Sources:

Time Magazine August 30, 2010

Clinical and Experimental Research November 2010; 34(11): 1-11

Medical Hypothesis March 2010; 74(3):493-6

SweetPoison.com -- Medical Hypothesis November 6, 2009 Prepublication copy (Full PDF)

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is not the first time we’ve been told that drinking alcohol is actually good for you. What’s surprising however, not to mentionpotentially troublesome, are the scientific claims that moderate andeven heavy drinking is beneficial – in this case, more beneficial for your longevity than abstaining from alcohol entirely!

It’s difficult to reconcile this claim with everything we already know about the devastating health effects of excessive alcoholconsumption and the fact that ethyl alcohol is neurotoxic..

However, I will offer one potential explanation for this oxymoron a bit later in this article.

Moderate Drinkers Live Longer than Non-Drinkers, Study Finds

According to the recent study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Research, epidemiological research suggests that moderate to high alcohol consumption is associated with areduced overall mortality risk compared to non- and light drinkers.

Their study included over 1,800 people, aged 55 to 65 when the study began. Sixty-nine percent of the participants were men. The subjectswere followed for 20 years.

Surprisingly, the group with the lowest mortality rate was moderate drinkers, who had one to three alcoholic drinks per day, followed by heavy drinkers, and then light drinkers, while non-drinkers had the highest mortality rate of them all.

The study states:

“Controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk,heavy drinkers had 70% increased risk, and light drinkers had 23%increased risk.

A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors,as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortalityeffect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers.

However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and45%, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers.”

Time Magazine writes that “moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice isred wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation andsociability.”

But is that enough to explain these findings?

I believe it’s unwise to ignore the big picture when it comes to health, and when it comes to alcohol, I’m just not convinced that thepotential benefits outweigh all the risks, particularly when it comes tohaving multiple drinks per day.

So I hope these latest findings will not be used as justification to further promote a dangerous and health-damaging habit that can easilylead to alcoholism.

The Health Hazards of Alcohol

Before we get into the potential benefits, it’s important to realize that alcohol is a neurotoxin that can poison your brain. It can alsodisrupt your hormonal balance, which could potentially explain why womendo not appear to reap the same health benefits from alcohol consumptionas men do.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “moderate” consumption for women is just one drink per day, whereas“moderate” consumption for men is two drinks. Hence, women who consumetwo to three drinks a day will actually fall into the category of“heavy” drinkers.

Another important consideration is that wine or other alcoholic beverages will increase your insulin levels, which will eventually have a negative impact on your health. As I’ve stated on many previous occasions, insulin resistance is a hallmark of nearly every chronic disease there is.

Heavy drinkers also face increased risk of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cirrhosis of the liver.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, women who drink two or more drinks a day increase their risk of breast cancer by more than 40 percent!

Other types of cancer linked to excessive alcohol consumption include cancer of the:

• Mouth, larynx and esophagus
• Liver
• Colon
• Pancreas
• Lungs

Alcohol consumption also inhibits your body’s natural stress response by reducing a key stress hormone, known as corticotropin-releasingfactor (CRF). CRF is produced by your hypothalamus and helps triggeryour body's reaction to stress.

If your stress response is impaired, your immune system will also be inhibited, which can have any number of health implications, from reducing your ability to fight infections to increasing your cancer risk.

Alcohol also clearly needs to be avoided during pregnancy.

Beyond Resveratrol – Explaining the Health Benefits of Alcohol

One of the most widely accepted health benefits of alcohol comes from resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, which acts as a:

• Cancer-preventing agent
• Blood thinner
• Vaso-expanding agent
• Blood pressure lowering compound
• Anti-aging chemical

But resveratrol cannot explain the health benefits ascribed to the moderate consumption of other types of alcohol (ethanol).

Interestingly, research into ethanol’s impact on dietary methanol may offer clues that could potentially rival the late breaking science into fructose and its devastating impact on health.

One possible explanation for why mortality rates are higher for non-drinkers may be that low levels of ethanol (alcohol) in yourbloodstream helps prevent the formation of formaldehyde from dietarymethanol. (In fact, ethanol is used as the preferred antidote foraccidental methanol poisoning in an emergency for this reason.)

What is dietary methanol and how could this possibly have ANY significance?

New Concern in Your Food: Wood Alcohol (Methanol)

Fresh fruits and vegetables contain small amounts of naturally-occurring methanol, and the artificial sweetener aspartameconverts into methanol in your body.

Normally this is not a problem as the methanol is typically bound to pectin, and since your body has no enzyme to metabolize that bond it issimply excreted in your stool and none of the methanol is absorbed intoyour body.

However, the problem occurs when you can or bottle fruit- or vegetable juice, as the methanol tends to then dissociate from thepectin into free methanol, which you do absorb.

The methanol you absorb readily passes the blood brain barrier where it can be converted to form formaldehyde, which is a potent toxin thatactually causes most of the damage.

Why Ethanol May Protect You From Methanol

An exciting paper that delves into this topic is food scientist Woody Monte’s “Methanol: A chemical Trojan horse as the root of the inscrutable U,” published in the March, 2010 issue of Medical Hypotheses.

In it, he explains that:

“Very low levels of ethanol in your bloodstream would substantively prevent all formaldehyde production from dietary methanolanywhere in the body.

Protection from formaldehyde production may account for the yet unexplained dose region of apparent improvement in the U-shapedcurve of alcohol consumption.

Epidemiologic studies show moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, dementia,lupus, and other diseases of civilization.

Low doses of ethanol appear to provide a preventative measure against the causes of diseases of civilization.

Recent studies of individuals who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day show subjects had an additional 86 percent reduction inrisk of myocardial infarction if they were genetically endowed with agenotype of ADH I that was 2.5 times slower to metabolize ethanol thanthe control.

These findings were ‘‘consistent with the hypothesis that a slower rate of clearance of alcohol enhances the beneficial effect ofmoderate alcohol consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease.””

It is important to understand that the primary treatment for methanol poisoning in the emergency room is to give them ethanol, for thereasons described above.

The ethanol will preferentially be broken down before the methanol. The methanol then remains unmetabolized, and in its base form it isrelatively nontoxic. It’s becomes a problem when your body breaks itdown to formaldehyde.

So while your body is breaking down the ethanol it has enough time to breathe out the methanol unchanged in your lungs and excrete itunchanged in your urine.

A Little Alcohol Might Be Good, But More is Definitely Dangerous

As I mentioned earlier, if this theory is correct, it could rival the scientific findings on fructose in terms of importance, and couldexplain not only the health benefits of low-to moderate alcoholconsumption, but also how aspartame affects some people more negativelythan others.

It may still be too early to draw definitive conclusions, but the arguments are compelling and I’ll be following this line of researchwith great interest in the years to come.

