Drug Czar at 17 .....

A 17-year-old Ohio high school student accused of being a drug "czar" with six lieutenants admitted guilt Tuesday to the charges against him in juvenile court.

The thin, bespectacled teen had the choice to admit to or deny drug trafficking charges against him in Warren County Juvenile Court in Lebanon. Those options are the juvenile court's version of pleading guilty or not guilty. Judge Mike Powell warned the teen before he admitted guilt that he could potentially be in prison until he turns 21. The teen, whom The Associated Press isn't identifying because of his age, responded: "I admit my guilt." The Warren County Drug Task Force said the teen was a sort-of captain of a major drug ring based in the Cincinnati area and led by adults. The teen had six teenage lieutenants, and the group sold as much as $20,000 worth of high-grade homegrown marijuana monthly to high schools students in two affluent Cincinnati-area schools, task force Cmdr. John Burke said. Warren County prosecutor David Fornshell said the teen's demeanor and actions in court both showed that he was remorseful. "I think you saw a certain level of nervousness. You saw someone who was fairly soft-spoken and who did appear to recognize the gravity of what was going on," he said. "Anytime you come in for an initial appearance and admit guilt -- you typically don't see something like that happen. That in and of itself shows that he came prepared to accept the consequences of his conduct." The teen, who wore a crisp blue button-down and khakis, stood up every time he spoke to the judge and addressed him as "your honor." His mother sat quietly next to him and eyed reporters in the courtroom. Michael O'Neill, the teen's attorney, declined to say why the team admitted his guilt and declined to answer any further questions. The teen's next court appearance is set for Aug. 6. Seven adults have been arrested in the case and are facing felony charges of marijuana cultivation, possession and trafficking. The 17-year-old and his so-called lieutenants are answering to charges in the juvenile system. "He is his own little czar over this high school scenario with these lieutenants, but the people above him involved in growing the product are certainly higher up in the food chain," Burke said. The task force investigated the ring for more than a year before arresting its leaders and bringing charges against the juveniles this month. Authorities seized more than 600 hydroponically grown marijuana plants with a street value of around $3 million. They found $6,000 in cash in the teens' bedroom closet. Source

OBJ And IBBTeam Up To Help President Jonanthan Rescue Nigeria From Breaking Up

Contrary to insinuations making the round that he had teamed up with former President Obasanjo against President Jonathan, former military strongman, Gen.Ibrahim Babangida, has opened up about the initiative foappease spear headed by Obasanjo and himself. According to the former ruler, it was President Jonathan who called for the intervention of the two former rulers. It would be recalled that the duo of Obj and IBB had a public spat last year after Babangida criticized Obasanjo’s government as a failure in an interview to celebrate his 70th birthday. The quick witted Obasanjo had responded the next day calling Babangida a “fool at 70″ and a “fool to the grave”. But today all that has changed as they have kissed and made up. Babangida spoke a day after he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued a joint statement decrying the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria and urged the government to utilise the “ample opportunities” available to dialogue with the insurgents. He told a reporter yesterday that the government had called upon people like him who had once ruled this country to come together toward charting a course for lasting peace. “The president has called on us who were once head of government to come together toward working out modalities for lasting peace in the country,” he said. He said the invitation by the government informed his first meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja last week. He, however, declined to make further comment on the last meeting and the agenda for subsequent meetings, saying doing so was tantamount to pre-emptying the forum. “I am confident that in no distance future the present security challenge will be an issue of the past, because the federal government has started taking proactive measures towards the restoration of peace in the country”. Babangida appealed to Nigerians who have meaningful contribution to make for addressing the present security predicament to come forward and do so. Source

Kidnappers killed Police in attempt to rescue kidnapped Govt House staff

Mr. Duke Okeze, a staff of Due Process Office, Government House, Asaba, Delta State,and his son who were kidnapped weekend have been rescued by a combined team of SARS, STORM in Issele-Uku  division at Atuma Iga, Delta State.

However, one of the policemen, a Corporal ,  involved in the rescue mission was killed in the process by the kidnappers.

The victims of the kidnapped also received bullet wounds.

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, in a statement, said that: “Three suspects, including a lady, were arrested and Mr. Duke Okeze's Toyota Corolla car was recovered.

The Police are on the trail of the other fleeing gang members.”

Man- Sentenced -to -death- for- killing -An -18 -Month -Old-baby

Uchenna Uhuegbu who was charged for killing an 18-month-old baby girl has been sentenced to death by Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo of Owerri High Court. 

The victim , Chimuanya Iwuagwu, at Odummara, Orodo, on May 17, 2009, met her untimely death  when her relative left her with the accuse to throw away refuse. 

Uhuegbu claimed that  a mystery voice advised him to kill the little girl if his life was to be better.

The Judge agreed with the prosecution that  since the little girl’s relation did not find the duo on her return, it was for the accused to account for the baby that was left in his care and, therefore sentenced him to death for murder.

Zenith Bank Driver Arrested With 19 Guaranty Bank ATM Cards, Huge Cash At Night

 

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested Dare Oladujoye, a driver with Zenith Bank, for allegedly being in possession of 19 Guaranty Trust Bank ATM cards and the sum of N652, 000.

The suspect was using the cards to withdraw money from an ATM at Ogba branch of GTB when a security guard raised the alarm.

The Commissioner of Police for the state police command, Mr. Umar Manko, said as of the time of his arrest, the suspect had withdrawn N652, 000 from the ATM.

Manko said, “On July 26, 2012, around 8:30pm, there was a distress call that there was commotion at GTB, Ogba branch. On getting there, the suspect was seen with 19 ATM cards.

