Photos: Buhari departs Nigeria for a 1-day State visit to the Republic of Benin

President Buhari this morning departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for a one day State visit to the Republic of Benin. According to Garba Shehu, The President will hold talks with President Boni Yayi as part of moves in strengthening regional cooperation against Boko Haram. More pics after the cut...

Iyanya makes surprise appearance as MTN Football Scholars tour kicks off in Uni Abuja

Students of the University of Abuja got a pleasant surprise when Kukere crooner, Iyanya made a surprise performance to flag off the kick off of the 2015 edition of MTN Football Scholars 2015 edition. This year’s edition will see the Football Scholars travelling to select Universities across the country to engage the Universities’ school team.

The participating schools this year will be University of Abuja, Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), Federal University of Technology,Akure and the University of Lagos

For the spectators present at the opening match held at the University of Abuja, it was a rare opportunity to engage with the Iyanya as the MTN Ambassador took the appreciative audience through a repertoire of some of his hit songs.

The tour kicked off on a disappointing note for the Ambassadors as they lost by three goals to one.

It wasn't all football as the spectators went home with lots of freebies ranging from smartphones and branded T-shirts won from a raffle draw at the game.

Also present at the event was Nigerian former Nigerian International, Emmanuel Amuneke who also doubles as coach of Nigerian’s U-17 team. 

Commending the initiative, Emmanuel Emenike who was in attendance said that MTN’s efforts in developing footballing talent in the country is well appreciated and thanked them for bringing the initiative to life.

"The effort of MTN in creating this program is a welcome development and well appreciated.” He said. Also speaking during the event was Joe Erico, Coach of the MTN Scholar’s team.

According to him, the experience of schooling and horning their football skills abroad would help the young footballers in their aspirations.

The MTN Football Scholars initiative is a youth oriented program of MTN Nigeria aimed at providing credible platform for young boys between the ages of 14-17 years to excel and become top flight footballers. 

Now in its fifth season, the MTN Football Scholars initiative is now one of Nigeria’s foremost talent development/education platform.

This year, 23 beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme will participate in the tour across the select universities. The grand finale of the event will be held at the University of Lagos, Unilag on August 5.

Witches pushed me to rape 9-year-old girl, says father of 3

A 39-year-old father of 3, Ekpeyong Essien, who raped a 9 year old girl blamed his 2 sons, whom he alleged are witches, for pushing him to commit the crime.

 

Essien, who hails from Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, had on July 12, raped 9 year old Bright Benjamin, at Hawkins Primary School in the Calabar South area of the state capital.

He said the girl had approached him for money to pay her fares home, but he simply instructed her to follow him to a nearby primary school where he defiled her with his fingers.

 

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Essien said his life became useless after his two sons were bewitched by one of his neighbours.

Essien is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Cross River State Police Command at Diamond Hill in Calabar and would soon be charged to court.

 

Narrating how he defiled the little girl, he said:

“It was the handiwork of witches. Someone bewitched my children and my children in turn used what they have been given to affect my life negatively. The person who bewitched my children lives in our compound. What my children are doing with the witchcraft is to ensure that I become useless in life.

“When I saw the girl, I called her and she followed me. I touched her a little before she followed me to Hawkins Primary School area in Calabar South. The place is close to the Hawkins cemetery and when I saw her, she was actually behind some group of persons that were going to the cemetery to bury someone.

“She wanted me to give her transport fare back to her home. That was how I lured her with a promise to give her money. I have grown up children older than her. I do not know how she got attracted to me at that moment because I believe I was under the spell of my children’s devilish practice.

“When I took her to one side of the school, I started romancing her. I did not force her to follow me, she did willingly. It was raining at that time. I had not seen her before. I only saw her on that day. I only fiddled with her private part, we had not really started making love before one security man in the school raised the alarm and I was caught.”

He said he was a footballer with a local team before his children made him become useless.

He said:

“I used to play football in one of the local clubs but my children stopped me through their devilish practice. I am not the only one that is accusing my children of practising witchcraft; other tenants in the compound also know,”.

Essien, who regretted his action, is pleading with the parents of the girl to forgive him.

“I wish I could see the girl’s father to beg him. I am willing to pay any amount that they have spent on her in the hospital. I am really regretting my action because I have never had a criminal record before,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey, said the medical report after the incident showed that the girl had been defiled.

He said,

“Because the suspect tried to penetrate and could not succeed, he used his fingers to defile her and based on the medical report, the girl has been defiled. The report showed bruises all over her vagina.

