So I sat down already stained in blood, picked up ma pistol,1,2,34,5,6,7.8. Guess I'm ready the night was going to be bloody. I've never been a trouble maker I was always on my own. No one wanted it to come to this, but I guess it just had to happen. How could he,the man I called my friend after all we had gone through together,people even thought we were family. If he could do this he may hv done so many other things I wasn't aware of . I I hv to fulfill my wives last wishes, there's nothing else to live for.
You're still puzzled,yea you are .Its my story,Ben my best friend since I was seven has just betrayed me. I considered him my brother, we attended the same university and graduated together,got married on ...................... Shit, this is too much to bear.
Forget it, I'm goin straight to the point. I came back home this. evening from work as usual hoping to see my beautiful wife, we've just been married for three years. I checked the kitchen nd she wasn't there,strange. Climbed up the stairs to my bedroom and I saw trails of blood,something's wrong. Opened my bedroom door and I still saw more blood,then. I saw footprints stained bood leading to my bathroom door and I opened the door. My wife on the ground in a pool of blood,her eyes dim squealin help me, 'Honey forgive me ,Ben raped me I,I,tried to scream ,he stabbed me nd devoured me even more, please punish him '. Funny huh, no it isn't, cos those were my wife's last words . I pulled her close to me stained by her blood lost in thoughts. Back to the beginning, with ma pistol already loaded I'm heading out for revenge,Ben Must Die.
..................To be continued
Ben Must Die-
Fictional story by A.Xhibuike
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Thenaijainfo@gmail.com
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Manchester United and England footballer Ashley Young has been banned from driving for six months.
According to the reports, the 28-year-old player was banned after he admitted speeding at 71mph on a 50mph section of the M6 Toll in Warwickshire in March last year.
His earlier speeding conviction was recalled by the Warwick Magistrates Court.
However, Young's solicitor argued the road had been "quiet" at the time of his latest offence.
07:38
The Circumstances surrounding the death of a pupil in Kwara State, who allegedly committed suicide, have yet to be unravelled.
For Olanrewaju Oyeniyi, father of a Senior Secondary 1 pupil of Oro Grammar School, in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Boluwatife, who allegedly committed suicide on January 20, 2014, the circumstance behind his son's death is beyond comprehension.
The father has however said the death of his son is not ordinary.
He says in an emotion-laden voice, "I know that what happened to my son was not ordinary. But wherever it came from, I have left everything to God to judge and I know very soon that He will act."
Boluwatife reportedly used his belt to hang himself on a tree in the school compound.
But how come a 14-year-old pupil could go to the extent of killing himself? Did he have academic challenges? Did his parents rebuke him over any matter? Was there a case of sabotage? These and many more questions are some of the issues reporters raised with Boluwatife's father.
Looking up to high heavens as if he is a stargazer, Olanrewaju says he or his wife never had any serious issues with their son. The deceased born on March 21, 1999, he adds, was a jolly good fellow.
According to him, that fateful morning he took the youngster to his mother's shop from where he walked down to his school.
Managing to fight back tears, he adds, "That morning I dropped him at his mother's shop and even gave him N100. His mother also gave him N50 for lunch. He said goodbye to us and left for school. I never knew that was the last time I would see him alive."
Apart from his father, Boluwatife's siblings, Eniola, an undergraduate of the Kwara State Polytechnic, and Semilore, a pupil of Anglican Girls School, Iludun Oro, who were beside their father as he narrates the story, are also in agony over the loss of their brother.
Their brother, they note, did not exhibit any strange behaviour prior to his death. Following this remark, their father adds, "I am confused, my brother: completely confused. I do not know what to say and what happened exactly?
"There was no issue between myself and the boy. I asked the mother and she said there was nothing like that. The only thing I knew was that he complained of body pain. He told me he woke up around 3am and could not sleep again.
"I asked him if he would stay at home but he said he would go to the school. He also said when he returned from school, he would sleep. "
That Olarenwaju insists that the circumstances are beyond comprehension is understandable. Interestingly, the day he was to resume as the supervisory council for agriculture at Irepodun LG was the same day his son died.
He was just trying to get accustomed to the cosy environment of the new office when he received a telephone call, asking him to come immediately to the school.
According to him, a former principal of Oro Grammar School, Mr. Ismaila Okeleye, put the call across to him.
He notes, "When I got to the school, the gate was locked. I saw okada people (motorcyclists) and other people outside. When I came, they started leaving. They opened the gate for me and I got inside. There I met one of my elder brothers and a colleague in politics, Alhaji Tajudeen Bada.
"He was crying and asking me to take heart. When I now asked what happened, he said I should come to the office. When I got there, they took me down the scene of the incident. There, I saw my son hanging on the tree.
"Later, I asked the police to bring him down. They brought him down and they took his picture. We took him to the hospital to check whether he was completely dead. They said he was dead. They conducted some tests and said I should come back for the result.
"But because I did not want my son's corpse to suffer, I begged the police that they should release it to me for burial."
Olanrewaju, who later intermittently relapses into weeping as he narrates the story, adds that Boluwatife was quiet and easy-going. Declaring that his son was not exceptionally brilliant, he however, notes that he had the ambition to become either a medical doctor or an engineer.
He adds, "He was good in repairing electronics and some other minor engineering works."
A neighbour of the Oyeniyi family, Mrs. Temitayo Oni, also attests to the deceased good nature.
"Boluwatife was responsible, dutiful and honest. He was not quarrelsome but got along with his mates," she says.
When contacted, the Principal of Oro Grammar School, Mr. Alfred Abogunrin, declined to comment on the tragedy, saying he was a civil servant. The secretary, Council of Obas and Chiefs of Oro Kingdom, Chief Rapheal Babatunde, told our correspondent that the community was still in shock over the tragedy.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Okesanmi Ajayi, the police are still investigating the matter. In all, Boluwatife is gone, leaving his family, colleagues and members of the Oro community in shock.
07:34
On Wednesday, January 29, 2014, Ghana's Black Stars beat Nigerian Super Eagles 4-1 on penalties inthe semi-finals of the African Nations Championship (CHAN). Despite the victory,Ghana's coach Maxwell Konadu praised his Nigerian counterpart, Stephen Keshi, saying he is still the best in Africa.
Coach Konadu believes the defeat does not belittle Coach of the Year's reputaiton.
"I do not think this game will change his [Keshi's] status in Africa. I know Nigerians are behind him. They all respect him and what he has done with the local team,"Konadu told reporters in Bloemfontein on Thursday morning.
"We know how African football is and I had said that he [Keshi] is the kind of man we need in African football. We all follow his steps and we are all learning from him as well.
"This is just but one match, I do not think the outcome has changed his status,"he added.
On his part, Keshi praised Ghana's performance in yesterday's face-off.
"Congratulations to Ghana for qualifying for the final,"he said after the game."In a game of two competent sides it is always difficult to emerge winners. Unfortunately, tonight it is Ghana who goes through."
Keshi also said the Super Eagles did very well, despite the defeat.
"This team has only been together for about six weeks. I am beginning to fall in love with them,"Keshi acknowledged."And I know if I stay six months with them, they will become what I want them to be. I salute them for what they did for Nigeria and for themselves. They have been able to express themselves.
He added that the footballers have had a"good"CHAN tournament and that among them, there are some players who have been noted for the World Cup; however, coach Keshi refused to mention the names.
Ghana would meet Libya, as Nigeria is set to fight for the third place with Zimbabwe's team on Saturday.
02:54
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega says he would rather relinquish his job than allow anyone to make him do what is against his conscience.
Jega spoke at an interactive session in Chatham House, London yesterday, noting that he was not under pressure from any quarters on what INEC should do or not do on the 2015 general elections.
"No one can make me do what is against my conscience. I will walk away the day I feel I can't do the job according to the dictates of my conscience",he declared. He added that whatever INEC does are in accordance with provisions of the law, logistics and the exigencies of the issues at hand, explaining that the recently released election timetable was premised on the commission's capacity and resources.
