22:42:00
Shola Alade
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Saturday, 2 May 2015
Pics: Pandemonium at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja right now
Saturday, May 2, 2015
There's serious fight happening at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja this night after Aero Contractors canceled a flight from Abuja to Lagos after a 3-hour delay. The flight was slated for 6pm
Photos: Man trekking from Adamawa to Abuja to celebrate Buhari meets Emir of Bauchi
Saturday, May 2, 2015
43 year old Mallam Abubakar Umar (pictured left) who started trekking from Yola, Adamawa state on April 26 to Abuja where he hopes to meet with the president-elect, Gen Buhari, had a brief stop
Woma Reaveals She Has Two Vaginas, Two Wombs And Two Cervixes
Saturday, May 2, 2015
A California YouTube star who revealed she has two vaginas — as well as two wombs and two cervixes — detailed her condition in an interview. UPI has more:
Cassandra Bankson, a makeup artist who posted a video to her YouTube channel last year explaining how she was diagnosed with having only one kidney and two vaginas, said she had struggled with
A California YouTube star who revealed she has two vaginas — as well as two wombs and two cervixes — detailed her condition in an interview. UPI has more:
Cassandra Bankson, a makeup artist who posted a video to her YouTube channel last year explaining how she was diagnosed with having only one kidney and two vaginas, said she had struggled with
Woman Chops Off Her Husband’s Manhood For Coming Home Late After Night Party
Saturday, May 2, 2015
A man was rushed to a hospital after his wife allegedly chopped off his private parts because he came home late at night, police in Romania said. Maria and Ion Petrescu of Galati, began arguing with each
A man was rushed to a hospital after his wife allegedly chopped off his private parts because he came home late at night, police in Romania said. Maria and Ion Petrescu of Galati, began arguing with each
Royal Baby: Duchess Of Cambridge Gives Birth To A Baby Girl
Saturday, May 2, 2015
The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a girl, Kensington Palace has announced. The princess – who is fourth in line to the throne – was “safely delivered” at 08:34 BST, the palace said in a
The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a girl, Kensington Palace has announced. The princess – who is fourth in line to the throne – was “safely delivered” at 08:34 BST, the palace said in a
Islamic State Crisis: US-led Syria Strikes ‘Kill Dozens Of Civilians’
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Air strikes by the US-led coalition targeting Islamic State militants have killed more than 50 civilians in northern Syria, activists say. BBC reports:
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group, says Birmahle village was hit on Friday and that some people were still trapped in rubble. The coalition has so far not commented.
Air strikes by the US-led coalition targeting Islamic State militants have killed more than 50 civilians in northern Syria, activists say. BBC reports:
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group, says Birmahle village was hit on Friday and that some people were still trapped in rubble. The coalition has so far not commented.
Mexican Army Helicopter Shot At, 3 Soldiers Killed In Drug Cartel Attack
Saturday, May 2, 2015
A Mexican army helicopter has been shot at in the western state of Jalisco, killing three soldiers and injuring 12 others. The country’s defence minister said the aircraft was forced to make an emergency
Ekiti APC Youths Slam Factional Speaker, Lawmakers For Shunning Peace Meeting
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, under the aegis of Ekiti APC Youths Congress (EAYC) have described the APC lawmakers, including the embattled Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin as enemies of the State and the partyfor shunning the peace meeting organised by elders in
Burundi Protesters Calls For A Two-day Halt In Demonstrations
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Burundi protest organizers on Saturday called for a two-day halt to demonstrations against President Pierre Nkurunziza’s move to seek a third term, which they say violates the constitution and endangers
Six Baltimore Officers Charged Over Freddie Gray’s Death
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Baltimore’s chief prosecutor charged one police officer with murder on Friday and five others with lesser crimes in the death of a young black man who suffered a critical neck injury on the back of a
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE HAIRSTYLE YOU DEFINITELY WANNA TRY
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Hairstyle is something celebrities always pay attention to. Not so with the Nigerian novelist CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE. Chimamanda is just one of those celebrity who if attention is not paid to, seems not to care about her hairstyle, but in reality, she does, below are some of the
Photos from the burial of the late Oronto Douglas...
Saturday, May 2, 2015
President Jonathan, Mrs Tarinabo Oronto Douglas & children, Bayelsa Governor Dickson & wife, DCOS Abubakar, Agiobenebo, PSP Tukur, FCT Min., Nuhu Ribadu and others attended the burial.
Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque dies at 68
Saturday, May 2, 2015
The Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Ustaz Musa Muhammed, has died at age 68. Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, announced the passing of
Pics: Ex VP, Atiku Abubakar meets with SA President Jacob Zuma
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and outgoing Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adeshina met with South African President, Jacob Zuma today. According to a statement by the former VP's office, Atiku is in South Africa on the instance of the President-elect, Buhari, to commence lobby for
Friday, 1 May 2015
Juliet Ibrahim Shows Off Her New Boo? (Photos)
Friday, May 1, 2015
Beautiful Ghanaian Actress Juliet Ibrahim is currently in a new relationship.
The actress took to her Instagram page today to show off her new lover.
In the photo she posted, Juliet Ibrahim’s boyfriend covers his face, while going shirtless and exposing his tattoos.
She captioned it, “Sweet dreams B. all I see are fairies no tagging Cus vultures are everywhere and
The actress took to her Instagram page today to show off her new lover.
In the photo she posted, Juliet Ibrahim’s boyfriend covers his face, while going shirtless and exposing his tattoos.
She captioned it, “Sweet dreams B. all I see are fairies no tagging Cus vultures are everywhere and
Man commits suicide inside uncompleted building in Ogun state
Friday, May 1, 2015
An unidentified man was found dead in an uncompleted building located in Sefu Elelede street in the Ibafo area of Ogun State. He is suspected to have committed suicide.
According to Punch, the young man was found dead in the living room section of the building by an
According to Punch, the young man was found dead in the living room section of the building by an
WT? Man breaks his eggplant during rough sex & posts the pic on social media
Friday, May 1, 2015
Looks like there's absolutely no limit to what people share online. A man claimed he broke his eggplant during rough sex with his girlfriend and shared a photo of his broken eggplant on his
TAN Boss, Ifeanyi Ubah reportedly weeps over GEJ's election loss
Friday, May 1, 2015
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria and key campaigner for President Jonathan Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, reportedly wept profusely at the Presidential
Lagos Spends N2.7 trillion In 8 Years
Friday, May 1, 2015
The administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has spent just a little more than it has earned in the past eight years. The state is therefore low on debt, it has emerged.
According to the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze, who disclosed this yesterday, in Alausa, Ikeja, the total revenue generated represents 89 percent of the total
According to the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze, who disclosed this yesterday, in Alausa, Ikeja, the total revenue generated represents 89 percent of the total
Lucky Igbinedion’s Brother Sentenced To 3 Years Imprisonment Over N25bn Scam
Friday, May 1, 2015
A Federal High Court in Aduwawa Benin city has sentenced Michael Igbinedion to a three year jail term with an option of three million Naira fine.
Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court Benin, also sentenced a former Personal Assistant to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, Michael’s brother, to two years in prison without an option of fine.
Michael Igbinedion alongside Eboigbodin alongside their companies; Gava Corporation Limited;
Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an 81-count charge including money laundering, misappropriation of funds, conspiracy and abuse of office.
The EFCC had taken the convicted persons and their companies to court over an alleged 25 billion Naira fraud committed while Lucky Igbinedion was governor of Edo State.
Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court Benin, also sentenced a former Personal Assistant to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, Michael’s brother, to two years in prison without an option of fine.
Michael Igbinedion alongside Eboigbodin alongside their companies; Gava Corporation Limited;
Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an 81-count charge including money laundering, misappropriation of funds, conspiracy and abuse of office.
The EFCC had taken the convicted persons and their companies to court over an alleged 25 billion Naira fraud committed while Lucky Igbinedion was governor of Edo State.
What Do You Think About Open Marriages/Relationships?
Friday, May 1, 2015
So rumour has it that Alex Ekubo is secretly married but is in an open relationship with his wife, Rosemary. They've been married for three years without a child, but due to poverty, Alex dates rich women, so they can make ends meet.
Of course, wahala starts when Alex isn't bringing enough money and his wife, Rosie decides to seek greener pastures by dating Douglas, a divorcee.
This is the plot of the latest Emem Isong’s movie titled ‘CHAMPAGNE’. Alex plays the role of Tare Hopewell, Rosemary Zimu plays the role of Champagne Hopewell while Majid Michel plays the role of Douglas Oswald.
Why You Should Watch:
The scenes are so steamy (you may need rechargeable fan o)! Majid can play love sha.
Why You Should Watch:
The scenes are so steamy (you may need rechargeable fan o)! Majid can play love sha.
Who Will Love It:
If you love drama, incredibly charged romantic scenes and crime thriller, you will enjoy watching CHAMPAGNE.
After watching, please share your thoughts on this Open marriage issue. Would you be ok with it?
Of course, wahala starts when Alex isn't bringing enough money and his wife, Rosie decides to seek greener pastures by dating Douglas, a divorcee.
Why You Should Watch:
The scenes are so steamy (you may need rechargeable fan o)! Majid can play love sha.
Why You Should Watch:
The scenes are so steamy (you may need rechargeable fan o)! Majid can play love sha.
If you love drama, incredibly charged romantic scenes and crime thriller, you will enjoy watching CHAMPAGNE.
CHAMPAGNE is now showing on iROKOtv.com - Watch HERE
Watch trailer below:
After watching, please share your thoughts on this Open marriage issue. Would you be ok with it?
Who Hired PwC? Not Me, Says Okonjo-Iweala
Friday, May 1, 2015
Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says she did not hire PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct the forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) following a missing $20 billion.
The minister said this in reaction to a suit filed against her by SIAO Partners, a group of three accounting firms, over breach of Nigeria’s local content laws.
In a statement signed by her Special Adviser Paul Nwabuikwu, Okonjo-Iweala wondered why the aggrieved firms could not do their work thoroughly to determine certain basic facts about the issue.
“It has come to the attention of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that SIAO Partners, a group of three accounting firms, has filed a suit against her before a Lagos High Court.
“The CME is astonished by the news of the said court action which is spurious in the extreme.
“It is shocking that professionals of the calibre of the SIAO Partners can embark on this kind of legal action without taking the trouble to do the minimum amount of homework to confirm basic facts.
“Okonjo-Iweala did not appoint the PWC to carry out the audit,” the statement read.
The minister therefore urged those behind the suit to drop it or face her in court.
The government had last year tried to counter an allegation by Former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, that $20 billion oil money had been stolen, hence the hiring of PwC to audit the
NNPC accounts. However, the report was not publicly released after the audit raising further questions. Outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, apparently in a bid to leave office on a good note decided to release the report but the content of the report has done more harm than good, especially with PwC saying the work should not be relied upon, as it failed to meet international standards.
Okonjo-Iweala, who had been at the forefront of the government’s economic decisions for years claims she did not hire PwC but it is on record that she played a major role in the process.
Speaking at a panelist discussion on the topic: “Africa Rising,’’ at the ongoing 24th World Economic Forum on Africa, in Abuja last year, the minister had announced that PwC would be carrying out a forensic audit.
“We, at the Ministry of Finance had, for two years been reconciling these figures with the NNPC to know what they are supposed to remit to the federation account,” she had said.
“Our feeling is that the only way is to have a forensic audit that would let Nigerians know the truth about the issue.
“There is a forensic audit which the government has approved and it is being done by PwC, under the supervision of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
“The auditors said they needed 12 to 16 weeks to do that and all these would be clarified.”
The minister said this in reaction to a suit filed against her by SIAO Partners, a group of three accounting firms, over breach of Nigeria’s local content laws.
In a statement signed by her Special Adviser Paul Nwabuikwu, Okonjo-Iweala wondered why the aggrieved firms could not do their work thoroughly to determine certain basic facts about the issue.
“It has come to the attention of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that SIAO Partners, a group of three accounting firms, has filed a suit against her before a Lagos High Court.
“The CME is astonished by the news of the said court action which is spurious in the extreme.
“It is shocking that professionals of the calibre of the SIAO Partners can embark on this kind of legal action without taking the trouble to do the minimum amount of homework to confirm basic facts.
“Okonjo-Iweala did not appoint the PWC to carry out the audit,” the statement read.
The minister therefore urged those behind the suit to drop it or face her in court.
The government had last year tried to counter an allegation by Former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, that $20 billion oil money had been stolen, hence the hiring of PwC to audit the
NNPC accounts. However, the report was not publicly released after the audit raising further questions. Outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, apparently in a bid to leave office on a good note decided to release the report but the content of the report has done more harm than good, especially with PwC saying the work should not be relied upon, as it failed to meet international standards.
Okonjo-Iweala, who had been at the forefront of the government’s economic decisions for years claims she did not hire PwC but it is on record that she played a major role in the process.
Speaking at a panelist discussion on the topic: “Africa Rising,’’ at the ongoing 24th World Economic Forum on Africa, in Abuja last year, the minister had announced that PwC would be carrying out a forensic audit.
“We, at the Ministry of Finance had, for two years been reconciling these figures with the NNPC to know what they are supposed to remit to the federation account,” she had said.
“Our feeling is that the only way is to have a forensic audit that would let Nigerians know the truth about the issue.
“There is a forensic audit which the government has approved and it is being done by PwC, under the supervision of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
“The auditors said they needed 12 to 16 weeks to do that and all these would be clarified.”
