Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly, and Anderson Cooper are all hosting very well televised parties. Plus our tips on virtual party crashing via webcam.
When our favorite stars don't get together in real-life, there's always the movies.
Justin Bieber didn't even crack the top 20!
Despite the problems encounter before getting to the show venue, D’banj who recently put up a flopped show on the Island recently was said to have insulted his fans. His woeful performance aside, many of fans, who stayed awake all night to see him perform at the concert and those watching the live stream of the event on NdaniTV, said Dbanj’s worst blunder of the night was when he said: “The people wey pay me money na dis side dem dey” (those that paid me are on this side) while apologising to those at the VVIP section of the concert for below-par arrangement made for them. At a point he even asked those at the popular and VIP sections to apologise to those at the VVIP for the inconvenience they suffered. Fans at the popular section and VIP paid 5,000 and 20,000 respectively. Many of his fans who felt insulted reacted sharply: “Disgusting that he only keeps apologising to VVIP. The 5K ticket holders are the real fans and the ones promoting his music . Shame,” said a fan tweeting from @Rebl_jade. “Dbanj needs to stop acting the fool with this VVIP thing. So rude!” said @EniolaHundeyin “And he had the nerve to ask the 5k & 20k people to aplogise to the VVIPs. I say it, the concert was an allegory for Nigeria as a whole,”said Tola Sarumi tweeting from @AfroVII. “Only in naija (Nigeria) you pay for something and STILL get insulted. Customer appreciation? Absolute zero,” said a fan tweeting from @kennagq “Call me a hater but Dbanj is too big of an artist to be putting out mediocre shows like that!! #kokoconcert,” said @natashamutale “This guy better not be planning to drop any album soon. People will refuse to even bootleg it,” said Tome Buluku tweeting from the handle @IamTome. “There’s def no koko concert next year sha. Not with this crap,” said Yemi O tweeting with the handle @mimio193 “D’Banj speaks like Igbo man from Iweka Road now,” said Onyeka Nwelue. “@iamdbanj sold more VIP & VVIP tickets than d no of seats available..we had to hustle for seats..pathetic,” said Tokunbo Otitoju tweeting from the handle@fimiletoks “In Koko Concert, Money can’t buy class. LOL. 1M for table no mean you no go do endurance trek to and fro,” said @Shimoshi1.
New Corper's Uniform Or What Do We Call This? A friend sent this from one of the NYSC Camps. I never knew any type of dressing could be allowed in a quasi military training like NYSC Scheme. Naija We Hail Thee
Famous Nollywood actor, Kanayo .O. Kanayo is now a Minister of the gospel. He was one of the guest ministers, at a crusade held at the Christ Mission Worldwide (CMW) a.ka. Mission for Heaven, with the theme: “Powers of darkness cannot stop me”. Kanayo joins acting veterans like Liz Benson and Eucharia Anunobi, who have also heeded the call of God. 
The Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, who survived a road accident on Friday with a broken thigh bone, is responding to treatment in an Abuja hospital, his doctor has said.Felix Ogedegbe, the Medical Director of Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, where Mr. Wada is receiving treatment, said the governor’s fractured thigh bone, femur, has been fixed. Mr. Ogedegbe, an Orthopaedic Surgeon, said on Saturday, while addressing journalists that the Kogi governor did not suffer any life threatening injuries and may not be referred to a hospital abroad. On Friday, along the Lokoja-Ajaokuta highway, Mr. Idris’ convoy was involved in a fatal auto crash that killed his security aide, Idris Mohammed, on the spot and injured two other officials. He was checked in with Mr. Ogedengbe at the Abuja Hospital at about 8.00 p.m. after receiving first aid in a specialist hospital in Kogi.
The Praying Hitler Statue Controversy has arisen in Warsaw, Poland as a result of a piece by Maurizio Cattelan. The Italian artist has created a statue of Adolf Hitler praying and placed it in the former Warsaw Ghetto, a location that saw numerous Jews killed by the dictator during his regime. It is titled "HIM," is only visible from a long distance and is meant to force a contemplation on the nature of evil, according to organizers. However, Jewish advocacy group the Simon Wiesenthal Center doesn't see it that way. The organization says the placement of the artwork represents "a senseless provocation, which insults the memory of the Nazis' Jewish victims." Adds the group's director, Efraim Zuroff: "As far as the Jews were concerned, Hitler's only 'prayer' was that they be wiped off the face of the earth." The Nazis sealed off the Ghetto soon after conquering Poland. They forced Jews to live there in awful conditions, many passing away, while they awaited transportation to death camps. Fabio Cavallucci, director of the Center for Contemporary Art, which oversees the exhibit, says: "There is no intention from the side of the artist or the center to insult Jewish memory. It's an artwork that tries to speak about the situation of hidden evil everywhere." Where do you stand, readers? What do you think of Praying Hitler?
