Tuface Idibia, Annie Macaulay and jamboree of their wedding date

For months, fans of power couple Tuface Idibia and Annie Macaulay have been tossed back and forth, left and right  like a ping-pong ball, over the exact date and venue of the hot celebrities lavish white wedding; rumours, speculations and counter speculations have gone by since their quiet traditional wedding ceremony which took place at Annie’s parent’s home in Ajah, Lagos with one story at the thick of it all even claiming Tuface allegedly said there would be no lavish white wedding so as not to hurt his other baby mamas, yet no one was satisfied.

Then, news washed up online that February 14, 2013 had been chosen as the D-day, exactly one year after Annie said yes to her man at a nightclub in Lagos. The self styled investigators quoted sources who they say virtually ‘lived’ in Tuface and Annie’s minds and there was a resounding sigh of relief from many.

*Annie & Tuface

Well that gist is turning out not to be true.

New information emerging has it that Tuface Idibia has plans for Valentine’s day and it is not a wedding. The Benue born star has concerts lined up for him that week including the 14th and he could be honouring them all.

His wife Annie who recently appeared on Africa Magic entertainment programme Jara also didn’t give any indication of a wedding coming up soon.

With the Febuary 14 story trashed, another thread of rumour has again emerged.

This one states that the couple may be doing it somewhere in the middle east and that family and friends would be flown on a special chartered plane to the strictly by invitation wedding. This is further fueled by pictures posted recently by Annie on Instagram as she holidayed at a resort in Dubai.

Tuface warned right from the beginning that his dealings with Annie would be very secret. His traditional marriage almost passed un-noticed  and he is trying to do the same with his white wedding. If anyone truly knows Tuface, it should be the fact that he is a man who keeps his word.

His white wedding would hold secretly and quietly

PHOTONEWS: EFCC Arraigns Malaysia-Based Undergraduate, Three Others over N55m Scam

Hope Olusegun Aroke, a Malaysia-based undergraduate fraudster and three others, Ibrahim Garuba Tafida, Tafida Gano Investment Limited and Hopes and Oyin Limited were today arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos on two separate charges bordering on false assets declaration, conspiracy and conversion of fund to the tune of over N55million.
The first accused Aroke was arraigned on both charges. He was first docked on a three count charge that borders on false declaration of assets, while all four accused persons were later arraigned on a four count charge of conspiracy and conversion of funds.
 One of the charge reads:  “That you, Hope Olusegun Aroke (m), Ibrahim Garuba Tafida (M),Tafida Gano Investment Limited and Hopes and Oyin Limited between September and October, 2012 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court conspired to convert the sum of N31,000,000 (Thirty One Million
Naira) to the credit of Tafida Gano Investment Limited and Hopes and Oyin Limited account domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc which sum you knew represent the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said crime and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)Act, 2004”.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Consequently, prosecution counsel, Hauwa Abubakar urged the court to give a short date for trial and that the first and second accused persons are remanded in prison custody.
Defence Counsel, T.O Taiwo, told the court that he had filed applications for bail and had served the prosecution since January 18, 2013. He also told the court that the second accused person, Ibrahim Tafida, had been offered administrative bail by the EFCC and did not default. He, therefore, prayed the court to allow him continue with the bail earlier granted him or remand him in EFCC custody should the court decides otherwise.

 Justice Idris consequently offered Tafida bail in the sum of N10million and one surety in like sum. The surety must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. He also ruled that Tafida should be remanded in prison custody until he meets the bail conditions. Justice Idris also ruled that the first accused person, Hope Olusegun Aroke be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till January 25, 2013 for hearing of Aroke’s bail application.
Aroke, together with one other Malaysia-based undergraduate, was arrested in the closing week of 2012 by operatives of the EFCC at the elite 1004 housing estate, Victoria Island, Lagos.  His accomplice, Ibrahim Tafida is a Bureau De Change operator through whom Aroke was able to launder proceeds of scam to the tune of N55, 050, 000.00k (Fifty Five million, fifty thousand naira only).