ISIS smashes thieves’ heads with concrete blocks as part of sick brand of justice (Graphic photos)
Friday, May 1, 2015
ISIS have been pictured dropping concrete blocks onto the head of two thieves as a retribution for their crimes. Watched by a massive crowd, the masked killers slammed the blocks of stone onto the men’s heads in ‘qisas’ – meaning ‘eye for an eye’ – retribution.
The militants raise their hands to the sky as the blocks rain down on the men, who are bound and had their heads hung over a kerb.
They had reportedly robbed and murdered women in the Nineveh province in northern Iraq.
The notoriously media-savvy organisation released the images on social media which were shared by ISIS supporters
The militants raise their hands to the sky as the blocks rain down on the men, who are bound and had their heads hung over a kerb.
They had reportedly robbed and murdered women in the Nineveh province in northern Iraq.
The notoriously media-savvy organisation released the images on social media which were shared by ISIS supporters
Malaysia's invisible children
Friday, May 1, 2015
Undocumented and marginalised, the children of migrants face arrest, detention and possible death in Malaysia's Sabah.
Sabah, Malaysia - Maslina Madsail dashes across the rickety wooden planks that link the floating huts of her water village whenever she hears that authorities are near.
"We run when we see the police truck coming. We run into the boats to hide," she said.
Quick-footed and nimble, Maslina looks smaller than her 11 years, but she has already learnt how to outsmart police intent on finding children like her.
From floating fishing villages to palm oil plantations, tens of thousands of children across Sabah state on the Malaysian island of Borneo are playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with authorities.
Their crime? They are stateless - citizens of no country. Officially, they do not exist.
Estimated to number at least 50,000, according to non-governmental organisations such as the Asia Foundation, Sabah's hidden children are among the country's most vulnerable.
They are the offspring of migrant workers from the Philippines, Indonesia, or the nomadic sea tribe known as the Bajau Laut. By law, they are not allowed to marry or have children.
Many of these migrants work in Malaysia illegally. They form the backbone of Sabah's economy, working in industries such as palm oil plantations, construction, and fishing.
In constant fear
Some families have lived in Malaysia for generations, but parents do not register births due to fear of arrest.
Denied access to public schools and healthcare, the children and their parents can be thrown into detention centres at any time and deported, even though Malaysia is often the only home the children have ever known.
"Authorities often conduct checks and the children live in constant fear," said Flora Yohanes, a teacher at a makeshift school run by a Malaysian NGO in Sabah.
With public schools off-limits to undocumented children, many attend rudimentary schools run by NGOs.
About 80 students aged seven to 12, whose parents are Indonesian, attend the school where Yohanes works with three other teachers.
Indonesia and Malaysia have an informal agreement that the children will not be detained while they are in class, but they are at risk of arrest outside the school compound.
When the children hear that police are conducting checks, Yohanes said they often stay away from school for a week.
"Sometimes there will only be teachers in the school, none of the students will attend," she said.
"When asked why, they say they were asked to hide. When they feel it is calm, they will start coming back to school. Sometimes, even while in school, they feel really scared ... that there are police patrols."
Yohanes said children often hide in the forest overnight to avoid police.
"When they are with their parents, they are no longer under the protection of the school. That's why they are told to run," she said.
Dying to stay out of jail
The children do not always escape.
"When the students get arrested, as teachers we are saddened," Yohanes said.
"Sometimes we can't sleep pondering the fate of the students, and trying to figure out how to help free the students from jail."
In some cases, the teachers are able to help get their students released. But some students are detained for more than three months before being deported.
Sometimes, children's attempts to evade authorities can be deadly.
In March, three teenage brothers died while hiding from police underneath a fish market in the town of Lahad Datu.
The boys' parents came to Sabah in the 1970s to escape civil war in the Philippines' Mindanao province. All of their 10 children were born in Malaysia.
Their mother, Erma Manding, is grief-stricken over the loss of three of her sons.
"It would be better if I died," she told Al Jazeera, sitting on the floor on their floating wooden home, surrounded by relatives.
Authorities say the boys had already drowned by the time they found them. But some locals told Al
Jazeera that authorities sprayed toxic gas and suffocated the boys. Police have denied this claim.
Crime prevention?
Commander Abdul Rashid Harun, the head of the Eastern Sabah Security Command, said authorities conduct daily checks to track down undocumented migrants and their children.
Authorities sent home more than 18,000 undocumented migrants from Sabah last year.
"The illegal migrants are involved in many crimes, and smuggling is the number one problem. If we can stop the smugglers, we'll be able to stop related problems like kidnapping and armed intrusion," Commander Abdul Rashid said.
The command was set up in 2013 to beef up security in eastern Sabah after an attack by Sulu rebels from the southern Philippines.
Malaysian forces fought them off and since then, they've been cracking down harder on people without documents.
Locals often blame stateless children for a range of social ills.
"They're uneducated and many of them turn into drug addicts. Serious addicts. This is a big problem. And to feed their addiction, they steal and rob," said Lu, a fishmonger in the town of Tawau.
An undocumented life
Jerry Abbas, 37, knows what it's like to grow up stateless.
His father is Bajau and his mother Malaysian, but they never registered his birth. He said he found it impossible to find a secure job before he finally got his Malaysian passport five years ago.
"This document is my life," he said. "If I don't have the document, that is the end of my life."
Becoming legal opened the door for him to teach at a makeshift school run for Bajau children.
He said undocumented children often grow up in poverty and some resort to glue sniffing to stave off hunger.
"They are sniffing gum, begging on the streets, especially the young ones, and finding food in the garbage. That is the life of the Bajau Laut," he said. Here, the intoxicative inhalant is often referred to as gum.
In Semporna, on Sabah's east coast, children buy glue by the spoonful in plastic bags. Used bags litter the ground.
"They are very poor," said Abbas. "They don't have enough food to eat. By using glue, they can … sleep well."
The prospects for stateless children may seem dim but some, like Maslina Madsail, have high hopes of clawing their way out of poverty and into mainstream society.
Maslina, who attends Abbas' school and lives in a small hut with 26 relatives, already works to help
her family make ends meet, selling plastic bags to shoppers at a fish market.
She said she wants to be an immigration officer when she grows up so that she can give her family passports.
But in a country that does not even recognise her existence, that goal is likely to remain far beyond her reach.
For more on Sabah's Invisible Children, visit Al Jazeera's 101 East programme, @AJ101East
Follow Chan Tau Chou and Liz Gooch on Twitter: @tauism101, @liz_gooch
Source: Al Jazeera
Undocumented and marginalised, the children of migrants face arrest, detention and possible death in Malaysia's Sabah.
 |
| Two Bajau Laut children paddle home [Sarah Yeo/Al Jazeera] |
"We run when we see the police truck coming. We run into the boats to hide," she said.
