I have warned my children against polygamy –Oga Bello

Veteran actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, is a known polygamist, but he said he had advised his children not to follow in his footsteps.

He told Saturday Beats that he was destined to be a polygamist, but being one was not easy and that not everyone could bear the burden.

“I have never said I regret being a polygamous man. However, I am warning my children against polygamy because not everybody can be like Adebayo Salami who runs a peaceful home.

“It is not easy to run a polygamous house and it is only by God’s grace one can do that. It cannot be applicable to everybody. The best marriage is that of one man and a wife, but if any of my children’s destiny is to have more than a wife, then there is nothing I can do about it. I believe I am destined to be a polygamous person.

“The position anyone holds in life is their destiny and that is my belief. I also advise my children to be tolerant, focused and prayerful. In anything they do, they have to put God first.”

Nigerian troops repel another Boko Haram attack in Konduga

Nigerian troops yesterday Sept. 26th repelled yet another attack by Boko Haram in Konduga, Borno.

According to reports, the sect members attempted to penetrate Konduga in the hopes of getting into the state capital, Maiduguri, but troops engaged them in a fierce gun battle, capturing many of them

The troops also repelled what would have been a major attack on Benesheik town in Borno on Thursday, September 25th. Well done to our military! We really can defeat these people, we just need to put more heart into it.

Photos: House of Reps Speaker, Tambuwal turbaned in Sokoto

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was this afternoon turbaned as the Mutawallen Sokoto by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III. Congrats to him

N503m Scam: EFCC to Appeal Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji’s Acquittal

AFederal high court sitting in Lagos today discharged and acquitted the Lagos state House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his aide Oyebode Atoyebi of the N503m money laundering charges brought against them by EFCC. EFCC now says they plan to appeal the verdict. Find a statement they posted on their Facebook page below...
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said it will appeal against the ruling of Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which today set free the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeniyi Ikuforiji and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi.
Both had been standing trial on a 54-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N503million.
Justice Buba, today ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused persons, According to him, the trial was “anachronistic,” adding that the prosecution ‘ misconstrued and mis-interpreted the Money Laundering Act”.

Lead defense counsel, Wole Olanipekun( SAN), had prayed the court to discountenance the charges preferred against Ikuforiji, saying that, the Money Laundering Act 2004, with which the accused person was charged, have been repealed and replaced with the Money Laundering Act 2011, and so should not have been used in charging him.

Atoyebi’s counsel, Tunde Akinbisi, aligned his submissions with the arguments of Olanipekun.
Justice Buba upheld Olanipekun’s submissions and ruled that “the first and second defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted”.

But EFCC expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling. “The learned judge erred in this ruling. The proof of evidence to the charge clearly showed that the provisions of the Money Laundering Act had been violated by the accused persons in receiving various cash payments from the assembly amounting to about N338.8 million.
The Commission stated that it will explore the option of appeal to bring the accused persons to justice

Dead' woman heard screaming from inside coffin after being buried alive

Cemetery workers raced to a newly-dug grave after they heard banging and muffled shouting an hour after a 45-year-old woman was buried.

As they grabbed tools and anything they could find, they rushed to dig the grave up again after the woman woke up to find herself buried alive in a coffin.

But tragically, the un-named woman died before her would-be rescuers could reach her inside the plot at a cemetery near Greece’s Thessaloniki.

Now police are probing why the woman was pronounced dead by doctors treating her for cancer, only to be found alive.

Her grieving family arranged her funeral at the graveyard in Peraia, a small town 16 miles south of Thessaloniki, Greece’s main city in the north.

Shortly after the last relatives left the cemetery on Thursday, residents and a group of children playing outside reportedly heard a female voice shouting for help from inside the grave.

They called the police, and began digging up the grave to save her but she had suffocated to death inside the coffin, it was reported.

However, a doctor who was at the scene and examined the woman’s body, said she had been dead for hours and could not have been revived.

