MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION HOLDS ON SATURDAY 30th July, 2016

The Lagos State Government has declared that the July 2016 Environmental Sanitation Exercise will still be dedicated to cleaning of drains and canals across the state, to allow for free flow of water as the raining reason near its peak.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, in a press statement, reinstated that the Sanitation Exercise will be observed state-wide between the usual hours of 7:00am-10.00am on Saturday 30th July, 2016, during which, as usual, there will be restriction of human and vehicular movement across the State.

Dr. Adejare implored Lagosians to come out en-masse on Saturday July 30th, 2016 to clean and clear the drains in their neighbourhood so as to continually prevent flooding in the State. He warned that the period of environmental sanitation should not be used for any social engagement or sporting activities, but for serious cleaning and sanitation exercises. 

According to him, “As we are all aware, Lagos is a Coastal City that has high water table levels and prone to flash-floods whenever it rains. We must therefore imbibe habits which will reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of flooding in the State”.

He said that the target of the state this year is to sustain past record of flood abatement, thus making it possible for the State not to experience flooding as in the past years, adding that, “this can only be achieved through effective collaboration of the people.” The Commissioner advised residents of the State to desist from dumping waste arbitrarily into the drainage channels and canals in order to maintain a flood-free Lagos.

He also warned residents who still patronize cart pushers to desist from the illegal act as it is still an offence. He advised them to dispose their waste through LAWMA/PSP Operators. He urged the entire residents, to ensure that their environment is kept clean at all times and free from storm water stagnation, which could also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other health hazards.

He therefore, warned inter-state Bus and Luxurious Bus Operators, Transport Owners and Road Transport Workers to comply with the restriction order on human and vehicular movement between 7.00am-10.00am, stating that anyone caught violating this order will be apprehended and prosecuted, while passengers in such vehicles will also be prosecuted according to the State’s Environmental Sanitation Laws. Adejare further assured that Law Enforcement Agencies, including Nigeria Police and officials from LAWMA, LASTMA and KAI have been fully mobilized to enforce the restriction of movement order adding that offenders will be prosecuted according to the State Sanitation Laws. The Commissioner assured the people of Lagos of the commitment and determination of the State Government to attain a sustainable, safe and clean environment. 

He therefore urged Lagosians to support Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s vision of a cleaner and healthier Lagos by abstaining from bad environmental practices such as open defecation and urination, littering of the highways and roads.

Tunde Awobiyi
Ministry of the Environment.

Lagos State Gov. Fashola Opens Up Register For Sex Offenders

The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola has signed a bill to create a register for all sex offenders in the state. Fashola also identified Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo as the areas with the highest cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the state.

The governor signed the bill on Monday, December 1, and the sex offenders register, along with the already instituted crime data register, will enable law enforcement agents to better prosecute sexual offences committed within the state.

 “I will like to tell those perpetrating the act in these local governments-Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo to desist now because we would be coming after them.

We will combat these crimes so that they do not become big crimes in the state,” Fashola said. “Also, in order to ensure that criminals are monitored, we have created a crime data register which states everyone who has engaged the criminal justice system of the state, and we have close to 100, 000 offenders on that register.”

“And very soon, we would start deploying people to the data rooms in the police stations across the state to gather the bio-data of offenders including their photographs and others. This was why we have asked everyone to register so that before you employ anyone, you will know his track record,” the governor added.

Governor Fashola also called for collective effort to combat sexual crimes in the state “And this is the time for everyone especially women to speak against it.

This is the time for us to have a local enforcement unit; either we call it state police or whatever name we wish to call it, to protect the women from frequent abuse from their opposite gender,” the governor said. The Attorney-General of Lagos, Ade Ipaye also stated at the event that no fewer than 113 cases of sexual violence were currently being prosecuted in High Courts across the state.

Meet Rihanna's Lookalike Making Big Bucks From Endorsements

Meet Rihanna's look alike Andele Lara who is getting endorsements in place of Rihanna.

Rihanna(left), Andele Lara(Right)

This 22-year-old may look like Rihanna, but it’s actually Andele Lara, a student from Boston, Massachusetts. She’s frequently mistaken for the sexy pop star, but as a kid Lara wasn’t always so keen on her looks. “Growing up, I was a very shy girl,” Lara told the Daily Mail. “I was known as the skinny girl with the big forehead.” But after experimenting with her hair and swapping her school uniform for more trendy clothes, her classmates started noticing her likeness to the Barbadian singer with the hit song “Umbrella” on the radio. “The comments started in my sophomore year. My friend had a magazine with Rihanna on the cover. He held it up to my face and was like, ‘You look like her!’”

Liberia's Gay Population Is Being Blamed For Ebola, And Punished With Violence

Anti-gay discrimination has reared its ugly head again, this time in Liberia, one of four countries currently stricken with Ebola. Why this time, you ask? Well, for causing Ebola, obviously.

Local Christian leaders have said that Ebola is God’s punishment for homosexuality, and since then, members of the community have been harassed, physically attacked, and even had their cars destroyed.

Reuters reported that Liberian LGBT campaigner Leroy Ponpon said he stays at home, fearful of both catching the deadly virus and being attacked for his sexual orientation:

Since church ministers declared Ebola was a plague sent by God to punish sodomy in Liberia, the violence towards gays has escalated. They’re even asking for the death penalty. 

We’re living in fear. In a July meeting of the Liberian Council of Churches, religious leaders put out a statement that said “God is angry with Liberia,” adding: Ebola is a plague.

Liberians have to pray and seek God’s forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society.

An Amnesty International representative in West Africa, Francois Patuel told Reuters that there were reports of threats and violence against the LGBT community in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, since Christian leaders weighed in on the Ebola outbreak. He said,

 

Amnesty has received pictures of cars that reportedly belong to gays with their windows smashed as well as reports that gays have been forced from their homes and had to go into hiding.

