SSS seal off Appropriation committee office in the House of Reps
Nigeria will disintegrate before Buhari's very eyes if any more innocent blood is shed- FFK
Former NFL player Antonio Armstrong and wife shot dead by 16-year-old son
The teenage son of former NFL player and Miami Dolphins linebacker has been charged
with murdering
Photos: Police officer shoots protester dead, others injured in Nassarawa
One person has
been confirmed
Photos from the burial of Asari Dokubo's wife, Zainab
The remains of
the first wife of former Niger Delta militant leader,
Watch: Elderly Afghan cleric arrested after marrying a six-year-old girl, claims she was a 'religious offering'
An elderly Afghan cleric has been arrested after he married a six-year-old girl, officials said Friday,July 30, in the latest case highlighting the scourge of child marriages in the Muslim country.
Mohammad Karim, said to around 60, who was being held in the central province of Ghor province, claimed her parents gave him the girl as a "religious offering". But officials cited the girl’s family on Friday as saying that she was abducted from the western province of Herat.
"This girl does not speak, but repeats only one thing: ‘I am afraid of this man’," said Masoom Anwari, head of the women affairs department in Ghor.
The girl is currently in a woman’s shelter in Ghor and her parents are on their way to the province to collect her, the local governor’s office said.
"Karim has been jailed and our investigation is ongoing," said Abdul Hai Khatibi, the governor’s spokesman. The incidents highlight rising cases of child marriages in Afghanistan.
"In some regions because of insecurity and poverty the families marry off their daughters at a very early age to get rid of them," said Sima Samar, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Afghan civil law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls, yet 15 per cent of Afghan women under 50 were married before their 15th birthday and almost half were married before the age of 18.
"So many children who are married off at a young age are deprived of their right to education, safety and the ability to make choices about their future," the charity said.
"This is such a fundamental breach of a child’s basic right." Samar added.
Watch the video
I am confident EFCC and ICPC will effect the arrest of Speaker Dogara- Jibrin
Minister of Environment, pictured in her jogging outfit as she participates in monthly jogging exercise for civil servants
Nnamdi Kanu sponsors football competition in Kuje prisons (photos)
Photos from actress Ene Audu's wedding
Niger Delta militant group, MEND, claims FG has agreed to release NNamdi Kanu, Okah brothers
In a statement released by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said the decision to free the men was reached at a negotiation meeting which was facilitated by former Senate President, Adolphus Nwabara. The statement reads in part ;Niger Delta Militant group, MEND, has released a statement alleging that the President Buhari-led administration has agreed to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB Nnamdi Kanu and Charles and Henry Okah, suspected masterminds of the 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja.
In a statement released by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said the decision to free the men was reached at a negotiation meeting which was facilitated by former Senate President, Adolphus Nwabara. The statement reads in part
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is the only militant group from the Niger Delta region who are presently engaged in a dialogue with the federal government of Nigeria through oil companies and security agencies -with a view to resolving the current Niger Delta crisis. Thus far, the deliberations have been fruitful, various concessions and guarantees have already been secured. Some of which include, but are not limited to: release of Henry Okah, Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze; review of the life sentence handed to Mr. Edmund Ebiware based on a proposal put forward by the Aaron Team representative for Abia and Imo states, Senator Adolphus Wabara. Also, conditional release of IPOB leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and others if they renounce their agitation for a “Biafra Republic,”.The statement by the group adds that part of the agreement includes the that wanted militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo will not be arrested if he comes out of hiding.
Photos: Minister of Women Affair, Aisha Alhassan, returns to Taraba state after a successful knee surgery in the US
Minister of
Women Affairs, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, returned to Taraba state today
July 30th after a successful knee surgery in the US.More photos you continue
13 inmates escape in Kogi jail break
13 inmates have escaped after a jail break
Reno Omokri reminds VP Osinbajo
President Obama's daughter, Malia Obama seen dancing at Lollapalooza
Video credit: TMZ
Joe Jonas Wants To Kill Gigi Hadid!
"I'll marry Demi. She's a friend. This is a game, right? Shag Taylor. Kill Gigi," he answered.
