Much earlier in the days of her terrorist abduction, there was a spirited attempt by the Federal Government acting through third parties to pay a ransom in a bid to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, but her abductors who had made the financial demand backed out when payment was offered.
According to knowledgeable government sources last night, the money was already to be delivered when the terrorists who had made the request for a specific amount totaling several tonnes of millions of Naira in hard currency, changed their minds and rejected any ransom.
While the channels of communication between top security agents of the government, third parties and the terrorists at times take more than a month to complete one line of messages back and forth, the FG reached an agreement after such a long communication procedure only to be turned back after an agreement.
In the circumstances the FG determined to secure the release requested for an explanation as to the sudden refusal to receive the ransom by the terrorists only to be told by some of the third line communication channels that the terrorists decided they would never accept a ransom on Leah because they hoped to use her abduction to rankle religious passion and possibly cause a religious war in the country if they could.
According to a government source, “while the FG remains strongly committed to securing the release of Leah and all other identified and unidentified abductees, by any means necessary, the terrorists chose much earlier after Leah’s abduction to use her to fan religious embers and cause devastating division in the country. And that was why the terrorists rejected the ransom government security agencies prepared to pay for Leah’s release.”
The source explained further that top presidential officials still encouraged FG officials to remain actively engaged with the channels of communication and the negotiators until a positive resolution is secures “because the President has set a firm target and resolve to ensure the freedom of Leah and others by any means necessary.”
Japan has suffered its worst quarterly GDP contraction in more than five years, with a tax hike and a deadly typhoon taking a toll on the world’s third-largest economy.
The nation’s gross domestic product in the three months to December shrank 1.6 percent from the previous quarter, even before the novel coronavirus outbreak in China hit Japan, according to official data published on Monday.
The quarter was marked by a rise in consumption tax from eight percent to 10 percent, as well as Typhoon Hagibis, which killed more than 100 people and caused widespread flooding.
Economists were braced for a contraction of around one percent but had not expected such a poor figure, with Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute, saying it was “quite an undershooting”.
“There was a hit from natural disasters but consumer sentiment was particularly weak after the tax hike despite government measures to ease the impact,” he told AFP.
Monday’s data snapped four quarters of growth and was the biggest contraction since the second quarter of 2014 when the economy shrank 1.9 percent.
Officials of the Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants have arrested a deadly Aiye Confraternity Kingpin, Sikiru Samuel a.k.a Samora and eight members of his gang in Ikorodu and recovered one double barrel gun from social miscreants.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu had deployed a Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants to Ikorodu, to sustain the ongoing onslaught on cultists and other social miscreants in Ikorodu, Imota, Agbowa, Owutu, Ijede, Ipakodo and Owode Onirin.
The operation, which is intelligence driven, has recorded another remarkable achievement with the arrest of a deadly leader of Aiye confraternity, Samora 24, at Imota, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bala Elkana disclosed on Sunday.
“Other members of his gang arrested are: Adegboyega Ismaila ‘m’ 19 years old; Sunkanmi Shonubi ‘m’ a.k.a Napel 19 years old; Adigun Faruq ‘m’ 18 years old; Rilwan Akinwale ‘m’ 30 years old; Victor Uju ‘m’ a.k.a Zino 18years old; Juwon Idowu ‘m’ a.k.a lighter 18 years old; Rasak Adebola ‘m’ a.k.a ‘Bobo’ 20 years old and Kehinde Keshinro ‘m’ 18 years old.
“The gang is responsible for series of violent attacks and gang violence in Imota and environs. One of such violent attacks happened on 12/02/2020 at about 08:30hours which led to the death of one David Nwanga ‘m’ 30 years old of Araro Adamo area. The suspects were handed over to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Yaba for discreet investigation.
“They will be charged to Court. In a related development, on 14/02/2020 at about 2330hrs, a team of Police Officers from Oke Odo Police Station on patrol along Lagos/Abeokuta express way, intercepted some social miscreants at Katangowa refuse dump smoking dry weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.
“On sighting the police, the miscreants took to their heels. Police gave them a hot chase. Five suspects were arrested with one double barrel short gun and three live cartridges. The suspects will be charged to Court,” he said.
Two planes carrying Americans from the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess have left Japan.
