NaijaBigTalk: March 2015

Saturday 28 March 2015

Photos of Gen. Buhari and wife doing their accreditation in Katsina

APC Presidential candidate Gen. Buhari and his wife Aisha

pictured at his hometown, Daura in Katsina state this

morning doing their accreditation.

Bomb blast reported at Polling Unit in Enugu

A bomb explosion was reported at the Women Training
Center in Enugu this morning. The state police
Commissioner confirmed the incident and said anti-bomb
squad were immediately invited to the scene and were able
to successfully detonate a second explosive found in the
premises.

INEC postpones election in seven federal constituencies in Jigawa state

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in
Jigawa state has announced the postponement of election
in seven out of eleven federal constituencies. According to
the resident electoral commissioner in the state, Alhaji
Halliru Aliyu Tambawel, the postponement was as a result
of lack of sensitive materials including ballot papers and
results sheets from the Central Bank of Nigeria to be used
for the elections.

He said the federal constituencies where there would be a
postponement includes Dutse/Kiyawa, Ringim/ Taura,
HadeJia/Kafin Hausa/Auyo, and Jahun Miga federal
Constituencies of Jigawa state, others include Gumel/
Maigatari/Sule tankarkar/ Gagarawa, Kaugama/Malam-
madori and Gwaram Federal constituencies.

Gunmen attack Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, one person injured

Unidentified gunmen attacked Lagos State Commissioner
for Transport, Kayode Opeifa's home at the Agege area of
Lagos in the early hours of today March 28th. One person
was injured.

The gunmen, believed to be political thugs, attacked other
places in Agege this morning, including Agege Local
Government building where council staff were holding a
meeting ahead of today's election. Then they proceeded to
the INEC office in Agege before they drove to Opeifa's home
and shot at his building and the vehicles around his home.
Thankfully, they didn't target human beings, just property,
though one person was injured in the attack.
Right pic is a car that was shot at outside Opeifa's home.
Centre is Opeifa's building shot at and right is the
commissioner himself.

Thursday 26 March 2015

[MUSIC] Wale x Don Jazzy x Olamide x Reekado Banks – Allelu

MMG superstar – Wale promised to stay true to
his Nigeria roots and he kept to his promise, he
unleashes a new single dubbed “Allelu” featuring
leader of SMD Don Jazzy , YBNL general Olamide
and next rated Act Reekado Banks, with Maleek
Berry on the decks.
Listen & Download Wale x Don Jazzy x
Olamide x Reekado Banks – Allelu Below:-
DOWNLOAD

If Buhari wins, APC will jail me - Patience Jonathan

While speaking today Wednesday March 25th at the PDP

women presidential campaign rally in Oyo state, the first

lady Patience Jonathan is quoted by Thecable.ng to have

said that the APC and its presidential candidate plan to jail

many people, including herself if they win the 2015

election...

“I want to tell you the people of Oyo state, you don’t

need to listen to APC. APC is a spare drug; they

don’t have material to quantify PDP material. You

should know that they have been in government

before; they were there before PDP, before Goodluck

administration. If they come to Oyo, ask them, what

do they have for you, not ‘I will, I will’. You were

there; when you were there, what did you do for the

people of Oyo state? “All what they did for you

people when they were there was to send your

fathers and your children to prison. That’s all what

they have for you people, and I want you to

remember. Some of you were still small by then

when your fathers were sent to prison by this very

APC people. Some of them died in the prison; you

know them. You want me to call one of them that

died in the prison – don’t you know Adelabu?

Haven’t you heard that name before in Oyo? He was

the leader of NPN then. He was imprisoned by this

APC, by this very people that want to enter there and

he died there. They are coming again to jail your

fathers and your mothers and even me, but God

would never allow them – Holy Ghost fire, Holy

Ghost fire, Holy Ghost fire. They would never

succeed, because they have nothing to offer. Their

own is ‘I will, I will’; that’s all what they have to

offer. “PDP has come to liberate the people. After

this one, when they fail, they won’t have any name

to bear again. The last time they failed, they

changed their name to APC – not knowing APC is a

spare drug"

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Meet Nadia Buari's Baby Daddy [Photo]

We are gradually putting a face to the mysterious father of Ghanaian actress, Nadia Buari's twin girls. Since the delivery of her babies on the 2nd of March 2015, her fans have been dead curious to unravel who fathered the kids, but the actress has kept mum on the issue. Some of her colleagues in the movie industry were as surprised as her fans as they claim they never saw her with any pregnancy.

