FG launches N50 commemorative note

President Goodluck Jonathan,
today, formally launched the
N50 commemorative notes
and non circulating coins, as
part of activities to mark
Nigeria’s 50th independence
anniversary.

The new note is expected to
exist side by side with the
old one, while the coins will
serve as souvenirs during the
anniversary.
The launch was done during a
brief Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting, which
lasted for just about 48
minutes, and was presided
over by the president.

While speaking at the
occasion, the governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,
stated that the new note,
which is designed to
commemorate the
anniversary, is obviously the
same with the circulating
N50.
The only difference, he
noted, is the addition of the
50th anniversary logo, a gold
iridescent band, and a
goodwill message written in
varnish.

“The new note will circulate
side by side with the existing
N50 polymer notes. While
some of the commemorative
coins are produced in 22
carat gold, others are gold
plated silver.”




HAPPY 50YEARS GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION.

President G Jonathan orders security agencies to find kidnapped children

President Goodluck Jonathan
yesterday ordered security
agencies in the country to
find the 15 nursery and
primary pupils kidnapped on
Monday in Aba, Abia State.
The children, who all attend
Abayi International School,
Aba were abducted in their
school bus on their way to
school. The kidnappers have
since posted a ransom
demand of N20 million.

Doing our best

In a statement by the
president's spokesman Ima
Niboro, Mr. Jonathan also
directed the acting Inspector
General of Police, Hafiz
Ringim, and other security
agencies to immediately take
all necessary steps to rescue
the children and return them
safely to their parents.

"The President urges the
parents and relatives of the
children to remain calm and
assures them that
government will do
everything possible to
apprehend the kidnappers
and bring closure to these
ugly incidents as soon as
possible."
The Abia State government
had last week given
kidnappers in the state a two
week ultimatum to surrender
their weapons and be
rehabilitated in an amnesty
programme.

Speaking in Abuja, Mr Ringim
said competent police
officers have been deployed
to rescue the school children,
adding that, "We have
received the report that the
children were kidnapped
when the bus conveying them
to school was attacked. We
have already deployed some
police officers and men to
Aba. The police have also
deployed the Anti-Terrorists
Squad (ATS) to the state for
quick intervention." He said,
"We are doing the best we
can, going by the training and
leadership capability of our
men, to ensure that the
situation is brought under
control. We have capable and
competent men to do the job.
In a shortest possible time,
the situation will be turned
around."

State of anomie

The National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) has ordered
all corps members serving in
the state to withdraw from
their places of primary
assignment to the orientation
camp in Umuahia, if they feel
threatened by any attack.
Five corps members
kidnapped in neighbouring,
Rivers State weeks ago have
not been heard of since. Five
journalists were also
kidnapped in the state in July
and released a week after.
Meanwhile, the national
chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party(PDP),
Okwesilieze Nwodo has
condemned the abduction of
the pupils. He described the
incident as callous and
unacceptable.

A statement by
his media aide, Ike Abonyi,
said the incident has soiled
the nation's 5oth anniversary
celebrations at a time when
many foreign dignitaries are
in the country for the golden
jubilee.
He said the hijackers are
wicked and challenged
relevant security agencies to
fish them out and save the
children, their families and
the nation the trauma.
The chairman said that the
issue of kidnapping in the
South East geo-political zone,
especially Abia State, has
become a huge
embarrassment to the nation
and should be condemned by
all.

The Network of Police
Reform in Nigeria, a non
governmental organisation,
noted that, "the police and
other security forces have,
not just lost control, but have
themselves become targets
of unrelenting attacks by the
hoodlums they are expected
to checkmate." A statement by
Okechukwu Nwanguma, the
Programme Coordinator said
the state government has lost
control of the situation
adding, "Any government that
cannot protect lives and
property is not worth the
name."

100-year-old Titanic actress dies

Los Angeles – Gloria Stuart, the
Hollywood actress of the 1930s who
gained an Oscar nomination 60
years later for her role as the
spunky survivor in Titanic, has died.
She was 100.
Her grandson, Benjamin Stuart
Thompson, says Stuart died in her
sleep on Sunday night at her Los
Angeles home.
In her youth, Stuart was a blonde
beauty who starred in B pictures as
well as higher-profile ones like The
Invisible Man and two Shirley
Temple movies.
She resumed acting occasionally in
later years and was selected to
play the elderly Titanic survivor
portrayed by Kate Winslet as a
young woman.
The 1997 Titanic became the biggest
modern blockbuster up to that point.
Both Winslet and Stuart, then 87,
were nominated for Oscars.

RAPPER MC HAMMER CLAIMS THAT HE HAS PROOF THAT JAY Z IS A DEVIL WORSHIPPER!!! (DETAILS)

Two days ago, Jay Z released
a new track where he made
some DISPARAGING remarks
about rapper MC Hammer. In
Kanye West's track, So
Appalled, Jay said the
following:

the Hammer went broke
so you know I’m more
focused
I lost thirty mill so I spent
another 30
cuz unlike Hammer 30
mill can’t hurt me
Well Hammer didn't like
that one bit, so he Tweeted
that Jay Z (or Jay HOE as he
called him) was a DEVIL
WORSHIPPER. And Hammer
claimed that on October 31st
he will release his
EVIDENCE of Jay's devil
worshiping.







Can't wait to see what he's
got. . .

MTN project Fame Season 3 Won by Chidimma Ekile

Chidimma Ekile has
joined Inyanya Mbuk and
Mike Anasodo as winners of
MTN project Fame West
Africa after emerging winner
of the keenly contested
season 3 of the music
show.The show which
suffered a number of
setbacks this season reached
a climax on Saturday.

She was announced winner on
Saturday at the
competition ’s finale, which
took place at the Optima
Studios in Lagos, Nigeria.
Ghananian, Kesse Frimpong,
emerged 1st runner up, with
Eyo Eminue grabbing the 2nd
runner up spot, while
Yetunde Orijah was named
3rd runner up.

Surprisingly, Tolu Aadesina
and Ochuko Ogbu-Sifo, who
were crowd favourites, came
fifth and sixth respectively.
With this win, Chidinma Ekile
becomes the 1st female
winner of the MTN Project
Fame music reality show. The
business promoter and
student drives away with a
Toyota Rav4, 2.5 million
naira, and a record deal.

Kesse won a Toyota Corolla
and 1.5 million naira; Eyo,
whose win came as surprise
to many, won a Toyota Yaris
and a million naira; while
Yetunde, aka Omo Ibadan,
won a million naira.
The star-studded finale saw
a scintillating performance
by Mo Hits artist, Dr Sid, who
performed his hits; “Pop
Champagne” and “Something
about You” to the delight of
the audience.

The search for the winner of
the MTN Project Fame West
Africa started 10 weeks ago
with 18 hopefuls vying for
the coveted star prize.

Brave driver rescues kidnapped doctor

The proprietor of Mount
Gilead Hospital, Benin City,
Caleb Igbinehin yesterday
cheated a five-man gang of
kidnappers, as he was
miraculously rescued just 30
minutes after he was
kidnapped in the city.

The consultant family
physician, who operates one
of the leading private
hospitals in Edo State,
explained that he was at the
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s
Witnesses at Odiase Street,
off Benin Technical School
Road, at about 9am, where he
served as the chairman of the
first service, a Public Talk,
when the drama started.

