The God Who Does Not Exist(A MUST READ)

I feel very sorry for people like Douglas Anele who maintain God does not exist.

At university, I was a student of Philosophy. You had to be, if you studied Political Science. I therefore find it highly amusing that, in a discussion about the existence of God, Douglas Anele tries to dazzle me by dropping the names of philosophers like David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Bertrand Russell. But I need no such shenanigans in order to confound Douglas’ atheism. I will only present here a token of my relationship with the God Douglas foolishly says is non-existent.

“Non-existent” meeting

I was standing in the parking lot of the building where I lived in Lagos, talking to Bimbo Dada, now Director of Library, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, when a man walked through the gate and came to talk to me. He said he worked for an oil-company but had recently been posted out of town.

There was a lunch-hour fellowship meeting every week in his house and he was at a loss what to do about it now he was leaving. So he had been asking the God Douglas says does not exist for guidance.

On that particular day, the “non-existent” God told him to stop praying. He told him to go out of the house and walk down the road. When he got to our gate, the “non-existent” God told him to go in. Then he said to him: “You are to hand over the lunch-hour fellowship to that man talking to the lady over there.” So the man said to me: “The Lord says I should hand over the lunch-hour fellowship meeting in my house to you.”

After getting the confirmation I required from the God “who does not exist,” I agreed to take over the fellowship. That was how I inherited a 20-man lunch-hour fellowship in 1994.

Soon, I rented a flat in Victoria Island for the fellowship from Chief Olisah Metuh, now PDP National Publicity Secretary. Two years later, the God “who does not exist” told me he has given me an entire building. I jumped to the conclusion he had given me Olisah Metuh’s  building. As a Christian then schooled naively in the sacrificial system, I concluded God would sacrifice the landlord’s interests for my sake.

I got a prayer group to surround the building and quickly claimed it in the name of Jesus, according to the principles of Joshua: wherever the soles of my feet tread, I take possession. (Joshua 1:3). I don’t know if someone quickly alerted Olisah Metuh he was in danger of losing his building to a determined prayer-warrior.

Or perhaps he received a warning about me in a vision or a dream. But shortly after I embarked on these ungodly prayer-sessions, the landlord gave me summary quit notice and I had to move out.

Hand of God

When I started looking for alternative accommodation, my estate agents, Diya Fatimilehin, first took me to a big dilapidated building in the same Victoria Island. I did not like it and rejected it out of hand. But later that evening, the “non-existent” God told me the building I despised was the one he had given me.

Therefore, I went back the next day to take a second look. I discovered my “Promised Land” was formerly occupied by the Palestinian Embassy and, significantly, it has quite a number of fruit trees.

I moved into the building in 1997 and spent a small fortune renovating it, confident it belonged to me. In 1999, at the expiration of my lease, the landlady, Eniola Vanderpuye, offered to sell the building to me through her lawyers, Abiola Morgan & Associates; even though I never asked to buy it.

I later discovered she had never even seen it before. It had been willed to her by her late father. But she lives in Chicago with her American husband and has no desire to return to Nigeria.

The realtor she hired to value the building turned out to be Pastor Seinde Adegbonmire of RCCG, a good friend of mine. He asked me how much I could afford. We finally agreed on a price convenient to both the landlady and me. Moreover, I was allowed to pay unconventionally; in installments over four years. Nevertheless, after four years, I was still unable to complete the payment for the building.

God’s bailout

One day, Mrs. Nike Shonibare, a woman I had never met before came to see me. She was then Head of Commercial and Community Banking at MBC International Bank. She told me her bank would like to encourage me to buy a new car. I would deposit one-third of the cost in their bank and they would finance the rest. She told me to go to Coscharis Nigeria Limited to choose any car I liked.

I went there and chose a Land Rover Freelander. But while the deal was still being negotiated by my lawyer, Pastor Tokun Pedro of RCCG, the “non-existent” God told me he did not send Mrs. Shonibare so I could buy a car. He told me he sent her so I could secure a loan to pay off my outstanding debt to Eniola Vanderpuye.