In his paper, Dr. Monte continues to connect the dots and shows how greater alcohol consumption ceases to be beneficial at a certain point, and instead starts to take its toll on your health:

“A compelling explanation of the dose region of adverse effects of the U-shaped curve with high ethanol consumption, which shows increased risk of these same diseases, could be themechanism by which humans habituate to high consumption of ethanol.

The induction of the P450 hepatic microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system results in a considerably higher clearance rate of ethanol fromthe bloodstream for an extended period of time, thus accounting for moreconsumption leading to statistically less time of protection.

Small amounts of supplemental alcohol not sufficient to induce P450 might be expected to prolong the residence time and avoid gaps inthe protection afforded by ethanol in preventing methanol-placedformaldehyde. “

P450 is a class, or family, of liver enzymes whose main functions include catalyzing the metabolism of drugs and the oxidation of organicsubstances.

In simplistic terms, higher alcohol consumption sends this system into high gear, and starts clearing ethanol from your system.

Again, a simplified explanation for how you become a habitual drinker (which also tends to lead to drinking increasing amounts of alcohol) isthat the more you drink, the more efficient this ethanol-clearingsystem becomes, and you begin to be able to drink more before you noticethe effects of the alcohol.

What this all means is that in order for the alcohol to provide you with the health benefit of preventing formaldehyde formation, it must below enough to not activate the P450 system.

Hence you get a U-shaped curve, where low- to moderate alcohol consumption gives you increasing amounts of health benefits, until youreach the “threshold,” at which point the more you drink, the more harmit causes.

It’s important to realize that formaldehyde is a class 1 carcinogen and a mutagen, and in the form of methanol, it can easily be transportedthroughout your entire body and brain.

Wherever you have a lot of ADH1 (the enzyme metabolizes methanol to formaldehyde), such as in your brain, methanol can be particularlytroublesome.

But as long as there’s just enough ethanol in your system to keep the methanol moving along, without ever being metabolized to formaldehyde,no damage is caused.

It’s worth noting here also that the average person typically has some naturally-occurring ethanol in their system, as it is also created through the fermentation process in your gut.

However, the addition of small amounts of ethanol in the form of alcohol may be able to more fully prevent formaldehyde from forming,which could explain why low- to moderate alcohol consumption appears tobe even more healthful than total abstinence…

How Can You Get the Same Benefits Without Drinking Alcohol?

It is not my recommendation to start drinking alcohol or to use this information as a justification to continue drinking alcohol. I am notconvinced it is physiologically beneficial for you in the long run.

The purpose of running this article was to merely inform you of a recent appreciation of methanol toxicity, and how ethanol can interactwith it. If this theory is true then the primary benefit of usingethanol would be to prevent methanol from converting to formaldehyde.

So what is the main source of methanol in your diet?

Remember that fresh fruits and vegetables have it but it’s harmless if you eat them fresh, as the methanol is then bound to pectin andcannot dissociate and cause you harm.

They key is to avoid ALL canned (or bottled) fruit or vegetable juices as they will have free methanol. Another large source of freemethanol would be aspartame which is 11 percent methanol by weight.

So if this theory is correct, you would likely receive very little benefit from consuming ethanol if you just avoid canned fruits andvegetables and asparatame….....

Do You Drink Too Much?

It’s dangerous to place too much weight on recommendations that include imbibing alcohol on a regular basis. And even if you do takethat recommendations to heart, it’s important to remember that healthbenefits have ONLY been found in people who drink small amounts ofalcohol on a daily basis, NOT a week’s worth of alcohol over theweekend...

This fact also further strengthens the theory that the benefit is derived from having low amounts of ethanol circulating almostcontinuously, or at least regularly, through your system, keepingformaldehyde from forming and doing any damage.

Unfortunately, alcohol abuse is a major problem in most countries, so I certainly hope you will not use this information as an excuse to hitthe bottle every day.

Most alcohol misuse and abuse stems from deep emotional challenges. Addressing these issues at a deep level is imperative to avoid thenegative health consequences--both physical and mental--that inevitablyresult from excessive drinking.

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be helpful if this is an issue for you. This psychologicalacupressure technique is routinely used in my clinic and it works betterthan any other traditional or alternative method I am currently awareof.

However, if you try the technique yourself and find that you are not improving, consider consulting a trained EFT therapist to facilitate theprocess. You can find a list of qualified EFT practitioners near you atthis link. For more information, feel free to review Pat Carrington’s site TappingCentral.

1128: President Jonathan begins walking towards the podium alongside his wife and the vice-president. The Kwara state governor, Bukola Saraki, appears to be conspicuously absent amongst the governors who just came in.
1125: Jonathan Zwingina leads the Islamic prayers and asks God to ensure a PDP win and also to bless Nigeria with leaders who do not steal.

1122: Opening prayers start..

1120: President Goodluck Jonathan arrives in Eagles Square in a bus with state governors.

1115: Some soundbites:

Bala Muhammed: Goodluck is a genuine inspiration to Nigerians irrespective of their bckground and we are very proud of him

Yayale Ahmed: "We thank God for everything"

Barnabas Gemade: " I'm highly delighted to see this mammoth crowd. he and Sambo are producing a good team. This will be a government of transformation."

Joseph Wayas: "What you can see in Eagle square represents what Nigerians are feeling. The candidature of Goodluck Jonathan is a popular one"

Don Etiebet: "Nigerians are ready for a new Nigeria. We have been walloing in the past and this is a new dawn. For the little period he has been here there has been a lot of transformation in power and finance."

Namadi Sambo: " We have come to make a statement to Nigerians that we have arrived. Let the opposition know today that come 2011 we will remain in Aso Rock."

Defence minister; I am happy that Nigerians have bought into the vision and I hope it gets better. Jonathan is for Transformation and stability.

Petroleum minister: I don't think Nigeria has seen this kind of crowd in a long time. I shows how much the people want him. Nigeria needs a leader that will give them their desire.

Information minister: Nigeria needs a young leader like the Obamas of this world. It will be tragic for Nigerians to allow those responsible for our past failures to come back and lead us.

Ima Niboro : The turn out is excellent: this is the man Nigeria has been waiting for and it is obviou

1105: As we wait for the President to arrive, a quick word on the traffic situation around town. In one word: gridlock. All the hotels in the city are also fully booked. There is no single room available. Yesterday evening it took about three hours just to drive in to the Transcorp Hilton hotel.

1100: The female compere appears to be reading out recharge card numbers to the crowd. Get your phones ready...

1056: The Vice-president, Namadi Sambo has arrived in a motorcade. Most of the senators and National Assembly members are also taking their seats.

1055: All of the big wigs are trying to force their way into the VIP section which is causing a lot of unsightly scenes, lots of pushing and struggling. So far the security are managing to keep it under control. Many of the affronted agbada wearing guests are having to make other seating arrangements.

