Fire guts refinery in Warri

A section of the ailing NNPC refinery in Warri, Delta state was gutted by fire this morning, though the situation is now under control as fire fighters have been battling all morning to put the fire out. No word yet on what caused the fire...details later!

Nigerian Man Deported For Attempting To Marry A Portugese Woman...Sham Marriage

These pictures show police officers interrupting a sham wedding between a Nigerian man living illegally in the UK and a Portuguese woman.Home Office immigration officers swooped on the ceremony, which was held at a registry office in Harrow, North London.The man, 32, has now been sent back to Nigeria, and the woman, 22, is on bail until November 7.The photographs and footage comes after it emerged yesterday that one in five civil marriages in parts of Britain may be bogus. Some 15,000 such ceremonies a year are taking place simply to get around immigration law, estimates one of the country’s most senior registrars, Mark Rimmer.Last year the Home Office received nearly 1,900 warnings about potentially bogus unions.But Mr Rimmer, the chairman of the Local Registration Services Association, said that figure represented ‘the tip of a very large iceberg’. He said that in urban areas, up to 20 per cent of marriages are ‘suspicious’.He estimated that overall, 15,000 of the 173,000 civil weddings each year in England and Wales could be fake unions designed to evade immigration laws.culled*

"Why I'm still single"-Sexy actor, Kalu Ikeagwu

Kalu Ikeagwu is undoubtedly one of Nollywood's sexiest bachelors & actors..He opened up to Daily Sun on why he is not yet married..

Eagles: 263-man delegation to hit Addis Ababa

Super Eagles players

Super Eagles are scheduled to  arrive in Addis Ababa  on Saturday morning  ahead of their first leg   2014 World Cup qualifying playoff against  the  Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia on Sunday.
In a statement on Thursday, the Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary Musa Amadu said the chattered flight conveying the delegation would leave the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 1.40am on Saturday and touch down at the Addis Ababa Airport at  8am, Ethiopian time.
Amadu said  263 persons,  including 23 players,  coaches, NFF  and National Sports Commission  officials as well as  members of the National Assembly and Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club members would board the plane.
He said the federation’s  two  officials, who arrived  in Addis Ababa on  Tuesday, had been working  with  the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia to make l arrangements for the delegation.
Punch

Shocker-Tenant & mum kidnap landlord's daughter for3years, impregnates her(Photo)

