Politics: El-Rufai arrested

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Chieftain of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been arrested by the State Security Service, SSS.

Malam El-Rufai was arrested, Saturday morning, at the Nnamdi Aizikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from the United Kingdom.

He was said to have returned from a trip undertaken with CPC presidential candidate, Maj. General Muhammad Buhari and his running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who were at the Chattam House in London, to make a formal presentation about the April polls which result they have rejected and are contesting at the Presidential Election Tribunal

El-Rufai has, recently, become extremely critical of the federal government.

Reacting to the arrest, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, described the arrest as “a disgrace and monumental error” on the part of the federal government.

“Since when has it been a crime to be critical of government?”, he queried, adding, “I thought this was meant to be a democracy.  Those who speak out are not the one President Jonathan should be worried about.

“It is those that do not speak out but that bomb, maim and kill that his SSS should be hunting down.”

Fani-Kayode, insisted that the Jonathan administration cannot silence opposition, as according to him, to use force and intimidation against opposition would only multiply it.

He therefore called for the immediate release of the CPC chieftain.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/factnationblogspotcom/843562372331166?fref=ts

Read More

Entertainment: AY turns club owner

https://www.facebook.com/pages/factnationblogspotcom/843562372331166?fref=ts

Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, a prolific and successful standup comedian opens a luxurious Nightclub in the highbrow city of Lekki Phase1 to advance his entertainment business.

AYNamed MVP Lounge an acronym for Most Valuable Player, the club is billed as an exclusive Club house with bar, restaurant, game room, karaoke room, gold and diamond rooms with an all-purpose lounge occupying the penthouse floor of Omisson Emporium Mall situated at the heart of Lekki Phase 1.

According to AY in a chart with media, “The Friday opening event will be strictly on invitation, but will go on till Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the general public who may not find seats on that day.”

Ayo, who was in a high spirit said, it is a dream come true. “Now Lagosians, mover and shakers of entertainment industry including industry captains and tourists have got a place they can hang out to dine, wine and enjoy popular jokes from ace comedians with good music,” he said.

The club will be featuring Friday MVP Club Night, Saturday Nightlife and Sunday Karaoke and Comedy Shows for families and general public. “What we are doing different is the non-smoking club. This is to maintain the health and safety wellbeing of our members; hence we create a special smoking room to meet the need of smoking clubbers,” he said.

hmmm... ah envy this guy 

Read More

Insurgency: Many killed as Boko Haram loots Borno market

Boko Haram gunmen stormed a crowded market in Nigeria’s restive northeastern state of Borno, killing several people and carting away food, witnesses said Saturday.

Dressed in military and police uniforms, dozens of insurgents attacked the town of Mainok, 56 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the state capital late Thursday, firing a rocket-propelled grenade and spraying the market with bullets.

The attackers also looted food which they loaded onto trucks abandoned by fleeing traders, witnesses said.

“They struck around 1:30pm (1230GMT) during peak hours by first firing a rocket-propelled grenade at the market before opening fire on traders”, Salman Lawan, a trader who witnessed the carnage told AFP.

“They killed several people in the attack but it is difficult to give a precise figure,” said Lawan who fled to Maiduguri following the attack.



Another trader Modu Kachalla, who gave a similar account, said the insurgents were looking for cash and food.

“They robbed traders of cash and loaded food  into trucks they seized at the market before fleeing into the bush,” he said.

“The market was full…when the Boko Haram gunmen attacked which explained the high casualties,” he said.

“The attackers killed many people at the market but it is difficult to give a toll because everybody fled to save their lives,” said Ibrahim Kolo, another witness.

Boko Haram, which has seized swathes of territory in Borno and in neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states, has been running short of food in the areas they have taken, according to residents.

On Wednesday the insurgents ambushed a truck carrying grain to Maiduguri outside the nearby village of Ngamdu and looted it before setting it on fire, they said.

The news of the attack on the market was slow to emerge due to disruption in phone services in the region on Friday. Telecoms services were only restored on Saturday.

Mainok has suffered repeated attacks by Boko Haram, which wants to impose a hardline Islamic state in the mainly Muslim north.

In February scores were killed there and many homes destroyed by the extremists.

