Refugees Face Eviction From South African Church

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W_dPQAD-WuWk1XONwPCAOdP4wd_6Bj0ErfGJGBBsf4uDUnLvtHuBRintgfLAKpfyH4GweL8Wy9V4FYgo5lB1Rhvx0t8fw39PbFfnYoHcoRqWMnFcCHNs9xxOp4QjtiGiKYAI4md5FKc/s1600/CMC+Joburg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W_dPQAD-WuWk1XONwPCAOdP4wd_6Bj0ErfGJGBBsf4uDUnLvtHuBRintgfLAKpfyH4GweL8Wy9V4FYgo5lB1Rhvx0t8fw39PbFfnYoHcoRqWMnFcCHNs9xxOp4QjtiGiKYAI4md5FKc/s1600/CMC+Joburg.JPG" /></a></div> <b><br /></b> <b>Hundreds of refugees who have been living in a church in the South African city of Johannesburg and told to vacate by December 31, are still in precarious situation without alternative accommodation, according to a church leader.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Bishop Paul Verryn</b>, whose leadership at the <b>Central Methodist Church</b> ended on Wednesday, told <b><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2015/01/evictions-hit-refugees-s-africa-church-201512113417795911.html">Al Jazeera</a></b> that despite the ongoing need to look after refugees, many "had wanted the refugees to leave a long time ago".</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "I don’t think everyone at the church had welcomed this project to allow refugees to live here," he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "I don't think we can ever get away from the responsibility the faith communities have towards the needs of the vulnerable, [but] they have been antagonistic towards the project."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At last count, about 500 people were at the church on Christmas Eve, but since the evictions began on December 31, it is unclear how many are left, though some estimates suggest that up to 200 people are still at the church.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Since 2000, the Central Methodist Church in central Johannesburg became something of an institution for refugees from a host of African countries, particularly Zimbabwe, looking for a new life.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The church provided shelter, counselling, medical services, education for children and even skills development.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Verryn said helping refugees has been a difficult and divisive issue, especially when so many South Africans needed help themselves.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="360" id="flashObj" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=3969123556001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fngl2&playerID=1638546175001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAmtVJIFk~,TVGOQ5ZTwJZhmi7steBjnvKikk1S5nut&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=3969123556001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Fngl2&playerID=1638546175001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAmtVJIFk~,TVGOQ5ZTwJZhmi7steBjnvKikk1S5nut&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="370" height="208" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "We have a country that is fairly unfriendly to refugees. We have a cold prejudice towards them ... it's been a very difficult journey for many," he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> After the xenophobic riots in May 2008 that left 62 people dead, the church became even more important as a safe house for asylum seekers and refugees from across the continent.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At one point, about 2,000-3,000 people were squeezed inside the church premises, raising the ire of local government.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Some estimates suggest that since 2000, more than 30,000 refugees have passed through the doors of the church at one point or another.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Verryn said the decision to quit was a personal choice. He would be engaged in skills development and anti-poverty initiatives. But he says the church "had battled over the past decade and it cost us dearly".</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "It is one of the reasons the church has come to such a juncture," he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The decision has raised concerns among the refugee community and activists that enough has not been done to protect those vulnerable families with nowhere to go.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ambrose, 33, a refugee from Zimbabwe and a security guard working at the church for the past eight years, said he was disappointed that the service was being dismantled without the creation of viable alternative.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "I don’t blame anyone for this. Its not a situation that you blame anyone for, but facts are facts. Most Zimbabweans started a new life here because of this church," he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "By saying people were not able to come here, they are saying that people must sort themselves out, that they wouldn't find support anymore," Ambrose said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In a statement signed by several civil society organisations, Sector 27, a South African non-governmental organisation, called on the Pretoria government to assist in an issue that had been flagged numerous times in the past.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "If the church were to be closed - as has been threatened - the people who need its support would not miraculously evaporate, and neither would the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe," Sector 27 said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "Refugees would be dispersed and forced underground into places where they would be less accessible and in greater danger of health and human rights violations."</div> <div> <br /></div>