Mr Igbinehin said that after
the opening song and prayer,
he introduced the speaker
and stepped down from the
podium, only for him to be
accosted by an armed man
waving with a rifle, who
asked him to move out of the
prayer hall.
“Knowing what was
happening, I maintained my
composure and simply
complied with this
abductor’s order. He then
handed me to another man
armed with a pistol, who then
commanded me to climb a
waiting motorcycle outside
the Kingdom Hall,” Mr
Igbinehin said.

The doctor said that his
captors then sandwiched him
between two of their
members, while the other
three rode on another
motorcycle and sped off
through Ubgowo-Lagos Road
to Oluku, where they
diverted to Benin-Akure
road.

“The moment we came out to
the major road, I was
surprised to see some people
shouting, ‘look at them, look
at them.’ But the men zoomed
off with me,” he said.
However, luck was on his
side, as the kidnappers were
pursued and the medical
practitioner rescued at
Oluku.

Bold driver

Isaac Opuama, the driver of
the doctor, who facilitated
the rescue of his boss, told
the rest of the story:

“I was with my director in
the Kingdom Hall when they
were taking him away. I
jumped into my KIA jeep and
drove after them. I went
through the major road and
caught up with the other
three kidnappers on the same
motorcycle at Ugbowo-Lagos
Road by Iguomorhe. I then hit
them several times with the
jeep from behind. They then
fell into a ditch. One of the
kidnappers was caught with
two guns by some men who
were nearby, while the other
two escaped.
“I then ran after the other
gang member, who carried my
director. I met up with them
at Oluku. To ensure that my
director is not injured, I
brushed the motorcycle by
the side, after which they
stopped and asked my
director to disembark and
ran away and I brought my
director back to the town.”

When DURUEKE 4ALL visited the
hospital, all the workers
were in a celebratory mood,
drinking, and dancing. The
ecstatic doctor could not
hide his joy, as he was full of
praises, thanking God for his
miraculous rescue from his
abductors.
He also called on security
agencies and the media to
help bring an end to the cases
of kidnapping in the state.
Mr Igbinehin declined to have
his picture taken, citing
security reasons.

The acting police spokesman,
Awhara Ejiroro, said he has
not been officially briefed.
But as at the time of filing
this report, the arrested
kidnapper was in police
custody at the BDPA Estate
Police Station.

LINDSAY LOHAN BACK TO JAIL, JUDGE REFUSES BAIL APPLICATION

Lindsay Lohan’s move for
bail did not get a good treat
today as the Judge in charge
of her case ordered that she
should be taken back to jail
after she failed another drug
test. The Judge ordered that
Lohan should be brought back
to court in about a month ’s
time.

Michael Lohan, the father of
the accused was obviously
worried throughout the
duration the court
proceedings lasted in
Beverly Hills.The troubled
actress was handcuffed and
taken back to jail.Not even
her hot and sexy looks could
get her out (Lohan has been
listed at various times in the
top sexiest women in the
world list)
This would be the third jail
stint for the actress.Shawn
Chapman Holley, her
attorney, tried to put up
various arguments to enable
the Los Angeles Supreme
court to enable Lohan go
home on bail, but it was
rejected by Judge Elden Fox.

The court would convene
again in October 22.Pray that
Lohan wont prove positive to
banned drugs again!

MISS MEXICO WINS 2010 MISS UNIVERSE...

For 22-year-old Miss Mexico
Jimena Navarrete, last night
was a moment she would
never forget in her life as
she was crowned the Miss
Universe 2010 inside the
posh Mandalay Bay Hotel in
Las Vegas,USA.

Jimena made it to the top
after competing with other
bevy of ladies from all over
the world.Reports indicate
that this year ’s contest
brought together some of the
most endowed ladies one
could ever see under a roof.
Ngozi Odalonu,the Nigeria
representative at the Miss
Universe could not do the
‘Agbani magic’ (Agbani is a
Nigerian model and former
miss world) but she tried her
best.

24 year old Yendi Phillips
(Miss Jamaica) was the first
runner up at the 2010 Miss
Universe contest. Miss
USA,Rima Fakih was
eliminated much earlier in
the contest.Jenista Campbell
from Australia was the
second runner up.




CONGRATS!

Gay pastor escapes mob attack in Lagos

A 21 year old man, Elijah
Adisa, who was accused of
sodomising teenagers for
ritual purposes, narrowly
escaped being lynched by a
mob at Amai Street, Amukoko,
on Thursday morning.
According to residents of the
street, Mr Adisa, who was
revered as a man of God, had
been engaging in that act for
a long time but luck ran out
of him last week when his
neighbours discovered he
was having sex with one of
the boys.

"We rushed to his house but
he saw us coming and jumped
the back fence of his house
and ran away," said a
resident of the street who
did not want to be named.
Mr Adisa was sighted on
Thursday morning in the area
and it took the timely
intervention of the elders in
the community to rescue him
from a gathering crowd that
had descended on him. He
was subsequently taken to
the house of the Baale
(community leader) of the
area where some of the youth
in the area continued to
torture him.

Hypnotic act

Eyewitnesses accused Mr
Adisa of hypnotising the boys
before sleeping with them on
a white cloth spread on the
floor in his apartment.
Azeez Kareem, one of the
boys who admitted being a
victim of Mr Adisa's sexual
acts, narrated what he
experienced in his house.
"One day we were going to
the field to play football
when this man called us. He
asked our names and our
religion, I said Islamic and
my cousin said Christian. He
said I should leave. I went
and came back and they were
preaching. I don't know what
they are talking," said Master
Azeez, 17.

"One day, I just enter the
house and I saw one boy. He
told the boy to go outside. He
then said I should go and buy
Atare (Alligator pepper).
When I came back he said I
should pull my clothes and lie
down on the floor, there was
a white cloth on the floor. I
don't know what he was
doing. When he did that
finish, he said I should eat
the alligator pepper but I did
not eat it."
Residents said that Azeez's
cousin, Tunde, who had
moved in with Mr Adisa for
several weeks, had become a
changed person in recent
times.

"I just came back from school
to see that my brother has
started living with him. I
didn't know him before. I
asked my mother that this
person that my brother is
living with, did he know him
somewhere before? She said
no, that he is a prophet of
God, that God sent him to
help the boy. That was the
first time I would meet that
terrorist (Mr Adisa)," said
Wale Razak, Tunde's elder
brother.

Tunde was unavailable at the
time of the incident; he had
gone to write his General
Certificate Examination
papers.
"He (Tunde) used to be a
very noisy chap but since he
began living with the
terrorist he became a very
quiet person, he changed
completely. And we were
thinking the man was really
preaching to him, we never
knew he was using juju on
him,"

Admission and denial

In absolving himself of any
wrong doing, Mr Adisa denied
indulging in any ritual act.
"Whatever they say, it is only
God that really knows the
truth. I did not run away, I
went to the mountain to pray,
at Osogbo. I only make sex
with them," said Mr Adisa.

"I started doing it just this
month and I've slept with
only two boys. There is
nothing like ritual. I don't
force them nor give them
money and I don't spread
anything on the ground."
The beatings that Mr Adisa
received from the mob,
prompted him to excrete on
himself; and the gathered
youth proceeded to rub his
mouth on the excreta before
stripping him naked.

"It is very very bad and they
say he is using it for money
rituals. It has been going on
for long but they just brought
the matter to my attention
and we have to take it very
serious," said Jide Saliu, the
Baale of Alafia.
"I have called the police
under my jurisdiction. I will
hand over everything to
them. And I've talked to the
Oba of Ijora and he said I
should take the matter
serious."

