Apo building where squatters were killed belongs to Obasanjo's sister

The unfinished building where security forces killed at least seven squatters on Friday September 20, in the Apo neighbourhood of Abuja, belongs to Mrs. Adunni Oluwole Salisu, believed to be the sister to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, PREMIUM TIMES reports exclusively.

Documents from the Abuja Geographical Information Systems (AGIS) shows that the property, located at No. 8 Bamanga Tukur Street, Gudu District, near the Gudu cemetery, belongs to Mrs. Salisu.

Mrs Adunni Oluwole Salusi was said to have engaged the services of SSS operatives led by Marilyn Ogah and combined team of soldiers to get the squatters out of her building. Unfortunately 7 people were killed in the operation though the SSS said they stormed the uncompleted building because they got intelligence report that Boko Haram members were hiding in the building and were planning to strike Abuja.

Tonto Dikeh's outfit to the premiere of Rukky Sanda's movie

Tonto Dikeh wore this Aqua by Aqua shirt dress, with cut-out detail on the back, showing off her tattoo, to the premiere of Rukky Sanda's movie 'Keeping My Man' tonight. Styled by Jeremiah Ogbodo of Swanky's Signature. What do you think?...see another pic below..

George Zimmerman’s Wife Says She Now Has Doubts About Him

The estranged wife of George Zimmerman said she harbors doubts about her husband’s innocence in the killing of Trayvon Martin and that “I really don’t know what he’s capable of.”
Shellie Zimmerman spoke publicly for the first time since she called police accusing her husband of threatening her with a gun almost three weeks ago. She spoke on NBC’s Today show, saying that her husband had changed markedly since he was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
“This person that I’m married to, that I’m divorcing, I’ve kind of realized now that I don’t know him,” she said, in the interview. “And I really don’t know what he’s capable of.”

Earlier this month, Shellie Zimmerman called police saying that her husband was threatening her with a gun and that there had been a domestic dispute in which George Zimmerman hit her father in the nose.

In that incident, she accused George Zimmerman of being the aggressor and claimed he smashed her iPad, on which there had been a recording of the alleged assault. George Zimmerman told police later that the argument had been started by his father-in-law.

Since then, she said, she has been questioning what might have happened between her husband and the 17-year-old student who was killed by George Zimmerman in a gated community outside of Orlando.

“I’m conflicted on that,” she said. “I believe the evidence, but this revelation in my life has really helped me to take the blinders off.”

In the Today interview, she remained steadfast in her assertion that George Zimmerman had been carrying a gun, although police say they found no firearms on him when they detained him.

“I absolutely stand by my story,” she said. “I did not see a gun. But ... I know my husband. I saw him in a stance and a look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before.”

Her lawyer said they have filed divorce papers, which have not yet been served because George Zimmerman’s whereabouts were unknown.

Fashola Apologises To Igbos Over Deportation Saga-

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday offered an unreserved apology for the misunderstanding generated by the alleged deportation of some destitutes to Onitsha, Anambra State.
The state government was accused of dumping 70 beggars at Onitsha Bridge on July 24, a situation that generated public outcry and bad blood.
The government had said it relocated the 14 people to Onitsha after rehabilitating them, but the explanations did not appease the aggrieved Igbos, who felt they were being badly treated and hated
Fashola, who spoke at the silver jubilee of the Igbo socio-cultural think tank, Aka Ikenga held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, insisted he has no problems with the Igbos.
He noted that the largest herds of cattle he received when his father died was from the Igbos.
At the event were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Ayim, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan; House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; Catholic Bishop, Mathew Kuka; former Minister, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu; President Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike; former ambassador George Obiozor and President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Gary Enwo-Igariwey.
Others included the former President Aka Ikenga, Chief Chris Asodoka; Director, Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi; Captain Emma Iheanacho; Nollywood artistes, Onyeka Onwenu and Kanayo O. Kanayo.
Fashola said: “I came here to say to say thank you for the honour done to my family and the memory of my late father.
“People who clearly do not understand the actions taken and words spoken are those I owe an explanation. I cannot take the Igbos for granted because we have built a relationship based on tolerance, mutual respect, love and trust. That relationship was built by our ancestors and I put a lot of value in that relationship.
“I offer an unreserved apology if the actions taken had been misunderstood.
“But I think the basic issue Aka Ikenga must address is why people feel compelled to immigrate from one part of the country to the other? Is it the case that some lack the resources to develop or perhaps some parts are endowed with enormous resources but not adequately managed?
“How can development be so difficult from the zone that has produced people like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alex Ekwueme, Ike Nwachukwu, among others?
“As political storm gathers, there are contact spots but like in football, contact spots have rules. Those who are victims of our shortcomings as professionals in and out of government should not be pounced.
“A day like these calls for deep reflection about issues of our loyalties. Are we more Igbo than Nigeria or we are more Nigeria than Igbo?”
Fashola called on residents in the state to embrace Residence Registration Scheme (RRS) to enable the government meets its obligation to them.

