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Some of the female students abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok, Borno State, may have been ferried around Lake Chad basin by their abductors – suspected Boko Haram gunmen. A Chibok youth leader, Dr Pogu Bitrus, who stated this during an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said his assertion was based on a report that indicates the girls were divided into groups to make it impossible for security agencies tracking them to rescue all the students from one place. He said, “We have a report that the sect might have divided the girls into different groups and separated them to make it impossible to get all the girls in one place. “Since the girls were abducted from GGSS Chibok by the Boko Haram, we heard that the girls were separated. Some were detained in Sambisa Forest, some detained around Gwoza, Marte and Monguno axis. “For almost two weeks the security forces left us in confusion regarding their glaring in...

Soldiers stationed in the Northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa which has come under incessant attacks by Boko Haram, are asking for policy of rotation to be put in place by the military so that new set of soldiers can come in to relieve the battle-weary ones. The soldiers who pleaded anonymity criticized the practice of leaving them stationed for too long in the battlefields in the war against the insurgents while also lamenting the terrible condition they are living in. One of the soldiers said, "We are living in very bad conditions. The food they give us is terrible. The heat here is terrible. And I find it difficult to stay alert and concentrate on the job because every time I talk to my wife, she is always crying, asking me when will I come home to see my children." Most of the soldiers lamented being the battlefield for over six months with no idea of when they will be re-posted to another battalion. One of the soldiers in Borno said his wife gave birth a ...

Speaking in this chat with Icon Weekly magazine, P-Square’s Publicist, Bayo Adetu opens up on what really transpired.. Read excerpts from the interview below... Greetings, Bayo, we heard that the Okoye brotherS have finally reconciled, can you give us an insight on what really happened? After a long laugh… My brother, I’m telling you this as a friend, there was no fight at all. The whole thing started after Jude tweeted some days back and bloggers feasted on it and gave it several interpretations which never existed, and that was how we got here. Are you saying there wasn’t a fight at all, how then did Peter and Paul keep releasing comments through their Facebook accounts? My guy, I can authoritatively tell you that neither of the P-Square brothers, nor even Jude operate their Facebook accounts anymore. Whatever Facebook posted was from an impersonator, pretending to be anyone of them. P-Sqaure is active on twitter, not on facebook, so you see, the whole thing was founded on ...

Dependable industry sources have confirmed to Nigeriafilms.com that veteran Nigerian filmmaker, Amaka Igwe is dead. The respected woman was pronounced dead in the early hours of Tuesday, April 29, 2014. From information gathered by us, Amaka Igwe breathed her last after battling with Asthma attack. She produced the popular comedy series, ‘Fuji House of Commotion’ and ‘Checkmate’. Amaka Igwe is survived by her husband, Charles Igwe and children. She was aged 60.

Nigeria’s embattled petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has secured a court injunction ordering the House of Representatives to discontinue an ongoing investigation of how the minister allegedly squandered more than N10billion of public funds leasing private jets for two years. A federal court in Abuja restrained the House, its committees or representatives from summoning Mrs. Alison-Madueke or requesting that she produce papers, documents or give evidence relating to the jet spending. The presiding judge, A. R. Mohammed, also barred the lawmakers from ordering the minister’s arrest for failing to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts, which is probing the allegation. Mrs. Alison-Madueke is accused of spending billions of naira for the services of private jets she deployed for mostly personal trips. State oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, supervised by the minister, has absolved the minister of wrongdoing. As petroleum ministe...

A Singaporean match-fixer has claimed he helped two international sides qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Wilson Raj Perumal, a self-confessed match-fixer who was part of a syndicate that has been placed at the heart of a sophisticated network responsible for fixing hundreds of matches around the world, claims in a new book that he assisted Honduras and Nigeria in reaching the World Cup through his activities. Perumal had already admitted to being part of a syndicate that fixed a string of international friendlies by bribing corrupt officials and compromised players, but this is the first time that he has claimed to have influenced World Cup qualifiers. Perumal was arrested in Helsinki in 2011 and sentenced to two years in prison. He agreed to co-operate with the authorities and implicated his fellow Singaporean Dan Tan, alleged to be at the heart of the fixing and gambling ring that placed bets on illicit Chinese markets. Last year Europol alleged that more than ...

