NSCDC arrests 150 operators of illegal oil bunkers


The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested over 150 operators of illegal oil bunkers in some parts of the country.

The Commandant-General of the corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, said this in Abuja on Saturday, while addressing 50 personnel of the corps who had been chosen for anti-vandalism training in Kaduna State.

“We have also arrested two foreigners from Ghana and China in the Lagos metropolis over illegal bunkering; we have also been able to discover some illegal refineries.”

Abolurin said that the 150 operators of the illegal oil bunkers were arrested in separate operations by men of the corps in Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Imo and Niger.

He said the corps was working with the Nigerian Army, Police and the State Security Service (SSS) to check the activities of illegal bunkers on the sea.(NAN)
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Man in court for death of girl friend after herbal bath

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A 46-year-old football coach, Emmanuel Temuru, was on Friday brought before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court for allegedly causing the death of his girl friend.

The accused was charged for allegedly causing the death of one Miss Margaret Usen, 35, but his plea was not taken as he was remanded in prison custody, pending an advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The prosecutor Inspector Philip Ugbodu, told the court that the accused, who resides at 5 Olupitan St., Idimu Lagos, is a football coach.

He said that on February 13, at about 6.30 p.m., the accused, who had allegedly impregnated the deceased, travelled with her to Abeokuta after she developed some health complications.

Ugbodu told the court that the accused had allegedly taken the deceased to a Clinic/Maternity Hospital in Abeokuta, where she was given some herbs to drink and also bath with.

He alleged that the health of the deceased deteriorated soon after the herbal treatment and she died hours later.

According to him, the offence is contrary to section 319 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.

The case was adjourned to June 6.
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5 tenants docked for defecating

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Ikorodu (Lagos State) Five tenants were on Friday arraigned before an Ikorodu Customary Court, charged with defecating around the house they rented.

The defendants – Jude Ugbo (41), Joseph Oken (41), Emeka Uzoka (42), Oladunni Kayode (39) and Ndoka Ikoro (39) — all residents of 14, Rilwan St, Ikorodu, are facing a three-count charge of failure to provide toilets and bathroom in the house.

The prosecuting sanitation officer, Tolu Eyinmetan, told the court that the defendants, by their action, contravened the environmental laws of the state.

He said that the offence contravened Sections 16:1-8 , Lagos State Environmental Laws, 2002 and Section 18(1) of Ikorodu Local Government, Sanitation Department, Laws of Lagos State 2002.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges but claimed that the landlord failed to provide toilet facilities in the apartment.

The President of the court, Alhaja Risikat Adesanya, ordered that he be served hearing notice and appear before the court on April 19.
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Hausa Woman Seeks Divorce Over Bread and Tea Meal

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A House Wife, Uwanin Takai has taken her husband to Takai Sharia Court in Kano State on Friday, seeking for divorce due to lack of proper feeding as the husband provides her with a meal per day.

However, the man, Ubaliyo Takai, disputed his wife`s claim, saying that his wife insisted on being served with tea and bread every morning, which he could not afford.

“I married the woman two months ago. She told me that she was fed up with eating cooked guinea corn every day and I changed her diet to eight tubers of cassava daily.”

The Sharia Court Judge, Malam Auwalu Bashir, admonished the couple and urged them to reconcile their differences which they did in the court room.

In a related development, Usaina Fititi also sued her husband before the same court, asking for divorce on the ground that the man was not providing soap and detergent to her.

The court’s presiding officer advised Fititi`s husband to reconcile with his wife amicably and to always take care of her needs.
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Goodluck Jonathan Among Time 100 Most Important People On Earth

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The short list already produced by @Time Magazine for its annual '100 People' list already includes President Goodluck Jonathan, Merly Streep, Beyonce, Mark Zuckerberg, Alec Baldwin and many more.

Is President Goodluck Jonathan among most 100 important people on Earth? We want your opinion:

The complete TIME 100 list will be chosen by our editors and revealed on TIME.com on Tuesday, April 17.

Check out the Full List:

Daniel Bosai (nametalkam), Adele, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, Sheldon Adelson, Ai Weiwei , Marc Andreessen, José Andrés, Anonymous, Aziz Ansari, Bashar Assad, Vidya Balan, Alec Baldwin, Eike Batista, Fatou Bensouda, Almudena Bernabeu, Ben Bernanke, Beyoncé , Jeff Bezos, Preet Bharara, Sara Blakely, Usain Bolt, Bon Iver, Danny Boyle, Jan Brewer, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, Warren Buffett, Sarah Burton, Louis C.K., David Cameron, Eric Cantor, Pete Cashmore, Pete Cashmore, David Chang, Jessica Chastain, Chris Christie,

