ASF IMPLORES FG TO SUSPEND EXECUTION OF 800 PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW

Lawyers Without Borders France, otherwise known as ASF France, and the National Human Rights Commission, have appealed to the Federal Government to suspend the execution of over 800 inmates on death row convicted for crimes ranging from murder, armed robbery and kidnapping in various prisons in the country during a news conference to mark the World Day Against Death Penalty in Abuja on Wednesday.

Head of Mission, ASF France, Celine Lemmel, said “While ASF France commends the Nigerian government for its self-imposed moratorium, it urges the government to issue an official statement clearly declaring that Nigeria has adopted a moratorium on execution of death sentences, i.e an official suspension of executions and, eventually, of death sentences.” She also said many of the convicts cannot afford the services of lawyers and were condemned based on confessional statements made under duress during interrogation by law enforcement agencies most of whom lack apparatus to carry out forensic investigations.

Is she right? Our Law Enforcement agencies are not equipped to carry out forensic investigations?

KIDNAPPERS DEMAND N200M FOR OSUN SPEAKER'S WIFE

According to PUNCH; barely 24 hours after the kidnap of  Muiba,  wife to Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Najeem Salaam, the  kidnappers have demanded N200m ransom for her release.

A source told our correspondent in Osogbo that the suspected kidnappers  phoned the Speaker on yesterday to make the demand assuring him that his wife will be released immediately the ransom is paid. However, the  Speaker  has refused to comment publicly on the matter. He said, “People have been telling me about N200m ransom; you know, people would come up with various versions but I’ve not been contacted by the kidnappers.”

Well, the kidnappers probably warned them not to make their demands or plans public. 

AIRCRAFT AND TRUCK COLLIDE AT LAGOS AIRPORT

Yesterday morning,  IRS Aircraft bound for Kano was departing the Lagos airport when it collided with an abandoned truck belonging to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) contractor beside the taxiway, forcing the pilot to cancel the flight.

The wing of the Fokker-100 aircraft, collided with the truck which had fallen into a drainage a day before and could not be evacuated immediately.  Luckily, no one was hurt, all the 91 passengers on board the flight were later disembarked and put in another plane which left for Kano three hours later.

RITA DOMINIC'S LOW CUT GOWN, SEXY OR NOT?

Is Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic, showing too much cleavage? Or is it sexy?

BBC INTERVIEWS THE FATHERS OF THE ALUU4 VICTIMS

BBC London interviewed the fathers of the four UNIPORT students brutally killed in Aluu and some other Nigerians.  Listen Here

GAGA WILL GO GAGA FOR THESE SHOES

The shoes were designed by South African student artist Leanie van der Vyver as her graduation project at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. The design landed her a nomination for the prestigious Gerrit Rietveld design prize at her university in Holland.

 

How do you get an award for something that in reality can't be worn? Well, on second thought, Lady Gaga can.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN PRESENTS N4.92TRILLION 2013 BUDGET

President Goodluck  Jonathan, today, presented a total expenditure of N4.92 trillion for the 2013  fiscal year before  a joint session of the National Assembly, in Abuja.

In the budget proposal, recurrent expenditure was put at  N2.41 trillion while N1.54 trillion will be spent on capital projects.

Some key allocations in the budget proposal include:

Works – N183.5 billion;

Power – N74.26 billion;

Education – N426.53 billion;

Health – N279.23 billion;

Defence – N348.91 billion;

Police – N319.65 billion;

Agriculture & Rural Development – N81.41 billion.

If you are interested in the very long budget speech, read it after the cut...

ALUU 4 MURDER: ALUU CHIEF, 10 OTHERS CHARGED TO COURT

 A total of thirteen people were arrested in the murder of the four students beaten and burned to death in Omuokiri-Aluu community, however eleven of them have been charged to court including the traditional head of the community Chief  Alhaji  Hassan Walewa. They have been arraigned at the High Court in Port Harcourt.

This was announced by the state Police Commissioner, Mr Mohammed Ndabawa who said two people out of the thirteen were kept behind to aid police investigation. The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Angwe is already in the state to investigate how the four were murdered., to visit the village where the sad incident occurred and also make effort to meet with parents of the deceased before leaving the state. 

