There have been conflicting reports on the death of a high ranking Boko Haram commander after an encounter with the Nigerian army.

The Defence Headquarters announced on Wednesday in Abuja that Momodu Bama, the second-in-command to the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, had been killed.
A statement by the Defence Headquarters made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that Bama's death had also been corroborated by other terrorists captured by troops.
It said that Bama was killed, following an encounter between troops and terrorists around the Bama corridor, near Maiduguri in Borno.
According to the statement, the troops have continued to intensify pursuit of terrorists who have been unleashing mayhem in Borno and Yobe.
It said that Bama had been personally leading attacks against troops and innocent citizens in communities in Yobe and Adamawa.
"A specialist in manning the anti-aircraft guns of the group, he is known to be vicious and heartless with a penchant for personally slaughtering and executing his victims.
"Bama has been a most wanted terrorist with a N25 million bounty already placed on his head."
The statement named other people who died in the operation as Bama’s father, Alhaji Abatcha Flatari, "who is also one of the spiritual guiding lights of the out-lawed terrorists group".
It added that 17 other terrorists also lost their lives in the encounter, while 24 were captured.
The statement said that troops were continuing the pursuit of the terrorists, while intensifying aggressive aerial and land patrols to ensure better security cover for communities in the two states.
It had previously been reported that Muhammed Bama and Abubakar Zakariya Yau had been killed in Adamawa after a shoot out between suspected Boko Haram members and the army in Adamawa.

At least 464 people were killed in nationwide violence sparked by a crackdown on the protest camps of supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, government officials said on Thursday.

At least 421 civilians died in Wednesday's violence, ministry spokesman Mohammed Fathallah said.
He said 137 people had been killed in the main Rabaa al-Adawiya camp which pro-Morsi protesters had occupied for weeks.
At the smaller of the two encampments in Nahda square, 57 people were killed and 227 died in the rest of the country, he said.
The interior ministry said 43 policemen had also been killed.

A leakage in a gas field operated by Chevron in the Atlantic Ocean off Bayelsa coastline has led to the discharge of crude oil and gas into the environment, community sources claim.

The sources said that the incident occurred at Funiwa Deep 1A natural gas well location in the Funiwa field, operated by Chevron Nigeria Ltd.
Mr Adeyinka Adewumi, the Head of National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Port Harcourt Zone, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Thursday.
''Chevron reported a leak in their facility this morning which opened the investigations into the incident. By the time our officers deployed to the site come back, there will be more information,'' he said.
Adewumi said that NOSDRA had commenced an investigation into the incident in collaboration with Chevron and members of the host communities.
He explained that the agency was awaiting a joint investigation visit to the site of the incident with representatives of Bayelsa Ministry of Environment, Chevron, host communities and Department of Petroleum Resources.
However, residents of Koluama 1 and Koluama 2 communities in Bayelsa have expressed concern about the negative impact of the incident on marine life and fishing.
Mr Larry Gabriel, a fisherman from Fishtown community in Brass Local Government Area, said the incident occurred five kilometres from the site of the January, 2012 gas explosion site within Chevron’s field in the Atlantic.
Gabriel said that oil workers had been making fruitless efforts to seal the leak.
''Although we cannot say when exactly this thing started, we have noticed unusual movement of heavy equipment they are using to block the leakage but so far oil and gas are still being discharged into the environment,’’ he said.
An official of Chevron, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NAN on telephone that the oil firm would issue a statement on the incident soon.

