Kano Emirate member, Galadinma Kano dies at 79

A prominent member of the Kano Emirate Council, the Galadima Kano, Tijjani Hashim, is dead. Hashim died at the age of 79. Premium Times reports that, the Galadima died in the early hours of today (Monday) in Abuja. The report says the source who disclosed the news pleaded not to be mentioned since the emirate council is yet to make an official pronouncement on the development,. He disclosed further that arrangements were already in progress to fly Mr. Hashim’s remains from Abuja for burial at about 2 p.m. in Kano. The source also disclosed that the emirate council is yet to get the official cause of the death of the deceased because all they knew prior to his death was that he travelled to Abuja. Dan Maje Kano, Munir Sanusi has equally confirmed Mr. Hashim’s death. He said, “Yes, it is true,” he said. “I’m at the Kano airport expecting his remains because his burial has been scheduled for 2. p.m.” Mr. Hashim is said to be one of the most powerful members of the Kano Emirate Council and was close to virtually all presidents and head of state of northern origin.

Turkish tanks face ISIL near Syria border

Turkey spreads out tanks on hill facing Syrian border town besieged by ISIL, as US-led air raids pound group in Syria. Turkish tanks have been sent to hills overlooking the Syrian border town of Ain al-Arab besieged by ISIL, while a US-led coalition intensified its bombing of the group in northern and eastern Syria. Their deployment of Monday came after ISIL fired shells near a refugee camp on Turkish soil. At least 15 tanks were positioned, some with their guns pointing towards Syrian territory. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the Turkish border town of Suruc, said that three shells fell in Turkey, "very close to a refugee camp, security forces and a number of protesters who had gathered to express anger at what they say was limited support provided to Kuridsh fighters battling ISIL". "There has been no response from the Turkish side, so far," our correspondent said. The military said earlier it had fired back on Sunday after two mortar bombs crossed the border. Dekker added that shells hit at least three homes and a school in Ain al-Arab, a largely-Kurdish town known to its residents as Kobane. "There were no reports of injuries, as the targets were vacant," she said. More than 150,000 Syrian Kurds have streamed into Turkey since last week, as ISIL fighters pressed towards Ain al-Arab. "Things are intensifying. This doesn't mean ISIL are advancing, because they have long-ranging artillery, but it shows that the fighting is ongoing," Dekker said. Air strikes Meanwhile, US-led coalition air raids targeted towns and villages in northern and eastern Syria controlled by ISIL. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK- based group that monitors the violence in Syria, said the coalition targeted grain storage areas in the ISIL stronghold of Manbij, east of Aleppo, killing workers and not fighters. The observatory reported that 10 air raids targeted various parts of the province of Idlib, killing at least one child and six others, including five members of the same family. Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the reports. The purported civilian casualties would add to the 19 civilians that the Observatory says have already been killed in raids against the group. According to Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beirut, Zeina Khodr, anti-West sentiments are increasing as more civilians are killed. An activist in an ISIL-held town, who asked not to be named, told Al Jazeera: "These air strikes are causing an economic crisis. Winter is around the corner and people need heating oil. Most of the oil facilities are not operational - even those which haven't been hit because people are scared." On Sunday, Human Rights Watch said that it had confirmed the deaths of at least seven civilians - two women and five children - from apparent US missile strikes on September 23 in the village of Kafr Derian in Idlib province. It based its conclusions on conversations with three local residents.

Huge crowds of pro-democracy protesters defy government calls to go home, bringing city's key districts to a standstill. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters have turned parts of Hong Kong into a massive street party on Monday night, with the mood turning festive just a day after riot police fired tear gas in ugly clashes. The huge crowds defied government calls to go home after Sunday's chaotic scenes, bringing key districts of the Asian financial hub to a standstill as they vowed to stay put until the Chinese government grants them free elections. Sunday's violence saw riot police fire clouds of tear gas as they struggled to control the protesters, in one of the biggest ever challenges to Beijing's rule of the semi-autonomous city. The anger gave way to a lighter atmosphere on Monday night as riot police retreated, leaving huge masses of protesters in control of at least four major thoroughfares around the city. Although there were few police on the scene, some protesters feared a repeat of Sunday's clashes, donning goggles and masks to protect themselves against tear gas. The demonstrators are furious over last month's announcement by Beijing that while it will allow the city's next leader to be elected in 2017, it will insist on picking the candidates, with critics branding the move a "fake democracy". Public anger over rampant inequality is also at its highest in years in a city once renowned for its stability. 'Umbrella revolution' Cantonese pop music filled the air during the second day of what some are dubbing the "umbrella revolution", as protesters have been using the canopies as shields against tear gas and the scorching sun alike. One British sympathiser won huge cheers as he set up a barbecue and began handing out hamburgers and sausages to the protesters. "I saw everybody was just standing around and just eating bread and bananas and I thought, 'These guys have been here for 24 hours now, and everybody needs cooked food'," Daniel Shepherd, a finance broker by day, told AFP news agency. "Firing tear gas at students that are unarmed, I think, seems a bit excessive," added the 32-year- old. The crowds hoisted up a makeshift copy of the "goddess of democracy" statue that graced the 1989 protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, while lamp posts were adorned with yellow ribbons - which, like the umbrella, have become a symbol of the movement. But many Hong Kongers expressed frustration at the huge disruption the protests have caused, with the crowds blocking key junctions in the busy Causeway Bay and Mongkok shopping districts as well as the biggest protest site in Admiralty. There was chaos on the transport network, shuttering many businesses, with schools in two central districts set to close for a second day on Tuesday. Some social workers and teachers also went on strike after the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the Professional Teachers' Union (PTU) called for members to take action, the South China Morning Post reported. Political headache for China Analysts said the protests put the Chinese government in an extremely difficult position. Communist authorities are worried that dealing with the protests too softly could encourage wider protests for greater freedoms on the mainland. But a heavy-handed response could spark an international outcry. "It has the potential to be such a major crisis," said Christopher Hughes, a China expert at the London School of Economics. He warned that Hong Kong could see a repeat of China's violent crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests. "If they did decide to send in the tanks, who could stop them?" he asked. "They did it in 1989 and got away with it and they're a lot more powerful now. There would be some negative impact, some business confidence, but how long will that last?" The United States urged Hong Kong's leaders to "exercise restraint". Former colonial power Britain also expressed concern, calling for "constructive" talks to end the standoff. Beijing moved swiftly to wipe mentions of the protests from Chinese social media - blocking photo-sharing service Instagram altogether - and reiterated its hardline stance, opposing the demonstrators' "illegal" actions. Al Jazeera's Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, confirmed the outage saying "many photos from the protests were being posted on the app, and it seems that China wants to starve this story of oxygen". He added that other blogs that mention the words "occupy" and "central" were also having problems

Israel's prime minister describes Iran, ISIL and Hamas as part of a single team, and compares them to Germany's Nazis. Israel's prime minister has warned the United Nations that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a far greater threat than the armed group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which he compared to the Palestinian group Hamas. Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran, ISIL and Hamas as part of a single team, and compared them all to Germany's Nazis in World War II. "The Nazis believed in a master race, the militant Islamists believe in a master faith," Netanyahu said. "They just disagree who among them will be the master of the master faith." "Make no mistake, [ISIL] must be defeated," Netanyahu added. "But to defeat [ISIL] and leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power is to win the battle and lose the war." He also said that ISIL and Hamas are "branches of the same poisonous tree" and likened Israel's deadly bombings of Gaza to US-led airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Iran, which is negotiating with Western powers to end economic sanctions, has rejected allegations that it is developing the capability to produce atomic weapons, and wants those sanctions lifted as part of any nuclear deal. Netanyahu is expected to raise the same concerns when he meets with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday. 'Dismantle nuclear capabilities' In his speech, Netanyahu said "Iran's nuclear military capabilities must be fully dismantled" adding that the goal of a charm offensive by Iran's "smooth talking president and foreign minister" was to get international sanctions lifted "and remove the obstacles to Iran's path to the bomb". He twice referred to the "Islamic State of Iran," which would appear to be a deliberate play on the country's official name - the Islamic Republic of Iran - and Islamic State, which is often referred to as ISIL or ISIS. Netanyahu referred mockingly to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's speech to the 193- nation General Assembly last week, in which he accused the West and its allies of nurturing ISIL. Rouhani said he supported efforts to combat ISIL, a Sunni armed group that views predominantly Shia Iran as heretical, though he said it should be handled by the region, not countries outside the Middle East. Israel-Palestine talks On the topic of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, Netanyahu said he supports a "historic compromise" with the Palestinians that would bring peace and stability for the Israeli people and the region, but offered no new details of what such a compromise would envisage. An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in late August ended a 50-day war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas that controls Gaza. Israel began an offensive on July 8 with the stated aim of halting cross-border rocket salvoes by Hamas and armed groups, killing more than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Authority ambassador to the UN, said the Israeli leader, "came to the General Assembly with a bunch of lies". Mansour said that Netanyahu is trying to brand Hamas as "terrorist organisation" to prevent a unity government between Hamas and Fatah, and stop the creation of an independent Palestinian state