Accordingly, I borrowed N10 million from MBCI (now First Bank) to pay off my former landlady. I serviced the debt and brought it down to N5 million. But then I fell on hard times and it grew back to N10 million. Then the “non-existent” God appeared to me in a dream and promised to send me money “from Canada.”

Within eight days, I received miraculously a number of unsolicited gifts totalling N11 million. One friend I had not seen for years, walked into my office and said: “The Lord says I should give this to you.” He placed a cheque on my table face-down. When I turned it over, it was for N6,300,000.

I asked for a meeting with MBCI and insisted they should knock N2.5 million off my debt since I was prepared to clear it outright. They agreed to knock off N2.1 million. Thus, I completed the payment for the building, while still leaving me with a generous balance of nearly N3 million.

Foolish atheists

In effect, the “non-existent” God gave me a lunch-hour fellowship. He then gave me a big building at 12 Babatunde Jose Street, Victoria Island, a prime location in Lagos, in which to have the fellowship. He then arranged a loan for me to finance the payment for the building. Then, he arranged for gifts to enable me clear my debts.

Today, barely nine years later, the value of the building given to me by the God who is “non-existent” is now over fifteen times the purchase price.

You can now see why I feel very sorry for people like Douglas Anele. They use Philosophy to negate the existence of God. People like Douglas are victims of their own conceit. Since they don’t know God, they conclude he does not exist instead of humbling themselves in prayer and asking God to reveal himself to them.

Jesus says: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.” (Matthew 11:25-26).

Femi Aribisala is the fellowship coordinator of Healing Wings. Healing Wings is a pentecostal Christian fellowship which meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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Pope prays for peace in Syria, Korea, Nigeria on first Easter

Pope Francis prayed for a “political solution” in Syria and for “reconciliation” on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message in front of a crowd in St Peter’s Square.

Latin America’s first pontiff also issued an appeal for hostages held by militants in Nigeria and condemned human trafficking as “the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st century”.

The pope delivered his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to Rome and the world from the same balcony of St Peter’s Basilica where he made his first appearance after his momentous election to the papacy this month.

Speaking in front of some 250,000 people from around the world in the Vatican, Francis prayed for “dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort.

“How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?” he said.

“On the Korean peninsula, may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow,” he said, a day after North Korea declared it was in a “state of war” with South Korea.

Francis also prayed for Nigeria “where great numbers of people, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups” — an apparent reference to a French family kidnapped in Cameroon and believed held by the Nigerian group Boko Haram.

The pope also toured St Peter’s Square in his open-top “popemobile” — kissing babies and waving to cheering crowds who held up flags from around the world including his native Argentina.

Easter is the holiest day in the Christian calendar and celebrates the belief in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the culmination of weeks of intense prayer for Christians.

At an Easter Vigil in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, the first pontiff from outside Europe in nearly 1,300 years of Church history reached out to non-believers and lapsed Catholics, urging them to “step forward” to God.

– Open arms –

“He will receive you with open arms,” said the 76-year-old, formerly Buenos Aires archbishop Jorge Bergoglio.

The Catholic Church is struggling in the face of rising secularism, particularly in Europe where attendances at Mass are falling sharply.

On Sunday, Francis prayed God’s message would reach “every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons.”

“How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour,” he said.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem on Sunday invited the pope and the world’s Christians to visit the Holy City, which he called the birthplace of “everything Christian.”

“Our new evangelisation, in order to be up-to-date and effective, must start out again from Jerusalem, start out from the first Christian community,” Fuad Twal, the senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, said in his Easter homily.

In his first Easter sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury, who leads the world’s 80 million Anglicans, Justin Welby warned against “pinning hopes on individuals” to solve all of society’s problems.

A “hero leader culture” in which all trust was placed in one person only led to false hope, he told worshippers at Canterbury Cathedral.

On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass in a youth prison in Rome in which he washed the feet of 12 inmates including two girls and two Muslims — a ritual seen as a gesture of humility towards the 12 apostles attributed to Jesus.

Previous popes only ever performed the ritual with priests or Catholic laymen.

