Al Qaeda's second-in-command killed in Pakistan by U.S. droneWashington now believes terror network is on brink of defeat

Al Qaeda’S second-in-command has been killed in Pakistan amid speculation that he was targeted by an unmanned U.S. CIA drone aircraft.

The death of Libyan-born Atiyah Abd Al-Rahman – who had been considered as a possible successor to the group’s leader Osama Bin Laden after his death earlier this year – is such a major blow to the terror network that American intelligence officials claimed last night it was on the verge of defeat.

Al-Rahman, Al Qaeda’s former operational leader, rose to be its No 2 after U.S. Navy Seals killed Bin Laden in a dramatic raid on his Pakistan compound in May.

Dead: Atiyah Abd Al-Rahman is believed to have been killed in a U.S. drone attack

Last night, sources within US President Barack Obama’s administration said Al-Rahman, an explosives expert, was killed on August 22 in the lawless Pakistani tribal region of Wazirista

U.S. officials would not say how Al-Rahman was killed. But his death came on the same day that tribal leaders in the area said CIA drones had struck a vehicle and a guest house.

Such attacks by unmanned aircraft are Washington’s weapon of choice for killing terrorists in the mountainous, hard-to-reach area along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Al-Rahman, second-in-command to the new Al Qaeda leader, Egyptian-born Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, was a close confidant of Bin Laden and once served as his emissary to Iran. He was allowed to move freely in and out of Iran as part of that arrangement and has been operating out of Waziristan for some time.

Last autumn, the U.S. government posted a $1 million reward for information on Al-Rahman’s whereabouts.

Lethal weapon: Unmanned drones are the weapon of choice for the U.S. as they hunt down Al Qaeda operatives hiding in Pakistan's mountainous terrain

Al-Rahman, 38, a fanatical Islamic fundamentalist, linked up with Bin Laden as a teenager in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union. He joined Al Qaeda in the early Nineties then fought in Afghanistan.
In 1993 he moved to Algeria to serve as a liaison between Al Qaeda and Algerian radicals fighting a civil war against the military government in the North African nation.
Intelligence analysts learned only in June 2006 that Al-Rahman was a leading player in Al Qaeda when the U.S. military recovered a long letter he had written to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian fighter who ran Al Qaeda’s operations in Iraq.
After Navy Seals killed Bin Laden, they found evidence of Al-Rahman’s role as Al Qaeda’s operational chief.
U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said last month that Al Qaeda’s defeat was within reach if the U.S. could mount a string of successful attacks on the group’s weakened leadership.
‘Now is the moment, following what happened with Bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them,’ he said. ‘If we continue this effort we can really cripple Al Qaeda as a major threat.’

 

Three die as hurricane hits US east coast

Hurricane Irene has clobbered the US east coast, killing at least three people and paralysing air traffic before barrelling north on course for a rare direct hit on New York City.
In Newport News, Virginia a tree fell on an apartment complex, crushing an 11-year-old boy who was inside but sparing his mother, according to a city official.
In North Carolina a man died of a heart attack while boarding up his windows, another died when his car hydroplaned off the road, and a third man went missing after falling or being pushed into a river, officials said.

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The hurricane is due to roar into New York City on Sunday morning, local time.
Up to one million people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas.
Sea water has surged through beach communities on the barrier islands, ripping out piers and flooding vacation homes.
The torrential rains and high winds shut down major highways, airports, and left 300,000 people without power in eastern North Carolina.
The densely populated eastern seaboard, home to more than 65 million people, is under threat of flooding, storm surges, power outages and destruction that experts say could cost up to $US12 billion ($A11.53 billion).
"This is going to be a very serious storm, no matter what the track is, no matter how much it weakens. This is a life threatening storm to people here," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg has ordered an unprecedented mass evacuation and the rare closure of the city's extensive subway system, which began when the final trains and buses left depots at noon local time.
US President Barack Obama cut short his summer vacation and returned to Washington.
On Saturday, he visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency's operations center in the capital.
Although weakened, Irene was forecast "to remain near hurricane strength as it moves near or over the mid-Atlantic states and approaches New England," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
In North Carolina, Governor Bev Perdue said Irene had closed 10 major roads and breached two waste water treatment plants, although the damage assessments were preliminary. A local power company announced that 300,000 people were without electricity.
"There are flash flood warnings throughout the east," Perdue said. "We are concerned still about the storm surge after the rain begins to abate."
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged residents to abide by local evacuation orders, warning the "window of preparation is quickly closing."
"Even if you're not in an evacuation zone, please know this is a big storm that covers a lot of territory. Be prepared," she told CNN.
Bloomberg warned New Yorkers on Saturday not to be deceived by the storm's weakening, urging the 370,000 residents in low-lying areas under evacuation orders not to wait "until there are gale-force wind and rain to leave."
"Let's stop thinking this is something that we can play with. Staying behind is dangerous. Staying behind is foolish. And it's against the law. The time to leave is right now," he said.
Beyond the city transit shutdown, all major New York area airports were to close at noon local time, officials said.
The Miami-based NHC said Irene would likely remain a hurricane as it passed over or near the mid-Atlantic Saturday night.

Assembly Confirms 80 Persons Dead In Flood Disaster

Oyo State House of Assembly having confirmed that 80 persons have so far lost their lives in the recent flood disaster in the state, has urged the state government to immediately reconstruct and rehabilitate bridges damaged recently by flood.