Hong Kong protesters remain on streets

Huge crowds of pro-democracy protesters defy government calls to go home, bringing city's key districts to a standstill. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters have turned parts of Hong Kong into a massive street party on Monday night, with the mood turning festive just a day after riot police fired tear gas in ugly clashes. The huge crowds defied government calls to go home after Sunday's chaotic scenes, bringing key districts of the Asian financial hub to a standstill as they vowed to stay put until the Chinese government grants them free elections. Sunday's violence saw riot police fire clouds of tear gas as they struggled to control the protesters, in one of the biggest ever challenges to Beijing's rule of the semi-autonomous city. The anger gave way to a lighter atmosphere on Monday night as riot police retreated, leaving huge masses of protesters in control of at least four major thoroughfares around the city. Although there were few police on the scene, some protesters feared a repeat of Sunday's clashes, donning goggles and masks to protect themselves against tear gas. The demonstrators are furious over last month's announcement by Beijing that while it will allow the city's next leader to be elected in 2017, it will insist on picking the candidates, with critics branding the move a "fake democracy". Public anger over rampant inequality is also at its highest in years in a city once renowned for its stability. 'Umbrella revolution' Cantonese pop music filled the air during the second day of what some are dubbing the "umbrella revolution", as protesters have been using the canopies as shields against tear gas and the scorching sun alike. One British sympathiser won huge cheers as he set up a barbecue and began handing out hamburgers and sausages to the protesters. "I saw everybody was just standing around and just eating bread and bananas and I thought, 'These guys have been here for 24 hours now, and everybody needs cooked food'," Daniel Shepherd, a finance broker by day, told AFP news agency. "Firing tear gas at students that are unarmed, I think, seems a bit excessive," added the 32-year- old. The crowds hoisted up a makeshift copy of the "goddess of democracy" statue that graced the 1989 protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, while lamp posts were adorned with yellow ribbons - which, like the umbrella, have become a symbol of the movement. But many Hong Kongers expressed frustration at the huge disruption the protests have caused, with the crowds blocking key junctions in the busy Causeway Bay and Mongkok shopping districts as well as the biggest protest site in Admiralty. There was chaos on the transport network, shuttering many businesses, with schools in two central districts set to close for a second day on Tuesday. Some social workers and teachers also went on strike after the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and the Professional Teachers' Union (PTU) called for members to take action, the South China Morning Post reported. Political headache for China Analysts said the protests put the Chinese government in an extremely difficult position. Communist authorities are worried that dealing with the protests too softly could encourage wider protests for greater freedoms on the mainland. But a heavy-handed response could spark an international outcry. "It has the potential to be such a major crisis," said Christopher Hughes, a China expert at the London School of Economics. He warned that Hong Kong could see a repeat of China's violent crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests. "If they did decide to send in the tanks, who could stop them?" he asked. "They did it in 1989 and got away with it and they're a lot more powerful now. There would be some negative impact, some business confidence, but how long will that last?" The United States urged Hong Kong's leaders to "exercise restraint". Former colonial power Britain also expressed concern, calling for "constructive" talks to end the standoff. Beijing moved swiftly to wipe mentions of the protests from Chinese social media - blocking photo-sharing service Instagram altogether - and reiterated its hardline stance, opposing the demonstrators' "illegal" actions. Al Jazeera's Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, confirmed the outage saying "many photos from the protests were being posted on the app, and it seems that China wants to starve this story of oxygen". He added that other blogs that mention the words "occupy" and "central" were also having problems

See What Pastor Enoch Adeboye Has To Say About Abortion

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said abortion is an ungodly and unbiblical act. He made this disclosure at the monthly prayer and thanksgiving service organised for pregnant women at the RCCG, National Headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos. Themed Shout of Joy, Pastor Adeboye, who spoke through the Special Assistant on Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said: “You can prevent pregnancy but once the egg and the sperm meet and is formed, anything that suggests that it should be terminated is against God’s word. The option of abortion is an option preferred by medical professionals but as Christians, we believe in miracles and that God is able to take away every problems. There is nothing God cannot do even if the life of the woman is at stake; pray for a divine intervention and God who created the universe knows what to do in any situation we find ourselves as we look up to him in faith.”

SEX: DEDICATED TO ALL SINGLE LADIES OUT THERE

Sex is NOT love. Love is not sex. You can have sex and not be in love. You can be in love and not engage in sex. A man may hate you and still have sex with you. Be wise. Using sex to manipulate a man will eventually fail. It is self- deception to think that giving him sex will make him love you. True Love will never force you to engage in sex. A man who doesn't love you will not change his mind because of sex. If he tells you to ‘prove your love’ by having sex with him, He is only using you. If he is in it for the sex, ‘better sex’ will take him away from you. Making yourself his ‘sex slave’ is foolish. Love will never shame or degrade you. If you have made the mistake of trying to use sex to buy this man, now is the time to re-assess your relationship and build it on the right foundation. If he gets married to you because ‘the sex is good ’, it will be fatal to your marriage. Let him get married to you because he loves you, honors you, feels a strong emotional, mental and spiritual connection with you and wants you to spend the rest of his life with you.

A woman's worth

Hello men in the house, when you successfully make a woman loves,accepts and cherishes you, gives you her body and soul..... PLEASE JUST HOLD HER TIGHT. Women love with their real heart whenever they make up their mind to follow you. therefore, respect and cherish them if you have a good one please. Don't ever toy with their hearts because its fragile in nature. If you love your wife or girlfriend, please kindly refresh your mind, think about how she triggers your heart into happiness when you remember her the period she newly accepted you. Please keep and preserve the one you have because they all have one taste especially when you respects her privacy......lolzz

TO THE LADIES: 16 TRUTHS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MEN

1 – The way to a man’s heart is no longer his stomach but the quality of your brain. 2 – If your man must be Tall, Dark and Handsome then be ready to be the 2nd best because what you desire, others’ seek too. 3 – If you allow your parents’ pressure push you into marriage, you may end up a single- mom. 4 – A man that slaps you before marriage will build a boxing ring after marriage. Guess who his opponent will be – YOU! 5 – If you are yet to know any member of his family after 12 months of courting him, then, is either he wants you as his baby-mama or a back-up plan. 6 – If what attracted him to you are your bosoms and the sexy legs you flaunted, the contents of your brain had better keep him, else, there are too many well-rounded and bigger bosoms waiting to snatch him away. 7 – Men love sex, at least 90% that I’m aware of. So don’t be surprised when he asks you for sex the first day you visit him. But learn to say NO without feeling guilty. If he insists, leave him and keep looking for a man within the 10% that can love and grow the relationship without necessarily disturbing you for sex. Be careful! 8 – If he doesn’t discuss future plans with you in the picture, he just wants a fling. 9 – Even when you trust each other, a little jealousy reminds him that you care. 10 – Men love a listener. No matter how much you want your opinion to push through, listen to his details and don’t counter them. 11 – When you are already living with him before marriage, he won’t propose quickly, you can only become his baby mama; because he won’t pay for the cow where he is getting the milk free of charge. 12 – Don’t waste your years waiting for an unserious man to propose just because his parents loves you, you’re going to be married and living with the man, not his parents. 13 – When you seek his advice, you make him feel more of a man than he is. 14 – Your encouragement or concern about his career or job works faster than listening to a motivational tape. 15 – An engagement ring isn’t an assurance for marriage; it could possibly make you his regular sex-mate if you are not careful. 16 – Don’t endure domestic abuse in a marriage because of your kids and what people will say. If you die as a result, the man, the people and the kids will bid you dust-to-dust, he will marry another woman and she will take your place as the mother of your kids. It’s that simple!

Taliban launch attack in Afghanistan's Paktia

Suicide attack on local government headquarters leaves 12 dead, as Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as new president. A group of Taliban suicide bombers has attacked a local government headquarters in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province, killing 12 people, as the country's new president was preparing to be sworn in. A fighter detonated a explosives laden vehicle at the entrance of a district headquarters in Paktia's Zurmat district on Monday, leading to a heavy exchange of gunfire between the Taliban and security officials which resulted in three of the other fighters being killed. At least eight other people, including four police officers, two intelligence staff and two civilians were killed in the attack, police said. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said Afghan security officals have faced a resurgent Taliban, with an average of 18 Afghans killed every day this year. Also on Monday, a suicide attack by the Taliban killed four civilians and injured two others near Kabul's airport, despite much of the city being under a security lockdown. And in the northern city of Kunduz, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the toilet of an animal market killing himself and injuring two others. The attacks took place as Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as the head of a unity government following a deal last week to share powers with his election rival Abdullah Abdullah

Taliban launch attack in Afghanistan's Paktia

Suicide attack on local government headquarters leaves 12 dead, as Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as new president. A group of Taliban suicide bombers has attacked a local government headquarters in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province, killing 12 people, as the country's new president was preparing to be sworn in. A fighter detonated a explosives laden vehicle at the entrance of a district headquarters in Paktia's Zurmat district on Monday, leading to a heavy exchange of gunfire between the Taliban and security officials which resulted in three of the other fighters being killed. At least eight other people, including four police officers, two intelligence staff and two civilians were killed in the attack, police said. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said Afghan security officals have faced a resurgent Taliban, with an average of 18 Afghans killed every day this year. Also on Monday, a suicide attack by the Taliban killed four civilians and injured two others near Kabul's airport, despite much of the city being under a security lockdown. And in the northern city of Kunduz, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the toilet of an animal market killing himself and injuring two others. The attacks took place as Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as the head of a unity government following a deal last week to share powers with his election rival Abdullah Abdullah

Hong Kong democracy protesters defy tear gas

Protests expand in Hong Kong's central district, in worst unrest since China took back control of the former UK colony. Riot police advanced on Hong Kong democracy protesters in the early hours of Monday, firing volleys of tear gas in the worst unrest there since China took back control of the former British colony two decades ago. Protesters erected barricades to block security forces amid chaotic scenes still unfolding as the city centre - one of the world's major financial districts - opened for business. Several Hong Kong financial firms advised staff to work from home or go to secondary offices, as Standard Chartered and Bank of China suspended some of its banking operations, due to "situations in certain areas". Many roads leading to the Central business district remained sealed off as thousands defied police calls to retreat. Earlier, police baton-charged a crowd blocking a key road in the government district in defiance of official warnings that the demonstrations were illegal. Several scuffles broke out between police in helmets, gas masks and riot gear, with demonstrators being angered by the firing of tear gas, last used in Hong Kong in 2005. Thousands of protesters were still milling around the main Hong Kong government building, ignoring messages from student and pro- democracy leaders to retreat for fear that the police might fire rubber bullets. The protests fanned out to the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay and across the harbour to Mong Kok, posing a greater challenge for authorities to contain, local media reported. The protesters also brought traffic to a halt and called on Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying to step down. Police, in lines five deep in places, earlier used pepper spray against activists and shot tear gas into the air. The crowds fled several hundred metres, scattering their umbrellas and hurling abuse at police they called "cowards". 'One country, two systems' Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule under a formula known as "one country, two systems" that guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China. Universal suffrage was set as an eventual goal. But Beijing last month rejected demands for people to freely choose the city's next leader, prompting threats from activists to shut down the Central business district. China wants to limit elections to a handful of candidates loyal to Beijing. Communist Party leaders in Beijing are concerned that calls for democracy could spread to cities on the mainland. In a move certain to unnerve authorities in Beijing, media in Taiwan reported that student leaders there had occupied the lobby of Hong Kong's representative office on the island in a show of support for the democracy protesters. Hong Kong leader Leung had earlier pledged "resolute" action against the protest movement, known as Occupy Central with Love and Peace. "The police are determined to handle the situation appropriately in accordance with the law," Leung said, less than two hours before the police charge began. Police denied rumours that they had used rubber bullets. A spokesperson for China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the central government fully supported Hong Kong's handling of the situation "in accordance with the law". Organisers said as many as 80,000 people thronged the streets in Admiralty district, galvanised by the arrests of student activists on Friday. A week of protests escalated into violence when student-led demonstrators broke through a cordon late on Friday and scaled a fence to invade the city's main government compound. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The Hong Kong Federation of Students has extended class boycotts indefinitely and called on the city's leader to step down. Police have so far arrested 78 people, including Joshua Wong, the 17-year-old leader of student group Scholarism, who was dragged away after calling on protesters to charge the government premises. Wong was released without charge on Sunday night. He told reporters he planned to return to the protest site after resting. Other student leaders, Alex Chow and Lester Shum, have also been released

Ghani sworn in as Afghan president

Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in as Afghanistan’s president in a ceremony at the presidential palace in Kabul. It comes after six months of deadlock amid a bitter dispute over electoral fraud and a recount of votes. Under a United States-brokered unity deal Mr. Ghani takes over the presidency and runner-up Abdullah Abdullah can nominate a figure with prime-ministerial powers, the BBC reports. The Taliban has described the deal as a “U.S- orchestrated sham” but Mr. Ghani hailed it as a “big victory.” Mr. Ghani took an oath to abide by the constitution at the swearing-in ceremony attended by up to 100 dignitaries. He said he would work for long-term peace, promised to tackle corruption and said constitutional changes were needed. In his long first speech after being sworn in as the new Afghan president, Ghani promised reform, development, an end to poverty, measures against corruption, and a clean-up of the judiciary.

