Lol. You Nigerians have chased Buhari's daughter out of Twitter

Zahra Buhari, who broke the internet a few weeks ago when her beautiful pics hit the internet, has left twitter following serious bashing and criticisms from Nigerians who oppose her father's political ambition. The bashing came after Zahra tweeted support for her dad yesterday.
Guess she couldn't take it anymore and decided to delete her account or maybe she was made to? She used to tweet from Zahra3_ but the page no longer exists as at the time of this report.

Eya! This 90yr old woman (allegedly) donated her N1m life savings to Buhari's campaign

This tweet caught my eye. Don't know if it's true, but if it is, then she must really believe!

The next PDP Presidential candidate must be younger than me - GEJ

The President said this while speaking at the party's campaign rally in Nassarawa state earlier today..

Graphic pics: Student's head cut open during clash between APC and PDP members in Ekiti state

A student of the Ekiti state University suffered severe cut on his head during a clash between the APC and the PDP in the state on Saturday January 24th. While the APC allege that the clash broke out after the National Vice-President, External, National Association of Nigerian Students, Tosin Ogunkuade was arrested by the state police for speaking during its presidential campaign, the state Governor in his defence said the people arrested were thugs of the APC who wanted to cause trouble in the state. The youngman with the cut is currently receiving medical attention. The pic is bad. See it after the cut...

Sold by their own families for £50k: Tanzania's albinos hacked apart by witchdoctors who believe their body parts 'bring luck'

Tanzania has the highest number of killings and attacks of albinos in Africa and trade in body parts of the special people is driven by belief that they bring luck and wealth.

From UK Daily Mail 

Tanzania's albinos are being 'hunted down like animals' as greed for money and influence drives families to turn on their own loved ones in a trade allegedly fuelled by some of the country's most powerful people. It is believed albino body parts will bring a person wealth, or luck - and for that, people are willing to pay as much as $3,000 or $4,000 for a limb, or as much as $75,000 - about £50,000 - for the 'full set', a whole body.

People with albinism are regularly attacked by people who chop their limbs off - an act which either leaves them severely mutilated, or dead.  

Albinism, a hereditary genetic condition which causes a total absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes, affects one Tanzanian in 1,400, often as a result of inbreeding in remote and rural communities, experts say. In the West, it affects just one person in 20,000.

Since people began collecting records of the attacks, there have been 74 killings and 59 survivors of attacks. Even the dead are not safe: 16 graves have been robbed.

And these are only the recorded cases. 

The most recent case saw four-year-old Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi abducted from her home in December.

Her father and uncle were both arrested in connection with her disappearance, but - despite rewards offered of £1,130 and promises of swift action from the police - she has not been found.

Charities working in the area do not hold out much hope she will be returned safely, but - listening to survivors' stories - it is likely her end is, or will be brutal.

Mwigulu Matonange was just 10 when he was attacked by two men as he walked home from school with a friend.

They chopped off his left arm, before disappearing back into the jungle with their 'prize'. 

'I was held down like a goat about to be slaughtered,' he told IPP Media after the February 2014 attack.

In Mwigulu's case, the two men were strangers: he had never seen them before.

But it is understood suspicion turned on Pendo's father after he took half-an-hour to report her abduction, despite there being neighbours who could have helped as soon as she was taken.

It is not just parents. A 38-year-old woman with albinism was attacked with machetes by her husband and four other men while she was sleeping in February 2013, according to a UN report.

Her eight-year-old daughter watched her father leave the bedroom carrying her mother's arm.  

Those living with albinism in Tanzania fear the lure of making a couple of hundred dollars - three times the minimum wage earned in the country - is placing them in danger, even from their own families.

'Now we can see the parents who are involved in planning the attacks. What kind of war are we fighting if parents and family do this? Who can we trust?' Josephat Torner, who campaigns for albino rights, asked. 

'You do not know who is your enemy.' 

Josephat, who himself is albino, added: 'People with the albinism are being hunted and killed for our body parts. It is because people want to become rich.

'We are still living in danger. It is because people, they have different ideas. Some people, they are thinking they should get our body parts and sell to different places.

'The question is, why? Why now? And who is behind the killings?'