VASTERAS, Sweden, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A Swedish hospital said new precautions are being taken after a dentist's drill unattached during a procedure and ended up in a patient's lung. Officials at the Vastmanland Central Hospital in Vasteras said the drill became loose and fell into the mouth of a 60-year-old woman, who was undergoing dental implant surgery last September, The Local.se reported Friday. "She tried to spit it out, and was made to cough, but she'd already swallowed," said Per Weitz, the hospital's medical chief. Weitz said an X-ray revealed the drill was lodged in the woman's right lung and a bronchoscopy was performed to remove the object. "A pinky-sized tube was sent into her lung with a small camera and pliers to grab hold of the drill," Weitz said. Doctors said the woman made a full recovery about a month after the incident. The incident was reported to the National Board of Health and Welfare and Weitz said new precautions are being adopted to prevent further occurrences.
A Hollywood private investigator, Paul Huebi, says he has 'video evidence' that singer Whitney Houston was murdered. Huebi said he had uncovered "evidence that points to Whitney being a victim of a high-powered drug dealers who sent thugs to collect a huge debt she owed for drugs.” He claims surveillance footage shows two unknown men showing up repeatedly at the Beverly Hilton, where Houston was staying when she died, and hanging out with her entourage. The day before her death, Houston reportedly received a cocaine delivery but was later heard to say, “I’m tired of this sh*t.” Huebi says she was, in fact, alluding to ongoing harassment by dealers chasing a drug debt, which had reached $1.5 million. On February 11, the day of her death, Houston was left alone in her hotel room for 45 minutes. Huebi says it was during this time that the killer or killers acted and that he has the footage to prove it
Well, last night, news broke out that Davido, after Karen Igho had just received a slap of life from a king. According to the gist, Davido was slapped by King Saheed Elegushi at the after-party of the Dynamix awards which took place at Voodoo lounge, Elegushi beach. Someone, B-Red supposedly got heavily drunk, got into an argument with the King when Davido moved forward to touch the king. In a flash the monarch allegedly delivered a hot slap on Davido’s face and they were mercilessly beaten including Davido’s bouncer by the Elegushi guards. Davido and his friends allegedly later prostrated and apologized to King Saheed...bla bla bla... Well, here's what Davido has got to say about that story.
Travellers leaving Lagos are going through harrowing experience driving through the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The cause of the traffic gridlock is not yet known but this reporter is making efforts to ascertain the cause of the traffic jam. This is current situation on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway… Meanwhile, many vehicles leaving Lagos, mostly those going to the Eastern part of the country, are stuck in the traffic . The situation is compounded as there was no alternative routes to avoid the gridlock. As at the time of filing in this report, no officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, or any other law enforcement agency were available to control the traffic.
Despite the fact that some weeks have passed since the fire disaster that wiped out five children of Mr. & Mrs. Augustine Ikwuagwu on Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri Town, Lagos, its bitter memory still lingers. Indeed, the tragedy has been a nightmare to the couple. When Saturday Sun met with the couple recently, pain and agony have overwhelmed them, as they recounted their loss. Speaking amid tears, Mrs Margaret Ikwuagwu, said her fine kids, Chukwuemeka (13), Ifeanyichukwu (10), Bright (8), Joy (6) and Victoria (4) were sleeping in the house when the incident started at 10pm. She said that all efforts to rescue the children failed. “I asked my children to go and sleep in the room while I was preparing to close shop for the day. Then, shortly, someone ran to tell me that our house was on fire. I abandoned everything I was doing and ran down to the house. When I got there, the fire had already covered the whole place and I could not enter my room to rescue my children,” she said. Mrs Ikwuagwu explained that she cried for help, but no one came to her aid. “When I got there, I met a mammoth. My co-tenants were busy removing their children and property. They started the rescue as soon as the fire broke out, but never bothered to inform me that our house was on fire. I tried to rescue our children, but I could not because the fire had covered our room. I heard the voices of my children shouting. But could not save the situation. I cried for help, but no one assisted me. “I forced myself inside the room when I heard my children crying for help, with the hope that I would bring out at least one or two, but I ended up being burnt by fire; so I ran out.” The woman revealed that as she was shouting, her husband arrived at the scene. “When my husband arrived, we joined hands to rescue our children. He pushed the door, but the fire was too much; he tried to force himself through the window; yet he did not succeed. We called our children, but they did not answer us. When we tried and saw that there was no hope again, we fainted, having