Refugees Face Eviction From South African Church

Hundreds of refugees who have been living in a church in the South African city of Johannesburg and told to vacate by December 31, are still in precarious situation without alternative accommodation,…

Read more »

[Must Watch Video]: Bombshell From The Pulpit As Rev. Fr. Mbaka Asks President Jonathan To 'Resign Quietly'

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcyhSle06lecmFJ8TrtIJ7yphgaQIPI9qxyoejdSb05CtCZtxKRjKx-bd_FY2ZlX3qafBkC_drEIozKVj1H7054xphrpwX0i0dtj1L4lSj2_T5AhxMbCYHssmiB5Q81faiZbniHQeqGY/s1600/Rev+Mbaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcyhSle06lecmFJ8TrtIJ7yphgaQIPI9qxyoejdSb05CtCZtxKRjKx-bd_FY2ZlX3qafBkC_drEIozKVj1H7054xphrpwX0i0dtj1L4lSj2_T5AhxMbCYHssmiB5Q81faiZbniHQeqGY/s1600/Rev+Mbaka.jpg" /></a></div> <b><br /></b> <b>Renowned Enugu-based Catholic priest Rev. Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka yesterday reversed his support for President Goodluck Jonathan over his inability to stop corruption and loss of innocent lives.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He spoke while delivering a sermon tagged, <b>“From Good luck to Bad luck”</b> during the end-of-year mass Wednesday night at the Adoration Ground, Emene, Enugu.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Rev. Father Mbaka, Founder of <b>Adoration Ministry, Enugu</b> said Jonathan has surrounded himself with very corrupt public officials. As a result, he said, the President has turned a blind eye to their corrupt activities while millions of Nigerians suffer daily in abject poverty and endless insecurity.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said: <i>"Jonathan has ruled for six years. We need change. NEPA is not working because of corruption. The privatization of public companies has not yielded any fruit because of corruption.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Jonathan surrounded himself with very corrupt officers who advise him. Nigerians are sick and tired of wasting innocent lives without government doing enough to stop the destruction." </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said he and millions of Nigerians were disappointed by the government’s failure to ensure the release of the Chibok girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorists over 200 days ago.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Up till now, nobody knows the whereabouts of the innocent Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram and we say we have a government that cannot guarantee the welfare, safety and security of the citizens"</i>, he told the congregation of over 30,000 worshippers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The cleric said he resisted delivering the sermon which he said came from the Holy Ghost but that God warned him to ensure the message was given to the nation not minding whose ox was gored.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Fr. Mbaka recently anointed Mrs. Patience Jonathan as the next First Lady in 2015. The First Lady, and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu worshipped at the Adoration Ministry where the First Lady admitted that she experienced "a spiritual rebirth".</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Fr. Mbaka that day released some birds that he said would go and fight for Jonathan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But on Wednesday night Fr. Mbaka said Jonathan was going nowhere as far as next year’s election was concerned, recalling that one of the birds - which he released during Mrs. Jonathan’s visit has refused to fly.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"All the other birds I released flew away but the healthiest of them which is Jonathan’s bird could not fly. I tried to make it fly but it could not fly"</i>, he recalled to a hugely excited congregation that cheered him on.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> When Jonathan was aspiring to become Nigeria’s President, Mbaka said he was happy like other Nigerians but that the bad luck which millions of the citizens had faced since he came into office was quite disturbing; hence the masses want a change.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Nigerians are calling for change. We need a change"</i>, he repeated. <i>"We don’t want to move from bad luck to bad luck; Nigerians want to move from bad luck to good luck"</i>, he said.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Fr. Mbaka criticised other priests who, he alleged, visited the Presidential Villa and other Government Houses in the country to hold "Breakfast Prayer" with the politicians only to collect fat envelopes of money rather than <i>"tell the politicians the level of hardship the poor masses are suffering"</i>.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He added: <i>"The men of God only go there to dine and wine with the leaders for their own welfare without telling them the truth. But I’m happy that I, Fr. Mbaka, I’m not that type of priest. If you want money, I dash you money because the God I serve has blessed me abundantly"</i>.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Commenting on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari, Fr. Mbaka, said Buhari cannot Islamise Nigeria as being rumoured in some circles.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-UR5g69sx9E" width="640"></iframe></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said he had never met the General but recalled that he fought corruption seriously as Head of State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"I don’t know Buhari. I have never sat with him before. I am not being partisan, but I want total change in Nigeria. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Buhari cannot make Nigeria an Islamic country because we are in democracy. It was IBB government that dragged Nigeria into OIC. When Buhari fought corruption, people became careful about their actions. Anyone who says Buhari will Islamise Nigeria is not being fair"</i>, said Mbaka.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He added that he was not bothered whether the next President would be a Northerner or Yoruba or Igbo so long as the person fights corruption and means well for the citizens.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"If a northerner will rule the country and insecurity will stop, so be it. If a Yoruba man will rule Nigeria in 2015 and we have peace and stop the shedding of innocent blood, so be it. Nigerians are tired of wasting innocent lives"</i>, he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The end-of-year Adoration mass was attended by some notable politicians from Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra States. </div>

