Blog

The admiralty confiscated most of the booty and auctioned it off to

defray the costs of the expedition, although a sizeable group ended up

in the British Museum. Among them is another of the same group of ivory

masks. The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual

sculptures astounded western audiences, and the dispersal of the Benin

treasures paved the way for a reassessment of African art by artists

and scholars. When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in

London in 1947, he asked the family if he could exchange it for one of

his sculptures. Its whereabouts remained unknown until the family

contacted Sotheby’s last year. Jean Fritts, director of African and

Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It has an amazing, untouched surface

which collectors love. Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing

with palm oil.” From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a

carved altar tusk, two ivory armlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with

Portuguese figures and a bronze sculpture usually described as a tusk

stand. A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a

record $4.7m in 2007. The auction record for any African work of art is

€5.9m.

Oba Ovonramwen’s £4.5m mask for auction in UK

A Lagos High Court yesterday discharged and acquitted Hamza Al-mustapha, a major and former chief security officer (CSO) to the late military dictator, Sani Abacha, and three others standing trial for the attempted murder of the publisher of The Guardian newspapers, Alex Ibru...

Those being tried alongside Mr Al-Mustapha were former Lagos State Police Commissioner, James Danbaba; former Zamfara State military administrator, Jubrin Bala Yakubu; and former head of the Aso Rock Anti-Riot Police, Rabo Lawal.

The presiding judge, Muftau Olokoba, in his ruling on the ‘no case submission’ instituted by Mr. Al-mustapha and others, declared that the evidence on all the counts preferred against the accused are thoroughly worthless, and that there is no evidence of conspiracy alleged on the first count.

“I hold that no prima facie case has been established against the accused person. I hereby acquit and discharge them.”

No case to answer

U.C. Ikegbule, counsel to the third accused person, had argued that where an essential element has not been proved, his client has no case to answer.

“In proving the allegation of attempted murder of Alex Ibru, the prosecution was not able to show that the defendant actually has the intention to kill the publisher of Guardian Newspapers.”

He urged the court to disregard the testimony of prosecution witnesses who have at one point or the other contradicted themselves during cross examination.

Mr Ikegbule also noted that none of the prosecution witnesses mentioned the name of his client in the alleged crime.

He also averred that, “The prosecution have failed to make a prima facie case against the defendants as to conspiracy to kill Alex Ibru and Isaac Porbeni, a former commissioner of sports in Delta State as alleged. The prosecution has also failed to produce the original tapes of the Special Investigation Panel that carried out investigations into the alleged crime in spite of long adjournments.”

He then urged the court to acquit and discharge his client.

On his part, counsel to the first accused, C.K. Nmakwe had on November 3, 2010 while adopting his written address prayed the court to acquit and discharge the 1st accused of all allegations preferred against him by the prosecution.

Mr. Nmakwe who urged the court to consider if the prosecution has established a clear case against his client, argued that the court cannot convict the accused on allegation of conspiracy when there is no evidence before the court to prove same.

According to him, “The prosecution was not able to establish that the first accused caused serious bodily wound on Mr. Ibru as was suggested by the prosecution. The burden of proof is solely the responsibility of the prosecution and not the accused.”

Even Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Mr. Al-Mustapha and Mr. Lawal, argued that it would be unjust if the prosecution continues to subject his clients to trial when it cannot prove that they committed the alleged offence.

“There has been no legally admissible evidence against the accused persons by the prosecution. The court should consider the failure of the prosecution to call on Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) who took statements from the accused to testify before the court,” he said.

However, prosecution counsel, Gbadebo Oshoala, told the judge that the accused persons knew about the attempted murder of Ibru and, therefore, has a case to answer.

He urged the court to discountenance the written submissions of the accused persons and rule against the accused accordingly.

Shortly after the court handed its decision on the matter, family members and sympathisers took to the streets around the court to celebrate the victory which they said has taken a long time to come.

Mustapha can’t go home

In a swift reaction to the ruling, Mr. Ojo said, “James Danbaba, former commissioner of police in Lagos State would go home, the third defendant, Colonel Bala Yakubu, former military administrator of Zamfara State would go home. But my client, Al-mustapha and Rabo Lawal can’t go because of the case before Honourable Justice M.A Dada.”

“It must be realised that it was the same set of witnesses that gave evidence before Justice Olokoba, were the same set of witnesses that gave evidence before Justice Dada. But I can say, that the evidences before Justice M.A. Dada who is handling the case of alleged murder of Kudirat Abiola by the defendants is even much more damaging, contradictory and repudiatory than what they had before Justice Olokoba.

