JTF Operatives Invade Criminal Hideouts In Azuzuama Community

The riverside town of Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State was Monday night thrown into confusion following the invasion of the community by operatives of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Restore Hope allegedly in pursuit of suspected kidnappers and sea pirates.

Seven buildings were reportedly razed down during the raid by the security operatives.

It was learnt that the Monday night assault on Azuzuama is now causing panic among community folks in neighbouring Lobia and other communities in the Southern Ijaw council identified as hideout for suspected kidnappers and sea pirates.
Among the buildings razed, it was learnt were that of Jackson, aka Virus, the alleged mastermind of the killing of 12 policemen a fortnight ago at Lobia II, that of his uncle and others.
The policemen were on their way to Azuzuama to provide security at the wake the late mother of ex militant leader, Kile Selky Toughedi aka Young Shall Grow when they were ambushed and killed by gunmen who allegedly fell out with the former.
Azuzuama community, it was learnt, has been deserted with most of the natives taking refuge in the mangrove swamp.
According to sources from Azuzuama that the heavily armed soldiers who invaded the community were backed by two gunboats stationed at the extremes of the community.
It was also learnt that a military helicopter was hovering around the community during the raid ostensibly to give the troops aerial cover and pin down the miscreants from escaping.
But the Joint Task Force, through its Spokesman Lt. Col Onyema Nwachukwu said the raid was a routine exercise targeted at riding the region of miscreants and dismissed claims that its operatives invaded the community.
The JTF said its operation was to dismantle criminal hideouts where kidnappers and sea robbers hibernate and four of such places were destroyed at Azuzuama.
His words, "Painstaking investigations by our operatives revealed that kidnappers, sea robbers and other criminals have clandestinely developed hideouts in some parts of the creeks along Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, from where they launch attacks on unsuspecting victims going about their legitimate businesses in the water ways.
Given our mandate to rid the Niger Delta of criminality, we are spurred by this unwholesome development to commence today, a clean up operation of criminal hideouts where kidnappers and sea robbers hibernate.
Our troops have successfully clamped down 4 criminal hideouts at Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government."
He enjoined all law abiding citizens to stay clear of such criminal hideouts and to partner with our operatives in ridding the region of criminals.

Olivier Giroud Suspension Stands As Arsenal Fail To Overturn Red Card At Fulham

Olivier Giroud must serve a three-match ban after Arsenal failed to have his weekend red card at Fulham rescinded.

The striker was shown a straight red card for serious foul play for a last-minute challenge on Stanislav Manolev at Craven Cottage.
Arsene Wenger said after the game Giroud had slipped as he went to tackle Manolev, and an appeal was lodged with the Football Association.
But that explanation has cut no ice with an Independent Regulatory Commission, and Giroud will sit out games against Manchester United, QPR and Wigan.
The FA decided against adding a further game for a frivolous appeal, so Giroud will be available for Arsenal's final game of the season at Newcastle.
But the France international's absence leaves Wenger short of strike options as he attempts to secure UEFA Champions League qualification.
Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Gervinho all played up front earlier this season, but Giroud has started as a lone striker in each of the past nine games.
Third-placed Arsenal lead Chelsea by a point and Tottenham by two, but both their London rivals have a game in hand.

Jackie Appiah Set To Marry Her Nigerian Boyfriend Soon

Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah who got involved in a messy divorce case with her husband few months ago is set to give wedding a shot again.

Jackie Appiah and her Ghanaian lover, Peter Agyeman got married about 5 years ago and the wedding produced a beautiful son. Now that her divorce is final, she is currently dating Nigerian actor Bobby Obodo.
In the past few weeks, the inseparable lovers were spotted at several functions in Accra, Ghana.
Sources also claim Bobby Obodo has officially introduced himself to Jackie Appiah’s family members and an approval has been granted.
The real gist is that the two are planning a glamorous wedding ceremony.
Though no date has been set, we learnt Jackie Appiah has started putting things in order on her end.
Wishing them a happy married life in advance.