“He is an employee of Zenith Bank and we wondered what he was doing with the 19 cards. He was arrested and as of the time of his arrest, he had cashed N652, 000. The matter is under investigation.”

The suspect however denied stealing the ATM cards. He said whenever he lent people money, he would collect their ATM cards as collateral and return them after payment.

He said, “I usually loan people money and I’ve been doing it for over a year. Whenever I loan people money, I will collect their ATM cards and their Personal Identification Numbers. When they repay me, I return their cards to them.

“However, if they don’t pay me back in cash, I go to withdraw money from their accounts through the ATM.”

When quizzed on where he got the money which he lent people, he said he was into various kinds of businesses.

He also said he had friends in the banking sector who helped him with funds.

He said, “I am a very hard working person. I joined Zenith Bank as a driver over three years ago and in less than a year, I bought a tricycle which I leased to another driver that gives me returns on a regular basis.

“The following year, I bought two tricycles bringing the total number to three. I make N150,000 monthly from the tricycles and N60,000 from my salary. I also get credit facilities through my connections in the banking sector.

“On the day I was arrested, I went to withdraw money on Thursday night with some of the cards when a security guard raised the alarm. I did not steal those cards. I know the owners of the cards and I have their numbers on my phone.”

Source

Okotie and Stephanie: Before Their Marriage Hit Rock Bottom.

Okotie and Stephanie

Story reaching us has it that Stephanie Adie Okotie (The wife General Overseer of House Hold of God, Reverend Christopher Okotie) has never been married before she met Reverend Christopher Okotie, though she had children for two men out of wedlock. Stephanie’s first love was rather tragic. She was dating a young man who got her pregnant. Incidentally, he was shot to dead in Surulere, Lagos even before the baby boy was born. 
 Stephanie’s second unfortunate affair was with one businessman, a dual personality of man celled Mazi Okechukwu (Okey). Unknown to her, Okey had wife and children when she met him. Okey told her he was not married. Okey rented a house for Stephanie in Ikeja, Lagos, where they cohabited for awhile. She also had a son for Okey. The relationship was turbulence and peace could not return when she found out the real person Okey was. 
It was in this her state of confusion and downcast that she met Reverend Christopher Okotie. An ace musician, a reverend in the vineyard of God, a most flamboyant and eloquent orator with therapeutic love words in the manner of modern New yorker, the very type she needed for her troubled soul.She fell for him like a pack of card. The marriage between her and Reverend Christopher Okotie was a talk of the town. However, barely four years into the marriage, the boat is seriously rocked. They are separated in the manner of America celebrities'. Now, the storm is far from being calm. the war was taken to her facebook page. She has threatened to open up on many more issues relating to her four year marriage to Rev. Okotie if pushed to the wall. Reverend Christopher Okotie on his part, as it was alleged, put an end to the once glamorous marriage of our time, over mundane issue of relationship with man-maid (Mami water) obgaje . How true this one is, nobody knows for now. 

We shall update our readers when more facts emerge.

Israel denies report Obama aide shared Iran war plan

A senior Israeli official just denied on Sunday a newspaper report that President Barack Obama’s national security adviser had briefed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S. contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its nuclear programme.

The Israeli liberal Haaretz daily on Sunday quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying the adviser, Thomas Donilon, had described the plan over dinner with Netanyahu earlier this month.

Source

Israel denies report Obama aide shared Iran war plan

A senior Israeli official just denied on Sunday a newspaper report that President Barack Obama's national security adviser had
briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S.
contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb
its nuclear programme.
The Israeli liberal Haaretz daily on Sunday quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying
the adviser, Thomas Donilon, had described the plan over dinner with Netanyahu earlier
this month.

Source...
ttp://m.theglobeandmail.

Israel denies report Obama aide shared Iran war plan

A senior Israeli official just denied on Sunday a newspaper report that President Barack Obama's national security adviser had
briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S.
contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb
its nuclear programme.
The Israeli liberal Haaretz daily on Sunday quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying
the adviser, Thomas Donilon, had described the plan over dinner with Netanyahu earlier
this month.

Source...
ttp://m.theglobeandmail.

Israel denies report Obama aide shared Iran war plan

A senior Israeli official just denied on Sunday a newspaper report that President Barack Obama's national security adviser had
briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S.
contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb
its nuclear programme.
The Israeli liberal Haaretz daily on Sunday quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying
the adviser, Thomas Donilon, had described the plan over dinner with Netanyahu earlier
this month.

Source...
ttp://m.theglobeandmail.

Obama Aide Briefs Israel of U.S Plan To attack Iran

President Barack Obama's national security adviser has briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S. contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its nuclear program, an Israeli newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Haaretz newspaper said that the U.S. adviser - Thomas Donilon - had described the plan in talks with Netanyahu earlier this month.

A senior Netanyahu aide, Harel Locker, refused to comment on the report when asked about it in an interview with an Israeli radio station. Another Israeli official reached by telephone, said "we do not comment on closed-door diplomatic meetings".

Haaretz said the secret briefing was the most significant effort by high-level U.S. officials who had visited Israel in the past month, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to try to dissuade Israel from launching its own military strike on Iran.

The report coincided with a visit to Israel by Obama's main rival in his reelection bid this November, Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who is due to meet Netanyahu on Sunday.

Quoting a senior U.S. official it said spoke on condition of anonymity, Haaretz said Donilon had told Netanyahu the Pentagon was planning for a possible decision to attack Iran's nuclear sites, and had shown him some of the plans.

In their talks, the same official said Donilon had also detailed the U.S. military's ability to penetrate nuclear facilities buried deep underground, and had said that such contingency plans were being drawn up in case of a possible deadlock in diplomacy with Iran.

