Friday, 8 July 2016

Snipers kill five police officers at US protest over shootings

Five police officers were killed and six others wounded by snipers in chaotic scenes in Dallas during a protest against police shootings of black men, with a suspect warning that bombs were planted throughout the city center.
City Police Chief David Brown said two snipers shot at “police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally.” A civilian was also wounded.
Police were continuing to exchange gunfire with a suspect holed up in a downtown garage hours after the shooting started.
The suspect “has told our negotiators that the end is coming, and he is going to hurt and kill more of us, meaning law enforcement. And that there are bombs all over the place in this garage and in downtown,” Brown told reporters.
A woman who had been in the same part of the garage was also in custody, along with two suspects who had camouflage bags in a Mercedes and a person of interest who turned himself in after police tweeted a picture of him wearing camouflage and an assault rifle slung across his shoulder.
It is legal for those with permits to openly carry weapons in the state of Texas.
“We still don’t have a complete comfort level that we have all the suspects,” Brown warned.
Several hundred people attended the Dallas rally, which ended just before the shots rang out around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday).
The protest was one of several nationwide over the fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana this week that have prompted US President Barack Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform.
The Federal Aviation Administration restricted 2.5 nautical miles of airspace over the city, saying “only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorized in the airspace.”
Mayor Mike Rawlings said both the White House and Texas Governor Greg Abbott had offered to help.
In a poignant moment, Rawlings spoke of a “heartbreaking morning” for the city.
“We as a city, we as a country, must come together, lock arms and heal the wounds that we all feel from time to time. Words matter. Leadership matters at this time,” he said.
Brown initially said two of the officers were undergoing surgery and three were in critical condition. The condition of the other officers was unclear.

Gambia bans child marriage

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has announced a ban on child marriage in the predominantly Muslim west African nation, threatening heavy jail terms for those who break the new rules.
Speaking to a group of Muslim elders in Banjul on Wednesday, Jammeh said: “As from today, July 6, child marriage is illegal and is banned in The Gambia”.
“Anyone who marries a girl under 18 years will spend 20 years in jail. The girls’ parents would spend 21 years in jail and anyone who knows about it and fails to report the matter to the authorities would spend 10 years in jail,” he added.
“The Imam and those that preside over the marriage ceremony would also be sent to jail. If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see.”
Jammeh instructed lawmakers to pass legislation reflecting the new ban before July 21.

In December, legislators passed a bill criminalising female circumcision and introducing prison terms of up to three years for anyone flouting the ban, a month after Jammeh branded the practice outdated and ordered its immediate cessation.
Jammeh declared in November that the practice was not required by Islam — the religion of around 95 percent of the country’s 1.8 million population — and that it should be consigned to history, according to a government spokesman.




I have no problem with Alex Iwobi – Siasia

Alex Iwobi
National  Under-23 team  coach Samson Siasia says he understands why Arsenal have blocked Alex Iwobi from playing for his country at the Rio Olympics.
The 20-year-old was named in the 35-man provisional squad last week having expressed his desire to play in Brazil.
With the football due to start on  August 13,  it would mean Iwobi missing the start of the Premier League season.
“I’ve no problem with a boy I love like a son for missing out,” Siasia told BBC Sport from the USA.
“I think some people in the media just love to sensationalise and fabricate stuff.”

Siasia says Iwobi, who secured a first team spot for Arsenal towards the end of the season, may have had his Olympics dreams shattered but must look on the brighter side.
“He’s a smart, passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated boy but the fact that it’s not a FIFA  tournament Arsenal are within their rights to stop him,”
“Alex has a chance to establish himself in the Arsenal first team and if he could manage that this season then it will outweigh the potential gold medal.
“His father  (Chuka Iwobi) has made strong efforts, the boy has done his bit as well to be with us but Arsenal pays his wages and makes the calls.
“His progress and success at club level will only benefit Nigeria ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, I want people to lay off Alex and rally support for the team in Rio.
Iwobi’s agent Emeka Obasi admits the player would have benefited immensely from his involvement in this summer’s Olympics but there will be another chance in the future.
“We held talks with Arsenal to see if it would be possible but in the end the decision has been made and we just have to move on from it,” Obasi told BBC Sport.
“Of course I think Alex would have gained a lot from a competition where the likes of Barcelona’s Neymar want to play in. I’m sure the standard will be high and as I said Alex was keen to go, but it’s not his decision to make.
“I’m sure there will be another opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Olympics in future.”
Nigeria, who have been drawn in Group B of the Rio Games alongside Sweden, Colombia and Japan, boast a proud Olympics record.


