‘I Made A Mistake’, Says Girl Bathed With Acid By Boyfriend

If Blessing Ikhumhi, a student of Edo State School of Health Technology thought that it is only in war situations that tragic tales are told by the victims, she would have known better now as she tells her ‘tragic’ love tale from her hospital bed where she has been a patient at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City for the last three months.
Blessing, 23, once thought that Okosun Cyril, the man she once loved, would never hurt a hair on her head but how wrong she was as he not only bathed her with acid, but has left her in danger of being blind.
Doctors in the hospital believe she may never see again except she is flown to a specialist hospital in India, where her sight could be restored.
Blessing’s ordeal began when she told her boyfriend – Cyril – who is now cooling his heels in police custody in Benin, that she was no longer interested in their ‘uninspiring relationship’ but little did she know that the decision did not go down well with him.
He visited her house and asked for a talk.
The victim had gone outside with the hope that her boyfriend wanted to iron out the grey areas and probably, convince her on the need to in the relationship, but to her shock, he bathed her with acid instead.
From that fateful day, she lost the use of her eyes and has been on admission at the UBTH.

Narrating her sad ordeal, Blessing said:
“He was my boyfriend and we had arguments in February. He beat me to the extent that I was not able to go to school for three days. I told him I was no longer interested in the relationship. He later tried to forcibly take my telephone, but I refused to give it to him. I told him he was not the one who bought it for me.”
“On March 23, he called and asked me to meet him in front of our house. I refused initially, but he insisted, so I came out. He asked: ‘Do you mean you don’t want me again?’ I said:  ‘No!’ I was no more interested in the relationship.  And immediately, he poured the acid on my face. Since that day, I have been on admission at the UBTH and the doctors say I might not see again except I am flown to India where my eyes could be restored. “
She noted that Cyril was the last person she expected to treat her so badly and pleaded with good spirited Nigerians to come to her aid as she has learnt what she said is ‘the biggest lesson of my life.’
Hear her:
“I never knew he would have the heart to pour acid on me. I made a mistake. I have learnt the biggest lesson of my life. My prayer now is that God should touch kind-hearted Nigerians to come to my aide so that I would be able to get treatment abroad, since my parents cannot afford it.

TB Joshua, Pastor Chris Accused of “Occultism”

Ghanaian Bishop Isaac Owusu Bempah, Founder and Leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, has labeled two of Nigeria’s celebrated pastors as partners in winning souls for the devil.

In the words of the controversial Owusu Bempah, the founding President of Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as “Christ Embassy”, Dr Christian Oyakhilome (popularly known as “Pastor Chris”) and General Overseer of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun (aka TB) Joshua, are not “true men of God”, but leaders of occults, winning souls for the devil.
This claim, according to Owusu-Bempah, is based on God’s revelation to him in a vision as well as his own analysis of the scripture, works and conduct of the two popular heads of two religious organisations in Africa.
Owusu-Bempah said he once heard Pastor Chris saying he saw nothing wrong with homosexuality and lesbianism, and wondered which true man of God would lead his flock with such beliefs.
“No doubt he [Pastor Chris] is a friend and partner of TB Joshua”, Owusu-Bempa noted last week, claiming both men are dubious men of God who have a pact with the devil.
For Owusu Bempah, Nigerians have allegedly realized the dubious character of the Nigerian televangelist faith healer and founding president of Christ Embassy and his partnership with TB Joshua and have consequently chased him out of the country to South Africa, where he presently resides.
On TB Joshua, Owusu-Bempa claimed he once saw him with his feet on the floor preaching, an incident he said revealed to him that TB Joshua was not from God.
“When you see anyone claiming to worship God who worships with his feet on the ground, he’s an occultist. And TB Joshua is an occultist.
“Ask yourself how TB Joshua, who claims God called him, worships with his feet on the ground? Let me tell you if you go to any church and you see the leader worshiping with his feet on the ground, it’s a sign of demonism; it’s occultic. People like that follow spirits that are not of God. It is occultic.”