The aircraft chartered by the US government left Tokyo's Haneda Airport in the early hours of Monday.
There were some 400 Americans on board the ship, which has been held since 3 February due to infections from the new coronavirus which has hit China.
The Diamond Princess has been quarantined in Japan's port of Yokohama with some 3,700 people on board.
The ship was held after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus.
It has the largest cluster of coronavirus cases outside China. The Japanese authorities on Sunday said the number of new cases on board the ship had risen by 70 to 355.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China reached 1,770 as of the end of Sunday, up by 105 from the previous day.
According to the country’s National Health Commission there were 2,048 new confirmed infections across mainland China reported on Sunday.
The total accumulated number of cases reported is 70,548, of which 10,844 people have been treated and released from hospital, the officials said on Monday.
More than 94% of the new cases on Sunday were in the central province of Hubei, where the outbreak is concentrated. The province also saw 100 deaths on Feb. 16
An ex-corps member identified as Boboye Olaribigbe has demanded N260 million from the National Youth Service Corps.
Olaribigbe who is now an accountant said the N260 million is to be paid as the copyright value of a language project he executed for the scheme more than a decade ago.
He accused the National Youth Service Corps of refusing to pay him and threatened to take legal action if the demand was not met.
Speaking further on the project, Olaribigbe said he was granted approval to convert the NYSC Language Handbook into an audio format in 2006.
He said the concept, which he developed after his service year as a corps member in Enugu State, was aimed at solving language problems encountered by corps members in the country.
The 43-year-old noted that he sourced different language experts, who participated in the project, adding that the audio was produced in compact disks and cassettes.
Olaribigbe, who claimed to have got a letter of approval for the project from a former Director-General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Yusuf Bomoi, said he successfully executed the project.
“The NYSC is the owner of the language book comprising Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, but I came up with the idea to put it in audio format so that every corps member can learn the languages on their own,” he told Punch Metro.
Reacting to the allegation raised by Olaribigbe, the Deputy Director of Community Development Service, NYSC, Sunday Oyinke, urged Olaribigbe to be patient.
He said, “He has already contracted a lawyer, who wrote to us. The lawyer has given us a time limit to respond. Let him be patient; this is not the way to go about it.”
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has denied a news story that he was caught up in a gun attack in Kaduna on Sunday night.
Daily Nigerian reported that the minister and hundreds of train passengers escaped narrowly Sunday night after suspected kidnappers opened fire on their vehicles as they left the Rigasa station in Kaduna.
But in a reaction on his Twitter handle, Amaechi thumbed down the report as ‘fake news”.
” This 👎🏿 is completely concocted”, he wrote.
According to Daily Nigerian, the gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, opened fire from their ambush position in Mando on the cavalcade of vehicles leaving the station, in search of preys to capture. They wanted to force the vehicles to stop.
The train reportedly arrived at Rigasa train station around 8:15pm.
But no sooner the shooting began than mobile policemen and soldiers arrived the scene in armoured vehicles. The hoodlums .
“We were lucky the police and soldiers are nearby to come our rescue. The minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi was among the passengers. His convoy had to make a detour onto Rigasa Road,” said a passenger, Musa Lawan, who spoke with Daily Nigerian.
French police held a Russian activist and his girlfriend for questioning on Sunday over a sex tape released online that brought down President Emmanuel Macron’s favoured candidate for Paris mayor.
Pyotr Pavlensky has said he leaked the video that forced the centrist ruling party’s Benjamin Griveaux to bow out of the running for mayor in next month’s election.
The 35-year-old artist, who received asylum in France in 2017 after several radical protests in Russia, was arrested on Saturday in connection with a fight at a New Year’s party.
On Sunday, however, police turned their attention to the images posted online this week of a man presented as Griveaux masturbating, coupled with racy text messages purportedly sent by the politician.
The video prompted Griveaux, a married father of two, to call off his mayoral campaign, citing the need to protect his family from scandal.
Pavlensky’s girlfriend Alexandra de Taddeo, believed to have been the recipient of the video, was arrested on Saturday evening on charges of invasion of privacy and publishing images of a sexual nature without consent.
The 29-year-old Frenchwoman was being questioned on Sunday at the headquarters of the criminal police in Paris.
