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Over 1000 people were hurriedly evacuated from the Motorways Complex at Old Tollgate, Lagos State, South West Nigeria when rumour of a bomb scare spread through the complex.

There was pandemonium as Lagosians working in the complex hurriedly scampered to safety. The building houses over 45 companies, including two banks. Commercial activities in the complex were paralysed.

WORKERS OUTSIDE MOTOWAY COMPANY ALONG LAGOS IBADAN EXP WAY WHERE THIER IS AN INFROMATION THAT BOMB IS BEING PLANTED INSIDE THE BUILDING.

The bomb scare episode was ignited following an anonymous note found in a toilet of one of the companies’ resident in the complex warning that a bomb would explode in the building in the next six hours.

Anti-bomb policemen, members of the State Security Services, SSS raced to the scene and immediate evacuated the remaining occupants of the building and sealed it up while effort to find where the supposed bomb was located proved abortive.

The rumour about the bomb had spread across the complex around 2.00 p.m on Thursday.

People intending to go into the premises to transact businesses were turned back as the complex was condoned off by the police.

A staff of Office of the Public Defender, OPD told PM NEWS that they were asked to leave the complex when the news of the rumoured bomb scare spread.

Another source stated that the anonymous note found in one of the toilets was signed by an unknown group which described itself as Concerned Nigerians, while calling for evacuation of everyone in the building.

The note, it was gathered did not specify where the bomb was planted. It only said that the explosive due to explode was planted in one of the offices.

Some of the workers were seen gathered in groups discussing the incident. While some doubted the authenticity of the note, others did not ignore the warning.

This is the second time in four days that rumours of bomb scare would spread in the Lagos metropolis after the Jos and Abuja bombing episodes.

Efforts to get to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Lagos Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba to comment on the development proved abortive as calls to his handset were not picked.

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

John Okafor alias Mr. Ibu

Nollywood star, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, has begged the kidnappers of his wife, Stella-Maris and son, Emmanuel Mandela Okafor, that he can’t afford the N50 million ransom they are demanding from him.

Mr. Ibu’s wife, son and two in-laws were kidnapped in Enugu State by some heavily armed masked men on Tuesday evening, but the two in-laws, a boy and a girl, managed to escape when the abductors abandoned them in a vehicle and left with Ibu’s wife and son in another vehicle.

The victims were attacked while driving in their Black Honda (End of Discussion)vehicle with registration number AQ 809 NNB.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS on phone this morning, Mr. Ibu said when the abductors attacked his family on their way home from the market, they locked one of his in-laws (a boy) in the boot, while the wife, son and the female in-law were in the car with some of the kidnappers.

“So when they got to a place, they dropped my wife’s car and drove her with my son in another vehicle. But they left the boy in the boot and the 15-year old girl in the vehicle.

“Right now, I’m just begging them to release my wife and son. My son is just a year and two months old. So, he is too young to be going through this,” Mr. Ibu said, adding that “the N50m ransom they are asking for is on the high side. Where on earth can I get such money?”

P.M.NEWS, however, gathered, that the kidnappers have slashed the ransom to N6 million as at the time of filing this report. And when Ibu was contacted again, he confirmed the latest development.

He said: “I’m currently talking to friends to see how I can raise the money. When they (the kidnappers) called me this morning, I pleaded with them that I can’t afford the N50 million, so they reduced it to N6 million.”

In 2007, Mr. Ibu was kidnapped on his way to a film location in Imo State, but was later released when his adbuctors compelled him to abuse former President Olusegun Obasanjo for neglecting them (the kidnappers).

“I did not hesitate to do that because that was the only way I can escape from their claws. In fact, after abusing Obasanjo in front of their camera, they gave me a gift of N100,000 because I did it in a very funny manner,” Ibu said.

— Bayo Adetu

Do you think kids born in 2011 will recognize any of the following?

Video tape: Starting this year, the news stories we produce here at Money Talks have all been shot, edited, and distributed to TV stations without ever being on any kind of tape. Not only that, the tape-less broadcast camera we use today offers much higher quality than anything that could have been imagined 10 years ago -- and cost less than the lens on the camera we were using previously.

Travel agents: While not dead today, this profession is one of many that's been decimated by the Internet. When it's time for their honeymoon, will those born in 2011 be able to find one?

The separation of work and home: When you're carrying an email-equipped computer in your pocket, it's not just your friends who can find you -- so can your boss. For kids born this year, the wall between office and home will be blurry indeed.