Hillary Clinton, George Clooney, Stephen Colbert, Suzanne Collins, Tim Cook, Richard Cordray , d*1*ck Costolo, Daniel Craig, Bryan Cranston, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo, Ray Dalio, Ray Dalio, Claire Danes, Claire Danes, Claire Danes, Viola Davis, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen DeGeneres, Lana Del Rey, Zooey Deschanel, Jamie Dimon, Novak Djokovic, Novak Djokovic, Timothy Dolan,Timothy Dolan
Jack Dorsey
Mario Draghi
Drake
Pamela Druckerman
Ree Drummond
Jaycee Dugard
Dieter Egli
Daniel Ek
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Rick Falkvinge
Asghar Farhadi
Michael Fassbender
Julian Fellowes
Sandra Fluke
Maria das Graças Silva Foster
Foster the People
Ron Fouchier
Rachid Ghannouchi
Newt Gingrich
Ira Glass
Roger Goodell
Ryan Gosling
Terry Gou
David Graeber and Tim Pool
Robert Grant
Alan Gross
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani
Chelsea Handler
Rick and Richard Harrison
Kamala Harris
Reed Hastings
Michel Hazanavicius
Anna Hazare
Reid Hoffman
François Hollande
Hung Huang
Goodluck Jonathan
Tawakul Karman
David Karp
Hamid Karzai
Molly Katchpole
Jason Katims
Ashfaq Kayani
Ayatullah Ali Khamenei
Salman Khan
Imran Khan
Kim Jong Un
Charles and David Koch
Kony 2012
Nitish Kumar
Ashton Kutcher
Christine Lagarde
Lady Gaga
Chan Laiwa
Jennifer Lawrence
Marine Le Pen
Ken Levine
Li Chengpeng
Rush Limbaugh
Jeremy Lin
LMFAO
Frank Luntz
Eli Manning
Sergio Marchionne
Marc Maron
Erik Martin
George R.R. Martin
Melissa McCarthy
Rory McIlroy
Bill McKibben
Angela Merkel
Lionel Messi
Ingrid Michaelson
Kate Middleton
Pippa Middleton
Yuri Milner
Nicki Minaj
Narendra Modi
Mario Monti
Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks and January Jones
Laura and Kate Mulleavy
Richard Muller
Rupert Murdoch
Charles Murray
Youssou N'Dour
Alexei Navalny
Benjamin Netanyahu
Mike Nichols
Grover Norquist
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama
Larry Page
Leon Panetta
Ann Patchett
Ron Paul
Douglas Peterson
Michael Phelps
Karen Pierce
Navi Pillay
Mark Pincus
Oscar Pistorius
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
David Plouffe
Ai-jen Poo
John Prendergast
Vladimir Putin
Ben Rattray
Queen Elizabeth II
René Redzepi
Cecile Richards
Paul Rieckhoff
Rihanna
John Roberts
Mitt Romney
Marco Rubio
Paul Ryan
Alex Salmond
Sheryl Sandberg
Rick Santorum
Juan Manuel Santos
Nicolas Sarkozy
Howard Schultz
Martin Scorsese
Ryan Seacrest
Thein Sein
Shakira
Graydon Sheppard
Jessica Simpson
Portia Simpson-Miller
Greg Smith
Maggie Smith
Hope Solo
Bruce Springsteen
Meryl Streep
Aung San Suu Kyi
Tilda Swinton
Tim Tebow
Sachin Tendulkar
Peter Thiel
Jonathan Tilly
Scott Walker
Harvey Weinstein
Kristen Wiig
E.O. Wilson
Oprah Winfrey
Xi Jinping
Mark Zuckerberg
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When husband and wife practise different religions!

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THE issue of religion in a relationship is a major one. In the African context, we see parents insisting on their children getting married to a man or woman who practises the same religion or have the same faith. We also see parents who are only concerned about the family background, occupation and sincerity of the heart of their children’s life partners. These set of parents claim they are interested in their children’s happiness and peace of mind in marriage.

However today, when one xrays people’s opinion about married partners sharing the same religion or different religion, the reasons are varied and so diverse that you begin to wonder if people ever consider love, trust, communication, honesty or even commitment above other things when choosing a life partner. The issue of religious differences has broken so many relationships and courtships of many years,thus, bringing sorrow and hatred into many lives.In exploring this issue of husband and wife practising different religions, Oluwakemi Aremu sought people’s opinion . Excerpts:



Olatunji Owolabi, Chartered Accountant: Husband and wife in a perfect marriage are one. Thus, no religion should separate them.



Ibiwoye Olasunkanmi, lecturer: I believe that the success of any marital relationship is based on having similar value systems and not religious beliefs. If both partners are tolerant, supportive and understand each other’s beliefs, it will be easy to practise a different faith from their spouse’s and still live harmoniously. People who share the same religious beliefs or are practising the same religion still get divorced. Therefore, check your values and attitude to life.