Ouch! Considering the supermodel dumped him for Zayn Malik, this is a pretty appropriate response. We caught the crooner at LAX with his pal Cole Whittle earlier in the day, so he must have landed in NYC and headed straight to Andy Cohen's clubhouse!
Justin Bieber Turned Down $5 Million Offer To Perform At Republican Convention Party
Justin Bieber can’t be
bought! The singer turned down a $5 million offer to perform at an event
during the Republican National Convention, but apparently turned it
down after his longtime manager Scooter Braun threatened to quit and NBA
star LeBron James told the singer to say no, reports TMZ.
Sources at CAA, which is the talent agency that reps the Biebs, tell the
site that a rep for the RNC contacted Justin’s people to see if the
Canadian superstar would perform a 45 minute set at a venue near Ohio’s
Quicken Loans Arena, where the Convention was held.
The site claims that the promoter for the event told Justin’s peeps that
the event was "not political" and JB was neither endorsing Trump nor
the GOP by performing.
However, according to the proposed contract, Biebs’ $5 million payday
was bankrolled by GOP donors.
Apparently, the money was also to be paid "up front" -- so he’d be paid
before he even performed and the donors would cover any production
expenses.
Sounds like a sweet deal — if it wasn’t being paid for by Donald Trump!
Apparently, this gig would have been Justin’s biggest payday, and he
seriously considered doing it — because he’s Canadian and doesn’t vote
here, and because the check was so big.
However, Justin’s trusted manager Scooter Braun, is a big time Hillary
Clinton supporter and even held a fundraiser for Hil at his L.A. home
last year and he had some major problems with his client doing the gig,
and so did CAA. Both Scooter and the agency felt that despite the
promoter saying that the event was not political, that doing it was "100
percent political," according to TMZ.
Apparently Scooter didn’t give a flat out no at first, and suggested
putting “Black Lives Matter” banners up at the venue, but they were told
that they could not do that. The donors would only accept banners that
read "All Lives Matter." The donors also did not want JB to say anything
bad about Trump or the GOP during his performance.
TMZ claims Scooter told Justin that doing the show was up to him but
that out of principle, he would not be able to represent the singer if
he did it since he felt that the GOP was using him as a tool.
Apparently, in an attempt to get Bieber to perform, the promoter told
Scooter that LeBron James was also going to attend an event in
Cleveland, without taking a political stand. Biebs' people got a hold of
LeBron’s people who said that the NBA star would NOT be in Cleveland
for the RNC and told Justin not to go.
Obviously Justin didn’t end up doing the show — good for him! Maybe
#BiebersWithHer! Read more at: https://tr.im/1zsAs
Justin Bieber can’t be
bought! The singer turned down a $5 million offer to perform at an event
during the Republican National Convention, but apparently turned it
down after his longtime manager Scooter Braun threatened to quit and NBA
star LeBron James told the singer to say no, reports TMZ.
Sources at CAA, which is the talent agency that reps the Biebs, tell the
site that a rep for the RNC contacted Justin’s people to see if the
Canadian superstar would perform a 45 minute set at a venue near Ohio’s
Quicken Loans Arena, where the Convention was held.
The site claims that the promoter for the event told Justin’s peeps that
the event was "not political" and JB was neither endorsing Trump nor
the GOP by performing.
However, according to the proposed contract, Biebs’ $5 million payday
was bankrolled by GOP donors.
Apparently, the money was also to be paid "up front" -- so he’d be paid
before he even performed and the donors would cover any production
expenses.
Sounds like a sweet deal — if it wasn’t being paid for by Donald Trump!
Apparently, this gig would have been Justin’s biggest payday, and he
seriously considered doing it — because he’s Canadian and doesn’t vote
here, and because the check was so big.
However, Justin’s trusted manager Scooter Braun, is a big time Hillary
Clinton supporter and even held a fundraiser for Hil at his L.A. home
last year and he had some major problems with his client doing the gig,
and so did CAA. Both Scooter and the agency felt that despite the
promoter saying that the event was not political, that doing it was "100
percent political," according to TMZ.
Apparently Scooter didn’t give a flat out no at first, and suggested
putting “Black Lives Matter” banners up at the venue, but they were told
that they could not do that. The donors would only accept banners that
read "All Lives Matter." The donors also did not want JB to say anything
bad about Trump or the GOP during his performance.
