Cross River Chief of Staff denies assault claim, alleges blackmail

Yesterday a man named Jeremiah Ashang accused the Chief of Staff to Cross River state governor of assault (read here). The man accused has now released a statement explaining his side of the story

The Chief of Staff to Cross River State Governor, Martin Prim has decried allegations of assault made against him by one Jeremiah Ashang as a cocktail of lies. Orim said the entire account of the alleged assault as narrated by Ashang is riddled with half truths, contradictions and outright falsehood. 

He said this was a clear case of the aggressor playing the victim, saying it was Ashang and his gang who actually assaulted his driver.

 "I neither assaulted nor ordered the beating of Ashang or anybody else for that matter. This man is clearly out to blackmail me. But in his hurry to tar me and malign my person, he exposed himself for who he truly is. A liar.

"While in one breath he claimed I ordered his my security details to beat him, tie him up and bundle him into a Hilux van, in another breath he said he fled for his dear life after I purportedly ordered that he and his cousin should be shot. I am wondering how a man who was supposedly tied up and thrown into a Hilux van, could have made such an escape."

Orim said it was actually Ashang and his gang that actually assaulted his driver after they forced their way into his hotel room, claiming the said room the hotel staff checked in his driver, was reserved for them.

The Chief of Staff who said he refused to be dragged into the confusion that ensued thereafter, accused Asang of cheap blackmail.

Multiple bomb blast in Gombe state

Multiple bomb explosions have been reported in two motor parks in Gombe state this evening. Two bomb explosions went off at the Dadin kowa motor park while the another one went off at Tashan Dukku motor park. Many people are feared dead. Details later

EFCC invites Saraki's wife and YarAdua's daughter over allegations of fraud

According to a breaking news report by Premium Times, wife of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Toyin Saraki and one of the daughters of former President Umaru YarÁdua, Zainab Dakingari have been invited by the EFFC over alleged fraud and money laundering.

 

Mrs Toyin Saraki is being invited by the antigraft agency to answer questions regarding some alleged questionable flow of income into some companies which she has interest in. PT reports that Mrs Saraki is due to appear at EFFC's headquarters on July 28

 

Zainab Dakingari who is married to the ex-governor of Kebbi state, Saidu Zakingari is being invited by EFFC to answer questions on an alleged N2 billion fraud which was carried out during her husband's tenure. Zainab was meant to appear before EFCC team today but deferred her appointment till July 27thas she is currently out of the country. 

When contacted, EFCC spokesperson acknowledged that new fraud suspects have been invited by the agency

"I’m aware that a new set of suspects w‎ere recently invited. It’s not impossible the two women are among them.” he said

Yay! Tiwa Savage and Teebillz welcome son (photo)

Tiwa Savage just welcomed her first child - a son. She gave birth today July 22 at St Mary's Hospital in London. Big congrats to them

Buhari to US govt: Provide Nigeria more aid against Boko Haram, 'without strings'

President Buhari this afternoon called on the US government to provide Nigeria with aids against Boko Haram without any strings attached. President Buhari made the call while delivering his speech at the US Institute of Peace. Tweets and video of what he said after the cut...

Idris Elba shares cute photo with his son

Cute lil man...

Photos: Robbers, kidnappers, cultists arrested & paraded in Rivers state

The Rivers state police command today paraded robbers, cultist and kidnappers apprehended by men of the state police command. While parading the suspects before newsmen, the state police commissioner, Chris Ezike narrated how some of the robbers in the state were arrested. See that after the cut..

"On 7/7/2015 at about 1400hrs, a three-man armed robbery gang operating with a black Highlander Jeep was intercepted by the Police along Rumuobiakani Road, after robbing a man of over N 2million withdrawn from a Bank. In the ensuing encounter, one of the robbers was arrested with bullet wounds, his accomplices escaped. Their operational vehicle was recovered and when searched, two AK47 rifles, with four magazines loaded with 92 rounds of 9.62mm ammunition, including 2 extra plate numbers BRR 490 BZ and KRD 09 DK as well as the robbed money were recovered. Similar feats were recorded in three other instances in the State. On 1/7/2015, SARS operatives tracked down a five-man armed robbery syndicate and arrested three members of the gang. 

