Indonesia executes 4 Nigerians, others for drug convictions

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday executed eight people, including four Nigerians, convicted for drug offenses.

The death row prisoners, whose pending execution drew condemnations around the world amid pleas for clemency, were killed by firing squad.

The execution of a ninth convict, a woman from the Philippines, was postponed at the last minute.

The Fillipino was spared after a woman accused of tricking her into carrying drug, handed herself to the police in Philippines Tuesday.

The four Nigerians included Martins Anderson, 50, who was charged with possession of heroin, and Okwudili Oyatanze, 41, also charged for smuggling heroin.

Jamiu Abashin, 50, was also executed for smuggling heroin, while Sylvester Nwolise, 42, was also executed for the same offence.

Other convicts who were executed were 34-year-old Australian, Myruan Sukumaran, 31 year-old Australian, Andrew Chan, charged for smuggling heroin, and 41 year-old Brazilian, Rodrigo Gularte, 42, who was convicted for smuggling cocaine.

Also executed was Zainal Abidin, a 50-year-old Indonesian, who was convicted for marijuana possession with intent to distribute.

Photos: Chaos in Onitsha after police man shoots driver dead

Yesterday, a policeman allegedly shot dead a 'Hero' beer truck driver during a road rage in Onitsha, Anambra state. According to eye-witnesses, the truck driver had parked his truck in a manner the policeman said was disturbing other road users. The policeman who was part of an escort van came down from his police vehicle, approached the truck and an argument ensued. For reasons best known to the police officer, he opened fire and shot dead the truck driver. 

This morning, an angry mob, including truck drivers and conductors came out in their numbers to protest the death of their colleague. They burnt tyres and blocked the gate leading to the company where the policeman worked. When the protest seemed to be getting out of hand, the army had to be called in and they came with an armored tank.

Nigerian military rescues 200 girls from Sambisa forest

Nigerian troops have rescued 200 girls from Sambisa forest, the notorious hideout of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, the defence headquarters said Tuesday.

The girls were found Tuesday afternoon alongside 93 women who were also rescued, the military said.

The military however said it could not confirm whether the girls were students abducted more than a year ago from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State.

The girls were being “screened and profiled”, the military said.

“Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls & 93 women from Sambisa Forest. We cannot confirm if the #ChibokGirls are in this group,” the military said in a series of tweets.

“Troops captured and destroyed 3 terrorists camps including the notorious Tokumbere camp in the Sambisa Forest Operation.

“The freed persons are now being screened and profiled,” while promising to provide more detail on the operation later.”

The Chibok girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants on April 14, 2014.

PRNigeria, a news website which distributes press statements for the military and other Nigerian government agencies, reported that at least three major terrorists camps were destroyed during the operation.

The website quoted the Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, a major general, as confirming the operations.

“I can only confirm the rescued this afternoon of 200 girls and 93 women in different camps in the forest. We are yet to determine their origin as all the freed persons are now being screened and profiled. Please don’t misquote me on their origin. We will provide more details later,” Mr. Olukolade said.

Four month old baby found alive after 4 days in Nepal earthquake rubble

 Over 5,000 have been recorded dead since the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Saturday April 25th.  However God protected this precious 4 month old baby who was rescued by the Nepal army after 4 days of being trapped in the Nepal earthquake rubble. 

Photos: Buhari Meets & Shakes Man Who Trekked From Lagos To Abuja

For president elect Muhammad Buhari, Hashimu walked from Lagos to Abuja. Now, he has received a presidential handshake from General Buhari. I wounder if the President elect has something else in store for him. Lets see!! 

7-Year-Old Florida Girl Wins Over $16K for 'Moxie Girl' Comic Book Empowering Girls of Color

A 7-year-old girl won over $16,000 in prize money at a crowd funding festival that she's going to use to publish her comic book, "The Adventures of Moxie Girl."

The book's young co-author, Natalie McGriff of Jacksonville, Florida, said she hopes the comic will empower girls of color like her who lack representation in mainstream media.

"Moxie Girl" was created after Natalie told her mom she hated two things: her natural hair and reading, Natalie said.

"I didn't like it because I wanted it straight, and I saw everybody with straight hair," she told ABC News today. "And reading was boring to me."

