102 Nigerians arrested in Libya
BENIN—ADDITIONAL 102 Nigerians, forty five of them from Edo state, were arrested weekend by the Libyan authorities while trying to travel to Europe with fake documents.
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The weekend arrest would increase the number of Edo state natives in Libyan under ground prison to almost two thousand.
It would be recalled that over one thousand five hundred natives of Edo state have been languishing in an under ground jail in Libya since March this year for committing the same offence.
The Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomohle on Foreign Matters/Diaspora, Mr. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, had last week expressed frustrations over the attitude of the Libyan officials towards the efforts being made by both the state government and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in seeking the release of the Nigerians.
One of the prisoners from Edo state, Charles Erawuyi, who spoke to Vanguard on telephone, disclosed that additional 102 Nigerians were arrested weekend and that forty-five of them are from Edo state.
He added: “The problem we are having too is that the officials in the Nigerian Embassy here are making matters worse for us. What they do is to collect money individually from our relations before they will go and ask for the release of anyone instead of seeking for the release of all of us like the Kenyan Government and others did.
“They will ask for up to one fifty to two hundred dollars and most of us cannot afford it.
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It will be noted that the continous email interswitch sc.am is still going around and it is until recently that the company put up an alert on its website after many people had been sca..mmed by these emails.
Interswitch should go a step further and carry out a mass campaign to encourage Electronic money and deter these fraudSTARS.Their refusal to do this is based on avoiding mass hysteria over the safety of ATM usage.
Apart from the scourge of armed robbers at Remote ATMS other issues still abound .Many banks have refused to refund customers whose Bank Cards have been cloned by criminals and used .These deposits abraod are usually covered by insurance companies and this is essential for ATM usage to continue .
Our Advice is Avoid The ATM during this period if you can do without it .
The Article below is Adapted fron Sunday Tribune by Akin Osunlaja 9jabook IT Correspondent .
The current upsurge and nefarious activities of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraudsters is threatening electronic payment system in the nation’s banking sector with users threatening massive dumping of the cards if the unwholesome act is not checked.
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A comprehensive investigations carried out by Sunday Tribune across the country revealed that two of every five ATM card users lately, have become victims of one form of fraud or the other and ironically the sector’s regulator, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), service provider, Interswitch, law enforcement agents and banks are helpless as they have not been able to proffer any solution.
Only recently, the CBN admitted that hundreds of millions of naira was lost to ATM-related theft last year alone. Every week, hundreds of bank customers across major cities are finding their deposits or a substantial part of it stolen by faceless crooks.
The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) also confirmed recently that ATM fraud is on the increase in Nigeria.
Findings by Sunday Tribune showed that the activities of the fraudsters cut across all the banks having ATM facilities. Consequently, a cross section of the users told Sunday Tribune that the technology should be scrapped if the activities of the scammers cannot be curtailed.
In most of the banks visited, security men that were supposed to watch out for criminals coming into the banking halls now take affected ATM victims through complaints procedures. The queues seen in banks nowadays are that of ATM complainants and in most cases, the issues are never resolved.
The list of affected victims is endless. Mr. Christian Obed, a media practitioner was cash trapped in midst of an assignment and had to rushed to a nearby branch of the bank where his account is domiciled to make withdrawal via the Automated Teller Machine (ATM). To his consternation, his account read zero balance. Further enquiries from the counter did not prove otherwise. He was faced with reality that his hard earned life savings of N154, 000 had gone with the wind courtesy yet to be identified fraudsters.
On her part, a woman who simply gave her name as Mrs Ngozi was caught weeping profusely in front of a bank on Allen Avenue, Ikeja told Sunday Tribune that she had come to make withdrawal at the ATM to send to her daughter in the university who had sent a distress call, but to her surprise, her account had been emptied. Efforts to get the bank officials to answer her had proved abortive.
It is not all about duping, the issues ranged from cards trapped inside the machine to PIN rejection.
It is all tales of woes from duped Nigerians. Many had lost their entire savings to hackers. These fraudulent activities which started like a play has assumed a dangerous dimension, threatening the entire e-payment system in the banking industry and the attendant benefits to the economy.
The ATM technology which was introduced barely three years ago has been beneficial to users until the latest developments. Customers now have access to their accounts at all times. It was indeed one of the key benefits of consolidation in the banking sector.
Ironically, it has been a game of buck passing and blame shifting. The customers are saying the act cannot be perpetrated without the connivance of bank officials, while bankers are maintaining that until a customer mortgages his or her Personal Identification Number (PIN), the act cannot be perpetrated.
Apart from siphoning money from accounts, Sunday Tribune discovered that the criminals in some cases alter the normal transaction processes such as crediting the wrong figure and making do with the balance from the difference between the original payment and the exaggerated one. This is said to be common among bank staff. Another way is through stolen ATM card. The pin would then be changed to siphon the money in it long before the victim could notice and alert his bank.