Their insurgency has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 2009 and left more than 700,000 homeless.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/factnationblogspotcom/843562372331166?fref=ts

Read More

Sports: Toure wants to deliver Champions League to City fans

Ivory Coast star midfielder Yaya Toure tells the BBC on Saturday that he is fully committed to English champions Manchester City and wants above all to win the Champions League for them.

The 31-year-old — who has been an integral part of City’s domestic success since he signed from Barcelona for £24million ($39millionh) in 2010 — was responding to criticism of his below-par performance in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat by German champions Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League group match.

Toure, who has never been one to hold back when he feels he has been slighted as he illustrated in May when he said City had shown him a lack of respect for not buying him a birthday cake, said the fans and not the pundits were the people he was interested in.

“I know the fans love me; they are always good to me,” said Toure, who won the 2009 Champions League with Barcelona.

“My target now is the Champions League. I want to win it for them.”

Toure, who last year agreed a four-year contract extension tying him to City until 2017, received the backing from club manager Manuel Pellegrini.

“Maybe he had a lot of personal problems with his brother,” said the Chilean referring to the death of his 28-year-old brother Ibrahim from cancer in June while he and another brother Kolo were at the World Cup finals.

“There are a lot of human things and maybe that is why he is not in his best performance at the moment.

“As a team, as a coach, as a club we must support him because he is a very important player, he makes a difference and I’m sure he will return to his best. But he is always being criticised.”

City’s success domestically has not been repeated on the European front as they have bowed out twice in the group stage and once in the last 16 in their three campaigns

Read More

Sports: Suarez already a good signing, says Enrique

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Luis Suarez has already proved his worth despite not having even played a competitive game since his £75 million move from Liverpool.

The Uruguayan will still be unavailable for over a month after receiving a four-month ban for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in June.

Suarez could make his debut in Enrique’s first El Clasico in charge of Barca away to Real Madrid on October 25.

And Enrique believes the 27-year-old’s attitude in training has already made him an important signing for the club.

“He is adapting and waiting for his opportunity. He is training as if he could play tomorrow and that was our objective.

“Already, even without playing, I think he is helping us and has been a good signing.”

Barca have started Enrique’s reign with four consecutive wins and four clean sheets for the first time in the club’s history.

However, the former Celta Vigo coach still received criticism for making nine changes as the Catalans struggled past APOEL Nicosia 1-0 to open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday.

There are likely to be another wave of changes for Sunday’s trip to bottom of the table Levante.

Enrique insisted he will continue to rotate his squad throughout the season and hinted even Lionel Messi wouldn’t be excluded from his changes from game to game.

“Over the course of the season I am going to need all my players. The priority just now is Levante and we will see where we are after that.

“Being without Messi would affect us like any other team. If he could play every minute he would, but I understand that is difficult.

“I will manage it as best I can, but always thinking about what is best for the team.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/factnationblogspotcom/843562372331166?fref=ts

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Luis Suarez has already proved his worth despite not having even played a competitive game since his £75 million move from Liverpool.
The Uruguayan will still be unavailable for over a month after receiving a four-month ban for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in June.
Suarez could make his debut in Enrique’s first El Clasico in charge of Barca away to Real Madrid on October 25.
And Enrique believes the 27-year-old’s attitude in training has already made him an important signing for the club.
“He is adapting and waiting for his opportunity. He is training as if he could play tomorrow and that was our objective.
“Already, even without playing, I think he is helping us and has been a good signing.”
Barca have started Enrique’s reign with four consecutive wins and four clean sheets for the first time in the club’s history.
However, the former Celta Vigo coach still received criticism for making nine changes as the Catalans struggled past APOEL Nicosia 1-0 to open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday.
There are likely to be another wave of changes for Sunday’s trip to bottom of the table Levante.
Enrique insisted he will continue to rotate his squad throughout the season and hinted even Lionel Messi wouldn’t be excluded from his changes from game to game.
“Over the course of the season I am going to need all my players. The priority just now is Levante and we will see where we are after that.
“Being without Messi would affect us like any other team. If he could play every minute he would, but I understand that is difficult.
“I will manage it as best I can, but always thinking about what is best for the team.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/suarez-already-good-signing-says-enrique/#sthash.rFATy5bQ.dpu

