This is EMMANUEL EGBI'S BLOG: 2016-01-03

Saturday 9 January 2016

WEIRD, INDIAN MAN CUTS OFF FINGER AS THANKSGIVING SACRIFICE FOR BAIL GRANTED TO SONIA AND RAHUL GANDHI IN NATIONAL HERALD CASE

SONIA AND RAHUL GANDHI

On December 25, 2015 Induvalu Suresh, a 35 year old Indian businessman from Ramanagaram is reported to have gone to Tirupati city and cut off his left little finger and left it as a sacrificial donation in the local hundi.

The hundi is an informal system found in the Indian sub-continent in which individuals make written unconditional orders pledging to exchange something for another. In the case of Suresh, he exchanged his left little finger as thanksgiving after the release on bail in December 2015 of political leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who are facing charges in court in respect of the National Herald case.

The court case is based on the allegation that the Indian National Congress granted an interest free loan to AGL, owners of the National Herald newspapers. It has been suggested that the loan was never repaid and both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, directors were charged for the matter but now released on bail.

EL CHAPO REARRESTED

There must have been a big sigh of relief in Mexico as the President of Mexico, Pena Nieto on Friday announced the capture of Mr. Joaquin Guzman Loera six months after his escape from a Mexican prison via a message on twitter. Mr. Guzman also known as ‘El Chapo’ is said to be the most notorious narcotics trafficker in the world and leads the Sinaloa Drug Cartel.

President Nieto’s tweet confirming the completion of the search for Mr. Guzman and his confinement to detention is face saving for the president as he was held responsible for Mr. Guzman’s second escape from one of the most secure prisons in the country by means of an underground tunnel a mile long, which was constructed by members of his cartel from outside the prison to his cell.

MR. JAMES FALEKE

Kogi State is currently in an apprehensive state as the people react to the recent arrest of James Abiodun Faleke, the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election and the deceased’s son Mohammed Audu. The two were requested to appear before the authorities of the Directorate of State Security in Abuja and their followers are jittery.

GEN. YAKUBU GOWON (RTD.)

Jack Musa Ngonadi Gowon, the Igbo son of Yakubu Gowon, former military leader of Nigeria who conducted a civil war that starved to death over one million women and children-ironically his in-laws was on December 30, 2015 deported from U.S. He arrived Nigeria the following day onboard a commercial carrier and was received by relatives on the father's side. According to sources, Gowon (Musa's father) was conspicuously absent at the airport on the fateful day in order not to draw media and public attention. Virginia Kice, Western Regional Communications Director/Spokesperson, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to Nigeria Masterweb, Jack Musa Ngonadi Gowon's removal (deportation) from the U.S. on December 30, 2015.

YAYA TOURE CRITICISES CAF'S DECISION AFTER LOSING 2015 AFRICAN FOOTBALLER AWARD TO AUBMEYANG

YAYA TOURE

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has criticised the Confederation of African Football’s decision to name Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the 2015 African Football of the Year.

Toure who hitherto won the award four times in succession prior to his dethronement by the Borussia Dortmund striker, described the decision to name Aubameyang winner as a “shame to Africa,”

SIAN BLAKE

ARTHUR SIMPSON-KENT

SIAN'S TWO SONS

What could be the reason behind their murder if the human remains allegedly found on the grounds of her property are confirmed to be that of the soap actress Sian Blake, 43, and her two sons who have been missing since the middle of last month. Unfortunately, this is clearly the question to be answered as they are believed to be dead after three bodies were discovered in the garden just outside their home in England. Now the police are making efforts to confirm the identities of the lifeless bodies that were found on the property. This is a sad one as the children were only aged 4 and 8.

HM. QUEEN ELIZABETH II

This 2016, on April 21 to be precise, the Queen of England, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who is also ceremonial head of 31countries which make up the Commonwealth nations and 12 other countries that have attained independence under her reign would be marking her 90TH birthday.

SPEAKER KOMBOWEI BENSON

Yesterday, January 7TH, the home of Hon. Kombowei Benson, the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in the Korokorosei Community, Bayelsa State was bombed by unknown men who attacked the residence at around 4am. This information was confirmed by the Bayelsa State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat.

The Speaker’s home attacked is that in his hometown in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state. The attackers presently unknown were reported to have thrown in dynamite into the building which they then went ahead to detonate. No life was lost in the incident but reports state that the resultant impact of the explosion left the building in a damaged state with shattered doors and windows.

