A British Army soldier who collapsed and died on a three-mile moorland run during a training exercise has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

A British Army soldier who collapsed and died on a three-mile moorland run during a training exercise has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Private Michael Ihemere, 26, from Umuodo, Nigeria, was a member of the 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, who joined fierce fighting while serving in Afghanistan.

He collapsed on Wednesday morning while taking part in an exercise on Army ranges near Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Officers are working with the Army to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death, which is not suspicious, so that a file can be prepared on behalf of the coroner.”

The soldier’s collapse followed the deaths of three reservists in the Brecon Beacons who were undertaking special forces selection when temperatures reached 30C last month. They were carrying fully laden Bergens and belt kit but it was not clear if the soldier in the latest incident was carrying a simliar weight

Girl, 15, Commits Suicide in Kebbi.

Birnin Kebbi — A 15-year-old girl in Jega, Kebbi State has committed suicide by drinking insecticide after a minor squabble with her family, Daily Trust. Close family sources said the incident occurred after the deceased had an argument with her aunt and mother. The deceased, until her death was living with her parents in Sabon Gari, Jega, Daily Trust gathered.

"Her mother, Fatima, a divorcee, scolded her when she heard of the fight between her and her aunt and she threatened to kill herself if the family continues to scold her. She later drank a small bottle of Ota pia-pia (insecticide) and died", a source said.

Sheikh Rimi Jega, who resides close to the girl's home, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, describing it as unfortunate and un-Islamic.

"Her parents were staying in Ungwan Rimi before they moved to Sabon Gari and they are very responsible people. I do not know what made her to commit suicide. Whoever commits suicide in Islam, according to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) will go to hell. I urge parents to maintain good relationship with their children and observe changes in their behaviour. This is a disaster because only Allah knows what contributions she and her children would have made to the development of the country," he said.

All efforts to get police to comment on the incident proved abortive, as the authorities did not respond to messages sent to them

Forced Marriage: Sharia Court Orders Arrest Of Girl's Father.

A 25-year-old woman, Zainab Shitu of Rafin Guza, Kaduna has dragged her father, Shitu Mohammad, to Magajin-Gari Sharia Court for allegedly preventing her from marrying her ``choice husband''.

She told to court on Thursday that her father, Shitu, had refused to give his consent to enable her marry the person she loved and instead was forcing her to marry someone she never knew.

``My father never wanted me to marry my choice but wanted to force me to marry one Abubakar Umar, just because he is his friend’s son, whom I rejected,” she said.

Zainab urged the court to approve her marriage to her heartthrob, Abdulmalik Umar, threatening to commit suicide if her wishes were not respected.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had on Aug. 6, when the case was mentioned, directed the father of the complainant to appear before it on Aug 15.

Shitu was however not in court when the case came up and the presiding officer, Khadi Ibrahim Mohammad, issued a warrant for his arrest, and adjourned the case to Aug. 22 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

What to do to Avoid marriage failures, A MUST READ

 The rate at which marriages collapse now is assuming a social symbol status in our society. 

In no- time, people will be throwing divorce parties & invite friends & well-wishers to celebrate their divorce anniversaries; they will choose aso-

ebi, hire a hall & popular musicians &

what have you. 

Even a question like "So when are u getting divorced?" will become common place. 

If you know u can't handle the weight & pressures of marriage, please remain single. 

If you don't know what marriage is all about, 

please remain single until you do. 

If you are getting married because of the things you desire or hope to gain from the other person please remain single. 

If you know you can't be faithful, remain single. If you can't endure insults from one another, 

Please remain single. If you can't forgive one another's wrong. please remain single. If u can't place your spouse above every other human being,

please remain single! 

Don't get married out of desperation."All my friends are getting married" is the most foolish reason to get married! 

If you desire a successful home, but choice of friends are forces not to reckon with, think again.

Be very mindful of where u go for

advice, Many would give, but not many mean well! 

Guys, if u know u can't put your wife ahead of your ego, please remain single till you are mature. 

Your wife is your priority & EVERYTHING else including you comes last. 

You are the teacher, the guide, the bodyguard, the role model - you are not a deity or God. 

So do not expect to be worshipped. You need respect, earn it by being responsible! 

Ladies, if u know you can't be sub missive please don't go into marriage! If u know you can't stand being corrected, please remain single. 

Mr/Mrs I know it all!!! Ladies check your domestic scorecard - if your score is zero, pls stay in ur parents' house! Ladies & gentlemen,marriage isn't & won't be a bed of roses, Make Yours work..

I hope this gets to my future wife

What to do to Avoid marriage failures, A MUST READ

 The rate at which marriages collapse now is assuming a social symbol status in our society. 

In no- time, people will be throwing divorce parties & invite friends & well-wishers to celebrate their divorce anniversaries; they will choose aso-

ebi, hire a hall & popular musicians &

what have you. 

Even a question like "So when are u getting divorced?" will become common place. 

If you know u can't handle the weight & pressures of marriage, please remain single. 

If you don't know what marriage is all about, 

please remain single until you do. 

If you are getting married because of the things you desire or hope to gain from the other person please remain single. 