Natalie’s mom, Angela Nixon, said this raised a red flag for her.

"Me being black, of course, I used to get picked on in school for my natural hair, and I didn't want that to happen to my daughter," Nixon told ABC News today. "I wanted to step in, boost her self-esteem and foster a love of reading in her."

So, in December, Nixon said she and Natalie created a superhero named Moxie, which is slang for "the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage."

Moxie, who's based on Natalie, is a girl who doesn't like her hair at first, Natalie said.

"But she gets this shampoo from her godmother that gives her hair superpowers, and she saves her local library from monsters trying to eat the books," Natalie added.

Natalie and Nixon started raising money to get the book published through the crowd funding platform One Spark, which hosted a festival April 12, Nixon said.

The mom-and-daughter duo presented their book at the festival, where they were top-voted this month in the "Education" category. They got a check $16,423.69: a combined total of their $15,000 award and money they had already previously crowdfunded.

They plan to publish the book in June, which is Natalie's birthday month, Nixon said, adding that she has gotten inquiries from store owners from around the world. But she's still figuring out how widely available the book will be.

Nixon said she hopes the book will empower girls of color and inspire more diverse media representation.

"We want girls of color to know they're awesome, that they have moxie and that they're young queens who should be proud of who they are and who they represent," Nixon said. "Love yourselves, love your hair, your skin color. You're beautiful and awesome."

This killer stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death, and then ate her

Joseph Oberhansley, 33, allegedly tried to break into Tammy Jo Blanton’s house in Jeffersonville, Indiana at 3am, New York Times reports.

Police were called but left with no sign of an intruder.

Oberhansley then allegedly returned to the home and carried out his brutal and vicious crime.

When Blanton didn’t arrive for work the next day, concerned colleagues called 911 and officers were sent to check on her.

It was in the home that police found her mutilated body in the bath covered by a tarpaulin.

Blanton, 46, suffered fatal injuries to her head, which included a crushed skull, neck and torso but what was more disturbing was the plate and cooking utensils covered in blood and bone.

Her body tissue was also found in a garbage can.

Oberhansley who was still inside the property was restrained and arrested by officers and was charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and breaking and entering.

“He further admitted to cooking a section of her brain and eating it,” the arrest report said, according to Wave3.

Oberhansley appeared in Clark Circuit Court.

“You’ve got the wrong guy,” claimed Oberhansley who denied all charges and said that his name was, in fact, “Zeus Brown.”

Oberhansley has a previous conviction for manslaughter, shooting dead his 17-year-old girlfriend Sabrina Elder, in 1998, The Courier-Journal reports.

He reportedly shot and killed Elder, who’d recently given birth to their son, at his grandmother’s Salt Lake City home before trying to commit suicide.

He was released from prison in 2012, but is currently charged in two other separate cases — for a cross-state police car chase and allegedly putting a man in a chokehold.

Prosecutors had asked for a $25,000 bail to be set before he could be released again, but this was lowered to $5,000, allowing him to be released for $500.

He is now being held without bail and his trial for murder has been set for February 16.

Robbery suspect burnt by mob in Abia

It was gathered that the gang of 12 robbers were raiding an apartment in the area when a member of the gang attempted to rape a woman but was resisted by her husband.

He ran out of luck when neighbours raised the alarm which attracted the attention of others who came to the rescue of the couple while the gang fled leaving behind the randy member.

A resident of the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity told said that while the suspect tried to escape, other members of the community seized and tied him up and later set him ablaze at the 7UP junction.

The source added the gang had been terrorizing residents of the area, raping women, dispossessing them of cash, mobile phones and other valuables.

The Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Ezekiel Onyeke who confirmed the incident said that before policemen from the nearby Ohuru Isimiri Division could get to the scene, the villagers had already set the suspect robber ablaze.

Kogi state poly graduate hacks bank, steals N68bn… lands in EFCC net

A graduate of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Stephen Omaidu, has been arrested and arraigned for allegedly hacking into a bank's database and stealing the sum of N68 billion naira.