According to him, God later revealed that TB Joshua was an occultist who did not draw his spiritual powers from God.
“Some time ago, I used to like TB Joshua. I was watching him on television, and the Lord opened my eyes. I saw him with horns on his head, and he had the face of a wolf. His tongue was that of a snake and he had blood smeared all over his mouth.”
“Immediately, I rushed into my bedroom, and the Lord told me that he wasn’t from Him, but was working under the authority of bad spirits,” the pastor added. “That was when I realized TB Joshua was demonic and not of God.”
The man who has himself been labeled a false prophet by some of his critics, advised Ghanaians not to be misled by signs of wonders and so-called men of God whose powers do not come from God.
He also accused TB Joshua in particular of sometimes faking miracles to win the confidence of his flock. “He can perform a clean miracle today and contaminate it with a lot of fake ones”.
Joshua claimed his “own junior pastor went to his church to be healed. He was forced to sit in a wheel chair and made to claim before the cameras that he had received his healing even though he hadn’t. He returned to the country and within two weeks, he passed away”, Owusu-Bempah stated.
He again cautioned Ghanaians not to be in a hurry to attend the services of Prophet TB Joshua since he is the “anti-christ.”
“If you are a pastor who worked under him and he gets to know you want to reveal his secrets, he kills you directly,” Owusu-Bempah alleged.
“If no one is willing to say this, I will say it: TB Joshua is the anti-christ and an agent of the devil… I know of a pastor who attended his church, and when he should tell you about what he saw, your mouth would drop,” he stated

NAPTIP Prosecutes Four Human Traffickers In Edo, Delta

Officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, NAPTIP, in Edo State, have arrested, convicted and sent four suspected human traffickers to jail in the past one week.

The convicted persons, two males and two females, were found guilty of various offences and were sentenced accordingly, with jail terms ranging from two to five years.

In the first conviction, the Presiding Judge of the Federal High Court 2, Benin City, Justice Ajokwu in the suit number F.H.C./B/17C/2013, found one Mrs. Nasser Juliet guilty of the offence of procurement for prostitution, deceitful inducement to travel to a foreign country and equally organising foreign travel which promotes prostitution.

The accused who hails from Esan North Local Government Area of Edo State was accordingly sentenced to two years jail term with no option of fine.

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, also presided over by Justice Mohammed Shitu Abubakar, convicted another three traffickers for their roles in trafficking activities to five years imprisonment each.

In her reaction, the Benin Zonal Commander of the Agency, Mrs. Ebiringa Cordellia Oluchi, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, saying the zone was working in line with the vision of the agency with a view to eradicating human trafficking in the zone.

She urged the people of Edo and Delta States to join hands with the agency through useful information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of human traffickers in the zone, saying NAPTIP is ever ready to protect Nigerians.

Special Forces Arrest 120 Terrorists In Maiduguri

 The Defence Headquarters on Monday said 120 terrorists were arrested in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, during the burial of a commander of the insurgents.
Disclosing this in a statement in Abuja, military spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said the sect commander died during an encounter with the Special Task Forces.


“In Maiduguri, about 120 terrorists were arrested as they organised the burial of one of their commanders who died in an encounter with the Special Forces the previous day. The arrested insurgents are in custody of the Joint Task Force where they are being interrogated,” Olukolade said.
According to him, Special Forces had secured the environs of New Marte, Hausari, Krenoa, Wulgo and ChikunNgulalo in Borno State after destroying all the terrorists’ camps in the areas.
“The troops are already interacting with locals and citizens, assuring them of their safety and freedom from the activities of insurgents.

“Terrorists fleeing towards Chad and Niger Republic are being contained as they have had encounters with Multi-National Joint Task Force in various locations towards the border.
“Advancing troops also observed a few shallow graves believed to be those of hurriedly buried members of the terrorist group.”
Olukolade also said that Defence Headquarters had observed the use of photographs purportedly taken in the areas covered by the operations, and claimed that the photographs were questionable as they did not reflect any related reality of the social or geographical environment.
He added,

 “This also makes the story they claim to depict of Nigerians fleeing to Niger Republic and other countries doubtful. The media are advised to always strive to associate stories with accurate pictures in order to avoid misleading the public.”
The Defence Headquarters also assured civilians of cordial relationship in its ongoing war against terrorism.

The 5 Biggest Causes Of Belly Fat.