Ayeni Oluwafemi, student: Religion is an act of worship. It includes the existence and total belief in a supernatural being.



Marriage on the other hand is instituted for a man and woman to become one by a supernatural being, be it God, god, or deities. This issue of practising the same religion by couples depends on mutual agreement between them. Culture is also respected here because the man is the head, he decides on what and how his family will look like. The religion the man chooses should be the woman’s preference. Though it can create unity in cultural diversity, but in the real sense, the conflict and crises happening globally is caused by religious intolerance. I totally disagree that husband and wife should practise different religions.



Eseigbe Angela, businesswoman: The key issue which people seem to ignore is the fact that it is the woman who does most of the training and grooming of the children. She teaches them how to pray and instil value in them. How well will a woman play this role if she gets married to a man of a faith different from hers? People should know that marriage is not just about the man and woman. It is a marriage of two families and the foundation of several generations to come. The ‘love birds’ will eventually become parents and their home will become the first learning institution and agent of socialisation for each child. What kind of orientation do children in inter-faith marriages have? Whose faith should they be introduced to: mum’s or dad’s?



Tunde Adegboye, engineer: I can tell you categorically that it is not the best for couples to practise different religions. Personally, I cannot allow my wife to go to another church, let alone of practising another religion. Normally, children are named according to the religion their parents practise and in some cases, children will not even know the one they are to call their own probably, they attend both the Quranic School and at the same time church.



Faith Omeonu, National Youth Service Corps member: Let us face facts; the problems of inter faith marriage dates long before the marriage institution. The couple must consider several issues: How do we convince our families to accept the union? Under what faith should we conduct the marriage ceremony? Should we agree on one faith or do we continue in our separate faiths? What faith should we introduce to our children? The questions are endless. Personally, I don’t think it is advisable. The home could be broken in the process. I can’t marry a man who practises another religion from mine; Our union won’t be successful.



Aderibigbe Yusuf, self-employed: Yes, husband and wife can practise different religions as long as the understanding and fate that brought them together are intact and the woman is performing her duties as a wife in the house while the husband is equally up to the task. Also, a Yoruba adage says O jise kan, ko gbodo di ojise kan lowo meaning you must not disturb your fellow human being. A very good example is Mr Babatunde Fashola, Governor of Lagos State who is a Muslim while the wife is a Christian and they are living happily. So also is a family friend whom I know very well, the husband is a Muslim while the wife happens to be a Christian. The children go to church with their mother and the father is in support of this. They are living together happily.



Omotosho Abisola, educationist: There is nothing good in practising different religions as couples.The way they will reason will be different and definitely crises in such a marriage cannot be ruled out. Moreover, what exactly are you impacting in your children? Where should they go? Is it to follow mummy or daddy? Before parents know it, the children will no longer share the love they used to share together because what they believe in is different. There is likely to be argument on some issues which could lead to hatred.



Femi Fatogun, National Youth Service Corps member: It depends on the background of the couple. Don’t forget that couples are brought up in different backgrounds. The children also have the right at a certain stage/age of their lives to choose whatever religion they wish to practise; so it shouldn’t affect the home.



Ayo Damilola, corps member: Marriage is all about sharing the same values, belief, religion and so on. If at all there is going to be a difference, it shouldn’t be on the issue of religion because it can lead to separation.



Efedhoma Kate, counsellor: In my many years of practice as a relationship expert, I’ve come to realise that in most cases if not all, what drives couples apart are basically the basic differences on s*x related issues, financial issues and how they deal with them. So also is the third party that is forever trying to come between the partners. The third party may be as far from them as friends and relatives and as close as the children in the union. Difference in religion shoudn’t be a barrier, love supersedes all.



Aremu Damilola, student: I don’t think so because when two people with different beliefs get married, they will have different orientations, thus bringing about dispute and it can eventually break their home.



Ebube Nwoko, self-employed: The basis for marrying my wife is that we have the same faith. I can’t marry a woman who doesn’t practise my religion.



Abdulrahman Elere, public administrator: Don’t let us deceive ourselves, there would be problem on the long run, irrespective of how they try to cover-up. The best way to avoid this is for both partners to practise the same religion and have the same faith.



Adebayo Matthew, student: It is a matter of choice, whether couples are practising different or the same religion, love supersedes all.



Samsudeen Salawu: Yes, they can. Practising different religions should not be a big deal if there is true love between lovers.



Alhaji Jelili Lawal: God forbid! It is not right at all. I can’t even imagine myself getting married to a woman who doesn’t practise my religion. I will be going to mosque while my wife goes to the church. Definitely, our children’s belief will be affected, it’s never done. The answer is capital NO!
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15 die in Lokoja- Abuja auto crash

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NO fewer than 15 persons lost their lives while 54 sustained injury in an accident that occurred at ‘Crusher’ on the Okene- Lokoja- Abuja highway on Thursday morning.