While some have congratulated her, some are still in surprise and waiting to get a good answer. Many might have thought it was Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke, but the actor had earlier disclosed that as far as he is concern, they are just best of friends and would not want to discuss anything related to her personality. But with Nigeriafilms.com latest observation, it's like Nadia will soon reveal her twins father.

Sunday 22 March 2015

I don't wear bum pants anymore,' - Dayo D1's wife

Caroline Adeneye, the beautiful wife of TV personality,
Dayo D1 Adeneye, has revealed that she doesn't wear
bum pants no more so as to 'protect the sanctity of her
womanhood.'

In a recent interview with The Nation
Newspaper, Caroline said, "Maybe bum pants. I used to
wear that when I was much younger but today, you
can't find me putting on a bum pant either at home or
elsewhere. As an African woman, one must protect the
sanctity of one's womanhood. That is me," when asked
about the clothing she would never be found wearing.

Kehinde Oshadipe releases tribute song for late sister titled Reflection

6 months after the death of her twin sister, Kehinde
Oshadipe, the twin sister of Late Taiwo Oshadipe of the
Oshadipe Twins has released a tribute song for her late twin
sister who died on October 3, 2014 after a brief illness.

The
new song is titled ‘ My Reflection ‘ and produced by Ace
producer, Wole Oni .
The emotion laden track describes the ordeal of losing a
loved one who holds a special place in one’s heart. The
Oshadipe Twins describes Taiwo as her reflection indeed,
the only close friend she had known all her life and
someone who was always sincerely validating or
debunking her choices. She said Taiwo showed love to
everyone that crossed her path and would go any length to
bring smile upon someone’s face. She admitted Taiwo’s
sudden passage has created a huge vacuum in their
musical career but she is resolute to live the dreams they
both shared. She admits this to be a huge task but she
expressed hope in God that she will be strengthened to take
the brand Oshadipe twins to a greater heights.
She expressed gratitude to veteran and contemporary
artistes, media houses and the general public for their
condolences and outpouring of love during the gloomy
days. Kehinde said living the Oshadipe Twins dream is
paramount to her and assured their fans of good quality

music from her in due course.

Patoranking: If not for music I would have been a criminal

Reggae act, Patoranking, has revealed during a media parley organised by MTV Base, that he would have been a criminal but for music.

According to him, music saved him from becoming a criminal as the slum did not give occupants many options. "There, it was either you made it the right way or the crime way", but Pato chose music and it has worked for him. He expressed his appreciation to MTV Base for making him the Artiste of the Month.

Saturday 21 March 2015

Mothers should not be forced to breast feed

A study has shown that breastfed babies have higher
IQs, spend longer in education and earn more in their
careers - but there are too many variables and women
should not be pressurised

If there’s one thing we as a society love to do, it’s to have a
good go at mothers. Be they single or working, everyone
loves to voice an opinion about how to raise children, and
unfortunately it’s mothers who tend to bear the brunt of this,
rather than fathers. Health professionals are not free from

the habit either.