Jega said due to the enormity of the tasks and challenges involved, INEC is not yet ready to conduct all elections in one day, stressing that the commission would however go a step better in 2015 by staggering the elections over two days instead of the three days as was the case in 2011.
He said it was logical to conduct national elections - presidential and National Assembly elections in one day and local elections - gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections - on another day, but lamented that whatever the sequence INEC chose to conduct the elections, people would still complain as it is difficult to satisfy everyone.
Prof. Jega assured that the 2015 elections would be "much better than 2011", but expressed concern over the "must-win" and "do-or-die" attitude of some politicians whose mindset is to win at all costs. He also criticized media practitioners in Nigeria for pandering to the propaganda of politicians instead of sticking to the dictates of their profession.
He called on all to support INEC in its onerous task to conduct free and fair elections, stressing that the task of ensuring credible elections in the country is not on the commission alone, but all stakeholders.
02:47
Love is a beautiful thing when you share it with the right person.
However, most people are scared of really being in love. Here are the five kind of guys ladies love to fall in love with.
1. The First Love.
Also commonly known as "The High School Sweetheart." Sweet, innocent, idealistic…this is the stuff coming-of-age movies are made of. The First Love is probably the first boy you'll ever kiss. (Or at least the first one you'll kiss and feel the earth move.)
2. The One That Could Have Been (But the Timing Was Always Off).
Maybe you met him while one of you was already in a relationship. Maybe every time you started to get close, life or work or something else completely unexpected came between you. Maybe it was simply God watching out for you, because He knows the two of you burned too brightly together to ever sustain a lasting spark.
Perhaps in another lifetime you were perfect together…but not this one.
3. The Bad Boy.
This one will probably steal your heart in your early 20's, in those years when you're trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be, and discovering your wings seems to come with a side of rebellion. You'll think you can change him, but you can't. (And secretly, you won't want to, because if you did, he'd no longer be the boy who stole your heart). He'll make you cry as much or more than he makes you laugh. Underneath it all, you suspect he has a heart of gold…and he probably does…but it will take years and many women after you to uncover it.
4. The One That Got Away.
This boy will seem perfect…and secretly, you suspect he is. He'll say all the right things, do all the right things, be the very picture of everything you ever imagined you wanted…except now that you have it, you question if you're ready for that kind of perfection. And chances are, you're not. Life knows when you're ready. GOD knows when you're ready. So even though The One That Got Away offers you everything you thought you wanted, he offers nothing you KNOW you need. And what you need is more time. Time to date other boys you'll like but won't love. Time to not date at all and just figure out who YOU are.
Except you didn't.
5. The One.
I haven't met this one yet. I like to think he's a mix of the four loves that came before him. I like to think he's sweet and steadfast like The First Love, and passionate and challenging like The One That Could Have Been, and a little wild and rough around the edges like The Bad Boy, with the heart for commitment and building a life together like The One That Got Away. I like to think he's all of them and none of them, all at the same time. I like to think he personifies this list and also erases it…using the scattered pieces of my heart he gently reclaims from each of them as the eraser.
22:49
Manchester City ran riot against Tottenham as they moved to the top of the Premier League table with a 5-1 victory at White Hart Lane, on January 29, 2014, Wednesday.
Manchester City got his chance to move one point clear of the Gunners with a victory. And Manuel Pellegrini's men made no mistake.
Chelsea lost valuable ground on leaders Manchester City after dropping only their third point at home this season as a resolute West Ham defence earned a valuable 0-0 draw for the relegation candidates.
On January 28, 2014, Tuesday, Southampton halted Arsenal's run of five consecutive Premier League victories following an entertaining 2-2 draw.
New recruit, the £37.1 million Juan Mata made his debut, as Manchester United beat Cardiff City 2-0 at Old Trafford to ease the pressure on boss David Moyes.
See all the other results and the updated EPL Table below:
January 29, 2014, Wednesday
Aston Villa 4 - 3 West Bromwich Albion
Sunderland 1 - 0 Stoke City
January 28, 2014, Tuesday
Crystal Palace 1 - 0 Hull City
Liverpool 4 - 0 Everton
Norwich City 0 - 0 Newcastle United
Swansea City 2 - 0 Fulham
Team Pl W T L Pts +/-
Manchester City 23 17 2 4 53 42
Arsenal 23 16 4 3 52 24
Chelsea 23 15 5 3 50 23
Liverpool 23 14 4 5 46 29
Tottenham Hotspur 23 13 4 6 43 -1
Everton 23 11 9 3 42 11
Manchester United 23 12 4 7 40 11
Newcastle United 23 11 4 8 37 4
Southampton 23 8 8 7 32 4
Aston Villa 23 7 6 10 27 -6
Swansea City 23 6 6 11 24 -4
Norwich City 23 6 6 11 24 -17
Hull City 23 6 5 12 23 -7
Crystal Palace 23 7 2 14 23 -16
West Bromwich Albion 23 4 10 9 22 -6
Stoke City 23 5 7 11 22 -15
Sunderland 23 5 6 12 21 -14
West Ham United 23 4 5 12 19 -11
Fulham 23 6 1 16 19 -28
Cardiff City 23 4 6 13 18 -23
22:36
A group of Nigerian scientists have found what could be a novel treatment for Human Immune-deficiency Virus, HIV, infection that may slash the cost of treatment.
The team of scientists, including graduate students and researchers from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Nigeria have been able to show that synthetic Aluminum-magnesium silicate (AMS) has antiretroviral effects that could lay a perfect track for affordable and effective therapy for HIV.
Results of their work titled "Assessment of Antiretroviral Effects of a Synthetic Aluminum-magnesium Silicate" published in the British Journal of Medicine&Medical Research and featured on nd featured on SCIENCEDOMAIN international shows a significant reduction in the titres of the virus when HIV positive plasma was incubated with AMS.
Head, Department of Veterinary Medicine at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, and the lead scientist, Professor Maduike Ezeibe, said the discovery could provide an ultimate cure for the virus that has defiled so many scientific efforts to curtail it in the past.
Ezeibe reacted aluminium silicate with magnesium silicate to obtain the synthetic aluminum-magnesium silicate devoid of impurities.
Giving further details Ezeibe noted: "Molecules of aluminum-magnesium silicate have platelets that possess both negative and positive electrical charges on their surfaces and their edges. HIV on the other hand is negatively charged. So the simple scientific understanding that opposite charges attracts ensures that the HIV virus binds to the AMS and is discharged from the body alongside."
"AMS is normally used as a stabilizing medicine that does not really have toxic effect on the patient, so it makes it a suitable agent for mopping up HIV virus from the body," he said.
Ezeibe stated that "possession of both negative and positive electrical charges makes AMS a broad spectrum antiviral medicine."
"AMS, if used in combination of selected antibiotics and immune stimulant may achieve a 'cure' for HIV," the lead researcher of the work said.
"When a significant number of particles of invading viruses adsorb onto its (AMS) molecules instead of onto their hosts cells, viral infections are terminated," Ezeibe noted.
The author noted also that "Adsorbing out HIV means that millions of new virions usually released from each infected cell would be inhibited from establishing new infections in more cells," adding, "Thus, HIV would be prevented from overwhelming the body immune systems and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) stage may be prevented.which case Ezeibe said a cure could be achieved
07:10
If you’re not accustomed by now to Kobe Bryantsitting out and the Los Angeles Lakers losing, weeks more are still to come.
The fractured lateral tibial plateau in Bryant’s left knee hasn’t healed yet, even though the Lakers had initially been pointing to a medical re-evaluation Tuesday as a point at which he might be cleared to play. Bryant’s level of discomfort is such that his visit with Lakers doctor Steve Lombardo on Tuesday evening before the Lakers face the Indiana Pacers will not even include an MRI or any other diagnostic procedure to judge the bone’s healing, according to a team source.