It was gathered that police
officers from the Pako Police
Post, Amukoko, arrived the
scene later and took Mr Adisa
away for questioning.

Man charged with killing bus conductor

A 37-year-old man, Mr.
Stephen Uba, was on
Wednesday charged before a
Yaba Chief Magistrate's
Court in Lagos for allegedly
pushing a bus conductor out
of a moving vehicle and
causing his death.
Uba is standing trial on a
one-count charge of
unlawfully causing the death
of the conductor, Chika Nna,
on July 2 at Barracks Bus
Stop, Badagry Expressway,
Lagos.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr.
Okoronkwo Okorie, told the
court that the accused and
his wife were passengers in
an Ojo-Okokomaiko bus when
the incident occurred, the
News Agency of Nigeria
reports.

Okorie said a passenger had
raised alarm that a robber
was in the bus and that this
made the passengers to
scramble for safety.
He explained that as the
passengers were rushing out
of the moving vehicle, the
accused pushed the
conductor, who was by the
door of the bus, to allow him
(Uba) jump out.

The prosecutor said that Nna
fell off the moving bus and
was hit by another vehicle.
He died immdediately.
Okorie added that the
offence contravened Section
325 of the Criminal Code of
Lagos State and was
punishable with life
imprisonment.
Uba, however, pleaded
not guilty' to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr.
Akintunde Isaacs, granted
him bail in the sum of
N200,000 with two sureties
in like sum.
The case was adjourned till
October 8 for further
hearing.

CLASH OF THE TITANS LEADS TO DESTRUCTIONS IN LAGOS STATE.

No fewer than 100 vehicles
were vandalised at Onipanu
area of Lagos State on
Wednesday, as area boys
invaded the area in a
retaliatory attack.
DURUEKE 4ALL gathered that
the area boys were
protesting the death of one
of their leaders, Shina Ajah,
allegedly killed by some
rivals earlier in the day.

Our correspondent learnt that
the mayhem, which started
about 11. 45 pm, on Tuesday,
did not stop until 3am
Wednesday morning.
The havoc caused by the
hoodlums stretched to four
streets in the area, namely,
Towose, Awoyokun, Idera and
Ajegunle.
Residents of the area said
that two hours before the the
invasion, some suspected
members of Eiye cult from
Akala, Mushin, a Lagos suburb,
had attacked the area boys in
Onipanu, killing Shina and
wounding three others.
As soon as the news of the
attack and the death of Shina
spead, area boys converged
on Awoyokun Street where
the alleged murder took
place.
"Before anybody realised it,
they started shooting and
soon they were attacking the
vehicles parked on the
street," one of the residents
who declined giving his name
told DURUEKE 4ALL.

Another resident, who gave
his name as Mufu, said, that
the gunshots continued for
over three hours. "We
couldn't come out. Look at
this commercial bus now,
what am I going to tell the
owner? Government should
help us here," he said.
Some other residents of the
area were, however,
convinced that Shina was
killed because he was
influential and therefore a
force to be reckoned with in
the 2011 elections.
"They killed him because they
know that any party he
supports will win the 2011
elections. The police should
find out the party he was
supporting and then question
the opposition party," a man,
who gave his name as Lucky
Emmanuel, said.

It was also gathered that the
residents of the area
attacked the policemen who
came in the morning to assess
the extent of the damage.
However, peace was restored
when more policemen were
deployed in the area.
The residents said they were
protesting the refusal of the
policemen to come to the
area when the youths were
vandalising their vehicles.
"They heard the gunshots but
refused to come," Emmanuel
said.

Spokesman of the state police
command, Frank Mba, said the
police were on top of the
situation.
"We are maintaining security
there now. We have arrested
some suspects and I can
assure you that we are
putting strategy in place to
ensure permanent peace in
the area," he said.





NIGERIA POLITICS.......na wa o!

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ACCUSED OF STEALING.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been accused of lifting an entire paragraph from Atiku Abubakar in his speech at the recent declaration of his intention to run in the Presidential elections come 2011. The paragraph that supporters cheered and applauded to was taken from former Vice- presidents Atiku Abubakar’s presidential declaratory speech written in 2006. The paragraph read:

“Our country is at the threshold of a new era; an era that beckons for a new kind of leadership; a leadership that is uncontaminated by the prejudices of the past; a leadership that is committed to change; a leadership that reinvents government, to solve the everyday problems that confront the average Nigerian. ” and in 2006 , Atiku said:

“ Today, as we stand on the threshold of a new era Nigeria requires a new kind of leadership, a leadership committed to this change process. We need a leadership that is not hampered or constrained by the regressive politics of the past or the unproductive ideologies of the present. Nigeria deserves a proven, committed and experienced leader who knows how to reinvent government to help solve the real problems our people today.” Atiku’s camp has reacted, calling it ‘unfortunate’.

Gas explosion at Anthony Village

A building and two vehicles
were razed by fire at
Anthony Village in the early
hours of Tuesday due to gas
explosions.

Residents, who witnessed the
incident, said the explosion
was caused when a fire which
was allegedly caused by
electric power surge, started
from a tailoring shop at
about 11.30pm Monday. The
fire consumed an electronics
workshop, a bar, and spread
to a gas shop containing
about 60 filled cooking gas
cylinders, resulting in
multiple explosions. "The fire
started around 11.30pm," said
Joseph Ikeji, who has his
daughter, his wife and three
siblings living with him. "I
came back late, ate, prepared
everything and went to bed
with daughter around 11
o'clock or so. After some time
my wife ran to the room and
said there was fire outside.
We went out, tried to contact
fire service and tried to see
what we can do. Everybody's
fear was that the fire should
not enter the gas shop. We
tried to go out of the estate
but the estate gates were
locked. So by the time we
came back, the gas had
started exploding and our
house was on fire. The fire
was on for about 30 minutes
before it got to the gas shop.
Due to the explosion there
was nothing we or anybody
could do. In fact, I had to
leave there; I couldn't stand
watching the house burn.
Everything burnt except the
cars that we removed before
our house went up in flames."

Blame game

According to Mr Ikeji, it was
one of the gas cylinders that
were exploding into the air
that crashed into the roof of
the house which is beside the
gas shop. Other shops
affected by the fire include a
mechanic workshop and a
cement shop. Another
resident, Victor Peters, said
the major problem is that the
estate gates are locked by
8pm making it difficult to
handle emergencies like the
fire. "The fire service people
came but for a long time they
could not enter because the
gates were locked," he said.
Basira Giwa, a resident,
blamed the incident on the
location of the gas shop and
the other shops. "The fact is
that this place is an illegal
settlement," she said. "We
have been writing the
Ministry of Environment to
come and evacuate them from
here, but they have not done
anything about it. And we
know that combustible
materials are not to be sold
in residential areas.
Mechanic workshop is not
supposed to be in a
residential area."

Ogunsanwo Adebayo, the
Councillor representing the
area, said he will set up
panel to investigate the
cause of the incident and
settle the issue between the
shop owners and the
residents association.

Counting losses

Moruf Yekini, who owns the
electronics workshop, barely
controlled tears as he
watched the wreckage of
what used to be his shop. He
said the electronics in his
shop at the time of the
incident was worth over half
a million naira. "There were
a lot of things inside the
shop," he said. "Many radios,
TVs and many other things I
cannot mention now. Just on
Saturday somebody brought
this expensive home theatre,
brand new Sony Bravia. It had
a little problem because of
power surge. The carton and
everything was here. That
one is my major concern now.
Even my father's vulcanizer
machine was in my shop.
Somebody wanted to buy it
for N18,000 but I said no.
Now it is gone. Now the
landlord association want to
chase us away from here but
our landlord does not want
us to leave. But we don't
know what will happen."