We dish out advice to expectant and new
mothers and then wag our fingers when it’s not heeded. Do
this, don’t do that and never mind that what we say always
seems to change and contradict itself. Keep up now, mums,
or you’ll be responsible for a generation of feral youths.
Nowhere is the unrelenting pressure mothers are under
more evident than in the arena of breastfeeding. This one
biological act has become politicised and polarised like no
other. Don’t breastfeed your children and you are
condemning them to a life of illness and disease, mothers
are told. And now, according to research published last
week, they’ll also be thick.
A Brazilian study of more than 6,000 babies from a variety
of backgrounds showed that those who were breastfed had
higher IQs , spent longer in education and earned more in
their careers. The longer they were breastfed as a baby, the
greater their success. The research was immediately
pounced on, feeding in, as it does, to the narrative that
problems in a person’s life can be laid wholly at the feet of
the mother.
Doctors and midwives have had a difficult time with
breastfeeding. On the one hand it is undoubtedly a good
thing and women should be supported and helped if they
choose to do it. But what is less often talked about is the
stress and difficulty that many women experience with
breastfeeding, compounded by the sense that they are
failing their children immeasurably if they do not do it. The
evidence morphs into dogma that says women are
irresponsible if they don’t breastfeed.
Breast-fed babies grow up smarter and richer, study shows
The research itself is never questioned or queried. But just
how reliable <ital>is<end ital> the latest study on
breastfeeding and IQ anyway? It’s a very well-designed
project, ambitious in its scope and size. But when it comes
to something like breastfeeding, there are so many
confounding factors – variables that can inadvertently skew
the result and lead us to false conclusions. Because the
problem is, the health benefits associated with
breastfeeding are also associated with things such as class,
wealth and education of the parents. When factors such as
social background are taken into account, the evidence
supporting the health benefits of breastfeeding suddenly
looks less robust. We know that those who are
economically and socially advantaged are more likely to
breastfeed, so it is perfectly possible it’s actually the
positive aspects of wealth and class we are observing, not
the positive aspects of breastfeeding. Of course, this
particular study took place in Brazil, which is socially very
different to the UK, so again it is difficult to draw any firm
conclusions from it.
When it comes to IQ, things get even more complicated. The
study is a retrospective analysis, meaning it tested people’s
IQ 30 years on from when they were actually breastfed. Over
that time an incredible number of variables would have
influenced the result, so it’s impossible to say from the way
this study is designed whether or not the apparent
increased IQ is really the result of breastfeeding, or due to
some other factor. Certainly the findings are interesting, but
it is in no way concrete evidence. Rather, it is simply the
first in a long, complex series of studies that would need to
be done to differentiate between simple association or
actual causation.
But the breastfeeding lobby seems too narrow-minded and
dogmatic to allow for such caveats or critiques to the
research they use to browbeat nervous mothers-to-be. The
“Breast Is Best” mantra was intended to be a liberating,
pithy riposte to the slick commercial formula milk
advertising, yet it has become a stick with which to beat
women. It would be awful if expectant or new mothers read
this research and felt under yet more pressure to breastfeed
if they are unable to do so. I would far rather have a mother
who was bottle-feeding a baby and felt calm and relaxed
than one who was depressed and anxious about the fact she
was not lactating adequately. Motherhood is stressful
enough without feeling the weight of your child’s entire

future rests on your breasts.

Australia’s plain cigarette packets succeed in making smoking less appealing

The first comprehensive study of Australia’s use of plain
packets for cigarettes found they prompted increasing
numbers of smokers to quit and made the habit less
appealing to younger people.

The research was conducted in Australia, which was the
first nation to introduce plain packaging in December 2012.
Australia’s packets carry no logos and are plain aside from
large macabre health warnings. Britain is introducing
similar packets from next year.
Research by the Cancer Council, published in the medical
journal Tobacco Control, found the number of smokers who
tried to quit over the course of a month went from 20 per
cent before the packets were introduced to 27 per cent.
Smokers were also found to be more likely to hide their
packs and stub out cigarettes prematurely as a result of the
gruesome health warnings emblazoned across the cartons.
The findings were based on surveys of more than 5,000
smokers.
The research also disputed claims by smoking firms that the
removal of branding would lead to an increase in the sales
of illegal cigarettes.
There was also found to be no surge in online sales or
purchases from overseas.
Separate surveys of 6,000 school students aged 12 to 17
were conducted before and after the introduction of the
packaging. Those interviewed after the packets were
brought in had more negative attitudes towards smoking.
“These papers provide the first comprehensive set of results
of real world plain packaging and they are pointing very
strongly to success in achieving the legislation’s aims,”
Professor Melanie Wakefield, from the Cancer Council, told
The Adelaide Advertiser.
“These results should give confidence to countries
considering plain packaging that plain packs not only
reduce appeal of tobacco products and increase the
effectiveness of health warnings but also diminish the
tobacco industry’s ability to use packs to mislead

consumers about the harms of smoking.”