Liverpool Fine Suarez For Biting Ivanovic

Liverpool have fined Luis Suarez for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic but insist the striker still has a future at the club.
Suarez, 26, bit Ivanovic’s arm during his team’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea .
Asked if the incident would affect the player’s time at the club, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said, “Not at all.
“It affects his future in the sense that we have to work with him on his discipline.”
The Football Association will review the match official’s report into the game and incident before deciding what course of action to take.
However, Ayre said he has spoken to the club’s owners concerning the controversy and added: “Luis is a very important player to the club.
“As we keep saying, he signed a new four-year contract last summer and we’d all love to see him here throughout that contract.
“He’s a fantastic player, top scorer and everything we’d want in a striker, so there’s no change there.
“This is more about getting him back on the right track and it’s largely down to (Liverpool manager) Brendan (Rodgers) now to work with him on that side of his character.”
Merseyside police say they will not take any action against Suarez, with Ivanovic not reporting any physical injury and telling officers he did not want to pursue the matter.
Suarez issued a swift apology following the conclusion of the game at Anfield on Sunday and also spoke to the Serbia international
“I’ve spoken to Ivanovic on the phone so I could apologise directly to him,” Suarez tweeted. “Thanks for accepting.”

To Tackle Underdevelopment, N'Delta To Invest In Aviation Sector

To address the socio-economic problems of the region, the Niger Delta leaders are considering investment in aviation sector.
In Uyo on Tuesday, Mr. Patrick Onwura, representing the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, in a paper presented to the National Council on Niger Delta, signed by Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Transport, rates aviation sector as one of the most vibrant areas that will quicken the region’s economic development.
The paper, titled "Aviation sector as a catalyst to the development initiatives for the transformation of the Niger Delta region," portrays aviation sector as a tool to promote travel and tourism, agricultural production and distribution, rural development, trade and commerce, manufacturing and other non-oil sectors of the economy.
"In order to reposition the aviation sector in Nigeria for this role, government through the Federal Ministry of Aviation developed a comprehensive master plan/implementation framework with a view to providing a safe, secure, profitable and self-sustaining world class industry with a distinct airport experience for flyers.
"It similarly consulted widely with industry stakeholders, the organised private sector, finance sector, diplomatic missions, etc to identify and agree on potential areas of opportunities for foreign and domestic investment.
"The core objectives of the Aviation Sector Development Master Plan is to make air transportation the preferred and safest means of transportation, creating a self-sustaining business model and driving socio-economic growth in Nigeria," Mr. Onwura said.
He called on the Niger Delta leaders to complement the efforts of the ministry by linking all the airports in the region with good access roads.
It was stated in the paper that Asaba and Port Harcourt airports have been designated special Economic Zone airports while Akure airport is for agro-allied and cargo airports.
Speaking on 'Niger Delta Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow', a professor in the Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Benin, Mike Obadan, said rebuilding of trust and hope, prioritisation of needs, and institutional cooperation and reforms are things that are crucial to the region's development.
He suggested the development of a 10-year horizon plan to harness the infrastructural base of the region with regards to roads, waterways, telecommunication, electricity, health, education, housing and petroleum depots.
Other things he listed as being crucial for the development of the region include database for development programmes; development of growth centres; provision of safety and security for productive activities; consideration of the concept of sustainable net national product; and direct involvement and ownership in oil and gas activities.

Woman Loses Triplets Over N4,000 Medication Fee

Last week joy turned into sorrow for the Sannis who had just had a set of triplets. Within 24 hours of their birth the three boys died in succession.

