Tension has gripped the village of Kantoma
in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau
State as gunmen, suspected to be Fulani
herdsmen, beheaded a young man in the
early hours of Wednesday.
The gunmen were also said to have shot
another person dead within the same time.
The villagers were said to have woken up to
behold the gory body of the victim along the
road.
Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation,
Mr. Mark Lipdo, said in a text message to
our correspondent that sporadic gunshots
were heard all through the morning and the
locals stayed indoors to avoid being caught
up in the crossfire.
He said he received distress calls from the
villagers, asking that security men be
drafted to the area to avoid further
bloodshed.
Spokesman for the state police command,
Emmanuel Abuh, confirmed the incident.
He said two people were killed, adding that
the command had deployed more men to
ensure law and order and stop the
escalation of violence.
Defense attorneys in Pakistan have alleged
the government rearrested the suspected
leader of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on “fake”
charges to appease India. Authorities in
Pakistan appear to have a problem because
the release of the man could further raise
tensions with India and attempting to
influence the judiciary could draw massive
criticism at home.
The accused, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, is one
of seven suspects being tried in Pakistan
on charges of planning the Mumbai attacks
that killed 166 people.
The men were arrested shortly after the
deadly 2008 militant raid in the Indian
commercial capital, and New Delhi has since
been demanding Islamabad prosecute and
punish them.
However, earlier this month the anti-
terrorism court trying the suspects ordered
Lakhvi be released on bail, citing a “lack of
evidence” and “flaws in the prosecution’s
case. The ruling outraged India but tensions
eased after Pakistani authorities ordered
Lakhvi to remain in custody under a public
order law.
Defense attorneys successfully contested
the detention order in a higher court that
ruled on Monday that the suspected
militant leader could be freed on bail. But
hours after Lakhvi won the appeal, police
rearrested him on new kidnapping charges.
Defense lawyer Rizwan Abbasi said he has
launched new challenges against what he
criticized as “fake” charges and the “ghost”
complainant. Abassi said his client has been
in jail for more than six years so how could
someone in custody have kidnapped
anybody.
“It is alleged against my client that he has
abducted one person who is in custody since
more than six-and-a-half year. How is it
possible that a person who was in jail since
last six years he can retain someone in his
custody? From the face of it this allegation
is ridiculous,” he said.
Attorney Abbasi said that Pakistani
authorities were reluctant to release his
client because they did not want to upset
India.
“It is very clear that on Indian pressure my
client has been put in custody just to
deprive him from the right of liberty,” he
said.
India summoned the Pakistani envoy in New
Delhi to the foreign ministry to protest
Monday’s first ruling that appeared to free
Lakhvi.
He is expected to appear before the court
on Thursday when a report detailing the
police investigation into the kidnapping
charges is submitted.
The suspects on trial in Pakistan are
allegedly members of the outlawed militant
group Lashkar-e-Taiba that India accuses of
being behind the 2008 Mumbai carnage.
The latest “back and forth” in the high
profile case comes as relations between
Pakistan and India have plunged to new
lows in the wake of recent border clashes.
However, Pakistani officials maintain the
country’s judiciary is independent and the
government cannot interfere in the legal
proceedings.
Both the rival countries reported fresh
clashes on Wednesday along the disputed
border in Kashmir. The cross-border firing is
said to have killed two Pakistani soldiers
and an India soldier. It is unclear who
initiated the fire.
AusX the new kid in the block has blessed fans with...
The outgoing Resident Electoral
Commissioner in Osun State, Ambassador
Rufus Akeju, has said that all the
allegations of bias leveled against him are
spurious.
According to a statement made available to
our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday by
the media aide to the governor, Akeju said
this when he paid a farewell visit to
Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The REC said that he was accused of being
a card-carrying member of a particular party
but he said that those accusing him had
failed to provide evidence to back up their
claims.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State
had, on many occasions, accused Akeju of
being a member of the APC but the INEC
redeployed the REC in Kogi State to conduct
the August 9 governorship poll in the state
about a month to the election date.
Akeju stated that it took divine
intervention and his forthrightness to have
stayed on the job than expected due to
attempt by some alleged desperate
politicians who wanted to discredit him at all
cost.