He assured family members of the four and students of the University of Port Harcourt that his Commission would stand by them to see that justice was done in the case. He said calls have been received from the  international community  promising that they would also monitor the court process to its end.

I'm glad they are making progress in bringing the perpetrators to justice. We are watching and waiting.

DINO MELAYE'S BROTHER-IN-LAW BELIEVES HE IMPREGNATED BISI IBIDAPO

Dino Melaye is married to Yomi Fabiyi's sister. He believes Dino is responsible for Bisi Ibidapo Obe's pregnancy even though Mrs Melaye believes otherwise and says she is solidly behind her husband. Read Yomi's tweets;

 

 Let the drama begin!

OFFICIAL VIDEO; TIWA SAVAGE -IFE WA GBONA FT. LEO WONDER

BRAD PITT PLAYS DIFFERENT CHARACTERS IN 'INTERVIEW MAGAZINE' PHOTO SHOOT

The 48-year-old actor slipped into different characters for the Interview Magazine photo shoot. He was transformed into a Rasta man,  boy as a rake, a drifter and a hitman.

He looks hot no matter what he plays. More pics after the cut..

DAVID MARK SPEAKS ON THE ALUU4 LYNCHING AND CREATING STATE POLICE

During the debate of a motion brought by Senator Ayogu Eze and 98 other senators on the Aluu killings, David Mark said, “We are worried that this has happened, and it is a test case for the police because the video is there for them to identify the perpetrators and they should quickly bring them to book. 

“I was against state police before, but I have since changed my mind. The frequency with which crimes happen in this country and the difficulty the current police have in carrying out their investigations means that there are real security challenges that we need to address. And to address them, we must make sure that there are enough policemen that can police this country. The benefits of state police outweigh its disadvantages at the moment.”

I agree with him, state police has it's disadvantages, but I believe the benefits do outweigh the disadvantages. Please share you thoughts on this issue.

WIFE OF OSUN STATE SPEAKER KIDNAPPED

The wife of Osun State Speaker, Mr Najeem Salaam, was kidnapped yesterday by unknown gunmen in Ejigbo, Osun State. Muiba, the first wife of the Speaker, was kidnapped in the Bamagay Square area of the town shortly after she had left her shop where she sold bags of rice, semovita and groundnut oil.

Her Honda car was overtaken by the vehicle of a six-member gang forcing her Honda car to stop along Union Baptist Road in the Oke-Oyo area of Ejigbo, the Speaker’s hometown. Muiba alighted and attempted to run from the kidnappers but they stopped her and forced her into a waiting car.

The Chairman, House Committee on Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Femi Fafiyebi, who confirmed the development, said the news was “shocking.” The kidnappers are yet to make any demands.

UNIPORT STUDENTS SET ALUU COMMUNTIY ABLAZE, SCHOOL SHUT INDEFINITELY

The community of Aluu has been set on fire by the students of the University of Port Harcourt in protest of the brutal killing of the four UNIPORT students on Friday. They were joined by students from other universities under the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS. About 12 houses have been set ablaze in the Aluu community even though the residents have abandoned their homes for fear of being arrested or lynched by the angry students, and the community looked deserted by the time the students got there.

The protesting students were reportedly marching to the office of the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi but were stopped by the police.

Spokesman for the school, Dr. William Wordi, said the university has been shut down indefinitely.  

They deserve whatever is coming to them, animals! Why didn't they wait, so they value their own lives. Cowards!

M.I MADE UNODC AMBASSADOR FOR SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS

M.I was appointed a UNODC’s Goodwill Ambassador on Smuggling of Migrants at an event that held in Abuja today Thursday, 9 October 2012. He has been selected to speak against the procurement of peoples into a State for financial or material benefit.

Smuggling has been defined as the procurement of such peoples into a State for financial or material benefit. In Europe, Nigerians constitute several hundreds of thousands illegal migrants with half of them concentrated in the United Kingdom. Poverty, crime, corruption and violence have been part of the vicious cycle contributing to this considerable emigration pressure. Traffickers offer young women an opportunity to travel to Europe with promises of good jobs and the ability to cater for their families, while boys and men are smuggled with promises of safety and similar work opportunities.