  According to BBC World, Liberia is the country worst hit by the Ebola epidemic — about 50 new cases are reported everyday in Monrovia. With its healthcare system in shambles in large part due to the virus outbreak, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters that the country “entered the epidemic with only about 50 doctors for 4 million people” — a imbalance so stark that it actually made me gasp.

Back in 2012, Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, sent shockwaves throughout the international community when she said in an interview that she would not decriminalize homosexuality, citing the preservation of traditional values in their society. President Sirleaf is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Africa has not been kind to the LGBT community. Jay Michaelson at The Daily Beast reported that of the 78 countries that ban homosexuality, “almost all anti-gay laws are a vestige of European colonialism, and date back approximately 150 years.” Funnily enough, anti-gay leaders in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone have denounced gay rights and homosexuality as a “Western” concept that must be opposed to preserve “traditional African values.”

  

Uganda gained notoriety a few years back for a video of one Pastor Martin Ssempa denouncing gay sex as his research showed him that it involved, among other things, eating the “poo poo.” Seriously. The video has garnered over eight million views, and was subject to ridicule and criticism when it came out. Ironically, Pastor Ssempa was recently accused of promoting “gayism” through his lectures and gay porn screenings at churches.
The rise of anti-gay sentiment in Africa is in large part due to the spread of American evangelism. Kapya Kaoma, a priest and human rights activist, wrote in an LA Times Op-Ed of the homophobia exported from the U.S.:

In recent years, millions of dollars have been funneled from anti-LGBTQ evangelical conservatives to Uganda, funding local pastors and training them to adopt and mirror the culture-war language of the U.S. Christian right. 

And of course, trust the Christian right to convey a similar hate-filled, discriminatory narrative on the Ebola outbreak back here in the U.S., too. In August, conservative radio host Rick Wiles said in his talk show that there was a silver lining to the epidemic:

Now this Ebola epidemic can become a global pandemic and that’s another name for plague. It may be the great attitude adjustment that I believe is coming. Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography and abortion.

Source: 

Ebola , Now Close to New Jersey, USA

To Beth Norcia, Superintendent Maple Shade School District New Jersey, USA Dear Mrs. Norcia, I was raised in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, where the DeKalb County School system nurtured me. I attended a number of schools within the district. At Jolly Elementary School, I tasted green eggs and ham for the first time, climbed trees and played with earthworms. At Rockbridge Elementary School, I learned how to do a cartwheel with my legs straight up in the air because I used to watch my classmate, April, do hers like a graceful gymnast. I wanted my hair tossed in the air like April's hair, but mine was too short and curly.

I joined the 4-H Club at Hambrick Elementary school, joined my peers in making a pond outside. I dug through the Georgia red clay, helped place a huge liner over the hole, then filled it up with water. Then, I carried medium-sized stones and pebbles along the liner, along with potted plants and flowers. And then when we dumped brightly colored fish into the water, I remember swelling with pride and glee. It was childhood bliss at its best.

At Stone Mill Elementary School, I wore an ivory lace dress to my sixth grade graduation. Plastic flowers surrounded the scrunchie in my hair. My stomach fluttered each time I walked up to the podium to receive another certificate and trophy and to shake the principal's hand.

My parents took my siblings and I to Pizza Hut to celebrate. That was the end of my elementary school years. Those were my formative years. I was a very shy student. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Harshman encouraged me to come out of my shell of timidity.

She invited me and other academically-well-performing students to her home for a pool party. I jumped right in, even though I didn't know how to swim. She said she liked my bathing suit. She offered me brownies. She was my friend. I befriended many of my elementary school teachers and in turn, they guided me and helped shape my perspective on life. My sixth grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Kathleen Hobbs had a profound effect on me. She encouraged me to write, and I did, and eventually became a journalist. So, essentially, my career path budded in elementary school.


The mind and education of a child is so precious, so crucially precious. That is why I was disappointed to hear what happened at Howard Yocum Elementary School in regards to the two Rwandan children who have been delayed from starting school due to Ebola fears. I now live in Nigeria, having moved from the United States two years ago to work as a journalist.

Nigeria had its own Ebola outbreak after a Liberian-American man flew into the country in July. Nigerian health workers handled 20 Ebola cases. On Monday, the World Health Organization declared Nigeria Ebola-free attributing some of Nigeria's success to "world-class epidemiological detective work."

The mass hysteria that seemed to have risen after the school nurse at Howard Yocum Elementary School sent a letter to the staff to inform them of the arrival of students from Rwanda was uncalled for. Rwanda has not been affected by Ebola. East Africa has not been affected by this current Ebola outbreak. However, one of the parents of a Howard Yocum Elementary School student was quoted as saying, "Anybody from that area should just stay there until all this stuff is resolved. There's nobody affected here let's just keep it that way."

I am compelled to ask: What area is this parent talking about? Because from this parent's reasoning, it seems the parent is talking about the entire continent of Africa as an Ebola-affected area. Let's not forget that Africa is a continental mass with a total land area of more than three million hectares, three times the size of the United States.

This is the true size of Africa: see map. Why create unnecessary panic? Why breed paranoia? I understand the Howard Yocum Elementary School's nurse explained that she was following guidelines from the Burlington County's Health Department and protocol from people arriving in the United States from "an Ebola affected area."