Dr Chrissi Matsikoudi told Greek TV channel MEGA: "I just don’t believe it. We did several tests including one for heart failure on the body. It would have been impossible for someone in a state of rigor mortis to have been shouting and hitting the coffin like that.”

A coroner is expected to examine the body.

Meanwhile, relatives of the dead woman say they are considering filing a complaint against the doctors responsible for her treatment at the cancer clinic.

Source: UK Mirror

EFCC Arraign Two for $91,000 Internet Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 26, 2014 arraigned Dandeson Ebosele Ibhonitie, 26, (a.k.a Dandy James, Connor Mead and Barrister Louis Harpoch and Ohiwerei Charity, 31, before Justice E. F. Ikponmwen of Edo State High Court, Benin-City on a 3- count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
Ibhonitie and Charity allegedly belong to the group of fraudsters using the internet to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Ibhonitie allegedly defrauded one Mrs. Weidman Andrea Sabrie, a German, of the sum of $ 91,000 (Ninety-One Thousand United States Dollars) by pretending to be an American working in Nigeria for a road construction company.
To access the proceeds of the fraud, Ibhonitie allegedly opened a domiciliary account in the name of one Mr. Steven. He entered into an agreement with Charity, the account officer that opened the account for him, on how the proceeds from the crime will be shared. By the arrangement, Charity was to keep 3 percent of every inflow to herself while 7 percent will go to Ibhonitie. The remaining 90 percent, by the arrangement, went to Steven. However, investigations showed that Ibhonitie was the same as Steven.

When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.
One of the counts read:
"Dandeson Ebosele Ibhonitie (a.k.a Dandy James, Connor Mead, Barrister Louis Harpoch, Brett Francis Steven (still at large) and Ohiwerei Charity on or about the 2nd day of April, 2014 at Benin within the Benin judicial division, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of USD 45,000.00(Forty Five Thousand United State Dollars) from Mrs. Weidman Andrea Sabrie, a German national through Skye Bank of Nigeria Limited Account No: 2520346555 in the name of Dandy James by falsely pretending to her that the said sum of money represented legal fee for Barrister Louis Harpoch for your defense which pretence you knew to be false".

In view of their pleas, prosecuting counsel, Ayokunle Fayanju, prayed the court for a trial date. He also opposed the bail applications of the defendants.

Justice Ikponmwen adjourned the matter till August, 30, 2014 for hearing of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

Panic in Liberian villages as two Ebola victims 'rise from the dead'

There's currently panic, fear and confusion in two villages in Nimba County in Liberia after reports that two female Ebola victims have risen from the dead.

According to local reports, 44 year old Dorris Quoi who lived in Hope Village Community and a 67 year old woman identified as Ma Kebeh, died of the Ebola virus and were about to be taken for burial when they resurrected and are now walking among the living.

According to reports in a local newspaper, New Dawn, Ma Kebeh had been indoors for two nights without food and medication before her death, while Dorris had suffered for several weeks before she died alone in her family home. This is the first report of dead Ebola victims resurrecting. Despite some people's reservations about the story being true, it hasn't stopped them from panicking

Senate approves GEJ's $1billion loan to fight Boko Haram

The Senate has approved the $1billion (N165bn) loan requested by President Jonathan in July to help in the fight against terrorism and tackle insecurity in the country. The loan would be used for the purchase of military equipment and the training of military personnel.

The loan approved will be in addition to the N968.127bn voted for Defence in the 2014 budget by the federal government.

