In The Name of Allah: 

On Saturday, the 8^th of January 2011, a Luxury bus departed Maiduguri en route to Lagos.  As the bus approached The City of Jos from Bauchi, the bus was stopped at roadblock.  Gunmen entered the bus and ordered all Muslims off the bus.  These gunmen proceeded to set the bus ablaze with all remaining passengers inside.  Most of the victims in the bus were from the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria, both The East and The West all heading south. 

What was their crime?  None!  Did they deserve this?  In the name of Allah they did!  An open declaration of war was made by Jama’ atu ahlus on the 28^th of December 2010 after four bombs were exploded in The City of Jos, along with bombs going off in The City of Kano and The City of Maiduguri.  Abu Muhammad, Abubakar bin Mohammad Shekau stated, 

“I want to tell the Muslims in this country and the whole world that they need to know this is a war between Muslims and non-Muslims… this is not a tribal war, nor is it similar to the wars of the pre-Islamic era, it is nor a war for financial gains, it is solely a religious war.  We did not start this war so it would end in one week, or one month or one year.  Only when we are completely annihilated and nobody chooses to continue with our struggle may be that could be the end. Or we establish a system where religion has the final say or religion determines everything, that will be the end of this war… “We are ready for anyone willing to face us, whether it is a group of people or even the government because we know who supports us, God the Creator of the universe, Allahu Akbar.  Therefore, we are warning every Muslim who believes in the religion of Islam that he should never help a non-Muslim in this war. If he helps any non-Muslim and in so doing, a fellow Muslim suffers due to that, he should know that he is a dead person.”

Since Jama’atu Ahlus made this declaration of war, a bomb was exploded in Abuja followed by another in Jos.  This most recent atrocity is only affirmation of the stated objective and implementation of the war. 

In all of these atrocities, our government has done its best to suppress all this information.  Most Nigerians are unaware that this bus burning incident sparked off more fighting in The City of Jos since Saturday and continued into Monday.  The predominantly Igbo neighborhoods and business in Jos were attacked in conjunction with the bus burning, leaving the city in chaos.  Have you heard this information anywhere in the media?  I guess not! 

This image speaks to the continued suppression of the truth from Nigerians by the state.  Many atrocities, such as this have taken place, but the state has confiscated the cameras, which have documented such atrocities.  Most of the witnesses to these events from our presidents, governors, state security, NGOs’, and a few others are never allowed to divulge these secrets in the name of holding Nigeria together as one nation.

 The real casualties are never reported.  When the numbers are given, the government always disputes the numbers because we have no documentary evidence.  Apparently, they must fear if we really know the extent of the atrocities, people would begin addressing the battle we are already in.

There comes a time when a nation and it’s people must decide and determine what their destiny and legacy to their posterity and the rest of the world shall be.  Nigeria has found itself at that cross roads.  We must decide if we are willing to accept and allow genocide to continue, terrorism to continue, oppression of the masses by use of the state apparatus to continue, suppression of the truth by government to continue, and destruction of the hope of Nigeria’s heart and soul, it’s people, to continue.

• 'Unlicensed medical practitioner' sought for administering silicone injection which killed Claudia Aderotimi
• Transgender woman suspect 'well known' in Philadelphia and believed to have had similar procedure during sex change
• Tip off came after police raided home of 'fixer' in New Jersey who introduced student to 'doctor'
• 20-year-old believed to have met surgeon on chat forum for people interested in plastic surgery
• Injection was a ‘top up’ for previous procedure had in November
  

Detectives are hunting a transgender woman in connection with the death of a British student who died after a botched 'butt enhancement' operation.

Claudia Aderotimi, 20, is believed to have had the illegal procedure carried out by an unlicensed medical practioner in a hotel room in Philadelphia after meeting her in a plastic surgery chat room.

The transgender woman, in her 30s, had a similar procedure herself as part of a sex change operation to become a woman.

'Russian Roulette': Claudia Aderotimi, 20, is believed to have had silicone injected into her buttocks by an unlicensed medical practitioner

Sudden death: The London student had travelled to Philadelphia for a 'butt enhancement', which is illegal in the U.S. and UK

Police have established the identity of the suspect after raiding the home of a 'fixer' in New Jersey who had introduced the London-based student to the 'doctor'.

She is said to be well-known among the Africa-American community in Philadelphia, where 'butt enhancements' are popular.

A police source told the Evening Standard: 'There is a thriving trade in these sort of procedures and the injectors travel from state to state.'

Legitimate surgical techniques including silicone implants cost around £7,000, leading some to seek out cheaper injections. The procedure is illegal in the U.S. and UK.

If convicted, the suspect faces involuntary manslaughter charges which could lead to 10 years in jail.

Image conscious: Friends said Miss Aderotimi was desperate to obtain the perfect curvy figure and had been rejected from one Hip Hop video for wearing padded trousers

Aspiring dancer: Friends claimed Miss Aderotimi was the victim of social pressure to have a larger bottom

Miss Aderotimi have believed a 'bigger booty' would help her wish to appear in more music videos, according to her distraught friends.