watched our five children, cash and other property ruined by fire. We were rushed to the hospital immediately and did not know what happened later,” she stated. Mrs. Ikwuagwu stated that it was after some hours that she and her husband recovered from the shock. “When we recovered, we were asked to come to Kirikiri Police Station to make statement. Thereafter, we were asked to come and take our children for burial. So, we went to bury them at Trinity Cemetery, Olodi Apapa.” She revealed that before the fire disaster, her family had planned to travel home on December 22 for Christmas. “I do not know why this thing happened to us. Why should our five children go like that? We were preparing to travel home on December 22 for Christmas. Now here we are. Where do we start and how far do I go from here? I know that it was not an ordinary fire. But, however, God will take control of the whole thing,” she lamented. Narrating what happened, Mr. Augustine Ikwuagwu, popularly known as Osuofia, said that when he arrived he tried his best to rescue the children, regretting that the fire had already taken over the entire compound. He said: “On December 12, I went to my wife’s shop and saw my children sleeping and I asked my wife to take them home, which she did. We did not lock the children inside the house, as people are saying, rather. Our 12-year-old son, Chukwuemeka, took them home, and when the fire started, no one cared to call us and as a result, our children got burnt to death. We have three male and two female children and they died same day. As it is, I have no house, no property and no child. People are saying that we locked the children inside the room and lighted a candle, but I am telling you that we did not lock them inside and we did not use candle at all; what we use was rechargeable lamp.” He also stated that the cause of the fire is yet to be known. “We are still surprised about how the fire started and up till this moment, we have not been able to know the cause of the fire. But God has the answer,” he stated. Mr. Ikwuagwu said the fact that they watched their five children suffer and died in the fire was the worst thing that has happened to him and his wife. “I wanted to kill myself because I do not know where I am going from here. I do not think, I can cope because my entire life struggles are gone. After five children, we have decided not to bear children again. But now, we are starting again,” he lamented. He stated that since the incident, life has not been easy for his family, revealing that he and his wife are still receiving treatment in the hospital. “It has not been easy for us since then. We have no child, shelter, clothes, money and property. Also, we have not recovered from the shock. So, anyone who knows what it takes to lose five children and everything should please assist us to come back to life. My wife’s spirit has gone down; she has been thinking of how to get another child,” Ikwuagwu lamented. Source: Sunnewsonline
 | | Obafemi and Abigail in a private jet |
Obafemi Martins is dating Mario Balotelli's elder sister, Abigail Barwuash and Mario is said not to be particularly happy about their relationship. But in a recent interview with Goal.com, Obafemi dismissed insinuations that Mario was not happy that he's dating Abigail“Mario is my boy. The respect is there because I used to play at Inter, in the youth team with him. He’s giving me my respect and I’m doing same. People are putting it in the news that he’s upset, of course he’s glad. “He’s glad that Obafemi Martins is dating his sister. But if he gets jealous then it means he doesn’t want his sister to grow. But it’s not like that. The boy is not a bad boy. He also said he and Abigail haven't discussed marriage yet. “The relationship is true but getting married or not, we haven’t discussed anything like that. She’s upstairs and we’re happy together. Abigail, 24, told the The Sun in an interview in April that she couldn’t date a footballer: “Mario wouldn’t let me anyway. He knows only too well what they are like. They are surrounded by women. Girls throw themselves at them.”
The burial ceremony of Gen. Owoye Azazi, who died in a helicopter crash on Saturday December 15th, is going on right now in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The police in Lagos State said they have arrested a pastor and a travel agency operator, who allegedly, specializes in defrauding intending pilgrims of using the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission. Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson, Ngozi Braide who confirmed the arrests, disclosed that the suspects had been granted bail pending the completion of investigations. However, the suspects who were identified by the police as Lanre Onabanjor, a staff of Ashton and Dave Travel Agency and Rev. Joshua Taiwo, an Ibadan based pastor, with the Gospel Faith Mission International, GOFMINT, were arrested when policemen attached to Bar-Beach Police Station following a complaint from a victim who accused the suspects of defrauding him of about N1.3million. A police source who craved anonymity told Vanguard that the victim, Fatayi Osholonge, had approached the travel agency, located at Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, after speaking to one of their agents assured him that the agency would assist him and his wife arrange a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Vatican in Rome.