The fraudsters have also taken the war to internet. They open websites where they tell unsuspecting card users to disclose their PIN cards. In one e-mail, the fraudsters wrote: “”Currently INTERSWITCH is updating our ATM/CASH CARD machine database for all the cards to be in a more secured web so that if it is mistakenly stolen, the criminals will not be able to use it to make purchases in the websites which have been the major way of utilizing the cards they steal.
According to the Group Managing Director of Skye Bank, Mr. Akinsola Akinfemiwa, the only way fraudster could defraud a customer is when the Personal Identification Number (PIN) is compromised.
According to him, a customer ought to protect the PIN from easy access, stressing that the advantages of the card was quite enormous.
“My advice is that users of ATM should protect their PIN from easy access. The Nigerian rich man syndrome of sending drivers or house helps to withdraw money from the ATM is not the best. Once, the PIN is disclosed, it provides for easy access for fraudsters to perpetrate their acts,” he said.
Speaking in the same light, the Group Managing Director, Wema Bank, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, noted that the first major step is for the users to take precaution on who has access to their PIN, stressing that once the PIN is disclosed, fraud is inevitable.
Mr. Mitchelle Elegbe, Managing Director of Interswitch refused to comment on the latest developments. But a source close to the company told Sunday Tribune that they were doing all that is possible to forestall the activities of fraudsters.
A school teacher, Mr. Sumbo Adefarasin noted that the genesis should be traced to Nigerians abroad, stating that those who were involved in credit scam abroad are the ones plying their trade in the country presently.
An ex-banker also attributed the proliferation of the cards responsible, stating that some banks made it compulsory for customers withdrawing less than N60, 000 to use the ATM channel.
On his part, Mr. Roland Obe, Intercontinental Bank’s Group Executive (Card Services), said it is important to view ATM fraud cases from several perspectives, adding that prior to April this year what Nigerian banks were issuing were magnetic stripe cards, called magstripe card which could easily be cloned.
He noted that the card is susceptible to cloning because all information are copied on a black stripe at the back of the card and this loophole is what fraudsters have capitalize to defraud innocent, greedy, ignorant Nigerians, stressing that no fraudster can use the cloned card without the PIN of the authentic cardholder.
“So, what they do now is to on a daily basis send different types of text messages informing the cardholder that he or she has won one prize from one MTN or Glo Promo and before you can claim your prize you need to provide your ATM card number and PIN number, the gullible will supply this information the fraudster quickly use it to clone a new card with which he takes control of the account and being to make withdrawals from the account linked to that PIN and card,” he said.
Obe further explained that the new card that is called Verve card, is compliant with a set of standards and compliances that a typical financial institution that is issuing and acquiring electronic payment transactions must adapt its operating system, for the financial institution to be able to secure its cardholders and payment systems.
He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes’ Commission (EFCC) to set up a department that takes care of cyber financial crimes, adding that it is important to have a regulation that guides registration of websites in the country.
“There is no absolute solution to ATM fraud but it can be minimised, the reason is simply because both work with PIN number, once you compromise your PIN in anyway knowingly or unknowingly the account has lost its security component. It’s like your normal cheque book once somebody else can sign your signature your account has lost a very important aspect of its security.
What do you do? You change it, at the slightest evidence of compromise of your PIN just change it or else the fraudster may change it before you have the opportunity to report and change it, that is why it is very important that you guard you PIN number like your life. Never use your birth date as your PIN number it’s very easy to hack your account when you use your birth date as your PIN,” he advised.
Other dos and donts :
NEVER GET AN ATM CARD IF YOU DONT NEED IT AND IF YOU NEED IT MAKE SURE YOU GET IT FROM THE RIGHT BANK !
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Popular musician, Tuface’s record label, Hypertek, has been shut down, costing him a whopping N40 millionTuface Idibia has hit a turn for the worst in his music career after his album ‘Unstoppable’ flopped. It was gathered that, incompetent staff, who were factors in causing the album to fail, have had their services terminated since the closure of his label, Hypertek.Tuface ploughed N40 million into his label which should have driven him to success. However, ‘Unstoppable’ was an album with great potential and full of hit tracks. Critics said that the poor promotional efforts behind the album led to its’ failure.Previously, the artiste was signed with Kennis Music, releasing two successful albums that were promoted using a wide variety of propaganda tactics to push the albums to his target audiences.Hypertek had shown signs of trouble when their only signed act, Da Natives, split up last year. At the time this was disguised through the well-known term ’spin’ and ’spin doctors’ employed, who covered up the split by stating the two that made up Da Natives, Hycenth Idibia and John Agon, would release separate albums under the label.Trouble at his label was reinforced when Tuface returned to Now Muzik, apparently for a management deal but the move was not unconnected with the drive to put his career back on the right path.Since the record label has been officially closed, even if it is for the time being, previous about the move back to Kennis Music are getting stronger.
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now and then, tales that Cossy Orjiakor acted in pornography alongside a dog make the rounds. But when the stories emerged again recently, the young woman with the inflatable chest was not only shattered but members of her family were greatly disturbed and distorted.