U.S underestimated IS threat – Obama 

United States President, Barack Obama, has acknowledged that U.S agencies underestimated the threat posed by the Islamist insurgency in Syria. In a frank TV interview, he said that al-Qaeda had been beaten in Iraq by U.S forces working with Sunni tribes. But they took advantage of the power vacuum in neighbouring Syria to emerge as ISIS, later called Islamic State. Meanwhile, there has been fierce fighting to the west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Air strikes helped Iraqi fighters repel an attack at Ameriyat al-Fallujah, a strategic town 40km (25 miles) outside Baghdad. In a separate development, the BBC gathered that in some areas around Baghdad, insurgents were less than 10km (six miles) from the city. In interview with the CBS TV programme 60 Minutes, Mr. Obama said Syria had become a “ground zero” for militants who had been able to take advantage of the chaos in that country.

Incredible as a guy stole $150k diamond ring and traded it for $20 bag of weed

Former airport worker, 20 year old Walter Earl Morrison is accused of stealing a diamond ring worth about $150,000 and then swapping it for just $20 worth of weed. According to prosecutors (the case is currently in court), Walter had been working for UPS at the Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona when he allegedly swiped a package and hid it under his shirt while loading cargo onto a plane. Prosecutors said he thought the parcel contained cash but instead found a diamond ring. Of course he didn't know the value of the ring, so he took it a marijuana dealer and bought himself $20 worth of wee in exchange for the ring. The stolen item was traced back to him and he eventually confessed. He was immediately sacked by UPS and arrested for theft. Fortunately he was able to tell UPS and police who he sold the Diamond ring to. The ring was recovered and delivered to the intended customer while Walter is facing theft charges.

Man beheads woman, claims men from deceased’s village raped his wife

32-year-old Chinedu Nweke has been arrested for beheading 45-year-old Philomina Nwega in Ebonyi State. Nweke claimed he committed the heinous crime to avenge the serial rape of his wife by men in the murdered woman’s village. According to Sunday Sun, the horrible incident happened on September 6th in Umuzeoka village in Ezza North LGA of  Ebonyi State. Recounting the bizarre tale, Nweke, a farmer, said men from the village had raped his wife severally, alleging that the repeated vicious act led to a miscarriage. “I am a farmer. Villagers raped my wife severally. And it made my wife to have mis­carriage anytime she was pregnant. I never complained about this problem to the police. It was on September 6, in the evening that I saw a woman coming from the farm. I waylaid her and I used my cutlass to kill her. I cut off her head which I dumped alongside her lifeless body into the Ogbor stream. I cut her head into pieces and threw them into the stream.  Obviously this guy is sick in the head. How are you going to kill an innocent women over an alleged rape of another woman? Continue... It was at Umezeoka that the people raped my wife and that was where I killed the woman. Each time my wife was raped I bought drugs for her but I didn’t report the incident to anybody, not even to the village head or the traditional ruler.” When a report was made to the police about the death of the woman, a search was conducted by a combined team of the police and the local vigilance group in Achiagu, Ezza North LGA, where the suspect, Nweke, was arrested with a blood-stained machete and clothes on September 7th. Nweke confessed to the police that he killed the woman and dumped her corpse in the stream along with the head. Dikko said the headless body was later recovered and taken to the mortuary of the Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. The Assistant Commis­sioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Mrs Justina Ogbodo also told Sunday Sun that detectives had recovered the machete allegedly used by Nweke to kill the woman. ACP Ogbodo said the command was still finding it difficult to recover the severed head, which Nweke claimed to have thrown into the stream. While the police continue with the interrogation of the suspect, the husband of the deceased, Mr. Bar­tholomew Nwega said his primary headache is seeing the severed head of his late wife recovered so that she could be given honourable burial. In a broken voice that belied his grief, he said: “I am pleading with the police to help me recover the head of my dead wife.” Source: The Sun

3 students shot and in criticial condition after gunmen storm ESUT

Three students of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani, are in critical condition at the the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) after being shot and wounded by suspected armed bandits who invaded their hostel, The Nation reports. The affected students are currently undergoing intensive surgery at the hospital where they were rushed to in the early hours of Saturday. One of the students was shot in the stomach and it was suspected that some pellets of the bullet were lodged in his abdomen for which doctors are battling to remove. The two other victims were also undergoing surgery at the hospital while efforts were being made to contact their parents. The Unique Hostel where the incident occurred and other hostels within the Agbani Permanent site of the university, according to sources, have been placed under security watch as it was suspected that the gunmen could be members of a secret cult. To forestall a reprisal attack, the source said, the management had taken measures to beef up security at the hostels with plain-clothe policemen deployed to strategic locations. Police spokesman, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu,  who confirmed the armed attack said that preliminary investigations revealed that the gunmen could be “student robbers”,  assuring that the police would do everything possible to get to the root of the matter. He could not say if any arrest had been made but he said that the command was already on top of the situation and would give further details after the ongoing investigations. “From what we gathered when the gunmen attacked some students at the ESUT Unique Lodge, which is mainly Boys Hostel, there was a stiff resistance by the students who succeeded in arresting one of the gunmen.  The arrested gunman alerted his armed colleagues who returned to the hostel and began shooting indiscriminately during which three of the students were shot and wounded,” the police spokesman said. Source: The Nation

Annie Idibia wins Peace Ambassador award

The Peace Ambassadors Achievers Awards held last night in Abuja and the lovely Mrs Idibia won 'Actress of the Year'. Congrats to her.

Iyanya, Olamide, Patoranking & more storm Unilag for Coke Studio Africa concert

Coca-Cola’s youth-centric music platform, Coke Studio, is set to storm the University of Lagos, Akoka, on Friday October 3, 2014, with electrifying performances from top acts like Olamide and Iyanyawho would headline the event alongside trending vocalist Tekno, Emma Nyra and dancehall maestro Patoranking.  According to the Brand Manager, Colas, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Olufemi Ashipa, the Coke Studio concert will continue to excite campus communities across Nigeria with live music from established music stars, who would perform alongside upcoming and aspiring local artistes at each campus where the music platform visits. “The huge turnout by fans and the rave reviews for the Coke Studio outings at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), the University of Benin and the Abia State University are indicativeof the high level of consumer engagement which Coke Studio enjoys across the country.” Ashipa said. He also added that Coca-Cola would continue to connect the very best artistes from across Africa to create new sounds through a fusion of genres, styles, and songs. Berthed in 2013 in Africa, the Coke Studio has become a huge success in other parts of the world including the Middle East and Asia. This year, its second season has turned out bigger, bolder, and better as it has been expanded to include a series of concerts across several higher institutions in Nigeria. Interested members of the campus community, who would like a chance to perform live on stage with the stars on parade, can do so during the concert by buying a bottle of Coke, liking Coca-Cola on Facebook and coming out to enjoy good music. Connect with Coca-Cola Nigeria on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cocacola, Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocaCola_NG and Instagram: http://instagram.com/cocacola_ng

SPORT: Messi reaches milestone as Barca stay top

Striker scores 400th career goal, Neymar hits hat- trick in Barca's demolition, while Ronaldo on target in Real's win. Lionel Messi scored his 400th and 401st goals for club and country, Neymar hit a hat trick and Barcelona thrashed Granada 6-0 in the Spanish league. Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo also found the net for his sixth straight game in Real Madrid's 2-0 win at Villarreal. Messi's 358th goal for Barcelona, along with 42 for Argentina, came with Barcelona leading 3-0 when he headed in Dani Alves' superb one-touch cross in the 56th minute. He added number 359 for the Catalan club in the 82nd to cap the lopsided win. Earlier, Ronaldo kept up his rich La Liga scoring form to take Real Madrid up to fourth. Villarreal were able to match Real's slick passing for much of the game but their finishing let them down. Luka Modric gave the visitors the lead on the half hour with a drive into the corner from 20 yards. Carlo Ancelotti gave his attacking players licence to exchange position and Karim Benzema, returning to the side, picked out Ronaldo to finish clinically in the centre of the penalty area five minutes from the break. It was his 10th league goal this season. Villarreal continued to press forward after the restart with Mario Gaspar and Gabriel going close with efforts but following the high tempo of the first half both teams began to run out of steam. Real now have 12 points from six games.