An eyewitness said the accident involved a luxury bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow Transport Company and a stationary truck.

According to the source, the luxury bus, which was heading towards Abuja on top speed, ran into a stationary truck, killing 15 persons and injuring others.

The sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who confirmed the incident, said 69 persons were involved in the accident but two lost their lives.

He said the corpses had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, while the injured were receiving treatment in the same hospital.
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Nigeria's N16bn Deal With Tompolo

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Officials have told The Associated Press that an ex-militant leader in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta is linked to a private security company that recently signed a $103 million (N16 billion) deal with the government to patrol the West African nation's waterways to stop piracy.

The commander, who was granted amnesty in 2009, endorsed hiring Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Ltd. to protect the waterways, something Nigeria's navy and civil authorities appear unable to do.

Before the amnesty, men allied with the ex-militant Government Ekpumopolo carried out attacks and killings in the southern Niger Delta.

Nigeria struggles with endemic graft; analysts say the oil-rich nation has one of the world's most corrupt governments.

The government brokered an amnesty deal with militants, but the $103 million contract raises worries about the influence of former militants.

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Conductor jailed 10 yrs for illegal arms possession

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A Delta State High Court sitting at Akwukwu-Igbo, has sentenced a bus conductor, Augustine Nwankwo, to 10 years imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms.

The trial judge, Justice H. Akpotowho, sentenced the convict to jail with an option of N20,000 fine, after pleading guilty to a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms, an offence punishable under Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R.II Volume 14, Laws of Nigeria 2004.

Prosecutor, Mr. P. Okoh, told the court that the convict was arrested on December 19, 2009, at Ibusa and was in possession of one locally made pistol and one cut to size single barrel gun, and pleaded not guilty at the commencement of trial in 2010.

But at the last hearing in the matter, the convict changed his plea and entered a guilty plea to the two- count charge.
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Boko Haram scare in Jos as police arrest two men with guns

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There was a Boko Haram scare in Jos, yesterday, following the arrest of two young men suspected to be members of the dreaded sect.

The young men driving in a red car were arrested by anti riot policemen around the main branch of FirstBank along Bank Road after they were found with two ‘guns’ following a search.

Although the guns were later found to be toy guns, there was commotion as rumour spread that two members of the sect had been arrested.

The rumour generated mixed reactions from residents as some thronged to the scene to catch a glimpse of them while others closed their businesses for fear of possible explosion.

The situation was worsened when policemen, finding the crowd uncontrollable, fired into the air to disperse them.

The two men were later taken into custody for interrogation.

Spokesman of Plateau Police Command, Mr Samuel Dabai who confirmed the incident said the suspects claimed that the toy guns belonged to their children who left them in the car.

He said investigations were on and called for calm among residents.
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My Wife Is Using Night Vigil To Commit Adultery

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Mr. Daniel Folorunsho, a 43-year-old Lagosian, on Thursday told a Grade ‘A’ Customary court in Ojo, Lagos State, that his wife was engaging in adultery, under the guise of attending church vigil.

Daniel, a resident of Oke-Afo on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is seeking the dissolution of his 10-year-old marriage to his wife, Yemi, over her infidelity.

Testifying during the hearing, Daniel said on February 25, he went early to Festac town to see his brother, only to see his wife emerging from a road in the vicinity with a man.

He said that he was shocked to see her as she had claimed to be heading for a vigil and he knew her church to be along the Oke-Afo axis, not some 40-kilometres away in Festac town, Lagos.

Daniel told the court that he immediately crossed over and stopped Yemi and her partner, but she said she had gone for the vigil in the Festac district of her church and introduced the man as the District Pastor.

He said that after the incident, his wife continued to leave home frequently - under the pretext of attending night vigil - until March 13, when he acted on a tip-off from a neighbour and caught her with the same man.

He disclosed that on the said day, he went to the area where his wife’s church was located only to discover her in an inner room with the same man she had earlier introduced to him as a District Pastor.

Daniel said that his wife was adjusting herself when he came in and he almost hit the pastor but ended up just giving him a stern warning to stay away from his wife. He added that he could no longer stand her adulterous behaviour.

On her part, Yemi, a cloth seller, denied the allegations saying he was only looking for a way to get another wife. She alleged that her husband had beaten her several times for not providing him with some of the money she was making from her trading.

After listening to the estranged husband and wife, the president of the court, Alhaji Toyin Said, adjourned the case to April 3, for judgement.
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Malam El-Rufai tweet about BOKOHARAM and GOODLUCK JONATHAN

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S-South youths oppose Jonathan’s alleged 2nd term bid

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YOUTH leaders in the South-South, under the aegis of Forum of Youth Leaders, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State, resisted the alleged second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a communiqué by the chairman of the forum, Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, at the end of an emergency meeting, the youths said: “At no time did youth leaders in the South-South zone agree to support Mr. President for his quest to run for re-election in 2015.