The aspiring dancer - stagename Carmella London - was dropped from one shoot because directors discovered she had been wearing padded trousers to help enlarge her bottom.

Talent scout Tee Ali, who met the Thames Valley University student when she filmed a video, told The Sun: 'The problem was she didn't have no butt, and she wanted a butt.

'She went to audition for one video shoot wearing fake booty pants and she got all the attention.

'But when they found out it was fake she didn't get asked back.'

Miss Aderotimi developed chest pains and struggled for breath 12 hours after she had the illegal silicone injections at the budget hotel.

She was rushed to hospital, but could not be saved.

Aspirations: The student had hoped to become a Hip Hop star and had previously auditioned for parts in music videos

Botched: The 20-year-old died after the silicone leaked into her bloodstream, resulting in heart failure

A preliminary examination found the silicone filler had leaked into her bloodstream, leading to heart failure.

Detectives are investigating whether she was treated with cheaper 'industrial' silicone, normally used as a sealant, rather than the medical-grade material used in breast implants.

It was not the first time she had undergone the procedure. She is believed to have been treated in November and the latest injection on Monday may have been a 'top-up'.

Bootylicious: Nicki Minaj has become almost as famous for her posterior as for her voice

She had travelled from London to Philadelphia with three friends for the treatment, thought to have been an early present for her 21st birthday.

Buttock enhancement surgery is becoming popular in the U.S., among women who aspire to the shapely curves of Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and singer Nicki Minaj.

Minaj has become almost as famous for her posterior as for her voice, and rumours have spread across the web that the Massive Attack singer underwent surgery or uses pads to boost her bum, especially on urban gossip sites such as Bossip and mediatakeout.com. She denies having had surgery.

The illusion of a larger backside has become increasingly more fashionable among young women since the rise of the 'Hip Hop Honey' phenomenon.

A bigger behind has become almost a prerequisite for any aspiring dancer wanting to make it on the music video scene.

But the hip hop industry has come under fire for objectifying women in music videos where dancers - or Hip Hop Honeys - chasing fame can often leave themselves open to financial and sexual exploitation.

And in their desperation to beat off the competition, many resort to surgery to get ahead.

'Top up' procedures are only legal when the silicone gel is contained and sealed within an implant. But illegal injections of the material are also widely available from unlicensed back-room medics.

Last night one expert said having a direct injection of silicone gel – long outlawed in the U.S. and Britain, even for breast surgery – is 'like playing Russian roulette'.

One of Miss Aderotimi's friends is said to have had the same procedure but survived. Experts warned the silicone could still prove lethal for her in the future if not removed.

Death: The woman died at the Hampton Inn in Philadelphia after having an injection in her buttocks

Investigation: A Philadelphia detective leaves the hotel where Claudia Aderotimi was staying, clutching an envelope with mugshots inside

Tragedy: One of Miss Aderotimi's friends also underwent a similar procedure, but survived

Last night more than a dozen distraught friends and family gathered at Miss Aderotimi's home in Hackney, East London.

Her sister Vivian was in tears as she said: 'We found out on Tuesday. We're still in shock. We need to think about what we have to do.'

Miss Aderotimi had the buttock injections on Monday – thought to have cost around £1,300 – while her friend had the same procedure along with a hip enhancement treatment.

The 'doctor' who injected the silicone left soon after and was not there when Miss Aderotimi began complaining of chest pains.

Yesterday detectives raided the home of a woman they believed set up the illegal operation.

Computer files, emails and telephone records were seized from the house in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Emails from Miss Aderotimi arranging the procedure were among the material seized, but police said no formal arrests had yet been made.

Dr Rajiv Grover, president-elect of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: 'Buttock augmentation isn't a very commonly done procedure here, which is probably why these girls have resorted to going abroad.

'If correctly done, it involves implanting solid silicone implants into the buttock just like breast implants.

'The correct procedure would be done in a fully equipped, sterile surgical theatre in a hospital and the patient would be fully anaesthetised.'

Demola Adegbile met Olufunmi between 1980 and 1981, when she accompanied her friend to visit his flatmate. "I remember telling her that she looked like someone I want to spend the rest of my life with," he says. "If that's love at first sight, then, that's it."

But it definitely wasn't love at first sight for her.

"I didn't want to marry initially because the women in most marriages around me then had been brutalized, traumatized and suffering." However, she believed in friendship and wanted to have fun with him. Eventually, she changed her mind after finding out that he was "trustworthy, open-minded, sincere and caring". "Always, we talked about everything and I looked forward to being with him, so when he proposed, I couldn't resist saying, yes," she says.