Urging the state government to immediately mobilise men of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) for the work, Speaker Monsurat Sunmonu of Oyo State House of Assembly mentioned the affected areas to include: Ogbere and Foworogi bridges on Muslim-Egbeda-Tuba road in Oluyole Local Government, Ariyo bridge on Olorunsogo-Akanran road in Ona-Ara Local Government, Bababla bridge on Oremeji-Airport road-Ona Ara and Egbeda Local Government and Agugu bridge on Ode-Aje-Agugu road in Ibadan North East Local Government.

Monsurat further said that evidence of commencement of works on the affected areas be sent by OYSROMA to her office within two weeks of receipt of House resolution.

The house also mandated the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to initiate action on the provision of residents of Agugu with modern refuse dump, prevent all the rivers and streams in the state from giving residents sleepless nights, follow strictly the rules when approving building plan that could obstruct free flow of rivers, and sustain the current efforts aimed at ridding the Ogunpa river of refuse and other disused materials hitherto dumped in the river.

The speaker also informed that the House would be holding Yoruba session adding, “I want to inform the house that there will be Yoruba session now in the house. This will afford us the opportunity to tell people what we are doing”.

However, while the house was sitting, the beneficiaries of Federal Teachers’ Scheme (FTS), Oyo State Chapter protested to the house over failure of the erstwhile governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala to absorb them.

The protestants numbering over 1000 carried placards with different inscriptions urging the legislators to right the wrongs of Akala.

Stressing that they are tired of being unemployed, they demanded that they be immediately employed and paid the backlog of the allowances the state is owing them.

Their leader, Adekunle Opeyemi explained that Akala lied to have used them to campaign for second term, pointing out that Akala did not employ 1000 teachers as claimed during the electioneering campaign.

Mercy Johnson weds today amid tight security

Despite the scandals trailing the much talked about wedding of popular actress, Mercy Johnson to her boyfriend of two years, Prince Odianosen Okojie, the wedding will hold as planned this morning.

MJ, as the actress is fondly called by friends and relations, according to her publicist, BigSam Media and the groom’s family spokesman, Prince Peter Okojie in separate statements weds her man today.

The confirmation became necessary following rumours that the wedding had been called off.

Speaking on behalf of the Johnson family, Bigsam Media said “We’d like to inform the general public, especially, MJ’s fans, that after several legal and spiritual consultations, Mercy Johnson has decided to go ahead with the wedding plans.

“She will be walking down the aisle on Saturday, August 27(Today). She however urges her fans and friends to pray for her and as she makes one of the most difficult decisions in life.

“Some may call it a trial of love while others may settle for a triumph of love, but for Mercy Johnson, it is simply a leap of faith.” the statement reads.

Also speaking in the same vein, the groom’s family spokesman Prince Peter Okojie said “our attention has been drawn to series of press publications, stating that the wedding between Mercy Johnson and Prince Odianonsen Okojie scheduled for 26th , and 27th of August, 2011, would, not hold

“We would like to use this medium to affirm that the wedding is holding viz: The traditional marriage on the 26th of August, 2011 and Church wedding on the 27th of August, 2011″, he said, in a statement sent to HVP

The leadership of Christ Embassy Church, last Sunday, presented the couple before the congregation, and solicited their support to enure that the wedding is a success.

Still on the celebrity wedding, HVP gathered that while popular comedian Ayo Makun a.k.a AY of the famous TV show “AY Live” has been chosen as the event’s Master of Ceremony, sexy Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson will be the Chief bridesmaid, while Kenneth Kadiri is best man.

The reception holds at 10 Degree Event Centre. We also learnt that security has been beefed up around the event venue to ensure a hitch-free wedding ceremony.

Canadian-based Nigerian lady, Lovely Okojie, few weeks ago, opened a can of worms when she alleged that she is still legally married to the screen diva’s husband-to-be, Prince Okojie.

VANGUARD NIGERIA

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Terry G’s Drug Confession

Terry G’s Drug Confession Nigerian hip hop star, Terry G a.k.a. Hitman, has disclosed that Nigerian singers, who smoke anything from cigarettes to prohibited drugs, use ‘supplements’ to wash the chemicals out of their bodies to stay healthy.

The 25-year old music act who hails from Benue State, North Central Nigeria, was a performing guest artiste at Emzor wellness race organised by Emzor Pharmaceuticals Company recently.

“We use supplements to wash drugs out of the system. There are supplements to that effect. We also do a lot of exercises and that’s why I am here to support Emzor in their race advocacy benefits,” Terry G said in a press briefing shortly before the Emzor wellness race started.

The Executive Director, Emzor subsidiary, Mr. Marcel Ezeoke, explained that his company has consistently organised the race to sensitise Nigerians about benefits of running.

He said: “We believe that health is wealth and a healthy nation is capable of growing wealth in all sectors of the economy thus the monthly contest serves as an avenue for us collectively to exercise once a month as a big family.”

The 19th edition of the 8km marathon takes place every third Saturday of the month, he said. It was learnt that last Saturday, 1068 athletes participated with 420 of them professional athletes.

Terry G was born in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria on the 17 March 1986.

He is the first child in a family of four. He is a talented and successful entertainer, instrumentalist, singer and music producer.

