Breaking: Ex Police Pension Boss Jailed For 23.3 billion embezzlement

An Abuja court Monday afternoon, sentenced former police pension boss, Yakubu Yusuf to Two  years in prison for embezzling N23bn.

He pleaded guilty to the embezzlement of N23.3 billion and is to forfeit property valued at N325 million. However, he was given an option to pay a fine of N250 thousand.

Man found hanging on a Mango Tree

Mando Afaka area of  Kaduna State was Monday morning thrown into a gloomy state when the lifeless body of a middle-aged man was found dangling from a mango tree.
The victim whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, is suspected to have hanged himself.
However, men of the Kaduna state police command have retreived the body and taken it to a hospital for further examination.
The victim’s mobile phone was also retrieved from his pocket while efforts were made to establish contact with his relations.

Final Year Student of Igbinedion University Disappears into thin air

A ‘silver alert’ has been issued for Bolaji James Odubayo, a 20-year-old man, who was said to have left home on Monday January 14, 2013 in Aguda, Surulere and has since not returned. What can possibly explain the disappearance of the Bolaji, a 400- level student of Igbinedion University, Okada, remains a mystery as he was said to have left his residence at No 107, Oshogbo Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos around 10am for his campus at Okada, Edo state.

According to the mother, Mrs Mercy Itohan Odubayo who narrated how Bolaji left home that fateful morning, “he left with a travelling bag and a shuttle bag wearing a white and green shirt atop a violet pair of trousers bidding farewell to his younger sister who was at home at the time he left.

He told me before I left home earlier that he was going to board a bus at Edegbe Line for Benin and I told him to call me immediately he gets to campus but he never did. “Although he was not having a cell phone with him, he had lost his phone before he arrived from school late in December for holidays. We never talked about a new phone before he left,” she stated.



The middle aged widow and mother of four could not hold back tears while narrating how she had gone to several places in search of her only son. “I have gone everywhere I know and contacted those of his friends I know. I have gone to Edegbe Line to ask whether he boarded any of their buses to Benin but they said no.

I requested for their manifest for that day which they provided the following day but with no trace of his name on it. I have also reported at Sholoki, Aguda Police station near our house. He was supposed to be writing his final exams now and all his friends at school also said they have not seen him. I also called one of his lecturers who also said the same thing. After making an entry of the case, the police only told me to go and pray over it.”

According to Madam Odubayo, she lost her husband four years ago and she has been struggling to pay the school fees of their children two of whom are at the same university with the assistance of her husband’s relatives.

Madam Odubayo urged anyone with information about where her only son could be found to contact her on 08065264917 or Nina on 07054013462 or Nosa Ojo on 07030618904 or the nearest police station.

Breaking: Vehicle Plunges From Third Mainland Bridge Into the Lagoon

A vehicle has skidded off the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge and plunged into the lagoon.
The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, while confirming the incident, stated that the accident happened at the Adekunle junction of the bridge.

“A private vehicle fell into the water. Rescue people have sighted the vehicle and are trying to pull it out,” said Sadiq Abdulrahman, FRSC Unit Commander Lagos Island.

Unconfirmed reports say it was two Sport Utility Vehicles, but Mr. Abdulrahman said that more details would be known after rescue operations.
Witnesses say one body had been recovered from the lagoon and rushed to a nearby hospital.

The shameful sight called Nigerian Embassy at Washignton DC

In this article,Onyema Uche, a Nigerian resident in the US writes on his experience on a visit to the Nigerian embassy in the United States.