1040: Ojo Madueke, former foreign minister, arrives wearing a bizarre jumps suit which really needs to be seen to be believed. He is closely followed by the wives of the PDP governors and their deputies. The First lady has also arrived and taken her seat on the podium.

1030: Remember the PDP spokesman who said that the National Executive Council are "supposed to be neutral?" Well someone must have missed the memo. All the party leaders are arriving here. Okweselize Nwodo, et al are here to show their support. Significantly, none of them attended the Babangida declaration on Wednesday.

1004: Two more interesting faces in the crowd: Jerry Gana is here lending support to the Jonathan campaign. Mr. Gana was of course appointed chairman of Mass Mobilisation for Social and Economic Recovery under the Babangida regime and was subsequently a minister. His presence here means that it is unlikely that he will be supporting his old boss.

Femi Otedola is also here making his first public appearance in two months after the attempt on his life in July. The oil magnate had been on a self-imposed exile in America since the incident.

NEXT had previously revealed that Mr. Otedola is one of the chief bank-rollers of the President Jonathan campaign.

0959: Also spotted in the crowd are Matthew Tawo Mbu (former foreign minister) Pius Anyim (former senate president), Jonathan Zwingina (former Senator from Adamawa) Ibrahim Mantu (former Deputy Senate President) and Mohammed Abba Aji.

0945: As expected, most of the members of the Federal Executive Council are already showing up and taking their seats.

0933: An interesting banner by one of the President's supporters reads: "Goodluck darling, I will never let you go until you take me to the promised land. N.B. Sorry Dame Patience for sharing him with you. Signed The Goodluckers"

0915: President Jonathan's aide-de-camp arrives ahead of him to perform security checks on the area the president will sit.

0911: All 36 states of the federation are represented by delegations dressed in traditional attire. The ceremony is already laden with colour. There are lots of paramedics on view, each wearing pink reflector jackets to ensure that all medical emergencies are attended to.

0900: the Eagle square already close to capacity two hours before President Jonathan's official declaration ceremony kicks off. Security is heavy with armed guards everywhere.

Comedian Teju Babyface has taken the next step in his career with the introduction of his TV show, ‘The Teju Babyface Show'. The show which is forged after the Ellen DeGeneres', Arsenio Hall, Benny Hill and The Tonight's Show was launched on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 on Silverbird Television, (STV),. Teju gives us an insight into his new role as producer/talk show host.

Before the vision I caught the dream a few years ago when I got tired of waiting for my phone to ring, because that is what comedians do. We wait to hear ‘Hello, is that Teju Babyface, we have an event, are you busy?'

I thought it was time to be proactive and find other means of income that is not largely dependent on people calling us to be MCs for events.

People have said to me in the last few years ‘Teju we do not hear about you, you are not doing shows anymore and all that.' [Reason is] I have spent the last three years trying things that have not worked. I tried to do what I called ‘Comedy Academy'.

I needed funds and there were no sponsors. I also tried to do what I called ‘healing laughter', it was supposed to be a day of comedy at Christmas for the less privileged handicapped but there were still no corporate takers so I put it on the shelf.

Then it occurred to me when God gave me this vision that if I had a show on TV, I will be able to sell any other kind of vision that I have.

The show

The ‘Teju Babyface show' is not only a talk show, it is like your one-stop shop as far as entertainment is concerned. Though influenced by international shows, you need to remember that it started with the Bala Mila show, a fantastic NTA production, and Zoom Time. The show will deal with political, medical, scientific, astronomy-related and religious issues. This show is [also] supposed to be home for up and coming comedians.

So far, the following people have been featured Abimbola Fashola, Muiz Banire, Dele Momodu Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Asa, Basorge Tariah, Ali Baba, Basket Mouth, Okey Bakassi, TA, Holy Mallam, Koffi, Gbenga Adeyinka the first, amongst others. Excerpts from the show, reveal RMD miming Victor Olaiya's ‘Baby Jowo', Asa's dream guy and Mrs. Fashola answering questions on whether she suspects her husband of being unfaithful. Talking about the director of the show, Tade Ogidan, Teju says, "I did not think Uncle T will ever direct my show. You know how you think that asking somebody to do something is an insult, it was that sort of thing. A lot of the comedy ingenuity in the show that makes me look like a genius are the things he told me to do on the spur of the moment. As I speak to you, we are spending millions on the Teju Babyface Show and Mr. Ogidan has not taken or asked me for a dime. I have also been privileged to use his editing suite free of charge." He adds tongue-in-cheek. "The downside is that he now calls me for his family members wedding and I dare not open my mouth and charge."

The snags

When this vision was delivered to me from God, it seemed and it still seems like a lot do. Getting funds, the venue, the infrastructure, the equipment, editing, was a challenge. We rented the venue for two weeks, which means we had to shoot everyday for two weeks. Then the questions arose. "Where are you going to get the guests that will sit down? If you send out invitations for a hundred spaces, are a hundred people going to come? Are they going to come on time? How many shoots do you schedule per day? How do you make sure that Professor Utomi, Mrs. Fashola, King Sunny Ade, are in the country in those two weeks? All these and funds posed a challenge. Nobody wants to sponsor you anymore, everybody wants you to put it on TV and get followership before they come on board. We do not mind, it just means, if you should have paid N50 million at the inception, you will pay N250 million when it starts to air..

Winding up

I hope that the time would come when, if you want to debut a new single or album in Nigeria, the Teju Babyface Show must be one of the places where you do it because our following is that strong. We have a segment that we could not accommodate in the first season which is called ‘Sweetest Moments of Life' where people send us pictures or short videos of things that they have seen or experienced.

For the next season, I also plan to bring on Ibrahim Babangida, dance performers Alfa Sule and magicians. The website comes online soon. There is a fan page on Facebook called the Teju Babyface Show and a YouTube channel where viewers can view excerpts of the show and drop comments on what they want. We plan to be on African Independent Television (AIT), Televison Continental (TVC), Galaxy and on every possible station here in Lagos before we begin to move into other parts of the country and then we go cable...

"We cannot allow Nigeria to take over everything in the country including the sex trade,”

Ghanaian girls who offer sex for money at Adum, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region, have expressed anger over some Nigerians importing younger and prettier girls who are gradually taking over the sex business.

If not for the intervention of the assembly member for the area, Albert Osei-Banahene, the enraged sex workers would have hit the streets in their nakedness and marched from one office building to another, just to get the authorities to come to their aide...

“It is not that they are better than us in bed but as you know, most men prefer younger girls and these Nigerian girls are younger. Some are still in their teens and their agents protect them but we do not have agents who make things easier for us so the conditions of work are not fair. “We would start attacking any underage ashawo from Nigeria because they are spoiling the market,” one of them noted. Interestingly, though both groups are prostituting, the Ghanaian girls say they are commercial sex workers while the Nigerians are ‘ashawos.’

