Three Indians Bag 15yrs jail for Illegal Bunkering in Bayelsa

A Federal High Court sitting in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, has sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, three Indian nationals, over their involvement in illegal oil theft on the waterways of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The three convicts are Sahleh Kumar Singh, (Captain of the vessel), Chadrashekar Sharma and Ajay Bhatiya, owner of the vessel MT Akshay, still at large.
The convicts were arrested by men of the Nigerian Navy aboard a ship MT Akshay formerly known as Wine Trader owned by Krishna Shipping Inc, Mainstream Charlestown Nevis and operated by Veesham Shipping Inc., a tanker crew of 10 Indians and two Nigerians and 157,822 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.
The tanker was also alleged not to have been listed in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Tanker Nomination Schedule and did not have Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Bunkering Permit nor the Joint Task Force, JFT, Operation Pulo Shield certificate of registration for vessels engaged in the movement of crude oil.
The convicted Indians, who were among 12 suspected oil thieves, including eight other Indians, one Ghanaian and a Nigerian arrested aboard MT Akshay were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
According to EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr.Wilson Uwajeren, the Indian nationals were arraigned on a two-count charge on January 22, 2013 before Justice Lambo Akanbi.
Justice Akanbi, in his judgment, found the first two accused persons alongside the owner of the vessel (who is still at large) guilty on count one which borders on conspiracy, and convicted them accordingly.
The other accused persons Dharmaraj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Nimesh Kodi Parambil, Ashraf Ali, Sanjeev Kumar, Sarbjot Singh, Arvind Kumar Bhardwaj, Gagan Kumar, Dele Johnson Olayemi and Benneth Egbegi, were discharged and acquitted on the two counts preferred against them by the EFCC.
However, the court was silent on the vessel, and it’s content.

6 Women Arraigned Over Kidnap of Kogi Speaker’s Children

LOKOJA —Six women were, yesterday, arraigned before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court over their alleged involvement in the kidnap of two children of Kogi State House of Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal.
The accused persons include Bilikis Lawal, Raliat Musa, Rabiyat Mohammed, Zainab Ismaila, Aminat Ibrahim and Nafisat Abdullahi.
They were charged with criminal conspiracy and kidnapping contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code Law and Sections 3(a) and 7(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping, Thuggery and other Related Offences (Prohibition) Law 2010.
The prosecution led by Mohammed Abaji told the court that a gang of four persons armed with sophisticated weapons invaded the residence of the Speaker on April 15, 2014, and kidnapped two of his sons, Hafiz
Lawal, 3, and Ogirima Lawal, 6. The two children are yet to be recovered.
He said the abductors forcefully took the children away in their mother’s car, a dark-blue Toyota Yaris with number plate, Lagos AKD 224 AY, and latter demanded N200 million ransom for the release of the children using the hand set and telephone number of the first accused, Mrs Bilikisu Wahab.
He further said investigation carried out by security agencies led to the arrest of five other suspects, even as some other suspects were still at large.
Lead counsel to the accused persons, Miss Safiya Abdullahi, orally applied for bail of her clients but Abaji opposed the application, asking the court to take cognizance of the severity of the offence.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Alhassan Hussain refused to grant the accused persons bail, saying: “These offences are by no means weighty, pandemic and on a steady rise of late. I refuse this application and it is hereby refused.”
Hussain, therefore, ordered that the accused be remanded in the Department of State Services, DSS, detention facility in Lokoja and adjourned the case to June 4.

I Hold No Grudge Against Skales For Leaving EME—Banky W

Nigerian RnB singer, Banky W, has disclosed that contrary to what some may be thinking, he is at peace with Skales, a former artiste signed on to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME). Banky W expressed happiness for Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, Skales’ real names, over the establishment of his own label, OHK Music.

According to Banky W, Skales is a good guy and had always advised him to stay focused because he has great potentials.

Banky W added that ever since Skales left the EME crew, he has always been backing him up with prayers for him to be successful.

Skales reportedly parted ways with EME in February 2014. Aside floating a new record label, the artiste has also released a new single titled ‘Shake Body,’ which has been receiving massive air plays.

OAU Student Builds Wind and Solar Powered Car For Final Year Project

 His contraption is still a prototype and not suitable for everyday use yet (The battery requires about 4-5 hours to charge and is so heavy that he had to modify the suspensions to bear the weight of the battery) but it has already brought a new, possible solution to the major problem with electric cars–charging the battery. Solar powered electric cars aren’t new, but adding a wind-turbine to augment the solar charger when the car is in motion is something I personally haven’t come across as an idea before. It in theory, would make it possible to drive and charge at night when there is no sunlight.