Omaidu is alleged to have worked with four accomplices to transfer the said sum into four different accounts

According to spokesperson of the he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the suspected hacker's accomplices, Alhaji K. B. Kabiru, Godswill Oyegwa, Ben and Oliver, escaped and are still at large.

Omaidu was arraigned before Justice M. A. Nasir of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja on two counts bordering on theft to the tune of N68bn, an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Penal Code.

EFCC counsel, S. A. Ugwuebgulam, asked the court to fix a date for the trial to commence after Omaidu pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defense counsel, Gabriel O. Sanifu, asked the urged the court to admit the accused to bail pending trial.

“The offence is bailable," he said.

Ugwuebgulam countered the bail application because the suspect had breached the conditions of the administrative bail terms earlier granted him.

Justice Nasir then remanded the suspect in custody and adjourned the case to the 28th of April, 2015.

PHOTOS: Coffin Found On The Street Of Abia State

People of Abia state woke up this morning to find this coffin on the street. Some said it has something to do with the upcoming state election.

Photo: Woman Arrested For Raping A Man At Gunpoint

Ciera Ross, a mother of two, has been arrested and charged with raping a man. According to CBS Chicago, Ross and a friend were driving on the North Side of Chicago when they saw a man walking down the street in late July.

Ross, 25, stopped and asked the 33-year-old man if he wanted a ride. The man took the offer, but Ross’ true intentions became evident when she pulled a gun on the man. She forced the man to go to the backseat and told him to have sex with her friend. The man pleaded for the women to stop after they made him fondle the woman’s breasts and butt.

Ross then ordered the man to take his clothes off and her friend began to assault him sexually. The women also took $200 and credit cards from the man.

The male victim was able to escape when he saw a taxi cab and ran from the car naked. The cab driver allowed the man to use his cellphone to take a picture of Ross’ license plate. Chicago police arrested Ross on Sept. 3 and the victim identified her as the assailant.

Ross has been arrested for prostitution in the past. She was charged with rape and armed robbery and held on a $75,000 bond. Her friend has yet to be charged.

Photos: How the General Hospital in Otukpo Benue looks like

According to this twitter user @Davydhabba, this is how the General Hospital Otukpo in Benue State looks like. 

This is a shame, if its for real.

Photo: See the faces of the men who stabbed Emmanuel Sithole to death in SA

These four men accused of stabbing Mozambican man Emmanuel Sithole to death on Saturday April 18th appeared in court today and were later remanded in prison. SA Police released their photo on Twitter. Check out the photo from the attack and see if it's the same men.

Nigerians Under Attack in South African Durban

Durban's CBD became the focal point on Tuesday of clashes between police, foreigners and locals, with a car set alight, stun grenades and tear gas canisters being fired, and crowds taunting police by banging on the shutters of shops and running away as police approached to investigate.

Police spokesperson Jay Naicker said earlier a group of foreigners were allegedly throwing stones at passing vehicles, people and at the police in the CBD. Five people have died since Friday, starting with two Ethiopians who were petrol bombed in the container they slept in and ran their small business from.

"The police are still monitoring the situation," said Naicker. "We heard that there was a man injured but we cannot confirm at this stage as no case has been opened," said Naicker, when asked to clarify unconfirmed reports on social media that a Pakistani national had been shot, or had been set alight. As commuters headed home late in the afternoon, sirens wailed throughout the seaside city and a pall of smoke rose from the CBD.

A crowd of about 700 people gathered at the end of Monty Naicker Road, where it intersects with Dr Yusuf Dadoo Road. Suddenly there was a commotion with some men seen with knobkerries and rock, and police bringing out their water cannons to control the crowd. Stun grenades were fired, but most people had fled

Pics: Two young men in chains on 3rd Mainland bridge to remember missing Chibok girls

Two young men, Okocha John Ndukwe and Damilola A. put themselves in chains for two hours on 3rd Mainland Bridge, Lagos, this morning to depict the captivity and torture of the missing Chibok girls to commemorate one year since their abduction.