Mrs Adegbile adds that her husband didn't initially have much money. "It was a bit tight," she says. But since money was not her focus, she contented herself with his numerous good qualities. "I cut down my taste as a single lady," she says. Prior to then, she had led an expensive life that included downing her lunch with a bottle of wine. Mr Adegbile was able to convince her that a bottle of Coke would do just as well until things got better. "He worked on me to help me see that the future was bright," she says.

Tough Times

The couple admit that they have had issues like other couples, but that they tried not to display anything in public because they wanted to maintain the image of a happy couple. For example, Mrs Adegbile confesses that her mindset of not wanting to be "under" any man initially affected their marriage.

"Being strong-willed," she says, "I always argued and wanted to have my way in any discussion." This often led her husband to switch off for days. She decided to change when she observed what she described as the "not palatable" result of always insisting on her way of doing things.

Mr Adegbile adds that they experienced other issues, the kind that come with two people with different backgrounds living together. "For example," he says, "she likes to sleep with the lights on and I don't."

Relationship Tips

Friendship is the first ingredient that Mr Adegbile ascribes their long-lasting union to. "At the time we met, I wasn't looking for a wife," he says. "When friends get married, they last longer." In addition, he set his mind on getting married only once and staying there. "Knowing that I couldn't leave made me try to make it work," he said.

Mrs Adegbile adds that communication is essential. "Keeping a secret is out of it. It kills the marriage."

"Our friendship makes it easier for me to communicate with my wife," Mr Adegbile says. "No matter what issues come, you can always resolve it," he says, adding that, every month, he took his wife out and they both wrote a list of things they didn't like about each other and talked about ways to tackle issues. Along the line, their lists started decreasing until they eventually disappeared, he says.

Staying Sweet

The couple say that they have never used sex as a weapon against each other. "I have a healthy sex life with my husband," Mrs Adegbile says. "Sex is not just having intercourse. Romance is the major part of sex." She adds that her husband prepares her for the "golden moment". He starts to make moves hours before the time. The inception of GSM and Blackberry, etc, have made things sweeter, she says, as they send "sweet nothings" to each other in advance.

"I call him ‘Sweet' because he is so sweet," she says. Her husband also calls her Sweet.

"Marry your friend," is the advice Mrs Adegbile has for singles. "Be open. A friend helps you have someone to share your life with."

"Loads of ladies and guys look out for husbands and wives in a way that is equivalent to getting another piece of furniture," Mr Adegbile says. "Marry your soul mate."

what if my girl was called aharit instead of arit



My girl has always been my closest friend but not one day has she ever told me her

real name . She said her name is arit and many times i go Aight ? and she says Right

. Not one day has she dared to put it all together and say AHARIT !

I wondered why she would never tell me her real name . I wondered not for long as I

asked her to marry me . to which she immediately agreed . She had been waiting for

this for ages .


Now we are about to get married it is just a few days or even weeks away .



And I asked her for the last time What is your name Arit

And she said AHARIT and I looked at her and understood . AHA RIGHT !


He sold his birthright for a meal of porridge He ignored the 'Aharit' . That which

comes After . Show me Temptations and I will ask for the AHARIT .

Now we shall soon be together for ever even after the AHARIT !

Happy Valentine

Ephesians 4:2

NDLEA intercepts 8,400kg of heroin at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, a passenger, Nwobodo Ikechukwu, 32, nabbed

A passenger, Nwobodo Ikechukwu, 32, on Emirate flight from Bangladesh has been nabbed in connection with unlawful importation of 8,400 kilogrammes of substance that tested positive for heroin at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

His arrest came few days after officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered 110 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.

The drug that was concealed in a false bottom of his luggage was the largest seizure at the airport this year and had an estimated street value of N42 million in Lagos..

NDLEA Commander at the airport, Alhaji Hamza Umar said the suspect had given useful information to a team of investigating narcotic officers. Hamza expressed optimism that more arrests would be made in connection with the seizure he described as exciting. “The drug was discovered during routine check of passengers. I can tell you that the seizure is an exciting experience for us in the new year. The suspect is assisting investigators,” Hamza stated.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade stressed that the target of the agency was to incapacitate drug trafficking cartels. According to the NDLEA boss, “we have understudied the trend of drug trafficking and our target is to systematically incapacitate drug trafficking cartels.” Giade reiterated his operational promise that the agency’s undercover monitoring shall lead to the exposure of more drug barons within the year.

The suspect, Nwobodo Ikechukwu who was an amateur footballer lamented his arrest, saying he had disappointed his late father. “I have disappointed my late father. Before he died, he entrusted me with his responsibility of sustaining the family. I have been a dedicated and hardworking person all my life. My family look up to me for hope. My dream of becoming a professional footballer is being threatened,” he stated. He hails from Enugu.

 Are they running out of cheeks ?

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State Chapter has called on Christians in the state to do everything possible to defend themselves against any aggression and attack by any group or individuals as Christians should no longer fold their arms and watch churches being destroyed and their members killed.