According to the Ghanaian sex workers, the arrival of sexier girls from Nigeria is making business very competitive and compelling them to lower their rates or lose customers. Not pleased about the development, the disillusioned sex workers have declared their preparedness to hit the streets, should authorities fail to respond to their call and put in place appropriate measures to arrest the worrying situation. In an interview with NEWS-ONE, the stationed sex workers revealed that some Nigerians living in Kumasi have made it their business of bringing in very pretty sex workers from the oil-rich country to practice their trade in the Ghana.

“Having realized the potential in the business, some Nigerians living in the city have decided to make it their business by bringing sex workers from their country to come and work here,” one of the disgruntled sex workers observed. “When they bring them, they initially put them in hotels, before hiring rooms for them to practice their trade but we do not have agents or promoters so we are losing the market even in our own country,” another dissatisfied sex worker noted.

According to them, they would do everything within their means to ensure that the practice was stopped, because they believe that as Ghanaians, they have exclusive right to the trade.

How to make a crocodile smile: Swim in a pool full of deadly salties with just a perspex cage for protection

Tourists to this unusual theme park are sure to get some holiday snaps with a difference.

Inspired by the popularity of cage shark-diving, a tourist attraction has opened that allows adrenalin junkies the chance to swim with killer crocodiles.

And, as these incredible pictures show, participants can get up close and personal with one of the worlds deadliest creatures.

Definitely no running, ducking bombing or petting in this pool: Face to face with one of the 125 stone monsters

All that separates thrill-seekers from the huge saltwater crocodiles is a five-inch thick perspex box that has, we are assured, undergone 'extensive' safety testing.

Fearless participants climb into the clear container - nicknamed the Cage of Death - which is suspended on a monorail track that runs above four crocodile enclosures.

Two grated doors lock into position on the top of the 10ft tall box which is then lowered into the water and comes to rest 2ft beneath the surface.

To ensure that the paying customers get their money's worth, chunks of meat are tied to the bottom of the cage. The crocodiles instantly drawn to it when it enters the water.

The results vary from the crocs 'eye-balling' the swimmer, rubbing against the cage or going into a full on 'aggressive attack' against it.

Snappy snaps: Holiday photos from this resort will be just a little different

Customers pay about £100 to spend 20 minutes swimming alongside the crocs; the largest of the beasts measures a whopping 18ft and weighs over 125 stone,

One of the mighty reptiles at the Crocosaurus Cove park in Darwin, Australia, is named Burt. Film buffs might remember him from the first Crocodile Dundee movie - he's the one who nearly ate Linda Koslowski's character.

Sallie Gregory, spokeswoman for the park, said: 'Many people find the opportunity of getting to within a few inches from the jaws of these crocodiles exhilarating.'

'People often get activity ranging from an aggressive attack to a casual eye-balling and swim past where the crocs are so close that they rub against the cage.'

'Most of the women who take part say they are happy just to watch the crocodiles while guys tend to want the action and attack.'

Smile please: Two thrill-seeking tourists get up close and personal with one of the saltwater crocodiles at the Crocosaurus Cove park in Darwin, Australia

She added: 'One of our directors who has extensive experience with crocodiles wanted a concept that allowed people to get up close to these ultimate predators in a safe environment.'

'The cage runs on a overhead monorail system, suspended over the enclosures and is lowered into up to four separate enclosures as part of the 20 minute experience.'

'The perspex is about 135mm thick and extensive testing in both the manufacturing and the way the crocodiles would react to the cage were carried out prior to the testing team entering the cage.'

The 'Cage Of Death' has been extensively tested for safety. With one of these prehistoric killers just inches away, one might hope so..

'The top of the cage has two grated doors to stop anything entering the cage and a back up motor and separate chain operates to ensure that in the event of a malfunction, the cage can continue to operate.'

'The cage generally allows about two feet from the surface of the water though this can be adjusted if people are not strong swimmers and would prefer to keep their head above water.'

Among the crocodiles people can swim alongside are the mating pair of Houdini and Bess as well as Chopper, Denzel and of course movie star Burt.

But one of the most popular crocs is Wendell - he's the biggest and is named after muscular Australian rugby star Wendell Sailor.

Crocodile attacks in the wild are quite rare these days. However, during the Japanese army's retreat from Ramree Island in February 1945, saltwater crocodiles are thought to have been responsible for the deaths of 400 Japanese soldiers. .

British troops encircled the swampland through which the Japanese were retreating, resigning the Japanese to a night in a mangrove swamp which was home to thousands of saltwater crocodiles.

The Ramree crocodile attacks are listed as 'The Greatest Disaster Suffered from Animals' in The Guinness Book of Records

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles on the planet. Their main habitat is northern Australia and New Guinea, Indonesia and Borneo. They have been known to kill and eat horses, water buffalo, and even sharks as well as the occasional human.

Complete Fashion is a new magazine focused on the very best of commercial Nigerian fashion and celebrating the stylish looks of Nigerian fashionistas.
The magazine is lead by General Editor Franka Asindi and the new issue of the magazine features a double cover with Nigerian actress Dakore Egbuson on one cover and designer Ohimai Atafo of MAI on the other cover.
Dakore looks absolutely dazzling is three dresses by MAI. On the cover, she rocks a black monosleeve dress with a dramatic jewel detailed neckline by MAI. The dress is paired with red platform sandals and a black fascinator. Inside the magazine, we see Dakore in a gorgeous floor-length red gown with a multi-coloured brouch also. by MAI. Her final look is a swinging knee-length yellow dress with a delicate black lace overlay. The dress was paired with pearls and black and gold platforms.

Ohimai looked dapper as always in a blue blazer paired with a striped shirt and white trousers.

In her interview, Dakore talks about her personal style (vivacious and playful), her famous locs (she calls them ‘locs’ because they are “not dreadful” and she is “not locked” – so she took out the “dread” and the “k”) and style addictions (Louboutins). She also discussed her projects including The Dakore Show.

In his interview, MAI opened up and detailed his journey into the world of fashion (he started out buying waistcoats for his friends who were getting married). Ohimai also had words of encouragement for up and coming designers and finally he discussed the future plans for his label.

We are totally loving the concept of the double cover and photoshoot! Kudos to Complete Fashion and the team behind the shoot.
For more information on the magazine, check out www.completefashiononline.com

Imagine if it hits NAIJA

Thousands of online banking customers have accounts emptied by 'most dangerous trojan virus ever created'

Out of action: The new trojan virus can empty bank accounts without their owners knowing about the theft as it showsthem fake statements

All the victims were customers with the same unnamed online bank, the company said.

Last night online banking customers were urged to make sure their anti-virus software was up to date - and to check for any missing sumsfrom their accounts.

The attack has been traced to a 'control and command' centre in Eastern Europe. However, the nationality of the cybercriminals isunknown.

The attacks were carried out when hundreds of thousands of home computers were infected with a type of harmful computer code called aTrojan.