Bryant is expected to miss at least two more weeks, perhaps even another month.
The Lakers are 4-16 since Bryant’s knee fracture was diagnosed and will struggle to turn that around without him, although injured point guards Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar might be back next week.
Bryant has been reluctant to start the Feb. 16 All-Star Game in New Orleans after being voted in by the fans. That matter seems likely now to resolve itself: If Bryant isn’t back for the Lakers by then, he won’t have to play at all in the All-Star Game and the NBAwill name an injury replacement for him. If Bryant misses another two weeks exactly, that would leave two Lakers games for him to play before the All-Star break.
Bryant’s original diagnosis was to miss approximately six weeks; Thursday marks six weeks from that announcement.
And for a guy who prides himself on beating every doctor’s time prognosis—if he is willing to sit out in the first place—this has been awfully rough on Bryant.
Bryant said Sunday in New York that it is “absolutely killing” him not to be medically cleared for anything beyond conditioning work on a bike. He has been reluctant to answer questions directly about his knee in a series of interview sessions over the past week, saying vaguely he’ll be re-evaluated “in February.” But what he and his fans hoped would be an inspirational comeback season from the torn left Achilles tendon he suffered April 12 has eroded into a whole lot of Bryant sitting around, wincing at the end of the bench at Lakers losses and wearing colorless clothes that represent his basketball lifelessness.
Bryant’s initial tweetafter the broken bone was discovered—“#BrokenNotBeaten”—isn’t holding up in another sense: Bryant’s team has been beaten an awful lot without him. The Lakers are now 16-29, nine-and-a-half games out of the Western Conference playoff picture.
Whether the Lakers’ other former NBA MVP can change any of that remains to be seen. A bearded Nash, looking fresh out of aRockyworkout montage, said Monday that he might actually be good to go. Like Bryant, he has played only six games this season—although the two of them have never played together—because of a major nerve-root issue in his back that has limited his legs.
“I don’t feel the nerve irritation,” Nash said Monday after returning from his latest extended rehab session in Vancouver. “Thus far, as I’ve ramped up training and rehab, I’ve been able to sustain more and more demands, so that we feel like it’s safe to practice now.”
But in a scene that epitomized everything about Nash’s two seasons as a Laker, he had only a handful of minutes of optimism Monday morning about his progress before another setback.
“Woke up, jumped out of bed, ready to go,” he said. “I reached for something and kind of tweaked something.”
So much for Nash’s plans to get back on the practice court Monday.
At least Farmar, coming off of his second hamstring tear, was able to get on the court Monday for some one-on-one with the possibility of playing next week, when the Lakers play three road games in four nights—still without Bryant.
Nash said the tweak, unrelated to the nerve irritation, is “fine” and he intends to go through Lakers practice Thursday, though he doesn’t expect to play Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, the Lakers’ last game before that trip to Minnesota, Cleveland and Philadelphia begins next Tuesday.
Given that primary villain Dwight Howardis gone, Nash and Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni have been left to bear the brunt of the blame for how far the team fell short of the epic expectations last season before this dead-end season.
Plenty of Lakers fans just hope Nash retires, refunding the Lakers the money they still owe him next season. Even if Nash doesn’t, the Lakers can waive Nash this offseason via the stretch provision in the collective bargaining agreement and lower their salary-cap number that way.
Let’s be clear, though: You can blame Nash for his body failing, but that MVP drive has never wavered. He has absolutely been trying.
“Steve Nash always inspires me,” D’Antoni said Monday. “This is just another chapter.”
It’d be one of the few uplifting moments of this Lakers season to see Nash, who was and will be a basketball legend no matter how his time with the Lakers is remembered, make it back before his 40th birthday, when the Lakers play the 76ers on Feb. 7.
Nash truly wants to keep playing if his body will allow it, and after months of depressing updates on his health, he finally could say Monday it feels “great” to have hope again.
“Just to have a chance maybe to play is awesome,” Nash said. “I’ve put in so much work over the last nine months, really. I’m hoping to get out there.”
That sort of sentimental journey is the gist of what is left for the Lakers to enjoy this season.
Bryant making it back from this knee fracture to strut some great stuff before season’s end could still serve as inspiration—and reassurance for free agents who will consider joining the Lakers this summer and want to win.
Yet Bryant’s latest comeback remains on hold for now.
And however long he stays out carries other repercussions beyond this season. The Lakers could wind up losing so much that they land a plum pick from the 2014 draft class that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak described to the team’s websitethis way: “I would say one through 10 is as good as I've seen in a long time.”
The prospect of all of this Kobe-less losing contributing to a higher draft slot is all that many Lakers fans have to sustain them.
Kevin Ding covers the NBA for Bleacher Report.
04:12
Lawmakers in Kiev voted Tuesday to repeal sweeping anti-protest laws whose passage this month angered demonstrators and helped plunge Ukraine into political crisis.
The vote came only hours after Prime Minister Mykola Azarov announced he had submitted his resignation in a bid to ease the situation.
Televised images from a special session of parliament showed an overwhelming majority voted to overturn the legislation, with two lawmakers voting against the repeal. Communist Party lawmakers abstained from the vote.
The laws were rammed through parliament on January 16 by members of President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions.
Shortly before the vote on the anti-protest law, parliament held a moment's silence to remember the people killed in the recent demonstrations, state news agency Ukrinform reported.
Anger about the legislation escalated long-running anti-government protests into violent confrontations, with police and protesters fighting pitched battles in the capital's icy streets.
Azarov's resignation is intended to "create more opportunities for social and political compromise for a peaceful settlement of the conflict," a statement posted on the government's website said.
That conflict "is a threat to the entire Ukrainian society and every citizen," Azarov said, adding that the government was doing all it could to prevent bloodshed.
There is no word yet on whether Yanukovych has accepted the resignation.
And it's not clear how far Azarov's departure would go to satisfy the demands of protesters who, despite the cold and threat of violence, have massed in and around central Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, to demand Yanukovych's ouster and new elections.
Vitali Klitschko, leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party, or UDAR, told reporters he believed Azarov had submitted his resignation to avoid liability over the current situation.
"It is important to stop repression, which has burst out across the country by authorities when people are unreasonably thrown in jail. We must put an end to it. We will use any platform to defend the interests of people either at a parliamentary tribune, or in the streets," Klitschko said, according to his party's website.
Another round of talks was held Monday between the government and the opposition as they sought a resolution to the crisis.
Justice Minister Olena Lukash said Monday that opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Fatherland Party, had refused Yanukovych's offer to be prime minister.
If he had accepted, he would have been able to dismiss the current government, which has been one of the protesters' demands. But he would likely have been seen as selling out by many of the protesters in the street.
State of emergency threatened
Lukash said late Monday that the anti-protest laws passed on January 16 would be repealed and the protesters who occupied her ministry would receive amnesty -- as long as they cleared out of "all seized premises and roads."
Anti-government demonstrators had seized the Justice Ministry building Sunday night but cleared out Monday after Lukash threatened to impose a state of emergency.
Opposition spokeswoman Lesya Orobets warned that such a step could lead to the use of military units to suppress protests.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who is expected to arrive Tuesday in Kiev in a bid to defuse the crisis, also urged the government not to impose a state of emergency.
The move "would trigger a further downward spiral for Ukraine, which would benefit no one," she said in a written statement late Monday.
"What is urgently needed is a genuine dialogue to build a new consensus on the way forward," Ashton said. "I hope that the Ukrainian parliament will set a clear path during tomorrow's session towards a political solution. This must include revoking the package of laws passed on 16 January."
Ashton will travel to Kiev after attending a long-planned "Russia summit" in Brussels, Belgium, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, her spokesman, Michael Mann, said Tuesday.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy are also taking part in the summit. It's expected to last about 2½ hours, shorter than originally planned, Mann said.