Addresing newsmen at the CAN secretariat in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Tuesday, the CAN Chairman, Reverend Yuguda Midurvwa, said the atrocities perpetrated by some group of "unidentified persons" who had taken it upon themselves to annihilate Christians in the state can no longer be condoned saying "enough is enough."

He said while they had visited mayhem on Christians in Borno State, destroying churches and killing Christians without any provocation whatsoever, the Christians though peaceful people who, believe in living peacefully with their neigbours as taught by the Holy Bible, failed to understand the failure of the security agencies in protecting life and property. He said Christians were no more prepared to look on while church members are being silently killed and churches destroyed.

"We call on all members to go back to God in prayer and fasting, we will resist any attack on our people as killings and destruction of our members and churches are still going on without any checks on these criminals," he explained.

Reverend Yuguda further said the decision of CAN Borno State to opt on self defence was informed by attacks on over 12 churches by some Muslim groups and the continuos silent killing of Christians in the state.

By JOSFYN UBA and KATE HALIM

Marriage is not very commonly seen in the priority list of many Nigeria’s beauty queens. Where marriage is possible at all, they end up playing second fiddle. Most often than not, becoming visible spare parts for highly placed men in the society is their regular beats..

Helen Prest-Ajayi

Former beauty queen, Helen, is the CEO of Media Business Company Ltd. Helen is also the founder of mylifestylesolutions.com, a lifestyle portal set up to help people find solutions to personal issues through the medium of social networking. She studied Law at the University of Ife, and then went on to Kings College, London for her Ll.M. “One never really stops practising law,” she replied, when asked whether she has abandoned the profession altogether.

She is married to to Tosin Ajayi and has three daughters, Tiffany,Tosan, and Tomisin. Helen doesn’t believe anything in life should be regimented because it is God who is in control. She confesses that parenting is not easy and with each generation comes a new set of unique issues with no manual on how to cope with the changing culture..

Being a working mother is tough and sometimes it’s difficult to juggle the work load as well as focus on the development of the children, she had said. She tailors her career to do the things she can within commitments because your children are only young once and you can’t rewind if you miss their childhood. She gets home when when she needs to be.

Having been married once, Helen is not one of the women who rushed into marriage without being armed with adequate information about their spouses, and with unrealistic expectations. But she believes that one can not really be fully prepared for marriage because we can only have basic guidelines, as people only really show you their true selves after marriage. To her, marriage is very beautiful and it should be a partnership with unity and purpose. At the end of the day, if both parties communicate and understand each other, then marriage will be much easier.

Oluchi Oweagba-Orlandi

After years of strutting the runway in her modelling career that has blossomed beyond her imagination, Nigerian-born international model, Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi started a new career, motherhood, on 25 April, when she was delivered of a baby boy for her husband, popular Italian fashion designer, Luca Orlandi. The super model revealed after giving birth to her baby that she was taken unawares when she realised that she was pregnant. Initially, she was not so pleased about it. It came as a real shock, but in her heart, she knew she had to get used to the idea. Oluchi preferred a a female child to the boy she had but her husband felt otherwise and was overjoyed when he learnt she was going to have a boy even though, he was aware she wanted a daughter.

Born on 1 August 1980, in Ayilara Street, Ojuelegba, in Surulere, a suburb in Lagos to a civil servant father, and a mother who is a nurse, Oluchi’s journey to the world of modelling can be said to be the work of God, which is the meaning of her first name in Igbo dialect. While growing up, she was relatively less bothered about fashion and modelling. But with the support of her family and friends, she decided to compete in the inaugural edition of the Face of Africa in 1998. This was the first-ever continent-wide model competition, as opposed to a mere beauty pageant. The pageant was organised by the South African subscription television channel, M-Net, in collaboration with Elite Model Management. With her slim, tall (6 ft. 1 in.) figure, and her natural beauty, she captivated the judges, and easily won the competition. She was just 17 years old then.

In August 2005, she married her long time companion, popular Italian fashion designer, Luca Orlandi, to become one of the most famous Nigerians known internationally.

Nike Oshinowo-Soleye

Oshinowo was raised in Ibadan and England, where she attended boarding school. Although she had intended to become an air hostess, she studied Politics at the University of Essex. Shortly after obtaining her degree, Oshinowo, who was mentored by former Miss Nigeria Helen Prest-Davies, represented Rivers at the Most beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant and emerged winner.

After her reign, which saw her compete at Miss World, Oshinowo featured in a commercial for Venus cosmetics and hosted a fashion and beauty show on Nigerian television. Her business ventures included an African restaurant and Skin Deep, a health and beauty spa which ran for seven years before it was sold after she decided to create her own range of beauty products for the Nigerian market. On January 17, 2010, she released the workout video Nike Oshinowo: Fit, Forty and Fabulous -the first celebrity fitness DVD produced in the country -and is currently working on the beauty products which will include fragrance, skincare, and haircare.