Lecturer wins £40k damages after 'wife deceives him into thinking IVF child is his'

A lecturer who says his businesswoman wife deceived him
into thinking that he was the father of the son she gave birth
to following fertility treatment has won a damages fight.
The man had claimed that without his knowledge the child
was created with the use of sperm provided by a former
boyfriend -

and was on Friday awarded about £40,000 by a

judge.

He said she dropped the "" when the child, now

nine, was five. The woman, now divorced from the man,

said there was "no merit" in the damages claim.

She said she always thought that the man knew that he was

"not necessarily" the little boy's father.

Judge Deborah Taylor analysed the case at a hearing at the

Central London County Court earlier this week and ruled on

Friday morning. She was told that the case is thought to be

the first of its kind.

• First babies born from safe new IVF technique

• House of Lords approves three-parent babies law

The judge said nothing could be published which would

reveal the identity of the boy at the centre of proceedings.

She said the man and woman should be referred to as "X"

and "Y".

The judge was told that the man was in his 60s, the woman

was in her 50s. The man and woman lived in different parts

of the London area. The man also had family links to Bolton,

Lancashire.

Judge Taylor heard that the couple married in 2002. In 2004

they had travelled to a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, for IVF

treatment and the man had given a sample of his sperm.

A few months later the woman returned to the clinic without

the man and travelled instead with a former boyfriend.

Barrister Thomas Brudenell, who represented the man, said

during the later visit the woman was impregnated with her

former boyfriend's sperm.

The little boy was born in late 2005 and when he was

around six months old the couple separated. Divorce

proceedings began and their divorce was finalised in 2008.

Mr Brudenell said the man looked after the child when the

woman was working and paid more than £80,000 in

maintenance over the following few years.

The woman claimed she always thought her husband knew

he was 'not necessarily' the boy's father

In 2011 a dispute arose over the amount of contact he was

having with the youngster - and the woman then told him

that he was not the "biological father". Shortly afterwards

that was confirmed when he took a DNA test.

The woman told the judge that she had never told the man

he was the father and said she had hidden nothing.

She told the judge that her ex-husband knew "from the very

first day" that she had been to the clinic with her ex-

boyfriend.

The woman said there had been no deceit, no fraud and no

misrepresentation - and said she was "not guilty".

Mr Brudenell told the court that the man wanted damages

for "distress and humiliation", damages to cover the amount

he had paid in maintenance, and compensation for loss of

earnings. He said the man's work had suffered and his

income dropped because he was "shattered".

• Single women should not get free IVF, say ethics experts

• NHS trusts told to end postcode lottery of IVF treatment

Judge Taylor has heard that the couple's marriage was in

difficulty around the time the woman had IVF treatment.

Mr Brudenell told her that they had drawn up an agreement

under which he would not have the "normal" financial

responsibility for any child.

He said it seemed that the agreement had "upset" the

woman.

The woman had asked whether any "normal, loving, caring,

husband" would have "forced his wife" to sign an

agreement such as the one she signed.

"He didn't want to go back (to the Spanish clinic)," she

said. "The only reason I took (my ex-boyfriend) was

because my ex-husband gave me that document to sign."

D'Banj declared he is now An Official Member Of 'NYPD'

D'banj has some news for you, he wants you to know he has officially joined NYPD; calm down, it isn't the New York Police Department.
The NYPD movement is a youth oriented movement of visible hope for the Nigerian youth and the grand launch and official exhibition of NYPD will hold in Lagos on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at the Haven Event Centre, Oba Akinjobi Street, G.R.A Ikeja, Lagos. D'banj announced his involvement with NYPD a few hours ago via Instagram with the photograph above accompanied by the caption: 'I live for positive vibes and energy. I am proud to announce to you that I have joined NYPD (@nypdng). I believe in our Youth? I believe in Positivity? What do you believe in? #iBelieveInNYPD.'

