The Super Eagles striker got married this weekend in France. Kanu Nwankwo and his wife pictured with the newly married couple in the right photo.

Youth Leader of Living Faith Church Leads Robbery Gang

Nemesis has caught up with a youth leader of the Living Faith Church in Okene, Kogi State, who professed to be a born-again Christian, but in reality was the leader of a 10-man robbery gang. The suspect (name withheld), who was described as 'very popular' in the area, allegedly led his gang to break into the office of the pastor of the church in the night and carted away over N315,000 belonging to the church.
Ironically, he was one of the early callers to the church the next morning, and joined in raining curses on the perpetrators of the crime. Parading the suspects yesterday, at the police headquarters in Lokoja, the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Musa Katsina, described the arrested suspects as a sledgehammer robbery gang. He said that the youth leader, "who led the robbery operation was seen the following morning, raining curses on the robbers and even invoking Holy Ghost fire on them, and now, the Holy Ghost fire has caught up with him."
He said that the gang made up of bricklayers and block moulders specialize in breaking into shops and private residences, carting away goods and money. The Commissioner stated that the suspects were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons during their operations He said that they normally disguise as casual labourers going around residences and shops in search of potential victims. The police boss said the mother of the gang leader is a chorister in the same church. Answering reporters’ questions, the arrested youth leader confessed that he played the born-again youth leader in the day, and armed robber at night.
He confessed that he has led 27 robberies within Okene and Lokoja as well as Adavi local government areas. The Assistant Pastor of the church, Pastor Aloysius Momoh, who expressed surprise at the youth leader’s involvement in the crime, said that the church went into seven-day prayer and fasting shortly after the church was robbed, and God warned those behind the dastardly act to repent between May and December, last year, or be disgraced One of the victims, Paul Ikunagus, said over N2 million cash was stolen from his shop while one of them said he lost N5.8 million to the robbers who invaded his shop last December.
All the victims commended the police in the state under the leadership of Musa Katsina for bringing the elusive gang members to book. Items recovered from the suspects included one locally made gun, a jerk knife, two big hammers, handsets and clothes

"Why Do Africans Complain About Ass & Boobs Shaking in Videos"- Dencia

The Cameroon born, Nigerian based singer, Dencia took to twitter to express her opinion on why Africans complain about ass & boobs shaking in videos.

Dencia took to twitter to express her opinion on why Africans complain about ass & boobs wen its part of the dance. she said i hv bin to 2 countries were they dance naked.

We're Not Against Jonathan – Govs

The 36 state governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday dismissed allegations by Elder Statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark that they had formed an opposition to the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.

According to the governors, they were not fighting the President, just as they stressed that as an elder, they were not prepared to join issues with the former Federal Commissioner for Information.
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting, held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro Abuja, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, however, tongue lashed the Federal Government over its attitude towards the management of Excess Crude Account, ECA. This came just as the governors vowed not to further accept adjournments of the case pending at the Supreme Court.
Asked to react to Chief Clark’s allegation of forming an opposition to the Federal Government and whether they were fighting President Jonathan, Amaechi said: “No. Chief Edwin Clark is an elder statesman, we are not going to respond to him.”
Clark last Thursday alleged that the governors had become more dictatorial than former military governors and using the forum as an opposition Party to the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government. There have been several moves by the Federal Government to have an out of Court resolution of the excess crude account crisis with the governors, but all moves have been futile because against the governors had repeatedly described the action of the Federal Government on the account as illegal.
Vote of Confidence on Amaechi
At the end of the meeting which was the first this year, the governors also “declared their confidence in the Chairman and endorsed his leadership as head of the Forum.”
Amaechi said: “Forum decries the present attitude of the Federal Government on Excess Crude Account and resolves to take no further adjournments in the subsisting case in court but to seek a final resolution of the matter from the Supreme Court.
“Forum agreed to hold a two-day retreat to deliberate on the current state of security of the country.
“On the rising incidents of Polio in the country, Forum unanimously agreed to lead the efforts to eradicate polio by instituting the following:
“A monthly campaign to be headed by Governors in all 36 states of the federation to promote healthy environmental habits;
“Governors from non-polio states will support their counterparts in affected states by joining them in their states during upcoming national polio campaign;
“To meet with Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication in order to identify current funding gaps and challenges against polio eradication in Nigeria.
“The Forum remains resolute in the development of our different states for the benefit of the nation and our citizens.”
On when the security summit will be held, he said, “the committee is working on it. When the committee brings in their report we will fix a date.”
On the health situation of Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and as one of the governors who visited him, Amaechi said: “I talked with him, put him on the phone to an editor of Vanguard who is my friend. It was real.”
At the meeting were governors of Nasarawa, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Imo, Taraba, Anambra, Bauchi and Adamawa. Others were deputy governors of Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger and Benue.