Kazeem Anifowoshe, who
owns the gas shop, was seen
on the adjoining street
pacing around in despair and
clutching in his right hand
paper in which he had
written the things he lost to
the fire. "I lose up to
N1,166,500, that is the ones I
can remember now," he said.
"There were about 60 old
cylinders, and 15 new ones.
About 60 of them were
containing gas. I don't know
where I going to start again. I
need help. I have two babies,
twins; they are not even up to
two months old. I don't know
what to do now."



HELP!

Man loses arm over N100

A middle aged man, Koya
Arowosegbe, is battling for
his life following a machete
cut he received during a
fight, which severed his right
hand.

The incident happened in
Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb,
on September 16, when a 30
year-old-man, Afeez Ganiyu,
allegedly severed Mr
Arowosegbe's right hand
over a ₦100 debt. Mr
Ganiyu's mother is the owner
of the six bed room
apartment where the victim
lives with his pregnant wife
and two children in one of
the rooms.

How it began

According to residents in the
area, trouble started about
10.30pm when Mr Ganiyu, a
bricklayer returned home
from work. His mother was
quarrelling with one of the
tenants, identified as Iya
Muntia, over an outstanding
₦100 electricity bill. The
quarrel snowballed into a
fight and the landlady's
children allegedly beat up
Iya Muntia. Mr Arowosegbe
reportedly tried to stop Mr
Ganiyu from disconnecting
the electricity because Iya
Muntia allegedly refused to
pay the debt. In the melee, Mr
Arowosegbe's right hand was
severed at the wrist with the
a machete blow from Mr
Ganiyu.

Moyowa Arowosegbe, the
wife of the victim narrated
what happened. "My husband
came back from work that
day and we were in the room,
when we heard quarrelling,"
she said. "The landlady and
her children were fighting
Iya Muntia over ₦100 NEPA
bill, people tried to
intervene but the fight
continued. Afeez came back
from work and they told him
about the quarrel with Iya
Muntia. He went to threaten
her, and after went to
disconnect the light in Iya
Muntia's shop where she uses
as a saloon. When he was
disconnecting the light, we
started having power surge
in our room, so my husband
went to tell him to stop, but
he refused and started
insulting him, and Afeez
mother also joined him to
insult my husband and they
used a plank (wood) to hit
him. My husband tried to
escape into the room, and
that was how Afeez rushed
my husband with a cutlass,
my husband was trying to
block his face and that was
how the cutlass cut his hand,
the hand was on the ground
and he started bleeding." Mrs
Arowosegbe, added that her
husband went into a coma and
was rushed to a government
hospital in the area, but they
were unable to get doctors to
attend to him because of the
doctors' strike. He was later
taken to MayFair Hospital, a
private clinic, where he is
receiving treatment.
Regrets and demand for
justice
. Mr Ganiyu said he regretted
fighting his neighbours.

"Iya
Muntia suppose pay N700, but
she pay N600 for NEPA bill,"
he spoke in Pidgin English. "I
want disconnect her light for
her shop but Mr Arowosegbe
no gree, we come dey fight, I
come use the cutlass cut am.
Na my mama used the cutlass
go farm come leave am for
outside. I no want kill am, Na
mistake and I feel bad." Mrs
Arowosegbe said she wants
justice for her husband. "My
husband is a mechanic, and I
do not work, now that his
hand is cut off, how will he
work and feed his family? So
I want government to come to
help him," she said.
Meanwhile, the landlady and
her other children have fled
their home after they
received threats from
residents in the area to lynch
them over their involvement
in the fight. The Lagos State
Police Command
Spokesperson, Frank Mba,
said the police is worried
about the increasing cases of
domestic violence in the
state.

"The Lagos State Police
Command is concerned about
domestic violence in the
state," he said. "This is an
issue that normally should
not have resulted into any
violence. This is an issue that
should have been resolve
amicably. The Commissioner
of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo,
has ordered a thorough
investigation into the case.
We advise residents to live
in peace and shun violence."

WIFE DELIVER TWINS FOR DESMOND ELLIOT AGAIN

For Nollywood top actor, its
time to rejoice again as his
wife, Victoria was delivered
of another set.
DURUEKE4ALL
gathered that the new
arrivals into the household
of Mr. and Mrs. Desmond
Elliot came on Thursday 16
September 2010.

Close pals of the actor who
made this known said he is
very excited. “You know this
year has been wonderful to
him. His movie productions
with Emem Isong has been
successful. Now, he is got a
double package again. He is
very excited ” one of them
told DURUEKE4ALL.

There first set of twins are
boys and from the
information we gathered, the
new arrivals consist of a boy
and girl.Who knows the next
ones might be a triplet.
Desmond Elliot’s father is
Yoruba from Lagos State
while his mother is from
Anambra State in Igboland.
He met Victoria Imabong
(She is from Akwa Ibom
State) in Jos, Plateau State
some years ago, they fell in
love and later got married.

They were both members of a
church fellowship drama unit
when they met.Their first
attempt at making babies
came in a double as Victoria
was delivered of a set of
twins.



CONGRATULATIONS!

President Jonathan formally joins 2011 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

"I, Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe
Jonathan have decided to
humbly offer myself as a
candidate in the Presidential
Primaries of our great party,
the PDP." With those words,
uttered at 3:24 pm Saturday
at the Eagle Square, Abuja,
President Goodluck Jonathan
formally joined the 2011
presidential race.
"This is more than a crowd; it
looks like a revolution," he
declared to a full Eagle
Square, moments after
mounting the stage, heralded
by a performance from hip-
hop musician Dapo Oyebanji
(D'Banj).

In his speech, delivered
without notes, Mr. Jonathan
narrated the story of his rise
to power, recalling the "very
trying times" that the
country went through in the
months preceding his
assumption of office, and
thanked "the National
Assembly, [state] Governors
and especially the civil
society and mass media" for
the roles they played in
helping to resolve the crises.
He asked for a minute of
silence in honour of former
President Umar Yar'Adua.

The President cited electoral
reform, improvements in
infrastructure, oil sector
reform, a renewed anti-
corruption war and "bold
steps to confront our
security situation" as
testimony of his commitment
to the "transformation" of
Nigeria.

A copy of his speech went up
on his Facebook page while he
spoke.

Before the speech, several
state governors on the
platform of the ruling PDP,
and senior officials of the
party, took turns to address
the crowd, amidst
performances from various
Nigerian musicians.
________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: It appears that
there were at least two
Teleprompters from which
the President was reading
his speech.

MUSIC: 2face Idibia – Celebration (Golden Jubilee) ft King David

On October 1st, 2010, Nigeria
will celebrate it ’s 50th
Anniversary since the nation
gained independence from
British Colonial Rule in 1960.
In commemorating this
massive “achievement”,
Nigeria’s Premiere
superstar, 2face Idibia, has
decided to record a song
titled “Celebration”
alongside UK-based artiste,
King David.

“Celebration” is more or
less a party tune which
carries lyrics that reflect
the occasion. Inspite of the
crime rate, corruption and
rampant killings, we ’re all
still here and the nation is
still standing. That, in itself,
is enough reason to be
hopeful. This goes straight
into my playlist! …and I’m
sure it will kick-off a series
of “50th Anniversary songs”
in the next few weeks.