“What I expect of any honourable prosecution is to throw in the towel and withdraw the case.”

Stiletto Heels, Uber Skinny Jeans, Heavy Bags- What NOT to Wear :One of the biggest fashion faux pas is wearing fashion that cause pain

By DENNIE HUGHES

Thanks to the towering stilettos being introduced this season, there were a multitude of models wiping out on the runways. Just check out YouTube to see some of the carnage. 

But crazy-high heels aren't the only treacherous fall trend: Such fashion must-haves as sewn-on jeans, hefty handbags, and oversize jewelry can also play havoc with your health. "All that squeezing, balance shifting, and heavy lifting can really take a toll on your body," says Bob Emery, Dr. P. H., an associate professor of occupational health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Fashionistas need not despair, though. A few minor adjustments to this year's looks can keep you in style— and out of the doctor's office. 

Designer Don't
Sky-High Stilettos
"This year's heels are taller than ever and offer less support— and the higher the heel, the more damage that can occur," says New York City podiatrist Johanna Youner, D. P. M. Over time, the extra weight on your forefoot can lead to pinched nerves and joint problems such as bunions or hammertoes (sexy, huh?). "I've also seen women who literally fell off their shoes, fracturing their foot or spraining their ankle," Youner says. 

Fashion Do Stick with a two-or three-inch heel and a rounded or open toe. This will distribute your weight more evenly and make room for swollen tootsies. "Instead of spindly stilettos, look for wedges, platforms, or thick, stacked heels—as well as a firm back or straps to keep your foot secure in the shoe," Youner says. For extra shock absorption, consider having a leather outsole replaced with a rubber one, and adding a thin gel or foam insole, such as Dr. Scholl's for Her ball-of-foot cushions.

Designer Don't
Skin-Tight Jeans
"Super-skinny jeans won't crush your organs the way corsets did, but they can irritate your skin and trap moisture, which can set you up for a yeast infection," says Elizabeth Kavaler, M. D., a urologist in New York City. A stiff denim crotch seam can also cause pelvic muscles to clench (in an effort to "push" the fabric away), making urination difficult. 

Fashion Do Choose skinnies made of stretch denim in a breathable cotton or linen, and make sure the seams are soft and pliable. When trying them on, take a seat: If you feel the need to unfasten, try another size or style. Looser boyfriend jeans or trouser jeans won't make you feel like a sausage in too-tight casing. 

Designer Don't
Monstrous Bags
The potential side effects of enormous arm candy: a stiff neck and shoulders and a pounding headache. Carrying a heavy shoulder load also restricts blood flow to one side of the body, causing muscle strain. 

Fashion Do With all the hardware, today's average bag can weigh 10 pounds empty. Look instead for smaller sizes in lightweight materials like silk, cotton, or nylon. Padded wide or short straps or longer straps worn diagonally across the chest can spread out the load on your shoulder. A bag with many compartments will distribute weight more evenly (and keep your stuff from pooling in one spot). And unless you want to develop a hunch, be sure to switch arms frequently. 

Designer Don't
Oversize Earrings
Wearing doorknockers can cause the holes in your earlobes to stretch or tear. Once that happens, the lobes may not heal on their own—then, to repair the damage your only option is cosmetic surgery (read: not covered by insurance) to remove excess tissue and stitch the hole shut. 

Fashion Do "Limit heavy chandeliers to only a couple of hours at a time, and never wear them around little kids, who tend to pull on earrings, which can speed up the tearing process," says John Canady, M. D., professor of plastic surgery at the University of Iowa. If you can't give up bigger, eye-catching styles, try lighter hoops, mesh metals, and wooden or plastic beads instead of heavy stones. For extra support, swap skinny ear wires for post styles that come with large plastic backs.

(Extracted from : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/fashion-hazards )

JULIAN Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks, today launched a wide ranging series of attacks on both his enemies and allies as he defended his public and private conduct.

In his first UK newspaper interview since releasing hundreds of secret diplomatic cables last month, Mr Assange told The Times he predicts the US will face reprisals if it attempts to extradite him on conspiracy charges.

He accused his media partners at The Guardian newspaper, which worked with him to make the embarrassing leaks public, of unfairly tarnishing him by revealing damaging details of the sex assault allegations he faces in Sweden.


He insisted that the women behind the claims were motivated by revenge.

Mr Assange said he had enough material ready to destroy the bosses of one of the world’s biggest banks.