Activists step up protests in Hong Kong

Thousands surround government headquarters in pro-democracy campaign demanding open nominations for 2017 vote. Violent clashes between Hong Kong riot police and students have galvanised tens of thousands of supporters for the city's pro-democracy movement who continue to occupy the heart of the city's financial centre. Leaders and supporters of Occupy Central with Love and Peace rallied to support students who were doused with pepper spray early on Saturday after they broke through police barriers and stormed the city's government headquarters. Occupy is demanding that China withdraw its framework for political reform in the former British colony and resume talks. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a formula known as "one country, two systems" that guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China. Universal suffrage was set as an eventual goal. But China last month rejected demands for people to freely choose the city's next leader, prompting threats from activists to shut down Central, Hong Kong's financial district. China wants to limit elections to a handful of candidates loyal to Beijing. Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from the protest site on Sunday, said the environment was tense in the square as demonstrators continued their sit-in action and police barricades were kept in place. "The movement has grown by thousands in hours. Things have grown faster than anticipated by anybody. Protesters are waiting for the reaction of the Beijing government." Act of civil disobedience Roads in a square block around the city's government headquarters, located in the Admiralty district adjacent to Central, were filled with people and blocked with metal barricades erected by protesters to defend against a possible police crackdown. The demonstration, which has drawn thousands of protesters armed with goggles, masks and raincoats in preparation for a violent confrontation with police, is one of the most tenacious acts of civil disobedience seen in post- colonial Hong Kong. AFP news agency said that 74 people had been arrested so far by the city's police. The latest protests escalated after demonstrators broke through a cordon late on Friday and scaled perimeter fences to invade the city's main government compound in the culmination of a week-long rally to demand free elections. Student leaders said about 80,000 people participated in the rally. No independent estimate was available. The clashes were the most heated in a series of anti-Beijing protests that underscore the central government's challenge to stamp its will on Hong Kong. "Whoever loves Hong Kong should come and join us. This is for Hong Kong's future," Jimmy Lai, a publishing tycoon, told Reuters news agency. Lai, an outspoken critic of China's communist government, has backed pro-democracy activists through publications that include one of the city's biggest newspapers as well as donations.

Will Turkey join the fight against ISIL?

Reluctant no more, Ankara says it is changing its approach to the radical group. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, says his country is willing to join ground operations to protect refugees from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. He says the Turkish parliament is expected to vote on October 2 on whether to authorise the army to conduct cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria. Iran, another regional power, is mulling its options on how to deal with ISIL. President Hassan Rouhani said at the UN that if a long-term deal on its nuclear programme is reached, Tehran will co-operate with neighbouring countries to fight what he described as extremism. Saudi Arabia, deeply involved in the campaign against ISIL, has publicly expressed concerns over Iran's possible involvement. So, what are the politics that drive regional powers in how they deal with the ISIL threat?

Indian politician jailed for corruption

Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu state's top elected official, sentenced to four years in prison for amassing $10m illegally. An Indian court has sentenced the top elected official of the southern state of Tamil Nadu to four years in prison for corruption in a case that was filed 18 years ago. The judge held J Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu's chief minister, "guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income," prosecutor G Bhavani Singh told reporters outside the court earlier on Saturday. She was sentenced to four years in jail a few hours later. NDTV, a private television channel, reported that Jayalalithaa had been taken for a mandatory medcial check-up before being sent to prison. Jayalalithaa would lose her position as the chief minister since Indian law prohibits any poliltician from holding public office after being sentenced to more than two years in jail. Jayalalithaa was charged with amassing illegal wealth of at least $10m in 1997, when police seized assets including 28 kilogrammes of gold, 750 pairs of shoes and more than 10,000 saris in a raid on her home. Prosecutors said her assets, which reportedly included two 1,000-acre estates in Tamil Nadu, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister between 1991 to 1996. "I think it's very difficult for her to escape it because the facts are very clear. She claimed a salary of one rupee per year and ultimately amassed in 5 years, 66 crores [1 crore equals 10 milion]. How is that possible? So therefore it is an open and shut case and she is likely to be convicted and ceased to be chief minister," said Subramanian Swamy, the leader of rival Bharatiya Janata Party and the main complainant in the case, before the court ruling. The 66-year-old Jayalalitha, a former film star who became one of the country's most colourful and controversial politicians, enjoys huge popularity in Tamil Nadu, a manufacturing hub. Her All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party emerged as third biggest force in the national parliament after winning 37 of the 39 parliamentary seats in the state in this year's general election. Indian politicians are rarely convicted for corruption and even more rarely end up spending time in jail.

Policeman shot in US city of Ferguson

Officer reportedly shot in arm in Missouri state city, the centre of ongoing protests since killing of youth in August. A police officer from the strife-hit US city of Ferguson has been shot and the suspect is still at large, law enforcement officials have said. St Louis broadcaster KSDK reported that the officer was shot in the arm on Saturday. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said that the officer's injuries were not life threatening. "A search is under way for the suspect in the shooting of the officer," the department said, adding the shooting took place at a community centre slightly removed from main protest areas. Ferguson, St Louis suburb, saw days of racially charged protests after African-American teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by a Caucasian police officer, Darren Wilson, on August 9. On Thursday, Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson issued a video apology to Brown's parents following weeks of heavy criticism and calls for his ousting. The apology was not well-received among some and led to reported protests hours after it was issued. Since Brown's death, there have been outbreaks of violence during weeks of protests in Ferguson, a predominantly African-American community of 21,000. Many have called for Jackson to be fired for what they saw as a heavy-handed response in the aftermath of the killing. The Reuters news agency reported that police have set up roadblocks in the area of Saturday's shooting.

Al-Qaeda-linked group warns US-led coalition

Nusra Front vows retaliation over military operation in Syria as air raids target ISIL fighters besieging Kurdish town. A group linked to al-Qaeda has pledged retaliation over the ongoing air strikes in Syria as the US-led coalition widens its assault on ISIL targets in Syria and British warplanes fly their first combat missions over neighbouring Iraq. In its first reaction to the military operation aimed at destroying ISIL, or the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant, the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, said the air strikes in Syria were a "war against Islam", and threatened to attack the worldwide interests of participating Western and Arab countries. A US attack on a Nusra base in Aleppo on the first day of the air campaign killed dozens of the group's fighters. In a video posted online on Saturday, a Nusra Front spokesman threatened the coalition partners. "These states have committed a horrible act that is going to put them on the list of jihadist targets throughout the world," Abu Firas al-Suri said. "This is not a war against al-Nusra, but a war against Islam." The US has been supported in its Syria air campaign by Arab allies Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The warning came on a day the Pentagon said seven targets were hit in Syria, including at the border crossing into Turkey of the Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, called Kobane by Kurds, which has been under siege by fighters of ISIL. The US Central Command said an ISIL building and two armed vehicles were destroyed in the strikes. ISIL's campaign in the area has driven 160,000 refugees into Turkey and hundreds more, clutching whatever they could grab, crossed the border on Saturday. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the Turkish side of the border, said the Kurds who had left their homes in Syria seemed to be disappointed by the US-led air campaign. "Many of the people we have spoken to do not see the usefulness of the strikes as the ISIL continues to push into their areas," she said. Hit by ISIL rockets The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said ISIL rockets hit Ain al-Arab after the strikes, for the first time since the group's assault began on September 16, wounding 12 people. As part of Saturday's assault, coalition aircraft targeted the Euphrates valley city of Raqqa, which ISIL fighters have made the headquarters of the "caliphate" they declared in June over a vast area comprising parts of Iraq and Syria. The US and Arab allies began air strikes against ISIL and in Syria on Tuesday, more than a month after the Pentagon launched a air campaign against the self-declared jihadists in Iraq. The US had been reluctant to intervene in Syria, but acted after ISIL captured more territory and committed widespread atrocities, including beheading three Western hostages. More countries, including the UK, are involved in strikes in Iraq. On Saturday jets took off from Britain's RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus for Iraq but returned to base without dropping their laser-guided bombs. "On this occasion no targets were identified as requiring immediate air attack by our aircraft," a Defence Ministry spokesman in London said. Belgium and Denmark have also approved plans to join France and the Netherlands in targeting ISIL in Iraq, allowing the US to focus on the more complex operation against its Syria base. In a related development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could take a military role in the coalition, the Hurriyet daily reported on Saturday. He said the government would go to parliament with a motion on October 2, after which "all the necessary steps" would be taken. Turkey had insisted its hands were tied over dozens of Turkish hostages abducted by ISIL in Iraq, but they are now free. Acknowledging that ISIL could not be defeated in Syria by air power alone, the US plans to train and arm 5,000 Syrian rebels. However, top US military officer General Martin Dempsey said 12,000-15,000 men would be required to recapture "lost territory" in Syria. Separately, General Ahmad Reza Pourdestanahas, Iran's ground forces commander, said that it too would attack ISIL in Iraq if it approached the border, state media reported. The Sunni-led fighters currently control territory north of Baghdad, including in Diyala province bordering mainly Shia Iran

Synagogue miracles are not fake - T.B Joshua releases statement

You know how one incident can destroy everything you've worked hard for all your life? Well, that's what's happening to Pastor T.B Joshua now. He has come under severe criticism and scrutiny following the collapse of a building inside his church premises that left more 115 people dead. Now, many people believe his miracles are not real. Yesterday, a South African journalist published a report where he rubbished all the miracles that supposedly happens at the Synagogue Church of All Nations. "I challenged the pilgrims to provide me with medical proof that they had been healed. None did.” journalist Jacques Pauw wrote.. The church has reacted to the published report via their Facebook page, claiming that all their miracles are 100% real because they were performed before the church and broadcast live via their Emmanuel TV. See their statement after the cut... OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE SCOAN The SCOAN released a public statement yesterday, September 26, 2014 regarding a false story published in The Vanguard Newspaper, “Synagogue: We Sealed Off Building Before Collapse – LSBCA” which was a total fabrication intended to divert people’s attention from the issue at hand. The writer needs to be investigated concerning the building collapse. To our surprise, a cover story with even greater fabrications was published today, September 27, 2014 in The Saturday Vanguard, “Are T.B. Joshua’s Miracles Real?” The writer(s) fabricated names of people who do not exist and remained nameless and faceless in order to hide their evil intentions. They need to be investigated. It is our belief that these stories were intended to divert people’s attention from the evil that has been done. Those involved in these stories need to be investigated concerning the building collapse. If they are not directly involved, they will help the investigation. If they are not the ones who did it, they know those who did. Perhaps, they were involved in the building collapse because they claim what is happening in The SCOAN is fake. They are suspect. Please note, all of The SCOAN services are public and broadcast live on Emmanuel TV. Do not be misled and diverted from the truth. No matter how long a lie is sustained, the truth will someday prevail. Jesus is the Truth.

At least 40 Ulanda Secondary School students injured in stampede after power

At least 40 students from Ulanda Girls High School in Migori County were injured in a stampede on Friday night following explosion in their classrooms caused by a power surge. The power surge caused electricity lines in form two and three classrooms to spark and start a fire. The students ran out of the classrooms in panic and some fell on the floor sustaining injuries. The school security head Mr James Odhiambo, said the 8pm incident caused a minor fire that was put out. “We managed to evacuate all of them, though some with minor injuries,” he added. The school's Principal Ms Syprose Mary Atieno said they managed to contain the fire before it spread and no property was burnt. “There is no cause for alarm and parents should be rest assured that their daughters are safe,” she said. Some parents and villagers Saturday flocked the school to find out the condition of the students. The injured were treated at the school's clinic.