Books, magazines, and newspapers: Like video tape, words written on dead trees are on their way out. Sure, there may be books -- but for those born today, stores that exist solely to sell them will be as numerous as record stores are now.

Movie rental stores: You actually got in your car and drove someplace just to rent a movie?

Watches: Maybe as quaint jewelry, but the correct time is on your smartphone, which is pretty much always in your hand.

 ...

©Will D/flickr

Paper maps: At one time these were available free at every gas station. They're practically obsolete today, and the next generation will probably have to visit a museum to find one.

Wired phones: Why would you pay $35 every month to have a phone that plugs into a wall? For those born today, this will be a silly concept.

Long distance: Thanks to the Internet, the days of paying more to talk to somebody in the next city, state, or even country are limited.

Newspaper classifieds: The days are gone when you have to buy a bunch of newsprint just to see what's for sale.

Dial-up Internet: While not everyone is on broadband, it won't be long before dial-up Internet goes the way of the plug-in phone.

Encyclopedias: Imagine a time when you had to buy expensive books that were outdated before the ink was dry. This will be a nonsense term for babies born today.

Forgotten friends: Remember when an old friend would bring up someone you went to high school with, and you'd say, "Oh yeah, I forgot about them!" The next generation will automatically be in touch with everyone they've ever known even slightly via Facebook.

Forgotten anything else: Kids born this year will never know what it was like to stand in a bar and incessantly argue the unknowable. Today the world's collective knowledge is on the computer in your pocket or purse. And since you have it with you at all times, why bother remembering anything?

The evening news: The news is on 24/7. And if you're not home to watch it, that's OK -- it's on the smartphone in your pocket.

CDs: First records, then 8-track, then cassette, then CDs -- replacing your music collection used to be an expensive pastime. Now it's cheap(er) and as close as the nearest Internet connection.

Film cameras: For the purist, perhaps, but for kids born today, the word "film" will mean nothing. In fact, even digital cameras -- both video and still -- are in danger of extinction as our pocket computers take over that function too.

Yellow and White Pages: Why in the world would you need a 10-pound book just to find someone?

Catalogs: There's no need to send me a book in the mail when I can see everything you have for sale anywhere, anytime. If you want to remind me to look at it, send me an email.

Fax machines: Can you say "scan," ".pdf" and "email?"

One picture to a frame: Such a waste of wall/counter/desk space to have a separate frame around each picture. Eight gigabytes of pictures and/or video in a digital frame encompassing every person you've ever met and everything you've ever done -- now, that's efficient. Especially compared to what we used to do: put our friends and relatives together in a room and force them to watch what we called a "slide show" or "home movies."

Wires: Wires connecting phones to walls? Wires connecting computers, TVs, stereos, and other electronics to each other? Wires connecting computers to the Internet? To kids born in 2011, that will make as much sense as an electric car trailing an extension cord.

Hand-written letters: For that matter, hand-written anything. When was the last time you wrote cursive? In fact, do you even know what the word "cursive" means? Kids born in 2011 won't -- but they'll put you to shame on a tiny keyboard.

Talking to one person at a time: Remember when it was rude to be with one person while talking to another on the phone? Kids born today will just assume that you're supposed to use texting to maintain contact with five or six other people while pretending to pay attention to the person you happen to be physically next to.

Retirement plans: Yes, Johnny, there was a time when all you had to do was work at the same place for 20 years and they'd send you a check every month for as long as you lived. In fact, some companies would even pay your medical bills, too!

Mail: What's left when you take the mail you receive today, then subtract the bills you could be paying online, the checks you could be having direct-deposited, and the junk mail you could be receiving as junk email? Answer: A bloated bureaucracy that loses billions of taxpayer dollars annually.

Commercials on TV: They're terrifically expensive, easily avoided with DVRs, and inefficiently target mass audiences. Unless somebody comes up with a way to force you to watch them -- as with video on the Internet -- who's going to pay for them?

Commercial music radio: Smartphones with music-streaming programs like Pandora are a better solution that doesn't include ads screaming between every song...

Hiding: Not long ago, if you didn't answer your home phone, that was that -- nobody knew if you were alive or dead, much less where you might be. Now your phone is not only in your pocket, it can potentially tell everyone -- including advertisers -- exactly where you are.

 in Lagos, South-West Nigeria, is being turned into show business as members were made to part with N1, 000 each as gate fee before they could enter their church to attend the New Year’s Eve service, P.M.NEWS can reveal.

it was confirmed that only members who could afford the N1, 000 gate fee were allowed into the premises of Christ Embassy Headquarters at Oregun, Lagos, where self-styled cleric and business man, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, preached on 31 December 2010.