This song is Produced by Ozzie and Mo
Eazy

I killed my father, mother and siblings,’ says son of SSS chief

Bello Garba Bello, the first
son of the late senior official
of the state security service
killed on Monday in Kano, has
allegedly confessed that he
was the one who actually
stabbed his father, Garba
Bello, his mother, Habiba and
his three siblings to death in
a murder case that has
shocked residents of the city.

Twenty-two-year-old Mr
Bello (Baba) made this
confession yesterday at the
headquarters of the Kano
State Police Command,
Bompai Kano.
The state Police
Commissioner, Mohammed J.
Gana, showed journalists a
handwritten confessional
statement allegedly written
by the suspect, in which he
confessed to killing his
family and said that after he
killed them, he tried to
commit suicide but couldn’t
after realising the enormity
of what he did.

Mr Bello, who is a 200 level
Physics student of the Kano
State University of
Technology, Wudil (KSUT),
had also all egedly
confessed, in a hand written
statement submitted to the
state command of the State
Security Service (SSS), that
he single-handedly carried
out the killings. He also
claimed that his anger was
that his father was going to
die because of his terminal
illness and that he could not
bear the responsibilities of
catering for his mother and
siblings that would follow
subsequently.

He said in the statement that
he stabbed his parents and
three of his siblings to death
at about 2am on Monday this
week. “My father cannot
provide for my basic needs,
so I killed them all with
knives,” the statement to the
police reads. “It was painful
to me and the entire family.
It was an unbearable,
irreparable loss. My father
has been bedridden and I
know he is not going to
survive. I did the job alone.

“The intention was to wipe
out the entire family and
after that, I called my
neighbours, Isiaku and Buhari
immediately after the
incident.”
Speculations not at rest
Security officials say his
confession puts to rest
speculations about the
motive behind the killing of
54-year-old Bello and four
members of his family.
The incident also saw 40-
year-old Habiba
strangulated and three of
their children, 16-year-old
Hafsat; 14-year-old Khalifa
and five-year-old Murjatu
murdered in cold blood.

One Umar Danjani, who
claimed to be a relation of
the deceased SSS official,
has, however, disagreed with
the police and the said
confessional statement of Mr
Bello.
Mr Danjani said that Farouk,
the other surviving son of the
late Bello, told the family
that he saw another man who
was wearing a white singlet,
called Aminu, kill his family
members. He also said some
neighbours heard the sound
of a whistle and sound of
many persons.
“This means that the younger
Bello did not carry out the
killings alone,” he said.

Man murders landlord over eviction notice

The police in Lagos on
September 15, 2010 paraded a
45-year-old man, Julius
Sossu, who allegedly stabbed
his landlord to death after
being given a notice to quit
his one-room apartment
located at Morogbo area of
Ikorodu in Lagos State.
Mr Sossu had on September 9,
2010 at about 6am woken his
landlord, John Olatunji, aged
65, on the pretext that smoke
was coming out of his car.
Panicked, Mr Olatunji went to
see for himself. But as he
checked the car, Mr Sossu
then stabbed him severally
on the head and stomach.
He said his landlord had
continually disturbed his
peace, the latest time
involving him and his
landlord fighting for three
days over him quiting his
abode before he stabbed him
to death.

“Last September when him
first give me notice, him
force me to sign. So this time
when he inform me say he
want to write quit notice
give me, I tell am make him
wait. Na from there problem
start,” said Mr Sossu.
Mr Sossu who claimed to be a
block moulder, said both him
and his landlord attended
the same white-garment
church in their
neighbourhood, adding that
he was not in his senses on
the morning he stabbed his
landlord.
“I no know dey thing I dey do
at that moment. I no know
why I dey carry knife,” he
said, however denying he was
suffering from any mental
illness..

The police spokesman, Frank
Mba said the suspect was not
happy his landlord had asked
him to quit by the end of
September and decided to
injure him, with the intention
of making him change his
mind.
“The suspect claimed his
landlord gave him quit notice
from his one-room apartment
up to the end of September,
2010. He claimed he was not
happy over this. He decided
to inflict injuries on him,
hoping it would change his
mind. On the faithful day at
about 5 am., he went to knock
at the door of the landlord,
one John Olatunji, 65, and
told him that smoke was
coming out from his car . The
landlord hurriedly came out
to check his car.” He said.
“After being stabbed, the
landlord collapsed and was
taken to a private hospital,
but he died three days later
due to the injuries sustained
at different parts of his
body,” Mr Mba said.

Mr Mba added that Mr Sossu
would be charge to court
soon, upon conclusion of
ongoing investigation.

PDP presidential candidate emerges October 23

The Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) presidential
flag bearer in the 2011
elections will emerge at a
special national convention
on October 23. This was
announced by the party after
its emergency National
Executive Committee (NEC)
meeting in Abuja yesterday.
Also, each of the presidential
aspirants is to pay a total of
N11 million, comprising N1
million for the Expression of

Interest form andN10 million
for the nomination form. So
far, there are four aspirants
on the platform of the PDP,
including the incumbent
president, Goodluck
Jonathan; former military
president, Ibrahim
Babangida, former vice
president, Atiku Abubakar,
and Sarah Jibril, who is the
only female aspirant.

The National Publicity
Secretary of the party,
Ahmed Rufai Alkali, told
journalists after the meeting
that the party’s candidates
for the state Houses of
Assembly will emerge on
October 2; gubernatorial
candidates, October 8; House
of Representatives
candidates, October 12; and
senatorial candidates,
October 14.

He also said that the
governorship candidates will
pay a total of N5.5 million
each, comprising Expression
of Interest form, N500,000
and nomination form for N5
million. Senators will be
required to pay N2.2 million
(Expression of Interest
N200,000 and nomination
form N2 million); House of
Representatives members,
N1.1 million (N100,000,
Expression of Interest and
nomination form N1 million);
and State Houses of Assembly
N600,000 (N100,000 for

Expression of Interest and
N500,000 for the nomination
form).
Concession for female
aspirants
Mr Rufai said female
aspirants are exempted from
paying nomination fees, but
are expected to pay the
expression of interest fees
at every level.
The PDP spokesperson also
announced the modalities for
picking the candidates at the
various congresses and
conventions, and those that
are qualified to be
nominated as delegates to
them. He added that the NEC
resolved to put on hold the
midterm conference and
special convention, in view of
the limited time for the
conduct of Congresses and
Convention.

The other highlight of the
meeting was the waivers
granted to former vice
president, Abubakar Atiku,
and 15 others. Those granted
waivers include: Ada
Okwuonu, deputy governor of
Imo State; Chikwem Onuoha;
Ijeoma Nwafor; Charles
Chinedum Elechi; Prince
Okoro; David Imuse;
Alphonsus Igbeke and Olusola
Akanmode.
Others are: Mohammed
Salami Ohiare; Salihu Otaru
Ohize; Abdulkareem Saliu;
Suleiman Kokori Abdul;
Abdulmumeen Ahmed Okara;
and Momoh Jimoh Anda
A victory for democracy

Meanwhile, Mr Abubakar has
lauded the ratification of his
waiver by the NEC of the
party, saying it is the right
thing to do. He hailed the
national working committee
of the party, the executive
council, stakeholders and
other party faithful for their
moral courage.
He said in a statement by the
Atiku Campaign Organisation
that “It is time to chart a
new course for the PDP by
entrenching true democracy
and the rule of law. It is not
about me. It is about ensuring
that we deepen our
democracy by entrenching
inclusiveness in our party’s
quest to usher in a new
order.”