If you know you can't be faithful, remain single. If you can't endure insults from one another, 

Please remain single. If you can't forgive one another's wrong. please remain single. If u can't place your spouse above every other human being,

please remain single! 

Don't get married out of desperation."All my friends are getting married" is the most foolish reason to get married! 

If you desire a successful home, but choice of friends are forces not to reckon with, think again.

Be very mindful of where u go for

advice, Many would give, but not many mean well! 

Guys, if u know u can't put your wife ahead of your ego, please remain single till you are mature. 

Your wife is your priority & EVERYTHING else including you comes last. 

You are the teacher, the guide, the bodyguard, the role model - you are not a deity or God. 

So do not expect to be worshipped. You need respect, earn it by being responsible! 

Ladies, if u know you can't be sub missive please don't go into marriage! If u know you can't stand being corrected, please remain single. 

Mr/Mrs I know it all!!! Ladies check your domestic scorecard - if your score is zero, pls stay in ur parents' house! Ladies & gentlemen,marriage isn't & won't be a bed of roses, Make Yours work..

I hope this gets to my future wife

S-African women married to Nigerians threaten protest.

JOHANNESBURG — South African women married to Nigerians, yesterday, threatened to stage mass protest in Johannesburg to stop discrimination against them, their husbands and children.

Mrs Lindelwa Uche, the chairperson of the United Nigerian Wives in South Africa, UNWISA, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria during the launch of the association, Sunday, in Johannesburg.

Uche said that South African society did not take their marriage to Nigerians as serious relationships. She said: “Our society does not take our marriages serious, they see our marriages as relations of convenience and perceive us as evil to the society.

“All of us are South Africans married to Nigerians living in South Africa, we decided to come together to fight against stigmatisation, discrimination, and humiliation, against our families by government departments and agency and the officials of the government, the community and our-in-laws.”

The chairperson said an earlier protest march by the members of the association had not generated any response from the Home affairs office.

“We protested against discrimination from home affairs officials in March this year, and since after that protest we have not received any response from the government. We felt before we embark on any further action we should come together and form an association registered by law.

“After the official launch of our association, our next action will be more than just a protest march to the city of Johannesburg home affairs office. It is going to be a protest where we will strip on the street of Johannesburg, so that people and government will know that there is an existing body and that we are not happy with the way our non South Africans husband and children are being treated.

“We also plan to carry our protest to Nigeria, we know that some South Africans also have businesses in Nigeria, if it is necessary we will take actions that will stop South Africa businesses operating in Nigeria. Indeed we are ready to go that far.

“We have been quiet for so long but we cannot can’t take it anymore, for the sake of the future of our children, we have to put an end to this discrimination.”

She said there was need for them to collectively tackle the issue of some Nigerians residing in South Africa being unfairly separated from their families due to pending residence permit that eventually lead to deportations.

“If we don’t stand up as daughter of the soil and fight discrimination against our marriages who will, if we don’t stand up and fight for the rights of our husbands when they are being violated and treated shabily by officials of the government and citizens alike who will.

“If we don’t stand up for our children when they are being called derogatory names like “Small lee kwere-kwere” or turning their natives names upside down deliberately by our community in the name of making them feel like aliens, outcast, and unwelcome, or even when their Nigerian aunties and uncles call them bustards, then their future is in jeopardy.

“If we don’t stand up when our countrymen and women, officials and in-law address us as paper wives, gold diggers, stupid and opportunist, who will do that for us, ” Uche queried.

She said the notion that all Nigerians are criminals must be corrected.

“We are in a country of law and order, if anyone is found guilty let the law take its course, we are not saying Nigerians

are good or bad, even in the South Africa society, there are criminals and indeed there is no country in the world that does not have criminals,’’ Uche said.

Teacher Barks,Dies After Dog Bite In Calabar.

CALABAR — A 26-year-old teacher has reportedly died after he was bitten by a dog in the village of Wanikade, northern part of Cross River State.

The teacher, Emmanuel Ogana Ikade, a graduate of political science from the University of Calabar was until the incident teaching at Agba Secondary School, Operikwu in Yala Local Government Area of the state.

According to reports, he had late last week gone to see one of his friends who was ill but as he was approaching the house, a dog came after him, leapt at him and bit him on the right leg.

After the bite, he was said not to have sought proper medical attention immediately.

“I saw him with a bandage on Friday and when I asked what happened, he said he had an accident with his motorcycle but the next day when the thing became serious he told me that he was bitten by a dog,” Dave, a friend of the late teacher said.

According to Dave, “the man rather than go to the hospital for proper medical check up, visited a chemist who gave him some medication which did not help.

“When I asked him if he had visited the hospital, he said a chemist had given him some injection and incidentally it turned out that the chemist is a quack who apparently did not know the right medication for rabies.”

Three days after the bite, the teacher was said to have begun barking like a dog and was rushed to the hospital by his friends “but when we got to the hospital it had become too late and he passed on after some hours,” Dave said.

The death of the young man who is said to be the only child of his parents left them devastated

One killed, two injured as hunters shoot vigilantes in. error.

LOKOJA—It was a case of the hunter being hunted in Yagba West Local Government Area, Kogi State, Monday, as one of two sets of vigilante groups deployed to a crime zone fell to the bullets of another who mistook their colleagues for robbers, leaving one dead and two others badly wounded.

