Child Bride Saga: Massive Protest to Hold Today in Lagos, Abuja, Other States

Children 

 Following the passage into law of the controversial child bride allegedly sponsored by former Governor of Zamfara, Ahmed Yerima and now senator in the current House of Assembly, aggrieved citizens have staged a protest will take place in different states today. Some of the states include; Lagos, Abuja, Ondo, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Ogun States, amongst others.

The protest was designed to get people to sign a petition, with the estimate of two million people, that would be submitted to the State House of Assembly, depicting the grouse of the aggrieved persons on the law which many have termed as bad.  

Finally Funke Akindele Admits Her Marriage is over

After days of Denial, Funke Akindele finally admitted what we all along knew to be true. She released an official press statement and it goes like this: Dear Friends,
"On behalf of our client, star actress, Funke Akindele, we want to formally inform you that after due consultation and consideration, she's now separated from Mr. Kehinde Oloyede as his wife. She hereby urges her fans and all concerned to pray and wish her the best as she moves on in her career. Kindly note that this is the first and only  official statement from Funke Akindele on the matter and will be glad if her wish is respected.  Thank you.
Sincerely yours,

Ayo Ola- Muhammed,
Principal Consultant
NEECEE  Entertainment.

Amaechi Debunks Dame Patience's Claims that he Imposed 9months Curfew in RIVERS

The governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed as untrue, allegations by wife of President Goodluck Jonathan that Governor Amaechi imposed a 9 month curfew on her people in Okrika, a troubled local government area in the state.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari who spoke on behalf of Amaechi in, also said the state government did not carry out the demolition it had planned around a school in Okrika to create a play ground for children at the model school being built in the area.

Goods Worth Billions of Naira Gone as Fire Guts Coscharis Warehouse

An early morning fire Thursday  gutted the Lagos office and warehouse of automobile giant, Coscharis Nigeria Limited, owned by business mogul, Mr. Cosmas Maduka, at Kirikiri Industrial Estate, Lagos, razing goods worth billions of naira. No life was however lost in the incident.

It was gathered that investigators are currently battling to uncover the likely cause of the fire, which started from an electrical spark that later evolved into balls of fire.

They also disclosed that since the gutted warehouse was undergoing renovations after the sachet water division was moved to the Alakija area, the new electrical connection in the building might have caused the inferno.

EXCLUSIVE: Wow! Did Omotola Admit they Use S*x Toys to Fill the Vacuum? (Juice Interview)

OMOTOLA AND HER HUSBAND

Ok oh, let me pretend I did not understand what Nollywood sex screen, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, and Toolz were talking about on The Juice sponsored by Ndani TV but seriously whatz with the TECHNOLOGY talk that she was emphasizing that couples should use when a partner travel?

When Toolz asked her how she copes with taking care of the family, she said all her kids were far away in boarding house leaving her alone with the Captain. This leads Toolz to ask her how she takes care of the husband and then Omosexy starts screaming TECHNOLOGY into my ears.

Dame Patience, Our President’s Darling Wife- An Opinion By Reuben Abati In 2010

Reuben Abati before his price was paid wrote a column on Guardian condemning the recklessness of unelected Dame Patience Jonathan Thursday, 27th Aug 2010

"DEMOCRACY is readily associated with freedom: the freedom to be free in many respects and increasingly in Nigeria, many of our compatriots, particularly persons in positions of privilege and authority confuse this with the right to be disagreeable. The sober truth is that democracy is about rights and responsibilities, a democratic dispensation therefore cannot be a licence for disagreeable conduct as a norm; just as the possession of power in any form does not guarantee the right to be reckless or to ignore the etiquette required of office holders. Anyone in the corridors of power, either by chance or right, or appointment, is expected to behave decorously.

EXCLUSIVE: Police Hopeful on Rescue of Kidnapped Briton

LAGOS POLICE PRO, NGOZI BRAIDE

Following the abduction of a yet-to-be identified Briton, along the Muratala Mohammed Airport Road, Off Oshodi, the Lagos State Police Command, yesterday expressed optimism that he would soon be rescued going by the leads at their disposal.

The Public Relations Officer of the state command, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who spoke to spoke to me on the phone, confirmed the incident but said investigations are ongoing.

She said, “When the information filtered in, the state Commissioner of Police, detailed a crack team of investigators to unravel the incident and rescue the victim from the clutches of his abductors.