Conference Committee drops State Police; adjourns decision on mining legislation Arguments upon arguments; motions upon motions is what can best describe the process that led to another adjournment on Monday of deliberation on whether legislation on mining of mineral resources should remain the exclusive right of the Federal Government. Another crucial issue, shot down by the Committee on Devolution of Power after a lengthened argument, was for the establishment of State Police. While delegates from the south were favourably disposed to it, those from the north were apprehensive that politicians would subject it to abuse. It died on the floor. For more than two hours, the debate on mining lingered, as members battled to resolve the impasse, which was basically whether state governments should have a say in mining of natural minerals. The house was divided along regional lines as a section wanted the status quo as contained in the 1999 Constitution sustained; and others from t...

In a bid to ensure security, the Federal Government has introduced measures to forestall unnecessary loitering of unauthorised persons at all the nation’s international airports. The unauthorised persons, according to the government, include protocol officers, aides and escorts of dignitaries who are usually in the habit of following their principals to restricted parts of the airports. Also, the Federal Government has announced steps aimed at curtailing the gridlock at the international airports, saying the present situation has become a source of embarrassment to the nation. Announcing these at a press briefing on Monday, the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Prof. Sylvester Monye, said President Goodluck Jonathan had in September 2013, set up a committee to achieve this as part of his transformation agenda. According to him, the committee has representatives from the Nigeria Police, Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigerian A...

A MAJOR breakthrough is imminent in the energy sector as there are indications that some United States (U.S.) Navy scientists have successfully developed a way to convert seawater into jet fuel, calling it a potentially-revolutionary advancement. Meanwhile, SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc on Monday heralded a new era for Nigerian exploration and production companies as its shares began trading on the Official Trading List of the Nigerian Stock exchange (NSE). The company’s shares closed at N604.80 at the end of its first day of trading. In a related development, an indigenous firm, Seven Energy International Limited, has secured $255 million (about N40.8 billion) equity funding from global investors to further develop gas supply opportunities in Nigeria’s energy market. According to ‘The Huffington Post’, researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) developed technology to extract carbon-dioxide from seawater while simultaneously producing hydrogen, and then conver...

With some 187 girls still missing two weeks after they were abducted from a school in north-eastern Nigeria, the government is under growing pressure, reports BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross. The agonising wait goes on. Almost two weeks after they were driven away from their boarding school in the town in the middle of the night, parents are desperate for news of their daughters. A resident of the small town of Gwoza in the remote north-east said on 25 April she saw a convoy of 11 vehicles painted in military colours carrying many girls. This will be of little comfort to the parents as it suggests at least some are now even further from home, close to the Cameroonian border. The fact that Islamist fighters from the Boko Haram group are still able to move across parts of Borno state in convoys points to the severe limitations of the current military strategy. 'Eerie echo' With thousands of extra troops deployed in the main cities of the north and with the emergen...

All's well that ends well, right? After a decade of electrifying dances, amazing music and climbing the heights of super stardom, th group P-Square almost unravelled. Peter Okoye, the darling of Nigerian women decided he had had enough of being called a dancer, rather than a singer, and also the disrespect of his wife, Lola Okoye by his elder brother Jude Okoye. He entered a physical combat with his less athletic twin brother, and won. Not just winning, he broke the dude's left eye. Of course, all that muscle and endless hours preening himself in th gym, has to give him some combat advantages. Poor Paul. In the end though, family reined supreme, all the anger was put away, the brothers were reconciled, and went back to playing soccer (and working out), while being Daddies and honeys to their kids and wives. For the extra pep, Jude Okoye had just the bright idea to get engaged to an ex-beauty queen, Ify Umeokeke, sending all the wagging tongues to another direction....

A 16 year old Jonathan Law High School student in Connecticut has strangled and slit the throat of his ex girlfriend who allegedly refused to go to prom with him. According to Radar Online, Maren Victoria Sanchez couldn't wait for her junior prom and she even posted a photo of herself in her pretty blue dress, made a nail appointment and was giddy with excitement about attending the party with her new boyfriend. But according to police report, all of that changed Friday morning, when just hours before the dance, her ex, Chris Plackson, asked Sanchez to go to the same prom with him. «"He asked her to prom; she said, 'No, I have a new boyfriend,'" junior Jill Davis told CBS News. "He strangled her and then slit her throat and then stabbed her in the arm and then ran, and the cops got him." The prom, scheduled for Friday night, was canceled, and instead, stunned teachers then gathered the students together in the auditorium to tell them what happ...

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor named Daryell Dickson Meneses Xavier was reportedly beaten and raped by 20 men after he was locked up for allegedly killing and possibly raping his girlfriend's 1year 11 months old son (pictured with him left) in Taguatinga, suburb of Brasilia, Brazil in Sept 2013. According to local media, trouble started for the man after his girlfriend left him alone with her son. A few hours later, he called his girlfriend claiming the boy fell and was having seizures. The child was rushed to the hospital and died two days later. Doctors who didn't believe the boy fell called the police and told them they suspected foul play because the injuries on the boy wasn't consistent with a fall but with blunt trauma, and also said possible sexual abuse was involved. Doctors concluded there was blunt trauma and that the child also had a fissure in the anus. Fissure could come from sexual abuse or constipation but the boy's mum said he didn't have const...

