BlackBox Nigeria

Some people would take their perversive nature to an extreme...

@blackboxupdate

Peter Okoye, one of the singing duo of PSquare, is currently building a muti-million naira beverage and bottling company in Lagos.‎
According to Linda Ikeji, the new multi-million naira company is located on one acre of land somewhere on the Island. The construction of the beverage and bottling company started in 2014, and it is expected to be launched before the end of this year.
The company, when officially opened, will be producing bottled water and assorted fruit juice. Bayo Adetu, P-Square's publicist, confirmed the development when contacted.
Yes, we expect the company to be launched before this year runs out. It's a big deal because Mr. P has invested heavily on it," Adetu said.
The multi-million naira factory is a subsidiary of P-Classic Group (PCG), a fast-growing and dynamic company owned by Peter Okoye.

@blackboxupdate

Add BBN on 2BAFB965
Chelsea veteran Didier Drogba insisted on Monday he intended to play for at least one more season.
The 37-year-old Ivory Coast forward is out of contract with the Premier League leaders at the end of the current campaign, having returned to
Stamford Bridge after two seasons abroad.
Drogba, when asked if he had decided on his future, said: "Yes I have and it's not going to be my last season."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said last week he had still to speak to Drogba regarding his future."We have a lot of talks to do," Mourinho said. "I don't know what he wants.
"There are people who, during their careers, earn the right and the power to make decisions and not wait for others to make decisions for them.
"What he did at this club for so many years puts him in a great position."

Yhemmie_blaq

@blackboxupdate

Former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof. Tamunoemi David-West, said that Nigerians should expect sharp drop in petrol price from the current N87 to about N40 per litre, saying, "the president-elect, Gen. Mohammed Buhari, will reduce the fuel pump price to N40 per litre."

In a telephone interview with Vanguard, the former minister argued that Nigeria produces millions of barrels of crude oil daily, and if properly harnessed will boost the performance of the industry.‎
His words: "I want to assure you that by the time he takes over, petrol will be dispensed at N40 per litre. This is possible and he has the credibility to make it work.

The major assignment of the president-elect when he is eventually inaugurated is to restore confidence to the industry.
He noted that the president-elect is familiar with the petroleum industry, adding that he is a straight forward person that has respect for democratic principles.
"As military head of state, he dealt with the Federal Executive Council with the tenets of democracy. Buhari will build new refineries to make petroleum products available for the masses. No responsible government will allow the masses to suffer.

@blackboxupdate

A Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court yesterday ordered a 27-year-old aluminium fabricator, Abdulmalik Aliyu to be remanded in Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe for allegedly killing his six-year-old son, Sadiq Abdulmalik in cold blood.
The Chief Magistrate of the court, Alhassan Husaini gave the order in his ruling on arraignment of the accused, charged with culpable homicide; contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code law.
According to the police First Information Report, FIR, read by the prosecuting police officer, C.S. Ayabatu, the incident occurred on March 9, 2015 and was reported by one Sunday Akande, (a neighbour to the accused) at the Police 'B' Division Station, Lokoja.
According to the prosecution, Aliyu of Zariagi, Kabba Junction, Lokoja had told his wife, Mariatu Akande on the fateful day, that he was taking the deceased back to his grandmother in Isanlu, headquarters of Yagba East Local Government Area of the state.
Ayabatu said, "Aliyu had claimed that he had a premonition that something was wrong and needed to be corrected spiritually but on their way, the accused struck the boy on the head and killed him."
The Prosecutor further said that the accused quickly buried the body of son in a shallow grave in a nearby bush and returned home; but was haunted by the ghost of the little boy.
The accused, who slumped in the dock on arraignment, confessed that he committed the crime saying that the innocent soul of his late son was tormenting him. Aliyu, did not, however give reasons for killing his son.
The prosecution then asked for adjournment to enable the police complete investigations into the matter even as it prayed the court to deny the accused bail as culpable homicide was not bailable a bailable offence.
Chief Magistrate Hussaini who granted the prayer of the prosecution ordered the accused person to be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe and adjourned the case to April 28, for mention.

@blackboxupdate

Leadership Newspaper

An unnamed victim

‎

The circumstances that led to the apparent suicide of an award winning pharmacist and a church leader, Paul Olafare, is still raising the dust as many do not think someone who was full of life a few days earlier would decide to take his own life.
Olafare, a multiple award winning pharmacist, described by his friends as a very friendly and religious person, allegedly committed suicide on Sunday, April 12th, 2015, in his home in Lagos.