The failure of talks between Iran and six world powers to secure a breakthrough in curbing what the West fears is a drive to develop nuclear weapons has raised international concerns that Israel, widely assumed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed state, may opt for a go-it-alone military strike.

Israel has warned the West it thinks it is only a matter of time before Iran's nuclear program achieves a "zone of immunity" in which bombs will not be able to effectively strike uranium enrichment facilities buried deep underground.

Iran says its program is solely for peaceful purposes.

On a visit to Jerusalem this month, Clinton said Israel and Washington were "on the same page" with respect to Iran, calling Iran's latest proposals to world power talks on the issue "non starters."

"Our own choice is clear, we will use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Clinton said.

Source

Amazing Photos: Five Men Take The Same Photo For 30 Years

Every five years for the past three decades, John Wardlaw, John Dickson, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney and John Molony have been meeting at the California lake and taking the same photo.
From 1982 – 2012 (Every 5 years)

Judge Sentence 22 Years Old Jordan to 44 years for Manslaughter

 A County judge in Pinellas sentenced Demetrius Jordan, 22-year-old  to 44 years in imprison  on four counts of DUI manslaughter.

Traffic investigators said Jordan was speeding up to 92 miles per hour as he approached the intersection of 22 Avenue North and Dr. Martin Luther King Street in St. Petersburg. The accident report shows Jordan  had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit from a cocktail of gin and Four LoKo - a caffeine and alcohol mix. Jordan had also been smoking marijuana.

The McConnell men were on vacation, celebrating the youngest McConnell's 19^th birthday. The men were returning from a guy's night out to the movies when the accident happened. Jordan pleaded guilty to the charges in June, just before his trial was scheduled to begin.

However, Jordan's mother said it was an accident, a young man's poor decision one night. "I want you to give him some mercy," said Alice Jordan, Demetrius' mother. "It was a mistake, it was a mistake," said Alice. She was hoping to get a lenient sentencing but, the judge thought otherwise, perhaps to serve as a lesson to other reckless youths.

Jordan's attorney also pleaded for allocutus saying it was an isolated incident, an accident at the hand of a young man with no criminal record. In the end, the judge could not overlook the seriousness of the crime or the impact it has had on the McConnell family. 

"Everyday I pray for the strength to get through my day without my children," says Lisa Stokes, the mother of Elroy and Nathan McConnell.

Lisa told the judge her life has not been the same since that night, August 2010. Stokes said, "They were great men, loved their family, had good careers and loved their children ... they were my children and my friends"

 

The final plea came from Demetrius Jordan himself. "I am terribly sorry," said Demetrius. "It hurts my heart, I know I took four lives, I take full responsibility for what I've done. I don't remember what happened, I am lost." Demetrius told the judge that he will have to come to face his Lord for what he has done.

Jordan's family said they are at peace with the judge's decision.

The McConnells hope others will learn a lesson from their loss and that is not to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  

Mystery in Abuja: Man vomits live lizards in hospital

Asuelimen

A strange incident is scaring the residents of  a community near the Federal Capital Territory.

The residents of Kubwa, a community on the outskirts of Abuja, got the shock of their lives when an unusual incident involving a businessman occurred about two weeks ago.

The businessman, Edward Asuelimen, had woken up in the morning of July 16 with severe pain in his stomach.

“I woke up a few minutes after 5 am. In less than two hours, I had visited the toilet four times. Then I felt excruciating pain in my stomach. It got to a point where I could hardly prepare my children for school,” Asuelimen recounts.

Even his wife was very worried. But he managed to pull himself together and left their home with the children.

Halfway to the children’s school, the pain became unbearable and he decided to get some drugs from a store on the way.

Yet, a few minutes later, Asuelimen barely managed to walk out of the store by gripping the walls for support.

“I prayed hard to get back home. Anybody who saw me at that point wouldn’t have believed that there was something wrong with me,” he says.

He kept praying and fighting the pain raging in his stomach until he got home. He was so weak that he could not step out of his car.

Asuelimen’s wife was alarmed at his condition. She suggested that he should seek medical attention in a hospital after he gasped and said, “Help me quickly, I can’t breathe.”

The businessman had no choice other than to listen to his wife. Eventually, he was admitted at Unity Clinic and Maternity Home, which was nearby.

At intervals, his panic-stricken wife called out his name just to be sure that he was still alive.

“I had never experienced that kind of pain before. I was merely hanging on with all my strength and faith in God. At the hospital, the medical director and his staff were already having their morning devotion.

“When my wife called the doctor and he helped me to come out of my car, the only thing I could say was, ‘my tommy, my tummy’ I was given an injection and somebody stayed with me, all the while praying as the rest  continued the morning devotion.

“The Holy Spirit pushed me to speaking in tongues at that point. Not long afterwards, I felt a strong urge to vomit and I did.”

Asuelimen vomited two live lizards in the hospital. The incident however caused consternation among members of the staff of the hospital and other patients present.

“When my wife tried to get something to clean my mouth and pack it, I saw a lizard crawling out from the vomit on the ground. The nurse that attended to me saw another one and wanted to kill it,” he says.

When he saw the lizards, the first thought that struck him was that he had been poisoned. But the pain ceased after he vomited the reptiles. The doctor told him that he had just received divine healing.

“I got well almost instantly. Even I joined the hospital staff in burning the lizards. I went home had my bath and continued the day’s business as if nothing had happened to me,” he says.

The news of the  event spread like wildfire. Soon Asuelimen started receiving phone calls from his friends, relatives, neighbours and associates. They congratulated him for surviving a close shave with death.

Eventually, the incident became the talk among the residents of Kubwa. Everybody seemed to be mystified and for some time, they discussed the incident in hushed tones.