It is a pity to observe that Nigeria is not living in this computer age. Walking down the passageway of the Nigeria embassy, the first embarrassing sight is the Nigerian Chancery entrance. It was not just dirty, flirty looking, but ncmore like a deserted/abandoned building. Surprised, I decided to take a walk further to see how other embassies looked from the outside. To say the truth all the other Chanceries were immaculate and neat. I wondered if Nigerian embassy cannot afford to hire people to clean their premises.
Walking inside the embassy first thing I observed was that Nigeria flag was the only torn flag in the vicinity of more than 7 embassies. Why is Nigerian flag torn? Do they not have duwa-duwa people to patch the flag or money to replace it? I also took time to look at other flags of different embassies, like, Brunei, Pakistan, Malaysia, India, and a few others. Their flags were flying high and clear, but Nigeria’s flag was flying torn. Does the ambassador visit that premises?
On the inside, I was shocked to observe that there was no security checks as you walk into the offices. Just like in Nigeria every visitor is free to enter anywhere, clearly no security zone.
To the consulate office could you believe Nigeria of USA is operating with no computers? Just files as they used to carry it in immigration offices in all the states in Nigeria. My appointment was 01-14-2013. Just for collection of ECOWAS passport I had to wait for 2 hours on a 2 week appointment. Wait that was not all.
Filling application form. All applicants were directed to fill the forms on the internet and make payment online. This I did and at the end I was given appointment by 10 am in 2 weeks time. I was shocked to observe that the $65 dollars payment online was not directed to the Nigeria embassy but to an individual in Lagos. According to the online receipt payment was to a different company’s account. Yet they give me date and time which the consulate did not have record of because they had no computer. Upon arrival 9:45 am I had to sign in on a sheet of paper and wait for my time.
I asked the consular why I had to wait when I already had appointment and I came 15 minutes early. He said it was 9ja system ”you know na”. Then I asked him what the $65 online payment was for since the official charge was $30 which you have to pay by money order or check? His response ”my brother I do not know o”. Further more I asked why are the information not stored in data since we applied online. His answer, ”I guess they are working on that”.
Point to wonder, is the embassy collaborating with a Nigerian company to swindle $65 from every passport applicant in the Washington DC? If no please somebody educate me on the relevance of paying/applying online only to end up filling the forms again manually at the consulate office? Why is Nigerian flag torn? Nigeria!

Patience Jonathan Rushed To German Hospital After Health Failed Again. - Media Sources

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has been flown out to Germany on another emergency.

This development comes less than 24 hours after media sources revealed that she was billed to depart for Spain to attend to her health.

Medical sources in Abuja said Mrs. Jonathan had to be flown out earlier than expected due to new health concerns that developed overnight. The urgent nature of her departure for Germany led to cancellation of her appearance at a presidential event scheduled for 6:00 PM where the president hosted foreign ambassadors to Nigeria.

There is no official word from the Presidency regarding her trip. Her principal media aide Ayo Osinlu told journalists by phone that he couldn’t tell of her movements because he was not in Abuja at the moment.

In August 2012, Mrs. Jonathan was airlifted to Wiesbaden, Germany, where she spent several weeks in a hospital for an undisclosed ailment.

The presidency did not confirm her condition or whereabouts throughout the period. She returned to Nigeria on October 14 and denied having been hospitalized in Germany or having any terminal condition.

“I don’t even know that hospital they are talking about,” she said. “I do not have any terminal illness or cosmetic surgery.”

Nigerian Actress Nkeiru Sylvanus marries Vice-President's Media Spokesman As Second Wife

Few days after she was released from kidnappers den, Nollywood actress and Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Nkiru Sylvanus got married to her long time heartthrob secretly.

The man who swept the actress feet is the media spokesman of Vice President Namadi Sambo, Mallam Umar Sani. Our sources revealed that the wedding which held two weeks ago was given a media blackout and attended by handful of family members.

Reports say that the wedding was made hush-hush because of the media attention that greeted the kidnapping of the actress and because the VP’s media man has a wife already which will make Nkiru his second wife.

Nkiru Sylvanus was kidnapped by some gunmen in Owerri on Saturday, December 15, 2012 and a demand for a ransom of 100 million naira for her release was made by her abductors.

The actress was released about a week after, though there were unconfirmed reports that a ransom was paid.

One of the Vice President’s Spokesman’s friends confirmed the marriage added that, “it is not for public knowledge”.

Unconfirmed media sources say that Nkiru and Umar Sani had been dating for a while and it was Sani, who got the political appointment for the actress in Imo State.

“Umar Sani and Rochas Okorocha are close friends. Umar facilitated Nkiru’s appointment in Imo State. You know Nkiru is from Abia State and not Imo”, our source revealed.

The source further told us that it was Umar Sani that paid ransom of several millions of naira which made the kidnappers to release the actress.

There will be no Election In Nigeria in 2015 - Tunde Bakare

Vice-Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 elections and pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has expressed doubts over the possibility of having an election in 2015.