There are pills and exercises on the market today that claim to erase belly fat effortlessly. However, changes in a person’s lifestyle are a more direct and more effective approach to eliminating the problem. Excessive belly fat increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Here are 5 of the most common causes of belly fat.
1. Drinking Too Much Alcohol
“Beer belly” is the common term for excess fat that has accumulated due to drinking a lot of alcohol on a regular basis. Beer isn’t the only culprit, though. Contrary to the specific term, drinking an excessive amount of any alcoholic beverage can cause beer belly. (Except wine, according to research.) Alcohol contains nothing but empty calories that are stored in the stomach area.
2. Eating Too Many Bad Carbohydrates
There are good carbs and there are bad carbs. Eating unrefined carbs like fruit, legumes, vegetables and whole grains is good for you, and helps in weight control. Eating biscuits, cakes, donuts, white bread and other refined carbs does the opposite. Eat too many of these carbs and a person’s insulin level will rise. Their metabolism will slow down, and the excess sugar the body can’t use will be stored as belly fat.
3. Stress Overload

Too much stress has many negative impacts on the body. Stress causes the body to switch into survival mode. One way the body ensures its survival is by storing more fat so starvation doesn’t occur if there’s no food eaten.
Stress also causes the body to produce excessive amounts of cortisol. This hormone moves stored fat to the abdomen area and creates belly fat. According to a study by the Psychology Department at Yale University, women (in particular) who had a higher amount of belly fat were more negative, and lived with higher levels of stress.
4. Genetics
This cause of belly fat may be the toughest one to hear, because it entails not really being able to do all that much to prevent it. Genetics play a role in deciding where the fat distribution goes in your body, and it practically relates to two different body types. Either you are apple-shaped or pear-shaped. If you are pear-shaped, then the fat generally accumulates in your lower areas like your fanny. If you are apple-shaped, then your body has the tendency of storing fat around your midsection, thus leading to belly fat.
5. Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is defined as one in which a person fails to exercise regularly, or fails to get any exercise at all. The biggest problem with a sedentary lifestyle is that it can increase your chances of developing serious health conditions, which are all somewhat preventable. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you are raising your chances of dying younger, yet you can easily avoid this by simply moving more and exercising regularly. It commonly consists of the practice of sitting on the couch and watching too much TV. Such a lifestyle is not limited just to TV watching; it also involves reading too much or using the computer too much. Basically, if you are not moving enough, it is sedentary

ACN And Their Cohorts Behind Boko Haram – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Action Congress of Nigeria and “their cohorts” of being the masterminds behind the insurgency in Nigeria.
The party hinged its accusation on the ACN’s opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in three states of the North East.
In a statement on Wednesday issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP said the ACN’s request to the National Assembly urging it not to endorse the emergency rule showed that the opposition party was speaking from either a diseased and confused state of mind; a blackmailer who it said doesn’t mind doing the trifle to remain relevant, or a political party actively conniving at the mindless war on Nigeria.
“Yesterday, the ACN, the sole repository of Solomonic wisdom, who was against Amnesty to insurgents, who indeed described the Federal Government in unprintables has today turned a proselyte of amnesty and dialogue,” the statement said, declaring that the ACN and others in the opposition are behind insurgents and therefore must subvert every measure taken by the government to tackle escalating insurgency.
The PDP said the other scenario is that the opposition sees the escalating terror as a short-cut to power.
It recalled that the statements of the leaders of the opposition at the eve 2011 presidential election gave birth to violence which has snowballed today into terrorism, and called on their leaders to “remove the mask on their faces” and publicly declare their stand.

“The state of emergency does not run contra to the spirit and the assignment of the presidential committee on amnesty,” PDP argued.  “The committee will take the job to its logical, fruitful end while the deployment of more troops under the emergency is an irreducible necessity to stem a determined war on the nation.”
Saying it also wanted to educate the ACN, the party explained that a just and equitable society cannot be achieved over night in the same manner that good governance is not an already-made commodity waiting on the counter.
“We wish to emphasize that in over a decade, the PDP has not only rebuilt the decayed fabrics of the nation but has taken recognizable and commendable steps in the direction of good governance,” the statement said, stressing the party would remain committed to that despite distractions.
It described President Jonathan as a core democrat who appreciates the core values of democracy and who believes firmly that democracy must be practiced in Nigeria in its undiluted form.
“What is new is that the President by offering amnesty has opened the window for insurgents with genuine agitations to access redress while stopping intransigent criminality from consuming the nation.