“He actually heard the footsteps of someone coming and he ran away. The security man raised the alarm and he was caught. He is still under investigation and will soon be charged to court as soon as that is completed.”

Punch

Union wants abandoned airplane removed

The Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) on Friday called for the removal of abandoned aircraft parked at aprons across the country's airports.ATSSSAN's President, Mr Benjamin Okewu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the call was necessitated by 2 recent ground collision incidents by aircrafts at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
NAN reports that a Boeing 777-200LR belonging to Emirates Airline and a B737-400 owned by HAK Air collided on July 6 at the airport.
A similar incident involving two aircraft belonging to First Nation Airways aircraft occurred at the same airport on July 17 when an A319 taxiing into the terminal hit another parked A319 aircraft at the apron.
Okewu told NAN that the apron at the Lagos airport was congested, especially at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), due to several unserviceable aircraft of some airlines that were abandoned there.
He said that some people received `political` Air Operating Certificates (AOCs) and their aircraft had not flown for one day, but were abandoned at the apron.

"If we don't quickly act to create space, more space around the apron and taxiing areas, there is no how we won't experience some of these incidents," he said.

Okewu called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to carry out proper planning and address the problem more decisively.

Mr Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, however, told NAN that the authority had already issued a public notice to the owners of the aircraft to evacuate them.

Dati said:

"We have already informed the owners to get rid of them or we shall get rid of them on their behalf.

"We have written to them and given them substantial notice so that they will not say they were not formally informed.

"As a law abiding organisation, we are also trying to explore all legal means to resolve the issue."

He said FAAN would not hesitate to take action if the owners refused to comply with the directive, noting that the safety of the nation's airports was a priority to the authority.


NAN

Nicki Minaj's ex-BF Safaree and his new GF release some sexy pics

Zashia Santiago and Safaree in very sexy photos. Zashia is a famous make-up artist and she's hot. More photos of her after the cut...

Pregnant Anna Ebiere travels to the US to give birth to Flavour's 2nd child

The 20 year old former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria has traveled to the US to give birth to her child with high life singer, Flavour. Flavour is expected to join her when the baby is due in a few weeks.

Scott Disick regrets his split from Kourtney Kardashian

Scott attended the wedding of J.J. Corsini in Santa Monica and Elizabeth Condon, a long time Kardashian family friend, and posted a pic of his seating card with the caption,
"When u realize the grass isn't always greener".

The place card had just his name instead of bearing the name of his former girlfriend of 9 years. It just read generically 'Scott Disick Guest'.

This was a bigger reminder of what he is missing out on since he and Kourtney split earlier this month, also on the table was a picture of the bride and groom looking infinity happy.

Scott Disick may be a party boy but he was not feeling like partying as he found himself alone at a wedding on Friday night.

Jonathan's aides,Abati,Obua stripped of passports

No fewer than 12 close aides of former President Goodluck Jonathan have been stripped of their official passports.This comes two months after they left power.

Saturday Vanguard reports that ,a competent source said that the decision to withdraw the official passports of the former aides of Dr Jonathan was to prevent misuse and conflict with new aides and officials of President Muhammadu Buhari, who assumed duties on May 29, 2015.

It could not be established last night whether the affected officials were ordered by the Presidency to surrender the passports or whether they did so voluntarily.

But Saturday Vanguard learned that the affected former aides of Jonathan had already returned the passports to the Presidential Villa preparatory to being handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.

Among those whose passports have been retrieved are former Special Adviser to the President on Media Reuben Abati; former Aide-de-Camp, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe and former Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obua, who is currently hospitalised over poor health arising from his recent incarceration by security agents.

Nine other key officials of the Jonathan Presidency who were also issued with official passports have also been stripped of the travel documents.

It was gathered that the former officials had been asked by the Presidency to relinquish their official passports to the Villa within a stipulated time-frame for onward return to the NIS, which issued them.

However, another source hinted that the withdrawal of the former president’s henchmen’s travel documents was to prevent some of them who have some issues to explain to the new administration from leaving the country and being given preferential treatment at their destinations.

“Don’t forget that some of these officials may be needed here to answer some questions relating to their tenure,” the source said.

However, the Nigerian Immigration Service said last night that there was no ill-motive in withdrawing the official passports of government officials who had completed their assignments.

NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joachim Obua, explained that it was normal for officials of government to surrender their official passports at the end of their tenure.

“It is important for the position to be made clear that official passports are not the property of anyone holding it. Once you complete your assignment you have to return it to the NIS,” he explained.