On Good Friday, Francis presided over a torch-lit ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome, where Christians are believed to have been martyred. There, he prayed for peace in the Middle East and urged dialogue with “our Muslim brothers”.

The new pope has said he wants a “poor Church for poor people” and has adopted a less formal style than that of his predecessor Benedict XVI.

A moderate conservative on Catholic doctrine, he was known in Argentina for his humble lifestyle, his outreach in poor neighbourhoods and his strong social advocacy during his homeland’s devastating economic crisis.

Vatican experts say he is yet to begin tackling key problems for the Church, however, including reform of the scandal-ridden Vatican bureaucracy.

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SEE GRAMMER: Too Much GRAMMAR! Patrick Obahiagbon's Easter Message To Nigerians

Yes o! the Prof. is back, this is smoking hot grammar at his peak.

 As we join Christians in the celebration of Easter, may we truly reflect on the quintessential modus vivendi of Master Jesus; The Christ, who peregrinated this incarnation as an exempli gratia of self abnegation, puritanical excrescence, spartan discipline, mental magnitude, hierophantic candour and altruistic effusions,qualities which have become a desiderata for national resurgimento

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Desmond Elliot's Afro Getaway at Weekend Getaway movie premiere

The star actor and director has gone from dreads to Afro. He debuted the new look at the Weekend Getaway movie premiere in Lagos on Friday. You like?

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Student k**led by lover was waiting to earn first salary

Parents of Olaide Bournes, who was allegedly killed by her lover, are in agony and they want justice to take its course, writes GBENGA ADENIJI

Tears welled up the eyes of Mrs. Bournes as she welcomed our correspondent to her Aguda, Ogba residence. There were a few sympathisers outside the house, who came to comfort the Bournes family.

A few days earlier, Bournes had lost her daughter, Olaide, a part-time business administration student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, who was allegedly killed by her lover, Abuchi Cyril.

Initially, Mrs. Bournes was too heavy-hearted to talk about her loss, especially as the continued arrival of sympathisers reinforced the reality of her 22-year-old daughter’s demise.

Although there was nothing to suggest that she was walking to her death on the day she died, Olaide was reluctant to leave home, repeating the same house chore several times and taking a long time to dress up. She had planned to see her alleged killer, Abuchi, in his house and later head for a branch of an old generation bank to open an account in which her first salary would be paid.

She worked as a contract staff with a popular confectionery firm in Ikeja, Lagos State and she was expected to resume by 3pm on that fateful day.

Mrs. Bournes described her late daughter as a very quiet and peace-loving person whose death has created a big vacuum in the family.

She said, “She was always eager to assist others. Olaide hated argument or anything that will lead to a fight and she was never happy seeing people exchanging words. The day she died, we were together talking outside the house because I was waiting for the sanitation exercise to end so that I could display my wares. I am a trader and we observe sanitation every Thursday. Later, she went inside to get dressed and her phone rang. I had her phone with me so I rushed inside to give it to her. She told me it was Abuchi who was calling and that she wanted to see him before going to work. She said Abuchi was leaving for Malaysia during the week and had asked her to come so that they could celebrate before his departure.”

She added that before the deceased left home that day, she told her she would go to the bank to open an account where her first salary would be paid.

“She started working with the confectionary company on January 28 and was yet to get her first salary. They were told to provide their account details and many of her colleagues who had done so had been paid.  She filled the form a day before the incident,” Bournes stated amidst tears.

But expectation of joy turned sorrow when, a few hours after her daughter left home, Mrs. Bournes noted changes in the way people were relating with her. She later learnt that Olaide was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died after she was allegedly beaten by Abuchi.

It was not the first time Olaide’s boyfriend had abused her. Mrs. Bournes confirmed that there were times when her daughter would return home sullen after visiting Abuchi. She recalled that she met Abuchi for the first time at a hospital where her daughter had gone to receive treatment for malaria.

“I asked my daughter who he was and she told me he was her friend. I remember that he sat looking as I questioned my daughter about his identity. Olaide used to tell me that the guy was fond of beating her and I warned her to be careful and desist from seeing him. But she would reply that they had settled whatever the problem was.”