The lizards are still the subject of debate in the community and the residents are torn between accepting the mystery and waving it aside, since they are convinced that it cannot be proved scientifically.

But Asuelimen says, “I am not a medical doctor, and  I know that it cannot be proved scientifically. I know that faith is older and stronger than science. The faith we are talking about is God himself. God is the creator of the universe, so invention and science itself is dependent on God.

“Some things are real and beyond proof. We don’t have to subject God’s miracle and existence to scrutiny. It does not make sense because I know there are many things that God can do, which science cannot prove. I am talking about divine healing and miracles in particular. The fact that science cannot prove it does not mean they are not real.”

The Medical Director of Unity Clinic and Maternity, Dr. Stephen Nwaedozie, confirmed the incident. He says, “When I got to the car, I saw Edward writhing in pain. I brought him out of the vehicle and attended to him. We started praying for him. Not long afterwards, my nurses told me that he had vomited lizards.

“I personally burnt the lizards and poured anointing oil on them and buried the carcasses. As soon as we did that, the man recovered from the stomach pain. He is a child of God and with faith he told them to bring him to my hospital and when he came here, God delivered him. So we praise God.”

Nwaedozie admitted that there was no way science could explain the appearance of the lizards in Asuelimen’s vomit. “If I was not there and it didn’t happen right before me, I won’t believe. So that is why we have to tell the world the truth,” he says.

Source

How Police nabbed notorious bandits while servicing their weapons for operation

When news of a robbery attack on a Thermocool outlet at Bolade-Oshodi area of Lagos State, where a whopping sum of N8 million was carted away and five persons, including three policemen and a pregnant woman lost their lives, broke last November, the police in Lagos State knew they were in for a difficult case.

Operatives of the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, who took over investigations, soon realized that the robbers were also responsible for a previous robbery attack at Abusom United Investment Limited, a registered dealer in GSM recharge cards and vouchers, on Allen Avenue,Ikeja, few months back.

Though no one was killed at that operation but the mystery gang of robbers made away with the sum of N12.468m in cash and N14.865m worth of recharge cards and vouchers.

suspects

Sources told Crime Guard that the robbers had a gun duel with the police at Bolade-Oshodi before they managed to escape in another vehicle leaving the one they came with. That singular error gave the police their first lead to the case which eventually aided the arrest of seven members of the gang including their leader, Ajibola Sulaiman, a notorious bandit who has been on the police wanted list for a long time.

Over 11 assault Ak47 rifles, 39 magazines loaded with ammunition and two pistols one of which was the service pistol of a policeman killed during the Bolade-Oshodi robbery, were recovered. Police sources gave the names of six other arrested members of the gang as Austin Macaulay, Kehinde Akin, Tunde Oyebande, Wale Adeniyi, Taofeek Bukola and Ladun Agemo.

The source added that Ajibola Sulaiman, was the first person they arrested after operatives from SARS trailed the particulars of the vehicle recovered at the scene of Bolade-Oshodi robbery attack to an address at Sango Ota, where they met an old woman who happened to be the mother in-law of Sulaiman;

“We told her what we came for and who her son in-law is and she took pity on us and offered to assist us. She then took us to a place where we found Sule hiding inside the ceiling. But Sule’s arrest didn’t help us in any way. He refused to divulge information that would assist us in apprehending others.

“Though at that time, we’ve already commenced full investigation into the robbery at Allen Avenue and we were seriously trying to track down the suspects and by the end of January, we succeeded in arresting Austin Macaulay and Kehinde Akin and recovered one AK47 rifle, 5 magazines loaded with ammunition and lots of charms. But these suspects didn’t divulge any information about members of their gang.

“It seems like they were under some sort of oath not to disclose the identities of their colleagues even after several hours of painful interrogations. We kept on searching for them and by early April, we apprehended Tunde Oyebande, the gang’s amourer and recovered five AK-47 rifles, one pump action gun, two pistols and four magazines filled with live ammunition inside a Lagos colored commercial bus where he hid the weapons.

“But Tunde wasn’t as difficult as the others, he gave us veritable information that assisted us during interrogation. He told us that the second in command had some problem keeping the gang after Ajibola Sulaiman’s arrest and the gang was split into two between one Wale and Small Sule, the second in command and they shared the weapons they had among themselves.

“At that time, we sensed danger and we re-strategised and launched a manhunt for them, and few days ago, we arrested Wale Adeniyi, Taofeek Bukola and Ladun Agemo. We recovered five Ak47 assault rifles and 29 magazines filled with live ammunition. Though while we were trailing them, we learnt they were getting more sophisticated and unleashing terror within south western states.”

When Crime Guard met with the three newly arrested suspects at SARS headquarters in Ikeja, 28 year old Wale who formed the new gang said he had a close relationship with Sulaimon, the leader of the gang before his arrest . “I worked with Fatai for about two years and also lived in his home. Each time Sulaimon left home, I assumed he had travelled to Cotonou as was his practice to buy goods for sale . We sold clothes and sometimes apples.

“ Sometime last year, Sulaimon disappeared. I later learned from one of his friends called Akin that the police had arrested him for robbery; it was that day, I knew he was a robber and that those of his friends whom I had assumed were also traders were robbers too. Since Akin and I were on friendly terms, I asked him where Sulaimon had kept his guns. I told him I was interested too in joining the gang and Akin brought 2 AK 47 guns for me. That was how I got involved in the robbery,” Adeniyi said.

Meanwhile, Adeniyi and his new group went on a robbery spree of their own, confident that they would not be arrested. “We robbed some traders of N3m along the Ibadan express way and a Bureau de Change at Surulere of N400,000. The highest amount I have made from any robbery is N350,000,” Adeniyi said.

