know United have spent £150m (€190m)," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
 "I think there's another two transfer windows of similar amounts of money needed - maybe £100m (€127m) - before they can even think about winning the title.
 "There are still key positions in the team that need filling. I think the centre-back position is obviously the key area. Holding midfield or centre midfield needs addressing too.
 "There were no world-class centre backs out there (this summer). I think that's why in the next two transfer windows, United might still be looking for that world-class defender."
 Despite his criticisms, Neville believes that both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have bright futures at Old Trafford and insists that United must not sell off their core group of English players.
 "I am certain Chris Smalling will come good and I have full faith in Phil Jones as well," he added.
 "They've bought of a lot of foreign players, [but] you don't get rid of your English spine."
 Neville left the club at the end of last season along after the club finished seventh in the Premier League.

Kidnappers Beaten To Near Death By Angry Mob In Calabar

On Friday, September, 19th 2014, in the cosmopolitan city of Calabar, Nigeria, two young male kidnappers met with bitter waterloo just as they failed in their attempt to Kidnap a young lady supposed to be a student of the University of Calabar between the hours of 3:30-4:30pm.

'Arsenal is my family' - Ozil thankful for team-mates' support

The German playmaker, who has been criticised throughout the new campaign, has lauded the egalitarianism promoted by Arsene Wenger and says he feels "at home" in north London
 Mesut Ozil has dismissed critics of his recent displays and says he is very happy at Arsenal and thankful for the support of his team-mates.
 The Germany international had come under fire prior to his strike at Aston Villa on Saturday, with numerous fans and pundits critical of his performances and lethargic body language.
 But the former Real Madrid star believes it is impossible to gauge a player's character by their attitude on the pitch and is enjoying the supportive and homely environment at Arsenal.
 "You can't forget that people don't know you away from football," the World Cup winner told the club's official website.
 "You can't really see what a person is really like when they are on the pitch. Sometimes a player will come across as arrogant and another as being a nice guy when in reality it could be the other way round.
 "At the club you always have to be respectful towards one another. It doesn't matter if one player is a world star and the other is a newcomer. Everyone should be treated in the same way and that's why I'm so happy at Arsenal, because that's really the case here.
 "Everyone is treated the same way and has respect for one another. That's a big help on the route to reaching your targets - when you're like a family who make each other feel welcome and at home. That's how it is here."
 The 25-year-old registered both his first goal and his first assist of the season at Villa Park, opening the scoring before later setting up Danny Welbeck as the Gunners eased to a 3-0 victory.

Politics of Ebonyi 2015 guber race

A peep into what could be the nature of Ebonyi governorship race in 2015 reveals that it might throw up much of ethnic sentiments among the various groupings in the area. Even as the 2015 general elections seem far away, the three political blocs in the state have commenced alignments and realignments for the governorship position. This is even when the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi has said the slot should go to the southern bloc.

People of the Southern and Northern blocs, Izzi and Ezza clans are already arguing as to whether the position should just be left to the South as proposed by the governor without contest contrary to what held sway when the south contested for the position with the others.

Ebola: Lagos clears last suspect, affirms Sept. 22 resumption date.

The Lagos State Government on Friday said the last suspected case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state had been cleared having tested negative after surveilance.
Governor Babatunde Fashola disclosed this while giving an update on the virus at the Secretariat Central Mosque, Alausa, where he observed Jumat Prayers.
The governor said the development meant that the state was now Ebola free and that it was safe enough for schools to resume on Sept. 22.
“The last time when we discussed the issue, I told you that about 19 people were still under observation over the Ebola Virus Disease.They were there not because they had the disease but because they were showing suspected symptoms.

Foreign Journalists were Offered the Bribe too

Yesterday, journalist Nicholas Ibekwe released an audio recording of Prophet T.B Joshua offering Nigerian reporters that came to cover one of his buildings' collapse N50,000 fuel money.

Bomb Explosion at Kano College of Education

An explosion has occurred at the Federal College of Education in Kano state. Reports filtering in have it that gunfire was also heard and the attack is believed to be the work of Boko Haram members . Unconfirmed accounts also have it that the gunmen invaded the institution while shooting

El Rufai Replies Oritsejafor, You Are An “Irresponsible” Leader

Former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently just declared his intention of running for the Governorship position in Kaduna, come 2015 has fired back at Pastor Oritsejafor for daring to say himself and APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed were only trying to tarnish his image when they called him out concerning a private jet which was recently impounded in South Africa over suspicion of arms smuggling.

Futuristically Insane! Photos Of The New Private Jet Nike Made For Footballers

Sporting brand, Nike has partnered with travel and technology company, Teague to unveil an airplane cabin to help professional athletes preserve their peak before and after performance. The Teague mode of travel is an ideal innovation to assist football player travel up to a thousand miles after facing fatigue in a football match. The ‘Athlete’s Plane’ is designed to provide pre and post-performance necessities which could make air travel an ideal place for injured or tired players to begin their recovery on the way home after the game..