Heartless.. How I killed my girlfriend and 6 family members in one day -Notorious kidnapper Vampire

On Saturday, February 16, 2013, Henry Chibueze, a notorious kidnapper terrorizing South East and South South parts of the country, stormed the home of his girlfriend, Sandra Ijedinma, at Igando area of Lagos State, with an AK47 assault rifle and opened fire on everyone present in the apartment, killing his girlfriend, her elder sister Praise Ozor, and her two children.

Not satisfied, Henry proceeded to a nearby street where one of Sandra’s elder sisters resided and killed the woman and three of her children, before fleeing.

His anger was said to have been that Sandra, who was an optician with Madonna University, had called off their relationship, when she learnt that he was a kidnapper. Sandra’s twin sister, Katherine who sustained a bullet would during the attack had told vanguard in 2013 that the assailant was familiar with everyone in their family but nobody knew he was a kidnapper .

 She explained that her late sister used to visit Henry at his base in Delta State and in one of such visits, some heavily armed men stormed Henry’s apartment, manhandling Sandra in the process.

She added that the armed men reportedly told Sandra that her lover absconded with their share of a ransom paid to them for one of their kidnapping exploits, threatening to wipe out all his (Henry’s) family members if he did not pay them. Thereafter, Sandra informed her family members in Lagos of what had happened and they rushed to Delta State to bring her to Lagos for proper treatment. But while she was receiving the treatment, she called off the relationship and Henry; feeling betrayed, stormed their Lagos home and killed people while Katherine narrowly escaped death...

  

The police in Lagos went all out in search of Henry. Vanguard gathered that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, who were then headed by Sp Abba Kyari, trailed him to Abia, Delta and Rivers State, where they rounded up some of his close friends, relatives and seven members of his gang who were behind the kidnap of a British national, Diction Lee, few minutes after the Briton arrived at the country. They kidnapped him on Airport Road, Ikeja. At that point, it was established that Henry had escaped from the country and was based in Ivory Coast....

But while the search for him went cold in Lagos, Henry, was said to have regrouped with his gang in Imo State and they coordinated several kidnappings in the South East and South South, where he kidnapped over 200 persons, killing most of his victims, including the wife of a royal father in Imo State and an official of the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission which yielded him N50m ransom.

However, luck ran out on him, last weekend, when he attempted to kidnap the tribunal Judges, handling Election Petition in Imo State, at their lodge, in Disney Hotels, along Onitsha -Owerri Road. Operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS, acting On a tip-off swooped on him, but he managed to escape with bullet wounds which he had gone to treat in the house of his elder brother’s wife, in Ohafia, Abia State, where men of the secret police eventually apprehended him.

He was arrested along side an army deserter, Akeem Bello, from Kwara State, who abandoned his duty post at Maiduguiri where he was posted. Fear of the activities of the Boko Haram sect probably informed his action. A native doctor, Dan Elengi, who is said to be the proprietor of a popular hotel at Ohii in Owerri Local Government Area, of Imo State was also among those nabbed.

The 28-year-old man, who is an indigene of Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, confessed when he was paraded before the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, that he operated from Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire and he killed his girl friend and members of her family because she stole his N45million, after he had opened a shop for her in Aba.

Meanwhile, relatives of his victims have been thrown into celebration following news of his arrest. They called on the Imo State Government to ensure that Henry who is also known as Vampire is prosecuted judiciously. Ekene Ozor, the husband of one of Sandra’s sisters who was killed on the day of the attack wants Henry to pay for his crimes.

 “That man is evil. He robbed me of my wife and two children and robbed my in-laws of eight members of their family.But my God told me that he would not escape judgment. I am grateful to God for his arrest and I commend the efforts of the Nigeria police especially, the Special Anti Robbery Squad SARS, Lagos State Police Command, who first handled my case, the DSS operatives for their continued efforts to apprehend this heartless criminal. I wish to commend also the governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha, for his efforts in the arrest of the deadly gang of killers. Days after the attack on my home were highly traumatic. I had seven corpses to deal with at a time and they were all in the mortuary. 

I was the only one taking care of my remaining children and I passionately wish to appeal to governors Rochas Okorocha, Ifeanyi Okowa, Akinwumi Ambode and other governors in the federation and well meaning Nigerians to come to my aid as I feel very concerned about the education of my remaining children and their welfare.Things have tough for me, my little children. We are still having the psychological pain of the attack of Henry. 

We have been haunted by the fear of another attack by the serial killer. There have been fears of going out freely because of the horrifying threats from the serial killer and his cohorts. Consequently, I’m indebted to the tune of N7.2 million excluding properties sold to meet up with bills, drugs, surgery of my wife’s younger sister who survived gun shots. It is by grace of God that I am still alive because it made me hypertensive since then.”