Swaziland King Chooses New Teenage Virgin Bride As 15th Wife

Swaziland’s King Mswati III has chosen an 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant as his 14th wife.
According to his palace spokesman, the king has introduced to the nation his new liphovela (royal fiancee), 18 years old Sindiswa Dlamini.
The young woman graduated from Mbabane’s St. Francis High School last year and is a finalist in the Miss Cultural Heritage beauty pageant.
As part of Swazi custom, King Mswati III, 45, is permitted to choose a new bride every year.
Hence, thousands of young girls gather annually and dance for the king at a reed dance in order to give King Mswati III the opportunity to choose another wife.
The wedding only takes place once the chosen virgin bride falls pregnant.
His wives are kept in their palace, surrounded by bodyguards, and they can’t really go anywhere unless the king says so.
The only thing they do is go to America once a year, as the king gives them a shopping allowance.
The father of 27 children, 45-year-old King Mswati III was a guest at the William and Kate wedding as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations last summer.
Three wives left his household in recent years. The latest, Queen LaGija, fled the palace in 2012 claiming years of physical and emotional abuse.
Another queen, LaDube, was reportedly abused after she was caught in bed with the justice minister, a close friend of the king.
Mswati had kidnapped and married the queen when she was 16 in 2005.
The king has also come under fire for his household’s lavish lifestyle.
Mswati reportedly has a personal fortune of around $200 million and the UN estimates that 70 percent of his 1.2 million subjects live below the poverty line.

Famous Ghanaian poet, Kenyan president's nephew among those killed in mall attack

Ghanaian poet and diplomat Kofi Awoonor, (pictured left) was among the 59 killed during the attack on Westgate Mall in Kenya yesterday. He was in Nairobi as a participant in the Storymoja Hay Festival, a 4-day celebration of writing, thinking and storytelling. The Ghanaian govt confirmed his death early Sunday morning. He was 78 years old. His son was also shot, but was not killed.

Also the president's nephew, Mbugua and his fiance Wahito (both pictured right) were killed in the attack yesterday.
Over 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the mall, but an unknown number of hostages are still trapped inside with the terrorists believed to be about 15. Kenyan security forces have been locked in a standoff with gunmen since yesterday. Gun shots have been heard all morning in the area.
Heavily armed Islamic extremists pulled up in several cars yesterday and shot their way into the most upmarket shopping centre in Nairobi, ordering Muslims out if they could prove their religion by reciting a prayer or answering a question on Islam. They started killing those who failed the test.
BBC reported that at least one of the attackers was a woman who had some kind of leadership role.

Ini Edo spotted With her own $10,000(N1.58M) Chanel Lego bag as she poses with Amber Rose

Ini Edo replaced Genevieve as one of the Miss Earth pageant judges,alongside Amber Rose…what stoodout was her $10,000 Chanel Lego bag. If you recall, last month Genny rocked hers in Yellow. –

$270 million worth of cocaine found on Air France flight

30 colorful suitcases containing an amazing 1.3 tons of pure cocaine was found on an Air France flight on Wednesday September 11th. According to reports, the suitcases which weren't registered to any of the passengers on the plane, was discovered by French immigration officials on arrival of the flight from Venezuela. The suitcases which came from Caracas, were found on Sept. 11, but French authorities didn't publicize the find until this past weekend.

The estimated value of the narcotic was put at $270 million.

Yesterday, Venezuela's Public Ministry said that authorities have detained several people including 3  members of the National Guard in connection with the incident. A detailed investigation is currently going on.

Lagosians spend N36billion annually on parties - Governor Fashola

Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, this weekend revealed that more than N36 billion is spent by Lagosians annually to organise parties. The governor said this at the 4th edition of the Lagos Ignite Enterprise and Employability project, a joint youth empowerment programme between the government and the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, AGDC.

Governor Fashola said:

“This was the study of night life carried out by the government in five local governments including Agege, Mushin, Ifako-Ijaiye and Ikeja and another local government. It showed that more than N36 billion was spent on 1555 parties held within the period. We did a study between October and November last year. We studied from Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, three days every week for four weeks which was 12 nights. In 12 nights, 1555 parties were held in these local governments. In terms of drinks, food and all other engagements during such parties, about N1.2 billion was spent and when we dis-aggregated them we saw how much went to DJ, MC, food and drinks, the total picture in the state now and I don’t want to give you a wrong number but it’s something in the region of about N3 billion monthly on that side of our life and people are playing and impacting on that side of our economy.