Bakare, who preached a sermon titled: ‘Corruption and the Soul of Nigeria’ on Sunday at his church in Lagos, was speaking with journalists when he made the asseryion.

“I don’t believe there will be an election in 2015. Instead, the election will come up in 2014. There are issues that will come up that will make the election happen in 2014,” he said.

The fiery cleric lamented the deteriorating living conditions in the country and placed the blame on the unabated corruption among political office holders, stressing that: “Corruption is killing Nigeria.”
He further advised Nigerians to prayer fervently to rescue the country.
“We must pray and blow the trumpets in the hope that our nation can be saved by God before it sinks,” he said.

Interview: I am working on my divorce - Chika Ike, Nigerian Actress

From her first attempt at acting in a single scene non-speaking role, Nollywood actress Chika Ike has honed her craft, developed her skills, and is today one of Nigeria’s leading actresses.
A United Nations Ambassador for Peace, Chika is also a two-time Africa Movie Academy Award nominee. In 2012, she won the Best Actress Award at the Young Achievers Award and officially launched the Chika Ike Foundation that same year.
Her recent movies include ‘Star Secret’, ‘My Diva’, ‘Ifunnaya’, ‘Tears of The Poor’ and ‘A Minute Silence’. Having a keen eye for fashion and a strong business desire, in 2011 she launched her fashion and accessories store, Fancy Nancy in Abuja.

During the Christmas period, pictures of you holidaying in Dubai surfaced on the internet. How was your vacation?

It was fabulous. It was a well deserved vacation and I had fun. I’ve travelled to Dubai and America severally but this trip made me discover Dubai, Miami and Washington DC. I had a tour guide take me to a lot of tourist attractions in the place. It was really wonderful.
Did you go on the trip alone?

I went with my manager for my Dubai trip but for my Miami trip, I went with my sister.
You made the news some time ago when Kim Kardashian retweeted and replied one of your tweets. Was this a big deal for you?

I think she knows me (smiling and batting eyelids). I think she knows Chika Ike as a Nigerian actress. Honestly, when I got the reply from Kim I was wowed. Kim is someone I like very much. I like her fashion sense, her business sense, and the way she handles her fans. She is someone I can relate to in the entertainment industry because she understands being out there, being in the public eye. A lot of us don’t understand it but she understands how to handle things. When she retweeted at me, I was like “Wow!” I was hoping the tweet didn’t come from a fake account but I checked and it was a verified account and I was really happy.

Your last birthday party created a lot of buzz for a couple of reasons. Firstly, why did you decide to hold it in Enugu along with a trade fair?

I normally don’t celebrate my birthday often. I’m not the kind of person that throws a big party every birthday but this time around, I had a business and my fans in Enugu had been asking me to come to their state and showcase Fancy Nancy. So I thought to myself, Why not do my birthday and the Fancy Nancy trade fair together and also give them a 50 percent discount which is a huge one? So that’s what I did.

A lot of people disbelieved your age and for a while, it was a trending topic on Twitter and blogs. Why do you think you had that kind of response?

I think it’s for two reasons. One is I got married at a very young age. Being married in most African societies means that you are mature, quite old. I was 20 when I got married. Another thing is I think I have achieved so much for my age so people would doubt that I’m 27. I think a lot of celebs also have that issue; people think we are older than our age. It is how it is.
How did the controversy about your age make you feel? Were you hurt by the negative comments?

It didn’t really hurt me, it made me laugh. I saw it in a positive light. I felt that people thought I’ve achieved so much for my age at 27.
You later tweeted your WAEC Certificate where your date of birth was clearly shown. Why did you feel the need to reassure people that you were telling the truth? 

What happened that day is I had been looking for my WAEC certificate for a long time. And then suddenly I remembered that I scanned some of my documents and saved them in my email box so I was really happy when I found it. I just wanted to start a conversation on Twitter, asking people about their WAEC results and before I knew it, it went viral. I saw it as funny that people thought I was dumb because I made good grades. Do they think actresses are dumb? I’m happy that it actually cleared the air on my age but that was not what I really intended when I tweeted it.

I notice you’ve upgraded your website and on it, you mentioned buying a car for your mother as one of your highlights of 2012. This made the news some months ago when you actually presented the car. Was this deliberate?