But according to one reporter: The school nurse acknowledged Rwanda "is not an area identified as a country with an Ebola outbreak," but said she planned to take the children's temperature three times a day as a precaution against "a severe and often fatal viral illness." Here are the facts:

* Rwanda, an East African country, is about 2,879 miles (4633km) away from Liberia.
*Africa has 54 countries and 3 of them (all in West Africa) are battling Ebola: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
*New Jersey is about 1,365 miles from Dallas, Texas, an area that is experiencing its own bout of Ebola. (That means New Jersey is closer to an Ebola-hit "area" than Rwanda is.)
* Spain, France, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom have all handled cases of Ebola, whereas, Rwanda has no reported cases of Ebola. *

The World Health Organization has already stated that the spread of Ebola in Europe is "quite unavoidable." Now, considering these facts, will the Maple Shade School System create another round of panic if a student arrives from Geneva in Switzerland which is less than 700 miles from Madrid, Spain? What about students coming from Greece? Will the nurse at Howard Yocum Elementary School release another letter if a student arrives from any European country? What about students coming from Texas? The most important issue here is that young minds are at stake.

Are we promoting ignorance and hysteria? The widespread ignorance of Africa among the American population could pose a challenge on public health workers' efforts to spread awareness about Ebola in the United States. Africa is a continent, not a country. It's absurd to refer to a continent as an area. The students of Maple School District have a right to know this.

They have a right to be enlightened, not misguided. The wonder of the elementary school system is that teachers have a chance to enrich children's minds.The school is a nursery for growing intellects, not an arena for fear-mongers.

Howard Yocum Elementary School should not have allowed parents to set the school's agenda concerning the Rwandan kids. What message is the school administration sending when it enabled two youngsters from Rwanda to stay at home because they came from a country where an Ebola outbreak is affecting three other countries almost three thousand miles away? Are we blacklisting Africa? Is this a case of stigmatizing two children simply because they come from Africa?

Thank you for your time,

 Mrs. Norcia. Sincerely,

Chika Oduah, Journalist

chika.oduah@gmail.com

Twitter@chikaoduah

SOURCE: HUFFPOST

11-Year-Old Girl Raped By Gun Men In Imo State

Uneasy calm has enveloped the sleepy, rural Ehume autonomous community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, following the gang-rape of an 11-year-old girl. Vanguard gathered that the girl (names withheld), who hails from Amaiyi, Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, but resides at Ehume with her parents, was raped when her parents sent her to the popular Onuimo Rescue Market, Umungwa, Obowo.




Vanguard was told that the girl decided to take a commercial motorcycle to and from the market. “That was how she boarded the motorcycle piloted by 35-year-old Onyekachi Nwankwo, a native of Umunachi, Obowo,” the girl’s father told Vanguard.

The obviously angry father also said soon after the suspect picked Ngozi at the entrance to the market, he told her that he intended to pick his friend, Chike Njoku, who was waiting for him at Ekeja Market in Ehume, Obowo. he said: “My daughter innocently agreed.

The story suddenly changed when Onyekachi picked his friend, veered off the road into a track leading to the boundary river between Umunachi and Umuagu communities at Obowo.” Explaining her experience in the hands of the rapists, the girl said: “When I saw all the weapons they were holding, I had no option than to follow them.


"They parked the motorcycle inside the bush, pulled off my dress and had sex with me, one after the other and left me to my fate thereafter.” Efforts made to get a confirmation of the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, proved abortive as his mobile line could not be reached at press time. What do you think about this sad story? Place your comment below....

Ebola Case: 60% Survived in Nigeria, W.H.O Says

The World Health Organisation (W.H.O), yesterday, declared Nigeria free of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, a no mean achievement given the deadly and delicate nature of the disease. Nigeria lost eight persons to the disease including the index (first) case, Mr Patrick Sawyer, the late Liberian-American who brought the disease to Nigeria on July 20, 2014. -


Nigeria had 20 cases of Ebola after Sawyer flew into Lagos and collapsed at the airport. Health care workers treating Sawyer were infected, and as it spread it ultimately killed eight people, a low number next to the thousands of cases and deaths in other countries. With the development, the disease killed 40 per cent of those affected in Nigeria. The WHO estimates that 90 per cent of those affected die from Ebola.

Through sheer determination and care on the part of the government and the citizenry, Nigeria ensured that only 20 persons out of a population of 167 million were affected and 60 per cent of the victims survived the disease.

The record is bettered by Uganda, which in 2007 had 149 cases and 37 deaths (25 per cent fatality) and Cote d Ívoire that had one case and no death in 1994.

Since the outbreak of the disease in four West African countries- Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria, late December 2013 and this year, Spain and the United States of America about 9000 cases have been reported with about 4500 deaths (50 per cent fatality). The breakdown of the figures in West Africa is as follows:

Liberia – 4262 cases, 2484 deaths, 58.28 per cent fatality 

Sierra Leone – 3410 cases, 1200 deaths, 35.19 per cent fatality 

Guinea – 1519 cases, 862 deaths, 56.75 per cent fatality

Nigeria – 20 cases, eight deaths, 40 per cent fatality. 

Nigeria is by far the most populous of these countries with a population of 167 million and yet recorded the least number of cases, an indication of the professional manner the government and the citizenry handled the challenge. The populations of the other countries are: Uganda (37 million), Cote d Ívoire (16 million), Guinea (10 million), Sierra Leone (six million) and Liberia (3.5 million), whose total of 73 million is about half of Nigeria’s population.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

Police Grabbed a 35-Year-Old Man For Stealing LAWMA Uniform

The Police have nabbed a 35-year-old man, Ali Jaafaar for allegedly stealing Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, uniform and an international passport belonging to one Ibrahim Alhassan at Idi Araba, Lagos.

The Police also arrested a 20-year-old gateman, Abdullahi Usman, for allegedly stealing properties of his employer at 20, Alhaji Azeez Street Ago-Okota in Lagos. It was learnt that after the close of work, the victim parked his Kia truck with, registration number, DF352APP in front of his residence at 13 Haruna Street.