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Luis Suarez has already proved his worth despite not having even played a competitive game since his £75 million move from Liverpool.
The Uruguayan will still be unavailable for over a month after receiving a four-month ban for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in June.
Suarez could make his debut in Enrique’s first El Clasico in charge of Barca away to Real Madrid on October 25.
And Enrique believes the 27-year-old’s attitude in training has already made him an important signing for the club.
“He is adapting and waiting for his opportunity. He is training as if he could play tomorrow and that was our objective.
“Already, even without playing, I think he is helping us and has been a good signing.”
Barca have started Enrique’s reign with four consecutive wins and four clean sheets for the first time in the club’s history.
However, the former Celta Vigo coach still received criticism for making nine changes as the Catalans struggled past APOEL Nicosia 1-0 to open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday.
There are likely to be another wave of changes for Sunday’s trip to bottom of the table Levante.
Enrique insisted he will continue to rotate his squad throughout the season and hinted even Lionel Messi wouldn’t be excluded from his changes from game to game.
“Over the course of the season I am going to need all my players. The priority just now is Levante and we will see where we are after that.
“Being without Messi would affect us like any other team. If he could play every minute he would, but I understand that is difficult.
“I will manage it as best I can, but always thinking about what is best for the team.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/suarez-already-good-signing-says-enrique/#sthash.rFATy5bQ.dpuf

Read More

Collapsed building: Jonathan visits Synagogue

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday visited the collapsed guesthouse at a mega-church in Lagos, promising to investigate the cause of the tragedy as the death toll hit 86, rescuers said Saturday.

“The president came to the church this morning to see things for himself. He met with Prophet T.B. Joshua and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families,” Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency told newsmen.

He said Jonathan promised to investigate the cause of the September 12 collapse of the guesthouse at Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) which left scores trapped in the debris.

Farinloye said the death toll now stood at 86 as against the previous figure of 84 after the various emergency teams involved in the operation had reconciled their figures.

“You are aware that several rescue teams at the state and federal levels were involved in the operations. We sat together and reconciled our figures which has now brought the death toll to 86. But those rescued still stands at 131,” he said.

Farinloye could not say if the new death toll included 84 South Africans who had been confirmed dead in the incident by the country’s high commissioner to Nigeria Lulu Mnguni.

It is believed that there were 349 South Africans visiting the popular church in the Ikotun district of the city at the time of the collapse.

The church’s leader Joshua, who has blamed the incident on sabotage, is one of Nigeria’s most well-known Pentecostal preachers and is referred to by followers across the world as “The Prophet” or “The Man of God”.

He claims to work miracles, including raising people from the dead and healing the sick, and foreseeing disasters.

The Lagos state government has accused the church of adding extra floors to the existing structure without approval.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/factnationblogspotcom/843562372331166?fref=ts

Read More

Another Church Building Collapses In Edo (Real at the scene Photos)

One person has died under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Benin, Edo State capital, on Friday, 19 September, 2014.

According to the Nation report, the collapsed one-storey building located at 22, First Uzama Street, Off Oliha Quartres in Benin belongs to Christ Chosen Church of God. The incident occurred at about 12.45pm on Friday.

According to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, one person has been confirmed dead while five others were rescued alive with injuries. He said there were however speculations that two more people were still be trapped in the rubbles.
It was gathered that the building, before it collapsed, served as offices to pastors in the church. However, the church management hired youths to demolish it because they wanted more space in the compound.

According to one of the workmen who survived, four out of nine people were inside the building when it collapsed.

“Some of us went out to eat because we were hungry. As we were eating, we saw many people rush to where we were coming from. We thought it was a fire outbreak. But when we got there, we discovered that the building has collapsed.
“We were nine in number but four of my colleagues were in the building before it collapsed. Two were brought out alive with injuries. One died and was brought out and two others are still under the building, dead,” the worker said.

Reportedly, officials of the church ran away after the building came down.

The residents blamed the church management for using young people to destroy the church instead of hiring a bulldozer.
The collapse of the building almost resulted in chaos as some angry youth vandalized and set ablaze a bus owned by the church in protest of the incident.

It would be recalled that a building at the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos also collapsed on Friday, 12 September, 2014.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, at least 80 people died from the collapsed building believed to be a guest house of the Synagogue Church.

Youths in the area, after rescuing those they could rescue, set the church bus on fire. They said they did it because the church should have hired bulldozer instead of endangering lives of the the youths.

   

Read More