NCC COMMENDS MTN AMBASSADORS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah has commended MTN ambassadors on their roles in developing Nigerian youths and the entertainment industry, through what he described as classical music.
Juwah, who gave the commendation in Abuja when he hosted MTN music ambassadors in his office recently, said the musicians themselves had become a standard for the youth of the country.

“You have made the country proud by your creativity, you have shaped the entertainment industry. Through the effective oversight of the Commission, the industry has been able to engage the youth through the promotion of the entertainment industry by way of Talent Shows which have seen the emergence of artists who have become role models for the teeming youth, adding that your shows have enriched lives significantly,” he said.

He told his guests that Nigerian entertainment industry has gone beyond the shores. of Nigeria, and cited an example of his visit to Atlanta, Georgia, USA recently with some Nollywood producers and actors to attend a seminar where professors and other experts from the USA and Canada came spefically to understudy, analyse and talk about the growing entertainment industry in Nigeria and the influence on other sectors and cultures.

He said the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), which is located in Abuja, in collaboration with George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia and Howard University, hosted the seminar with a view to providing global best practice in marketing and distribution of movies, training on digital movie production and editing among others.

"The NCC is in the forefront of doing the best for the entertainment industry including Bollywood," Juwah said, adding that a studio is being built in Oshodi, Lagos to cushion the practice of Nigerian entertainers.
Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management of NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi also told the visitors that the telecoms industry is a platform for propagating the ideals of entertainment through video streaming, SMS and caller tunes.

“The industry has ensured the success of these platforms, it has empowered Nigerians and the NCC is looking forward to the emergence of more stars who will reach out to the younger generation and show good example through mentorship of the younger generation,” Itanyi said.
Director, Public Affairs of NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo said until his appearance on a radio programme recently to explain the link between telecoms and the Automated Teller Machine (ATM), many people did not know that the ATMs were linked to telecoms networks.
Ojobo said the entertainment industry has made Nigerians both home and in the diaspora proud.

He cited the advent of Project Fame as part of the telecoms industry’s intervention to improve the standard of the entertainment industry and empower the youth.
Ojobo said his encounter at an event in JFK Arts Centre in Washington DC where youths of all nationalities came specifically to savour Nigerian artists and learn about the culture of the people of Nigeria, displayed through music, drama and the arts, was a memorable experience.

The musicians including Sir Shina Peters, Chidinma, KCee, Praize and Nyanya also visited other directors of the commission including the Director, Policy Competition & Economic Analysis, Ms Josephine Amuwa, the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mrs. Maryam Bayi, and the Director of Projects, Ms Ayo Sofolahan.

Bomb blast rocks Kano Central Mosque; many feared dead !

 

 

Scores of people are feared dead in a bomb blast at Kano Central Mosque, near the Emir’s palace, witnesses and the spokesperson of the Military Joint Task Force in the state, Captain Ikechukwu Eze, have said.

Witnesses said the bomb went off as Muslim faithful prepared for their Friday jumaat prayers, causing serious pandemonium as people ran helter-skelter for dear lives.

The explosion, which went off at about 2 p.m. before the Imam of the mosque, Sani Zahradeen, began his sermon, was said to have been followed by sporadic gunshots.

The number of casualties is not yet known.

Already the police have cordoned off the entire area  while the entire mosque has been deserted.

Details later…

‘Bomb attack averted in Maiduguri’

Civilian vigilantes working with the Nigerian military against Boko Haram on Friday said they had foiled a roadside bomb attack against worshippers at a mosque in a key northeast city.

The suspected remote-controlled device was planted by the side of the road in the Gamboru Market area of Maiduguri and was successfully defused by the police bomb squad.

As the bomb was being made safe, another device exploded nearby but there were no casualties as the area had been cordoned off, said civilian vigilante Babakura Adam.

“Our assumption is that the bombs were planted ahead of Friday prayers in the mosque just nearby,” he told AFP in the Borno state capital.

“Of course, it’s Boko Haram’s handiwork because in the last few days several arrests have been made of suspected female suicide bombers.”

On Tuesday, two female suicide bombers blew themselves up within minutes of each other at the busy Monday Market in Maiduguri, killing more than 45.

Boko Haram, which was founded in the city more than a decade ago, was suspected as it has increasingly employed women as human bombs in recent months across northern Nigeria.

Adam said the arrests were made on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the discovery of the bombs on Friday, another member of the civilian joint taskforce, who have increased in number in Maiduguri in recent weeks, said the intention was to cause havoc.

“The bombs would have killed both traders and worshippers,” said Musa Kalo, who was among the first on the scene after the vigilantes were alerted by a passer-by.

One witness, Kolomi Abba, described seeing wires from the device sticking out of the ground, while Kalo said the bomb was buried in dirt by the roadside.

The Gamboru Market is one of Maiduguri’s biggest markets and would ordinarily have been packed with shoppers, traders and worshippers before and after Friday prayers.

The explosion of the second device, which happened at about 9:40 am (0840 GMT), destroyed markets and stalls. A large crater was seen at the scene, eyewitnesses said.

Fears have grown in Maiduguri about an upsurge in Boko Haram attacks, after the militant Islamists took over more than two dozen towns in Borno and two neighbouring states in recent months.

Upcoming musician arrested for armed robbery

A young up coming musician, John Sunday, who thought he could get the money to promote his album by stealing, is now in police net where he is regretting his actions.

The 25-year-old aspiring musician was paraded by the Lagos State Police Command after he was arrested with others while carrying out their nefarious activities.

 

Sunday who is from Akwa Ibom State, confessed that he decided to go the illegal route to raise the sum of N100,000 to enable him to promote his reggae album.

"I am a musician from Akwa Ibom State. We were three in the gang, but one is on the run. I needed money to launch my album, Tureke Reggae; that is why I went into robbery. I was targeting N100,000.