On Friday, Pavlensky told AFP that he had posted the footage online in order to expose the “hypocrisy” of 42-year-old Griveaux and planned to post more material on a newly created “political porn platform”.
Griveaux “is someone who constantly brings up family values, who says he wants to be the mayor of families and always cites his wife and children as an example. But he is doing the opposite,” Pavlensky told France’s Liberation daily.
Griveaux’s lawyer, Richard Malka, hit back on Sunday, accusing “pseudo artists” of giving “morality lessons”.
Former government spokesman Griveaux is the first senior French politician to pull out of a campaign over a sex scandal, marking a turning point in the country’s traditionally permissive attitudes towards politicians’ private lives.
French media and politicians from across the spectrum have portrayed the 42-year-old, who has filed a formal complaint for invasion of privacy, as a victim.
“Everyone has the right to their secret garden,” the speaker of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, told Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Malka hinted at a political set-up, saying he suspected Pavlensky “did not act alone”.
BBN's Nina has vowed no one will know her husband. The reality star who had her introduction yesterday, well she has corrected us saying, it's her traditional wedding, vowed no one will ever know her husband no matter how hard they try.
''People been working overtime to see my hubby , sorry darlings you all would never ❤️❤️❤️
Yesterday was the best day of my life...'', she wrote on twitter.
Eyah, but what if someone just send out her husband's picture now. This is a big challenge o. Okay.. soon, soon tho!
A fire outbreak on Sunday gutted sections of the popular Apongbon Market in Lagos.
Although details of the fire and its cause are still sketchy, it was gathered that it started at in the morning with the blaze raging on till well past 10 am.
The authorities of Uratta Development Association in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State has announced the suspension of all cultural events in all the communities in Uratta clan.
The announcement followed the killing of Ugoeze Comfort Okoro, wife of the traditional ruler of Ihitoha Uratta community, HRH Eze Emmanuel Okoro by kidnappers, after collecting ransome from the family.
Her body was later found along a village road in Akabor community in Oguta council area of the state
Briefing journalists in Owerri weekend, the President-General of UDA, Barr. Canice Madukaji, who described the abduction and killing of the woman as troubling, said the suspension equally affected the traditional ‘Onwa Oru’ festival slated to hold on February 22, 2020.
Madukaji reiterated that the decision was in line with a wide range consultation between stakeholders as well as the traditional council to give the deceased a befitting mourning.
He said: “On behalf of the traditional rulers of Uratta and the people of Uratta clan, we thereby suspend Onwa Oru Uratta. Onwa Oru ought to hold on February 22, 2020. It is a festival of peace, which is traditional and cultural. It’s a peaceful period for our kingdoms.
“Before the sad news of the queen’s death when she was in captivity, we held a meeting and agreed that if she was not released before Onwa Oru, we would not celebrate it. Now that we have a worse situation like this, we have decided to suspend the cultural festival in honour of the wife of one of our traditional rulers.
“All the Ezes are not involved in celebrating Onwa Oru; the town unions are not involved and the women too are not involved because we’re mourning.
“We’re troubled by her death because of the way a woman of that caliber was kidnapped in this palace in the presence of her family and domestic staff.
“This is what we used to read in the media about other places. Now, it is happening before us”.
Madukaji used the opportunity to call on the Imo State government and security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act to ensure adequate measures were meted out them.
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) operatives at Badagry have arrested two fishermen for alleged attempt to smuggle 120 jerricans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to Benin Republic.
The suspects Jebleh Taiwo and Jebleh Abiodun arrested at Gberefu Beach, a fishing settlement, in Badagry at the weekend.
It was gathered that they had loaded the products into a wooden boat which was also impounded by the operatives and its outboard engine seized.
Parading the suspects on Friday, NSCDC Lagos Lagos Commandant Fasiu Adeyinka said that criminals along riverine communities were devising new ways following the closure of land border including the use of fishing boats.
Adeyinka said smugglers who were short of supply following government directives to stop sale of petrol to filling stations along border communities; resorted to buying from areas of supply and shipping them to fishing settlements for onward movement to the french country.
Based on this discovery, the Commandant said operatives were detailed to be on lookout for smugglers using these tactics and surveillance paid off within days of intensive monitoring.
“On Friday, February 14, operatives of the command attached to Badagry Division who were on patrol along Gberefun Beach intercepted a boat with two persons in it.
