40 boys & young men reportedly abducted by Boko Haram in Borno

According to journalist Ibrahim Shehu who works with the BBC World Service, about 40 boys and young men were abducted on New Year's eve by suspected Islamist militants in Borno state.

My goodness! Baby plays with massive python (photos)

34 year old snake handler, Jamie Guarino, filmed his 14 month old daughter, Alyssa, playing with their family pet, a 10 year old 13ft Burmese python called Nay-Nay. This Python is one of the five largest snakes in the world. The snake handler said he filmed the video with his baby girl at their home in Michigan to educate people about snakes and how harmless they can be. Someone should please come get this child. See more pics after the cut...

 Jamie...

Photo credit: Got the screengrab from a Telegraph UK video...

Forbes: Africa's Most Successful Women: Mo Abudu

Africa’s Most Successful Women introduces you to the most outstanding African women who are making giant strides in business, politics, technology, entrepreneurship and leadership on the continent and elsewhere around the world. Article below written by Mfonobong Nsehe for Forbes

Mo Abudu, a 50 year-old Nigerian media entrepreneur and talk show host, is the founder of Ebony Life TV, a fast-growing black African multi-broadcast entertainment network, which showcases informative and entertaining programmes that portray Africa at its best. Abudu, who has been described by international news outlets as ‘Africa’s Africa’, is keen in her resolve to rewrite Africa’s story. And it’s time you took notice. In a recent email interview, she recounts her entrepreneurial journey and reflects on the lessons she has learned along the way.

You are the host of ‘Moments with Mo’, one of the most successful syndicated talk shows on African regional television. And now you run an African television network. Walk me through your journey as a media entrepreneur
My passion to help change the narrative about Africa began to grow as far back as when I was a teenager living in the UK, schooling in Tunbridge Wells in Kent, a town that had just a few blacks at the time. As I have said many times in the past, here, I had to learn to stand up for myself, to defend my identity and my race in an environment where you continually got asked the most ridiculous and mind-boggling questions like “Do you guys live in trees and holes in Africa?” “Do you guys dance around fires?” “What do you eat for breakfast?” Very ignorant questions. Those sort of questions could either make or break your spirit but I was very determined that I was going to stay strong. This kind of afro-pessimism simply fuelled a burning, deep-seated desire in my subconscious to one day help to rewrite the African story; to get people to talk about the issues that affect our society and to tell the African narrative in a contemporary and interesting way; to change the perception the world had of us; to let the world know that in spite of our challenges as a developing continent, Africans are not a bunch of savages but mostly a breed of gifted and remarkable people. So, after my education and a flourishing modelling career in the UK, I returned to Nigeria in my late twenties. My children had reached their teens; I had begun enjoying a successful career as Head of Human Resources and Administration for oil giant, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (ExxonMobil). I always say that this experience at ExxonMobil was the best thing that happened to me at that time because the job gave me an invaluable understanding of corporate structure and business discipline, which would eventually prove very useful in my future business endeavours, to include the Protea Hotel Oakwood Park, of which I remain a shareholder and director; Vic Lawrence & Associates, now one of Nigeria’s leading outsourcing firms, where I also remain founder, and so on. However, as successful as all these business ventures have thankfully been, nothing perhaps has given me the most fulfilment as the prospect of exploiting the media as a tool to affect global perceptions about Africa. So, with no TV experience whatsoever, I had approached DStv back then with the Moments with Mo proposal which I had hoped would persuade them to see that it was time Africans had a talk show that projected all that was positive, progressive and celebratory about the continent. I had seen a gap in the market for talk shows that were quintessentially African on the DStv bouquet. I had observed that there were talk shows on NTA, and other Nigerian channels but there wasn’t a single Pan-African talk show at the time. I did not get a positive response from DStv as I was told they were not looking for a Pan-African talk show on the platform at the time. But interestingly, in response to the need for local content on the platform, the window of opportunity soonopened for us and that was how, in 2006, Moments with Mo was born out of the vision to build and project a new, stronger, more independent and more confident Africa; an Africa that speaks for itself; that celebrates its people and achievements and solves its own problems.Ihad taken about 5 pilots of my talk show to them back then but they were all rejected and eventually, one was accepted. And even at that point, I was told they were not going to commission, that they were only going to license, which means they would buy the content from you at an agreed price. So I was told to go and look for sponsors, which I did, and the rest, as they say, is history.