“After an exhaustive deliberation on the speculation and other matters of national interest, the forum denies the allegation and dissociated itself from the second term bid of Mr. President.

“The forum resolved that although the South-South zone should still produce the president come 2015, it will only support a president who knows the feelings of the people of the South-South and not one who believes very much in his ethnic group only.”
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Indonesia to ban mini-skirts 'because they make men do things'

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Indonesia is preparing to ban the mini-skirt under its tough anti-pornography laws 'because they make men do things'.

The Muslim country's powerful religious affairs minister said that one of the considerations in its review of what could be considered pornographic would be 'when someone wears a skirt above the knee'.

Minister Suryadharma Ali started a war against the mini-skirt almost as soon as he was appointed to run Indonesia's new anti-porn task force earlier this month.

Parliamentary speaker Marzuki Alle also recently hit out against the mini-skirt, but he targeted female politicians who chose to wear skirts above the knee.

Mr Alle said he was preparing draft rules banning female politicians and staff members from wearing mini-skirts because 'there have been a lot of rape cases and other immoral acts recently and this is because women aren't wearing appropriate clothes'.

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Financial Times tips Okonjo-Iweala for World Bank presidency

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Financial Times(FT), a world leading financial newspaper in a recent editorial gave reasons why they feel Okonjo Iweala should lead the World Bank.

The London based newspaper in an article titled "The right leader for the World Bank" published on Tuesday acknowledged that the United states candidate, Jim Yong Kim could be a good candidate, but the article makes it clear that the candidate will need more qualifications than Kim has.

The editorial list skills like, a command of macroeconomics, the respect of leaders of both the funding and the funded countries, and the management skills to implement his or her vision, as criteria for the next world bank president, which the FT editorial says it believes Okonjo-Iweala is best qualified.

The editorial says:

"Ms Okonjo-Iweala has real-world experience of policy-making in one of the most challenging developing countries. Her experience in tackling corruption would be helpful in the battle against the misuse of Bank funds. While her record as a finance minister is not flawless, her reforming drive has earned her credibility with the international community. That, and her charismatic personality, should help her to rally support for the Bank."

it continues:"Having served as managing director under outgoing World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, she also has a unique knowledge of how the institution works. While one risk could be the temptation not to challenge the status quo, she might find it easier than other candidates to gain the respect of staff and build on Mr Zoellick’s legacy."


The selection of Okonjo-Iweala according to the editorial is a message to the world. One it believes US president Barack Obama would understand.

The editorial makes its stance clear in its closing lines as it reads:

"In this less than ideal world, Mr Kim’s appointment seems inevitable. But if the Bank’s shareholders wanted the best president, they would opt for Ms Okonjo-Iweala".
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Reps give inmates second chance through public hearing

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The House of Representatives on Thursday, directed its relevant committees to conduct public hearing on the huge number of persons awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons.

The relevant committees are committees on Interior, Justice and Judiciary. This resolution followed a motion by Rep. Daniel Akpan (PDP-Awka/Ibom), which was unanimously adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.

Moving the motion earlier, Akpan noted that there was large number of persons awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons, adding that presently, the inmates' population in the nation’s prisons stood at 73,670, while those awaiting trial was 36,217.

Akpan in a motion entitled ‘’Need to Look Into the Large Population of Persons Awaiting Trial in Our Prisons,’’ said the awaiting trial inmates constituted about 50 per cent of the inmates in the country’s prisons. The lawmaker alleged that the large population of persons awaiting trial in prisons was due to gross dislocation and inefficiency in the linkages of the roles and responsibilities of the institutions saddled with administering criminal justice in Nigeria.

He expressed worry that the majority of persons awaiting trial were of productive age group ‘’ who waste away in our penal institutions. ’’ Akpan expressed concern that these categories of persons were most times locked up with high-profile criminals who joined criminal gangs while awaiting trial.

The motion was referred to the Committees on Interior, Justice and Judiciary for further legislative inputs. Meanwhile, the lawmakers passed a bill for an Act to establish the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of Nigeria.

The bill brought by the majority leader , Rep. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, seeks to provide for a system of control of the institute's membership to promote and foster the practise of arts and science management accountancy in the country.
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Mother and daughter were beaten and raped

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They perch awkwardly on an imitation rococo sofa in a nondescript room in the desert wastes of Mauritania.

And though the setting is incongruous, it is not as out of place as the horrific tale that Moulkheir Mint Yarba and her daughter Selek’ha have to tell.

Their story - of casual brutality, rape, slavery and the murder of their children - is one that does not belong to the 21st century.

But perhaps the most shocking part of their experience, told in a new CNN investigation Slavery’s Last Stronghold – is that it is not uncommon.