“On the spot search of the boat revealed that the suspects who identified themselves as Jebleh Taiwo, 20, and Jebleh Abiodun, 30, carried 120 Jerry cans of 25 litre each filled with petrol that was carefully concealed under fishing net.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they were contracted to ferry the product to Seme Border by one Chief, from where the products will be moved into Benin Republic.
“They also confessed that the owner of the product bought the fuel from a petrol station in the area. They claimed that they borrowed the boat from a neighbour at Ajido beach,” he said.
The Commandant urged Badagry residents to warn their people against smuggling because it was negatively affecting the economy.
In their confessional statements, the suspects said Chief agreed to pay then N500 per keg smuggled out, adding that they would have made N60,000 if they succeeded with ferrying the 120 jerricans.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the All-Star Game MVP award will now be called the Kobe Bryant Award as players lined up to pay tribute to the late NBA icon on Saturday.
“Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA all-star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game,” Silver said. “He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”
Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, were buried in private funeral service in southern California last week after they were among nine people who perished in a horrific helicopter crash on January 26.
The uniforms for Sunday’s all-star game in Chicago will also honour Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter with LeBron James’ team wearing the No. 2 for the basketball-playing Gigi and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team wearing No. 24 in a tribute to Bryant.
Antetokounmpo was one of several all-stars who also spoke Saturday about their memories and the legacy that Bryant left behind.
“The format is amazing,” Antetokounmpo said. “It makes you want to play hard and compete against one another. Each quarter you have the opportunity to win, and it makes it way more competitive.
“But wearing 24 and LeBron wearing number two, it’s a big honour. I wouldn’t want it any other way representing Kobe and Gigi in tomorrow night’s game.”
Antetokounmpo described the four-time All-Star Game MVP Bryant as the “Michael Jordan of our generation.”
“A guy that mentored me in the last few years of my career, a guy that was always there for me,” Antetokounmpo said. “In the regular season, the playoffs, a guy that told me that whenever I need something, I could just reach out to him, and he was literally always there. If I needed something, he would text me back, call me.
“Growing up, he was my idol. He was one of those guys that gave back to the game so much, gave back to the players. A lot of people when they’re so great, they don’t do that.”
Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker said this is an emotional time for the NBA family not only because of the death of Bryant but also former commissioner David Stern, who died on New Year’s Day.
“With the tragic death of Kobe and Gigi and the rest of the families on the plane and David Stern, it’s definitely going to be a very emotional weekend, and we’re going to celebrate those guys and everyone else as best as we can,” Walker said.
“They meant so much to our game. They grew the game so much. We all just have a lot of respect for them.”
TBoss this afternoon went live on Instagram to lay curses on a troll who referred to her child as Ugly.
Recall that the ex-BBNaija housemate revealed the face of her daughter for the first time on Valentine's day, six months after she welcomed her. Trolls left hateful comments under her post, mocking her child and referring to the child as ''ugly.''
In a live video on Instagram which she did this afternoon, TBoss said she was 35 when she found out that she was pregnant and since marriage wasn't coming for her, she embraced motherhood which she says has been her greatest achievement.
Weeping profusely, the reality TV star said she never wanted to share the photo of her child as she felt it was in the best interest of her daughter not to. However, she was pressured by her family members to share her baby's photo but trolls were very unkind with their comments.
Picking a negative comment from one MsHafsat, a visibly angry TBoss placed a curse on the IG troll that she will never carry her own child.
The 25-year-old singer sent his prayers to the country following the outbreak of the virus, which has infected almost 60,000 people in China alone and caused more than 1,300 deaths.
He took to Instagram on Thursday (13.02.20) to share a video, in which he said:
“What’s going on, China. It’s Justin Bieber here. I just wanted to say I know it’s a very scary time for your country right now, but my prayers and support go out to you. You guys are amazing.”
The ‘Yummy’ hitmaker confirmed his donation – which is for an unspecified amount – in the caption of the post, which read:
“Watching the news I couldn’t imagine how scary it would be if a new disease was effecting my wife and my family and friends. China we stand with you as a collective humanity and have made a donation to support. Whether it be this or the fires of Australia we all need to be there for eachother. Shout out to my friend @kriswu for the conversation. (sic)”
The news of Justin’s charitable deed comes after other stars sent their messages of support to China.
