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The prisoner, Ikechuwku Ogbu (alias Prince Eze), investigations reveal, created a 419 syndicate from inside the inner recesses of the prison, with which he had been duping unsuspecting members of the public. His forte is what is known in advance fee fraud as love scam. He advertised himself as an eligible bachelor who desperately needs a wife.
Those who responded to adverts, ended up adding to the long list of his victims. However, the riddle which EFCC operatives are trying to resolve is how a prisoner managed to place an advertorial in the love links page of the Vanguard Newspapers of March 7, 2009. In the advertorial, Ogbu wrote: “I am Prince Eze, 46, from Anambra State, live in Lagos. Genotype AA, Blood Group 0 needs a working class business lady between 39-45 to settle down with on 07057928637 or 07085350598. Several women that were desperately looking for husband called these numbers.
One of them is a lady, who works with the National Assembly in Abuja. After making contacts with her proposed spouse, she flew to Lagos, to ensure that others didn’t beat her to her prospective husband.
She received the shock of her life when she landed at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja and no one was there to pick her.
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This prompted her to call Ogbu, who now told her that he was actually detained in Kirikiri Prison by the EFCC over money laundering matters, whereas he is serving a jail term. He told the woman to come over to the prison to meet him. She did. On getting to the prison yard, she was accorded VIP treatment by the warders and this gave her the impression that Ogbu was an influential personality who was detained over a minor issue.
When Ogbu finally met her, he told the lady that theirs was love at first sight. He painted the picture of a blissful marital experience for the couple once he gets out of prison. The woman couldn’t believe her luck for getting a husband, a rich one at that, so cheap. While the woman was thanking God, Ogbu moved to the next stage of his plan to pull off a massive scam. He told her that he was a drug baron and that someone was sending $25 million to him from the United States, but that he was afraid of lodging the money in his own account for fear that it could be seized by EFCC.
The woman fell for the bait, and suddenly made it her business to look for an account for the fraudster. Instead of returning to her station in Abuja, she flew to Port-Harcourt to meet her brother-in-law, a manager with one of the new generation banks and told him about the business. The banker immediately flew to Lagos and met Ogbu. And the story changed. He said the person bringing the money from the US said he would not release it until he came out of prison.
The challenge now was for the banker to arrange his release which, supposedly entails bribing key officials of the prison service and the EFCC as well as the judge. He gave the bankers number to fake EFCC officials who were members of the syndicate.
They started calling the banker, demanding for all sorts of money (in millions). And he paid. At the end of the day, he lost over N12million to the fraudsters, yet Ogbu was not released neither was any payment in dollars received.
At this juncture, he realized that he had been fleeced and reported to the EFCC. The commission’s investigations revealed that Ogbu lives like a king in Kirikiri Prison. Although he was not supposed to have access to telephone, five cell phones were recovered from the unrepentant prisoner when EFCC stormed the prison last Thursday, June17. It was also discovered that he had been receiving huge sums of money in the presence of warders.
A year after Michael Jackson's death caused a worldwide outpouring of shock, tears and tributes, the anniversary of his passing was being marked Friday on a quieter scale, as fans remembered their fallen King of Pop with vigils, prayer and, http://www.9jabook.com/group/michaeljacksonmemorialgroup
of course, music.....
Some radio stations woke up listeners to Jackson's music; on U.S. television, all the major networks devoted a portion of their morning news programs to Jackson and more coverage was expected during prime-time hours. Events were planned across the globe, from Tokyo to New York..
Jackson's burial place at Forest Lawn in Glendale. Calif., was expected to draw not only a throng of fans, but family as well.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 as he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death for administering the powerful anesthetic propofol to Jackson to help the pop star sleep.
Pictures of Jackson hung on a wall outside New York's Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson and his brothers won amateur night in the late 1960s. A sidewalk plaque memorialized the singer alongside such other legends as James Brown and Smokey Robinson.
Since the Apollo helped launch the Jackson 5, it has had a strong connection to the late pop star. After Jackson's death, it became the de facto gathering place for New York fans. It was an emotional though more low-key scene on Friday morning, as Jackson's music blared from boomboxes and passing cars.
"We are really honored to have played a part in launching Michael's musical career and to serve as a gathering place for people to come and celebrate his lifetime of achievement," said Jonelle Procope, Apollo president and CEO.
Procope placed Jackson's black hat and sequin glove, both from the theater's collection, beside his plaque.
Elsewhere in Harlem, the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 movie theater screened "This Is It," the documentary about Jackson's preparation for his London concerts, throughout the day. And the Rev. Al Sharpton was to lead a moment of silence in the afternoon.
In Gary, Ind., Jackson's hometown, there was to be a tribute at the family home; city officials said they expected Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and his niece, Genevieve Jackson, to show up, along with thousands of others. Katherine Jackson also lent her support to a "Forever Michael" fan event in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday.
But his brother Randy Jackson was hoping to make the official family commemoration at Forest Lawn on Friday morning.