Korea beats Flamingoes to semi final ticket

Korea Republic became the
first team at the FIFA U-17
Women's World Cup in
Trinidad and Tobago to book
their place in the semi-
finals, beating Nigeria 6-5
after extra time in an
enthralling encounter that
saw Yeo Min Ji score four
goals and move to the top of
the tournament scoring
charts.

The Nigerian girls have their
selves to blame after
surrendering their lead
thrice in the match. The
Koreans now move on to the
meet the winner of the clash
between Spain and Brazil
tomorrow in the last four.

2011: President Jonathan on Wednesday morning declares presidential ambition

After months of speculation,
President Goodluck Jonathan
on Wednesday morning
declared his ambition to
contest the 2011 presidential
election on the platform of
the Peoples Democratic
Party.
In a 1,954 word posting on his
Facebook page titled,
�Declaration of Intent For
The 2011 Presidential Race,�
Jonathan said he would make
a formal declaration on
Saturday.
� I will by the special grace
of God be making a formal
declaration at the Eagle
Square in Abuja on Saturday,
� he said.
In the posting at 9.55am
Nigerian time (8.55am GMT,
Jonathan stated that he was
responding to pressure from
various quarters to continue
with the work of his
administration, stating that
he would �promise less and
do more.�
He said, �I confirm that
after wide and thorough
consultations spanning the
six geo-political zones that
make up Nigeria, with
members of my family, my
party, the opposition, civil
society, the Private Sector,
members of the labour
unions, religious leaders,
youths and student groups
and our revered traditional
institutions, I Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan by the grace of God
hereby offer myself and my
services to the Nigerian
people as a candidate for the
office of President in the
forthcoming 2011 elections.�

PDP meeting makes way for IBB rally

The National Executive
Council meeting of the
People's Democratic Party
(PDP) was moved to 2pm
today, to avoid a clash with
the declaration ceremony of
Ibrahim Babangida in Abuja.
The meeting had originally
been slated for 12pm, which
would have dampened the
focus on Mr Babangida's
rally. However, it appears
that last ditch talks enabled
the meeting to be moved to a
later time.
The ceremony itself lasted a
little over two hours, with a
crowd of thousands in
attendance. Mr Babangida
arrived a little after 11am in
an open-top motorcade,
amidst great fanfare and
jubilation. When he
eventually took his place on
the podium, he was joined by
former Senate President, Ken
Nnamani, and former Rivers
State governor, Peter Odili.
Also in attendance was the
Niger State governor, Muazu
Babangida Aliyu, who denied
that PDP factions were
trying to disrupt the rally.
"Thank God that democracy
has prevailed, which allowed
the meeting to be shifted," he
said.
Several affirmations were
given by a representative of
each geopolitical zone before
Mr Babangida eventually took
the stage. Notably, each
affirmation centred on the
fact that zoning must prevail,
to ensure peace in Nigeria.
Mr Babangida insisted that
he had learned lessons after
being out of office for
"almost two decades". He
said that the "youth are the
country's most critical
resource." The former
military president vowed to
focus on "ignored sectors",
such as tourism, hospitality,
agriculture and the film
industry, if elected next
year.
The rally ended at about 2pm,
as PDP officials quickly
moved to Wadata House for
the pivotal NEC meeting. A
PDP spokesperson confirmed
last night that the meeting
would determine the order in
which the party would
conduct their primaries.
The influential Governors'
Forum has already convinced
the National Working
Committee to hold the
presidential primaries last.
It is now left to the executive
council to ratify that
decision.

Christian Owusu of Ghana Withdraws from MTN Project Fame West Africa Academy.

MTN Project Fame
West Africa Academy has
announced the withdrawal of
Christian Owusu from the
competition on health
grounds. The Ghanaian was
said to have bumped into
another contestant while
rehearsing for the weekend
performance. He became
dizzy and lost his sight
temporarily; after which he
was rushed to the hospital
where he regained his sight.
According to the producers of
the popular musical reality
show, Christian, a contender
for the ultimate prize, was
examined by the academy’s
medical team and was
advised to have a six-week
rest. According to head of the
medical team for the
academy, Wale Adeboje,
“Christian has been
diagnosed not to be fully fit
for the rest of the show,
although he is now in good
health, we have
recommended that he keeps
away from all forms of
rigorous activities for the
next six weeks so that he can
adequately recuperate.”
Christian left Lagos for
Ghana on Friday September
10, and is already back with
his family. It is expected that
he’ll get further treatment
with the support of the
academy. In a related
development, Adebola has
become the last person to be
evicted from the academy;
leaving six contestants in the
house. The show is expected
to end in a few weeks time.

SPORTS: EX-FLYING EAGLE STAR, ANYANWU NDUKA, IS DEAD!!!

Former Flying Eagles
defender Nduka Anyanwu is
dead.
According to Goal.com, the
FSV Oggersheim player
collapsed on the pitch during
his side ‘s Bezirkliga clash
with Queichhambach, and
medical treatment on the
pitch came too late to save
his life.
Although cause of death has
not been confirmed, reports
on Tuesday suggested that
the former Dynamo Dresden
defender was struck by a
heart attack.
The deceased started his
professional career at
Eintracht Frankfurt in 1997
and had plied his trade in
Germany ever since.
Anyanwu represented
Nigeria at U-17 and U-20
levels between 2000 and
2002.


R.I.P MY MAN!

BRIGHT OKPOCHA A.K.A BASKET MOUTH, PLANS TO WED BY NOVEMBER.

Things are really
going well for Globacom
ambassador, Bright Okpocha,
popularly known as Basket
Mouth. Not too long ago, he
was declared the second best
comedian in Africa, and now.
he is all set to marry his long
time girlfriend, Elsie.
Before now, there has been
stories that the comedian
had dumped the babe, who is
also the mother of his son.
But it looks as if the young
man is ready do the legal
thing with his girlfriend.
Basket Mouth ’s publicist, Big
Sam media, who confirmed
the story, said the couple
would walk down the aisle in
November.

JIM IYKE PLANS TO START A REALITY SHOW TAGGED "JEWEL FOR JIM"

Glo ambassador and
Nollywood star, Jim Iyke, has
announced his forthcoming
reality show titled ‘Jewel
for Jim.’ The show, which
will be based in the USA, will
see ladies from different
nationalities vying for Jim ’s
affections. According to the
organisers, the show is a
nationwide search for a
“ rare gem, a cultural and
social ambassador, a lady of
substance, a role model who
personifies a perfect blend
of the traditional and
modern mind, a great talent,
a princess fit to be soul mate
to Africa’s most eligible
bachelor Mr Jim Iyke.”
‘Jewel for Jim’ will present
and document unscripted
dramatic and sometimes
humorous social experiences,
situations and/or events,
while featuring beautiful
women of all races, cultures,
ethnic groups, religions and
sects, struggling to excel at
specific tasks and contests
with the ultimate goal of
winning Jim ’s heart and
being crowned the jewel.

TUFACE IDIBIA RECORDS SONG FOR NAIJA INDEPENDENCE CELEBERATION.

TuFace Idibia, the African
ladies man in a collabo with
Kind David an artiste based
in UK have recorded a
celebratory song in London .
The song, which is targeted
at raising excitement for the
jubilee celebration of
Nigeria ’s independence, is
titled ‘Naija 50.’ The track
was produced by Ozzie and
Mo Eazy.
The track will be available
for sale by digital download
on iTunes, Amazon,
www.notjustok.com and MTN.
Total sale proceeds will go to
Little Big Souls; a charity
that focuses on the well-
being of children born
prematurely.