Quick-footed and nimble, Maslina looks smaller than her 11 years, but she has already learnt how to outsmart police intent on finding children like her.
From floating fishing villages to palm oil plantations, tens of thousands of children across Sabah state on the Malaysian island of Borneo are playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with authorities.
Their crime? They are stateless - citizens of no country. Officially, they do not exist.
Estimated to number at least 50,000, according to non-governmental organisations such as the Asia Foundation, Sabah's hidden children are among the country's most vulnerable.
They are the offspring of migrant workers from the Philippines, Indonesia, or the nomadic sea tribe known as the Bajau Laut. By law, they are not allowed to marry or have children.
Many of these migrants work in Malaysia illegally. They form the backbone of Sabah's economy, working in industries such as palm oil plantations, construction, and fishing.
 |
| A Bajau Laut father teaches his children how to mend a net [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
Some families have lived in Malaysia for generations, but parents do not register births due to fear of arrest.
Denied access to public schools and healthcare, the children and their parents can be thrown into detention centres at any time and deported, even though Malaysia is often the only home the children have ever known.
"Authorities often conduct checks and the children live in constant fear," said Flora Yohanes, a teacher at a makeshift school run by a Malaysian NGO in Sabah.
With public schools off-limits to undocumented children, many attend rudimentary schools run by NGOs.
About 80 students aged seven to 12, whose parents are Indonesian, attend the school where Yohanes works with three other teachers.
Indonesia and Malaysia have an informal agreement that the children will not be detained while they are in class, but they are at risk of arrest outside the school compound.
When the children hear that police are conducting checks, Yohanes said they often stay away from school for a week.
 |
| Makeshift school in Semporna for undocumented children who are denied access to public education [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
"When asked why, they say they were asked to hide. When they feel it is calm, they will start coming back to school. Sometimes, even while in school, they feel really scared ... that there are police patrols."
Yohanes said children often hide in the forest overnight to avoid police.
"When they are with their parents, they are no longer under the protection of the school. That's why they are told to run," she said.
Dying to stay out of jail
The children do not always escape.
"When the students get arrested, as teachers we are saddened," Yohanes said.
"Sometimes we can't sleep pondering the fate of the students, and trying to figure out how to help free the students from jail."
In some cases, the teachers are able to help get their students released. But some students are detained for more than three months before being deported.
 |
| Hunted down in a place they call home, an uncertain future faces the stateless children of Sabah [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
In March, three teenage brothers died while hiding from police underneath a fish market in the town of Lahad Datu.
The boys' parents came to Sabah in the 1970s to escape civil war in the Philippines' Mindanao province. All of their 10 children were born in Malaysia.
Their mother, Erma Manding, is grief-stricken over the loss of three of her sons.
"It would be better if I died," she told Al Jazeera, sitting on the floor on their floating wooden home, surrounded by relatives.
Authorities say the boys had already drowned by the time they found them. But some locals told Al
Jazeera that authorities sprayed toxic gas and suffocated the boys. Police have denied this claim.
Crime prevention?
Commander Abdul Rashid Harun, the head of the Eastern Sabah Security Command, said authorities conduct daily checks to track down undocumented migrants and their children.
 |
| Not allowed to step out of this palm oil estate for fear of arrest, undocumented children rely on discarded tyres and their imagination for a bit of fun [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
"The illegal migrants are involved in many crimes, and smuggling is the number one problem. If we can stop the smugglers, we'll be able to stop related problems like kidnapping and armed intrusion," Commander Abdul Rashid said.
The command was set up in 2013 to beef up security in eastern Sabah after an attack by Sulu rebels from the southern Philippines.
Malaysian forces fought them off and since then, they've been cracking down harder on people without documents.
Locals often blame stateless children for a range of social ills.
"They're uneducated and many of them turn into drug addicts. Serious addicts. This is a big problem. And to feed their addiction, they steal and rob," said Lu, a fishmonger in the town of Tawau.
An undocumented life
Jerry Abbas, 37, knows what it's like to grow up stateless.
 |
| Undocumented children pick through garbage at a jetty in Semporna [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
"This document is my life," he said. "If I don't have the document, that is the end of my life."
Becoming legal opened the door for him to teach at a makeshift school run for Bajau children.
He said undocumented children often grow up in poverty and some resort to glue sniffing to stave off hunger.
"They are sniffing gum, begging on the streets, especially the young ones, and finding food in the garbage. That is the life of the Bajau Laut," he said. Here, the intoxicative inhalant is often referred to as gum.
In Semporna, on Sabah's east coast, children buy glue by the spoonful in plastic bags. Used bags litter the ground.
"They are very poor," said Abbas. "They don't have enough food to eat. By using glue, they can … sleep well."
 |
| Bajau Laut child in Kampung Halo, Semporna [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera] |
Maslina, who attends Abbas' school and lives in a small hut with 26 relatives, already works to help
her family make ends meet, selling plastic bags to shoppers at a fish market.
She said she wants to be an immigration officer when she grows up so that she can give her family passports.
But in a country that does not even recognise her existence, that goal is likely to remain far beyond her reach.
For more on Sabah's Invisible Children, visit Al Jazeera's 101 East programme, @AJ101East
Follow Chan Tau Chou and Liz Gooch on Twitter: @tauism101, @liz_gooch
Source: Al Jazeera
Cuba's medical magicians
Friday, May 1, 2015
Havana has long used 'doctor diplomacy' around the globe, but those at home know best their healthcare miracles.
Havana has long used 'doctor diplomacy' around the globe, but those at home know best their healthcare miracles.
Havana, Cuba - "You're disgusting - so gross," Libia Batista Mora told her doctor after he saved her life by sucking fluid filling her lungs out with his mouth.
Mora had a life-threatening bronchial ailment and without proper medical equipment available on the communist island, her doctor - like most medical professionals here - was forced to improvise.
He took a thin piece of plastic hose, deftly inserted it down her throat, and began drawing on the other end.
The practice is common here, perfected after decades-old trade sanctions restricted US-produced medical equipment that would've easily handled Mora's condition without the need for such drastic - and nauseating - measures.
"I couldn't believe my doctor did that," Mora told Al Jazeera from her plant-ensconced Havana home where she runs a successful media production business.
"It was so disgusting and I told him that. He said, 'It was the only way I could save you, so I did what I had to do.'"
Finding a way
Mora's story of physician ingenuity and self-sacrifice is repeated time and again on this Caribbean island of 11.3 million people.
While the US trade embargo imposed in 1961 has restricted life-saving equipment and medicine, it has only made medical professionals more imaginative in their work - and more determined to provide the best care possible.
Gladys Rodriguez, 80, was also saved by quick-thinking medical staff after heart and kidney failure nearly killed her last year. Rodriguez said she suddenly became dizzy and blacked out, waking up in the hospital days later. Doctors said she needed a special blood coagulating drug, but because of the US embargo, none could be found.