I am full of regrets now and if I am let off the hook, I will do any legitimate work to realise the money to pursue my dreams."

 

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti, revealed that his team was able to apprehend the robbers off a tip on November 21 at 10pm.

Maheeda 'breaks Internet' with nude photos

 

 

Naija Bad Girl, Maheeda, after being on the low for sometime now, has decided to come out of her closet and bare it all.

To me oooo, ds woman deh do show biz

 

 

Bus drivers, Okada riders clash, hundreds stranded

hey...i got this gist from pulseng....so read on peeps.


The incident which started at about 8:00AM, residents and eye witnesses explain, saw Lekki Estate Shuttle drivers engage with Okada riders as a response to an earlier attack carried out by the latter the night before.

Mayhem visited Lekki Phase 1, Lagos on the morning of November 28, 2014 as bus drivers and unidentified men clashed with commercial motorcyclists (popularly called Okada riders), leaving many injured.

The entry route into the estate was blocked by rioters armed with machetes and other dangerous weapons, leaving many stranded outside, causing traffic along the Lekki Expressway.

The incident which started at about 8:00AM, residents and eye witnesses explain, saw Lekki Estate Shuttle drivers engage with Okada riders as a response to an earlier attack carried out by the latter the night before.

 

The unidentified men (who spoke in Yoruba language) carried cutlasses and blocked cars from driving through Durosimi Etti road. They burnt several motorbikes and attacked Hausa bike riders.

‘They can’t come here and attack us, we will find you and kill you’, one of the rioters shouted, wielding a cutlass. Gunshots were also fired and are believed not to be from the Nigerian Police Force.

 

In early November, the Lekki residents association placed a ban on commercial motorcyclists, making public announcements in the estate, explaining that both okada riders and passengers will be arrested if caught.

 

The whole incident might well be looked upon as an ethnic clash between Yoruba and Hausa tribes; most bus drivers are mainly of Yoruba extraction while the okada riders are of Hausa extraction.

The Nigerian Police Force conveniently avoided getting involved in the fracas. Pulse.ng reached out to the Nigerian Police Public Relations Office could not be reached as at the time of this report.

UPDATE

 

One person has been confirmed dead as a result of physical attack from rioters at the riot incident which took place earlier in the day. The deceased was carried away in a Nigeria Police Force truck.

Gorrilla Bizness

Native Tongue

1million gbese

Mind Flava!!!

 

Dont overload yourself....it will break your focus.

The real reason people fail is broken focus.

Find something worthy of consuming you, and put your life into it.

 

 

Champions Think!!!

 

Everything created has an assignment.

Your worth and significance are detremined by the kinds of problems you are willing to solve for others.

If you want to earn a N10,000 an hour, you must find a N10,000an hour problem to solve.

Your significance is not your similarity to others.

It is your differences.

Find your point of difference....and solve a problem with it.

Prosperity is inevitable.

Man marries off his two monkey's

An Indian man married off his two pet monkeys in an elaborate ceremony in front of hundreds of villagers, MirrorUK reported.
The man had purchased the 13-year-old groom and adopted him for a number of years before he decided to purchase a "bride" for him at a local fair.

The monkeys were solemnised by a Hindu priest in the crammed streets of Bihar.
A huge feast took place to celebrate their union, while villagers travelling from neighbouring towns joined in the celebrations.

RED ALERT: Fake LASTMA officials on the prowl !

Against the backdrop of reported cases of assaults and extortion of innocent motorists plying major routes in Lagos roads, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has urged residents to be vigilant over the rising presence and activities of men claiming to be its officials and the state’s taskforce unit.

 

This red alert came, following the end of the road for two fraudsters who have been impersonating officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to defraud erring motorists.

The two suspects, Funsho Williams and Adekogbe Olabode, were arrested by the police after collecting the sum of N35,000 from a motorist under a false pretence.

The victim, a 62-year-old retiree of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr Felix Adesanya, who narrated his ordeal at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH where he had gone for treatment as a result of injury sustained in the hands of the suspects, said he was sold a dummy of a spurious allegation of flouting traffic laws and told that for him to avoid being taken to the now famous ‘Alausa’ head office of the agency, he had to part with the money.

According to the Abeokuta, Ogun State born indigene: “I was discharged from Lagos State Teaching Hospital, LASUTH in September and given a medical appointment for Wednesday, November 12, 2014 to meet up with my appointment. So, I left my No 4 Olaonisebe Close, Akute residence in my ash coloured Toyota Camry with registration number KRD 653 BX.

“While I was driving to LASUTH, I was flagged down by two men in mufti wearing a reflective jacket on my way at Akilo area of Ogba. I halted with the thought that the two were in need of assistance to move farther. To my surprise the duo accused me of disobeying traffic personnel and all explanation that I did not commit any traffic offence fell on deaf ears as they were bent on arresting me.

“The duo insisted that I have committed a traffic offence and forcefully entered my vehicle introduced themselves as LASTMA officials and flashed an ID card with the inscription of Lagos Traffic Taskforce. They later demanded for my wallet, ransacked it and took N30,000 with a threat to take me to their office if I do not cooperate and summed up the money to N60, 000.”

“In order to meet up with my appointment, I went on my knees begging my captives for mercy and I was advised to take them to the nearest Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or face the risk of forfeiting my vehicle and paying N120, 00 to government. “Left between the deep-blue sea and the devil, I followed them obediently. At the ATM, they demanded to know my account balance which I refuted and withdrew N5, 000 only. With N35,000, the fake traffic task forces were not yet done as they demanded that I drop them at the Guinness bus-stop. With N35,000 in hand, the fake traffic officials tried to make good their escape and flagged down a commercial motorcyclist but I held one of them on the clothe and shouted out for help,” explained Adesanya.