The arrival of a baby in a family naturally should exude joy and happiness, let alone when triplets are delivered. Many well-to-dos are ready to pay any amount to have them. But for Temitope Sanni and her husband, the birth of a set of triplets into the family was more of a curse than blessing. Temitope, 36, lives with her husband and two children at Otto-Ilogbo slum, Oyingbo area of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Last Monday, she went into labour and was delivered of a set of triplets (all boys) by her nurse niece. The period of Temitope’s labour did not last two hours and she successfully delivered the three babies, without stepping into a hospital. But after delivery of the babies, there was need for the babies to be examined by competent medical practitioners, as prescribed by the nurse who attended to their mother.
In so doing, Temitope, accompanied by her mother and husband, dashed to a nearby health facility, Damisile clinic, from where they were referred to another hospital. At the other hospital, doctors reportedly recommended some medications for the new babies but neither Temitope, nor their father could afford the N4, 000 required for the drugs.
She told Saturday Mirror that as at the point she was delivered of the babies, her husband could only boast of N300.
“I only laboured for only a few hours before I gave birth to the babies. When I started seeing signs of delivery, I called on my niece, who rushed down to tend to me. But to the surprise of all, I delivered the three of them in the space of an hour and all was well. They all cried and behaved like new babies would do.
“But we realised that they were too fragile and my niece advised that we take them to the hospital. As at the time of their delivery, I had only N2,000 on me while my husband had only N300,” Temitope recounted sadly.
When the couple could not muster enough money for drugs for the triplets, they were reportedly referred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. By the time the couple had carried the triplet to the second hospital, their N2,400 was already reduced to N1, 850. Since going by public bus would take time, they decided to go for a taxi. The least taxi that accepted to take them to Ikeja demanded N2, 500.
That would leave the couple needing additional N650 to balance up for their fare. They, however, still asked the taxi driver to race down to Ikeja. Somewhere around Palm Grove, the taxi driver demanded that the Sannis pay him his fare for him to buy fuel.
Temitope continued her story: “When the man asked us to pay money, we knew we did not have up to that amount on us and we just told him to continue with the journey, saying our people were waiting for us at the hospital. Before the man continued with the journey, it took about an hour and by that time, the babies were already tired.
“By the time we got to Ikeja, they still referred us to LUTH. On our way to LUTH, one of them died.”
But from Ikeja to Idi-Araba, the Sannis had nothing to tell the taxi driver again. When the taxi driver saw that one of the babies was already dead, he chose to let them go. Going to LUTH was not an option for the couple, so they chose to go back home hopping the remaining two would stay. That was not to be, after all.
By the time the husband and wife got home, there was not a dime with them and so they could not procure any drug for the two babies. Three hours later, one more of the triplets passed on. The last one also went the way of his siblings in the early hours of the second day.
Speaking further on her ordeal, Temitope said amid tears: “The three of them died in less than 24 hours after their delivery. Had we had the N4,000 required to buy drugs at the initial hospital in our area, the babies would have lived.” The nurse that delivered the triplets spoke with Saturday Mirror on the likely causes of the death of the babies.
Her words: “I have never seen that before in my life. Tope is my sister and when she called me that she was in labour, I rushed down here to attend to her. We were lucky because she delivered the three babies without much stress, but the babies needed some medication because they were too weak and fragile. Since I had to rush down here, I did not come out with any money and so when we had to buy drugs for them, we could not raise N4,000.”
A neighbour of the Sannis, who declined to give his identity, told our reporters that the news of the death of the third baby got to the community as efforts were being made to raise money for them.
“The community association did not hear about it early enough. By the time the news was brought to our notice, we started gathering some personal donations to augment their expenses. We were on that when we heard noise that the third baby passed on,” the man said. Temitope’s husband was said to be too distraught to speak with our reporter, but it was gathered that his family and friends had taken him somewhere else to recover.

Nigerians Must Look To God For Solution – Kumuyi

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, William Kumuyi, has declared that the only antidote to the various challenges plaguing the world and Nigeria in particular is a closer relationship with God and a life devoted to his will.

He said this at the church’s fourth edition of the special miracle service held at its conference centre on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a statement on Monday stated.
Kumuyi said, “While perilous times may not abate, a life dedicated to God has the capacity to weather the severest of storms. And those who are wise must seek to build bridges across to God rather than running helter-skelter looking for solution where there’s none.”
The cleric stated at the service tagged, ‘Night of Supernatural Deliverance’, that Christians had not only received redemption but had also been given restorative power to deliver the afflicted.
The General Superintendent, who spoke on restoring the falling foundation of the righteous, affirmed that no circumstance could defy the power of God.
Speaking to the gathering of over 150,000 participants, the cleric urged Christians to abandon the recourse to self management and instead find a willing partner in God in order to possess the capacity to fight and overcome the many challenges that they may face.
Kumuyi said people needed to be set free in order to serve God without obstructions which have the capacity to circumscribe the potential of anyone.
The event, which was transmitted through satellite to all locations of the church in the country, the continent of Africa and beyond, was also streamed live on the Internet.