He said, “There was nothing that they did
not say to make sure that our image and
reputation were tarnished. But I thank God
for his mercies. They alleged that I am a
card-carrying member of a particular party.
“We thank God that at the end of the day,
all their allegations were unfounded and
false. We are happy that we have come and
served meritoriously. We wish Osun the best
among the committee of states, and long
live Nigeria.”
Aregbesola had used the opportunity to
task the Independent National Electoral
Commission to ensure that the next year’s
general election was credible.
The governor admonished the electoral
umpire not to be biased and fall short of the
expectations of the teeming masses of the
country who are looking forward to an
election where the majority of votes will
count.
The governor also urged the electoral
commission to use electronic card reader for
the conduct of the 2015 elections. He said
this would further enhance the credibility of
the poll.
Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance
Trust Fund, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, on Tuesday
advised authorities of the three tiers of
government in Nigeria to fashion out a blue
print on how to diversify the economy.
She said, looking for an alternative means of
boosting the revenue base, instead of
depending solely on the prevailing dwindling
fortunes of oil revenue, remained the best
way to avoid unnecessary hardships for
Nigerians in the new year.
Olejeme, who stated this in a statement in
Abuja, explained that such proactive
strategy, would help create jobs for the
unemployed Nigerians and ultimately
salvage the economic crisis.
Olejeme believed that Nigeria was endowed
with enough human and natural resources to
tackle whatever challenges “if we harness
our potentials for good.”
She therefore asked all tiers of government
to as of a necessity, put on their thinking
caps in order to ensure smooth running of
the economy without oil revenue next year.
She also urged Nigerians to face the new
year with renewed hope and faith in Nigeria
in spite of the economic and security
challenges .
Olejeme, who was a governorship aspirant in
the just concluded Peoples Democratic
Party primary in Delta State, said the
economic downturn notwithstanding, Nigeria
could over come her difficulties “if only we
face the challenges with a common mission
and purpose.”
The police in Delta State on Tuesday said
their men killed two armed robbery suspects
in Warri during a shootout.
The state Police Public Relations Officer,
Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident,
said two other suspects were arrested
during the operation.
She said, “The patrol team from Quick
Response Squad, Warri, on a stop-and-
search duty along Ogunu road, by Zenith
Bank, Warri, had an encounter with four
armed robbers, operating in a tricycle
marked AK 027 QB.
“In the process, two of the armed robbers
were fatally wounded while the rest two,
one Oghenero Eghagbere and Michael
Aguwaneshe, were arrested.
“Items recovered from them included one cut-
to-size locally made barrel gun, one live
cartridge, one battle axe and one tricycle.”
She said the suspects were undergoing
investigation at the Area Commander’s
Office, Warri, while the corpses of the
suspected bandits had been deposited in
the morgue.”
Defender Mathieu Debuchy believes Arsenal
must keep calm and remain focused if they are
to drag themselves back into the top four of
the Premier League.
The Gunners survived the sending off of striker
Olivier Giroud for a rash headbutt on Nedum
Onuoha to beat QPR 2-1 at the Emirates
Stadium on Boxing Day.
There is little time for the squad to regroup
ahead of the trip to West Ham on Sunday,
where another victory would see them leapfrog
the fifth-placed Irons and possibly
Southampton, who are at home to leaders
Chelsea.
Wenger confirmed Giroud has already
apologised for his moment of red mist at the
start of the second half, which will now see the
France striker serve a three-match suspension
for violent conduct.
Debuchy can sympathise with his team-mate,
but is confident if Arsenal can hold it together,
they can head into 2015 in a strong position.
"Olivier did not speak in the dressing room. It is
a hard moment for him," said Debuchy. "I know
that from before, when I was at Newcastle, I
was sent off, so have been in the same
moment.
"It is difficult, but we are professionals and we
need to keep calm. However, everybody has a
temper, so it is not always easy, but we need
to keep calm."
Arsenal showed good character to dig in and
get the result against QPR, with Tomas Rosicky
adding the cushion of a second goal just after
the hour, although a late penalty from Charlie
Austin led to some desperate defending during
the closing stages.
