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Nigeria 0 Argentina 1 Enyeama Magnet Man of The match

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on June 12, 2010 at 5:50am

The Super Eagles fell by a lone goal to Argentina in their opening match of the World Cup. The victory margin would have been much wider had it not been for the goalkeeping heroics of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama..

The Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israel goal stopper was the standout player of the Nigerian side and he was justifiably voted the Budweiser Man of the Match after a commanding performance against the former world champions.

Enyeama all through the game dived, punched and parried as he kept the Argentine forward line of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez at bay.

The game began with Nigeria getting the first chance of the game when Chinedu Obasi found room on the left side of the attack but his shot was way off target. That appeared to be the wake-up call for the Argentines as they soon went on the offensive.

And in the fifth minute, an error by Chidi Odiah resulted in Messi running at the Nigerian defence before curling a shot that Enyeama was well placed to parry for a corner. From the resultant corner kick, Obinna Nsofor failed to pick out Gabriel Heinze and the Marseille defender headed the ball into the back of the net to put the Albiceleste one-nil up.

In the 18th minute, Enyeama was up to the task yet again stopping a goal bound curling effort from Messi. Three minutes later, it was Gonzalo Higuain's turn to try the Nigerian goalkeeper but he was unable to place his shot past the onrushing Enyeama. And eight minutes from the end of the half, a well-planned free kick by the Argentines started and ended with Messi, but Enyeama saved yet again, and spectacularly, with his left hand to keep the score line respectable at the break.

Super Enyeama

After the break, Lars Lagerback brought on Obafemi Martins for Nsofor and Osaze Odemwingie for Obasi, but it was still one way traffic in favour of the Argentines who were however unable to get the better of Enyeama, with his first save of the half arriving in the 66th minute when he blocked Higuain's shot from up-close after an exchange of passes with Messi.

Four minutes later, the Super Eagles came close to pulling back on level terms when Taye Taiwo's shot from the edge of the area only missed the Argentine goal by whiskers with Sergio Romero clearly beaten. The effort however came at a cost for the Marseille defender as he was subsequently taken off the pitch clutching his left knee.

In the 78th minute, Romero was once again tested, this time by Martins whose effort from outside the area was punched out of the danger area. But three minutes afterwards, Messi was denied yet again by Enyeama. A lovely interchange of passes by the Barcelona forward and Diego Milito, who took the place of Higuain two minutes earlier, ended with Messi unable to curl his shot past the advancing Enyeama.

Seconds later, a cross into the Argentine area ended at the feet of Kalu Uche, who took the place of the injured Taiwo, but the Spain based forward scooped his shot over the crossbar when he ought to have hit the back of the net.

That served as a sign for Diego Maradona to fortify his defence and he did that by introducing Nicolas Burdisso for Angel Di Maria. The Super Eagles however still had one more chance to draw level but Aiyegbeni Yakubu's dipping shot sailed over Romero's crossbar.

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Pregnant NTA reporter jumps into a well to save her daughter

Posted by 9jabook.com on April 4, 2010 at 9:00pm
Seven-month-old pregnant NTA reporter jumps into a well to save her daughter
By Demola Akinyemi
Sunday, April 4, 2010

It was just like any other weekend at Zango, a suburb in Ilorin Kwara State, where Mrs Iyabode Olorunnisola, a renowned broadcaster at the NTA, Ilorin, lives.


Iyabo, as fondly called by her colleagues, is seven months pregnant and was just seeing off a church member- a friend and a nurse who visited her to the main road when it happened.

As Iyabo told Saturday Vanguard, the incident was an admixture of a miracle and reality. It sounds like James Bond films-touchy, gripping, patently emotional. The NTA reporter wants the story told so that mothers all over the world can learn to care for their children by giving them closer attention, “Nothing is too much for them because the children are our tomorrow”, she enthused

“I was inside the living room on the faithful day around 5pm or thereabout, with my nurse friend who had earlier called me that she was paying me a visit. We were actually discussing about my state, church matters and other related issues when I overheard my house maid, Aminat,” shouting at my four years old daughter to stay away from the well.

“Some minutes later, my guest left and I had to see her off to the main road, just a stone throw to our residence to board a taxi. She actually asked me to


PHOTO:Mother & Daughter before Incident

go back home because of my condition because I wanted to wait till she

boarded a taxi. To my dismay, when I got home, Aminat was just pointing at the well, shaking, and crying that my daughter, Bola had fallen into the well. I couldn’t believe it. I peeped into the well and I found my daughter gasping for breath inside the well.”

“Bola, since we gave birth to her, has been a very active baby .There was a day she went to visit my mother. While playing running around, she fell into a hot coal pot, and came out with burns all over her body. The scars are still there till today. She was said to be doing this ’’Boju-Boju’’, child play whereby children will cover their face and be running around, hide and seek games. Since her elderly ones were not at home, my daughter covered her face with a bucket running around the compound. I just wonder. she didn’t know the time she got to the brink of the well, and somersaulted inside. My brother, I couldn’t control myself seeing my daughter dying inside the well as she was gasping for breadth. Watching the pains she was going through was too much for me. Honestly, I didn’t know the time I jumped inside the well.”