[Must Watch Video]: Bombshell From The Pulpit As Rev. Fr. Mbaka Asks President Jonathan To 'Resign Quietly'

Renowned Enugu-based Catholic priest Rev. Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka yesterday reversed his support for President Goodluck Jonathan over his inability to stop corruption and loss of innocent lives. …

Read more »

Inside Story Of How A 2-Year-Old Shot Mom

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzwTjip9LR1r6c2a_aDggNTkSWYaScT-rgWXauEWTf-LPit-fVFh0eCJwr5GGVOoCT8gDc_qZwtaMk05488HZaFFi-WmRfMmW5YXzOTKfgxb1Ej56HEfyN4TXkOJW-veAEcHWljEI4lU/s1600/Woman+Shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzwTjip9LR1r6c2a_aDggNTkSWYaScT-rgWXauEWTf-LPit-fVFh0eCJwr5GGVOoCT8gDc_qZwtaMk05488HZaFFi-WmRfMmW5YXzOTKfgxb1Ej56HEfyN4TXkOJW-veAEcHWljEI4lU/s1600/Woman+Shot.jpeg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Veronica Rutledge and her husband loved everything about guns. They practiced at shooting ranges. They hunted. And both of them, relatives and friends say, had permits to carry concealed firearms. Veronica typically left her Blackfoot, Idaho, home with her gun nestled at her side. So on Christmas morning last week, her husband gave her a present he hoped would make her life more comfortable: a purse with a special pocket for a concealed weapon.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The day after Christmas, she took her new gift with her on a trip with her husband and her 2-year-old son. They headed hundreds of miles north to the end of a country road where Terry Rutledge, her husband’s father, lived. The father-in-law learned of the new purse.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "It was designed for that purpose - to carry a concealed firearm," Rutledge told <b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/12/31/the-inside-story-of-how-an-idaho-toddler-shot-his-mom-at-wal-mart/">The Washington Post </a></b>late Tuesday night. “And you had to unzip a compartment to find the handgun.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On Tuesday morning, that was exactly what Veronica Rutledge’s son did - with the most tragic of outcomes. Veronica, 29, arrived at a nearby Wal-Mart in Hayden with her three nieces and son, her gun “zippered closed” inside her new purse, her father-in-law said. Then, in the back of the store, near the electronics section, the purse was left unattended for a moment.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “An inquisitive 2-year-old boy reached into the purse, unzipped the compartment, found the gun and shot his mother in the head,” Rutledge said. “It’s a terrible, terrible incident.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The aftermath has been crushing, he said. His son went to the Wal-Mart to collect his nieces and son, and no one now is sure what to say to the boy, who is not doing well.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “My son is terrible,” Rutledge said. “He has a 2-year-old boy right now who doesn’t know where his mom is and he’ll have to explain why his mom isn’t coming home. And then, later on his life, as he questions it more, he’ll again have to explain what happened, so we’ll have to relive this several times over.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Rutledge isn’t just sad - he’s angry. Not at his grandson. Nor at his dead daughter-in-law, “who didn’t have a malicious fiber in her body,” he said. He’s angry at the observers already using the accident as an excuse to grandstand on gun rights.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “They are painting Veronica as irresponsible, and that is not the case,” he said. “… I brought my son up around guns, and he has extensive experience shooting it. And Veronica had had hand gun classes; they’re both licensed to carry, and this wasn’t just some purse she had thrown her gun into.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The path Veronica Rutledge charted before her death, friends and family say, was one of academics and small-town, country living. “Hunting, being outdoors and being with her son” was what made her happiest, her friend Rhonda Ellis told The Post. She was raised in northeast Idaho and always excelled at school, former high school classmate Kathleen Phelps said, recalling her as “extremely smart. … valedictorian of our class, very motivated and the smartest person I know. … Getting good grades was always very important to her.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> She went on to graduate in 2010 from the University of Idaho with a chemistry degree, according to a commencement program. From there, she got a job at Battelle’s Idaho National Laboratory and published several articles, one of which analyzed a method to absorb toxic waste discharged by burning nuclear fuel.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While away from the lab, she and her husband, whom she married in 2009, spent time shooting guns. “She was just as comfortable at a camp ground or a gun range as she was in a classroom,” close friend Sheri Sandow said in an interview. On Facebook, she showed an interest in the outdoors and the National Rifle Association, and followed Guns.com, a publication that reports on gun life.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "They carried one every day of their lives, and they shot extensively," Rutledge said. “They loved it. Odd as it may sound, we are gun people.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A lot of people in Idaho are. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a bill that allows people to carry concealed guns onto state university campuses. And more than 85,000 people - 7 percent of the population - are licensed to carry concealed weapons, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So many locals didn’t discern anything odd with 29-year-old woman carrying a loaded gun into a Wal-Mart during the holiday season. Stu Miller, a spokesman for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, told the New York Times that it didn’t strike him as anything out of the ordinary. "It’s pretty common around here,” he said. “A lot of people carry loaded guns."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sandow told The Post she often sees people with a gun cradled at their side. “In Idaho, we don’t have to worry about a lot of crime and things like that,” she said. “And to see someone with a gun isn’t bizarre. [Veronica] wasn’t carrying a gun because she felt unsafe. She was carrying a gun because she was raised around guns. This was just a horrible accident.”</div>