In 1981, Mauritania became the last country in the world to abolish slavery. Owning another person did not become illegal until 2007 and there has only been one successful prosecution.

The United Nations estimates that between 10 and 20 per cent of the 3.4million population are enslaved.

Moulkheir, who is in her 40s, was born a slave and spent her childhood tending her master’s herds. When she reached puberty, her owner took her out into the fields and raped her for the first time.

In the next few years, she was to bear him five children – all of whom were also born into slavery.

Staggeringly, the tradition is so ingrained in the Mauritanian psyche that Moulkheir did not even question the way she was treated.


Face of freedom: Moulkheir's five children were also all born slaves


‘I was like an animal living with animals,’ she told CNN’s John D. Sutter when he visited the country in December as part of the network’s ongoing Freedom Project, which was set up to fight modern day slavery.

The cataclysmic event which was to shatter her existence forever took place on an ordinary afternoon when she returned home from tending the goats.

Lying dead in the dust outside the hut was her youngest child, a little girl who had only just started to crawl.

Moulkheir’s master – and the child’s father – had dumped the baby outside to die.

He told her she would work faster without the girl tied to her back.

Moulkheir asked to bury the baby. The man refused.

‘(He told me) her soul was a dog’s soul,’ she said.

She was only able to lay her child to rest at the end of the day, in a shallow grave with no burial rites.

‘I only had my tears to console me,’ she told the anti-slavery activists who eventually helped free her.
‘I cried a lot for my daughter and the situation I was in. Instead of understanding, they ordered me to shut up.’
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Three arrested for alleged baby trafficking

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Three Bulgarian men were arrested Thursday suspected of attempting to traffic pregnant women to Greece in order to sell their babies, the interior ministry said.

The alleged 41-year-old mastermind of the gang and his two accomplices, aged 30 and 31, were detained in the Black Sea city of Burgas and will be charged with trafficking of human beings, it said in a statement.

The suspected gang leader had already been jailed for the same crime before.

The ministry did not say if any of the women were arrested or how many were involved.

Bulgarian police have uncovered several cases of baby trafficking to Greece, France and other countries in recent years.

In 2011 alone, prosecutors opened 138 cases into alleged human trafficking, including seven for trafficking of newborns. There were 29 cases of pregnant women illegally taken abroad to sell their babies, interior ministry data showed.

Under the usual scheme, the pregnant women agrees to recognise the foreign citizen who is to buy her baby as its father, thus avoiding lengthy international adoption procedures.
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Gunmen kill four, free prisoners in Yobe

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Gunmen bombed a police station in and freed more than a dozen prisoners, leaving three assailants and a policeman killed in an attack on Thursday.

The gunmen stormed the station in Damagun in Yobe state late Wednesday, leaving it burnt and an officer wounded. A house being used as a military post was also burnt, while 14 inmates were freed from a prison at another location in town.

Yobe state police spokesman Gbadegesin Toyin said three of the attackers and a police officer were killed, while two other policemen were shot and injured.

Toyin said the police station, located in northeastern Nigeria, was completely burnt in the attack.

“The gunmen also burnt down a house used as a military post and an adjoining building housing some Korean doctors employed by the Yobe state government,” he said.

A purported spokesman for Boko Haram told reporters in a conference call that the group was responsible for the attack.

The spokesman, who goes by the name Abul Qaqa and who has claimed to speak on behalf of the group a number of times in the past, said they launched the attack to free one of their members who had been arrested in the town.

“We were responsible for last night’s attacks in Damagun in which we burnt down the police station and a military lodge and also broke into the prison and freed inmates,” he said.

“We carried out the attacks in order to free one of our members arrested in the town following a tip-off and detained in police custody. We succeeded in our mission.”

One resident said what appeared to be a large crowd of attackers were shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) as they stormed the building. Another resident said the gunmen engaged the police in a shootout before hurling explosives into the station.

Meanwhile two gunmen shot dead a police inspector in Maiduguri, in neighbouring Borno state.

He was killed while shopping in the city’s Gamboru market, Borno state police spokesman Samuel Tizhe said.

Maiduguri has long been considered Boko Haram’s base and the city has been repeatedly targeted for its attacks.

Police promised rewards for leads on Boko Haram.

“The police have promised 500,000 naira ($3,125, 2,380 euros) for information that leads to the arrest of Boko Haram Islamists and a reward in like sum on information leading to the recovery of arms,” Tizhe said.

A military task force in Borno state has been carrying out door-to-door searches in a bid to crack down on Boko Haram.

The Islamist group has been blamed for scores of attacks, mainly in Nigeria’s north. A bid to hold indirect talks between the government and Boko Haram in recent weeks appears to have broken down.
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North Most Produce President In 2015 Or Nigeria Will Divide - Atiku's Associate

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Alhaji Lawal Kaita, close ally of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who promised Nigerians in October 2010 that the North would make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan if he won the 2011 election, is again spitting fire.