Fayose urges police to unravel the killing of Aderiye

Ekiti State governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has urged the police to unravel the mystery behind Aderiye’s assassination. Fayose, who visited the widow of the ex-Chairman of the Drivers’union, Mrs. Funmilayo Aderiye, to commiserate with the family in company with his deputy, Dr Olusola Eleka, stated that Aderiye’s death was politically-motivated. He expressed concern over alleged plan by Governor Kayode Fayemi to create tension and unrest for the incoming administration, adding that the inability of the present government to get judgment to prevent him from being sworn-in led to the attacks on his supporters. He described the slain Aderiye as his close and dependable confidant and associate, adding, “This is politically barbaric. In fact, it could simply be best described as too sad and barbaric. But I want to point out that the APC government must be bold enough to visit the family of the deceased, if truly they knew nothing about the death. “He was one of my strong supporters who was with me till late on Thursday. But as a leader in this state, I am not going to make any inflammatory comment until the police conclude their investigations on the matter. “But all this was a pointer to the fact that the outgoing government is poised to create problems before it goes. But this will not be in the interest of anyone. “If not for the fact that we have been trying to calm frayed nerves since yesterday when Aderiye was murdered, Ekiti would have been on fire now. This is the duty we owe Ekiti as leaders.” “Fayemi is a defeated person and I don’t expect him to say anything different. But it is very reckless for anybody to link me with the crisis in Ekiti. “I will not join issues with him because of the respect I have for that office and in order not to increase the already mounted tension.”

NBA condemns attack on judge, Aderiye’s killing 

The Ado-Ekiti Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association yesterday condemned the killing of the NURTW boss and the attack on Justice John Aderiye by some people at the premises of the state high court. Briefing journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, the NBA Chairman in the state, Mr Joseph Adewumi, and the Secretary, Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, said the “desecration of the temple of justice” would not be tolerated by the body. Adewumi said the association was still feeling bad about Monday’s incident during which the courtroom of a judge, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, was invaded. On the implications of the siege on the judiciary, Adewumi opined that it could lead to a state of anarchy, adding, “First, a serious constitutional crisis is coming in the state if by act of commission or omission an atmosphere of anarchy is encouraged on the temple of justice in the state. “This is because that may have serious implication on the performance of the constitutional duty of the head of court in the state with respect to compliance with Section 185 (2) of the 1999 Constitution. “If the current assault on the judges of the Ekiti State judiciary is allowed to continue, they would have lost the necessary independence that should be the bedrock of the performance of their constitutional duties,” he said. The body called for “thorough investigation of the incident and that anybody found culpable be brought to book,” adding that the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, should make efforts to provide adequate security in the state. “God is there to judge every perpetrator of evil whether now or in the near future irrespective of status. “The killing is not only ungodly, the destruction of human lives is condemnable,” Adewumi said.

Rumor of another murder over the death of Aderiye in Ekiti State

There is a rumor of another murder in Ado Ekiti over the death of the man that is being loved by the citizen of Ekiti, Chief Omolafe Aderiye. This rumor is alround the town though the police has denied it,yet the rumor seems real because it sound as a means of retaliating the death of Aderiye Mentilo the present chairman of NURTW who took over from Chief Aderiye,and working hand in hand with the present Governor of Ekiti state (John Kayode Fayemi) was assumed to be involved in the murder of his predecessor, Chief Omolafe Aderiye. Though it has not been confirmed that mentilo is died but his (mentilo) house and property was burnt early this morning. REPORTING OMOTOSO IBUKUNOLUWA OMONIYI

Ekiti state Governor defends himself and political party,declares 7pm-7am curfew

There's a lot of craziness going on currently in Ekiti state. A day after an Ayo Fayose loyalist was shot dead by unknown gunmen, hoodlums went on a rampage destroying the campaign office of the state governor, Kayode Fayemi, as well as the APC secretariat. The thugs also destroyed properties belonging to other politicians. Today's chaos is believed to be an aftermath of the assassination of the former chairman of the Ekiti state NURTW, Mr Owolafe Aderiye. Above is a pic of Governor Fayemi's campaign office after it was razed. He has since declared a 7pm-7am curfew in the state to halt the crisis. Continue to read the full text of Governor Fayemi's broadcast in Ekiti today as he declared the curfew...   THE PEACE OF OUR LAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE State Broadcast By His Excellency Dr. Kayode FAYEMI Governor, Ekiti State, following the Breach of Peace in the State Friday, September 26, 2014. In o kun o Ekiti Kete. It has become expedient that I address you today on account of dire happenings in the land of honour, Ekiti State. With tension mounting across the state, Ekiti has been the subject of alarming headlines in the news, following the tragic assault on the judiciary. On Monday, September 22, thugs acting on the incitement of an interested party, were involved in the sacrilegious sacking of the court while hearing on a political case was in progress. This happened in full glare of the law enforcement agents with inappropriate response. Clearly, these brigands exceeded the limits of acceptable behavior, even in the most liberal of democracies, and ventured into the realm of blatant criminality with this desecration of the hallowed chambers of the law. The fact that this assault did not meet with any strong deterring repercussions from the appropriate authorities further emboldened the miscreants. They subsequently attempted to prevent the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from sitting, yesterday, Thursday, September 25. I am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr. Ayo Fayose, who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and tear his clothes. The court premises was thrown into confusion and those present scurried away in search of safety and security. This was on the back of his specious allegation that the judiciary in the state is compromised and biased against him. And the answer to that was to resort to jungle justice and take the laws into his hands. This has led to the closure of the courts indefinitely due to the inability of the security agencies to guarantee the safety of lives and property in our temples of justice. With the entrenched atmosphere of impunity, violence in the state has escalated with the unfortunate loss of one life and the willful damage to several properties to arson by rampaging thugs. Since the beginning of this development on Monday, which is unprecedented in the recent history of our state, I have been in touch with the Heads of all Security Agencies at the State and Federal levels, urging them to act quickly and firmly in the interest of public law and order. It is worrisome that the slow and inadequate response has occasioned the avoidable escalation of violence in our dear state. Against this backdrop, it is understandable that not a few stakeholders have expressed concern about what the development portends for our dear state. The brazen contempt of our hallowed law courts and the use of violence and intimidation to obstruct the course of justice is a clear invitation to anarchy of the scale and texture that characterized Ekiti State some years ago. Ekiti Kete, are those years upon us again? Already, there is widespread anxiety about this development coming at a time the state is going through the transitioning out of one administration and the ushering in of a new one. This is a very delicate period that all stakeholders must work together to ensure Ekiti State comes out stronger for it. During periods of transition, vital partners in progress adopt a cautious posture, watching for the slightest portents of the possible discontinuity of the regime of peace and tranquility, amongst other factors that have made our state conducive for investors and development partners. We must not disrupt our very bright prospects for sustained development in our state. Considering the cases that have triggered the recent spate of violence are politically related, the political elite in our state from all disparate quarters must exercise caution. We must rescue our state from the precarious slippery slope that some have desperately pushed us to. We should not imperil the very people we seek to serve by resorting to violence and brigandage. One does not burn down his homestead to establish his claim of ownership or leadership. Most assuredly, the course of Justice can only be delayed, but can never be truncated. The independence of the Judiciary is an inviolable tenet of any democracy. Accordingly, I have this morning directed the Attorney General of the state to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge of the state and all the parties to the existing cases in the State High Court and the Ekiti State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, on the desirability of seeking an alternative venue for the hearing of these cases outside Ekiti State. The State can no longer afford to witness the bizarre spectacle of the beating up of judicial officers and wanton intimidation of lawyers and court personnel. Now that the security agencies appear to be fully seized of the situation, I call on them not to relent in performing their constitutional role of protecting lives and property in our state. Administrations come and go; politics can be frenetic when the stakes are high; but by the grace of the Almighty God, our state remains for all time, therefore THE PEACE OF OUR LAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. Ekiti Kete, consistent with our history of unity and love, let us work together to make our state a garden of concord where our children and their children will dwell in peace and safety. Even in the pursuit of politics and justice, let us conduct ourselves as kinsmen, bound by a shared love for Ekitiland but differing only in the choice of instruments by which to accomplish the same goal. Let us then temper our competitive zeal with civility and empathy. Let us deal truthfully with our youth, who are so liable to be led astray by unbridled political fervour, by seeing them as our children rather than as conscripts or fodder for our objectives. Ekiti Kete, in order to forestall further descent into anarchy in our state, I am taking the very difficult decision to suspend the ‘Thank You’ tour which I’m undertaking as part of our transitioning-out formalities. Also, I have taken the decision to institute a dusk to dawn curfew in the state immediately. Accordingly, there would be no movement between the hours of 7.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. everyday till further notice. We urge the citizenry to be vigilant and provide the security agencies with details of suspicious activities that can undermine the peace in our state. Let us work together to stop the violence and brigandage that has brought about serious embarrassment to our state in the last few days. Let Peace Reign in the land of honour, Ekiti State. God bless Ekiti State. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Dr. Kayode Fayemi Governor, Ekiti State Friday, September 26, 2014

More ISIL sites in Syria hit by US air raids

Activists say oil facilities held by ISIL in northern Syria targeted by US-led coalition for second day. Warplanes from the US-led coalition have bombed oil installations and other facilities in territory controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in eastern Syria for a second consecutive day, activists said. The strikes reportedly hit two oil areas in Deir ez- Zour province on Friday, a day after the US and its Arab allies attacked a dozen makeshift oil producing facilities in the same area near Syria's border with Iraq. The US Central Command said three air strikes south and southeast of Deir ez-Zour destroyed four ISIL tanks and damaged another. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes overnight and early on Friday hit the Tink oil field as well as the Qouriyeh oil-producing area in Deir ez-Zour. The raids aim to cripple one of ISIL's primary sources of cash - black market oil sales that the US says earn up to $2m a day. The Observatory and another activist collective, the Local Coordination Committees, also reported strikes on the town of Mayadeen, including on the ISIL headquarters. Deir ez-Zour, which borders Iraq, is almost entirely controlled by ISIL and was a major oil- producing province before Syria's conflict began more than three years ago. Strikes also hit areas southeast of the city of Hasakah, close to the Iraqi border. They targeted ISIL, al-Qaeda's Syrian branch the Nusra Front and other fighters, the Observatory said. Fighters hiding Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, following the conflict from neighbouring Beirut, said the strikes on ISIL would undoubtedly weaken the group, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. "They'll be on the defensive, they won't be able to expand the territory they control. It will be hard for fighters to move from one area to another, especially in large convoys. "But now ISIL is adapting to the air strikes, hiding among civilians. It will be very hard to defeat the group." Reports from the ground said dozens of fighters, from ISIL and the Nusra Front, as well as some civilians, have been killed since the US-led coalition began its bombing campaign in Syria early on Tuesday. Hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed in ISIL's fight to take control of territory in the east and north of Syria and in neighbouring Iraq. The widely-feared group has attacked minorities in both countries and drawn international outrage after the beheading of two American journalists and a British aid worker. But the foreign intervention has been met with mixed reactions among Syrians, with the political opposition saying the US and its allies should also strike the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Protests against the strikes were held in several towns on Friday, some in support of the Nusra Front. The air campaign is led by the US, supported by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and France.