TMZ claims Scooter told Justin that doing the show was up to him but
that out of principle, he would not be able to represent the singer if
he did it since he felt that the GOP was using him as a tool.
Apparently, in an attempt to get Bieber to perform, the promoter told
Scooter that LeBron James was also going to attend an event in
Cleveland, without taking a political stand. Biebs' people got a hold of
LeBron’s people who said that the NBA star would NOT be in Cleveland
for the RNC and told Justin not to go.
Obviously Justin didn’t end up doing the show — good for him! Maybe
#BiebersWithHer! Read more at: https://tr.im/1zsAs
Justin
Bieber can’t be bought! The singer turned down a $5 million offer to perform at
an event during the Republican National Convention, but apparently turned it
down after his longtime manager Scooter Braun threatened to quit and NBA star
LeBron James told the singer to say no, reports TMZ.
Sources at CAA, which is
the talent agency that reps the Biebs, tell the site that a rep for the RNC
contacted Justin’s people to see if the Canadian superstar would perform a 45
minute set at a venue near Ohio’s Quicken Loans Arena, where the Convention was
held.
The site claims that the promoter for the event told Justin’s peeps that
the event was "not political" and JB was neither endorsing Trump nor
the GOP by performing. However, according to the proposed contract, Biebs’ $5
million payday was bankrolled by GOP donors.
Apparently, the money was also to
be paid "up front" so he’d be paid before he even performed and
the donors would cover any production expenses. Sounds like a sweet deal if
it wasn’t being paid for by Donald Trump! Apparently, this gig would have been
Justin’s biggest payday, and he seriously considered doing it because he’s
Canadian and doesn’t vote here, and because the check was so big.
However,
Justin’s trusted manager Scooter Braun, is a big time Hillary Clinton supporter
and even held a fundraiser for Hil at his L.A. home last year and he had some
major problems with his client doing the gig, and so did CAA. Both Scooter and
the agency felt that despite the promoter saying that the event was not
political, that doing it was "100 percent political," according to
TMZ.
Apparently Scooter didn’t give a flat out no at first, and suggested
putting “Black Lives Matter” banners up at the venue, but they were told that
they could not do that. The donors would only accept banners that read "All
Lives Matter." The donors also did not want JB to say anything bad about
Trump or the GOP during his performance.
TMZ claims Scooter told Justin that
doing the show was up to him but that out of principle, he would not be able to
represent the singer if he did it since he felt that the GOP was using him as a
tool.
Apparently, in an attempt to get Bieber to perform, the promoter told
Scooter that LeBron James was also going to attend an event in Cleveland,
without taking a political stand. Biebs' people got a hold of LeBron’s people
who said that the NBA star would NOT be in Cleveland for the RNC and told
Justin not to go. Obviously Justin didn’t end up doing the show good for him!
Maybe #BiebersWithHer!
Source:X17Online
Justin Bieber can’t be
bought! The singer turned down a $5 million offer to perform at an event
during the Republican National Convention, but apparently turned it
down after his longtime manager Scooter Braun threatened to quit and NBA
star LeBron James told the singer to say no, reports TMZ.
Sources at CAA, which is the talent agency that reps the Biebs, tell the
site that a rep for the RNC contacted Justin’s people to see if the
Canadian superstar would perform a 45 minute set at a venue near Ohio’s
Quicken Loans Arena, where the Convention was held.
The site claims that the promoter for the event told Justin’s peeps that
the event was "not political" and JB was neither endorsing Trump nor
the GOP by performing.
However, according to the proposed contract, Biebs’ $5 million payday
was bankrolled by GOP donors.
Apparently, the money was also to be paid "up front" -- so he’d be paid
before he even performed and the donors would cover any production
expenses.
Sounds like a sweet deal — if it wasn’t being paid for by Donald Trump!
Apparently, this gig would have been Justin’s biggest payday, and he
seriously considered doing it — because he’s Canadian and doesn’t vote
here, and because the check was so big.