In Japan, hundreds of fans met at Tokyo Tower to honor Jackson with a candlelight vigil, a gospel concert and more. Some got a chance to see a collection of his possessions, including costumes from his tours and even a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom that he used to drive around Los Angeles.
"I don't know what to say. Seeing all his things makes it all come back to me," said Yumiko Sasaki, a 48-year-old Tokyo officer worker who has been a Jackson fan since she was 12. "It makes me so sad to think that he is gone. He was wonderful."
About 50 guests paid $1,100 each to sleep overnight at the Tokyo landmark, where they had catered food, watched a gospel choir, looked at Jackson memorabilia and danced to Michael Jackson's music before observing a period of silence as the sun rose.
Fans started gathering at Forest Lawn on Thursday night. Five large wreaths of flowers and dozens of bouquets, drawings and photos of Jackson had been placed outside his private mausoleum.
Evdokia Sofianou, 46, and her 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, traveled from Athens, Greece, to pay their respects.
"I came because I love Michael very much," Sofianou said Thursday night. "I came to grieve."
But not every memorial for Jackson was to be somber. In France, weekend celebration plans included a concert and tribute show, and clubs across the globe planned parties for the man who embodied dance music.
"They want to celebrate his life and music," DJ Jon Quick said of the expected partygoers at club Taj on Friday, where he would play Jackson tunes. "His albums are like timelines in your life. You can remember what you were doing ... when 'Thriller' came out."
AP Entertainment Writers Jake Coyle in New York and Anthony McCartney in Los Angeles, and Associated Press Writer Eric Talmadge in Tokyo contributed to this report.
The news came filtering in through different media - phone calls, SMS, instant messages, e-mail - but the message was the same - Michael Jackson is dead! This was 365 days ago but the message is still processing in some minds.
History
The King of Pop had put in over four decades of hard work, as debatably, the world's greatest entertainer ever. From humble beginnings in little Gary, Indiana, USA, the young man born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29, 1958, the eighth of his parents' 10 children, would conquer the world.
His story has been told endlessly. We all have our versions. There have been countless newspaper headlines, numerous magazine articles, several TV specials and more. Whatever the case, MJ is, for all intents and purposes, a phenomenon. With all the extensive coverage on his life - professional and amateur - we each have more than enough to go on to claim a personal bond with the larger than life super-duper-star, even referring to him on first name basis.
When the world practically stopped on June 25, 2009 at the shocking news of his passing, it just went to show the profound effect he had on several generations. Yet, even in death, the legend continues and there is no stopping Michael. According to a Billboard report (see chart), Jackson has made approximately $1 billion (approx. N149 billion) since his death. Modern technology, primarily the internet, will also make it hard to forget Michael, or easy to remember him, depending on how you choose to look at it.
During his storied career, Wacko Jacko, as he was cruelly or comically christened (depending on who you ask), suffered public scrutiny regarding allegations of inappropriate relations with minors; his sexual orientation; perceived arranged marriages; his Neverland Valley Ranch home; the paternity of his three children; his claimed vitilago and many other unflattering positions. Some chose to focus on these darker patches of his lifetime in the aftermath of his untimely demise but for the most part, the reason the world embraced and elevated him is what keeps us and his memory going - his music.
Keeping the thrill alive
In the clubs today, in the midst of the Souljah Boy Tellems, Terry Gs and Jay Seans, an MJ classic is usually only a few spins away. The Hip-Hop generation, many of who were either unborn or attempting to walk (he was already moonwalking) at the height of his star in the Thriller era, has embraced this fallen star with open arms. Even disaster, in the form of the devastating Haiti earthquakes, led to the stars of today - misguided or otherwise - congregating to regurgitate Michael's love offering alongside Lionel Richie, "We Are the World," towards relief efforts for the displaced Haitians. The power of music seems to know no bounds and few, if any, managed to masterfully wield its magic wand with such magnificent ministration as Michael Jackson. As comedian Martin Lawrence once joked, "Who else could say ‘I'm jamming in Bucharest?'" Such was the power and reach of Michael.
He harmonised with family (the Jackson 5, Janet, 3T), jammed with rock icons (Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Slash), wrote history with legends (Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie), bounced with Hip-Hop heads (The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Heavy D), laughed with comedians (Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker), parleyed with sex symbols (Brooke Shields, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Iman), hung with hoops stars (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal), inspired a generation (Usher, Justin, Britney, Chris Brown), was loved by queens (Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Princess Di) and befriended a chimp (Bubbles). Such was the diverse demeanor of MJ that he transcended gender, genre and genotype.
Thankfully, he has left us with a robust body of work to last a lifetime. Ask five people their favourite Jackson album and possibly get five different answers. Ask me and I'll say Bad. Ask fifteen their favourite song and expect a similar outcome. For me, it's "Human Nature," and it is this same human nature that made us judge and mourn the man in equal measure. He was, after all, human, although the extent of his talent, naturally, made us revere him, often to the point of worship. A year on from his physical passing, not much has changed.
