Soldiers arrest Boko Haram recruitment officer, 54 others

Defence Headquarters said on Wednesday that a key terrorist, who specialises in recruiting young men into the fold of terrorism, has been apprehended by troops in Maiduguri.

The recruitment officer, an ex-soldier, was arrested after a tip off just as some terrorists in the camps dislodged, fled towards Niger Republic.

The arrested terrorist, said to be watching over the insurgents’ armoury met his waterloo during one of the stop-and-search operations by the special forces.

Also, a total of 49 suspected Boko Haram terrorists were apprehended in various locations in Yobe State following a tip off by locals in some communities.

Another group of five insurgents, all Nigerians were equally arrested when troops stormed their hideout at Mallam Fatori as they attempted to escape in two Toyota Cruiser Jeeps.

Among the recent recoveries were rifles, double barrel guns, charms and amulets, machine guns, camouflage uniform, bows and quiver and assorted rifle magazine.

Other Governors Have Forsaken Amaechi - Ononuju

A public Affairs analyst, Katch Ononuju has said that other members of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) have abandoned the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi and purported winner of the forum's chairmanship election.

Mr Ononuju, who was a guest on Channels Television's breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, quoted a local newspaper where the All Progressives Congress (APC) was reported to have confessed with Governor Amaechi to use the NGF election to 'disgrace' President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP).

He said when Governor Amaechi called a meeting yesterday (Tuesday), "nobody is with him. All those people you said voted or not voted when Governor Jang called his meeting, they are there."

There has been intense scheming in the NGF, an association composed of the 36 governors in Nigeria, after its election for a new chairman. The Director General of the governors forum, who served as the returning officer at the election had announced that Governor Amaechi polled 19 of the 35 votes casted while his only opponents and Plateau state Governor, Jonah Jang polled 16 votes.

Severance benefits for PHCN workers: FG to commence payment on June 17

The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo has disclosed the readiness of government to settle electricity workers’ severance package.

The minister said government would most likely pay the N384 billion to workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by June 17.

Nebo, who gave the assurance during his official inspection of Egbin Power Station in Lagos yesterday, said “very soon your severance package or entitlement will hit your various accounts by June 17.

“We hope to start payment of workers benefit by June 17 which is the tentative date we are working at, we need a lot of support from workers in areas of adequate information on the forms given to them,’’ he said.

Nebo said that for several months now, the technical and implementation committees set up to look into the issues of workers’ entitlements have been working seriously in ensuring effective result.

He said that contrite agreement had been reached with the leadership of the union in ensuring that what was agreed as the workers’ severance package was  paid as at when due. He urged them to ensure that all forms given to them were endorsed and filled adequately, adding that nobody would be left out.

Project Fame West Africa Winners, Iyanya and Chidinma Covers Juvenis Magazine

Iyanya, who was the winner of the debut edition of Project Fame and Chidinma, Season 3 winner speak on their current fame and the journey so far, as they continue to soar high.

Indians advised to avoid visiting Borno, Yobe and Adamawa

The Indian High Commission in Abuja has issued a warning to Indians to avoid visiting the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa where the Nigerian government has declared a state of emergency.

The high commission said that "following this measure, some areas in these states have witnessed higher level of violence and the security outlook appears to be uncertain at this stage".

It asked "Indian nationals living in these three states to carefully weigh their options and consider relocation until the security situation settles down. Similarly, those planning to visit these three states are advised to consider postponing their visits until security situation settles down".

Twitter Battle: Kenyans Rant and Rave On Twitter Ahead of Today’s Match (Photos)

 

Ahead of the World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Kenya, the East African country has taken to twitter to incite a twitter battle.

Interestingly, the comments are not just about the football match; hilarious pictures targeted at Nigerians are also shared on the social network site.

Some of the comments;

“#SomeoneTellNigeria that if they bring Aki na Ukwa to intimidate us our Inspekta Mwala will arrest them”, and “SomeoneTellNigeria We already sent CHINEDU back home. Learn something from that” (referring to the Nigerian businessman recently deported from Kenya)

Meanwhile, anoher angle was added to it when a Kenyan Rapper, Bamboo took a swipe at his Nigerian counterpart, “Someonetellnigeria that @TheRealBamboo will battle ANY Nigerian rapper! So much bacteria in Nigeria that malaria got sic of the area”, he said.