Speaking from the English mansion where he is confined on bail, the 39-year-old Australian said that the decision to publish incriminating police files about him was "disgusting". The Guardian had previously used him as its source for hundreds of leaked US embassy cables.

Mr Assange is understood to be particularly angry with a senior reporter at the paper and former friend for "selectively publishing" incriminating sections of the police report, although The Guardian made clear that the WikiLeaks founder was given several days to respond.

Mr Assange claimed the newspaper received leaked documents from Swedish authorities or "other intelligence agencies" intent on jeopardising his defence...

"The leak was clearly designed to undermine my bail application," he said. "Someone in authority clearly intended to keep Julian in prison."

He denied allegations of sexual assault and said that the allegations by two Swedish women he met in August "came from nowhere".

Mr Assange was arrested and held in Wandsworth prison after Swedish authorities issued an extradition request. He was released on bail last week on a surety of £275,000 ($US427,872).

He said that he still had not seen the full extent of the allegations against him, although he accepted that his Swedish lawyer had been handed many of the details.

When asked if he was promiscuous, he replied: "I’m not promiscuous. I just really like women."

Mr Assange also confirmed that WikiLeaks was holding a vast amount of material about a bank which it intends to release early next year..

Shares in Bank of America recently fell after speculation spread that it was the target.

"We don’t want the bank to suffer unless it’s called for," Mr Assange said. "But if its management is operating in a responsive way there will be resignations."

US officials are reportedly searching for ways to extradite him on espionage charges. Vice President Joe Biden recently called the WikiLeaks founder a "high-tech terrorist".

Mr Assange said that he believed that the US situation would "turn around absolutely" as a groundswell of favourable opinion grew in America.

"The people in power are organised and were able to respond quickly," he said. "But numerically they are not that strong and our support in the general population is tremendous."

Mr Assange's interview follows revelations that police feared he would be assassinated on the front steps of London's High Court.

He revealed earlier he was told to keep a statement celebrating his freedom brief due a perceived threat on his life.

The police concerns emerged as Mr Assange revealed further details about his prison stay - including that he was housed alongside paedophiles and found support among prison guards.

Lagos residents returning home after work were today held up in endless traffic congestions following the closure of all key roads, which lead to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport from Victoria.

The roads closure was traced to the visit of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) to Lagos metropolis, a situation which sparked anger and pain among Lagos residents who were returning after their stressful day. .

There were fierce-looking officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at different junctions of the closed roads, especially those leading directly to the popular Third Mainland Bridge, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and Funsho Williams Avenue.

we gathered that the closures started more than one hour before the convoy of President Jonathan passed through the routes.

The roads were closed at about 6:15 p.m. by security operatives but were not opened until about 7:33 p.m. after the convoy of President Jonathan and his entourage had driven through the Third Mainland Bridge heading to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.  

Thousands of road users and motorists, who were held in the traffic, were visibly furious and angry; bitterly lamenting that such blockage or closure was unnecessary during a democratic dispensation.  

Precisely around 7:28 p.m. after the convoy had passed, a good number, who had alighted from their respective vehicles, were angrily booing President Jonathan, though security operatives scared them away. .

Before the roadblocks were dismantled, we spoke with a number of road users, who were held in the traffic jam, which covered a distance of more than five kilometers and in some cases more than that.

A banker in one of the new generation banks, who plead anonymity for security reasons over the situation, saying he was fortunate to have closed early, but the hold-up had shattered the plan of being with his family on time.

The banker expressed concerns about the capacity of President Jonathan “to guarantee fundamental human rights in different spheres of life. The idea of blocking roads because of the president is uncalled for.”
 
Another resident, Mr. Segun Balogun told us that the visit of the President to Lagos metropolis “has always been a source of concern and worry due to the tradition of road closure.”
 
Balogun condemned the tradition, which he said, had put road users and motorists under unnecessary stress.

In his response, Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa appealed to Lagos residents to bear with the state government after the hold-up eased few hours later.

Opeifa added that traffic congestion experienced “all around Lagos roads was due to road closure from Victoria Island to Murtala Mohammed International Airport arising from presidential visit and the consequent closure of Lagos roads by the security operatives of the Nigeria Police.”
 
The special adviser asked Lagos residents to be patient, saying the roads would be opened as soon as the convoy of President Jonathan passed through the Victoria Island en route the airport.

culled and adapted rom thewill

She was found in Ifo, Ogun State….

It is not Confirmed yet the circumstances that led to her finding as some reports claim that the Kidnappers were traced by their GSM number while Others claim her parents was called by the Kidnappers who handed her over.
The most Important News is That She is Back home, safe and Alive!