Why did you choose to then start EbonyLife TV, Africa’s first global black entertainment network, and describe the transition from talk show host to head of a television company, navigating a teething media business sector with no prior experience?
The irony was that as far back as 2006 when I first approached DStv with the proposition that Africa was ripe for its own Oprah Winfrey or Ellen DeGeneres show, I was at the same time already requesting for a global TV channel opportunity. At the same time I was exploring channel possibilities with SKY in the UK. I have always reckoned that the vision to project Africa in a different, more positive light, needed a big platform and this was what spurred me to start thinking of establishing EbonyLifeTV. Looking back now and considering how ambitious the dream was and all we had to surmount to arrive at where we are now, one has to admit that God’s appointed time is always the best. I think, for the media however, the sector may have been run by people who are very passionate about the sector rather than people who are business managers, suffice to say it is crucially important to understand the business of the media. You have to be very passionate about what you do and at the same time, be a business manager, which includes having a solid business plan.I don’t think the financial sector in Nigeria understands our sector, I can tell you this because we spent a long time at strategy sessions with expatriate financial consultants who really understood media businessto help identify what the revenue streams in TV are because in every business, there has to be a way to make money. It’s not just about the passion to sell Africa’s story, if you want it to generate money, there’s got to be something bankable in it. Sometimes, you may not have all the expertise required to make what you dream of in terms of profitability,you then have to find someone that is business savvy enough to show you how this business works. He will also tell you how long it is going to take for you to break even, especially if the business is media. Media is one of those businesses that take off very slowly, so you know that borrowing money at a high interest rate to run the media business is not the way to go. Gaining this understanding was key in getting EbonyLife TV off the ground and running till today.


How would you describe EbonyLife TV and the kind of programming it provides?
EbonyLife TV creates content that speaks to the continent’s most important demographic, the custodians of the present and of the future, the youth aged 18 to 34. We believe no one is speaking to this key demographic of the continent the way we do. This is a demographic that is extremely passionate and confident; tremendously creative and global-minded. It is one that craves a platform for self-definition and self-expression; one that sees a different Africa, an Africa that tells its own story through the showcasing of the continent’s best talents, from lifestyle and entertainment to fashion and music, education, information, love and relationships. So, with the mantra “Live the EbonyLife”, our channel is proud to be broadcasting premium, original and exclusively African programming which is both inspirational and aspirational, celebrating style and success while motivating the audience to dream and dream big. Our programming is one that leaves the viewer with a cool, glossy, polished and sophisticated experience, from reality to talk; drama to entertainment and comedy. Through our programming, we also avail companies amazing brand integration and placement opportunities like never before. We believe it is very vital to give African brands, big and small, the opportunity to be seen on a global scale, showing the world that African brands can compete with the world’s best.

What lessons have you learned in business?
I have learned that information is power. The media business in Nigeria and indeed, Africa is grossly underestimated and the windows of opportunity need to be further explored. A lot of people do not understand the power of the information. One needs to be armed with information in order to successfully navigate any venture. Information is your compass. If you know better, you will do better. Before deciding to enter into any venture, one must, to the best of their ability have explored possibilities for growth, foreseen challenges, made projections, thought exhaustively through every inch and breadth of the venture and researched what other people have done to succeed and where they failed.

What advice do you have for those who desire to follow your entrepreneurial footsteps?
Anyone who wishes to be an entrepreneur must know that bright ideas are great, however, they are not even half of the work; execution is everything. Yes, as the saying goes, ‘there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come’, but when that time comes, you must be prepared to bleed sweat, tears and blood to bring your ideas to life. For women, never ever see your gender as a handicap. Never think yourself inferior. Be ready to do twice the work for half the usual reward. When the door isn’t opened, kick down the door. Take the regular harassment and other obstacles women face in stride. In fact, be prepared for them. Be prepared to be told off, to be told you are not good enough, to go unrewarded for even doing the same work your male counterpart has done. Work with your passion, let it consume and drive you. Do not be distracted. On down days, it will keep you going. Also, surround yourself with like minds. In fact, you should exhaustively curate those who will go along with you on your journey. I can’t say that enough.