I didn’t put my mother’s car gift out there. I put it as my DP on Mother’s Day and the next thing, people started calling me to congratulate me. I felt that I should have let her wear a better dress in the picture if I knew it was going to get to the internet (laughs). She was just wearing her night gown and tying a scarf. It is now that I understand the strength of the BlackBerry so if I don’t want anything out there I won’t put it out. It was a personal highlight but it was already in the public.
The release of your yearly calendar usually gets mixed reactions. Were you at any time bothered by the negative comments and why did you decide to rebrand with a traditional style this year?
My yearly calender is a tradition I started to usher in the new year. Honestly the mixed feelings from my past calender didn’t really bother me because I totally love every bit and I did them at certain stages in my life. Every year comes with a new concept. I just thought that I should promote cultures in Nigeria this year and I totally love it.

Some time ago, it was rumoured that the Senate President bought a car for you and helped sponsor your Abuja store. What do you have to say about this?

No, David Mark did not buy me a car, neither did he help me with my shop in Abuja. I know him as the Senate President but I don’t know him personally. But hey, he is the Senate President! Who wouldn’t want to know him personally, but too bad at the moment I don’t.

Marriage & Moving On

I understand this is a sensitive topic but could we talk about your marriage. How long were you married for?
I was married for about five years.
The end of your marriage brought up a lot of speculation with people insinuating different reasons in the media but up till date you haven’t really come out to say what went wrong. Why are you quiet about it?

I’m a very private person and I keep my private issues to myself. As an actress, there are some things I don’t want to let out. My marriage is a very sensitive topic and I don’t really like to speak about what I went through.

The major rumored reason was domestic violence and this is something a lot of women face in their marriages. A popular blogger once advised that you tell your story so that other women can learn from your experience.

Maybe when the right time comes, I’d talk about it. There is something I’ve been avoiding saying but I’d tell you. I’m separated and I’m working on my divorce and very soon I’d get a divorce. Even if it’s so hard to believe, I’ve decided to let bygones be bygones and move on without him in my life. Both of us are still on talking terms and I’ve also learnt to forgive him. Maybe when I’m done with my divorce, I would be able to talk about it. I’m going through a lot of emotions right now and it’s still very fresh.

I quite understand. Do you think getting married at a young age was a disadvantage or had anything to do with the way it ended?

I think it has to do with so many reasons, one of them might be being young. Some people get married that young and have been able to make their marriages work. But if you’re young, you’re young. There are some things you’ve not experienced. You might not be able to stay calm when you’re supposed to stay calm, understand when you’re supposed to understand or leave what you’re supposed to leave. Also, I think these days, a lot of people are not happy in their marriages. I have a lot of friends who would have left their marriages but because of the African society, their in-laws, what people will say or other factors, they stay. We’ve heard of a lot of deaths caused by bad marriages and before the death, there would have been signs, things that have been happening leading up to that. I think it has to do with age and so many other things like compatibility and not being true to yourself in the marriage. Everybody has a limit. There are some things in marriage that you might not be able to stand. Some people’s limit might not be my limit; my limit might be somebody’s starting point.

Have you moved on and are you willing to try again?

I’ve moved on but marriage right now is not at the top of my list. I’m still trying to get myself together. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. I have to understand the person I’m going to be with. There are so many things involved.

Acting

Let’s talk about what brought you into the lime light. How did you cut your teeth into the acting profession?
In 2005, I went with my sister to audition for a movie and after a while, they called me that I got a scene in the movie and my sister got ten scenes. It wasn’t even a speaking role and initially I felt bad but I gave it my best shot. Things just picked up from there.

Nowadays, a lot of people get lead roles at the beginning of their career but you have had to climb the ladder. How has this affected your career?

When you start gradually, you tend to appreciate where you are right now. When you crawl before you walk and then you fly, you’ll appreciate your roots. But some people are just lucky. Everybody wants to start big but I appreciate my small beginning. It has taught me to be patient and to never give up.
What were you doing around the time you started acting?

I was studying for my Diploma at Unilag before I went on to get a degree.

You mentioned earlier that you were quite young when you got married. Were you already acting at that time or did you start acting afterwards?

