Welcome to Geophilworld's blog: 07/24/15

Friday, 24 July 2015

Militancy: Tompolo, MEND Leaders Regroup In Bayelsa State

Leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND and High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, yesterday, summoned commanders and leaders of the various wings of the militant group to an emergency meeting, tomorrow(Saturday) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

He did not state agenda of the meeting, but Tompolo, who is the Ibe-Ebidouwei of Ijaw nation, in the invitation, said the meeting, which will hold at Izon House, Yenagoa, was important.

His words, “My dearly beloved Commanders and Leaders of various wings of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), I greet you all. It is my pleasure to humbly invite you to a very crucial and urgent meeting…”

A source told Vanguard, “The place of the Niger Delta in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and appraisal of the former President Goodluck Jonathan government in view of the current happenings in the country will be tabled for discussion at the meeting.”

He added, “The meeting is restricted only to those invited, it is not an all comers meeting, we will make our position known after the meeting.”

Tompolo and other ex-militant leaders officially disbanded MEND after they accepted amnesty offered them by the administration of former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2009.

But, a faction of MEND, which did not accept amnesty continued to operate the militant group and stated their disapproval of Jonathan government, but it was obvious that the moving forces behind the group had abandoned it.

Tomorrow’s meeting is the first time all the former commanders and leaders of the militant group are meeting formally since it was disbanded in 2009.

Taylor Swift Apologizes To Nicki Minaj Over Twitter Fight

Taylor Swift has apologized to Nicki Minaj following their twitter feud. The 25-year-old took to twitter to reach out to Nicki Minaj. She wrote; I thought I was being called out, I missed the point, then misspoke. I am sorry Nicki. Read Nicki’s response…

Chai! Man Kills Sister In-law Then Commits Suicide

Tragedy struck in Hospital Road, Aba, Abia State, Monday, as a man identified as Uba Okoroafor stabbed his sister in-law to death and committed suicide thereafter.

Vanguard gathered that Okoroafor stabbed his sister-in-law, whose name was simply given as Oyidiya, because she stopped him from going out because of the state of his health.

When he realised the gravity of his action, he also stabbed himself in the chest and fell off from the building to the ground where he died.

Police sources told Vanguard that the DPO of Ndiegoro Police Division, Superintendent of Police Crescent Mamah, where the incident took place, deployed his men who conveyed Oyidiya to a nearby hospital, where she was confirmed dead by doctors.

When Vanguard visited the area, family members were in a mourning mood, wailing over the fate that befell them.

Spokesman of Abia State Police Command, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, confirmed the incident, saying investigations into the incident had begun.

(Read) FFK Reacts To President Buhari's Rejection Of Gay Marriage

The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for standing up against same-sex marriage during his recent visit to the United States.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had on Wednesday said the issue of gay marriage was raised in one of the meetings that the President attended in the US on Tuesday but that Buhari said sodomy “is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture.”

Fani-Kayode, who has since changed his name to Femi Olukayode, said on his official Twitter handle on Thursday that Buhari displayed courage to have rejected same-sex marriage in the US.

The former minister, however, said the US ‘helped’ the Boko Haram insurgents by refusing to classify them as a terrorist organization until 2014, and by refusing to sell arms to Nigeria to fight them.

He said, “Buhari said sodomy is against our laws and abhorrent to our culture. It took courage for President Buhari to say that.Thanks be to God.

“The US helped Boko Haram immensely by refusing to classify them as a terrorist organisation until 2014, and by refusing to sell arms to fight them.”

'What We Found In Goodluck Jonathan's Administration Shocked Us' - APC

The All Progressives Congress has said it was shocked at the magnitude of cases of corruption it has so far unearthed while going through the records of the previous administration.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja, on Thursday.

He was reacting to the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari that some officials of the immediate past administration were involved in stealing one million barrel of crude oil daily.

Mohammed said,

“We are not just shocked but taken aback by what we have found. We have always known that there was monumental corruption under the previous regime but we did not know it was this huge.
“Anybody who calls the questions we are asking a witch-hunt is a person who condones corruption, and again, when we were raising the alarm over this level of corruption they were engaged in, they said we were crying wolf where there was none.
“They said it never happened. They even went as far as manufacturing figures to cover up. We must ask questions so that whoever is coming into government will know that it cannot be business as usual and that he/she must be prepared to answer questions after they leave office.”