Tears, Anguish As Tree Falls And Kills 31, Injures 16 In Imo

Thirty one persons were killed when a tree at the Ukwu Uko evening market at Umuejinwaoke Umudagu village, Mbieri, Mbaitolu Local Government Area, Imo, fell on them.

16 others sustained degrees of injuries during the incident, which was caused by rainstorm on Thursday night.
A resident of the community, Mr Nnaemeka Emenyonu, said in Owerri that the tree fell on the affected persons around 8:00 p.m.
He said the tree also destroyed the village hall.
“The big tree fell suddenly on 31 people, who died at the spot and injured 16 others. Those injured were taken to  hospital.

“The victims include two sisters, who sell tomatoes. Honestly, this is a saddest event in the  history of our community,” he said.
The traditional ruler of the community, Eze Godwin Duru, lamented that such a tragic incident had never occurred in the community.
“I do not know what to say. God, what can we call this?, My people were destroyed within a twinkle of an eye. what a pity,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Joy Elemoko, declined comment on the incident after several efforts to get the command’s reaction to the issue

Emergency Rule Reflection Of Nigeria’s Worsening Cycle Of Violence – US

A state of emergency declared in parts of Nigeria reflects a cycle of violence that’s growing more severe, a U.S. State Department official said.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States to curb the orgy of violence in the areas.
Jonathan, in his address said “Islamic militants had taken over parts of Borno and militant action in the Muslim north amounted to a declaration of war.”
State Department spokesman, Patrick Ventrell, said the United States government was deeply concerned about violence in northern Nigeria, saying its severity was such that it may spill across the borders.
“The declaration of states of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States reflects the worsening cycle of violence in northern Nigeria,” he said.

Militants suspected to be from the Boko Haram sect killed more than 40 people in attacks on a village in northern Nigeria last week.
The United Nations estimates that about 200 people were killed and more than 2,000 houses were destroyed in a recent Nigerian military raid in the north. The raids were allegedly in response to an attack by Boko Haram.
“We have made clear to the Nigerian government that its heavy-handed response to insecurity in northern Nigeria and the failure to address human rights violations will potentially affect our ability to provide security assistance going forward,” Ventrell said

2015: Rule For 8-Yrs Or Don’t Return Home To Us, N’Delta Leaders Warn Jonathan

The call on President Goodluck Jonathan to throw his hat in the ring come 2015 Presidential elections was again re-echoed on Wednesday with the Niger Delta Leaders Assembly, NDLA, declaring that it is a must for him to occupy the position for eight years.
The group further warned that should he choose not to contest, he would have truncated the Niger Delta peoples’ aspiration of breaking the ‘jinx’ and therefore should not return home.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Chief Edwin Clark at his Kiagbodo country home, Delta State, National Chairman of the group, HRM Carson Agidah, said despite the fact that God has made the Niger Delta region the country’s sole benefactor, they have been shortchanged for too long and impoverished by their extreme attention to the needs of other regions of the country.
Said he: We have made the bourgeois of the North, East and West feast on our wealth to the detriment of our children. Our magnanimity is taken for granted; we have been mocked for allowing our wealth to be accessed by all; our generosity has turned to an offence as we are rated as those who do not know the value of their wealth.

“Politically, our region has always been known to be the shopping centre for votes and support to make others President of Nigeria. As far as presidential elections are concerned, we have never been qualified to be voted for.”
However, the group said this time around, it was set to reverse the tide as they have chosen President Jonathan as their candidate for the 2015 presidential election.
According to Agidah, “It is a must for President Jonathan to re-contest in 2015. Should he refuse to re-contest the 2015 presidential election, he should not return home after retirement”.
Assuring the president of the South South’s support for his candidature, the group, which claimed to be speaking on behalf of all Niger Deltans, noted that “if Mr President turns down this offer, he would succeed in establishing a fact and precedence for posterity that we in the Niger Delta have never been qualified to be voted for twice as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution. It is in view of this that we describe the return of Jonathan to Aso Rock in 2015 as a-must-do project for the people of the Niger Delta.”

Equatorial Guinea Frees Nigerian Prisoners Based On Respect For Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has secured the release of 10 prisoners held by Equatorial Guinea for various immigration offences, a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
It said the release of the prisoners was the outcome of the two-day official visit of Jonathan to the country between March 21 and 22.
“The host Minister of National Security disclosed that such a gesture had never been officially extended to any illegal immigrant in Equatorial Guinea from any country.
“Due to the small size of the population of the country, the government was out to keep the influx of foreign nationals in the country at the minimum,” the statement said.