However, Justin’s trusted manager Scooter Braun, is a big time Hillary
Clinton supporter and even held a fundraiser for Hil at his L.A. home
last year and he had some major problems with his client doing the gig,
and so did CAA. Both Scooter and the agency felt that despite the
promoter saying that the event was not political, that doing it was "100
percent political," according to TMZ.
Apparently Scooter didn’t give a flat out no at first, and suggested
putting “Black Lives Matter” banners up at the venue, but they were told
that they could not do that. The donors would only accept banners that
read "All Lives Matter." The donors also did not want JB to say anything
bad about Trump or the GOP during his performance.
TMZ claims Scooter told Justin that doing the show was up to him but
that out of principle, he would not be able to represent the singer if
he did it since he felt that the GOP was using him as a tool.
Apparently, in an attempt to get Bieber to perform, the promoter told
Scooter that LeBron James was also going to attend an event in
Cleveland, without taking a political stand. Biebs' people got a hold of
LeBron’s people who said that the NBA star would NOT be in Cleveland
for the RNC and told Justin not to go.
Obviously Justin didn’t end up doing the show — good for him! Maybe
#BiebersWithHer! Read more at: https://tr.im/1zsAs
Justin Bieber can’t be
bought! The singer turned down a $5 million offer to perform at an event
during the Republican National Convention, but apparently turned it
down after his longtime manager Scooter Braun threatened to quit and NBA
star LeBron James told the singer to say no, reports TMZ.
Sources at CAA, which is the talent agency that reps the Biebs, tell the
site that a rep for the RNC contacted Justin’s people to see if the
Canadian superstar would perform a 45 minute set at a venue near Ohio’s
Quicken Loans Arena, where the Convention was held.
The site claims that the promoter for the event told Justin’s peeps that
the event was "not political" and JB was neither endorsing Trump nor
the GOP by performing.
However, according to the proposed contract, Biebs’ $5 million payday
was bankrolled by GOP donors.
Apparently, the money was also to be paid "up front" -- so he’d be paid
before he even performed and the donors would cover any production
expenses.
Sounds like a sweet deal — if it wasn’t being paid for by Donald Trump!
Apparently, this gig would have been Justin’s biggest payday, and he
seriously considered doing it — because he’s Canadian and doesn’t vote
here, and because the check was so big.
However, Justin’s trusted manager Scooter Braun, is a big time Hillary
Clinton supporter and even held a fundraiser for Hil at his L.A. home
last year and he had some major problems with his client doing the gig,
and so did CAA. Both Scooter and the agency felt that despite the
promoter saying that the event was not political, that doing it was "100
percent political," according to TMZ.
Apparently Scooter didn’t give a flat out no at first, and suggested
putting “Black Lives Matter” banners up at the venue, but they were told
that they could not do that. The donors would only accept banners that
read "All Lives Matter." The donors also did not want JB to say anything
bad about Trump or the GOP during his performance.
TMZ claims Scooter told Justin that doing the show was up to him but
that out of principle, he would not be able to represent the singer if
he did it since he felt that the GOP was using him as a tool.
Apparently, in an attempt to get Bieber to perform, the promoter told
Scooter that LeBron James was also going to attend an event in
Cleveland, without taking a political stand. Biebs' people got a hold of
LeBron’s people who said that the NBA star would NOT be in Cleveland
for the RNC and told Justin not to go.
Obviously Justin didn’t end up doing the show — good for him! Maybe
#BiebersWithHer! Read more at: https://tr.im/1zsAs
Navy impounds 600,000 liters of illegally refined diesel
The Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, on
Saturday said it seized
EFCC Arraigns 3 for N25m Local Government Fraud in Ebonyi State
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, arraigned
This Medical Doctor Has Not Been Found Since July 24th
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kwara Chapter, has declared one of its members, Dr. Abdulkareem Abdulrahman missing.
Dr. Victor Iroha, the
Secretary of NMA in the state, announced this in a statement given to
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Ilorin on Saturday.
Iroha said Abdulraheem, a medical officer with Hospital Management Bureau, was posted to General Hospital in Omu-Aran.
He said Abdulraheem has not been found since 6AM of Sunday July 24, 2016.