The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended a 37-year-old man, Ajibola Idowu and his mother, for allegedly kidnapping his landlord's daughter for three years. Within the three years of capitivity, Ajibola forcefully impregnated his victim, Modupe Brown. The police told PUNCH Metro that after Brown had given birth to the child, Ajibola refused to allow the child access to immunisation. As a result, the child contracted polio disease and subsequently became crippled.According to the police: Modupe Brown, a 400 level student of Business Administration at the Lagos State University, was kidnapped by Ajibola who kept her in captivity with his family for “three years between 2010 and 2013. On September 19, 2013, policemen from Area E Command, went to the Sagamu area of Ogun State to rescue the victim and also arrested the mother of the abductor, who watched over the victim. Ajibola was later arrested in the Idumota area of Lagos Island. “During the three years, Ajibola kept Brown in three locations -Oshogbo, Osun State, where she spent six months; Bariga, Lagos, where she spent six months; and Sagamu, Ogun State, where she spent about two years.Ajibola forcefully impregnated Brown while in captivity. She delivered a baby girl, who later became deformed as a result of Ajibola’s refusal to have the baby immunised against the Polio virus.”Telling her story, Brown described her ordeal in the hands of her abductor as a journey through the valley of the shadow of death. She said she was abducted at her father’s house in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State. She said:“I can’t even remember how he kidnapped me. All I know is that he held me captive for three years. It’s as if I was under a spell. Even when I was going to give birth, he did not allow me to go to a hospital. The baby was delivered at home and he was the one giving me medication. Even one day, when state officials came to the area to immunise children, he said he would not allow the child to be immunised, saying the drugs had been poisoned. Once,when I tried to leave, he threatened to kill me.”PUNCH Metro learnt that during her time in captivity, the victim’s parents, who are retired civil servants, searched hospitals, mortuaries, police stations and churches for her all to no avail.The victim’s father, Idowu Brown, said he had no clue that Ajibola was the abductor. He said:“I never knew it was Ajibola that kidnapped my daughter. He was my tenant for six years and greeted me every day. We even used to share jokes. He was aware that I had been looking “for my daughter for three years but he never said anything.“When we could not find her, I reported the matter at FESTAC Police Division. It was in September this year that we heard from our daughter for the first time. She told us that she was in Sagamu and my wife went there. There we met Ajibola’s mother. That was how we found out that he (tenant) was the one behind the whole thing. The suspects however denied abducting the landlord’s daughter. Ajibola’s mother claimed her son and Brown were lovers, who decided to elope, maintaining that the case was not an abduction. She said: “They were lovers. I never got involved in their matter until the child was born. I went to stay with them for about seven months to take care of the child, who was very ill. A few months after I left, they moved in with me at my three-bedroom house at Sagamu because they had been evicted. Ajibola was not staying with us because his business was in Lagos but I was with Brown “most of the time. Many times, I would ask her about her parents and when I could meet them but she kept on giving silly excuses until the day her mother came to my house with policemen.”Ajibola, who is into satellite dish installation, said the plan to elope was hatched by Brown who paid N200, 000 into his bank account. The money was said to have been meant for her school project. He said he could not understand why she would make such allegations against him.“I did not kidnap her; we were lovers and decided to elope. Even when she was at my house, she used to make calls to her relatives telling them that she was alright,” he said.Punch

Olatunji Okusanya's 91 Year Old Mum Is Inconsolable

The aged mother of the late MIC Caskets and Undertakers boss, Olatunji Okusanya who died in the ill-fated Associated Aviation plane crash, Mrs. Juliana Olayemi Okusanya is still in shock, says a family source.The late Okusanya who would have turned 60 in a few weeks, died alongside his 30-year-old son (also named Tunji) in the Akure-bound plane conveying the remains of the former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu for burial last Thursday. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Lagos Airport, killing 16 of the 20 people on board. When newsmen visited the Bariga, Lagos home of the Okusanya matriarch, the 91-year-old bereaved mother looked pale, fragile and speechless. She managed to respond to greetings from the crowd of sympathizers who thronged her residence endlessly.By her side were rolls of tissue paper,which indicated that she had been crying herself to stupor. It was just a matter of minutes before she excused herself from the sitting room and was led into a nearby room. For the next two hours, it became obvious that grandma, as she is fondly called, had retired for the day. During the two hours of wait, it was gathered that the late Okusanya was the rallying force of the Okusanya kindred. Okusanya, who took over his father’s business, was until his death a philanthropist, another thing he inherited from his late father. A family member who would not like to be named told the reporters that: “Grandma has been taking it as a Christian, since the Holy Book says that we should not mourn as the unbelievers because we will see our dead on the resurrection morning. But I can tell you that it is not easy at all. Mama keeps shouting ‘two generations at once.’ We are taking solace in God. Grandma is still greatly in shock and disbelief,” she said. It was gathered that Agagu’s casket had before the ill-fated journey ‘refused’ to get on board the plane, but was virtually forced into the aircraft by the MIC boss, his son and his staff members who all died in the crash. Members of the Okusanya family lamented that if they had known that their loving Tunji and his son would not come back alive, they would have prevented him from accepting a job, which they said had caused them so much pain and anguish.“It is sad, very sad,” another family member was heard lamenting. “Why would they use another casket to bury Agagu? Why not the one from MIC that was used initially. It is sad. The rate at which lives are being lost in this country is becoming alarming. It is only God that will console Junior’s mum,” he lamented.*This just breaks my heart.God please give this woman Grace to bear this irreplaceable loss...oh!