The statement said the Equatorial government extended the gesture because of “the high esteem and respect” held for Nigeria and Jonathan.
The government also approved the immediate issuance of one-year resident permit to the freed Nigerians and directed its ministry of national security to work closely with the Nigerian embassy in the country

ACF To Monitor Soldiers In States Under Emergency Rule

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)  stated its desire to raise a team that would monitor soldiers and ensure that they abide by the rules of engagement in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
This formed part of the resolution at the National Executive Council (NEC) of the ACF in Kaduna, on Thursday.
In a communique signed by its deputy national publicity secretary, Fati Ibrahim, ACF said after reviewing and discussing recent developments in the country, it took notice of the proclamation of the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by the Federal Government on the grounds that attacks and killings by insurgents and other terrorist groups required massive military response.
“The meeting was concerned that the president appears to have more faith in a military solution, even where evidence from our experiences so far bears no such optimism.
“It is the hope of the ACF, therefore, that the Federal Government does not consider the increased military deployment as a superior option or alternative to the slower and more tedious path of dialogue, negotiation and conciliation.

“Given the dismal history of peace-making campaigns by the military all over the world, dispatching battalion after battalion to the field in the hope of combating insurgents or terrorists sound naive,” the forum said.
The Forum called on military personnel to avoid acts capable of increasing civilian casualties and bloodshed under the guise of emergency rule.
“They are well advised to involve the local populace in their operational plans, in order to minimise collateral civilian suffering,” the group added.
The NEC meeting of the ACF was presided over by its chairman, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed and was attended by delegations from all the northern states

Tutu ‘will no longer vote for ANC’

Desmond Tutu (left) with South Africa President Jacob Zuma in Bloemfontein last year. Desmond Tutu will not vote for South Africa's ruling African National Congress, which brought Nelson Mandela to power exactly 19 years ago, the Nobel Peace laureate said in an article published Friday. - Copyright : AFP/File Ruvan Boshoff

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)Desmond Tutu will not vote for South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, which brought Nelson Mandela to power exactly 19 years ago, the Nobel Peace laureate said in an article published Friday.
Massive poverty, inequality and falling standards have cost the ANC the retired archbishop’s support, he said in an opinion piece carried by the Mail & Guardian.
“I have over the years voted for the ANC, but I would very sadly not be able to vote for them after the way things have gone,” the 81-year-old wrote.
“The ANC was very good at leading us in the struggle to be free from oppression,” Tutu said of the party which won the first all-race elections.
That victory saw Nelson Mandela inaugurated as the country’s first black president on May 10, 1994.
“But it doesn’t seem to me now that a freedom-fighting unit can easily make the transition to becoming a political party,” added Tutu, who was discharged from hospital last week following treatment for an infection.
Under apartheid, Tutu campaigned against white minority rule and was awarded the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.
Officially retired but still outspoken on the world’s injustices, he is widely viewed as South Africa’s moral conscience.
The witty cleric has been increasingly critical of the ruling party in recent years. He accused the ANC government in 2011 of kowtowing to trade partner China when it delayed a tourist visa for buddhist separatist leader the Dalai Lama.
In 2009 he threatened not to vote in general elections over divisions in the ANC.
Tutu on Friday also warned that South Africa should prepare for Nelson Mandela’s death amid the revered statesman’s recent hospital visits.
“He’s 94, he’s had a rough time, and God has been very, very good in sparing him for us these many years.
“But the trauma of his passing is going to be very much intensified if we do not begin to prepare ourselves for the fact that this is going to happen at some time,” Tutu wrote

News agency protests US seizure of phone records

A view of the Department of Justice headquarters on May 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. The Associated Press said Monday the US Justice Department had secretly obtained two months of phone records from its news operations, calling it a "massive and unprecedented intrusion." - Copyright : AFP/File