Meanwhile, as pandemonium broke out, and with people running after them, one of the suspects jumped on the tail of a moving commercial bus, and it was while this was going on that a LASTMA patrol vehicle approached the scene and stopped the bus from moving away.

It took the concerted efforts of the Police and the LASTMA team to stop the mob from lynching them, as they were later taken to Area ‘F’ Police Station, Ikeja for further investigation, said a LASTMA official, Jonathan Arewa.

Also confirming the incident, the Investigation Police Officer, Area ‘F’ Police Station, Ikeja, Saliu Sanni disclosed that further investigation would be conducted, and suspects charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

However, LASTMA boss, Engr. Babatunde Edu, who condemned the act, disclosing that the impostors were never staff of his agency, however, warned impostors to desist from the illegal act or face the full weight of the law.

According to him “Residents must be alert and report any suspicious act from officials. LASTMA officials are to be in uniform at all time with visible name tag and no officer must cover his or her name tag with beret, pen or other items. Motorists have the right of asking for the official’s identity as anything short of this is illegal and must be reported to the authorities.”

 

 

Mugabe’s Wife Plans To Take Over Power !

Zimbabwe leader, Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace, is about to be the world’s first female dictator as she plots to take over power from her 90-year-old husband.

Grace Mugabe has been called many things since the moment when, barely out of her teens, she caught the eye of the president of Zimbabwe as she tapped away in his typing pool, reports the Daily Mail.

Now his wife, she styles herself ‘Amai’ (mother) for her supporters but, behind her back, is derided as Gucci Grace and The First Shopper, a reflection of her extravagant spending in designer shops around the world despite the struggles of her country.

Others simply call her Dis Grace, especially those who believe she forced her 90-year-old husband Robert to remain in power so she could plunder Zimbabwe’s diamond wealth to fund her overseas shopping trips. But now a nervous nation fears she could soon have a new title: President.

For this reviled woman has stepped, in her costly Ferragamo shoes, into the political arena, exploding a titanic power struggle to succeed the increasingly doddery despot who has ruled Zimbabwe so disastrously for more than three decades.

Many Zimbabweans believe she wants the top job, which would make her the first female dictator in modern history.

The 49-year-old has stoked such fears by touring the country by helicopter, holding mass rallies and pouring scorn on her rivals.

“The time has come to show people what I am made of,” she told one crowd.

“I had never dreamed of entering politics but you have approached me and I am ready to go.”

At another rally a few weeks later, the South African-born first lady said: “Some say I want to be president. Why not? Am I not Zimbabwean too?”

Most of her fellow citizens see this as a chilling prospect that threatens to plunge their beautiful but tormented country into fresh despair.

Grace Mugabe is, quite simply, loathed. “She is an avaricious monster with a vindictive nature, who makes Imelda Marcos look mild by comparison,” one close observer said.

“Every time she speaks she creates lots of new enemies, just hitting out regardless of the consequences,” said another well-connected figure in the capital Harare.

“I find her very cruel and spiteful, unlike her husband.”

This is a woman who personally threw an elderly white couple off their family farm, punched a British photographer in the face after he snapped her on a shopping spree and claimed to have cursed a South African critic of her husband who committed suicide.

Diplomats believe she is stealing vast chunks of the nation’s wealth from diamond mines. She blew £3million of state funds on her daughter’s wedding earlier this year and defends wearing her Italian designer shoes while people starve on the basis that she has “narrow feet”.

Suddenly the public buses in Harare are bearing huge images of her hated face. She has been given a doctorate in sociology after a two months of supposed study and ministers are gushing about the “guidance and leadership” of a woman “who is a mother to us all”.

And this is the question at the heart of the power struggle: who will take over from the cold, calculating man who has clung on to power in Zimbabwe since it won independence from Britain in 1980, overseeing the slaughter of rivals, the shocking collapse of the economy and the shameful theft of its mineral wealth?

Her jibes were supported by screaming headlines in official newspapers, one accusing Mujuru of conspiring with the CIA to depose the president at next month’s congress. The vice-president has stayed silent. Meanwhile there was a spate of suspicious deaths and severe injuries to senior regime officials, while businesses say they are being forced to take sides, with potentially dire consequences if they make the wrong choice.

If Mugabe’s wife were to inherit his throne it would be a remarkable rise to power for the former secretary, who began an affair with the president as his popular first wife Sally lay dying of cancer. Their only child died aged three of cerebral malaria.

“It might have appeared to some as cruel,’ Mugabe said last year. ‘My mother has all the time said: “Ah, am I going to die without seeing grandchildren?” So I decided to make love to her [Grace].” They married in 1996.

Twelve years ago she turned up with armed enforcers at the home of a septuagenarian couple who owned a stunning 2,500-acre estate. “I’m taking over this farm,” she told them, warning they had 48 hours to leave or face arrest. Since then Grace has built up a farming empire of thousands more acres of prime agricultural land, and launched a dairy range. “If she wants something, she just tells people she is taking it,” said one diplomatic source.

Last year, she claimed she had to expand a small orphanage near Harare and took 4,000 acres of a company-owned estate, leaving 50 families homeless and costing the firm nearly £4 million. She added another 2,100 acres this year, claiming to have found the land lying idle. Local sources say she wants further expansion.

Public distaste over her profligate spending grew as the economy slid into crisis after the farm seizures. She spent hefty sums on shopping trips in London, Paris and Singapore, where she was photographed with 15 trolleys overflowing with luggage at the airport. The Mugabes make regular visits to Singapore, where the president receives treatment for rumoured prostrate cancer while his wife hits the shops.

She is renowned for her fiery temper, most infamously displayed five years ago. As her nation was ripped apart by the second worst hyper-inflation in history, she was seen on a shopping spree in Hong Kong by British photographer Richard Jones and responded by attacking him.

