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Wednesday 29 February 2012

Robbers Storm Babcock University, Cart Away Cash.

At least seven armed robbers Wednesday
afternoon stormed some banks within the
premises of Babcock University, Ilishan
Remo in Ikenne Local Government Area of
Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, and carted
away an undisclosed amount of money.
The robbers, went to both
Oceanic (now Ecobank) and WEMA bank
situated within the campus and shot
sporadically to scare people away.
The shooting caused panic among students
and other people within the campus.
Our correspondent gathered from an
eyewitness that the robbers came with
dynamite, rocket launchers and sub-
machine guns.
They formed groups and broke into the
banking halls to carry out their operation
simultaneously.
A staff of one of the affected banks, Oceanic,
confirmed the incident to our
correspondent on phone, expressing shock
at the attack.
“It is an unbelievable experience, I don’t
know how the boys came in. They carried
big rocket launchers and dynamite. Before
anyone knew what was happening, they
swooped on us and asked all of us to lie
down. One of them even slapped me
because I wanted to look at his face. I
cannot say the actual amount they carted
away, but a rough estimate will be millions
of naira,” the staff stated.
When our correspondent contacted one of
the staff of the institution, Mr Dotun
Oduroye, who heads the Technical
Department, he confirmed the attack and
stated that no student was hit by stray
bullet, contrary to rumours that some
students were hit.
According to Oduroye, “the robbers came in
about an hour ago and they were with
sophisticated weapons like dynamites and
rockets. They were shooting in the air and
two banks, Oceanic and WEMA banks were
attacked. None of the students was hit by
the bullet, it was only the shock that gripped
many of them. But we thank God that it was
just a shock.”
We gathered that the
robbers escaped through the express road
and headed toward Ijebu Ode -Odogbolu
route, still shooting as they fled.
Meanwhile, all banks in Ijebu Ode, Ijebu
Igbo, Ago Iwoye and some neighboring
towns including Sagamu have remained
shut since Monday in the aftermath of the
attack by armed robbers last week on two
banks in Ijebu Imushin and Ijebu Igbo.
During last week’s operation, the robbers
raided Sapida Microfinance bank in Ijebu
Imushin and WEMA Bank, the only bank that
has been operating in Ijebu Igbo in the last
one year, and carted away an undisclosed
amount of money.
During the Ijebu Imushin raid, two persons
were hit by bullets and they were rushed to
the General Hospital in Ijebu Ode. One of
them later died during the weekend while
the other one was reported to have been
discharged yesterday.

BREAKING NEWS: Suspected operational headof al-Qaida arrested at Cairo airport -

Mohammed Ibrahim Mekawy, also known
as Saif al-Adel, is widely believed to have
taken over as operational head of al-
Qaida following the death of Osama bin
Laden in May.

The suspected operational head of al-Qaida
was arrested Wednesday at Cairo
International Airport, Egyptian security
sources said.
Mohammed Ibrahim Makkawi is also known
as "Saif al-Adel," according to the FBI.
He is widely believed to have taken over as
operational head of al-Qaida following the
death of Osama bin Laden in May, as reported. Ayman al-Zawahri replaced bin
Laden as al-Qaida's leader but Makkawi is
thought to have been put in charge of the
tactical planning of attacks.
Makkawi was traveling to Egypt from
Pakistan via the United Arab Emirates,
sources said. He was detained
upon arrival and handed over to Egyptian
intelligence officials.
However, a senior U.S. official said
that it was unable to either confirm or deny
whether Makkawi was in custody.
The FBI describes al-Adel as "a high-ranking
member of the al-Qaida organization" who
is wanted in in connection with the August
7, 1998, bombings of U.S. Embassies in
Tanzania and Kenya,
that Makkawi is the alleged operational
commander of those attacks.
The State Department has offered a reward
of up to $5 million for information leading to
his arrest or conviction.
'Sword of justice'
The U.S. has listed the name Mohammed
Ibrahim Makkawi as the real name of Saif al-
Adel, a pseudonym that means "sword of
justice."
But former militants who know both men
have previously said they are two different
people and the U.S. identification is
incorrect.
Speaking to reporters at the airport,
Makkawi said he was not the senior al-Qaida
leader known as Saif al-Adel and that he had
nothing to do with the terror group since
1989.
Makkawi served as an officer in the Egyptian
military before he fled to Afghanistan in
1994, according to NBC News.
It is also reported that Makkawi was
believed to have been held in Iran since
shortly after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
in October 2001. However, in recent months
unconfirmed reports suggested he had
been released by Iranian authorities.

Opc Member Kills Etisalat Employee Over N10 Toll In Ejigbo.

A suspected member of the Odua Peoples
Congress known by the pseudonym
“Ultimate” on Monday allegedly killed an
employee of Etisalat, Chukwuma Eze, in the
Ejigbo area of Lagos State during an
argument over N10 toll.
It happens that N10 toll was
collected by the OPC members at a
footbridge that links Ejigbo with Ajao Estate.
It was gathered that the deceased told the
collectors that he had only N1, 000
denominations with him and offered it to
one of the collectors who asked him to
come back for his balance.
Eze was said to have agreed but was
shocked when on his return a female
member of the group insisted that the
deceased did not give N1,000 to the
collectors.
The telecoms employee was said to have
been angered by the denial resulting in a
fight between him and the female member
of the group.
Sensing that the female member of the
group could not match Eze’s strength,
“Ultimate,” was said to have brought out an
object suspgrrttected to be charm and hit the
telecoms employee with it on the chest.
Eze, who is to marry in April, reportedly
slumped and died on the spot.
It was learnt that immediately words
filtered in that Eze had died, his kinsmen
in the area carried out a reprisal and
attacked some members of the OPC found
at the footbridge.
A source said that in the
ensuing pandemonium, a member of the
OPC was also killed, while some
motorcycles and a generator belonging to
members of the group were vandalised.
The spokesperson for the state police
command, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, who spoke
to our correspondent on the telephone
confirmed the incident but said facts about
the incident were still sketchy.
He said, “One Chukwuma Eze was allegedly
killed by some people collecting money at a
footbridge but we cannot say for sure if the
collectors are members of the OPC or the
local government revenue collectors.
“The incident caused a stir as some friends
of the deceased confronted and fought with
the suspects.
“The details of what exactly transpired are
still sketchy because the incident occurred at
night but another corpse, identified as one
Sumonu, was also found at Ajao Estate later.
We (Police) do not know if his death is
related to Eze’s killing.”

Tuesday 28 February 2012

James Iroha, a.k.a.Gringory Dies.

The late James Iroha


Comedy actor, James Iroha a.k.a. Gringory of
the Masquerade TV comedy is dead.
He died this morning after a battle with
illness.
National President of the Actors Guild of
Nigeria, Segun Arinze confirmed the death
to this afternoon.
Arinze added: “I spoke with the son Uche
who confirmed the story.
“He was aged 70 years. We at AGN
commiserate with his family. May God grant
him eternal rest.”
Popular actor, Fred Amata in his post said:
“He was a man of sterling talent, his
particular style has inspired a generation of
talents! His legacy will live long, God grant
him rest.”.....follow this blog for latest gist as it unfolds.Thanks.

Fulani Herdsmen Rob On Lagos-ibadan Expressway.

Fulani herdsmen yesterday abandoned their
cattle and seized the Ogun State stretch of
the Lagos - Ibadan Expressway. They used
bows, arrows, knives and other weapons to
rob travellers of cash and other items.
They also stalled traffic for many hours at
different times of the day.
The herdsmen, it was gathered unleashed
some animals on the road, which slowed
down traffic and enabled them to rob their
victims.
It was gathered that travelers who were
heading for Lagos were compelled to
detour. Those traveling in the opposite
direction had to beat a retreat.
For many hours, they seized the Expressway
and three times the herdsmen were
dislodged from the road by Police patrol
team from the Ogun State Command, Police
spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said.
Adejobi said the police would now beam
their searchlight on cattle rearers, having
taken to crimes along with minding animals.
He said no arrest has been made while the
police have successfully evicted them from
the highway.

Monday 27 February 2012

Masturbation Controversy: Pastors Blast Christ Oyakhilome.