 The governor further stated that Aso Ebi alone gulped a minimum of N1.2billion monthly.

Why the White Widow is prime suspect: Kenyan anti-terror police believe British woman, 29, may be behind mall massacre

Possibility: The idea that Samantha Lewthwaite, 29, of Buckinghamshire, might have ordered the attack - or even led it herself - is not far-fetched at all

Last night, as the bodies were still being counted at the shopping mall, one British woman was notably slow to join the condemnation.
For Samantha Lewthwaite, the daughter of a former British soldier who grew up attending school discos in Buckinghamshire, views these awful events as a cause for jubilation.
Kenyan anti-terror police revealed yesterday that Lewthwaite - who is known to many as the White Widow - may be the brains behind the operation to bring terror to the heart of Kenya, a country once  synonymous with the sexual high-jinks of the Happy Valley expatriate set, but rapidly becoming a new battleground in the war between Islamists and the West.
‘I suspect this woman Lewthwaite is behind this attack,’ a senior anti-terror source told me last night as survivors described how a woman in a veil appeared to be commanding the other terrorists as they hunted down and killed non-Muslim shoppers.
The idea that she might have ordered the attack – or even led it herself – is not far-fetched at all.
Having converted to Islam as a young woman and married a man who went on to be a 7/7 London suicide bomber, she has become a key figure in the terror group behind this weekend’s attack.
Lewthwaite has even been involved in training a group of all-female suicide attackers at camps in lawless neighbouring Somalia.
Scroll down for video

Mall massacre: Civilians who had been hiding during a gun battle hold their hands in the air as a precautionary measure before being searched by armed police leading them to safety, inside the Westgate mall in Nairobi

It is an extraordinary, macabre journey into darkness for the 29-year-old, who grew up as a normal teenager in Aylesbury before meeting Jermaine Lindsay, a British Muslim, in an online chat room when she was 17. The pair married three years later.
When her husband was named as one of four suicide bombers who blew up Tube trains and a bus in 2005, killing 52 people, Lewthwaite initially condemned her late husband’s attack and denied any knowledge of his plan.

 

This was a lie. More than eight years later, Lewthwaite is one of Al Qaeda’s main recruiters in East Africa and is an official spokesman for Al Shabaab (The People), the terrorist group behind the horror in Nairobi.
As well as railing against ‘infidels in the West’, Lewthwaite had previously used a Twitter account to denounce a rival foreign terrorist in the text-speak of a teenager.

‘Fyi [for your information] sam lewthwaite thinks u r a irritating obnoxious contemptible little Muj PRAT,’ she wrote. (‘Muj’ is a contraction of mujahideen – a jihadist). 

Gunshots: what it sounded like being trapped inside Westgate Mall

Backup: More soldiers from the Kenya Defence Force arrived to strengthen the already large numbers of troops available to deal with the siege at the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya

The object of her anger was Omar Shafik Hammami, a former student from Alabama. Last week he was shot dead in an ambush by terrorists loyal to the White Widow.
‘May his fate serve as a lesson to all those who want to follow in his footsteps as a poster boy for jihad,’ Lewthwaite wrote gleefully on Twitter.

Teenage years: Samantha Lewthwaite grew up attending school discos in Buckinghamshire

To add to her name for ruthlessness, the White Widow did not mention in her tweets that a British man reputed to be her second husband was also killed in the ambush.
Her fearless reputation within Africa’s growing Islamic terror network has been strengthened by her own involvement as a mujahid – or warrior – during a series of bombings and shootings in Kenya’s tourist areas.
Known to her devoted followers as dada muzungu – Swahili for white sister – Lewthwaite moved to Kenya with her three children in 2007.
A small, dumpy woman, she cut off all links with her family in Britain and became immersed in East Africa’s Islamic terror networks, forging links with other British fanatics who had come to Kenya to wage ‘jihad’ against non-believers. It was last year that details of Lewthwaite’s secret new life emerged in grisly detail.
A white woman, later identified as Lewthwaite, had led a group of terrorists who fired grenades into a bar in Mombasa, the Kenyan coastal tourist resort popular with Britons. Three people, including a child, were killed and more than 50 injured.
In truth, I was deeply sceptical when news was first leaked two years ago about the White Widow’s alleged role as a terrorist with the group now causing carnage in Nairobi.
Yet now, having spent time among her acolytes in the Islamic stronghold where she once lived near Mombasa, and in briefings with police, prosecutors and senior investigators during subsequent investigations in Nairobi, I have no doubt that Lewthwaite is a cold-blooded killer and a dangerous ideologue.