“Abdulraheem drove out of his residence opposite Federal Road Safety Commission Office, GRA in his Navy blue Toyota Corolla car with registration number BWR 532 RP and have not been seen since then.His phone has also been unreachable and there has been no trace of either him or his car,” he added in the statement.
Iroha also stated that all search efforts had so far yielded no results.
He said the matter had been reported to the Police and allied security agencies.
The NMA appealed to people with useful information contact the nearest Police station.
My Father is Yet to Regain Freedom – Abducted Iba traditional Ruler’s Son
Prince Saheed Oseni, the son of the kidnapped
"I call her first class' - Mr Ibu gushes over his wife
Bisi Alimi hangs out with Neyo and Jaden Smith
Gay activist Bisi Alimi took photos with Hollywood stars, NEYO, Jaden
Smith and Neyo's girl, Crystal Renay at Claridges Hotel on Friday.More photos as you continue
Indian man who 'died' from snake bite wakes up seconds before cremation and dies again (Graphic photos)
Brazilian drug lord serves his time in a 'VIP cell' that had a library, plasma TV, 3 rooms and an en-suite bathroom
A Brazilian
drug lord serving an eight-year prison sentence, spent his time behind
bars in a 'VIP cell
Katie Price and her new boobs step out following 8th successful boob job
Cristiano Ronaldo pushes aside selfie seeking fan who tried interrupt his shopping trip (photos/video)
Five things to avoid when chatting up someone
Communication between two strangers can
be hard. Make them both of different genders and you have the world’s
oldest mystery on your hands. Contrary to what our parents said, it’s
not one of those things you get better at by being a good boy and
reading your books. In fact, it seems to get worse the smarter you are.
Have you missed out on an opportunity to
get to know someone because you were tongue tied? Well hopefully this
will happen never again. The next time you want to walk up to someone,
here are five things that you should avoid.
PS: Ladies, don’t leave the challenge to the men, you can use them too.
1) Having Nothing To Say :
Impulse is not always bad and sometimes
there’s no time. But the last thing you want to do is hold her up and
not be able to string together a coherent sentence. You might still get
her number out of pity but is that really a first impression you’d like
to leave? Whether it’s a compliment or a joke, have at least one
sentence ready.
2) Using Clichés:
‘I think I’ve seen you somewhere before’
or ‘You must have fallen from heaven’. Unless you are absolutely sure
this is true, no one wants to hear these clichés that have been around
since 1000B.C. It immediately makes people distrust you and raise their
walls even higher. Your best bet is honesty. Simple sentences that say
exactly what you mean, devoid of Shakespearean phrases will always go
down well.
3) Being Dishonest:
Not all Prada wearing women are the
Devil. Contrary to popular opinion, a conversation that is honest gives
you a much better chance at walking away with her contact details than
one in which you’re lying through your teeth. Exaggerations of wealth
and status are particularly annoying because either way, when the truth
is out your dishonesty buys you a ticket to Blockedville. Women have
various people try to talk to them daily and they so become pretty good
at spotting phoniness a mile away.
4) Making It About You:
Confidence is a nice scent, but not when
worn so thickly that we reek of narcissism. Speaking in a way that
implies you deem it an honour to the other person that you’re talking to
them (because after all, here you are) is a must. You should put the
focus on the person you are speaking to before yourself. Ask them about
themselves instead of weighing them down with your own life story. You
come off as haughty and no one wants to be friends with anyone like
that. Speak in a strong clear voice and make eye contact, implying that
you know your worth, but never blow your own horn.
5) Appearing Desperate:
Sometimes a ‘No’ means just that and not
an invitation to try to convince her by going down on your knees. When
in doubt, her body language definitely doesn’t lie. Over the top
displays of affection will not only embarrass you both but make you seem
creepy, thereby putting the nail in the coffin of your plans. Women are
not all fickle creatures whose minds can be changed by grandiose
gestures. Smile, say bye and walk away.
Do these tips still apply if the person
is halfway across the globe? Sure; what’s more AfriMobile offers cheap
calls intonationally. You can even connect with your loved ones for
FREE, using voice or video calls and text messages. So sit back, collect
yourself and enjoy the conversation. We love connecting people!