WASHINGTON (AFP)The Associated Press said Monday the US Justice Department had secretly obtained two months of phone records from its news operations, calling it a “massive and unprecedented intrusion.”
The US news agency protested the seizure in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder saying “there can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters.”
The AP said in a news dispatch that the records may be sought in a criminal investigation into leaked information contained in a May 2012 AP story about a foiled terror plot.
“The story disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaeda plot in the spring of 2012 to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States,” the AP article said.
The AP’s Erin Madigan White said in a blog posting that the AP learned Friday that US authorities had “secretly obtained telephone records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP journalists and offices, including cell and home phone lines.”
AP chief executive Gary Pruitt said in the letter to Holder that the news agency objected “in the strongest possible terms to a massive and unprecedented intrusion… into the newsgathering activities of The Associated Press.”
Pruitt said the records “cover a full two-month period in early 2012″ and included the AP general phone number in New York, AP bureaus in New York; Washington; Hartford, Connecticut; and at the House of Representatives.
“This action was taken without advance notice to AP or to any of the affected journalists, and even after the fact no notice has been sent to individual journalists whose home phones and cell phone records were seized by the Department,” he said in the letter.
“We regard this action by the Department of Justice as a serious interference with AP’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.”
Pruitt said the agency was studying its legal options, and called on the Justice Department to “immediately return to the AP the telephone toll records that the Department subpoenaed and destroy all copies.”
The US attorney’s office in Washington, which is part of the Justice Department, in a statement sent to AFP, did not specifically mention the AP but stated that it follows specific laws and regulations in seeking records of media organizations.
“Those regulations require us to make every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means before even considering a subpoena for the phone records of a member of the media,” the statement said.
“We must notify the media organization in advance unless doing so would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation. Because we value the freedom of the press, we are always careful and deliberative in seeking to strike the right balance between the public interest in the free flow of information and the public interest in the fair and effective administration of our criminal laws.”
The US administration under President Barack Obama has been aggressive in pursuing leaks of secret government information. Former CIA officer John Kiriakou was sentenced in January to two and a half years in prison for leaking the name of a secret agent implicated in harsh interrogations of Al-Qaeda suspect

Regional defence chiefs tasked with transforming AFISMA

Copyright : APA

Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister in charge of Defence in the office of the President, Mr. Paul Koffi Koffi has urged regional chiefs of defence staff to make recommendations for the seamless transformation of the African-led International Support Force in Mali (AFISMA) into a UN Mission by July 2013 in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2100 of 25th April. The resolution requires that AFISMA troops re-hat into a UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The ECOWAS Commission said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the minister told the one-day meeting of the sub-committee of ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) in Abidjan on Saturday to consider the modalities for the transformation that the recommendations should take cognizance of various ramifications to ensure that the force realized its mandate in Mali.
He urged the seven-member sub-committee to focus on activities that will facilitate this transformation which is the international community’s response to the dynamics of the situation in Mali “as we face acts of terrorism perpetrated by individuals disturbing International peace, particularly those of the Sahel.”
The statement noted that the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, said the transformation would mark another “milestone in our collective efforts towards seeking a lasting solution to the security challenges confronting Mali which portends a serious threat to the region and the world.”
The Commissioner commended the response of the international community to the Mali crisis, including the decision to deploy AFISMA, noting that the transformation would face various challenges.
These, she said, imposed a responsibility to develop a planning and coordination mechanism for the transition which would also imply migration to a different concept of operations and a force generation drive to ensure compliance with UN standards.
The commissioner stressed the need for the region to adopt a common position on its future role in Mali in the aftermath of the transformation.
While welcoming his peers, the chairman of the CCDS, General Soumaila Bakayako of Cote d’Ivoire said that the committee has a critical role to play in the transformation with less than two months to the deadline.
He described the meeting as part of the process for a successful exercise, adding that in view of peculiarities of the country, it was important that the “right decisions are made” for the effectiveness of the force to ensure sustainable peace.
The sub-committee will also consider developments in Guinea Bissau where ECOMIB, the 670 strong ECOWAS mission was deployed last year.
The sub-committee is made up of the chiefs of defence staff of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire as chair.
During the opening, a one minute silence was observed for the Deputy Force Commander of AFISMA, Brigadier General Yaye Garba, who died early on Saturday

Nigeria police free 17 pregnant girls in raid

Nigerian police have found 17 pregnant teenage girls in a raid on a house, and were searching Friday for a woman suspected of planning to sell their babies, a spokeswoman said. Joy Elomoko of the southeastern Imo state police said all the girls were between 14 and 17 years old and that 11 small children were also found in the house. - Copyright : AFP/File