Police in Onitsha, Anambra state have arrested a middle-aged woman, identified as Uchenna for reportedly breaking her maid’s hand with a pestle and cutting her private part with a razor blade. The victim, identified as Chisom Nwafor was living with her mistress at Osuma Street where she was allegedly manhandled. The 10-year-old victim who hailed from Enugu-Abo in Enugu State while narrating her ordeal said that Uchenna returned on a Sunday morning and started beating her and used razor blade to tear her private parts. She said, “I was changing her daughter’s dress because she urinated on it. My madam entered and started shouting on top of her voice and she immediately rushed into the kitchen and collected a pestle and hit me severally on my back and she hit me again and broke my left hand, I fell and she entered her room and took a razor blade, tore my pant and started tearing my private part after which she poured pepper inside my private part which was bleeding” she said. The Onitsha Area Commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu who confirmed the gory incident described it as the ‘highest level of man’s inhumanity to man’, noting that the suspect would not go unpunished. The police boss however warned parents against giving birth to children they can’t train rather than giving them out to some people who would maltreat them. Meanwhile, Uchenna had denied cutting her maid’s private part with any sharp object. The suspect is currently in the police cell.
Read the tweets from down up...
The reality show is called All My Babies Mamas and features Atlanta rapper Carlos 'Shawty Lo' Walker, his 10 baby mamas, his 11 kids, (Some of them pictured above with him) and his 10 bedroom Georgia home According to Shadow and Act, the one hour weekly special will premiere on Oxygen next spring In the trailer, there’s a rundown of some of the baby mamas. They are; Ecreia the former fiancée known as the “First Lady” because she controls the cash flow. Angela aka “Chocolate” who is the ‘Fighter Baby Mama,’ Amanda is the “Jealous Baby Mama,” Sujuan is the ‘Wanna-Be Bougie Baby Mama,’ Tamara is the ‘No Drama Baby Mama,’ Serena who is the “Shady Baby Mama,” and Liana aka “Pebbles” who’s the “Baby Mama from Hell.” Shawty is not in a relationship with any of his baby mamas. He's dating a 19-year-old girl who is the same age as his oldest kids.
Billionaire businessman Mike Adenuga has relocated his office from Victoria Island to his billion naira Banana Island building. The wondrous edifice is located at 31A Close, Banana Island. What you see in the photo above is just part of it. It extends to the right...
Yeah, I was there too. Couldn't believe how far we had to walk to the venue from where our cars were parked. It was unbelievable but kinda fun to watch all dem celebrities trekking and complaining. Hehe!
A former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Bankole Solomon, last week criticized the General Overseer of the church, Pastor E A Adeboye, for allowing politicians into their annual RCCG Holy Ghost congress and turning it into a political congress. Bankole Solomon has apologized for his comments... 
*Students beg, Parents react…* School declines comment *I’m not aware — Prof Okojie, NUC boss About 200 students may have been expelled by the authorities of Covenant University, Cannanland, Ota, Ogun State, recently for what was described as “disregard of paramount core values.” Frustrated and angered by the development, some of the affected students who gave account of what happened battled emotions while narrating their situations to Saturday Vanguard recently. They however pleaded with the school authorities to tamper justice with mercy in order to save their future. Saturday Vanguard investigation revealed that out of the figure, about 126 were expelled for not attending the ‘departure service’, meant to sign off from the school after the end of the Semester and Matriculation of students on November 30. Five other students were thrown out for smoking while unconfirmed source said additional 60 got the same fate for violating other rules bordering on the University’s core values. A few others were given four weeks suspension for failure to sign the head count that was conducted a couple of weeks earlier. A letter of expulsion signed by the Registrar, Ntia Ubong, a copy which was made available to Saturday Vanguard stated that the affected students contravened Chapter 1, section 30, page 40 of the 2010-2014 Student Handbook. We gathered that the massive expulsion was predicated on the anger of the Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo who was said to have been infuriated after seeing students loitering around when they were supposed to be at the Chapel for the Departure Service. He was said to have personally chased students to the Chapel and ordered for a search into all the halls and colleges to fish out those who did not attend the service. Several attempts to get the school authorities comment on the issue proved abortive. The Instituion’s Corporate Affairs Head, Mr Igban Emmaunel also refused to comment as calls pulled through to him were unanswered and text messages not replied. How it happenedA few of the affected students gave account of what happened to Saturday Vanguard at different points. The similar accounts go thus: “On November 30, the last day of the semester, preceding our December break, there was also a Matriculation for the 100 level students; in fact some students had their last semester exams on that day, some of them finished around 3:00pm while the matriculation started around 8am. Some students retired to their rooms to relax while some engaged in some other activities jubilating the end of the semester. “Some also got drinks from the matriculating students. Even as these were going on, some students who finished around 3pm retired to their halls. By 5pm, they announced that we should get prepared for the ‘Departure service’ which was to start by 8pm. Some students were already seeing their