The father of two who was a youth leader in one of the largest pentecostal churches in Nigeria, was said to be weighed down by a lot of pressure following a huge debt he had incurred while trying to set up his own pharmacy and his creditors were on his neck, leading him into chronic depression.

Olafare, a graduate of Medicine from the College of Medicine University of Lagos, was awarded the Lagos State Pharmacist of the Year 2013 as well as being an active member of his church where he mentored the youth group. 
According to a family friend, Olafare had attempted killing himself several times in the past and had once threatened to jump into the Lagos Lagoon but was stopped by his wife.

His wife reported that she found him writhing in pain on Sunday morning as she was preparing for church and found that he'd drank poison. He died before he could be rushed to the hospital.
But his family are suspecting foul play, believing he could not have committed suicide even though he was suffering from chronic depression and have lodged a murder charge against his wife, believing she killed their son to inherit his property.
The case is being investigated the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.‎

PulseNg

@blackboxupdate

Add BBN on 2BAFB965
The Supreme court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition of the All Progressive Congress seeking for the nullification of the election of Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose who has earlier won at the election tribunal and Appeal Court again emerged victorious moments ago against the prayer of the APC whose candidate Kayode Fayemi had earlier conceded defeat.

BlackBox Nigeria has also gathered that there is a wide jubilation across the streets of Ado following the petition dismissal.
Governor Fayose however faces another difficult challenge at home as opposition Lawmakers has vowed to impeach him before the May 29 transition date.

@blackboxupdate

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin, has allegedly ordered his loyalist in Sabo, Ibadan to remove the transformer he donated to them after losing out at the polls last Saturday.
The Seriki Hausawa of Ibadanland, Alhaji Ahmad Dahiru Zungeru, announced this to reporters at his palace in Ibadan on Sunday.‎
"Folarin donated a transformer to Sabo community and it was placed around our central mosque.
"One of his aides, Basiru Maiborno, brought it to us. But yesterday morning, I received a call that Maiborno has taken back the transformer."
According to him, later in the day the transformer was returned back but we refused it and asked his aide to return it.

Maiborno, a former councillor in Ibadan North, said: "It was not because Folarin lost in Sabo that we removed the transformer.
"I got the information that some hoodlums wanted to steal the transformer, which was why I removed it. Folarin does not know anything about it."
Maiborno further insisted that the transformer was removed with a view to keeping it in a safer place. "Senator Folarin is a man of his words," Maiborno told Journalists

@blackboxupdate

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Chief Ayo Akande, has asked the party chairman in the state, Chief Henry Ajomale, to resign with immediate effect "for his dismal performance in the just concluded elections in the state."
Akande, in a statement on Monday, said Ajomale had no moral right to remain as party chairman given that the APC lost to the opposition in all the contested seats in the March 28 and April 11 elections in his unit, ward and the entire Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area.
But Ajomale, in his reaction, on Monday, said Akande should be ignored "because I have performed."

"If a leader or party chairman should lose his polling unit in all elections for state assembly, Federal Constituency and the governorship, such party chairman should resign," Akande insisted.
He said that Ajomale's report card in the just-concluded elections in the state had shown clearly that he had lost his credibility as a leader and as such he should resign as the chairman of the party
"Our party cannot continue to be old-fashioned, things are changing and the party had to follow suit. The APC leadership should not develop clay feet or whip up sentiment to deal with failures or reward performance in the party as the expectations of the people from the party are high." the APC chieftain added.

He commended the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, for his doggedness and sacrifice for the victory recorded by the party at the presidential level.
He said the victory of President-elect Muhamadu Buhari and others at state and federal levels was a testimony to the political doggedness of Tinubu, adding that he was certain that Buhari would deliver as well as bring succour to Lagos.

But Ajomale described Akande as an unserious person who should be ignored by all well-meaning Nigerians.
The APC chairman, who spoke through his Special Adviser, Mr. Adekunle Olayinka, said he did well by ensuring the overall victory of his party at both the presidential and governorship elections in the state.
Olayinka said, "Chief Ajomale is not a ward chairman but the chairman of the entire Lagos State chapter of the APC. Out of 20 local governments, he ensured the victory of the party in 15 local governments during the March 28 and April 11 elections.
"In Oshodi/Isolo, the Igbo population is over 55 per cent and the candidates presented by the PDP were Igbo, so, of course, they voted for their kinsmen. But Chief Ajomale led the APC to victory and that is the most important thing."