Cossy's name no doubt rings a bell in the social, entertainment and corporate world for different reasons. This is not because of her wealth or talent, or lack of it, but because of the way she let her massive breasts hang out without a care in the world.
She is, however, quick to justify her often risqu» appearance: "People should understand that I'm an actress and I am meant to be dedicated to my career just like a doctor or lawyer. I would keep playing roles that might require me to be sexy or reveal some parts of my body. I am simply an entertainer and that is what I do for a living.
"I used to be a dancer but few people know that. I was one of the dancers in Shan George's music video and I also sing. Aside that, I am someone with an open and free mind. If I'm called to do any scene that might look somehow, I would take up the role because it's simply make-believe and that's what many people still don't want to accept.
"Unlike what many have decided to believe about me, I am a good person. Most people don't know me and all they do is just choose to believe and judge me because of my profession and what they get to hear about me. But those that are close to me know that I'm a different person. I'm only an entertainer doing what I know and enjoy doing.
"I don't sleep around like many people believe and I'm not any of those things which people paint me to be."
Naturally, we sought her reaction to reports that she was paid $10,000 for a sex scene with a dog in a movie. She obviously expected the question.
"I am still stunned myself and I'm still going to sue the writer of the false story because I never slept with a dog neither did I pose nude with a dog on a set," was her immediate answer.
She continued: "I sincerely don't know where this is coming from because I have started tracing it and I believe I would definitely get to the root of this.
"What I can specifically say about the whole thing is that I acted in a film entitled Itohan sometime between 2001 and 2002 with director Chico Ejiro while the producer of the film is Lucky Ewa. The film is about a prostitute who eventually regretted her trade but died of AIDS. She even slept with a dog in the film. I played the role of the lady, but only acted like a prostitute with clothes on. That was it.
"Shots were taken during the shooting, and I guess that is where they got the pictures that are being circulated. I have called the producers of the flick and they denied giving out the pictures."
She also have words about the producers of the film: "I learnt that Chico Ejiro is saying he can't remember shooting the flick with me in it. It was on the set of that film that his wife just hated my sight and I didn't know why but there was nothing I could do because I was only doing my job and I was a greenhorn then.
"I was later told at the location that she doesn't like my sight because Chico Ejiro loves ladies with big boobs.
"I don't know why they are all making lies out of what is not, it was just a scene playing with a dog and nothing like having sex with a dog or posing nude with the dog. I only acted for one year before I was banned in 2002 when people stopped giving me roles.
"For the records, I don't mess around with people I work with and neither do I just jump into people's bed like it is believed by many. I have never dated any film producer or journalist and I don't know why someone is just out to malign me for no just cause."
When contacted, Chico Ejiro simply said: "I was hired to work on the set of Itohan just like Cossy was hired. I didn't hire her, I 'm not the producer of the movie, the producer is a man called Lucky Ewa and he was the one that hired us for our services. Rachael Oniga, Saheed Balogun, Bukky Wright, Shan George were all on the same set and she should just direct her complaints to the man that hired us both and not me or whosoever is in possession of her pictures. Cossy should just understand this and stop calling my name or attracting undue attention to me."
Confident of her showbiz talent among other things, the young with the squeaky voice, whose whose main acting credential is her breasts, believes that she is just being persecuted for reasons unknown to her.
"I don't know why I am the target of everybody. Before now, I used to think that some of the female folks might not like me or get envious of me because of my boobs, but over time I have come to believe that no one has any reason to dislike me because of my body part.
"Envious ladies don't need to hate me any more because they can also get themselves large boobs or buy them as it is now being made easy. But why some men would now decided to use the fact that my boobs are big and I act to tarnish my image is something I don't just understand," she said.
Cossy still insists that she is a complete entertainer who dances, sings and acts.
"I'm a complete entertainer unlike what many believe. I sing, act and also dance but people would continue to say that I'm not a good actress. All I tell them is that if I'm not a good actress, why are things going well for me?
"If I'm not as good like they claim, why are people talking and going nuts about something I did seven years ago? Why is it that everyone wants to write about me even when some of these things are false?
"My music career would soon become another thing people would talk about because my album is ready. It was delayed as a result of this incident. It's been ready for months and I just decided to keep it low for now, but very soon, I would start promotions because I already have a video for one of the songs."
She told our reporter "I live in my house in Lekki with my family, I also have landed property in Abuja and Aba, so why would I stoop so low to want to have sex with a dog in a film for a paltry sum of $10,000?" Cossy asked.
Counting her earthly treasures, Cossy posted the message to the Internet during the week: "I have landed property of N20million, a house in Lekki, Lagos, 1.2 hecter of land in Kuje, Abuja, a plot in Maraba and a special plate number jeep. So why would I sleep with dog for an equivalent of N1.8million?"
The Anambra-born tease, who claims she prefers shopping to sex, told Klieglights, "my mum and my siblings are so worried because the thing is really getting at the entire family.
"My mother was in the church when the priest was talking about it and everybody was looking at her but she didn't understand until I told her about it and it made her feel so bad leaving the family disturbed and stressed."