N27 Billion Pension Thief Rearrested After Outcry

There were indications on Tuesday that public outcry against the light sentence handed an Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf, by a Federal Capital Territory High Court, forced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to rearrest him.

The high court presided over by Justice Mohammed Talba had on Monday sentenced Yusuf to only two years’ imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine for conniving with others to defraud the PPO and pensioners of N27.2bn.

Even before the judge rose, many in the courtroom expressed amazement at the judgment. While many Nigerians took to social networks like the Facebook and Twitter mocking the judgment, prominent lawyers and civil rights activists condemned it as a setback to the Federal Government’s anti-corruption crusade.
On Tuesday, one of the civil rights groups, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, demanded the probe of Talba for the light sentence.
Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress said the judgment was an indication that the judiciary could not be relied on to deliver the country from monumental corruption.
A source close to the EFCC told one of our correspondents that the commission, apparently embarrassed by the public outcry , moved swiftly to redeeem its image by sniffing more into Yusuf’s records in order to nail him.
The source said, “We never expected what happened yesterday(Monday). The reactions that followed the judgment were embarrassing to us and that was why we quickly had to look into his files again and sniffed out things that we had overlooked. With those things, we had to rearrest him for fresh prosecution.”
EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, had told The PUNCH in Abuja that Yusuf was rearrested because he had a pending case. “He will face fresh charges. When you are arrested and you are being investigated, logically you will be rearraigned to face fresh charges, ” he added.
He later issued a statement in which he said Yusuf would be arraigned today (Wednesday) before Jutice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court in Abuja on four counts.
Uwujaren said, “He will be arraigned over non-declaration of his assets and liability in his asset declaration form and his failure to declare his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited.
“The pension fraud convict is alleged to have used the company, SY-A Global Services Limited, to lodge N250m with Zenith Bank.
“Yusuf’s re-arraignment is coming on the heels of a questionable ruling by Justice Mohammed Talba of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, January 29, in which he was handed a two- year jail term with an option of N250,000 fine on each of the three counts against him.
“Yusuf is one of the six persons standing trial in the N32.8bn Police Pension scam. The six accused persons in the police pension scam were first arraigned on March 29, 2012, on 16 criminal charges bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
“The other accused person are Esai Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Mrs. Veronica Onyegbula and Sani Zira. Kigo was the director of the PPO before he was made a permanent secretary.”
Count one and two of the charges to be preferred against Yusuf reads:
“That you, John Yusuf on or about February 14, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Asset Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited , a Nigerian company incorporated by you, and solely owned by yourself and members of your immediate family and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the EFCC (Establishment, etc.) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John Yusuf, on or about February 14 , 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Asset Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in the N250m you have in a fixed deposit account with Zenith Bank in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of EFCC (Establishment ,etc.) Act CAP E1 2004.
Furthermore, count three explained that the convict also, knowingly, failed to make full disclosure of the sum of N10m he lodged in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the name of the same company.
Count four accused him of failing to make full disclosure of N29m which was fixed on his instruction by one Danjuma Mele in the account of Jidag Technical Services Ltd with Diamond Bank.
A list of witnesses attached to the charge sheet showed Mustapha Gandaya, Mele, officials of Zenith Bank and officials of Diamond Bank as witnesses to be called against the accused person in the course of his fresh trial.
Exhibits to be presented in court for the trial, according to the charge sheet, include statement of the accused person, statements of witnesses, and other relevant documents and exhibits.
The charge sheet in the new suit was numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/14/2013 and dated January 29, 2013. It was signed by Chile Okoroma, the Acting Director, Legal and Prosecution Department, EFCC, on behalf of the Chairman of the commission and the Attorney- General of the Federation.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), and many others in the FCT High Court where Yusuf was convicted on Monday, had openly expressed their amazement with the lightsentence handed him.
Also, the EFCC had, in a statement shortly after the court rose , condemned the sentence, saying it would study it and “respond appropriately.”
The statement read in part, “The EFCC has expressed reservations about the ruling of an FCT High Court, Abuja which handed a six year jail term with the option of N750, 000 fine to Yusufu, one of the six persons standing trial in the N32.8bn Police Pension scam.
“The commission is of the view that the option of fine runs contrary to the understanding between the prosecution and the defence wherein the convict consented to a custodial sentence with the forfeiture of all assets and money that are proceeds of the crime.”