Ajomale's son Ladi Ajomale also lost in his bid for the Lagos Assembly to represent Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II to his PDP opponent.

@blackboxupdate

Add BBN on 2BAFB965
by Ogundana Michael
…as Nigeria swears in a new President come 29th May, 2015, who will #BringBackOurGirls? President Jonathan or General Buhari?

Like a thief cometh in the night to steal and to kill, the deadly terrorist group, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in English means, "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad", otherwise known as Boko Haram, on the night of 14–15 April 2014, stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok Community, Borno State, Nigeria. Broke into the school, pretended to be guards, told the girls to get out and come with them. A large number of students, numbering about two hundred and seventy-nine (279) girls were taken away with them in trucks. Possibly into the Konduga area of the Sambisa Forest where they were known to have fortified camps. Fifty-seven (57) of the girls managed to escape on their own on transits, left with about 219 in the hands of Boko Haram their abductor. Houses in Chibok community were also burnt down in the incident. The school had been closed for four weeks prior to the attack due to the deteriorating security situation in the region, but students from multiple schools had been called on to take their physics final exams. These girls were aged 13 to 18 and were in their final year of school.
Tuesday, 14th April 2015, makes it exactly a year since the abduction of these girls. Their singular offence was that they wanted to be educated and pursue their dreams.

One of the saddening part of the incident was; the president did not believe that the girls were abducted for almost 18 days after their abduction was made. Since the president got the information within 24 hours of the act, if he had reacted almost immediately, those girls would have been rescued before they got to their destination. Rather for the president to spring into actions after receiving briefings about the abduction, he doubted it. He had rather preferred to go dancing in Kano in the name of a rally. That was the most unfortunate aspect of the whole scenario. After that, it took President Jonathan about 20 days before he publicly acknowledged that the abduction actually took place. That was after both local and international individuals and groups, especially the #BringBackOurGirls group here in Nigeria mounted pressure on him ahead of the World Economic Forum for Africa.
The president first spoke about the abduction in a media chat held 4th May, 2015, where he blamed the parents of the school girls for not giving information about the victims and the incident.

On 17 October 2014, hopes were raised that the over 200 girls left in the hands of Boko Haram their abductor might soon be released after the Nigerian army announced a truce between Boko Haram and government forces. The announcement coincided with the six-month anniversary of the girls' abduction and followed a month of negotiations mediated in Saudi Arabia by Chadian president, Idriss Déby.
The announcement was met with doubts, as that was not the first time the Nigerian government had claimed a breakthrough in negotiations with the Islamic militant group – it had to backtrack on a previous announcement in September after saying the girls had been released and were being held in military barracks. This was later found out to be false.
It must be on record, that if not for the relentless efforts of groups like the #BringBackOurGirls group, that kept demanding for the rescue of these girls, the government would not have said anything about their abduction, nothing would have been done about rescuing them and they would have been totally forgotten. Fortunately, this group has been consistent; they have been humane and have shown affection to the #ChibokGirls, their family and their friends. This group keeps the memory of these girls alive and continues to hold the government responsible for failing to rescue them.
For a year now, we have demanded, we have begged, we have petitioned, we have remonstrated, we have pleaded; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored the Presidency to bring down Boko Haram under its feet and #BringBackOurGirls. Rather, our petitions have been slighted, our remonstrances have produced humiliation and insult, our supplications have been ignored, and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. We have since indulged in the fond of hope and faith, while we keep demanding for the rescue of our girls. One thing is clear; we have pledged ourselves never to abandon this glorious course until our demand is meant. We shall keep demanding, for the rescue of our girls until they are finally brought back home.
These girls need to regain their freedom, they need to come back home, they deserve to live their normal lives and they have the right to pursue their dreams. The government must not allow the lives of these girls to be wasted, something has to be done and has to be done fast.

We have hoped that President Goodluck Jonathan would do all within his reach to rescue our girls, but as I write this piece nothing tangible has been done and the Chibok girls are yet to be back home. And it`s so painful, that even as his tenure is coming to end, the Chibok girls still remain missing worst of it is that we do not have any situation report about their whereabouts and safety. However as Nigeria swears in a new President come 29th May, 2015, who will #BringBackOurGirls? President Jonathan or General Buhari?