His unique style, called chante chante, it was learnt, is the result of a lifetime of musical influence.

He grew up in a talented musical family. His parents exposed him to a wealth of music as a child, all of which influenced his development.

At age five, it is said, he started playing the drum, later he began to play the piano and bass guitar, which he continued with for many years before he finally took the bold step of pursuing a professional career in music at the age of 16.

After realising that making music was his main goal he switched to circular music and worked as a back up artiste for Faze of Plantashun Boiz for two years.

Shortly after he began to showcase his talent in various realms across the city of Lagos and beyond. He has since produced 9ICE, 2-SHOT, TIMAYA, NAETO C, AWILO, YQ, and late the DAGRIN.

Terry G has also gone through some scandals. Early last year, he made headlines for allegedly stealing beats from fellow Nigerian musician Ditty Blaq. He denied the allegations.

He is known to be a heavy non stop smoker.

LATEST GIST ON STAR ACTRESS INI EDO

Remember that sometime ago,a certain weekly magazine did a cover story on all alleged Indian-Hemp(botanical name Cannabis Sativa) smoking pastime of the AKS-born-Nollywood actress.

By now followers of society news and stories should be conversant with the above mentioned, so I will spare you the sordid details that were published then by that magazine.

The current gist making the round is that during one of her recent trips to Europe, she needed to step down as they say in those hangouts, and so in the company of some of her friends resident in that white man’s country, she went looking for a rap; in the process, we were told that the law enforcement agents swooped on them, carried out an instant search, and only those with smoke-able quantities were let go.

The source who swears that one of his siblings was there said the sexy actress was, however, placed on surveillance by the authorities throughout her brief stay in that country.

And to fulfill all righteousness before hitting the nail to condemn her, I asked around, and someone who is very close to her and at times confides in me, swore that it is all lies.

Hear her ; No,if na another thing oh,I no go argue; my baby-girl has never gone that far, but as for shack oh,no wahala.

Man pushes neighbour off bridge, steals his motorcycle

There seems to be no limit to what a man can do to look for money. Matthew at the crime scene advertisement This is true of 20-year-old Isaac Matthew, who caused a stir at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department when he narrated how he allegedly killed his neighbour, Solomon Gbeleyi, an Okada rider, in order to steal his motorycle. Matthew, an indigene of Jupe, Badagry, said he pushed Gbeleyi off a bridge and took off with the man's motorcycle. After weeks of searching the hospitals, mortuary and the area where Gbeleyi fell and not finding anything, the police concluded that Gbeleyi probably drowned and his body washed away by the river under the bridge. They therefore declared that he was dead. Gbeleyi family said they were at loss on whether to conduct a burial for him or continue to live with his memory. But Matthew was sure that his neighbour could not have survived the fall from the bridge. He told policemen from the SCID, "On July 8, 2011, around 7:30pm, I asked Gbeleyi to take me to Seme border. "Since we both live in Oko Afo, he decided to take me. More so, I told him that we would come back together. "We got to Gbagi bridge around 9pm. I told Gbeleyi to stop, saying that I wanted to ease myself. "While I was easing myself, Gbegi said he was also pressed and stood on the edge of the bridge to ease himself. "At that point, I did not know what came over me. I just saw that I moved near Gbeleyi and gave him a hard shove. He tumbled off the bridge and landed with a loud splash in the water below the bridge." Whatever came over Matthew prevented him from helping the drowning man. Instead, he jumped on Gbeleyi's motocycle and fled the scene with the okada. The okada was new and unregistered so Matthew decided to make quick money by selling it. Matthew told police interrogators that after the incident, he spent the rest of the night at his friend's house. "I told my friend that the okada was mine. I knew it was dangerous to return to Oko Afo with the okada and there was no way I could sell it in the morning, so I asked him to lend me N10,000 and hold on to the bike as a collateral." Probably smelling a rat, the friend declined the proposal. Matthew was thereafter forced to remain with the friend. It was gathered that the following day, around 5am, Matthew went back to the crime scene and waited there for some hours. Coincidentally, while Matthew was at the crime scene, a man who had lost N120,000 worth of goods to thieves sometime ago, had identified Matthew as one of the culprits and immediately raised the alarm. He was later handed over to the Trinity Police Station, Apapa. PUNCH METRO learnt that at the Police Station, Matthew owned up as being one of the robbers and said it was the money he got from selling the stolen goods that he used to buy the okada. Matthew was later granted bail but police held unto the okada until he would pay N120,000 back to the victim. After getting rid of the motorcycle, Matthew went back to Oko Afo; but unknown to him, somebody saw him when Gbeleyi was taking him to Seme. The people of the town were therefore looking for both of them thinking once one was found, the other would be found. When Matthew came back to the town without Gbeleyi, the residents were not ready to listen to any explanation. They promptly arrested him. Matthew who has confessed to the crime, also told PUNCH METRO that he was pushed into the act because he needed money. He said he went back to the scene because he was not at rest, "My conscience kept pushing me back to the scene," he said. He added that now that everybody knew what he did, he felt at peace. A police source told our correspondent that the case file would soon be closed, while Matthew would be taken to court. He said, "We have not been able to recover Gbeleyi's corpse since the incident. "We have gone to the crime scene, where Gbeleyi fell off the bridge and landed in water. Although we haven't found his corpse, we are sure he is dead because no one could have survived that fall." the senior policeman said. Spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said the police would still put finishing touches to its investigation before going to court.