Eye witness accounts of the tragedy which occurred between Okunran and Okoloke communities were unanimous that the incident followed a tip-off that highway robbers were operating along Egbe-Pategi federal road, dispossessing travellers of valuables.

Following the tip-off, it was gathered that a distress call from the local vigilantes in Okoloke was made to the local government council, which responded by mobilizing more vigilantes from neighbouring Odo-Ere, the council headquarters and Egbe, the commercial nerve centre of the council, for reinforcement.

A team of vigilantes, numbering 12, immediately reported to the police divisional office at Odo-Ere before embarking on the rescue mission.

Confirming the incident, Media Assistant to Governor Idris Wada on Research and Documentation, Mr Ralph Agbana, who hails from the council, told newsmen that as part of their strategies, the local government vigilantes, on arrival at the scene, decided to split into two groups of six preparatory to engaging the robbers.

He said: “On their way, they met a car driven by one of the victims of the robbers who narrated his ordeal to them, confirming that the men of the underworld were still operating.

A group of vigilantes then entered the car towards the scene. But as soon as the robbers sighted the car they had robbed, they took to their heels.

The vigilantes came down and fired at the robbers but their efforts were too late as they all disappeared into the bushes.

As the vigilantes re-strategized to ambush the robbers, another set of six hunters from Okoloke, joining forces with the vigilantes to dislodge the robbers but who claimed ignorance of the deployment of vigilantes from the local government, opened fire on the local government vigilantes who were caught off-guard.

One of the victims, whose name was given as Abayomi Sunday, was said to have died instantly from bullets that hit him on the head.

Two of his colleagues, whose names were given as Bamidele Olayemi and Dele Asebiobirin, however, survived with bullet wounds on their leg and thigh and are said to be responding to treatment at the ECWA Hospital, Egbe.

Vice chairman of the council, Hon Omoniyi Adeyemi, also confirmed the incident, saying five of the unregistered hunters who allegedly opened fire on the vigilantes have been arrested and are being detained at the Divisional Police Office, Odo-Ere, while a sixth suspect was still at large.

The council chief further disclosed that although the shooters were identified as hunters who claimed to have joined in the onslaught against the robbers as volunteers, they were not members of the official vigilante group recognized by the council authorities.

Jonathan must stop his Makossa dance – Obiaghagbo [video download]

Honorable Obiaghagbon,the man with bombast words is on the news again,Hear Him as he expressed his view on the River State Imbroglio

This feud between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and President Goodluck Jonathan is distracting. What are Amaechi’s political transgressions? That he regularly gives vent to the collective decisions of his brother governors? That he nurses vice presidential ambition which he has even denied? That he habilimented himself with a perfume of recusancy and not

decumbency when he suspected a foul play on the oil wells that he insists belong to Rivers State? That he hobnobs with progressive governors? That he insists on the deepening of the practice of our unitary federalism? That he insists on the exercise of his inalienable right to re-contest as Chairman of the Governors Forum? Is this why the apparatchik and coercive apparatus of state, sustained by tax payers money has been arrayed against him? I see in this malodorous script the hands of Esau though the voice of Jacob and this is certainly an eschewable socio-political asphyxia cascading into a Frankenstein monster that does not dignify the Presidency and this Makossa dance By Jonathan Administration must stop forthwith. 

Bikonu,can anyone tell me what Obiaghagbon is saying?

Academic Activities At River State University Of Technology Despite ASUU Strike.

RIVERS State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) is unfazed by the current nationwide strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over differences with Federal Government.

Prof. Barineme Fakae, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University who confirmed this yesterday however did not explain why the varsity has defied the nationwide strike by public owned universities.

Investigations revealed that the school is in full academic activities as the end of session examinations are just a week away.

A Marine Engineering student who spoke on the situation said, “RSUST under its current leadership has never taken ASUU seriously since August 2012 when the branch chapter stopped lecturing over perceived unfair reappointment of Fakae as VC by Governor Amaechi

“You are aware the Governor has since ordered a no-work-no-pay punishment for the striking lecturers as the school engaged replacement lecturers to keep lectures going. As it defied the local chapter so has the authorities defied the current general strike. Everything is running normal here.”

Another student, of Mass Communication Department, said, “My father didn’t believe it at first. My elder brother in UNIPORT has been home in Delta due to the strike for over six weeks and my father thought I was playing pranks not to have returned. He had to call a RSUST lecturer to confirm there is no strike in my school.

We Cannot Expose Our Ear Lobes: Crisis Looms At Nigeria Law School(Lagos Campus) Over Hijab.

Muslim Sisters in Nigeria Law School, Lagos Campus, have petitioned stakeholders on the insistence of the school authorities that they must remove their head covering (hijab) for data capturing exercise.

Those petitioned include the school’s director-general and deputy director general, chairman, Nigerian Benchers, National Assembly Committees on Judiciary and Human Rights, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria and Muslim Lawyers Association.

In the petition made available to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday, the Muslim sisters said that the school directed those who wore Hijab during data capturing, to go back and make sure that their ear lobes were exposed.