God Bless Nigeria.
– Ogundana Michael tweets from @MickeySunny

@blackboxupdate

Judge Anthony Pitts of the Southwark Crown Court, UK, yesterday, adjourned the confiscation hearing of Chief James Ibori, former Delta State Governor, till June 6 next year.
Judge Pitts granted the adjournment to allow him time attend to a case of attempt to pervert the course of justice brought against Ibori's co-defendant, Mr. Bradresh Gohil.
Gohil's counsel alleged in court, at the hearing yesterday, that a British Police Officer, Mcdonald, who is a lead investigating officer in the case involving Gohil and Ibori, had been involved in collecting money for information involving Gohil and Risk Management company.
While pressing home his demand, Gohil's counsel said: "There are new evidence indicating that DC Macdonald exchanged 22 telephone calls, which have been traced with Risk Management at key stages of the investigation of Ibori.
"They coincided with unexplained payment into DC Macdonald's account."
Judge Pitts, while granting the request of Gohil's counsel in the trial, said: "Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to have been done."
This is a second abrupt ending in the Ibori confiscation case.
The first ended last year, after it abruptly ended James Ibori's confiscation hearing late last year on the grounds that the judge lacked enough evidence to arrive at a decision in the confiscation hearing.
Asking that the case be adjourned again on two grounds, Mr. Gohil's counsel, Kamlish, a Queen's Counsel, said: "Your Honour, I seek to have this case adjourned on two grounds:
"Gohil is not being represented at the hearing as the former counsel and solicitor have withdrawn and the second ground being that it will be improper to have a confiscation hearing before Mr. Gohil's trial."
The judge, in accepting his request, adjourned Mr. Gohil's trial till January 16, 2016.
This adjournment of Gohil's trial affected Ibori's confiscation hearing as the prosecution sought an application to join Ibori's and Gohil's cases together.
Ibori's case should have lasted for just six weeks, but will now be linked to Gohil's case, which will begin January next year.

@blackboxupdate

The Labaran Maku Campaign Organisation on Monday, rejected the result of the Nasarawa State governorship election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The MCO said it considered the outcome of the election results unacceptable because there were a lot of widespread fraud, conspiracy and collusion between INEC, the police, the military and the Al-Makura Regime, which led to criminal and large-scale rigging of the vote to impose Tanko Al-Makura on the people of Nasarawa State.

It insisted that the election does not in anyway met the acceptable standards, describing it as an electoral coup.
"What happened in Nasarawa does not qualify to be called an election. It was an electoral coup executed by the INEC and the security chiefs in Nasarawa State purely for ethno-religious reasons.
I did not lose the gubernatorial election to Al-Makura of APC. This was rather due to INEC and security agencies who obviously and completely colluded and aligned with the APC to disrupt the electoral process and allocate votes across constituencies to the APC regime in Nasarawa State.
"The INEC Commissioner, the Commissioner of Police and the military completely aligned with the state in distorting and disrupting the electoral process leading to one of the most fraudulent elections in the history of Nigeria. What took place in Nasarawa State could only be compared to the widely condemned 2007 general elections, when the authorities used INEC and security agencies in the states and simply coerced them to rig the vote.
"From the process of materials distribution and appointment of Adhoc electoral staff and even the posting of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner to Nasarawa State, it was clear that the agenda was to massively rig the votes in Nasarawa State for Al-Makura to continue in power. Most of the INEC Adhoc staff were either core APC members or sympathizers. The rest were bought over by the regime," said the organization.

Continuing, the MCO alleged that: "The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner ensured that materials were delivered mainly to places where APC would have the opportunity to rig. All the places dominated by APGA either suffered shortage of electoral materials or were supplied card readers programmed to fail," adding that in many cases, results sheets were not available. In most cases, card readers were set aside to allow massive rigging to take place in various units and unspecified localities outside electoral units."

@blackboxupdate

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said it owed its victory in the Saturday governorship poll to Lagos residents, who voted for its candidate to further entrench the culture of excellence in the state.‎
The APC on Monday, in a statement by its Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said Lagos residents deserved thanks for not succumbing to intimidation from the opposition.