Fearful Jonathan Begs PDP Governors To Dump Amaechi

Uncertain of his candidate winning next month’s chairmanship election of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday night met with selected governors at the Presidential Villa and appealed to them not to vote for Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

 

The meeting was said to have become necessary when Jonathan's foot soldier, Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, was unable to convince fellow PDP governors to vote for Gov. Ibrahim Shema for the post.
Akpabio had tried unsuccessfully to persuade a majority of the governors to vote out his fellow South-South governor in place of a Northerner.  Most of the governors from the North believe that his action is not out of love for them but to firm up the machinery for Jonathan's 2015 ambition.
The election for the office of the NGF chairman comes up in May, and the incumbent, who is not popular in the President's camp but is loved by his colleagues, is running.
At the Villa's night meeting, in addition to Akpabio, were 14 other governors, including the governors of Bauchi, Gombeand, and Katsina States.
Sources at the meeting said Jonathan begged the governors to rally round Shema and make sure he defeats Amaechi.
"You can do it. Tell your colleagues, especially those from our party that Shema is our sole candidate," the President reportedly urged. Unfortunately, none of the governors gave the President any word of commitment even when Akpabio asked them to speak.
"We have heard Mr. President. There is nothing to say, but we must make sure that the Forum is not seen as an extension of the PDP," one of the governors was said to have told Mr. Jonathan.
The NGF has scheduled a meeting for next Wednesday, but the election is not part of the agenda.

5 Things You Should Never Do After A Breakup

Dealing with a breakup can be a very painful and confusing experience. A lot of emotions run through you and you are likely to take rash decisions if care is not taken.  
Here are a few things you must NOT do after a breakup:
1, Don’t Beg:
For God’s sake, don’t beg! Begging after a breakup only makes matters worse. It makes you appear pathetic and it can be very irritating. Maybe you don’t understand why it ended. Maybe you think it ended for the wrong reasons. Maybe you’d just rather be in a bad relationship than be in no relationship at all. No matter what you do, don’t beg for him/her to return. Deep down, you know that you don’t want to be in a relationship with someone you had to beg to be with you. Besides, if your ex rejects you a second time, it won’t just hurt; the rejection will sting with extra humiliation and regret
2, Don’t Seek revenge:
Don’t seek revenge. It serves no purpose and it will only make you feel worse about yourself. Don’t destroy his things, don’t speak evil of her. The thrill of revenge only feeds bitterness and hatred. You may have been deeply wronged, but “getting even” won’t heal any wounds. Forgive and move on. Carry your head high and spend your energy on people who deserve it.
3, Don’t Communicate:

 

Don’t continue to communicate regularly with your ex. Breakups leave a void in your heart where your ex once occupied but constant calling and texting won’t fill that void. Every time you drop the phone without saying “I love you”, your heart will break all over again. Many people feel lost after a breakup; not because they miss their ex, but because so many of their daily habits once revolved around someone else. Give yourself some time to adapt to single life.
4, Don’t Visit Their Facebook:
Social media can be a heartbroken person’s worst nightmare. Resist the urge to post anything about your breakup online, don’t insult your ex on twitter and don’t be a constant visitor to his/her Facebook page. Seeing pictures of your ex happy or with someone else can compound your problem and make your life more miserable than it probably already is.
5, Don’t Give up.
Regardless of how the breakup made you feel, don’t let it destroy your hope. Continue taking care of yourself. Take some time to refocus and pursue the things you’ve always loved to do. Spend time with loved ones. You found love before and you will find it again. Learn what you can from the relationship that just ended and move forward. Don’t give up on meeting your perfect match. Be thankful that the wrong relationship ended to free you up for the right one.

Man Hacked To Death By Younger Sisters In Cross River -PHOTO

The Police in Calabar, Cross River State has detained two sisters for allegedly hacking their eldest brother, Kokoette Effiom Effiong, to death.