parents off while some of us were just trying to relax to get off the stress of the exams. “Most of us hadn’t gotten through the tiredness of the sleepless nights of the exams; so, some us stayed back in our rooms. The departure service is usually a day before we go home and it is usually presided over by the Chancellor. Before the commencement of the service, they used to lock up the main doors of the halls so as to prevent cases of theft. I was not bothered since there were a lot of us in the hall. Some minutes past 8pm, they switched off the light and all of us in the hall went into our rooms. Because of the darkness and the cold, I slept off immediately.” He continued: “The persistent knocks on the door woke me up and I realised that they had come to search for people who had not come to service. Before I realised what was going on, I found myself with other students numbering about 30. They took down our names and counted us to make sure that no one was omitted. They said the Chancellor was at the service and we refused to come. I heard them talking about other halls and they asked us to wait. I didn’t take it seriously because I never believed in my widest imagination that we would be expelled. We were later asked to go to our various halls. “Some of those who went into hiding were lucky as they were not found. Shortly, those who went for the service returned and told us there was poor attendance at the Chapel and how students were diving in through the windows, scampering for seats. In fact, one narrated to us how the Chancellor jumped through the window to vent his anger on some students who had jumped in,” he stated. Another expelled student also gave similar account of the incident. “I couldn’t go to the service because, I was not feeling well which was as a result of the stress of the exams we had just finished. After a while, I managed to go but I heard that they started driving people back around 7:30pm while the service was to start around 8pm. I was surprised because the rule was that you’ve got to be seated 15minutes to the service. Again, it was never made compulsory, but they tried to get students out of the halls to prevent cases of theft. So, because I was not feeling well, I went back to my room because I needed to rest for a while. “I thought it was a joke when they said we are in for expulsion because we failed to come for departure service. I have never done anything contrary to the school laws. I have never faced any panel before and neither did I have any unpleasant case in my file. I never thought it was real until letters were handed to me the following morning.” Giving account of how letters were handed out to them, the visibly troubled student said: “By 6am, they announced the names of those who were caught in halls and colleges. Usually after the departure service, one can sign out from there and go but because it ended late and no one could travel, students had to wait till the following morning. But the hall officer told those of us whose names were written down that if we leave, we should be considered gone from the university forever. That gave us an insight into what was likely to come as punishment. By 7:45am, we were called once again to go downstairs for our letters. Those who collected theirs before mine were crying and I wondered what the punishment could be until I read the letter stating I was expelled from the university.”  Bishop Oyedepo
Another student who found his way to the Chapel also told Saturday Vanguard that while the Chancellor was being driven past, he noticed that students were loitering at about the time they were supposed to be seated at the chapel. He said that this apparently infuriated him and he alighted from his car and chased students to the chapel with knocks. “I saw him, alighted from his car and chased students to the chapel; I quickly found my way to the hall. Not quite long after, I saw students jumping in through the windows. It was a big commotion. Even the chancellor was going after those who jumped into the chapel. Later, he addressed the students saying he was very disappointed by the behaviour that the students were not seated 15 minutes before the service.” Another account had it that while the Education Secretary, Prof. Aize Obayan was addressing the students, the students were murmuring, then the Chancellor immediately took to the microphone and said: “if I hear the voice of any student, the curse of the Lord shall fall upon that one.” The chapel immediately went dead silent. Our source who was also late to the service stated that the Chancellor later directed that those students who did not come to the service would be purged out saying they did not belong to the school. Our source stated that at the end of the service, he prayed for the students in the hall. Another source in the school hinted that at that point, the Vice-chancellor pleaded on behalf of those who were absent but the Chancellor insisted they must be purged from the school. Our source told Saturday Vanguard that the Vice-Chancellor while addressing the students announced that a search would be carried out in all the halls and colleges to find out those who failed to attend the departure service, advising them to wait behind. Saturday Vanguard investigation revealed that out of the figure, about 126 were expelled for not attending the ‘departure service’, five were thrown out for smoking marijuana, twenty-five final year students and undisclosed number of lower level students were caught violating rules bothering on the University’s core values. We also gathered that a few others were given four weeks suspension for failure to sign the head count that was conducted a couple of weeks earlier. Some of the students opined that failure to sign the head count was even a greater offence which implied that the student was not in the school at the time of the exercise but yet got a four-week suspension. The private university is known for its strict rules and discipline such as not allowing the students to use