On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party said the allegations of impropriety levelled against the officials of the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration must be proved in court.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, said to the best of his knowledge, the PDP-led administration conducted its affairs transparently, as such, the party was not afraid of any probe.

He said, “Like I told you before, the PDP provided a transparent leadership for this country for the 16 years we were in power.

“It was the PDP that established the anti-corruption agencies we are celebrating today, like the EFCC and the ICPC. All we ask is that any probe of the last administration should not be used as an avenue to villify people who served this country diligently.”

Read this trending tweet of the day

Kenyans are not happy about being described as a terrorist hotbed and have been hitting CNN all day. Meanwhile Kenya's Interior Minister, Joseph Nkaisserry has asked CNN to apologize for the comment. He said this during a press briefing this morning

"Kenya like any other country in the world is at the risk of terror attacks, the attacks do not turn it into a hotbed. Kenya is not a terror hotbed as portrayed by CNN. I urge Kenyans to treat the CNN report with the contempt it deserves. If CNN is civilized enough, they should apologise" he said

Meek Mill apologizes to GF Nicki Minaj for dissing Drake

During their performance on stage in Virginia last night, Meek Mill apologized to his girlfriend Nicki Minaj for dissing her good friend, Drake but still didn't back off from his accusation that Drake doesn't write his own lyrics...

"I want to give a special apology shout out to Nicki Minaj for my crazy ass going crazy on Twitter. Don’t get it twisted I was just upset as a fan…that a nigga gave me a verse they ain’t write…Shout out to Drake. Let him be great in all the muthafuckin’ lanes he great in but I’m gone still be the realist nigga in this b*tch.” he said

Parents, others locked out of Jamb Office

Parents reportedly stranded at JAMB office gate. According to the person who shared these pictures, the protesting parents were told to go back to Unilag to make their complaints. The high Unilag cut off mark has been giving students and parents nightmares.

Photo credit @freesleeves

Fresh Boko Haram attacks claim 9 lives in Borno

9 people were killed last night after members of Boko Haram attacked Pompomarri village in Borno state. The sect members stormed the village when the villagers were asleep and killed 9. Many were injured, while others fled the village.

Caitlyn Jenner strolls with friends ( see photos)

Caitlyn Jenner was seen smiling as she walked with friends through the garden at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village yesterday. See more photos

Eminem raps about Caitlyn Jenner

Eminem was a guest on Sway's show, 'Sway in the morning', on Shade 45, a Satellite radio station on Sirius XM which is owned by Eminem, to promote his new movie with 50 Cent, "Southpaw". He gave an 8 minute freestyle where he took jabs at a lot of celebrities including Caitlyn Jenner. He said:

"This a true statement, I see the bitch in you Caitlyn," he raps about Caitlyn Jenner. "I keep the pistol tucked like Bruce Jenner’s dick/ No disrespect though, not at all/ No pun intended… that took a lot of balls.”

VP Osinbajo denies there was bomb threat to his home

Earlier this evening, there were reports that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had told members of the National Economic Council that intelligence reports indicate that Boko Haram were planning to attack his home. The VP has denied making this statement. What he said is contained in a statement signed by Laolu Akande, Snr Special Assistant-Media&Publicity to Osinbajo

Media reports that there was a plan by terrorists to bomb the house of the Vice President is completely false with no iota of truth. An unendorsed press briefing note circulated today by some officials of the National Planning Commission contains a flat-out wrong claim.

That part of the note should read The Vice President disclosed- security reports that scavengers are now being prepared by insurgents.… to dump refuse laden with bombs in the houses of VIPs in the Northeast. The note erroneously said “in the house of the Vice President.

During the NEC meeting earlier today, the Vice President had mentioned intelligence reports which suggested that the terrorists have recruited people such as "BABA BOOLA who are known to usually go about picking things from the dust bins.

The plan is to use the "BABA BOOLA" people to plant bombs in houses of VIPs, offices and government installations in the Northeast. Please take note of the correction, and ignore such media reports claiming plans to bomb the VP’s house. Those reports are unfounded and utterly baseless" the statement read