Pastor Christ Oyakhilome
Pastors in Nigeria have lambasted the
founder, Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris
Oyakhilome over his comment that
masturbation is not a sin against God but a
mere habit that God is not angry about it.
Since the controversial pastor made the
comment recently, angry reactions have
been pouring in from Christendom over
what they called heresy, being preached by
the pastor, which negates the words of God.
Oyakhilome was asked by one of his pastors
how one could overcome masturbation and
he replied that “the reason you are thinking
of stopping it (masturbation) is because you
think it has become a habit for you…
masturbation is not more than a habit than
any other habit.
“So once you make up your mind that you
want to break a particular habit, you just do
it, you make up your mind… in fact the best
way to break a habit is to replace it with
another habit.
“There is one thing I would like to bring to
your mind that may be of help to you
because the reason you are thinking of
stopping this is because of what you think it
is.”
He added that “no matter how wrong you
think this is in your mind, get this straight,
in itself, it is not a sin against God,”
emphasising that as a result of this belief
that it is a sin, Satan used it to oppress
people of God “making them feel ineffective
an inefficient in the things of God.”
Reacting to Oyakhilome’s comment, the
Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Ola
Makinde said there was only one way of
having sex permitted by God in the Bible,
which is only through marriage.
“There is only one way of having sex in the
Bible which is natural. Masturbation is
unnatural and unethical. Whatever is
unnatural and unethical is abomination. I
leave him to his own opinion,” he said.
According to Pastor Tunde Bakare of the
Latter Rain Assembly, every believer must be
able to subject his body to control because it
could lead to something else.
Popular Evangelist, Pastor Akin Fasawe said
Masturbation is a sin as stipulated in the
Bible, saying that death was even
recommended in the Bible for those who
practiced such things.
“Masturbation is a sin because when you
masturbate, you will release. If the minister
of God said masturbation is not a sin, he can
easily tell his church that fornication is not a
sin. The Bible recommends death in the Old
Testament,” he stated.
According to Primate Elijah Ayodele of the
INRI Evangelical Church, it is stated clearly in
the Bible that masturbation is a sin against
God.
“That is his own view. Where did he see it in
the Bible that masturbation is not a sin?
Maybe he has his own Bible. It is a bad
thing. Maybe it is in his Bible,” he laughed.
Pastor Akin Akande of the Men of Purpose
Ministry stated that masturbation is a sin.
“It is like abusing the gift of God. It is heresy.
The Bible says it is a sin to derive pleasure
outside the content of marriage,” he added.
Pastor Leke Akinola of the Upper Room
Baptist, said self induced masturbation is a
sin against God and that it is heresy for any
minister of God to say it is not a sin.
According to Rev. Sam Ogedengbe,
“masturbation is a sin and it is unbiblical. It
is demonic and anyone engaging in it
should know that it has spiritual
connection.”
Several online readers of the Oyakhilome
story published in the edition of
NextVoice have criticised the controversial
pastor for making such a comment.
One of the readers, Machie Sunie Chuks,
asked: “how can you do it without your
mind being there? Pastor please, call a spade
a spade! Remember, your body is the temple
of God, so keep it holy! Readers, please test
which spirit is speaking through this
famous pastor before you continue to bind
yourselves with Satan’s yoke!”

Allow Every Nigerian Carry Guns. CAN President Pastor Oritsejafor Tells Jonathan.

Many people believe that the Federal
government of Nigeria is clueless on how to
effectively solve the problem and security
threat poised by the Islamic terror group
Boko Haram, the President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor isn’t left in that kind of conscious
thought as he as made a call to President
Goodluck to allow every Nigerian arm
themselves to the tooth, to carry guns,
ammunition for self-protection. This call by
the CAN president isn’t unconnected with
the recent bombast in Jos that left over 5
people dead and dozens injured .
He his statement made available to the
Nigerian Tribune on Monday, “He said we
urge the president, as the Commander-in-
Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, to stop the SinParty of
ethnic cleansing or accede to recent calls for
all Nigerians to carry arms”.

Sunday 26 February 2012

Complete List Of Nominees For The 2012 Oscars..Live on E now.

The 2012 Academy Awards will be
presented from the Kodak Theatre in Los
Angeles on Sunday Feb. 26, 2012. Each
year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences selects the top films, actors,
actresses and technical achievements.
Recent winners include George Clooney,
Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Natalie Portman,
Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie. This year, the
Oscars ceremony will once again be hosted
by Billy Crystal.
The show itself isn't streaming live on any
internet feeds, but there may be red carpet
streams available. One such video feed will
be offered by E! Online in addition to their
TV coverage of the pre-Oscars red carpet.
That's when all of the big stars arrive for the
show looking their best and trying to make
fashion statements. Who will be this year's
fashion hits and misses?
For many, the Red Carpet isn't such a big
deal though. For the Oscars 2012 start time,
the big show starts at 1pm Central African
Time (C.A.T).
The complete list of Oscar nominees for
tonight's awards:

Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson,
"Hugo"
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and
Francesca Lo Schavo, "Hugo"
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, "The
Artist"
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland,
"The Iron Lady"
Best Foreign Language Film: "A Separation"
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer,
"The Help"
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall,
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Best Sound Editing: Phillip Stockton and
Eugene Gearty, "Hugo"
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and
John Midgley, "Hugo"
Best Documentary: "Undefeated"
Best Animated Feature: "Rango"
Best Visual Effects: "Hugo"
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer,
"Beginners"
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, "The
Artist"
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, "Man or
Muppet"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne,
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen,
"Midnight in Paris"
Best Live Action Short: "The Shore"
Best Documentary Short: "Saving Face"
Best Animated Short: "The Fantastic Flying
Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The
Artist"
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Best Picture: "The Artist"

A twist in the tale: 8 christian bombers arrested.

The police in the northern Nigeria state of
Bauchi said Sunday they had arrested eight
Christians suspected of planning to blow up
their own church, because of what appears
to be an internal dispute.
The arrest came just hours after a suicide
bomber attacked a church in nearby central
city of Jos, a police chief told AFP.Eight
members of the Christian Church of Nigeria,
whose headquarters was bombed in Jos
earlier in the day, were arrested in the
village of Miya Barkatai.
Bauchi state police commissioner
Ikechukwu Aduba said officers acting on a
tip off had gone to the church and arrested
the eight suspects in possesion of an
improvised bomb they planned to
detonate.”Preliminary investigation has
shown that the eight are aggrieved
members of the church as a result of
internal wrangling within the church
community,” said Aduba.
“The explosive found on the suspects is a
home-made bomb,” Aduba said.The
Christian village in the predominantly Muslim
state, lies 25 kilometres north of Jos where
three people died and dozens others injured
when a suicide bomber rammed his
explosive-laden car into the COCIN church
yard.A local Christian leader said the
suspects were members of a faction of the
church opposed to the siting of the church’s
district headquarters in the area.
“They are members of the church locked in
an internal squabble with the leadership of
the church over the relocation of the church
headquarters in the area,” said Shaaibu
Nbyal, head of the Christian Association of
Nigeria in the northeast of the country.”The
dispute has been raging for a year,” Nbyal
said by phone from Bauchi.

Worshippers Kill Suspected fleeing Church Bomber.

Angry worshippers at the headquarters of
Church Of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Jos on
Sunday killed one of the two suspected
bearers of the explosives that hit the Church
in the morning.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that the bomber and one other, who both
wore army camouflage, drove into the
Church and beat the security before hitting
the building.
NAN correspondent, who was at the scene,
reports that the suspect appeared to be in
his early 30s.
The suspect, who wore a neatly carved
moustache, looked well-fed.
But probably afraid of dying, the bomb
carrier jumped out of the vehicle just before
the blast went off and attempted to run but
could not move as he was affected by the
blast.
The angry worshipers, however, descended
on him and clubbed him to death.
An eyewitness and a worshipper in the
Church, Joyce Dalyop, told NAN that there
were arguments among the worshipers
over what to do with the bomber before he
was finally killed.
``Immediately they (bombers) entered the
Church, one of them jumped out of the black
jeep but luck ran out of him as the explosion
affected him and so he could not run very
fast before he was caught.’’
``Some people even pleaded that he should
not be killed; they suggested that he should
be handed over to Police for further
investigation, but others argued that the
police could not be trusted and opined that
the suspect may be released,” she said.
Another worshipper in the Church, Elder
Bulus Haruna, said that the other bomber,
who drove the vehicle, was blown into
pieces together with the vehicle that was
reduced to only the engine.
``His (bomber) body parts were scattered
everywhere – the legs and hands were
charred and had become roasted by the fire
from the explosion,” he said. (NAN)

Christain Youths Riot For Bombing Church In Jos Today.

Christian youths rioted Sunday in the
Nigerian city of Jos, killing at least three
people in suspected reprisal attacks after a
suicide bomber killed three at a church,
witnesses said.
An AFP reporter saw three bodies lying by a
street near the bombed church. Elsewhere,
he saw a row of Muslim-owned shops that
were apparently burned by the rampaging
youths.”There was a rampage by angry
Christian youths after the blast at the church.
They marched on the streets and set up a
barricade on the road leading to the church.
They also burned down shops owned by
Muslims,” said resident Bello Mohammed.
He said he heard that four people were
killed in the rioting, but an AFP
correspondent saw three bodies, watched
over by soldiers who were deployed to the
city.Earlier a suicide bomber had smashed
his explosives-laden car through the gates
of a packed church during Sunday service,
killing three people and injuring dozens,
Church leaders said.Witnesses said a black
car crashed through the gate of a perimeter
fence and exploded a few metres (yards)
from the wall of an 800-seater church hall in
the central city.
Bulus Gambo said “youths were very angry
and mobilised … and I overheard them
saying they were going to avenge the
attack”.The city of Jos and its environs in
Plateau State are one of the most volatile
areas in Nigeria, where hundreds of people
have been killed in a spate of sectarian
clashes between Muslim and Christian ethnic
groups in recent years.State officials
appealed for calm after the blast and the
rioting, urging people not to take the law
into their hands.

Let's Face It - English Is A Crazy Language!..find out!

Let's Face It - English Is A Crazy Language!