Segun, who finishes his exams tomorrow, isn’t deterred by his main challenges which he states are finding the appropriate materials for his car, and people who tell him he is wasting his time building it and plans to keep improving the car till it is “Nigeria’s future car"

Pregnant Sudan Woman Faces Death For Stopping To Be a Muslim

"We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged to death," the judge told the woman.
Western embassies and rights groups had urged Sudan to respect the right of the pregnant woman to choose her religion.
Local media report the sentence would not be carried out for two years after she has given birth.
“I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy”Meriam Yehya Ibrahim. IshagSudan has a majority Muslim population, which is governed by Islamic law.The judge also sentenced her to 100 lashes after convicting her of adultery - because her marriage to a Christian man was not valid under Islamic law.Earlier in the hearing, an Islamic cleric spoke with her in a caged dock for about 30 minutes, AFP reports.Then she calmly told the judge: "I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy."Amnesty International said the woman, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, was raised as an Orthodox Christian, her mother's religion, because her father, a Muslim, was reportedly absent during her childhood.In court, the judge addressed her by her Muslim name, Adraf Al-Hadi Mohammed Abdullah.She was convicted of adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from South Sudan was void under Islamic law, as practised in Sudan, Amnesty said.She was arrested and charged with adultery in August 2013 and the court added the charge of apostasy in February 2014 when she said she was a Christian and not a Muslim, the group said.Amnesty said she should be released immediately.She is said to be eight months' pregnant.

Night Vigil In Abuja For Chibok Girls Abducted 30days Ago

Leaders of the #BringBackOurGirls movement in Nigeria carried  out a night vigil  for 234 high school girls abducted from a high school in Chibok 30 days ago. the event held inside the  Thisday Dome in Abuja on May 14.

The vigil was organized to commemorate 30 days since the abduction of 234 high school by Boko Haram militants in the northeast of Nigeria.

Okada Riders Association members club man to death in Lagos

The quest for power among members of the Okada Riders Association of Aratunmi Motorcycle Park in New Iba site Ojo LGA of Lagos state has led to the death of 20 year old Wasiu Jimoh.

According to a Punch report, trouble started when a faction of the association went into the motor park around 8.30pm and attacked another faction called O-Yes which the late Jimoh belonged to, with the intention of wrestling the chairmanship position from them. During the fight, Jimoh was attacked with a machete and sticks and left to die. He later died in the hospital.

The Ojo Police command was immediately notified and arrests were made.
Three suspects, Bashiru Monsuru (20) who is alleged to be the chief engineer of the attack, Ibrahim Gufaru (30) and Orji Francis (20) have been arrested and arraigned before the Ebute Meta Magistrates Courts for misdemeanor. Monsuru was charged with murder for spearheading the attack.

The three accused have each been granted bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum but Monsuru the mastermind of the attack was remanded in prison according to Magistrate Y.B. Badejo-Okusanya who presided over his case. Further hearing on the case comes up June 25th 2014.

Who Is The Most Eligible Candidate To Lead Nigeria In 2015 (After Jonathan)

With the tense atmosphere and 2015 drawing closer real quick, it makes me wonder will there even be a Nigeria after 2015? and if there is a Nigeria who will be the most eligible candidate to continue ruling the country, so far there are ofcourse only two realistically potential candidates on the radar (Jonathan and Buari) -  are any of these guys really qualified to rule us?

Mourinho is a fool for calling me an old man – Eto’o

"Today, I am 33 years old. And it is not because a fool called me an old man that you must believe it. And you may have noticed that the old man was better than the youngsters. Some believe I am going to retire in the United States or in the Middle East, but I have regained the joy of the Champions League and I am going to carry on playing in the Champions League.

He continued, "Where? I am not going to tell you. But I am going to carry on playing because physically and mentally I feel great. So I am going to go to this World Cup and to the next one when I will be 37. Some did it at 42, so I can still play in two more World Cups." 

Do you think Africa can have their say at the World Cup in Brazil?

I hope so. Because people think Africa are just there for the show. And it is because football leaders don’t respect us that our opponents don’t respect us. But look at the main European clubs, where a lot of Africans are shining! Take Manchester City as an example, and look at the goals scored by Yaya Touré. If it was Messi, we will be talking about it for three years.

Côte d’Ivoire are the best African side today. They are above the rest on paper, but they must win. Africa must fight to get as far as possible and why not win the World Cup. People will say I am crazy, but if I am not crazy why would I go to Brazil? For holidays?

How do you feel about this World Cup which could well be your last one, and what is your future at Chelsea?

Thanks for informing me that it will be my last World Cup. Today, I am 33 years old. And it is not because a fool called me an old man that you must believe it. And you may have noticed that the old man was better than the youngsters.

Some believe I am going to retire in the United States or in the Middle East, but I have regained the joy of the Champions League and I am going to carry on playing in the Champions League. Where? I am not going to tell you. But I am going to carry on playing because physically and mentally I feel great.

So I am going to go to this World Cup and to the next one when I will be 37. Some did it at 42, so I can still play in two more World Cups.

Do you fear Brazil?

I have never been afraid. If you are scared, don’t become a football player. But you need to have respect for your opponents. It will be eleven men against eleven men. It is true, Cameroon lost to Brazil in 1994, but I was part of the team which defeated Brazil at the Confederations Cup, and I scored a great goal to Dida in the 88th minute. And then we beat them again at the Olympics. It tells you that football is not an exact science.

It is going to be difficult, for sure, but in football everything is possible. I have a lot of respect for all those great players, but I am not afraid. We will have our chances, and we need to take them.