“You could have died, not only with the baby but also with Bola you wanted to rescue,” she was told.

“May you never be in such situation. No mother would watch her child dying and would be thinking the way you are thinking. At that time, the fear of death didn’t come to my mind. All I wanted was to rescue my daughter with all my life. Any good mother will tell you this. So, I jumped into the well and with my seven months old pregnancy, I landed on Bola’s head inside the well, and together we went down, down at the bottom of the well.You know she summersaulted with the plastic bucket she was playing with, into the well.

That bucket, by divine arrangement, saved her skull from hitting the brick while she fell into the well. You know, as a journalist, you are supposed to know basic things about everything. So, in the process of my covering various assignments, I have heard a lot about one or two therapies about swimming. My brother, those things, I didn’t know when they came to my mind. I didn’t also know where the strength came from. Down, under the

water, I used my two legs already swollen up even before I jumped into the well, to bring Bola up to the water level, using my back and the two elbows to climb up the well. The clothes I had on was torn to shreds in the process, and there were bruises all over my back and elbow as a result of the injuries I sustained while bringing her up to the water level.

“While both of us were at the water level, I balanced myself with her on my two knees. Bola was already gone. So I started beating her, all over her body, slapping her mouth, and blowing air into her mouth, nose and ear. I did that intermittently with all the strength I had and slapped her severally. Honestly, I didn’t know where all those therapies came from but I must have learnt them from somewhere, sometimes.

“About 15 minutes later, my daughter started making sounds. So, I intensified the therapies. Eventually, she shouted aloud and it was then I knew where I was.At that point, I was now left with the problem of how two of us will get out of the well. I know there is God; that He exists. But this experience further strengthened my belief that there is God. If not God, the three of us would have possibly died inside the well because I didn’t mind. The agony was too much for me to bear.


“By now, people had already gathered at the mouth of the well. My friend who was waiting for taxi was called by my house girl, who in turn called two young boys walking away to come and rescue us from the well. They looked for ladder but the ladder couldn’t enter the well because of the position of two of us. By now, I didn’t have any strength in me again. So, I couldn’t climb up, talk less of coming up with my daughter. So, it was a big task, as frantic efforts were being made to bring us out of the well. Eventually, the ladder was suspended halfway and my daughter who by now had been terribly weak, struggled to climb out through the encouragements of the sympathizers.

“It was two hefty men that came into the well to bring me out. I thank God Almighty for his mercies! Immediately, I asked them to take us to our hospital. By now, it was going to around 6.30-7pm. All this while, my husband didn’t know anything. He was at work in his office. When he got home, he saw traces of slippers flung around, and everywhere looked much unkempt. He was actually scolding my house girl to tidy up the compound before my arrival.PHOTO:THE ILL FATED WELL


Could you believe that my house girl didn’t tell my husband what happened until I phoned him around 8pm that he should come and meet us at the hospital. We were there for two weeks. To the glory of the Almighty God, my pregnancy was certified okay, same with my health and that of my daughter. We later went to church for a thanksgiving.

“It’s a lesson to all mothers. We should give closer attention to our children, and be prayerful too. No matter what, I always have time for closer attention for my children. For instance, I always find time to take my children to and from school everyday, and when I know it’s not possible, I make good arrangement for them to stay with somebody who will look after them till I return.

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Tragedy on the Lagoon - Husband died trying to save wife of 7 days - You killed our son’, hubby’s family tells survivor wife