Wilson Uwujaren
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

NSCDC arrests 4 suspected vandals in Ebonyi

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said yesterday it arrested four persons suspected to be involved in vandalisation of transformers meant for Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in the state. Parading the suspects at the Command’s Headquarters, Abakaliki, the Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corp, ASC Emmanuel Nwali, explained that the suspected vandals were rounded up at Orizor in Ezza North Local Government area where they were allegedly seen tampering with the transformer opposite the residence of Senator Igwe Nwagu.
According to him, one of those arrested claimed to be a staff of PHCN as items recovered from the suspected vandals were safety belt, pliers, fuses and cables.

*PHCN transformer

He said: “The men you are seeing here are suspected vandals arrested on 29th of December, 2012 when our Armed Squad were on patrol at Orizor opposite Senator Igwe Nwagu’s compound where a transformer is located.
“ There have been series of complains that the transformer was often vandalized by unknown persons. One of our men that were deployed within that jurisdiction got the information and alerted our armed squad team.
“So, while they were on patrol, they discovered some men who were tampering with the transformer.  One of those arrested who is an electrician claimed to be a NEPA staff when he is not.
“We know that it is unconstitutional for anybody to go and tamper with NEPA installations especially transformers.

Senate to probe funds to Police Colleges

ABUJA—MOVED by  the rot in the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, where men of the Police are trained under dehumanizing condition, the Senate, yesterday, vowed to carry out a holistic probe into the funds allocated to the college and other institutions of training in the force.
It, however, blamed itself for not carrying out an effective and efficient oversight function to detect the deplorable and appalling situation of the college and then raise an alarm, prior to the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan in a Police college hostel

Answering questions from journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, ANPP, Yobe North, said the Senate had completed arrangement to summon the Police authorities to explain how funds appropriated to the college were utilised.
Lawan, however, said that the investigation of the committee would go beyond the Police College, Ikeja, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the rot in the entire system.
Lawan, who could not give the exact figures appropriated to the college, said:  “I don’t have any figure off hand as to how much has been appropriated. But one thing is very certain and clear from the visit of Mr. President to the police college in Lagos that some agencies of government have not been living up to expectations.
“The public accounts committee has already taken some steps to ensure that the police authorities appear before the committee to explain the utilisation of the funds appropriated particularly to the college. But we are also expanding beyond the college because this is a sign that all is not okay with the police organisation.
“I want to hope that the rot will stop with the police college. But if in the course of our investigation we discover that it is more than the college and that some organisations within the police are facing the same thing, then we have to take very serious action.
“First, we have to determine whether the funds were adequate so that if the funds were not adequate, we will like to see how prudent, economically and efficiently the scarce resources were utilized. If, however, the funds were enough and  someone failed to do his or her duty, we will surely recommend serious sanctions for whoever is responsible.”
Poor oversight by  N-Assembly
On poor oversight by National Assembly, Senator Lawan admitted that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House Committees on Police Affairs, would have detected the rot in the college had the committees did their jobs well.
He also fingered the Police Affairs and Police Service Commission of doing a poor job of not properly supervising the college.
He said:  ‘’These are people that are directly involved with them. So it is a responsibility that we share. But I believe that we are supposed to take the lead in the oversight process because this is our major work.
“We are supposed to be visiting institutions and organisations that have been appropriated public funds to ensure that the funds are utilised properly.
“So, this is an eye opener not only for the police affairs committees but for other committees. And the Senate President has consistently told us to ensure that we have oversight functions and programmes that would ensure that no public fund is put in another way or used in an imprudent manner.
“So I am sure that we would step up our oversight. And the President should do more of this kind of thing because if anything, it would give the trainees the impression and confidence that their leaders are really concerned with what happens with their training at institutions.”
On whether the funds were enough
On whether the funds for the Police were enough, he said: “I always believe that efficiency, economy, prudence and effective utilisation of resources are more important than quantum of resources, because when we emphasise on having more funds neglecting the efficiency aspect of utilisation, we don’t achieve anything.
“Some organisations with good management could achieve more with little. It is not about the quantum of money but how strategically the funds are utilised and efficiency of utilisation.
“So I believe that we should be emphasizing efficiency, economy and prudence of funds in addition to appropriating more funds. We can also grow better environment for our organisations to function better. But I don’t think we should be limiting ourselves to quantum of funds.”
When asked whether the probe will be as holistic as that of Bureau for Public Enterprise, BPE, Lawan said: “We did not do BPE investigation as a Public Accounts Committee. You would recall that the BPE assignment was an ad hoc assignment.
“This police issue is a public account assignment. What we will do is narrow down appropriations over the year to the police and see how much has been utilised and to what the revelation will be.
“But I don’t think we will begin to investigate the police from 1999 till date. We will focus on the budget. You would recall that BPE was a total investigation and everything was involved. But with the police, I don’t think that is where we are going.”