Debuchy said: "It was a great win for us, so
important for the next game against West Ham.
"The finish to the match was harder, because 10
against 11 is not easy.
"It will be difficult at West Ham, they have a lot
of players with quality and have had a very
good start to the season, but we need to win,
so we have to be 100 percent.
"We need a run of wins, that is what has been
missing so far this season. It is so important to
win against West Ham and then Southampton
[on New Year's Day], in every game now we
need to go on.
"We have great confidence and the belief that
we can do it."
Fernando Torres' Chelsea career is officially
over after the Premier League leaders
announced he will make his loan move to AC
Milan permanent next month.
Torres, 30, won the Champions League, the
Europa League and the FA Cup in three-and-a-
half years at Stamford Bridge, but he never
lived up to expectations after a 50 million-
pound transfer from Liverpool, failing to
replicate his once-prolific scoring record in
London.
He moved to Milan on a two-year loan in
August and, although he has been strongly
linked with a return to his first club Atletico
Madrid in recent days, on Saturday Chelsea
announced a deal had been reached for him to
join Milan permanently from Jan. 5.
A statement said: "Fernando Torres is to join
AC Milan on a permanent basis. The striker
moved to the San Siro on a two-year loan deal
in August and on January 5 he will complete a
permanent transfer to the Serie A side.
"Chelsea Football Club thanks Fernando for his
service during the past four seasons and
wishes him the very best for the future."
The deal does not rule out a return to Atletico
in the upcoming transfer window. The Spanish
champions have indicated they do not have the
funds for a permanent deal themselves, but
may yet sign him on another loan deal from
Milan once he has left Chelsea, or complete a
swap deal with Alessio Cerci going the other
way.
A return home could be what Torres needs to
reignite a once-sparkling career. The World Cup
winner and double European champion scored
46 goals in 172 Chelsea appearances, but only
20 of those came in 110 league outings -- a poor
return when compared with the 65 Premier
League goals he scored in 102 appearances for
Liverpool.
Torres moved to Stamford Bridge late on
January transfer deadline day in 2011 for a
then-record British fee, but initial struggles
soon appeared to be a crisis of confidence as
he managed just one goal in 18 appearances
before the end of the season.
The following season he scored 11 goals,
including a hat trick against QPR and a vital
breakaway goal against Barcelona in the
Champions League semifinal, but still looked a
shadow of himself.
His best season in a Chelsea shirt came in the
following campaign as he scored 22 goals
across seven competitions, including the winner
in the Europa League final against Benfica. Yet
he managed only 11 goals the following season,
after which Jose Mourinho broke up his
misfiring striking trio of Torres, Samuel Eto'o
and Demba Ba, all of whom left the club.
Torres' move to Milan has not exactly seen his
form ignite, with only one goal in 10
appearances, but that has not prevented a
deal being done.
credits: File copy The Federal Government has described as untrue the allegation made by the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, that the sum of $30bn (N5.04trn) was missing from the Excess Crude...
A highly sought after al-Shabab leader with a $3m bounty on his head has surrendered to government and African Union forces, a Somali intelligence officer has said. Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi surrendered...
Two Tunisian terror suspects were arrested
on Saturday near the border with Tunisia, a
security source said.
Tunisian security services informed their
Algerian counterparts about the intrusion of
two suspects into the Algerian territories,
the source told Xinhua on condition of
anonymity.
The two men serve as liaison between
Tunisia-based Okba Ibn Nafaa group and
Algeria-based Caliphate’s Soldiers group,
the source said, adding that they were on
board a vehicle carrying a big amount of
money, an automatic gun, and some secret
documents and letters.
Meanwhile, APS news agency reported that
security services arrested a university
professor and another man involved in a
specializing network of recruiting
youngsters to the fiefs of the so-called
Islamic State (IS).
These operations come after that Algerian
army killed Abdelmalek Gouri, the leader of
the Caliphate’s Soldiers, which claimed
responsibility for the beheading of French
national Herve Gourdel in September.