Posted by cozzy webtatafo on August 27, 2009 at 9:13pm
The recent death of Lekan Benson Adelaja and others in boats mishap in a Lagos community, just seven days after his wedding, has generated many controversies between his family and his wife’s. Adewale Ajayi reports. When the family of Benson Adelaja gathered on August 1 to consummate the marriage of their son, Lekan to Sunbo in Ikenne, Ogun State, they never knew that the joy of their son getting married would be short-lived . The family never had any inkling that the husband would die a week after his wedding, although there was a spiritual warning handed over to Lekan’s mother that his son should not travel out of his town Sagamu, Ogun State, some days after his wedding, a warning which his mother was said to have repeated to him. On August 7, a Friday , Lekan was said to have left Sagamu to attend a party organised by his boss somewhere in Ajah , Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. He was said to have travelled in company of his wife, younger sister, two of his friends , and his boss’s wife, who was said to have been picked up in Ikorodu for the trip. They drove to Baiyeku, in Ikorodu Local Government Area, and decided to make the rest of the trip by canoe , which transports people from that area to Ajah and Langbasa. Lekan parked his car, a metallic colour Honda Accord with registration number KC 906 KJA by the shore of the river, and off they went. Less than 10 minutes after, the canoe left the shore and, still within the vicinity of the shore, capsized , it ran into strong ocean waves , which damaged the steering of the boat engine. The canoe capsized, , throwing its about 26 passengers overboard. The sailor of another canoe, which had six passengers had, on the scene of the accident, attempted to rescue the passengers of the capsized canoe. But that also capsized, and the passengers in the two canoes were discharged into the lagoon. With the assistance of fishermen, divers and marine policemen that came on board, some passengers were rescued, among whom was Lekan. He, however, took a plunge into the lagoon when his wife, Sunbo, was not found. Eventually, his wife was rescued, and a search for him and others continued. On that day, five people were said to have been rescued alive, out of whom two dropped dead before medical aid could reach them, while five corpses were also said to have been brought out of the lagoon, including that of a woman with a baby strapped to her back. The baby was still alive. Of the three rescued, one survivor was said to have swam to the shore. The rescue operation was put on hold till the next day , which was a Saturday, exactly a week after Lekan consummated his marriage to Sunbo. The salvage operation was put on hold because it was assumed that the victims would have died, as they had not been found three hours after the incident, and that their corpses would be found floating on the river by the next day. On Saturday, the environment became tense; the entire community was in a mournful mood, as friends and relatives of those who came in search of their loved ones bewailed their loss. Friends of Lekan from Ijagba, in Sagamu, Ogun State, besieged the town, demanding for explanations on why such a thing should happen to their pal, and blaming the boat operators for failing to provide safety measures like life jackets for their passengers . They wondered why such a thing should happen to him barely a week after his marriage. While some wailed to register their displeasure, others threatened to set ablaze, the houses in the community. Though they were prevented from doing that, the canoe operators’ office was not spared. It was vandalised, and the locally-made life jackets hung on the wall were destroyed and thrown into the lagoon. Those whose relatives were yet to be found were seen moving up and down the shore of the lagoon with drawn faces, while others glued their eyes to the lagoon, perhaps probing it for swallowing their loved ones. On the third day of the incident, a Sunday, six swollen corpses were found. Among them was Lekan’s, his friend’s and his sister-in-law’s. The atmosphere became charged, as members of his family became enraged, blaming his wife for contributing to his death, arguing that if he had not taken the risk of plunging into the lagoon , in search of the wife, he would probably have been alive today. The two families that had, a week earlier, exchanged pleasantries when giving out their children in marriage , suddenly became enemies , and Lekan’s friends threatened to beat them up. It took the intervention of members of Baiyeku community and the policemen drafted to the town to restore order. In line with the Yoruba tradition , to the effect that anyone who dies in a river , lagoon , sea or brook should be buried at its bank , it was unanimously agreed that the corpses be buried at the bank of the lagoon . In other to scare the women and other lily-livered men away from the burial site, the Oro (traditional ritual which women were forbidden to watch) was invoked, while the corpses were ferried to the portion earmarked for their burial with a boat, and the corpses floated on the lagoon, tied to the canoe. It was an emotion-laden event, as relatives of the deceased wept , as the corpses were being pulled from the lagoon into their grave. Commenting on the incident, Mr Kunle Jegede, who claimed to have been traveling to Ajah on boat en route Baiyeku in the last seven years, said the boat operators should be blamed for the incident, because many of them usually overloaded their boats and failed to provide life jackets for their passengers. He explained that government should also share part of the blame , explaining that despite the approval given to the boat operators by the government, they were not being properly monitored. He explained further that the boat in question had once been involved in an accident at Majidun, near Ikorodu town, and that this was why it was barred from loading in the area, and was eventually taken to Baiyeku . Another boat operator in Baiyeku, Mr. Segun Omogunle, said officials of the Lagos State Water Traffic Management Authority (LASTWA) had, on many occasions, arrested the boat operators, and that in the last one year, they have been arrested more than 20 times for failing to comply with laid-down regulations for operation. He explained that on one occasion, the marine police impounded three of the boats because they lacked the necessary facilities, and they had to bribe the police with N60,000 before the boats were released . Speaking on the development, the head of the community, Chief Kehinde Ogunyera, said such a sad incident had never occurred in the past 70 years of his existence. He explained that the council of chiefs in the community usually took time off to monitor the activities of the boat operators, and that they usually complied with the conditions and rules given to them. He said they never overloaded their boats, as claimed by some people, and that the life jackets they used were the brand recommended for them, and were not inferior as claimed . Chief Ogunyera stated that, many times , the passengers refused to wear life jacket given to them , giving the excuse that they might contact disease by wearing it , because people afflicted with a disease might have worn it before. A spiritual dimension was, however, introduced by some people, who blamed the community for failing to make sacrifices to the water goddess, arguing that the river goddess was probably angry. Some blamed Lekan for refusing to abide by the spiritual instruction given to him through his mother, which forbade him from going out of his town, Sagamu, for some days. Buttressing that fact, Lekan’s boss, Chief Muyideen Oladegun, said although Lekan had been travelling on that lagoon for over seven years, and that he and Lekan used that route many times, he had warned him against attending the ill-fated party, having earlier on reminded him of the spiritual message which forbade him from going out of his town for some days after his wedding. While those who lost their loved ones are bemoaning their ill-fortune, it is necessary for the state government, which has made known its intention to popularize water transportation, to make sure that most of the private boat operators who are given approval are closely monitored, to prevent tragedies such as the one that claimed passengers.
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