Inside Story Of How A 2-Year-Old Shot Mom

Veronica Rutledge and her husband loved everything about guns. They practiced at shooting ranges. They hunted. And both of them, relatives and friends say, had permits to carry concealed firearms. Ve…

Read more »

Man Impregnates Daughter, Rapes Another

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4yq7w-VU8-jwySVv54WUfW40U1eIhpbFT_5dzxvQSbMRQQn32BpXybdbg_Vxt7txB0G_VW5s3uuTC7RXhkymh5Eb5LAyMk_HGMQr-5sPAjUbr80VnK9wCt0ed4AyHiMf7sce2mFbPng/s1600/rape-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4yq7w-VU8-jwySVv54WUfW40U1eIhpbFT_5dzxvQSbMRQQn32BpXybdbg_Vxt7txB0G_VW5s3uuTC7RXhkymh5Eb5LAyMk_HGMQr-5sPAjUbr80VnK9wCt0ed4AyHiMf7sce2mFbPng/s1600/rape-2.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>The police in Edo State have arrested a 55-year-old man for raping his nine-year-old daughter.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The randy father, identified simply as Osaro had also previously impregnated his 17-year-old daughter, according to his wife, Stella.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "My husband wanted to sleep with my second daughter. He later succeeded in sleeping with my other daughter. After impregnating the girl, he begged me several times to forgive him," Stella said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "He started the church I attended and confessed what he had done. The church members begged me and I accepted him. He has already paid my bride price so I went back. After we had settled, my husband started with our daughter again. The little girl told me what she was going through in the hands of her father. I asked my husband, but he denied. He said he had stopped the act since he repented."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "One afternoon, I caught him with our daughter. I went to the church and vowed that I cannot continue with the marriage. I am tired of forgiving him all the time. On Christmas Day, he drove me outside at about 8 p.m. He was alone inside with the children. The next day, my daughter told me what he did to her. When I decided to check my daughter’s private part, he wanted to beat me, but neighbours intervened," she added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The nine-year-old victim meanwhile pleaded with the police to imprison her father for his wicked act.</div>