“She was completely deranged,” said Mr Jones afterwards. His face was cut by her diamond rings after she hit him several times. She claimed diplomatic immunity to escape charges.

A legal battle earlier this year appeared to confirm reports the Mugabes had bought a £4 million luxury bolt-hole in Hong Kong. Funding for these homes, her colourful designer clothes and accessories such as Cavalli sunglasses, comes from the fabled Marange diamond mines in eastern Zimbabwe. Few profits dribble through to the state, which struggles to pay public sector salaries.

The WikiLeaks website revealed a former US ambassador identified her among a small group of high-ranking officials ‘extracting tremendous diamond profits’ from these mines.

Zimbabwe’s stolen diamonds are sold through a Hong Kong dealer and the proceeds often spent on arms.

Zimbabwe is now waiting and watching for its first lady’s next move. “This is clearly a political power play motivated primarily by the Mugabes’ desire to hold on to the massive amounts of personal wealth they’ve accumulated in power,” said Jeffrey Smith, a Washington-based analyst.

“It is self-interested politics buttressed by a dangerously inflated ego after speaking to large and boisterous crowds during her nationwide tour.”

Grace even seems to believe she has supernatural powers now. Referring to the death of Heidi Holland, author of an acclaimed book about Mugabe, she told one rally:  “There was a white lady who wrote a book castigating President Robert Mugabe. I held the book and prayed to God to deal with her. She committed suicide a month later.”

The big question is whether this despised woman can survive the deadly bear pit of Zanu-PF politics – or if she is just a pawn being used by other powerful players.

“She is portrayed as a smart businesswoman but everything she presides over is looted – although she is certainly an expert at retail therapy,” said one authoritative source.

“She is an under-educated woman who does not realise the fire she is playing with. She’s the sort of person who will end up hanging from a lamp-post like Mussolini’s mistress.”

Only time will tell if such gruesome fate awaits Grace Mugabe. Or whether she ends up as the modern world’s first female dictator, an alarming prospect for a land that has suffered so much and for so long under her husband.

 

 

Revealed ! APC Leader, Bola Tinubu Still A Suspect In The U.S for Drug Crimes .

 

Despite his failing health and political reputation in Nigeria as the national leader of All Progressive Congress, APC, former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is still being monitored, questioned and interrogated frequently upon arrival in the United States over drug crimes committed in that country.

Tinubu was indicted for Cocaine, Herroine and Gun crimes and forfeited $460,000.00 in the early 1990’s.

Cocaine, Heroine, Guns and other paraphernalia used in running the drug business were all recovered from the Tinubu-led drug cartel in Chicago in the early 1993.

“He is still a suspect and the case against him is not yet closed. It can be reopened anytime even though he has forfeited proceeds from the crime,” a U.S Security source told Pointblanknews.

Sources said, “Even if today Tinubu decides to visit the United States again, he would be questioned. “His crime is not one that can be swept under the carpet just like that.

“The usual suspicion by the United States and other countries is that once you have a criminal record, you must be monitored properly in order to forestall you committing the same crime again.”

Tinubu’s drug crime life has refused to go away from the U.S authorities even as mainstream media houses in Nigeria have been largely compromised and would not report the atrocities and conviction of the APC leader.

The APC leader is currently joggling his political cards, seeking to anoint a Governor in Lagos State and a Presidential flag bearer for his party despite his indictment for drug crimes in the United States.

According to the document, signed by a former United States Government Narcotics Attache in its embassy in Nigeria, Andre W. Kellum, Tinubu operated an organisation that distributed cocaine.

Kellum who signed the U.S documents while serving in Nigeria, is now Regional Director for the Drug Enforcement Agency, DEA, in Bangkok,Thailand. 



Kellum said that though Tinubu was not subjected to criminal prosecution, the fact that he acceded to forfeiting funds to the United States Government was on its own a conviction.



Kellum’s letter was a response to a petition pertaining to Tinubu’s suitability to stand for re-election in 2003 as the governor of Lagos State. 



The petitioner said that Tinubu, owing to his conviction in the United States for running a drug cartel, was not suitable to stand for election in Nigeria. 


In the letter dated April 9, 2003, addressed to the former Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Alhaji Bello Lafiaji, Kellum wrote, “After consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of International Affairs (OIA), this is in response to the above referenced matter, regarding Bola Ahmed TINUBU (emphasis that of Kellum).

“Pursuant to the aforementioned request, the Lagos, Nigeria Country Office(LNCO) of the Drug Enforcement Administration immediately contacted DOJ/OIA officials. Copies of documents received by the LNCO from the NDLEA were forwarded to these officials for verification.


“As such, please note that paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of the complaint indicates that persons named therein operated an organisation that distributed heroin and the proceeds of that illegal distribution were in
the subject acounts to be forfeited. The complaint references U.S. (criminal) money laundering and (criminal) drug statutes as the authority under which the forfeiture occurs. Nevertheless, note that the complaint in this civil action identifies the funds as the defendant (Tinubu), not the account holders.

“Likewise, the Decree of Forfeiture, signed by a U.S. District Judge, identifies the criminal statutory authority for the civil forfeiture of the funds without regard to whether there is a corresponding criminal
prosecution.

“The facts revealed in the U.S. Investigation of the funds and their source are detailed in the affidavit filed by the Internal Revenue Service. In the letter from the NDLEA that resulted in Kellum’s reaction, the lead anti-narcotic agency in Nigeria said that the conclusion it could draw was that Tinubu’s drug case was yet to be closed by the United States.

The letter, in its opinion section, noted, “Former paragraph 6 above, Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu was involved in Money Laundering Transactions along with Mueez Adegboya Akande and Abiodun Agbele in the United States of America.