President: assess me after one year

The elders had raised concern about the bad roads, within the region and called on the Federal Government to do something about it.
 “We must take our priority projects, see how we can fund them and that is through alternative source of funding. We have set up an economic team and economic management team,” he said.

The president who also spoke on corruption said the administration is serious in the fight against corruption, saying “some corrupt practices we must stop it. There must be drastic changes.”

Stressing his determination to rid the country of corruption, the president who cited the crisis in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said the essence of the NDDC fact- finding committee was to be able to have first hand knowledge of what was happening there so as to punish the guilty while rewarding the hardworking ones.

“I remember what happened in the last dispensation  when my Minister of Works who is from Benin visited the Oba,who refused him entry because  of the Benin –Ore Raod and the Oba said no, the Minister of Works you cannot enter into my compound. Somebody from the South East asked are we not part of Nigeria? , All our roads are bad. Every year we budget significant sums of money, there is no year we don’t budget significant sums of money for road, yet, there seem to be no road anyway, so where is that money going? I know that probably the money, it is not that some people are embezzling the money per se, but we try to spread the little money into too many projects and at  the end of the day, we are not getting anything done. We spread the money and we don’t achieve what we want and people don’t see. Where we are supposed to use N3billion we put N500 million and the contractor just uses it to buy diesel and plays around. Nobody can say yes, the Federal Government has this kilometres of road at least completed at least from this end to this end, that is one of the places we are looking at .

“For the road infrastructure we are also looking at alternative means of funding and we have set up a committee.

We must take our priority projects, see how we can fund them and that is through alternative source of funding. We have set up and economic team and economic management team. I don’t want to tell them so that they will say  this is what the president wants and what the president said.

“For the road infrastructure we are also looking at alternative means of funding and we have set up a committee.”
Earlier, the Yoruba Council of Elders had decried what it termed apparent disregard for the principle of Federal Character and its negative effect on the Southwest the elders also complained about the dilapidated state of the Lagos Ibadan express way.

THE NATIONAL MIRROR

NIGERIA EMBASSY IN GERMANY CORRUPTLY COLLECTS €500 ON EACH DEPORTED NIGERIAN ...AMBASSADOR OLUGBENGA ASHIRU TAKE NOTE

This news from Germany is really disturbing. Why is it that our leaders make us laughing objects before the international community and they will turn around to accuse us the poor and voiceless masses? This accusation from "The Voice Baden Württemberg" in Germany that most Nigerian refugees are deported without proper identification or procedure is a severe one especially the indictment that the Nigerian Embassy officials have been taking €500 to facilitate the deportation of a Nigerian refugee.

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According to "The Voice Baden Württemberg" for the lucrative deportation business to flourish the Nigerian officials can identify their victims in their wisdom with special reference to their facial marks or looks that could be attributed to Nigerians. Furthermore, the embassy's machine making money (the refugees) could as well be identified based on their languages or accents according to this known source. When did language speaking or facial marks etc. become a standard yardstick of knowing where one comes from? If the same Nigerians go to the embassy for help as Nigerians without proper identity like passport, driver's license or birth certificate etc. will the embassy recognize them as Nigerians? If the answer is no, why then issue documents to deport people to Nigeria even when the host authorities have not been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are Nigerians?
Who told you that those people that may have claimed to be Nigerians or the almighty embassy officers have identified as Nigerians may not come from other African countries? Even when somebody identifies him- or herself under this circumstance as a Nigerian or speaks any of the Nigerian languages it still does not make that person a Nigerian without any document to back it up. Can the Nigerian government take anybody from Western Europe with white skin to the German Embassy in Nigeria without proper identification and they entertain that person as a German and give the Nigerian authority the needed signatory to deport the person to Germany? No European country will accept such uncivilized way of doing things. But why is my country doing it? And painfully it is not that they do not know that it is wrong.
Please tell me why? Why do Nigerian officials in Germany or Austria go to interview asylum seekers outside the official buildings of the embassies? According to a fellow comrade Mr Rex Osa who is a coordinator of "The Voice Baden Württemberg" (Germany) "For each candidate interviewed the Nigerian embassy gets €250 and another €250 for issued travelling certificate." So, it means that the deportation of Nigerians now has become another money making business? Could this be one of the reasons Nigerian refugees are molested, abused and most times killed in foreign lands without the federal government of Nigeria through their ambassadors wanting a redress as they ought to.
I hope that the monies already collected through this process were properly documented particularly the monies of those that the embassy did not issue their travelling documents. Because the identification of a problem is the first step towards solving it, therefore, as a matter of urgency, I appeal to the Nigerian government to look into this neo colonialism of €500 as mentioned above and abolish it if it is official because it has induced many abracadabra interviews and deportations. Nigeria is supposed to be too big and greatly sophisticated for this kind of stories, as a matter of fact our dignity and value should be considered before any action is taken.
The new honorable Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru spoke well about how he will handle the welfare of Nigerians in foreign countries last week, consequently honorable Minister Sir, your attention has been drawn to this uncivilized behavior of the Nigerian embassy in Germany according to "The Voice Baden Württemberg". Please investigate the allegation and also save the people from the calamity that is about to happen to them now. According to the source from Germany the Nigerian Embassy will be doing another round of identification of Nigerians from 15-19 August 2011 in Karlsruhe with the aim of issuing their deportation papers and I am scared that the same thing will be extended to Austria sooner than later as usual.
Nigeria is the only government that collects this kind of money to facilitate the pains of her citizens amongst the whole countries of the world. What a shame! And African ambassadors are the only ambassadors that authorize or that go secretly outside the official buildings of their embassies with the primary aim to conduct how their citizens should be humiliated back to their respective countries. No American or European country would do that. Do you blame Nigerian ambassadors or their African counterparts? Nigerian or African people are poor people that must obey their neocolonial masters and must follow them without questioning or else what is happening to Mugabe in Zimbabwe will happen to them, or else what happened to Ambassador Jerry Ugokwe will happen to them.
Jerry Ugokwe was the Ambassador to Austria who stood firmly on the side of the people, but the power that may be from Abuja had to recall him for this patriotic attitude of standing for the masses and on the truth. He was the Ambassador that never signed deportation papers without knowing why because each file that was brought to him he had examined thoroughly and had asked many questions that had to be answered before he could sign, and of course the authorities involved were never ready for such change. Under the then Foreign Affair Minister Ojo Maduekwe three wise men were sent from Nigeria to Austria to sign the deportation of about two thousand Nigerians which Jerry Ugokwe never signed because there was no justification for him to do that. This can only happen in a country like Nigeria. Ugokwe, wherever you are God will continue to bless you. You shall never lack!
I hope that this era of putting Nigerian masses in sorrow and agony by our ambassadors in foreign countries just to satisfy Aso Rock is over because President Goodluck Jonathan is not a desperate president. Therefore, I pray that our honorable Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru will have mercy on us the poor and heed the cry of these Nigerians or some people from other African countries that may be identified as Nigerians in Germany and intervene urgently before this charade in the name of the so-called interview takes place in Karlsruhe between August 15th and 19th 2011. Furthermore, the idea of collecting €500 or €250 as the case may be and conducting any official work outside the building of Nigerian embassies under any guise should stop with immediate effect.
Please for details on this topic contact: The Voice Baden Württemberg: http://www.thevoiceforum.org/node/2207