This group is adept at snatching vehicles from their owners, especially within Mgbuoba/NTA axis of Port Harcourt. ironically, the group is led by a Soldier, who deserted his Unit on duty at Maiduguri, Bornu State. He has been taken into custody along with two accomplices, Ifeanyi Eze ‘m’ and Golden Mannuel ‘m’. Items recovered from them include One AK 47 Rifle, Six Magazines, 150 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, One Honda Pilot Jeep with reg. No. ABU 203 BC"he said 

He also stated that 74 cult members have been arrested in the last one month.

Chris Brown barred from leaving the Philippines after performing there

Chris Brown is currently stuck in the Philippines because he allegedly skipped out on a concert gig there last year. He performed last night in the country but when he tried to leave this morning for a show in Hong Kong, he was blocked from doing so by the Philippine Department of Justice. Read the full report from the Philippines Daily Inquirer after the cut...

American recording artist Chris Brown, who staged a concert on Tuesday night at SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City, was stopped on Wednesday afternoon from leaving the country for his Hong Kong concert.
The Grammy-winning R&B artist was advised by the show’s promoters not to leave his room at Nobu Hotel in City of Dreams because he had been put on the watch list of the Bureau of Immigration, a source with direct knowledge of the incident told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The reason for ordering Brown’s name to be on the BI watch list, said to have been signed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, remained unclear to this source. Brown’s concert promoters have proceeded to the DOJ to know the full story.
The source said that Brown had no warrant of arrest but could be detained at the airport for questioning.
Pending clearance from the DOJ, the promoters were hoping that Brown would be allowed to depart Manila by Monday, July 27, the source added.
Sources at the immigration bureau, however, said that Brown had become a subject of a Department of Justice (DOJ) lookout bulletin for an estafa complaint filed against him for failing to show up in a Dec. 31, 2014, Philippine Arena concert which he top-billed.
One source said that the lookout bulletin indicated that the criminal complaint had been for the foreign artist’s alleged “deceitful misrepresentations and swindling.”
Brown was supposed to leave at around 2 p.m., Wednesday, on a Gulfstream IV aircraft, parked at a private hangar in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport general aviation area near Terminal 4.

Meek Mill launched Twitter war against Drake because of affair with Nicki Minaj?

That's what a source is claiming. This morning Meek Mill fired at one of Nicki's closest allies in the music business, Drake, claiming that Drake doesn't write his own lyrics. A source claims that Meek came for Drake on Twitter after he found out that Nicki had dated Drake in the past.

"Meek is upset that Drake [allegedly dated] Nicki. I think Nicki is low key in love with Drake and Drake is low key in love with Nicki. You have to see how they are when they're around each other. If I was Meek, I might feel some type of way about it too."

MediaTakeOut claims the alleged relationship between Nicki and Drake occurred while she was Safaree . . . but when she was also creeping with Meek.

"Meek is very insecure, and he should be. He got Nicki on the rebound . . . she just came off a long-term relationship with [Safaree] and you know sh*t like that [rebound relationships] never really work.

"Real talk though - I think Nicki and Drake really will get married one of these days." the source told MTO

Meek Mill has since deleted most of Nicki's photos from his instagram page...

I Won’t Spare Any Corrupt Person in APC or PDP – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government will not spare any member of the opposition of his own party, the All Progressives Congress who is found culpable of corruption.

“If any of my associates or party member is indicted of corruption, they cannot escape justice. There is not going to be any APC member or any close personality found guilty that would escape justice,” he said.

The President, who is on a four-day visit to the United States President, Barack Obama, said this during an interview with the CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, that the release of the Chibok girls is top on the agenda of his government.

“Our main objective as a government is to secure the release of those girls safe and sound, back to their schools and rehabilitate them to go back to their normal lives. So, if we are convinced the girls would be delivered safe and sound, we will negotiate.”

The President also said would send a formal invitation to the US President to visit Nigeria.

“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed that President Obama did not choose to visit Nigeria but I wish that he would change his mind and come to Nigeria. Well, I asked him to come and would send a formal invitation,” he said.

On whether or not his administration would negotiate with the Boko Haram sect, Buhari said, “I cannot be against it. I told you that our main objective as a government is to secure those girls safe and sound back to their schools and rehabilitate them to get back to normal life.

"So, if we are convinced that the leaders (of Boko Haram) can deliver those girls safe and sound, we wouldn’t fail to negotiate what they want.”