Davido to collaborate with Wizkid Soon

Davido who has just confirmed that he's working on a collabo with American rapper ? Meek Mill, has now revealed that he has another big collabo coming. With the excitement of the collaboration still all over the place, a fan tweeted at him:
'Hello bro! More grace to ur elbow?When will you have a collaboration with your friend Wizkid?' Davido responded immediately by saying: 'Coming'. This is a departure from the posturing of the two stars who, although now at peace with each other after been at loggerheads for almost the entirety of 2014, have said they are not working on a collaboration for now.

Friday 20 March 2015

Read the letter of the little girl who donated N10k to Buhari's campaign

9yr old Nicole Eniiyi Benson yesterday march 19th donated

N10k to the APC Presidential campaign team and publicly

read the letter she wrote on stage during the Buhari

interactive session with women in Lagos. Nicole said she

saved up her lunch money given to her by her mum

(N5,785) and her mum added the rest to a round figure of

N10k. She shared her letter on APC website and was then

invited to the event to read the letter to APC members and

guests. What she wrote after the cut...

In her letter, she wrote thus;

Dear APC and governor Fashola,

My name is Nicole Benson. I am 9 years old. The name of

my school is Green Springs School Lekki campus and I am

in year 4 peters. I want to be a doctor when I grow up so

that I can take care of people who are sick and dying

because they take care of me when I am sick.

Governor Fashola and APC I was listening to the radio on

my way to school today and I heard that we can send

money to you to help you to win the election. My mummy

said that I can donate from N100 so that we can help APC to

raise the money to win the election and remove president

Goodluck Jonathan so that Mr Buhari and professor

Osinbajo can be the new president and assistant president

and be able to help Nigeria to fight the Boko Haram people

who are killing innocent children and also bring back the

Chibok girls so that their mummies and daddies can be

happy.

Governor Fashola and APC, please don't you think that

N100 is too small? I have the new N100 notes but I am

sorry I will not be able to give it to you because I only have

one and I want to keep it in my wallet. But I have N5,785

that I saved from my lunch money and pocket money and

tooth fairy money. I know it's my mummy giving the tooth

fairy the money to give me because I found my tooth in her

wallet last year. and I want to give you all my money that I

saved so that you can win in February. I have N5785 naira

and also N8 but the N8 is in coins and it's only in Shoprite

that they gave me so I want to go and spend it there. I

wanted to buy my inhaler disk but my daddy has bought

another new one for me. I have given my mummy the money

and she put it on her card to pay it on your website and she

paid it now. I wish I could get more money for you but that

will be next week when I get more lunch money from my

daddy and tooth fairy can't give me any more money

because all my teeth have all grown back. I can still save

more money for you and give you in February.

Please help me give some of the money to Mr Ambode too

so that he can win Mr Jimmy Agbaje. I like Mr Ambode very

much.

I wish you good luck not Goodluck Jonathan but best of

luck and please you can call my mummy's number if you

need me to send the money I want to save

for you. But you will have to give me some time to save it.

Please say hello to Mr Ambode Mr Buhari and professor

Osinbajo for me.

Nicole Eniiyi

Thursday 19 March 2015

Amarachi ft Phyno: Ova Sabi official video

OFFICIAL VIDEO: 10-Year-Old Amarachi Ft. Phyno - Ova
Sabi Winner of the first edition of Nigeria’s Got
Talent Reality Show, Amarachi Uyanne releases the visuals
to her Phyno featured single titled “Ova Sabi”. Enjoy!
DOWNLOAD HERE

Muisc: Brainny tenten

#BRAINNY is an exclusive dance hall / afro pop artist from
Benue, he started his musical career in Abuja and relocated
to Kaduna were he was signed by #Legendry-team-beat. And
this brand new song titled "Tenten" is his 1st official single
from his new record label produced by #emm-dizzle.
Anticipate for more hitz traks by #brainny as u groov on with
this dope single. Follow up for details @its_brainny
@naijadoops