She was missing for 7days!!!
Her parents,family and friends did
not sleep at all.
Her mum was on her knees crying to God today Monday
december 20th,exactly one week after she went missing,when they
received an Anonymous call to come and pick up sharon from outside of
Lagos.

This is the good news people!!

Sharon has been
found thank God,her mum is on the radio now,she was kidnapped by the
Family friends "houseboy" who planned to phone her parents a few days
later and ask for a ransom but his partners backed out and he panicked
so he phoned her dad today to come pick them up at Ifo where he
confessed everything.
Please be careful with our young ones and trust
no one !!!

Thank God…..i had almost postphoned Christmas this
year!
Welcome home Sharon….Welcome!!...

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

A Nigerian, Zainab Suleiman,62, on Sunday died onboard an Ethiopian airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Abuja..

The deceased’s husband, Suleiman Abdulra’uf, a Kano based businessman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Addis Ababa that they were returning from New Delhi, when they transited to Addis Ababa and boarded another plane for onward journey back to Nigeria.

‘‘We travelled to New Delhi for treatment. She was discharged and on our way back,

we stopped over here in Addis Ababa where we changed planes, but one and a half hours after take-off, she died and the plane returned to Addis Ababa,’’ Mr. Abdulra’uf said.

He described the death of his wife as the will of God and that the corpse had been deposited at a morgue, while Ethiopian immigration and airline officials were making necessary arrangement for its transportation to Nigeria.He said he took the deceased to New Delhi for a cancer treatment.

NAN reports that some senior officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia, headed by John Ejinaka, the Charge de Affairs of the embassy, had on Monday met with the deceased’s husband at the Chancery in Addis Ababa.

Another Nigerian was also reported to have died last week onboard an Ethiopian Airline plane from Abuja to New Delhi. The deceased was also going for medical treatment in India.

Mr. Ejinaka told the NAN that the embassy recorded six of such cases in 2009.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) will be the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate for Lagos in the 2011 general election, THEWILL can report.

Sources close to the ACN National Secretariat told THEWILL that all the issues, which pitched Mr. Fashola against some powerful interests in the rank of the party have been totally resolved.

But Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan may not run as Mr. Fashola’s deputy as the current Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefilure is being seriously considered for the position, checks revealed over the weekend.

We gathered that Mr. Fashola "is still making a case for Sosan on the ground that both have had a robust relationship short of conflict since 2007" when the Fashola administration came on board, a top ACN chieftain told our correspondent.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed confirmed to another source that Fashola has been given the governorship ticket as the ACN flagbearer for the 2011 Lagos guber race adding that the ACN primaries for the governorship ticket would just be a formality.

Commenting on the friction between Mr. Fashola and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, our source said the ACN leadership has also resolved the differences between both men. The resolution was responsible for the ‘top of the roof’ reception accorded Mr. Fashola during the presentation of the 2011 budget proposal at the House of Assembly.

After the budget presentation, Speaker Ikuforiji described Fashola as Governor of all governors, a comment, which elicited mass applause from a sophisticated gathering of party leaders, political stakeholders, lawmakers, investors and almost all members of the State Executive Council (SEC).  

Ikuforiji also commended Fashola and his team for the achievements they had recorded in the past years, though he said the Assembly “considers budget a very important tool for nation-building, accelerated growth and rapid development, especially in the face of disaffection and discontentment everywhere.”

we also learnt that the friction between Fashola and Ikuforiji was settled on the eve of the state congress of the party, which was held penultimate Saturday, the day the supporters of the former were billed to stage a protest at the state secretariat of the party over what they described as irregularities in the ACN congresses.
 
Recall that the protest did not hold as earlier scheduled and no reason was given for the cancellation though security at the state party's secretariat was beefed.

But on the same day of the state congress, Fashola surprisingly arrived at the state secretariat of the party in the same Land Rover SUV with former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who many believe was behind Fashola’s woes over disagreement on tax commission due Tinubu’s Alpha Beta, a revenue collection company contracted to collect taxes on behalf of the state government.

After a close-door meeting, the state party’s Chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale told journalists that there was no point changing a winning team, which was the first signal that the party had settled for Mr. Fashola as its choice.

Analysts have argued that the ACN will be defeated in the 2011 Lagos governorship election if the party dumps Mr. Fashola for another candidate following the friction between the Tinubu and governor.

Agitations have been mounted on Governor Babatunde Fashola to create a new state to be called Lagoon State out of Lagos State, South West Nigeria .