We are she has offered to give N10,000 to anybody who can give her original copies of the pictures making the round.
"To be candid, I sincerely wish to see the naked pictures with the dog if truly it would be provided because I know that this is all false," she told our reporter.
Where could this come from if she sincerely feels it's some set of people who are after her?
"I don't know. Like I said, I don't know who the enemy is and who is friend. I have my suspicions and I just want to do my findings before I conclude on what step to take next. But this is just taking it far. Those behind it have taken it too far this time around," Cossy concluded.
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Shoppers were amazed to see the title detailing the gruesome crimes of the Austrian billed as a suitable present.
In The Crimes of Josef Fritzl, the true depravity of the man who locked up his daughter Elisabeth in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her - murdering one of them - is detailed.
Yet at the Tesco store in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, it is seen fit as a good way to toast Father's Day.
And amazingly the chain has defended its decision to stock it in the promotion.
One female shopper, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Am I alone in feeling appalled to see a book entitled The Crimes of Josef Fritzl on display as a suggested gift for Father's Day? "It's hardly an appropriate Father's Day gift, I would have thought."
But Tesco has hit back at the complaints, saying it would smack of censorship to remove certain books because some people found them offensive.
A spokesman said: "It's a book about a true crime and fathers and people in general are interested in things like this, books about the war, serial killers etc.
"It's not a vulgar or grotesque book. It's a serious book about a very serious crime.
"It would be touching on censorship if we removed it. Where would we draw the line? Would you like us to go through every DVD we sell removing those that some may find offensive?
"Tesco are comfortable selling this book. Crime fiction and non-fiction are very popular. This was a high-profile case that occurred in recent times.
"I wouldn't be comfortable buying it as a Father's Day gift, but I wouldn't want to tell other people not to. No-one is being forced to buy it."
However, the supermarket chain later changed its policy.
“It was never our intention to cause offence to any of our customers. It was placed there by mistake and has been removed," a spokesman said.
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Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honour and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.
The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia, by Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South of Fairmont.[1] [2] The church still exists under the name of Central United Methodist Church.
Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington thought independently of the holiday one Sunday in 1909 while listening to a Mother's Day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church at Spokane,[3] and she arranged a tribute for her father on June 19, 1910. She was the first to solicit the idea of having an official Father's Day observance to honor all fathers.
It took many years to make the holiday official. In spite of support from the YWCA, the YMCA and churches, it ran the risk of disappearing from the calendar.[4] Where Mother's Day was met with enthusiasm, Father's Day was met with laughter.[4] The holiday was gathering attention slowly, but for the wrong reasons. It was the target of much satire, parody and derision, including jokes from the local newspaper Spokesman-Review.[4] Many people saw it as just the first step in filling the calendar with mindless promotions like "Grandparents' Day", "Professional Secretaries' Day", etc., all the way down to "National Clean Your Desk Day."[4]
A bill was introduced in 1913,[5] US President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea in 1924,[citation needed] and a national committee was formed in the 1930s by trade groups in order to legitimize the holiday.[6] It was made a federal holiday when President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation in 1966.
In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries, most often on November 19.
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Meet the 10-year-old baby Beyonce who melted the hearts of the Britain's Got Talent judgesPint-sized pop star Natalie Okri wowed Britain's Got Talent judges tonight - with her near perfect rendition of Alicia Keys' No One.The 10-year-old from south London told the panel she has been singing since the age of four.She said: 'I sing at home and I sometimes even sing when I am having my dinner.'I want to be a singer and a diva and I definitely want to be like Beyonce.'By the end of her performance little Natalie had the judges - which tonight saw Kelly Brook rejoin the panel for the Manchester leg of auditions - virtually eating out of her hand.Piers Morgan said: 'You are a very very little girl with a very very big voice, I loved it.'Amanda Holden called her performance: 'Just knockout brilliant.'While the normally cynical Simon Cowell gushed: 'I think you are totally and utterly adorable.'