Now in her 40s, Oshinowo, who is fluent in five languages including Japanese and French, is hailed as a style icon in her homeland. Although she had stated in previous interviews that she had no plans to become a wife, Oshinowo is now married to medical doctor, Tunde Soleye. In 2009, the couple was in the news following a lawsuit instituted by Soleye’s ex-wife Funmilayo, who claimed that he had been unfaithful with Oshinowo during their marriage.

Nike confesses to being deeply in love with her husband and she doesn’t have to compare him with someone else. Since her whole life had been about herself alone, marriage was not particularly on her agenda because she finds it very challenging and never thought she would get married. It took her husband seven years to convince her to marry him, a story he proudly relives to his friends. Nike didn’t give up her independence when she married Dr. Tunde Soleye, neither did she marry him for his money as people have speculated. She had said in a previous interview that she learns from her husband everyday, “he is remarkable and ridiculously patient with me. He adores me and I love him right back. He’s got a sort of grey hair I find incredibly attractive. He has a wicked sense of humour; he is very smart and clever and I love such people. He is not from my world at all; I couldn’t marry someone from my world because it will just be chaotic.”

Bianca Onoh- Ojukwu

When a now-rested soft-sell publication first broke their romance story in 1992, hell was almost let loose. Then the story sounded so unbelievable. Worse still, the dramatis personae vehemently denied the relationship. One of the parties even threatened to sue the publication ‘for carrying false rumour.’ But before anyone knew what was happening, the couple, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and former beauty Queen, Bianca Onoh tied the knots at a much celebrated society wedding, which remained the talk-of-the-town for many months.

When it happened, many were shell-shocked. And many questions came up. One, what could make an ex-beauty queen in her late 20’s, from a privileged background and with practically the world at her feet decide to marry an ex-warlord old enough to be her father? But it seemed no one understood better than Bianca herself. In- spite of threats from her father, the late Chief C.C. Onoh to disown her if she went ahead to marry Ojukwu, the beautiful woman stood her ground and called everybody’s bluff. It was obvious that she was (and still) in love with Ojukwu. In several interviews she granted, Bianca had described her husband ‘as the best man in the world who understands my feelings and knows how to take care of a woman. Widely described as one of Nigeria’s most admired couples, the story of Chief Emeka and Bianca Ojukwu’s marriage is a classic case study of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (born Bianca Odinakachukwu Onoh) is a Nigerian businesswoman and former lawyer, best remembered for her controversial relationship with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba of Nnewi and former Biafran leader, who was over 30 years her senior. Their romance was a national talking point in the early nineties

As a wife and mother, Bianca now divides her time between her home, her cosmetics busines, Bianca Blend in Enugu, and her interior decorating outfit, Nourobella.

Although, she had stated in interviews her disdain for modelling in the past, the former beauty queen has fronted an advertising campaign for her products. She is in charge of the non-governmental organisation, Hope House Trust, centred towards rehabilitating juvenile offenders in Enugu. The couple have children together. Of her marriage, she admits that while she is happy to have found her older husband, she would not encourage her daughter to marry the same way.

Sylvia Edem- Emecheta

Former Miss Nigeria, Sylvia Ansa Edem, finally wedded her London-based heartthrob, Chris Emecheta, a Delta State-born international businessman whom she had met and simply exchanged telephone number with at the KLM business lounge in Amsterdam on her way back from Miss Universe beauty pageant

Weeks later, she got a call from him and they started talking. Although, nothing happened between them because she was still reigning, Sylvia and Emecheta would later meet again almost to the end of her reign when she travelled to the U.S.

She was still reigning then as most beautiful girl and nothing happened between them until after her tenure.

So, weeks later, I got a call from him and we started talking and that was it. And nothing else happened. He was based in the United States of America, we used to talk on the phone, anytime he is in town, we talk. I was also busy here with all the beauty competition I had to take part in. We met again almost to the end of my reign when I went to the U.S then, the chemistry of romance formally kicked off.

The couple have been together ever since and had been based in the US before they finally relocated to Nigeria last year. They got legally married in the US over a year ago and are blessed with a son, Drake.

Anita Uwagbele-Iseghohi

An only female child, Edo-born Uwagbale spent most of her early years in Lagos until she gained admission into Madonna University, Okija to study Accountancy. As an undergraduate, Uwagbale was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2004, enabling her to take part in Miss Universe and Miss World later in the year. Although she was a contender for the crown, Uwagbale failed to make the top ten; however, she was named African Continental Queen of Beauty. As MBGN, Uwagbale’s projects included activism against environmental pollution.

Uwagbale is married to businessman Tom Iseghohi. Following a registry ceremony in America, in 2008, the couple had a society wedding in Lagos, and are now the parents of two sons. In 2009, Isegholi was accused of embezzling from NITEL shareholders; the charges were later dropped. Uwagbale continues to study in America while working at her private businesses.