“Even though he was not charged to court, he had to compromise the case. Otherwise, he would have lost the whole money. 



“Arising from the case, Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu forfeited 460,000 US dollars to the United States Government being proceeds of narcotic trafficking or property involved in financial transactions in violation of18 USO 1956 and 1957 and therefore was forfeitable to the United States(emphasis that of the NDLEA).

“It is pertinent to note that the funds held by Citi bank which was released to Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the action filed against these funds held in the said accounts was dismissed with prejudice. This in effect means the case has not been closed (emphasis that of NDLEA) and could be reopened at any time by the United States Government.”

The opinion formed by the NDLEA on the issue as a result of Kellum’s letter, arose from a petition by one of the governorship aspirants in Lagos State in 2003, Sir Babatunde Abayomi Olowu, that Tinubu was not fit to stand for the governorship based on his conviction on drug offences in the United States.

The NDLEA said that though Olowu’s petition, dated January 16, 2003 raised several grounds for Tinubu to be prevented from contesting, the agency noted that the aspect in which it was interested was that between 1988 and1993, the former governor was involved in narcotics trafficking and money laundering. It said that upon receipt of the petition, it sent copies of the court that indicted Tinubu to the DEA in Nigeria for assitance. 
It said the DEA, through Kellum, replied on April 9, 2003, confirming the existence of such proceedings.


The NDLEA said based on the report, it established that: 


(a) That there was in fact a proceeding in the United States District Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division in 1993 in which the United States of America was the Plaintiff and the funds in 10
accounts held by Governor Bola Tinubu and Compass Finance and Investment Co. at First Heritage Bank and Citi Bank International in the United States were the Defendants.




(b) The substance of the application filed by the United States Attorney was “This is an in rem forfeiture case brought pursuant to 22 U.S.C. Section 881 and 18 U.S.C. Section 981 which provides for the forfeiture of property representing the proceeds of drug trafficking and property involved in money laundering.”




( c ) Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu defended the said publication through his counsel Patrick S. Coffey and there was a stipulation and compromise settlement of claims to the funds held by Heritage Bank and Citi Bank.



(d) The United States and the Individual Claimants i.e. Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu and others agreed to settle and to compromise this action upon terms previously presented to the court. 




(e) The court made the following findings “The United States filed a verified complaint for forfeitures against the funds in the above captioned defendant accounts because there was probable cause to believe that the property represented proceeds of narcotics traficking or was property involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C.


In 1956 and 1957 and therefore was forfeitable to the United States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Section 881 (a) 6 and 18 U.S.C. 981. The funds in the defendant accounts were seized initially by seizure warrants.”

(f) From the findings of the court, “Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu has admitted and acknowledged that the funds traced to his account represented proceeds of narcotics trafficking or was property involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1956 and 1957 and therefore was forfeitable to the United States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Section 881 (a) and 18 U.S.C. 981. The funds in the defendants acounts were seized initially by seizure warrants.”


(g) Following from (f) above, Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu has also admitted that he was involved in laundering proceeds of drug trafficking in the United States of America and the proceeds of such illicit drugs or money laundered in the sun of 460,000 US dollars be forfeited to the United States Government. 



(h) Although Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu was not charged to court for trafficking in narcotics, he was nonetheless indicted for laundering proceeds of drug trafficking being financial transactions forfeitable to the United States Government. 



(i) Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu opted for settlement so that he would not forfeit the whole money. He would have forfeited the whole money if the mater had gone through full trial. 



(j) Under the Nigerian law, it is possible to forfeit property believed to be proceeds of trafficking in narcotic drugs even if the suspect has not been convicted and is discharged by the court on technical grounds.



(k) Such a person whose property has been forfeited on grounds of being proceeds of drug trafficking will be classified as a baron or money launderer and certainly will be indexed and put on watchlist.



(l) From the above, if Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu is not the incumbent Executive Governor of Lagos State he would have been invited for interview to shed light on the facts admitted by him in this case. 



The NDLEA, in a further note, said that at the time of this transaction, Tinubu was a staff of Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited, with a monthly take home pays of $2,400. 



The note said that despite the amount Tinubu receives, he completed a credit application for a loan of $8,000 to buy a car on January 6, 1990.



He reportedly said in the application that his only source of income was from his job with Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited. 



The note said that on November 20, 1990, one Abiodun Agbele, whom Tinubu said is known to him, was arrested after selling one ounce of white heroin to an undercover agent for $7,000. 



Agbele was described as an agent of Mueez A. Akande in the distribution of heroin in the United States.The note added, “Interrogation of the said Agbele and further investigations revealed the identity of the other individuals, including relatives who have worked for Akande with various duties in the distribution organisation. One of these individuals has been identified by the investigation as Bola Tinubu. 


“Governor Tinubu did not file any document to explain the source of money totalling over 1.4 million dollars which was traced to his account which was clearly above his means of income. 



“Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu was in the habit of using different residential addresses for different transactions apparently not to leave traces.”

In its conclusion, the NDLEA said of Tinubu, “Even though he was not charged to court, he had to compromise the case. Otherwise, he would have lost the whole money…. 



“It is pertinent to note that the funds held by Citi bank which was released to Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the action filed against these funds held in the said accounts was dismissed with prejudice. This in effect means the case has not been closed and could be reopened at any time by the United States Government.”

John A. Nordberg of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ordered the forfeiture of the huge sums, found in 10 of Tinubu’s accounts, believed to be proceeds of illicit drug trade.

The court, in the order given on October 4, 1993, said the drug deal, specifically in white heroin, involved Tinubu; his wife, Oluremi; and three of his family members. 



The accounts from which the funds were seized included First Heritage Bank(263226700), Citi International Bank (39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400200, 39936404, 39936383, 52050-89451952, 52050-89451952 and 52050-89451953).