Exactly who remains unknown.

But Josephat - who has received death threats for his work, and was attacked in 2012 - said: 'The big fishes are behind the issue. It has been really a big discussion. If I say big fish, or big people, it is those who have enough resources, enough money.

'People sell the body parts for high prices. So it is not really small fish behind it.

'It could be politicians. It could be those people.'

There are, campaigners know, times when more albino attacks take place. And they know, with the general election coming up in October, now is one of the most dangerous times to be an albino.

The UN warned political campaigners were turning to witch doctors to help them win election back in August.

'People with albinism are hiding while there are elections,' said Peter.

Josephat added: 'This year we are going to have an election. Since last year, we have been seeing attacks and killings.' 

Already, there has been a noticeable increase.

Over the course of just 11 days last year, there were three attacks and two attempted attacks on people with albinism in Tanzania.

One man, thought to be in his early 20s, was found lying dead, his body mutilated, in the grass by some schoolchildren in a suburb of Dar Es Salaam.

The next day, a mother-of-seven was attacked in the Tabora region of Tanzania, losing her arm. 

A few days before, 15-year-old Pendo Sengerema was attacked as she ate dinner at home with her family.

They hacked off her right arm just below the elbow, before running off into the dark.

According to Under the Same Sun, a witch doctor had received an order from a wealthy client indicating that if Pendo’s arm could be provided, it would garner a price of $600.

The attack left Pendo terrified, begging to be sent away from her village. 

'I am asking the police to move me to a safer place and protect me because bad men might come back to kill me,' she pleaded.

 

These 'safer places' are the centres set up around the country, where large number of people with albinism are living behind high walls for their own protection. 

The camps were established after the first high profile waves of attacks, a knee-jerk response to a terrifying situation.

'It was supposed to be a short term solution,' Peter said. 'But there was no long term plan.' 

Years later, they still exist - and now are not just for children: adults are kept behind the camps' high walls as well.

'Children who are there, they are living there maybe for seven years without going back to their families,' said Josephat.

'At the end of the day, families or communities do not want to allow them to go back. These children are growing up without any parental care.'

'If you ask the community why now are they forcing their children to the camps, they are saying it is where they belong. But we are not for the camps: we are for the community.'

Kidnappers threaten to turn 15-yr old girl to a se.x slave is $100k ransom isn't paid..

The Niger Republic-based kidnappers who abducted a 15-year-old schoolgirl, Precious Okoro, have said if her family refuses to pay $100,000 ransom, she would be made to work for it.

The victim’s mother, Blessing, while appealing to the government for help, said her family had become bankrupt as a result of expenses.She added that relatives and friends had abandoned them as they now struggled to feed.

Punch Metro had reported on Tuesday how Precious was kidnapped at the Ajah area of Lagos State en route to her school in Ikenne, Ogun State.

Our correspondent had reported that the victim’s father was called by the principal who informed him that Precious had yet to report in the school.

Two months after the disappearance of the victim, the kidnappers were said to have called his father and demanded a ransom of $100,000 (N19.1m).


Punch Metro reported that Precious had not been found despite efforts by the police.

Her mother, Blessing, said the kidnappers threatened to turn her daughter to a sex slave if the money was not produced.

“We still spoke with her a few days ago and we begged the abductors to release her. They said we should pay N18m, later they reduced it to N500, 000 and at another time, they said we should pay any amount.
“When we begged them, they said if we don’t pay the money, she will work for the money. We don’t know what they mean by that, whether they want to turn her into a prostitute. A J.S.S. 3 girl that has just registered for her final junior exams, what does she know?People have abandoned us because of this incident and we are so confused.”

Precious’s father, Nwaigwe, said his business had closed down and his children were no longer going to school.

He said,

 “I am no more myself since my daughter got missing. I have spent so much money on travels without any result. To eat has been difficult. My kids are no more going to school.I am appealing to the government and good Nigerians to assist me.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that some of the suspects arrested by the police were already threatening to sue for the infringement on their fundamental human rights.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Kenneth Nwosu, said he would get back to our correspondent, but had yet to do so as of press time.