‘If they say why, why?'
Love him, hate him or misunderstand him, you cannot deny or even ignore his genius and sheer brilliance. He lived many of his last years in seclusion, so it's like he's just gone out of sight again. Unfortunately for the three children he loved so much, the sad truth is, his body of work is what will ultimately be taken as his lasting legacy on this unforgiving planet. Many of us loved him too and are just selfish like that. Regardless, our hearts must go out to them as they continue to live life under the public microscope, the unfortunate cross their father tried so hard to ensure they wouldn't have to bear. His song "Leave Me Alone," on behalf of his kids, comes to mind but we won't because we can't! It is not in our human nature to do so.
What is, though, is our penchant to mourn the passing of a loved one, even though we know that day must come, carrying with it the promise of a better life ahead for the dearly departed. Many said he was gone too soon like his 1991 song title but I prefer to alter the Motown 25 tag line and say, "Michael Jackson... yesterday, today and forever.".
Walk the moon...
FLORIDA man Christopher Bishop was run over by his pickup truck after it was accidentally put into gear by his rambunctiou bulldog, Tassey.
The St Petersburg Times said according to a Hernando Couty Sheriff's Office report, Bishop, 43, was searching for oil leaks under the vehicle on sunday when Tassey hopped into the open driver's door and knocked the pickup into gear.
The Ford F-150 Truck rolled over the left-side of Bishop's body, but he was able to get up and stopped the truck from further movement or hitting a fence.
After several hours of pain, he went to the Pasco Regional Hospital where he was being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Stigma is the roof under which most parents build shelter in our society when it comes to cases as delicate as child molestation and defilement. The steady increase in the rate of child defilement is alarming as it is fast becoming a kind of tradition for some
citizens who accept it as a norm in parts of the country. In some of these cases, children as young as nine months to four years are victims of these indecent and inhuman acts by adults who sometimes are related to them and should normally be their guardian. With some of the very few cases reported to the Police being handled with kids gloves on the part of the law enforcement agents who on most times, release the perpetrators of this crime back into the society with justice truncated, one begins to wonder if the future of the Nigerian child is not jeopardized and endangered when basic rights as essential as fundamental as protection and care are hard to come by.
This is the story of a four- year- old girl; defiled, deflowered and infected by an alleged 45-year-old man and supposed uncle. At the age of two this child could recite her country’s National Anthem and express herself, she was bright and without a care in the world. Her family was her pride and her parents, aunties and uncles were her heroes.
But she may never understand why one of her heroes will choose to put her through the path of brutality, wickedness and an unholy experience sexually when she is just too young to be sexually exploited..
She is a victim of child defilement; severally raped by her 45 year Uncle who did it over and over and over again. Now she is infected with about four different sexually transmitted diseases and may soon join the millions of cases of Vesico-Vaginal-Fistula (VVF) victims left rejected across the country for a fault that is not theirs. Doctors cannot tell if she has contracted the dreaded HIV/AIDS which requires a window period to really show up in tests conducted. She was somebody’s daughter; a child that looked up to the society for guidance and now, she has become a victim to the many ills and challenges she was supposed to face later in life as an adult.
She lived with her grandparents, an auntie and uncles in Maraba, a suburb between Abuja and Nassarawa State and an area where child defilement is fast becoming a daily occurrence with no justice ever recorded. She came from a broken home as her parents were separated; her father is based in Port-Harcourt while the mother is working and living in Abuja.
Due to the many challenges facing single parents, her mother designed a visitation schedule where she would be with her child every weekend with her four -year-old daughter at the paternal family house. On one of her regular visits, her daughter in her limited, shy and withdrawn attitude typical of an innocent child told her mother how her uncle always ‘touches’ her.
A little inquiry into how ‘Uncle’ touches her revealed more than she could bear. she first of all did what any sane thinking person should do; she reported the matter to her ex-father-in-law and daughter’s grandfather under who’s roof the abominable act was perpetuated.
If the revelation from her daughter dazzled her, the response she got from an elder shocked the living day lights out of her.
“Don’t worry, things are under control and the issue has been taken care of,” the grandfather said. The mother gave in to second thoughts and decided not to press the issue any further.
Alarmed and devastated and with little money in her pocket, she decided to take the girl to the hospital for an examination and almost fainted when the doctor, after examining the little child, gave her a bombshell; “Madam, I’m afraid to tell you that your four-year-old baby is no longer a virgin.”
She was experiencing a situation that was even very hard to imagine; when she was shown the vagina of her little child, she needed no telling to understand what the doctor’s report was showing; “When the doctor showed her to me, she was open...she was open. My precious daughter has been used and who knows how long this has been going on,” she said. t became clear to this mother of a sullied girl that she was alone in her battle to bring her child’s molester to pay for what he did to her daughter.
Her confrontation with her ex-husband’s family took a turn for the worse and she was seen as a troublemaker who wanted to bring shame to the family by involving the police and the law. The family sadly, owns an educational facility with even the alleged perpetuator of the sinful act owning and operating a Nursery and Primary School.