NIGERIA IN THE EYES OF A BRITON

NIGERIA IN THE EYES OF A BRITON A British journalist, David Hayward, who visited Nigeria, captures his impressions about the country. Earlier this year, I was approached to do some media consultancy in Nigeria. I’d just left the BBC after 18 years, to set up my own business, so this seemed a great opportunity. I spoke to a number of friends and former colleagues. I’d heard many stories about Nigeria, seen the reports on Boko Haram and had my own impressions of sub Saharan Africa. The advice fell into two camps: a) Don’t go, you’ll get kidnapped or catch malaria. Either way, you’re going to die b) Nigeria is a nightmare. When you arrive, you’ll be swamped by hustlers trying to rip you off, steal your luggage and all your money. If they don’t get you, the corrupt police officers and officials will. I was mainly to be based in Asaba, the capital of the Delta State, one of, if not the biggest, oil producing states is Nigeria. In an attempt to be a bit more thorough with my research than asking a few old mates, I contacted the office of BBC Media Action in Abuja. The fairly pragmatic response was: “We treat the Delta State as a hostile environment. It’s an oil producing area and there is a strong risk of kidnapping. However if you have armed security, this risk will be slightly reduced”. I took this to be reassuring and made sure an armed security clause was written into my contract. I spent some time talking to my wife Jo and children about the prospect of going to Nigeria. Jo’s attitude was: “For God’s sake, this is exactly what you love doing. The more dangerous a place the better the stories. You’ll be able to show off and bore people senseless about roadblocks, men with guns and how brave you are”. Buoyed by this I accepted the work and prepared for Asaba. I got my visa, all the vaccinations I could fit into my arm and made sure I had a small mountain of malaria tablets. I really didn’t know what to expect from Nigeria. It’s easy to fall into preconceptions that Africa is all about war, famine, corruption and poachers killing endangered animals. I caught the overnight BA fli1around the site to cater for a mass of cargo. About ten minutes drive away, just across the Niger Bridge, is the city of Onitsha. One of the busiest markets in Africa. You can buy almost anything there. I was to travel in and out of the airport several times in the next five weeks. Each time something new was completed. The baggage carousel, lacking when we first flew in, was fully operational the next time. So were the check-in areas and the very plush departures hall. The next morning was the first venture out. Yinka and I decided to go for a bit of a run. It seemed sensible to set off early because of the heat and to avoid the risk of being kidnapped or shot at. So at 6am we were off. About a minute into the jog we approached a group of somewhat hard looking men with very big guns. They were guarding the gates to our compound. This is not a sight I’m used to on my normal runs in rural Leicestershire, in the UK. Anxious to appear as inconspicuous as possible I tried to sneak past, not drawing too much attention to myself, convinced I was about to be arrested. However quite the opposite. We were greeted with cheers of “Good morning sir, well done, how far?”. Once I had composed myself from the shock, very nearly tripping over in a sweaty heap, we continued our circuits. Every time we passed someone we had the same greeting. It began to feel as though we had our own troupe of heavily armed cheerleaders. (Or should that be troop?) This was quite an introduction to what, I began to realize, was one of the most friendly countries I have been to. This is a genuine friendliness. It is not a means to get to know you and rip you off. The following few weeks continued to surprise me – and to make me feel very embarrassed about my initial preconceptions. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a whole range of places in the Delta State. The TV and radio stations need some work, but the staff are young, enthusiastic and very hard working. Warri, the oil centre, is a thriving hub that is only going to get bigger, with the construction of the largest business park in West Africa. The sign at our hotel was a bit disconcerting. It asked everyone carrying guns to make sure they weren’t loaded – which was nice. The University Teaching Hospital in Oghara is as well equipped as any I have been to in the UK or the rest of Europe. There are state of the art CT and MRI scanners, a world class renal unit and 25 paediatric intensive care beds. The journey to the hospital gave me the first opportunity to see a proper Nigerian village. This