His accomplice, 29 year-old Bukola had a job in his family’s owned bakery at Ifo Ogun state before he chose to walk the path of crime. He said, “Wale is my link to the gang; we had been friends for a while. There were seven of us in our group; Wale, Chicago, Wasiu, Akin, Yusuf Dada, Muta and Aluko. For my first operation, I had to drive about three of them to Ibadan where Akin was waiting. I was with them when we robbed a lady at Academy bus stop under the bridge of N3.5m.

…Another suspect

“We had to block her taxi with our own cars; I with my Mazda 323 and Chicago another gang member had his Four-Runner Jeep. That lady was trailed by Wasiu, another member from her shop at Gbegi to the point where we robbed her. Earlier, we had had one failed operation at Ibadan because the victim who was said to have N2m on her person was not at home. Our second operation was at Abeokuta, we went to a place where they sold flour and robbed them of N270,000.

Adeniyi and I were arrested last week at Ado-odo in Ogun state where we had gone to service our guns and prepare ourselves for another robbery operation which was to take place at Akure later that same day.

Initially, we were supposed to pick up the remaining members of the gang at Sango before heading for Akure but they called before we could get to Ado-Odo and asked us not to bring the guns when coming because the vehicle we had planned to use was bad. So, we left the guns behind and were on our way to Sango when we were stopped by the police.”

Confirming the arrests, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umaru Manko said, “The Police at SARS headed by Sp. Abba Kyari, acting on prior information, already had the plate number of the Mazda and knew that Adeniyi and Bukola were robbers.

While Bukola stopped and got out of the car as he was instructed, Adeniyi tried to make a run for it. He was shot and immediately both men were arrested. Upon interrogation, Bukola admitted that he had no idea where the guns were usually kept as Adeniyi would make him drive up to a point and then take over the driving from him after making him exit the car.

It was Adeniyi who took the police to Agemo’s house at Ado-odo where 4 AK47s and 29 magazines were recovered all loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition,” he stated.

Source

Who Made Them so?

Goat, sometimes, are as intelligent and humorous as dog or humans

New vaginal ring to keep women safe coming

ARV

At the International AIDS Conference, researchers have been keeping their focus on a new vaginal ring aimed at keeping women safe.

“Because this product is designed to be replaced once a month, it offers potential to increase the chances that women will continually use the product as opposed to a product that has to be applied in a behaviorally dependent prior to sex way or on a daily basis,” explained Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, with the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

About 3,500 African women have signed up to take part in the study and hopes are high.

Researchers say giving women tools to protect themselves, without having to rely on their partner, is critical.  Half of the more than 34 million people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are women.  That percentage rises even higher in hard-hit Africa.

Scientists in the United States yesterday said they had used a cancer drug to flush out the AIDS virus lurking dormant in trial patients’ white blood cells — a tentative step towards a cure.

The ability of the HIV genome, or reproductive code, to hide out in cells and be revived after decades poses a major obstacle in the quest for a cure.

Being able to expose the virus in its hiding place would allow scientists to target the host white blood cells in a killing blitz.

“It is the beginning of work toward a cure for AIDS,” David Margolis, co-author of the study published in the journal Nature, told AFP as the International AIDS Conference was under way in Washington.

HIV is a retrovirus, inserting its DNA into the genome of host white blood cells, CD4+T cells in this case, and turning them into virus factories. Sometimes it goes into hiding in some cells even as others keep on producing.

Some 34 million people around the world are living with HIV, which destroys the immune system and has caused about 30 million AIDS-related deaths since the disease first emerged in the early 1980s.

In the latest study, researchers in the United States used the chemotherapy drug vorinostat to revive and so unmask latent HIV in the CD4+T cells of eight trial patients.

The patients were also on antiretroviral drugs, which stops HIV from multiplying but have to be taken for life because they do not kill the virus hidden away in reservoirs.

“After a single dose of the drug, at least for a moment in time, (vorinostat) is flushing the virus out of hiding,” Margolis said of the trial results — the first drug ever shown to do so.

“This is proof of the concept, of the idea that the virus can be specifically targeted in a patient by a drug, and essentially opens up the way for this class of drugs to be studied for use in this way.”

The drug targets an enzyme that allows the virus to lie latent.

The researchers cautioned that vorinostat may have some toxic effects and stressed this was merely an early indication of feasibility that had to be explored further.

Exactly what would happen after the virus was unveiled in reservoir cells was also not certain, said Margolis.

“We know that many cells that produce HIV die in the process. We know many cells that produce HIV can be identified and killed by the immune system. As far as we can tell, all the viruses floating around while patients are taking therapy don’t get into cells because they are blocked by the therapy,” he said.

Without a host cell, the virus would die within a few minutes.

“There is a possibility that this could work. But ... if it is only 99 percent true and one percent of the virus escapes, it won’t succeed. That is why we have to be careful about our work and what we claim about it.”

In a comment published with the study, HIV researcher Steven Deeks said the research provided “the first evidence that ... a cure might one day be feasible”.

But, as is common with early clinical trials, the study raised more questions than answers — including ethical concerns about giving potentially toxic drugs to HIV-infected people who are otherwise healthy, he said.

“These data from the lab of David Margolis are genuinely exciting for those exploring pathways to achieving a cure for AIDS,” Oxford University HIV researcher John Frater told AFP, calling for investment in further research.

HIV immunologist Quentin Sattentau called the findings promising, but said other types of reservoir cells, including in the brain, may not respond to this treatment.

“Thus there is a long way to go before we will know if this can work to completely eradicate HIV from an infected person.”