Some HAIR STYLES

Angelina Jolie, Crowned as the new CELEBRITY MODEL....

Contrary
to
her
mysterious
and
withdrawn
aura,
Hollywood
superstar
Angelina
Joliejust
grabbed
the
number
one
spot
of
being
the Best Celebrity Role
Model in an online poll. The
actress and his husband’s
unselfish dedication in
campaigning for the largest
issues worldwide and
helping out those in need
gave the actress almost half
of the votes on WENN.com.
As proof to her compassion
for others, Jolie just
recently visited the victims
of the disastrous floods in
Pakistan.The actress whose
movie roles mostly give her a
‘tough cookie’ image is the
exact opposite in real life as
she and hubby Brad Pitt are
one of the most common
names mentioned in social
campaigns aimed for world
development.
Angelina bagged 43 percent
of votes toppling the United
Nations Messenger or Peace
George Clooney who only got
23 percent in the poll.
Surprisingly coming in third
position is teen Disney icon
Mile Cyrus who got 15
percent of votes. She even
defeated world renowned
world peace supporter and
crusader Bono who only
finished in the fourth spot
with 14 percent.
Finishing the top five of the
list are the pro-Christian
musicians and Disney
superstars Jonas Brothers.
The poll was started last
September 13, 2010 only and
votes are still raining for
Tinseltown’s role model

M.I DROPS MUSIC FOR FILM ACTING.......na wa o!

Conflicting and confusing reports coming in from Abuja has it that Mister Incredible, M.I, the premier artist of CHOCOLATE CITY MUSIC has thrown the rank and file of the record label into confusion by announcing that he wants to pursue a career in the movies. As it is now, he may already even taken part in a film production because we immediately called him to confirm and this is what he said: “ I think it’s about time for me to try something else and acting is something I ’ve always had a passion for and I think it’s time for me to explore that area. I know my fans will love my new movie coming out and although this may not be final, I will no longer be doing music for the time being. ” As far-fetched as this may sound for a rapper who quickly rose to the top of Nigerian music scene with just one album in the space of one year, close sources to CHOCOLATE CITY MUSIC where he and his brother Jesse Jags and Ice Prince are signed on are saying that M.I actually put this request in writing. A call to Mr. Audu Maikori, the head honcho of the Abuja-based label, didn ’t fully clear the air because while he didn’t outrightly dismiss the story he admitted that M.I has actually requested that the November release date for his sophomore album, M.I 2, be shifted indefinitely for the meantime. Further questions as to whether M.I would be fully quitting the label went unreplied. M.I who first came to limelight in 2008 with the release of his debut album, TALK ABOUT IT, has been on top of his game and emerged as arguably the best rapper in the country. He is also the highest ranking Nigerian rapper in the recently released MNET AFRICA list of the ten best African rappers. He is widely respected in the Nigerian music industry and legend has it that TALK ABOUT IT sold 30 000 copies in the first 30 minutes of its release in 2008. He has also won numerous awards with it.

Sofia Coppola Cops Top Award at Venice Film Fest.

She is woman, hear her roar. Sofia Coppola won the coveted Golden Lion award for her film Somewhere Saturday at the Venice film festival. Somewhere tells the story of a forlorn actor (played by Stephen Dorff) who learns to face his life's worth with the help of his 11-year-old daughter, played by Elle Fanning. Coppola has described her film as a "portrait of today's L.A." Acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino was the head of the jury that selected Somewhere for the Golden Lion during the 11-day annual festival. Coppola previously won an Oscar for penning Lost in Translation, which she also directed. Somewhere is scheduled for wide release December 22.

T.I RETURNS AFTER ONE WEEK DRUG ARREST.

A week after his drug arrest debacle with wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, T.I. is breaking his silence. Making his first public remarks since his Sunset Strip bust, the superstar rapper headed to Twitter Saturday to let fans know he's "back in the lab." No, that's not a reference to his alleged Ecstasy-possessing ways. Instead, he's close to wrapping up his seventh album, King Uncaged, which he put on hold to focus on his recent cinematic turn in Takers. But, it wasn't all studio work for T.I. The rapper, who is facing possible probation-violation charges over his arrest, also made time to visit his niece Friday, who is receiving treatment for cancer. "Went to see my niece in the hospital & she made my day!!! She's fighting cancer & worried about how I'm doing," T.I. captioned a twitpic of the visit. "Uncle Tip rides 4u…Thru It All, No Matter What!!!"

SPORTS: KLITSCHKO RETAINS HEAVY WEIGHT TITLE.....

The Ukrainian floored his opponent in the 10th round with a flurry of punches to Peter's head in the 10th round to claim his 55th win in 58 fights. Peter keeled over backwards and never looked like making the count as a dull fight suddenly came to a dramatic end. The Nigerian frustrated Klitscho and the 40,000 crowd at the Eintracht Frankfurt soccer arena without staking a real claim for the titles. Peter, who had won 34 of his previous 37 bouts, had never been counted out before. Klitschko's brother Vitali holds the WBC title while Briton David Haye holds the WBA crown.

SPORTS: Obagoal Scores, Yobo gets injured.

Obafemi Martins finally opened his account in the Russian League, converting a penalty for the final goal of the match as Rubin Kazan won 3-0 at home to Amkar Perm. International skipper Joseph Yobo started for Turkish giants Fenerbahce, but was forced off just under the hour with what appeared to be a hamstring strain. Another debutant Obinna Nsofor was dangerous for all of his 90 minute appearance but could do little to stop John Mikel Obi's Chelsea running away with a 3-1 win. There was also a winning goal for Babajide Collins. The striker, on loan from Danish club FC Midtjylland, scored the second of two 90th minute goals which helped Alania Vladikavkaz complete a last minute fightback to win 2-1. Carlos Eduardo scored twice for Rubin before Martins converted his penalty with six minutes to play. In Turkey, Yobo started for his new club, and showed plenty of composure as he organised the back four. However, the Nigeria captain pulled up with a hamstring just shy of the our mark, and was substituted. Five minutes later, Fenerbahce were behind. Paraguay international Jonathan Santana turned Yobo's replacement Selcuk Sahin to chip over the keeper. It was not long before they were back, this time, Australian international James Troisi tapping home after the defence went walkabout again. Nsofor's debut in the English Premier League could not have been harder, coming against champions Chelsea. But the Nigerian looked by far the most dangerous player on both sides in the early stages. But he failed to make his opportunities count on two occasions in the first half, before Chelsea struck. Obinna also set up Fredrick Piquionne for a glaring miss at 3-1.

ALL IS NOW SET FOR KLISTKO VS PETERS.