“This directive did not go down well with us and we swiftly applied to the office of the deputy director general to kindly exempt us from doing data capture with ear lobes exposed. Rather than listening to our complaints and show respect for our faith, the school authority ably led by the DDG, Mrs TounAdebiyi, vehemently refused.

“She insisted that the school authority would not shift ground. She claimed that about 80 per cent of the female Muslim students have complied. Even with the intervention of the school’s MSSN leadership and the representatives of the Muslim Lawyers Association, the DDG still insisted.

“Even when we show the DDG an International passport data capture with hijab without ear lobes been shown, the DDG stated that their own data capturing machine would not perform effectively if the ear lobes are not shown,’’ part of the statement reads.

According to them, the school authority had threatened to disallow any student that did not do the data capture from sitting for the examination.

“Doing this data capturing by removing our head covering is contrary to our religious beliefs, Islam, which is recognised by Nigerian Constitution, and it will cause us emotional and psychological trauma.

``I think Nigerian public should know what is going on in our Law School.

It was in the same profession that female students for Call to Bar ceremony MUST loose their hair and expose it irrespective of their religious belief.

``Our representatives in the National Assembly as well as well-meaning Nigerians should please come to the aid of our Muslim female students to nip this breach of human rights in the name of professional requisite in the bud,’’ they said.

“If You Can’t Read, What Do You Teach?” – Gov. Oshiomhole asks teacher who can’t read own certificate.

It was a worrying sight on Tuesday in Benin during the verification exercise of primary school teachers’ certificates in Edo State as one of the teachers in the state, Mrs. Augusta Odemwingie, could not read a sworn affidavit she tendered as part of her credentials.

The woman who teaches at Asologun Primary School, Ikpoba Okha local government area of Benin City, was asked by the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who paid an unscheduled visit to the State Staff Training Centre where the screening held, to read the affidavit she presented.

She began to stutter and then read it like one who is learning to read. Everyone present was shocked at the sight.

The governor who while present, perused the credentials and documents presented by those who were being screened, was upset by Odemwingie’s performance. He said to her, “if you can’t read, what do you teach the pupils? What do you write on the board?”. The Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Patrick Ikosimi, who was also at the screening to monitor the exercise, said the woman’s failure was “an embarrassment.”

Eight arrested for killing elephant in Ogun.

Eight persons including the alleged shooter of an elephant in a forest reserve popularly called elephants forest in a border area between J1 and J3 in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State have been arrested.

The State commissioner for Forestry, Ayo Olubori who disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta on Sunday, said he had to pass a night in the jungle after a-three hour journey withing the forest before the suspects were arrested, describing the act as a very serious crime.

Olubori said the elephant was killed at the wee hours of Thursday by a man (name withheld) after the suspect encroached the forest exclusively reserved for elephants in the state and was later joined by some villagers in dismembering it.

According to Olubori the killer of the elephant and some villagers who joined him in dismembering the elephants after he killed it have been taken to a police station in Ijebu-Igbo for further interrogation.

” The suspected killer of the wild animal was arrested on the spot at 1 :am . The animal is an endangered species, we have them limited, if care is not taken they may go into extinction. We don’t want to be sanctioned by Wild lives activists, United Nations Prohibition, among others.

” We will charge the suspects to court hopefully by Monday. Preliminary report indicated that, the man was sent by some prominent people in the society to get them the elephants tusks which cost N25 million each, he has confessed to the crime and he is on tape”, the commissioner said.

I Tested My Manhood By Impregnating A Young Girl After My Wife Couldn’t Conceive.

This man needs a child of his own but his wife has not been able conceive, for 12 years now. So, he decided to play an “away-match” just to confirm if his “thing” is active or inactive.

Funny, but it’s current situation in the family of Mr & Mrs Onuoha, who reside in the Alakuko area of Lagos at the moment. From what we gathered, the wife is insisting that she can’t take it.

40yrs old Mrs. Regina Onuoha, an ex-banker, has pleaded with Alakuko Customary Court to dissolve her marriage with Mr. Paulinus Onuoha, over infidelity.

The couple has been married for 12 years without an issue. The wife’s claim in court was that there was no more love in their marriage as her husband had become so irresponsible and uncaring.

Regina told the court that since they got married, she had been the one taking care of the house, her husband had been jobless. She said she rented the apartment they both live in, but with all that, her husband was still cheating on her.

She said the worst of all he did was the fact that he impregnated a woman twice while she (the wife) was still praying for the fruit of the womb.

“I was hopeful after the marriage that I was going to have my own child. I spent all my money on the efforts to have a child, but my husband never cared.

“Four years into our marriage, my husband impregnated a woman and then four years later, he impregnated her again, making two children while I was hoping to have one,” she said. She added that when her father-in-law died, her husband asked her to give him N300,000, but she told him she didn’t have so much, that she could only afford N120,000.

“I couldn’t afford the N300,000 my husband asked me to give him but I gave him N120,000 for his father’s burial, but he asked me not to follow him to the burial, saying I didn’t need to be there.

“He did this just to prevent me from running into his other wife and children because he took them to the village for the occasion and he thought I wouldn’t know, but I gathered the information from someone in his village,” she said. She asked the court to tell her husband to come and pack his things away from her house as she is tired of the marriage because she didn’t have any love for him again.