There have been tensions between Russia and the European Union over developments in Ukraine, with each side accusing the other of interference.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Yanukovych on Monday night to reiterate American support for "a peaceful, political solution to the crisis," the White House said.
"Underscoring that no time should be lost, the vice president urged President Yanukovych to pull back riot police and work with the opposition on immediate measures to de-escalate tensions between protesters and the government," a White House readout of the call stated.
Government offer rejected
Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is home to 45 million people. The clashes over the past 10 days are an escalation of weeks of largely peaceful public protests prompted by Yanukovych's decision in November to spurn a planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia instead.
The mass protests have galvanized the opposition parties challenging Yanukovych and his government.
Opposition leader Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion, said Sunday that he had rejected the post of deputy prime minister on humanitarian issues.
His announcement was greeted by loud cheers from the crowd, but his UDAR party said it was ready to continue negotiations with the government.
After the talks Monday, Klitschko said he hoped Yanukovych's government would not invoke a state of emergency -- a step he said would "result in a new phase of the crisis escalation and will take us nowhere."
04:06
(CNN)— While President Barack Obama’s attempts to increase the nation’s minimum wage through legislation have stalled in Congress, the White House announced plans on Tuesday to use the president’s executive powers to partially address the problem.
Just hours before the President is scheduled to deliver his fifth State of the Union address, the White House revealed that Obama will issue an executive order to increase the minimum wage for new federal contract workers.
The action will cover all workers employed under future government contracts, ensuring that none is paid less than $10.10 an hour. In a fact sheet announcing the action, the White House highlighted several occupations that will be helped by the move, including kitchen and laundry workers on military bases, as well as janitors at federal buildings and construction workers at government building sites.
“The President has embraced the idea in the past that he can use his authority as President and the powers available to the President to advance his agenda on behalf of the American people,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said at his briefing on Monday. “What we have said is that he views 2014 as a year of action and that he has tasked his team to come up with new ways in which we can — he can — advance that agenda.”
An administration official confirmed the action will only apply to new contracts, and the White House believes contractors will have time to factor the new wage requirements into future bids.
Included in Tuesday’s announcement was a call for Congress to pass an increase in the minimum wage nationwide and an endorsement of a proposal put forward by two senior Democrats, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Rep. George Miller of California. The proposal would raise the minimum wage for all workers in stages, ultimately reaching $10.10 an hour, while also indexing the wage floor to inflation going forward.
Obama has made wages and economic inequality a central theme of his second term in office, raising the issue repeatedly, including during a call for an extension of emergency unemployment benefits in his first public event of 2014.
“America is getting stronger, and we’ve made progress,” the President said. “And the economy is growing, and we’ve got to do more to make sure that all Americans share in that growth. We’ve got to help our businesses create more jobs. We’ve got to make sure those jobs offer the wages and benefits that let families rebuild a little security. In other words, we’ve got to make sure that this recovery leaves nobody behind. And we’ve got a lot of work to do on that front.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta and Brianna Keilar contributed to this report.
04:02
An irate mob has stormed the headquarters of Ivory Coast's most prominent gay-rights organisation, seeding chaos inside and nearit.
According to Associated Press, nearly 200 people stormed the offices of Alternative in the commercial capital of Cote d'Ivoire, Abidjan, and got away with computers on January 25, 2014, Saturday.
The attack happened in a West African nation generally viewed as moderate and sometimes considered a safe haven for homosexuals fleeing persecution elsewhere.
The raid was a development of anti-gay protests, which have been staged for a couple of days across the country.
The protesters heaved sacks of garbage over the property's exterior walls and scattered trash and broken glass at the entrance
Signs hung on walls demanded "Stop the homos!"and"Pedes get out!""Pede" is short for paedophile and commonly used in West Africa to insult gay men.
"Everything they could take was taken, and the rest was broken,"the office worker said, adding that a private security guard was taken to hospital after sustaining wounds to his face.
The attack has already been condemned by the global community, including the US Ambassador in the country, human rights groups, such as 'Front Line Defenders' among others.
The Ivory Coast attacks come amid an increasingly hostile environment for sexual minorities in Africa, most notably in Nigeria, where President Goodluck Jonathan earlier this month signed a law banning gay associations and gay marriage.
Dozens have been arrested recently throughout Nigeria since then.
In the northern city of Bauchi, protesters tried to attack seven men accused of belonging to a gay organization, demanding they be stoned to death
03:58
Petite Super Eagles striker, Ejike Uzoenyi has rebuffed advances from South African Premier Soccer League clubs because he would not want anything to distract him from his primary assignment here in South Africa - winning the African Nations Championship.
Uzonenyi, whose performance here has attracted interests from far and wide has said at the Eagles Garden Court de Waal Hotel camp that numerous clubs, particularly from South Africa had come calling him.
He however said he told them to wait till after the tournament which Nigeria is already in the semi final.
''You know when you dance very well, people spray money on you, but I don't want to talk about anything transfer now, until after the tournament.
"All I can confirm is that there have been advances but I have told them to wait,'' Uzoenyi said.
The Enugu Rangers player said his priority now is how to help his country lift its first Chan trophy. ''We have a task on our hands. We still have two matches to the trophy and this means we need all the concentration required to achieve the task.''
Credits: Naij
03:52
The Imo state Government has sent back about 84 people to Katsina this weekend due to fears that they might be members of the dreaded Boko Haram.
The deportees, mainly youths, had been in Imo State for eight days under-going skill acquisition training when the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state raised an alarm that they might be Boko Haram insurgents.
The young Muslims, who had spent about eight days in the state, were quartered in the premises of Imo Newspapers Limited, on Egbu Road, Owerri, which is now renamed "Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies, ICAPS."
A security man on guard in the premises, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, explained that government had no other option than to send them safely back home.
"The alarm by PDP raised palpable fears that people could descend on the innocent students. Government had to cut short their training and sent them back to their state," the man said.
Speaking to inquisitive journalists in Owerri, the Director General of ICAPS, Mr. David Day, confirmed that the establishment trained youths on skills and leadership programmes.
"We do not train miscreants, criminals and members of Boko Haram in ICAPS. We had to cut short the training of 84 literate youths from Katsina State, as a result of the alarm, which obviously put their lives in danger," Mr. Day said
03:49
Manchester United has been relegated from the top three in a global rich list of football teams.
The English club has been squeezed out by greater success at Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The list, compiled by 'Big Four' accountancy firm Deloitte, is based revenues accrued during the 2012-13 season.
For the ninth year Real Madrid headed the list, with revenues of €518.9m (£424m). The Spanish team has now broken a record previously held by Man Utd.
Placed in fourth with revenues of €423.8m (£346m), Man Utd is ranked one spot above French champions Paris Saint Germain, who are now backed by the financial might of the Qatar Investment Authority.
Details of Man Utd's fall in the rankings came the club's calamitous season on the field took another turn for the worse as they dropped out of the Capital One Cup with defeat to Sunderland in the semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Despite winning the Premier League last season under Alex Ferguson, new manager David Moyes has struggled to make an impact with the club currently sitting 7th in the table, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The financial fortunes could be further damaged in the next list if the club fails to finish in the top four and qualify for the financially lucrative Champions League.
According to Deloitte, the world's 20 richest clubs saw a combined revenue rise of 8% last season to €5.4bn (£4.4bn), despite the economically tough conditions.
Bayern Munich saw the largest revenue rise, of 17% to €431.2m (£352m), compared to the previous year.
Six English clubs were listed in the top 30 clubs globally, but only Man Utd, Manchester City and Liverpool saw revenue increases.
Liverpool, despite increasing its revenue by 9% in 2012-13, still fell out of the top 10 to 12th spot. The club had been in the top 10 rankings throughout the 21st century.
A total of seven of the top 20 clubs are sponsored by airlines based in the Middle East.
The list has been compiled annually by the sport business group of the accountancy firm since 1999-97.