"The doctor told me, 'We don't have this medicine, but don't worry, we'll find a way to help you,'" Rodriguez recalled.
RELATED: Remembering the Bay of Pigs invasion
Her physician kept his promise. He found a generic drug produced by a Cuban pharmaceutical company that was similar to what was needed, though it was missing a key component. Gauging that, he prescribed a heavier-than-normal dose and, fortunately for Rodriguez, his plan worked.
"They did everything they could for me, three to four doctors there always assisting me," she said of her 19 days of hospitalisation in critical condition.
Asked how much her medical bill cost, she didn't appear to understand the question.
"Nothing of course," Rodriguez finally answered.
Social medicine
With attempts at rapprochement with the US under way, Cuba's renowned universal healthcare system - absolutely free of charge for all citizens - could become a big part of its burgeoning tourism sector.
The difference between Cuban healthcare and the US' couldn't be more evident. While American visitors have to pay for Cuban health services, the bill would be a fraction of the cost back home - and many say the care is far superior.
Ileana Gonzalez is a Cuban ophthalmologist with 25 years' experience. From her modern flat in downtown Havana, she explained in stark terms the difference between US health providers and those in Cuba.
Gonzalez has travelled to the US twice, and on one visit she discovered an elderly family friend with Alzheimer's disease being treated with 25 different medications - most were unnecessary.
RELATED: Paying the price for Cold War animosity in Cuba
"American doctors are different from those in Cuba," Gonzalez said. "There, they really don't care about human suffering and the number one goal of solving patients' problems. They see medicine as a business first and foremost.
"Cuban doctors, on the other hand, see people suffering and the need to alleviate that. Because of our socialist system, it has nothing to do with profit."
While most American physicians take home six-figure salaries each year, doctors working in Cuba are paid about $30 per month.
"Our salaries are very low," Gonzalez told Al Jazeera. "When you study medicine here it's for love, not money. You become a doctor because you want to help people - that's all."
Exporting health workers
Cuba has about 69,000 doctors - 6.7 physicians for every 1,000 citizens, according to the World Bank. More than 20 percent are currently on medical missions in 66 countries.
Since the communist government took power in 1959 after the Cuban revolution, Havana has deployed medical personnel around the globe in an effort to spread its socialist ideals and bolster foreign relations.
Cuba has sent about 185,000 health workers to more than 100 countries since the 1960s. Medical staff have been deployed to some of the world's worst natural disasters, such as the catastrophic 2004 tsunami in Asia and the deadly earthquake in Pakistan in 2005.
Last year as Ebola ravaged West Africa, Cuba sent hundreds of doctors and nurses to hot zones in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea - more than any other country.
RELATED: Cubans sound off on detente efforts with the US
"They are always the first to arrive and the last to leave," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said of Cuban medical deployments. "They remain in place after the crises. Cuba can be proud of its healthcare system, a model for many countries."
Cuba's medical system does have its critics, however. The government makes about $7.6bn annually from countries it deploys its health workers to, and has faced accusations of greatly underpaying those practicing abroad.
Others highlight the staggering fact that physicians working in Cuba make just $30 a month.
Nevertheless, the benefits at home and abroad of Cuban healthcare certainly outweigh the downside.
Dr Antonio Gonzalez Fernandez is the Health Ministry's director of international relations. He underscored Cuba's impressive health data, including average life expectancy of 78 years for men and 80 years for women, and an infant mortality rate of just 4.7 deaths per 1,000 births, much lower than the United States.
"We are taught in medical school that the most important thing is the patient and the health of the people, not just Cubans, but people around the world," said Fernandez, a paediatrician who served two years in Somalia's port city of Kismayo in the mid-1970s, among other places.
Fernandez said it was Fidel Castro's vision for Cuba to be a global medical model. "Fidel said, 'To be an internationalist is to pay our debt to humanity.'"
Mission Miracle
Mirta Ramos Mejico, 50, is a nurse who has worked in Venezuela and Algeria, and is set to travel to Brazil as a part of Cuba's Mission Miracle - a programme established in 2004 that has restored vision for 3.5 million people with eye ailments around the world - in some of its poorest areas.
Having just returned from a months-long stint in a remote area of Algeria, Mejico said Cuban health professionals have earned the respect of people around the globe because they are adept at solving medical problems creatively, while providing quality care for free.
"Cuban medical workers are trained to find alternatives, that's our nature," Mejico said. "We're better prepared for the unknown, and we find a way to get it done."
Mejico told a story of an Algerian woman who had suffered a serious burn around her eye and to half her body after a cooking gas explosion. She had sought treatment for her eye from an Algerian ophthalmologist, but he failed to treat her severe body burns, as that wasn't his medical specialty.
RELATED: Obama-Castro meeting has Cubans expecting freedom
Mejico discovered the Algerian woman and brought her to the Cuban eye clinic to tend to her other wounds. Despite vast cultural differences they became good friends - a friendship that included salsa dancing lessons, she said.
Asked how it feels to work in one of the most respected medical systems in the world, Mejico's face lights up.
"It's the greatest pride I can have. It just makes me feel so proud," she said.
Source: Al Jazeera
I became blind after drinking ogogoro
Friday, May 1, 2015
One of the survivors of the Ode-Irele methanol poisoning in Ibadan, Mr. Olorunwa Jero, yesterday, recounted his ordeal in the throes of death.
Jero, a father of six, who is a vulcaniser, narrated: “By the time I was brought here, I had gone blind. I could not identify my wife, I could not identify anything. I did not even know when I arrived here. “But I thank God and the management and staff of University College Hospital, UCH, for bailing me out. I can see all of you here clearly. I can even identify the clothes each one of you is putting on.”
The victim commended the teaching hospital for its timely medical intervention which he said saved his life. Meantime, UCH management, yesterday, confirmed that five victims of Ode-Irele methanol poisoning were responding to treatment. The victims were said to have taken the methanol while consuming a local gin. Confirming that the toxin was detected in the blood and urine of the victims, Professor Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director, UCH, said the five victims were transferred to the teaching hospital on April 18 adding that they had regained their lost sight as a result of taking the chemical.
Alonge, who said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, warned people to be wary of taking local gin so as to avoid s similar unpleasant experience.
According to the CMD, series of tests were carried out on the victims and the samples of the three drinks they took.
The medical practitioner said: “On April 18, the Consultant Pathologist with the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osasan, called to seek the assistance of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in the management of five patients who survived the Ode-Irele neuro-toxicity saga who were completely blind.
‘’We agreed to take over the management of the patients but requested for the samples of the local gin that were incriminated along the fresh blood and urine samples of the patients. ‘’I contacted the consultant neurologist on call, Dr. Steeve Oluwole for a comprehensive evaluation of the patients because of the clinical presentation of the patients that had died and the ones that survived since they all pointed to neurotoxicity".