Senior officers in Kenya have told me they will kill her on sight. So far, however, she has avoided arrest by wearing all-concealing Islamic dress as she has flitted between Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Former home: The 29-year-old grew up as a normal teenager in Aylesbury (file picture), Buckinghamshire, before meeting a British Muslim in an online chat room when she was 17. The pair married three years later

Meanwhile, the group she is allied to continues to wreak havoc in the region.
Al Shabaab grew out of the chaos of Somalia, and has seen jihadists wage a brutal war to impose strict sharia law in the East African state.

'I suspect this woman Lewthwaite is behind this attack'
Senior anti-terror source

But Kenyan forces, supported by Britain and America, have been waging war across the border in Somalia in an attempt to keep the Islamists from power.
With the war against Al Shabaab in Somalia proving highly effective, Kenya’s support has made it a key enemy of the Islamists.
Even before this weekend’s attack, the activities of Lewthwaite and her fellow terrorists had turned Kenya into a place of fear and paranoia.
Clearly, the White Widow has a taste for blood. It remains to be seen whether she will live long enough to kill again.

Top 5 Richest/Bankable Nigerian’s Female Actresses

Four elements contribute to the success of a movie at the box-office. They include good script, experienced director, professional publicist, and most importantly, the big name stars.
Wikipedia defines a bankable star to be an actor famous or charismatic enough to be “capable of guaranteeing box-office success simply by showing up in a movie”. It is common knowledge that a Will Smith will sell any movie no matter how bad as long as he has his face on the jacket.
In Nigeria, some movie stars have proven again and again that they can guarantee return on investment as long as their faces adorn the poster. They are Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Omoni Oboli, Funke Akindele and Nse Ikpe-Etim. Or how else could one explain the success of box office hits like Mirror Boy, Ije, and Tango With Me all having Genevieve Nnaji starring in them? And what about Figurine and Anchor Baby which both starred Omoni Oboli as the lead actress?
Here, We take a look at Nollywood’s five bankable actresses, their earnings and what is possibly working for them.

1. Genevieve Nnaji

Topping the list of five is Genevieve Nnaji. Love or hate her, Genny as she is fondly called, has a way with cinema audiences that make them come back again and again for her movies.
So far, Genevieve’s starring in the movies has grossed over N83 million at the box office. Mirror Boy (described by the actress as her first major film and the first to put her at the box-office) made N18 million, while Ije netted N60 million turning out to be Nigeria’s highest grossing movie ever. But Genevieve had to share the money with Omotola, who also acted alongside her. If the sharing formula is 50-50, then Genevieve gets N30 million of the total gross.
Genevieve’s next movie, Tango with Me went on to make N35 million. So, putting all the figures together, Genny remains at the head of the pack. What seem to be working for Genevieve are her enduring power, popularity and social media connection. The actress has been there for over a decade and is still waxing stronger. Her wine seems to taste better with age.
Another plus for Genny is her popularity. Genevieve is hugely popular across Africa and most especially among the youths. Before now, she has been very active on the social media especially Twitter. She even had to put up a Facebook advert after reports emerged that some acts were ahead of her there.

2. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Next on the list is Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde with box-office gross of N60 million. She made N24 million with Last Flight to Abuja, N6 million from Private Storm and her N30 million share in Ije bring her total earning to N60 million.
This year alone, no actress has made as much as N24 million from a single movie; Funke Akindele would have done so with The Return of Jenifa but the movie hit the box office in 2011.
Omotola, who was reported to have been paid N5 million by Tarila Thompson all in the bid to make his movie a blockbuster, has been described as the biggest box office actress of 2012. She recorded successes back to back but it remains to be seen if she can pull off the box office magic again with Amina and other movies coming in 2013.
Omotola has been an A-list actress even before Genevieve got her first big break and so what has been working for her is the wise investment in her brand. Her enduring presence and unceasing contact with her fans via the social media has made her popular even in an environment where a mother of four like her is not fashionable.