Her husband, Onuoha, who claimed to be a trader, told the court that all that his wife said is true, and that he is very guilty, but he didn’t mean to hurt her. He prostrated to seek her forgiveness in court.

“I didn’t mean to impregnate the other woman, it was just that I needed to have a child with my wife and we couldn’t produce one, so I went out to test my fertility, to know whether I was or was not fertile enough to have a child,” he said.

He added that he was ready to change his behaviour and take care of his wife as he would assist her spiritually, financially and even physically in her effort to have her own children.

“I cannot even be sure or say that the other woman’s children are mine because in my tradition, if a woman is not married to a man and she has children for him, the children are not considered his until a proper traditional marriage is done. It is my wife I love, she’s the one I want to have a child with, please help me to beg her,” he said.

The court president, Mr. Godwin Awosola, told the man to seek God’s intervention over his home. He also told them to maintain the peace and stop abusing each other.

The case has been adjourned till August 17, 2013,

Anambra Youth Stone, Boo Senator Ngige In Awka. Ngige’s time to go? As citizens boo, stone him in Awka

Anambra citizens may have sounded a stern note of warning that his time and days are over, to their once darling libero and deliverer from the shackles of money politics, gangsterism and godfatherism, Senator Chris Ngige’s, when they pelted him with pure water at a political rally on Friday.

The senator who drove into the Ayom N’okpala Primary School arena for the maiden rally on the platform of the newly registered All Progressives Congress APC in frenzy was ironically not allowed to talk when the time came. It was scheduled for him to unveil his Anambra 2014 GUBER ambition

Though reasons for the unruly behavior of the party members were not made formal, it was gathered that the recent comments of the former governor and now the senator representing ANAMBRA Central zone on the raging controversy between the recent deportation of some Igbos from Lagos by the Lagos State Governmnet.

Ngige’s was widely reported as having defended and excused the action of the Gov Babtunde Fashola-led Lagos state government.

APC members in the state, especially the youth were said to have been bitter with him over the stand he took. Dr Godson Igwe from Awka Etiti who spoke to journalists at the rally ground on behalf of the APC youth wing said they have privately advised him to drop his ambition for the younger ones, and to concentrate in his duties at the senate.

The youth according to Igwe was also not happy that the only time Ngige’s remembers anyone was at election time, but once after that he disappears.

He pointed out that there are young and capable ones like Senator Annie Okonkwo, Goddy Ezeemo in APC,, Uche Ekwunife, Willy Obianor, Chinedu Idigo in APGA, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, Joseph Nwanueze in Labour Party, Walter Ubaka Okeke, Tony Nwoye and Charles Odunukwe in PDP who are now aspiring to take over from Peter Obi.

“Therefore lets sound a note of warning to the sit tight leaders cos we are around and watching”, Chief Igwe emphasized

Chris Brown suffers seizure

The L.A. City Fire Dept. rushed to a Hollywood

recording studio early Friday morning, after

getting a 911 call that Chris Brown had a seizure

… TMZ has learned.

The call came from Record Plant recording

studios in Hollywood at 1:09 AM.  When EMTs arrived … we’re told Chris refused treatment and

also refused to be transported to the hospital. Breezy reportedly suffered from seizures as a child. No word yet on his

condition

Fayemi Sends Six Students of Ekiti Origin to Study Abroad From Own Purse.

Six exceptionally brilliant students of Ekiti origin have been given scholarship by the Ekiti State Governor to study abroad.

Tagged “Fayemi Scholars”, the scheme is separate from the Ekiti Scholarship Scheme as it is funded from the governor’s purse.

The scholarship, besides tuition, also covers feeding and accommodation.

The students include Omowunmi Odetola, a First Class Law Graduate of the University of Ibadan and First Class graduate of the Nigerian Law School, who has been admitted to undertake Masters in Law at Oxford University, United Kingdom.

Igbara-Odo born Moyosore Olabimtan, a First Class Law graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is among the lucky scholars. She has been admitted into Harvard Law School.

Another is Adebimbe Alonge from Iyin-Ekiti, First Class graduate of History and International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University. She has been admitted into the Masters programme in Security, Leadership and Society at King’s College, University of London.

Both Peter Omotoso and Michael Ogunlade, graduates Mechanical Engineering and Electrical/Electronics. from Ladoke Akintola University and Ekiti State University respectively, will be heading to Tiantin University, China for their Masters Degree.

Segun Aluko from Erinjiyan-Ekiti, a First Class graduate of Business Administration and Management from Babcock University, on his part, will be going to the United States for his Masters programme.

Speaking on the occasion which was held today at Lady Jibowu Hall, Government House, the sponsor of the scholarship scheme, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said his administration has made education and human capital development a central objective of its agenda.

He said the six lucky scholars were chosen from a pool of applicants who daily approach him for help.

He said although the state has a scholarship board, he is aware that the board cannot take care of everyone, hence his decision to start his personal scholarship scheme funded from his purse.

Stressing that qualification is solely based on excellence and merit, Dr. Fayemi said prospective beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme do not have to know anyone to be chosen as he strongly believes that spirit of excellence will seek them out wherever they are.

