News: On The Trail of Oil Thieves

The Verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi:This Day

It had been a long day and as the session with the youth of Twon Brass came to an end at about 6.20pm last Friday, we were looking forward to another two to three hour trip by water back to Yenagoa. Then, the alarm bell rang. One of the officers who had come with us on the journey whispered to the Niger Delta JTF Commander, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, that two blue-coloured gunboats and five speed boats were spotted passing from the Atlantic Ocean into the creeks. “At what time did they pass?” Atewe asked. 16.47 hours, came the reply. “And why did you not alert me immediately so we could pursue them?”

Gist: Bimbo Akintola Secret Licked

Popular Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, tells us about her style

Your face has been scarce for a while. What have you been working on?

I have been working on a movie called Antique. The movie is about how Nigerians trivialise things that are important to our history especially the way we sell our antiques. If you do not have a history, you cannot have a future. If you say that the Benin Empire used to do certain things in the olden days, then you have to back such statements up with proof and evidence. If we sell all our antiques, we have no proof to back up our story. It would just be hearsay. We had so many arts from the Benin Empire but most of them have been stolen or sold.

But you hardly feature in epic movies

New: Military onslaught on B’Haram proves Jonathan’s critics wrong —ex-militant leaders

Niger Delta ex-militant leaders, yesterday, said that the remarkable achievements made by the Nigerian armed forces, the Joint Multi-national Task Forces in their present onslaught against Boko Haram in the North-East region, have proved President Goodluck Jonathan’s critics wrong.


The ex-militant leaders added that the President has defeated his opponents who were carrying campaign of his ineffectiveness in tackling insecurity in parts of the North, as Mr. President had adopted a working strategy to end the Boko Haram menace.


Coordinator of the Phase Three Amnesty group in Delta State, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, who spoke with reporters after the group’s meeting in Warri, commended the Federal Government and the Armed Forces for the acquisition of modern warplanes, Helicopters, and personnel carriers that are assisting in winning the war against the insurgents.





Ekpebide, who applauded the gallantry of Nigerian soldiers and the Multi-National Taskforce, noted that that the Nigerian Army which was highly rated in the world was gradually redeeming its image, adding that the deployment of Army Generals to the battle field was a great morale booster to the rank and file.


The ex-militant leader said Nigerians wee happy with the recent onslaught in the North-East against Boko Haram and called on Nigerians to be patient with the military. He also called for prayers for the soldiers in the battle fields and urged everyone to assist security agencies in bringing insurgency to an end in the country.


Expressing joy over the towns the military had re-taken, he said this has further boosted Jonathan’s acceptance by Nigerians because Mr. President has demonstrated that he is a man of his words, enjoining all and sundry to have faith in the current administration.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/military-onslaught-on-bharam-proves-jonathans-critics-wrong-ex-militant-leaders/#sthash.3OaOfFGi.dpuf

News: Boko Haram: President Jonathan Sneaks into Yola, Visits Mubi

As part of efforts to fulfill his promise to Nigerians that his administration will flush out the Boko Haram insurgents before the coming general elections, President Goodluck Jonathan sneaked into Yola unannounced on Thursday and proceeded to Mubi to encourage soldiers of 155 Special Task Force battalion in Mubi town of Adamawa state.
The president also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, to sympathize with and strengthen the morale of the people of Mubi over the loss of their love ones and properties destroyed by the insurgents.

The president who landed in Yola International Airport around 11 am amidst tight security boarded a helicopter to Mubi along with Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police.

The president’s chopper landed at the Mubi army barracks from where the president took a ride to the emir's palace where he met the Emir and members of Mubi Emirate traditional council.

A resident of Mubi, Idris Buba, said there was heavy security in Mubi during the president’s brief visit.

"When the President and his entourage left the emir's palace, they headed to Vimtim village, the home town of Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Air Marshall Alex Badeh, who is also in the president entourage", Buba said.
According to him, the president also held a closed door meeting with the three Service Chiefs who were already in Vimtim Village ahead of the president.

Mubi is the second largest town in Adamawa and among those recently recaptured from Boko Haram by the military

Gist: Why I founded National Heritage Pageant and Awards – Chinor Emeka

Recently, she held a show to project Nigeria’s diverse cultures . Her beauty pageant is aimed at showcasing diverse talents and beauty of Nigeria. The contestants of Miss Heritage Beauty Pageant were all decked in African attire from head to toe at the contest. Their dressing and hairstyles were all trends from Nigeria. Chinor Emeka also rewarded selected individuals who have contributed to the growth of Nigerian culture, fashion and arts with awards. In this interview, she spoke with Sunday Sun about what motivated this laudable venture.
Excerpts:

Entertainment:Don jazzy, Tiwa Savage get new endorsement deals

Tiwa Savage and Don Jazzy have added Konga to their lists of endorsements.

Boss of Mavin Records Don Jazzy and artiste Tiwa Savage are the newest ambassadors for Nigerian online retail store Konga.

Ex-Manager Sues Bank, EFCC, Police IG over N81m Alleged Fraud

EFCC logo

A former Branch Manager of one of Ecobank, Victor Amushie, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and his former employers before the Federal High Court, Benin, and Enugu state High Court for illegal arrest and detention over alleged fraud of N81 million.

Amushie, who was reportedly arrested and detained by the EFCC last year following a petition from the bank, is demanding N1.5 billion from the defendants,  claiming that his arrest and detention last year was not only a humiliation but also greatly damaged his banking career of over 16 years.

Nigeria’s 2015 Polls Present Possibility of Violence - US

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle

The United States has said Nigeria’s upcoming elections, which are closely contested between the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), present a possibility of violence

It therefore issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to remain cautions while travelling within Nigeria during the presidential and gubernatorial elections on March 28 and April 11, 2015.

In the advisory placed on its website, the US Embassy in Abuja recalled that the 2011 polls, although they were largely peaceful,recorded violence in many northern states following the announcement of results in the presidential race. The presidential elections then were contested by the same primary actors in the 2015 polls - President Goodluck Jonathan, and General Muhammad Buhari (rtd).

“The elections, originally scheduled for February 14 and February 28, were postponed for six weeks due to security concerns related to Boko Haram.  This Travel Alert expires on May 25, 2015,” the advisory read.
The advisory added that  there is no reason to believe that US citizens would be specifically targeted in the event of election-related violence and called on the citizens to be careful during the election process, particularly in and around polling locations in the weeks before and after the elections.

It also urged US citizens traveling to or residing in Nigeria to enrol in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) which provides latest security updates and makes it easier for them to be contacted by the nearest US Mission in event of an emergency.

Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Polls, Violence, Us