From Our News Desk -23rd September, 2014

UPDATES: $9.3m deal: Northern Muslims accuse FG of cover-up. South African victims, families may sue Joshua. PDP recants, says Sambo is part of winning team. Judge flees as thugs disrupt proceedings against Fayose. Controversy over alleged Shekau’s killing. Nigeria, Senegal have contained Ebola – WHO. Pupils, teachers shun FG’s directive on resumption. Gunmen attack Kogi police station with dynamites. Lagos debt position complies with global standard –Commissioner. FG serviced debt with N299.36bn in Q1–Report. Omisore blasts Aregbesola for sending petition to NJC. Syria: Banks to refund N17bn illegal charges to customers. US begins air strikes on Islamic State targets. FUTA students head for US for exchange programme. FG sets up emergency cybercrime centre. N4,000 call-up fee for NYSC sparks anger. Glo back as Nigeria’s second largest operator –NCC. Boko Haram: Soldiers On Death Row Moved To Kainji, Lagos. Synagogue Tragedy: Death Toll Increases To 115. FG to take over expansion of Lagos-Badagry Express way. FG to sign 3050MW Mambila power plant contract October. Taraba Attorney-General To Suntai: You Must Face Medical Panel. Nigeria To Resume Gas Supply To Ghana. Heritage Bank To List On Stock Market. Former Access Bank GMD Emerges NSE President. "I influenced the appointment of 53 Benue sons into senior national positions" - Senator Gemade boasts.

Tragedy in Ogun as retired police boss kills wife, son, self

Tragedy struck at the weekend when a retired Assistant Com­missioner of Police (ACP) (names withheld) shot himself dead after killing his wife and son at the Sango Ota area of Ogun State. The ACP, his wife and other family members had attended a wedding of a friend’s son and arrived home safely.

The retired police officer was alleged to have accused his wife of disgracing him by being drunk in the public.

The wife allegedly rebuked him, claiming that even though she drank too much, but she did not misbehave. An argument ensued between them which degenerated to a seri­ous fight. The man, who was angry that his wife was having an upper hand, ran for his pump action rifle and killed his wife and son instantly.

When the deceased saw the gravity of his action, he shot himself dead.

A senior officer at the Olusegun Obasanjo Police Station in Sango Ota, said prelimi­nary investigation showed that he couple had been having regular domestic fights.

He said the couple’s neighbours had con­firmed the frequent quarrels and they said they were even tired of settling them. He re­vealed that the late ACP had one time served in the Lagos State Police Command’s State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The state police spokesman, Mr. Olumuy­iwa Adejobi, who described the incident as unfortunate, said: “The bodies have been deposited at the hospital for autopsy.’

He said the police were still investigating.

We’ve killed Shekau again, military claims

Nigerian troops might have scored a stra­tegic victory in the current battle against terrorists operating in the North-East on September 17.

During a desperate attempt by the insurgents to capture Konduga in their delusion to eventually march on and capture Maiduguri, the man, who had been mimicking the late Abuba­kar Shekau in recent videos might have been finally killed.

According to senior military and intelligence sources, “it is getting more certain that the terrorists’ commander who has been mimicking Shekau in those videos is the one killed in Kon­duga on September 17, 2014.”

Sources said the suspected demise of the Boko Haram leader was responsible for the scattering of the sect members in different independent loca­tions in neighbouring coun­tries, especially in Cameroun in recent days.

A security source did not deny the suspicion but cau­tioned: “The process of con­firming that the dead body we have is the same as that char­acter, who has been posing as Shekau is ongoing. He is definitely a prominent terror­ist commander. I don’t want to say anything about this yet please.”

Another high-ranking mili­tary source insisted that the re­semblance was too striking to be a co-incidence. They cited his facial marks, beards and teeth, apart from the recov­ery by the Nigerian troops, of some of the armoured vehicles and Hilux jeeps that had fea­tured in previous videos of the prime suspect.

The officers assured that the Defence Headquarters would soon address the nation after full investigation of the latest discovery.

Photo of young twins who lost their mum in the FCE bomb blast

These beautiful little angels lost their mum in the Federal College of Education, Kano bomb blast that occurred on Wednesday September 17th. 15 students of the college lost their lives while 34 others were seriously injured.

Around 1.30pm on that fateful day, terrorists climbed the fence of the school, jumped into the school premises and began shooting sporadically. One suicide bomber gained entrance into one of the classrooms and detonated the bomb on him, killing 15 students, one of whom was these twins mother.

Houthis seize government buildings in Sanaa

Rebels take control of radio station and army base in Yemen's capital while PM tenders resignation in public statement.