Man Impregnates Daughter, Rapes Another

The police in Edo State have arrested a 55-year-old man for raping his nine-year-old daughter. The randy father, identified simply as Osaro had also previously impregnated his 17-year-old daughter, a…

Read more »

I Remain In PDP, Says Daniel

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35whKsGrDgxXGEXGZLX1bDnehwD4PRLmYFHOWOBB80nODBLZAqzeVobN7st2Yn1U5nkp67c2NI4ANzefiz2PW5S2i-203dcY-JNA6c8gOIPcc1sUo9YmrKExbnhLT6j0F4lO3MnQBEAU/s1600/Daniel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35whKsGrDgxXGEXGZLX1bDnehwD4PRLmYFHOWOBB80nODBLZAqzeVobN7st2Yn1U5nkp67c2NI4ANzefiz2PW5S2i-203dcY-JNA6c8gOIPcc1sUo9YmrKExbnhLT6j0F4lO3MnQBEAU/s1600/Daniel.jpeg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has debunked the rumour making the rounds that <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/ogun-pdp-crisis-daniel-dimeji-martins.html">he was planning to defect to the Social Democratic Party from the Peoples Democratic Party</a>.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said this in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Ayo Giwa, and made available to our correspondent in Abeokuta on Friday.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He re-emphasised the fact that he remains in the PDP together with his teeming supporters, contrary to reports in some newspapers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The statement reads, “It is mere speculation with no iota of truth. I remain in the PDP and nothing has changed.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He implored his supporters to remain calm, steadfast and work assiduously for the success of all PDP candidates as presented by the National Working Committee  at the forthcoming polls.</div>

I Remain In PDP, Says Daniel

A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has debunked the rumour making the rounds that he was planning to defect to the Social Democratic Party from the Peoples Democratic Party. He sa…

Read more »

German, Belgian Arrested For Kidnapping Colleagues

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiU9tWlXz4TkZiC-zMesktiq49bC0lVzV9xNjIHuWLwKJzSSDAh0bhyphenhyphenbsUgd10xp0JINdVtTmN_zzZJ2UHovxRJ1ETYqYfN8QAEE47xgCurDiiZlgsK8PKrpVtjftY-ykaZf6irgZ-SQ/s1600/Kidnappers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiU9tWlXz4TkZiC-zMesktiq49bC0lVzV9xNjIHuWLwKJzSSDAh0bhyphenhyphenbsUgd10xp0JINdVtTmN_zzZJ2UHovxRJ1ETYqYfN8QAEE47xgCurDiiZlgsK8PKrpVtjftY-ykaZf6irgZ-SQ/s1600/Kidnappers.JPG" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Two foreigners - Canon Didier, a German and Henry Roussel, a Belgian - have been detained at the naval base in Warri for allegedly masterminding the abduction of two of their colleagues. </b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Didier and Roussel, who are both staff of Ringadas Oil Company, were accused of collaborating with some unidentified people to kidnap the victims at a tank farm in Sapele, Delta state, on December 19. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Radu, a Romanian and Sergej, a Latenian (pictured, left), were on a lease contract with Ringadas when the incident happened. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to the navy, their abductors allegedly lured them out of MT Equinox, a Panamanian vessel, where they worked as the captain and chief engineer, for them to be captured. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> They were then taken to Broadwell Hotel in Warri, while arrangements to negotiate their freedom was going on. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But following a tip off, a naval patrol team stormed the hotel on December 27, to secure their release. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Briefing journalists after handing over the victims to their embassies, Musa Gemu, a commodore and commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, expressed surprise over the involvement of expatriates in such act. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The action of Didier and Roussel are clear indication that hostage taking is not peculiar to Nigerians anymore; foreigners have also decided to become lawless,” he said. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “There is need, therefore, to critically investigate this shameful act.” Gemu condemned the act and warned foreigners in the country to desist from criminal activities, saying the Nigerian military would not tolerate any form of lawlessness.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Their action violates the Nigerian municipal laws of kidnapping and unlawful hostage taking. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “It also violates the International Maritime Law and Diplomatic law with regard to a foreign vessel flying her domicile flag with foreign Captain being removed from their vessel and held hostage without recourse to lay down procedures. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We would not condone such, therefore perpetrators of criminal activities have been warned their own interest.”</div>