It said all clubs in the top 30 of the list now have annual revenues above €100m. In the first year of rankings only Man Utd had that honour.
Market watchers are now waiting to see what, if any, impact the list and Wednesday night's loss to Sunderland may have.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the value of the club had seen a drop of around £250m on the New York Stock Exchange since Moyes took over as manager
16:21
Another turn of political violence was recorded in Ogun State on January 23, 2014, Thursday.
The violence occurred at Ota Town, Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government Area, where suspected political thugs unleashed terror on the secretariat of a serving Senator, Akin Odunsin.
The suspected thugs, identified as loyalists of a faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and said to be armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, allegedly attacked and injured one Kemi Afolabi, said to be working as secretary in Odunsi's constituency office.
Afolabi, who is said to have been injured, is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Ota.
After their attack on Odunsi's secretary, the hoodlums allegedly ransacked the lawmaker's office and damaged various equipment before fleeing the scene.
The incident, which was the third political violence in the state in the past three weeks, occurred barely 24 hours after the intervention of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in the festering crisis rocking the APC in the state.
According to The Punch, gathered that the suspected hoodlums operating in an unmarked private car stormed Senator Odunsi's office located opposite AUD High School, Iganmode road, Ota at about 9.15 a.m. and beat up all those found in the office.
The supporters of the Senator were however said to have mobilised themselves for a reprisal, heightening the tension in the area.
The quick intervention of policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ota, Gabriel Idibie, brought the situation under control.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, had already visited the scene to assess the situation
16:16
Management of the Lagos State University (LASU) have taken the decision to halt the activities of the state-owned educational facility indefinitely. The development follows what the LASU university officials described'violent protest by the students'.
"In the wake of the violent protest by some affected students of Lagos State University (LASU) over the closure of the university portal for registration of courses for rain semester 2012/2013 examination, the university management has decided to shut down the university indefinitely," the bulletin titled LASU management Closes University indefinitely and dated January 23, 2014, reads. "Also, examinations have been put off till further notice. With this decision, students are expected to vacate the university premises until further notice."
The initially peaceful protest has been staged by the students on Wednesday, January 22. They decried the failure of the University Management to reopen the registration portal for over a thousand students who are yet to register. However, on Thursday, violence erupted. Participants destroyed cars, other properties, and allegedly threw stones at the University Vice Chancellor Prof. John Obafunwa despite the presence of men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) on the site.
The university's Acting Director of Press and Public Relations Unit, Dr. Sola Fosudo, explained that the measure was taken to allow normalcy to return. He said the management resolved to address all the major problems that may have triggered the protest.
The university's two entrance gates have been locked up and blocked by policemen who placed their vans in and around the campus. The students were asked to vacate the university immediately.
Below are the pictures from the scene of the protest. Warning: some images depict violence.
16:11
Super Eagles defender, Elderson Echiejile, has completed his move to French Ligue 1 side, AS Monaco, from Sporting Braga.
The left-back on Friday afternoon signed a four and half year deal which effectively ties him down at Monaco till 2018. Echiejile returns to a familiar terrain (Ligue 1) where he previously starred for Rennes in 2007.
Though the transfer fee for Echiejile was not disclosed, it is believed to be in the region of 1.5m Euros. Speaking with his new club's official website after signing, Echiejile said he was excited to join Monaco; a team where African greats like George Weah and Victor Ikpeba once played.
"I am very happy and proud to return to France to a club like AS Monaco FC which is one of the best in Europe. "They have a great reputation in Africa since George Weah played here," the Super Eagles defender told Monaco's official site.
"I'll give the best of myself to succeed with them as best as possible." The left-back, whose contract with Braga was due to end in June, played every match for Nigeria as they won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last year.
He is touted as one of the World Cup bound players. A product of the Pepsi Academy, the former U-20 star has been in Portugal since the 2010/11 season.
In all, he played 73 league matches and helped them into the final of the 2010/11 Europa League and second place in the league in the 2010/11 season. He has also played 33 times for the Eagles scoring two goals.
14:05
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, sent packing his service chiefsand appointed new ones in their place.
Investigation conducted by a national daily revealed that the President's became necessary because of the cold war going on among the service chiefs, which has affected the counter-insurgency war in the Northeast against the Boko Haram sect. There were reports that the then chief of defence staff, Admiral Ibrahim and some of the service chiefs were having issues. This had led to the then chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Ihejirika's (who had been after his job) scheming against him and in the process, hijacking the prosecution of the war against terrorism.
According to a reliable source, when President Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the CDS was mandated to preside over the prosecution. "But since it is the army that constituted most of the Joint Task Force operation team, the Army Council wanted to be in charge and this was allowed by the Presidency. The JTF was sacked; the army chief took over the war and set up the 7 Division of the army in Maiduguri. Although Ihejirika claimed setting up the 7 Division would bring the war to an end, it has not."
Another source said whenever there was a victory over the insurgents, the army, through the 7 Division claimed the victory and this did not go down well with other security agencies like the Nigerian Air Force who are also deeply involved in the operations.
Another security source also disclosed that Ezeoba, though relatively new on the seat, was removed as a result of the seemingly endless oil theft in the Niger Delta where he hails from.
On why the president did not wait for NASS approval of the new service chiefs as directed by the Federal High Court in Abuja, a source said that it was due to the sensitivity of security and for politic
13:40
Kayode has shared his opinions on the anti-gay law signed by President Jonathan.
photo
President Goodluck Jonathan had signed into law the Bill which outlaws same sex marriage that says the gays, lesbians in Nigeria will risk a 14-year jail term if they do not retrace their steps and renounce such marriage.
Hear what FFK said about Jonathan and hisanti-gay lawtoday on Facebook:
"Boko Haram suicide bombers have struck again in Maiduguri today killing dozens of people. Instead of fighting the war against terror GEJ is busy locking up gays. Shame on him."
When a fan accused him of supporting homosexuality, FFK said:
"I am not gay and I do not approve of homosexual behaviour. However I think it is wrong to send people to jail based on their sexual preferences and sexuality. It is known as persecution of minority rights and its is reprehensible."
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com /564
11:53
University of Benin (UNIBEN) Teaching Hospital
School of Nursing (UBTH) Admission Application
Form for 2014 is out. Members of the public are
hereby informed that the UNIBEN Nursing form
(UBTH) for 2014 admission obtained and you are
to address to the principal.
School of Nursing,
University of Benin
Teaching Hospital, Benin
City, Edo State
Admission 2014
Application
Entrance Examination For The 18 Month Course
Applications are invited from suitably qualified
candidates for entrance examination for admission
into the above school of Nursing in March 2014 for
Eighteen (18) months (Post Registration) Nursing
program leading to the award of Registered Nurse
Certificate (RN).
ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS
FOR UBTH School of
Nursing:
1. Candidates must not be less than 18 years old.
2. Must possess the following:
WAEC/GCE (O/Level) NECO with five (5) credits in
not more than two (2) sittings. Subjects should
include English, mathematics, chemistry, biology
and physics
b) senior secondary school certificate (SSCE) in the
relevant subjects at credit levels as in (a) above
c)candidates must also possess registered
midwifery certificate (RM) or Registered
psychiatric Nurse Certificate (RPN).
UBTH ADMISSION APPLICATION FORM 2014:
Application forms should state age, state of origin,
local government area, schools attended with
qualifications obtained and addressed to the
principal.
COLLECTION OF APPLICATION FORM
Application forms to be submitted for the 2014
University of Benin Teaching Hospital School of
Nursing admission should state age, state of origin,
local government area, school(s) attended with
qualifications obtained and addressed to the
principal.
COLLECTION OF APPLICATION FORM
Application forms are obtainable from the office of
the Deputy Director Nursing Education/Principal
with a non-refundable fee of N5,500.00 (Five
Thousand Five Hundred Naira) only. this should be
made payable through teller payment to , UBTH
Training School (First bank of Nigeria Plc, Ugbowo,
Benin City).