When I went for my first audition, I wasn’t married. The time between when we had the auditions and when we got called was quite long, about 7months. I got married in 2006 around the time I started acting.

What was growing up like?

Growing up was fun. My parents are disciplinarians. My Mum is an Evangelist and my father is a very strict man. When I told him I want to be an actress, he didn’t like it. In those days it was difficult to convince parents unlike now that mothers even call me to help their daughters get into acting. I grew up in a large compound where I had a lot of kids to play with.

Is your sister still acting?

No, right now she is in America. She is more into pageantry; she has participated in a couple of beauty pageants.

What should your fans be expecting from you this year?

A lot of charity; it’s my giving back year. A lot of movies too. Also, people complain that I hardly attend events. I get a lot of invitations and it’s not intentional that I don’t attend but I have a lot of work. I think I would try to attend more events this year and hopefully, I might just produce my movie this year.

Boko Haram Commander Arrested in Maiduguri

The Joint Task Force (JTF) on “Operation Restore Order’’ says that it has apprehended Mohammed Zangina, a suspected Boko Haram commander, in Maiduguri.

JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, said this via a statement on Sunday in Maiduguri.

Musa said that Zangina was arrested after an operation at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Maiduguri.

“The JTF has arrested a high-profile Boko Haram commander and `Shura’ Committee member at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday. He was arrested in GRA, Maiduguri,” he said.
Musa said that Zangina was in Maiduguri to plan for series of attacks before he was captured.

“He came to Maiduguri to plan several deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel.

“ Zangina, a.k.a Malam Abdullahi, is often referred to as Alhaji Musa. He is the leader of Boko Haram in the north-central part of the country; he is the coordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum.

“He is a key member of the `Shura’ Committee of the Boko Haram terrorists and he is among those declared wanted. A bounty of N25 million was placed on him by the JTF in November 2012,” he said.

Musa said that Zangina had survived numerous attempts to capture him before he was eventually arrested in Maiduguri.

“He has survived several security manhunts in his hideouts in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potikum before his eventual arrest,” he added. (NAN)

Mysterious fire consumes a pregnant woman and her daughter in Imo State

A pregnant woman, Mrs. Nkechi Amajuoyi and her two-year-old daughter were burnt to death on Tuesday night, following a mysterious fire, that consumed their house in Ubachima, Awo Omamma, Oru East Local Council of Imo State.

The bereaved husband Benedict Amajuoyi while narrating the incident, stated that “After having my supper, I decided to sleep on a bench outside the house since there was no light”

“I suddenly heard my wife and daughter screaming for help, but by the time I got to the room, it was already covered by smoke. I couldn’t help them when they needed me the most” he lamented.

Though the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, there are two different conflicting reports on how the fire began.

On narrating the incident, some eyewitnesses claimed that the family of three was relaxing outside the house until it became very cold for the woman and their daughter. Since there was no electrical power supply, the late Mrs Amajuoyi lit the family’s lantern and headed for the room with the little girl. Unknown to her, petrol was dripping from her husband’s motorcycle which was parked inside the house, and in a twinkle of the eye, the room was on fire.

Another set of witnesses claimed that the woman and her daughter had successfully gone to bed before the mysterious fire sprung from the lantern and spread round the room.

Man Poisoned A Day After Winning 1 Million US Dollars in a Lottery

One day, Urooj Khan jumped for joy after scoring a $1 million winner on an Illinois lottery scratch ticket. The next month, he was dead. The lottery winner ‘woke up screaming from fatal cyanide poisoning ONE DAY after receiving a check for his $1million ticket. Investigators initially ruled Khan’s manner of death natural. But after being prompted by a relative, the medical examiner’s office in Cook County, Illinois, revisited the case and eventually determined there was a lethal amount of cyanide in Khan’s system. “That … led us to issue an amended death certificate that (established) cyanide toxicity as the cause of death, and the manner of death as homicide,” Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Steve Cina said Monday. Why did Khan, an Indian immigrant who was described as a well-liked, hardworking and successful businessman, die? And who is responsible? Finding that out is now up to the Chicago police.