11 years after, Ikeja bomb blast victims cry for compensation

…As Lagos plans low-key commemoration
ELEVEN years after the Ikeja Cantonment bomb blasts that led to the death of over 1000 Nigerians with 12000 rendered homeless, victims of the disaster are still awaiting a compensation package promised by the Federal Government.
It was gathered that the Federal Government had earlier given N500,000 each, as a temporal relief package to parents who lost a child or children and those whose bodies were recovered, while N250, 000 each were given to parents who could not find their children, with a promise to pay actual compensation after 10 years.
As of press time, the victims are still waiting for the compensation without any positive response from Federal Government’s agents, who have continued to keep mum over the issue.
Chairman of the Association of the affected victims, Mr. Olaniran Majekodunni, could not be reached at press time but the secretary, Mr. John Adebayo Orire, who lost his son in the incident, decried the Federal Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the victims, saying, “we are staging a peaceful protest during the 11th anniversary.”
He continued: “It is saddening that 11 years after, the Federal Government has been playing games with us on the issue of compensation. Though, we are not saying that what they are giving us could actually compensate the lives that were lost, but at least it would go a long way in healing some of the wounds.”

File photo: Cross section of affected families

“We are already planning a peaceful demonstration against Federal Government’s failure to fulfill its compensation promise to the victims. Come January 27, 2013, we are carrying placards in protest.
“We have written to federal government, through our lawyer, Femi Falana, on several occasions without hearing from any of their agents. We are lost, but will see to its logical conclusion.”
Lagos plans low-key commemoration
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who recently gave 70 verified families the sum of N250,000.00 each as compensation, had in 2012 set up a 10-man anniversary committee to ensure proper and successful commemoration of the anniversary.
Led by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Obafemi Hamzat, the members include Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed; Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, as well as Permanent Secretaries of the four ministries.
The state government is however planning a low key 11th anniversary, come next Sunday, January 27.
Indeed, January 27, 2002 was horrendous in the history of Lagos and the entire nation. The Ikeja military cantonment was a large military cantonment and storage area in the city of Lagos, situated north of the city centre near the districts of Isolo and Onigbongo.
The base was being used to store a large quantity of “high calibre bombs” and other sundry explosives. On the afternoon of January 27, a fire broke out in a street market being held next to the base, which was also home to the families of soldiers. At around 6 pm the fire apparently spread to the base’s main munitions store, causing an enormous explosion. The blast killed many of the base staff and their families and immediately destroyed several nearby streets, flying debris starting numerous fires further away.
Also thrown up by the blast were thousands of unexploded military munitions, which fell in a rain of exploding shells, grenades and bullets casting further destruction across most of the northern section of the city. Thousands of people from Ikeja and neighbouring districts, seeing explosions and fires breaking out, fled their houses in an attempt to leave the affected areas. As the streets became more and more crowded, explosions amid the fleeing crowds from shells falling from the initial explosion created panic.
A stampede developed as panicking people fled in all directions, trampling those who fell underfoot. It was also reported that people were jumping from burning high-rise buildings and being killed in desperate attempts to cross the busy Ikeja dual carriageway.
In far away Ejigbo area, most people who ran towards Oke-Afa, drowned in the canal. Most of them, oblivious of quick sand in the canal, drowned as they fell over one another. Local divers did their best to rescue the unfortunate victims but many died before they could get help.
The final death toll is hard to compute, although the Red Cross claimed that at least 1,000 bodies were recovered and a number of people were reported missing and never found. In addition to the dead, at least 5,000 people were injured in the disaster and over 12,000 left homeless, with entire districts of the city gutted. About 20,000 people fled the city on the night of the explosion, and the survivors gradually returned over the course of the weeks.