Sounds like a scene from the holocaust movie, The Pianist. But just in case it's real, please read and advice. I am 19years old. My  parents and I were based in the north but recently we just moved to our village in Owerri due to the destruction of our house and properties in Yobe state. In 2013, there was an attack in our area by BokoHharam. So many people were killed so we had to hide somewhere for our safety and we were 3 kids, my parents and our last child who was 6month old. While hiding, the Boko Haram gun men were aproaching us. Hearing the sound of their guns, our 6month old baby started crying and the men were not far from us. So, my dad needed to save us and he strangled the baby to death. Now the five of us are alive and healthy but staying in the village. My mum is yet to get over the fact that our baby was killed to save us all, she keeps blaming my dad for killing her child. Now, she wants a divorce. Please I will like to know, did my dad do anything wrong by killi...

Luis Suarez has been named the Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year for 2013-14. • It marks an amazing turnaround for the 27-year-old, who almost a year to the day was caught on camera biting the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and banned for 10 matches by the Football Association. Despite missing the first four games of the Premier League season through suspension, the Uruguay international is practically assured of winning the Premier League Golden Boot after plundering 30 goals in 31 appearances, as well as providing 12 assists for a Liverpool team which regularly blew the opposition away with their pace and attacking football. Suarez won the award ahead of Liverpool teammates Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge, Southampton's Adam Lallana, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and also Yaya Toure of Manchester City. Suarez travelled down to the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London after the Reds' 2-0 defeat at home to C...

THE battle for political supremacy in the House of Representatives is set to be rekindled with the plan by 37 former members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to present an impeachment motion against President Goodluck Jonathan. The legislators, who are allegedly acting in concert with their governors who defected with them to All Progressives Congress, APC, are also following up their plans with a high profile sensitisation campaign against alleged misdeeds of the administration. The plan to present the impeachment motion Vanguard learnt is, however, being seriously opposed by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and some PDP loyalists in the House who have warned the 37 members that the plan could worsen their precarious position. The impeachment notice, which has been articulated into 30 points according to sources in the camp of the legislators, is a narrative of alleged misdeeds of the administration including financial misappropriation, unaccountability, extra-budgetary spending, among o...

There is now a high sense of uncertainty over the fate of the remaining electricity workers inherited from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, by successor companies, as their six months contracts expire this week. The workers’ contracts were drawn to assist the new owners of the successor companies assess staff performances to help them determine the quality and quantity of staff required to run their respective operations. The implication of the contract expiration gives liberty to the core investors to decide who stays and who leaves and on what terms. Since the disbandment of the Transition Committees appointed by the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, for the successor companies, the core investors have constituted their owns managements and boards to take decisions for their operations. Of the 18 successor companies, only Afam Power Station and the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company still have Transition Committees, which were appointed in February. Th...

The Julius Berger-Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, consortium, the contractors handling the 2nd Niger Bridge, has promised to complete the project on schedule. This position was contained in a statement signed by the Managing Directors of Julius Berger and the NSIA, Messrs Wolfgang Goetsch and Uche Orji, respectively, in Abuja, yesterday. The duo described as untrue reports that there were plans to abandon the project, which was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan recently. They denied reports that work on the project was suspended due to non-compliance with environmental laws . The statement read: “Julius Berger-NSIA consortium wishes to clarify that reports suggesting that work on the bridge has been suspended due to non-compliance of environmental laws represent inaccurate and misconstrued information. “Contrary to recent reports, work on the second River Niger Bridge project continue to progress according to schedule, to ensure timely completion of the br...

Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday said no right thinking Nigerian would accuse his President of genocide. Orji was reacting to a memo written by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adawama State to Northern Governors’ Forum, alleging genocide against President Goodluck Jonathan, in view of the Federal Government’s war on terror. Speaking in an interview with newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, Kalu also called on the Federal Government to seek help from foreign countries such as the United States of America, Germany and others, in rescuing the over 200 female students abducted by members of Boko Haram sect from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The former governor said he could not ascertain why President Jonathan would want to kill the people he was ruling, stressing that the problem of Boko Haram was also affecting the President. Cautioning Governor Nyako, Kalu said Nigerians should be mindful about whateve...