No arrests have been made. “We are investigating it as a murder, and we’re working closely with the medical examiner’s office,” Chicago police spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said Monday. On June 26, Khan was all smiles at a 7-Eleven in the Rogers Park section of Chicago. Surrounded by his wife, daughter and friends, he held an oversized $1 million check and recalled his joy upon playing the “$3 million Cash Jackpot!” game, where tickets sell for $30 apiece. “I scratched the ticket, then I kept saying, ‘I hit a million!’ over and over again,” the 46-year-old Khan said, according to a press release from the Illinois Lottery.
“I jumped two feet in the air, then ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100.” The plan, he explained, was to use the money for his mortgage, paying off bills, a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and investing more in his dry cleaning businesses. “Winning the lottery means everything to me,” Khan said. He would have to wait a few weeks to collect his actual winnings, which amounted after taxes to about $425,000.
According to CNN affiliate WGN, that check was issued July 19, but Khan never got to spend it. The next night, Khan came home, ate dinner and went to bed, according to an internal police department document obtained by the Chicago Tribune. His family later heard him screaming and took him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the paper reported, citing the document. That’s where the Cook County medical examiner’s office came in, investigating Khan’s death because it was “sudden and unexpected,” Cina said. At the time, there were no allegations of foul play or evidence of trauma. So, following the office’s policy, Khan’s body underwent what Cina described as an “external examination (and) basic toxicology testing,” neither of which turned up anything abnormal.

So the medical examiner ruled that Khan had died of arterial scler*tic cardiovascular disease — which encompasses incidents like heart attacks, strokes and aortic ruptures — and that his manner of death was natural, according to Cina. A few days later, a family member approached the doctor who had examined the body “and said they felt uncomfortable that it was being ruled a natural and they suggested that we look into it further,” the chief medical examiner said. “So we did that,” he added. “Forensics is not a static field. If new evidence comes to light, we’ll revisit cases.”
That meant more in-depth toxicology tests. In early September, new screening results came back indicating cyanide in Khan’s blood. With that, the official manner of death was changed from natural to pending, Cina said, and Chicago police got involved. In late November, a more detailed blood analysis came back showing “a lethal level of cyanide,” and Khan’s death became a murder case. Chicago police haven’t offered details, including a possible motive, about what they call an “ongoing investigation.”
Talking briefly with CNN affiliate WBBM and the Tribune, Khan’s widow described her husband as kind and exemplary. Jimmy Goreel, who runs the 7-Eleven where the winning lottery ticket was sold, offered similarly glowing comments about Khan. “I would never think that anybody … would hurt him,” Goreel told WGN. “(He was a) nice person, very hopeful and gentle (and) very hardworking.”

Ship in Tin Can Island Catches Fire

The Ship

A ship docked at the Tin Can Island port in Apapa, Lagos has exploded in flames. This was following a blast in the port.


The blast, which shook buildings in the Apapa area, happened during a transfer of fuel, the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said.

Nema's Akande Iyiola told the BBC the oil depot was owned the petroleum company MRS Oil.

Firefighters are working to douse the flames and four people were wounded in the blast, AFP news agency reports.

Many tankers dock at jetties in the port in Lagos to load and unload petroleum products.

Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil producers, but imports refined petrol.

My Cure for HIV/AIDS is scientific, says lecturer who claims to have found cure for AIDS

The new therapy for HIV/AIDS unveiled by researchers of the University of Benin passed through due scientific process and was reviewed by international Toxicologists, the lead researcher and Dean of the School of Basic Medical Science, Isaiah Ibeh, has said.
Mr. Ibeh, a professor, said his team “took our finding to the United States” of America and was reviewed by other international Toxicologists.
The work, Evaluation of the anti- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) properties of bioclean II (DXL – Deconcuction X-Liquid), was reviewed at the International Toxicology Summit and Expo in November 2012, at the United States of America, and published in the Journal of Clinical Toxicology in December, an open access journal.

