EFCC Arrests 24 Year-Old Guy Trying to Smuggle N1.1billion Cash out of The Country

EFCC Arrests 24 Year-Old Guy Trying to Smuggle N1.1billion Cash out of The Country

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested one Abubakar Tijani Sheriff, whom it described as a bulk currency smuggler, as he attempted to smuggle $7million out of the country.

The EFCC said in a statement today that Sheriff, 24, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos en route Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as he boarded his flight.

Following his arrest, he declared that he had a total sum of $4.5million on him but thorough screening and search showed that he was actually carrying $7,049,444, the commission said.  Sheriff then confessed that he was a courier for 20 individuals who hired him to courier the money for them to Dubai.

“Investigations by the EFCC showed that Sheriff is a regular traveller and one of several couriers of illegal cash suspected to be proceeds of crime,” the commission adding that his claims concerning his accomplices are being investigated.

Travellers leaving the country are statutorily required to declare cash in excess of $10,000. However, under the provisions of the Money Laundering Act, it is not sufficient to declare excess cash; the onus is on the person making the declaration to explain the source of the excess cash and the reason for the export.

The EFCC noted that globally, bulk cash smuggling is usually associated with proceeds of crime, where legitimately earned funds are processed through the banking system.

“Our experience in the last few years indicates an emerging trend of bulk cash smuggling to Europe, Middle East and North America with the attendant consequence for capital flight. Some Nigerian citizens are routinely arrested at airports in Europe and North American for currency smuggling though no such arrests have been recorded in the Middle East. But in all cases, the money is lost as they are never repatriated back to the country.”

The Commission warned travellers who wish to move bulk cash out of the country to do so through the banking system, or to be prepared to declare it and explain its origin.

Sheriff is being detained at the EFCC’s holding facility in Lagos pending his arraignment in court.

Arik Air overbooks flight; 16 people standing in plane. Haha

Arik Air overbooks flight; 16 people standing in plane. Haha

This is going on right now at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. I'm getting info from passengers on the plane. Apparently Arik Air overbooked their Lagos-Benin flight by 16 people..and all sixteen passengers have refused to come down. Passengers have been at the airport since 6:30. Flight was initially supposed to take off at 7:30, then delayed to 11am. It was eventually boarded at almost 12 with 16 people more than available seats. The Arik Air involved is the one you see in this photo - the John Paul 2. No passenger is leaving and the plane is refusing to fly.

Lol. Naija! So Arik doesn't know when to stop selling tickets? Or they were hoping some passengers will not show up?

Davido acquires N140 million home in Lekki

Davido acquires N140 million home in Lekki

And he's just 20. Damn! :-) The music star just acquired a property in Lekki Phase1. I mentioned N140 million because that was what the property was on the market for but I can't say for sure if that's what Davido paid for it. The acquisition of the house was concluded between yesterday and today. The house is close to where his father also has a house in Lekki. #bigboythings. Big congrats to him!

CHEF WHO SLOW-COOKED WIFE GUILTY OF MURDER

CHEF WHO SLOW-COOKED WIFE
GUILTY OF MURDER



The L.A. chef who told police he slow-cooked his wife's body for 4 days was just convicted of 2nd degree murder in an L.A. courtroom. 

David Viens had told authorities he boiled his wife's 105-pound body in a 55-gallon drum in 2009 ... and got rid of the evidence by dumping some of the remains in a grease pit at his restaurant, Lomita. 

Viens had said he had gotten into an argument with his wife, Dawn, the night before her death ... and during the altercation, he tied her up and put duct tape over her mouth before going to bed. 

Viens claimed he woke up the next morning and found her dead ... and panicked.

In a recorded interview with authorities, Viens said, "I just slowly cooked [the body] and I ended up cooking her for four days."

Viens now faces 15 years to life in state prison.

INNOCENCE OF MUSLIMS' PRODUCER ARRESTED

'INNOCENCE OF MUSLIMS' PRODUCER
ARRESTED


The producer behind the anti-Islam movie "The Innocence of Muslims" has been arrested.

According to the U.S. Attorney's spokesman, 55-year-old Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was arrested today in California on a probation violation stemming from a 2010 check fraud conviction, for which he served a year in prison.