German, Belgian Arrested For Kidnapping Colleagues

Two foreigners - Canon Didier, a German and Henry Roussel, a Belgian - have been detained at the naval base in Warri for allegedly masterminding the abduction of two of their colleagues.  Didier and …

Read more »

Jonathan Appoints Fani-Kayode, Obi, Gana Campaign Directors

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaW3qN9Y0A5PN0SD04Kcrp5yaV_3aQRQfpwY_OSpZsUFLpt3DqgUNb19mqh970nl6tyOnlcTZSJdFKYM9VQw2B0vydKzTexUrzcYANeSDff_y04mDmx-3FOsFQyEK4eSztfWzMCZQTX8/s1600/femi-kayode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaW3qN9Y0A5PN0SD04Kcrp5yaV_3aQRQfpwY_OSpZsUFLpt3DqgUNb19mqh970nl6tyOnlcTZSJdFKYM9VQw2B0vydKzTexUrzcYANeSDff_y04mDmx-3FOsFQyEK4eSztfWzMCZQTX8/s1600/femi-kayode.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister; Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra and Jerry Gana, former information minister, as directors of his campaign organisation ahead of the February 14 presidential election. </b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to Rufai Alkail, special adviser to the president on political matters, who made the disclosure on Thursday, Tony Anenih, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) board of trustees, has been appointed campaign adviser. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Tunde Adeniran has been appointed deputy director, campaign head office, while Nenadi Usman is head of finance directorate. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While Femi Fani-Kayode is the director of media and publicity, Peter Obi and Kabiru Turaki are deputy directors of the north and south wings of the campaign organisation. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Jerry Gana heads the campaign’s contact and mobilisation unit. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Alkali also disclosed that Jonathan would inaugurate his campaign team on January 5, 2015 at the presidential campaign office in Abuja.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

Jonathan Appoints Fani-Kayode, Obi, Gana Campaign Directors

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister; Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra and Jerry Gana, former information minister, as directors of his campaign o…

Read more »

US Police Chief Shoots Wife

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9glqUKc_7kcx7BEQjTiDndgfgPSK-6ONhRTN2AJ6P9alevKUrTNMyld4MxiV-Itbehk6a9T4l28ii0KXqS0q2tO6ImvzeWYCzfok0P7OaqYQRvTkDUk28-Z9oZ9dUeUAtQlJLk2cY7C0/s1600/US+PoliceShooting.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9glqUKc_7kcx7BEQjTiDndgfgPSK-6ONhRTN2AJ6P9alevKUrTNMyld4MxiV-Itbehk6a9T4l28ii0KXqS0q2tO6ImvzeWYCzfok0P7OaqYQRvTkDUk28-Z9oZ9dUeUAtQlJLk2cY7C0/s1600/US+PoliceShooting.jpeg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Magazines and websites regularly rank Peachtree City, Georgia, as one of the best places to live and raise a family. The community’s trademark: Residents putter around in golf carts on the community’s 90-plus miles of paved pathways.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But on the first day of 2015, the town of 35,000 people south of Atlanta was known for something else.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The man tasked with keeping the peace in Peachtree City, Police Chief William McCollom, was being investigated in a shooting that left his wife in critical condition, the <b><span style="color: red;">CNN</span></b> reports.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Authorities aren’t revealing many details, but they said McCollom shot Margaret McCollom with his service Glock 9mm a few hours before dawn inside the couple’s bedroom.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The chief told 911 it was an accident, said Sherry Lang, spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> No charges have been filed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Margaret McCollom was taken by helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition, according to a statement from police spokesman Lt. Mark Brown.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said at a press conference that he won’t decide whether charges should be filed until the GBI presents him with an investigation report.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We have no leanings one way or the other at this point because we just don’t know,” Ballard said. “As soon as all the facts are known they’ll turn over a file to our office, and we’ll review to see if in fact there’s been any criminal activity.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> McCollom is fully cooperating with authorities, Lang said. He’s the one who called 911. Margaret McCollom has not been interviewed, she said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Chief McCollom was placed on administrative leave.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Lang declined to comment when asked whether alcohol played a part in the incident, saying that’s part of the investigation that cannot be revealed yet.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Lang said the investigation determined that Margaret McCollom was shot once.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The initial reports that we got from a 911 call were that the chief had shot his wife, accidentally, twice. As a result of our preliminary interview, we have found that he only shot her one time,” she said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Brown said Peachtree City officers were called to the home at 4:17 a.m. and immediately realized it was their boss’s house. The GBI was quickly called in to lead the investigation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Brown said he knew of no previous disciplinary actions against the chief.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> McCollom was well-liked by officers in the department, Brown said. He said his co-workers are worried about the chief and his wife.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The department is hurting at this point,” Brown said.</div>