The exhibition was for cooperation and funding, he said, and the response is positive.
Abstracts of the publication, and some copies of Mr. Ibeh’s other works were made availabe to newsmen.
Mr. Ibeh also said the new drug is capable of wiping out the deadly virus, or significantly lowering its load within a month.
Volunteers are currently receiving treatment, and those exposed to Deconcuction X (DX)–Liquid or Bioclean 11, for 30 days have shown complete absence of very minimal level of the virus, the university professor said.
Mr. Ibeh spoke to newsmen via phone late Tuesday, after an earlier press conference where he announced the team’s work.
The suspicions
The news of the “miracle drug” has expectedly set off a whirlwind of reactions laden with cautious optimism and outright dismissal, with many questioning the team’s methodology and prospect of the therapy.
The fears are founded on past claim by another Nigerian researcher, Jeremiah Abalaka, which proved unsuccessful over time.
A recent claim by the president of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, of anti HIV/AIDS herbal medication capable of clearing the virus, has also been largely unproven, and questionable.
International researchers have criticized Mr. Jammeh’s claim as unfounded and unscientific.

“That is the dilemma of researchers,” Mr. Ibeh said. “If past efforts are deemed to have been unsuccessful, people have such concerns. But the truth is volunteers are currently being treated here, and if one is exposed to the product within 30 days, they will see the difference.”
The announcement is certain to trigger further scrutiny, but Mr. Ibeh said the herbal invention is potent and had undergone basic scientific procedures required.

The UNIBEN Professor

Mr. Ibeh, 58, holds Ph.D in Medical Laboratory Science and Microbiology. He has been a Professor of Microbiology since 2003.
He has published over 80 journal, 8 textbooks and has attended several conferences. He was the President of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Edo State Branch (2002 – 2004).
He was a Common Wealth Scholar to the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, 1988; Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Third World Academy for the Advancement of Sciences (TWAS) 1995; visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of India (CISR) 1995 – 1996. He was Head of Department of Microbiology 2005 – 2007 and currently the Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin.

Many of his past works have been published by the Indian Journal of Neurosurgery, European Journal of Scientific Research, North American Journal of Medical Sciences, African Journals online, Prime Journal and Journal of clinical neonatology.
Mr. Ibeh said the team, made of three core researchers and five extended scientists, was currently working on limiting the duration it takes to reverse the infection.

Boko Haram Top Man Escapes Arrest In Benue

One of the top kingpins of the dreaded lslamist sect, Boko Haram, Ali Jalingo, Sunday evaded arrest in Gboko town of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue state when security operatives raided the area in search of him.

It gathered that the invasion, which took place in Gboko South, at about 3:00am yesterday morning was accompanied by fire exchange from the operatives and some heavily armed gunmen.

The Benue State Police Command disclosed that it was a military team from Abuja, including soldiers and men of the State Security Service (SSS) that carried out the operation, saying that the police in Benue were not involved.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ezeala said: “it was not the police in Benue that carried out the operation. The incident happened in Gboko Benue State but it was the military and the state security service in Abuja that carried it out. And so we (Benue police command) cannot give the details of the incident and I cannot tell you anything more than that.”

However, it was learnt that Jalingo had rented an apartment belonging to a man identified as ‘Dan Tsoho’ behind an Islamic primary school in the community.

Jalingo, a native of Niger Republic who was declared wanted in connection with various bombings in Borno and other parts of Northern Nigeria was alleged to have been in Gboko town for some time now.

According to an eyewitness, who simply gave his name as Mohammed, “There were gunshots around Gboko South in the early hours of Sunday, precisely 3am. People thought it was thieves on rampage. But as the day broke, a source from that part of the town told our correspondent that soldiers were after a suspected Boko Haram agent, Ali Jalingo.”

“This evening, at about 6pm, bulldozers were sited at the vicinity doing their job. Five minutes later, the house was reduced to rubbles. Some residents were said to have deserted the area while sighting the presence of heavily armed security personnel”, he said.

Family being treated for rabies after a wild cat suddenly attacked them

A man in Massachusetts says all he heard was a hiss before a bobcat pounced on him in his own garage, sinking its teeth into his face and its claws in his back.

Roger Mundell Jr. went into the garage in Brookfield on Sunday morning to fetch some tie-down straps for a friend when the animal attacked.

It then ran out of the garage and bit Mundell's 15-year-old nephew on the arms and back.

Mundell and his wife pinned the cat to the ground and shot it dead.

Mundell, his nephew and his wife, are being treated for rabies. His wife wasn't bitten, but got the animal's blood on her.

State Environmental Police took the bobcat to have it tested for rabies, which they think is likely given its unusual behavior.