Suleiman Hashimu. The Man Who Promised to Walk From Lagos to Abuja if Buhari wins, Now in Niger | See PHOTO

Suleiman Hashimu or ‘The traveller’ as I prefer to call him is an indigene of Katsina state, Funtua to be precise. He was born in Osun state but lives in Ibadan. The traveler promised two years ago to walk from where ever he is to the capital of Nigeria, Abuja if General Muhammadu Buhari wins the election in 2015. BBC Hausa, Voice of America and Aminiya (a Hausa mgazine) interviewed him. He was in Lagos when Buhari was declared the President-elect of Nigeria. He left Lagos at about 5am the next day and arrived Ibadan around 6pm.

He went to get a police report to allow for the smoothness of his journey but couldn’t wait and so, the D.P.O. gave him his phone number. Despite several discouragement from friends and at the same time, inspiration from friends and loved ones; he continued from Ibadan to Oyo. Then from Oyo to Ogbomoso.; And from Ogbomoso to Ilorin with much hospitality at every stop. At Ilorin, some people escorted him for some miles and he stopped at Oloru. Oloru, to border’n Sa’ada and then to Jebba. He received so much hospitality from Jebba and unlike other villages he met a lot of people who had heard of the traveller. About 20 people set off with him from Jebba and after some miles, about 18 went back but the remaining two where determined. They met with armed robbers close to Makwa and luckily, he already met one of them in Jebba and he even gave him 200 Naira for pure water. The robber told his colleagues that he was going to see Buhari and he gave him 2000 Naira and then slapped the two men with him. He continued his journey from Mkwa to Kudu and then to Kutigi. He is currently in Kutigi and will continue his journey to Bida tomorrow by the grace of God. I asked him about his encounter with the different people and he said it was remarkable. Actually he gets more determined to move on from the people. He was even treated like a King in a village in Niger. They sang tribal songs he didn’t understand and travellers stop to provide him with food and company along the way. Most of them are familiar with him because they travel the same route daily. Sometimes up to 10 cars would stop to converse with him. News travelled with the public transports to different places on his route and people from several cities, towns and villages on his route would call to check up on him and inquire about his journey. He doesn’t know for sure if Buhari knows of him but several of his support organizations do. He intends to reach Abuja by 27th of May and celebrate with the new president at his inauguration

IROKOtv and StarTimes sign deal for two new TV channels

IROKOtv and StarTimes have signed an exclusive deal at MIPTV, which takes place from 13 to 16 April in France, for two new linear TV channels: IROKO Play and IROKO Plus. Available across 14 countries, with a reach of 4.6 million subscribers, the deal signals a considerable investment in Nollywood entertainment for StarTimes, Africa’s fastest growing Pay TV operator.

IROKO Play, available in the StarTimes Basic Bouquet, will showcase classic Nollywood movies from 2007 onwards, with a new exclusive movie added to the schedule each month. IROKO Plus, in the StarTimes Unique Bouquet, will show premium Nollywood movies from 2011 onwards, with the addition of an exclusive new movie each week. As part of the 24/7 programming schedule, and in addition to the movies, both channels will also show behind the scenes interviews with the stars and magazine shows.

Jason Njoku, CEO of IROKO says, “Launching IROKO Play and IROKO Plus on StarTimes is an exciting milestone for IROKO. We’re known primarily for leading OTT content delivery across Africa through IROKOtv.com, but with digital migration spreading rapidly throughout the continent, now is the right time for us to diversify our distribution model and expand into the linear TV market. StarTimes are very much focused on bringing the very best entertainment to as many people as possible at an affordable price an ethos that is close to our hearts, which is why this new landmark partnership is so befitting”.

Michael Dearham, VP of StarTimes adds, “The deal with IROKO is a significant advance in our quest to become the home of premier African film and television content. Throughout the global African Diaspora, IROKO is synonymous with high-quality, cutting-edge Nollywood filmed entertainment and their extensive catalogue of prime-time Nollywood movies resonates well with StarTimes’ vision to provide every African family access to high-quality digital entertainment. Our exclusive partnership with IROKO allows us to nurture an 'axis of content excellence', as well as more clearly differentiate our value proposition which in turn gives us the means to deliver the very best Nollywood movies and series to our subscriber-base.”

Blockbusters including Alvina, Nkuli, Could This Be Love and Mother’s Error are scheduled for the launch of IROKO Plus, and classics, including Desperate To Survive, The Beast and Classic Love will show on IROKO Play.