Trojans hide in websites, emails or downloads. Once installed on a computer they can record every type of the keyboard, steal confidentialinformation or even open up a PC's security so that it can becontrolled remotely from another country.

The latest attack involved a Trojan called Zeus v3 which hides inside adverts on legitimate websites.

Once installed on a home computer, the programme waits until the user visits their online bank and then secretly records their accountdetails and passwords - using the information to transfer between £1,000and £5,000 to other bank accounts.

The attacks began on July 5 and are still progressing, according to Ed Rowley, product manager at M86.

'In the vast majority of cases, if people had kept their computer's operating systems and software such as Internet Explorer up to date theywould not have been attacked,' he said.

'More often than not Trojans exploit known vulnerabilities that can be simply patched and fixed by downloading updates.'

McAfee, the security software maker, said production of software code known as malware, which can harm computers and steal user passwords,reached a new high in the first six months of 2010.

It said total malware production continued to soar and 10 million new pieces of malicious code were catalogued.

It also warned users of Apple's Mac computers, considered relatively safe from virus attacks, that they may also be subjected to malwareattacks in the future.

'For a variety of reasons, malware has rarely been a problem for Mac users. But those days might end soon,' a spokesman said.

'Our latest threat report depicts that malware has been on a steady incline in the first half of 2010,' Mike Gallagher, chief technologyofficer of Global Threat Intelligence for McAfee, said in the reportthat was obtained by Reuters.

The internet security company has passed on details of the attacks to the UK Police Central E-Crime Unit in London.

Britain's high street banks declined to comment on the attacks, but urged customers to protect themselves from virus attacks.

A spokesman for HSBC said: 'There are millions of viruses and other malicious software.

'We urge people to take basic measure to protect themselves from virus attacks.

'Any customer who is a victim of fraud will be reimbursed by HSBC.'

Last year £59.7 million was stolen in online banking fraud, while another £440 million was lost to credit card fraud.

A Financial Fraud Action UK spokeswoman said: ‘The idea that criminals are targeting people by using malicious software or Trojans isnothing new.

‘Bank systems are hard to attack so they’re having to go through the easier link in the chain, which is the customers.

‘They’re hoping customers aren’t taking security precautions. We’ve been seeing this for the last few years and we’re constantly urgingpeople to protect their computers to try to mitigate the risk ofbecoming a victim.”

Online banking customers can take measures to protect themselves by keeping their anti-virus software up to date and keeping their firewallsset to the highest level, she added.

Victims of online banking fraud usually get their money back.

Earlier this month, an internet security company Trusteer, warned that 100,000 British computers were infected with an earlier version ofZeus.

It was easy in retrospect in the 1912 Olympic Stadium late on Friday night to say you had seen it coming, that the defeat which struck down the mighty Lightning Bolt had not arrived entirely out of the blue. The amateur psychologists, the budding Freuds among us, might have read the runes in the Jamaican's somewhat leaden body-language as he emerged from the tunnel at the east end of the arena for the big race on the north side of the Swedish capital..

Was that the hint of a limp as Usain Bolt made his way up the finishing straight towards the 100m start? If not, the world's fastest man was certainly dragging his feet. In contrast, half a minute or so later, Tyson Gay appeared on the track looking like a man on a mission. The American had a purpose in his stride and was deep in conversation with himself.Photo Left :American Tyson Gay celebrates his 100m victory on Friday night but said, 'You've got to be honest, Usain went out there knowing he wasn't in the best shape'

It was not difficult to imagine the gist. This was the one. This was his big chance to claim the big scalp. And thus it proved.

Bolt lined up for the 100m final at the DN Galan Meeting but when the starting gun fired, at the third time of asking, he was never at the races. Gay was out of his blocks ahead of him and had the race as good as won by halfway. The 27-year-old Kentuckian prevailed by a stride in 9.84sec, breaking Asafa Powell's stadium record and earning a diamond to take home for his mother.

Bolt was the runner-up in 9.97, a pale shadow of the sparkling gem who had dazzled the world with his 9.69 slowing down at the Beijing Olympics two years ago and with his 9.58 pushing to the line at the World Championships in Berlin last summer. This was his slowest 100m time outside of a qualifying-round heat, and his first defeat in a 100m final since Powell beat him by 0.01sec at the same Stockholm meeting in July 2008.

So, had the sprint world turned on its head? Had the jolt for Bolt marked a definitive changing of the guard?

The answer was clear to see in the muted demeanour of the victor. It was not exactly a hollow victory for Gay, but it was nowhere near a decisive one. "You've got to be honest," he said, reflecting on the upset. "Usain went out there knowing he wasn't in the best shape. Neither of us was at our best, but I was expecting to win.

"I respect him for still coming down here to compete for the fans. I came here knowing I wasn't 100 per cent either. My knee was bothering me. I just blocked everything out and ran the best I could."

Gay has been hampered by hamstring and knee problems this summer. Bolt missed six weeks of training and racing because of an Achilles tendon injury. The rust was clear to see in his heat and in the final. Bolt has three weeks in which to brush up sufficiently to gain revenge in the scheduled rematch, in the final meeting of the Samsung Diamond League series in Brussels on 27 August. "I need to work on my strength," he said. "My strength is really low. It let me down in the first 30 metres. Tyson was in better shape."

Bolt's resolve would also appear to require some strengthening. On the eve of the big race he confessed he had "slacked off" this summer, with no global championship to aim for. In the wake of defeat on Friday, he added: "This is not one of those seasons when I am fully working hard. This is my easy season. If you don't beat me this year, then it's not going to happen. Next year I will take care of business."

In late August next year, Bolt's 100m world title will be on the line at Daegu in South Korea. Meanwhile, at Crystal Palace next Friday his American conqueror will be on the start line at the Aviva London Grand Prix. The Lightning Bolt, beaten in Stockholm but still king of the sprint world, will not attend the south London Palace.

Forbes List billionaire, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has learnt that in indeed the law is no respecter of persons. For failure to show up in court today, as prescribed by a Lagos federal high court presided by Justice James Tsoho, the billionaire was declared WANTED

Delivering his ruling, Justice Tosho said that Alhaji Dangote, who stayed away from the court’s last deliberation, was in perpetual contempt of court and ordered him to be arrested and detained till October 26^th.

Huhuonline.com checks reveal that the once powerful Dangote has fled to Dubai, a country that has no extradition treaty with Nigeria. However, sources told that the court may enlist the services of Interpol, if necceasy, to execute its warrant.

Nevertheless, Aliko Dangote becoming a fugitive from Justice, will negatively impact Dangote Groups, as he must sign approvals above five thousand naira. said a company source.

It is recalled that Justice Lambo Akanbi had on March 12, 2010 , nullified the election of Dangote as the President and Chairman of the Council of NSE following an application by some shareholders of African Petroleum (AP).