Vanguard learned that when he woke up in the morning, ready to go to work, he discovered that his LAWMA uniform, MP3 and international passport he left inside his truck had been stolen.


SOURCE: VANGUARD

Peace Talk With the Boko Haram Sect Splits them Into Two Groups: We Hope God is Working In Nigeria!

According to The Punch, following the ceasefire deal the Federal Government entered into with Boko Haram, the violent fundamentalist sect has split into two. While one faction wants peace, the other doesn’t. It was gathered on Sunday that the Federal Government might have entered into the ceasefire with the faction interested in the cessation of hostilities in the North-East. A reliable source in government told The PUNCH in Abuja that the leaders of the pro-peace faction of the sect , were the ones who took part in the negotiations with representatives of the Chadian, Cameroonian and Federal Government in Ndjamena, Chad last week.

 

Federal Government and Boko Haram representatives are expected to fine tune the details of the ceasefire at another meeting in Ndjamena on Tuesday. Our source said he believed that the attacks on Shafa in Borno State and Sina, Adamawa State on Friday, could have been carried out by the faction not be interested in ending the violence.

He said “The Boko Haram faction that carried out the attack is the one that wants the insurgency to continue. It is made up of hardcore elements who believe their goal of imposing Sharia on the whole country has not been achieved and for them, the violence must continue until they win the war or perish in their quest.”

There had been reports of disagreements among the top members of the sect following the clamour by some of its commanders for an end to the insurgency. A yet to be verified report had said that unknown sect members died a few weeks ago in a shoot-out between the pro-peace and the pro-Jihad factions.

The military is however keeping its side of the peace deal by suspending all hostilities against the insurgents, The PUNCH learnt. This, according to a top military source, was a direct outcome of a directive issued by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. Badeh had on Friday ordered the suspension of all on-going aerial and ground offensives against the sect. Our source, who pleaded not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said the military did not consider the latest attacks as a violation of the ceasefire. He explained that it was very likely that the operatives of the terrorist cells who carried out the attacks were not aware of the peace deal. The source said, “One cannot say the peace deal has been violated; it is the nature of most terrorist organisations to act that way, and it should be expected because they have several layers of operation.

“They have such a long chain that it takes time for them to communicate with the top unlike the military where you are very quick communication channels. “Another thing is that each of the cells operates independent of the other. So those who carried out the attacks in the villages in might not even be aware of the deal.”

He however explained that security forces would not allow the other faction to exploit the peace deal to violate the security and safety of the people. It was learnt that while the security forces would not be on the offensive, sustained efforts would be made to prevent crimes from being committed against the people.

The PUNCH gathered from another source that the military had ensured the suspension of aerial and land offensive in compliance with the CDS’ directive to give peace a chance. He said, “We will not be watching any violation of the security and safety of our people, we will not be on the offensive but we won’t allow crimes to be committed. “The air operation is suspended for the duration of the ceasefire; we will not be on the offensive; we really need to comply with the peace agreement at least to give peace a chance.” Investigations confirmed that soldiers have remained in their areas of deployment in the North-East. Another security source warned that soldiers would be left with no option than to act if attacked. He said while the troops fighting the terrorists learnt of the ceasefire from the media, they were awaiting briefing from their commanders. He said, “This is ceasefire does not say pull back soldiers; so soldiers have not been pulled back. It is logical, if soldiers are attacked, they would fight back; they won’t sit and watch but soldiers have not gone for any operation since the ceasefire.” Efforts to speak with the Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade,on the latest developments did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect. But other sources in government said that the government was still expressing cautious optimism in its dealings with the sect. This, it was learnt, was the reason behind its decision to refrain from making a categorical statement on the ceasefire since the news broke on Friday. A top official, who pleaded anonymity, said the government has so far decided to keep a dignified silence to “see how the matter plays out during the week. This, according to him, was the reason why the government was not surprised about the attacks after the ceasefire agreement became a public knowledge. He said, “The government does not want to jump into the fray. It is true that discussions are ongoing but the government is watching the situation critically. “The thinking is that once the process scales through, the government will make a public pronouncement. “Hopefully, once the Tuesday meeting is successful, the government will talk. For now, we are watching events.” Efforts to get the reaction of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not yield result of the time of filing this report. Sect captures another Borno town, beheads six On Sunday, members of the sect captured another Borno community, Abadam, after laying siege to it. They also beheaded six people along the Biu – Garkida Road in the state. It was gathered from security sources that the insurgents, numbering 100, invaded Abadam on Friday night and took it over on Sunday morning. They said the heavily armed terrorists arrived in the town in a convoy of about 50 Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles. They however did not give a casualty figure but a resident told journalists in Maiduguri on the telephone that he saw six corpses, including that of his friend, while fleeing the town. He said, “Boko Haram gunmen entered Abadam on Friday night and shot at any resident in sight for almost two days until the early hours of Sunday when many of us started to flee to our farmlands, bushes and border areas of Bosso in Niger Republic. “I escaped by crossing River Kumadugu to Diffa and from there, I boarded a bus to Damasak before arriving in Maiduguri today (Sunday). “Among the people killed was my friend. My parents and other relations I believe are still in the bush and I do not know their state as I speak to you .”

The resident added that there was no security presence in the town throughout the period of the attack. Another resident also told journalists that the sect members, as in other places they had captured, hoisted their black and white flag in three strategic locations in the community. He lamented the possibility of the town, being declared an Islamic Caliphate. Some communities in the state under the control of the sect are Dikwa, Gwoza, Marte, Damboa, Banki, Bama, Wulgo, Kirenowa. Our correspondent in Borno State also gathered that the insurgents beheaded six people on the same road where the Emir of Gwoza, Idrissa Timta, was killed a few months ago.

The Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, said on Sunday that the terrorists left the bodies of the slaughtered victims lying on the road for a long time. He said the son to one of the victims was injured by the insurgents when he attempted to remove his father’s body from the scene. Lipdo said, “Information says in spite government ceasefire agreement with the insurgents, six innocent civilians were held hands bound and slaughtered on the Biu Garkida Road of Borno State on Friday.”

The #BringBackOurGirls group, has however asked the Federal Government to continue to secure lives and properties of Nigerians in the areas under Boko Haram attacks. It also urged the government to maintain a delicate balance in its negotiation with the sect. The spokesman of the group, Rotimi Olawale, said the government should have asked for the release some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls as a proof that the negotiation was being done with the real Boko Haram leadership. Olawale said,

“For us in the #BringBackOurGirls, the government needs to maintain a delicate balance in its negotiation with Boko Haram because the recent statement credited to principal secretary to the President says the negotiation is still going on. “I think they should continue to negotiate with Boko Haram on that platform and secure the release of all those abducted. “The initial question would be, is the government negotiating with the right group? I don’t know, government needs to take necessary caution. “For me, the first thing would have been for the group to release some of the girls, so that we can be assured that they are the right group.”

Senator cautions FG The lawmaker representing Borno Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Ahmed Zannah, has advised the Federal Government to be cautious in implementing any ceasefire with Boko Haram. Zannah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri on Sunday, said the government must exercise high level of wisdom and discretion in dealing with the issue. He said, “I do not think it is true, because Boko Haram insurgents are still attacking communities in Borno.

The insurgents attacked villages in both northern and southern Borno on Saturday.” Zannah said if the ceasefire was real , the insurgents would not have attacked the villages.

When contacted, the Borno State Government declined comments on the issue. However, a media associate of Governor Kashim Shettima, Isa Gusau, told journalists on Sunday that the governor had no comment on the issue. He said, “Governor Kashim Shettima has no comment on the issue for now. Shettima, whose state has been at the centre of Boko Haram attacks since 2009, says he has no comment for now over the reports, but he will speak at the appropriate time.”

Property Worth N1bn Got Burnt as Fire Takes Over Shop in Owerri

Goods and property estimated at about N1 billion were yesterday consumed by a raging fire that gutted a two-storey building at Lobo Extension, Owerri. Although no life was lost in the incident, Vanguard gathered that the traders who owned foam shops were in their respective residences and most occupants of the building had left for Sunday service when the fire started.

A Volvo station wagon vehicle, vital documents, including certificates and archival artifacts, were reportedly lost in the inferno, while many were seen weeping uncontrollably, bemoaning their fate.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

See the Confession of a Woman Who Abducted, Killed and Burried Her Stepdaughter in Soakaway

The police in Lagos have arrested a woman, Aminat Akanni, for allegedly abducting two of her stepchildren and murdering one of them because she claimed her husband refused to provide Sallah clothes for her own son. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect killed one of the kids, Nofisat, by pushing her into a soakaway.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Aminat was arrested by the police at CMS Bus Stop, Lagos Island, on October 9. Our correspondent learnt that prior to the arrest, seven-year-old Lateef and four-year-old Nofisat had been declared missing on Friday, October 3- a day to the Sallah celebration. It was learnt that the father of the missing children, Moshood Mubo, who is also the suspect’s husband, had raised the alarm and reported the case to the Adeniji Adele Police Division on Friday, October 3. However, after the suspect’s arrest, she confessed to have abducted the two kids from Church Street, Lagos Island where they lived.

 

She further confessed to have also killed the younger, child, Nofisat, by pushing her into soakaway beside a mosque in the Orile area. Our correspondent gathered that Lateef and Nofisat were pupils in Primary 1 and Nursery 2 classes respectively in a private school. Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, Moshood who hails from Ilorin, Kwara State, said his second wife, who he rented an apartment for in the Orile area, abducted the kids claiming that she wanted to “punish him for not buying Sallah clothes for her own son.” He said, “I married Aminat in 2010. In order to avoid a crisis at home, I rented an apartment for her at Mosalashi Street, Alakara in Orile. She has only one son for me.

His name is Yusuf. She does not come to Church Street, Lagos Island where I live with my first wife. “What happened was that on the evening of Friday, October 3, when I returned from work- just a day to the Sallah celebrations- I sent the two children to go buy biscuits in front of the street. That was around 7pm.

We expected them till around 9pm. I was shocked. I quickly rushed to the Adeniji Adele Police Division, and reported the incident. “Believe me, I and their mother, Funmilayo, could not sleep all through that night. We were walking around throughout the night from one police division to the other, repeating the same thing.

The whole Sallah celebration was a sad one as I looked for my two children. Little did I know that it was my second wife who sneaked into our area to abduct them.” Moshood, who spoke to our correspondent while fighting back tears, added that Aminat had called him the following day, and made a suspicious comment. He said, “The following morning, around 11am, Aminat called me and heard me crying on the phone.

I told her that we were looking for Lateef and Nofisat, she simply said, ‘All I know is that no one can kidnap my own son.’ I was shocked at her statement, but I never thought she was the one behind the whole trouble. “It was six days later when the police arrested her that she then confessed that she committed the act because she claimed I was not taking care of her, and I had not bought sallah clothes for her son, which is not true. She had sneaked to our area, and asked the two kids to follow her to Orile. This is unimaginable for me.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that as the search for the two children continued, which took Mubo and his first wife to travel to Ilorin, Kwara State to consult their relatives and get ‘spiritual help’, a friend had called them on Thursday, October 9, that she saw Lateef with Akanni around the CMS Bus Stop, Lagos Island. The police were then invited who trailed her movement and arrested her.

The mother of the two children, Funmilayo, told PUNCH Metro that Aminat had bottled up grievances against her for a long time. She said, “Aminat killed my daughter. She made us to have a sorrowful Sallah.