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Thursday, the 11th of June marked the beginning of the journey into the Koko Mansion for many hopeful ladies, who were convinced right from the day they purchased their entry forms from GT Bank that they had what it took to be the Ideal Kokolette. For some, that decision will prove to be a gross error in judgment, when they eventually discover that the Koko Mansion isn’t just about the pretty face and the curvaceous body. Yes, all the girls were beautiful, but beauty is peripheral when it comes to projecting the virtue of the Nigerian woman – there has to be more than beauty, isn’t it?Composure. Confidence. Eloquence. And of course: brilliance. These may be some qualities that may come to your rescue, in addition to your beauty. But without these, your beauty is like an empty bottle of champagne, still pretty but of very little value to anybody (except for the guys hoping to start a bar fight).One interesting contestant was called upon, and asked by one of the panelists to, “Tell us what you’d consider to be the rights of an African woman in the society” and she plunged into a diatribe on oppression, lies, and cheating – and the habits of men in general. When she was quizzed further based on the fact that she claimed to be a good actor to reenact a scenario were she just caught her cheating boyfriend in the act – she broke down into a protracted emotionally-charged confession that threatened to flood the auditorium with tears of empathy. Was she acting? Or was she reliving a painful past?The social networking site, Facebook came under fire when one of the wannabe kokolettes was asked to share her thoughts on internet-dating. She was short of condemning everything that exists online, based on the fact that she fell in love with this guy with whom she hooked up on Facebook (whom she never eventually met in person), and because he was living abroad, they spent about 7 hours daily on the phone making marriage plans – but then after years of waiting for her ‘suitor’ to come to Nigeria to officially take her hands in marriage, the guy dropped the bombshell that he didn’t actually believe in mail-order brides (or in this case Facebook bride). That is one hell of a story.One of the applicants was asked, “What do you think is the recipe for a good relationship?”, and she smartly responded boldly, “communication, understanding, and love” - now, here is a girl who understands how to effectively communicate her thoughts to elicit the love and admiration of her audience.Some of these applicants were just preachers who were yet to identify their calling. One of them had a word of wisdom to share with ladies of her ilk, “ before you ever agree to date a guy, make sure you ‘form’ for him for at least 4 weeks, 6 months, 2 years –the duration is up to you, but for me I’ve been ‘forming’ for a guy for 4 years now” she stated proudly – now time for translation, the word “forming” can be interchanged with either of these words “Stalling” or “pretending” – take your pick. Well, the “forming expert” continued her preaching with a warning, “but remember that when you ‘form’ for a guy for too long, don’t ever give in to him, because once he sleeps with you, he’ll dump you like a wet rag, so just keep stalling”Be warned. If you’re about to take this girl’s advice, you’ll be sitting on a very long thing. And guys; now you know!
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An American, Mr. Sean Alsilski, was seen hawking gala sausage rolls yesterday, at the Ojota area of Lagos state.
He easily drew a large crowd as Lagosians laughed and wondered what could have made him to hawk gala in Lagos, and on a sunny day too.
But Alsilski, unperturbed by the people watching and giggling at him, continued to sell his stuff to motorists and passersby who were eager to buy from him, some just for the fun of it.
He rebuffed people trying to ask him why he was out in the streets selling gala, saying he was too busy to talk to anyone. After much prompting by this reporter, he opened up on why he was out selling gala on Lagos streets. Alsilski said he came to Lagos to carry out a six-month research project on hawking and street trading in Lagos, and the best way to get the answers that he wants was to get involved in the real business rather than be an observer.
He said he had already spent five months in Lagos, hawking gala at different parts of the state. “I am here to do a research on hawking and street trading. I was billed to be in Nigeria for six months as part of the Fullbright exchange programme. “I have been here for five months now, hawking. I have one month to go. I am going to give a presentation to the United States Embassy about my research,” said Alsilski. Born in the city of New York, the United States, Alsilski lamented that from what he has observed, government was harsh on hawkers and street traders.
“Hawkers here are under stress right now from the government and I am studying what the government is doing right now. We can make some recommendations. “Government is harsh on them. Some of them have had their goods taken away. I am not sure that is the best way to go about it. “In some cities, hawkers and traders are given licenses and allowed to go to certain areas to hawk. But hawkers should not be allowed to hawk in places like Oshodi,” he stated. Alsilski's hawking business has taken him to Yaba, Ojuelegba, Mushin, Ojota, Mile 2, Apapa, Lagos Island and Agege.
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Nigerian television ‘Centage Superstar’, the music talent show, is here. The reality television show, themed around the search for a fresh Nigerian music superstar who will represent the Nigerian music scene and Nigeria as a whole inside and outside the country, is being put together by Centage Savings and Loans Limited (Mortgage bankers) with Kennis Music, Nigeria’s big music label.advertisement Ask9ja ClassifiedsNaija for London then click here !utube4naija Nollywood videos and moviesThe finance bank whose strong point includes a dynamic board comprising some ex- directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria has teamed up with Kennis Music to discover the best artiste in the country through a chain of nation- wide auditions.Keke and D1The eventual winner is expected to go home with a brand new Toyota Prado Jeep worth N7m, N2m cash and a N10m deal with Kennis.