Riot plus violence...Ektit at the War zone...gun shots all over the town over Chief Aderiye's murder

Just in few hours ago,Nigeria police was seen shooting at the Angry citizens who protested over the murder of the former NURTW's chairman Chief Owolafe Aderiye in Ekiti state, Nigeria. The angry people burnt and destory the office of the O.P.C,header By an APC member and burnt the APC secretarial in Ado Ekiti which Made police men shot at them but no one as been recorded dead for now It all started yesterday after the judgement that was placed on the Governor-elect Dr Ayodele Fayose over his victory on the just concluded election in Ekiti state by the court. This brought about a protest in the state Capital Ado Ekiti which was led by Chief Owolafe Aderiye.Shortly after the protest,He was assassinated by unknown gunmen in his office. Chief Aderiye was a good man who has done a lot to help unemployed youth in the state and he was a very good and friend to the former and Governor-elect of Ekiti State Dr Ayodele Fayose.

Torture widespread in Uzbekistan

Human Rights Watch says political prisoners are commonly abused by government of President Islam Karimov. Torture of political prisoners is widespread in Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country courted by the West as a transit point for forces fighting in Afghanistan, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. In a report entitled "'Until the Very End': Politically Motivated Imprisonment in Uzbekistan" published on Friday, HRW cited the cases of 34 prominent political prisoners as evidence that torture, kidnapping, incommunicado detention, solitary confinement and extension of sentences were all widespread. The watchdog group also added that local human rights bodies believed the number of political prisoners in Uzbekistan was in the thousands. President Islam Karimov, 76, tolerates no dissent in the ex-Soviet state of 30 million people, which he has ruled since 1989. HRW, whose Uzbek office was shut down in 2011, said its findings were based on more than 150 interviews with detainees' relatives, former prisoners, human rights activists and a former prison official. "Whether behind bars for 20 years or a shorter time, these people have been wrongfully imprisoned and shouldn't spend even one more day behind bars," said Steve Swerdlow, HRW’s Central Asia researcher and the former head of its Uzbek branch. The report cited the case of Kayum Ortikov, a former employee of the British embassy in the capital Tashkent, who said he had been tortured for nine months in 2009 after being convicted on what he said were fabricated charges of human trafficking. He said his torturers in the Tashkent city jail had burned his genitalia with flaming newspapers, pushed needles under his fingernails, and threatened to have allegedly HIV-positive prisoners rape him if he did not confess to being a spy. After a public campaign by his wife, rights groups and British journalists, Ortikov was released in May 2011. He and his family fled Uzbekistan and finally resettled as refugees in the US this year. Uzbek officials could not be reached or declined to comment, but Karimov has in the past said his tough methods were needed to keep Islamist militancy in check. Karimov's relations with the West worsened when his troops notably crushed popular protests in 2005 in the eastern city of Andijan during which 187 people died according to the government and 700 according to rights groups. With no political opposition to speak of and a state media that is highly supportive, Karimov looks likely to win a new term as president next March.

The last message I sent to E11 group, before Ekiti state Governorship election and yesterday's murder of Aderiye

Hmmmmm...Ekiti State in Nigeria must not watch and sleep.Fayose must not watch and sleep...Mr President must not watch Ekiti over the death of the former NURTW's chairman. I once told Ekiti people that E11 group has no good plan for us...This was the article I wrote to Ekiti,the good people and I sent it to E11 group: FROM Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi Omotoso I want FEMI AJINIRAN (the chairman of e-eleven E-11) and other members to tell me something new about Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose. E-11,under the leadership of Femi Ajiniran wrote a lot of critics and baseless facts that are known and clare to all Ekiti state citizens about Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 in the Nation news paper. E-11 is known to be an anti-PDP forum though they call themselves Ekiti State Stake Holders.I wonder who made them stake holders...because of their age I guess? I think E-11 and her members most especially Femi Ajiniran is afraid of the unshakeable osokomole of Ekiti state.E-11 is a group from the then AD - AC - ACN - APC. What a fear ! A single man has given to them no rest of mind. What a disgrace to the jobless E-11 ! Femi Ajiniran should tell us something new about Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose and if Ajiniran had no new fact let him keep off PDP and Ekiti state matters...Let E-11 tell us something new about osokomole and if she(E-11) did not have new fact to nail osokomole then let her keep off Ekiti State matters.Let Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose be.Leave him alone WE MUST ALL RISE UP TO REJECT THE EVIL PETITION OF E-11! WE MUST THROW THEIR CONTEMPT BACK INTO THEIR FACE WE MUST REJECT THEM(E-11 and ruling team who flush money into their own personal accounts) NOW AND IN 2015 I OMOTOSO IBUKUNOLUWA OMONIYI say : EKITI SHALL TRIUMPH AND LIVE LONG LET US ALL RISE AND SAY NO TO E-11 Signed : OMOTOSO IBUKUNOLUWA OMONIYI Ekiti State Good Citizen

Child abuse, domestic violence cases rise in Lagos courts

THE 10 family courts in Lagos State received  three cases of sexual offences and domestic violence against children daily, the Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, said yesterday. She said with over 1,000 cases of abuse, rape and molestation filed every year, there was still much to be done in effectively enforcing the child rights’ law. The chief judge spoke yesterday at the Stakeholders Summit on Child Rights/Domestic Violence laws as part of the new legal year activities. At the event, the Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire called for a consolidation of laws relating to children into one legislation for easy implementation as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said socio-economic and cultural factors work against effective enforcement of the laws on women and children. Justice Atilade decried the rise in incidents of domestic violence, rape and other sexual offences. “Recent happenings make it obvious that violence and tyranny are shifting to the girl-child. The abduction of the Chibok girls is a case in point. The increase is phenomenal, frightening, offensive and disturbing,” she said. The chief judge called for a reassessment of the prosecution of cases involving child abuse and domestic violence. Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire urged victims of violence to speak up and seek help before it was too late. Besides, she called for a change in the cultural and religious perception of women and children as weak. The deputy governor urged the Federal Government to ensure the release of the abducted Chibok school girls. “The Federal Government has not done much to the best of my knowledge. We want them to be brought back alive now. “Nigeria has the resources; so everything must be done to bring them back,” the chief judge said. Ipaye recalled a case where a woman died from domestic violence and the husband was arrested. He was about to be charged with murder, but relatives pleaded with the ministry to drop the case for the children’s sake. “The family members were begging that the father of the children should not be sent to jail because there would be no one to provide for them,” Ipaye said. According to him, when no one is willing to come up and testify, conviction becomes difficult. “We cannot stop impunity if offenders are not punished,” Ipaye added.

War in Ekiti state as unknown assassins murdered Chief Omolafe Aderiye(FORMER NURTW CHAIRMAN)

Ado Ekiti—The  former Chairman of Ekiti wing of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Chief Omolafe Aderiye, was yesterday killed by unknown assassins. Aderiye was a strong supporter of the state’s governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose. Though the circumstances leading to his death remained sketchy at press time, the former NURTW boss was said to have been gunned down at his office in Matthew Street, Ado Ekiti, at about 8.30p.m. Aderiye had accompanied Fayose to virtually all the towns and villages during his campaigns for the governorship election. A visit to his Matthew Street office by Vanguard saw a large number of symphatisers, family members, friends and relations wailing.

Lebanese army detains Syrians in border town

Security sources say Lebanon has detained about 450 suspected fighters near its border with Syria over past two weeks. Lebanese soldiers have carried out raids in the border town of Arsal, detaining dozens of Syrian men suspected of involvement in attacks on the Lebanese army. An army statement said three suspects were injured after troops opened fire at men setting part of an informal refugee camp ablaze during Thursday's raids. The raids came as the army steps up efforts to prevent fighters from using Arsal - housing tens of thousands of refugees - as a base. Last month, the town was the scene of the deadliest spillover of fighting in the three-year civil war in Syria. During clashes that killed dozens, rebels captured a group of Lebanese soldiers and have since killed at least three of them. They are believed to be holding more than a dozen others. Among the rebels' demands to release the soldiers are protection of refugees and the release of prisoners belonging to the groups held in Lebanon. The head of military intelligence in Bekaa told Al Jazeera that "less than 100" people were detained on Thursday. Security sources said that Lebanon has detained about 450 suspected fighters near its border with Syria over the past two weeks. The detainees are mainly Syrians accused of being members of groups such as the Nusra Front, Syria's al-Qaeda wing, which is fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Fighters often cross the border, using Arsal to rest or seek medical treatment, and the town also hosts tens of thousands of refugees who have fled from violence in Syria. Lebanon has been divided over the war in its neighbouring country, with many Sunnis supporting the opposition and others supporting the regime. The Lebanese army has been accused of working with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia movement which has sent fighters to help Assad's forces.

'Terrorism' suspects held in UK swoop

Police say arrests part of ongoing operation against "Islamist-related terrorism" as they raid properties across London. Nine men have been arrested in Britain in a move police said was part of an ongoing operation against "Islamist-related terrorism" rather than in response to any immediate threat. The men are held on suspicion of belonging to and supporting an organisation banned under anti-terrorism laws and "encouraging terrorism", police said. The nine suspects, aged between 22 to 51, were taken to central London police stations while 19 properties across the capital and in Stoke-on- Trent in central England were being searched. Police also raided homes, businesses and community centres on Thursday as part of the investigation. Britain raised its international threat level to the second-highest level of "severe" last month, meaning that an attack is considered highly likely. Prime Minister David Cameron has said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, which has recently taken control of territory in in Syria and Iraq, poses the greatest-ever security risk to the country.