HEAD OF NORTHEAST REHAB C'TTEE DANJUMA

Two highly government-favored Nigerians, Theophilus Danjuma and Aliko Dangote have been selected by President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the northeast rehabilitation committee. Danjuma's SAPETRO was awarded (OPL) 246 in 1998, paving the way for his billions, and Dangote was favored by the Nigerian Obasanjo government since as far back as the 70s! According to Wikileaks Cable: 05LAGOS362 a, 8:

"...the Government has been very supportive of Dangote. We know the company at one time or another held exclusive import rights in sugar, cement, and rice using such advantages to do volume business and undercut competitors. In a December 1996 interview, Aliko Dangote admitted that a government mandate once forced him to import so much rice that the local market crashed by almost 80 percent. [2] The direction of GON trade barriers also suggests preferential treatment. High tariffs or outright bans on imported items favor the Group in nearly all areas in which they do business including wheat flour, cement, certain textiles, sugar and pasta."

JIMOH IBRAHIM TO BUHARI: BEWARE OF IMF’S HIDDEN AGENDA

BARR. JIMOH IBRAHIM

Group Managing Director, Energy Group, Jimoh Ibrahim has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of the IMF’s current visit to Nigeria describing it as an economic bait that will do Nigeria no good. He says it is a means of campaigning for economic conditionalities even at a time when Nigeria, like some oil producing countries, needs assistance and support to continue to put into implementation government policies.

Ibrahim said that IMF boss’ statement on the economy is traditional and full of strategic misrepresentation adding that the IMF boss had a full day creating an atmosphere for re-colonizing Nigeria’s economy and advises the government to run away from such unsolicited advice.

BRIGHT OKONGWU

With his eyes set on the future, 2021 does not seem that far, as he bids his time for that dream date Bright Okongwu continues to play basketball at Calvary Christian in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA where he is a seventh grader but he is surely a great basketball player with much of a future.

Okongwu arrived the US in 2015 at the age of 12 years but he was already big in size at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds and impossible to miss physically, well he has turned 13 now and though reports show that his middle school stats have not been made public, and the video of his skills are still rare to see, his coach is very confident that he would be a leading player for Calvary Christian as soon as he is able to legally play for his college squad.

THE DONATED VEHICLES

Reports have it that the Nigerian Army today, Thursday received a gift of 24 mine resistant, ambush proof vehicles from the United States as a means to facilitate its fight against the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents who are still causing mayhem in northeast Nigeria.

The US Consulate in Lagos released a statement saying that the MRAP vehicles, valued at $11 million, were donated in line with the desire of the US to assist Nigeria with both technical and military hardware to ensure its armed forces could contain the rising challenges of regional extremism in West Africa.

DR. HALIRU BELLO IN COURT

The Federal High Court, Abuja Division today granted a N300m bail to the former PDP Chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello and Abba, his son over their ongoing trial of a four count criminal charge related to a N300m fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Ahmed Mohammed reading the conditions of the bail said each of the accused persons must produce 2 sureties in the same sum. The senior Bello was directed to bring a surety in the Directorate level of the Federal Civil Service while his son’s surety was to be someone of at least Grade level 12 also in the employ of the Federal Government.

JADEN SMITH

Jaden Smith, 17, son of actor, Will Smith recently took part in a photo shoot for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2016 women’s wear campaign covered by ace fashion photographer, Bruce Weber in which Jaden was presented as the label's new face.

In the exhibition held this week, Jaden put on a pleated skirt, a typical female vest and a leather top while taking the shots with three female models.

Today, Abuja the capital of Nigeria plays host to the best of Africa’s football as all gather at the International Conference Centre to honor the best of African soccer.

This is as the GLO- CAF awards holds to recognize the new King of African football this night in a greatly expected show to be graced not only by footballers, football administrators, etc but also with music from the best … and wait for it, food and drinks all from around Africa.

N82m DINNER: PROF. SOYINKA REPLIES WIKE

PROF. WOLE SOYINKA

Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has replied Governor Nyesom Wike and the Rivers Government following revelations that the former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, hosted him to a dinner believed to have cost N82 million.

Soyinka, who noted he does support Wike’s “Wikeleaks”, argued that he could not possibly ask all his hosts across the world how much they spent in hosting a dinner, cultural reception, birthday luncheon, etc.