This time around, the agitation is coming from lawyers as they joined the leagues of prominent Lagosians championing the call for a new state to be created out of the state .

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikorodu Branch, said it has become necessary to create Lagoon State because many Lagosians were championing the cause.

Speaking at the 6th Annual Babatunde Olusola Benson Lecture to commemorate the branch’s 2010 Law Week held in Ikorodu yesterday, the Chairman, NBA, Ikorodu Branch, Prince Kazeem Adebanjo, said the move would bring about greater development, economic advancement and prosperity of Lagos State as a whole and the proposed Lagoon State in particular.

According to him, the Ikorodu NBA chapter would convene a special forum to discuss the possibility of the creation of Lagoon State , urging all stakeholders to give support to the agitation.

Also, the chairman decried the congestion of cases before the Lagos and Ibadan division of the Court of Appeal and called Fashola to fast track the creation of an additional Court of Appeal division in Ijebu-Ode or Ikorodu.

“There is need to arrest this trend by increasing the number of court rooms and/or panels to guarantee the appearance of more lawyers at the appellate courts as well as ensure speedy dispensation of justice at the appellate courts so that the efforts made at the High Courts to achieve quick conclusion of cases could be completed at the appellate court level”, he said.

Speaking at the event, Fashola did not comment about the agitation for the creation of Lagoon State, rather his speech, was anchored on taxation.

He advocated the need for voluntary tax payment, saying it is rooted in the essence of representative and good governance.

“Tax gives us the choice of the type of life we want to live”, he said, adding that it also helped government to fulfill its part of the Social Contract.

According to the governor, the landmark achievements credited to his administration across the state in the last three and a half years could not have been possible without the people fulfilling their own part of the social contract by paying their taxes as and when due.

Explaining the correlation between Politics and Law, Fashola said as the various political parties began to contest for power, all their engagements and processes being used by them were founded in law.

Also present at the occasion which took place at the Ikorodu Town Hall were President of the Appeal Court, Justice Isa Ayo Salami; his immediate predecessor, Justice Umar Farouk Abdullahi; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Mr. Olasupo Sasore; the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba S.A.A. Oyefusi; and his wife, and the Chief Host, Chief Babatunde Olusola Benson, among others.

Highlight of the event was a lecture with the topic, “Taxation and Good Governance in a Developing Democracy”, given by Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue and Taxation, Mr. Ade Ipaiye.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

Gunmen in two speedboats in the early hours of yesterday invaded the country home of Governor Timipre Sylva in Okpoama, Brass local government area of Bayelsa and whisked away the site engineer in charge of the construction of the house, Mr. Jude Abaokpore.

The fate of Abaokpore is still at press time, unknown as his abductors are yet to make any contact or make any demand.
This is coming on the heels of the vandalising and setting ablaze of the posters and billboards of PDP governorship aspirant, Timi Alaibe by some people.

The gunmen were said to have invaded the sea view residence of the governor at about 01.00 hours yesterday, but after a thorough search of the building which is at the finishing stage of construction, they moved to the engineer’s residence located within the premises where he was picked up and whisked to an unknown destination.

The gunmen were said to have picked the man amidst sporadic gun shots, which forced the patients of a private clinic within the vicinity to flee immediately after the operation ended.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the state police command, Eguavoen Emokpai, (ASP), said crack detectives have been deployed to Brass to fish out the gunmen and rescue the engineer.

Also reacting to the kidnap, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Chief Nathan Egba condemned the action of the gunmen whom he called “common criminals.”

“Government condemns the actions of these common criminals whose activities will only help to pull back the hand of progress in the state.”.

He confirmed that the police have swung into action in order to effect the immediate release of the ‘’innocent man to enable him join his family for the festive season.”

Meanwhile, political thugs in broad day light, on the streets of Yenagoa, have started pulling down the posters of Alaibe.

Disclosing this to newsmen yesterday, Mr. Douye Diri, a former commissioner for sports in the state said the thugs were aided by a vehicle belonging to the “Famou Tangbei,” a police outfit set up recently to combat rising crime rate in the state.Contacted, the police said that they were yet to receive any report on the alleged vandalism.

While his body remains at the mortuary, the above riddle is at the center of the death of Haruna Shaibu at Obangede, Okehi Local Government of Kogi State. He was alleged to have committed suicide in the cell when he was in custody of the police there.

The family is, however, not convinced Haruna hung himself. Despite the overtures made to them by community leaders, council chairman and the clan chief, the family has refused to collect Haruna’s body which lies cold at the Obangede General Hospital.

