Democracy Day: Bomb scare in Abuja

 

Democracy Day: Bomb scare in Abuja

Residents of Kurudu, a community on the outskirts of Abuja, panicked on Thursday morning when an explosion, thought to be from a bomb, was heard.
The explosion caused panic in Kurudu, Jikoyi and other adjoining areas as citizens scampered for safety.
However, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Olajide Olaleye, explained that the explosion was a 'controlled blast', noting that a rock had been blocking a new road being constructed from Karishi to Apo, in the Abuja city centre, was blasted, with dynamites, to allow construction progress.
He then called on residents to remain calm.
The Federal Capital territory, Abuja and its surrounding communities have been on alert following bomb blasts in Nyanya, planted by the Boko Haram sect, which led to the death of over 100 people.

Jonathan declares amnesty for Boko Haram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan declares amnesty for Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan has granted amnesty to the members of the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram, but on the condition that they will embrace peace and drop their arms.
Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, disclosed this Thursday during a special event tagged: 'A day with young leaders of Nigeria,' organised to mark this year's Democracy Day at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Haruna urged the sect members to take the advantage of the amnesty and lay down their arms.
He saud that series of programmes had been be mapped out to fully reintegrate those that would embrace peace into the society.
According to him: 'President Goodluck Jonathan has also declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect.
'Series of integration programmes have been lined up for the members of the sect who would surrender their arms and embrace peace.
'Let me use this opportunity on behalf of the Federal Government to call on the members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace the government's gesture and key to amnesty programme.'
Haruna recalled that the government had extended similar gesture to the militants in the Niger Delta a few years ago to curb restiveness.

President Jonathan orders full scale offensive on Boko Haram

President Jonathan orders full scale offensive on Boko Haram

President Jonathan orders full scale offensive on Boko Haram

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan speaks to the media on the situation in Chibok and the success of
President Goodluck Jonathan said Thursdya he had ordered 'a full-scale operation' against Boko Haram Islamist militants.
The president, while reassuring parents of 219 schoolgirls being held by the group that their children would be freed, said he had authorized security forces to use any means necessary under the law to ensure that Boko Haram, which operates in the country's northeast, is defeated.
Jonathan in a televised speech on Thursday on the occasion of Nigeria's Democracy Day, celebration, said: 'I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism.'
It was not immediately clear what such an offensive might entail, given that the northeast of the country has been under a state of emergency and a full scale military operation for a year. Nigerian forces are also hugely overstretched.
Chad's President Idriss Deby also used the phrase 'total war' after neighboring West African states met in Paris in mid-May to seek a common strategy to fight the militants.
'I assure you that Nigeria will be safe again and that

Bomb victim was in her final year —Sister

Shekinah Ejeh

Blessing, elder sister of a final year student of the College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Shekinah Ejeh, who died in the May 20 Jos bombing, speaks with TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI

What is your name?

My name is Blessing Ejeh, a Mass Communication student of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi. I lost my immediate younger sister, Shekinah to the Jos bomb blast of May 20.

What was your sister doing at the Terminus Market, the scene of the blast?

My sister was a final year student of the College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State where she was studying Computer Science/Economics until she was killed by the explosion. She had just finished her teaching practice exercise and preparing to resume her last semester in the college.

She already had all that she needed to take to school for the resumption of the new semester. But some of her friends called her to help them to get some fanciful second-hand caps which they had seen her

Military’s search for Chibok girls in pictures

Police must treat suspects with civility –Niger CP

From AKIN ALOFETEKUN, Minna
Commissioner of Police in Niger State, Mrs Desire Nsirim has urged policemen in the country to desist  from treating suspects in a manner that is below the standard obtained in advanced nations of the world.
She said gone were the days, when the police treated suspects in uncivilised manner.
According to her, under the new reform for repositioning the Nigeria Police, suspects must be handled with civility even while undergoing interrogation.
The police boss, who was represented by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Paikoro Police Station in Minna,  made this known  at a synergy meeting between the police and members of the state vigilance group organised at the instance of ‘Justice for All’ project of the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) held at the station.
“Gone are the days when suspects will be treated in an uncivilized manner. All suspects will be treated with civility; therefore, with the establishment of Justice for All, the uncivilised manner in which police behave towards suspects, is gone forever,” she said.