He said the objective of the scheme is to help in restoring the honour of Ekiti and bringing back the fountain of knowledge.

7 Personal Branding Lessons To Learn From D'banj.

Personal branding, as you would know it, is about everything you do; going by the term, it is you as a brand.

Every job, every social and personal endeavor is tied to your personal brand. You can’t go wrong if you focus on that. Dapo Oyebanjo, famously known as D'banj has some lessons for us:

#7. Blow your trumpet. Not the Harmonica.

There’s a mental appeal to “I’m Dbanj!” . Everytime. Bursting out your speakers, you recognise the voice and probably hum along. For some people, this may come across as a gratuitous display but we overlook the psychological impact it spawns.

Whatever motive or element of character prompts the action doesn’t matter. The message remains clear. If you don’t praise yourself, or “toot your own horn”, who will?

You don’t need to rub it in people’s faces that you graduated with a first class degree from Harvard, there are a bazillion people like you already. But you should always pitch yourself. You are a brand remember? And brands are not made to sit in the laps of its makers but to be shipped, pitched, sweet-talked, into the minds of people.

#6. Your network says a lot about you.

Successful people are not lone rangers and Dbanj makes no mistake about it. The acclaimed nephew to Snoop Lion makes seemingly strategic moves to be with/around people who have gained high level of popularity and are loved by a number of people; Kanye West for example..

Move with people who’d stretch you beyond your comfort zone. You carry on a more appealing brand when you spend time with quality people.

“You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.” – David Ogilvy

#5. Match your style with your personality.

Seriously, the “dress how you want to be addressed” saying works. You look like a farmer, you’ll be addressed that way.

Confident, poised, Dbanj lives up to his taste and matches it with his style. Every darn detail.

According to a research in psychology, attractive people are more likely to get successful faster than average people who probably pay little attention to their appearances. It’s not a wonder why he bags awards and signs deals after deals.

#4. It’s OK to “fake it till you make it”.

Perception is everything in our world today. Dbanj probably ended up looking like Rick-Ross-hit-the-gym in his bid to throw a new look with Kanye’s signature beard, but that’s a reflection of where he aspires to be.

Most successful people start out (early on) with mentors or notable persons they want to take after, usually; they turn out more refined and very very successful.

Whatever you aspire to be, look out for people doing remarkably well – study their biographies, updates on their achievements and basically any information you can find on them. Pick out what you like most about these people and modify to suit your person.

#3. Be innovative.

Dbanj “invented” the following words/slogans – in order of preference; Tongolo, kokolet,The koko, Eja nla, (the reincarnation of) Oliver Twist, why me?, Oshey! File! etc etc. I might just feel good about myself if you called me a Kokolet – it wouldn’t matter whether I’m having a bad hair day or not. These widely accepted catchwords are all accrued to the energetic crooner himself, making it very possible for him to create a name around his passion.

#2. Entertain people.

You’ll agree most of Dbanj’s songs were hits, topping charts in Nigeria and around the world. His performances and (which people add to their collection of dance moves), or that he speaks gibberish sometimes; Dbanj is recognised as an entertainer.

You want people to enjoy having you as company? Find out what makes them tick, know a little more about them, it’ll set you a stage and perhaps earn you a standing ovation.

#1. Stand out. Be unique.

Dbanj stood out for introducing the harmonica into his first few songs, a fusion with pop that rocked for a long time. Yes the harmonica stood him out. His “marriage” to Don Jazzy stood him out.

To strengthen the headlines, Taiwo Oyebanjo was referred to as Dbanj’s sister; it simply attracted more attention; largely because of his fame – which would have been impossible if Dbanj chose to stick to the rules.

You want people to enjoy having you as company? Find out what makes them tick, know a little more about them, it’ll set you a stage and perhaps earn you a standing ovation.

A final note:

- Your circle of influence matters.

- If you want to go far, find someone who can shoot you to the top and ride that horse!

- It’s your identity, love it, talk about it.

- Perception is everything; observe how you come across to people. Value opinions, sift through irrelevancies and adjust as necessary.

- It’s not really about working harder, but making smart choices and moving with the ‘right’ people.

A conscious work on your personal brand helps you evolve faster, makes you unique, valuable and powerful; allowing you flaunt your strengths. Once you know what’s compelling about you, you’ll use that as an anchor to build a strong career.Strong brands attract premium offers, Dbanj is one no doubt. Don’t believe? Check out his accolades.