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased and Abuchi had been dating for over three years before the final fatal meeting. It was also learnt that Abuchi, who lives close to the deceased’s house with his parents, often accused the late Olaide of cheating on him.

Abuchi, said to be popular in the area, was alleged to have beaten Olaide during an argument after which she hit her head against the ground in the suspect’s room and became unconscious. The suspect later went to the Area G Police Command to hand himself over to the police. He was subsequently detained.

The deceased’s father, Akindele Bournes, who was visibly distressed as he spoke to our correspondent, said he was shocked to learn that Abuchi attends the same church with him.

He stated, “I never knew that the suspect attends the same church with my family. At the close of service every Sunday, he would call my late daughter to tell her that he sat beside me in the church. I know that my daughter has been killed but the manner of her death was painful. I cannot believe that I have lost my girl. She was a source of joy to me. I want justice to be done. When I was at the Area G Police Command and the suspect was brought out for me to see. I was shocked when he said he knew me in the church.”

Olaide’s elder sister, Olabisi, said she would miss everything about her late younger sister. “I miss everything about my sister. Is it her smiles, jokes, beauty, gentle nature or caring attitude that I will forget? We did everything together being the only two around since our other sibling is not in Nigeria. She would joke about my choice of clothes and tell me what to put on and what not to. I would then tease her by saying ‘big girl.’ Her hearty smile to my taunt often made me laugh happily. I cannot believe she was gone forever,’’ she state.

The late Olaide’s friends in school, who paid the family a visit, were unable to hold back their tears. President of the institution’s students’ union, Mr. Udechukwu Ifeanyichukwu, said his first encounter with the late Olaide was in 2012 when she mistakenly stepped on him on the campus.

He said, “I told her she stepped on me and her response was so awesome. I didn’t forget the episode because I was moved by her apologies which was warm and courteous.

“Since then, I took notice of her and got to know that she was a very nice person. She was quiet and friendly. It is so painful that such a lady so full of hopes and promises could die so cruelly,” said Ifeanyichukwu.

When contacted on the telephone, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officers, Lagos State Police Command, Damascus Ozoani, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos.

He said, ‘‘The suspect has been moved to the State CID where further investigation is currently ongoing on the case.’’

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'I spent FIFTEEN years trying to have a baby... then I discovered I was pregnant with just weeks to go!' God is Awesome

Wow, God is indeed a miracle working God! This is one big testimony...

After 15 fruitless years of trying for a baby, Claire Sanderson had all but given up on her dream of becoming a mother.

Doctors had diagnosed her with unexplained infertility, and when her periods stopped altogether she and husband Dean thought it was 'the end of the road'.

So Claire, 33, was stunned two years later to learn that she was pregnant at last - and that her much longed-for baby was due in a matter of weeks. 

Claire decided to take a pregnancy test after feeling an unexplained movement in her stomach last April. To the couple's joy, it was positive, and they were dumbfounded when doctors told them Claire was already seven months along. wow!!!

Claire said ‘It was such a shock when the doctors told me I was so far pregnant. I’d had no idea.

‘We only had a few weeks to be prepared. We’d been waiting for 15 years for this moment.  And it was nearly here. All our family rallied around and helped us get everything ready for the baby’s arrival.

Claire gave birth to her daughter Summer just eight weeks later - a week early  - at Hull Royal Infirmary, weighing a healthy 6Ib 8oz.

She said: ‘I was only in labour for five hours. It seemed like after waiting for so long, Summer was in such a hurry to get here.

‘When I’d given birth to her I was still in shock about even being pregnant. It was a wonderful feeling to have our daughter, but it felt like she wasn’t ours.

‘Dean even jokes that it is as though we are babysitting her and soon we will have to give her back. After waiting so long, everything happened so quickly and it still hasn’t sunk in that we are parents at last.

‘Our little miracle took 15 years - and then took just eight weeks and five hours to arrive.’

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I Think I'm Gay, But I Don't Want To Be

My name is J. Yes, I love fashion and all, but I'm a guy, a different guy and now I'm getting really worried. Over the years, I've been teased about been feminine, and I've never liked it.