mobile phones within the school’s premises, while it is mandatory for students to always bring their bible to the chapel. Parents reactA few parents who volunteered information spoke to us on condition of anonymity fearing that their children might be victimised in case the issue was resolved amicably. One of them said with bitterness that it is unacceptable, adding that the expulsion was not commensurate with the offence deemed to have been committed. He urged the school authorities to rescind its decision adding that the future of the students is at stake. “For me, it is not acceptable. These students were not given fair hearing. Expulsion should not be a punishment for failure to attend service. We all agree, it is a Christian school but failure to attend church service could be due to a lot of reasons. I gathered that some of the students even finished their exams about 5pm that day. So, those people that finished at that time had barely three hours to prepare for the service. But stampeding them to congregate for service and then expelling those who did not come is a decision taken too far. For me, if there was poor attendance, I think the authorities have a responsibility. They have not been fair in putting the service so close to the examination. Even God will not do that.” He however commended the Chancellor, Dr. Oyedepo on his vision towards the education of Nigeria children especially when the government institutions are failing, but urging him to tamper justice with mercy. Another parent who was afraid of the press noted that he was still studying the situation and would not want to comment but noted that he was reliably informed that some group of parents made frantic efforts to meet with the Chancellor on the issue but without success. It was not clear the level of the efforts made. He further hinted that some students have not told their parents about their expulsion, still hoping that the issue would be resolved. He lamented that his child had been having sleepless nights, going through mental torture unjustifiably. “I agree that discipline must be instilled in the students but it should not be aimed at destroying the life of the students. Expulsion is too great a punishment for non attendance of a departure service, without even a warning especially when the students hitherto, had not been found wanting,” he stated. What the Student Handbook saysThe Covenant University Core values border on Spirituality, Possibility Mentality, Capacity Building, Integrity, Responsibility, Diligence and Sacrifice. On the spirituality aspect, it states: “The Christian ethos underguard our activities and conducts at all time and every student of Covenant University is expected to exhibit character traits and dispositions of a Jesus-centered heritage. The Jesus – factor centered approach to all issues is non-negotiable and central in the pursuit of our mandate in raising a new generation of leaders and in the realization of the objectives of our purpose. To this extent therefore, students will be committed to maintaining a high level of spirituality and shall act in such manner as to facilitate their spiritual growth as well as work out ways to evolve and implement a spiritual development plan. Attendance at Chapel Services is a compulsory part of students’ spiritual development where a bible and notebook are essential kits for the service. Students are expected to demonstrate a deep reverence for God at all times.” The school declines commentSeveral attempts were made to get the school authorities comment on the issue. The institution’s Corporate/Public Affairs Officer, Mr Igban Emmanuel Kalu declined comment. At first, several calls were pulled through to him but he refused to pick his calls. When the reporter persisted, he later picked but said he was driving and could not answer any question. But few hours later, other calls pulled to him were unanswered. A text message was sent to his phone and up to the time of writing this report, he did not reply. I’m not aware —Prof Julius Okojie, NUC Executive SecretaryThe Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof Julius Okojie said he has not been briefed on the matter. Prof Okojie stated this during a telephone conversation Saturday Vanguard had with him a few days ago. “I am not aware of any expulsion by Covenant University; I will ask the school authorities. Right now, I am not in Abuja, I left Abuja few days ago and until I return to Abuja and find out details about the matter, I cannot comment on it,” he said.
Whether you believe it or not, Tonto Dikeh is the most controversial actress who rocked Nollywood in the outgoing year. A product of Next Movie Star, Tonto Dikeh since she hit the limelight few years ago has never seized to be at the centre of controversy. The outgoing year is no different. Her controversial lifestyle became more glaring this year judging from most of her unbecoming exploits. After the noise generated by her new tattoo last year, Tonto continued with her ‘wild lifestyle’,stepping on people’s toes and damning her critics. Her newly released singles, Hi and Itz Ova, did not help matters even though the singles became two of the most listened and downloaded tracks, with over 500,000 views. Dikeh, who joined the bandwagon of other actors who succumbed to the moonlighting itch to delve into music, was lampooned and criticised by her fans for the uninspiring singles. Yet, she was not deterred. While she was battling to find her feet in the music circle, her foes romantically linked her to the Kukere crooner, Iyanya who squealers said was seeing Ghanaian leggy actress, Yvonne Nelson. For Iyanya and Tonto Dikeh it was all about who has left who for who. However, this whole saga began when Yvonne Nelson took to the internet to vent her feelings after Iyanya dumped her for Tonto Dikeh. The drama continued unabated until Tonto Dikeh replied Yvonne’s tweet and the two actresses took their rivalry to Blackberry messenger (BBM) where they threw ‘nasty’ insults at each other.
