WILL NIGERIANS GET TO WATCH "HALF OF A YELLOW SUN" IN LOCAL CINEMAS

It has been almost a month since we heard that the movie "half of a yellow sun" was to premiere in Nigerian cinemas like it was done in Toronto but the said movie is yet to get a certification from the Nigeria film & censors board. I know most people must have seen the movie via online but the issue is can we go to our very own cinemas to see this movie? See what Biyi Bandele, director of half of a yellow sun wrote in this article: culled from cnn

When I heard last month that the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, headquartered in Abuja, had indicated that it would be unable to issue certification for "Half of a Yellow Sun" in time for the film's release date, I naturally assumed, at first, that what we were faced with was nothing more sinister than another instance of the typical, if frustrating, culture of wilfull incompetence that we'd grappled with during the making of the film -- while shooting the film in Nigeria two years ago, there were times when we felt ensnared in impenetrable jungles of red tape, when we would be given the go-head by one arm of the government only to find our path blocked by the other arm.

NIGERIA ASKS UNITED NATIONS TO BLACKLIST THE BOKO HARAM SECT

The Nigerian government has officially asked the United Nations security council to blacklist the Boko Haram sect, this decision was made due to the recent attack in Jos yesterday that killed about hundreds of people.

 According to reports by Premium times Nigeria urged the Security Council al Qaeda sanctions committee to recognize the group as a terrorist organization, indicating a further raise in the government’s effort to root the group.

 Nigeria urged the Security Council al Qaeda sanctions committee to recognize the group as a terrorist organization, indicating a further raise in the government’s effort to root the group.

17 FEARED IN ANOTHER ATTACK IN BORNO STATE

Barely 24 hours after the deadly boko haram sect attacked Jos killing over a 100 people, the sect last night raided Alagarno village, Borno state, killing abou 17 people.
According to BBC reports, some of the buildings were razed. The north-eastern state has been vulnerable to the sects attack since the insurgents started their operations.

Witnesses in Alagarno said the suspected Boko Haram fighters arrived close to midnight, forcing many residents to flee into the bush.

The militants left the village some four hours later with stolen food and vehicles. One survivor told the BBC that every single building in the village had been torched.

CHIBOK GIRLS:BORNO STATE TO SPEND 150 MILLION ON SUPPORT FOR 53 ESCAPED GIRLS, PARENTS

The Borno state goverment, Yesterday announced that the state government will be spending 150 million naria in rehabilitating the 53 escaped chibok girls and their parents. The Governor said this in a meeting with the presidential fact-finding committee, he also said a committee has been set-up for this purpose and that some international organisations are also working to aid the girls and their parents.

The Governor further slammed members of the public who doubted the abduction of the girls and he was deeply saddened by the notion.

MARKET WOMAN LOSES ABOUT 5MILLION IN FIRE INCIDENT

An unidentified woman who is known to keep her money in her shop may have lost most or all of it in a fire raze at the Daleko Market, Mushin Lagos state. The money lost is said to be about 5 million naira is kept in a huge hole inside the shop(see the hole in the pics above).

There was a mild drama on Monday in the Daleko Market, Mushin, Lagos State, as journalists searched in vain for an unidentified trader who was said to have lost huge sums of money buried in her shop to the fire incident that razed the market on Sunday.
Our correspondent, who visited the market, could see the huge hole in the shop where the money was said to have been buried.

One of the traders, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said the trader was in the habit of keeping her money in the underground, instead of a bank.

He said, “The woman usually keeps money in her shop, and would use her goods to cover it.

GORY IMAGES FROM THE JOS BLAST

Two big explosions this afternoon ripped through the market located at Jos Terminus behind the popular Ahmadu Bello way in Jos, Plateau state.

Update: The first explosion occurred at 2.30pm, the second one 30 minutes later, killing scores. The first explosion reportedly went off in a Sienna Space bus, but didn't kill many people but the second one, which occurred as people came back to rescue the injured from the first explosion, recorded a high number of casualty. Men of the Fire Service, NEMA and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are currently at the scene helping with rescue efforts.

GORY IMAGE: CUSTOM OFFICERS BATHES WOMAN WITH ACID

Mr Nwaeze, a Nigerian Customs Officer at Mosafejo Aradagun Unit has boasted he is "above arrest" after bathing Ms. Tope Fadipe  with a deadly acid solution two weeks ago over some missing money.

According to Sahara reports, Ms. Tope Fadipe is Salesgirl at a local food store run by Mr. Nwaeze's family.She had been selling stocks for the family for about three years before the incident.