Satirically, he then urged Wike to secure the services of INTERPOL “to guarantee its extension to all international organisations and governments to whom I owe uncountable events of recognition – including birthday luncheons, dinners, cultural receptions and events of real, fictitious, or simply opportunistic flavouring – to which I have submitted myself.”

SENATE PRESIDENT WELCOMING MS. LAGARDE

THE MEETING

Today was eventful for the Senate of Nigeria when the Managing Director of the International Monetary (IMF) Ms. Christine Lagarde visited the distinguished Senators in their wing of the National Assembly. However, she did not meet all the members; among those present were the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Shehu Sani, Dino Malaye, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Mohammed Goje, Binta Garba.

The Senate President Bukola Saraki welcomed Ms. Lagarde to the country and to the Senate; he also expressed happiness with her choice of Nigeria as her first official destination for 2016.

Speaking further, Saraki acknowledged the fact that Nigeria was experiencing difficult times as the country’s economy had taken a downturn with the falling oil prices but he said the country was resilient inspite of the challenges.

ISIS FIGHTER

A cab driver Henry Sunday Dare, 59 years, from Nigeria but based in the UK who identified the boy used in the most recent ISIS propaganda video as his four year old grandson named Isa Dare has appealed for help worldwide to ensure that his grandson is recovered from ISIS and reunited with him.

The British born Isa now dubbed "Jihadi Junior" by the Islamist extremist is said by his grandfather to have been taken to Syria by his mother Grace Dare, 24, also known as Khadija about three years ago.

UK TWIN GIRLS RECEIVE SURPRISE VISIT FROM WOMAN WHO FOUND MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE 2,400 MILES AWAY

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Young twins who sent a message in a bottle were stunned when the woman who found it 2,400 miles away turned up as a surprise visitor at their front door.

Lucie and Ellie Readings, five, placed their messages into empty wine bottles before throwing them into the sea at Dovercourt, Essex.

The bottles were set afloat last August and Lucy’s was discovered on a beach in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands.

The girls thought their messages had been lost at sea until the mystery woman arrived at their door. It later emerged their guest had a friend from Essex so decided to combine a visit to her with surprise visit.

FEGOR OGUDE

The Super Eagles midfielder Fegor Ogude’s wife Maimunat Ogude has been kidnapped according to reports received. Ogude who also plays his international football with Amkar Perm of Russia making the announcement on Tuesday said she was kidnapped by armed men in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria on Monday night.

REV. MPHO TUTU & PARTNER PROF. MARCELINE FURTH

The daughter of Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the retired Anglican Archbishop of Capetown, the Reverend Mpho Tutu has married her long time lesbian partner, Prof. Marceline Furth in a quiet civil ceremony which took place in the Netherlands on Wednesday 30^THDecember, 2015.

Tutu, who has two children from her last marriage to Joseph Burris is an ordained Episcopal priest, she is also the executive director and founder of the Tutu Institute for Prayer and Pilgrimage.

TURKISH AIRLINES

NIGERIA - Following the intervention of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Turkish Airlines have paid the prescribed compensation to all the passengers whose luggage were delayed in the Flight TK 624 scheduled service from Istanbul to Abuja, the authority confirmed today.

It would be recalled that there was an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja penultimate Saturday when passengers of the flight allegedly invaded the tarmac following the refusal of the airline to produce their luggage.

STRANDED PASSENGERS

NIGERIA - This is not the best of time for most people who travelled to the southeastern part of Nigeria for celebration of Chrismas and New Year.

They are not finding it easy to return to their various places of abode due to increase in transport fares.

As such, most of intending travellers have decided to stay back pending when the fares would be reduced by transporters.

BILL CLINTON: SHE IS THE ONE

One time United States President, Bill Clinton on Monday put his bet on his wife Hillary as the best candidate for the 2016 Presidential election, he said this when he appeared alone at a campaign in her support at New Hampshire. This place is where the country would hold its first presidential primary on February 9, 2016.

SARA

What do you say when by chance you receive what you have not planned for, it may be a good result… or a bad one as the case in question.

This is the story of Sara Mutschlechner, a 20 year old junior at the University of North Texas, that is reported to have been killed in an alleged road rage shooting. Miss. Mutschlechner is stated to have attended a party with other friends on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2015 and at the end of the party is said to have volunteered as the designated driver to drop off her friends at their homes.