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that the Federal Government will recover over N232 billion ($1,5 billion dollars) overpayments made to "fraudulent'' oil marketers.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, made the plan known at the National Council of Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) in Minna on Thursday.
She said that in 2006, the total petroleum subsidies paid to oil marketing firms amounted to N256 billion (about $1,6 billion) and by 2011 the bill for petroleum subsidy payments had risen sharply to nearly N2,1 trillion ($13 billion).
"Even more striking was the increase in the number of oil marketing firms. While most countries have a few well-organised fuel importers, Nigeria had a total of 143 such firms since 2011.
"The certification process to verify the actual delivery of imported fuel was also very lax, resulting in widespread fraud in the operation of the scheme,’’ she said.
The minister said there were cases where some firms submitted payment invoices for fuel deliveries in Nigeria when their stated cargo ships were actually berthed elsewhere in South America on the same dates,
She said that the subsidised prices for domestic gasoline in Nigeria also created arbitrage opportunities and resulted in widespread smuggling of fuel products to Nigeria's neighbouring countries.
To this effect, she said, Nigeria embarked on a comprehensive reform of the downstream petroleum sector by appointing the AIG Imoukhede-led Committee, who discovered lapses in the payment processes.
"Following the discoveries, the Federal Government put in place a number of remedial measures to combat fraud in the subsidy scheme.
"First, a tighter payment regime was introduced with new auditors and stricter guidelines for disbursement of subsidy payments. The increased scrutiny has slowed down the payment process somewhat but also greatly reduced the likelihood of fraudulent payments.
"Second, we published the names of fraudulent oil marketing companies in the national press and are in the process of prosecuting these fraudulent marketers  to reclaim the stolen funds," she said.
To prevent further more fraudulent payment claims, she said the government was introducing three electronic payment systems and oversight platforms.
"The new Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Systems will allow direct payment of government workers based on biometrics data. This has so far saved government over N119 billion through the elimination of ghost workers.
"Also a Government Integrated Financial Management Information System electronically links the treasury to other government departments and enables faster and more transparent movement of funds," she explained.
Okonjo-Iweala said that all these were the government’s way to provide checks and balances in the prudent management of public funds.

Julius Agwu began Hawking Pap at the age of six : Mom

Julius and Mum

Supermom a reality show that centers on Mothers, has kicked off, however, this year’s edition is the celebrity edition, whereby mothers of some notable celebrities in Nigeria get to narrate their experiences and, heart-rending stories. Ace comedian Julius Agwu’s Mother, was the first to kick off the show.

Former Kwara State Governor, Saraki, to Be Arraigned Over N11 Billion – Police

Information emerging from police quarters has revealed that former Kwara State Governor (now senator), Bukola Saraki, might soon be taken to court over fraud cases involving over N11 billion.
According to the police Commissioner Special Fraud Unit in Lagos, Mr. Ayotunde Ogunsakin, during a press briefing with journalists on Wednesday, the delay in the case is to ensure that the investigation is thorough so that the prosecution is not thrown out by a court on a technicality.
According to him, as a matter that involves an important personality and some other individuals, the Saraki case cannot be hidden: “It’s not that we have refused to prosecute him, you must be aware that we are doing a very extensive and painstaking investigation, we don’t want a situation where we rush him to court and the case will be thrown out.”
He also assured that the security intelligence have carried out extensive investigation and it involves a lot of work, stressing that the investigation is almost concluded, “The whole world we know when we conclude the investigation. It’s not a case that can be hidden as it involves an important personality and some other individuals. So we are doing a painstaking and intensive investigation so as not to get to court unprepared. That’s all I can tell you. We want to be as diligent as possible

Julius Agwu’s Crack Ya Ribs Live in New York

Nigerians continue ‘occupying’ the entertainment scene in the United States as Julius Agwu’s Crack Ya Ribs will be live in New York for the first time on September 1st at the Symphony Space Sharp theater in New York City.
Julius ‘D Genius’ Agwu had earlier performed in Glasgow on 24th August, and London on 26th August in his Ghana meets Naija Crack Ya Ribs comedy show. Speaking before the London show, Julius Agwu said, “this year will mark 12 years of Crack Ya Ribs and we needed to repackage it to inject some fresh ideas to keep the brand going. We are now trying to make it bigger by turning it to a Pan-African event. So we are doing this edition with Media Ghana and Empire Entertainment from Ghana.” The array of stars from Nigeria and Ghana to perform at the comedy event include Mavin League’s D’Prince, Seyi Law, VIP, Senator, Yvonne Nelson, Funny Bone, Castro, Jay Ghartuy.
The Crack Ya Ribs brand of ReelLaif Entertainment headed by Julius Agwu, started in 1994 and has gained popularity in Nigeria and London for over a decade. Tickets for the New York event are priced at $30 for regular seats, $50 for VIP, and $100 for VVIP. Tickets for the show are available online.

Nigerian Latest News: Blame Islam and Christianity For Nigerian Problems...

Nigerian Latest News: Blame Islam and Christianity For Nigerian Problems...: A traditional chief in Badagry Local Government Area in Lagos State, Possu Awarawuru, has identified the advent of foreign religions as a ba...