Yes! Magazine quoted singer Harrysong as saying his parents are siblings in an interview with them a while back. Harrysong released a statement some days ago denying he ever made the comment. The magazine editors have now released their own statement insisting that he did say it. Our attention has been drawn to a very disparaging comment from Harrysong, an up and coming artiste over an interview we conducted with him at Kcee's Omole Phase 2, Ikeja, Lagos home. As a responsible medium, Yes International! had wanted to ignore him and his deliberate act of mischief. But on a second thought, we decided otherwise, because in our considered opinion, it will be suicidal to disregard the young man's insinuations and cheap blackmail. However, we are also not unaware of Harrysong's ignorance and this again is a restraining factor on our side. Continue So, we wish to inform Harrysong and people like him that a print medium or any organization for that matter that deals in news has ...

Etisalat's vision is a world where people's reach is not limited by matter or distance; a world where people will effortlessly stay in touch with family and friends; a world where businesses of all sizes can reach new markets without the limitations of distance and travel Etisalat Nigeria is recruiting to fill the below position of: Job Title: Retail Advisor, Experience Centre Location: Kano, Lagos, owerri, warri, ijebu-ode, abuja, sokoto, Kano, asaba, yenagoa, ughelli, Enugu, lokoja Job Summary, Ogun, osun. Sell and market Etisalat products in assigned experience centre while providing consistent and quality service. Principal Functions Create an outstanding buying experience for the customer. Create a professional buying atmosphere. Greet all customers in a professional, friendly, and timely manner, as well as directing customer inquiries Assess and profile customer needs with aim to proffer the appropriate product or service Problem solve issues in a timely ma...

Located in the country's Guangdong province and off the coast of gambling paradise Macau, Hengqin Island will play host to a 15,000 seat arena designed specifically for competitive video game events. The stadium will be the centerpiece of a $2.8 billion gaming theme park currently dubbed the 'V-Zone'. The first phase of the park's development is expected to be complete in 2017 and will cost roughly $480 million. “We started with a blank sheet of paper, and we were looking for what would be the fastest-growing field in the world,” Chew Fook Aun, chairman of Lai Fung, which is overseeing development on the overall project, told Bloomberg. “The trends were with video gaming.” Major League Gaming will run the stadium's operations, and events will be streamed on MLG.tv. It was a bit of a fight to convince a New York consulting firm that's helping on the project, though. That company lobbied for several other themes, including music and cars. But ga...

Fresh trouble appears to be brewing for the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as the Federal Government has discovered how he spent the sum of N1.3 billion for personal aircraft charter in 2013 alone. Indeed, investigations revealed that the budget for the CBN governor’s aircraft charter was adjusted twice in the year with a proviso for further expenses which are being investigated. Documents already in the possession of government investigators confirmed that while the sum of N800 million was initially approved in the CBN Governor’s Department Travels vote head for 2013, it was adjusted with additional N400 million in August and another N74 million in December of that year. While the aircraft charter bill at a stage stood at N1.2 billion, further adjustment was said to have been made to take the bill to N1.344 billion. A memo dated November 27, 2013, which originated from the Director, Governor’s Department of the CBN, had ind...

According to punch,the World Bank said it had earmarked $8bn to support Nigeria’s job creation, social service delivery and governance projects in the next four years. This is contained in a statement by the bank on Friday in Abuja. It said that the bank would grant the support through a Country Partnership Strategy where it was expected to increase its development assistance to the country. The statement said that $2bn (about N322bn) would be spent annually during the period through the International Development Association and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development financing. The bank explained that the CPS, which would run from 2014 to 2017, had introduced a change in Nigeria’s borrowing status. It said Nigeria was declared credit worthy for IBRD financing last year and was officially entering blend status from July 1. “This CPS has been prepared in the context of the World Bank’s renewed commitment to the twin goals of reducing extreme poverty and promotin...

The World Health Organisation had placed a global ban on the use of chloroquine and Artesunate in 2005. Nigerians have been advised against the use of Chloroquine and Artesunate for the treatment of malaria. Nnenna Ezeigwe, National Coordinator, National Malaria Control Programme, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja. She, however, recommended that people should take only Artemisinin Combination Therapy, ACTs, when they test positive for malaria. “If your test result is positive, take only Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs). Do not treat malaria with chloroquine, artesunate or other monotherapies. “The ACT with green leaf is good quality and affordable; Ask for it,’’ she said. When contacted, Adeline Osakwe, Deputy Director, Pharmacovigilance, Food and Drugs Information Centre, NAFDAC, said the use of chloroquine and artesunate in Nigeria was being gradually phased out. “Since 2005, the use of monotherapies such as Ar...