This is sadly one out of many childhood molestation cases that occur within Maraba and other suburbs around. While investigating this story, various cases of child molestation were reported to the police and redirected on domestic grounds. Even the Nigeria Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ojukwu attested to the fact that many of the families that reports this kind of case always want to label it a family affair and always settle out of the corridor’s of justice and the Nigeria Police will be so blinded to release a dangerous pedophiles back to the society where, maybe, they continue with their nefarious abuses on children and minors.
Another problem that helps the increment recorded in some of these defilement cases is the connivance of elements of the Police who get a report of these crimes and succumb to the bribery from, most times, families of either the girl or the perpetrator. In one of such cases, a 65-year-old man was arrested on the grounds of molesting a nine-year-old girl who was brought to the station, bleeding. The nine-year-old girl was asked to write a statement and put her thumbprint on it, which she did. She was then taken to the hospital for treatment. By evening, the child’s father was recalled to the station by the supposed investigating police officer and told to bring his daughter to make another statement. The father explained that his daughter was traumatized and could not make it to the station to write another statement. For this, the 65-year-old was released from custody on the grounds that there was no indicting statement against him. Even at the time of this investigation, there are fears that the case file involving this four-year old girl has been tampered with and indicting documents like the doctor’s report removed so that when the perpetrator is arraigned in the court, there would not be any evidence to keep in custody and go further with the case. The family has boasted that they have the funds and everything is under control.
“We will solve it our own way; not the police way or in court,” the brother to the perpetrator said.
Most times, only very few cases make it to the court and the number of convictions gotten is criminally poor when compared to the daily occurrence of this dastardly act across the country as in the case of a 32-year-old man who molested a nine-year-old girl. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. Maybe the failure of law and order to such cases gives the needed boost to the upsurge of such pathetic crimes.
Further investigation at the Nyanya General Hospital revealed that the hospital actually was no stranger to cases such as these and certain staff of the hospital who spoke off-camera said there were cases of molestation of children aged as low as nine months. Swept under the rug of “domestic and private issue”, these cases are abandoned along the way and the only victims left to suffer are the children who then grow into troubled and unstable adults. Crime is expected as no society is perfect, but the failure of law and order can be more damaging than crime itself.
The story is far from over and the culture of silence if allowed to continue will result in far reaching and disastrous results whose effects generations to come will be overwhelmed by. A documentary detailing the story of the four-year-old molested by her uncle is underway and will be released after the court proceedings of the case are concluded. This is a call to everyone to stand for what is healthy and right. We are our children and our children are we. The time to act is now.
Click the link below to view the child`s narrative.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1395380896579&ref=mf
By Amaka Awogu
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State in Southern Nigeria, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi was today impeached by the State House of Assembly following the report of a panel of investigation set up by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri. T
The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Werinipre Seibarugu announced on the floor that the investigative panel set up by the Chief Judge was ready and that the document had been submitted to the House.
Honourable Jonathan Obuebite, who is representing Nembe constituency I, subsequently moved for the adoption of the report of the Panel.
He told the House that "it is no longer story but truism that on the 1st of June 2010, 17 members of the Assembly had signed and served the State Deputy Governor, Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi an impeachment notice."
He stated that the notice followed allegations of gross misconduct by Ebebi, noting that the House subsequently directed the State Chief Judge to set up a probe Panel.
Obuebite called on his colleagues to adopt the report of the Panel as a resolution of the House, saying that the Panel had done a wonderful job in their assignment.
"I hereby move for the adoption of the report of the Panel which had found the Deputy Governor guilty of gross misconduct in the allegations against him," he said.
The motion was subsequently seconded by Hon. Fini Angaye, representing Kolokuma/Opokuma constituency II..
Ruling on the motion, Speaker Seibarugu said that the adoption of the Panel’s report had finally paved the way to end the impeachment procedures even as he asked for permission of members to vote for or against the adoption.
Subsequently, 18 of the 24-member House making two-third voted unanimously to remove Ebebi.
THEWILL recalls that same Deputy Governor who as Speaker in 2005 removed the then Governor of the state, Chief Depreye Alameseigha from office through impeachment.
"By the adoption of the report of the investigative Panel, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi is hereby impeached by the signature of 18 members of this House, that is two-third majority, and so he is hereby removed from office," Seibarugu thundered.
"I started my career in Africa and I'm happy that it ended in an African country. After this tournament, I will now go home and meet my family who were also here today to see me play my last match for team. They were all happy to see me in Nigeria's colours and I'm so happy about it.
“Don't ask me where I'm going from here. I would have to think and plan on where I'm going because there were offers everywhere”.
The Eagles’ skipper said he was disappointed that the team couldn't utilise all its scoring chances against South Korea.