Anambra State University Renamed To Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

The Anambra House of Assembly on today September 11th passed a bill, changing the name of the state-owned university at Uli to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

The bill was passed during the plenary of the legislature in Awka to honour the former Biafra hero.
The decision followed the report of the House Committee on Education which recommended the change of the name. Continue...

Mrs Rita Maduagwu (APGA Nnewi South 2), the Chairman, House Committee on Education, recalled that the bill had been read the second time on the floor of the house on Dec. 17, 2013.

She said that the committee found that the university’s name had been changed before from Anambra State University of Science and Technology and that there were a number of provisions in the extant law that required review.

WOW: Kukere Master, Iyanya Offers Nicki Minaj $300,000 For Collaboration

Nigerian pop sensation, Iyanya Mbuk is trying to secure a duet with sexy American rapper, Nicki Minaj, Nigerian Entertainment Today has reliably gathered. A top industry source confirmed the Project Fame winner is willing to pay as much as $300,000 – approximately N50m – to jump on a track with him.

With talks already having reached an advanced stage between both camps, Iyanya, who just returned to the country from London where he performed at a classy society wedding, is set to jet back to the United States to seal the deal. ‘It’s an on-going project’, a source tells Naijapals.

‘He has to now go back to Los Angeles again to try and get her on the track’. Minaj, who has won 4 American Music Awards, 8 BET Awards, two MTV Music Awards, 5 Billboard Music Awards among others, is signed to Young Money Entertainment. She has never collaborated with a Nigerian act.

There were however recent reports of a pending collaboration with KCEE who, like Iyanya, is an MTN Ambassador. Iyanya’s manager, Ubi Franklin tells our correspondent a Nicki Minaj collabo is not in the works.

‘Who said that, where did you hear that? He asked; adding ‘there’s no gist like that, if anything like that would happen, you’ll hear from our publicist.’ When probed further, however on the existence or otherwise of such a paid collaboration with Nicki Minaj, Franklin said: ‘I’ll be so glad if it happens, I’m very open to the idea of doing a song with her.’

Breaking news: Boko Haram have 'surrounded' Nigeria's Maiduguri

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram fighters have surrounded the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri and are preparing an imminent takeover, an influential regional group claimed on Thursday, calling for military reinforcements.
The warning from the Borno Elders Forum, made up of retired senior civilian and military officials, comes after the United States warned of an attack on the city and analysts claimed the government risked losing control of the region.
Maiduguri has special significance for Boko Haram. It was where the heavily armed Islamist group was founded as an anti-corruption movement in 2002 and is regarded as its spiritual home.

The forum voiced its fears after Boko Haram seized a number of towns and villages across Borno and in neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states in recent weeks and declared one part of an Islamic caliphate.
In Borno, the militants are now said to control an area from the north around Lake Chad, down its eastern border with Cameroon and round to Bama, 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri to the south.
Nigeria's military has claimed to have retaken Bama but the elders said the government needed to act, asserting that the militants were in reach of the city.

I Still Create Time For My Family — Ramsey Nouah

Though many people think entertainers do not spend ample time with their family members, recent happenings have shown that they do create time to be with their relations despite the busy schedules of attending to work and social functions.

Talk Show Host And TV Mogul, Mo Abudu Turns 50 Years Old Yesterday

Award-winning talk show host and media mogul, Mosunmola Abudu popular as Mo Abudu is 50 years old today. Born on September 11, 1964, Mo owns Ebonylife TV, tagged as Africa’s first global Black entertainment and lifestyle network, she also sits on the board of several NGOs as well as national organizations such as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

Nollywood stars Julius Agwu, Kate Henshaw and now Desmond Elliot have announced their interest in political positions for the 2015 elections.

The first photo has the posters and campaign slogan, while the one below details his platform under APC, the leading political party in Lagos State.

It’s refreshing to see a new crop of political aspirants and leaders.

We wonder who will run next… any guesses?!

Rev. Chris Oyakhilome Has 6 Weeks To Reconcile With His Wife [Rev. Anita]

There are indications that reconciliation moves are on course between the President of Christ Embassy, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome and his wife Rev. Anita who have been in the news in the past week over the divorce proceedings the latter filed. The decree nissi, with suit number FD14D01650, was filed on 9th April 2014 at Divorce Section A, Central Family Court, First Avenue House, High Holborn in London by Anita’s lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors. Gistmania reports that, to have a divorce in the UK, both parties must have a marriage that is legally recognised in the UK, and have a permanent home in England or Wales. Getting a decree nissi, there are 5 grounds: adultery; unreasonable behaviour; desertion; 2 years’ separation; and 5 years’ separation. In the case of Rev. Chris, adultery wasn’t cited but the decree nissi was reportedly served to him during a recent visit to the UK. According to the Family Law in UK, decree nissi is a document that says that the court doesn’t see any reason why you can’t divorce. This is usually applied for if one’s husband or wife doesn’t defend a divorce petition. After 6 weeks, the applicant can apply for a ‘decree absolute’ to end the marriage. The decree absolute is the legal document that ends a marriage, and the applicant needs to wait at least 6 weeks after the date of the decree nisi before applying for a decree absolute. This delay gives a chance to discuss finances and other issues (between the couple) before the marriage comes to an end