According to Haruna’s brother,Ayodele Shaibu, otherwise known as Pastor Joseph Onono, who doubles as the family spokesman, the family is now being persecuted for refusing the overtures of community leaders to collect and bury his brother.

“The chairman of Okehi LG, Alhaji Ibrahim Adagu, gave us N10,000 and ordered us to collect the body. We refused because the police and other accomplices are yet to explain to us how my brother died. And for refusing to accept his body, thugs were sent after us. They invaded our house to disperse and harass us. I had to call the police before they allowed us to live in peace.”

Haruna’s journey to death began on September 17, 2010 when he was arrested on allegation of theft. In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the lawyer described those who arrested Haruna as a group that is in charge of an “illegal security outfit ”. He was taken to Obangede Police Station and detained. Few days after his arrest, the police claimed the deceased committed suicide in their custody.
Onono told Daily Sun that until the circumstances surrounding the death of Haruna are established, he would not collect his brother’s body.

He hinged his assertion on allegation that his brother’s death must have arisen from police’s complicity with local politicians to use his corpse for ritual purposes. He also alleged that, the other man accused of the same offence and arrested along with his brother was released immediately after his family paid some money and wondered how anybody in police custody could have access to a belt which the police claimed the deceased used to hang himself.

He also faulted the picture of his brother that was shown to him and the narration of the police: “How would a hung person’s feet be on the ground instead of being suspended?”
The petition to the IGP bythe family’s lawyer said: “our client’s complaint is yet to be looked into namely, that a post-mortem examination be carried out to ascertain the cause of the death of the deceased...

The need for a post-mortem exercise becomes the more real as the medical officer in the General Hospital, Obangede who received the corpse of the deceased into the mortuary was baffled at noticing some blood stains on the make-shift stretcher. This is aside from the fact that the police building at Obangede is decked.”

The family’s solicitors therefore asked that a post-mortem be done to determine the real cause of death with a view to bringing to book anybody that might be involved in the death of the deceased.

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Tam David-West yesterday criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for kneeling down to receive blessings from the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

David-West said: "I ‘m forced to react very negatively to President Jonathan kneeling down to be blessed by Pastor Adeboye pointedly for election 2011.

"President Jonathan has not gone to the Congress to be so advertised, except now. There is no record available to me that he has been there for any of the revivals. I respect Pastor Adeboye. He is one of the serious ones of the multitude of new evangelists sprouting like mushrooms on the field. I’m sure the great pastor knows that I respect him and I have evidence for it. But his picture (showing him kneeling down and being blessed by Pastor Adeboye) publicised by many newspapers today offends my fundamental Anglicanism. .

" Nigeria is a secular state. We have two major religions – Christianity and Islam. Will Jonathan also go to an Imam to kneel down to be blessed? This is where he has run foul of the Constitution. I’m not against any Christian going to a pastor to be blessed with a caveat that I hope the person who is blessing is chosen and anointed by God because the Bible says God knows who worships Him sincerely. "

" What Nigeria needs for 2011 and beyond are leaders who sincerely believe in God and because of this belief in God they live uprightly. Nigeria needs leaders of integrity, discipline not corrupt. Without these ingredients for god governance, God will not hear the prayer of corrupt politicians. "

I think He should find out how many Imams & Alfa's IBB and Co. have knelt down before. Then he should shut up !

Word is that Timaya just sealed an Endorsement deal with Telecoms Giant GLOBACOM....

The deal is said to be worth #87 million Naira and runs for the next two years...

Tongues are wagging that he was recruited in place of Dbanj, whose contract has expired and wont be renewed!

What did the kokoaste do ?

The Arewa support group for IBB has declared its support for the presidential ambitions of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the coordinator of the group, Hajia Mariam Abdullahi said that the declaration for President Jonathan became inevitable when Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged the northern consensus candidate for the 2011 presidential election.

Hajia Abdullahi lamented a statement credited to the president aspirant, where he was alleged to have called for violent change if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization has launched a new campaign strategy to ensure victory for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 election.

The strategy code named �Neighbour to Neighbour� aims at recruiting volunteers who will engage their neighbours to vote for the president during next year�s general election.

Jonathan goes spiritual on insecurity
Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that natural and acquired intellect, strategic plans and formidable defence were altogether insufficient to tackle the alarming rate of insecurity in the nation, except by divine intervention.

The president assured that his government would employ all means to ensure that the alarming incidents of kidnapping and threat to lives and property in Nigeria became a thing of the past, before the end of the first half of next year.

