ELYSIUM: May 2014

Thursday, 15 May 2014

Pregnant woman to be flogged, hanged for marrying Christian

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A Sudanese woman doctor who married a Christian man and who was convicted earlier this week on charges of “apostasy” was sentenced to death on Thursday, judicial officials said.

The Army Commander whose unit revolted yesterday May 14th in Maiduguri (read here) has been removed by the Nigerian Army.

Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chris Olukolade, announced the removal of Major General Ahmadu Mohammed in a statement released today.

The Commander's battalion revolted yesterday, shooting sporadically after seeing the bodies of their colleagues who had been ambushed and killed by Boko Haram in Chibok. They also complained of not getting adequate weaponry to fight Boko Haram and poor conditions. The soldiers shot at their commander during the mutiny but didn't kill him.

EFCC arraigns two for defrauding a South African of $60,000

Read the EFCC press release below...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the duo of Nnanna Kalu, 26 and Ukaegbu Arisa Oti, 27, before Justice F. A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court Umuahia, Abia State on a 28-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense and forgery.
The two are alleged to be part of a five-man syndicate that defrauded one Michael J. Firm (a South African) of the sum of $60,000 (sixty thousand dollars) under the pretense of registering his company with National Agency for Foods Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to enable it supply the Federal Ministry of Defence with pre-cooked meals in sachets. Continue...

She made the announcement on her instagram page this afternoon. Congrats to her!

Photos: Bomb scare in Lagos

Residents living around Tom Jones,Idumota, Lagos Island were seriously scared to their pants as some items suspected to be a bombs have been seen close to the central mosque.The Items were strategically placed at a busy intersection. Traders, BRT ticket vendors and commuters converge there. and trusting Lagosians, they assumed it was a bomb & started panicking. The police was eventually called and they removed the abandoned parcels from where it was placed. See more pics after the cut...

The quest for power among members of the Okada Riders Association of Aratunmi Motorcycle Park in New Iba site Ojo LGA of Lagos state has led to the death of 20 year old Wasiu Jimoh.

According to a Punch report, trouble started on April 14th when a faction of the association went into the motor park around 8.30pm and attacked another faction called O-Yes which the late Jimoh belonged to, with the intention of wrestling the chairmanship position from them. During the fight, Jimoh was attacked with a machete and sticks and left to die. He later died in the hospital.

The Ojo Police command was immediately notified and arrests were made.Continue. *Graphic photo after the cut*

Beyonce’s Sister, Solange, Slaps and Physically Attacks Jay Z [Video]

Superstar singer Beyonce and her husband Jay Z, and also Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles were all full of smiles at the MET Gala, but who would have thought there was some kind of trouble between Solange and Jay Z.

Violence erupted yesterday in Kachia town, the headquarters of Kachia local government area of Kaduna State, leading to the burning down of three worship places.

There had been tension in the town since the destruction of a part of the fence of an Eid (Sallah) ground.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity confirmed that trouble started when some youths woke up and discovered that one part of the fence that surrounded the Muslims’ Eid ground that was earlier renovated and fenced had been damaged by unknown persons.

Despite a video released yesterday by Boko Haram showing the kidnapped Chibok girls, ex-militant Asari Dokubo is still insisting it's all a scam. He led an anti-bringbackourgirls protest yesterday and shared photos and the message above on his Facebook page. At least our president believes they were kidnapped...that's what matters most. See more photos after the cut...

Congrats to them. See a pic of Don Jazzy signing his own contract after the cut...

The Federal Government has said it would not negotiate with Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau following the demands he made this morning in a video he released showing the kidnapped girls.

In an interview with AFP, Interior Minister, Abba Moro, said the issue in question is not about Boko Haram giving conditions.