Adaeze Igwe

Adaeze Yobo was previously known as Adaeze Stephanie Chinenye Igwe. She is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.

While she was an undergrad at the University of Abuja, Igwe pursued her childhood dream by representing Anambra in the pageant with 29 other girls.

During her reign, Igwe established her own charity, The Adaeze Igwe Foundation, an organisation which promotes AIDS and Breast Cancer awareness, and raises funds towards similar causes, including malaria and tuberclosis. Its mission is “to create and increase access and opportunities to Nigerian youths and communities towards addressing [their] needs and challenges in relation to health and sustainable development.” She has since left the University of Abuja, and started a Communications course at the New York Film Academy.

In 2010, the former beauty queen married FenerbahÁe S.K. player, Joseph Yobo in a midnight ceremony held in Jos. The couple who dated briefly in 2009 before formally walking down the isle, are now parents of their first child.

Mohammed Hanif Khan, 42, was also found guilty by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court of sexual activity with a child, as well as the two counts of rape.

The charges relate to two boys who attended the mosque in Capper Street, Stoke on Trent, where he was imam, in 2009.

Prosecutor Tariq Bin Shakoor told the jury part of Khan's job was to lead prayers and give Islamic education lessons to boys at evening classes.

He told the court one of the boys claimed in police interviews that he was singled out by Khan after evening prayer on several occasions. He was sexually assaulted in various areas of the mosque which were not covered by CCTV, Mr Shakoor told the court.

The other boy was assaulted when he was an overnight guest at Khan's house, the jury of six men and six women were told.

But in his evidence to the court Khan, of Owler Lane, Sheffield, said he had a close relationship with the youngsters because he tried to help them with their unruly behaviour, adding that he would often be more lenient on the boys if they were late or did not turn up for classes at the mosque because he was aware they had issues at home.

Khan's lawyer, Robert Woodcock QC, asked him who had invited him to get involved in the family's business and he said it was mainly the mothers of the two boys who asked for his help.

Khan, who told the court he travelled to Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Cyprus to complete his imam training, showed no emotion as the jury delivered its verdicts.

A further five charges were dismissed by Mrs Justice Dobbs because the jury could not reach a decision, and she adjourned the trial for pre-sentence reports to a date yet to be fixed.

Previously On Imam Rape:   

Mohammed the Brit

Goodbye Jack Smith, hello Mohammed Malik, model British subject. Mohammed, in its various spellings, is now the favourite name for newborn boys in the United Kingdom, edging out Oliver. Those named for the Prophet of Islam ride the Clapham omnibus.

Churn is a wondrous thing, grease in the wheels of vital societies able to adjust their self-images over time. But what to think of the Mohammedization of this murky isle?

Say Luton or Bradford, and the vision that leaps is that of the alienated Muslim radicalized by jihadist teaching and ready — like the Luton-incubated Stockholm bomber Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly — to blow himself up to kill the Western infidel. The London bombers of July 7, 2005, also set out from Luton.

These are potent images. Exclusion exists; its other face is danger. But so does a particular British elasticity that registers Mohammed and shrugs...

Having lived in France and Germany, I’m struck on returning to Britain after 30 years not by the hard lines hiving off immigrant Muslim communities as in those countries but by the relative fluidity that produces Faisal Islam, economic editor of the influential Channel 4 News, or Sajid Javid, a bus driver’s son and Tory MP...

British identity has proved more capacious than French or German, perhaps because, even before the legacy of empire, it had to absorb the English, the Scottish and the Welsh (as well as fail to absorb the majority of the Irish.) The variegated texture of London — projects full of immigrants hard by upscale housing — stands in stark contrast to ghettoized Paris.

I’ve been listening to a BBC Radio 4 series — how polarized America would benefit from a national broadcaster of this quality! — called “Five Guys named Mohammed,” conceived to mark the name’s first-place surge. The programs are a good antidote to the simplistic caricature that conflates Muslim with threat, and a useful barometer of an integration that is uneven, certainly, but ongoing.

There was Mohammed Yahya, Mozambique-born rapper and creator of a Muslim-Jewish band. Or Mohammed Anwar, of purring Scottish brogue, the manager of a Glasgow Muslim day care center, waxing lyrical about Damson Jam and the crush he once had on actress Diana Rigg (who didn’t?) and his 21-year-old daughter, who could do big things if she was not “so laid-back, it’s just unbelievable.” And there she was, more Scottish even than he, laughing over his premature hunt for a husband for her.

Or Muhammad Hasan, a bubbly Birmingham real-estate dealer in his mid-30s, explaining his Islamic investment theory: Because under Islam you cannot charge or pay interest, Muslim investors in his property deals have to take equity rather than lend money — and that spurs motivation.

Bent on business, Hasan has had little time to look for a wife who, in his mother’s view, “has to be a Muslim and from Pakistan and a Princess Diana clone!” He’s now sipping tea with potential spouses while his binocular-armed Mom observes.