The shareholders had argued then that after a court had on August 4, 2009 , ordered all the parties to maintain the status quo in a suit they instituted, challenging Dangote’s membership of the Council of NSE, the NSE went ahead and conducted its election on August 2009, where Dangote allegedly emerged president. An action that made the shareholders, in a form 49 (motion for committal) filed a suit against Dangote, Okereke-Onyiuke and Igbinosun, saying that the trio conspired by allowing Dangote to preside over the affairs of NSE despite the existence of the order.

At the court proceedings, counsel representing Dangote, Ricky Tarfa (SAN) had argued that before the court can consider the issue of contempt, it must first entertain a motion challenging its jurisdiction to entertain the case by citing the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Ebhodaghe and Okoye..

But in his response, Aniakor, counsel for the shareholders, flawed Tarfa’s argument, saying it was not the true position of the judgment of the apex court and urged the court to issue a warrant for the production of Dangote and Okereke-Onyiuke, who were absent in court.

“The Supreme Court added a proviso to the judgment to the effect that in the event that if there was an application seeking to protect the integrity of the court and another one challenging the court’s jurisdiction, the court would have to first determine the one that had to do with its integrity.”

After reviewing all the arguments by both counsels, Justice Tsoho upheld Aniakor’s submissions, and held that the contempt proceedings must take precedent over any other application, being the one seeking to protect the integrity of the court.

In addition, the court has struck out the name of Ndi- Onyuike from the case.

Avocado -- the fruit that would

make butter and meat obsolete

If you love fatty, creamy, hearty foods and want to avoid the cholesterol and toxicity of meat and dairy, anchor your diet with avocado!

Avocado is more than just a tasty treat to be enjoyed in guacamole--it makes a hearty satisfying meal when eaten alone, in salads, and in other dishes. Most people who transition from a standard American diet to a vegan diet with avocado, nuts and seeds don’t miss the animal foods because raw vegan plant fat is so satisfying as well as more nutritious than cooked fatty animal foods! In hundreds of thousands of cases, people who’ve adopted a vegan diet of predominantly raw foods with minimal or no cooked starches as part of a healthful lifestyle (including regular exercise and adequate sleep), have lost excess weight, overcome illness, gained new vitality, and avoided the killer diseases which now plague our meat, bread, dairy, and junk-food eating society. The fresh vitamins, active enzymes, organic minerals, soluble fiber, high water content, and easily digested fats and proteins in avocados and other fruit and plant foods can help transform any sluggish, overweight meat eater into a slimmer and more dynamic person. Some of the leanest people I know eat the most avocados! Cooked foods such as bread, pasta, meat, dairy and junk foods are the villains that can keep an avocado eater from losing excess fat.

If your goal is to reduce your consumption or transition completely off of meat and dairy, avocado may be the perfect way to satisfy your natural cravings for creamy nourishment.

“The avocado is one of the most valuable foods which nature has given man. For those concerned about eliminating meat from their diet, this offers not merely a “substitute,” but a food which is much superior in value for human maintenance. It is rich in protein and fat and comparatively higher than any other fruits in these elements. The fat is more digestible than animal fats.”

Avocado is also known as the “alligator pear” because of the rough skin on some varieties. In the 17th and 18th centuries the fruit was also commonly known as “butter pear.” In tropical Central America, avocado trees have been growing wild for thousands of years, providing natives with a rich food. The Aztecs called the tree Ahuacatl. Marauding Spanish armies changed this to abocado or avocado, the now common English name.

According to the Little Green Avocado Book, there is strong evidence that avocado trees flourished 50 million years ago in what is now California, and avocados might have provided food for dinosaurs.

Today’s avocados are derived from three natural races. The Mexican type (semi-tropical) produces small fruits, 6 to 10 ounces having glossy purple, paper-thin skin when ripe. The Guatemalan type (subtropical) yields medium pear-shaped fruits which are first green, turning purple-black or coppery-purple when ripe, with a typically tough shell. The West Indian type (tropical) produces enormous, smooth, round, glossy green fruits as up to 2 pounds in weight. In the United States, 95 percent of the commercially grown avocados come from California, with small percentages coming from Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Hawaii. The California Rare Fruit Growers Fruit Facts, Volume One, reports that avocados grow well in valley and coastal California, as far north as Cape Mendocino and Red Bluff. Hybrid forms of all types are grown.

Avocado growing is relatively new . They are available year round. The harvest time depends on the variety. The Hass, the best known commercial variety, is a hybrid of the Mexican and the Guatemalan types and is picked from January into fall depending on where it is grown.

The Little Green Avocado Book also reports that avocado trees are large evergreens of the laurel family, and there are about 400 commercial varieties of avocado. Some are: Bacon, Ettinger, Fuerte, Gwen, Hass, Nabal, Pinkerton, Reed and Zutano. Mexican types ripen in 6 to 8 months from bloom, Guatemalan types 12 to 18 months.

There are wide differences in the flavors of individual avocados, ranging from salty, to nutty, to sweet, with shades in between. If a fruit has been picked too early it may be watery and unpalatable. If picked too late, some varieties develop a rancid flavor. If a Bacon avocado tastes like bacon, it is rancid. If an avocado has dark flesh (rot), compost it and/or salvage the good parts.

At some farmers markets and produce stores, one can occasionally find “Cukes” (also known as "Cocktail" or "Finger" avocados), seedless, pickle-shaped avocado fruits which result from improperly pollinated flowers. One can also occasionally find miniature avocados which have thin, black edible skin and an anise flavor (the Mexicola is one variety)--these make a delightful treat!

Julie Frink, Curator for the Avocado Variety Collection, University of California Research Station at Irvine, California, writes:

“I have nearly 20 varieties growing in my yard and the Hass variety is always one of the best. Some of the green varieties sold in stores have given a bad name to some really fine green skinned fruits. The most inferior tasting avocados have either been picked when too immature or they are poor quality pollinator varieties to begin with. One of our favorites is the round, green Reed. A perfect Reed on Labor Day is a most fantastic treat! So often these wonderful fall avocados are picked and sold in the spring when they are watery and tasteless. The green, elongated pear shaped Pinkerton can be fantastic if allowed to stay on the tree until full maturity but will be rubbery and tasteless if picked too soon.”

The Little Green Avocado Book also states that an acre of avocado trees can yield more food than an acre of any other tree crop. Imagine the ecological implications--a perfectly healthful “meaty” food which requires 1/200th or less of the acreage needed by the cattle industry for a comparable yield in pounds, posing no pollution problems--and no carnage! Worried about mad cow disease?--eat raw avocados, seeds and nuts and stay sane and mentally keen!.