In what other language do people drive in a
parkway and park in a driveway?
Why does night fall but never break and day
break but never fall?
Why is it that when we transport something
by car, it's called a shipment, but when we
transport something by ship, it's called
cargo?
Why are people who ride motorcycles called
bikers and people who ride bikes called
cyclists?
In what other language do they call the third
hand on the clock the second hand?
Why is it called a TV set when you get only
one?
Why - in our crazy language - can your nose
run and your feet smell?
Sometimes you have to believe that all
English speakers should be committed to an
asylum for the verbally insane:
If olive oil is made of olives, what do they
make baby oil from?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a
humanitarian consume?
A writer is someone who writes, and a
stinger is something that stings.
But fingers don't fing and grocers don't
groce.
If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the
plural of booth be beeth?
If the teacher taught, why isn't it also true
that the preacher praught?
If harmless actions are the opposite of
harmful actions, why are shameless and
shameful behavior the same?
English is a language in which you can turn
a light on and you can turn a light off and
you can turn a light out, but you can't turn a
light in;
In which the sun comes up and goes down,
but prices go up and come down.
In which your nose can simultaneously burn
up and burn down and your car can slow
up and slow down, in which you can fill in a
form by filling out a form and in which your
alarm clock goes off by going on.
English is a crazy language. What is it that
when the sun or the moon or the stars are
out, they are visible, but when the lights are
out, they are invisible?; and why when I
wind up my watch, I start it, but when I
wind up this essay, I shall end it?

Author ~Killz~(m)

Drama In Bank As Woman Bathes Cashier With Faeces.

A drama occurred at one of the first
generation banks in Akure, Ondo State
capital, when a lady, simply identified as
Sade, bathed a cashier (names withheld)
with faeces inside the banking hall for
allegedly snatching her husband.
Customers and fellow bankers took to their
heels as the assailant rained abuses after
pouring the smelly substance on the lady
banker.
The ugly incident, which occurred on Friday,
was quickly brought under control by
security operatives attached to the bank.
Sade, who pretended to be one of the
customers, was said to have arrived the
bank with a polythene bag and approached
the cashier only to pour its contents on her.
The stench took over the banking hall just as
all the customers ran to the door to escape
the odour.

Bomb Explodes At Church of Christ In Jos.

JOS, February 26, (THEWILL) – A bomb has
gone off inside a church in Jos, Plateau State.
The headquarterd of the Church of Christ in
Nigeria church (COCIN) was rocked by an
explosion on Sunday morning at about
8.am.
The church is located in the center of the
city near a branch of the Central Bank of
Nigeria. It is predominantly attended by
Plateau indigenes. The Governor of Plateau
State, Jonah David Jang also worships at the
Church. It is however unclear whether he
was at the church when the bomb went off.
Two sources have confirmed the explosion
to the THEWILL.
An Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram has
claimed responsibility for several bombings
in northern Nigeria.
There are casualties.

Saturday 25 February 2012

NOLLYWOOD STAR,HANKS ANUKU STRANDED IN GHANA.

Nollywood popular actor,Hanks Anuku might
have been stranded in Accra,the Ghanaian
capital city if gists about him are anything to
go by.
From our checks,Hanks has been in Ghana
for about 1 month now,without being on
any particular movie set.
When he first came to town,the idea was
that he came for a movie shoot,but since
then,he has not been seen on any set and
no Ghanaian has seized the opportunity of
his being around to get him to feature in
their production like they usually do anytime
a Nollywood star is around.
Since he arrived in Accra,Hanks has been
spotted in various parts of the town like
Osu,Labone,Spintex and Circle.Within his
period of stay,he is said to have been
staying in different hotels.
A source close to him informed that he even
had arguments with the managers of some
of the hotels he had stayed over bills.As at
the time of filing this report,he was staying
at a cheap hotel at Tantra Hills,a suburb of
Accra.
Our sources revealed that when Hanks came
to Accra about a month ago,he came with
his manager,who later left for Nigeria after
they had a disagreement. He later picked a
guy based in Ghana,simply identified as Toni
Can as his manager.
According to our source,the Nigerian
manager came with Hanks with a bid to
make money but the plan turned otherwise
when they could not secure any major
movie deal.
Hanks we gathered however resulted to
some other means to make money.
Some of the things he did include modeling
for some phone retailers at Tip Toe lane
(which could be likened to Computer Village
in Lagos,Nigeria) who paid him some
money.
One of the deals however turned sour last
Tuesday,which resulted in Hanks picking a
street fight with Toni Can,his New Ghanaian
manager.
Both of them were involved in a street fight
over the deal he had with a phone
retailer,HX Mobile Phones,close to Odo Rice
in the Circle area of Accra.
In the last 2 weeks alot of people have been
asking questions as to what exactly Hanks
has been doing in Ghana.Within the last 2
weeks,he has been seen regularly at New
Town area of Accra where he has been
pricing Power Bikes.
The close source also informed us that
Hanks at a time had approached some
agents telling them that he wants an
apartment because he intends to settle in
the city.
Two weeks back,Hanks was also spotted at
the popular Labadi Beach where he was
signing autographs and posing for pictures
with people for money.He came with a
photographer who bills anyone who wants
to pose for a snap with him.Other people
who insisted on taking with him with their
personal cameras were charged higher fees.
As at the time of filing this report,Hanks is
still in Accra and we can confirm that he was
not on any set.

9-Year-Old Girl Dies After Forced byFamily to Run for Hours

A 9-year-old Alabama girl died on Monday
after allegedly being forced to run for three
hours as a punishment for lying about
eating a candy bar.
The girl, Savannah Hardin, was reportedly
forced to run on the afternoon of Friday Feb.
17 by her grandmother and stepmother.
According to the Birmingham News, her
stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, called 911
at 6:45 p.m. and reported that Savannah
was having a seizure and was unresponsive.
She was taken to Children's Hospital in
Birmingham, Ala., where she died after
being taken off life support on Monday.
A state pathologist ruled the third grader's
death a homicide, and her body has been
sent to Huntsville, Ala., for an autopsy,
reports the Birmingham News. Preliminary
reports indicated that Savannah was
extremely dehydrated and had very low
sodium levels.
According to AP reports, Savannah had a
very common bladder condition and could
not handle the caffeine in a chocolate bar. It
is not believed, however, that the bladder
condition contributed to her death.
Jessica Hardin, 27, her stepmother, and
Joyce Hardin Garrard, 46, her grandmother,
are being charged with murder. Etowah
County District Attorney Jimmie Harp told the
AP that he may pursue capital murder
charges, which could carry the death
sentence.
Cause for Concern
According to local reports, police became
involved when concerned citizens called and
reported that they witnessed Hardin being
forced to run.
Police are still trying to figure out if
Savannah was forced to run by physical
coercion or by verbal commands, according
to AP.
"It's sad when a family is grieving over the
death of a daughter and granddaughter and
so soon to find out that the death could
have been prevented," Sheriff Todd Entrekin
told the Birmingham News. "My thoughts
and prayers are with the family."
Savannah's father, Robert Hardin, who
works for the State Department, had to
return to Alabama – taking eight flights,
according to the AP – to be with his
daughter in the hospital. On Monday, he
made the decision to take her off life
support.
Robert filed for divorce from Jessica in
August 2010, and the AP cites his divorce
complaint which says that Jessica was
bipolar and had alcoholic tendencies. She
denied both claims, and five months later
the two asked the judge to dismiss their
case.
A New Baby
On Wednesday, Jessica was transferred from
Etowah County Detention Center – where
she and Garrard were being held on
$500,000 bond – to the hospital, where she
gave birth, according to the AP.
Jessica also has a 3-year-old son who has
been placed in the custody of a relative, and
Alabama officials are formulating a safety
plan for her newborn. It is believed that the
baby will also be placed in the same
relative's care.

Mugabe blasts British Prime Minister (Cameron) on gay rights.

President Robert Mugabe on Saturday told
British Prime Minister David Cameron “to hell
with you” over his calls to respect gay
rights.”Nature is nature. It has created male
and female,” Mugabe told thousands of
supporters at his 88th birthday celebration
at a stadium in the eastern border town of
Mutare.
“You David Cameron, are you suggesting
that you don’t know that or is it some kind
of insanity or part of the culture of
Europeans.”In their newspapers, that’s one
of my sins. That I called (gays) worse than
pigs and dogs because pigs know there are
males and females. It’s even in the Bible that
you create through the system of marrying.
“That’s how we were born, so we reject that
outright and say to hell with you. I won’t
even call him a dog because my own dog
will complain and say, but what have I done.
.”Cameron said at the Commonwealth
summit last year that countries receiving
British aid should respect human rights,
including gay rights.The issue has re-
emerged as Zimbabwe drafts a new
constitution, with debate on whether to
follow neighbouring South Africa’s model
and include gay rights in the charter.
Mugabe urged youths to reject any
provision for gay rights in the new
charter.”We won’t accept that,” he said.
“There are other countries who have
accepted that and put it in their
constitutions.”"Please, young men and
women, you don’t have the freedom for
men to marry men and women to marry
women. You have the freedom for men to
marry women. That’s God’s freedom. That’s
what created you and me.”Mugabe has for
decades ranted against homosexuality.His
latest attack came as UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon repeated his calls for African
countries to respect gay rights, during a visit
to Zambia.

Friday 24 February 2012

Boko Haram Sets School On Fire In Borno.