US Police Chief Shoots Wife

Magazines and websites regularly rank Peachtree City, Georgia, as one of the best places to live and raise a family. The community’s trademark: Residents putter around in golf carts on the community’…

Read more »

Army Dismisses 203 Soldiers In Secret Trial

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8x5GOteqAuridnU2MbDg4ARSzZb2q1vgVddRZAqKhEk_mhr15w3nyQSXh5FOEYfZtdU5qDwxQ8rpS6qJwv4Y7JRi8MlkUbF_TC9VcJzs68v6zHRLWxlsnjA1u1x9qVXEH4TV67jRmAo/s1600/Soldiers-Sentenced-To-Death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8x5GOteqAuridnU2MbDg4ARSzZb2q1vgVddRZAqKhEk_mhr15w3nyQSXh5FOEYfZtdU5qDwxQ8rpS6qJwv4Y7JRi8MlkUbF_TC9VcJzs68v6zHRLWxlsnjA1u1x9qVXEH4TV67jRmAo/s1600/Soldiers-Sentenced-To-Death.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <b>According to reports, the Nigerian Army has dismissed 203 soldiers after a secret night-time court martial trial.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The soldiers were allegedly sacked for disobeying a direct order from their commanding officer, <b>Premium Times</b> reports.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> However, one of the dismissed soldiers reportedly told Premium Times that he and his colleagues had been relieved of their duties because they asked for support equipment for an operation against Boko Haram in the Bama and Gwoza areas of Borno State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "...We asked for support weapons. No support weapon was provided. Our CO (Commanding Officer) said he would discuss with the GOC (General Officer Commanding) of the 7 Division at the headquarters. When he came back, he said we should stand down. We thought all was well," the soldier said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> However, to the shock of the soldiers, the next day their new CO, Lt Col Mohammed A, ordered them to submit their weapons and uniforms or be charged with mutiny.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "On the morning of 16 of August, after the GOC briefing, our commander started calling our names and he said anyone whose name is called should submit their uniform and weapon. He added that anyone who failed to do that would be charged for mutiny. We were surprised at what was happening," the soldier said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "He started from the most senior soldier among us, a warrant officer who had served for almost 30 years. They asked us to go back to the barracks. It is a war zone and our weapons had been taken from us. Staying around was of no use so we left Maiduguri back home," he added.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The soldiers were later recalled and told to report to the 4th Brigade headquarters in Benin where they were imprisoned for three months.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "They kept us in the fenced field at the officers’ mess in 4th battalion headquarters. When we first arrived at Benin they took statements from us and took it to Maiduguri. The original charge against us was for deserting but after our statements were taken they changed the charge to disobedient to particular order. They said we disobeyed the CO’s order. They seized our phones, we couldn’t communicate with our families for the 90 days we were kept in detention," the soldier said.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "It was dismissal without benefits. After 17 years in service. Even people that served for 30 years were dismissed without benefits. We had no legal representation," he said of their eventual dismissal.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The soldier also said that he and his colleagues were being owed up to five months' salaries before their dismissal.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The soldiers' termination comes barely a week after four others were sentenced to death on allegations of mutiny. Teams of 12 and <b><a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/breaking-54-soldiers-sentenced-to-death.html">54 soldiers had also earlier been sentenced to death</a></b> for the same offence.</div>