As I speak to you now, we are on the matter and I believe that he would soon be rescued but I don’t want to go into details for security reasons so as not to jeopardise the case.”

EXCLUSIVE: Minister, PSC Chairman Explains Why Police Is Yet to Redeploy, Sanction Rivers CP Despite Petition

POLICE AFFAIRS MINISTER, CALEB OLUBOLADE

The Minister for Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), yesterday explained reasons why the police top hierarchy was yet to re-deploy the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, who has been mired in incessant controversies as regards the crisis rocking the oil-rich state, despite the clamour and petition for his removal.

This is just as the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), who also doubles as the former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro (rtd), acknowledged the receipt of the complaint and petition to redeploy Mbu for his alleged partisanship.

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan to Secure World Bank $300 million (about N46 billion) housing Loan for Mortgage Bank

In the face of continuous security challenges facing the nation, President Goodluck Jonathan, who yesterday unveiled the 200 units of three-bedroom flats constructed for officers and men of the police force in Lagos, said such welfare measure would boost the commitment of the officers in securing the nation.

This is just as he said that Nigeria was securing World Bank loan of $300 million (about N46 billion) for Mortgage Bank to address the general housing challenge in the country.

Amaechi is my Son, says Dame Patience Jonathan

Amidst a rash of reactions over the festering political crisis in Rivers State, the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan,  Wednesday gave an insight into why the state has been on the boil in recent time.

According to her, the crisis in the state, took a turn for the worse following the wresting of the structure of the state chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from loyalists of the  governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, began four years ago.

UNICEF: 600m Live with Disabilities

There is a rapid increase in the number of people living with disabilities around the world with the figure currently put at 600 million. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Manager in charge of Child Survival Development (CSD), Dr. Oluwatosin Kuti, stated this Thursday at a meeting facilitated by the organisation on the 2013 State of the World's Children Report and dissemination of  the 2011 Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey holding in Enugu.

No Benefits for Family One Year, Eight Months After Bada’s Death

While alive, Sunday Bada loved the Nigeria Police Force with a passion. Everywhere he was, Bada was quick to let everyone know that he was a police officer who loved his job. As a celebrated sports personality, Bada and Atlanta Olympic long jump gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa, were the face of the police. The two of them were inspirations to other police sports men and women. At 6ft plus, Bada’s image in his police uniform, made the mobile unit of the force very enticing. He was a gentleman and an officer.

But on December 12, 2011, death snatched him away at just 42 years while still in service. Cardiac related problems ended his dream of making it to his retirement from the police. While the sports world was deep in shock, including the world athletics body, IAAF, sending condolences to its Nigerian affiliate, police authorities promised to do everything to keep his memory alive.

SEGUN ADENIYI: Al-Mustapha: The Colour of Justice

The Verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi. Email, olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

“The Don often quoted the saying, ‘Rather a hundred guilty men go free than one innocent man be punished,’ then added, ‘What a beautiful country.’”

The foregoing is taken from Mario Puzo’s novel, “The Last Don”, the gripping sequel to his classic, “The Godfather”. In that short narrative, Don Domenico Clericuzio was mocking the American justice system he took maximum advantage of to amass enormous wealth and power, while living above the law. Yet it is within the context of his sarcasm that one can easily situate the controversy currently trailing the acquittal last week of Major Hamza Al Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan, in the murder trial of Mrs Kudirat Olayinka Abiola.

FG Insists Pilots Must Declare Flight Manifest

The federal government has denied rescinding the regulation that pilots must declare the manifest of their flights air traffic controllers for documentation and said that it has insisted on that rule because of safety and security reasons.

The Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, said the government has never contemplated dropping the idea in spite of the criticism of the policy in some quarters, noting that pilots know that it is a policy which they must abide by.

Insecurity: NIS to Register All Foreigners

PARRADANG

As part of its effort to improve internal monitoring and to fortify security in the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said plans were underway to register all foreigners  in order to ascertain the number of aliens in the country.

This was disclosed Thursday by the NIS Comptroller General, Mr. David Parradang, during his maiden press conference in Abuja. Parradang said the registration would take place in every local government area in the country soon, but did not state when. He noted that while NIS respects the rights of everybody, it needed the information of foreigners in the country to build a virile nation.