Account No: 2006619042
A separate payment of N200 to nursing and
midwifery council committee, Edo state, account
no: 2050003858 or (1112050003858) first bank of
Nigeria plc, Ugbowo.
Candidates are to submit four (4) recent colour
passport photographs (taken in preceding two
weeks) while returning the completed application
forms.
CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF
COMPLETED FORMS:
FRIDAY – 7th February, 2014
Examination date - Friday 14th February,
2014
Time - 10am
VENUE - School of Nursing,
UBTH
S.A Ochei (Mrs) FWACN
Deputy Director (NE)/Principal
21:33
National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
Examination earlier scheduled for dates in April,
2014 have been brought backward to days in
March, 2014.
The following is the statement released by National
Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
announcing the change of dates for the 2014
examinations.
The College has decided to move the advertised
dates for the Primary and Stage 1 of Part 1
Fellowship examinations by one week
backwards in deference to Sister Colleges in the
West African subregion who moved their
examinations backwards because of the Easter
holidays in April, 2014 leading to a clash with our
statutory dates.
The Examinations will now hold as follows:
1. PRIMARY EXAMINATIONS IN 8 CENTRES ON
WEDNESDAY 19TH MARCH 2014 .
2. STAGE 1 OF PART 1 EXAMINATIONS IN 3
ADVERTISED CENTRES ON THURSDAY 20TH
MARCH 2014.
21:30
At last, the defection train has hit President
Goodluck Jonathan’s home state of Bayelsa with
some aides of Governor Seriake Dickson dumping
the Peoples Democratic Party for the All
Progressives Congress.
Also, loyalists of former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva,
have shifted allegiance to the APC in Bayelsa.
The APC in the state is chaired by former Security
Adviser to Sylva, Chief Richard Kpodo, while former
Youth Leader of PDP in the South-South, Mr.
Godwin Sidi, is the Interim State Secretary of the
APC.
Apart from Kpodo, Sidi and scores of Dickson’s
special advisers and commissioners, other defectors
include former Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local
Government, Mr. Timipa Orunemigha, alias Tiway.
The APC in the state will be inaugurated in Yenagoa,
the state capital, this week.
The defection to the APC has put paid to months of
political manoeuvrings and horse-trading, which had
characterised the PDP since the New PDP’s
conundrum.
Kpodo and other supporters had allegedly dumped
the PDP and embraced the then Baraje Kawu-led
nPDP for what they described as “lack of internal
democracy and culture of impunity”.
Confirming their defection, Sidi told The PUNCH that
their decision to move out of the PDP was due to
the failure of peace talks in the party.
He claimed that the APC boasted of over two million
supporters in Bayelsa.
The interim secretary said, “All arrangements have
been put in place for the APC and Kpodo, I and
other supporters find it expedient to move over to
the APC with our supporters.
“The decision to move to the APC was taken due to
the fact that every peace talk within the PDP has
failed and also we have found out that the PDP is
in life support and it will die very soon.
“We do not want to witness such a tragedy in a
political party we have tried over the years to build.
“The APC secretariat will be opened within this week
and we are solidly on ground. Kpodo will serve as
Interim Chairman and I will serve as Secretary until
party congress takes place.”
He urged Nigerians to stand up against Jonathan’s
third term oath in office.
He said anything beyond eight years in office was
unconstitutional, stressing that the APC would reject
it.
Copyright PUNCH.
21:23
The All Progressives Congress has set up
committees to handle the registration of its members
in each state of the federation.
Members of the committee will be drawn from the
national secretariat, defunct Action Congress of
Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and
the All Nigeria Peoples Party in each state as well
as governors where APC has one.
The ACN, the CPC and ANPP merged to form the
APC.
It was learnt in Abuja, on Sunday, that barring any
last minute change, the APC National Secretariat
would name two members, the chairmen of the
defunct ACN, ANPP and CPC as well as the state
governor (where APC has a governor), would also be
part of the committee.
It was also gathered that the caretaker committees
would be inaugurated within two weeks before the
commencement of the registration exercise.
A reliable party source confided in our correspondent
that the two party officials appointed by the
national body would be sent to states other than
their states of origin.
This, according to the source, is to ensure fairness to
all members irrespective of whether or not they are
members of the three legacy parties.
The source added that the registration exercise had
been tentatively fixed for the third week of January.
It was gathered that the outcome of the assignment
given to reconciliation committees in some states was
partly responsible for the delay.
The source said, “Two of the five or six man
committee for each state will come from the national
headquarter. They will go to be chairman and
secretary, but they will be posted to states which
are not their own.
“Those two will now join the chairmen of the legacy
parties in the states they’ve been posted to plus
the governor- where we have a governor, making
those five, six or seven, depending on whether has
a sitting governor or not.
“They will constitute the registration committee and
given the registration materials. We have trained
registration officers who will meet with the Chairmen
of the party in the state to do the registration.
Copyright PUNCH.
21:22
ABUJA—The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has made some
new appointments, with Air Vice Marshal S. B.
Abubakar emerging as the new Air Officer
Commanding, AOC, Training Command, Kaduna, while
his predecessor, Air Vice Marshal I. Umar moves to
Defence Headquarters as Chief of Policy and Plans.
Air Vice Marshal, AVM, T. A. Adokwu is moved to Air
Force Institute of Technology as Commandant, while
Air Vice Marshal H. R. Mohammed replaces him as
Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Headquarters, NAF.
AVM A. I. Shehu takes charge as the new Chief of
Standards and Evaluation at the Air Force
Headquarters with AVM J. M. Gbum replacing him as
Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Defence
Intelligence Agency.
Air Vice Marshal A. G. Idowu is Director of Research
and Development, DHQ, F. B. Nyoyoko, Director,
Electronic Warfare, Defence Headquarters, DHQ; M. M.
Maisaka, Director, Medical Training Operations, DHQ,
while A. A. Zannah takes charge of the newly
established Air Warfare Centre, Kainji.
Also, AVM B. C. Nweze moves to Nigerian Defence
Academy as the Deputy Commandant, just as AVMs
M. A. Mohammed and L. S. Alao were appointed as
Directors of NAF Transformation and Logistics and T.
V. Udoh is the new Director, Technical Services,
Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA.
A statement by NAF Director of Information, Air
Commodore Yusuf Anas, noted that the reorganisation
also resulted in the appointment of Air Commodore J.
B. Adigun as Chairman, Military Pensions Board while
Air Commodore K. G. Lar becomes the Secretary,
National Defence College.
Other newly appointed Directors at the NAF
Headquarters include Air Commodores H. C. Ifezue,
Director of Regiment, P. C. Ugwueke, Director, Provost
Services, M. A. Soladoye, Director, ICT, M. R. Dabo,
Director, Finance and Accounts, M. A. Muhammad,
Director Legal Services, among others.
21:20
OWERRI — Five policemen, serving in Imo State police
command, including the armourer of New Owerri police
division, are now in detention over how one of the
AK-47 rifles officially issued for guard duties, ended
up in the hands of dare devil kidnappers operating in
the state.
Confirming the develpoment to Vanguard in a
telephone interview yesterday, the state
Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Musa Katsina,
said while four of the five policemen were explaining
their involvement in the sordid act, the armourer is
being tried for negligent conduct.
Katsina said: “It is true that I ordered the arrest,
detention and interrogation of four serving policemen
of this command for allegedly renting one of the rifles
assigned to them to dare devil kidnappers.”
According to the CP, all the police officers, including
the armourer, arrested in connection with the sordid
finding are now facing orderly room trial.
He said: “I have constituted a panel to try them. They
have been given the opportunity to explain and
anybody found to be involved in the crime would be
made to face the full weight of the law.”
Giving a graphic account of how the police recovered
the weapon from fleeing kidnappers, Katsina said the
command’s Ambush Squad gave a hot chase to a
gang of kidnappers and in the process, they
abandoned the gun in their operational vehicle and
ran away.