LAGOS (AFP)Nigerian police have found 17 pregnant teenage girls in a raid on a house, and were searching Friday for a woman suspected of planning to sell their babies, a spokeswoman said.
Joy Elomoko of the southeastern Imo state police said all the girls were between 14 and 17 years old and that 11 small children were also found in the house.
Some locals believed the building called the Ahamefula Motherless Babies Home served as an orphanage and shelter for expecting mothers.
“Acting on a tip-off, a special unit of the Imo State police command raided the illegal home in Umuaka on Wednesday and rescued 17 girls, aged between 14 and 17, at different stages of pregnancies,” Elomoko told AFP.
“The girls claimed they were fed once a day and were not allowed to leave the home,” she added.

fed once a day

The girls told police that their babies were to be sold to “willing buyers,” Elomoko said.
It was not clear if the girls were brought to the home by force.

their babies were to be sold

The girls further told police that they had been impregnated by a 23-year-old man who is currently in custody, along with the security guard who worked at the compound.
“The proprietress of the home is at large, but we have launched a man-hunt for her,” Elomoko said.

man-hunt

In a human trafficking report released last month, the European Union identified Nigeria as the African country where the scourge is most common.
The report said the selling of children was widespread and Nigerian police have previously uncovered so-called baby factories.
In May of 2011 in southeastern Abia state, police freed 32 pregnant girls who said they had been offered to sell their babies for between 25,000 and 30,000 naira (191 dollars), depending on the sex of the baby.
Another 17 pregnant girls were discovered in southern Anambra state in October 2011 under similar circumstances.
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO has previously identified human trafficking as the third most common crime in Nigeria, behind fraud and drug trafficking

Lagos Urges Residents Not To Panic As The Rainy Season Begins

Residents of Lagos State have been urged not to panic as they welcome the rainy season, with the government assuring that any flash flood recorded during any rainfall would be temporary, as it had done everything needed to ensure the flood does not wreck havoc in the state this year.
The government also urged residents residing on low line areas to relocate when the intensity of the rains become severe, as the state would not want any resident to lose his or her life or property to flood during the rains.
Speaking while monitoring the mid rain cleaning programme in Lagos Island, Mainland and Victoria Island executed by the drainage maintenance office and emergency flood abatement arms of his Ministry during weekend’s rainfall, Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, said any flood seen would disappear as soon as the rain stopped, because the ministry had cleaned and dredged primary and secondary channels across the state ahead of this year’s rainy season.
According to him, government would sustain its maintenance and cleaning programmes to ensure that major canals and channels were kept clean to allow free flow and discharge of water whenever it rained.

Bello, however, advised residents living along the coast lines, Lagoons, low line areas like Kuramo Beach, Alpha Beach, Okun Mapo, Owode Elede, Ikorodu, Badia, Ijora, Ajegunle and other areas to relocate when the intensity of the rain became severe.
Meteorologists had predicted earlier in the year that more rains were likely to be recorded this year and the government has promptly responded by putting in place measures to contain whatever flash flood was recorded.
The commissioner explained that Lagos as a coastal state, was susceptible to flash flood anytime it rained, saying “however, what is of utmost importance to this administration is to ensure that, whatever flash flood experienced is effectively discharged into our channels that have been dredged and cleaned, in anticipation of this year’s rain.”
He urged residents to join the efforts of the government in ensuring the state is free from flooding this year by disposing their waste properly through the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA and accredited PSP operators

Rebel Leader Who Signed Peace Deal With Sudan Last Month Killed By Rival Group

Mohamed Bashar and Suleiman Arko were killed during fighting with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan’s intelligence agency announced on Sunday.
The leader of a breakaway faction of Darfur’s main rebel and his deputy met their end after an attack inside Chad near the border with Sudan.
JEM fighters aboard a 30-vehicle convoy reportedly attacked Bashar’s group while they were having lunch, just a few kilometres from the Sudanese border.
Nahar Osman, an adviser of Bashar, said that his group was attacked, although there has been conflicting reports on who started the fight.