According to a Special Agent of the United States Criminal Investigation Service, Kevin Moss, the DEA became involved in the investigation of a white heroin network operating in Chicago, Illinois (where Tinubu alleged he got a university certificate, which became a source of controversy while he was in office) and Hammond, Indiana in 1988. 



Cocaine, heroin, guns and other paraphernalia used for running the drug cartel were recovered by the investigators. 



The affidavit added, “The investigation disclosed that an individual known as Lee Andrew Edwards was a source of white heroin. Edwards is currently incarcerated for attempting to murder a federal agent while the agent was executing a search warrant. 



“Source A provided reliable information about Lee Andrew Edwards including the identity of a telephone number” and huge profits that Agbele admitted “he often wired to bank accounts on behalf of Akande.” 



Agbele, Moss said, “controlled the operation of the white heroin distribution network from Nigeria in conjunction with other individuals in Nigeria and the United States. Much of the business, at the time the operation flourished, was conducted by telephone, although, according to Agbele, Akande occasionally travelled to the United States under an assumed name to retrieve portions of the drug profits. 



“During the course of the investigation, DEA agents learned that in November 1986, Akande completed a lease application for an apartment on which he listed his employment as an account representative for Globe-Link International. Akande listed his address as 7504 South Stewart Avenue, Chicago, Illinois and a former address as 7527 North Sheridan Road also in Chicago. On the application, Akande listed … as his spouse and his current landlord was identified as Christmas Schaffer. 



“Further investigation by DEA disclosed that Agbele also completed a lease application for an apartment located at 4050 W. 115th Street, Chicago, Illinois. In the application, Agbele stated that he was employed by Globe-Link as a sales representative. The investigators have confirmed that Akande maintained an apartment in this complex. 



“This investigation has disclosed the identity of other individuals, including relatives, who have worked for Akande with various duties in the distribution organisation. One of these individuals has been identified by the investigation as Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 



“According to bank records from the First Heritage Bank, Country Club Hills, Illinois, Tinubu opened an individual money market account and a “NOW” account in December 1989. In the application, Tinubu stated that his address was 704 South Stewart, Chicago, Illinois. This is the same address used previously by Akande and Globe-Link. Upon opening this account, Tinubu deposited $1,000 in traveller’s cheque. 



“Bank records disclosed that five days after the account was opened, on January 4, 1990, $80,000 was deposited into the NOW account at First Heritage Bank by wire transfer through First Chicago from Banc One Houston. The transaction was completed at the direction of Akande who resided at 7930 Corporate Drive. Akande previously used this address.

Further, the investigation disclosed through a review of bank records that an individual named Akande had three accounts at Banc One. 



“According to bank employees, when Tinubu came to First Heritage Bank in December 1989 to open the accounts, he was introduced to them by Akande who at that time maintained an account at the bank. 



“According to bank records, Tinubu also opened a joint checking account in his name and the name of his wife. The wife previously opened a joint bank account also at this bank with Akande, …the wife of Akande

 

 

 

Trader kills customer during price negotiation

                                                                                       

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a trader, Mr. Lawrence Ikonne, for allegedly killing a buyer, Isa Yaya, because the deceased haggled over the price of a commodity.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred at Ikonne’s residence on Afro Close, Afromedia Estate, Okokomaiko, Lagos.

Our correspondent learnt that Ikonne sold electronic appliances at the Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos.

It was learnt that the victim, 22-year-old Yaya, from northern Nigeria, had gone to Ikonne’s apartment to buy a fairly used air conditioner. Yaya, it was said, usually bought and re-sold condemned iron and electrical materials.

Our correspondent gathered that Ikonne, 26, from the Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, had gone to Alaba market on the morning of Friday, October 10, where he first met Yaya.

Ikonne had also reportedly invited the deceased to his house to buy his second-hand air conditioner.

When they got to the house, it was said that the two of them went inside a room to bring out the commodity, and they started haggling over the price.

It was gathered that Yaya insisted on buying the air conditioner below N5, 000- a price which did not go down well with Ikonne.

As the haggling continued, a fight was said to have ensued between the two which turned violent during which Ikonne allegedly hit Yaya with a plank in the belly.

During interrogation, the suspect explained that he had asked Yaya to either pay N5, 000 or assist him to return the commodity to where they brought it from but Yaya had refused. Ikonne added that he felt insulted by this attitude.

He said, “I had not met the young man before. I met him that morning at the Alaba market, and asked him to buy one of my appliances: an air conditioner. He actually looked like a cart pusher. When we got home, we both went in to remove the product, and we brought it outside for negotiation.

“As we continued, he said he would pay less than N5, 000. I replied that he should assist me to return it to where we took it from, but he refused. In the process, we started fighting. He even asked me to pay him for helping me bring it out. I was mad, and I hit his belly with a plank.

“When I realised he had fainted, I tied him with a rope and dragged him into a corner. I also fled the house.”

Our correspondent gathered that it was one of Ikonne’s co-tenants who noticed Yaya’s corpse where he was tied up.

He then raised the alarm, and reported the case to the Okokomaiko police station. The policemen later came to arrest Ikonne.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said he would call our correspondent back on the matter. He, however, had yet to do so as of press time.

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that Ikonne had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba, and he would be charged to court soon.

Jonathan unveils new N100 commemorative bank note .

 

                                                                                                  

 

 

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday unveiled the new N100 centenary commemorative banknote at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and ministers were present during the unveiling.

Briefing the president and his cabinet on the new note, the CBN governor said it was designed to commemorate 100 years of nationhood, adding that several countries like Morocco, Russia and Costa Rica had done the same to mark special events in their history.

He further recalled that a commemorative N50 banknote was also introduced to mark the nation’s 50th independence anniversary.
The new centenary note, Emefiele said, has the most advanced security features in the world.
He listed the design platform on which the note was made to include security, durability, attractiveness, cultural heritage and transformation.