 

Petrol price hike sends marketers out of business




The number of operators in the downstream oil sector has continued to thin out out since the commencement of the partial deregulation of the industry, a development that led to an increase in the pump price of petrol.
It was learnt on Saturday that petroleum product marketers, particularly independent dealers, were gradually pulling out of the petrol sale business across the country as a result of the high cost currently required to run the business.
The high business operating cost, according to marketers, is occasioned by the recent hike in the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, by the Federal Government and the complete removal of the fuel subsidy.
Government officials, experts and oil marketers, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH in separate interviews, said the capital outlay currently required to effectively operate in the downstream oil sector had virtually doubled.
They also explained that the instability in the foreign exchange market had adversely affected the finances of many oil dealers, adding that a number of marketers were finding it tough to repay the loans obtained from banks, not to talk of garnering additional funds to pay for the PMS at its new rate.
The Federal Government on May 10, 2016 announced an immediate increase in the pump price of the PMS, after months of uncertainty in which Nigerians endured debilitating shortage of petrol.
It increased the petrol price from N86.5 per litre to between N135 and N145 per litre, effectively putting an end to the subsidy regime, as it declared that oil marketers were thenceforth free to source for forex from any available channel.
“Of course, the worst hit are the independent oil marketers and it is unfortunate,” said the Corporate Affairs Manager, Nipco Plc, an oil marketing firm, Mr. Taofeeq Lawal.
Lawal stated that although the partial deregulation of the downstream sector had led to the availability of products across the country, the move, on the other hand, had thrown a lot of marketers out of business.
According to him, the ex-depot price of petrol, which used to be less than N90 per litre, depending on the depot, had increased to about N134 per litre, adding that many of the affected marketers were finding it difficult to raise enough funds to load products.
He said, “One thing that is prevalent now in the sector is that the number of operators is reducing by the day because of the cost implication in the business. To pick 33,000 litres of the PMS, you need about N5m, whereas in the past, it used to be about N2.7m. But right now, you need at least N4.7m to do that. So. the cost has appreciated and this has forced a number of operators out of the business.
“Also the average price you can get the PMS from any depot is N134 per litre and you can get 33,000 litres for one truck. The price of product to be loaded in a truck of this capacity used to be around N2.65m to N2.7m, but right now, it has risen to about N4.7m and this has really affected many marketers negatively.”
Lawal also stated that another factor negatively affecting turnover in the business was the sharp decrease in the demand for petrol, adding that “people are being very cautious nowadays about how they use fuel.”
An Executive Member of the Reconciliation Committee of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dibu Aderigbigbe, confirmed that many independent marketers had been out of business since the new PMS pricing policy took effect.
He, however, blamed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for being the major cause of the challenges facing the affected independent marketers.
Aderigbigbe said independent oil marketers had about 7,000 loading tickets with the NNPC that had yet to be loaded and that these tickets translated to about N70bn.
“Now, this is money borrowed from banks and part of it is our working capital, but as I speak with you these huge funds are currently tied down. So, why won’t marketers be out of business,” he said.
The IPMAN official said the association had approached the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and the NNPC on the matter, but had not received any response.
Another independent marketer noted that many dealers were not just out of business because of the recent petrol price increase, but that the situation was worsened by the resolve of the NNPC not to supply products to IPMAN members.
The marketer, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, said, “As it is now, if you go to the NNPC, you have billions of naira belonging to independent marketers tied down at the corporation. And this is because many marketers can’t pay the difference to load and the NNPC is not going to do back-loading for you.”
On measures to address the situation, an official at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources stated that the national oil firm had suggested the provision of debit notes to the independent marketers to pay the difference.
“It might not be right to say categorically that they are out of business completely, they are in business but they cannot use the money to load products until they pay the difference,” the official, who on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Garba-Deen Mohammed, said he was aware of the complaints of IPMAN members.
But when he was asked to speak for the corporation on the matter, Mohammed promised to send a mail that dealt with the issue comprehensively.
However, he had yet to do so, about 12 hours after the enquiry was sent to him, with repeated calls and text messages to remind him of the need for corporation’s inputs.