’In addition, the clinical pharmacologists led by Professor Catherine Falade, the laboratory scientists and specialists advisers to the hospital, Professor Segun Ademowo, were all contacted for the biochemical analyses of the blood of these patients as well as the urine in addition to the three samples of local gin that was reportedly consumed by the patients. He added that all the relevant health personnel worked for almost two weeks before they detected the likely cause of the neurotoxicity exemplified by sudden blindness and correlated their findings with the toxicants in the blood, urine and the local gin samples.
Culled from Vanguard.
Jero, a father of six, who is a vulcaniser, narrated: “By the time I was brought here, I had gone blind. I could not identify my wife, I could not identify anything. I did not even know when I arrived here. “But I thank God and the management and staff of University College Hospital, UCH, for bailing me out. I can see all of you here clearly. I can even identify the clothes each one of you is putting on.”
The victim commended the teaching hospital for its timely medical intervention which he said saved his life. Meantime, UCH management, yesterday, confirmed that five victims of Ode-Irele methanol poisoning were responding to treatment. The victims were said to have taken the methanol while consuming a local gin. Confirming that the toxin was detected in the blood and urine of the victims, Professor Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director, UCH, said the five victims were transferred to the teaching hospital on April 18 adding that they had regained their lost sight as a result of taking the chemical.
Alonge, who said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, warned people to be wary of taking local gin so as to avoid s similar unpleasant experience.
According to the CMD, series of tests were carried out on the victims and the samples of the three drinks they took.
The medical practitioner said: “On April 18, the Consultant Pathologist with the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osasan, called to seek the assistance of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in the management of five patients who survived the Ode-Irele neuro-toxicity saga who were completely blind.
‘’We agreed to take over the management of the patients but requested for the samples of the local gin that were incriminated along the fresh blood and urine samples of the patients. ‘’I contacted the consultant neurologist on call, Dr. Steeve Oluwole for a comprehensive evaluation of the patients because of the clinical presentation of the patients that had died and the ones that survived since they all pointed to neurotoxicity".
’In addition, the clinical pharmacologists led by Professor Catherine Falade, the laboratory scientists and specialists advisers to the hospital, Professor Segun Ademowo, were all contacted for the biochemical analyses of the blood of these patients as well as the urine in addition to the three samples of local gin that was reportedly consumed by the patients. He added that all the relevant health personnel worked for almost two weeks before they detected the likely cause of the neurotoxicity exemplified by sudden blindness and correlated their findings with the toxicants in the blood, urine and the local gin samples.
Culled from Vanguard.
Jennifer Lopez stuns in sheer, sexy jumpsuit at 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards ( Photos)
Friday, May 1, 2015
Singer Jennifer Lopez’s figure was on full display in a sexy sheer white lace Zuhair Murad jumpsuit at the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday, April 30.
TMG to Buhari: beam searchlight on PHCN, other privatized national assets
Friday, May 1, 2015
A civil rights organisation, Transition Monitoring Group, on Thursday called on the President-Elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to thoroughly probe the privatization of all the national assets by the Peoples Democratic Party-led government in Nigeria.
In doing so, TMG said the incoming administration should pay particular interest in the defunct National Electric Power Authority (which transformed to Power Holding Company of Nigeria), an agency, it said, “has become synonymous with corruption in Nigeria”.
The Chairman of TMG, Mr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who made the call at a press briefing in Abuja, said the group was also planning to “closely monitor governance processes and outcomes, using some structures and methodology to ensure that government fulfills its electoral promises to all Nigerians”.
While calling on Mr. Buhari to follow up on his promises by declaring a full scale war on corruption,
TMG said it preferred that the anti-corruption agencies be strengthened and made independent to prosecute the war.
It further called on him to bolster the anti-corruption agencies such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by injecting fresh and radical minds, and giving it financial and ‘prosecutorial’ autonomy”.
Zikirullahi said, “We call for the investigation of all the privatisation of our national assets by the PDP government, particularly the sale of NEPA. Indeed, this is one agency that has become synonymous with corruption in Nigeria. We also call for a comprehensive probe of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, which has over the years degenerated into stinking cesspit of official corruption.
“For us, the so called privatization of the (power) sector has ended in nothing but unmitigated disaster. It is fraudulent that an extensive privatization exercise failed to produce a reliable due diligence report proficient enough to identify and proffer solutions to the technical challenges that have dogged the sector.
“We wonder why a process that claims to have observed due diligence would result in the granting of loans to the Distribution Companies to pay for assets they were supposed to have been financially capable of acquiring in the first place.
“To spotlight the specious nature of these transactions, besides granting the DISCOs cheap interest loans not opened to other players in critical sectors, Nigerians are equally forced to pay the DISCO through monthly standing charges, not minding the erratic nature of electricity supply.
“This monumental rip-off of the Nigerian and the nation’s commonwealth has been the hallmark of the so called privatization. The President-elect will serve our nation’s interest well by revisiting the heist in the power sector that goes by the name privatization”.
Speaking on the lean cabinet being proposed by Mr. Buhari, Zikirullahi said, “we are also happy about feelers from the President Elect’s camp that he will run a trim and lean government. As we have argued over the years, the bogus and unwieldy nature of government has robbed Nigerians of precious resources that would have gone into critical sectors like health, education, and revamping the power sector”.
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FROM LEFT: PROJECT MANAGER, TRANSITION MONITORING GROUP (TMG), MR LAZARUS APIR, TMG CHAIRMAN, MR IBRAHIM ZIKIRULLAHI AND THE VICE CHAIRMAN, HAJIA LIMOTA GOROSO, AT A NEWS CONFERENCE. PHOTO: NAN
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In doing so, TMG said the incoming administration should pay particular interest in the defunct National Electric Power Authority (which transformed to Power Holding Company of Nigeria), an agency, it said, “has become synonymous with corruption in Nigeria”.
The Chairman of TMG, Mr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who made the call at a press briefing in Abuja, said the group was also planning to “closely monitor governance processes and outcomes, using some structures and methodology to ensure that government fulfills its electoral promises to all Nigerians”.
While calling on Mr. Buhari to follow up on his promises by declaring a full scale war on corruption,
TMG said it preferred that the anti-corruption agencies be strengthened and made independent to prosecute the war.
It further called on him to bolster the anti-corruption agencies such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by injecting fresh and radical minds, and giving it financial and ‘prosecutorial’ autonomy”.
Zikirullahi said, “We call for the investigation of all the privatisation of our national assets by the PDP government, particularly the sale of NEPA. Indeed, this is one agency that has become synonymous with corruption in Nigeria. We also call for a comprehensive probe of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, which has over the years degenerated into stinking cesspit of official corruption.
“For us, the so called privatization of the (power) sector has ended in nothing but unmitigated disaster. It is fraudulent that an extensive privatization exercise failed to produce a reliable due diligence report proficient enough to identify and proffer solutions to the technical challenges that have dogged the sector.