We were running around police stations. She said she wanted to punish me and my husband because she was having issues with us. So, why did she not come after us, why after my two children?”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that Aminat was now in police custody. He said, “Aminat Akanni is the second wife of the complainant. Investigation revealed that the corpse of Nofisat was recovered by the Orile Division in a sudden and unnatural death. “The suspect confessed to have drowned the child and dropped the corpse at Orile. The case has now been transferred to the Orile Division for further synchronisation and action.”

SOURCE: THE PUNCH

Former Bayelsa Governor, Alamieyeseigha's Son Commits Suicide

As I was going through my normal routine of checking out latest updates on different sites I stumbled upon a shocking story saying, Ex-Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has lost one of his sons, Oyoms, in Dubai, United Arab Emirate according to ThisDayLive. Oyoms was said to have committed suicide in the desert city while riding in an elevator. As at the moment of this report, details were still sketchy as to what led to the suicide.

 

 Wonders shall never seize!

How Love Drove Duncan to US, Not Ebola

Love, not Ebola, drove Thomas Eric Duncan from his native Liberia.

Duncan — whose diagnosis and death has unleashed alarm about Ebola in the U.S. — was accused of lying on his travel forms to flee his diseased-ravaged country. Some faulted him for flying to Texas just days after assisting an ill neighbor in Monrovia, Liberia.

  

The 42-year-old Duncan, who went by the name Eric,  likely contracted the disease from the neighbor, but friends in Dallas say he didn’t know the pregnant woman had Ebola. He believed she had miscarried, and he was just trying to help her family get her to a hospital.

“The doctors took blood samples from her and told her she could go,” Saymendy Lloyd, a family friend, told the Dallas Morning News. “If he had known she had Ebola … he would not have put the love of his life in a situation like this.”

 Duncan, travelling on a visa, made his first trip to the U.S. to reunite with his estranged son and the teen's mother, Louise Troh, who had been his girlfriend before she and the child fled war-torn Liberia for the United States 16 years ago

George Mason, Troh’s pastor in Dallas, said the couple reconnected earlier this year and were hoping to start a new life together. Family members said that they were planning to marry and that Duncan would apply for permanent status in the United States.

“He came in hope,” Mason said during a Wednesday night prayer vigil and memorial service. “Eric and Louise built a castle of dreams in their hearts together that they never got to live in.”

Health officials said Duncan had no symptoms of Ebola when he made his journey from Africa, via Europe, arriving in Texas on Sept. 20.

In Dallas, Troh fixed home-cooked meals for Duncan and introduced him to friends and family members who dropped by her modest two-bedroom apartment. On one occasion, Troh babysat her grandchildren while her daughter, a nurse’s assistant, was at work, the New York Times reported.

“Oh, Grandma has a new boyfriend,” 6-year-old Rose exclaimed when her mother returned to pick her up.

 On Sept. 25, Troh took Duncan to a Dallas emergency room, where he displayed some symptoms of Ebola but was sent home with an antibiotic. Three days later, Duncan was in isolation at the same hospital. He died on Wednesday, eight days after being confirmed as the first person to ever be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States.

 

Nearly 50 people who had direct or indirect contact with Duncan are now being monitored for Ebola. None have shown symptoms. Troh, who is considered at high risk, has been under strict quarantine for a week. She released a statement following Duncan’s death.

“This had dramatically changed our lives, and we will be grieving for a long time,” she said. “Eric was a wonderful man who showed compassion toward all.”

Troh, 54, and Duncan were able to speak by phone until Saturday, when his condition deteriorated.

“He was lonely,” Troh’s friend Lloyd told the Dallas Morning News. “He wanted family around him. He was surrounded by strangers.”

At the Wednesday church service, Wilshire Baptist Associate Pastor Mark Wingfield told the congregation that Duncan’s last words were spoken to a nurse, who asked him what he wanted.

“He wanted to see his son,” Wingfield said. “She asked him then where his son was. He said he was in college, where he should be. He was proud of his son.”

Karsiah Eric Duncan, a former standout athlete at his Dallas high school, is a freshman at Angelo State University in West Texas. He last saw his father when he was 3.

“I felt like God was calling me to come see my dad,” Karsiah told reporters on the eve of his father’s death. “I'm just praying my dad will make it out safely.”

Karsiah, 19, arrived at the Texas Health Presbyterian on Tuesday, but he declined the hospital’s offer to see his father via a video chat.

“He decided to wait until tomorrow,” the hospital said in a statement.

Tomorrow never came for the father and son.

“I am now dealing with the sorrow and anger that his son was not able to see him before he died,” Troh said in her statement. “This will take some time, but in the end, I believe in a merciful God.”

West, Central African Leaders Step Up Boko Haram Fight With Troops, Command Centre

Leaders of Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Benin on Tuesday announced plans to step up the fight against Boko Haram with an additional battalion and a command centre to tackle the militants whose insurgency has spread beyond Nigeria, a statement said.

Boko Haram’s violent five-year campaign for an Islamic state has killed thousands and is threatening the stability of countries in the West and Central African regions.

 

According to Channels Television, in the past two months, it has progressed from bombings, raids and kidnappings to trying to seize territory in remote areas near the Cameroon border, possibly inspired by similar moves by Sunni Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.

The militants have also carried out incursions into Niger and Chad, and authorities fear the attacks will continue to spread if left unchecked.

The four heads of states and a representative of Cameroon’s president said after meeting in Niger’s capital Niamey that a command centre for an already agreed-upon multinational force, led by a chief of staff will be in place by Nov. 20
.
“The heads of state regrets the persistence of Boko Haram Islamic sect’s atrocious acts of terror on people and security forces in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries,” the statement said.