Blame Islam and Christianity For Nigerian Problems” – Idol Worshippers

A traditional chief in Badagry Local Government Area in Lagos State, Possu Awarawuru, has identified the advent of foreign religions as a bane of the country’s social problems. Mr. Awarawuruis is one of the seven White Cap Chiefs of Akran of Badagry, Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi 1. Mr. Awarawuru made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Badagry during this year’s anniversary of the ancient town. “Before the coming of Christianity and Islam, our fore-fathers worship in their traditions and the society was peaceful and crime-free,’’ he said at the festival with the theme “Reconnecting with the Root. ’’ He explained that before the coming of the two religions, Nigerians worship traditional religion and was guided by the values, morals and various injunctions, laid down by the divinities. According to him, without the two religions, the society will be crime-free, since traditional religious worshipers don’t chase materialism. “If you get to the prisons, Christians and Moslems are always there but you can hardly see an idol worshipper being imprisoned. ’’ He advocated for the return to African ways of worship, saying that worshippers of the various divinities including Ogun (God of Iron), Olokun (God of the River) and Sango (Thunder), always abide with the norms and injunctions of the deities. Mr. Awarawuru, who is also the head of the Possukoh Quarters, urged followers of foreign religions to stop calling traditionalists idol worshippers.

16 DELSU Students Arrested For Possession Of Army Uniforms

On Friday a very daring act was discovered as 16 students of Delta State University, Abraka and Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, both in Delta state were  paraded by the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army Benin for allegedly being in possession of Nigerian Army uniforms and accoutrements. It was reported that Cpt. Roseline Managbe, the brigade’s Public Relations Officer, told newsmen on Friday that the suspects claimed to be members of the Nigerian Army Cadet Force and Safety Corps of Nigerian Cadet Team. She said that the illegal acquisition, use and abuse of the Nigerian Army uniform and accoutrement posed a serious security threat to the nation. In her words she said: “Experience has shown that these impostors have impersonated the Nigerian Army in various scenarios in acts of criminality to the embarrassment of the army and the nation in general. The Nigerian Army which is widely respected worldwide cannot fold its arms and watch its name dragged into the mud by a group parading themselves as affiliate of the Nigerian Army. The Nigerian Army disassociates itself from the activities of this group. There is only one Nigerian army and no affiliates.” Managbe went on by saying that the suspects were arrested by troops of the 3 Battalion Nigerian Army deployed in Asaba, Delta state. Items that was said to have been recovered were 20 pairs of army boots 32 pairs of army green uniforms five pairs of army camouflage uniforms Nine pairs of Army peak caps Nine pairs of Army beret and Three pairs of Army jungle hats. Three pairs of Army general duty belts Three pairs of Army anklets A pair of Army camouflage T-shirt 11 yards of Army green materials, one Nigerian Army flag and 10 Nigerian Cadet recruitment forms.

70 -Yrs-Old Pastor Use Indomie As Means To Rape 10 Year Old Girl

One wonders once again what is really becoming of the men of God of these days. Alfred Idonije, a 70 year-old pastor,  has been arraigned before an Egor Magistrate Court in Benin for allegedly raping a 10 year-old girl, Hope Kabiru. The accused said to be a pastor of an undisclosed church, was said to have allegedly had unlawful canal knowledge of Hope on 25th of June, 2012 after luring her into his room by sending her to buy indomie noodles for him. Narrating her ordeal to the court, the victim said the pastor had raped her on three different occasions and threatened to kill her if she reported to anyone. The grand mother of the raped victim, who happens to be the major witness, Mrs. Mary Akhigbe said Hope Kabiru who lives with her is an orphan. She told the court that the accused who was their neighbor usually send the girl on errand including that fateful day, adding that in the course of searching for her,  she heard some noise from the bedroom of the accused, and when she peeped into the room through the window, she saw the victim being sexually abused by the pastor. Counsel to the accused, Barrister Osa Uwagie, appealed to the court to grant his client who appeared frail, bail to enable him seek medical attention before the adjourned date. The presiding Magistrate, Taye Omoruyi, granted the accused bail with the bond of N200, 000.00 and a surety who must be a civil servant from grade level 12, to enable him seek medical attention. Further hearing on the matter was adjourned to next week Thursday.