Kanu began his career, aged sixteen, at First Division club, Federation Works, before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992. After a notable performance at the Under-17 World Championships he was signed by Dutch Eredivisie AFC Ajax in 1989 for €207,047. He made his Ajax debut the following year and went on to score 25 goals in 54 appearances. Kanu also came on as a sub in Ajax's 1995 Champions League final win over AC Milan. In 1996, Ajax sold Kanu to Serie
A side Internazionale for around $4.7 million; that summer he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, and scored two late goals in the semi-finals against powerhouse, Brazil to overturn a 2–3 scoreline into a 4–3 win in extra time..
Kanu was also named African Footballer of the Year for that year. However, soon after returning from the Olympics, Kanu underwent a medical examination at Inter, which revealed a serious heart defect; he underwent surgery in November 1996 to replace an aortic valve and did not return to his club until April 1997. In interviews, Kanu frequently cites his faith as a Christian, and has often mentioned the trying time of his career as an occasion when he prayed to God. Kanu's experience also led to his founding Kanu Heart Foundation, an organisation that helps predominantly young African children who suffer heart defects. Kanu is known throughout Africa for his philanthropic work.
Plans to retain Coach Lagusback The Super Eagles squad that crashed out of the ongoing World Cup in South Africa will be disbanded any moment from now. Nigeria lost 1-0 to Argentina in their opening game of Group B on June 12, followed by another 2-1 defeat to Greece. On Tuesday the team drew 2-2 with South Korea and eventually crashed of the tournament. Authoritative sources close to the National Sports Commission told our correspondent in Johannesburg on Wednesday that the NSC had concluded arrangements to disband the squad. According to our sources, some of the big names will be sent packing while only the young and dedicated ones will be retained. It was learnt that the body would meet with the chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation on the development. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is being tipped to lead the new-look Eagles that will comprise home-based players and players from the national age-limit teams. The government is not happy with the performance of the national team at the first World Cup to be hosted in Africa and has decided to act. Our correspondent learnt that the NSC would encourage the NFF to retain coach Lars Lagerback to enable the country to build a formidable team.. |
US state department surces told Saharareporters that the travel ban on Aondoakaa would also be extended two of his children or relative who were granted student visas. We could not confirm if these two are currently in the US. However, we could confirm three of Aondoakaa's daughters are currentliving in London with his second wife Susan.
Two of them are attending college in London while a third one attends a private school.
Elizabeth Aondoakaa attends City University Of London and Anna Aondoakaa is a student at the University of Surrey, the youngest daughter Susan Nwese Aondoakaa is at private primary school in Lonodn.
Our sources further revealed that two boys Akugha Aondoakaa and Samuel Aondoakaa and another daughter from his second wife, now lives in London with Aondoakaa's first wife, Susan. The second wife lives in a secret mansion in the Rayfield GRA area in Jos where Aondoakaa mostly hid exotic cars he received from various extortion schemes while he was AGF are kept.
He says his skills as a retired soldier gave him the courage to handle various reptiles such as python snake, crocodiles, and alligators, whose length ranged from 15 to 30 feet, and other wild animals. “I have been doing this over five years now and without fear, no fear,” he says.
Popularly called “old soldier”, Mr. Osumri, along with his group of four boys, got onlookers curious when they carried a “resting” python snake from a swamp in Opebi to Sheraton Hotel yesterday, where they displayed it, awaiting any interested customer with a penchant for wild meat.
Mr. Osumri, who switched to pidgin whenever he wanted to stress a point, boasts of customers from Victoria Island and other parts of the metropolis, who are ready to part with as much as N35,000 for a lifeless python or N250,000 for a live one; N40,000 for dead crocodiles, and between N80,000 and N90,000, for a live one. “The difference is clear. If I say I hold am alive, na N250,000, no reduction of one naira. But as it dey like this now, it is in a weak condition, which can be N30,000 to N35,000.” He admits there are difficulties in finding the reptiles. “I used to get it all the time, three times in a week, once in a month, or even once in 10 months because it’s not easy to get.” He said that he often sells them under the bridge at Oregun, Ikeja, and even though he sells them, he cannot eat them.
Fearless hunter
Explaining how he started, he stated that he loves wild animals and his need to survive engineered the idea. “There is a swamp in Opebi where all these animals sometimes come to and so we set traps for them, and kill them,” Mr. Osumri explains.
“It’s my job. When I resigned from the Nigeria Army, I face hunting because I like wild animals. I am a bush man in Nigeria here, so I am here to fear no one. Both crocodile, python, anything at all, it’s my possession, alligators, tortoise...if anybody need from me, I am the one that produce it.”
Mr. Osumri and his boys said they kill because they need money to survive. “When I no get money, na to fight heaven and earth till I get am, not by force but to see I eat my daily bread. When we were kids, we used to kill rabbit and bush meat, so we don’t fear anything again,” he said.
“We use sense to kill it; if we no use sense, it will kill us,” one of his boys, Dare Shonibare, said, describing the python as “resourceful and medicinal.” He added, “This python is gold and silver. You can use the oil to fix bone problems in your body; all the parts are medicinal.”