Also speaking at a press conference of security heads and other stakeholders following the release of the video, the DG of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri, said FG would explore all other options to rescue the girls but would not negotiate with terrorists

"All options are on the table and open, we are interacting with the military and intelligent experts who are already on surveillance in the North Eastern part of the country. We will adopt all available options to get the girls out, but we will not negotiate with the sect"

The real Abubakar Shekau is dead - SSS Spokesperson

At a briefing this evening with newsmen in Abuja following the release of a new video by Boko Haram showing kidnapped Chibok girls, spokesperson of the State Security Service (SSS), Ms Marilyn Ogar said the man in the video claiming to be Abubakar Shekau is not really Abubakar Shekau, that the real Shekau who is believed to have founded the dreaded sect, is dead

"Boko Haram has become a franchise, anybody can assume and lay claim to any name. What I know is that the original Abubakar Shekau is dead; the person claiming to be the national leader now is not the original Abubakar Shekau. If security sources tell you that somebody is dead, you don't have to come out and doubt that" she said.

Dora Akunyili Flown To India For Treatment As Her Health Condition Worsens

Former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, was has finally been flown to India for further treatment of her undisclosed medical condition.

A family source revealed that the former director-general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has fallen seriously ill again after returning from a trip to France. “We would rather this was not reported at all because these are trying times for us, but because she is a public figure it would be very difficult to keep it out of the media,” the source said.

Fresh attacks in Taraba, four dead, several houses razed

Suspected herdsmen yesterday morning, May 11th, launched fresh attack in Dinya village in Gassol Local Government Council of the state killing at least four people and razing 30 houses. Confirming the attack, the state's Police Public Relations Officer ASP Joseph Kwaji said several ammunitions were recovered from the herdsmen.

"The police, on arrival at the scene of the attack, recovered 13 empty shells of AK47 rifle, four cartridges and an assault rifle,” he said.

New video of dozens of abducted Chibok school girls has been released by Boko Haram. The girls, numbering about 130, said to be held at Sambisa forest, a border between Cameroon and Nigeria, are seen praying in Arabic in the video.
In the video, Boko Haram leader said he's ready to do a deal to free some or all the girls. He said;

"We will never release them unless our brethren are released. It's been 6 years you held our brethren and torturing them. We will not release the girls until you free our brothers"He also mentioned that the girls have been converted to Muslims. The girls are believed to be held in six different locations. Continue to see more pics...

Borno State governor Kashim Shettima said yesterday that he has information on the whereabouts of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14th

The governor told the BBC;

"We've got reports of them being sighted in some locations – which we have conveyed to the relevant military authorities, for them to cross-check, verify and get additional information on the accurate location of the daughters.’

Shettima also said he doesn't think the girls have been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon

Security alert in Bayelsa as youths vow to shut down Shell’s facilities

Yenagoa—Men of the Joint Task Force, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, were, weekend, put on high alert as protesters besieged oil facilities operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, over the company’s divestment plans and proposed sale of its Oil Mining Licenses, OMLs.

Stakeholders and indigenes of Nembe-Bassambiri, who are hosts to some of SPDC’s installations in Nembe Local Government Area of the state, were angry at the plan by Shell to sell OML 29 located in their territory without consulting them.

Lagos—Lagos State government has threatened to punish any resident who attempted to carry out jungle justice on suspected criminals in the state.

In a statement by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, made available to Vanguard at the weekend, it noted that in recent times, Lagosians have embarked on the habit meting out instant punishment by lynching, burning or killing suspected criminals.

The Attorney-General warned that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone caught engaging in jungle justice, no matter what the alleged criminal have done.
According to him, nobody has the right to take another person’s life as guaranteed by natural justice and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except by an order of the court.

Chibok girls: SERAP urges further action from UN Security Council

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday urged the United Nations, UN Security Council to go beyond mere expression of concern over the plight of school children seized by armed groups, as well as those affected by violence from Boko Haram insurgency.

In a statement by its executive director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, it is now time for the Council to act decisively against Boko Haram by imposing “targeted sanctions against them and their backers to end persistent attacks against children and other civilians.”

SERAP stated:

Miley Cyrus performs with a giant blow-up penis at London’s G-A-Y

21 year Miley Cyrus keeps acting like she only just discovered sex. The singer enraged parents of her young fans after she performed provocatively alongside a giant blow-up penis at her gig at London hotspot G-A-Y on Friday night. A lot of teenagers attend Miley Cyrus shows...and some parents feel this is not what they want to expose their children to. See more pics after the cut...

Found this report on UK Daily Mail. Four Nigerians, a man and three women have been jailed in the UK for their involvement in many fake weddings in the country. Read full report below...