President Jonathan, while speaking at the just concluded annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, on Friday night, held at the Redeemed Camp, Lagos- Ibadan Express Road, reiterated that his government was committed to phasing out kidnapping in Nigeria and assured the people on security of lives and property ahead of next year’s general elections.

He stated that his government was a.ware that there would be no meaningful economic development in Nigeria if incidents of kidnapping persisted.

“I promise you that we will do everything to phase out kidnapping in Nigeria by the first half of next year, this is because there cannot be any development in a nation with high rate of kidnapping. Nobody will want to do business where there is no safety.

“Safety in Nigeria is the priority of our government, just pray for us that God should give us wisdom. We will work hard against robbery; we are committed to tackling corruption and mismanagement of public funds and we are also committed to education development. But I must tell you that none of these will work if God is not there for us. Pray that God should guide us.

“It is only God that can help me to change things. Pray for me now that I am the sitting president of your country. Pray for me not to deviate from the fear of God,” the president stated.

Speaking on the 2011 general elections, President Jonathan, who enjoined Nigerians to pray against any self- imposed leader at all levels, stressed that the stability and expected meaningful development in Nigeria could only come with the emergence of true leaders in the coming elections.

“I have discovered that whenever the country is drifting, Christians will always rise to pray and ensure stability. I am here tonight to submit myself to you and God for prayers. My political history was just like that of David in the Bible who did not know that he would become a king. I did not struggle for political position, it is never my efforts, that is why, anything I have to do, I do with the fear of God. Therefore, pray for me not to drift from His fear,” he said.

Based on his request, president Jonathan knelt down before the congregation and he was prayed for at the Holy Ghost Congress.

While commending Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the church, President Jonathan, who was attending the programme for the first time in its 13 years of existence, noted that when he visited the pastor in 2007 in company of his late boss, Musa Yar’Adua, “he prayed for us and all he told us came to pass.”

Hon.Patrick Obahiagbon on Pa Enahoro
Certainly the fall of another titan.
Chief Anthony Enahoro's modus vivendi, whilst he peregrinated through this will-o-the-wisp of a three dimensional world, resonated with a divine halo of an iconic personage who was propelled by the PIRKEAVOTHIAN apothegm which urges man to realize "that the day is short and the work is great, " No wonder that from a very young age, he engaged in self abnegation and mortification of the flesh in a spartan, clinical and cerebral bid to salvage the Nigerian project even at the expense of his health infrastructure.He ceaselessly fulminated against vagabonds in power whose primus mobile had philistinic anchorage on a depreciably mindless crave for vacuous hedonism and ingratiating political megalomania. He must have been viscerally pained to note while he was at the departure lounge, that the ship of the Nigerian State was still nosediving and sliding into an eschewable oxbow lake and cataract and he must finally have wondered if the zoning debate currently going on is not another egregious insult by our elitist political class on the pauperized,sissfied and ossified sensibilities and sensitivities of our lumpen proletariat. The only way we can honour this great man who gave his all for Nigeria is for all progressive forces to extricate themselves from the arms of morpheus, with a view to continously dymistify,explode and pulverize the machivellian,mephistophelian,primitively accumulative and rabidly sybaritic propensities of our political class be it at the level of executive suzerainty or parliamentary olympian aloofness.
Adieu Pa Anthony Enahoro!!

Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon..

thousands of travellers have been stranded at Heathrow airport overnight, and hundreds more at Gatwick, as snow continues to disrupt much of the UK.

There will be no flight arrivals at Heathrow on Sunday and only a handful of departures, while many Gatwick flights are affected.

Problems persist at airports UK-wide, while the Met Office is warning of icy roads across much of England and Wales.

More heavy snow is expected in eastern Scotland and north-east England.

Up to 10cm of snow are expected in these areas, and up to 20cm in hilly areas.

Forecasters said the UK was hit by extremely low temperatures overnight, with most parts of the country struggling to get above minus 5C, while fresh snow fell in eastern Scotland and north-east England.

Hundreds of thousands of Britons had been due to fly this weekend, according to travel association Abta, which estimated that four million people expected to go abroad..

Heathrow airport told the BBC that "a few thousand spent the night in the terminals" but said just four short-haul and three long-haul flights would leave on Sunday morning. It hoped to be operational on Monday.

Sue Kerslake spent the night on a terminal floor with her three young grandchildren after their Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong was cancelled.

Having arrived at the airport at 0800 GMT on Saturday, they sat on a plane for seven hours before being told it was not taking off.