A primary school situated at Abaganaram
ward of Maiduguri metropolis was set
ablaze on Wednesday night by suspected
members of the Boko Haram sect, residents
of the area alleged.
When Nigerian Tribune went to the area at
about 4.00 p.m., it was discovered that the
fire started at about 12.00 p.m until the
morning on Thursday.
A resident, who spoke to Nigerian Tribune
on the incident, said people were alleging
that the fire was set by members of the
Boko Haram sect.
“We saw the smoke and we began to
wonder because earlier, there were
gunshots around here and people locked
themselves in their homes. Later, somebody
said there was fire on a building. We were
all afraid to go out but this morning, they
were saying it was Boko Haram, so, we did
not know whether it was Boko Haram or
those boys that always smoke Indian hemp
at the school,” Maman Bala told Nigerian
Tribune.
According to her, some young men are in
the habit of smoking Indian hemp at the
primary school, adding that the police had
come on many occasions to arrest them but
they would be released later and they would
return to the school to smoke.
She wondered why Boko Haram would set a
school ablaze when there was nobody in
the school.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

The Story Of The Little Girl That Was KilledBy Her Careless School Bus Driver .

On Friday, January 27, 2012, Tola and
Atinuke Omotola lost their daughter to an
alleged mistake that could have been
avoided. The family says dealing with the
loss has been very challenging and urges
the Lagos State Government to ensure that
those responsible for their child’s death are
brought to book, MOTUNRAYO ABODERIN
writes
The worst news any mother can receive is
that her child is dead. Thinking about the
fact that the little girl she nurtured from the
womb is gone is indeed painful.
For Dr. Atinuke Omotola, a young mother,
losing her two years and five months old
daughter, Simisolaoluwa, to an alleged
mistake that could have been avoided, hurts
more.
On January 27, after school, Atinuke’s two
children were transported from
Goldenbunch School, Yaba, Lagos, by the
school bus. When the bus arrived at their
home, her house help was outside waiting
to receive them. After the first son alighted
from the bus, Simisolaoluwa (otherwise
called Simi) also did. But the house help did
not know that Simi’s uniform was stuck in
the door of the school bus.
In a split second, the bus driver drove off,
dragging Simi along. Neighbors said the
tyres of the bus climbed on Simi’s head,.
Narrating the ordeal to our correspondent
who visited their home in Yaba last Monday,
Atinuke said, “Life has been quite hard. The
incident happened on January 27 but it feels
like yesterday. That Friday, we all woke quite
early. I got my two kids ready for school,
made their breakfast and lunch. I told my
daughter that she looked like a princess,
and that I would always love her. I never
knew it would be the last time I would set
my eyes on her alive.
“When we got to their school, Goldenbunch
School at Omoyele Street, Yaba, I carried her
down from the car, gave her a tight hug and
got into my car. For like a minute, I just sat
in my car, it’s like I did not want to let her
go,” she said.
Omotola said at about 1.23pm while in the
office, she got a call from a neighbor telling
her that her daughter was dead.
“My phone rang and a woman who
identified herself as our neighbour said that
my daughter had been involved in an
accident and that she was dead.
Immediately, I cut the phone. I thought it
was someone playing pranks. I called the
number and she picked up. I asked if she
was serious and she said yes.
“The first few seconds after the call was as if
I wanted to faint. I kept telling myself no, not
my little girl. I called my husband and told
him the news. I did not even wait to hear
his reply. I rushed out of the office and
drove to the hospital where they said she
was taken to by another neighbor. On
getting there, they said she had been
referred to the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital. I then drove down to L.U.T.H,” she
said.
Atinuke said when she got to the ward
where her daughter was, she was already
dead.
She said, “I could not believe my ears. I cried
my eyes out. Being a doctor, that desire to
examine my late daughter to know the
actual cause of her death was so strong.
When I checked her body and her arms, I
saw scratches. That means she was dragged
by the bus.”
Atinuke said that she kept asking, ‘Who was
the nanny in the bus? Who was with my
child? At this point, I was informed that
there was an 18 year-old nanny in the bus.
“When I met the girl and questioned her,
she said she was employed on the Monday
before the accident happened, and that she
was not a nanny but an assistant teacher. I
asked her why she did not get down to
ensure that my children got down from the
bus safely which was to be the job of any
adult in a bus with 10 children; but she had
no response. I noticed that the clothes she
wore was clean, that means after my child
was removed from under the bus, she did
not even bother to carry her.”
She added that during the ordeal, she did
not get any phone call from the proprietor
of the school. “I did not hear from the
proprietor of the school at all. When my
husband and I returned from the hospital,
members of staff of the school came to shed
crocodile tears in my house.”
Atinuke said she was angry at the fact that
the proprietor might have wanted to save
money and so opted to get an assistant
teacher who would also act as a nanny.
“At least, I pay N50,000 as transportation
fee on each of my children per term. That
should be enough to employ an experienced
nanny to take care of pupils,” she lamented.
The father, Mr. Tola Omotola, said that
dealing with his daughter’s death has been
challenging. “Sometimes when I’m sitting in
the parlour, I imagine her running out of the
room screaming dad.
“Last Friday, while driving to Redemption
Camp, my son asked me where we were
going, I said Redemption Camp, then he
asked if we were going to see Jesus, I said
yes, then he screamed and said that means
we would see Simi. I went cold. Because we
had told him earlier that Simi went to be
with Jesus.”
Omotola, a banker, said his daughter died as
a result of negligence and carelessness, and
urged the Lagos State government to
address the issue. “The school needs to take
responsibility for its action. Simi’s death
should be taken as a serious issue.”
Asked if he would press charges against the
school bus driver, Omotola said, “The school
has already handed the driver over to the
police. But I’m displeased with the police. On
Saturday, the police kept calling our phones,
asking us to write a letter for the release of
the driver. They said that the driver was not
feeling strong health wise, and that his wife
had just put to bed.
“We told them that their behavior was in-
human, and that they did not even consider
that we had just lost a child and needed a
little privacy. We weren’t the ones who put
the driver in detention, why should they be
disturbing us?”
The Director-General, Lagos State Safety
Commission, Mrs. Odebunmi Dominga, said,
“I sympathize with the family who lost their
toddler to the alleged negligence of the
school bus driver that is supposed to take
care of the children under the management
of the school, I assure them of the position
of the Lagos State Government with the
Safety Commission, harnessing and
synergising with all the safety structures
that have already been in government. We
assure them that the issue of safety will be
moved to the forefront to become a lifestyle
in Lagos State.
“From now onwards, every school in the
state, including day care or nursery that will
be having children in their custody, must
think about the safety of the children
thoroughly, and make sure that the
management system which they use to
operate in the area of safety complies with
government’s standard. They should assess
the risk these children can be exposed to,
assess the dangers that are likely to occur,
and put certain structures in place to avoid
tragedy,” she said.
In response to question on action that
would be taken against Goldenbunch
School, the DG said, “For the school, the
Lagos State Government together with its
Legal Department will deliberate on the next
action to take, but government will not take
the issue lightly with the school, and this
issue will not be brushed aside.”
The Proprietor, Goldenbunch School, Mrs.
Modupe Ogundinmu, who was at the Lagos
State Safety Commission to file an incidence
report, said she was really sober about the
tragedy.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Zimbabwe's Mugabe: 'I have beatenChrist'

HARARE — Zimbabwe's President Robert
Mugabe turned 88 on Tuesday, joking about
reports circulating for years of his imminent
demise and vowing to stay in power despite
international condemnation of his economic
and human rights record.
Mugabe said he was in tip-top shape in an
interview with state radio, and made no
reference to media reports that he is
receiving treatment for prostate cancer in
Singapore.
"I have died many times. That's where I have
beaten Christ. Christ died once and
resurrected once," the devout Catholic
Mugabe told the radio broadcaster. "I am as
fit as a fiddle."
Mugabe charmed world leaders with his wit
and intellect in the early years of his rule,
when a relatively rich Zimbabwe was
praised for its education and social systems.
But he has since become a pariah in the
West, blamed for running the economy into
the ground and for massive human rights
abuses to keep his grip on power.
Mugabe, one of Africa's longest-serving
leaders, said his party ZANU-PF would
choose his successor at the right time, but
he had no intention of stepping down for
now.
'Sit-tight' rulers risk African Spring, Nobel
laureate says
"Our members of the party will certainly
select someone once I say I am now retiring,
but not yet," he said in a separate interview
with state TV.
"At this age I can still go some distance,
can't I," Mugabe said, laughing, clapping his
hands and rocking in his chair.

Trailer Crushes Woman To Death.

A sachet water seller identified as Mrs.
Anulugwo Uchena was yesterday crushed to
death in Egbeda, Lagos State by a trailer
with registration number XS 298 LND.
A witness said that the mother of
five was crushed to death while the trailer
driver was trying to avoid a bad portion of
the road abandoned by Plycon Construction
Company, the outfit that got the road
construction contract from Lagos State
Government.
“It was really sad because this woman
wouldn’t have died if not for the nonchalant
attitude of the construction company. The
trailer driver was trying to avoid a bad
portion of the road, and rather than cause
multiple casualties by hitting commercial
vehicles at the bus stop, he swerved to the
other side where the woman was crushed.
She died on the spot,” the witness said.
The incident has however caused anger
among youths of the area who have given
the authorities of Plycon a 41-day ultimatum
to complete work on the road or face
massive protest from the youths.
President of the Egbeda/Akowonjo youths,
Wahab Ogunji, otherwise known as Ajere,
noted that the youths will not want to take
the law into their hands, but urged the
authorities concerned to make sure the
road construction is completed within the
stipulated time “because we won’t fold our
arms and watch our people die
unnecessarily again.”
Ajere therefore called on the state
government to assist the children of the late
Mrs. Uchena. “This will go a long way
because the deceased was a divorcee, and
she was the only one taking care of her five
children before the untimely death.”
The body of the deceased woman has been
deposited in the mortuary.