On Friday, the 9th May, 2014, she was accused of not remitting N50,000 stock sales, and she had argued her defense.

However, community residents say, Mr. Nwaeze got frenzied at her refuting the allegation, and a heated argument escalated where he allegedly had bathed her with a deadly acid solution. See more after the cut...

POLICE AVERTS ANOTHER BOMB INCIDENT IN KANO

The Police averted another bomb detonation this morning in Kano. This is a press release signed by The Force Public Relations officer, Frank Mba on the incident,

The Police in Kano today, 19th May, 2014, about 9:00am averted what could have been another devastating bomb blast in the ancient city of Kano. Kano Police operatives, acting on intelligence, tracked and recovered a Mitsubishi Station Wagon car, ash in colour, with registration number Kano – AE 756 GSW loaded with assorted gas cylinders, one container of fuel and other electrical components of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The vehicle was recovered at Tafawa Balewa Street, Nasarawa area of Kano State and has since been rendered safe by Police Bomb Disposal experts.
Meanwhile, security agencies in Kano have commenced investigation into both the aborted blast as well as the last night bomb incident. Continue

VAN GAAL APPOINTED MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER, GIGGS ASSISTANT

Yea, the Dutch boss Loius Van Gaal has finally been appointed as the new Manager for Manchester united after three long weeks of deliberation by the board. 

The Dutchman signed a three year deal with the club, he will be set to take over the Man United club on July 14th once the Holland world cup campaign is over. Ryan Giggs has been named the assistant coach and also announced his retirement from professional football. 

Below is a brief managerial titles and honours Van Gaal has won for club sides for the past 23 years in the coaching business,

MH370: PRODUCERS SET TO MAKE A MOVIE FOR MISSING MALAYSIAN AIRLINE

MH370, does it sound familiar? Yes, that is the flight no of the Malaysian Airline that disappeared from the surface of the earth on March 8.  Movie-makers in Cannes, France have announced that they will be making a movie thriller for the missing airline.

The film is bein produced by an Indian Rupesh Paul Productions, is to be entitled "The Vanishing Act: The Untold Story of the Missing Malaysian Plane." Report claims their will be international casts from UK, France, Russia and Korea, and the experience of Hollywood technicians will add a touch to the said movie.

Paul told CNN gave an insight of what the movie entails, read After the cut

"The movie is based on an investigative report by a journalist which was rejected by the media so it is definitely controversial. The movie will answer two questions: one is what went wrong with MH370 and where is MH370 on this earth?"

An eight-page pamphlet promoting the movie at Cannes' Marchee du Film (film market) says the "The Vanishing Act tells the story of five people who seek revenge for the death of their loved ones. They hijack a plane. (sic) but things aren't as they appear. The FBI too makes an appearance and things get murkier."

Paul says investors from India, China and Malaysia itself are on board and will sign contracts at the weekend.

BOKO HARAM: POLICE URGE ALL STATES WITH BOARDING FACILITIES TO BE ALERT

The police has released a statement ordering boarding schools within and outside Benue state to be alert, this is as a result of the threat letter written to schools in Markudi by the boko haram sect, if you missed the story, read it here Threat Letter.The police has also beefed-up security in the school and the Benue capital. The Statement by Police spokesperson Frank Mba, reads in parts,

"Benue State Police Command, working in conjunction with the State Ministry of Education and the affected school authorities, has strengthened surveillance in the schools and other boarding schools within Makurdi metropolis,” the statement said.

It said that the police had begun investigations to determine the “authenticity or otherwise of the hand-written letter (threat) now in possession of the force”.

“The Police High Command wishes to advise residents of all host communities nationwide where boarding schools are located to remain perpetually on the alert and report any suspicious movement to the appropriate authorities,” Mr. Mba said.

GENERAL BUHARI'S ADOPTED SON ARRESTED FOR 20 MILLION NAIRA SCAM

Culled from Sharareporters

An adopted son of a former military Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged N20( Twenty Million Naira only) fraud

The suspect, Mohammed Buhari, was arrested over a transaction that has the trappings of voodoo investment scheme. He allegedly obtained N20 million from one Mrs Florence Nwokocha, purportedly to invest in a lucrative oil and gas business with promises of mouth watery returns to the investor. Buhari was allegedly introduced to the lady by his account officer at Ecobank Plc and he agreed to pay Nwokocha, 30 percent annual interest on the sum.