"There were thousands of people in departures overnight and it got quite intense at times. The bars were open and some people were drinking and got quite nasty," she said.

Stuart Gash, from Swindon, who had been due to fly to New York for a Caribbean cruise with his wife and two children, said UK airports seemed unable to cope at the first sign of snow.

'Miserable'

He said: "There was no more than two inches of snow and yet the runway is totally covered. Why aren't they ploughing it, why aren't they gritting it, why aren't they salting it?"

Andrew Teacher, from Heathrow operator BAA, said it had invested more than £6m in the last year in technology to move snow and de-ice runways and that staff had been working through the night.

But he said: "There comes a point where you cannot do any more; when you're moving snow and it's freezing behind," adding that many planes had been frozen into parking spaces.

He apologised for the "miserable" situation but said problems had been caused by "an extreme amount of snow in a very short space of time" and safety had to be prioritised.

"Overnight we had hundreds of people drafted in to focus on helping passengers who have remained in terminals. We've given them blankets, water and food and are trying to make people as comfortable as possible."

The Independent's travel editor Simon Calder said very few of the 400,000 passengers due to fly out of Heathrow this weekend would get to their destinations. At Gatwick, the BBC's Helen Fawkes said 90,000 people should fly out on Sunday but that there had already been 50 cancellations.

A Gatwick spokeswoman said it was doing everything it could to "get passengers on their way".

"Passengers must check with their airline before setting out for the airport to reduce congestion and avoid disappointment," she said.

Airports in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands are also suffering cancellations and delays.

Stansted, Luton, Exeter, London City, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton airports said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations throughout Sunday, while the runway at Jersey Airport was closed until at least 0915 GMT.

Infrastructure 'seized up'

Ryanair has cancelled 84 flights to or from UK airports, mainly in the London area.

In Northern Ireland freezing conditions continue to make travel difficult following some of the heaviest snowfall for 25 years - with more forecast.

Belfast International Airport has reopened, although knock-on effects have caused delays.

Monarch Airlines managing director Tim Jeans said reassessment of the UK's transport infrastructure was needed.

"We have not coped well. The infrastructure - not just at the airports but the road infrastructure - completely seized up. The M25 going towards Heathrow and Gatwick virtually impassable within an hour of the snow starting to fall."

On what is one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel and shopping, other problems caused by the weather include:

• The AA said it dealt with 16,000 calls on Saturday, compared with 9,000 on an average pre-Christmas Saturday
• There was some disruption to South West Trains and First Capital Connect services, although most other routes were now operating normally, according to National Rail Enquiries, which has provided a new passenger phone number - 08453 017 641
• Sunday's sporting schedule was again badly affected, after wide postponements of football, rugby union and horse racing fixtures on Saturday
• An urgent appeal is being made for blood donors, particularly those who are O negative, as stocks are running low
• Companies have warned of a backlog of deliveries which may not reach customers before Christmas

On Saturday, Jon Caudwell, from the Highways Agency, said they were doing their best to keep major roads in England clear but needed help from motorists who should "really seriously consider" whether they needed to go out.

He said he was surprised at the level of traffic on the roads, given the advice not to travel. He said in some areas abandoned vehicles and jack-knifed lorries had blocked access for gritters.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The weather over the last 24 hours has been exceptionally severe. Government continues to monitor all aspects of the situation."

Missing 5year old girl: Sharon Omolayo


Sharon (left) with mum and sister,


5year old Sharon Omolayo is missing. She was last seen on Monday december 13,2010 when a family member was sent to pick her up in a taxi cab after school hours from Avicenna school, Ikeja. She has since not been seen and and the uncle who picked her up is also missing. His phone is switched off and he cannot also be traced..

If you have any information about this missing girl, please contact the nearest police station or call 08025945672.

My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.

"Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed." I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.

Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor.

Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them..

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme are laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays--oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry.

He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God--to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap--I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances--they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?

After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all.

I read this and sincerely felt the simplicity of childhood and i remembered how Jesus clearly said in

Luke 18:17
7 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
NIV

Matt 18:2-4
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven
NIV

Wow simple stuff easy ideas no complx stuff ! a close friend recently told me she had prayed about something and I was reminding her later if she had prayed again to God for this same thing and she replied me like this. ,

why should i pray again did God not hear me the first time ! I was amazed at that kind of simplicity from a grown up Christian woman and all i could do was laugh continously after thinking about it and say

" O yes he did, O yes he did ! "

God bless

Frank