I hung out with the girls more because I liked what they liked, and even worse I have a very tiny voice...even till now, that I'm 26 years old.

On few occasions, I've tried to date girls, its just didn't work. They always tend to like me at first, but later think I'm too feminine, and then somehow loose interest. But thats not the worse.

My biggest problem is that I'm not even sèxually attracted to girls, at all. I've tried s**x with a couple of girls, but I get irritated at some point while making out, and my erection goes out the window.

Thing is, I like to hang out with guys, but most of them think I'm too feminine, and tease me embarrassingly so from experience, I've learnt to hang out with female friends or stay indoors and read mags or watch TV.I don't like typical male stuff too.

This year, I'd be going to serve, but not until June. So for now I'm indoors more often, while I help out my parents with their bottle water business. So for the next few months, I'm hoping to get answers and solutions to my problem, even though I don't know how.

Truth is I think I'm gay, or at least have tendencies, but I've never had sèxual relations with any guy o...neither do I fantasize about men s**xually. If anything, I want to live a normal life. I want to date, have a girl friend, get married and have kids, but my sojourn with the opposite s***x and s***x itself is nothing to write home about.**

At 26, the worst I've done is m*st*rbate and watch porn...yes, I'm still a virgin hard as may be to believe.

My parents are worried too, about my s**xuality, and my dad had tried to no avail to get me interested in soccer and things, but its not just for me. I guess our Christian background helps a bit too, because it helps me to understand that I cannot be gay.

I love my parents very much, but how do I tell them the depths of all my fears and what I'm experiencing? How do I open up to any one I know that I need help because I think I'm gay, without being castigated, judged, or looked down upon? Who do I even talk to? A doctor, a psychologist ?? Are there even s**x psychologists in Nigeria??? I'm really lost people, and I need help.

Please don't judge me, I don't want to be gay. My being feminine I didn't choose. I just need advice on how to live a normal life as a guy, and maybe counselling will help. I don't even know again self.

Good thing is here, even if I'm insulted, no one knows who I am in real life.. but please, I would appreciate If you understand that I'm a victim, and didn't choose to be this way.

If you know anyone who can help me, please leave it in the comment section, I'm ready to pursue help from neutral persons who are knowledgeable or experts so long as my parents don't know about it. By the way, I am an only child.

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First Lady Patience Jonathan sick again?(SEE)

According to Sahara Reporters, our First Lady is sick again and at the moment shuttling between Spain and Germany for treatment. Don't know how true this is but she's been absent from several important official events in the last few days. Hope she gets better...

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Rev Chris Okotie seeks secret trial for ex-pianist, asks judge to chase journalists

The Head of the Household of God Church and former presidential candidate, Chris Okotie, was so uncomfortable with journalists reporting his involvement in a suit that he asked the judge to chase journalists away from the court room.

The reverend stated this to a Lagos Magistrate Court Judge on Wednesday during a trial between him and a former member of his church.

Mr. Okotie is accusing Dafiaghor Okiotor, 40, a former keyboardist in the church, of blackmail and intimidation and trying to extort N39 million from him.

Mr. Okiotor, however, stated that the flamboyant head of the church owed him after he played the keyboard and produced music for the church for 14 years.

The accused had consistently debunked claims that he was a volunteer at the church, adding that he had a “private arrangement” with Mr. Okotie.

Okotie seeks journalists exit
As the trial continued on Wednesday, Mr. Okotie asked the magistrate to tell the reporters to “excuse’ them from the court.
“Your Honour, there are journalists in the court recording the proceedings. We would be obliged if they can be excused from the court,” said Kola Dopamu, who was holding brief for Mr. Okotie at the trial.

Robert Igbinedion, Mr. Okiotor’s counsel, demanded to know the reasons for asking the journalists to leave.

“What issue does it go to? You cannot eat your cake and have it. You were the ones who brought us to court. The court is a public place and setting where everybody, lawyers, journalists and even passersby come to unhindered as long as they don’t disrupt the proceedings,” Mr. Igbinedion said.
Oshodi Makanjuola, the magistrate, ignored the defence lawyer and told the journalists to “leave her court.”