A peace deal between Houthi rebels and government loyalists in Yemen appears to be in jeopardy, as the Houthis have taken control of government buildings and a radio station in Sanaa - and a major army base north of the capital.

Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Sanaa on Sunday, said that a "slow-motion coup" is taking place in the capital.

"By the end of day, we will probably see the capital Sanaa fully in the hands of the Houthis," our correspondent said, adding that the rebels are marching toward the army headquarters.

Vall reported that most areas in the capital apart from the army base saw little or no fighting, which he referred to as a "capitulation of sorts".

He said that soldiers from the army had been seen changing into civilian clothing to avoid being "arrested by the Houthis".

Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa tendered his resignation in a statement in which he criticised the president's performance in this crisis and for not participating fully in the national dialogue process.

UN special envoy Jamal Benomar, who had held talks with Houthi leader Abdulmalek al-Houthi in their home province of Saada, announced late on Saturday that an agreement had been reached to end fighting.

Curfew in place

Yemen's state TV headquarters in Sanaa had earlier been captured by the Shia rebels after coming under heavy shelling, while the country's Supreme Security Commission, chaired by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ordered a curfew in four areas north and west of the capital between 9pm and 6am.

More than 100 people have died in fighting since Thursday, sparked by weeks of protests and clashes. It also prompted the suspension of international flights to Sanaa and the interruption of broadcasts by state television.

Thousands of Houthis have staged protests in Sanaa for more than a month now, besieging ministries and blocking the road to the main airport.

The Houthis are a Zaidi Shia group whose traditional power base is in the north. They are demanding a new government and also more political power for their community.

The government's plans for a six-region federation has been rejected by the Houthis and the southern separatists.

Oyo Governorship Election: Alao-Akala picks PDP nomination form

Former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State and an aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday collected the nomination form for the 2015 governorship election.


The aspirant, who paid the mandatory N3m fees, collected the form at the party secretariat in Ibadan through his Committee of Friends.

Razak Gbadegesin, the aspirant’s former Chief of Staff, who collected the form on his behalf, said the committee picked the form because the aspirant went to Abuja for an assignment.

“We are here to collect the form on his behalf and it is due to the fact that we believe in his ability to deliver when he becomes governor of Oyo State,” he said.

Gbadegesin said there was no other person that could wrestle the position from the incumbent, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, other than Alao-Akala.

Dr Kola Balogun, another member of the committee, said that the group believed the aspirant could represent the yearnings of the people of the state.

“I want to urge PDP members in Oyo State to work hard to see Alao-Akala elected as governor of the state,” he said.

Responding, on behalf of the party, Mrs Kehinde Eboda, an official of the PDP, confirmed that the aspirant had fulfilled the necessary condition for the collection of form.

Earlier, Kehinde Salawu, state Public Relations Officer of the party, who represented the Chairman, Olayinka Taiwo, said it had no annointed candidate.

“We are going to allow for a level playing ground.”

The number of aspirants who picked the form on the platform of the party has now increased to five.

Others are Femi Babalola, Kehinde Olaosebikan, Prof. Olusoji Adejumo and Dr Gbola Adetunji

Oyedepo defends fees charged by private varsities

The founder of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has defended the tuition fees charged by schools owned by the church, describing the provision of quality education as an expensive venture.

Oyedepo said this while addressing journalists on Friday in Ota, Ogun State, at a media chat organised in commemoration of his 60th birthday coming up on September 27, 2014.

Private schools in the country, including Covenant and Landmark universities, owned by the church are often criticised for being too expensive for average Nigerians to afford.

But Oyedepo highlighted some of the church’s humanitarian programmes which include providing scholarships and bursary awards to assist students.

He said, “I’m sure we all agree that education is expensive. Education carries cost; nothing of value is free. Our mission for years long, before we started any university or secondary school, was a bursary awarding church and we have not stopped doing that till tomorrow.”

Oyedepo said that the church was committed to providing quality education to youths, adding that many Nigerians complain about the cost of education in private universities because they have got their priorities misplaced.