Lagos Shuts Down Lord’s Chosen, 6 Other Churches...

The Lagos State Government has shut down
the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Ministry and
six other churches in Lagos, Southwest
Nigeria over noise pollution.
Officials of the Lagos State Environmental
Protection Agency, LASEPA stormed a branch
of the Lord’s Chosen Church at 25 Omobola
Street, Lawanson, Surulere area at the
weekend and shut it down.
Other affected churches are Bible Church,
FESTAC; The Chapter of Christ Church,
Oregun, Ikeja; Assemblies of God Church,
Ikeja; The Golden Gate Church, Ifako-Ijaiye
and Seek and Save Ministry, Abule Egba.
The closure of the churches is coming after
pre-sanction notices were given to the
churches to abate the noise pollution
emanating from their worship centres.
General Manager, LASEPA, Engr. Rasheed
Shabi said the closure of the churches
became imperative after several abatement
notices issued to them were disregarded.
According to him, some of the churches
even rebuffed meetings called by the agency
on how to resolve the issue.
“The agency’s stance is clear on issue of
noise pollution level permitted. This has
been communicated to all worship centres
in the state.
“The level of noise pollution allowed in the
state is between 55 decibel during the day
and 42 to 45 decibel at night,” he said.
Shabi said the state government was
determined to reduce noise pollution in the
state because of the anomalies and diseases
related to it.
He enjoined worship centres in the state to
comply with the state’s standard on noise,
while suggesting the use of sound proof
equipment by churches to reduce noise
during their worship services.
Meanwhile, the large expanse of land in
Ayobo where the temporary headquarters
of Deeper Life Bible Church is situated may
soon become a subject of litigation, as the
Olalere Family has asked the church to
vacate the land.
The over 150 acres of land covering Amule,
Ayobo and Onikanga communities, currently
accommodates the Deeper Life Bible Church
main auditorium, the International Bible
Training College and the proposed Anchor
University owned by founder of the church,
Pastor Williams Kumuyi.
Although Deeper Life Bible Church has been
in possession of the land for over 30 years,
the Olalere Family who now claim
ownership of the land has declared the
church as an illegal occupant and warned
that the family may resort to court action to
evict the church if it does not legalise its
tenancy of the land.
The Olalere family in a letter to the church
dated 7 February 2012 noted that by virtue
of a 2010 court ruling by Justice Oyekan
Abdullahi, the entire Ayobo community land
belongs to them, and any occupant currently
on the land must renegotiate their tenancy
with the family.
When our reporter contacted the church
over the development, secretary to the
church, Pastor Jerry Asemota, said he was
personally unaware of any letter to the
church by the Olalere family.
He, however, said that only the legal
department of the church could confirm
receipt of such letters.
When asked about the Olalere family’s claim
of ownership to the church land, he said: “I
can assure you that we are not illegal
occupants. We have been in possession of
this land for 30 years and if the initial
owners have problem among themselves,
they should settle it amicably.”

How We Get Cars For Sucide Bombings – Abu Qaqa.

Detained Boko Haram spokesman, Abu
Qaqa, yesterday gave more hints to the State
Security Service (SSS) on how the group
sourced cars for suicide bombings. In his
further testimony to the SSS, Qaqa, the
dreaded henchman, said the cars they use in
suicide bombings are neither bought for the
mission nor gotten as enhancement by
financiers.
They are actually snatched cars, procured by
the use of force by the actors, who get them
at gunpoint with an original intent on what
they would be used for.
Qaqa said: "We snatch those vehicles at
gunpoint. We use the less exotic ones for
suicide bombings. As we get them, we just
load them with bombs, drive them near our
target, park, get out of them and leave them
to explode thereafter. But in some few
instances, the drivers who have been
destined to die in the act by the leadership
drive the bomb-laced cars into obstacles to
enable them detonate."
He spoke further in an indictment of the
leader of the group, Imam Shekau.
According to him: "the leadership – Shekau
and kinsmen, take the expensive (exotic)
ones always, saying that he would arrange
for them to be sold and the proceeds put
into the Jihad. This is never done, anyway.
"But those retained cars are put into other
uses by the leadership of the sect – Shekau
and his Kanuri brothers in blood. They serve
two purposes – one to be used by the
powerful leaders as status symbol within
the group. The second reason is to serve as
decoy against security. Because the police
and other security agencies at checkpoints
hardly stop to search such vehicles or
request the identity of the users, Shekau and
his henchmen latch unto this lapse or
advantage and cruise about in them to do
their business of further violence without let
or molestation.
"Most of those vehicles end up with him and
the Kanuri members of our sect. They use
them, pose in them to deceive security
agents at checkpoints", Qaqa stated.
Another fact is the use of proceeds of the
cars, not sent to the crematorium of
bombing, are put to when sold. He revealed
that if they are sold, what the proceeds go
into is the exclusive preserve of Shekau and
his close allies.
On the distribution or sharing of the left-
over cars, he said: "The distribution or
utilization of these stolen vehicles is on
'man-know-man' or 'man-know-tribesman'.
This also became another source of anger
and acrimony but you have to bear it or you
die. Once you are in, you are in. If you
attempt to leave, you are seen as a traitor
who must die."
Recall that two weeks ago, Qaqa in his song
blurted out that the sharing and use of
N41million booty the group made in a bank
raid caused bad blood in the group. So, his
revelation again of the distribution of
snatched cars among kinsmen of the leader
as another source of acrimony lays credence
to the fact that Boko Haram might not be
tightly sutured in unity and purpose as
earlier believed.
His position to the SSS is that it is coercion
rather than cohesion that drives the actions
of the group. The members, in fear, toe the
line of the leadership because any dissent
means paying the ultimate price.
Through the revelations of Qaqa, the SSS
raided the home of a kingpin in Madalla,
Niger State last Friday where they recovered
pornographic materials and other security
documents. The suspected kingpin, Bashir
Madalla, is still at large even as the SSS has
declared a manhunt for him.

Monday 20 February 2012

Chelsea FC To Open A Football Academy In Lagos.

Premiership giant, Chelsea, is planning to
open a multi-million Naira football academy
in Lagos. The club's Nigerian representative,
Noah Olivier and President Soccer Africa
Sports Management, Dominic Egbukwu,
disclosed to Daily Sunsports that the camp
would be sited on Victoria Island, Lagos, and
would serve as Chelsea's breeding ground
for promising young Nigerian players.
Said he: “Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana,
Cameroon and South Africa have been
picked in Africa by Chelsea FC for its
academy camp. My French partner, Olivier,
and I have been mandated by Chelsea to
take charge of the camp in Nigeria. Initially,
they were scared of including Nigeria
because of the Boko Haram issue, but we
succeeded in convincing them that there
was no cause for alarm in Lagos.
“We are expecting a 10-man Chelsea
delegation from England any moment from
now. They want to come and make
inspection before giving us the go-ahead to
throw the camp open. “It's going to be a big
camp and it will admit about 500 youths
between 15 and 18 years old. After
screening which will hold at the National
Stadium, Lagos, arrangements will be made
for the feeder teams of the teams such as
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United
and PSG to come for invitational
tournaments. The outstanding players
among the the trainees will be given an
opportunity to join the Chelsea youth team
in England, just like they picked Kenneth
Omeruo.”
Meanwhile, Egbukwu has made a passionate
appeal to the Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF) to flush out the bad eggs involved in
transfer of Nigerian players abroad. “Most of
the so-called FIFA-licenced agents are
responsible for frustrating our players. I'm
not a FIFA agent and I don't want to be
because I discovered that most of them use
their licences to deceive players, promise
them heaven and earth and at the end of
the day, they would tie them down with
contract papers and stay on top of the deal
for their own selfish interest.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome- self-service IsNot A Sin.

Quoting the words of the very Pastor Chris
himself "IT HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH
GOD IT IS JUST ABOUT YOU AND YOUR OWN
BODY. SATAN USES THIS OPPRESSING THEIR
MINDS AND MAKES THEM INEFFICIENT IN THE
THINGS OF GOD. GOD IS NOT OFFENDED BY IT
HE IS ONLY OFFENDED BY ANY HABIT THAT
TAKES HOLD OF YOUR MIND."
Wow Satan himself could have done better
with this analogy of Pastor Chris to which he
gave no biblical passage to back it up. If his
logic is true I might as well conclude that
adultery, fornication, homosexuality,
dominatrix, bondage and
submission,Indecency ,masochism and
sadomasochism are not sinful as long as
they do not control my mind as my body is
my property and God has nothing to do
with it. See false doctrine by the fore-runner
of antichrist.
But Pastor didn`t I cor 6:19-20 says
19What? know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in
you, which ye have of God, and ye are not
your own?
20For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's.
When we come to Christ and become born-
again our body becomes the temple of the
Holy-Spirit and not just our spirit. Can Pastor
Chris tell me that the HOLY GHOST which is
the Spirit of the ALMIGHTY GOD Himself will
remain in a body given to self-service. Haba
Pastor.
This preachers are what 1 Peter 2: 1 and 18
- 19 describes thus 1But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you,
who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction. 18-1918For when they
speak great swelling words of vanity, they
allure through the lusts of the flesh,
through much wantonness, those that
were clean escaped from them who live in
error.
19While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption:
for of whom a man is overcome, of the
same is he brought in bondage.
Let this not surprise people in that a Pastor
cannot preach against and help counsel you
against a sinful habit that he himself might
be guilty of. Mathhew 1 :21 says And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins. > when God saves
you He delivers you from sin to live A BRAND
NEW LIFE.
I can by the grace of God declare before
Heaven and Hell that by God grace I do not
do such but not by my own power but by
the grace of God that works in me. What
God has done in me He can do for anybody
bound by addiction to any form of sin if only
you will let Him. He was manifested to take
away our sin.
Lastly Revelation21:27 says And there shall
in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of
life. .
May God help us to number our days and
promptly apply our heart to wisdom.