The N1,000 ticket at Oyakhilome's Christ Embassy church

Indigent members who could not afford the N1, 000 tickets, were denied access and sent back by security men at the gate, it was learnt.

The church, a source said, realised about N25 million from about 25, 000 members who bought the tickets.

It was gathered that the church informed its members that it decided to impose a gate fee to control the huge crowd that always besiege the church on the New Year’s Eve church service.

“Pastor said that to control the crowd and only allow genuine members who could do anything to be in church, it was good to pay a gate fee. Last year for instance, even senior pastors in the church could not secure a seat in the church on New Year’s Eve service,” our source said.

The ticket, bought by our correspondent, was still on sale today, five days after the New Year’s church service took place.

A copy of the ticket has the following information printed on it: “one service…different locations worldwide impact! Time: 7 pm, Venue: Loveworld Convocation Arena, N1,000, December 31st New Year’s Eve Service With Pastor Chris.”

There is also a bold picture of Oyakhilome wearing one of his flashy suits. On the background there is a huge crowd in adulation of the man who once boasted that he will never be broke in life...

At the back of the ticket is a bold inscription : “ This ticket admists one person.”

The development, described as scandalous by those who got a glimpse of it, is unprecedented in the history of Christianity in Nigeria.

In the medieval period, similar scandals led to the break-away of Martin Luther from the Catholic church. This led to the formation of the Protestant movement.

At that time, Catholic priests were collecting money, known as indulgences, from worshippers before they could confess their sins.

These indulgences had become big business in much the same way pledge drives have become big business in Nigeria.

The development outraged Luther and others who kicked against it, quit the church and founded the protestant movement.

The latest scandal in Oyakhilome’s church comes only weeks after he appeared before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to answer questions on money laundering allegations.

According to TheNews magazine edition of 13 December 2010, the alleged laundering of $35 million by Christ Embassy was traced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with the help of foreign partners.

The magazine reported that Oyakhilome and money have had a bitter-sweet relationship. While money has brought him a lush lifestyle: an eye-popping auto collection, a movie-star wardrobe of stylish suits and choice properties that include a stunning church auditorium, it has also brought him an arm-long list of scandals.

— Simon Ateba

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria's government agency responsible for safety on the roads has confirmed that 472 persons died in 500 road accidents in different parts of the country in December 2010. This was made known by the Corps Marshall of the FRSC, Mr Osita Chidoka.

Chidoka said the commission would come up with the state-by-state statistics of road accidents in the period, saying that the three states with the lowest number of crashes would be rewarded. He described the activities of the commission in the last quarter of 2010 as successful,while noting that, the figure is lower compared to what was recorded in December 2009. Mr.Chidoka also applauded the collaborative efforts of other security agencies like the police, air-force and others saying their contributions ensured that the carnage on the nation's highways, saying that the introduction of aerial survey was helpful...

Emerging details of this year’s budget proposals indicate that the Presidency has proposed to spend N574m on food in 2011. When this total is spread over the 365 days in 2011, the average amount that the Presidency will spend on food per day is a little over N1.57m.

The N574m is N168.7m more than the N405.3m spent by the same office on ‘food stuff supplies’ in 2010. However, the 2010 figure is exclusive of the sum expended on foods eaten during summits. A separate sub-head for “meals/entertainment” for summits held at the State House last year totalled N73m.

It (N574m) is also part of the N13.9bn that will be used to fund sub-heads and the overhead cost of the State House or Presidential Villa.

The details, which our correspondent obtained on Monday, showed that the rehabilitation of the State House Guest House in the Marina, Lagos, would cost N1.2bn.

Similarly, “residential furniture” items for the Presidency are to be purchased for a whopping N1.1bn this year.

The furnishing of Vice-President’s two guest houses — one in Asokoro and the other called “Aguda House,”— will cost N500m.

The furniture for the guest house in Asokoro will cost N100m, while that of Aguda House will consume N400m.

Incidentally, the lounge of Aguda Guest House was extended in 2010 for N50m. Another guest house was also furnished for the Vice-President’s use in 2010 for N50m.

This year, the “purchase of canteen/kitchen equipment” for the Presidential Villa will also gulp N553.6m.