The leaders agreed to finalise the deployment of troops promised by member states to form the multinational force within their national borders by Nov. 1.

Benin, Nigeria’s western neighbour, whose border stretches from the Atlantic to the Sahel north, was also asked to deploy a military battalion to its border with Nigeria.

The Niamey meeting is a follow-up to a May summit in Paris where the leaders promised to improve cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram after the group kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls and threatened to destabilise the wider region.

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Liberian Health Workers to Strike over Ebola Hazard Pay

In Liberia and Sierra Leone, the two countries hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic, local staff working on the front lines are demanding hazard pay. Bodies are being left in the streets in Sierra Leone as burial teams stop working, saying they haven’t been getting their weekly allowances.  In Liberia, thousands of health workers are threatening to strike starting Monday.

 

The Liberian Health Workers Association said it was calling on its approximately 15,000 members not to go to work starting Monday, October 13.

The union’s Secretary General, George Williams, said they wanted hazard pay, benefits and safe working conditions.

“What we take home is insufficient for the kind of risk and the kind of jobs we do.  That we have told our government from time immemorial.  Nobody seems to listen to this,” he said.

The union is demanding monthly salaries ranging from $500 to $1,500 depending on the jobs being performed in Ebola treatment units.

The government said it couldn’t pay that much.

Medical staff caring for sick people are at high risk for Ebola, which is transmitted via close contact with infected bodily fluids.

The World Health Organization said at least 348 health workers have gotten Ebola during this regional outbreak and at least 186 of them have died.  Half of those cases have been in Liberia.

Many health centers in Liberia shut down in August and remain closed.  The union said the government still hasn’t provided the necessary personal protective gear.

Both governments and international NGO’s in Liberia and Sierra Leone rely heavily on locals to staff existing Ebola treatment units and to bury the highly contagious bodies of Ebola victims.

A protracted health workers’ strike in Liberia could impede efforts to open new treatment units to meet the rapidly growing demand.  Experts said the caseload was doubling about every month.

The WHO country representative to Liberia, Dr. Peter Graaff, called on the union to hold off on the “go slow” as the strike was called locally.

“This is not the moment to compromise all you have achieved and all your dedication by going slow.  Going slow means that the quality of the services is compromised.  Going slow means that those who still want to work and want to work hard have to work perhaps too hard and they are going to put themselves at risk.  And going slow means putting the lives of those you care for unnecessarily at risk,” he said.

He said the union’s grievances were “a legitimate issue for discussion” and said the government was working on a solution. 

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Muslim Groups in Britain Denounce Beheading of Aid Worker Alan Henning

Muslim groups across Britain have united to condemn the beheading of aid worker Alan Henning by Islamic State (IS) insurgents, with one leading cleric calling it a "despicable and offensive act".

 

Prayers for the 47-year-old taxi driver from Salford in northern England were said in mosques throughout the country at the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival.

Mr Henning had been held captive in Syria for nine months before a video was posted on YouTube showing him kneeling before a masked knifeman against a desert setting.

Britain's prime minister David Cameron said Mr Henning was a gentle, compassionate man who had simply tried to help others.

In a message broadcasted after meeting the heads of Britain's armed forces and intelligence agencies, Mr Cameron emphasised that Britain would do all it could to destroy Mr Henning's killers.

"We will use all the assets we have ... to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people," he said.

The video is almost identical to those released after three previous murders, including those of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

In the video, Mr Henning's masked killer spoke briefly with the same southern British accent as that of the killer of previous hostages widely dubbed Jihadi John.

Mr Henning was the fourth hostage to have been beheaded by IS, which has faced air strikes by US, British, French and Arab fighter jets since seizing swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Six Australian F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets are on standby in the United Arab Emirates ready to carry out air strikes that are expected within days.

The case had prompted a wave of appeals from British Muslim leaders and several expressed their shock at the murder.

Muslim Council of Britain secretary-general Shuja Shafi described it as a "despicable and offensive act".
"He helped Muslims," Dr Shafi tweeted.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

A group calling itself Muslims of the North of England called Mr Henning a "national hero", while 
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation that aims to help young Muslims, said: "This barbaric killing is an attack against all decent people around the world."

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Husband Catches Pregnant Wife Having Sex With Another Man in Benue

Wonders shall never seize. A woman simply identified as Mercy was on Monday morning caught sleeping with another man in Otukpo, Benue State.

  

Her husband identified as Okpani caught the wife and her lover red-handed after he set them up, having suspected the wife was constantly cheating on him.

DailyPost gathered that Okpani, a Local Government staff told his pregnant wife that he will be going for a NULGE meeting which is supposed to take place in Makurdi, the state capital this morning. However, Okpani went to the neighbour’s house to stay and spy on his wife’s movement.

After a while, a middle aged man who was identified as Omale walked stealthily into his matrimonial room.

Okpani gave them a little time before coming out of his hideout into the room, and alas, his wife was having sexual intercourse with Omale.

As at press time, people are gathered at Okpani’s compound, waiting for the Police to arrive.

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Former Speaker, House of Rep, Dimeji Bankole Loses Daughter to Sickle Cell

As I was browsing through google I saw this shocking post and decided to share with you, please read to the end. Dimeji Bankole , former House of Reps Speaker has lost his 7 year old daughter, Yewande Semiat Bankole to sickle cell. According to the family, she died in a London hospital yesterday, October 1st.
The family made this known in a statement released today. It read thus;
With gratitude to Almighty Allah and with heavy hearts we announce the demise of our daughter Yewande Semiat Bankole aged 7yrs at a London hospital. Yewande is the granddaughter of Chief Alani Suara Bankole and the daughter of Rt Hon. Dimeji Sabur Bankole.