He doesn’t have enough money to set up a large house, or maybe a zoo for the reptiles and other animals he catches. “I get cage, reservation area for my house which I keep some animals, but anyone I bring out here is for marketing purpose. I no get money to buy land in Lagos. For now, na for my house I dey keep all of them,” he said.
As the crowd, which had gathered, watched, 47-year-old Mutiu Kareem, a police officer, came to the scene and offered to buy the snake. According to him, he does not eat them, but trains them and uses the parts for personal experiment. “I do train live animals in my house, I just like it. My house is like a zoo. Some of them I use for personal experiment, like the bones. I have bought so many animals from him (Mr. Osumri); sometimes I buy crocodile which I am training at home.”
Ben Ayonha, a trader, who is familiar with the business of Mr. Osumri, said, “I see more than this all the time. It’s good business; my prayer is that God will help him not to see bad one who can wound him. He uses the money to do business and train his children for school.”
Another observer, Seun Makanjuola, a student, expressed his surprise. “I have not even seen such a thing like this before. For me, seeing such a thing like this seem somehow to me,” he said.
Presidential Proclamation--Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month
LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us — the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance — we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.
My Administration has advanced our journey by signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which strengthens Federal protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We renewed the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides life saving medical services and support to Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and finally eliminated the HIV entry ban. I also signed a Presidential Memorandum directing hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds to give LGBT patients the compassion and security they deserve in their time of need, including the ability to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions.
In other areas, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of proposals to ensure core housing programs are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD also announced the first ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a National Resource Center for LGBT Elders.
Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.
As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity, with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
the banks
They took their time and left after clearing all the available monies in two new generation banks and those of customers inside the banks. Even the monies in the ATMs were not spared. In the melee, five persons were killed and no fewer than 20 others sustained gun shot wounds.
The day of rage
It was indeed, a sad day as Akure residents were held hostage for over one hour as policemen disappeared following the booming of different kinds of weapons in different locations. The eight-man gang had barred its fangs the previous day in Akure when it snatched an AK47 rifle from a constable in the Coca-Cola area in Ondo road and came out smoking the next day.
As they operated, the sound of gun shots rent the air, booming with a deafening crescendo in the state capital and many thought it was war time.
Indeed, in his first reaction to the incident, the Police Image-Maker in the state, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, said it was some miscreants in the town that were at work and that the police would soon round them up. Later, it dawned on all that it was more that what every one including the police could imagine.
Eye-witness account
Eye-witness account said the hoodlums arrived the two new generation banks in an 18-seater bus with number-plate XY 889 FST through the Owo/Benin road. The vehicle was said to have been snatched at the Maronu junction in the state capital. The driver of the bus, a father of five, was reportedly shot dead when he resisted the robbers attempt to disposses him of the bus.
The dare-devil gang then headed for their target - the two banks which were adjacently located in Ilemo Street off Oba Adesida Road in Akure metropolis.
Crime Alert learnt that the robbers were led by a 23 -year- old girl who had on her three bazooka guns. (comment:have they caught her or did she tell them her age ?)When they arrived the two banks, securitymen there and traders in the vicinity thought they were policemen who came for routine security checks. They later saw action when the hoodlums started shooting indiscriminately at the bank and other buildings in the vicinity to scar people away.
During the shoot out, three persons were shot dead from stray bullets while the robbers, moved to the entrance of the banks with dynamites with which they blew open the security doors, unchallenged.
They were said to have proceeded to the vaults after the bank workers had fled in different directions for dear lives. The female leader of the gang and another girl were strategically positioned outside while the boys were busy packing monies into several Ghana-Must- Go bags.
Police on the run
While the operation was going on, the streets were deserted. Policemen at the “A division” police station about 300 metres away reportedly took to their heels while some ran to the NUJ Press Centre, behind the station. In fact, it was as if the armed robbers paid for time as they operated unhindered for over an hour without any challenge from security operatives. A woman, identified as Mrs. Oluyi, a mother of four, with a baby girl strapped at her back was killed during the robbery.
Reports said the deceased, an hair-dresser, came to the bank to cash some money sent to her account by her husband who works in Abuja for her child’s school fees.
Police gun found at Ondo robbery scene
Twenty four hours after a brutal robbery incident shook Akure, the Ondo State capital to its foundation, Police authorities have recovered one of the guns believed to have been used for the crime. The AK-47 rifle recovered at the scene of crime turned out to be one of the weapons of the force.The gun, believed to have been abandoned by one of the robbers, has been deposited at the office of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, it was learnt yesterday..Sad end for mother of 4
Sadly, she arrived the bank the same time the “action “started and in a bid to escape the shooting, hid herself in one of the security rooms attached to one of the banks. She decided to raise her head few minutes later when she thought the operation had ended only for one of the robbers, to shoot her at close range.