Army Dismisses 203 Soldiers In Secret Trial

According to reports, the Nigerian Army has dismissed 203 soldiers after a secret night-time court martial trial. The soldiers were allegedly sacked for disobeying a direct order from their commandin…

Read more »

4 Die In Rwandan Church Collapse

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdniwk98yiEHI-tbo1N6H553lw-DAbfrjyoMz1E1C-m0xv9wzCla8jZmJKdpei2D-ADPi1JRiY6QA2fWRahcJ34F7NaWQIoTabrIElZ9l15ryBc_VQUGw-DJe8XI8sE0MThQoyZBBVEU/s1600/BUILDING-COLLAPSE-BUILDING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdniwk98yiEHI-tbo1N6H553lw-DAbfrjyoMz1E1C-m0xv9wzCla8jZmJKdpei2D-ADPi1JRiY6QA2fWRahcJ34F7NaWQIoTabrIElZ9l15ryBc_VQUGw-DJe8XI8sE0MThQoyZBBVEU/s1600/BUILDING-COLLAPSE-BUILDING.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Four people were killed and 24 others injured when a church building collapsed in northern Rwanda’s Burera District on New Year's Day.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Police said the incident happened around mid-day local time among prayers at an ‘unfinished’ Adventist Church.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The injured were taken to Ruhengeri Hospital as investigation continues to the cause of the accident.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Police however said the situation was generally calm countrywide as people ushered in the New Year.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The situation has been calm and generally, security has improved during this festive season compared to last year, police said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "There is an improved sense of responsibility by the merry making public and we encourage people to continue," police said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Police said all public events in churches, bars and night clubs were peaceful.</div>

4 Die In Rwandan Church Collapse

Four people were killed and 24 others injured when a church building collapsed in northern Rwanda’s Burera District on New Year's Day. Police said the incident happened around mid-day local time amon…

Read more »

Two Germans Shot Dead By Gunmen In Abuja

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KPbQv0fuifzVyEDrEvgjeJrbpB1AfyO3q2dsoYwRyBuvQZ6nYI7vGCE3jMedy2qpR5RS3ltNS_AI7K2ZULU8IItLlWKUmP7P6nLEcdBfIapt7QwcIeMsXhUOB-DUMVaZcra0xM5WO5Y/s1600/Okada-riders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KPbQv0fuifzVyEDrEvgjeJrbpB1AfyO3q2dsoYwRyBuvQZ6nYI7vGCE3jMedy2qpR5RS3ltNS_AI7K2ZULU8IItLlWKUmP7P6nLEcdBfIapt7QwcIeMsXhUOB-DUMVaZcra0xM5WO5Y/s1600/Okada-riders.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Two German nationals have lost their lives in Nigeria after being shot, a foreign ministry official has said.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The victims, who were both engineers with construction company, <b>Julius Berger Nigeria Plc</b>  were reportedly riding on a motorcycle in Abuja when they were gunned down.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“Unfortunately we can confirm that two German nationals were killed in Nigeria last weekend,”</i> a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“The German Embassy in Abuja is seeking clarification and is in close contact with Nigerian authorities,”</i> the spokesperson added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to German newspaper, <b>Ostseezeitung</b>  both victims, one aged 34 and the other in his mid-50s, had lived in Nigeria for years before their deaths last Saturday.</div>

Two Germans Shot Dead By Gunmen In Abuja

Two German nationals have lost their lives in Nigeria after being shot, a foreign ministry official has said. The victims, who were both engineers with construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc…

Read more »