“When the vehicle was thoroughly searched, the
AK-47 rifle belonging to the command was recovered.
We traced the point of issue to New Owerri police
division and that is how the armourer came into the
picture,” the CP said.
Katsina said policemen are given weapons to protect
the citizens and not to use it to terrorize the people
they are supposed to protect.
“The four were officially assigned the weapons for
guard duties. The other three policemen never
reported to anybody that their colleague whose
weapon was later recovered from kidnappers, was not
reporting for duty” the CP said.
Vanguard investigations revealed that the four
policemen were posted to the residence of a retired
CP (names withheld), while Katsina has since reported
the incident to the Inspector General of Police.
21:18
About eight persons may have been killed and several
others injured in heavy fighting between Fulani and
Southern Kaduna indigenes in the area, a senior
security operative has told SaharaReporters.
The security official said the fight occurred in a
village close to Manchok area of Kaura local
government.
Another source, Boman Peter, confirmed that the
area is still tense with hundreds of children and
women fleeing the affected community.
The cause of the attacks is still unsubstantiated but
our two sources confirmed the attacks.
Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Olufemi Adenaike,
could not be reached for comment.
21:13
ABOUT 65 houses were razed, yesterday, rendering
many homeless with others injured as People's
Democratic Party, PDP, supporters clashed in Loko,
Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
The latest crisis in Katsina-Ala is coming on the heels
of moves by the people of Loko and PDP to recall
Mrs Hembadon Amena representing Katsina-Ala West
constituency in Benue State House of Assembly over
alleged anti-party activities.
Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness, who
preferred anonymity, that crisis erupted "when a
supporter of the embattled lawmaker, Mr. Shiaondo
Ukor, who is chairman of Motorcycle Hirers
Association at the Daudu unit, allegedly accosted one
Teryange, a commercial motorcycle rider and his
employee.
"Ukor asked him to hand over the keys of his
motorbike to him on the ground that he (Teryange)
disrespected him by joining forces with some people
to unseat Mrs. Amena.
"As the two argued to a point of exchanging blows,
they attracted the attention of passers-by who joined
the fray and the fight escalated."
According to the source, Mr. Ukor was alleged to
have moved with his supporters to the home of the
youth leader of Ugber Mr. Aondoaseer Ornguze and
razed down his house after beating up his family
members.
The source said: "His action sparked a reprisal attack
and further escalation of the fighting and burning
down of the houses of notable and vocal members of
the party in the area.
"The fighting is still on with many persons injured,
while over 65 houses have been razed already, as I
speak to you."
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer,
PPRO, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Daniel Ezeala,
said he had received reports on the razing of
thatched houses in the affected area last night,
adding that he was still waiting for full details of the
crisis.
On her part, Mrs. Amena confirmed the story, saying
the trouble was caused by those who wanted to
recall her for no just cause.
She said the matter had been reported to the Police
in Katsina-Ala and Makurdi.
21:12
Burna Boy's criminal past revealed:Barred from the UK for 15 years?This is a report by The NET claiming Burna Boy has a criminal past, a period of his lifehe would rather not make public knowledge.We are told on good authoritythat while in the UK back in 2010, Burna Boy was arrestedby London Police for allegedlybeing part of a gang and stabbing someone to death. He was tried as a minor and sent to jail.After 11 months, he was released and given two months parole plus communityservice on the grounds of being of ‘good behaviour’. But Burna is said to have disobeyed authorities and travelled back to Nigeria where he signed a record dealwith Aristokrat.He later travelled back to the UK but was arrested at the airport and deported to Nigeria. He is currently barred from the UK for the next 15 years.
03:31
The Chief of Jere, a Hausa settlement in Southern Kaduna region of Kaduna state, Dr. Sa'ad Usman and husband of Senator Nenadi Usman is said to have been attacked this afternoon.
The information was confirmed by the credible source in Kagarko local government area.
According to the source, at first there was belief that the Chief may have been killed, however it was later confirmed that he is alive but had sustained injuries.
Although actual information of the attack is still sketchy, a source in the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja said the attack is connected to certain crises brewing in Jere town and environs over land allegedly being forcefully claimed by the Fulani traditional ruler in a Koro and Gbagyi stronghold.
As is was provided by the SSS source,
"There are several security reports at our disposal that serious crisis is brewing in the area, the Gbagyi people wrote us that their ancestral lands are being seized by the Fulani Chief and that nothing is being done to address the crisis. And so it is possible this is part of the problem or it could be a case of gunmen attacking. Our Command in Kaduna has been alerted to make a preliminary investigation."
As at the time of publishing this report, armed soldiers and police have been deployed to the area. Meanwhile medical personnel are treating the injured traditional chief.
11:12
Next Thursday, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to state his intentions regarding 2015 Presidential elections before the National Executive Council (NEC) of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh confirmed summonning a NEC meeting on Thursday, but did not disclose any further details. However, a member of the National Working Committee of the PDP revealed that the NEC will be formally briefed of President Jonathan's 2015 plans.
"President Jonathan will formally table his reelection bid and will seek the endorsement of the NEC to be given the opportunity to fly the flag of the party once again," the source said.
"The President has personally requested for this NEC as he intends to use the opportunity to clear the ground concerning the crisis in the party, the leadership of Tukur and his ambition to remain in power till 2019.
"Most Nigerians are aware that the President has the intention of remaining in power as far as the constitution permits and he has resolved after due consultations with his immediate family to also seek the permission of the party leaders to continue the good works he is doing.
"He will put the records straight and will ignore the opposition mounted by a segment of the elite who are bent on intimidating him out of power."
That day is also going to be fateful for the PDP's National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, as the party is to pass a vote of confidence on him.
A Presidency source also disclosed that Mr. Tukur has the "approval" of President Jonathan to remain in office, and added he is confident that the National Chairman will navigate the party through the current crisis.
"The NEC will pass a vote of confidence on Tukur, and he will be mandated to continue with the reforms in the party and to also ensure that discipline is instilled in all cadres of the party.
"Though, the consequences are there to see but the party is determined to weed off members who are larger than the party," the source said.
11:10
A driver and his vehicle were set ablaze by an angry mob in Omi town in Ondo State New Year's Eve.According to reports, the driver was attacked after a fatal accident involving his bus and a motorbike along the Irele-Omi Road.The motorbike rider and two of his passengers died in the accident which also injured several other passengers.A few eyewitnesses' account revealed that the motorbike rider attempted to pass a vehicle, but found the passageway too narrow, leading to a crash that killed him and two others on the spot. One witness said the rider was pinned to the spot while his two passengers were thrown into a nearby bush.Angered by the accident, a mob of irate residents of Omi town, home of the victims, set upon the bus driver and beat him to death before setting him ablaze inside his bus.Reports also revealed that policemen from Irele came to the scene and quietly left without helping the victims or rescuing the driver of the vehicles who was later killed by the mob.