Four fake brides and an ex-security guard fixer involved in an eight-month sham marriage scam have been jailed.
Azuha Izegbune, 38 (pictured left), was the mastermind of the visa con - which saw fake weddings staged at registry offices in Birmingham, Stoke and Glasgow.
The former security guard from Birmingham, West Midlands, was paid to arrange fake weddings between Hungarian and Nigerian nationals so they could remain in the UK.

The weddings were arranged so both brides and grooms could secure European Area Residence Cards

The Nigerian police this afternoon tried to stop protesters from gathering at the Unity fount for a #BringBackOurGirls sit-in in Abuja. The police didn't want the peaceful meeting to happen and sent officers to the location to disperse the few that gathered there and stopped many from coming to the meeting.
But despite the interruption from police, the group eventually held the meeting peacefully. See more photos after the cut...

Let me just put a disclaimer here...I didn't write this o! :-). Article written by Ihechukwu Njoku - a freelance Nigerian journalist who writes for Synagogue Church. Read his new piece below...

Another member of the dreaded Boko Haram sect allegedly confessed at Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua’s church today, stating that he was being paid N2,000,000 to bomb churches.
Nearing the end of the service, during the time Joshua’s ‘Wise Men’ were minisring ‘deliverance’ to people, an aggressive young man dressed in a shabby suit was ushered forward.
“I am one of the Boko Haram,” the man declared to the wise man, clearly under an unusual influence.“They said they would give me N2,000,000 if I went to blow up a church,” the man continued upon questioning as to how he joined the infamous group of insurgents. “Every church would be N2,000,000. They said would be give me big house and a wife.” Continue...
Boko Haram has been the focus of huge international media attention following their claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of over 200 girls several weeks ago.

U.S Marine Corps trains Nigerian soldiers in amphibious warfare

The U.S Marine Corps Africa, on Friday completed a three-week training for 100 Nigerian soldiers in amphibious and riverine warfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training which started on April 17, and ended on Thursday was conducted at the Amphibious Training School (ATS), Calabar.

The soldiers were trained on fire team formation, use of micro terrain, preparation for combat, mission planning, shooting position, casualty evacuation, among others.

I've been getting reports from multiple sources saying that some school children were kidnapped around 1pm today May 9th at Baruwa Primary school, Itire-Ijeshatedo, Surulere. News got to parents, guardians, who rushed to the school to remove their children. There was a lot of chaos in the area for about two hours this afternoon

I personally can't verify that school kids were kidnapped...but something definitely happened to cause panic. See more photos after the cut...

Super producer and rapper Dr Dre is set to become Hip Hop's first billionaire as Apple Inc. is close to sealing a multi-billion dollar deal to purchase Beats Electronics, the company he founded with music producer Jimmy Lovine in 2008. The company produces the popular Beats By Dre headphones and also runs a music streaming service, which Apple is more interested in than the headphones itself. If this happens, it will be Apple's biggest acquisition till date. ($3.2billion)

Apple wants a music-on-demand service to rival Spotify, which is a digital music service that gives people access to millions of songs.

It was announced today that the acquisition could be announced as early as next week.

Last night, singer Tyrese posted a video where Dr Dre proclaimed himself the first billionaire in Hip Hop. Dr Dre is currently worth $550million. See the video after the cut...

OMG! Check out her body. That is my age mate o! Chai...

Letter of protest against maltreatment of Borno state govt officials by the presidency

Two journalists have written a letter of protest over what they describe as the "maltreatment and humiliation" of some Borno State officials when they were summoned to the State House by Pres. Jonathan on Saturday May 3rd and Sunday May 4th

Sahara Reporters obtained the protest letter signed by Bashir Shuwa and Aliyu Biu. Find it below...
“We the undersigned wish to register our total protest to the President, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan over the degrading manner in which Borno State Government officials were chastised and reduced to nothing by the Presidency. Continue...

Iconic Nigerian DJ, Jimmy Adewale Amu AKA DJ Jimmy Jatt recently announced the formal launch of his 25th Anniversary at the Oriental Hotels in Lagos.

At the event, DJ Jimmy Jatt explained, “It is hard to believe that 25years have gone by and I have been having the time of my life doing the job I love. This anniversary celebration is to take people on my journey so far and also to show my appreciation for their continued support all these 25 years.”