3.Funke Akindele

Surprisingly, the third person on the list is Funke Akindele, a young lady who rose to fame in I Need To Know, a TV series, and went on to earn a monstrous fame with Jenifa.
Funke is an unlikely candidate on this list. Now, how can one explain that she is third on a list parading heavy weights like Omoni Oboli, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Stephanie Okereke among others?
So far, Funke has made over N56 million, netting over N20 million in 2012 alone. In The Return of Jenifa, Funke netted N35 million. The movie ran till February 2012. Her movie, Married but Living Single made N9.9 million while Maami made N11 million. The actress is on her way to another cinema glory with a movie, A Wish. Let’s hope she will be able to wave the magical wand again and create a box-office success.
For Funke who recently got married, the plus factor for her is her huge popularity among the masses and elites. Her movie, Jenifa cuts across all social groups with the street parlance in it becoming the mode of communication in social gathering. And as an icing on the cake, Funke has moved upscale, she is now the toast of events organized by the rich and not so rich. Her box office credibility transcends the cinema as all DVDs parading her face turn into gold.

4. Omoni Oboli

Omoni Oboli, who is still largely unknown to those who don’t patronise the cinema and social media, is fourth on the list. She is a silent achiever. Before the trio of Genevieve, Omotola and Funke even dreamt of hitting the box office, Omoni Oboli already took the lead. Figurine, her first box office appearance made N13 million while her second effort, Anchor Baby made N18 million bringing her total earning to N31million.

Omoni’s strength is her exclusivity and knack for quality. It is a known fact that if the project is not big and ambitious, Omoni might not do it. The disadvantage of that is, despite her box office credibility, Omoni is still unknown in areas where there is no access to cinemas. Perhaps, that is the reason she tries to make up with the red carpet presence.
For now, the exclusivity is working for Omoni; perhaps her new movie, Broken and other works will introduce a new twist. One other thing that should not be forgotten is the unprecedented publicity of Anchor Baby in 2010. The film also had Omoni at the forefront of meeting and greeting of fans at the cinemas.

5. Nse Ikpe-Etim

The fifth slot belongs to Nse Ikpe-Etim. She seems to be the latest sensation in big budget movies. In Mr and Mrs, Nse was a delight, her performance was a reference point and it was a hook that kept drawing people to the cinema while the movie was there.
Mr and Mrs made N6 million while another of her film, Phone Swap made N20 million, making a total of N26 million.
Too early for Nse to cement her place, as she hasn’t done N15 million back-to-back but one thing the actress has made clear is that she has intention of doing that. The leading four acts should be afraid of Nse because her strength lies in her pure acting talent.
Nse is born to act, deemed to be unnecessarily assertive a times, but you can’t accuse her of not knowing her lines. And she pushes her movies with virgour, moving from one cinema to the other.
However, Nse should watch it as many have accused her of being too ‘self-conscious’, a term casually used for budding stars who have ‘over-hyped’ impression of themselves as this could alienate fans who make the box-office count.

Rita Dominic and Stephanie Okereke

Rita Dominic and Stephanie Okereke should readily make the list but they haven’t appeared at the cinemas more than once. Hopefully, Rita will break into the list with The Meeting, Lion of 76 and Street of Calabar while Stephanie already had N10 million under her belt with Through the Glass.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. A bankable star makes easier the job of a producer; the absence of one, however, is not a ready-made doom for a movie as Avatar and Slumdog Millionaire (both global box office hits) have shown. But if one would take a risk or err, it’s better to err on the part of caution.
source :Osun Defender

Rihanna's Slow Loris Pic Leads to Two Arrests in Thailand

Rihanna's Thailand trip has authorities cracking down on how the nation is presented to tourists, reports the Phuket News. Two local men, aged 16 and 20, were arrested after the singer posted an Instagram selfie of her snuggled up with a slow loris while visiting Southeast Asia for her Diamond's World Tour.
The slow loris — a furry, big-eyed primate — is considered an endangered species.
"Look who was talkin dirty to me! #Thailand #nightlife," Bad gal Rih Rih wrote as a caption to the pic, which has been "liked" by over 231,000 Instagram users, but upset enough people that the Phuket Govenor ordered an "urgent investigation."
Apparently, local animal welfare groups have been working for some time now to keep such protected primates in the wild. Just last week was Loris Awareness Week; and raids in June of this year — prior to Rihanna's visit — led to several arrests of alleged illegal handlers.
"This is a big deal because it might affect Thailand's reputation," explained Awal Nithikul, the lead patrol officer and Senior Forest Academic at Khao Phra Taew Forest Preserve, who received the governor's order to investigate.
Rih's visit also sparked an investigation into the local illegal sex shows industry. After she posted tweets about a show that she saw, "The authorities and law officials have surveyed the area to arrest and fine those involved," a district chief, Veera Kerdsirimongkol told the Bangkok Post.
Rihanna was on vacation in Thailand before moving on to her next performance date, which was in Singapore. Her IG page has over 9 million followers and her Twitter has over 31 million.