Samuel Peter will have his sights on becoming heavyweight champion for the second time in his career when he takes on Wladimir Klitschko in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday. Wladimir Klitschko has been heavyweight champion since 2006 when he won the IBF title by defeating Chris Byrd with a seventh round knockout. But like all champions, no matter how dominant they have been, a time comes when their reign comes to an end. That is unless they decide to retire undefeated as was the case with Lennox Lewis and the legendary Joe Louis, who to date holds the record for holding the title longer than any other boxer - 10 years, 8 months and 8 days. It happened to Muhammad Ali back in 1978 when he lost the title to Leon Spinks, as well as to other heavyweight greats such as Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. And after defending the title eight times since claiming the IBF title from Byrd, there’s every possibility that Saturday’s bout against Samuel Peter could mark the end of Klitschko’s reign as IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight king. There is no doubt, Klitschko and his older brother Vitali, stand head and shoulders above the rest of the heavyweight division, even though their cautious approach and their inability to willingly deviate from the repetitive jab and clinch style that after a while wears down the opponent isn’t the most beautiful to watch. It has however been a style that has proven quite effective for the 34-year-old Ukrainian even as far back as five years ago when both fighters met in an IBF title eliminator. First Peter-Klitschko war Back in September 2005 in Atlantic City, USA, Peter fell Klitschko three times but still ended up losing on the score card of all three judges. But no other fighter has been able to push Klitschko that hard, and that is one reason why Saturday’s fight could just be the one to end Klitschko’s reign at the top. That doesn’t mean Peter will be heading into the fight as favourite. That is a honour reserved for the Ukrainian, especially as the fight is taking place at a place both he and his brother have come to regard as home. However, one thing appears almost certain; this fight will not go the distance as both fighters are endowed with devastating punches. Klitschko’s weak chin Peter however has something that Klitschko lacks: a strong chin. That was what proved Klitschko’s nemesis in his last two losses to Lamon Brewster, in April 2004, and Corrie Sanders, back in March 2003. Even his first loss as a professional much earlier in 1998 to Ross Puritty was stopped in the 11th round after the American kept unleashing a flurry of punches on the hapless Ukrainian which caused his trainer back then, Fritz Sdunek, to jump into the ring and stop the fight. Puritty had a round earlier knocked down the exhausted Klitschko with a hard shot to the chin. Klitschko’s current trainer, Emmanuel Steward, has however in the past couple of days been predicting that Saturday’s fight will be a short night. “In terms of one punch power and accuracy, I see a knockout,” he said. “I can’t see it going much more than five or six rounds, and that’s stretching it.” Steward, who was the trainer of former heavyweight champ, Lewis, then added: “Wladimir is one of the few fighters I’ve trained, and I have trained many punchers, that can turn off the light switch in the middle of a big party without doing the dimmer switch first. He has the power to knock out anyone with one punch using either hand, the left (hook) even more than the right.” But nobody has ever knocked out ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’ The only fight he lost that ended early was against the older of the Klitschko brothers, in October 2008, when he didn’t answer the bell for the ninth round. He also lost his next bout to Eddie Chambers on points, but has gone on to win his next four bouts convincingly. He has also shed a lot of weight and is much more agile on his feet these days, which is probably why Steward declared him as the most dangerous opponent Klitschko has fought in five years. Peter isn’t the complete fighter, but he is now re-dedicated to his career. And even if Peter won’t win on Saturday, the fight promises to be one to remember.














Samuel Peter will have his sights on becoming heavyweight champion for the second time in his career when he takes on Wladimir Klitschko in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday. Wladimir Klitschko has been heavyweight champion since 2006 when he won the IBF title by defeating Chris Byrd with a seventh round knockout. But like all champions, no matter how dominant they have been, a time comes when their reign comes to an end. That is unless they decide to retire undefeated as was the case with Lennox Lewis and the legendary Joe Louis, who to date holds the record for holding the title longer than any other boxer - 10 years, 8 months and 8 days. It happened to Muhammad Ali back in 1978 when he lost the title to Leon Spinks, as well as to other heavyweight greats such as Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. And after defending the title eight times since claiming the IBF title from Byrd, there’s every possibility that Saturday’s bout against Samuel Peter could mark the end of Klitschko’s reign as IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight king. There is no doubt, Klitschko and his older brother Vitali, stand head and shoulders above the rest of the heavyweight division, even though their cautious approach and their inability to willingly deviate from the repetitive jab and clinch style that after a while wears down the opponen

MUSLIMS END WITH A HAPPY EID-MUBARAK CELEBRATION!

Muslims across the country today joined their compatriots around the world to celebrate the end of the month-long Ramadan. Prayers and festivities marked the Eid-el Fitri, with many taking advantage of the two-day public holiday declared by the federal government to travel to celebrate with families and friends. Nigerian leaders used the occasion to exhort citizens to support next year’s election and exercise tolerance with one another. Spiritual purification Nigeria’s Vice President, Namadi Sambo, urged Nigerians not to lose sight of the spiritual and historical significance of the period. “At this occasion, there is need for us to imbibe the spirit of obedience, sacrifice and total submission to the will of Allah, as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim. This way, the fear and love of Allah will increase and fill our hearts. This is a guidance to righteousness,” he said. He advised citizens to be their “brothers’ keepers” and shun all deviant behaviour, work towards promoting peace and good neighbourliness. Mr Sambo thanked all Nigerians for their continuous support and cooperation and promised that the government was resolute in its “commitment to the provision of adequate infrastructure, free, fair and credible elections and guarantee the security of lives and properties as well as maintain law and order for sustainable development.”

Call to piety

The Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, called on Muslims to carry the devotion and piety displayed during the Ramadan into their daily dealings and interactions with their countrymen. He said a time like this calls for prayers, especially as our country begins the process of electing new leaders to pilot its affairs, adding that all Nigerians, irrespective of their faith, must come together as one and ensure that they contribute their own quota to ensure the success of the forthcoming polls. The Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, encouraged Muslims to always follow the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, especially on how he maintained good relationship with non- Muslims and promoted peace throughout his life. He said there is need for all Muslims to copy the good deeds of the Prophet, as he always promoted peace among his followers. He also charged Muslims to adopt the good teaching of the Ramadan, which entails abstinence from some basic human needs such as food, drink and sexual intercourse during the day. Nuhu Ribadu, former chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the period has provided Muslims an ample opportunity to have a sober reflection on the state of things in our country. “This should serve as a challenge to Nigerians not only to fully be involved in the electoral process, but to do the right things at all times, particularly as the 2011 elections draw near,” he said. He called on Muslims to use the occasion of the Eid-el- Fitri to pray for free and fair elections, and also ensure that they work towards achieving it. Anambra State governor, Peter Obi said the successful conclusion of the Ramadan is an apt reminder that human society must be imbued with those values that lead to and reflect the brilliance of God. ‘Greatness will come to nations that consciously plan and work for it through consensus and confidence- building,’ he said. The Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, told Muslims yesterday not to deviate from the strict adherence to selflessness, forgiveness, generosity and peaceful co-existence with their neighbours, which were the hallmark of the holy month of Ramadan. Mr. Mimiko urged Muslims and Nigerians in general to use the occasion of the celebration to reflect on their spiritual lives and on what could be done to uplift the nation to the heights dreamed for it by its founding fathers.

Rising prices

Prices of food and livestock rose on Wednesday across the country, as people thronged markets to purchase items for the celebration. The increased patronage made the price of a medium- sized ram to go from N25,000 to N30,000, while a big ram sold for between N45,000 and N50,000, as against N38,000. A big turkey sold for N11, 000 instead of N9,000, while the prices of a medium and large sized chicken increased from N1,200 and N1,500 to N1,500 and N1,700 respectively. Haruna Usman, the Secretary of the Livestock Traders Association, Allah Margrima Market, Iganmu, Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the hike in prices was not only owing to increased demand but to the high transportation costs. He also blamed it on alleged extortion by some revenue collectors and law enforcement agents. “Transporting a trailer-load of ram from the north to Lagos costs between N100, 000 and N120, 000 because of the money we pay at checkpoints,” he said. He appealed to states, and the federal government, to address the extortions, to reduce the* prices of goods and services.