The sisters were alleged to have chopped Kokoette with sticks and machetes in a fight which ensued following disagreement over the sharing of proceeds from the sale of their late father’s land at Akpabuyo.
The gruesome incident happened at the weekend at Ikot Nakanda, a family source said left the deceased with deep machete cuts in the head inflicted by the two sisters which led to his death.


“The man had deep cuts in the head and arm inflicted by Idak and Ikwo during a fight in the bush behind our house,” Otop Idebe, Kokoette’s cousin said.
“They claimed that their brother had made so much money from the sale of their father’s land while they were away and so when another parcel was sold they demanded that the money be shared equally among all the surviving children and when their brother objected, they were not happy which led to the fight.”
One of the suspects identified as Idak however said it was her sister that used machete on him.

 

“On that fateful day, we were told that Kokoete gave the names of three of us, including one of our siblings, Efangha, to a native doctor for money rituals.
“So when he came to our kitchen to cook cocoyam, we warned him not to use our kitchen again because we did not like sharing a kitchen with any man, besides that he sold our father’s land and had the gut to keep the money to himself without giving us our share.”
“Kokoette insisted on using the kitchen and a quarrel ensued and while still exchanging words, Kokoette went to the toilet in the bush behind the compound and Ikwo followed him with a big stick and a machete. After a short while, I heard Kokoette screaming, so I ran to the place to stop them only to see Ikwo using the machete on him.”
In her statement to the police, Ikwo denied her sister’s statement. She said that it was the deceased that trailed her to the bush, where she went to stool and they started a fight.
The suspects were arrested by the police in Ikot Nakanda in Akpabuyo and transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Diamond Hill in Calabar.
Confirming the incident, Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Imoh (DSP) said they would be charged to court after the police had concluded investigation on the matter.

Robin van Persie’s Hat-Trick Wins 20th League Trophy For Man U

Robin van Persie hit a first-half hat-trick as Manchester United cantered to an unprecedented 20th English league title with an emphatic 3-0 victory at home to Aston Villa on Monday.

Manchester City’s 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur a day earlier had handed United a chance to regain the title and Alex Ferguson’s men needed no second invitation, swamping Villa to claim the championship with four games to spare.
Van Persie, United’s number 20, was the man who brought United their 20th top-flight crown, netting inside 90 seconds and then scoring a breath-taking volley before completing his hat-trick 12 minutes before half-time. With 13 Premier League titles, United manager Ferguson and veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs, creator of two of van Persie’s goals, have now each won as many English league crowns as Arsenal.
Eternal rivals Liverpool, meanwhile, now trail United by two championships on the all-time honours board. Villa never threatened to poop the party and remain under threat from third-bottom Wigan Athletic, who could suck Paul Lambert’s side into the relegation zone if they win their game in hand. The evening’s outcome was never in doubt from the moment, just one minute and 23 seconds into the game, when van Persie put United in front. Rafael da Silva’s delivery from the right appeared overhit, but Giggs rescued it by volleying a cushioned cross across goal for the Dutchman to tap in from barely a yard. A chant of ‘Championey!’ rang out from Old Trafford’s Stretford End as United continued to press, Rafael hitting the post with a crisp strike from 20 yards. Villa threatened to spoil things when Christian Benteke side-footed over from Andreas Weimann’s pass, only for van Persie to double United’s lead with a strike to rival any goal scored in Europe this season.
Wayne Rooney floated a 40-yard pass behind the Villa defence and van Persie met the ball first-time with a technically immaculate volley from outside the box that rocketed past goalkeeper Brad Guzan and into the net. On a night rich with symmetry, van Persie’s third goal arrived in the 33rd minute. Shinji Kagawa freed Giggs, who unselfishly squared to van Persie, and the former Arsenal striker neatly side-stepped Guzan before lifting the ball into the roof of the net. With 24 goals, United’s £24 million ($37 million, 28 million euros) man now leads Luis Suarez by a goal in the top scorers’ chart, to further blacken the Liverpool striker’s mood after he was charged by the Football Association for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday.
Van Persie further illustrated his value by heading off the line from Weimann early in the second half, while David de Gea saved smartly from Benteke and Karim El Ahmadi. Kagawa spurned a glorious chance to make it 4-0 when he blazed over the bar, but by then the match, like the title race, had long been decided.