How Nakoula violated his probation is unclear -- the probation report is sealed -- but under the terms of his probation, Nakoula was banned from using computers and the Internet for 5 years without prior approval.

It's possible Nakoula's arrest stems from a use of the Internet -- which would make sense because "The Innocence of Muslims" first rose to notoriety on YouTube.

Jay-Z: Beyonce is “Absolutely Not” Pregnant

Despite recent pregnancy rumors, Jay-Z is assuring us that Beyoncé is definitely NOT pregnant.

On Wednesday night (September 26), the 42-year-old rapper opened up about his wife during the NBA 2K13 release party in New York City.

When E! Online asked if baby Blue Ivy will welcome a sibling, Jay responded, “Not tonight, not in nine months – absolutely not."

The 40/40 Club owner continued to assure us that the couple currently has no plans for baby number two by adding, “Not in one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine months."

Patience Jonathan Battles Parkinson’s Disease

Patience Jonathan Battles Parkinson’s Disease
Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is battling an onset of Parkinson’s disease that has complicated her recovery from a surgical procedure in Germany, several reliable sources have disclo

sed to SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters broke the news that Mrs. Jonathan was flown to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany close to a month ago to undergo emergency treatment after a botched procedure in Dubai.

In interviews with three sources familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s health status, SaharaReporters learnt that the Nigerian president’s wife is beset by Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative syndrome. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. A medical source described it as “a fairly common disorder that occasions degeneration of the nervous system.” The source added that the disease leads to “progressive impairment and disorder of movement.” An online medical site notes that Parkinson’s “is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.”

The bombshell revelation about the First Lady’s medical woes was first made by a source familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s previous secret treatments in Spain and Italy. The source disclosed that Mrs. Jonathan had battled Parkinson’s for some years now. In addition, doctors had advised her to “do something urgent about her morbid body mass index (BMI),” said the source. She added that Mrs. Jonathan had indeed considered undergoing the kind of tummy tuck procedure that former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha once had.

Two other sources close to the Jonathans confirmed that the First Lady has been dogged by Parkinson’s. One said the disease was largely responsible for her clumsiness, drawling speech and slow movement at public events. He added that Mrs. Jonathan has been suffering serious trembling in the left hand. “That’s why she always uses her right to hold the microphone when speaking at public events,” the source revealed. Mrs. Jonathan also reportedly is affected by stiffness of the limbs and trunk which affects her movement.

A news staffer at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Jonathan’s aides warned reporters covering her never to film her beyond her waist. “Her senior personal assistant told the crew covering her long ago: ‘Don’t ever film Madam’s waist. Show her face only.’ That’s been the code at NTA.”

Two of our sources stated that Mrs. Jonathan had made efforts to slow the disease that had started to ravage her. “She has been visiting a health farm in Italy on a regular basis since 2010,” one source revealed. “To alleviate her pain, she has been taking her medication religiously.”

A friend of Mrs. Jonathan’s said that the First Lady’s health maladies include anxiety, occasional memory loss and disorientation. In addition, her blood pressure often rises to dangerous levels, forcing her to take a cocktail of anti-hypertensive drugs.

Also, our sources said that some officials attached to the First Lady’s office described her as constantly depressed, prone to snapping at people at the slightest provocation. “The First Lady can just get angry at the slightest provocation and rain abuses at anybody in sight,” he said.

As happened during the health crisis of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the Nigerian Presidency’s reaction to Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition is to be mum. When SaharaReporters contacted a senior aide of President Jonathan on the matter of the First Lady’s illness, he sharply said, “I’m not saying anything. And please don’t mention that you spoke to me.” SaharaReporters learnt that officials of the Presidency are under a virtual oath of secrecy on the issue of Mrs. Jonathan’s health crisis.
-----

Whatever the case may be, pls pray for our 1st lady to recover so she can come home and enjoy being the 1st lady of Nigeria. Pray hard for her as this is becoming serious.

Redeemed Church Women leader missing

Mrs. Adebusola Odunaya, women Leader, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Cornerstone Parish, New Jerusalem Area, Elliot, Lagos, is missing.