GENEVIEVE,D'BANJ,DON JAZZY,FEMI KUTI AND OTHER NAIJA CELEB MAKE FORBES 40 MOST POWERFUL CELEBRITIES IN AFRICA

Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe took the 1st place on the Forbes' most powerful celebs in Africa list. Wole soyinka and Femi Kuti made the top 10, while Genevieve is the only nollywood star on the list. Chinua Achebe - 1, Wole Soyinka - 7, Femi Kuti - 10, Genevieve Nnaji - 19, Chimamanda Adichie - 32, 2face Idibia - 34, PSquare - 35, Don Jazzy - 36, Dbanj - 37, Nneka - 38, Asa - 39. Here is the full list 1. Chinua Achebe, 80, Novelist (Nigeria) 2. Youssou N'dour, 51, Musician (Senegal) 3. Didier Drogba, 33, Footballer (Cote D'Voire) 4. Angelique Kidjoe, 51, Musician (Benin Republic) 5. Akon, 38, Musician (Senegal) 6. Wole Soyinka, 77, Playwright (Nigeria) 7. Salif Keita, 62, Musician (Mali) 8. Yvonne Chaka Chaka, 46, (South African) 9. Oumou Sang, 43, Musician (Mali) 10. Femi Kuti, 49, Musician (Nigerian) 11. Toumani Diabaté, Musician (Mali) 12. Oliver Mtukudzi, 59, Musician (Zimbabwe) 13. Haile Gebrselassie, 38, Athlete (Ethiopia) 14. Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, 51, Musician (Algeria) 15. Samuel Eto'o, 30, Soccer Player (Cameroun) 16. Alek Wek, 34, Supermodel (Sudan) 17. Liya Kebede, 33, Supermodel (Ethopia)

Cartel leader accused in deadly casino attack arrested

Oliva Castillo, accused of overseeing criminal operations in three Mexican states, has been captured in Saltillo, Mexico.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Mexico says it arrested Zetas regional boss Carlos Oliva Castillo
• He was as high as third in the organization
• Cartel members tried to rescue him from authorities

(CNN) -- A top Zetas drug cartel leader -- who allegedly ordered the attack and arson at a casino that killed 52 -- has been captured, Mexican defense officials said Thursday.

Carlos Oliva Castillo, alias "La rana," or frog, was arrested Wednesday at a safehouse without a single shot being fired, the country's Ministry of Defense said.

Possibly the No. 3 man in the criminal organization, Oliva Castillo allegedly oversaw criminal operations for the cartel in three Mexican states. He was captured in Saltillo, Mexico.

Though he was arrested without incident, the cartel tried to distract troops by attacking security forces in different parts of the city, the defense ministry said.

The Zetas' rescue ploy failed.

According to officials, Oliva Castillo was "the principal manager" of the ruthless Zetas in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. He was also described as a confidant of Zetas boss Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano.

Oliva Castilo began working for the Zetas in 2005 in Tamaulipas, the defense ministry said, and rose through the ranks quickly.

5 people killed by Ebola in Sierra Leone

(FREE TOWN, Sierra Leone)
Five people in Sierra Leone have been reported dead after coming into contact with the Ebola virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
According to the WHO office in Sierra Leone, one additional infection has been registered, without saying when the infections or deaths occurred.
“Preliminary information received from the field indicates that one laboratory confirmed case and five community deaths have been reported from Koindu chiefdom,” WHO officials said.
Koindu borders on the Gueckedou region in neighbouring Guinea, where eight new Ebola cases were registered on Friday.
Health authorities have counted 101 Ebola deaths and 157 suspected infections in Guinea since January.
Report says Ebola, which has a fatality rate of 90 per cent, is one of the most contagious viral diseases known and is transmitted through blood,

Lagos spot that serves hot, spicy snake meat pepper soup

Lagos spot that serves hot, spicy snake meat pepper soup

At the mere mention of a snake, most people take to their heels, filled with a justifiable dread of the creepy animals. But on the other side of the divide are people who consider pepper soup made from meat of certain types of snakes a delicacy to die for and never pass up an opportunity to relish it.
You will not find Bright Omoruyi, a dermatologist, among the people who love eating snake meat, because to members of his lineage it is an abomination that is strictly forbidden. But for connoisseurs of the creepy animal, No 8, Alafia Street, Baba Ijebu bus stop in Meiran community, Lagos is a must-visit snake meat peppersoup spot, where they unwind after a hectic day.
As would be expected, debates over topical issues and the performance of European soccer stars take centre stage as the patrons happily munch pieces of well-cooked portions of boa constrictor or python meat, both of which are the snakes of choice prepared by the owners of the joint. Among the Yoruba, these the boa constrictor is known as mono mono.
Providing snake meat pepper  soup is not a business for just about anybody or the lily-livered. The primary reason is that it requires a certain expertise to make the dish fantastic for customers. The method of preparation of the dish determines whether customers would accept the outcome.
Sunday Sun learnt from Saidi....