DOWLOAD HERE

Tuesday 17 March 2015

363kg Monster Fish Caught By 8 Men Breaks World Record

The gigantic fish which measured over 2 meters in width, 4 meters in length and weighed almost 363 kilograms was caught in the Maeklong River in Thailand. It took two hours, a group of strong men to take turns on the rod and a small fishing boat to reel in the stunning stingray.
It has become the largest freshwater fish ever caught by rod and line. The gigantic animal was caught by American TV nature conservationist Jeff Corwin with the help of fishing guides from UK-based Fishsiam Ltd. Jeff said, "According to leading stingray experts, this is likely to be the largest fresh water fish ever caught with a rod and reel. The battle to bring this giant fish to the boat was epic and it took many hours and multiple guys rotating off and on the reel. The battle to bring this giant fish to the boat was epic and it took many hours and multiple guys rotating off and on the reel."

Fiance spies on Toyin Lawani when he is out of town

Toyin Lawani, celebrity stylist is a popular person on the Nigerian entertainment scene. The fashion designer stepped out on Friday night for the Vapours party and her fiance, Lord Trigg commented on her photo. From the conversation between the engaged couple, it appears that Lord Trigg has spies watching her every move when she is out of town. Lord Trigg : Hmmmn Toyin : Hmm im not home and u looking hot like this? @lordtrigg lmao saw ur guards Lord Trigg: u know I got eyes on u.. lol ma dawgs everywhere to know if ur of good behavior lool #loveyoubaby.

Skales reviews he is still cool with Wizkid

After all said and done as regards the twitter spat between B-List Musician, Skales and his A-List counterpart Wizkid. The former has come out to say that he has put the past behind him, saying he is cool with Wizkid and he has moved on. He just wants to concentrate on his Music and get people to focus on it. In an interview with Vanguard Newspaper however, Skales has explained that he simply wants to move past that episode and have people focus on his music. Skales said, "We never really fell out; the relationship we had has always been about music. It's not like we are brothers. We are not from the same family. Like I said, it was just business and music. So we were cool, and even till now we are still cool. I have no bad blood against him. I just want to face my music right now. I'm about to drop my album and that's all that matters to me right now.

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Election is about your stomach not about your brother- Gov Amaechi tells Rivers state residents

While campaigning for APC at the Degema Obonoma and Abonnema
communities in Degema and Akuku-Toru Local government area of
Rivers state yesterday March 3rd, Gov Rotimi Amaechi was quoted as
saying to the people to vote for their stomach and not because their brother,
President Jonathan was in the race to be re-elected as
President.

"This election is not about brother, it is about your stomach. If
dollar likes, it can get to N300 or N400 to a dollar, the President
can afford it but you can’t afford it. Now they tried everything
possible to stop the dollar from losing control. They couldn’t
because the economy will determine whether the dollar will lose
control or not and the economy has done that already. Another
one is fuel. They have done everything possible to pay for fuel.
They can’t pay. The money is not there. Now, there is fuel crisis.
If they win, they will abandon you completely because they have
no solution to the problems. The first solution to the problems is a
new government. Are we going to win? The answer is yes. We
have not started campaign. We will start campaign by the end of
this week. We will see the crowd again that will frighten the
president. Nigerians want change. Things have got to change.
See your road. Two years ago, I sat with the president and
Kalabari chiefs and I said, ‘Allow me take this road. The president
said no’. You can see the road. Next rainy season, you cannot
drive into this place unless you change the President and if you
change the President, then the new President can fix the road.” he

was quoted by Vanguard as saying

ISIS militants throw 'gay' man off building in Raqqa

ISIS barbarians have killed yet
another man they accused of being gay. The blindfolded man was led
to the rooftop of a multi-storey building in Raqqa,

The pictures below shows how this victim was thrown down and how multitudes of people gathered to witnesses painful Exit of this guy, see photos after the cut...