US says ISIL-run oil refineries targeted

Saudi and UAE jets take part in strikes inside Syria, as Britain's PM says UK must join air operations in Iraq. US-led air strikes have targeted oil refineries controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in eastern Syria for a third day, US officials say. Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in the strikes by piloted and drone aircraft targeting facilities around al-Mayadeen, al-Hasakah, and Albu Kamal, the US military said on Wednesday. Only hours later, David Cameron, UK prime minister, told the UN General Assembly that Britain should join the US-led air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq, adding that his country's parliament has been recalled to secure approval. "I am therefore recalling the British parliament on Friday to secure approval for the UK to take part in international air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq," Cameron told the 193-member UN General Assembly. Oil refineries hit In its statement on Wednesday, the US Central Command said there were a total of 13 strikes against 12 modular oil refineries controlled by ISIL fighters as well as another strike that destroyed an ISIL vehicle. "We are still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries, but have initial indications that the strikes were successful," the Central Command said. Modular refineries are prefabricated and constructed off-site so they can be transported and made operational quickly. The US military said the refineries were capable of producing millions in revenue and provided fuel for the group's operations. "These small-scale refineries provided fuel to run [ISIL] operations, money to finance their continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria, and an economic asset to support their future operations," the military said. It is unclear how much crude or refined oil the ISIL is managing to sell. The group is producing less than 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day, Adam Sieminski, head of the US Energy Information Administration, said on Wednesday. Nicholas Rasmussen, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, testified to US Congress this month that ISIL's war chest probably included about $1m a day in revenues from black-market oil sales as well as smuggling, robberies and ransom payments for hostages. Activists said more strikes hit the Kurdish- dominated Syrian town of Kobani, an area that have been besieged by ISIL fighters for past week. Tens of thousands of residents have been fleeing the ISIL assault on the town over the past few days. But as Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reported from the Syrian-Turkish border, many residents were returning to Kobani on Wednesday upon hearing the reports of the strikes on ISIL. "A lot of the Kurds who are going back to Syria are young men who want to take the matter in their own hands and fight the ISIL on their land," she said. The US has launched nearly 200 strikes in Iraq in recent weeks against ISIL fighters, who have captured wide expanses of land in Iraq and Syria over the past few months. Fighters evacuate Activists in Syria said that fighters of al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, were evacuating their bases and positions in the northeastern province of Idlib. Ahrar al-Sham, one of the most influential Syrian rebel groups with ties to Nusra, was also evacuating its positions in the region. The evacuations came a day after US air strikes hit a group of al-Qaeda fighters in Aleppo province, on the border with Idlib. The strikes killed at least 70 fighters, as well as eight civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. The Syrian government is watching with caution the latest developments in the areas it fell out of its control more than a year ago, according to one of its ministers. Ali Haidar, Syria's minister for national reconciliation, told Reuters news agency that the US-led strikes were so far going in the "right direction" because the government had been informed before they started and they were not hitting civilians or Syrian military targets.

US says ISIL-run oil refineries targeted

Saudi and UAE jets take part in strikes inside Syria, as Britain's PM says UK must join air operations in Iraq. US-led air strikes have targeted oil refineries controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in eastern Syria for a third day, US officials say. Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in the strikes by piloted and drone aircraft targeting facilities around al-Mayadeen, al-Hasakah, and Albu Kamal, the US military said on Wednesday. Only hours later, David Cameron, UK prime minister, told the UN General Assembly that Britain should join the US-led air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq, adding that his country's parliament has been recalled to secure approval. "I am therefore recalling the British parliament on Friday to secure approval for the UK to take part in international air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq," Cameron told the 193-member UN General Assembly. Oil refineries hit In its statement on Wednesday, the US Central Command said there were a total of 13 strikes against 12 modular oil refineries controlled by ISIL fighters as well as another strike that destroyed an ISIL vehicle. "We are still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries, but have initial indications that the strikes were successful," the Central Command said. Modular refineries are prefabricated and constructed off-site so they can be transported and made operational quickly. The US military said the refineries were capable of producing millions in revenue and provided fuel for the group's operations. "These small-scale refineries provided fuel to run [ISIL] operations, money to finance their continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria, and an economic asset to support their future operations," the military said. It is unclear how much crude or refined oil the ISIL is managing to sell. The group is producing less than 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day, Adam Sieminski, head of the US Energy Information Administration, said on Wednesday. Nicholas Rasmussen, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, testified to US Congress this month that ISIL's war chest probably included about $1m a day in revenues from black-market oil sales as well as smuggling, robberies and ransom payments for hostages. Activists said more strikes hit the Kurdish- dominated Syrian town of Kobani, an area that have been besieged by ISIL fighters for past week. Tens of thousands of residents have been fleeing the ISIL assault on the town over the past few days. But as Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reported from the Syrian-Turkish border, many residents were returning to Kobani on Wednesday upon hearing the reports of the strikes on ISIL. "A lot of the Kurds who are going back to Syria are young men who want to take the matter in their own hands and fight the ISIL on their land," she said. The US has launched nearly 200 strikes in Iraq in recent weeks against ISIL fighters, who have captured wide expanses of land in Iraq and Syria over the past few months. Fighters evacuate Activists in Syria said that fighters of al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, were evacuating their bases and positions in the northeastern province of Idlib. Ahrar al-Sham, one of the most influential Syrian rebel groups with ties to Nusra, was also evacuating its positions in the region. The evacuations came a day after US air strikes hit a group of al-Qaeda fighters in Aleppo province, on the border with Idlib. The strikes killed at least 70 fighters, as well as eight civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. The Syrian government is watching with caution the latest developments in the areas it fell out of its control more than a year ago, according to one of its ministers. Ali Haidar, Syria's minister for national reconciliation, told Reuters news agency that the US-led strikes were so far going in the "right direction" because the government had been informed before they started and they were not hitting civilians or Syrian military targets.

US says ISIL-run oil refineries targeted

Saudi and UAE jets take part in strikes inside Syria, as Britain's PM says UK must join air operations in Iraq. US-led air strikes have targeted oil refineries controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in eastern Syria for a third day, US officials say. Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in the strikes by piloted and drone aircraft targeting facilities around al-Mayadeen, al-Hasakah, and Albu Kamal, the US military said on Wednesday. Only hours later, David Cameron, UK prime minister, told the UN General Assembly that Britain should join the US-led air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq, adding that his country's parliament has been recalled to secure approval. "I am therefore recalling the British parliament on Friday to secure approval for the UK to take part in international air strikes against the ISIL in Iraq," Cameron told the 193-member UN General Assembly. Oil refineries hit In its statement on Wednesday, the US Central Command said there were a total of 13 strikes against 12 modular oil refineries controlled by ISIL fighters as well as another strike that destroyed an ISIL vehicle. "We are still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries, but have initial indications that the strikes were successful," the Central Command said. Modular refineries are prefabricated and constructed off-site so they can be transported and made operational quickly. The US military said the refineries were capable of producing millions in revenue and provided fuel for the group's operations. "These small-scale refineries provided fuel to run [ISIL] operations, money to finance their continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria, and an economic asset to support their future operations," the military said. It is unclear how much crude or refined oil the ISIL is managing to sell. The group is producing less than 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day, Adam Sieminski, head of the US Energy Information Administration, said on Wednesday. Nicholas Rasmussen, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, testified to US Congress this month that ISIL's war chest probably included about $1m a day in revenues from black-market oil sales as well as smuggling, robberies and ransom payments for hostages. Activists said more strikes hit the Kurdish- dominated Syrian town of Kobani, an area that have been besieged by ISIL fighters for past week. Tens of thousands of residents have been fleeing the ISIL assault on the town over the past few days. But as Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reported from the Syrian-Turkish border, many residents were returning to Kobani on Wednesday upon hearing the reports of the strikes on ISIL. "A lot of the Kurds who are going back to Syria are young men who want to take the matter in their own hands and fight the ISIL on their land," she said. The US has launched nearly 200 strikes in Iraq in recent weeks against ISIL fighters, who have captured wide expanses of land in Iraq and Syria over the past few months. Fighters evacuate Activists in Syria said that fighters of al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, were evacuating their bases and positions in the northeastern province of Idlib. Ahrar al-Sham, one of the most influential Syrian rebel groups with ties to Nusra, was also evacuating its positions in the region. The evacuations came a day after US air strikes hit a group of al-Qaeda fighters in Aleppo province, on the border with Idlib. The strikes killed at least 70 fighters, as well as eight civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. The Syrian government is watching with caution the latest developments in the areas it fell out of its control more than a year ago, according to one of its ministers. Ali Haidar, Syria's minister for national reconciliation, told Reuters news agency that the US-led strikes were so far going in the "right direction" because the government had been informed before they started and they were not hitting civilians or Syrian military targets.

[MIRACLE] Obasanjo’s Cousin Pregnant With First Child At 64 Years

Kikelomo Ajibose Anubi, a second cousin to former President of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, has every reason to celebrate. This 64-year-old Owu indigene is pregnant with her first child, after 28 years of marriage. Mrs Kikelomo is one of those who worship at the popular Lagos church, Christ Revival Victory Chapel International, owned by late Prophet Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku. During a Sunday service after Ajanaku’s funeral, announcement was made that people who have testimonies should come out. Over 15 people gave testimonies, but Mrs Kikelomo Ajibose didn’t give hers. Then after another announcement was made that people who still have testimonies to give should not deny their Prophet, she stepped out. This woman shocked the entire congregation that she was pregnant at 64. She revealed to the numerous guests who came from all walks of life how he met Prophet Ajanaku few months before he died. ” I was introduced to Prophet Ajanaku by a friend. I remember when I got to the church I raised my head to see his picture and said Man of God, I have brought my problem again. I saw him that day and he told me, its your fault. He told me the story of my life. He even revealed how my husband left the house and asked if I was at fault and I said no. He prayed for me and I left. Any time my heart is troubled I come to the church for service. My husband is a Ghanaian, and he left the house for me for six years. I never knew what went wrong or what I did”. Explaining further on her health condition, she explained that she has been childless for a while: ” I have been married for a while, I have done IVF at a popular hospital on the Island and it failed. Infact my uncle who is a top shot paid for it. I almost lost my life before God intervened”. Just as she was giving testimony one of the church members who doesn’t want her name mentioned revealed to this magazine that Mrs Kikelomo Ajibose is a younger cousin to former President , Olusegun Obansanjo. In an interview with the Owu born businesswoman, Mrs Ajibose revealed to City People how she was blessed with the fruit of the womb. Her words were “I am pregnant and permit me to tell you that by next year when I have my baby, I will be 65. I have being married for 28 years. It may amaze you that I got pregnant in a natural way. I didn’t do IVF”. When asked if she is truly to former President Obasanjo, her words were “He is my uncle and somebody I respect so much. My mum is his elder sister and if you look at my face, you will see the semblance. I am his second cousin. I am also from Owu.”