“We wonder why a process that claims to have observed due diligence would result in the granting of loans to the Distribution Companies to pay for assets they were supposed to have been financially capable of acquiring in the first place.
“To spotlight the specious nature of these transactions, besides granting the DISCOs cheap interest loans not opened to other players in critical sectors, Nigerians are equally forced to pay the DISCO through monthly standing charges, not minding the erratic nature of electricity supply.
“This monumental rip-off of the Nigerian and the nation’s commonwealth has been the hallmark of the so called privatization. The President-elect will serve our nation’s interest well by revisiting the heist in the power sector that goes by the name privatization”.
Speaking on the lean cabinet being proposed by Mr. Buhari, Zikirullahi said, “we are also happy about feelers from the President Elect’s camp that he will run a trim and lean government. As we have argued over the years, the bogus and unwieldy nature of government has robbed Nigerians of precious resources that would have gone into critical sectors like health, education, and revamping the power sector”.
May Day: Buhari hails Nigerian workers’ sacrifices in the face of economic ordeals
Friday, May 1, 2015
Abuja, Nigeria, 30 April 2015: The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari has extolled the sacrifices of the Nigerian working class in the face of economic tough times in their everyday struggle to survive.
In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, General Buhari said he was fully aware of the hardships of the Nigerian working class, which he said, was compounded by poor governance and large-scale pervasive corruption in the country.
According to him, the Nigerian working class are among the worst hit social groups on account of poor living standards, a situation, he said was inconsistent with Nigeria’s vast oil wealth.
General Buhari expressed dismay at the paradox of Nigeria’s oil wealth, characterized by rising poverty while a few corrupt officials are making themselves very rich at the expense of people’s wealth.
The President-elect also regretted the fact that honest labour has been relegated to the background.
He warned that a country that sacrifices honesty in favour of quick wealth by whatever means cannot expect to achieve progress and respect in the eyes of other nations.
General Buhari reassured the Nigerian workers that his incoming administration would be fully committed to boosting the morale of the Nigerian workers in order to increase productivity and their income.
He explained that productivity is directly related to the development of the country’s economy, adding that his incoming administration would increase incentives for the Nigerian workers in order to boost their income.
He, however, appealed to the Nigerian workers to cooperate fully with his incoming administration in order to tackle the monster of corruption, which he said is the greatest enemy of development.
General Buhari advised civil servants against connivance with corrupt politicians and other public officials to divert public resources to private use.
In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, General Buhari said he was fully aware of the hardships of the Nigerian working class, which he said, was compounded by poor governance and large-scale pervasive corruption in the country.
According to him, the Nigerian working class are among the worst hit social groups on account of poor living standards, a situation, he said was inconsistent with Nigeria’s vast oil wealth.
General Buhari expressed dismay at the paradox of Nigeria’s oil wealth, characterized by rising poverty while a few corrupt officials are making themselves very rich at the expense of people’s wealth.
The President-elect also regretted the fact that honest labour has been relegated to the background.
He warned that a country that sacrifices honesty in favour of quick wealth by whatever means cannot expect to achieve progress and respect in the eyes of other nations.
General Buhari reassured the Nigerian workers that his incoming administration would be fully committed to boosting the morale of the Nigerian workers in order to increase productivity and their income.
He explained that productivity is directly related to the development of the country’s economy, adding that his incoming administration would increase incentives for the Nigerian workers in order to boost their income.
He, however, appealed to the Nigerian workers to cooperate fully with his incoming administration in order to tackle the monster of corruption, which he said is the greatest enemy of development.
General Buhari advised civil servants against connivance with corrupt politicians and other public officials to divert public resources to private use.
NGO commends military on rescue of 293 females from Sambisa Forest
Friday, May 1, 2015
Nigeria in Safe Hands (an NGO) has commended the Nigerian military on the successful raid of the notorious Sambisa Forest, which culminated in the rescue of more than 293 females.
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr Godwin Meliga, made the commendation in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.
Meliga said this latest feat achieved by the Nigerian troops involved in the on-going counter-insurgency operations in the North-East was commendable.
He said the rescue of the females has also reassured Nigerians of their determination to also rescue the popular Chibok girls soon.
“This latest invasion of Sambisa Forest by our soldiers and the rescue of 293 hostages is courageous and commendable.
“Nigeria In Safe Hands Group congratulates the military authorities and the troops at the war front for their determination and doggedness in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
“We believe that by this achievement, we are reassured that the troops are close to eventually finding the Chibok girls and we call on them not to relent in this onerous task of restoring our nation’s pride and sovereignty”, Meliga said.
He also noted that the apparent neutrality of the military and other security agencies under the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, during the 2015 elections was in line with global best practices. (NAN)
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr Godwin Meliga, made the commendation in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.
Meliga said this latest feat achieved by the Nigerian troops involved in the on-going counter-insurgency operations in the North-East was commendable.
He said the rescue of the females has also reassured Nigerians of their determination to also rescue the popular Chibok girls soon.
“This latest invasion of Sambisa Forest by our soldiers and the rescue of 293 hostages is courageous and commendable.
“Nigeria In Safe Hands Group congratulates the military authorities and the troops at the war front for their determination and doggedness in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
“We believe that by this achievement, we are reassured that the troops are close to eventually finding the Chibok girls and we call on them not to relent in this onerous task of restoring our nation’s pride and sovereignty”, Meliga said.
He also noted that the apparent neutrality of the military and other security agencies under the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, during the 2015 elections was in line with global best practices. (NAN)
Jeffrey Okafor who killed CBBC presenter Carl Beatson-Asiedu found guilty of murder
Friday, May 1, 2015
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| Convict Jeffrey Okafor |
Jeffrey Okafor, who was only 18 when he stabbed Carl Beatson Asiedu 19, outside a nightclub in Vauxhall, central London in August 2009 when a late-night row escalated into violence, has been found guilty of murder.
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| Carl Beatson Asiedu |
On the night Carl was killed, he was with friends and had performed a set at the Club Life nightclub near Vauxhall station.
Carl who was a DJ at the time, was outside the club when he and his friends were approached by a gang of clubbers, which included Okafor, and an argument broke out.The court heard that Carl became separated from his friends and it was at this time that he was stabbed by Okafor.
Within an hour of the attack, Okafor confessed in a phone call to his girlfriend that he had stabbed Carl, and days later he told the same woman that he had stabbed the DJ in the stomach. She said he gave her a pair of black gloves to look after which were later passed to police. DNA which may have come from the victim was found on one of the gloves.
Police arrived at his East Dulwich home on August 13, 2009 to arrest him but he was already in hiding and took a flight from Heathrow to Lagos using his brother's name and passport.
A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of Mr Beatson Asiedu's death was a single stab wound to the front of the chest.