AfriMobile
Diamond Platnumz shares cute family photos
Moment a creepy home Intruder stood over couple asleep on their couch
They told WLS-TV:
“We actually got into a little bit of an argument about it. He thought I left it at the restaurant the night before,” she said.What they found instead turned their blood cold. Around 3:30 a.m., while they were both passed out in Mackercher’s living room asleep, a hooded man appeared out of their upstairs bedroom.
The man then stood on the ledge and proceeded to stare down at them for several minutes and even watched the show that was playing on TV for several minutes. He was at the top of the stairs for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Mackercher said:
“We were both like, ‘What the hell, is this real?’ “It was really quite creepy, especially when you see that happen in your house.”
“He stood there for about five minutes the first time then walked away, then came back and hovered over us again for another seven ten minutes,” Buranskas told WLS-TV.The intruder was so quiet and slow-moving that his presence didn’t even tip off Mackercher’s two dogs, they said.
The couple said they believe the man got in through an unlocked door after climbing six flights of stairs on their building’s fire escape. They said he’s been dubbed the “Creeper Ghost” and is suspected in a string of burglaries in the area.
Watch the video here
Africa has the sole responsibility to balance the world as its center - Ooni Of Ife
18 year old Cancer patient marries high school sweetheart at Tulsa children’s hospital
Photos: Bella Hadid puts her body on display in nude outfit
Restaurant owner is forced to eat cockroach found in customer's food
A customer who ordered fried noodles from a restaurant in Changsha, Hunan province, China on July 25th, forced the restaurant's owner to eat a cockroach
#SaveMayowa crisis gets messier, police freeze account
The controversial Save Mayowa Campaign
has added a new twist after the Founder of Lifestake Foundation, Aramide
Kasumu, who was involved in the fundraising, alleged that the family of
the ailing Mayowa Ahmed lied that only N30m had been raised while the
correct amount was N85m.
The campaign was initiated to raise
funds for surgery in a foreign hospital for Mayowa, who is suffering
from ovarian cancer, but there have been allegations that the patient’s
family was using her condition to defraud members of the public.
Kasumu, in a video posted online on
Friday, appeared to have confirmed the allegations when she accused
Mayowa’s family members of lying about the amount that had been raised
for the patient.
She also accused the family members of
attempting to shut out people involved in the fundraising and giving
conflicting information about Mayowa’s situation and the hospital they
intend to take her for treatment.
“The brother came to the public to say they raised N30m when in actual fact, they raised N85m,” she said in the footage.
“They came and said they had a visa when
they didn’t have a visa; they solicited for funds to go to America but
now they are saying they are going to Dubai. A lot of things were not
adding up and they were not being straightforward. We were saying ‘why
are you guys not being straightforward?’ What is our plan?
“And I was like, some things are not
adding up here. I need to know what is going on and my concern is: I
need to know if they are actually going to get Mayowa treated, that they
are not just trying to take advantage of her situation which is my
fight because you got me involved.
“People are asking me questions, I
cannot answer. I sent Mayowa messages, she wasn’t responding. I called
her phones; nobody was explaining anything to me. I said I need answers
so that when people ask me, I can answer.”
Kasumu said that the police had taken over the matter to ensure transparency.
In a related development, the Lagos
State Police Command has frozen the controversial bank account opened to
raise money for Mayowa pending when investigation into allegations of
fraud is concluded.
A statement from the Police Public
Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, on Friday said the state police
commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, “directed full investigation into the
report that the ‘Save Mayowa Campaign’ is a fraud” and that the report
of the investigation will be made public.
The statement said that Kasumu, and two
members of Ahmed family – Mr. Iwaloye Seun and Mrs. Zaneen Ahmed – had
earlier been invited to the command’s headquarters for questioning.
It said in part, “…subsequently, the
command has placed a red alert on the bank account opened in the name of
Mayowa as it has been frozen while effort is ongoing to contact the
managers of Gofundme online account so as to ensure funds raised through
that platform is not fraudulently diverted.
“Investigation will be extended to the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, where the patient is
currently undergoing treatment.
The allegations surrounding the case are
that doctors at LUTH had told the Ahmed family that Mayowa’s ailment
had reached a terminal stage and therefore could not be treated, but
that the family had continued to raise money in spite of that.