Perhaps, she was mistaken for one of the security men at the bank. Her brains littered the scene of the robbery and had to be covered with cloths by sympathisers. Her killer, it was learnt, helped her to remove the baby from her back, leaving her in a pool of blood while her vehicle, a Space Wagon with number-plate BG 95RSH was parked at the entrance of the bank.
Protests after action
After the incident, residents, mostly students stormed the streets and protested to the A Division Police Station with the corpse of the nursing mother and blamed the police for their insensitivity. Not a few of the policemen yanked off their uniforms to keep anonymity. However, the protesters threw stones at the station. They were later dispersed after reinforcement came from the state headquarters of the police command.
For two days after, banks in the Akure metropolis closed shops while those that opened frisked customers for fear of the unknown. Unconfirmed reports said the AK47 gun snatched from a police constable the previous day was recovered from the spot where the nursing mother was killed.
According to sources, the police constable attached to Fanibi Police Station was robbed of his gun on Wednesday and the following day after the robbery, the gun was reportedly picked up at the scene of the robbery.
But Aremu argued that the robbery and the murder of the nursing mother should not be linked to the snatching of the gun from the policeman. He told Crime Alert, “It is not true that the gun that was recovered at the scene was the same gun earlier snatched from a policeman.” He said no arrest has been made by the police after the hoodlums’ attacks on the banks.
Gov. Mimiko talks tough
Shocked by the incident, the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Olusegun Mimiko, summoned all security chiefs in the state to an emergency meeting where he reportedly gave a marching order to them to track down the robbers and review the state security strategies.
Mimiko described the robbery attack as ”an unfortunate incident and an undue infraction on the peace that has been enjoyed in the state since the inception of the administration, warning that the state would not be a safe haven for robbers as such infractions would be met with the stiffest preventive measures.
Police trade blames
However, not a few residents of the town argued that the State Police Command failed to foil the robbery operation or track down the thieves because the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Magaji Nasarawa, was out of town, attending the Inspector- General of Police, IGP, conference in Abuja.
Police sources pointed out that “It was a bad day for the entire command. The CP was in Abuja attending IGP’s conference, leaving the deputy commissioner in charge of the command and in acting capacity. Again, the Special Anti-robbery squad, SARS, was on a special assignment at Ore town, to curb the spate of criminal activities in the highly- volatile and crime-rated town.
‘To everybody’s surprise, when this robbery operation was going on, no senior police officer, not even the DCP who was then the acting commissioner, was ready to give order and push other divisions and sections in the command out and trail the fleeing thives,” the source claimed.
Our source also alleged sabotage on the part of some unnamed police officers within the state police command but absolved the police commissioner.
According to him: “despite the absence of the team during the robbery operation, they hurriedly left Ore town for Akure that morning, but were unable to confront the fleeing robbers on Ondo Road, as military personnel barricaded the Akure-Ondo road at the frontage of the 323 Artillery Army Barracks. The team later went after the fleeing gang through Ilesa-Akure highway but the armed robbers made a detour into Ilara town and escaped to neighbouring Ilawe town in Ekiti State.
The new Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Social Services Development Secretariat, Dr. Blessing Onyeche Onuh, has disclosed that about 40,000 registered commercial sex workers are now operating in different parts of the FCT.
The 40,000 figure according to Dr. Onuh, represented commercial sex workers, who are living in various brothels and joints within the city and those who are operating from their houses as well as others who came to Abuja from the neighbouring towns.
During her maiden Town Hall media chat in Abuja with FCT reporters over the weekend, the secretary also disclosed that even the number of unregistered commercial sex workers in Abuja was mind boggling, and a source of worry to the current FCT administration.
Onuh said she was able to know the figures during her interactions with the chairlady, Association of Abuja Commercial Sex Workers, whom, she said, had agreed to cooperate with the secretariat in rehabilitating their members.
She stated that her office had designed programmes to train the commercial sex workers in Abuja in various trades like hairdressing, weaving, sewing, knitting and catering, among others, while appealing to non governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, to come to the assistance of FCT administration in its efforts to remove commercial sex workers from the streets.
Speaking earlier, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed stated that his administration would soon come up with a framework to ensure that common man in Abuja has good accommodation in the FCT.
Mohammed chided the actions of some Abuja landlords, who had turned themselves into shylocks by demanding up to two years rent, which he observed, was beyond the reach of the ordinary workers.
The minister promised that the FCT area councils land allocation suspended in 2004 would soon be revisited to allow genuine developers contribute positively to the growth and development of the 8,000 square kilometres of the territory...
Welcoming guests to the event, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, explained that the Abuja Town Hall meeting was meant to bring government closer to the people as well as to encourage citizen participation in the delivery of policies and services.
The Town Hall meeting was attended by the members of the FCT executive committee, members of the FCT operational departments, FCT security council members, directors, top FCT officials, concessionaires of FCT utilities like solid waste, street lights, transportation, major contractors handling people-oriented projects in Abuja; civil society organizations, traditional/religious leaders, NGOs, traders as well as market women.
Barack Obama sacked his military chief in Afghanistan yesterday for criticising his civilian masters.