Rev. Fr Mbaka insists that GEJ must go...weeks after he praised and prayed for GEJ and mama peace!

Very popular Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka is currently under serious fire. Let me explain what's going on. In early November, First Lady Patience Jonathan was in Enugu to attend the 2014 Adoration Thanksgiving And Bazaar event where Fr. Mbaka prayed for her, prayed for President Jonathan and said 'GEJ has done well, despite distraction and that he must come back in 2015. You can find the video here. Fast forward to January 1st and he's singing a different tune. He's now saying 'GEJ must go!" Screaming 'we want change'. 

"When the Goodluck met the Yar'adua, the Yar'adua had badluck and died. Before we knew it, when the Goodluck met our oil, our oil had bad luck and poured away. Before we knew it, Goodluck met our naira, our naira had a bad luck. Where are we going in this country, shall we continue to experience the bad luck?" He said on Jan. 1st

You can watch the video - here. So what changed between Nov. 9th 2014 and January 1st?

See what a man did to his uncle after he found him raping his girlfriend

This is what happened to a South Carolina man after he was caught red-handed allegedly raping his nephew’s girlfriend in a bedroom at a home in Conway, South Carolina on Thursday January 1st.

The nephew, whose identity is being kept from the media, reportedly found 52-year-old William Mattson (pictured above) on top of his girlfriend and he responded by beating the heck out of him. You can see the result of the brutal beat down in the suspect’s mugshot.

The man then pushed his uncle out of the house and called police. Mattson was arrested but the nephew was not charged over the incident. The police said he was “acting in defense for the victim.”

The uncle is now facing charges related to the alleged sexual assault.

Plane Crash in Western Kentucky Kills Four, 7-Year-old Survives

  

(CNN) -- A small plane went down in western Kentucky Friday evening, killing four people, according to Sgt. Dean Patterson with the Kentucky State Police.

A 7-year-old girl was the only survivor. She was taken to a local hospital with "non-life threatening injuries," Patterson said.

A resident in the area called 911 after the girl walked up to his house, telling him she had been in a plane crash.

"FAA air traffic controllers lost contact with a Piper PA-34 aircraft ... shortly after the pilot reported engine problems, and told air traffic controllers that he was diverting to the Kentucky Dam State Airport," said FAA Communications Manager Kathleen Bergen.

The twin-engine aircraft, which can seat up to six people, was found in Lyon County, about 30 miles east of Paducah, and less than 10 miles from the airport.

The Kentucky State Police say the plane was en route to Mount Vernon, Illinois, from Key West, Florida.

Asari Dokubo comes for Buhari again

Lol at Kunu drinking, How rude!

Photos: Did she get a boob job?

That's what some fans are claiming on instagram but for me it's more like she looks twice her age, too much make-up for a 17 year old...and the poses are too seductive..but she's a beautiful girl!

Ebola Hero: Dr Adedevoh’s Son Speaks About Mom’s Death for the First Time

Ebola in Nigeria, may have come and gone but to those who directly lost loved ones, the vacuum persists – That’s the story of the only surviving son of late Dr Stella Adedevoh and he has spoken out for the first time:

Late Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh’s son and the founder of taxi service, EasyTaxi, Bankole Cardoso, in a recent interview with NPR, revealed that life without his mum has been devastating.
According to him:

“She’s synonymous with First Consultants Hospital. Upon seeing the patient, she was told that he was coming from Liberia, so she immediately suspected that he may have an infectious disease, because he was being treated for malaria at the time. And she noticed that it seemed as if he was bleeding on the surface of his skin. So that was the first time I ever heard her speak about Ebola.
“All I remember her saying at the time — this was just her nature, never about herself — just I remember what she was saying was that he seemed scared, the patient. And so she was praying for him and telling him everything will be fine.
“Just like her normal self, as you would hear from anyone in Nigeria that has come across her, that she is completely selfless. She gives her all to all her patients. When someone is ill, she is happy to do an in-house call, she’s happy to do anything to make sure they’re fine.