Mercy Johnson's mum fumes! Who dares Mercy and Odi will face God's wrath

In less than twenty -four hours from now, star actress, Mercy Johnson will be getting married to her Prince Charming, Odiase Okojie. But that is no longer news. The news today, is that Mercy's mother, Elizabeth and father bared their minds on the raging controversies trailing the most anticipated marriage in the country.
Enjoy.

Mrs. Johnson advertisement

Madam, are you really the mother of Mercy Johnson? Yes. I'm Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson. I'm the mother of Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson.
What are your plans toward the marriage of your daughter, Mercy amidst all the controversies?
Well, actually I don't have any plans because God is our planner. This is because I believe God is the only one that works on something and it works out perfectly. So I put my trust in God. It's God that raised Mercy to where she is today; it's not by my power.
Before she ever met Odi, God knew they were going to meet. And every thing that is happening today, remains known to God. He is aware of every thing.
I believe that if Odi is God's assigned husband, the gates of hell can't prevail against it. My Bible tells me that God does not give joy and add sorrow. And I believe the God that made her path to cross with Odi's, knows their future, their present and their past. And whosoever stands somewhere and prays for the downfall of my innocent girl, will face the wrath of God.
Did Odi tell your family that he was married as is generally reported in the media?
I would not hesitate to say. Odi is not married. He said he met Lovely in Italy and that they dated. Along the line, she had one child for him, a baby girl.
Later, Lovely abandoned Odi and followed a man to Canada. It was that man in Canada she had the baby boy for.
Lovely confirmed that much in an interview; Odi is not the father of the boy. That's what she said. We were aware of all these things and they don't bother us because Odi is an honest man. The Bible said you shall know the truth and that the truth shall set you free. He has said the truth. He had a relationship with Lovely that produced a baby girl.
He also confirmed that he has been separated from Lovely for more than five years. He met Mercy in 2009.
Most people just run their mouths because they think they have something to say. How would a woman who claims to be married to a man abandon the man for more than five years and suddenly realises that they are still married because the same man has found joy in another woman?
If my daughter has scattered Lovely's home, let the will of God be done in her life. Lovely is responsible for scattering her own home. If she loves Odi as she now claims would she have abandoned him to follow another man to Canada? She is talking now because her former man is late. If she is being used to spoil my girl's happiness, God will never agree with her.
Why do you suggest it's a planned work to disrupt Mercy's wedding?
If I hate you, there are many ways I can set you up. In this life, one has to be careful because enemies are everywhere. Of all my children Mercy is the most unique and I will always stand by her. And I can never deny her because she is a gifted child and God has used her to bring the family up.
God has used her to help the elder sisters and brothers. God has used her to bring the name of the family up. So, if anybody is stepping on my joy, he or she will face the wrath of God. I read in a certain newspaper (not Vanguard) that one stupid person made a statement that if the mother is reasonable she ought to have cancelled the wedding. For a man who claimed to be a man of God to utter such statements, that man of God is not born_again. If he is born-again, he should have known the truth. If he is not deaf and blind, he should ask why a woman who left a man five years ago would now show up threatening fire and brimstone. This is definitely a set_up. But as many that open their mouth against the family of Johnson negatively, they will face the wrath of God for we are innocent.