Indian gang-rape victim has died Saturday in Singapore after suffering severe organ failure, the hospital treating her said, in a case that sparked widespread street protests over violence against women.Authorities in India have been preparing for the possibility her death could ignite more protests after riot police were deployed on the capital’s streets in the wake of the attack amid simmering anger at the daily dangers women face. The 23-year-old was airlifted to Singapore on Thursday after she was attacked by six men on a bus in New Delhi on December 16, and hit with an iron bar. Some Indian medics had criticised the decision to move her. “We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4.45 am (2045 GMT) on 29 Dec 2012,” Kelvin Loh, the chief executive of Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said in a statement. “Her family and officials from the High Commission of India were by her side. The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss.” She had remained in an extremely critical condition since being admitted to the hospital, Loh said, with doctors mounting a last-ditch battle overnight to save her life. “Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth Hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days,” Loh said. “She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome. “We are humbled by the privilege of being tasked to care for her in her final struggle.” The victim was treated in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after the attack. The decision to fly her out of the country by air ambulance was taken at a meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet on Wednesday and the government had promised to pay all her medical bills. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government’s only concern was to ensure the victim received “the best treatment possible”. But Indian newspapers suggested the authorities, who have struggled to contain the nationwide protests over the attack, were keen to have her transferred out of the country. An unnamed doctor who was part of a team of experts consulted about the transfer told The Hindu newspaper they had only been asked whether it was safe to move her and not whether it was the best course of action. “The question was not whether there were any deficiencies in treatment that would be met by moving her… She was being given the best possible care,” the doctor was quoted as saying. Samiran Nundy, chairman of the organ transplant and gastro-surgery department of Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told the paper the transfer made little sense. “I just can’t understand why a critically ill patient with infection in blood and body, high grade fever and on the ventilator is being transferred,” he said. Singh has ordered an official inquiry into the gang-rape and new laws to protect women as well as stiffer penalties for the worst sex crimes. The government has also announced plans to post the photos, names and addresses of convicted rapists on official websites to publicly shame them. The campaign will begin in Delhi, which has been dubbed India’s “rape capital”. Shinde also said Delhi police would soon launch a drive to recruit more female officers as a confidence-building measure. India was rocked by a wave of protests in the week after the attack, prompting authorities to seal off large parts of the capital and to deploy riot police with water cannons tear gas. The Delhi gang-rape has shone the spotlight on a crime that occurs on a daily basis in India, with most such assaults taking place in rural areas. Police said on Friday that a 15-year-old schoolgirl had had her throat slit after being gang-raped in the Pali Muqimpure area of Uttar Pradesh state. A hunt has been launched for three youths after the attack the previous day.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yobe State said its men have intercepted a group of gunmen, suspected to be members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram in Gujba local government area of Yobe State, Lt Lazarus Eli, spokesman of the JTF has said in a statement on Thursday that one Boko Haram member was killed in the encounter while other suspects escaped with gunshot wounds. According to the statement, “at about 2pm Thursday, 27 December 2012, men of JTF on patrol encountered suspected terrorists at Gujba general area. One suspected terrorists was killed in the encounter and several others escaped with gunshot wounds after abandoning their vehicle. “Items recovered include five AK 47 rifles, 211 rounds of ammunition and ten magazines. Other items include one Mitsubishi Canter truck, two motorcycles, Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) materials, medical supplies and Police Uniform”, the statement said. The statement also added that JTF will continue to work assiduously to make Yobe state a safe place to dwell.