Militants’ attacks: Hotels shut down in Lagos, as residents flee in Ogun
Like a swarm of locusts leaving
destruction and desolation in their wake, the invasion of some Lagos
riverside communities by suspected Niger Delta militants has all but
stalled the local economy of those areas.
Walking through some parts of Isawo and
Igbo-Olomu, still feels like walking through a ‘no man’s land’ with
shops shut, houses deserted and streets inhabited by nothing but
domestic animals.
Aside the immediate impact on livelihood
and the fear forcing people to flee these parts of Lagos where many
residents were slaughtered and shot by the militants about a month ago, Saturday PUNCH learnt that the attack had virtually grounded hotels in that part of Ikorodu and other areas such as Igando and Iba in Lagos.
“Only a madman will come here and lodge
in any hotel at a time like this. People are running away and you want
to come and sleep here?” an okada rider, who transported one of our
correspondents around the adjoining communities said.
His fear echoed the general atmosphere of fear which pervades the communities.
Nothing in the façade of the first guest
house our correspondent visited, Country Inn, could have suggested that
it was even open for business at all. Its main gate was locked with a
large padlock that seemed to scream ‘keep off!’
But a small metal door beside the gate allowed any curious eyes to see that the door to the reception was open.
When our correspondent approached the
attendant, Marcus Opawale, who sat in the reception, he told our
correspondent that he could count on the fingers of one hand the number
of people who had visited the guest house with the intention of lodging
in the last one month.
For the owners of multimillion naira
businesses like this, business stopped the day militants invaded
Igbo-Olomu and Ishawo communities on June 23, 2016 to slaughter, shot
and rape residents.
Residents fled in droves from the communities, after the attacks left streets littered with corpses.
When one of our correspondents visited
these communities, it was apparent many of the residents have no
intention of returning anytime soon as most of the shops there still
remained shut more than one month after.
Opawale, who spoke with our
correspondent at Court Inn, Igbo-Olomu, said the guest house would
likely remain open unless situation in the area deteriorates.
“But who knows when business will improve for us?” he said.
For others, staying open is not even an option in the face of the tremendous risk in the environment in which they operate
When our correspondent got to Money Mac Hotel, the hotel’s doors were firmly under lock and key.
An undisturbed bush around the entrance of the hotel leaves no one in doubt that it had been shut for a while.
Again, it was the same situation at
Vista Hotel, at Igbo-Olomu, which has also closed down business for lack
of patronage since the oil militants invaded the community.
One hotel which pleaded not to be
mentioned in Ishawo said it remained open even though very few lodgers
had come there in the last one month. It was running its relaxation spot
though.
The manager of the hotel, told one of
our correspondent that now, people had started staying away from the
relaxation spot within the premises of the hotel, where people come to
relax and drink every evening.
He said, “Let’s just say in the last one
month, we cannot really say we have made sales because what we made in
the last two weeks is not even up to what we make in one day when this
place was peaceful.
“Now we have decided to watch if things
improve for the next one week. If it does not, we will have to shut down
for now. There is no point opening the hotel every day when we are not
getting customers.”
Hotels are the biggest businesses in
these desolate communities, making them a major part of the local
economy of this part of Ikorodu, Lagos.
The problem of loss of revenue and lack
of customers resonated in at least eight hotels one of our
correspondents visited within Ishawo and Igbo-Olomu, with all of them
either on the verge of closing up shop or already shut down.
Their stories tell of the huge economic
toll the attack by the suspected oil militants has taken on the
communities. Other smaller businesses are almost no longer operating
when Saturday Punch visited the communities.
In Igando, while the hotels in the area
have not been deeply affected, some hospitals and healthcare centres in
the area where the militants struck have had to shut down operations to
avoid casualties. Specifically, one in Pacific Estate had to quickly
discharge its patients and shut down. One of our correspondents visited
the hospital on Thursday.
One of the residents who fled the
community after the attack, came back to meet his house burgled. He said
he was relocating to Ota, in Ogun State.
Fear grips other riverside communities in Lagos
The sudden upsurge in violence by
militants in Lagos and Ogun states is undoubtedly creating panic beyond
the fear-induced hurried sale of properties in places like Ikorodu.