8 Killed, 3 Injured In Multiple Explosions At Baga Road In Maiduguri.

MAIDUGURI- Multiple explosions have again
rocked the popular Fish Market of Baga
Road in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital,
killing eight suspected members of the Boko
Haram sect while three persons were
seriously injured.
It was gathered that the blasts would have
been more devastating but for the alertness
of the traders in the market who noticed an
unusual movement of a person within the
market square and quickly alerted the JTF.
According to an eye witness, it was
members of JTF that arrested a suspect and
killed eight others in their attempt to
unleash terror on the innocent traders.
Confirming the incident, the JTF Spokesman,
Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed said some
suspected members of the Boko Haram sect
invaded Baga Fish Market and shot 3
civilians.

Sunday 19 February 2012

A Maid Charged For Adding Menstrual Blood to Her Employer’s Food.

Indra Ningsih

An Indonesian maid, Indra Ningsih, has
appeared in a Hong Kong court accused of
adding menstrual blood to her employer’s
food, NextVoice has learned.
Indra mixed menstrual blood into a pot of
vegetables as a charm for improving
relations between herself and her employer.
She has been charged with one count of
“administering poison destructive or
noxious substances with intent to injure”
according to the media
The noxious action was discovered
completely by chance. Her female employer
whose surname is Mok happened to enter
the kitchen to her home and noticed the
maid acting rather strangely. She caught her
throwing something into the trash bin,
which turned out to be a used sanitary
napkin.
When she looked into the pot of vegetables,
she noticed something “suspicious” floating
around mixed with the vegetables and
water.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Mercy Johnson Under Pressure From Husband's Family.

This is certainly not the best of time for top
Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson, as she is
presently being put under pressure by
families of her husband, Prince Odi Okojie.
The actress, who had a turbulent wedding
saga before her eventual wedding onAugust
27, 2011, was reportedly summoned some
weeks ago by her hubby's family, as an
insider source divulged.
You will recall that in October last year, this
writer exclusively reported that Mercy J, as
Mercy Johnson is fondly called, was
pregnant. Though the story was true but
events changed things.
According to a close source to the actress,
Mercy has been asked questions by family
members of Prince Odi on why she has
delayed in giving them the fruit of marriage
after their being married since last year.
Though her hubby, Prince Odi is said to be
suppressing pressures being mounted on
his wife by his family members, but the
source confessed that there might be a limit
Odi cannot go further on the issue, taking
note of his people's culture and tradition.
"You that in Edo culture, the man's family
has a lot of say in their lives, especially on
marriage matters," the source said.
We learnt that at the meeting, Prince Odi
was pleading with his family members to be
patient with his wife, saying there was
nothing wrong with her. We were also told
that Prince Odi told his family that her wife's
job was a demanding one, that she only
needs their supports.
Mercy Johnson married Prince Odi Okojie in
August 2011, after much troubles from one
Lovelyn Okojie, who claimed was still legally
married to Prince Odi with two kids as at
that time.

Tanker fire kills scores, burns 35 cars.

CHARRED remains of human bodies and
vehicles told the story in its full ghoulish
ramifications: Lagos State had a foretaste of
Armageddon yesterday.


It was the consequence of an overturned
fully loaded fuel tanker which caught fire
and spilled its deathly content on the road.
Within seconds, the fire followed the
content as far it went, carrying death and
destruction with it.
The time was just a little after midnight,
when the residents of Orile-Badagry, along
Mile 2 in the metropolis were just catching
their sleep.
While the number of the dead could not be
ascertained at press time yesterday, because
the area was cordoned off, sources
disclosed that no fewer than 35 vehicles
were completely burnt.
Eyewitnesses said that the fully-laden tanker
lost control while turning on a bridge at the
Mile 2 area. It overturned and emptied its
contents on the road. Balls of fire followed.
The number plate of the tanker was XB 370
ATN,
Most of the vehicles and human beings
affected were burnt beyond recognition and
their remains littered the scene.
Up in flames also were property and goods
in the area.
Several private cars, commercial buses of
Osariemen Motors, Ufuoma Motors, Lord's
Banner Motors, and commercial buses
popularly called Danfo, were also burnt.
The eyewitnesses were reported to believe
that the tanker driver and his colleague
escaped unhurt as the doors of the tanker
were open with the headlight still left on as
at yesterday morning.
One Jimoh Ojo, who claimed to have
witnessed it all, said described the scene as
“hell was let loose.”He added that the fire
spread widely to even vehicles that were as
far away as100 metres from the point of the
accident.
Ojo said: “I managed to escape with my
friends, as we were drinking when the
incident happened, it was a miracle.”
Another eyewitness, Adewale Ibrahim said
that the fire lasted for two hours and spread
in a few minutes.
“My bus, which is on hire purchase, was
consumed beyond recognition.”

Coporal Okoye Shoots His Girlfriend & Kidnapped Her Sister In Lagos.

The Lagos State Police Command is yet to
discover the whereabouts of one of its
officers who allegedly kidnapped a 17-year-
old girl after shooting her sister.
Corporal Emmanuel Okoye, attached to the
Ifako Police Station at Bariga, kidnapped
Patience Isabor on February 10, after he
shot her elder sister, Blessing, in the cheek
and hands.
Blessing 19, is receiving attention at the
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
(LASUTH), Ikeja, after undergoing series of
surgery to remove the bullets from her body.
According to neighbours, Blessing and
Patience were dating Okoye. It was
gathered that the police officer had initially
been involved with Blessing, but fell in love
when he met Patience. He, thereafter broke
up with Blessing and proposed to her
younger sister.
"Corporal Emmanuel was dating Blessing the
elder sister and their relationship had
blossomed over the years but towards the
end of last year, he dumped Blessing and
started dating Patience," said a neighbour
who did not want his name published.
"Their mother was against the relationship
but Patience and Corporal Emmanuel
continued their love until last month when
he came to meet her mother that she should
allow him marry Patience. Mrs Isabor
objected because she wants Patience to
continue her education and she does not
trust Corporal Emmanuel as he had
disappointed her first daughter in the past."
Infuriated with the development, the police
officer was said to have barged into the
Isabors' house on February 10, around 7pm,
kidnapped Patience and shot Blessing when
she tried to stop him. Since then, nobody
has seen them.

Anambra Joins Oil-producing States .

All is ready for Anambra State to join the
league of oil-producing states in the
country, as Orient Petroleum Resources Plc is
to commence the production of crude any
moment from now. Chairman, Board of
Directors of the company and former
Secretary General of the Commonwealth,
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, announced this while
inspecting the company’s facilities at Aguleri
Otu with Governor Peter Obi, Dr Alex
Ekwueme, Managing Director of Orient
Petroleum, Engr Emeka Nwoawka, Igwe
Peter Anukwu of Mbaukwu and other
stakeholders yesterday.
Anyaoku said the company was ready to
start production of crude in a couple of
weeks, which would mark the first time
crude is produced in inland basin in the
country. He disclosed that the company’s
service contractor had made significant
progress in the acquisition of high
resolution 3D seismic data over 640 square
kilometres of Orient’s oil blocks OPL 915 &
916 to delineate the full extent of the
hydrocarbon discoveries and prospects.
The team also inspected the 20-kilometre
access road to the oil wells and the 10-
kilometre flow line for evacuating crude to a
spot at Anambra River basin, from where
evacuation of crude will be undertaken by
barges to Brass in Bayelsa State.
The company, according to Anyaoku, had
equally finalised the detailed engineering
and sourced the modules of its 55,000 bpd
refinery. It had also completed the
geotechnical, geological and hydro-
geological surveys and civil engineering
works for installation of refinery equipment.
Orient Petroleum had also completed
acquisition of seven hectares of land from
Kogi State for establishment of depot for
distribution of petroleum products from the
refinery to the North and other parts of the
country.
Conducting the delegation round the
facilities, the Managing Director of Orient
Petroleum gave assurance that Anambra
would soon join the club of oil-producing
states. He thanked Governor Obi for his
interest in the project and appealed to him
to continue to support it. He said the drilling
environment conformed to international
standards.
Responding, Obi commended the Board of
Orient Petroleum for its resilience and
determination to bring the project on
stream. He said that when functional, the
company would, among other things, create
employment, fast-track overall development
of the host community as well as contribute
in strengthening the State and national
economy. He assured of continued
government support for the project.
Earlier, the Board of Orient Petroleum Plc
had paid a courtesy visit to Governor Obi at
the Government House before proceeding
on the inspection.

Friday 17 February 2012

Ecobank In Deep Mess **Sacks 4000 Staffers.