Am not sure if our rappers have time for that, anyway few hours from now, we would know who the real Boss is. Reminds me of the thrilling quarterfinal showdown between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire in AFCON 2013 – before the match, Nigerian Team was referred to as Super chickens. 

VIDEO: New Zealand's Oldest Driver is still on the road at age 105, been driving for 88 years

New Zealand's oldest driver is still on the road, motoring around at the grand old age of 105. He received his first licence in 1925, aged 17-years-old after learning to drive in a French car that had a lever instead of a steering wheel. 

My regrets as NAFDAC DG –Akunyili

The former Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Dora Akunyili, on Tuesday named her inability to establish a Drug Mart as one of her greatest regrets.

Akunyili, who shot into limelight for revolutionising the fight against fake drugs, also blamed fake and counterfeit drugs in the country on lack of alternative to the chaotic and unregulated drug markets.

She said she had nursed the idea of a drug mart right from when she became a NAFDC DG but was unable to realise the dream.

The former Minister for Information, who spoke at the inauguration of the state Drug Mart in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, poured encomiums on the Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, for the initiative.

She said the idea of establishing the mart was approved by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

WARNING! First Bank To Shut Down Operations On Thursday, Re-opens on Monday

Customers of First Bank Limited may find it difficult to carry out some banking transactions from Thursday to Monday due to the decision to shut down the bank’s branches nationwide during the period.

The shutdown, according to the bank, is to enable it upgrade its core banking application from Finacle 7 to Finacle 10, which will ensure easier and faster customer services and experience.

Our correspondent gathered that the decision to shut down operations in order to facilitate the migration to Finacle 10 would affect the bank’s over 700 branches nationwide.

 Apart from all the branches being shut, Point of Sale transactions and transaction alerts by Short Message Service will not be possible during the period. In addition, all card services, except Visa prepaid card, will not be available via Quick Teller and the Web.

Thisday office was bombed to appease Allah, witness tells court

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, heard how alleged kingpin of the Boko Haram sect, Mustapher Umar, bombed office of Thisday Newspaper in Kaduna State with 12 camp gas cylinders in a bid to appease Allah.

Justice Ademola Adeniyi, who admitted a burnt Honda Car, with number-plate AL-306-MKA, allegedly used to perpetrate the terrorist act on April 26, 2012, further heard how the accused person cried bitterly when he was rescued from the burning car, saying they denied him the opportunity of inheriting 72 virgins in heaven.

In a bid to prove the complicity of the accused person, the Federal Government brought a senior police officer that is charged with the responsibility of keeping exhibits recovered from terror suspects to testify before the high court.

The masked witness, PW-8, who told the court that the accused person had intended to carry out a suicide attack, produced the burnt Honda car, the discharged cylinders, half-charred 25 litter jerry-can that allegedly contained fuel, and persuaded Justice Adeniyi to move the court outside to inspect the terror items.

Besides, he showed the trial judges who were accompanied on the inspection tour by lawyers and journalists, the foot wear the accused person discarded in his attempt to escape after he was caught by angry mob within the premises of SOJ Plaza in Kaduna State where the attack occurred.

PHOTOS: Serena Williams poses for Essence Magazine, talks about her “Famous Asset”

She's known for her fearless and fierce attitude on the tennis court. Now Palm Beach Gardens resident Serena Williams is putting that same attitude on display on the July cover of Essence Magazine.

The defending Wimbledon and US Open champion shows off her curves by donning a tri-toned blue one-piece swimsuit for the magazine's "Body Issue".

On the attention surrounding her body, she said;

“It can be a bit weird. Before it was, ‘Serena has a big butt,’ and that was all. Now there are way more people who feel comfortable with themselves and they’re saying, ‘I’m a woman, and this is what I look like.’ I always say, ‘We’re popular now! We’re finally in style!’”

PHOTOS: Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah Adds New BMW X6 To Her Fleet of Cars

According to peacefm, Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah has just released a brand new BMW X6 2013 edition in addition to the number of cars she has in her garage.