Members of the planning committee for the anniversary Matthew Ohio and Ubi Franklin of Triple MG also spoke. Continue...

A report on CNN says US and UK intelligence believe the missing Chibok girls may have been trafficked to Chad, Niger and Cameroon and shared into smaller groups to facilitate easy trafficking.

Meanwhile 7 US anti-terrorism agents have arrived Nigeria today to help in the process of rescuing the missing girls.

"I've been diagnosed with hypertension, so I have to relocate from Nigeria' - Kunle Afolayan

Sometime in March, prolific Nollywood director Kunle Afolayan took to his Facebook page to express his frustration about Nigeria and his plans to relocate as he could no longer bear the hardship.
Well, it looks like he's made up his mind to really relocate. In a recent interview with Netng, he said he has been diagnosed with hypertension and must relocate. When asked if his relocation would not discourage those who are looking up to him, Kunle said:

Humanitarian agencies demand urgent action as conflict and drought conditions theaten to leave nearly 3 million hungry. Failing rains, severe malnourishment, enduring conflict and poor sanitation have left Somalia facing a humanitarian crisis, with 50,000 children "at death's door" and 2.9 million Somalis at risk of hunger, a coalition of aid agencies has warned.

This barbaric act didn't happen in Nigeria

I'm sure by now most of you have seen the unbelievable video of a young girl being stoned to death. If you haven't seen it, please don't go looking for it, it will spoil your whole week.

Anyway, a lot of people have been speculating that it happened in Nigeria and it's one of the abducted Chibok girls buried from neck down and stoned to death. But according to The Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, this happened a while back and it didn't happen in Nigeria.

Sapele— The people of Gbokoda, Alamita, Obaghoro, Ebrohimi, and Tebukporo communities in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, have called on council authorities and state government to rebuild their houses burnt down during an invasion of the communities by militants, and restore economic life the communities.

LAGOS—STUDENTS of Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, yesterday threatened violent protest should Governor Babatunde Fashola of the state fail to reduce the institution’s tuition fees from N348, 750 to N65, 500.

At a briefing, the students’ union President, Nurudeen Yusuf, flanked by other leaders of the students, said the union had in its proposal to Governor Fashola on April 27, proposed N65, 500 and N46, 500 to be paid by new and returning students respectively.

He insisted that the students were ready to engage the government and management in a showdown, if their demands were not met promptly.

Amaechi blames Boko Haram insurgency on poverty

PORT HARCOURT—GOVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has blamed poverty for the challenges of insecurity facing the North and other parts of the country.

The governor, who spoke when he played host to the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, said his administration tackled the challenges of militancy in the state with the creation of empowerment programmes.

Cure for HIV and AIDS is possible, says expert

Prof. Suleiman Akanmu, Head, Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), on Thursday said that through continuous research the cure for HIV and AIDS could be achieved.

Akanmu told the news men in Lagos that lots of researchers worldwide were looking for ways to shift from treatment to cure for HIV and AIDS.

(AFP) – The Vatican on Thursday appealed for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, voicing its “compassion” and “horror for the physical and spiritual suffering”.

Former Head of State and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress APC, today released a statement on the missing Chibok girls. In the statement, he said Boko Haram men are mindless bigots who are not followers of God. See his statement below...

Over the past few weeks, the abduction of the school girls at Chibok, Borno State has underscored the threat we have been facing as a nation in recent times from the actions of misguided persons masquerading as adherents of Islam.
Our hearts are with families who have lost loved ones in this cycle of senseless violence. We also empathize with the parents of children whose daughters are in the custody of a group of anarchists. Continue...

Female police officers and officers of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp came out today to protest with women in Nassarawa state over the abduction of the Chibok girls. The women who gathered under the aegis of Federation of Muslim Woman Association of Nigeria(FOMWAN) and the Women wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Nassarawa chapter, took to the streets of Lafia, with placards bearing one message - bring back our girls. Continue...

D'banj is a delegate at the on-going World Econimic Forum Africa taking place in Abuja. He's on the Agriculture panel. (He's pictured above with Tony Elumelu). Good for him!

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