06:09
TORONTO — Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey walked into his pregame news conference with a message to convey.Reporters pitched their questions, and he answered. Still, Casey wanted to make a point,so he often steered the discussion into how much of a measuring stick this Wednesday night matchup against the best team in the Eastern Conference would be for his young team.Then, as the moment arrived, the Raptors senta message of their own, defeating the Indiana Pacers 95-82 at Air Canada Centre.BOX SCORE:Raptors 95, Pacers 82
22:53
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A long-awaited rescue of passengers on board a research ship that has been trapped in Antarctic ice for more than a week is finally underway.Expedition spokesman Alvin Stone said a helicopter from a nearby Chinese icebreaker landed near the Akademik Shokalskiy on Thursday and the operation to evacuate the 52 scientists and tourists on board had begun.Expedition leader Chris Turney posted a video on his Twitter account showing the helicopter'sarrival.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, which is handling the operation, said it was still trying to confirmthe reports that the evacuation had begun.The Akademik Shokalskiy has been stuck sinceChristmas Eve.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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MOREINDIANAPOLIS -- The details sound like the plotof a bad horror movie: Desperate for cash, a young man breaks into a warehouse tosteal the brains of dead mental patients, and the body parts are later sold on eBay.This story line, however, is real.Authorities say David Charles, a 21-year-old Indianapolis resident, is accused of breaking into the Indiana Medical History Museum multiple times last year and stealing jars of human brain tissue and other preserved material. A tipster who paid hundreds of dollars on the online auction site helped bring the organ entrepreneurism to an end.The museum is the site of the former Central State Hospital, which served patients with psychiatric and mental disorders from 1848 to1994. Indianapolis police had investigated several break-ins at the museum's storage facility before a California phone call led policeto Charles.A San Diego man who had bought six jars of human brain tissue off eBay for $600, plus$70 shipping, called the museum after noticing labels on the containers and suspecting some kind of skulduggery, according to court documents.Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department used that tip to trace the transactions, eventually speaking to the eBay seller who provided the brain tissue to the San Diego man. That seller had obtained the brain matter from Charles, police said.Police set up a sting Dec. 16. The eBay middleman set up a meeting at a Dairy Queen parking lot with Charles, who the day before stole 60 jars of human tissue from the museum, according to authorities and court documents.Once the parking lot deal went down, authorities said, a bust was made. One person with Charles reached for a handgun and was tackled by officers, court documents said. His name and the names of others involved in thecase were redacted in the documents.Charles faces charges of theft, marijuana possession and paraphernalia possession, according to court documents. Investigators also are looking into the possibility of additional charges, said A.J. Deer, a spokesmanfor the Marion County prosecutor's office.Whether others are facing charges is unclear.The museum's executive director expressed dismay that anyone would steal the museum'sartifacts. The organ tissues come from about 2,000 patients whose remains were autopsiedfrom about the 1890s through the 1940s."It's horrid anytime a museum collection is robbed," Mary Ellen Hennessey Nottage said."A museum's mission is to hold these materials as cultural and scientific objects in the public interest. To have that disturbed — to have that broken — is extraordinarily disturbing to those of us in the museum field."Nottage, who is grateful that much of the stolen material has been returned, said she spoke to the San Diego man who paid $670 on eBay for human brain tissue."He just said he liked to collect odd things," she said.
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Actor James Avery, who played the beloved Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," died Tuesday, his publicist confirmed. He was 68.The cause of death was complications from open-heart surgery, said his manager, Toni Benson.Avery had surgery on November 11 and died Tuesday evening at a hospital in Glendale, California, according to Benson."Fresh Prince" co-star Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted news of Avery's passing."I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery haspassed away," Riberio wrote. "He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of "Fresh Price" star Will Smith, posted the couple's condolences Wednesday on her verified Facebook page."Our condolences to aunt Florence (his mother), Miss Barbara (his wife) and all those who loved him," Pinkett Smith wrote.A classically trained actor and poet, Avery grew upin Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was raised by a single mother. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and first appeared onscreen as a dancer in an uncredited role in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."According to IMDb, after he served in the military, Avery moved to San Diego, California, where he began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. Beforejoining the military, he once said, he had dreams ofbeing like Richard Wright and living in Paris. But life took a different turn."I knew I loved the arts," Avery said in an interviewfor the show "Unscripted." "I knew I wanted to be a writer, but the theater was something I had been involved in before."Avery appeared in multiple TV shows and movies, including "CSI," "That '70s Show," "The Closer" and several appearances as a judge on "L.A. Law."
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Premier League—Anfield, LiverpoolLiverpool 2-0 Hull City (FT)Scorers:LIVERPOOL—Daniel Agger, 36',Luis Suarez49'Lineups:LIVERPOOL—Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Cissokho; Sterling, Lucas, Henderson, Coutinho; Aspas, Suarez.HULL—McGregor, Figueroa, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Meyler, Huddlestone, Koren, Livermore, Sagbo, Elmohamady.So Liverpool return to winning ways with a fairly routine home victory, Agger and Suarez scoring the goals on the day. Gerrard's return from injury and a clean sheet are also plus points for Brendan Rodgers andhis troops.That's it for the live commentary fromthis game but there will be plenty of analysis to come shortly so stay tuned for that, while we've also got live coverage of the evening kick-off between Manchester United and Spurs to come next.
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Loyalists of the recuperating Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, are unhappy with the Acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar,for allegedly plotting to unseat his boss through the constitution of a medical board to declare him incapacitated.A pro-Suntai politician, yesterday, said that Umar had already instructed the Secretary to the State Government to raise a memo authorising the House of Assembly to constitute a medical panel to thoroughly examine Suntai's health in line with the Constitution of Nigeria.According to sources close to the plot, the pro-Umar camp could get Suntai out of office before the end of January, if the plot sails through.However, the acting governor, Umar, yesterday, denied any move to unseat his boss, blaming desperate politicians who were bent on creating avoidable crisis in thestate, for the rumours making the rounds.Umar, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sule Kefas, said there was no truth whatsoever in the allegation, insisting that he could not move against the man, who picked him as his deputy.Kefas said, "there is no plan of any sort by the acting governor of Taraba State to set up a medical board with a view to impeaching Governor Danbaba Suntai. The story being bandied about is nothing but pure speculation by the enemies of the state and its people."As far as the acting governor is concerned,he is totally loyal to his boss and will continue to do so until he recovers fully andreturns to his office. Let it be known to all those spreading the rumours that there is no friction between the two leaders of our state."For those who do not know, Umar does nothave any political programme different from the masterplan put in place by Suntai. Besides, Umar has never for once shown any sign of disloyalty to Suntai and will never contemplate doing so," the acting governor's spokesman said.It was learnt that the increasing fear of the pro-Suntai men stemmed from the fact that the acting governor has taken control of theState House of Assembly and also appointed a new SSG, who could easily be mobilised to do his bidding at any time.It was also gathered that in a bid to assure Suntai of his loyalty, the acting governor consulted with the governor on the formula for sharing the State Executive Council seats and allocated four positions to him and four to members of the House of Assembly.
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Keshi Unveils the List of 23 for CHANNigeria plays Mali on January 11 in Cape Town in the first match of CHAN 2014 in South Africa. However, the decision on who will represent the nation at the tournament has just been made.According to MTNFootball.com, the Super Eagles handlers have dropped injured Gambo Mohammed and Yinka Adedeji from participating in CHAN. Both players have since left the Eagles' training camp.The highly-rated Pillars star Gambo, who featured for Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, has been nursing a hamstring injury, which has kept him by the sidelines since the Eagles resumed training for CHAN earlier this month.Adedeji also suffered a hamstring injury at the weekend.Golden Eaglets goalkeeper Dele Alampasu isalso set to be in South Africa as third-choicegoalkeeper after FC Taraba goalkeeper Ibrahim Pius was axed, but his Eaglet teammate Taiwo Awoniyi did not make the final cut.A new Enyimba signing Mfom Udoh, who was a late call-up to the Eagles after his goals for Akwa United last season, was alsodropped.SEE the final squad below:Goalkeepers:Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers), Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland), Dele Alampasu (Abuja Football College).Defenders:Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Francis Benjamin (Heartland), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars), Ikechukwu Gabriel (Bayelsa United), Umar Zango (Kano Pillars), Bright Esieme (Enyimba), Erhun Obanor (Insurance FC).Midfielders:Ugonna Uzochukwu (Enugu Rangers), Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars), Christian Pyagbara (Sharks), Ikenna Hilary (Sunshine Stars), Abdullahi Shehu (Kano Pillars), JoshuaObaje (Warri Wolves).Forwards:Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), Gbolahan Salami (Shooting Stars), Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars), Aliyu Ibrahim (Nasarawa United), Christian Obiozor (Enugu Rangers), Ifeanyi Ede (Enyimba).
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