Militants attack Eni pipeline in Bayelsa




The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has said suspected militants blew up an oil pipeline belonging to a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni, Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
The corps spokesman, Desmond Agwu, said NSCDC officials exchanged gunfire with the hoodlums after the blast.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the blast but Industry watchers believed the attack might have been carried out by militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, which have claimed responsibility for about five attacks in the last six days.

The attack took place at Lasukugbene.

Etisalat offers students new portals

 
Charles Abah
 
A telecommunication company, Etisalat, has boosted the e-learning space for pupils with the inauguration of a Cliqlite Portal, an internet-enabled application that offers access to educational materials.
The facility, the company said, would enhance the learning experience of students, especially those in primary and secondary schools.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, made this known at the inauguration of the initiative in Lagos.
He said, “The product is an innovative service that supports education and learning. It gives both students and parents’ access to educational materials not just on the tablet but also on any internet enabled-device.”
Willsher, who said the company attached importance to quality learning and investment in education, added that it supported the sector through other means such as the Adopt-a-School Programme, Etisalat Telecommunications Engineering Post-graduate Programme, Career Counselling and Merit Awards.
Also, the Manager, Teen Segment, Ifeoluwa Oyeyipo, explained that Cliqlite Portal was born out of the need to expand the access scope of the educational product to millions of children and students.
She said, “Cliqlite has been a huge break with testimonials of success among students. We wanted to expand the scope to enable millions of students to access the product and enrich their learning experience. By this, we are using what they love to give them what they need which is quality education.”
According to her, the portal aims at making learning fun through the availability of learning materials that students and their parents can access.

The portal with several features, according to her, has such benefits as free birthday reward and 100 per cent bonus on monthly data purchase from 200MB to 10GB with extra 100 per cent bonus to browse.
 

‘Constantine’ Picked Up By The CW for Season 2 Renewal Post Matt Ryan Success

NBC series “Constantine”  which premiered in fall 2014 had met a disastrous end with its first season. Due to poor ratings, the show got canceled and it was dropped by the network in 2015. However, following protagonist Matt Ryan’s successful cameo in “Arrow”, the show seems to have found new hope in The CW.

With DC champs “Arrow”, “The Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow” bringing a horde of success to comic characters, the fall of “Constantine” was a surprise setback. However, speculations are running high now that the show might have a hope of being revived by another network, The CW. Cinema Blend assures that DC Comics’ determination to rule television may yet bring back the magician cum exorcist.

Matt Ryan who plays Constantine has done a big part in the renewal possibility arising. His guest appearance as John Constantine in the “Arrow” series seems to have struck gold. Creator Greg Berlanti has expressed favorable notions in getting Ryan on board Team Arrow as a regular. But chances for that are low considering “Arrow” has plans to go more real than supernatural in the upcoming seasons.
Preceding Ryan’s cameo, “Arrow” showrunners Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim had openly announced that they would readily take up the brilliant demon-fighting character. But Yibada countered that the decision for the cameo had been made long before the series was canceled. HoF Magazine reports that even Warner Bros. tried to take over the series last year. But the deal did not work.

Ryan is presently in UK busy shooting the ITV series “The Halcyon”, an eight-part period drama set in the 1940s. Post that, the actor may be available to shoot another season of “Constantine“. The CW has not yet confirmed getting the series back on track.

President Mark Pedowitz confirmed last year that the channel would not be hosting any more spin-offs for superhero shows. But “Supergirl” still managed to move from CBS to The CW. There is hope, therefore, that even “Constantine” would make its way back to television with a dramatic comeback season on The CW.

Monday, 4 July 2016

FG TO INCREASE CORPERS ALLOWANCE, GUESS HOW MUCH ?


Photos : Nigerian Girls at UNIBEN dress Unclad as Eve in Leaves


This photo of Nigerian girls (Ebi and Jennifer) who are students of UNIBEN, dressed somewhat unclad as Eve in the bible, got people talking lately.

They wore the leave costumes in celebration of Costume Day at University of Benin (UNIBEN), on June 15, 2016.

What words do you have for the beautiful Nigerian girls?