“Our problem most of the time is priority; an average Nigerian can spend N1m on burial but to spend N200,000 on education (is a problem), because of wrong priority.

“On a yearly basis, we have N1.5trn that Nigerians spend to overseas universities, so people thrive on it. Nigerians spend N463bn a month on recharge cards, how much are they paying for schools fees? So it’s all a matter of priority. This is the largest market for telephone in the world. Now, to pay N500,000, some people have only one son, they have huge business and houses all over the places, they will never pay it.”

Speaking further, Oyedepo said he had chosen not to respond to the many controversial reports about him on the social media because he considered it as a waste of time.

He said, “My understanding of opposition, persecution is simply someone’s opinion harshly expressed. Everybody has a right to his opinion. Today, millions follow after Christ but you will be surprised that when you get to Israel some people do not believe that Christ has come.

“People have rights to their opinions. I naturally don’t feel it’s necessary (to respond). The energy I would need to react, I can use it to make moves. I have enough to think about than start running after a man who says you are a fool.

“If he says you are a fool and you are behaving so, then he’s right. If you leave your job and start pursuing somebody who says you are a fool, he has already said so, your going around doesn’t change it. So why going around, why don’t you settle on your job and make moves?

“I’ve also come to understand that those who make news hardly watch them, they are so busy making news while others are busy watching.”

Asked about the challenges he has faced in life and in his ministry, Oyedepo said he had never dwelled on his challenges but that he has rather been fuelled by them.

He said, “Life essentially is full of challenges, it is those challenges that make champions. You can’t emerge a heavy weight boxing champion except you receive punches. You can’t change classes in school except you write exams.

“So to me, life is an adventure in challenges and I’ve said often that it is normal to be challenged but it’s unscriptural to be defeated. Challenges are the stepping stones for the making of champions.”

At age 27, in 1981, Oyedepo started his ministry in Ilorin, Kwara State and sited his first church two years later in Kaduna State.

At the media chat, he said that the church now has branches in 63 countries in the world and that the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, where he pastors, hosts “over 200,000 worshippers every Sunday morning in four services.”

EBOLA: Ogun announces Oct 8 as school resumption date

The Ogun State Government on Friday announced Wednesday October 8, 2014 as the new resumption date for both public and private schools in the state.


The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, stated this at the Governor’s Office press centre, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

Adeoluwa said the new date was chosen after series of meetings with stakeholders on the measures to prevent pupils from contracting Ebola Virus Disease when schools resume.

He said the stakeholders include state chapters of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Academic Staff of Secondary Schools, Association of Primary School Head teachers of Nigeria, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools.

He said, “Since the Ebola scourge broke out in Lagos, the Ogun State Government has put many preventive measures in place.

“Apart from that, we have had series of evaluation meetings with stakeholders in the education sector, and today we all agreed that the level of preparedness in putting in place preventive measures against the outbreak of Ebola in both private and public primary and secondary schools in the state, is not satisfactory enough.

“So, we have agreed that the new date for resumption should be shifted to Wednesday October 8.”

Meanwhile, teachers in the state said they would not resume until the government put adequate measures in place to prevent the outbreak of the deadly virus.

The teachers said their stand was predicated on the fact the state government had failed to put in place the necessary facilities and equipment to prevent the outbreak of the virus.

The state Chairman of the NUT, Mr. Dare Ilekoya, said the action was to protect the teachers and the pupils from contracting the disease.

How a gunshot shattered my spinal cord and NFL dream – Nigerian student in American University

After a knock, the nurse gently pushed the door and peeped into the admission room, “Can I come in?” she asked, smiling caringly. She didn’t wait for any answers as she made her way to the bed where Robert Chigozie Okwara laid.


“How are you today young man?” she asked, walking towards the front of his bed. She stopped, rested her hand on the patient’s chest.

“I have come to get you for your exercise today,” she announced, turning in the direction of a wheel chair placed by the door. She pulled the wheel chair closer to the bed, bridged it with a sliding wood to enable Okwara to transit, perhaps, painlessly, from his bed to the wheel chair, unassisted.