Nutrients:

Avocados are bursting with nutrients--vitamins, A, B-complex, C, E, H, K, and folic acid, plus the minerals magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and many other trace elements. Avocados provide all of the essential amino acids (those that must be provided by our diet), with 18 amino acids in all, plus 7 fatty acids, including Omega 3 and 6. Avocados contain more protein than cow’s milk, about 2% per edible portion. Since rapidly growing nursing infants obtain no more than 2% protein from mother’s milk, we can safely assume that children and adults do not regularly require foods richer in protein than avocado. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of our protein; cooked protein is denatured and largely unusable, thus our protein need is far lower than what is taught by

conventional dietetics. A small avocado will provide more usable protein then a huge steak because cooked protein in meat is deranged and mostly unavailable to our liver, the organ which makes all of our body’s protein. There is clear evidence from many sources that cooked fatty and high-protein foods are the prime culprit in our country’s high rate of cancer, as well as in colitis, Crohn’s disease and many other diseases. (I instantly healed up from a long illness, ulcerative colitis, seventeen years ago after I stopped eating meat and adopted a properly combined low-fat vegan diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, and I have since helped over 1,000 people recover from similar illnesses.) Ripe, raw organically grown avocados are naturally pure and furnish all of the elements we need to build the highest quality protein in our bodies.

The water content of avocado by weight averages 74%. Because avocado is a ripe, watery, enzymatically-alive fruit, it ranks as the most easily digested rich source of fats and proteins in whole food form. The ripening action of the sun “predigests” complex proteins into simple, easily digested amino acids. The fat content (by weight) varies from 7 to 26 % according to the variety, averaging 15%. Approximately 63% of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated and 17% is saturated. Avocados are the perfect source of dietary fat--appetizing in their raw state, digestible, and pure. Another plus is that avocados have no cholesterol.

Avocado is an alkalinizing food, i.e., the mineral end products of metabolism have an alkalinizing effect in the blood and other bodily fluids. Because the human body works to maintain a slightly alkaline pH, an alkalinizing diet is the most healthful way of eating. Meat, dairy and most raw nuts create acidity in the body--excess eating of these causes the leaching of alkalinizing calcium from our bones to buffer the acidity, leading to osteoporosis. Dr. Douglas Graham states:

“Current bone density testing has verified loss of calcium from the bones after the consumption of just one meat meal. A similar meal containing the same amount of protein from plants results in no calcium loss. Fruit and vegetable proteins, which supply the complete spectrum of human nutrients, must be considered superior to animal protein which are deficient or missing many of our essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamin C and a host of phytonutrients and antioxidants.”

Avocado eaters who eat a healthful vegan diet typically experience more lustrous hair, softer, smoother skin, more pliable nails, fewer joint problems, slimmer belly, less body odor, improved mental function and enhanced libido. Upon giving up animal meat and dairy, switching to a diet of 75% to 100% raw vegan foods with enzymatically-alive “plant meat,” and adopting a healthful lifestyle, a multitude of people have reaped amazing health benefits and joyous vitality.

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Some extraordinary avocado uses

* House plants. Stick toothpicks in the sides of avocado pits and set them on the top of a water-filled glass. A plant will sprout forth which can be transplanted into a pot after a few weeks. On the Avocado Information Web Site, University of California, Cooperative Extension, Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia and Dr. Ben Faber report:

“It is possible to grow an avocado from seed, just don't let it dry out. Be aware that the seed is the result of cross-pollination so the resulting tree will be different from the tree the fruit came from. For example, if you plant the seed from a Hass avocado, the resulting tree will be a cross between a Hass and something else... it will NOT be a Hass! Also, keep in mind that avocados planted from seed take anywhere from 5 to 13 years+ before they flower and produce fruit. When I start an avocado from seed I usually take it right from the fruit, I cut about 1/4" off the tip of the seed with a sharp knife, and place the seed in a pot with potting soil with just the flat/cut top of the seed showing above the soil. Keep it moist and wait...(time to germinate varies).”

* Hand cream. If you have chapped hands or want to prevent chapping in the winter, rub in some avocado.

* Shaving cream. Smear it on!

* Sunburn relief. It may not block any of the sun but it will help keep your skin moist.

* Foot and hand massage. With your partner, share the luxury of a relaxing massage. If you both have sex in mind, don’t stop at the hands and feet!

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Avocado **vs.** Animal Meat

watery and fiber-rich, non-consiptating ** low water, no fiber constipating

has all essential amino acids ** amino acids denatured by cooking

no cholesterol ** high in cholesterol

takes 2 to 4 hours to digest, normally will not putrefy ** takes 12 to 24 hours to digest, normally putrefies, poisoning our blood, tissues and brain

no parasites, pathogens or tumors ** incidences of parasites, pathogens and tumors range from rare to common

not inoculated with any chemicals ** typically inoculated with antibiotics, medicines and hormones

water-rich and non-allergenic ** bloody and laden with allergenic proteins

does not need cooking or any preparation other than peeling ** if eaten raw, the parasite-pathogen risk increases; when cooked the fats become carcinogenic, the proteins coagulate, and the heat-deaminated minerals become embedded as arterial and bowel plaque leading to atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzeimer’s, etc.

100% healthful ** a major health hazard with links to cancer, colitis, diabetes, obesity and many other diseases

alkalinizing ** acidifying

the fuel required to digest avocado and other fruity fats is less than half of that required to digest meats, and digestion time is dramatically lower as well ** takes approximately 50% of body’s energy and as much as three days to digest and clean up the toxins from its decomposition in the gut and the immune system response to the toxic proteins and grease which enter the blood

100% ecologically sound ** ecologically destructive, requiring up to 200 times the acreage and over 10 times the quantity of water to produce one pound of food (approximately 220 gallons of water per pound of avocado vs. 2,400 gallons water per pound of beef); grazing causes soil erosion and in some countries deforestation; liquid, solid and gaseous animal wastes pollute the atmosphere, land and waterways.

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Some avocado myths & facts

1. It’s a vegetable.

Fact: It’s actually an oily berry--a fruit.

2. It’s high in cholesterol.

Fact: It has no cholesterol. Only animal foods have cholesterol.

3. It’s high in fat.

Fact: By weight, avocados average 30% easily digestible oily fatty acids and approximately 70% water.

4. Its saturated fat content is dangerous.

Fact: Only about 2.5% of the edible portion of avocado is saturated fat, and unheated saturated fat from live plant foods is non-toxic.

5. It’s fattening.

Fact: It is the cooked starches, meat, dairy and processed sugar in people’s diets that feed their fat cells. Most active people who consume avocados as part high raw food vegan diet have no problem losing excess fat and staying lean.

6. It is a tree ripened fruit.

Fact: The avocado doesn't soften on the tree. After dropping or picking it must be allowed to soften for 4 to 17 days depending on the variety and ambient temperature and humidity.

7. It is best to ripen it in a bag.

Fact: Not necessary. Keep your weekly supply of avocados on your kitchen table, counter or somewhere else in plain sight. Pinch the tops and bottoms each morning and when they yield to pressure on both ends they are ripe. Refrigerate the ones you are not ready to eat.