Yvonne Okoro, Mercy Johnson - Meet 13 Nollywood Actress With The Biggest Boobs

For an average woman, it can be a source of pride, a symbol of womanhood and even an added advantage to explore all the fashion trends. And yet for different women, their busts mean different things. While some believe it is a great blessing others do not think so and there are those that believe it has caused them more pain than joy.
The Nigerian Movie Industry (Nollywood) has been graced with several actresses with impressive busts, beautiful to look upon with desire. Here’s a selected list of 13 of the best:

Bola Tinubu Sick: APC Leader Has Stroke, Unable To Recognise Family

Former Lagos Governor Critically Ill; Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu Rushed To The United States For Emergency Medical Treatment

Ex-governor of Lagos state Nigeria, Bola Tinubu is clinging to life at an undisclosed hospital in the US.

Sources say his health condition has deteriorated as he couldn’t recognise his family members anymore due to sudden loss of memory.

The leader of All Progressive Congress Party reportedly suffered what sources described as spiritual attack few days after Osun State Gubernatorial election.

The doctor taking care of him at his residence in Lagos told family members to fly him out of the country because his situation ‘s critical. He was secretly flown to the US few days later.

Family members and some key APC leaders have been praying non-stop for his restoration since he was secretly flown out of Nigeria.

Wishing him quick recovery.

Rockin’ Robin: Van Persie should have protected Man Utd career by retiring from Dutch duty

 
Sep 9, 2014 12:57:00

COMMENT: The former Arsenal attacker is determined to keep on playing for the national side, but it might have been better for his career had he decided to focus on his club

By Stefan Coerts

Many high-profile names across the globe decided to say farewell to international football this summer after the World Cup.

Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker quit Germany to focus on their clubs, Xavi and Xabi Alonso ended their Spain careers, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard left the England set-up, while Franck Ribery controversially told France coach Didier Deschamps that he is no longer available.

Yet unlike their rivals for the European Championship in two years’ time, World Cup semi-finalists Netherlands did not lose any household names after a relatively successful tournament in Brazil.

Star players Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are keen to prolong their international career and possibly reach 100 caps in the years to come, thus joining team-mates Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt in Holland’s club of centurions.

“I will do whatever it takes to make it to the 2018 World Cup," Van Persie was quoted as saying by De Volkskrant earlier this week.  

"I am living a calm and relaxed life. That should save me a few years. It's my goal to keep playing at the highest level for as long as possible and being available for the national team is part of that.”

Although it did not come as a real surprise that both Van Persie and Robben want to keep playing for Oranje, one wonders whether the former in particular would have been better off retiring from international duty due to his history with injuries. Robben’s fitness has only improved in recent years, so there really is little reason for the Bayern Munich star to say farewell to the national team, yet Van Persie’s situation is slightly different.

Although the former Feyenoord star featured in six of Netherlands’ seven World Cup games, question marks remain over the striker’s fitness, irrespective of his insistence that he is in top shape and does not need surgery.

"I don't know where these rumours about an operation are coming from," the forward told FOX Sports.

"I can honestly say that I will not visit a hospital any time soon to undergo surgery. You need quite a lively fantasy to come up with this nonsense."

There’s no denying that Van Persie is not the most endurable player in the game, though. 

The 31-year-old seemed to have left his injury problems behind him once and for all after featuring in every single Premier League game both in 2011-12 and 2012-13, yet last season showed that the attacker’s physical stature remains a cause for concern.

A groin strain kept Van Persie sidelined in November, a hamstring problem then saw him miss a number of games in December and January, before a knee injury eventually kept him out of action for several weeks toward the end of the season.

Retiring from the national team would have given the attacker the chance to give his body the rest it so desperately needs during international breaks and to cater for any minor knocks, yet Van Persie’s hunger for success with Netherlands has proven to be decisive in his decision to continue.

The Rotterdammer is his country’s all-time leading goal scorer with 47 goals in 92 international appearances and he has made it to two World Cup semi-finals with Oranje. There’s still something missing for the Manchester United man, though, and he’s determined to keep going in an attempt to guide Holland to a major trophy again at last. 

National team coach Guus Hiddink will only applaud Van Persie’s determination - with Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (31) as his only viable alternative for the No.9 position - but United will be looking on in frustration. 

The Old Trafford side are desperately trying to get back on their feet after a disastrous 2013-14 campaign and a disappointing start to the new season and a fit Van Persie is vital to the Premier League giants’ ambitions. One can only hope for Louis van Gaal and his team that his former protege does not pick up any new knocks or aggravate an existing injury while away on international duty.