But once the money was transferred, Buhari cleaned out the account but never paid any interest to the woman.
sources at the EFCC informs that the suspect claims he ran into trouble after he lost the bank guarantee which he secured from another new generation bank. The bank, he claims, voided the guarantee on the ground that the branch of the bank that processed it was not competent to do so.

Buhari is still in the custody of the EFCC as investigations in the case continue.

FRESH ATTACK BY BOKO HARAM IN KANO STATE

An explosion has rocked a beer joint along the Hausa/Igbo road in Sabon Gari market , Lagos. 
The incident occured at about 9:30pm. The Kano State police has confirmed the incident and have deployed an anti-bomb squad. About 10 people have been confirmed dead.  The residents are still in shock over the attack. more details later

BOKO HARAM PLANS TO ATTACK SCHOOL IN MARKUDI

The boko haram has found a new location and may have found new ways of upgrading their attacks by writing ahead of time. The Boko Haram sect has written to the Government College, Makurdi Benue state pre-informing them of the supposed attack on the school.The principal of the school, Mr Godfrey Ugudu who revealed this, said It is true that we saw two letters informing us of the intention of Boko Haram to invade our school on Friday or Monday,”. 

He further said,“The letters were dated May 14, 2014, stating that they were coming either of the two days to abduct our boys, whom they would marry to the secondary school girls abducted in Chibok.”


The letters were said to be written in pidgin English and was slipped into the class room and the staff room. The no of students in the school totals 700.

The police commissioner and the governor Gov Susam has been informed of the report.

The threat letters were confirmed by Public Relations Officer of the Police in the state, Dan Ezeala, who promised that the Police would secure the lives of the students.

My question is will they really attack on those days as indicated or is this a distraction from their main target?

MAIDUGRI: POLICE KILLS PASSENGER, KEKE NAPEP RIDER

Youths and members of the keke napep riders(tricycle riders) took to the street to protest the extra-judicial killing of a tricycle operator by a police man in Maidugri, Borno state. The incident which took place at the west-end roundabout in maidugri is filled with smokes from burnt tires and barricades & blockades are seen around the area. According to Premium times;

The incident happened at about 11am today.
Soldiers continued to shoot in the air to disperse the protesters who have mobilized themselves and heading towards Dandal police station with the aim of attacking it.

MODI WINS INDIA ELECTION

Narendra Modi, India's prime minister-elect, has won the election under his Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) after a landslide win against the opposition which has been in power for about 23 years under the leadership of the outgoing Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.

The BJP has become the first party to win a majority for the past three decades. Modi 63 won 232 seats.

FOOTBALL: ARSENAL WINS FA CUP

It is all about the win win today, arsenal has clinched the FA cup by beating Hull city in a 3-2 score after an extra time in the finals today at Wimbley Stadium. Aaron Ramsey"s goal at the 109th minute secured the victory. 

This is their first trophy in 9 years, thumbs up to Arsene wenger.

"WE ARE HERE TO DECLARE WAR" AFRICA, WESTERN COMMUNITIES UNITE TO FIND MISSING GIRLS

Nigeria and its four neighbouring countries(Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin) at the security summit in paris have agreed to share intelligence and border survelliance in the search for the missing girls, while the west will provide technical training and expertise to combat the sect. 

President Hollande said that the threat of the boko haram members is bigger compared to when it started, President Biya of cameroon was more emphatic in his statement as he said the fight against boko haram is a "declaration of war". See their Statements in parts at the Summit today,

“We’re here to declare war on Boko Haram.” said the Cameroonian president, Paul Biya.

Boko Haram is no longer a local terror group," Jonathan said. "It is clearly operating as an al Qaeda operation" in central Africa, he said.

"The major challenge that we have faced in our search and rescue operation so far has been the deluge of misinformation about the whereabouts of the girls and the circumstances of their disappearance," the President added.

BOKO HARAM ATTACKS CHINESE CAMP IN CAMEROON

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram memebers have attacked a chinese camp in northern Cameroon on friday. The chinese camp is said to be near the den of the sects which is the sambisa forest and 20km from the Nigerian border.

The Chinese officials said, unidentified gunmen injured one person, and 10 others were unaccounted for.

More details later...

NIGERIAN SOLIDERS RELUCTANT TO FIGHT- US GENERAL

According to reports from the punch,the United States has said that the Nigerian military is becoming afraid of engaging the Boko Haram insurgents.

Testifying on Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US Air Force Chief of staff, Gen. Mark Welsh III, said, “We’re now looking at a military force that is, quite frankly, becoming afraid to even engage. The United States does not have the capacity, the capability to go rescue every kidnapped person around the world.”