“CJ, you may rise, try and sit on the wheel chair so that we may go for your exercise. Take your time.” The young man nodded as visitors and his dad watched him in the process. Slowly, he sat up, took a deep breath, surveyed the bed with his looks, tried to find a suitable position for his next shift towards the wheel chair. His father, Chigozie, stood by the edge of the bed, watching with frustration. Regular daily easy and simple chores had become painful challenges for his son. CJ, as he is fondly called, picked his right leg and gently placed it on the floor, adjusted his body in the direction of the wheel chair. He moaned, inhaled the travelling breeze in the room. “The pain is running through my veins,” he said as he began to massage his thighs. His dad tried to assist him but the nurse refused. “He has to learn how to live independently,” she affectionately explained.

He attempted a third push towards the wheel chair, placing his butt on the flat wood that slides him into the chair. The nurse unlocked the wheel breaks and pushed him towards the hallways for his exercise. They disappeared into the hospital’s gym.

This was not the life Okwara dreamt of when he transferred from Livingston College in South Carolina to Alabama State University, recruited as a line backer for the college football team, in 2012.

Early this fall, as summer days were ending, his dreams of playing in the National Football League, America’s elite professional sports , shattered during a day time random robbery in his apartment complex.

The 20-year-old athlete remembered how the robbery happened. “It was very spontaneous. Three men deceived my roommate and I as we walked out of our apartment that afternoon, they said they had ipod gadgets to sell to us in our apartment complex. The guys asked us to meet at a designated area to check the ipods. As soon as we arrived, they pulled guns at us, took my bag. I was scared. I reacted by punching one of the robbers in his face. He was knocked unconscious: his gun fell from his hands. One of the robbers panicked and shot at me as I was about to run. Everything went down so fast. I was shot in my waist. I lay in a pool of blood, bullet lodged in my spine; I was in serious pain from the gunshot. Other residents in the complex called the police and requested an ambulance. Thirty minutes later, the ambulance arrived and I was rushed to the Baptist hospital in Montgomery Alabama. I couldn’t move and breathing was very hard. I just wanted the hospital to put me to sleep. I was in a coma for six days.”

Through the university, the hospital contacted CJ’s dad, Chigozie Okwara, in far away Raleigh North Carolina. The hospital briefed him on the state of his son. That evening, he drove hundreds of miles to be by his son’s side.

“ Jebose, I arrived inside the intensive care unit of the Montgomery Baptist Hospital where he was being treated. He was connected to tubes and other stuffs. I held his hands and asked him to squeeze my fingers if he recognised my voice and my face. He did. I knew then that we shall win this new challenge that God blessed my family. I told him not to worry about anything. He is alive and we would go this journey together. He underwent surgery on his spinal cord and a plate was inserted to assist the shatter. The doctor said that though, he is paralysed from waist down, he is still a young man and we could see a turn around with his body in the future. He could walk. “I am struggling to make things better, but each time I try, things get worse. I don’t blame him for this. It’s not his fault. He never asked for this. He was a very good football player. He has a lot of friends in NFL now that have called to support and pray for him. My son has done everything I asked of him growing up, a great kid and fine athlete. When I drove taxicab back in the days, I was cab number 34. My son chose the number 34 as his high school football jersey and hoped to wear that number in NFL, to honour my hard work and struggles as a single dad. But here I am with him; our lives are altered by that senseless gunshot that paralysed him. I am not going to leave him behind. He needs me now more than ever. I am his feet and together, we will learn to live with his circumstance. We will walk again, someday, soonest.”

Chigozie has had his shares of the American nightmares. He moved to the United States with his wife in 1991. Few years after settling into life, the couple had CJ. Chigozie engaged in small business enterprise with his wife to care for their young family. He opened an African restaurant, managed by his wife while he supported the income from the restaurant with taxicab operations. In 1996, his wife had immigration problems and was subsequently deported to Nigeria. Chigozie became a single parent by circumstance. He struggled to raise his two boys, CJ and his younger brother.