Further details of the 2011 budget estimates showed that out of the N553.6m, N150m will be used to fund “household equipment and materials for the Vice-President’s office.”

However, in 2010, a provision of N240m was made for the purchase of office, household and kitchen equipment for Asokoro Guest House.

Other details show that the Director of Protocol to the Vice-President, his Aide- De- Camp, and other aides are to be housed in new official quarters to cost N560m in 2011.

Dodan Barracks in Lagos will also benefit from the presidential renovation in 2011, as it has a provision of N400m in the budget.

President Goodluck Jonathan presented a N4.23tn budget to the National Assembly for approval on December 15.

The sum comprises N198.12bn for statutory transfers, N542.32bn for debt service; N2,481.71tn for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure; and N1,005.9tn for capital expenditure.

The government also earmarked the sum of N347.2bn for critical infrastructure development.

This includes capital allocations of N86.25bn for power; N20.74bn for Aviation; N10.27bn for petroleum resources; N136.88bn for works; N48.9bn for transport; N44.18bn for the Federal Capital Territory; N35.01bn for education; N33.35bn for health; N29.46bn for agricultural development; and N24.76bn for water resources.

But Cornelius Dupree Jr. refused to do so, doggedly maintaining his innocence in a 1979 rape and robbery, in the process serving more time for a crime he didn't commit than any other Texas inmate exonerated by DNA evidence.

"Whatever your truth is, you have to stick with it," Dupree, 51, said Tuesday, minutes after a Dallas judge overturned his conviction...

Nationally, only two others exonerated by DNA evidence spent more time in prison, according to the Innocence Project, a New York legal centre that specializes in wrongful conviction cases and represented Dupree. James Bain was wrongly imprisoned for 35 years in Florida, and Lawrence McKinney spent more than 31 years in a Tennessee prison.

Dupree was sentenced to 75 years in prison in 1980 for the rape and robbery of a 26-year-old Dallas woman a year earlier. He was released in July on mandatory supervision, and lived under house arrest until October. About a week after his release, DNA test results came back proving his innocence in the sexual assault.

A day after his release, Dupree married his fiancee, Selma. The couple met two decades ago while he was in prison.

His exoneration hearing was delayed until Tuesday while authorities retested the DNA and made sure it was a match to the victim. Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins supported Dupree's innocence claim.

Looking fit and trim in a dark suit, Dupree stood through most of the short hearing, until state district Judge Don Adams told him, "You're free to go." One of Dupree's lawyers, Innocence Project Co-Director Barry Scheck, called it "a glorious day."

"It's a joy to be free again," Dupree said.

This latest wait was nothing for Dupree, who was up for parole as recently as 2004. He was set to be released and thought he was going home, until he learned he first would have to attend a sex offender treatment program.

Those in the program had to go through what is known as the "four R's." They are recognition, remorse, restitution and resolution, said Jim Shoemaker, who served two years with Dupree in the Boyd Unit south of Dallas.

"He couldn't get past the first part," said Shoemaker, who drove up from Houston to attend Dupree's hearing.

Shoemaker said he spent years talking to Dupree in the prison recreation yard, and always believed his innocence.

"I got a lot of flak from the guys on the block," Shoemaker said. "But I always believed him. He has a quiet, peaceful demeanour."

Under Texas compensation laws for the wrongly imprisoned, Dupree is eligible for $80,000 for each year he was behind bars, plus a lifetime annuity. He could receive $2.4 million in a lump sum that is not subject to federal income tax.

The compensation law, the nation's most generous, was passed in 2009 by the Texas Legislature after dozens of wrongly convicted men were released from prison. Texas has freed 41 wrongly convicted inmates through DNA since 2001 — more than any other state.

Dallas County's record of DNA exonerations — Dupree is No. 21 — is unmatched nationally because the county crime lab maintains biological evidence even decades after a conviction, leaving samples available to test. In addition, Watkins, the DA, has co-operated with innocence groups in reviewing hundreds of requests by inmates for DNA testing.

Watkins, the first black district attorney in Texas history, has also pointed to what he calls "a convict-at-all-costs mentality" that he says permeated his office before he arrived in 2007.

At least a dozen other exonerated former inmates from the Dallas area who collectively served more than 100 years in prison upheld a local tradition by attending the hearing and welcoming the newest member of their unfortunate fraternity. One of them, James Giles, presented Dupree with a $100 bill as a way to get his life restarted..