The 33-year-old mother of two was last seen on Saturday.

Her husband, Mr. Oluwafemi Odunaya, toldPUNCH Metro that he left Adebusola at home.

Oluwafemi said when he returned home, his children told him that Adebusola had gone for shopping.

When she did not return late in the evening, he said he became disturbed more so when her phone indicated it was switched off.

“Since that time, nobody has heard any information about her. Her phone is no longer going. What has even jolted us the more is the fact that since that day, no ransom demand has been made,” Oluwafemi said.

On whether his wife probably moved out of the house because of disagreement, Odunaya, said there was no cause for that as they did not have any disagreement. He added that her clothes and other belongings were intact.

Odunaya said he had already reported the matter to the Iju Ishaga Police Division.

He urged anybody with useful information to report to him on 08073516669 or the nearest police station.

The police in Iju Division confirmed the matter was reported on Monday and that Adebusola had subsequently been declared missing.

“The case has been reported and referred to DCB while Corporal Thomas Paulet is detailed to investigate the case,” police crime diary extract stated.

Hong Kong Billionaire Offers $65 Million to Any Man Who Can Win the Heart of His Lesbian Daughter

Hong Kong Billionaire Offers $65 Million to Any Man Who Can Win the Heart of His Lesbian Daughter
A businessman from Hong Kong has offered a $65m dowry to any man who can win the heart of his lesbian daughter.

Are you an eligible bachelor ready to marry? Can you play a lovey-dovey and win the heart of a 33 year old beautiful woman, who already has a same-sex loving attraction to another woman?

If you fit these descriptions, catch the next plane for Paris or Hong kong in search of Gigi Chao, daughter of a Hong Kong billionaire.

The Hong Kong businessman has offered a $65 million “marriage bounty” to any man who can win the heart of his lesbian daughter, a report said Wednesday.

Cecil Chao announced the financial reward of HK$500 million after his daughter, Gigi, married her same-sex partner of seven years in France earlier this year. “I don’t mind whether he is rich or poor. The important thing is that he is generous and kind hearted,” 76-year-old Chao was quoted as saying.

“Gigi is a very good woman with both talents and looks. She is devoted to her parents, is generous and does volunteer work,” he added.

He also rejected “false reports” that Gigi, 33, had married abroad, saying she was still single.

Chao, who owns publicly-listed property developer Cheuk Nang, could not be reached for comment. Same-sex marriages are not recognised in Hong Kong, a socially conservative Chinese city where homosexuality was decriminalised in 1991.

Chao is well known in Hong Kong’s social circles and regularly appears at public events with his latest young girlfriend.

He reportedly once claimed to have had intimate relations with 10,000 women.

Naija Bachelors!!! Who is catching the next flight to Hong Kong?

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S DAUGHTER Involved in NASTY Car Accident [PHOTO]

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S DAUGHTER 
Involved in NASTY
Car Accident [PHOTO]

Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina was involved in a scary car accident in Georgia -- DESTROYING the entire front end of the vehicle -- and TMZ has a photo of the damage.

The black 2012 Camaro belongs to Bobbi's boyfriend Nick Gordon -- and according to sources close to Bobbi, Nick was driving Sunday night in Alpharetta, GA ... with Bobbi in the passenger seat ... when the accident happened.

The details surrounding the accident are unclear, but we're told the couple had been arguing at the time of the crash -- and Nick's Camaro was the only car involved. No one was injured.

After the accident, the car was missing the front right tire, the front bumper was torn off, and the airbags were deployed -- but somehow it got back to Bobbi and Nick's apartment.

Cops went to the apartment soon after the accident for a noise complaint, but no one answered the door.

According to the incident report, officers saw the car parked outside the apartment with its hazard lights on -- and it appeared it had been driven in a damaged state.

We're told the accident is currently under investigation. Calls to Bobbi's people were not returned.

Printing And Minting Employee Staff Arrested With Fake One Thousand Naira Notes

Printing And Minting Employee Staff Arrested With Fake One Thousand Naira Notes

, "The notes are not fake per se. But the difference is that they have not reached the final state of production and so there are no serial numbers on them."