Mr and Mrs Johnson

She must be very dear to the family?
(The father cuts in) She is very dear to us like our other children.
Did you have any inkling at her conception or birth that Mercy would become this famous?
No. We are a Christian family. We hand over our children at birth to God and after that, it is sealed.
And that same God knows his plans for the children. It's the same God who made her what she is today. As a young girl she played a lot and made people to laugh.
The father ( cuts in again) She was as free as air. And throughout her high school, she was the head prefect. And in sport she excelled too, by winning laurels. So her success was only a matter of time. No plan of the devil can harm her. Nobody can overcome her in the name of Jesus.
If Lovely is actually a wife to Odi, and my daughter is struggling to take her away from her marriage, I will pray to God and tell my daughter no, you cannot go into another woman's home.
But the truth is that my daughter knew Odi in 2009. And when I asked Odi about his relationship with other women, he told me that he had a girlfriend who bore for him a girl.
He told me they a misunderstanding because the girl followed another man to Canada and had a baby boy for that man. If Odi was important to her, would she have gone to have a child for another man?
Now she wants Odi again because her former man is late.
How can you go give birth to a child for another person and now come back to say, someone is snatching your husband from you? If you want, I can phone Odi's Father and he will tell you that they don't know this Lovely. It's only Odi that knows her. She was just his girlfriend. The family doesn't know her.
There was a report your daughter ran away from home?
How can they say she ran away from home? ; my daughter that I saw this morning? .
Madam, are you saying the wedding is still going on as planned?
God is a God of plans. He will bring everything out perfectly. So we are looking up to God for our plans. We have put everything in God's hands and no man can change the plan of God.
Is it going to be a Church affair, with some traditional touches?
In our place, its traditional, court and the Church. Her father took me to court; did the traditional wedding and finally the Church wedding at the Assembly of God Church.
Mercy will follow the same pattern.
You don't attend the same church with Mercy . . .
No. We don't. Mercy worships at the Christ Embassy.
Do you have any idea what the Church plans to do on the D-day?
We are not members of Christ Embassy Church. All I know is that if God says the marriage will stand, it will stand. This story is just like that of the children of Israel. Do you remember their sufferings in the land of Egypt? But they stood by God and he saw them through. Remember Mercy is not the first to experience this kind of thing. It happened to Daniel, Ruth and others in the Bible.
God will fight for us; we will not fight for ourselves. But I know for sure that those who are not on Mercy's side, I hand over to God; Our God is the God of battle. He has promised he will trouble those that trouble us. Anyone that troubles Mercy falsely, God will. She has never put her hands in anything devilish.
It was even rumoured that she's pregnant, but when I confronted her she said, "Mummy I'm on my menstrual period, should I show you?"
Father: Of course she showed the mother. I was with her.
So by your own words, the wedding is going on as planned?
Father and Mother: By the grace of God, nothing will stop my daughter's wedding.
Let this be a lesson for every woman who does not want their husbands to be their husbands. If you don't respect what you have when you lose it you will cry. So Lovely is just crying for nothing, because what she lost, is my daughter's gain.
What if Odi had died when she abandoned him, would she go to his grave to marry him?
She lost the husband and Mercy inherited him. So, let her go and die.

THIS CHICKA NAA WAO; Mercy Johnson’s

One of Nollywood's best, Mercy Johnson, is not only blessed with a hourglass figure, which she readily flaunts, she also dresses very well.

Over the years, the pretty damsel’s red carpet appearance has changed from skimpy to classy and well revealing looks, which has made many to adopt her as the ‘sexiest girl’ on set.

Embrace her look

Let it fit

Mercy Johnson is known for wearing fitted clothes. To achieve her style, you need to wear tops that will make you look bigger.

Perfect lingerie, conceal it

Without doubts, hourglass figures are well endowed. However, never underestimate the impact of body-shaping lingerie. It can hold you up and as well reduce or enhance your curves apart from concealing your bumps and lumps. More so, a well-fitted bra is a must-have for you; if your bra does not fit properly, you will certainly look terrible.

Accentuate your waistline

Mercy is not just only endowed, she has a slim waist and that makes her sexy. To get her look, show off your waist. Just like her, celebrate, accentuate and exaggerate that great waist. A small waist is considered the very symbol of sensuality; so, don't hesitate to show off your small waist. Drawing attention to your waist with a belt or a top with a fitted waist will accentuate this great asset.

Choose pencil or slightly A-line skirts

Pencil skirt draws attention to the waist and hip, giving you a sexy silhouette. Straight styles and certain A-line skirts could also be right for you; so far they are fitted around the waist and hips.

Go for V-neck or scoop neckline 

These necklines slim the neck and chest. Apart from making the neck to look lengthy; it generally makes the wearer to appear smaller and slimmer. They will flatter your figure.

Fitted pants 

Pick well-fitted pants with flared bottoms or in boot cut style. They will balance your generous bottom and make you look slimmer. Avoid bottoms that are tapered and get narrower towards your ankles as they could make your bottom look large. If you want to wear the skinny jeans trend, go for slim fit instead. They are not very tapered and yet slim enough. Team them with some high heels to add height that would slim you down.