General Stanley McChrystal was dismissed in the White House after being summoned to a 30-minute meeting with the president.
Obama then paid tribute to the "extraordinary dedication" of Gen McChrystal, the Commander of US and Nato Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
He added: "But war is bigger than any man or woman, whether a private or a general or a president." Obama said the military chief's conduct "does not meet the standards that should be set by a commanding general".
But he said: "I have great admiration for his record."
Gen McChrystal, who will be replaced by Gen David Petraeus, incurred President Obama's wrath in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
He said he felt the US leader was "uncomfortable and intimidated" in the presence of senior military figures.
After his dismissal, Gen McChrystal said in a statement: "I strongly support the presi-dent's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations and the Afghan people..
"It was out of respect for this commitment - and a desire to see the mission succeed - that I tendered my resignation."
Washington political commentator Gerald Warner slammed Obama by saying: "A bigger man would have been prepared to swallow the minor affront in the wider interest."
He warned the effect on US troops' morale would be "catastrophic".
British Lt Gen Sir Nick Parker has temporarily taken over as the head of the 140,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan - filling in before Gen Petraeus takes up his post.
A Downing St spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is grateful to General McChrystal for his service in Afghanistan, notably through his role in defining and taking forward the current counterinsurgency strategy.
"The Prime Minister told the President of Gen Parker's determination that the mission 'would not miss a beat' during this period."
Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "The sacking of Gen McChrystal is a serious blow to the credibility of the alliance and efforts against the Taliban."
MacArthur moment?
In 1951 President Harry S Truman dismissed General Douglas MacArthur as commander in the Korean war after he called for an attack on China if communist forces refused to lay down arms in Korea.
Where there is a will there is a WAY !! With a great percentage of our womenfolk who have embraced Prostitiution and other Vices as a means of survival .The Phrase what a man can do a woman can do even .....Omoyeni is one of the Heroes of This country who face the odds head on and will take No for an Answer.Kudos from us all !
Omoyeni Agbokere is a 35-year-old widow who has taken up a task most women would frown at as a means of survival.
‘First lady’ is what she is fondly called by her colleagues at the motor park, a name which she inscribes on the back of her tricycle (Keke Marwa). Driving a tricycle is not what she ever dreamt of as a career, but her husband’s death forced her to look for a means of survival.
“My husband died two years ago,” she said. “ Before he died, I used to engage in some petty trading because he was the one taking care of most of the family’s needs. When he died, I had to look for a better business to sustain me and my family.”
The mother of two says she has not regretted her decision because she makes enough to take care of her family.
“I have two children, a boy of 12 and a girl of eight. This Keke Marwa business, I see it as something I can use to help my family because it is bringing a daily income. The money I make every day depends on how much I work for the day. I make between N2,000 and N3,000 everyday.”
‘I’m my own boss’
Apart from being lucrative enough to cater for her family’s needs, Mrs Agbokere says she enjoys the flexibility that her work provides. “When I’m tired or when I don’t feel like working again, I can just stop and go home. I have enough time to spend with my children and i can be there for them at any time of the day,” she said.
She plies the Mushin-Oye route several times a day, a task which brings her in contact with different people, some of whom are hesitant to have her drive them because of her gender. “Some passengers who see a woman driving a ‘keke’ for the first time are usually scared. They think that if I drive them, they may fall off the ‘keke’ or even have an accident so they won’t enter. The people who live around here see me driving everyday so they are used to me and don’t get scared.”
With only four months experience in the business, Mrs Agbokere says she is comfortable with it and hopes to continue. “I didn’t buy this ‘keke’ with my money because I can’t afford it. If I had enough money to buy it, I don’t think I would have been driving a ‘keke’. I would have used the money to start another business of my own. But I thank God for what I am doing now. This ‘keke’ is owned by a woman who lives in my area. She gave me to drive and I pay her weekly. By God’s grace, I will soon finish paying for it and the keke would become mine,” says the indigene of Oyo State..
‘The men respect me’
Being the only woman working among so many men, Mrs Agbokere says there are more advantages to it than she thought. “I don’t face as much challenges as I would have expected in this business. The ‘keke’ is quite easy to drive. Also, I am the only woman working among these men and they treat me very well. They respect me a lot. They even pamper me because I am the only woman. The police men I meet on the streets when I am driving my keke are usually very kind to me. Even the Agberos (touts) don’t disturb me when I am working.”
Her husband’s death, she says, has made her stronger and more determined to provide a better future for her children. To women who have had similar losses and setbacks in life, Mrs Agbokere says they should look past their loss and forge ahead. “I advise them not to sit down and fold their hands while waiting for someone to help them. Despite any unfortunate incident in their life, they should not think that is the end of their life.”
Like most business owners, Mrs Agbokere has a dream of expansion for ‘First Lady’. “If I can finish paying the money for this ‘keke’, I will buy another one to give out to someone who will be driving it and paying me daily just like I am doing now, preferably a woman.”