 

Source

Man Beheads Neighbour's Son For Rituals Using Bread As Bait

Joan Yakubu(man) arrested by the officials of the. Department of State Services (DSS), has confessed that he used N50 bread to lure the seven year-old son of his neighbour whom he beheaded.
Yakubu said this after he was arrested by the DSS officials attached to the FCT command at AYA Asokoro alongside his accomplice Ishaya Dukulung, 30.
He said his friend asked him to get a fresh. human head to be
sold to a client in Abuja who promised him huge amount of money.
According to him "I cut off the head of Danjuma after I persuaded him by asking if he would like to eat bread and he
answered yes! So I bought bread for N50 and gave him and while
he was eating, I asked him to go with me to a nearby river for a swim which did.
"When we got to the river, I entered the river while he stayed away. I told him to join me while I pretended to be washing my feet. I forced the boy to drown before I cut off the head and left the main body in the river."
Yakubu said he later concealed the head in a bag and took it to
Dakulung before heading to Abuja to meet the buyer.
The Assistant Director Operations, Ibrahim Halilu said the suspects were "arrested at the AYA Junction on July 22 at about 01:30 with fresh human head of boy of about seven years old who was later identified as Samu Danjuma from Anguwan
Galadima in Nasarawa Local Government, Nasarawa state. They
were arrested while they were looking for a buyer after a tip-off."

source...
http://dailypost.com.ng

'Black Madam' charged in Philly buttocks injection death

A woman who calls herself "Black Madam" is charged with murder in the death of a London tourist police say died from a buttocks-enhancing silicone injection at a Philadelphia airport hotel. Philadelphia police say Padge Windslowe was arrested Monday night and charged with third-degree murder in last year's death of 20-year-old Claudia Aderotimi. Windslowe was first arrested in February as police say she prepared to host a so-called "pumping party" at a Philadelphia house. Authorities say one of her customers had serious lung problems as a result of an injection. Authorities said they knew Windslowe injected Aderotimi but had been awaiting test results from the Food and Drug Administration before making a determination in Aderotimi's death. A phone message left for the attorney in Windslowe's February arrest wasn't immediately returned.

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248 human fetuses Discovered in Russian forest

Villagers in Russia's south Urals region have stumbled upon a gruesome discovery — four barrels left in a forest containing 248 human fetuses, prompting an official probe, officials said Tuesday.

Police in the Sverdlovsk region said the fetuses, preserved in formaldehyde, were kept in barrels with tags marked with surnames and numbers.

The fetuses were found a few miles away from a highway linking the region's capital, Yekaterinburg, with another big city, Nizhny Tagil. Police believe that they may have come from four local hospitals and have started an investigation.

The fetuses have been placed in a local morgue.

The Health Ministry said it had ordered a check of local hospitals to prevent such incidents occurring again.

"The rude violation of medical ethics causes indignation," the ministry said in a statement. "It's inadmissible from both the moral and legal viewpoint."

The Russian Orthodox Church used the incident to emphasize its opposition against abortions. Spokesman Vladimir Legoida said in a statement that it "highlighted the degradation of our society."

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Ghana’s President Is Dead

Ghana's President John Atta Mills has died, according to a statement sent by the president's office to Reuters on Tuesday.

"It is with a heavy heart...that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana," Reuters quoted the statement as saying.

It said the president, 68, died a few hours after being taken ill but no further details were given.

But the BBC reported that Mr. Mills had been suffering from throat cancer.

Man Brutally Beats and Stabs His Wife For not Allowing Him To Marry A Second Wife

A 21yr old Mutorashanga
man has been jailed for
four months for beating up and stabbing his wife with a knife after she objected on him marrying a second wife
The convicted, whose name is Ariyeri Apitoni was on his own plea of guilty to the charge of contravening section 3 of the Domestic Act Chapter 5:16 when he appeared before magistrate on friday.
The court heard the couple had quarreled many times over the husband's plans to
marry a second wife.
Prior to the incident, the wife had abandoned her home after her husband insisted he would pursue his marriage plans of marrying
a second wife and was now staying with her parents.
The State case was that on June , Cecilia Chifamba (22), who was on her way to visit
a sick uncle at Munaka
Farm, met her estranged husband who forcibly took her clothes and ordered her to join him back home.
On the same day at around noon, Apitoni proceeded to his in-law's residence where
he intended to "sweet-talk"

Chifamba back home but she refused.
This incensed Apitoni who drew out a multi-blade knife from his pocket and stabbed
the complainant once in the back before fleeing.
The wife sustained a deep cut as a result of the attack, the court heard.
The magistrate sentenced Apitoni to a four-month prison term or $300 fine.