Native Doctors in Aba whose sign post cures all problems

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Popular 2go Rape victim infected with HIV by Rapers

The Woman In The Absu Rape Video Is My Wife And Was Infected With Hiv By The Rapist- Distraughted Husband. After months of investigations, Nation Newspaper South south Regional Editor SHOLA O’NEIL and ROSEMARY NWISI reveal the missing links in the 2011 rape video erroneously tagged ‘Abia rape video’. They unravel the victim’s identity, the Rivers State scene of the crime and how the victim was infected with HIV, which claimed the life of the child she was carrying. On a rainy Sunday afternoon in June, Obite, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State wore an innocent look. Nothing gave it away as the scene where four men gang-raped a pregnant wife of their relative and indigene of the community. Driving through the tranquil town on that soggy Sunday, it was hard to picture it as the setting for the sordid rape that travelled through and repulsed the world in 2011 and became erroneously known as ‘Abia rape’. Mr Stanley Sunday (not his real name), husband of the victim, said Obite was where the crime took place. The police think so too. Pointing to a nondescript bungalow in one of the suburbs, Mr. S (as he preferred to be known in this report) told Niger Delta Report in an emotion-laden voice: “That is where they raped my wife”. The hapless woman was pregnant with a child, whose fate was sadly sealed by the rape. Mr S refused to speak with us inside his house – a bungalow on the outskirts of the village – because of fear that we could be attacked by the rapists and ‘their sponsor’. “We must talk quickly and you leave; I do not want to put your lives in danger,” he said. When reports of the rape first surfaced on the internet in August 2011, it was said to have occurred at the Abia State University (ABSU). The rapists were thought to be students of ABSU. Governor Theodore Orji and his wife Mercy lent their voices to the gale of condemnation, with ABSU denying that”there was no such inglorious act and ugly incident in the institution.” Mr. S said: “Some of the rapists did not even finish their secondary education; none of them is a student of the institution.” The heartbroken man hinted of conspiracy between some powerful persons in the community, including a member of his extended family, and the rapists. “They know what they did; the activities they and their boss are engaged in,” he added. He said his wife told him that there were eight men in the room when she was molested. “Four of them raped her, while the other four acted as bouncers, guard and commanders.” Kept in the dark Our checks revealed that the distraught husband found out about the sordid affair late. He had also lost a son to HIV/AIDS infection, which his wife is believed to have contacted from the rapists. Attempts by our reporter to speak with the victim met brick walls. At her family’s home in Nazi, Owerri, where she moved in with her parents, we were told she had relocated to the village, ostensibly because of the stigma from the incident. Her sibling, who was contacted on telephone, became suspicious and hung as soon as we told him we were trying to reach his sister. Over one year after he found out, Mr S could not completely conceal the hurt and betrayal in his voice when he spoke. He said he found out about the rape of his wife through his colleagues. He was working offshore when his colleagues started discussing the “evils going on in the society. They said I should see what evil people are doing. I was not interested until they started talking about a sad one that happened in Abia State. They said university students raped their colleague, videoed and posted it on the internet. I said they must be cultists to have done such things. “When they started narrating it, I got interested and asked to see the video. When I saw it (video), I listened to what the woman was saying but it was her voice that struck me. I was shocked; I said within myself ‘am I dreaming?’ The woman in the video had my wife’s voice, face and the hair style? “I couldn’t contain myself; I asked my colleague to transfer the video to my mobile phone. I did not tell him why I wanted the video, but I wanted to compare it with her (wife’s) photo I have on my laptop computer back at home.” After some time, he got time-off from work in an offshore location and went home to confront his wife and his worst nightmare. He said the woman initially denied she was the woman in the video before he pressured her into confessing. Obite’s indigenes, who asked not to be named, said the husband was so angry that he summoned a family meeting and threatened to divorce his wife, if she did not open up. “It was then that the woman narrated that she was going to visit her husband’s relative when she was lured into the house by the suspects, some of whom are her husband’s relatives,” said a source. Confirming this, Mr S said: “She said she hid it from me because of the threat to her life, my own life and those of our family members.” More intriguing, according to our checks, was that most of the man’s relatives in the town reportedly knew about it before he was aware. More perplexing, Mr S said, was that one of his relatives, a very influential member of the community, was fingered as the godfather of the boys, who raped his wife. “I didn’t know what she was going through, what had happened to my wife. She was living with me and cooking for me while living this horror and fear that they would kill her if she told me or go to the police. “The worst aspect of the case is that they infected her with the deadly disease (HIV). When this incident happened, my wife was pregnant (about two months).” Yet his feeling of sorrow and empathy failed to save the marriage. Although he would not confirm or deny report that he was separated from his wife, yet he said he had not seen her for over two months when we met him in Obite. “She is living with her parents in Owerri. I do call her and we talk once in a while. I even took her to TB Joshua’s church in Lagos when we were finding solution to the case (her infection).” HIV Infection Our investigations revealed that the husband’s anger was fuelled by a tragedy that earlier struck the couple in 2011 when their six-month-old son – the first child of the marriage – died of complications resulting from a mysterious HIV infection. He said: “The child was taken to a children’s clinic located in GRA Phase 1, Port Harcourt after he fell ill with cough, about two months after his birth. He was coughing without stopping and we had to take the child to the specialist hospital.” At the hospital, the child and mother were diagnosed with the deadly Human Immune Virus (HIV). The blood report from a Haematology Laboratory Request form dated August 5, 2011, (a copy is in Niger Delta Report’s possession), showed that the mother and child tested positive to HIV antibodies. The father’s result was negative. The result struck a blow that shook the young marriage to its foundation. The child was barely two months old and had just be dedicated at a Pentecostal church with fanfare and an elaborate celebration