The 10-man kidnap gang, which abducted Prof Kamene Okonjo, mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been torn apart as a result of sharing the ransom collected for the release of the Queen of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom in Delta State. The new leader of the gang reportedly bolted away with N1million share of another member of the gang. The affected member, 32 –year-old Andrew, aka Olokpa, from Edo state, who was desperately in need of money, decided to go on a reprisal mission by forming a new kidnap gang and was caught by the police. He is presently on detention at the Delta State Police Command headquarters in Asaba. He was seized on Thursday when police, acting on intelligence information, lured him to sell one of the guns in his possession, which was used in the kidnap of the queen mother of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom. His arrest was confirmed to Saturday Vanguard, yesterday, in Asaba by the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba. Hired for the operation The suspected kidnapper, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard from the police cell, yesterday, however, asserted he was not among the main 10-man kidnap gang that abducted Prof Okonjo. He stated that he was merely hired to supply food to Prof Okonjo in the bush, where she was kept on two occasions. Commissioner Aduba, who maintained that that the police was not in support of payment of ransom to kidnappers and was not told by the family of Okonjo that they paid ransom to kidnappers, told Saturday Vanguard that nemesis would catch up with the remaining kidnappers, as the police have a database on them. He confirmed our information that the second-in-command of the gang, who took over from the former leader and kidnap kingpin, Nwaeze Nwosa, a.k.a Bolaji, after he was shot dead by the police, Thursday, December 13, bolted away with N1 million share of the ransom kept for another member, Olokpa. The gang members seriously disagreed on the action of the new leader and advised him to return Olokpa’s money to him, as he was the one in who took care of Prof Okonjo in their hideout. The kidnap leader refused and Olokpa, who was in possession of the arms and ammunition used for the operation was in desperate money for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. He reportedly formed another kidnap gang, which went for an operation in Aboh in Ndokwa area of the state. The gang successfully kidnapped the victim but was confronted on the way out by the vigilance group in the area, which riddled its vehicle with bullets. “Since we know the hideout they planned to use, we strategized to lay ambush for them at the hideout, but because of the shooting by the vigilance group, the group diverted to Edo state, where they abandoned the vehicle used for the operation”, a source confided in our reporters. Saturday Vanguard was told that police detectives continued with the hunt for the gang and having discovered that Olokpa was in dire need of money, they sold a dummy to him that somebody wanted to buy a gun. He fell for the deal and struck a bargain for N300,000 not knowing that he was speaking to a police detective. The suspect came to Koka junction in Asaba to collect the money for the gun when the police arrested him. He denied being the person that negotiated for the sale of a gun when he found that he was trapped. However, it was difficult to extricate himself and he decided to escape, but he was shot on the leg in the process. How we captured the gang member— Aduba Speaking on the arrest of Olokpa, Commissioner Aduba said, “What I can tell you is that following our intelligence gathering on the identities of members of the kidnap gang responsible for the kidnap of Professor Mrs. Okonjo and days of painstaking monitoring at about 12.30pm, one Andrew (surname withheld) was arrested at Koka junction, Asaba. “We got to know through networking of information the bush the woman was kept. The major players were identified, even though they are scattered, the camp was in disarray following the death of their leader, Nwosa. “I still reiterate the issue of ransom, the issue of ransom payment was a rumour. We (police) are not part of it. I don’t encourage ransom”, he stated. According to him, “When we eventually smashed the gang with the death of their leader, one of them, who was promised N1 million as his share became angry because he was denied of the money. “He broke away from the gang. We (police) were aware because of the close tab on them. And because he was angry, he decided to engage in other kidnapping activities to enable him get enough money for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. “He participated in kidnapping an 82 year old man at Aboh. We (knew) about the kidnap, but did not know the route. We knew the day and kept on our surveillance and on that day, the community’s vigilance group opened fire and this man, leading another gang, moved to Edo State and abandoned the vehicle used for the operation along Auchi expressway. “They later brought the man (victim) to Emu in Delta State and put him in custody of one of their gang members, who incidentally is a native of that village’,” he asserted. His words, “So we sold a dummy to him (leader of new gang) to sell the gun he inherited from Nwosa- led gang to a big man from Lagos who was in need of it for N300,000 since he was desperately in need of money and in the process of giving him the gun, we got him arrested.” Controversy over ransom Even though the police have categorically maintained that it was not aware that ransom was paid, it was obvious from the arrest of Olokpa on Thursday that ransom was actually paid. Saturday Vanguard exclusively broke the story of the ransom that was collected by the kidnappers. Our information was that the ransom was dropped somewhere along the Benin bypass on the Warri-Benin-Lagos expressway, but it was not confirmed by security agencies, who were hoarding information from themselves. A source said the first time the ransom was to be paid, the kidnappers spotted a security officer with a member of the family and called it off. “That was one of the reasons why she stayed up to five days in the kidnappers’ den”, our source hinted. It was reported that the State Security Service, SSS, operatives from Abuja arrested one of the kidnappers when he went to deposit part of the ransom, which was marked in the bank, but the authorities have not officially corroborated the claim. An SSS source in Asaba, who confirmed that their colleagues from Abuja, indeed, came for an operation over the Prof Okonjo matter, however, said, “We do not have the details of what they unearthed here in Asaba”. Olokpa admitted to the police that the new leader of the gang took his share of the money, but he was asked by Saturday Vanguard how the operation was carried out, he retreated, saying, he was brought in only after the kidnap had been carried out. According to him, the kidnapper, who took over from Bolaji “is the one I know, he is my friend, he is the one who brought me in, he told me that he has a job for me to supply food, bread , groundnut and water to the person they kidnapped.” “He said the person was kept somewhere in the bush and that he will pay me N100,000 for the job. I saw it as easy money and I accepted it”, he said, adding that he knew that kidnapping was a crime, but the money was irresistible for him because his job was not rewarding.
Well it's gotta be Carla.. I'm a bit of a fan of her work.
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