Polytechnic students have threatened to disrupt ongoing national confab in Abuja next week Wednesday to protest months of closure of their schools. Hundreds of them “will mobilize” to join lecturers from polytechnics and colleges of education, who have already planned in protest in Abuja next week. “We are supporting our lecturers because they are fighting for our own rights and those of all polytechnics in the country,” said Abdulmajeed Oyeniyi, spokesman for National Association of Polytechnic Students. Friday morning, bus loads of polytechnic students blocked traffic at Federal Secretariat junction in central Abuja to protest their months of stay at home. They demanded the sack of education minister Nyesom Wike, insisting on placards that he was “weak” and “not competent.” They also called on federal government to meet their demands and targets. The protesters came from states across the country—Anambra, Adamawa, Kogi, Niger. Heavy police presence met the protesters at federa...

Capt. Sambo (junior brother to Vice President Sambo) died less than 2 hrs ago in a ghastly car accident on Bill Clinton Drive. His car collided with a tree and bust in flames. It was obviously as a result of over speeding. He was on his way to the airport to embark on a flight.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday performed the ground-breaking of the N100billion expansion project for Ashaka Cement’s new 2.5million metric-tonne capacity cement production line in Gombe, Gombe State. The project, which is expected to be completed within three years, will increase the company’s current production capacity of over one million metric tonnes to about four million metric tonnes, while creating job opportunity for many. Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said the new investment was a testimony of global investors’ growing confidence in the Nigerian economy as well as the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the Nigerian economy. He said this just as he disclosed that government has commenced the process of slashing the price of cement. The President reiterated that the current administration would continue to provide conducive environment for industry, trade and investments to thrive. ...

High flying Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has repeated that his side priority is top four and now having achieved that any other honours will be a plus. The manager keeps on trying to downplay his teams chances even though they are 5 points ahead with three games left. The Merseyside club will face a depleted Chelsea side on Sunday, and are looking to get there hands on the crown they have not won since 1990. Brendan Rodgers said: "I would be lying if I said I thought at the start of season we could be top of the table at this stage. "Pressure? That's what they have at Man City and Chelsea, where they are expected to win the league. I'm enjoying being top of the league. I have never slept better!" "Whatever team Chelsea put out, it will cost more than ours and be more experienced than ours. "Jose's a winner - he won't give up. He knows me well enough to know it wouldn't bother me one iota." Liverpool are five points ah...

Three Civil servants have been killed and 5 women abducted in an attack by Boko Haram in Gujba local government area of Yobe state. The incident was said to have happened at about 6pm on Friday. According to one of the survivors who ran into the bush, they were ambushed at the gate of College of Agriculture Gujba by the insurgents who were putting on soldier's uniform. It dawned on them that the men were not soldiers when they were ordered out of the car and told to lay down on the road before they were robbed. After which they slaughtered three people and ran into the bush with five women. The victims were civil servants who had traveled to Damaturu the state capital to withdraw their monthly salary since there was no functional bank nor ATM in Gujba town as a result of incessant attacks by Boko Haram which had paralysed economic activities in the town. One of the victim's family member who spoke on phone with Vanguard journalist said his brother was one of those sla...

Former IG of Police, Ibahim Commassie, this week told President Jonathan to point out the sponsors of the terrorist sect Boko Haram. Commassie said this yesterday in the nation's capital Abuja in reaction to the President's recent comments that Boko Haram members had infiltrated his government. The former IG said that if Jonathan was serious and wanted to get rid of Boko Haram, he will need to list the names of such people and also implement advices given to him by various committees on national security. He said: "First of all, sit down with people who know security issues very well and let them find out what the problems are; who are these people (insurgents and their sponsors), who are killing people and destroying properties; what are the intelligence information available? "What do these people want? If the government has the answers to some of these questions, they will be able to solve these problems of insurgency and terrorism in the country," O...

President Goodluck Jonathan vowed that the Federal Government would construct the biggest seaport in Badagry, Lagos State. The president made the promise at the 37th coronation anniversary of the Akran of Badagry, Aholu Menu-Toyi I, held at his palace on April 26, 2014, Saturday. Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, stated that the plan to found the seaport was part of the Transformation Agenda. The president marked significant historical role of Badagry over the century, as well as its importance as the cradle of tourism. However, in order to boost its role in foreign trade, it is being planned to build a seaport, which will exceed the size of the one in Ibeju-Lekki. Jonathan further applauded Aholu Menu-Toyi I for maintaining peace and unity in Badagry. "We appreciate your efforts and we pray God keeps on giving you strength to live for many more years," the president said in his message. In his return, the monarch, who ...