Photos from President Jonathan's Surprise visit to Maiduguri

Read the state house press release on President Jonathan's surprise visit to Maiduguri today ...

"President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan undertook a surprise visit to Maiduguri Thursday on the occasion of Nigeria’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day to meet with officers and men of the Armed Forces currently in the frontline of the war against terrorism and insurgency in the country.



Accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, the National Security Adviser and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, President Jonathan visited officers and men of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri to thank them for their patriotic and courageous service to the nation.

The President told officers and soldiers of the Division that the nation was very proud of them and grateful for their dedication and commitment to the defence of the civilian population against terrorists and violent extremists.

President Jonathan also assured the troops that the Federal Government will continue to do everything possible to ensure that they get the weapons, equipment, welfare and logistics support they require to completely rout the insurgents and restore full security and normalcy to affected parts of the country.

Describing the troops as a special breed of men who were undertaking a great assignment for their fatherland, the President assured them that all necessary action was being taken to address challenges facing them in their operations against Boko Haram. “In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded,” he told the soldiers. President Jonathan also toured wards of the 7 Division Hospital and Medical Services Centre where he met with soldiers recovering from injuries sustained in operations against Boko Haram. He wished them speedy recovery.

Before leaving the Borno State capital, President Jonathan visited over 900 displaced persons from Baga at a camp in the city.

The President commiserated with the displaced persons on the losses they suffered during the attack on their town by Boko Haram. He promised them that the Federal Government will strive to make their stay in the camps more comfortable while it continues to do all within its powers to restore peace and security to enable them return to their homes soon.

“Terrorism and insurgency have been very traumatic for all of us. I feel particularly disturbed when I hear of our people being displaced within their own country. “I assure you and other displaced persons that Government is working very hard to ensure that you do not remain in these camps for too long. “I know that many of your houses have been destroyed. We will assist you financially so that you can rebuild your homes and return to them gradually,” President Jonathan told the displaced persons. The President thanked the Red Cross and other international organizations who have been assisting in the provision of relief materials to the displaced persons.

He also charged local, state and federal government officials to work with greater harmony and cooperation in rendering support to the displaced persons. “I do not want to be hearing conflicting reports on support being given to them. Government is one and we must all work together to assist our people whenever the need arises.

“We must cooperate maximally and work together at the local government, state and federal levels to ensure that our people who are unfortunately displaced from their homes get the best possible treatment,” President Jonathan said.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)

Muslims demand death sentence for Charlie Hebdo staff after latest magazine issue(Photos)

Pakistani Muslims today called for the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists to be hanged for drawing the Prophet Mohammed on its latest front cover.

As worldwide protests continued for a second day, nearly 300 people from a religious group rallied in the eastern city of Lahore, carrying placards saying 'Down with Charlie Hebdo'.

One banner read: 'Making blasphemy cartoon of the Prophet is the worst act of terrorism. The sketch-makers must be hanged immediately.'

Cartoonist Renald Luzier, who drew the image, had argued earlier this week that there should be no exceptions to freedom of expression.

The rally came as Pakistani lawmakers staged their own demonstrations outside parliament after passing a resolution condemning the image of Islam's prophet in the French satirical newspaper

Fire guts Eko Market Marina(Photos)

Heavy fire has been reported at Berlin( Eko )Market in Broad Street ,Marina on the Lagos Island..According to several witnesses, it started around 4am..And the location is around FCMB and CBN building ..As at now, the Firefighters are struggling to put it off....

They say many buildings have been affected ..
What's with fire and Lagos markets these days..Coincidence or sabotage..

Several cars damaged after truck rams into them in Lagos(Photos)

 An Accident happened this morning at Opebi/Oregun link bridge after a trailer failed it's brakes and rammed into several cars..Luckily ,no life was lost

Pope Francis: there are limits to freedom of expression

On a plane from Sri Lanka to the Philippines today, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis talked about the recent Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris. While defending freedom of expression saying its a fundamental human right, he also said ‘you cannot insult the faith of others’

"One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith. There is a limit. Every religion has its dignity...in freedom of expression there are limits.”

He gestured to a friend and said “If my good friend Dr Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch. It’s normal. It’s normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others.”