The French tourist Herve Gourdel was
abducted in Algeria on Sept. 21, and then
assassinated two days later.
The Caliphate Soldiers claimed this crime,
saying they did that to pay allegiance to IS
An AirAsia flight carrying 155 people from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control early Sunday morning, officials in the region and the low-cost airline said. Reuters...
Over the last few weeks, there’s been plenty of
fallout from recent Sony hacks and controversy
surrounding “The Interview” — from Sony pulling
the movie , to President Obama calling that move
a “mistake,” to the film now being released online
and in some theaters.
Much of what’s been said about the actual
content of “The Interview” has centered on the
story of characters played by James Franco and
Seth Rogen attempting to assassinate Kim Jong-
un. But it turns out there’s an equally, if not more,
surprising plot point: Eminem is gay.
Of course, anyone who’s followed his career and
listened to his music during his 15 years in the
mainstream knows that Em has often taken heat
for use of words like “f—-t” and other
homophobic content. But in this pretty hilarious
cameo, he explains where that all comes from.
“When I say things about gay people, or people
think my lyrics are homophobic — it’s because I’m
gay,” he says during an interview with Franco’s
character.
Naturally, he and Rogen’s character, who’s
producing the show, freak out. And then Slim
continues his shocking confession.
“I’m more shocked that people haven’t figured it
out yet; I mean, it’s kind of like I’ve been playing
gay peek-a-boo,” he says. Next, they read a
lyric from 2009′s “Medicine Ball,” to which he
reveals: “I’ve pretty much just been leaving a
breadcrumb trail of gayness.”
Say what you want about the Detroit rapper, but
it’s hard to say he’s not self-aware.
Check out the clip above, and then watch
Eminem respond to the controversy that surrounds
his lyrics in a (real) interview with MTV News
below.
Link:
www.mtv.com/news/2035220/eminem-comes-out-gay-the-interview-cameo/
The Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, on Wednesday said that the Independent National Electoral Commission had mismanaged the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards, a major requirement for voters...
Vice President Namadi Sambo says many
residents of Lagos State have been fleeing the
state because of the high taxation being
imposed on the people by the state government.
Sambo said this at a reconciliation meeting of
the Peoples Democratic Party governorship
aspirants in Lagos on Wednesday.
He said the state government was misleading the
people of the state by laying claims to some
Federal Government projects, such as the deep
blue sea port.
The VP said he was surprised that with the large
revenue the state was generating, it was
unfortunate that the All Progressives Congress-led
government had failed to deliver the dividends
of democracy to the people.
He, therefore, stated that if the pdp candidate,
Mr. Jimi Agbaje, was elected governor next year,
he (Agbaje) would bring an end to the suffering
of the people.
The meeting came after the immediate Minister of
State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro,
took the party to court to compel it to cancel
the primary in which the number of votes
exceeded the number of voters.
He said, “Lagos has for years been yearning for
change from the burden of excessive taxation
and squandering, you all know about. Today,
people are leaving Lagos. The huge resources
accruing to the state are used to the detriment
of the good people of Lagos State. We are
poised more than ever before to rescue
Lagosians from the bondage and sufferings of
taking back with the left hand and then, taking
it away by the right hand.
“I will like to mention part of the tricks of the
opposition where some governors put their
pictures on projects in newspapers. In one of
them, I saw the Lekki Deep Sea port. This is a PPP
(Private-Public Partnership) programme where the
Federal Government has large shareholdings with
the Nigeria Ports Authority.
“The site of that Lekki Deep Sea port was the site
where the Federal Government was to build a
methanol plant. That methanol plant could not
continue because we had spent over $200m on
which has been converted to our share.
“Apart from that, the NPA is a 20 per cent
shareholder in that port and then the private
sector has the largest share. Some states are
claiming that it is their projects. Our own pictures
are there and we are confident that anything
that we print and show you can be verified. I
believe that with the coming of our new
governor, we will have realistic development in
Lagos State.”
Sambo added that all the aggrieved
participants had been appeased and they had
all agreed to work for the success of Agbaje in
next year’s elections.