Source...
http://www.informationnigeria.org

Dietrich Escapes Contempt Charge For Revealing Names Of Sexual Attackers

A Kentucky teenager frustrated by light punishment for two boys who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her was spared Monday from having to face a contempt charge for naming them on Twitter in violation of a court order.
The case of Savannah Dietrich, 17, quickly gathered supporters nationwide who were upset that the victim of an assault could be punished for speaking out against her attackers.
The girl turned to Twitter after she said she was frustrated with what she felt was a lenient plea deal. The judge had ordered no one to speak about the case, which was in juvenile court.
On Monday, attorneys for the boys dropped their motion to charge her with contempt. David Mejia, an attorney for one of the boys, said the decision to withdraw the motion had nothing to do with public sentiment and online attention to the case.
He said the purpose of the motion had been to enforce the law that protects juveniles and their actions from disclosure.
"The horse is out of the barn," he said. "Nothing is bringing it back."
The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual assault, but Dietrich and her parents wanted her story to be made public. She gave her account to The Courier-Journal newspaper in a story published Saturday. She has not responded to the AP for comment and her lawyer, Emily Farrar-Crockett of the public defender's juvenile division, did not immediately return telephone calls.
Jeff Dion, deputy executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, said victims who feel cheated by the justice system sometimes file civil lawsuits in an effort to get information in the public, but social media has turned that on its head.
"It's all about giving victims a voice," Dion said.
In one day, an online petition on Change.org had garnered 62,000 signatures in support of Dietrich's action.
"When I read it, I was appalled and outraged and thought, `Somebody has to do something about this. Who is going to do something about this?'" said Elizabeth Beier, 22, of Cockeysville, Md., who started the petition even though she doesn't know Deitrich. "Everyone wants this girl to have peace and time to recover and not another trauma like jail time."
Beier said the two women have not spoken, but she congratulated her.
"I think what she did was very brave by coming forward ... and I think a lot of people who may have been victims or survivors of assault and didn't get the justice they deserve probably see themselves in her," she said.
Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, said the motion to withdraw the contempt of court charge was "a huge victory not only for Ms. Dietrich, but for women all over the country."
Deitrich told The Courier-Journal that after the sexual assault, the boys posted photos of the attack on the Internet.
"These boys shared the picture of her being raped with their friends and she can't share their names with her Twitter community? That's just crazy," O'Neill said.
The Courier-Journal reported that the boys were charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, and misdemeanor voyeurism, according to information in a court motion the newspaper filed asking Judge Dee McDonald to allow the paper to see motions filed by attorneys for Dietrich.
The teens pleaded guilty to those charges in late June, though Dietrich and her family told the newspaper they were unaware of the plea bargain and recommended sentence until just before it was announced in court. The attack occurred in August 2011.
Dion said the Kentucky law on gag orders in juvenile cases presupposes that information revealed came from reading the court record. In Dietrich's case, he noted, she was the victim, and she had independent knowledge of the crime.
"And I think a restriction or gag order on a victim creates some First Amendment issues," Dion said.
He added that prosecuting a victim "sends a terrible message."
"We created victims' rights out of a recognition that we need victims to come forward in order for our justice system to work," he said. "Really, what do they get for that?"
Chris Klein, an attorney for one of the boys, said publicizing their names may create problems for them in the future.
"There's always that possibility and in any type of scenario like this you run that risk," he said. "Now whether both these boys can overcome those hurdles, it's too early to determine that."
Klein said it's possible, but unlikely, that prosecutors would make the same contempt charge against Dietrich. Both sides will still be bound by the confidentiality of the juvenile court proceedings.
"I think her behavior will dictate whether it's the end of it or not," Klein said. "If all the parties abide by the confidentiality of juvenile court, then I think that's the end of it."
Bill Patteson, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Attorney's office, said he could not comment because of the confidentiality on juvenile cases.

Source

AIDS researchers discover new cell

 Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, US have identified a new behaviour for the human macrophage that provides new explanations for several features of HIV biology.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria by the Communications Manager, Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria, Mr Dennis Mordi on Monday.

Macrophages are white blood cells within tissues.

It stated that the discovery explains how the virus persists within the body, how inactive infected CD4+ T-cells arise and how the infection leads to depletion of CD4+ T-cells.

CD4+cells are specialised cells that are a part of the immune system, while the T-cell is a type of blood cell that protects the body from infection.

According to the statement, the research team found that the macrophages cultured from human blood can function as “nurse cells” and in this capacity, generate and release newly formed cells.

“The new cells released include a previously unknown small cell, termed “self-renewing monocytoid cell” that is highly susceptible to infection with HIV.

“This small cell can develop into another nurse macrophage that can, in turn, produce another small cell.

“This nurse macrophage/small cell developmental cycle can continue in culture for several generations, even during continuous production of HIV.

“Current anti-HIV drugs cannot inhibit HIV maintained through this process, because they act to prevent new infection. ’’

It said the researchers emphasised that, although working with HIV led them to recognise nurse macrophage behaviour all of the phenomena observed could be seen in uninfected, as well as HIV-infected macrophage cultures.

“Amazingly, nurse macrophages can also produce CD4+ T-cells, which are released as resting cells. These cells are a specific subtype of CD4+ T-cells, the subtype preferentially targeted by HIV.’’

According to the report the researchers observed a dramatic decline in T-cell production in HIV-infected macrophage cultures, as well as release of resting CD4+ T-cells that contained HIV DNA, but were not producing the virus.

It said that the findings suggested that nurse macrophages might represent a source of latently infected CD4+ T-cells, and the compromise of nurse macrophage production of CD4+ T-cells, brought about by HIV infection, might contribute to the CD4+ T-cell decline that characterises AIDS.

Dr. Suzanne Gartner, the leader of the Institute’s stem cell research team, noted, “Thus far, the experiments have been performed using macrophages obtained from blood, and then cultured in the laboratory.

“We are now trying to determine if this phenomenon is operational in vivo – within the human body.”

Dr. Robert Gallo, Director of the Institute of Human Virology adds, “The concept that a cell can be produced within another cell, a mother cell, is new and thought-provoking (at least in human biology) and it makes sense that a virus would exploit this process as a survival strategy.’’

Source

Man loses seven children to flood In Jos

In one fell swoop, Abdulramid Useni, a resident of Gangere in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State,  lost seven children to the flood on Sunday

“My world is finished. Where do I start from?” he cried

According to him the incident took place while they were sleeping.

“All of us were sleeping. I, my wife and our 12 children were sleeping in the house when all of a sudden, there was this sudden surge of flood which took over our house. Before we could do anything, the house collapsed and the flood swept all of us away, including the house.

“I was able to survive because I clung to a pole. It was a matter of life and death as I was there until the flood subsided.”

He said his wife and five children survived and are taking shelter in one of the displaced people’s camps in Rikkos.Meanwhile, Six of the dead bodies  of his children have been recovered, and one is yet to be located. 

