FG declares Thursday Oct. 1st public holiday

The Federal Government has declared Thursday October 1st as a public holiday to commemorate Nigeria's 55th Independence anniversary. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, made the declaration on behalf of the FG in a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press, Yusuf Isiaka.

Photos: Ambode attends church service to commemorate beginning of Lagos Legal Year

Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode attended a church service to commemorate the beginning of 2015/2016 Legal Year held at the Cathedral Church of Christ Marina, Lagos today Sept. 28th.

Muslim father strangled daughter, 19, to death in 'honour killing' after she was caught stealing condoms for sex

Muslim man, Asadullah Khan, strangled his own 19-year-old daughter to death with his bare hands after learning from police she had been caught shoplifting condoms to have sex with her forbidden boyfriend. He and his wife Shazia then dressed the dead girl named Lareeb (left), a dental technician, in her clothes, wheeled her in a wheelchair from their high-rise apartment to the family car, drove to a secluded embankment in their home city of Darmstadt in Germany, and tipped the corpse down it.

Khan, 51, with tears streaming down his face, admitted the killing because in his eyes she had brought 'dishonour' on the family with her love for a boy he didn't approve of. He and his wife were wed in an arranged marriage and he wanted the same for her.

Khan and his wife, originally from Pakistan, are on trial for murder at the State Court in Darmstadt. Shazia, 41, described how she was a downtrodden woman, totally in the thrall of her husband, and unable to save her daughter.

The court heard how the parents sent Lareeb's sister Nida, 14, to a relative on the evening of the murder in January this year.

Nida gave evidence against both her parents, saying her mother was as strict as their father, often striking both of them.

The mother held out her arms to Nida when she appeared in court on Friday but Nida refused to acknowledge her.

Nida said: 'My Mama was not suppressed, she could do what she wanted. She used to hit me with a stick.

'We were never allowed to talk about her boyfriend. My father used to say my sister should be forcibly married in Pakistan.' 

The court heard Nida is now in therapy and has nothing more to do with her parents.

Shazia said that on the night of the murder Lareeb had quarelled again with her father and hit him. He later crept into her room as she slept, knelt astride her and strangled her.

'I couldn't stop him,' the mother said in a statement read by her lawyer. 'I have rheumatism and didn't have the strength to fight him off. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't.

'Lareeb stayed away from the home for several nights in a row and stopped wearing the headscarf. One day we received a letter from the police saying she had been caught trying to steal condoms.

'At this point it became clear that there was sexual contact. When I showed the letter to my husband he snapped.'

Killer Asadullah, who speaks no German, said he 'loved' his daughter. 

The trial continues.

Culled from UK Daily Mail

Senators Set For A Showdown In Abuja Over Saraki

There are indications that Senators that are opposed to Bukola Saraki’s leadership of the Senate are poised to ask for his resignation as the upper federal legislative chamber re-opens on Tuesday.

The anti-Saraki Senators are citing the trial of the Senate president by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for false asset declaration as a reason for Saraki to go while his supporters are saying the man should not be proclaimed guilty before he goes through the judicial process.

Curiously, the Senate president’s “enemies” are mostly members of his All Progressives Congress while his “loyalists” are from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. The saga to expect...

Investigations by Punch in Abuja on Sunday indicated that both anti-Saraki Senators and those supporting the Senate president are poised for a showdown when they return to the chambers.

While the anti-Saraki Senators are said to be resolute in their plot to end his leadership of the Senate, the pro-Saraki members are said to have vowed to ensure that the man is not forced out of office.

A strong member of the anti-Saraki faction of the Senate, under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum, who spoke on the issues, said his colleagues are determined to restore the integrity of the Senate by ensuring that a senator standing trial for corruption would not continue to preside over their affairs.

The APC senator from the North-East geopolitical zone said, “Posterity will judge us if we continue to condone corruption in the legislature instead of distancing ourselves from it.

“It is our intention to reach out to more senators who had yet to see things from the same perspective like us and we will play our role and leave the rest for Nigerians to judge.

“The Senate president may rule us out of order while his supporters may also make noise and shout us out but we will say our own and allow history to be the judge.

“Nigerians know what is going on and majority of our people now have access to the mass media more than ever before, so they will also know the role that each senator plays in the whole saga.

“We are not saying that our efforts alone would get Saraki out of office but we will do the needful as responsible lawmakers and would encourage Nigerians to take it up from where we stop.”

Another APC senator from the South-West geopolitical zone, stressed that it would be better for the Senate president to step aside and face his trial at the CCT to defend all his assets declarations.

Segun Odegbami FIFA campaign photos

Former ex-international and sports ambassador, Chief Segun Odegbami who indicated interest in the FIFA presidency, has taken some promotional pictures for his campaign. More photos after the cut..

Buhari orders Hajj commission to account for all Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

President Buhari has ordered the National Hajj Commission and the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to urgently account for all Nigerian pilgrims in the aftermath of the stampede that happened in Makka last Thursday.

In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant Garba Shehu, Pres. Buhari gave the directive following conflicting reports on the number of Nigerians who died or suffered injuries in the catastrophe which claimed well over 700 lives.