Sambo said, “I am delighted to know that we
are more than ever before united to form a
common front in realising our objective of not
only capturing Lagos but winning all seats at all
levels in the forthcoming 2015 elections.
“The Lagos State PDP and indeed Senator
Musiliu Obanikoro, Mr. Deji Doherty, Ambassador
Tokunbo Kamson and Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi
who were our governorship aspirants have
agreed to team up together and work to win
Lagos this time around in 2015.”
However, the Lagos State Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, said he was
surprised by the claim of the VP that people
were fleeing Lagos because of high taxation.
He said he was disappointed that Sambo could
peddle lies when it was glaring that the state
government had performed better than the
Federal Government in all sectors.
He said, “Was it the Federal Government that did
the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge or the 10-lane
expressway in Badagry? Are they responsible for
the light rail? Are they the ones that have been
successfully running the economy of Lagos? I
really do not know what they want to lay claim
to except the bad Oshodi-Apapa expressway
which is a source of pain to all Lagos motorists.
“What have they ever done in Lagos? I am
happy that even Obanikoro has said Bode
George and Agbaje hired armed thugs to
disrupt the primary. Obanikoro also told us how
the federal task force was used to perpetuate
violence.
“Is that the kind of party that wants to rule
Lagos? Look at the conduct of their primary
where one of the aspirants even went there with
a bulletproof vest. Even a blind man knows that
Lagos is the benchmark of good governance.
“The PDP has not been able to successfully run
the Federal Government in 16 years and they
want to rule Lagos. They are just a bunch of
shameless people. I advise them (PDP) to start
packing their belongings from Aso Rock because
by next year, we will come to occupy the place.”
Earlier, Obanikoro had said he would work with
Agbaje to ensure victory for the PDP in 2015. He
said the success of the PDP was more important
than his political ambition.
He said the APC had put the people of the
state in bondage and only the PDP could free
the people.
He said, “Despite the inadequacies experienced
in our governorship primary, a lot has been said,
we have disagreed but we have agreed that
Jimi Agbaje is our candidate. I want to express
my appreciation to my supporters that stood by
us. There is time for everything and that is why I
want to implore all of you that yesterday
belongs to yesterday.”
Also, Agbaje said that through the intervention
of the Presidency, the PDP had become one big
happy family.
Agbaje promised President Goodluck Jonathan
that he would deliver Lagos to the PDP and also
garner votes for him next year.
He said, “Today, a new chapter is being written
in the annals of the PDP Lagos: A chapter of
unity, a chapter of power, chapter of hope, a
chapter of change, a chapter of victory. And
by the grace of God, in 2015, the PDP will
record resounding victory in Lagos.”
The Sierra Leone government has declared a five-day lockdown in the country’s north to step up efforts to contain the Ebola epidemic, while making an exception for Christmas. The lockdown is designed...
President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate the 40 megawatts Kashimbila multipurpose dam in February next year, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, has said. According to her, the Federal...
Pensioners in Abia State have told the state government to stop treating them as beggars by not paying their monthly pensions regularly and consequently issued an altimatum to government to clear...
The political differences inherent in the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party may ruin the winning chances of President Goodluck Jonathan in the state in next year’s general elections, aggrieved politicians...
The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme has said about 100,000 graduates across the country are currently engaged in its Graduate Internship Scheme. The agency gave this figure at a training...
The Abia State University on Tuesday confirmed a 20 per cent reduction in its school fees, beginning from 2014/2015 academic session. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that an increase in the tuition...
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe,...
Chinese prosecutors have indicted the son of Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan on drug offences, more than four months after he was first detained. The announcement on Monday did not mention when a trial...
(CNN) -- U.S. officers shot a Canadian man who walked toward a border inspection booth waving what they said looked like a handgun early Sunday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a...
(CNN) -- A police officer in Tarpon Springs, Florida, was shot and killed early Sunday,...
Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama says he plans to push to close the Guantanamo...
Would Gareth Bale look good in red? According to some U.K. media outlets, the brass at...
The future of Manchester City's season could hinge on the next 10 days. Of course, the...
Man United drew, Man City won big and Liverpool and Arsenal... well, they did what Liverpool...