“I know your people (journalists) are always around the court premises but why are you in this particular court proceeding?” Mrs. Makanjuola asked the journalists. “What is so special about this case that you want to cover the case? Please leave the court room.”
The magistrate also shouted at Mr. Igbinedion, who tried to oppose the order.
“Excuse me, I will not allow you to talk. I do not want journalists in my court. This is my court and I run it the way I so please. Who are you that journalists should be coming to cover your case? What nonsense!”

A shouting match
As the court orderly came forward to march the journalists out of the room, a shouting match ensued between the magistrate and the defence lawyer.
Court transcripts seen by PREMIUM TIMES detailed the heated verbal exchanges between the magistrate and the lawyer.
“Your Honour, you have no right to issue that order. The constitution is very clear about the freedom of the press and public hearing. By your action you have just trampled on the fundamental right of my client to a fair hearing,” Mr. Igbinedion said.
The magistrate fired back: “How dare you talk to me in that manner? So, it’s the journalists that would now ensure that his rights are protected?”
Mr. Igbinedion continued, “Your Honour, I’m sorry but you do not have the power to do that. You sit there operating with the powers that was given you by the constitution but you are trampling on the same constitution. Your action, if you insist, will rob I and my client of every confidence that we can get justice in this court. If you insist the journalists, who are the Fourth Estate of the realm, leave then I will have no choice but to leave also. You may as well pass your judgment without trial.”
As other lawyers in the court, visibly taken aback, tried to douse the tension in the room, a furious Mrs. Makanjuola insisted that the journalists would leave.
“How dare you talk to me like that? This is my court. Are you going to tell me how to run my court? Journalists please leave my court now,” Mrs. Makanjuola said.
At this point, the defence lawyer threatened to walk out with his client.
“Your Honour, my client is no longer assured of fair hearing. We do not have confidence in the court anymore. The court has ceased to be a public place. A place where everybody should have access especially members of the Fourth Estate of the realm,” said Mr. Igbinedion.

I can use my power anyhow
The argument and counter argument dragged on, the magistrate insisting that no law states that journalists must cover the proceedings of the court; the lawyer arguing that it was their fundamental right.
“I have the power to use my discretion to allow the journalists or not to allow the journalists. You have no right to tell me that journalists must be in my court,” the magistrate said.
Mr. Igbinedion started to flip the pages of the Nigerian Constitution, searching for the section that deals with the Freedom of the Press.
“Sorry, Your Honour, but your discretion cannot supersede the laws of the country… My client is facing a criminal charge brought against him by Mr. Chris Okotie who we all know is a billionaire. The constitution says that no part of the hearing can be conducted in secret. It must be open. If you will trample the constitution then we will lose confidence in the court.”
Mrs. Makanjuola asked the lawyer his reason for ‘bringing’ journalists to cover the court’s proceedings.
“Journalists often come to cover cases in court but why should they come for your matter? Who are you? I’m just wondering why you decided to bring a special journalist. What is so special about you and your case that journalists should come?” Mrs. Makanjuola asked.
Mr. Igbinedion responded that the matter is an oppression of the poor by the rich.

Okotie oppressed my client
“The constitution is here to protect everyone from oppression. Mr. Chris Okotie accused the defendant publicly. Now he wants the defendant to be tried secretly. My client has been maligned in the newspapers with headlines like: ‘Pianist assaults Reverend Chris Okotie;’ ‘Pianists attacks Chris Okotie while preaching;’ ‘Pianist disrupts Reverend Chris Okotie’s service;’ ‘Pianist threaten Reverend Chris Okotie.
“Google any of these headlines, you will find my client named as the anarchist. My client was in jail when these publications came out. My learned prosecutor granted an interview stating these to the press. Consequently, my client is finding it difficult to get jobs because no one is ready to give any job to a man who has been publicly portrayed to have assaulted his boss.
“When they were making all these allegations, the press was good and okay. Now we say give your evidence publicly, they now have a problem with the same press being around. We say no to that kind of oppression,” said Mr. Igbinedion.
The magistrate eventually asked the journalists to return, stating that she did not “have a personal interest in the matter.”
“So it’s the journalists that will ensure a fair hearing? Ok, call the journalists to come in since that is the way you think your client can have a fair hearing,” Mrs. Makanjuola said. “Let it not be [said] that I have any special interest in this matter,” she added.
Addressing the journalists, the magistrate urged them to be objective in their reporting of proceedings.
“I read Mass Communications before going to study Law. I hope you understand what I mean about being objective?” she said.