9. It can’t be refrigerated.

Fact: Yes it can. Wrap ripe avocado in plastic or keep it in a plastic bag or container. If it is refrigerated for too long some spoiling may result. Remove unripened avocado from the refrigerator 2 or 3 days before you intend to eat them.

10. Keep the seed in to keep the guacamole from turning black.

Fact: That is an old wives tale! Wrap it in plastic to keep oxidation at bay.

The Falconets class of 2010 have made history by beating the USA and qualifying for a first ever semi-final in any FIFA organised women's competition.

The team trailed from a USA goal in the 9th minute but equalised spectacularly through Helen Ukaonu in the 79th minute to drag the match into extra time which did not produce any more goals.

In the ensuing penalty kicks, USA captain, Christine Nairn lost the USA's first kick and Sydney Leroux blazed their fourth kick over the bar to hand the Nigerian girls' victory 5-3. They will meet Colombia in the semi-finals on Thursday, July 29, 2010..

Comfort Monday is seven months pregnant and she is an inmate at the Kirikiri Female Prison in Lagos State. Since January 2010, Ms Monday has been locked up for an offence she claims she did not commit, courtesy of the man she says is responsible for her pregnancy. She appears to be paying the price of coming from a poor background.

She recalls how, about 18 months ago, while living with her father and siblings in Port Harcourt, her father told her to accompany to Lagos, their landlord’s friend, one Wintua Nadu, who was in need of a female assistant.

In Lagos, Mr Nadu, whose residence doubles as his shop and is located on Owode Street in Abule Egba, a suburb of Lagos State, enrolled her in a secondary school nearby. But soon after she became his house-help, she said the man she regarded as an ‘uncle’ began sleeping with her, and subsequently stopped her education.

“I came from village and was doing house-girl for him. That is when he started sleeping with me. It has been long. At first I was going to school but after like a month, I stopped. I was in JSS 2 that time. If I am not doing housework, sometimes I will sell in the shop,” said Ms Monday.

The alleged sexual abuse did not stop and she later became pregnant. According to her, when she told him she had missed her period, Mr Nadu, who is about 50 years old, beat her thoroughly. In late January 2010, Ms Monday says, he travelled, after instructing her to sell some compressors worth about N95,000 in the shop, and give the money to his gateman; which she did but the said gateman allegedly disappeared with the money.

Journey to prison

When he returned and was told the gateman had made away with the money, he got police officers from the Oko Oba Police Station to arrest Ms Monday and a neighbour, identified as Kennedy, for theft. He further claimed that Ms Monday stole an additional N200,000 from his safe in the house and accused Kennedy of being responsible for Ms Monday’s pregnancy.

“If I stole that kind of money, why will I still remain in the house? He brought me from village. Where will I even go? Who do I know in Lagos? Nobody! One naira, I don’t have in my pocket. Kennedy is just a neighbour; he has nothing at all to do with this matter. I don’t know why he arrested him. Or is it because he has seen us talking before? I swear, he is innocent,” she said.

Both Ms Monday and Mr kennedy were arraigned at the Abule Egba Magistrate Court on January 26, 2010, where they both pleaded not guilty. But while Kennedy secured bail for himself, Ms Monday could not, and has been languishing in prison since then, even as her due date draws near. At present, she has no legal representation.

A question of age

A twist in Ms Monday’s situation is her age. She says she was 16 when Mr Nadu brought her to Lagos in 2009. If true, she would be 17 years old in 2010. By law, if less than 18, she is a minor and it would be illegal for her to be remanded in prison.

In a telephone conversation, Ms Monday’s father, Ezekiel Monday, who is a farmer in Elele Alimini, Rivers State, confirmed her age, while lamenting the plight of his daughter in the hands of the man he entrusted her to..

“It never reach two years my pikin follow my landlord friend. And that time na 16 years she be. Na because she no dey do anything for village, people talk make I let am follow am go Lagos, that she go school for there,” Mr Monday said.

“I no collect any money from the man. I just tell am make he take care of her. As I come hear say she steal money, I no believe because even for village here, nobody don ever report say she be thief. We know say the man na big man so we dey beg am please make him release my daughter.”

When NEXT contacted Mr Nadu, whose wife and children are said to live abroad, he requested a one-on-one interview. But when a telephone call was made to him one hour after he failed to show up at the agreed place, he threatened not to spare NEXT if this story is published.

“Have you verified your facts? Don’t go and publish anything that will cost your company a lot of money o! Otherwise, I will not spare anybody in this matter because this matter is a very bad matter,” Mr Nadu said.

On another occasion when NEXT called, he handed the phone to a man who did not disclose his full name but who identified himself as a lawyer. The said lawyer stated that he would not make any comments as “it will pre-empt the judgment of the court and influence the outcome of the case” being heard at the Kirikiri Magistrate Court, Apapa..

Ms Monday’s next court date is July 19, 2010 and, according to her, she is praying for a miracle, as she does not want to give birth to her child while in detention. She is desperate and alone. She came to Lagos dreaming of a better life. Now, all she wants is to return to her village, where she knows people and feels safe...

Tragedy struck at the weekend at the parsonage of the Assemblies of God Church, Laguru, Umuosu Ubakala, near Umuahia, Abia State, when the resident pastor, Monday Jacob, was found unconscious in his living room with his wife and two sons dead. Photo:The ill fated Match that blew No African any good The family was suspected to be watching the Ghana versus Uruguay match in the ongoing World Cup last Friday when tragedy struck.

Mr. Jacob was said to have packed into the apartment on 30 June, and was suspected to be watching the Ghana versus Uruguay match in the ongoing World Cup last Friday when the tragedy struck, as they were found in sitting positions in front of their television.

Neighbours believed that the family must have died from the fumes from a generating set which powered the electrical appliances in the apartment, which was found at the staircase of the one-storey building with its switch button in the on position, though there was no fuel.

Investigations revealed that while Mr. Jacob was found in a sitting position unconscious when the door of the house was forced open, his first son, a final year Political Science student of Abia State University, Uturu, and his second son were also in the same position, while his wife was lying dead on a six-spring foam.

No Sunday school

It was gathered that members of the church became apprehensive when their pastor or any member of the family was not present at the Sunday School at 8am and could not pick calls put across to them. They went to the house to find out why, but were shocked when there was no response from inside.

It was also gathered that members who had called on them on Saturday had found the doors locked and concluded that they had traveled, without knowing that the family were in distress. They were said to have contacted the police at the Ubakala Police Division who accompanied them to force the door of the house open and discovered the shocking scenario.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where the three were confirmed dead, while the doctors battled to resuscitate Mr. Jacob who was struggling to breathe.

It was further gathered that Mr. Jacob has been transferred to a hospital in Enugu, as the resident doctors’ strike at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, made it imperative that he be referred to a competent hospital.

Chidi Okoroafor, the Umuahia District head of the Assemblies of God, expressed shock at the incident and said it was too early to say the cause of the incident, but assured the police have started investigation to unravel the mystery.