[SHOCKING] TB Joshua Also Attempted To Bribe Me – South African Journalist Claims

Following journalist Nicholas Ibekwe‘s explosive tape on which a man alleged to be Prophet TB Joshua is heard offering N50,000 bribe to journalists to write favourable stories about him, a renowned South African investigative journalist, Jacques Pauw has now come forward with claims that Joshua tried to bribe him. Pauw says Joshua gave him and his camera crew thick envelopes full of hundred dollar notes. They had been at Joshua’s Synagogue Church Of All Nations to produce a TV documentary featuring the Prophet and his reported miraculous healing of terminally South Africans. Pauws alleges the “brown envelopes” were to ensure a positive programme was produced. Read excerpts about his alleged bribery account after the jump…it’s a long read I was making a TV documentary and my challenge to Joshua was straightforward: allow me to film how you heal Basson (a 25 year old Springbok rugby player who was dying of liver cancer and went to Prophet TB Joshua for healing). If you succeed, I promise I will show it to the world. When we arrived at Joshua’s compound, the TV team and I were in effect incarcerated. For two weeks, we were forbidden to leave the grounds. We were told we could not drink or smoke, and had to attend services and events with the pilgrims. While I stayed in a dormitory with other pilgrims, Basson and his mother set up camp in a private room. The church took away the young man’s morphine and pain pills. During our first interview, a softly spoken, affable Joshua said it would be easy to heal Wium because he had nothing but a “little sore” on his liver. At Sunday sermons, the afflicted lined up with placards stating what condition they needed healed. There were lines of people seeking a cure for HIV/Aids, ­cancer and heart conditions, business failures, wandering spouses and dull brains. A festive, almost joyous atmosphere filled the compound as churchgoers sang, clapped and danced. Evil spirits were cast out and those set free by the Prophet writhed in the dirt while vomiting out the demons. Joshua prayed for every person in the line and declared them all healed. He ordered them to stop using any medication and trust in God. Among the pilgrims was Capetonian John Rindel, who was suffering from full-blown AIDS and already had dementia. He had arrived at the church several weeks before we did, was prayed for by Joshua and declared completely healed. He had stopped taking his medicine and showed remarkable improvement. Scientists refer to this as the “placebo effect” of faith healing. A patient can experience genuine pain relief and other ­symptomatic alleviation after being prayed for. The relief is short-lived and the patient soon returns to his original condition. On my request, Rindel agreed to go for two independent HIV/Aids tests when he returned to South Africa. Both showed he was still positive. He died a short while later. The BBC recently investigated the London branch of the church and reported that three women had died after being “healed” and told to stop taking their HIV/Aids medication. I challenged the pilgrims to provide me with medical proof that they had been healed. None did.Ruben Kruger died in 2010 just before his 40th birthday. And Wium Basson? Joshua never prayed for him. He said God had not sent him a message to do so. The young man left the church broken, disillusioned and at death’s door. He died a few days after returning to South Africa. Before I left the church, Joshua handed me, and the camera and sound people, thick envelopes full of hundred dollar notes. He wanted to be sure we’d produce a positive programme. We gave the envelopes back. A year or so after the programme aired – and generated a massive response from people who called us accusing Joshua of all sorts of misdeeds – the preacher produced a video of a 76-year-old South African man named Moses he said he’d brought back from the dead. Moses was among a group of South African pilgrims in Lagos when he had a heart attack in the dining room. Videos distributed around the world showed three pilgrims, one a doctor from Bloemfontein, trying to resuscitate Moses. They failed, the videos reported, and Moses was carried into another room. Joshua walked in, bent over him and commanded: “In the name of Jesus, rise!” Moses opened his eyes. It later emerged that Moses had been both alive and ­breathing when he was carried from the dining hall. He’d been resuscitated, not resurrected, and clever editing created a fake miracle. I understand the despair of terminally ill people and why they grasp at final straws. My father died of lung cancer and might well have made the journey to Lagos. I am just glad he is not here any more to become a victim of a ravenous tick that feasts on the blood of the ignorant, ­gullible and desperate.

Borno sends 36 Chibok girls to International schools

granted scholarship and relocated 36 schoolgirls, who escaped abduction in Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the school and abducted over 200 girls on April 14. The 36 schoolgirls, who have been admitted into international schools in Abuja, Kaduna and Plateau states, were part of 57 female students, who either escaped abduction or ran from captivity after the attack. Fifty one of the girls were meant for admission after six secured a scholarship to study at an international school in Yola, Adamawa State. The state government is spending a minimum of N1.4 million annual fees on each of the schoolgirls in their new schools, besides other costs for welfare. Governor Kashim Shettima pleaded not to disclose the names of the schools, in order to shield them from public distraction and to safeguard the security of the girls and the new schools. The governor spoke at a brief farewell held for the girls at the Government House in Maiduguri, on Wednesday. Governor Shettima said he opted to spread the girls in different schools, so as not to make unnecessary visits that would continue to make them subject of public focus given the global attention on them. Shettima said the decision to relocate the schoolgirls was reached after psychosocial experts, psychologists, medical doctors, interfaith religious experts, women from civil society organisations and other trauma managers, who conducted trauma management sessions for the schoolgirls at the Government House in Maiduguri some months back and certified the girls set for continued education. The governor said while it was a hard decision to send the 36 girls back to school when their colleagues were still in captivity, the government had not given up on the girls still held, just as he said no sane parent would rule out a child in captivity. Shettima called on the schoolgirls to be of good behaviour, obey the rules of their new schools, put their bitter experience behind them and focus on their studies so as to achieve their dreams in life. The governor announced that any of the schoolgirls that obtains a minimum of five credits will be awarded automatic scholarship throughout her university education. Governor Shettima appealed to members of the media not to bring to the public the new schools the girls would be relocated to, even if the media get to find out through investigations. Borno State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Reverend Titus Pona, who is an elder in Chibok community, was full of praises to Governor Shettima for fulfilling his pledge of relocating the freed schoolgirls to international schools.

Fuel subsidy removal, a satanic policy

Does fuel subsidy exist? What are the pains, gains? Who does it affect most? These and others were what they sought answers to at the maiden National Stakeholders and Youth Forum on Energy Access, with the theme: Fuel Subsidy: The Environmental and Socio- Economic Pains and Gains. Although it certainly cannot be seen nor be described as the best New Year gift to citizens, on January 1, 2012, Nigerians ceased to enjoy all forms of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called Petrol, courtesy of the new policy announced by the petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and this has generated heats and debates in the public scene. Last Thursday at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Osogbo, Osun State, over 100 youths gathered at the complex hall of the university for a programme aimed at promoting access to clean energy and curbing energy poverty organised by Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE), Nigeria. Panelists at the event included Mr Samson Adejola, YVE President; Taiwo Adewole, an environmentalist and Kunle Oladimeji, among others, while Kemi Komolafe and Prince Seyi Olawuyi were the moderators. Discussing on the pains of fuel subsidy, Taiwo Adewole, traced the policy of fuel subsidy into Nigeria during the Ibrahim Babangida’s administration when our refineries failed due to no-maintenance. It was introduced to temporarily stabilise the price of petroleum product while the refineries underwent rehabilitation. It was meant to last for only six months. He explained that its removal which was a ‘satanic policy’ was a great shock, which many Nigerians are yet to recover from. “The Nigerian economy over the years has been programmed to revolve around the supply of ‘cheap’ petroleum products. An average household in Nigeria depends on subsidised by-products of crude oil such as petrol and kerosene for domestic and commercial use,”

Foreign fighters aiding Boko Haram —Jonathan •Says world must help fight insurgency

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, said foreign fighters have added a new dimension to the emerging phase of terrorism in the world. Addressing the United Nations (UN) Security Council High-Level Meeting on the threat of terrorism to global peace and security, President Jonathan said the world must act immediately to stop the new phenomenon of terrorists and foreign fighters attacking and trying to hold parts of sovereign nations. He said the international community must do more to support countries like Nigeria, which are in the frontline of the war against terrorism. Jonathan lamented that from targeted attacks by Al-Qaeda a few years ago, “there are now mobile bands of thousands of terrorists sweeping across vast areas, destroying lives and even attempting to hold territory,” a development he described as unacceptable. He insisted that the world must capitalise on the commitment and evident determination of the Security Council to seek more innovative responses to the threat of terrorism and, in particular, the growing menace of foreign fighters. “The council should be concerned about the existence of sources of arming and funding of terrorists. Evidence has shown that Boko Haram, for instance, is resourced largely from outside our country,” he said. According to him, “we must also commit to ensuring that countries which are in the frontline of this challenge, receive adequate support from the international community. “Nigeria knows too well the destructive effects of terrorist activities. Over the past five years, we have been, and are still confronting threats posed by Boko Haram to peace and stability predominantly in the north-eastern part of our country. “The costs are high: over 13,000 people have been killed, whole communities razed and hundreds of persons kidnapped, the most prominent being our innocent daughters from Chibok Secondary School, in North East Nigeria. “As daunting as the challenge may be, we have faced it with unrelenting determination, mobilising all the resources at our disposal, to ensure that the scourge of terrorism is rooted out of our nation. In addition to our counter- terrorism efforts, we have evolved initiatives to alleviate the plight of the population in the affected communities,” he said. He added that “we have also launched a Victims Support Fund, which has already raised about $500 million of the expected minimum of $1 billion in direct support of the victims of terrorism. “This is in addition to the Safe Schools Initiative championed by Mr Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and currently the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, which is being rigorously supported by Nigeria’s Federal Government.” President Jonathan also called for reform of the UN Security Council, adding that pressing challenges to global peace and security had made it imperative that urgent action be taken on its reformation. Delivering Nigeria’s annual statement to the UN General Assembly, President Jonathan also called for an urgent review of UN peacekeeping operations across the world. He noted that although the global body was established about 70 years ago to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, the world sadly continued to experience conflict and human suffering. He assured the United Nations that Nigeria is now free of Ebola,but said the world must act In unison to stop the disease from becoming a global disaster.