“What can we say? Our interest is making the Nigerian music industry boom. So when the responsibility is vested in us to see to it that we groom and nurture new acts, it actually means that we are recognised in and outside the industry as one of a pathfinder and credible actor in the Nigerian music scene,” Kenny Ogungbe said.Kennis Music founded by Kenny Ogungbe since inception signed acts like The Remedies, KSB, Lagbaja, OJB, 2face, Marvelous Benjy, Azadus, Sound Sultan, Baba Dee to mention a few.The basic objective of the Centage superstar is said to be to discover and promote young music Nigerian superstars. Every winner that emerges from each region goes back home with N1m, and an opportunity to represent his/her region in the grand finale in March 2010.The second prize is a Toyota Corolla and N1m, while the third position goes home with N500, 000 and a yet-to-be announced consolation prize. “It is the first time in the history of Nigeria that this will be happening,” the organisers told news men in Lagos on Friday.Also at stake for the contestants and member of the public is a house located in Abuja.Meanwhile, the official launch for the show held on Friday, June 12, 2008 at the Civic centre, and the forms are being sold in all UBA, Intercontental and Centage branches across the country for N3, 000.The launch event was hosted by Basorge Tariah Junior
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IF YOU ARE THE ONE WOULDN’T YOU RUN?Read the mail below and answer the question.Late in 1994, an 87 year old great-grand father passed on in a village close to Amai, Kwale, Delta State.The late man’s grandson by name Ufiaka (26 years old and fairly educated) was given some money and asked to travel to Agbor and buy a fine casket for his grand pa’s burial.Ufiaka left base early and arrived Agbor in good time to purchase the casket and make the return journey same day. He was fortunate to get an open back white coloured Peugeot 404 pickup heading for Amai. He, however, had to ride in the back of the pickup with the casket because two market women travelling to Amai were already seated in front with the driver.On the home journey, they ran into a heavy rain storm close to Urhonigbe and Ufiaka quickly opened the Casket, laid himself nicely in the well-padded interior, covered the lid and used the folded newspaper he had with him to leave a small opening between the lid and the main body of the white casket to ensure adequate ventilation. The interior of the casket was very comfortable and Ufiaka fell into a very deep sleep.The rain had subsided at the time the pickup van arrived at Umutu and during a brief stop there, two men travelling to Amai entered the vehicle at the back and the same happened at Obiaruku where a man and a woman travelling also to Amai entered the vehicle. All this while, Ufiaka was enjoying his beautiful sleep inside the Casket completely unaware of the new passengers who boarded at Umutu and Obiaruku.The pickup van arrived Amai just after 5 p.m. and the driver, who was now very hungry, stopped in front of a busy bukataria to have a quick bite before proceeding to the next village. The sudden stoppage and revving of the pickup’s engine woke Ufiaka who then opened the lid of the Casket and rose up.Trouble! Trouble!! Wahala!!! Katakata!!!!The passengers in the back of the pickup jumped out of the vehicle from various points and took to their heels in various directions. The people eating in open type bukataria (including the mama-put and her service girls) who saw the white casket open and a ‘ghost’ step out, ran off all over the place some with balls of eba and akpu in their hands. Ufiaka, seeing people running ‘helter skelter’ was convinced that armed robbers were operating and decided to take-off in the direction three of the passengers, including the women, were running.When the three passengers realised that Ufiaka was running towards them, they increased speed and shouted ghost, ghost and to further worsen the situation, Ufiaka was dressed in white up and down with white shoes to match that day.With the shouting of ghost, other people in their homes came out to see what was going on and on seeing people running at high speed all over they joined in the race for dear life and the number just swelled.The driver and the two market women were running too! When they saw people pointing to Ufiaka that he was the ghost they started laughing at their stupidity for not knowing what they were running from before they started running.IF NA YOU SEE DE GHOST, WETIN YOU GO DO?Regards.
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-Military investigates
A Ukrainian plane loaded with weapons was, on Tuesday night, impounded by Air Force intelligence at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
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Four people; two pilots and two other foreign nationals, who were on board, were arrested, while some Nigerians who attempted to clear the weapons were also arrested.
A competent airport source, who confirmed the arrests, told journalists that the Air Force men, who impounded the plane, were on duty at the airport.
The plane, painted red and marked UR-CAK, according to sources, was impounded on the arrival terminal at the airport, based on intelligence report.
The impounded plane was seen parked at the airport, when the Nigerian Tribune visited the place, with security operatives mounting surveillance while sources said that investigations were on to know the mission and why such weapons were brought into Nigeria.
Nigerian Tribune also gathered that security chiefs at the airport were meeting to ensure that the pilot gave details of their mission in Nigeria.
Sources at the airport revealed that the plane was going to Malabo, Equitorial Guinea and that it only stopped in Kano to refuel.
Those who spoke on the appearance of the plane and its crew gave kudos to the officers at the airport, adding that the flying in of the weapons was a big security threat to Nigeria.
The airport workers, while commenting on the development, said that the apprehension of the Ukrainian cargo plane was a job well done by the Nigerian security men.
All efforts to speak with the airport commandant of the Nigerian Air Force were unsuccessful. A top officer said he could not speak on the issue at that moment. “You pressmen have to wait till tomorrow or preferably when the investigation might have been completed,” he said.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the story and informed that the military was investigating the circumstances and the owners of the arms on the plane.