However, that journey did not end well as she was shot in a suspected road rage attack by a killer now on the radar of the police. The shooting occurred at around 2am Friday morning when she left the party venue in

AGAINST CHILD RAPE

A 22 year old man Ganiu Amusa was on Sunday arrested by the Alakuko Division of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly raping a five-year-old boy, name withheld, in the Alakuko area of the state.

It is reported that Amusa was arrested following the discovery by the parents of the minor that their child had been sexually abused. The family resident at Oremeji Street, found out about the incident when the child’s mother consequent upon his complaint of pain in his anus got him to talk of how he developed the pain.

BENGHAZI: LIBYAN ARMY PINS DOWN GROUP WHICH KILLED US AMBASSADOR AND DESTROYED US EMBASSY

LIBYA

The Libyan Islamist group, Ansar al-Sharia which confirmed that it killed the US Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens and three others on September 11, 2012 in the course of violent protests that greeted a US produced anti Muslim film is said to be now under fire as at Monday as it was reported to have been surrounded by the army of the internationally accepted government of Libya. The rebel group has been held down in the Libyan cities of Benghazi and Derna,

LATE DR. DORA AKUNLIYI

The six suspects who were charged with the attempted assassination of the onetime Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Dora Akunyili have been freed of their charges. The suspects had been all the while been remand while the trial lasted.

SHEIKH EL-ZAKZAKY

The government of Iran has come out to express its interest in the continued arrest of the leader of the Shi’ites movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky stating that it was employing all diplomatic channels to ensure that the prominent Shia Muslim cleric was released. It would be recalled that the Nigerian Army arrested him last month following the confrontation between his Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) sect members and the entourage of the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff in Zaria, Nigeria.

BIG QUESTION, WHO IS THIS?

Is the United Kingdom a fertile ground for terrorism? This unfortunately seems to be the situation as the recently released Islamic State video that allegedly shows the brutal killing of five hostages ISIL claims were spying for Britain in Syria.

In the new video released on Sunday, a man in mask speaking with a British accent is heard to say "Only an imbecile would dare to wage war against a land where the law of Allah reigns supreme," he goes on to add "The Islamic State, our country, is here to stay. And we will continue to wage jihad, break borders, and one day invade your land, where we will rule by the Shariah." In the video the masked man refers to Prime Minister David Cameron as a “slave of the White House” and also calls him a “mule of the Jews.”

This new video is just like any other produced by the terror group ISIL in recent times as it has a masked man with an accent the traces his origin to Britain just like the late Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John” who was British. So the question is…is this a new export product of Britain…TERRORISM? Is this the new Jihadi John as already asked by the press?

JIN AIRLINES

Reports have it that a flight operated a Korean Air subsidiary, Jin Air with 163 passengers had to make an emergency turnaround to the Cebu airport in the Philippines after it was discovered about 40 minutes into the flight that one of its doors was not fully shut.

A spokesman of the low cost Jin Air reported that the flight which departed the Philippines on Sunday with a planned arrival destination in Busan, South Korea had to truncate its flight upon the discovery of an inflight staff of an incompletely shut plane door and return to the Cebu airport where it took off from.

SINGER LANA DEL REY

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, 30, aka Lana Del Rey an American singer, songwriter and model well known for her music such as Video Games, Born to Die and Paradise which earned her a Grammy nomination is presently in the news not for music or any of her other talents but for fear that the cold war may be resurrecting in her personal life.

Lana recently had cause to believe that her life is in danger as she claimed some Russian girls have become so obsessed with her, so much so that she is afraid they will want to kill her. Thus Lana headed to the courts where she obtained a set of restraining orders against the girls, Nataliia Krinitsyna and Iuliia Vladimirovna Pozdina.

STARTING THE NEW YEAR AFRESH: NIGERIAN MUSIC STARS DON JAZZY & OLAMIDE RESOLVE HEADIES AWARD RIFT

ALL IS WELL

DON JAZZY & OLAMIDE

In what would be termed a quick resolution, Don Jazzy the maverick boss of the Mavins Record label and the owner of the YBNL label Olamide Adedeji, have made up after their controversial outburst in the recently held 2015 Headies Award ceremony which held in Lagos, Nigeria. They have even gone ahead to release a joint apology to the organizers of the Headies Awards and to their fans.