AFCON 2013: Nigeria Coach Keshi Rallies His Players After Disappointing Match Against Burkina Faso

caption: Coach Stephen Keshi and Captain Joseph Yobo

caption: Mikel Obi today in South Africa

At a post match press conference in Nelspruit South Africa, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi put up a bold face claiming his players did not do too badly even as a they conceded a last minute goal against Burkina Faso today at the ongoing Africa cup of nations.

Keshi said at the conference: "I'm very proud of the boys, they did everything that I wanted them to do, and for the last 25 days it is the fourth game we played together as a team because we are building, I'm just gonna let everything die down tonight, let them sleep off and tomorrow I will pick it up if I have to go in the middle of the night I will do that, this game is gone and I will prepare them for the game against Zambia".

Speaking on Victor Moses absence from today's match, Keshi defended his absence,  "He took a knock in Faro and 2 days ago during training. Didn't want to risk him only to take him off 10 mins later", said the coach

On his part, Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo stated that all he said was that the team  will get to the finals, quoting him, "All I said was that we will get to the finals, or we will progress and at least we will give a good account of ourselves, we wanted to win today's match that was why we gave all that we have, this is d first game we are playing, we gave everything today"

Henry Okah: South African Court Convicts Nigeria Rebel -BBC

caption: Henry Okah

A South African court has found Nigerian militant leader Henry Okah guilty of masterminding the 2010 car bombing which killed 12 people.
Okah was convicted of 13 counts related to acts of terrorism.
He was arrested in Johannesburg a day after two car bombs exploded during the 50th anniversary of Nigeria's independence.
He had denied the charges, even though his militant group, Mend, said it had carried out the attack.
Johannesburg High Court Judge Neels Claassen convicted Okah on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit terrorism to detonating explosives.
"I have come to the conclusion that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused," Judge Claassen said, AFP news agency reports.
Okah was arrested on gun-running charges in Angola in 2007 and then transferred to Nigeria but never convicted.
He was released after two years under an amnesty for oil militants and he returned to South Africa, where he had lived since 2003.
Mend says it is fighting so that more of Nigeria's massive oil wealth is used to benefit the Niger Delta area which produces the oil.
But criminal gangs have taken advantage of the region's instability to make money from ransoms paid by oil companies, and by stealing oil.
The violence subsided significantly after the government offered militants an amnesty in 2009.
At its peak, the instability in the Niger Delta cost Nigeria about $1bn (£630m) in loss revenue, Reuters news agency quotes the central bank as saying.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, but most of its people live in poverty.
 

Kano Police Bomb Squad Detonates Powerful Explosive Planted In Front Of A Bank

caption: The Anti-Bomb Squad of the Nigerian police

The Anti-bomb unit of the Nigerian police today successfully detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried across from the GTB bank on Murtala Mohammed Way in Kano.
Police spokesperson in Kano, ASP Musa  Majia told SaharaReporters by phone that the bomb disposal unit of the Nigerian Police in the state were mobilized to the area  after the police was  alerted to a suspicious package around 1:30 PM Nigerian time.
The bomb disposal unit successfully removed the bomb and detonated it a few minutes later. He said the controlled explosion did no damage to anyone or property and that life has since returned to normal in the area.