CJ experienced the hard and difficult life in the United States with his dad and brother.

‘Sir, those experiences motivated me to work hard in school and hopefully be a great football player and business man so that I might be that golden ticket for my family, especially my dad.”

Years later, Chigozie would run into immigration problems.

In 2007, he was arrested and placed on deportation. He spent three years in the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) detention centre. “Jebose, my children were homeless when I was thrown into the immigration jail, awaiting deportation. I thought I had lost them. But through the help of friends, the issues were resolved and I was released as a documented alien. I returned to Raleigh, gathered my children and we began to rebuild our lives and family again. We were near the completion of rebuilding this family when this tragedy happened again. God knows why us.”

Young CJ stared at the ceiling in the room, tears began to drop from the corners of his red eyes. He tried to hide the expressions of his feelings before his father. He didn’t want him to see the tears, but the streams ran down his eyes, spreading and covering his face.

“Mr. Jebose, I see this situation as a lesson. I have a second chance at life. I received so much support from friends and within the Football League. One of my friends, Austin, told me how I inspired him: how he looked up to me and how he always wanted to be like me. I didn’t know at all that the simple things I did for him as a friend would impact him so much, so when this happened, he was always here, supporting me with bible verses and encouraging me to stay strong. I had to be strong mentally and physically to be able to begin this new chapter of my life’s story.

“I feel I have disappointed my dad. My dad always told me to avoid bad situations; I got caught up in this strange armed robbery attack: my dreams of going to the National Football League as a pro draft shattered. My family looked up to me to better our lives. My father had gone through pains for us and especially for me. I worked very hard as an athlete from my high school to college so I would be able to fulfill my dreams of NFL and help my family. He spent three years in immigration detention facing deportation, but we pulled that through, now this armed robbery against me disabled my hopes and dreams. I feel I have disappointed my family. I can’t be drafted by NFL as a paralysed athlete. But I have to be positive.

“I dreamt of the big game days in NFL. I dreamt of super bowl. I never got the opportunity to show my talent. I came down to Alabama on scholarship to play football and also get education, but my big dream got shattered. Next year would have been my year for an opportunity to shine in the NFL and help my family live comfortably. I will finish my major in business and go from there. Being paralysed is not the end of the world.”

Building collapse: Lagos govt moves against Synagogue

The Lagos State Government has moved against the popular Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun, whose one of its buildings collapsed last week killing scores of people including a 10-year-old kid with many others critically injured.

The structure, which was under construction, was initially a two-storey building before the addition of four new floors which were under construction.


As of Thursday, the death toll in the building collapse hit 80. Among the dead were 67 South Africans.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency has, therefore, marked the main building of the church, asking for relevant documents to prove its structural integrity.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, who confirmed that the building had been marked by the agency in a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, said it had requested that the church provides some documents, adding that a structural integrity test would be carried out on all the buildings in the church complex.

She said, “X’ (the mark on the building) does not mean demolition; it is for structural integrity test to be carried out on the building and the church is expected to provide all the documents for approval and the church has three months to do this.”

Asked if the building would be demolished in case the church failed to meet the requirements within the time frame, Animashaun-Odunayo declined to make further comments.

“Look, it is still under investigation; I can’t say more than that. I don’t even know who I am talking with on the phone,” she said.

LASBCA was recently created to enforce building control regulations and implement the 2010 Physical Planning, Urban Development and Building Law in the state.

The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, who spoke with one of our correspondents, also described the “X” sign as a ‘stop work order.’

“It is a stop work order. it doesn’t mean the building will be demolished,” he said.

He explained the order became necessary so as to allow a structural integrity test on all the buildings in the church complex.

The commissioner said though there was an approval for the church auditorium, he was not certain that there was an approval for the additional work being done on the auditorium.

The President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, also described the “X” mark as notice to stop work on the building and also to draw attention to illegal activities on it.

He said the notice could span up to seven days or more depending on the situation.

He said, “Work was ongoing on the six-storey building before it collapsed though the church said it was due to an aircraft hovering for a period of time but this aircraft could be traced and enquiry made.