A drowned two-year-old boy became the first known migrant casualty of the year on Saturday after the crowded dinghy he was travelling in slammed into rocks off Greece's Agathonisi island, the coastguard said.

The other 39 passengers, including a woman who had fallen overboard, were rescued after local fishermen raised the alarm.

Ten of the survivors were taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia. The rubber vessel had set off from Turkey in the early morning in windy weather. The charity Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), which helps save migrants and refugees at sea, deployed its fast-rescue Responder boat to help bring the stranded passengers to safety in a joint operation with the Hellenic coastguard.

PRINCE WILLIAM AND FAMILY

Prince William has said that being a father has made him "more emotional" and more prone to welling up.
The royal is the father of two children, 2-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, born in May. In a television interview, the 33-year-old said that becoming a parent has made him more aware of "how precious life is."

William said that he "never used to get too wound up or worried about things," but now feels more affected by world events.

NOORAH'S ARTWORK AT THE EXHIBITION

Some cases do go against the norm, however, it’s been said that when an individual loses one of the senses, there is compensation in another with a remarkable increase in its use.

That seems to be the case with a female Saudi artist, Noorah Al-Majrashi who is visually challenged but with her rare talent is still able to paint. She recently had her paintings displayed at an exhibition and they were a remarkable attraction to those who attended.

Noorah Al-Majrashi who has done more than 300 artworks in the course of her career had her artwork shown at the “Muntijoon 3” exhibition at the Riyadh convention center where one of them sold for SR8,000 ($2,136).

RIHANNA

Authoritative US magazine Forbes has reported that the Barbadian music superstar Rihanna, 27, who placed No. 10 on its 2015 annual list of the highest earning women in music, only earned US$26 million in 2015, this is about half of what she made in 2014.

The same Forbes 2015 list has Katy Perry as No. 1 of the highest earning women in music. This is mostly due to her Prismatic World Tour, during the Forbes score rating period from June 1, 2014, to June 1, 2015, which covered 126 shows and deals with Coty, Claire’s and CoverGirl. Perry who is 31, made an estimated US$135 million during the period, to clinch the No. 1 spot.

A woman who won a 2.1 million euro lottery prize during a divorce has no obligation to share it with her ex-husband, according to a Dutch court decision published on Tuesday.

The Amsterdam District Court ruling said the couple had listed the shared assets they wished to divide at the time they filed for divorce on October 20, 2014, though the divorce was not formally granted until June 2015. The woman won the Post Code Lottery on New Year’s Day 2015.

UN PEACEKEEPERS IN HAITI

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in the capital, Port Au Prince has released a statement which announced the killing of two female police officers; the dead bodies of the two women from Rwanda, Lillian Mukansonera and Aimee Nyiramudakemwa were discovered in their accommodation located in Cap-Haitien a town in the northern part of Haiti.

To start the year 2016 a 40 year old man, Friday Anyim decided to gift his step mother with a ticket out of this world. The sad incident which claimed the life of Mrs. Bennedeth Anyim took place in Umuenem, Ezinesi-Oduma in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State on January 1, 2016 led to her death.

Reports had it that she met her death in an attempt to intervene in a fight between Friday and another of his siblings in the family.

DAVIDO & SOPHIA WHEN IT WAS GOOD

In 2016, the controversies of Nigeria’s music stars seem to be heating the news for now. A few days ago it was the confrontation between Olamide and Don Jazzy that filled the pages of both online social media and the newspapers at the news stand nationwide.

Well, this time comes the messy story of music star David Adeleke aka Davido. He is a struggle with one of his baby mamas, Sophia Momodu over the custody of their baby, Imade Adeleke, who is currently in custody of the Adelekes.

Sometimes it seems life has twists that one hopes would remain only a dream for the consequences are really unbearable. Anyways one of such twists is presently the fate of the family of Chief Lazarus Dim, native of Osumenyi in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State.

This follows the untimely and tragic death of his son, Sam Belonwu Dim, a businessman who was based in Lagos. Sam was shot three days to his church wedding, which was fixed for Wednesday, December 30, 2015. There was certainly no premonition that he would not live to see the wedding day, and certainly he would never have imagined it would be in the manner it happened.

Saturday 9 January 2016

Friday 8 January 2016

Thursday 7 January 2016

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Tuesday 5 January 2016

Monday 4 January 2016

Sunday 3 January 2016

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