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It is indeed true that the truth sets one free and ushers in many blessings.This actress is set to wed her dream man in a matter of months revealed sources ''remember that mercy granted an interview to the sunday sun some months back where she talked about her poor background and how much she suffered and used to hawk pure water on the streets.Well her husband to-be read that interview and made frantic efforts to contact her,he eventually did and the two hit it off after they met in abuja for the first time.now they are set to formalise their union''.Mercys prince is a prince from the delta region of nigeria,he is from ughelli and is named prince ibrahim dumuje,he is in his early fourties,was once married but is dvorced.my sources also squeal that the home of the johnsons at iba estate was agog in the first week of may when ibrahim and his people visited and began traditional wedding rites.''they were warmly received and the whole family is excited and have accpeted ibrahim as their own because of his kind heart.hehas also spoilt mercys family silly with gifts''Mercy and her prince were spotted enroute to south africa on sunday june 7,2009 and the olofofo friend of this actress affirms both were on their way to shop for rings for the wedding coming up soon, also whispered is that the traditioonal and church weddings will be completed in a matter of months as loverboy does not want to waste anytime at all.The prince who has captured mercys heart is..(wait for this)v-e-r-y rich and insiders whom were sworn to secrecy swear the actress has been enveloped in expensive gifts since she met him.''please the next time you see mercy,take a good look at her engagement finger and you would be sure to spot the diamond ring purchased in south africa. loverboy works with the presidency and has been introducing the actress to everyone as his wife''.The lovebirds should be back in the country if the whispers are correct.theres no need for denials,please congratulate this actress if you see her,shes about to become mrs mercy johnson-dumuje!
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Man comes home, finds his wife with his friend in bed.He shoots his friend to death.Wife says "If you continue to behave like this, youWill lose ALL your friends".================================================Small Boy wrote to Father Christmas," send me a brother"Father Christmas wrote back," SEND ME YOUR MOTHER"=================================================What is the definition of Mistress?Someone between the Mister and Mattress=================================================Husband asks, "Do u know the meaning of WIFE??"Without Information, Fighting every time"Wife replies," No, It means,"With Idiot For Ever!!!”=================================================Three Feelings:What's the difference between stress, tension and Panic?Stress is when wife is pregnant,Tension is when girlfriend is pregnant andPanic is when both are pregnant.=================================================Teacher: Do you know the importance of period?Kid: Yes, once my sister said she has missed one, my mom fainted, dad got heart attack & our driver ran away.=================================================Some women asked a man who was traveling with six children, are all these kids yours??Man replies; No, I work in a condom factory & these are customer complaints.=================================================Two men met while both were looking for their lost wives.1st: What does yours look like?2nd: She is 5"7, 36-24-36, Fair, Black eyes. What about yours?1st: Forget mine. Let's find yours!!=================================================A Son asks the difference between confidence and Confidential.Dad says, you are my son, I'm confident. Your friend isAlso my son, that's confidential!=================================================Mother to her teenage daughter: I think this is the rightTime we should talk about sex.Daughter (Excitingly): Sure mom! Tell me, what you want toKnow.Mother Faints...
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The General Overseer of a pentecostal church in Port Harcourt, River State narrowly escaped being lynched on Monday night after he and an aide were caught attempting to bury charms in the home of a businessman.
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He had intended to deceive the man and the crowd at a crusade that the charm was buried in the businessman’s house by enemies.
Unfortunately, the evil plot of the general overseer whose church (name withheld) is located in the Diobu area of the capital city blew up in his face as his aide, also a pastor, was caught bringing out the calabash of charms from his clothes, while the ‘deliverance’ prayer was in progress.
Incidentally, it was the businessman who in defiance of an order that all eyes remain closed while the charm was being dug out, caught the pastor in the act.
The general overseer’s journey to disgrace began when he attended a three-day crusade of another church, Destiny Blenders Church at the Eagle Island area of the city as the guest preacher.
It was gathered that during his ministration, the general overseer announced to the crowded congregation that he had a vision that a charm was buried in the residence of the businessman to destroy his wealth and health with the sole intention of killing him slowly.
The senior clergyman who also preaches weekly on one of the local television stations, consequently arranged for his aassistant pastor to unearth the buried charm while the main crusade was in progress.
On arrival in the home of the businessman, a deliverance prayer laced with speaking in tongues, commenced with all eyes closed while the assistant pastor started digging a particular spot already identified as where the destructive charm was supposedly buried.
Unknown to all who were gathered at the ‘uprooting’ exercise, the businessman did not close his eyes and he saw the assistant pastor bringing out the satanic calabash from his pocket and raised alarm.
The assistant pastor was alleged to have confessed that his General Overseer gave him the calabash to bury and pretend that it had been there long before the crusade.
He was later led back to the crusade venue where the general overseer apparently oblivious that his dubious plot has been exposed, was still preaching.
Both men were later beaten black and blue before they were handed over to some mobile policemen who led them away.
When contacted, Police spokesperson in the state, Mrs Rita Inoma-Abbey (DSP), told Daily Sun that she was yet to be briefed on the incident.