“Technically speaking, the foundation of a house is the key for successive floors to sit comfortably.

“Presentation of papers such as the architectural drawings, structural drawings, soil test reports and many more would strengthen or weaken the evidence of the church.”

A former Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Architects, who is a member of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild Technical Committee on the investigation of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church, Olufemi Shodunke, explained that the structural integrity test to be carried out on the building would involve professional judgement to determine its efficacy.

Shodunke said the professionals responsible for the construction of the collapsed guest house had yet to be identified and that the answer was important to the investigation of the committee.

An estate surveyor, Kayode Ogunji, who is also a member of the collapsed building investigation panel, said, “In the building language, when you have an ‘X’ sign labelled on a structure, it means there is a distress in that building; it means there is something wrong with the construction. It is either the building is tilting, sinking or the right materials were not used, and even before, during and after construction, if these tilts are discovered, the authority in charge will now come over there to tell the builders to stop.

BOKO HARAM: FG turns to Russia, China as USA, UK fail Nigeria

The emerging scenario in the fight against terror and the steps Nigeria’s government has taken would have resulted in global sensation during the cold war. The United States would fight to keep their allies.

They would never easily lose any of their allies to then Soviet Union as now represented by Russia which has, although, embraced free market economy.



Nigeria, for years, enjoyed close ties with the West and was seen as a US ally. But the seeming snub or nonchalant attitude towards it by its traditional allies has reportedly compelled Nigeria to turn to Russia and China for the training of its military as well as acquisition of military hardware to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

Highly placed military and intelligence sources in Abuja told newsmen that the decision to turn to the other two world military powers was an interim measure to roll back the military advances made by the Boko Haram insurgents who have gained some grounds in seizing and controlling some towns and Villages in the north eastern states of Borno and Adamawa.

Already, Nigerian security personnel from the Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) have been dispatched to Russia for training as Special Forces to combat the Boko Haram insurgents who are mounting stiff challenge to the Nigerian security services.

According to investigations, following the increasing sophistication of the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian government approached American and British governments to procure arms for its armed forces in order to effectively counter the insurgents but the two western governments have continued to dither, a situation that may have been responsible for some of the gains recorded by terrorists in recent times.

A senior security Source revealed that: “the United States and Britain appear unwilling to provide arms to our armed forces. It is surprising because these are two friendly countries to Nigeria which is under threat from terrorists. We have no option but to look somewhere else for our needs pending when the issues are resolved at the diplomatic level by our government.”

This remark underscored the current lukewarm attitude of both countries to the Federal Government. The USA had said that it would not assist Nigeria with land forces and would not also share intelligence with the Nigerian military. Sources said that they did not trust the Nigerian military which was accused of lacking professionalism and which also had moles within. But Nigeria expected better assistance from USA, Britain and the like. But their support has fallen below expectation.

It was also gathered that one of the options was to turn to Russia which has always been willing to supply weapons and some other logistics to Nigeria when other western countries are not forthcoming. The Nigeria Air force has several Russian fighter jets in its fleet.

It was gathered that Nigeria has entered into contract with Russian Arms manufacturers for the supply of high calibre weapons to the Nigerian Army to combat the insurgents in the North east and has begun discussion with the Israeli government on possible supply of military hardware.

“When the Chief of Army staff said recently that the Nigerian army would soon take possession of weapons that would reverse the trend in the North east, he was referring to the deal between Nigeria and some Russian arms manufacturers. We are also in discussion with Israeli companies. We don’t want to be held ransom by our traditional allies. That is why we are expanding our sources of supply,” the source said.

As part of the agreement between Nigeria and Russia, a group of Nigerian security personnel are already in Eastern Europe for training as Special Forces with another batch, made up of the Army, Police and DSS billed to leave Nigeria next month to join the other three batches that are already in training.

President Jonathan recently, at the passing out parade of cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy, said the armed forces would set up a Special Forces Brigade to combat terrorism in the country.

Culled from Vanguard