The management of Ecobank, which recently
acquired former Cecelia Ibru led band,
Oceanic bank, has found itself in a deep
mess.
The financial institution yesterday sacked
4000 of its workforce. According to
information available to NextVoice
majority of the sacked workers are from
Oceanic bank.
We further gathered that the sack was
targeted at former Oceanic bank staffers,
especially as some staffers of Ecobank were
given more attractive packages while those
from Oceanic bank were given about 50 per
cent of what Ecobank staffers get.
This development resulted in a protest by
staffers of former Oceanic bank at its
headquarters yesterday.
According to multiple sources from the
bank, they believe that the management of
Ecobank is bent on victimizing staffers of
former Oceanic bank, while their own
staffers are well treated.
.....dis one na i dey work for bank palava..toooo badddddd.

Girl Turns Python After Sleeping With Man

Rumour has it that a young lady has
changed from human to a python in a hotel
in Warri, Nigeria.
According to a Blackberry broadcast, Alert!!!
"The this incident Happened this
afternoon...
A girl just crept out of Hotel Excel this
morning half snake half human crying for
help.
She said a Man carried her and after sleeping with her, did some incantation and she
noticed that her body was changing to that
of a Python, she when she screamed and
called on the name of Jesus, the change only
occurred from her waist region down to her
feet.
She came out of Hotel Excel by Refinery Road
Junction Effurun right now crying for Help
and there's a massive crowd right there.
Please Note: there's traffic congestion right
now at the roundabout down to the
Junction.
Warning: Gurls please be careful, evil men
are everywhere.
Please Rebroadcast so everyone on your list
can get this and report to the Authorities to
give a helping hand to this Girl.. b
careful"

Workers Shut Down Oceanic Bank Headquarters.

Activities at Oceanic Bank Headquarters and
all its branches in Lagos State, Southwest
Nigeria were paralysed Friday following the
decision of the new owner of the bank,
Ecobank to pay the disengaged staff paltry
sum of money as severance package.


•Disengaged Oceanic Bank workers
protesting in front of Ecobank on Ozumba
Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, this
morning. PHOTO:

The headquarters of Oceanic Bank on
Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, was
shut following protest by disengaged staff
rejecting the severance money offered them
by the bank.
NextVoice gathered that hundreds of staff of
the former Oceanic Bank, which were
recruited by Oceanic Security have been laid
off.
Policemen took over the gate of the Oceanic
Bank Headquarters as staff protested the
proposed poor severance package Ecobank
intends to pay them.
It was gathered that the bank wanted to
pay the disengaged staff N40, 000 per
annum across board to disengaged staff
recruited by Oceanic Security, a subsidiary of
Oceanic Bank.
What this means is that workers who have
spent eight years working for the former
Oceanic Bank will take home a paltry N320,
000 for all the years spent working for the
bank.
The workers said they would only agree to
be disengaged if adequate package was
paid them, while rejecting what they called
peanut offered by the bank to them.
Also, as at this morning, almost all Oceanic
Bank branches were shut to workers and
customers as customers could not withdraw
or deposit any money as a result of the crisis
rocking the bank.
The Oceanic Bank branches at Secretariat,
Alausa; Amuwo-Odofin and others were
shut, while security officers turned
customers back.
A staff of the bank, who craved anonymity,
said activities had been completely paralysed
in all branches of the bank, including the
headquarters taken over by policemen.
He said the management of the new bank
offered to pay the workers a paltry amount
of money as severance allowance, saying
that it was completely unacceptable.
According to him, Oceanic Bank had about
300 branches and that staff recruited by
Oceanic Security in most of the branches
had been laid off, while the new owner had
brought in its own staff to occupy the
positions of the disengaged workers.
“Right now, in all the branches, things have
collapsed. There is no network in all the
branches right now and work is not going
on,” he said.
Another staff of the bank, who also craved
anonymity, said that the severance
package proposed by the new owner of the
bank was too small, saying that those laid
off could be in thousands.
When contacted, the Corporate Affairs
Manager of Ecobank, Michael Joseph said he
could not speak for the Managing Director,
saying that the bank would soon issue a
press statement on the matter.
There are fears that more workers will lose
their jobs in the wake of banking reforms
and mergers.

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole Shutdown Nta, Others

Edo State Governor, comrade Adams
Oshiomole has ordered the shutting down
of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Zonal
Headquarters located in King’s Square, in
Benin City.NextVoice confirmed that the move became important following
the failure of the broadcasting body to pay
the ‘non-remittance of PAYE’ worth close to
N20 million’.
In another development, the National
museum has also been shut after concrete
evidence concluded that the museum
authorities have been collecting illegal
revenue for social events in the museum’s
premises worth about N6 million.

Banking Reform: More Workers To Lose Jobs.

As the Deposit Money Banks in the country
continue to embrace cost-cutting measures,
indications have emerged that another
round of mass sacking is imminent in the
banking industry.
Our correspondent gathered from reliable
sources in the banking sector that more
bankers would lose their jobs because some
of the DMBs are preparing to reduce their
running costs.
A top official in one of the acquired banks
told our correspondent that the action was
inevitable.
“There’s no way some people will not lose
their jobs. For instance, after the acquisition,
some banks had two branches very close to
each other. What do you expect in such a
case?” he asked.
It was also gathered, however, that the
problem was not restricted to the acquired
banks only, as some “healthy” ones had also
adopted the measure to trim operating
costs drastically.
Another top official, who pleaded anonymity
because he was not permitted to speak
officially, said, “Banks are now adopting a
new business model to reduce their
workforce in order to cut down on their
operating costs.
“The emergence of the electronic payment
system has made it possible to work with
fewer employees.”
Access Bank Plc, which acquired
Intercontinental Bank Plc, recently
terminated the employment of over 1, 500
employees of Intercontinental Bank.
It was gathered that the basis for the mass
sacking was the new appraisal system
(Operation Just Cause), which Access Bank
introduced in Intercontinental Bank on
November 8, 2011.
In the same vein, Ecobank Transnational
Incorporation, which acquired Oceanic Bank
International Plc, disengaged an undisclosed
number of workers on Wednesday.
Enterprise Bank Limited, formerly Spring
Bank Plc, one of the nationalised banks, on
Tuesday said it had given 140 of its
employees, whose performance fell below
satisfactory level, an option to resign.
The bank had earlier introduced the
implementation of a performance-based
compensation system, which entailed the
inclusion of a variable pay among members
of staff.
When contacted, the National President,
National Union of Banks, Insurance and
other Financial Institutions Employees, Mr.
Peter Okafor, told our correspondent that
the union was on top of the situation.
Okafor said, “We have been talking to the
managements of the banks.
Although the banks have the power to hire
and fire, we will not fold our arms.
Something needs to be done. We are also
ensuring that due process is followed when
carrying out this action. If due process is not
followed, we will be forced to picket the
banks.
“When you are telling people to go, you have
to pay them what we call severance
package. In the case of Intercontinental
Bank, we are talking to them on behalf of
our members. We sat down with the
management of Ecobank too. So, we are on
top of it.”
He said the sacking in the banks was a
serious challenge to the banking sector and
the economy at large.
Okafor blamed the Federal Government for
the unemployment problems in the country,
saying, “It is the responsibility of the
government to provide jobs. All government
initiatives have not provided jobs for the
people.”

Corps Member Stabs Colleague At Send-off In Abeokuta.

Confusion engulfed the Nigerian Union of
Journalists secretariat, Abeokuta on
Thursday when a corps member stabbed a
colleague with a broken bottle during a
send-off.
The corps members were said to be
members of the Batch A National youth
Service Corps, which completed their service
year on Thursday.
It was learnt that following the passing out
parade organised by the state NYSC
authorities, scores of corps members from
the 2011/2012 Batch ‘A’ gathered at the
relaxation spot at the NUJ secretariat to
celebrate the successful completion of their
service year.
Trouble was said to have started when a
corper, identified as Chinonso Johnson, was
said to have accidentally stabbed another,
Uchenna, on the forehead.
Eyewitnesses said most of the corps
members were under the influence of
alcohol and subsequently, a bitter argument
ensued, leading to the further breaking of
bottles.
Customers at the beer joint scampered for
safety as the corpers engaged one another
in a show of strength and superiority.
Chinonso later fled the scene but other
corps members pursued and apprehended
him. He was immediately handed over to the
police at Mobile Force 16 headquarters,
Abeokuta.
It was learnt that Uchenna, following the
injuries sustained on the forehead, was
rushed to an undisclosed hospital for
medical attention.
Earlier at the passing-out parade of NYSC in
Abeokuta, the South-West Coordinator II,
Osogbo, Osun State, Mrs. Abosede
Aderibigbe, advised corps members to
always be security conscious.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the NYSC
State Secretariat, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta,
Aderibigbe cautioned the corps members
against travelling to their various
destinations in corps members’ uniform.

Thursday 16 February 2012

John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), Charles Inojie, and Charles Awurum abandon acting for teaching.

When a super producer meets a super
director and they join forces with super
actors, the result is clear: The funniest
comedy of all time!
NextVoice has learned that coming
this Monday 20th of February 2012, a one-
of-the-kind comedy movie King of madness
will be released into the Nigerian market.
The movie produced by Chidi Chijioke and
directed by Amayo Uzo Philips is promised
to be the most hilarious comedy film to ever
come out of Nollywood.
The flick is about four illiterate friends who
decided to open up an extra moral class,
because what they do at the moment was
not paying them much. They met with a
native doctor, who told them that with the
help of charm they will be educated. John
Okafor is the maths teacher, Charles Inojie
the economics teacher, Charles Awurum
teaches English.
We were told that we have to watch the
movie to know the rest.
Casts are: John Okafor, Charles Inojie,
Charles Awurum, Bianca Bernards,
Uchenna Nnanna , and more.