This time around he is insisting that a Northerner must emerge as President of the country by 2015 or there would be no Nigeria any more.

“We hear rumours all over that Jonathan is planning to contest in 2015. Well, the North is going to be prepared if the country remains one. That is, if the country remains one, we are going to fight for it. If not, everybody can go his way,” he said in an interview in Katsina.

Kaita, who described the emergence of the Bamanga Tukur-led NWC of the party as a grand ploy by President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential race, said the North would ensure he never succeeds.

It would be recalled that Alhaji Kaita had said in October 2010 that "The North is determined, if that happens, to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan or any other Southerner who finds his way to the seat of power on the platform of the PDP against the principle of the party’s zoning policy".

Kaita had, at that time, warned that the North should not be blamed for the calamity that will befall the country, if Jonathan emerges President.
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Sokoto spends N45m on beggars’ allowances monthly

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The Sokoto State government spends between N44 and 45 million on the payment of beggars allowances in the state monthly, Governor Aliyu Wamakko has said.

Wamakko in an interview said he introduced the payment of allowances to the beggars four years ago to alleviate their sufferings.

“We are spending between N44 and 45 million monthly on the payment of allowances to beggars in the state. Each of them earns N6,500 monthly. We devised this means to address the issue of Almajiri/ beggars on our streets. I believe they should be respected, they should be taken care of and they should be made to feel loved,” he said.

Wamakko said plans are underway to take beggars off Sokoto streets, adding, “We have been meeting with their leaders on how to take them off the streets. They have agreed to move out of the streets and on our part, we have agreed to review their allowances upward”.

In addition to the payment of the allowances, Wamakko said arrangements have been completed for a skills acquisition programme for the beggars with a view to making them productive and contribute towards the development of the state.

He said he established the Almajiri Integrated School to address street begging among children.
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Driver rapes 20-yr-old passenger for three days

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The police in Ilorin yesterday arraigned a commercial driver, Toyin Ima, for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 20-year-old passenger for three days at different locations in Ilorin.


The prosecutor, Corporal Sanni Abdullahi, told the court the accused had confessed to the crime.

Magistrate Mercy Abikoye ordered the accused to be remanded at the Federal Medium Security Prison, Mandala in Ilorin and adjourned the case to April 16.
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Snake Drinks Beer Till Death(PHOTO)

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A large mulga snake has met an untimely death after getting its head stuck in an empty beer can.

The outback find has prompted a conservation group to highlight one of the lesser-considered effects of littering.

The dead snake was found near Borefield Road in the outback Roxby Downs region of South Australia with its head still inside the empty can.

Hannah Spronk from the group Arid Recovery said the reptile chose the wrong place to seek shelter.

She said littering was on the rise as the outback tourist season got underway and people needed to consider the harm it could cause for animals and the environment.

“People think the outback’s big and vast and it is, but there is actually quite a few people that travel through it and you think that maybe your one little bit of rubbish that you throw out the window isn’t going to have an impact, but clearly it does,” she said.
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Nigerian Soldiers Arrest 33 Boko Haram Members in Kaduna

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Soldiers have raided a suspected Boko Haram hideout in Barnawa Complex area of Kaduna metropolis and arrested 33 suspects, including a newspaper and suya vendors.

Daily Trust gathered that soldiers from 1 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army conducted the operation on Sunday following a directive from Abuja but residents said none of the suspects were Boko Haram members.

The soldiers, according to witness, arrived at the area around 10pm in about nine vehicles and started arresting everyone around, including passersby.

The eyewitness, who gave his name as Malam Babangida, said "the soldiers just came to the area without any warning or reason for arresting people. They started molesting people who were doing their lawful businesses and others who came here regularly to buy suya and other foods."

He said when he and some relatives of the arrested people went to 1 Division to enquire about the arrest; they were told that the order to arrest was from the army headquarters, Abuja as they were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

Another witness said that the suspects were later brought by the army in hand cuffs and taken to their houses. He said the houses were photographed and the soldiers took suspects back to their barracks.

When contacted on his mobile phone, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations in charge of 1 Division, Colonel Abubakar Edun, said he has been transferred from the division.
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Should men always foot the bill?

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Most cultures in Africa view the man as the head and financial provider in the family, in today’s world where more women are earning as much as or more than their male counterparts should the man always foot the bill on dates or for requirements in the home?

Findings show that there are some men out there who cannot come to terms with women’s shout of equality in everything except their finances. They cannot understand why women with good jobs and equal incomes are still insisting that men finance everything or most of it.

The degree of severity of this scenario varies from one relationship or marriage to the other but many have it to contend with .A mutual friend recently lamented his partner’s attitude to financial matters which he said is making him want to quit the relationship. According to him the lady seems to have taken the cultural or religious perception of the man being the provider too far. “Despite the fact that the lady earns slightly more than me, she expects me to pay for everything when we go out all the time. She also feels I must provide the money for her hair ,clothes and other needs.”