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MOGADISHU, Somalia - Islamic insurgents killed Somalia's top security minister and at least 24 other people yesterday in a suicide car-bomb attack at a hotel frequented by government officials.The attack, which followed the killing a day earlier of Mogadishu's police chief during skirmishes in the capital, was the latest violence in a two-month battle for control of the Horn of Africa nation. Government soldiers are fighting insurgents seeking to install an Islamic state.National Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden had been leading a recent government offensive against militants in Mogadishu and other parts of the country, successfully recapturing districts that had fallen to insurgents. He was meeting with other government officials and clan elders in the central Somalia town of Beledweyne, about 200 miles north of Mogadishu and near the Ethiopian border, when the attacked occurred.Somalia's president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, said the car bomb was evidence that international terrorists were trying to establish a beachhead in Somalia."Somalia has been invaded by al-Qaeda, which wants to make a hideout inside Somalia," Ahmed said in Mogadishu. "Day after day, many foreign people arrive in Somalia. I call on the international community to support us so we can eliminate these terrorists together."The government and U.N. officials say at least 200 foreign fighters from Yemen, Pakistan, and other nations have entered Somalia to assist the hard-line Islamic militia al-Shabab, which has pledged its allegiance to al-Qaeda.A Shabab spokesman acknowledged responsibility for yesterday's attack. "One of our holy warriors used a car laden with explosives to enter the building where the apostate and other members from his group were meeting," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said in a telephone news conference.His militia accuses Ethiopia of sending soldiers over the border in recent weeks to bolster the Somalian government. Ethiopian government officials denied the claims. In 2006, Ethiopia's army helped the Somalian government topple an Islamic regime that had seized control of Mogadishu.A Western diplomat in Kenya downplayed Shabab's al-Qaeda connections, saying the foreign fighters entering Somalia did not appear to be well-trained. But the diplomat, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said the international community should move quickly to support the government.The United States has provided about $1 million in aid to the government over the last six months, but Somalian officials say they need more to train and arm soldiers.Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence. As many as 250 people have died since May, according to local estimates. In addition, about 120,000 people have been displaced by the current fighting, the U.N. refugee agency said.
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Man comes home, finds his wife with his friend in bed.He shoots his friend to death.Wife says "If you continue to behave like this, youWill lose ALL your friends".================================================Small Boy wrote to Father Christmas," send me a brother"Father Christmas wrote back," SEND ME YOUR MOTHER"=================================================What is the definition of Mistress?Someone between the Mister and Mattress=================================================Husband asks, "Do u know the meaning of WIFE??"Without Information, Fighting every time"Wife replies," No, It means,"With Idiot For Ever!!!”=================================================Three Feelings:What's the difference between stress, tension and Panic?Stress is when wife is pregnant,Tension is when girlfriend is pregnant andPanic is when both are pregnant.=================================================Teacher: Do you know the importance of period?Kid: Yes, once my sister said she has missed one, my mom fainted, dad got heart attack & our driver ran away.=================================================Some women asked a man who was traveling with six children, are all these kids yours??Man replies; No, I work in a condom factory & these are customer complaints.=================================================Two men met while both were looking for their lost wives.1st: What does yours look like?2nd: She is 5"7, 36-24-36, Fair, Black eyes. What about yours?1st: Forget mine. Let's find yours!!=================================================A Son asks the difference between confidence and Confidential.Dad says, you are my son, I'm confident. Your friend isAlso my son, that's confidential!=================================================Mother to her teenage daughter: I think this is the rightTime we should talk about sex.Daughter (Excitingly): Sure mom! Tell me, what you want toKnow.Mother Faints...
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whenever ur friend hurts u or u argued write it on the sand so wind of forgivness can blow it away but,if ur friend or anyone had saved ur life or help u in anyway write it or carv it out so it remain permanent and u can always remember dat particular thing forever.!!
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What drives you?"Your life has to do with the agenda that has been set for you by you, by that part of you that we’ve come to call, in our language, your soul."-- Neale Donald WalschOur purpose in life has a spiritual foundation. Our MAJOR LIFE ISSUES are usually of 3 types:- physical and POWER-ORIENTED, like making our stand and being more courageous.- emotional and LOVE-ORIENTED, like expressing and receiving love, compassion and nurturing others.- mental and INTELLECT-ORIENTED, like developing our minds and creating new things and processes."Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can be."-- Morris AdlerIt's time to wake up, paradise is here and now.
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A husband wrote the following letter for his wife and left it on the dining room table:'To My Dear Wife.You will surely understand that I have certain needs that you, being 54 years old, can no longer satisfy. I am very happy with you & I value you as a good wife. Therefore, after reading this letter, I hope that you will not wrongly interpret the fact that I will be spending the evening with my 18 year old secretary at the Comfort Inn Hotel. Please don't be upset - I shall be home before midnight.'When the man came home late that night, he found the following letter on the dining room table:'To My Dear Husband.I received your letter and thank you for your honesty about my being 54 years old. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are also 54 years old. As you know, I am a math teacher at our local college. I would like to inform you that while you read this, I will be at the Marriot Hotel with Michael, one of my students. He is young, virile, and like your secretary, is 18 years old. As a successful businessman who has an excellent knowledge of Math, you will understand that although it may appear that we are in the same situation, there is one mathematical difference:'18 goes into 54 a lot more times than 54 goes into 18.'Therefore, I will not be home until sometime tomorrow.'
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