Join thousands of women to match in match this Saturday

When last did you engage in a cause bigger than you? The cause of
female empowerment matters but it is good to embark on it with people
that matter.
An opportunity presents itself with ‘March-In-March’, a commemorative
march organised by Access Bank in conjunction with Ideas Builder’s
Initiative to mark the International Women’s Day.
This march,

themed ‘Make It Happen’ is about making our women want
they want to be, joining our energies for a cause & changing the cause
of humanity, one stride at a time. Click here to register!
The Walk starts off at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Lekki Phase 1
Walk route: Ikoyi-Lekki toll bridge to St. Saviour’s school and back to
Divine Mercy
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2015
Assembly/ Kit pick-up: 6 am. Walk starts: 7:30am
prompt
Dress code: White T-Shirt on Black/Blue Jeans
For more information, please visit http://www.thewcommunity.com

Ex-Kogi Gov Audu attacks EFCC operative in court, on accuse of #11bn scam

former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, who is
being prosecuted at a Federal Capital Territory High Court by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for his alleged
involvement in a contract scam to the tune of eleven billion naira,
today threw decorum to the dogs when he ordered his security
aide (a police officer) to assault an operative of the EFCC, Haruna
Ashade, for daring to take his photograph in court.
Ashade, a member of the EFCC team assigned to cover the proceedings,
was carrying out his lawful duties when Audu’s aide descended on him.
The sudden realisation that his image might have been captured by the
cameraman, incensed Prince Audu.
Seething with rage, he demanded for the camera, when Ashade refused
to hand the equipment over to the accused person, Prince Audu called
on one of his aides, a police inspector, to forcefully collect the camera
from Ashade and delete his pictures from it. A scuffle ensured which
threw the court into confusion. Audu’s aide rained blows on Ashade, in
the attempt to snatch the camera from him.
It took the personal intervention of Justice Ademola Adeniyi who was
about coming out of his chambers to restore order. Justice Adeniyi sent
one of his assistants and his orderly to restrain Prince Audu’s aide. He
was said to have ordered the release of the camera for it to be kept in
the custody of the court until after the sitting. Ashade obliged them.
However, to the dismay of officials of the EFCC, when the camera was
released, all the pictures taken in court had been deleted! When the
case was finally called, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN,
pleaded for a short adjournment for reasons of non availability of his

witnesses in court.
He told the court that, he was at the Court of Appeal till late yesterday,
March 3, and was not aware that the bank witnesses to be called are
not available. He informed the court that the prosecution will be bringing
new witnesses to testify. Responding, counsel to the first accused,
Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, said that, if the prosecution has other witnesses
not contained in the proof of evidence, there is a need for defendants to
be served with their statement.
The case has been adjourned to Friday, March 6, 2015 for continuation
of trial. Prince Audu is being prosecuted alongside a former Director
General of the Directorate of Rural Development in his administration,
Alfa Ibn Mustapha, for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust
and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N10,965,837,040
(ten billion, nine hundred and sixty five million, eight hundred and thirty
seven thousand and Forty Naira).

Mercy Johnson: why I had to board the train with odinary people

Article written by actress Mercy Johnson Okojie…
My picture and that of my daughter, Purity in a Lagos train has
surfaced online and quite a number of people have asked me what I
was doing in a train and in Lagos for that matter; not Paris or
London.
I was around Iddo at Ebute Metta when my Range Rover developed
a mechanical fault and I had to make a very important appointment
in Ikeja regardless of the usual traffic congestion in Lagos.
Luckily, a member of my management team was around, he
suggested a train ride and we were in Ikeja in less than 30 minutes
but that is not the crux of this statement.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have had to answer questions in private
and public as to why I would board a train because trains in Nigeria
are considered a means of transportation for the ordinary and not-
so-rich people.
A friend called and said I just devalued my brand by being on the
train with ordinary people. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Are we extra ordinary people because we are celebrities?
In as much as I understand the concept of branding, packaging and
exclusiveness, I will never trade the experience to sit, interact and
feel the pulse of so-called ordinary people.
By the way, I am part of the ordinary people. I grew up as an
ordinary person among ordinary people.
Why would I avoid them now? Would that be because I am now
famous?
Without these ordinary people, how would I have been famous in the
first place?
Without the so called ordinary people, where would Nigeria’s
growing population of so-called well packaged celebrities be today?
For the purpose of clarification, I was not on that train due to lack of
money to get a well packaged cab or to get somebody to bring
another car from the house but, my car developed an unforeseen
fault and I needed a fast , reliable and convenient alternative
immediately as there was urgent business to be attended to and I
respect time a lot.
The train was available where I was; most importantly, I did not
want to turn down the opportunity to be with the people who would
ordinarily not have access to me so I grabbed the opportunity with
both hands and here we are.
I want to thank my co-passengers, officials of the train for treating
me with absolute respect and courtesy, I am indeed, very grateful.