Introducing Lineo Didi, Mrs D'banj





Lineo Didi Kilgrow is drop dead gorgeous and her husband is said to be the one and only koko master D'banj. Finally he found his kokolet.

Checkout Nigerian Soldiers Pose In Jubilation After Successful Attack On Boko Haram (Photo)


Slim-k Kunlehans, a Nigerian soldier fighting the war against Boko Haram in the North East, took to his Facebook wall to share photos of himself and squad celebrating their win against the insurgents.
Thanking God for a successful attack against Boko Haram, Slim-K wrote:

Quote
“thank u Lord for successful attack may u continue to guide and protect me and my comrade.” Amen.
More photos below..


Peep into some of their pictures:




Breaking News! Femi Fani Kayode Has Finally Been Granted Bail After a Month in Detention





After spending up to a month at both the EFCC and Kirikiri Prison, a Federal High Court sitting today in Lagos, has granted bail in the sum of N250m to former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for an alleged fraud of N4.9billion.
 Justice Muslim Hassan who granted the bail with two sureties in like sum, ordered Fani-Kayode to deposit his passport in the custody of the court pending the outcome of the case, adding that the sureties must be owners of landed properties within the court’s jurisdiction, as well as to present evidence of tax clearance in the state.
 Also admitted to bail in the same conditions were;
1. A former Minister of State for Finance, Nemandi Usman
2. Danjuma Yusuf, who were standing trial along with Fani-Kayode,
3. 4th defendant in the charge was a company,  Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.
 Recall that the accused were on June 28, 2016 arraigned before Justice Hassan on 17 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.
 Fani-Kayode, who was the spokesperson for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation in the 2015 general elections, was accused of conspiring with the others to directly and indirectly retain various sums which the EFCC claimed they ought to have reasonably known were proceeds of theft. The accused persons were said to have allegedly committed the offences between January 8, 2015 and March 25, 2015 in the build-up to the general elections. But the four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, as the EFCC has, however, listed 17 witnesses it intends to call during trial to substantiate its allegations. Justice Hassan adjourned till October 19, 2016 for the prosecution to open its case.

FOX scheduled Lucifer season 2 premiere date





This article has the most up-to-date info on the status of Lucifer season 2 as we continuously monitor the news to keep you in the know. FOX has scheduled the premiere date for a new season for September 19, 2016.


Series info, plot and controversy

A fantasy police procedural with the title character hailing from Neil Gaiman, Sam Kleth and Mike Dringenberg, Lucifer, is already gaining popularity. The series' opponents have started a petition to boycott the series due to the fact that it portrays Satan as a relatable, likable human, and over 134,000 people have signed it already. Neil Gaiman, however, reminded everyone of The Sandman comic book that he's authored, which has been boycotted in a similar manner for containing LGBT characters, and how the boycott didn't work.
The television series does indeed feature Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), who is extremely bored in hell, resigns and decides to move to LA and join the LA police department. Due to his ability to see through to the person's motives, he can make the criminals confess. Chloe Decked (Lauren German) is a homicide detective and Lucifer's colleague and love interest.

Ratings, reviews and renewal potential

Lucifer premiered to 7.16 million viewers, a 2.4 share in the 18-49 demo and a 7% share of the audience, dropping to 5.47 million, 1.7 rating in 18-49 demo and a share of 5% by the third episode. The critical reception has been mixed, with many noting that the potentially entertaining idea of inserting Lucifer into the everyday reality was very much weakened by the police procedural format. The series' scores on review aggregator websites are equally mixed – strong 8.7/10 on IMDb and 8.2/10 on TV.com, and merely 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is hard to say which way the network decision will go at this point, but we will be sure to inform you as soon as relevant news become available.

Latest news

UPDATED April 8, 2016: Lucifer, among Fox's top performing new series with a 10.5 million viewers across different platforms, has been predictably renewed for a sophomore run. Tom Ellis is returning to reprise the role of the title character, Prince of Darkness investigating crimes in the City of Angels. The viewers will have an opportunity to enjoy charismatic performances, twisted cases and amazing visuals. No hint of a release date has been made yet, so please subscribe to our automatic updates and receive relevant information in a timely e-mail.






HOW CHECK FOR YOUR NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (NIN) USING YOUR MOBILE PHONE

How to  check  your  NIN  using USSD code . If you have enrolled for the national ID card scheme, you can get your  NIN  by dial...