I CAN DECIDE TO SMOKE MYSELF TO HELL.IT'S NOBODY'S BUSINESS.STAR ACTRESS TONTO DIKEH

	Tonto Dikeh, (born June 9, 1985) is a Nigerian actress from Rivers State and is of the Ikwerre tribe. Dikeh, from a family of seven, lost her mother at the age of three. In 2005 she competed against other contestants on a reality TV show called The Next Movie Star; she was the first runner up. Dikeh's appearance on the show was as a means of getting closer to the "big time", she says,and her start in the Nigerian movie industry came soon after. Dikeh says that after her second movie Holy Cross, more movie directors and producers were willing to cast her, and she has appeared in scores of movies since. Sexual content in Dikeh's roles, particularly in 'Dirty Secret' has led to criticism by some Nigerians, represented in Nollywood by actor Charles Okafor. Dikeh confirms she is in a relationship and is very happy. In January 2011 she took part in a charity fashion show in Lagos with Banky W., Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and others. In a interview recently, Tonto speaks smoking, seminude acting and more, excerpts: How true is the rumor that you are a heavy smoker and can’t do without cigarette? We are just so shallow minded. How does that come into the way I act? Excuse me (voice raised). That is my personal life. If I want to smoke, I handle a stick of cigarette and I smoke it hard. It is my life I can decide to smoke myself to hell. It’s nobody’s business. Yeah! Just like you were smoking before this interview started? It’s left for me to think about it. It’s left for me to continue. How has smoking affected my acting job? It’s nobody business and it doesn’t affect what you see on TV. Many said your smoking habit has made you become asthmatic. (Laughs out loudly) I think my health problems have nothing to do with my job. If I have a health problem then I have a health problem. It’s not something that is meant for the public or the world. How true is it also that you are into lesbianism? Aha! There is nothing that is surprising to me anymore. I don’t live my life based on what people say about me. You acted in the movie, ‘Dirty Secret,’ alongside Muna Obiekwe and Jibola Dabo. The movie has generated so much criticism. How have you taken it? I felt it but I felt it in a very positive way. It really helped my career. It helped me with my job and my personality as a woman. The movie has been highly talked about and it even got me more popularity. It was really crazy to be part of it. I got paid to interpret a role as an actress and I did it perfectly well. I don’t give a f**k about what anybody is saying out there. Some critics felt your seminude role in the movie was totally African? I don’t know what the Africa role is. I don’t know about being an African or not. I am a human being and an actress. That is all I know. Being an African is not part of my job.

Banker, 31 others feared killed by Boko Haram in Adamawa

Robbers attack Kwara bank, kill student Banker, 31 others feared killed by Boko Haram in Adamawa advertisement BARELY two months after suspected members of Boko Haram sect threatened to attack Adamawa State, the group yesterday carried out the threat as its members attacked Gombi Local Council headquarters, allegedly killing 32 people, including a bank manager and several police officers. The incident occurred as more than15 suspected armed robbers allegedly swooped on two second generation banks in Offa, Kwara State, killing a student customer who had gone to the bank to withdraw N1, 000 with an ATM card. The sect members carried out the attack at the same hour. Governor Murtala Nyako was donating relief materials to Boko Haram victims in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. An eyewitness told The Guardian that the suspected Boko Haram members invaded the Gombi Council headquarters in four buses and launched their first attack on the police station, where several police officers and personnel were killed. The eyewitness maintained that the group seized arms at the Gombi police headquarters. The Guardian further gathered that the group moved to the bank in Gombi and killed the manager and others for notreciting a portion of the holy quoran. Sources at the bank told The Guardian that when the suspected Boko Haram invaded the bank, they killed those that failed to recite a particular portion in the holy quoran as they directed their victims. It was learnt that the hoodlums, after their bloody operation at the bank, moved to another bank, but they could not gain access into premises as a result of the security doors installed by the bank. Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Daniel Altine, confirmed the incident, but said that the command was yet to receive the details of the attack in Gombi. The PPRO promised to call back for more details, but did not call at the time this report was filed. The robbers in Kwara said to be in their 30s, shot sporadically into the air with sophisticated guns to scare customers by the gate of the banks along Ibrahim Taiwo Road and passers by, moving into the banking halls in a commando-like manner. More than seven customers of the banks were seriously injured in the operation that lasted for over 50 minutes, according to an eyewitness accounts. The security operatives stationed at the banks, afraid of the superior firepower of the robbers, were said to have taken "cover" throughout the duration of the operation. The incident said to have occurred between 11:30 am and 12:20 noon, allegedly turned the scene a hitherto beehive of activities into a deserted area.

16 feared dead as suicide bomber attacks UN Abuja office

16 feared dead as suicide bomber attacks UN Abuja office

Rescue workers are seen after a bomb blast that ripped through the United Nations offices in the Nigerian capital of Abuja August 26, 2011. The blast happened after a car rammed into the building, …more and witnesses said they had seen a number of dead bodies being carried from the site. REUTERS/Afolabi Sodtunde

By Agency reporter

No fewer than 16 persons are believed to have died after an unidentified suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into the lobby of the three-storey United Nations building in Abuja at 11am on Friday morning.

A portion of the damaged building advertisement

The driver of the car was said to have been cleared through the first and second gates of the building, which houses many UN agencies and has over 400 staff, and headed straight for the lobby where he detonated the explosives.