APC women in Sokoto decamps to PDP

No fewer than 750 women from the All Progressives party (APC)
from the 23 local governments in Sokoto State on Tuesday defected
to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The decampees, led by Luba Dubai, APC chieftain, were received by
the state Chairman’s wife, Sa’adiya Milgoma , at the PDP women
rally in Sokoto on Tuesday.
“The new entrants will be treated equally and fairly, and we should
all work to ensure the success of the party at the forthcoming polls
at all levels,’’ Milgoma said.
A former Minister of Women Affairs, Maryam Chiroma, appealed to
Nigerians, especially women not to be deceived, stating that the re-
election of Jonathan will ensure the continuation of his
transformation agenda.
Chiroma, who was also PDP’s former National Woman Leader, said,
“the Nigerian women should use their majority population and
voting power to re-elect Jonathan’’.
In her remarks, Sarah Jubril, the Special Assistant to Jonathan on
Ethics, said that the president had treated the North-West fairly and
deserved to be re-elected.
A member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Rabi Ibrahim , said that
“Jonathan is the first gender-friendly president Nigeria has ever had
since independence.
“Mrs Jonathan cares about the Nigerian woman and she is
passionate about improving the lives of the Nigerian children and
other vulnerable groups,’’ she said.
The Special Assistant to Jonathan on Women Empowerment,
Ramatu Bala, also urged the women to vote for Jonathan.
Bala, a former National President of National Council for Women
Society, said that Jonathan’s re-election would ensure the
sustenance of peace, unity and national cohesion.
The wives of the Deputy Governor, PDP gubernatorial candidate and
Woman Leader, Kulu Shagari, A’ishatu Wali and Kulu Rabah,
promised that women would vote for the party’s candidates at all
levels.

Personal Assistant to Enugu State governor is in trouble for impregnating an SSS1 student

An Enugu State based top politician who is said to be a Personal
Assistant to the state Governor, Sullivan Chime, narrowly escaped
death when some angry teachers in a secondary school stripped
him Unclad and mobbed him for allegedly impregnating a school
girl.
The middle-aged politician identity was uncovered in his car that
was impounded by the teachers and students of the Metropolitan
Girls Secondary School, Ogui New Layout, Enugu, via his
identification cards, Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and other
documents found in the car.
The culprit who was described by those who know him as a very
randy man with a penchant for going for teenage girls, had
reportedly impregnated the SSS1 girl of the school and urged her to
go for an abortion but she refused.
The cat was let out of the bag when the victim suddenly slumped on
the ground during morning assembly on that fateful day, bleeding
profusely. She later named the man responsible for the pregnancy.
He was therefore lured to the school where he was mobbed.
The state Commissioner for Education, Professor Uche Okolo,
confirmed the incident and told newsmen:
“A man was apprehended. The man defiled a girl. The girl got
pregnant. The child was bleeding and rushed to hospital.
The school made a report to NAPTIP. The man came to the school
to take the girl and he was arrested. The good thing is that he has
been apprehended. He should go and face the law.”

John Mikel Obi of Chelsea to resume play on April

London - Nigeria international midfielder John Obi Mikel is now
expected to make a return to competitive football for Chelsea next
month, SuperSport reports.
According to Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, the Nigerian midfielder
could become available for selection in three weeks after recently
undergoing surgery due to a knee injury.
But the Chelsea boss' premise is hinged on a balance of "optimism
and pessimism" that the 27-year-old could return without a hitch.
“Mikel had a little surgery. I was expecting him to be out for about a
month and one week has already gone.
“So I would say, with not too much optimism or pessimism, Mikel to
play in the first week of April,” said Mourinho.
The midfielder has missed a number of matches for Chelsea including
the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend
since his last appearance for the Blues in a league match at Aston
Villa on February 7.