Overall, these Mohammeds see themselves as British citizens, not Muslims in the United Kingdom. Their universes may be distinct, as in attitudes to marriage, but distinct in a way that, at best, complements rather than confronts. “There’s an upward mobility and optimism that is much higher than in continental Europe,” said Muddassar Ahmed, a 27-year-old college dropout and chief executive of Unitas, a public relations firm.

Ahmed is involved in the drafting of a letter by 50 British Muslim scholars denouncing Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the 26-year-old killer of Salman Taseer, the Punjab governor assassinated this month for denouncing Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws that prescribe the death sentence for anyone insulting Islam. Qadri, self-described “slave of the Prophet,” has been feted in Islamabad.

In this context, the readiness of European Muslims, many bearing the Prophet’s name, to stand up for values of free speech assumes bridge-building importance. It reflects the experience of faith as practiced within a modern secular society.

Those bridges do not come easily. Britain has been riled in recent weeks by the conviction of Mohammed Liaqat, 28, and Abid Saddique, 27, the ringleaders of a gang that raped and sexually abused several white girls aged between 12 and 18 in Derby.

The reaction of Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary, was to say a problem exists with “Pakistani heritage men thinking it is O.K. to target white girls in this way.” He said they were “popping with testosterone, they want some outlet for that, but Pakistani heritage girls are off limits and they are expected to marry a Pakistani girl from Pakistan, typically” — so they seek the “easy meat” of white girls.

It was a neat — and explosive — argument. Vigorous debate has ensued. Racial slur? Courageous frankness? I don’t think Straw’s argument stands up to scrutiny of overall sex-crime patterns, but I do think Britain’s Muslim community needs to take a hard look at repressive attitudes toward women. The debate is salutary.

There’s a Mohammed — in fact there are many — in Britain’s future. Oliver’s prospects look more dubious given the ties between the name’s popularity and the heady success of the chef Jamie Oliver — but that’s another story of positive British change.

Just couldn't resist the urge to steal this... and share, of course!


Monday: We are back from honeymoon and settled in our new home. It's fun to cook for Chuka. Today I made moi moi and the recipe said, 'Beat 12 eggs separately '. Well, I didn't have enough bowls to do that, so I had to borrow 12 bowls to beat the eggs in. The moi moi turned out fine though.

Tuesday: We wanted a fruit salad for supper. The recipe said, 'Serve without dressing'. So I didn't dress. But Chuka happened to bring a friend home for supper that night. They both looked so startled when I served them. I think it was the salad.

Wednesday: I decided to serve rice and found a recipe, which said, 'Wash thoroughly before steaming the rice'. So I heated some water and took a bath before steaming the rice. Sounded kind of silly in the middle of the day. I can't say it improved the rice anyhow.. .

Thursday: Today Chuka asked for salad again. I tried a new recipe. It said, prepare ingredients, and then toss on a bed of lettuce one hour before serving.' I hunted all over the place for a garden with a bed of lettuce and when I got one, I tossed my salad into the bed of lettuce and stood over there for over one hour so the dog would not take it. CHUKA came over and asked if I felt all right. I wonder why? He must be stressed at work; I'll try and be supportive.

Friday: Today I found an easy recipe for cookies. It said, 'Put all ingredients in a bowl and beat it'. Beat it I did, to my mother's place. There must have been something wrong with the recipe, because when I came back home again; it looked the same as when I left it.

Saturday: Chuka went shopping today and brought home a chicken. He asked me to dress it for Sunday. I'm sure I don't know how hens dress for Sunday.I never noticed back on the farm, but I found an old doll dress and its little cute shoes. I thought the hen looked really cute.When Chuka saw it, he started counting to ten. Either he was really stressed because of his work, or he wanted the chicken to dance. When I asked him what was wrong he started crying and shouting out 'Why me? Why me?'

It has to be his job!

Sunday: ...

With the Lagos Guber Candidate Ticket of Fashola confirmed by the ACN .

Now, for the second time in a month, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday accused the Federal Government of plotting to arrest and silence its national leader and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Federal Government, the ACN alleged, plans to put Tinubu out of circulation to check his rising political profile and demobilise the ACN ahead of April’s general election.

The party had on December 5 last year alerted Nigerians to "the surreptitious and dangerous moves being made to silence Tinubu."

A few days later, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) chair, Sam Saba, said the CCB would dust up against Tinubu, a case of keeping a foreign account while in office. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier investigated the case without any evidence against the former governor...

Spokesman of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told reporters in Lagos yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan had finally succumbed to the "unceasing pressure by signing on to the evil plan."

Mohammed said: "Now, we have it on a good authority that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, (Mr. Mohammed Adoke), has been under tremendous pressure to look for any offence, no matter how flimsy, to get Tinubu arrested and prosecuted – just to put him away." He alleged that the President "may sign a warrant of Tinubu’s arrest anytime from now."