Culled from Premium Times

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Singer Waje Speaks On Her ‘N**de Picture’

Following the controversy surrounding the release of her ‘half-nude picture’ online, Waje has explained that the said picture was not only an abstract, but also, part of her new video concept.

She offered this explanation when Showtime contacted her   on her new video.

According to her, the picture is a scene in her new single titled I Wish, released during the week.

“After being on set of the movie, Tunnel, I realized that our music videos are like movies painting the right picture and acting it. I Wish video is a lifeless theme and the song is a vulnerable song, and I tried to interprete it in that abstract nude picture with the broken mirrors. It’s me trying to interprete a woman’s vulnerability, xx ” she said.

Waje’s publicist, Ifeoma however refuted the rumour making the rounds that the singer went nude in the video, adding  “It was all graphics.”

According to her, Waje was putting on clothes in the video as shot by Clarence Peters.  “Waje didn’t go nude in that video. She was putting on her clothes with some jewelries.  The trick was all Clarence Peters’ work who made her look as if she was naked. You would notice that the picture was dark and blur with just her face being the most visible,” she said.

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Two brothers docked for slicing neighbour’s scrotum over N200

For 22-year-old Sunday Onyike, a Business Administration student of  Yaba College of Technology, Yaba-Lagos, the hope of successfully rounding up his programme with the his peers have been dashed.

This is because of  the prolonged treatment he has been receiving since March, 2011 as a result of  serious injury he sustained during a scuffle with  his neighbours identified as Augustine Eleyi, 28, and  Emeka Eleyi, 32, from Ohozara in Mgbo Ebonyi State.

Sunday, the only son of his parents from Ohafia in AbiaState, had his scrotum slashed off during a fight with two of his neighbours.

Narrating the circumstances that led to the problem to Crime Guard at their Makoko residence, the father of the victim, Onyike Okpara,65, stated;  “I have been living in this compound since 1970.   I had five children but only two are alive; that is Sunday and his younger sister who works at LagosIsland.

I occupy two rooms in the building, one room which I sleep in, and the other at the back of the building, where my children sleep. When ever my daughter comes home from work, she buys and shares biscuits, sweets and gala to our neighbour’s children.  So, the children always look forward to her returning from work.

More so, when  ever she is sharing these goodies to the children, two of our neighbours, Augustine Eleyi and his elder brother, Emeka Eleyi (who normally sits on the chair I kept in front of my children’s room at the boys quarters to smoke Indian hemp), would always walk up to them, grab what ever is within their grasp, and flee. Instead of them to ask, they would grab what ever they can and run away. My daughter complained about this to me, and I had called and cautioned them to desist from such act, but they would not listen.

On the evening of March 1st, 2011,  she was seated at the boys’ quarters with some children  sharing some gala when Augustine Eleyi, came and as usual, grabbed one gala and ran away.

My daughter pursued him and in the process, N200 fell from his pocket.   She picked it up and said it would serve as a payment for all the gala and biscuits he has been snatching from them.

Later on, on a second thought, she  decided to give him back the money as she thought it was not worth it.

Having searched around for him, and not knowing of his whereabouts, she decided to give him the money the next day.

On the evening of that day which was the 2nd of March, 2011, after she got back from work, she took the money to him at the boys quarters, but he said he does not want it anymore. At that point, an argument ensued between them, during which his younger brother, Emeka Eleyi collected the money from my daughter.

As the argument continued, my son Sunday who was in the room preparing for the next day’s lecture, told his sister to let the matter be, and go to our main room and sleep, while he asked Augustine and Emeka to leave the place because they were disturbing him with their noise.