Gunmen Kill 10 in Zamfara

Gunmen shot and hacked to death about 10 people during a raid on two neighbouring villages in Zamfara State, police said on Sunday, in an area plagued by Islamist militancy and lawlessness.

The motive behind the late Saturday attack on the villages of Makera and Usu was not known, police said.

It was also unclear whether militant Islamist sect Boko Haram, or a criminal gang were behind it, Reutersreports on Sunday.

“There was an attack in these villages in Zamfara and people were killed. I think the number is around 10,” Zamfara police spokesman, Hassan Talba, said on the telephone from the scene.

He said the prime suspects were gangs of Fulani herdsmen but that police were still investigating.

Court Dissolves Over 52 Marriages In Kwara State

No fewer than 52 marriages were dissolved by courts in Omu-Aran in 2012, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Some of the reasons adduced for the dissolution included lack of love between the parties, desertion, irresponsibility and uncaring attitude.

Other reasons adduced were infidelity, cruelty, battery and drunkenness.

Of the 86 cases filed, 30 traditional marriages were dissolved by the Area Court while the remaining 22 court marriages were dissolved by the Upper Area Court and High Court.

Investigation, however, revealed that incidence of marriage dissolution in the area was on the decline   when compared to the 57 recorded in the 75 cases filed in 2011.

Incessant irreconcilable marriage differences had become a source of worry to magistrates and judges.

Mr Abolade Banigbe, an Area Court judge said in spite of the slight decrease recorded between 2011 and 2012, the trend had posed a great challenge to the judiciary within the community.

He said there was the need for government to strengthen the services of the Citizen’s Mediation and Conciliation Centre, especially at the grass roots.

``It is a worrisome spate of unresolved and irreconcilable marriages differences leading to eventual dissolution, particularly at the grass roots.

``The problem is that judges have had to adjourn to allow for amicable settlement between parties on several occasions which unfortunately we cannot partake in.

``I think there is urgent need to encourage and empower the mediators in Alternative Dispute Resolution Centres in the state capitals to extend their services to the rural communities.

``This will probably reduce the ugly trend of marriage dissolution being experienced in recent times,’’ he said.

Pastor Claims He was bewitched after Raping 12 year Old, Released On Bail

A pastor, Alasco Sobowale, in Togodo Street, Temu Town Epe, Lagos State, has been arrested for raping his 12-year-old neighbour on the 15th of December.

Dailypost gathered that the 12-year-old victim who recently arrived Lagos from Imo state, only speaks Igbo Language.

The victim’s aunt, Mrs. Ngozi Anjorin, disclosed that Pastor Sobowale carnally abused her after having lured her to the toilet.

“On that particular night, my children were in the room watching television but I couldn’t find my niece. I kept on shouting her name but I got no answer. I then proceeded to the toilet which is detached from the building. I knocked on the door of the toilet and the pastor immediately ran out and I saw her inside the toilet. When I inquired of her what she was doing inside the toilet with the pastor, she said he lured her into the toilet and covered her mouth with his palm so she wouldn’t scream. She said the pastor brought out his penis and forced it into her anus. She said he also put his penis in her vagina and when she discharged a particular fluid, he used a handkerchief to scoop it.”

The rape victim was rushed down to Epe General Hospital. When tests were conducted on her, it was found that the victim’s “vaginal hymen is no longer intact and bruises were observed in the anal region.”

Doctor’s report further revealed that there was sperm residue in the victim’s private part and it was concluded that she had been sexually assaulted.

Neighbour claim the Pastor fled the compound for two days but was arrested by the Epe police division after a search party was conducted.

Reacting to the incident, some of his church members accused a six-year-old girl of bewitching the pastor and had her flogged and paraded.

“Sobowale is not actually the head pastor. His wife is the senior pastor of the church known as Okiki Imole. A few days after the incident, a six-year-old girl was branded a witch and accused of manipulating the pastor to commit the dastardly act. The poor girl was beaten up and paraded round the town. They said when the pastor was conducting deliverance for her; her spirit took over his body.” A source disclosed.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed that the girl was raped, adding that the pastor has been released on bail because courts were not in session.

“The pastor is in charge of a white garment church in the area. He will be charged with sodomy….once courts resume, he will be charged,” she assured.