The Permanent Secretary of the Nasarawa Ministry of Works, Jibrin Giza, has been abducted.
According to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bola Longe, Mr Giza was abducted around 12:30 am by gunmen from his resident in Shabu, a suburb of Lafia.
The police chief told Channels Television that the gunmen stormed the resident shooting into the air and gained access into the residence when one of them scaled the fence and forced the gateman who had only a cutlass for a weapon to open the gate.
Longe added that the police have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.
The abductors have yet to contact Mr Giza’s family and have not made any demands.
A year after she lost her first baby, Bethany fell pregnant again in December 2018, but this time she felt more cautious.
However, when she reached her nine-week scan, she was delighted to be able to hear her baby’s heartbeat for the first time.
Then in September 2019, the primary school teacher gave birth to her daughter, Maeve, who is now five months old.
She said: “Since we didn't have any problems conceiving, it didn't even cross my mind that something could be wrong with my reproductive organs.
“We announced the pregnancy to my family as a Christmas present on December 23. Late that same night, I began bleeding.
“First thing the next morning, we went into Urgent Care, where it was confirmed that I had had a missed miscarriage – I was supposed to be about ten weeks along, but the baby had stopped developing at around six weeks.
“The doctor there also informed me that the ultrasound showed that I had two uteruses and two cervixes.
“A little over a month later, I went for a check-up, and the gynaecologist there noticed that I also have a full vaginal septum that divides my vagina into two sections; essentially, I also have two vaginas.”
She continued: “I was very confused. I had never heard of such a thing before, I didn't know it was even possible. I didn't understand how I could have been born this way and never known.
“Also considering the fact that my mother had had six healthy pregnancies that resulted in six healthy children, it hadn't really crossed my mind that I would be any different.
“It was also then that I finally learned that the name for this condition is uterus didelphys. Over the next several months, I went to a few more doctors to try to learn more about uterus didelphys, but most doctors weren't very experienced or knowledgeable about it.
“Despite all that, I became pregnant again in December 2018. It took about a year. The second time around, I was much more hesitant to get excited, since I knew the chances of another miscarriage were higher than normal.
“I didn't let myself have hope until after my nine-week ultrasound scan, when I saw my baby's healthy heartbeat.”
Bethany admits that being a mum is the only job she’s ever wanted, so when she had her miscarriage it was a devastating time for her.
But when she fell pregnant, her life was filled with joy after welcoming her daughter into the world.
The Kardashian-Jenner family are no strangers when it comes to going wild for big celebrations, remember the time Tyga performed at Kendall Jenner's Sweet 16 or when Sia performed at their 2019 Christmas Party.
Valentine's Day was no exception for reality star Kylie Jenner, who threw a luxury brunch for some of her closest friends as well as her daughter.
Kylie, 22, held the outdoor brunch yesterday and despite rumours that she has been spending more time with Travis Scott- her ex-boyfriend and father of her two-year-old daughter, there was no sign of him.
Famous for documenting her life on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kylie made sure to keep her millions of followers updated with a string of videos on Instagram.
The billionaire treated friends to fresh avocado on toast, icing coated strawberries, a cheese platter alongside a set of crackers and a serving of exotic fruits including pineapple, pink grapefruit, grapes and berries.
Kylie also served spongecakes, red and white sweets and multiple lollipops.
Rivers State Governor, Wike Nyesom is a known critic of APC National leader, hehehe that's no news. According to Adeyanju, Wike was quoted saying Oshiomhole now wears Safari suits with diamond buttons as against his known Khaki uniform and it's as a result of corruption.
''Oshiomhole used to wear khaki, now, he wears Safari suits with diamond buttons as a result of corruption. - Gov. Wike''. Deji Adeyanju quoted the governor as saying.
As if that's not enough, Adeyanju added his own, implying Oshiomhole is very corrupt.
''Go to Osho’s house in Maitama first to understand what corruption is'', Adeyanju tweeted. Worthy of note: Wike and Oshiomhole can never be friends. Oshiomhole is number one in APC, while Wike is also a very strong hold in PDP -- Nigeria's opposition party.
Deji has denied being a PDP member, but he is a known critic of this government. This recently landed him at a Dubai hospital after he was beaten to stupor during a peaceful protest.