Jackie is one of the few Ghanaian actresses who can be rightly described as a car freak – the type of cars she drives puts her in a class of her own.

She is seen as the only Ghanaian actress who owns a fleet of expensive cars including a 2008 model Nissan Murano, an all-wheel drive variant infinity 2009 model, a E120,000 ultra-modern Range Rover that has the registration number customized in her name and is also said to own a Chrysler 300 C, a Toyota Camry among other small cars.

Go girl, spend that money!

MORE PHOTOS OF JACKIE'S TOYS ON THE FLIP

Nigerian-Born Actor to become the first black Doctor Who

With the announcement that Matt Smith would be leaving the role of Doctor Who at the end of the year, the hunt is on to find the twelfth Time Lord.

And so far, Nigerian-born British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has been given 7/1 odds and is the sci-fi fan sites' favourite to fill the role, not to mention becoming the first black Doctor in the show's history. Chiwetel, 35, has already stated that if the series' producers asked him to play the Time Lord, he'd tell them 'yes, of course.'

Asked by Andrew Marr in 2011 whether he'd take on the part, the actor said: 'Yes, of course. It's always good to be asked to come back to London and do great stuff not only in television but in theatre and film too.'

Skybet gave BAFTA-winner Chiwetel, the odds taking into account his stellar history on stage and screen, having starred in films like American Gangster and Love.

But Ejiofor isn't the only star rumoured to be taking on the high-profile job, with Rory Kinnear as the Ladbrokes favourite with odds of 3/1.

Russell Tovey is also a strong contender, whose name was linked to the eleventh Doctor role but obviously the Being Human star lost out to Matt Smith in 2010.

Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie turns 38

Here’s wishing Hollywood’s highest paid actress (Forbes 2009, 2011) a happy birthday.

Don’t talk like you know her’ – Peter Okoye defends Lola Omotayo

Buhari campaign posters flood Abuja, says he’s the only saviour of Nigeria

 Former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has again joined the list of those displaying their campaign posters in wait of 2015 election, and to take over the mantle of leadership from President Goodluck Jonathan.

Posters announcing the former leader as the sole candidate of unregistered All Progressives Congress in the 2015 elections took over the city of Abuja on Monday.

The posters, decked on walls, trees and flyovers at the popular AYA roundabout, Asokoro and Maitama districts of the capital city announced the intention of the former general to rule the country again.

In a close observation, Dailypost discovered that the people behind the posters made a mistake by having a wrongly spelt acronym of APC as “APG.”

The posters, which beared the logo of APC, described Buhari as the only saviour of Nigeria

“2015: Here comes the only savior for Nigeria. APG candidate for 2015 presidential election,” the inscription written on the poster read.

Tiwa Savage in Ghana for Sarkodie’s ‘Ordinary Love’ video shoot

Sexy singer, Tiwa Savage is in Ghana to feature in the latest video of Ghana’s fastest rapper Sarkodie.

The video, Ordinary Love, is on Sarkodie’s third studio album, Sarkology expected to be released in August. The Kele Kele hit singer arrived in Ghana Monday and went down straight to business.

The video, which is being directed by Gyo of Phamous Philms, will be shot on location at Laterbiokoshie, a suburb of Accra. 

I’ve Never Kissed a Man in My Life – Babcock’s Best Graduating Student

At the 11th convocation of the Babcock University last Sunday, the cynosure of all eyes was a 20-year-old lady, Omobola Oduyoye, who emerged the best graduating student after scoring a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.92. Oduyoye, an indigene of Ilisan-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state, was awarded a first class degree in Public Health.

Responding to a question on how she handled pressure from male students and lecturers, Oduyoye, who had her primary and secondary school education at Babcock Primary School and Babcock University High School, stated that though she had so many male friends, she avoided getting intimate with them.

“I have a number of friends – including male students but I always draw a line between

Achebe a revolutionary author – Obama, Michelle

President Barack Obama of the United States of America (USA) and his wife, Michelle, have described the late Prof. Chinua Achebe as “a revolutionary author, educator and cultural ambassador.”