Nahar said in an interview with the Sudan Tribune, that five other members of Bashar’s group were killed, along with a Chadian security officer and two cattle keepers working nearby.
JEM said Bashar’s forces attacked its base forcing them to fight back. Although sources say the main body of JEM rebels appears to have been angry with Bashar for co-operating with the Sudanese government.
Bashar’s rebel faction had signed a peace deal in Doha on April 6 with the Sudanese government to halt 10 years of fighting in Darfur. His top aide Arko led the negotiating team.
Last April, JEM fighters killed a deputy commander of the breakaway faction allied with Bashar

How to Change the Logon Screen Background in Windows 7

How would you like to change the
logon screen background in Windows 7 so as to give your
Windows a customized look and
feel?

With a small tweak it is possible to change the Windows 7 logon screen and set your own picture/wallpaper as the background.

Customizing the logo screen
background in Windows 7 is as
simple as changing your desktop
wallpaper.

Well, here is a step-by-step instruction to change the logo screen background:

1. The image you need to set as
the logo screen background
should be a .jpg file and its
size should not exceed
245KB.

2. The image resolution can be
anything of your choice.
However I prefer 1440 x900 or 1024 x 768.

You can use any of the photo
editing software such as
Photoshop to compress and set
the resolution for your image.

Once you âre done, save this
image as backgroundDefault.jpg.

3. You will need to copy this
image to the following location:
C:\Windows\system32\oobe
\info\backgrounds

You will need to create that
path if it does not already
exist on your computer.

4. Now, open the Registry
Editor (Start -> Run ->
Type regedit) and navigate
to the following key:HKLM\Software\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Authentication\LogonUI\Background

If the key Background
does not exist, then right-click
on LogonUI, select New -> Key, and then name it as Background.

Now locate OEMBackground (listed
on the right side). If it does
not exist, right-click Background and select New -> DWORD and name it OEMBackground.

5. Double-click on OEMBackground and set the Value Data to 1.

6. Now log-off to see the new
logo screen background. If you
would like to revert back to
the default background, just
set the Value Data back to 0.

British Grandmother Commits Suicide Over Bedroom Tax

Stephanie Bottrill

A 52-year-old grandmother who took her own life, left a note apparently blaming the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ for driving her to suicide.
Stephanie Bottrill, lived alone in a three-bedroom house after both her son and her daughter moved out.
Under the new rules she was told she had to move to a smaller property or lose £80 (N19,250) a month in housing benefit. The bungalow she was offered as an alternative was six miles away from her friends and family.
According to her local Labour councillor, Bottrill, who was unemployed, could barely afford to feed herself, let alone fund the shortfall in rent.

Bottrill on Monday, May 4 wrote a series of suicide notes before stepping out in front of a lorry. She died instantly.
“Don’t blame yourself for me ending my life. The only people to blame are the government, no-one else,” she wrote in the note addressed to her son Steven, 27.
Bottrill’s death has renewed the debate over the ‘bedroom tax’, described by the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith as the ‘spare rooms subsidy’.
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls seized on the case, saying: “There is no doubt that this policy is driving people to the edge of despair”.
Bottrill had lived in her three-bedroom council house in Solihull in the West Midlands of England for 18 years

Bama/Alakyo Killings: Nigeria Gradually Sliding Into Lawlessness –Sultan

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III, on Sunday decried the killings in Bama in Borno State and Alakyo in Nasarawa State by insurgents.
Abubakar, who doubles as the President of Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs as well as Jama’atu Nasril Islam, noted that the killings in Bama and Lafia was an indication that the nation was gradually sliding into lawlessness.
In a statement on his behalf signed by the JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, on Sunday in Kaduna, the Sultan described the incidents as quite “unfortunate, regrettable and condemnable.”
It cautioned all and sundry to be wary of happenings around their vicinity and inform authorities of doubtful persons and events, just as it urged Nigerians to give unflinching support to the Federal Government Amnesty Committee to tackle the insecurity in the North and the country at large.

The statement also called on law enforcement agencies to ensure that the rules of engagements were professionally used in curbing insurgencies so as to minimise collateral damages.
It read, “The JNI and the Sultan lament this sorry state of affairs in strongest terms. The nation seems to be gradually sliding into lawlessness, leading to multiple losses of lives.
“The JNI, therefore, calls on all and sundry to be wary of happenings around them and take proactive measures by reporting to appropriate authorities doubtful persons and events.”
It added, “It is quite unfortunate, regrettable and condemnable that, after the unfortunate Baga massacre, which should have been the last of such attacks at these times, a more devastating attack would be unleashed on innocent citizens of Bama in Borno State, and would continue unabated for a number of days.”