Nollywood Actress Gloria Young Causes Scene Inside Bank

Popular actress, Gloria Young, is currently not a happy customer. The actress was recently spotted at a bank where she created a scene and it definitely was not for a movie. Saturday Beats learnt that the actress caused commotion at the bank after it failed to refund her N20,000 which was debited since December.

When Saturday Beats reached out to the actress via the telephone, she explained why she blew a fuse in the banking hall. Her words:

“I went to use an ATM at Ejigbo, close to NNPC bus-stop in Lagos in December. I wanted to withdraw N20,000 but the machine did not dispense the money after debiting my account. I went to the second machine and it paid me. 

"After six days without hearing a word from the bank, I went to complain. I also went to my bank to report the situation. This was in December. I have gone to them so many times to talk about it but all to no avail. 

“Now my lawyer is about to serve them a letter...

He has been speaking with them but the bank keeps calling me to beg me instead of paying me my money. The matter has been dragging for too long. I am very angry at my bank because if they cannot fight for me because of N20,000, then they cannot fight for me when it comes to millions of naira. 

"The amount might not sound like a big deal but it can pay some people’s salary. It is not just about me but others who go through similar situations. A letter from my lawyer would soon get to them.”

- but wait o, how much will this woman pay her lawyer for this N20,000 case? Lol!

Just Imagine 48 year old Man Rapes 8 year-old Girl, Offers her Parents N25000

An eight-year-old girl has narrated how she was allegedly raped by their 48-year-old neighbour, Mr. Peter Christopher, one afternoon in the building her family shared with another tenant.

The girl, Blessing (not real name), explained to Saturday PUNCH that on Thursday, June 18, 2015, she was about to enter her parent’s apartment when, Christopher, a carpenter, whose lives just two doors away from their apartment, dragged her into his room, locked the door and defiled her.

Saturday PUNCH had been informed about the girl’s case by a human rights activist, who felt concerned about the pressure being put on the her family to drop the case. But when their
correspondent tracked down the girl’s family, they were reluctant to share the story as they said they did not want to be seen as “being disobedient to pastors and elders who asked us to leave the matter to God.”

Blessing was a jovial girl, she smiled a lot. But when it was time to tell the story of what she went through. Her face creased into a frown as tears streamed down her face.

Her elder sister urged her on to tell everything that happened.

Blessing said:

“His (Christopher’s) wife had gone for a wedding programme that day. He was alone in the house. I was playing outside before but as I came in and was about to open our door, he moved near me and dragged me by hand into their room. 

He locked the door and pulled down my panties. He then put his ‘thing’ inside me. That was the only time he did it.”

Blessing’s mother explained how she found out able the defilement of her daughter. She said:

 “I did not know anything until the night when she told me that her private part was hurting her. I did not suspect anything and she did not tell me anything. I rubbed Vaseline on her to ease the pain but the following day when I wanted to bathe her, I realised that she was bleeding. I then suspected that somebody had been touching my daughter. 

As soon as I asked who had been touching her, she told me that it was our neighbour. He is even older than my husband!”

Christopher has a daughter of his own, who is in the same age group as Blessing. He was arrested and detained at the Agbado Police Division, while the girl was taken for test and treatment.

While Christopher was in detention, he continued to deny that he ever touched the girl. But Blessing said he had no reason to lie while her parents said they believed their daughter.

However, after the pressure of numerous pleas from pastors and landlords in the area became too much, the girl’s parents were forced to write a letter to withdraw their case.

In order to douse the tension generated on the case, their landlady also signed an undertaken on Christopher’s behalf, and agreed to pay the sum of N25,000 in five instalments to Blessing’s parents.

“I just don’t know what that money is for because I have refused to take it. Is it for my daughter’s treatment or compensation? If it is for treatment, what I spent on her treatment, tests and drugs is even more than that,” the girl’s 41-year-old father said.

Punch went in search of Christopher on Wednesday to get his side of the story. The fair complexioned man courteously offered them a chair but his attitude changed instantly when asked if he indeed raped the girl.

He demanded to know who notified their correspondent about the case. But when asked how that affected the allegations brought against, he refused to say anything further.

“If you cannot tell me the name of the person who made the allegations against me, I cannot say anything further,” he said.

Photos: PSquare party with their wives,Akon,Tony Elumelu

The Psquare brothers and their wives attended their brother,Jude Okoye's wife Ifeoma's birthday party last night ...Akon and UBA CEO,Tony Elumelu were also in attendance..