was far closer to what I had been expecting. The goats and cattle roaming the dusty roads, the food stalls cooking chicken, fish and corn over open fires. Dozens of bars with dodgy looking satellites, advertising the latest football matches live. When we slowed down, or stopped the car we were surrounded by two groups. The children pointing at me were shouting Oyibo, Oyibo (white man) and teenagers trying to sell anything from palm wine to cola nuts, to the latest mobile phones. Now I can’t be sure, but I don’t think the iphone 5 I was offered for 5000 naira (about £20) was as genuine as it could be. All of this was done with great fun and humour. If you chose to, you could buy everything you needed from your car. If you didn’t, that was fine too. Suicidal Okada The transport system is far from perfect but all the roads we’ve driven on are absolutely fine. The most interesting experience was seeing the suicidal Okada motorcycle taxis in full force for the first time. They have been banned in Delta State and replaced by three-wheel kekes. But this is certainly not the case in Onitsha. It is about a fifteen-minute journey from the centre of Asaba, but it could be on another planet. You drive over the Niger Bridge, enter the neighbouring state and a different world. One where thousands of the small machines ferry people and any goods you can think of around. We saw one driver with four passengers, two adults and two children precariously balanced in front and behind him. Oil barrels containing God knows what, weighing heavily on the clearly inadequate suspension. I was told someone had seen an Okada carrying a donkey, strapped to the driver as though he was giving it a piggy back. I don’t know if I believe this, but, from what I saw in Onitsha that day, I can’t rule it out. The drivers are quite mad. We were there for about a minute before our car had its first near miss. We were to have many more in the next half an hour, with the rules of the road, like driving in the same direction on a dual carriageway, simply ignored. The noise is deafening. As the Okadas rev their tiny engines, they sound like a swarm of very loud insects buzzing inside your head. You very soon begin to choke on the fumes of burning oil and petrol. It was quite a relief to cross back over the bridge into the far more serene and calm home ground of Asaba. The welcome I have had everywhere is stunning. On one occasion I interviewed a senior state commissioner. It turned out it was his birthday. He kindly invited me to his party that evening. I didn’t really know anyone else going – so felt a little uncomfortable. No need. When I arrived he insisted I sit with him. He made sure my glass was never empty and my plate constantly filled. I was introduced to everyone and made to feel an honored guest. There was a downside to this. The comedian who anchored the programme took quite a shine to me….. “Ahhh give it up for the white man, where are you from”? This was followed by ten minutes of him royally taking the **** out of me. I understood about one word in ten, but by the reaction of everyone else, it was obviously very amusing. So much for being inconspicuous. Premier League But the worst was still to come. People began standing up and paying tribute to the Commissioner. He is a very popular guy. Halfway through the speeches the comedian spotted me once again. “Does the white man want to speak”. I stood, said a few words and wished he would see his children’s children and his children’s children’s children. This appeared to be the toast de jour and went down very well. The evening ended with lots of photographs being taken and many new good friends. The one thing you cannot escape in Nigeria is the love of the English Premier League. I have so far failed to meet another Leicester City fan, an obvious shame, but there are millions of diehard Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters. Watching the Liverpool v Man Utd game at the Asaba viewing centre, with thousands of people wearing the respective replica kits, was one hell of an experience, although my eardrums may take some time to recover. There is no doubting their passion. They may not have been to Old Trafford, The Emirates or Stamford Bridge, but the passion they exuded was clear. I’m not sure what ‘come on ref,’ or ‘what was that you idiot’ is in pidgin, but I heard it several times that day. The viewing centre was created by the governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. He is an Arsenal supporter. I met him once while playing tennis. For some reason he didn’t seem very impressed by my love of Leicester City. I simply don’t understand why. Source: Vanguard,premier league