 

Customs Arrests 26 Smugglers Over N322m Worth of Contraband Goods

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recorded 98 seizures of contraband goods valued at N322 million in September 2014. The command also arrested 26 smugglers in connection with the illegal imports.

The Customs Area Controller of the unit, Dimka Victor David, who made the disclosure in Benin said the seizures were made in the South East and South South geo-political zones of the country.

  

According to him, “89 exotic vehicles were impounded, in addition to a trailer load of 1,620 cartons of vegetable oil cleverly concealed with empty jerry cans to deceive the officers/men of Customs while  the driver was arrested on the Benin-Ore Road and detained.”

Giving the breakdown of the seizures, Dimka said the unit was ready to halt the activities of smugglers.
“Our men on the Owerri axis seized a container load of 112 bales of textile materials, 40ft container comprising garments and assorted types of furniture, which the suspects cunningly arranged in a manner to deceive men of the Nigeria Customs Service. He stated that four trucks containing 1,932 (50kg) bags of rice was impounded on the Benin axis while eight bags of Indian hemp weighing 399.5kg was found in a luxury bus in Udi LGA on the Onitsha/Enugu Road, neatly concealed with passengers’ luggage, leading to the detention of the driver and the items for further investigation,” he added.

The FOU Zone ‘C’ Area Controller who expressed dismay at the rate of smuggling in the country despite consistent arrests of the culprits, said NCS has acquired modern communication gadgets to track down smugglers wherever they operate, adding that the existing synergy between the establishment and other sister agencies such as the NDLEA, police, army and the SSS has added impetus to the onslaught against smuggling in the country.

He advised members of the public to always contact the help desk of any Customs formation to ascertain the genuineness of the Customs clearance documents of the vehicles they want to buy to avoid unpalatable consequences.

“We have our men all over the place and they have been trained in the modern techniques of anti-smuggling and with the state-of-the-art gadgets we now have, it has become much more difficult for smugglers to operate without being detected,” he added.

He extolled the Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, for his consistent support as it has strengthened the operation of the officers/men of the service.

Ponmile Adebayo Launches Her Debut Album Today

Up and coming gospel musician, Ponmile Funso Adebayo believes that in the nearest future, her music will impact on the lives of people positively. Ponmile, a make-up artiste, says her music talks about the love and faithfulness of God upon her life. She says she is set to launch her debut album, entitled: Wonders, at Samak Halls & Events Plot 12, Ikosi Road, opposite Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun Ikeja Lagos.
In a chat with The Entertainer, Ponmile speaks on her views about gospel music in Nigeria, how she combines her music with her make-up business among others.

 

Biography 

My name is Ponmile Funso Adebayo and I am the leader of gospel group called, The 12 Wonders Band, a gospel music band. As a child, I have always been in the choir with Celestial Church of Christ, Odo Ona Apata. I composed my first song when I was five years. When I was seven years, I performed my song at an in-house party on  Christmas day. I later joined Faith Agbala Itura branch and later became a soloist and a backup singer  for about three years.

I am a graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and when I was still in school, I was a member of a band as the lead vocalist. Presently, I am the Choir Director for the Yoruba Church at Daystar Christian Centre, Ikeja, Lagos State.

How would you describe your music?

I will describe my kind of music as Naija Hip-hop fused with gospel songs. Although, we also sing various genre of music such as AfroJuju, Reggae etc.

Gospel music in Nigeria

Well, gospel music in Nigeria needs to still improve because we need to look at it how we can profit from the gift of God in terms of soul winning. I believe as a servant of God, you are sent to a particular people and as gospel artistes, you need to know whom you are sent to minister to through your songs. Gospel musicians need to do good music so that they don’t just become local artistes alone but artistes of international reputation.

My debut album

It is a nine-track album with three bonus tracks entitled Wonder. Wonder is all about praising God who answers by fire. I composed it years ago when I had a challenge and I prayed to God and He answered my prayers. The way and manner that He did it was a wonder to me and that is why, I titled my album, Wonder.

Other tracks in the album include Nigeria and it is a song everyone should have on their phones and listen to. This year has been challenging in the country such as the insecurity and the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) but in all we still give thanks to God for seeing us through these challenges. Another track is Spiritual Something, because it is a song about the spirit of David. If you are familiar with the story of David, he did so many things but God still called him a man after his own heart because he knew how to get God in a place of unrepentant worship and praise. Dancing your heart out, dancing is a spiritual something .so worship of God in the place of dance is a big thing. We also have ‘your praise’ which is a song that reminisces on the love of God. His arms are always wide to open wide to accept you as long as you are ready to come to him.

What are the messages in your song? 

Basically it’s the love and faithfulness of God for me as a person, for Nigeria as a country and for anyone who buys the album.

Who are your target audience?

The Youths.

Don’t you think you are deviating from the normal music style of gospel music?

No. Your message is what makes your music gospel and gospel is good news. I don’t sing secular music and I wont.

How do you combine being a Gospel artiste and make-up artist?

I see my self as a businesswoman. By God’s grace, I also work with the Deputy Governor of Lagos in the area of empowering women and youths in Lagos. As Christians, our calling involves impacting on the lives of people.

After your album launch what’s the next thing?

Well I have not discussed with the band but I hope to have concerts and tours in United Kingdom next year with the remaining five songs we have kept aside.

How do you intend to break free with all other gospel artiste around?

I am not in competition with anybody. I believe when God gives you a vision, He also gives you the provision, location and the right people to help you do what you can do best.

In the next five years where do you intend to see yourself?

I see myself as an International Gospel Artiste winning souls for Christ and impacting the lives of Nigerian youths both here and in the Diaspora. I would want the youths to say, I bless God for the life of this lady for what she has helped me through her music. So in the next five years, I want to see myself as an international and national figure in the Nigerian music industry.