Sarah Whitehouse QC, prosecuting, told Woolwich Crown Court that Okafor had no connection with his victim prior to the attack. She said "It is not clear, and will probably never be known, what led up to the killing of Carl Beatson by Jeffrey Okafor. You may hear that there was some ill-feeling between some members of the two groups, but there was nothing serious enough in the background for anyone to explain why knives should be drawn. What is clear, the prosecution say, is that Jeffrey Okafor was the man who killed him."
The prosecution said four days later Okafor boarded a flight from Heathrow Airport to Lagos using his brother's passport.
He was extradited from Nigeria in November last year.
Okafor pled not guilty to the murder but the jury took just two hours to convict him in London yesterday - six years after Mr Beatson-Asiedu's death.
Judge Christopher Kinch QC will sentence him today.
20 Drug suspects saved from execution since 2014 – NDLEA
Friday, May 1, 2015
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says no fewer than 20 suspected drug traffickers were prevented from exporting drugs to countries with capital punishment for drugs since January 2014.
This is contained in a statement by the agency’s Head, Public Affairs, Ofoyeju Mitchell, on Thursday in Lagos.
It said that out of the number, 19 were Nigerians and a Ghanaian.
The statement said 16 of the suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while four others including a Ghanaian were caught at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu.
“Their final destinations are Malaysia, China and Thailand where drug trafficking is punishable by death.
“NDLEA boss while commiserating with the families of the executed drug convicts urged stakeholders to intensify anti-drug abuse campaign efforts.
“I sincerely sympathise with the families of the executed drug convicts.
“This is a moment of sober reflection on the illicit activities of drug trafficking syndicates.
“This brings to the fore the bigger picture of those in foreign prisons, those arrested here and others preparing to smuggle drugs.
“It is a wakeup call for stakeholders to step up their counter-narcotics efforts.
“Apart from drug trafficking being a criminal act, narcotic smuggling poses a serious threat to public health and safety.
“While many people are rendered comatose from drug abuse, other top celebrities had died prematurely on account of drug addiction”, it quoted the NDLEA boss, Mr Ahmadu Giade, as saying.
According to the statement, Giade urged individuals, families, groups and institutions to take responsibility in preventing illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.
“The NDLEA has one of the highest criminal convictions in the country. In 2014, we won the conviction of 2,054 drug offenders.
“As we work very hard to reduce cases of illicit drug trafficking.
“It is imperative for individuals and groups to take steps aimed at preventing their loved ones from getting involved in drug abuse and trafficking”, it advised.
The agency said that a total of 106,914kg of various narcotic drugs was seized from the 20 drug suspects.
It added that while 83.08kg of drugs was seized at the Lagos airport, 23.834kg of drugs was seized at the Enugu airport.
“The breakdown of the drugs includes 89.024kg of cannabis, 9.375kg of methamphetamine, 3.450kg of amphetamine, 2.89kg of heroin and 2.175kg of cocaine.
“The only Ghanaian among the suspects was going to Bangkok, Thailand, with 450 grammes of cocaine he had ingested”, it said.
The agency also said that three females were among those apprehended.
It identified one of the ladies as a professional dancer caught with 3.450kg of amphetamine hidden in a pair of Jeans trousers while attempting to board a flight to Malaysia.
The statement said that the other was caught with 6.200kg of cannabis on her way to China, while the last was found with 1.725kg of cocaine and 1.715kg of heroin on her way to China. (NAN)
This is contained in a statement by the agency’s Head, Public Affairs, Ofoyeju Mitchell, on Thursday in Lagos.
It said that out of the number, 19 were Nigerians and a Ghanaian.
The statement said 16 of the suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while four others including a Ghanaian were caught at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu.
“Their final destinations are Malaysia, China and Thailand where drug trafficking is punishable by death.
“NDLEA boss while commiserating with the families of the executed drug convicts urged stakeholders to intensify anti-drug abuse campaign efforts.
“I sincerely sympathise with the families of the executed drug convicts.
“This is a moment of sober reflection on the illicit activities of drug trafficking syndicates.
“This brings to the fore the bigger picture of those in foreign prisons, those arrested here and others preparing to smuggle drugs.
“It is a wakeup call for stakeholders to step up their counter-narcotics efforts.
“Apart from drug trafficking being a criminal act, narcotic smuggling poses a serious threat to public health and safety.
“While many people are rendered comatose from drug abuse, other top celebrities had died prematurely on account of drug addiction”, it quoted the NDLEA boss, Mr Ahmadu Giade, as saying.
According to the statement, Giade urged individuals, families, groups and institutions to take responsibility in preventing illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.
“The NDLEA has one of the highest criminal convictions in the country. In 2014, we won the conviction of 2,054 drug offenders.
“As we work very hard to reduce cases of illicit drug trafficking.
“It is imperative for individuals and groups to take steps aimed at preventing their loved ones from getting involved in drug abuse and trafficking”, it advised.
The agency said that a total of 106,914kg of various narcotic drugs was seized from the 20 drug suspects.
It added that while 83.08kg of drugs was seized at the Lagos airport, 23.834kg of drugs was seized at the Enugu airport.
“The breakdown of the drugs includes 89.024kg of cannabis, 9.375kg of methamphetamine, 3.450kg of amphetamine, 2.89kg of heroin and 2.175kg of cocaine.
“The only Ghanaian among the suspects was going to Bangkok, Thailand, with 450 grammes of cocaine he had ingested”, it said.
The agency also said that three females were among those apprehended.
It identified one of the ladies as a professional dancer caught with 3.450kg of amphetamine hidden in a pair of Jeans trousers while attempting to board a flight to Malaysia.
The statement said that the other was caught with 6.200kg of cannabis on her way to China, while the last was found with 1.725kg of cocaine and 1.715kg of heroin on her way to China. (NAN)
I Am A Cancer Survivor – Okonjo-Iweala
Friday, May 1, 2015
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| Oronto Douglas |
Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has won on several fronts, including overseeing the rebasing of Nigeria’s economy to make it the largest in Africa. Before joining the Nigerian government, she was a Managing Director at World Bank and she narrowly missed the global lender’s presidency now occupied by Jim Yong Kim. But one thing many people do not know about her is that she also survived cancer.
Speaking at the service of songs for the late Oronto Douglas, special adviser to the president on research and documentation that held in Abuja last night, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said she had cancer just like Oronto did.
“Oronto and I had two similarities in life, we both had cancer. I had my last surgery, 15 years ago and I shared my experience with him,” she said.
The service was attended by a cross section of the society from civil society, government, the media, the clergy among others.
Tributes also came from former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State, Dr. Sam Amadi, chairman National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, Yinka Odumakin, among others.
Also in attendance were Kayode Fayemi, former Ekiti State Governor and Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Douglas died on April 9 after losing his battle with cancer.