He warned: "We will not sit back and fold our arms while those who fought for the democracy we are enjoying today are demonised and decapitated. We reject the targeting of Tinubu, who they see as the architect of the change that is threatening the PDP.

"Nothing must happen to this icon of democracy and good governance, so as not to set in motion a chain of events the end of which no one can predict."

Mohammed said the ACN’s phenomenal leap is making the PDP envious, hence the focus on Tinubu who is seen as "the architect of PDP’s deconstruction, who has to be stopped at all costs."

Apart from winning back its mandate in Edo, Ekiti and Osun states in the South-West where its candidates are now occupying the government houses, the ACN has also been making an in-road into other parts of the country.

Mohammed said internal democracy in the ACN and its discipline have attracted into the party the likes of Senator John James Akpanodoedehe (Akwa Ibom); Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and ex-Governor Achike Udenwa (Imo State); Former Transport Minister Abiye Sekibo (Rivers State); Senator George Akume (Benue State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State); Senator Joel Danlami (Taraba State); five members of the National Assembly in Anambra State and the entire Congress of Progressive Party (CPC) structure in Bauchi State.

"As our party’s fortune rises, the prospect of the ruling PDP becomes dimmer and dimmer by the day.

"As the general elections approach, it is becoming increasingly clear to the discerning that we are the toast of all Nigerians seeking better governance and the deepening of democracy".

During the week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was believed to have visited the national secretariat of the PDP to press the leadership to "do something about the crises in the party in the South-West so as to check the ACN" or he would quit.

Mohammed said those behind the plot to arrest Tinubu, in one of their meetings, "said everything must be done to stop the putative alliance between our party and the CPC, which they see as capable of ending the years of misrule by the PDP."

He then raised some posers: "Why the arrest of Tinubu at the time of the registration of voters? Why when there is a merger talk between the ACN and the CPC? Why when people are leaving the PDP in droves?"

He said the PDP men pressuring the President to get Tinubu arrested "are firmly of the belief that his arrest will destabilise the ACN".

Mohammed said there is a growing desperation by the PDP, saying the sum of $1billion "was secretly and hurriedly shared out to states from the excess crude accounts, just to secure support for President Jonathan and give his backers the necessary war chest needed to fight ahead of the April election." The money, he alleged, was shared in foreign currency to the detriment of the naira.

"In recent times, bombs have been exploding across the country in an unprecedented degeneration of security in a country that is not at war. Hundreds have been killed or maimed. Do we know those behind it? Do we know their motives? Could it be part of the end game? We leave Nigerians to judge."

But Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation yesterday dismissed the allegations. The organisation also said it was not true that six Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors were made to donate N500 million each to the President's campaign.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Mr. Sully Abu, in a statement in Abuja frowned at what he called "the recent penchant of politicians for broadcasting total fabrications in the garb of 'revelations'."

The ploy, according to Abu, is to "pile up one lie over the other with the hope that something murky would stick."

Describing Alhaji Mohammed's allegations as similar to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's "tissue of lies", Abu wondered under what financial sub-heads the monies allegedly taken from states' coffers would have been released.

He called on the security agencies to investigate Mohammed's "outrageous claims" that "one billion dollars have been secretly and hurriedly shared out to the states from the excess crude oil accounts, just to secure support for President Jonathan and give his backers the necessary war chest needed to fight ahead of April's election."

Abu stressed that no amount of blackmail or wicked propaganda would distract President Jonathan from his focused march to keep a date with destiny in the 2011 elections

Cameroon and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o set a new landmark for individual success in African football on Monday after being named the continent's Footballer of the Year for a record fourth time.

The 2010 award came five years after his last triumph and capped a year of unprecedented club success in which he also extended his scoring record at the African Nations Cup finals.

The Cameroon captain finished ahead of Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan of Ghana in the polling for Africa's top individual prize, awarded at the Confederation of African Football's awards gala in Cairo.

"It is a pleasure to be a winner again, to take it for the fourth time against such top opposition," Eto'o told a news conference after the ceremony.

"It is true now that Africa has so many good players and there is lots of talent coming up, so this might be a last chance for me."

Eto'o was African Footballer of the Year from 2003-05 and his fourth award surpasses the three titles won by Abedi Pele in the early 1990s.

Eto'o's goal-scoring form helped Inter Milan to a triple of titles last season, including the UEFA Champions League in which the 29-year-old took a winner's medal for a second successive year.

He scored on Saturday as the Italians beat African champions TP Mazembe Englebert in the Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi.

Photo2:Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o (R) holds his 2010 African Footballer of the Year award while standing with Asamoah Gyan of Ghana in Cairo, December 20, 2010.

Eto'o scored twice at the Nations Cup in Angola in January to stretch his tournament record tally of goals to 18. He also netted at the World Cup finals but later described Cameroon's poor performance in South Africa as the biggest disappointment of his career.

REUTERS