party in mid-June 2011. Before the incident, Mr S was surprised when the doctors asked for his blood sample for a routine test. “I told them that it was my child that was ill and not me. But they insisted and I had to allow them even though I didn’t know why.” After the test, top management staff of the hospital (names withheld) invited the couple to a meeting where they broke the sad news to them. “They told me I am a lucky man; my wife and son had HIV but I don’t have. I was surprised. I didn’t know what to say. I asked ‘what is the luck in that when my wife and child were infected?’” The hospital declined comment when contacted. An official politely cited the sensitive nature of the diagnosis and doctor/patient secrecy oath, stressing that the hospital should not be mentioned in this report. A medical source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. It was gathered that the revelation rocked the foundation of the couple’s marriage with both family members getting involved in the effort to solve the mystery. Mrs S was accused of infidelity and almost sent packing when the child died two months later. Yet, she refused to disclose the source of her anguish until her husband confronted her with the video. More intrigues It was while the couple was managing the crisis resulting from the child’s death that Mr. S stumbled on the rape video and possible answer to mystery of the HIV infection. If his wife was cowed by the threat, the angry husband was unfazed and determined to bring the harbingers of his misfortune to justice. He immediately dragged his wife to the Rivers State Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department. The case was assigned to an inspector of police identified as Mr. Eneje. The victim was taken in by the police for interrogation after which she identified three suspects as part of the gang. A fourth suspect narrowly escaped and was still at large at the time of this report. The suspects are: Uchenna Ukulor, Chizoba Nwosu, Nwazuo Nmezi and one person at large. Mr S said as soon as the suspects were arrested, some prominent members of the community met and decided that he withdrew the case from the police and let bygone be bygone. When he refused, he said he was banished from the community. However, it was gathered that weeks after the police began investigation, Mr S lost his job. He claimed that he was victimised because of his insistence on bringing his wife’s abusers to justice. He said some members of the society boasted after he lost his job that”let’s see how he is going to pursue the case now”. He added: “Since I came to the knowledge of the incident and began the move to prosecute the suspects, my life has been under threat; the suspects are after me, their sponsor (names withheld), is after me. They have been making frantic efforts to eliminate me.” He said the threats were so serious that he and his wife had to temporarily relocate to the Police Headquarters during the investigations. Attempts to scuttle the case Although scores of persons were either arrested or interrogated over the incident, the trial has dragged on for over a year amid reports of attempts to bribe the police and other agencies involved in the prosecution. Police Inspector Eneje, who investigated the matter, refused to comment on reports that he was offered inducement to ‘close the case’. He said the police had concluded its investigation and arrested suspects who were charged to Magistrate’s Court 9, Port Harcourt. Records obtained from the court indicated that the case file was transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice last year after the court declined jurisdiction on the ground that it was not competent to try the suspects. At the DPP office, a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the prosecution was delayed when certain key evidence disappeared from the file. Our source said: “The photographs and other exhibits needed to prosecute the case disappeared but I think efforts are being made to retrieve them now.” Solicitor-General of the State and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Rufus Godwin, who was contacted, referred us to the chief registrar, insisting that he could not speak on the case without the charge sheet number. ‘Rapists’ on the loose Nevertheless, while the case winds painfully through prosecution, the suspects, Ukulor, Nwosu and Nmezi, have returned to their normal lives, much to the angst of Mr S, his distraught wife and members of the human rights community. It was gathered that the suspects were granted bail in late last year. Mr S, who said the release of the suspects, has further heightened fear over his safety, said: “We don’t even know the position of the matter now; since last year we were told that the DPP advice was being awaited. The suspects are walking freely everywhere; even one of them just got wedded about two months ago.” He said his family has been let down by the government, which allowed the case to drag on until it is almost forgotten. He said: “Well, one thing I believe is that the crime, humiliation was not committed only against me, they did it to Nigeria, Nigerians in general and women all over the world in particular.” The Director of Programmes, Centre for Environment, Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Steve Obodoekwe, agreed that the crime was against humanity, not just the family involved. He expressed dissatisfaction with Ministry of Justice’s handling of the case, adding: “It is not one of such cases that should be swept under the carpet; it is unfortunate to hear that the matter is as good as dead. “Right now, we learnt that the suspects earlier arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court in connection with the crime are no longer in custody, even when the DPP’s advice is yet being expected and the matter not yet before any High Court either in the state or country. This is, indeed, very appalling.” He called for the conduct of a probe on how the suspects ‘escaped’ from custody. Obodoekwe said: “They should be rearrested and detained, charged to court and tried accordingly. We are also recommending that those that let them off the hooks should be equally fished out and given the same treatment as the criminals. “This is because, we are in Nigeria, and obviously nothing goes for nothing in this country. Those that released them from custody must have done deals with them, and so should be given even worse treatment than the suspects. “A serious matter like ‘gang rape’ is what we are talking about here, you arrested some suspects took them to the Magistrate’s Court which we know have no powers to try capital offences. Now we are hearing that they are moving freely everywhere like free persons. It is unheard of; it is evil. “One thing that is certain in this whole issue is that the incident is not a crime against the victim and her family; it is a crime, humiliation against the state, Federal Government and I want the ministry of justice to know this.” It is uncertain when the family will get justice, but what is sure is that the last has not been heard of this gang rape, even though the video has been pulled from the internet. CULLED FROM THE NATION