He said he got the shock of his life when he came home the other day very hungry expecting to be served food but the lady told him she didn’t cook because there was no matches in the house and he couldn’t help asking himself if he must foot the bill for everything.

The Home Front sought the perception of both men and women on this.


Women

Hajara,Adams said the man must always pay when the go out on dates but when it comes to the home front she will contribute to the needs of the home, “for instance if he gives me 5 ooo naira for food , I will augment it with my own no matter how little to make better meals or special delicacies or to have varieties in the home. So that at the end of the month if he had given me 25 000 naira for food, I would have spent more than that. More so, it is not everything I will ask money for , there are some I will do own my own. I will only allow him to foot the whole bill if I am a housewife with no income of my own.”

Rita Olasunkanmi said ladies want the man to pay for most things but not all things and she is no different. She said a man who makes it a point of duty for his woman to contribute equally with him will have problem because ladies do not have that psyche. “personally I don’t feel comfortable for the man to pay for everything all the time, that will be selfishness or lack of understanding, any lady who does that needs reorientation. The fact that the man is the provider doesn’t mean you should do your part.”

May Philips says “if I am a working class lady, I will not expect the man to always foot the bill of our needs . When we go out in between or some days I could pay for some and when there is something lacking in the house it is not all I will request money from him for . . I will simply buy some on my own. But if the man is the type that now makes it a point of compulsion that I must be paying too that is when I will not even put anything again. I only expect him to foot the bill always if I am a student or not working.”

Mary Onuorah says it depends on both parties involved in the relationship. “Some of my friends have told me of their working class men who send them call me back or flash them expecting them to call them, or even restrict their call to free night calls, with such men you know you can’t expect them to foot half or all the bill, some ladies will not mind this but some will take to their heels immediately. There are men out there too who do not want anything from the woman, if you pay the taxi fare or the meal he may feel offended and you need to stop, for this class of people it boosts their ego to be in charge, so it depends on the kind of man you are with.”She said

Sarah Adaji said she expects the man to foot the bill most of the time, “ but once in a while I can pay too especially when the bill is really getting high. Even though a woman is earning more than the man her needs are more than his . Her packaging alone is more expensive than that of the man, while a man can barb his less than 500 naira a month, make do with a simple cream, soap and clothes and maybe just two shoes, the lady is required to do more for her clothes, skin, food, hairstyle and others. The same men who do not want to part with money want to see you looking very attractive all the time . So after taking care of your needs where do you get the money to contribute equally? The man should still be the major provider while the woman supports.”


Men

Johnson ijelekhai says “Well as a man, I don’t believe I should be the one paying for everything all the time without any contribution from the lady especially is she earns money too; for dates or outings it will depend on who is taking who out for instance if I decide to take my lady out, I will even feel insulted if the lady offers to pay , but if she on her own decides to take me out I will leave her to pay for everything.”

He said while he sees himself as the major provider he expects the lady not ask for money for everything. “A good or understanding wife or partner should be able to buy some things on her and I may refund some of the money if need be”

Mr Ferdinand Udemezue has similar opinion to ijelekhai as he said he pays for everything when they go out and only expects her to pay on some special days or occasions in which she feels, my love, Nkem let me take you out for a treat. “Those are the only times I expect her to pay and in the house with the economic situation around it will be bad for the woman to expect the man to foot all the bills. They both have to come to an understanding on that. If she earns more than me , we will put heads together to see what each can contribute. It is not something you force her , but if despite her earning capacity she feels I must still pay and provide everything then it will breed resentment. There are little things a wife can pay for herself and the children without having to request from her husband.’

Mallam Sugaba Madu on his part said in marriage the man is the breadwinner and should provide most needs of the woman and the family. But if she has higher earning power than the man it will depend on the agreement they both have on who should provide what but often it is still important for the man to provide the major things in the home. He said in his house his wife earns more than him and after he provides the major food stuff in the house his wife on her own augment other things that come up without calculating or requesting for them from him”

Mr Taiwo Olarewaju said although culturally and by the injunction of the Holy Books the man is expected to provide for the home, it is good for the woman to provide too. “ When a couple go out, the woman can offer to pay for some things and the man should not feel bad, it doesn’t reduce his manliness in anyway. When you watch some of these foreign films you see that white ladies do not expect the man to pay for everything or all the time, we should learn from this people but that doesn’t mean we should see it as a norm that she should pays always, such gestures cements the relationship.”

Idris Alkali on his part say said he doesn’t expect anything from his woman. “My wife is a housewife and I provide her needs and sometimes when she does business I don’t expect anything from her. Let her use her money to take care of herself or what she pleases. It is my responsibility.”
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