We can’t wait!

Nollywood actors John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), Charles Inojie, and Charles Awurum abandon acting for teaching.

When a super producer meets a super
director and they join forces with super
actors, the result is clear: The funniest
comedy of all time!
Nollywoodgossip has learned that coming
this Monday 20th of February 2012, a one-
of-the-kind comedy movie King of madness
will be released into the Nigerian market.
The movie produced by Chidi Chijioke and
directed by Amayo Uzo Philips is promised
to be the most hilarious comedy film to ever
come out of Nollywood.
The flick is about four illiterate friends who
decided to open up an extra moral class,
because what they do at the moment was
not paying them much. They met with a
native doctor, who told them that with the
help of charm they will be educated. John
Okafor is the maths teacher, Charles Inojie
the economics teacher, Charles Awurum
teaches English.
We were told that we have to watch the
movie to know the rest.
Casts are: John Okafor, Charles Inojie,
Charles Awurum, Bianca Bernards,
Uchenna Nnanna , and more.
We can’t wait!

LOVE GONE SOUR !! THE UNTOLD STORY OF GENEVIEVE AND D'BANJ

She needs little or no introduction in
Nollywood.The Queen of
Nollywood,Genevieve Nnaji is a hot
thespian,not just because of her talent but
also for her exceptional acting prowess.
Genny as she is popularly called is one of the
thespians who came on the scene over a
decade ago and became popular with her
good mastery of the craft which was
evident in her sound delivery of movies
roles.
She has been courting controversies since
her emergence in the movie industry, but
has remained unperturbed about
uncomplimentary remarks flying around her.
Despite the fact that Miss Nnaji has been
romantically linked with so many men in the
past,she has been trying so hard lately to
shield her love life from prying eyes of the
media because of the humiliation she
suffers in her last relationship.
Last year,Genny was rumoured to be in a
sizzling relationship with popular hip-hop
star, Dapo Oyebanjo a.k.a D’banj and
everyone thought it was altar-bound until
the devil reared its ugly head and the whole
affair collapsed like a pack of badly arranged
cards.
One of the reasons for their break-up is the
story of how Genevieve was given the
embarrassment of her life by a London
based Nigeria babe days before her last
birthday.
It would be recall that D’banj and the Mo’hit
crew treated Genevieve to a surprise
birthday bash in London last year.
We learnt D’banj had earlier hooked up with
Genevieve at a hotel and later in the day,took
her to a departmental store to shop for a
befitting birthday outfit.
According to sources,D’banj over the years
he lived in London,has a serious
girlfriend.Interestingly,D’banj girl and the
girlfriend of his partners Don Jazzy are pals.
While the story was on in Nigeria that D’banj
was in romance with Genevieve,the star
musician we hear,was denying the fact and
telling his London based babe that the story
about him and Genevieve was contrived by
the Nigerian media and that outside
appearing in his video,she was just an
acquaintance in the industry.
Nemesis however caught up with D’banj
when he took Genevieve to the shop.
We gathered that Don Jazzy also took his
own babe on the trip.Insiders say Don
Jazzy’s babe must have used her Black Berry
to contact the girl who arrived the shop in a
fury.What happened next was a blur as she
allegedly attacked Genevieve and almost
stripped her bare.
We were told that D’banj had to buy another
dress for the actress to wear back to her
hotel room.
This occurrence is said to be the reason they
partered.

MUSICIAN BANKY W MAKES A FOOL OF HIMSELF.

The month of November,2011, for some
time will not be forgotten by Lagos based
wave making singer,Banky W.
Reason? Sometime in that month,Banky
according to an eye witness,was billed to
perform in a high society party,organized by
top politicians in Abuja,which had in
attendance the Vice President,Arch
Sambo,Senate President,David Mark and
others including some states governors.
Our source said that aside,Banky W other
music stars billed to thrill the guests was
veteran music star,Bongos Ikweue.
We gathered that when the party started
rolling at exactly 8.40pm some not yet very
popular artistes were called on the stage to
showcase their arts,which they did perfectly
well to the admiration of the guests.
After an hour,the event coordinators and
master of ceremony went to the guest
artistes and informed Banky that it was his
turn to perform,but instead of honoring the
invitation the “Ebutemeta “ crooner went
into argument with them telling them that
as a star that he will be the last to perform.
After the hot argument and exchange of
word,the master of ceremony invited the
Otukpo born Bongus Ikwue on stage.
Our source said that on getting to the stage
Bongus proved his worth and sang his
oldies to the admiration of all including the
Vice President,Senate President and
governors,who joined him on stage,singing
and dancing to his songs.His performance
they said lasted for more than hour,and
minutes after he climbed down the
stage,the whole top politicians including the
Vice President and Governors all began to
leave the party to their various homes.
Our source said,that when Banky climbed
the stage to perform the party hall was
almost empty as only the policemen
guarding the venue and some young people
were around to watch his performance.

Subsidy Probe Panel Rejects Valentine Cake From Oil Marketer.

The House of Representatives ad-hoc
committee on the investigation of the
petroleum subsidy regime yesterday
rejected a valentine cake gift from one of
the major oil marketers.
Committee staff showed newsmen hampers
containing nine different cakes brought as a
gift to the committee by the marketers.
“We were working and suddenly we saw
some people who came in with the cakes;
when we asked where it came from they
told us the oil marketer who ordered it but
we have asked them to take it back,” the
staff said.
Although the committee staff who do not
want to be named refused to disclose the
identity of the marketer in question to our
reporter, Daily Trust gathered that the
company was one of the major beneficiaries
of the subsidy payments and is likely to be
indicted by the panel.
Committee chair Rep. Faruk Lawan (PDP,
Kano) had told Daily Trust that oil marketers
had made several attempts to induce them
but they have refused to be compromised in
addition to “tremendous pressure from
different quotas.”
Also, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal had
come under serious pressure from the
Presidency and the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) according to sources
in the National Assembly.
The panel which rounded up public hearing
last week is now processing the hundreds
of volumes of documents it received from
different stake holders.

Ecobank Commences Mass Sack Of Oceanic Bank Staff.

Ecobank has begun moves to effect the
mass sack of staff of their newly acquired
Oceanic Bank, NextVoice can confirm.
Our sources revealed that some staff of
Oceanic Bank were handed their
disengagement letters today while others
will
be given theirs tomorrow. Those still
awaiting their sack letters were asked to
await calls from their zonal offices.
This step – the second in a month to be
taken by a major financial institution – will
aid in increasing the number of
Nigerians out on the streets searching for
jobs. It will be recalled that Access Bank
recently embarked on a mass
sack that affected over 1500 staff of former
Intercontinetal Bank which was acquired by
the former.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Meet the world's tiniest chameleon..."as small as a drop of human sweat".

Discovered on a small island off Madagascar,
creature can perch on a match head.



A species of chameleon small enough to
easily perch on a match head has been
discovered on a tiny island off Madagascar, a
group of scientists has announced.
In addition to the discovery of Brookesia
micra, now the tiniest chameleon ever
discovered, the researchers also announced
the discovery of three additional tiny
chameleon species.
Adult males of the B. micra species grow to
only just over a half-inch (16 millimeters)
from nose to bottom, making them one of
the smallest vertebrates ever found on Earth.
From nose to tail, adults of both sexes grow
to only 1 inch (30 mm) in length.
Lead researcher Frank Glaw said the team
already had experience finding tiny lizards
in Madagascar, "but it was also good luck."
The team searched for the tiny lizards under
the cover of darkness, using headlamps and
flashlights to seek out the sleeping
chameleons. All four species are active
during the day, and at night climb up into
the branches to sleep.
But for such tiny critters, "up into the
branches" means a mere 4 inches (10
centimeters) off the ground, Glaw told
OurAmazingPlanet, so finding them is no
easy task. However, once spotted, the tiny
lizards aren't tough to catch, Glaw said.
"They are sleeping and you can just pick
them up. It's like picking a strawberry, so it's
easy," Glaw said. "They do not move at all at
night."
The team of scientists found the tiny reptiles
in Madagascar's wild northern regions
during expeditions between 2003 and
2007. For three of the species, "we
immediately identified them as new
species," said Glaw, a veteran herpetologist
and curator at the Museum of Natural
History in Munich.
"In general, these tiny chameleons are so
small that it's really hard to see the small
differences with the naked eye," he said.
The researchers warn that at least two of
the newly discovered chameleon species are
extremely threatened because of habitat
loss and deforestation in Madagascar.
Glaw, who has been going to Madagascar to
research its ever-expanding list of
amphibians and reptiles for a quarter
century, said that B. micra may represent the
limit of miniaturization possible for a
vertebrate with complex eyes, but said it's
impossible to know for sure since each time
scientists have proclaimed the discovery of
the tiniest one yet, another, tinier species
appears.
"Maybe there's a potential for a smaller
species," Glaw said.
Another group of researchers recently
announced the discovery of the world's
smallest frog species in Papua New Guinea.
The scientists also declared it the world's
smallest vertebrate, but others contend that
a species of angler fish is the smallest
vertebrate yet discovered on Earth.
Glaw is planning another expedition to the
region of Madagascar in November.
"I'm sure there are many surprises awaiting
discovery," he said.