Lagos Hotels 2nd Most Expensive Globally

Recent research by the Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) ascertains that hotels in Lagos are the second most expensive in the world, being second to no other than Moscow The survey was said to have been conducted in 50 cities worldwide and it was found out that a hotel room in Lagos cost an average of £217.05. That’s about N55k. Geneva comes 3rd with rooms priced at an average of £215.92.

15 Years Old Nigerian Girl Secures Admission Into Harvard.

A Nigerian girl, Saheela Ibraheem, has achieved what so many adults would call a daunting task in getting admission into an Ivy league school. She was given admission by 13 other institutions, including Princeton and Columbia before settling for Harvard. As gathered, Young Saheela skipped two grades because she believes the key to success is figuring out what you love to learn as early as possible, something she did at age 5. “If you are passionate about what you do, and I am passionate about most of these things, especially with Math,” Saheela said. It is with this mindset that she actualised the goal of getting into the prestigious university at the age of 15. Presently her dream of becoming a Neuroscientist is underway.

Pastor Kills Two Brothers – Own Father and Uncle

A certain Udoka Onwe has been arrested by the Ebonyi State Police Command for allegedly killing his father, Mr. Peter Onwe Elum, 60 and uncle, Mr. James Elum, 52, from Umuogodo Akpu Ngbo of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state. The suspect, who confessed to his crime, said that he decided to kill his father and uncle because they were wizards and wanted to use witchcraft to kill him, saying he killed them before they could kill him. The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Sylvester Igbo, confirmed the murder incident, saying that the matter was reported to Ohaukwu police station by one Mrs. Onyemaechi Onwe from Umuogodo Akpu Ngbo village of the local government area. According to the PPRO, “5 am this morning, a case of murder was reported at Ohaukwu police station by a woman, Mrs. Onyemaechi Onwe from Umuogodo Akpu Ngbo village in Ohaukwu local government area of the state… She reported that one Udoka Onwe… 22 years, murdered his father and Uncle. “…The suspect has a church called Christ Rimites Church, CRC, and when he was asked the reason he murdered his father and uncle, he said that they were wizards and that they want to use occultic means to kill him… He has been arrested and he is still with the police. The corpses of the deceased have been taken to Ngbo General Hospital where an autopsy is expected to be carried on the bodies.” The PPRO then pointed out that the suspect would soon be charged to court as investigations were still on to ascertain motive behind the dastardly act.

God Is Punishing Plateau For Her Sins – Governor Jang

The governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, said yesterday that God revealed to him that the fratricidal crisis in the state was ‘‘because of their sins.’’ The governor said this when he led other security chiefs to visit Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs of the state that have been the theatre of conflicts between the indigenes and Fulani herdsmen and to condole with the people over the recent death of two lawmakers, Senator Dantong Gyang and Hon. Gyang Fulani, Governor Jang told them that he had received a revelation from God that what has befallen the state was ‘‘the wrath of God over their sins.’’ The governor told them that if they repent from their sin, God will forgive them and restore peace in the state. The governor remarked that the children of Israel suffered the same fate as was recorded in the Holy Bible when they sinned against God. He said that God restored the children of Israel to their rightful place when they repented of their sins and returned to God. Governor Jang therefore charged the youths of the affected LGAs to desist from drinking alcohol and form vigilante groups for the security of lives and property. Jang said: ‘‘I want to call on the youths to stop engaging in drinking alcohol. You should form vigilante groups to climb the rocks and hills to protect women and children in the area from being attacked.’’ Meanwhile, the chairman of Riyom LGA, Hon. Sam Gyang Audu, has alleged that Fulani herdsmen have continued to terrorise them as well as graze freely on their farmlands heavily armed, even in the presence of the security personnel without being arrested. He said this development has created fear in the minds of the people of the area, adding that nobody goes to farm for fear of his or her life while the Fulanis allegedly destroy crops in the farm. According to him, this development will adversely affect the harvest of this season if government fail to intensify efforts at guaranteeing the security of the farmers in the area. “Our people no longer go to farm because the Fulanis are grazing on their farms with guns, yet security operatives are watching them and could not make any arrest. Some of them have taken over Berom farms and houses,” he said. In his reaction, the Special Task Force, STF, commander, Maj. Gen. Henry, described the allegation as false, stressing that in the wake of the death of the two lawmakers, the military task force relocated their base to the troubled area and have mopped the area with a view to flushing out criminal elements. He further stressed that the action will continue until the military is sure that there are no criminal elements in the area. Source: Leadership Newspapers