Naghma, the Afghan Girl Sold to be a Child Bride

Taj Mohammad tries hard to hold back his tears as he describes the most painful decision of his life. "I had to sell my six-year-old daughter Naghma to a relative to settle an old debt," Mr Mohammad says, staring blankly at the tattered tarpaulin roof of his small mud shelter.

A shy girl with a smiling face, Naghma is now engaged to a boy 10 years older than her. Mr Mohammad says his daughter may have to leave for the boy's home in Helmand's Sangeen district in a year. His wife and mother-in-law sob inconsolably as they try to protect Naghma and her seven siblings from the harsh Afghan winter outside.
Naghma is too young to understand what is happening to her "Everyone in the family is sad," says Naghma's grandmother, who was herself a child bride. "We cry. We are in pain. But what else could we do?" she asks before answering her own question. "The relatives wanted their money back. Taj couldn't pay, so he was forced to give them Naghma." Silence descends on the small, one-room dingy shelter, one of hundreds at the Qambar refugee camp on the outskirts of Kabul.
The Girl's father says he has no other option. The long pause is broken by the hoarse cough of a child. "To keep my family alive, I took a loan of $2,500 [about £1,600] from a distant relative," Mr Mohammad says. Years of war and poverty forced Mr Mohammad to leave his home in the southern province of Helmand and take refuge in Qambar's mud shelters. He says he was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his three-year-old son and an uncle, both of whom died in the cold earlier this month, when the distant relative sent a message demanding his money back. "He wanted his money back.
But I couldn't pay. No-one would lend money to me," he says. "Then a relative suggested that I give my daughter in lieu of money."

We Want Buhari To Contest In 2015 – CPC

The Congress for Progressive Change has said it wants its National Leader, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to contest in 2015.

The party, which explained its merger talks with some opposition parties, said it wanted Buhari to contest because of the passion he had for the country.

But the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, said opposition parties’ merger would not defeat Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.
Gulak and the CPC spokesman, Rotimi Fashakin, spoke during an African Independent Television programme on Tuesday.
Saturday PUNCH had on January 26 reported that there were moves in the merger plan to ask Buhari and the Action Congress of Nigeria leader, Bola Tinubu, to make personal sacrifices.
Such sacrifices, it was reported might see the duo dumping their presidential ambition.
But Fashakin said there was nothing wrong if Buhari changed his mind to contest the 2015 presidential election.
He said, “There is peace in South-Africa because of the foundation laid by the man (Nelson Mandela), who stood for democracy in that country.
“He came and ruled for one term and handed over to people of sound character.
“Also, in Ghana, the country is better now because of what Jerry Rawlings did and that is why Ghana is what it is today.
“Nigeria and Nigerians need Buhari to do the same thing for things to move on. We cannot continue like this.”
He noted that an earlier pronouncement by the retired general that he would not contest was done at a personal level.
Fashaki said, “If after the emergence of the new political party as a result of the merger the Nigerian people say they want him, he will consider it.
“He has said it that whenever we get to that bridge and they want him to cross it, he will consider it.”
But Gulak said it would be difficult for Buhari to become President.
He said apart from not being a politician, the presidential aide said the former head of state was not a mobliser.
He added that there was no way politicians, who Buhari overthrew in 1983 would embrace him.
He said the PDP was the most organised political parties in the country, adding that existence of regional parties did not augur well for the polity.
Gulak added, “The PDP sitting up is what I see happening. That PDP will lose power to the opposition is an illusion as I am concerned.”
He said merger could only succeed if politicians were ready to build “political bridges.”
Gulak stated, “The CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) is a regional party. The ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) is a regional party. If they can come together, to form a formidable political party with a clear manifesto to Nigerians; it will make the PDP to be more prepared and be more organised. We need such mergers, if it going to be possible.”
Meanwhile, the intrigues in the power play within the national leadership of the PDP took another turn as all the deputy national officers of the party on Tuesday in Abuja, passed a vote confidence in their National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.
Addressing reporters after a meeting, the leader of the group, Senator Umar Tsauri, said they met to felicitate with Tukur on the New Year and at the same time deliberate on issues affecting the party.
Tsauri, who is the PDP Deputy National Auditor, described as “very fruitful” their deliberations with Tukur and stressed that their discussions was for the benefit of the party.
He stressed that they were in support of Tukur’s leadership and they had no problem in passing a vote of confidence on him.
“Today we told the National Chairman of the party of his leadership capabilities and the way he manages crisis and we are confidence in his style of leadership.
“Our meeting with him was fruitful and we discuss the development of the party. We pass a vote of confidence on him.”