Jonathan thanked the CBN for initiating the commemorative note.
The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, also commended CBN for introducing the new banknote.

According to her, the Quick Recognition Code (QRC) feature on the back of the note was laudable, explaining that if the code is scanned with smart phones or other mobile devices, it will link users to a website where the nation’s history could be accessed.
The QRC is a machine-readable matrix bar code that contains information about the item to which it is attached.

The minister also raised questions on the amount the CBN would use to print the new banknote and whether it would be done locally.
Jonathan said the questions would be answered in a memorandum on the issue to be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Providing more information on the commemorative N100 banknote, Emefiele informed THISDAY that the note would be in circulation from next month and would circulate side-by-side the old N100 banknote.

He added that there would be no deadline within which the CBN would take the old N100 note out of circulation, stating that it would be phased out gradually like all other banknotes that are recalled and destroyed by the CBN due to wear and tear.
“This means that market women and retailers should not reject the old N100 note because it will remain legal tender until it is phased out like other banknotes when they become old or are defaced,” the CBN governor explained.

He said it would be impossible to give a figure on how much CBN is spending on the new N100 banknote because its production was not done exclusively of other banknotes already in circulation, but assured THISDAY that a substantial part of its production was done locally by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc.

“You know the CBN is constantly ordering banknotes to replace the old ones in circulation, so the orders for the new N100 note was done in conjunction with other denominations of our banknotes,” he said.
He added that the CBN was still on course to phase out the N5, N10, N20 and N50 polymer banknotes, which he said would be done sometime next year.

A statement issued by the CBN added that the commemorative banknote has been designed and produced with the most advanced and security technology features with strong resistance to counterfeiting. It is meant to be durable, attractive and reflects our collective heritage and memory as a united nation.

The front side of the new banknote retains the portrait of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and raised embossed line to assist the visually impaired persons in recognising the face value.

The back side incorporates the QRC window which encrypts significant information that highlight Nigeria’s 100 year journey thereby making it one of the best as smart-connected paper banknotes using smartphones as identity and security tool for de-encryption of information.

 

8 types of men to avoid

                                                                                                            

Relationships aren’t for the faint of heart; you are required to bare your soul to someone and pray they reciprocate.
You’re expected to compromise a lot (sometimes at your own expense) to ensure that the relationship is kept afloat.
If that’s not enough, you also have to go through the tedious task of making sure that you don’t wear your heart on your sleeve for the wrong person.
Women have it the worst. Society is riddled with swine who pretend to be gentlemen; and because not that many of them exist, we often find ourselves falling victim to deceitful boys who only want to get in your pants.
But don’t fret, there’s a glimmer of hope. Below is a list of the worst types of men you absolutely have to avoid!
The Runner
This is a man who’ll run for the hills at the very mention of "feelings" or emotional attachment. He doesn’t handle "we need to talk" very well. It’s not your fault that he’s not yet mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with being in a relationship – he’s still a boy, and if he’d rather "kick it" with you then kick his spineless ass to the curb.
The 'Charmer'
This guy right here is a flirt, he can’t help himself. He has several side-chicks under his playboy belt and you’re probably one of them. He’s insecure and probably has to contend with a "small" issue that has nothing to do with you. With him you’ll always be an option, never a priority.
The Stand-Up Guy
If you have no problem getting stood up at the last minute after all the effort you put in to looking and smelling your best, then this guy is a good gamble. He won’t hesitate to send you a Whatsapp message cancelling on you an hour after he was supposed to pick you up for dinner; the common excuse being "Something came up. Sorry". That’s how little he thinks of you.
Mr "I’m the Sh*t"
He’s just not that into you because he’s too preoccupied with being into himself. He’s a narcissist, and he keeps you around for those rare occasions when he needs a brief distraction from how amazing he is.
He’s always talking about himself, and when he isn’t, he never lets you get a word in because what you have to say is insignificant. If you have no qualms with being someone’s protégé, this superficial bastard is your Mr Right.
The Teddy Bear
He’s not called a teddy bear because he’s cute and cuddly, but because he’s a big softie. He’s overly sensitive and dramatic and blows the smallest things out of proportion.
He also doesn’t take sarcasm very well because in his mind, every statement is a personal attack on his character. A thoughtful man who spoils his woman is attractive; however, a man who’s constantly smothering you and is clingy is a turn-off.
The No-Show
He talks a good game, shares his dreams of living lavishly but the only problem is that he STAYS seated on his arse! He’d find a job if he bothered to actually look for one, and it doesn’t help that he has expensive taste which he expects you to maintain. You are only useful to him because of what you’re able to provide for him financially. RUN!

Mommy’s little boy
One of the most pathetic forms of man there is. Being family-oriented is one thing, but this guy takes the notion too far. Here’s the truth ladies, if you’re dating this guy then be prepared to always come second.
He’s the type of man who’ll find any reason to run to his mommy dearest for advice over the pettiest nonsense. She, on the other hand, probably doesn’t even like you because she either feels threatened by you, or thinks that you’re not good enough for her "precious boy".
You can’t compete with that kind of attachment, so why even bother?
The No-Brainer
The married man is a definite no-go! He made a sacred vow to another woman and has a family. Contrary to what you might choose to believe, he will never leave his family for you. You only spite yourself by being with him, unless you're cool with the "side-chick" title.

14 burn to death in Kwara accident

                                                                                                     



14 passengers were burnt to death on Wednesday when a fully loaded tanker collided with a truck conveying passengers and cattle along Ogbomoso-Jebba Road, Tribune reports.
14 other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The truck was said to be coming from a state in the North-East while the tanker was heading towards the opposite direction when the vehicles collided.