There was a time when the activities of
suspected militants were unheard of in Lagos. But over the last few
months, the spread of the attacks from the Arepo riverside community of
Ogun State, which witnessed cases of major pipeline vandalism to Ikorodu
and recently to Igando, has created the fear that the militants might
be trying to exercise control over riverside communities.
The kidnappers of the Oniba of Iba in
Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos, another riverside community, had
told his family that they were militants who needed to survive since
they no longer had opportunity to make money from pipeline vandalism.
The monarch has yet to be released two weeks after he was abducted by the militants who have demanded a N500m ransom.
Just few kilometres away, militants also
kidnapped a 30-year-old resident of Igando two days after he arrived
Lagos and released days after, following the payment of an undisclosed
sum of money as ransom.
However at the moment, residents of
Festac in Amuwo Odofin, another Lagos community with creeks, fear the
militants might be planning to extend their attacks to the community.
According to them, the militants could
shift base to the area having been hunted by the police at Igando where
they mounted attacks at dawn on Tuesday.
A resident, Femi Olarinde, first raised
the alarm on social media on Tuesday evening, “Ijaw militants are
presently massing up in the creeks and waterways that are contiguous to
Amuwo Odofin. The Ijaw militants are planning to launch a major attack
in Amuwo Odofin.”
The information has been circulated a
number of times on the social media, underscoring the fear which has
pervaded communities around Lagos creeks.
A senior police officer in the frontline of the operation to rout the militants from the Lagos creeks told Saturday Punch that the information has got to the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad, which is the unit deployed against the militants.
“Our team has got some vital coordinates
of locations of interest through the use of the surveillance
helicopters. We are already working on some vital information,” the
officer said.
However, a security expert, Mr. Richard Amuwa, said the invasion of the militants could have been prevented.
According to him, when robbers had
started attacking through the waterways some months ago in Ikorodu,
Lekki, Festac, that was when the government should have refocused its
strategy.
Amuwa said, “I think the problem of what
is happening in Lagos right now is that the police have been largely
reactive in their strategy.
“Before now, there have been incidents
of armed robbers coming in through the waterways and creeks to operate.
It was obvious that that was the new modus operandi of criminals.
Nothing was done.
“When the governor came in, he bought
helicopters running into billions of naira to be used in surveillance.
But what is the awareness level of the public? Many people are not even
aware that there is 767 or 112 they could call when these people invade
their communities
“When there is shortage of manpower in the police, what are we doing with vigilantes and community policing?
“At the moment, the issue has escalated
to the extent that they have to see the current military action against
the militants through.”
Meanwhile, Saturday PUNCH gathered that on Thursday night, soldiers numbering hundreds engaged some militants at the Ibafo area of Ogun State.
Residents said the soldiers stormed the area in eight trucks and killed some of the militants.
The incident, which had created panic in the community, has led to some residents fleeing their homes.
A resident, Akin Oyetunde, said,
“Everyone is afraid now. People have been fleeing their homes as an
aftermath of Thursday’s incident. The soldiers came in eight trucks and
went to the creeks to battle the militants.
“The militants’ creek is like a depot.
It’s a place where they store crude oil from vandalised pipelines.
Because their business has now been affected, they have resorted to
terrorising the residents. They said we were the ones who spoiled their
business.
“There is panic and right from the
beginning of the week, people have been deserting their homes,
especially those around Halleluyah Quarters down to Ebute Road. I am
relocating out of the area this weekend.”
Another resident, Mr. Laolu Akeem, said he relocated his family out of the area on Friday morning.
Military bombing: Navy blocks Lagos, Ogun creeks to stop vandals
The Nigerian Navy on Friday said it had
successfully blocked all escape routes of the pipeline vandals in the
Arepo area of Ogun State and Isawo, Ikorodu in Lagos State.
It also said it was working together with the two states for the success of the operation.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria,
the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral
Fergusson Bobai, said this at a news conference held at the Command’s
Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos.
He said, “We blocked the escape routes
toward Ogun State and we are going to sustain this operation and see
where it will lead us. The essence of having this blockade by land and
water is that when they are running out, we will be able to grab them,
profile and investigate them.”
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