Igbokwe said the alignment between Lagos and the government at the centre would better the lot of the state.
He said, "Lagos APC appreciates Lagosians for their unflinching support, we celebrate their courage and steadfastness, we honour their patriotic disposition to continuity, we value so much their sense of judgement and the power of their strategic political decision at a time like this.
"In the face of harassment, intimidation and brigandage from the powers that be, APC lovers showed infectious and contagious love to the party and its leaders they have known for years now.
"APC lovers in Lagos did not succumb to blatant lies, hate campaigns, politics of the stomach, ethnic and tribal politics and politics of naira, dollar and pound sterling.
"They were not swayed because they understand what is at stake. They did not see these inducements as low hanging fruits to take advantage of. They were smart, courageous and determined to use the power of votes to sustain the intelligent leadership and governance in Lagos."

Igbokwe added, "We appreciate Lagosians for understanding the urgent need at this critical point in the nation's history to connect Lagos effectively to Abuja. Lagosians saw this great opportunity and grabbed it with both hands and the rest is now history.
"We have no doubt in our mind that the synergy between Abuja and Lagos will add great values to the project Nigeria and consequently make our country to remain credit positive in many years to come."

PUNCH

@blackboxupdate

According to the BBC, More than 50 of the girls abducted by Boko Haram last year were seen alive three weeks ago, a woman has told the BBC.‎
She saw the girls in Gwoza town before the Boko Haram militants were driven out of there by regional forces.
Boko Haram sparked global outrage when it seized more than 219 girls from Chibok town a year ago.
The US, China and other foreign powers promised to help find the girls.
However, the girls have never been traced, and little has been heard of them since they were taken from their boarding school.
The whereabouts of the remaining girls is not clear.

The Nigerian woman, who lived under Boko Haram's rule in Gwoza, said she saw the girls in Islamic attire, being escorted by the militants.
"They said they were Chibok girls kept in a big house," said the woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
"We just happened to be on the same road with them," she added.

Three other women also told the BBC they had seen the girls in Gwoza.
Boko Haram was believed to have turned Gwoza into its headquarters after it captured the town in August 2014.
Nigeria's military, backed by troops from neighbouring countries, recaptured the town last month.
The militants were suspected to have fled to the nearby Mandara Mountains, near the border with Cameroon.
It is unclear whether the girls are with them there.

Another woman told the BBC she last saw some of the girls in November at a Boko Haram camp in Bita village, also in the north-east.
"About a week after they were brought to the camp, one of us peeked through a window and asked: 'Are you really the Chibok girls?' and they said: 'Yes'. We believed them and didn't ask them again," the woman said.
"They took Koranic lessons, cleaned their compound, cooked for themselves and they braided each others' hair. They were treated differently – their food [was] better and water clean. "

Nigeria's outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has been widely criticised for not doing enough to end the six-year insurgency in the north-east, and to secure the freedom of the girls.
Incoming President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to "crush" the insurgents.
He is due to be inaugurated on 29 May after defeating Jonathan in last month's a Presidential elections.

@blackboxupdate

The victory dance of the incumbent governor of Imo State and governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Rochas Okorocha, was cut short in the early hours of yesterday as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, while declaring the Imo State election result, said the poll was inconclusive.
Announcing the suspension of the process, the State Returning Officer, SRO, Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, explained that the action stemmed from the cancellation of 144,715 votes in various polling booths in about 23 local government areas.
Ibidapo-Obe also cited complaints of irregularities that emanated from several polling booths across the 305 wards of the state as part of reason for declaring the election inconclusive.
According to the SRO,  Owerri Municipal, Ideato South, Ideato North and Ahiazu Mbaise local government areas would not be subjected to another round of voting.
"All other local government areas had one type of infringement or the other," the SRO said.
"I shall not do any declaration. We have various cancellations in various units and wards. ''The affected polling units in the local governments totalled 144,715. The margin of lead from the two leading parties is 79,529, and because o this figure, this election is inconclusive," he said.
While Governor Okorocha said he was prepared to go for supplementary election, the state leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, accused INEC of reducing the scores of their flag-bearer, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, in the result collated and declared at Ezinihitte Mbaise.
He said: "In the case of Oru East Local Government Area, while stakeholders were anxiously expecting the result, the INEC-Electoral Officer, Mrs. Emmanuella Opara, confessed that she was kidnapped and taken to a secret location by agents of the APC candidate, where she was forced at gunpoint to enter fictitious figures.

@blackboxupdate