The statement states that President Buhari is very concerned that days after the unfortunate incident, some Nigerian families are still grappling with painful uncertainty over the fate of their relatives who traveled to Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj.

He has also ordered the National Hajj Commission to work with the various state pilgrim boards, Islamic organisations and private travel agencies involved in Hajj operations to speedily provide a confirmed and verifiable report on the status of every Nigerian pilgrim in Saudi Arabia.

Photo: Philadelphia prisoners build a chair for the Pope as a gift

Some inmates of Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on the outskirts of Philadelphia built a chair for Pope Francis as a gift. He met with 100 inmates of the facility on September 27 before the final Mass. It is the first time a Pope has visited a US prison.

Sisqo files $3.6 million lawsuit over 'stolen' Thong Song royalties

RnB star Siqso has filed a $3.6 million lawsuit, claiming he was not paid the royalties he was due for his 1999 kitsch classic, Thong Song. TMZ reports below

Sisqo’s not done getting paid for his biggest hit “Thong Song” … he’s fired off another lawsuit, this time against the company he says jacked more than half a million dollars of his royalties. Sisqo says he hired 27 Red Music to collect royalties from various music publishing companies. 27 Red was supposed to get funds for all his music released between 1996 and 2005 ... which, of course, includes the '99 mega hit.

Sisqo says the company collected alright ... but failed to hand over $600,000 to him! He wants all that dough, plus $3 million in punitive damages.

Ishaya Bako returns with new documentary on gender-based violence 'Silent Tears'

A new documentary on the victimization and abuse of women in Abuja will be premiered in October. The documentary, which is titled Silent Tears, was directed by award- winning filmmaker, Ishaya Bako. In 2013, Ishaya Bako's documentary about the fuel subsidy scam in Nigeria, 'Fueling Poverty', attracted wide attention when it was banned for being highly provocative.

The new documentary, SILENT TEARS, was funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). It explores the methodical victimization of women in Abuja by a task force established by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to apprehend and rehabilitate sex workers. The October premiere of the documentary, will take place in Abuja. Other screening dates will be announced subsequently.

 The trailer below...

Chiwetel Ejiofor steps out once again with beautiful new girlfriend

Chiwetel Ejifor split with longtime partner Sari Mercer just last month and he's already in love with a new woman. You men sef! lol. The 38 year old Oscar nominee he stepped out holding hands with a mystery lady at The Martian premiere in New York on Sunday. 

 

Scott Disick 'not worried' about losing Kardashian money following split from Kourtney

Scott Disick made millions being a part of the Kardashian family and their reality show. But following his split from long time partner, Kourtney Kardashian, the 32 year old father of three said he's 'not worried' about money because he's always been able to make cash so he's "feeling good" about what the future holds. Speaking to Us Weekly, he said:

“I’ve been making money since I was a kid, and I’ll keep making money so I am not worried about it. I am feeling good.”

31-year-old woman shot dead by police ex-boyfriend before turning the gun on himself

31-year-old Zaheda Peters died on Saturday, September 26 after her ex boyfriend, Warrant Officer Nevell du Toit, 44, shot her twice outside her Strand home in Strand, South Africa on September 14.

After pumping a bullet into her shoulder and head and leaving her for dead in the street, Du Toit ended his own life with his service pistol. The mother of two at first showed signs of recovery, but later her condition deteriorated dramatically and on Saturday afternoon her life support was switched off.

 Du Toit is alleged to have turned violent after discovering that Peters was romantically involved with a young 22-year-old rugby player. Days before the attack, Du Toit, who is also the coach of Macassar Rugby B-team, allegedly threatened to shoot both Peters and her new lover.

Shortly after the shooting, Du Toit’s twin brother Neil du Toit revealed that the cop had left behind suicide letters explaining his actions. Neil would not reveal the exact details contained in the letters, except to say that his brother was under immense stress and that he apologised for dying in such a cowardly manner.

The officer was buried last Saturday from the Sidney Kuhn Hall, next to the Macassar police station where he worked. On Sunday, Peters’s family spoke emotionally about how they thought she would pull through. Speaking to the Daily Voice just moments before her funeral, Peters’s uncle Noor Rhode said he cannot believe he will never see her again.

Rhode said: "She was an amazing person who sparked life and love into everything she touched. We thought she was going to make it, but it was not meant to be." Peters had been making slow progress after doctors removed her one eye after the shooting.

Rhode said doctors at the Vergelegen Mediclinic contacted the family last Thursday to let them know that in spite of the progress she had made after having her eye removed, her condition was deteriorating. "She had opened her one eye and looked around, and the colour had returned to her face. She was getting better, we thought.

They called on Thursday to ask us to prepare as she was slipping away and the following 24 hours would be crucial.

On Saturday, doctors confirmed Zaheda was brain dead and asked the family to come and say their final goodbyes. I could not believe it. It was a very hard thing to do. I travel a lot and she would always be there to get me at the airport. Always a hug and love. I will never have that again. She is gone from us now, as the Almighty wills it," he added tearfully. Rhode said the whole family was devastated, but they have forgiven Peters’s killer. "This was not decided by man... we hold no grudges against him [Du Toit]. She lived as long as she was meant to. We have lots of questions, but they may never be answered. She will be greatly missed.