Over 38 people have been reported dead in the flood disaster.

"In recent times there has been so much disaster in the land of Nigeria, especially Plateau State. Few days ago, tribal and religion war claimed over 200 lives in Plateau State. A serving senator was killed.  In the whole of Nigeria, Plateau State seem the most troubled area due to authority high handedness in handily the affairs of the people. One only hope that things will change for the better." An ex- resident of Jos said

How President Jonathan Spent Huge Money to Manipulate NBA Election To Favour Wali Okey

 

Okey Wali (SAN), a lawyer massively supported with funds by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, today emerged as the president-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association in an election marred by the Jonathan administration’s meddling, widespread bribery of delegates, and other irregularities.
Mr. Wali, a former Commissioner for Justice in Rivers State and a close aide to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, scored 688 votes. His rival, Emeka Ngige (SAN), was credited with 449 votes, even though he entered the election as the favorite.
Our reporter had earlier reported that the Jonathan administration had budgeted and spent more than N1 billion to shore up Mr. Wali. Our sources alleged that the Jonathan regime took over the entire Sheraton Hotel in Abuja and doled out free rooms, cash and food to delegates who consented to support Mr. Wali. In addition, several delegates accused the outgoing NBA leadership, especially Joseph Daudu, the exiting president, of manipulating the voters register. “It was only yesterday at noon that Daudu released the list of eligible voters,” said one of the lawyers.
Several sources asserted that many names were omitted from the list of delegates. “There’s a branch from Onitsha with 20 delegates, but only twelve names were accredited,” said one source. “By contrast, a branch from Port Harcourt with 27 listed delegates had 63 delegates voting. ”Supporters of Mr. Ngige also stated that fifteen new branches were registered but were prevented from voting at the last minute.
They accused Lanke Odogiyan (SAN), chair of the electoral committee, of manipulating the process to ensure fraudulent victory for Mr. Wali. Mr. Odogiyan and Mr. Wali reportedly belong to an elite lawyers’ club called “Juris Credo.”
Several sources within the Presidency and in the judiciary had disclosed that the Jonathan administration was determined to frustrate an independent candidate to lead the NBA. Our sources revealed that the Presidency handed out N100,000 to some delegate and 250,000 to several branches of the NBA. The NBA has 88 branches, with a minimum of 10 delegates from each branch.
“It is a tragedy that the Presidency would spend outrageous amounts of public funds in order to foist an unpopular candidate who is the government’s lackey as NBA leader,” said one of the disaffected lawyers.
“The Presidency reasoned that an independent NBA president cannot be trusted to play along if there are glaring human rights abuses or instances of corruption and other betrayals of public trust within the judiciary,” said a source, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who backed Mr. Ngige. “”For that reason, the administration decided to throw its financial muscle behind Chief Wali by crooked means.” The source, who insisted that the Jonathan team distributed cash to many delegates to buy support for Mr. Wali, added that he was dismayed to see some lawyers “selling their conscience for a mess of porridge.”
Our sources disclosed that the team put together by the Presidency to “campaign” for Mr. Wali was led by Attorney General of the Federation Adoke Bello. Other members of the team included Michael Aondoaaka, the disgraced former Attorney General under the administration of the late Umaru Yar’Adua, and Joseph Daudu, the outgoing NBA president. In addition, such lawyers as Damian Dodo, Alex Izinyon, Wale Olanipekun and Dele Adesina reportedly worked with the government’s team to enthrone Mr. Jonathan’s choice.

A source in the Ministry of Justice disclosed to our Reporters that, as a token of gratitude for the role Aondoakaa played in installing Mr. Wali, the Jonathan administration has promised to restore Mr. Aondoakaa’s SAN status before the end of this year. Mr. Aondoakaa was stripped of the SAN position as punishment for his shameful professional conduct during the Yar’Adua administration.
“I knew that the government had mobilized heavily for Chief Wali, but I also expected that members of a profession as noble as the law would be able to rise above the influence of cheap money,” said another lawyer, who identified himself as a member of a progressive wing that wanted an independent candidate to emerge triumphant.
The source bemoaned the future of the NBA, claiming that Mr. Wali “will certainly toe the line and sing the tune of the government that sponsored his election.”
The NBA’s national conference held in Abuja. Mr. Wali will be sworn in next month to take over from Mr. Daudu.

Source

"How Nigeria Bar Association Election was Rigged".....Chief Emeka Ngige

Mr. Emeka Ngige, SAN, one of the presidential candidate in the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association elections, has alleged that the election was marred by serious irregularities. He claimed that the electoral process was manipulated to favour some of the candidates in the election. He specifically complained about the inclusion of names of deceased  lawyers as delegates in  list as well as the accreditation of lawyers who were constitutionally not qualified, Non- NEC members to be delegates.

Ngige said he would not go to court to seek  for the nullification of the NBA election

“If I get the election nullified, it will not affect only the presidency, it will affect all the offices contested and there would be impasse which may make  government to interfere."  

 Mr. Ngige's claim has seriously rattled NBA, which had made spirited attempt to refute the claims.

In denial the NBA said the names of the dead lawyers were not intentionally included in the list in order to rig the election. 

The outgoing General Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who spoke for the association, said the names were obtained from a register of living lawyers published by the Supreme Court in May this year. He also justified the inclusion of the names of wife and son of the outgoing President of the NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, in the list of voters.

According to him, whereas Daudu’s wife voted in her capacity as a member of the NBA NEC, the son participated in the process due to his position as the President of the Young Lawyers Association of Nigeria.

 Mr. Ngige came second in just concluded election while Mr. Wali won the presidential seat.