He died in the blast along with many of the people around the place, in what marked the first attack on an international institution in Nigeria in recent times.

There were conflicting reports on whether the attacker drove a Honda or Toyota car.
The Red Cross said 16 persons were believed to have died while about 60 injured persons were rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja

One of the dead is said to be a white expatriate.

The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaibu, confirmed to THE PUNCH in an email that the blast was the handiwork of a suicide bomber.
He said no fewer than five bodies were recovered from the scene while about 20 injured persons had been rushed to the hospital. He also stated that a search was ongoing for more dead and injured persons.

THE PUNCH learnt that some body bags were brought to the scene of the explosion although policemen prevented journalists from taking photographs.

The UN building is in the same neighbourhood as the United States Embassy and various other diplomatic missions in Area 1, Abuja.

President Goodluck Jonathan is said to have been briefed by security chiefs on the incident.

The National Hospital immediately sent out appeals for blood donations, as its facilities were overstretched by the volume of casualties. Many hospitals in Abuja were also said to have received some of the injured persons.

Abuja residents responded to the National hospital's plea for blood donations by trooping to the complex, where they were tested.

Michael Ofilaje, a UNICEF official, who witnessed the explosion, told the Associated Press that the blast came from the lobby and shook the building.
He also said he saw many bodies.

The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that a UN official said the Abuja office had recently received a threat of an attack by outlawed Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The official said as a result, security was enhanced at all UN facilities across Nigeria.

The police anti-bomb squad, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, FCT Administration and emergency rescue workers from NEMA and the Red Cross rushed to the scene immediately.
They swiftly embarked on the evacuation of the entire building.

A number of UN vehicles were also destroyed. No group has so far claimed responsibility.
The spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, confirmed the blast but did not give further details.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, told the British Broadcasting Corporation that President Goodluck Jonathan had been informed about the blast. She added that he was 'in shock'.

This is the latest in a series of blasts that have shaken Nigeria's capital, claiming several lives.
On October 1, 2010, twin blasts claimed 30 lives and several cars as President Goodluck Jonathan, some world leaders and a large crowd of Nigerians celebrated the nation's 50th independence anniversary at the Eagle Square.

Separate blasts on December 31, 2010 claimed lives at the mammy market of a military barracks in Abuja and a church as Christian faithful marked the end of 2010.
Few hours after the inauguration of President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo on May 29, 2011, a bomb ripped through a drinking spot at Zuba, on the outskirts of the federal capital, killing 20 people.

On June 14, 2011, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded at the car park of the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

Over the past few months, there have also been bomb attacks in Maiduguri, Katsina, Kaduna as well as Suleja in Niger State, claiming lives and property.

A number of the attacks have been blamed on the outlawed Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
On Thursday, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked two banks and a police station in Gobi, Adamawa State, killing 12 persons.

More details later.

FG laments loss of $300bn to capital flight

By Yemie Adeoye, Kunle Kalejaye, Bolaji Ajala & Christian Olise
LAGOS — THE Federal Government has expressed concern over the huge capital flight in the oil and gas sector which has been blamed largely on several years of dependency on foreign products and services, costing the nation about $300 billion.
This came on the heels of government’s public disclosure, Thursday, that it had concluded plans to sell the 17 PHCN successor companies for $100 billion.
This was the position of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke and her counterpart in the Power Ministry, Prof. Barth Nnaji, while delivering their addresses at the 2011 annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents, NAEC, in Lagos.
Madueke said the oil industry currently needed $20 billion annually even as upstream gas production for the domestic gas market alone has been receiving a dedicated spend of between $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually from the Federal Government.
She said major operators had not helped matters by relying on the importation of goods and services from abroad without making the provisions to develop sustainable capabilities within Nigeria that would support life cycle operations in the country, “instead more emphasis have been placed on speedy achievement of first oil, generation of revenue without paying attention to actions that add value to the economy.”
The Minister, who was represented by Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Dr. Earnest Nwapa, noted that the challenge was for government to create an enabling environment that allows capital to flow inwards and get retained for economic growth and development.
She said: “I want to assure Nigerians and our international partners that the government has taken firm steps to address these concerns in a structured and sustainable manner.”

PHCN bidders

Prof.Barth Nnaji, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Cydon Adinuba, said the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, had approved and shortlisted potential bidders after receiving the 331 Expression of Interests.
He said 105 bidders had made payments of $20,000 each, adding that 40 firms had been shortlisted to bid for the concessioning of the hydro stations, 87 shortlisted for the thermal stations and 80 for the electricity distribution companies, bringing the total number to 207.
Nnaji said in spite of the global economic crisis and the reported decline in foreign direct investment, there had been a remarkable growth in international investor confidence in Nigeria’s power sector in the last one year.
He said: “A Brazilian company, for instance, has offered to buy the Federal Government’s stake in the 17 PHCN successor companies for $100 billion, and with the inauguration of the Electricity Bulk Trading Company Board last Tuesday, the investor’s confidence has been further bolstered.”
“The Bulk Trader which enjoys the World Bank Partial Risk Guarantee, PRG, exists to give comfort and confidence to generation companies by guaranteeing power generating companies payment for all their products and will cease to exist when the distribution companies mature enough by being creditworthy.”