The Kwara State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mary Wakawa, confirmed accident.

Ebola Survivor

                                                                      

   Medical workers talk to Teresa Romero, centre, a Spanish nursing assistant who recovered from Ebola and discharged from a Madrid hospital a month after she was admitted with the virus.                              

OritseFemi shoots Double Wahala remix in Miami

 
The remix which features D’banj and the video is directed by Moe Musa.

He recently moved into his newly acquired duplex valued at N200million in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos.
  Singer OritseFemi is currently in the United States shooting the video for the remix to his smash hit, Double Wahala.




Showbiz observers have remarked that 2014 has been a remarkable one for the artiste, after winning several awards.

The musician recently signed a multi-million Naira management deal, with an Abuja-based management company, Avatar Entertainment.
It was gathered that the singer acquired the new property, located off the popular Admiralty Way alongside a brand new 2014 Range Rover Evoque valued at N24m.

Woman rips out eye removing Halloween lenses

                                                                                         

A 42-year-old woman bought a pair off cat lenses to dress up for Halloween until it was time to take them off, when one fused to her eye causing it to be ripped out, DailyMail reported.

The woman had attended a Halloween party but when it came to the end of the time she couldn't take them off. The contact lenses were stuck for over seven hours.

She asked her partner to help her take them off and eventually managed to remove both lenses but one came out with the top lining of her eye. It had removed the clear part that covers the eye.

Followers of 'Prophet' see conspiracy in building collapse

                                                                                                    


Is it possible that a C-130 Hercules military cargo plane flying at low altitude dropped explosives on a guesthouse at Nigerian pastor TB Joshua's megachurch, killing 116 people inside?
That depends on who you ask.
Joshua, a self-proclaimed prophet, failed to show up Wednesday at a coroner's inquest into the causes of the September 12 collapse at the building in the grounds of his Lagos church.
But conspiracy theorists committed to absolving "The Man of God" of any wrong doing came out in their droves, offering a range of possible causes, even if consensus was hard to come by.
"We are not ruling anything out," said Moses Onyegu, 29, and a member of a body he called the Group of Concerned Students, which believes the deadly collapse is part of an elaborate plot to spark Joshua's "downfall."


Onyegu has latched on to claims that a mysterious aircraft was hovering above the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) compound in the minutes preceding the tragedy.
"The plane in the first place was not an ordinary air plane," said Onyegu, from southern Delta state. "According to write-ups on the Internet, it was a C-130 Hercules jet," he told AFP outside the court.
The suspicious aircraft theory first emerged days after the disaster when Joshua's staff released video footage of a plane they said was circulating above the guesthouse.
Expert witnesses at the Lagos state inquest ruled out the theory of aerial sabotage or an explosion and the court has been told that the guesthouse did not have any planning permission.


Onyegu was among several dozen Joshua followers outside the Lagos courthouse to support "The Prophet" in case he decided to appear.
All stressed the immense popularity and charitable work of the pastor and televangelist, who has followers across Africa and abroad, and their mistrust of official versions of events.
For them, whatever truly happened, Joshua was not to blame.
"In Nigeria, we have fifth columnists," said Oloja Olanrewaju, who identified himself as the secretary general of a group called the National Association of Nigerian Students.
He declined to offer a specific theory for the collapse, not wanting to preempt the inquest's findings, but suggested that "shadow stakeholders who benefit indirectly from any crisis" may have been involved.

Like Onyegu, he noted the importance of "the sort of air plane or helicopter" allegedly spotted above the church.
Nasir Lawal, who was born a Muslim but converted to Christianity and is now a passionate Joshua follower, pointed the finger at Islamist group Boko Haram.
"They might be motivated by the fact that they don't want Christians in Nigeria," said the 35-year-old leader of a youth group in southwestern Ondo state.
Also noting the plane theory, he indicated that Boko Haram may have the capacity to send a military aircraft to Lagos, several thousands kilometres from its northeastern stronghold.
The Islamists have killed thousands in a five-year uprising, including scores of church attacks, but they are not known to have access to aircraft.

A row of news cameras lined the entrance to the hearing room in anticipation of Joshua's arrival, with idle Nigerian reporters swapping guesses as to whether one of the country's most prominent -- and richest -- pastors would show up.
Joshua's lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, told the inquest that his client did not honour the court summons because he did not personally receive a written notice requiring his appearance.
But Joshua's supporters said his no-show came as a relief, because questioning from civilian investigators would have been an insult to "The Prophet".
"Bringing The Man of God down to this court is not very comfortable for me," said 21-year-old Precious Enegide.

Lovers found dead 2 weeks before wedding

                                                                                      

THE decomposing remains of two lovers, simply identified as Udogi Eguke and Ese, were found on Sunday, days after they died in mysterious circumstances in their Makolomi Street apartment of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The house owner, Chief Alfred Onavwa, who shares the top floor of the one-storey building with one of the deceased, confirmed the incident.

He said having been contacted on the absence of one of the deceased by neighbours, he called his line only to realize that his mobile phone was ringing upstairs.

He explained further: “On getting close to the door of the private stairway leading to their apartment, I noticed that it was locked from inside, with a stench oozing out.

“On realizing this, I personally invited the police who came and broke the door only to discover their decomposing bodies.

“Their remains were later deposited in the mortuary and I was made to understand that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

“Even the Ughelli Divisional Police Officer was here to see things for himself.”

Meanwhile, findings revealed that the couple, whose wedding was slated for November 22, had started preparation, with invitation cards already sent out to intending guests.

When contacted for comments, Ughelli Divisional Police Officer, Samuel Musa, neither debunked nor confirmed the incident.

He directed all comments on the matter to the state Police Public Relation Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Celestina Kalu.

However, at press time, calls and messages to her phone were yet to be replied.