“Beyond the medicine, she was always there for people. I remember her being so affected that he was so scared and worried about himself, when she had to tell him that she believes he has an infectious disease. Later on, I found out that when he was told he had an infectious disease, he went bananas, he was furious and he demanded to be released from the hospital.
“At that point, and this I know as well, the Liberian government was calling her and pressuring her to release him, that he had come for an important meeting, an international conference in Calabar — in the eastern part of Nigeria.
“So they demanded for him to be released, citing that he was kidnapped by the hospital and that it’s against his human rights to keep him there. They threatened her multiple times. She stood her ground. There was no way to let him go because he was putting the rest of Nigeria at risk if he left the hospital.”

“When she fell ill herself, it was more my dad noticing. Normally she’s an extremely active person. But one Saturday she seemed to be just taking her time, not really her normal self.
“So he suspected and we spoke, and she says she feels okay. When she didn’t go to work on Monday and Tuesday is when she started to feel ill.
“She didn’t want to go into the isolation unit. Because when the Liberian national was at her hospital, I remember she used the world uninhabitable. That that place was uninhabitable [the isolation unit that was being made ready by the health authorities].
“Eventually, two days later, an ambulance came and we went to the isolation unit. The WHO doctor said he has dealt with hundreds of Ebola patients. In every five, two walk away, two have to be managed, one dies.
“And so he said that, in this condition, where he was working with bare health bones, understaffed, he was really battling and it’s going to be a tough situation.
“Then the doctor was speaking to her and after he told us he suspects she has this disease. Of course at that point, I completely lost it, but I spoke to her and she was like, do not worry, this thing is not going to kill me.”

God continue to rest her soul!

Queen Latifah holds hands with a guy on the beach

Rapper, actress and talk show host Queen Latifah, who is openly gay, was pictured yesterday January 1st frolicking at Miami beach, holding hands with a man friend. See more photos after the cut..

Solomon Akiyesi - ''For 365 Days, I Went in between the Legs of Many Women''

Nollywood actor Solomon Akiyesi has listed the trials and tribulation that 

came his way in 2014. One of them he says is  going through the legs of many 

women, and he's happy he came out unscathed. Read his list after the cut.

Appeal Court frees Erastus Akingbola of N47.5billion theft charge

According to a report by PM News, a Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has quashed the 22-count charge brought against the former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC had alleged that Akingbola stole N47.5 billion belonging to the bank. The report below...

Ruling on Akingbola’s application on jurisdiction, the court presided over by Justice Amina Augie held that the High Court of Lagos State presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed against him by the commission

Justice Augie said it amounted to miscarriage of justice for the lower court to have dismissed Akingbola’s application challenging its jurisdiction on the matter.

“The appeal is meritorious and allowed,” she declared.

“I am convinced that the lower court refused to align itself with the decision of this court in Nwosu’s case,” she further held.

Akingbola and his co-defendant, Bayo Dada, had filed two separate applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the 22-count charge filed against them by the EFCC.

But, the lower court, in its ruling on 2 May, 2014 dismissed their applications.

Justice Lawal-Akapo had then held that the charges preferred against the defendants were within its competence and jurisdiction to determine.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the high court, Akingbola and Dada approached the Appeal Court, praying that the trial court’s decision be set aside.

Delievering the judgement, Justice Augie declared that the lower court fell into serious error by not abiding by the decision on Nwosu’s case adding, “it is most unfair and is an injustice”.

According to her, the lower court has no option than to follow the decision of the higher court on Nwosu’s case.

“The point must be made that the decision of this court in Nwosu’s case was based on proof of evidence.”

The judge noted that all the charges against the defendants arose out of capital market transactions.

“Only federal high court is conferred with the exclusive jurisdiction to try cases of capital market transaction,” she stressed.

The appellate court held that the lower court owes it a duty to compare and contrast the documents cited by parties.

“It is its duty to examine materials brought before him. It is the role of the judge to do justice in adjudicating all the cases brought before him.

“One sided justice would amount to injustice and favouring one side.

“The proof of evidence was there but the trial judge at the lower court accused the defendants of not furnishing him with the documents.

“He has failed in his duty.”

Justice Augie further held that the appeal filed by the defendants has nothing to do with evidence, noting that the lower court failed to go through argument canvassed before it assumed jurisdiction on the matter.

She emphasised that the issue of jurisdiction should not have been toyed with by the lower court.

“I agree with the appellant that the lower court ought to have gone through the proof of evidence.

“There is no way a charge of stealing can stand without going through the proof of evidence,” she declared.

Culled from PM News