Mass Smuggling of Rocket Launchers into the Country by Terrorists Discovered

Police sources have confirmed that terrorists operating in the country are now secretly importing rocket launchers for use in carrying out their nefarious activities. It is believed that the terrorists plan to replace the Improvised Explosive Devices with rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades. These weapons are used to attack or destroy targets from long distances, while rocket launchers are devices that are used to propel missiles or explosives from long ranges. The planned adoption of this new strategy by the terrorists would help them evade arrests by security agents. Consequently, massive importations of these high-calibre weapons are currently on. Many of the rocket launchers have reportedly been smuggled into the country across the porous borders in the North. Confirming this development, spokesman of the police, Frank Mba, in an exclusive interview, described it as a “worrisome development.” According to him, “We are aware of the presence of rocket launchers and I assure you that we are not sleeping… I cannot give you details of all we are doing, but I can authoritatively say we are doing all we can to cut off their supply chain… I can tell you that all the Joint Task Force discoveries were made possible through international support; they were not by chance. The discoveries were made possible through deliberate, conscious intelligence gathering from outside the country.”

Another Boko Haram Bomb Factory Discovered In Kaduna

The Nigerian Army in Kaduna on Saturday announced the arrest of a suspected member of a terror group after raiding an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in the city. The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Div. Kaduna, Col. Sani Usman, who made the announcement, said security agents discovered the factory along Abuja Road, Rigasa, Kaduna, on Friday after one of the devices exploded. “I wish to confirm that on receipt of information and distress call from some good Samaritans at about 2.21 a.m. on Friday, Aug 3; our troops moved to Taro-taro by Abuja Road in Rigasa. “We discovered an Improvised Explosive Device factory where suspected terrorists were in the process of coupling the IEDs and we detonated some. “The factory was cordoned and searched and the following items were recovered: IEDs at various stages of development, cans of 33ccl, a sack containing 33ccl, empty cans and two IEDs packed in fire extinguisher tubes as well as timing devices,” he said. Usman said the troops arrested one suspect, while others escaped, shot and wounded two residents in the area. He said the factory had been demolished and advised property owners to be wary of their tenants. The assistant director appealed to the public to volunteer information on suspicious movements of people to security agents.  

The Nigerian Army in Kaduna on Saturday announced the arrest of a suspected member of a terror group after raiding an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in the city. The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Div. Kaduna, Col. Sani Usman, who made the announcement, said security agents discovered the factory along Abuja Road, Rigasa, Kaduna, on Friday after one of the devices exploded. “I wish to confirm that on receipt of information and distress call from some good Samaritans at about 2.21 a.m. on Friday, Aug 3; our troops moved to Taro-taro by Abuja Road in Rigasa. “We discovered an Improvised Explosive Device factory where suspected terrorists were in the process of coupling the IEDs and we detonated some. “The factory was cordoned and searched and the following items were recovered: IEDs at various stages of development, cans of 33ccl, a sack containing 33ccl, empty cans and two IEDs packed in fire extinguisher tubes as well as timing devices,” he said. Usman said the troops arrested one suspect, while others escaped, shot and wounded two residents in the area. He said the factory had been demolished and advised property owners to be wary of their tenants. The assistant director appealed to the public to volunteer information on suspicious movements of people to security agents.  

These photos released by the 60 year old grandfather and entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy. The musician and entertainer has been known for getting involved in controversial activities. What do you think about these photos. http://cdn.informationnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/548944_450496771651818_918371651_n.jpg?9d7bd4

P-Square paid out N50Million On Mum’s Burial

As the singing twins, P-Square has set to make town agog with the burial of their late mother, who passed on after a heart surgery in India. Talebearers disclose that the Okoye brothers led by Jude Engees Okoye, have spent almost N50m on the burial rites for their late mother. It was also disclosed that the brothers have spent so much in giving their mother a well-befitting and world class burial for who they refer to as the only pillar of support behind the P-Square success. The Okoye brothers have also contracted the services of M.I.C for casket provision as well as interment celebrations. It was also gathered that Peter and Paul have promised to spare no cost in ensuring that their late mother is well laid to rest. While some of the preparations and items that have seen the brothers spending so much include transporting her remains back to Nigeria; building a mausoleum; ordering for a very expensive casket; engaging services of burial team and event managers as well as catering for i bbnvited guests and colleagues.