They stated this in a letter to the Achebe family, which was read at an event held in honour of Achebe in Washington DC last Sunday, tagged, “A Celebration of Life.” The event also featured an arts exhibition.

The letter, which was read at the event by a White House representative said, “a revolutionary author, educator and cultural ambassador, Chinua Achebe shattered the conventions of literature and shaped the collective identity of Nigerians throughout the world.

Dangote Hits $20bn Mark, Now 25th Richest in the World

Nigerian billionaire and Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has scored yet another first. This time, he has been named the Africa’s first $20 billion man, thus becoming one of the top 25 richest men in the world.

Dangote, the President/Chief Executive of the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Group, has become the first African entrepreneur to lay claim to a $20 billion fortune as the stock value of the flagship of his holding, Dangote Cement, leaped just about three-fourths since March, when Forbes last released its annual ranking of the world’s richest people.

With a current market cap of $20.5 billion, Dangote Cement becomes the first Nigerian company to achieve a market capitalization of over $20 billion.

The world renowned business and financial intelligence news magazine, the Forbes has

$23m Reward for Shekau, Boko Haram Leader, Four Others – US

In an unprecedented move, the United States monday posted up to $23 million in rewards to help track down five leaders of militant groups accused of spreading terror in West Africa.

The highest reward of $7 million was offered for the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who last week called on Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the bloody fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

The US State Department's Rewards for Justice Programme also targeted Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), offering its first ever bounties for wanted militants in West Africa.

Up to $5 million was posted for Al-Qaeda veteran Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed Islamist behind the devastating attack on an Algerian gas plant in January in which 37 foreigners, including three Americans, were killed.

Amitabh Bachchan celebrates 40 years of togetherness with Jaya Bachchan

Recalling his wedding 40 years ago, megastar Amitabh Bachchan today said that it seemed like "just the other evening" when he and Jaya Bachchan decided to tie the knot in a simple ceremony.

"40 years! 40 years of marriage on the 3rd of June 2013! Jaya and I in marriage for 40 years! A lifetime almost!," Bachchan, 70 wrote on his blog.

The actor, who married Jaya Bahchcan back in June 1973 thanked almighty for blessing him with a large and loving family with his wife that includes two children, three grand children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and relatives.

Will always remember his 1977 movie “Amar Akbar Anthony”

Nigerian Businessman, Anthony Chinedu amongst six Nigerians Deported from Kenya

Controversial Nigerian businessman Anthony Chinedu who has been facing criminal charges has been deported from Kenya.

Chinedu is among six Nigerians who were deported on Monday from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for being in the country illegally.

They were arrested from their houses on Sunday night in a police operation following reports they were involved in “dirty” businesses.

Sources at JKIA said they were all put on an international airline after being warned against being violent if and when they are there.

“Five of them have been deported and they are no longer in the country,” said a senior security official at the airport.

Nairobi Area head of CID Nicholas Kamwende confirmed the deportation.

Chinedu was facing a number of criminal cases and was in April arrested in his house with 10 grammes of heroin that he is believed to have either been using or wanted to traffic.

Nigerian Designer, Nancy Nwadire of Iconic Invanity to Showcase Collection At MADE IN MEDI 2013

The Mediterranean Design & Fashion Week commences today at the UNESCO World Heritage city of Noto (a city in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy), and the seven days event would run through the 9^th of June, 2013.

Made in Medi 2013, the seventh edition of the fashion event would feature Nigerian designer, Nancy Nwadire of Iconic Invanity – Nancy would be exhibiting her collection: colours, laces, embroideries, and clothes made with Ankara fabrics, typical of the place of origin of the designer and her brand.

Nancy Nwadire, an ex-model/beauty queen turned designer, was born in Uganda and married to a Nigerian.

Other African designers that will be showcasing their collection at the fashion week are: Shahira Fawzy (Egypt), Said Mahrouf (Morrocco), Raja Rayes of Rujji Collection (Libya).

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NEW VIDEO: Tiwa Savage – Olorun Mi

In Memory of Last Year’s Dana Air Crash victims, Tiwa drops video for Olorun Mi.

The Once upon a time album drops in few days.