Augustine asked him if the place looked like his school hostel, that if he wants to read, he should pack his books and go to his school hostel. As the argument raged, he slapped my son, who grabbed him on his shirt asking ‘what have I done to you’?, Emeka rushed to them pretending as if we was going for peace only for him to grab my son’s two hands, while Augustine rushed and fetched a sharp object, and used it to slash my son’s scrotum.

I feel he actually wanted to cut off his male organ, but missed. My son’s cry of agony attracted the attention of passersby, because part of the compound is a thoroughfare; it was these passersby that ran to inform us at the other side of the building.

I ran to the place and met my son in a pool of his blood. On sighting us, the culprits bolted. I wanted to run after them but I was weakened by the sight of my son lying in pains, in the pool of his blood.

I also thought, if I go after them at that point, what would be the fate of my son when I get back, hence I opted to stay back, with the help of the other neighbours and some of our church members, my son was rushed to the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba,  from where we obtained a note to take him to the hospital. At that time, the GeneralHospital was on strike, we brought my son back to Adekunle Police Station, and they asked us to find a private hospital and take him there.

So, we took him to a private hospital at Iwaya. Augustine and Emeka were later apprehended by neighbours who went after them, and handed over to the police.”

Crime Guard learnt that the case has been at the Yaba Magistrate’s Court since 2011.  Onyike Okpara  further told our reporter that for  one month his son was at the hospital in Iwaya, the Eleyi family only contributed N15,000 for the medical bills. He stated, “after the initial N15,000 installment  they brought when Sunday was taken to the hospital, I have not heard from them.

Three times, my pastor and family called them to seek out ways to settle the matter amicably; when they come, they will be dribbling us, they will promise to contribute to the medical bills but we wont hear from them after that. I have so far spent almost N200,000, I have the medical bill to prove that”.

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President Jonathan's 2013 Easter Message to the Nation

Easter Message from our President. See it below...

Dear Compatriots,

I greet and felicitate with you all as we celebrate Easter which commemorates the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ after his redemptive self-sacrifice for the eternal salvation of mankind.

Irrespective of our religion or faith, all holidays provide us with a fresh opportunity to establish stronger bonds with our family, friends and all those around us for more enduring, harmonious and beneficial relationships.

As we celebrate this year’s Easter therefore, I urge all Nigerians to rededicate themselves to living in peace and oneness with all members of their communities no matter their ethnicity, religious beliefs or places of origin.

By now, it ought to be an accepted fact amongst us that our immense potential for greatness in the comity of nations derives in the main from our collective strength as a country of close to 170 million people and the acclaimed richness of our diverse human resources and natural endowments.

It follows, therefore, that to successfully achieve our vision of becoming one of the most dominant nations on the global stage in the shortest possible time, we must stay together as a people and continue to effectively resist by all possible means, the evil machinations of global terrorists and their misguided domestic accomplices who seek to provoke turmoil, hatred and harmful divisions among us.

I assure all Nigerians that our security agencies, armed forces and I will continue to fully discharge our constitutional responsibilities for protecting the unity and territorial integrity of this country with all the powers and forces at our disposal.

We must have peace, security and stability to effectively implement our agenda for national transformation in all parts of the country and we shall continue to work ceaselessly to re-establish the prerequisite conditions for nationwide progress and development.

For your part, dear countrymen and women, I urge you to continue to exhibit restraint and understanding in the face of seeming provocations. Those who mindlessly and indiscriminately attack churches, schools, health workers,  motor-parks, banks and ordinary road users must be seen as they truly are: the brainwashed pawns of international terrorism.

They do not represent any true religion or section of the country and we must never play into their hands by succumbing to their nefarious ploys to incite religious, ethnic hatred and division among us.

It is my hope and prayer that as we celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, his lessons of self-sacrifice, brotherly love, placing others before self, tolerance, obedience, respect for lawful authorities, dutifulness, diligence, honesty, justice and fairness to all will take firmer root in our beloved country and help us to overcome present challenges and build the more peaceful, secure, united, progressive and prosperous nation of our dreams.

I wish you all happy Easter celebrations.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

President,

Federal Republic of Nigeria

March 30, 2013

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