The suspect, who identified himself as Osakpolo Igbinosa from Edo State, said the fake naira notes were not actually printed by him but were the ones that were yet to reach the final stage of printing by NSPMC where he works as a material security officer.

He said he had been perpetrating the criminal act since 2010 until he was recently arrested by crack detectives attached to ‘Area N’ Command Headquarters Ijede in Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos.

According to him, he had gone to a nearby bureau de change operator to have the money exchanged for American Dollars, when the Hausa operator raised an alarm and alerted the police.

Igbinosa said: “The notes are not fake per se. But the difference is that they have not reached the final state of production and so there are no serial numbers on them.

“I did not print them contrary to what I am hearing. These notes are genuine ones and were printed by my company, but I stole them because I needed to offset some debt.”

Lagos State Police Pubic Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, told newsmen that the suspect was arrested on September 19 at 4pm.

She said: “One Abdulraham Abdullahi of Benson Plaza Ikorodu alerted policemen attached to Shagamu road that one Osakpolor Igbinosa of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company located on Victoria Island with staff number MSC./4503 transacted a business of exchange of fake N900,000 for three thousand US Dollars.

“The suspect was promptly arrested and during interrogation, he confessed to being a security man attached to the NSPMC and that he stole the money from the office.”

Missing baby...

Missing baby...

Oluwatoniloba David Obafemi was kidnapped by Comfort Amos on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at RCCG, Central Parish, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.

Comfort Amos is a member of the church choir where Timothy Taiwo Obafemi (Toni's Father) is the Deputy HOD of the choir.

Comfort Amos unusually sat where the nursing mothers sat in church on Sunday and particularly sat beside Mariah Toyin Obafemi (Toni's mother), who is also a Sunday School teacher.


Please continue...
Comfort carried and played with Toniloba and after some minutes requested that she wanted to go give her house-help money for 'offering' in the children's church. She left with Toniloba.

After some minutes, Toyin got unsettled and decided to go look for Comfort. All efforts to track Comfort has since proven abortive.

Wole Shonibare, a church member called Comfort and she confirmed she was in Jabi Park and when she was advised to return the baby, she snapped back at him that she will return the baby. All efforts to speak with Comfort after that has been fruitless. Toni is 9months old while Comfort is 40/41 years old.

She was last tracked to Shendam, Plateau State.

In case of any useful info, contact should be made to the child's parents 08075672060 and 08064966277 or the nearest police station. Please do assist in the search. 

Three killed, 48 injured in Bauchi church explosion

 A suicide bomber who tried to ram an explosives-packed car into a church Sunday killed a woman and a child while badly wounding dozens more, the Red Cross said.

The attacker targetted the St. John’s Catholic Church in the northern city of Bauchi, where tight security was imposed after a wave church bombings claimed by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

Worshippers were being screened outside the building when the bomber approached, ramming his car into the line of people waiting to enter Sunday services, the head of the Red Cross in Bauchi state, Adamu Abubakar said.

“We have three dead in all, including the bomber, a woman and a child. Forty-eight others were seriously injured in the explosion,” he told AFP. He said the church building was not damaged in the blast.

Officials said the attack occurred in the Wunti area of Bauchi city, capital of Bauchi state.

Suicide blasts targetting Christian Sunday services were a near weekly occurrence in Nigeria earlier this year, but the violence had ebbed recently.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the attack resembled those previously claimed by Boko Haram, blamed for killing more than 1,400 people in northern and central Nigeria since 2010.

Boko Haram claimed responsiblity for a similar attack on June 3 in Bauchi city in which a suicide bomber tried to drive a vehicle packed with explosives into a church, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens more.

Since re-launching its insurgency in 2010, the group’s attacks have grown increasingly deadly and sophisticated, including suicide bombings at the UN headquarters in Abuja and an office for one of the country’s most prominent newspapers.

The deadliest attack so far was in Kano in January, when at least 185 people died in a series of coordinated bombings and shootings.

Muslims have often been its victims, but President Goodluck Jonathan warned that the group was seeking to spark a religious conflict with the series of attacks on Christians.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, is divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

The government recently said it was engaging in back-channel talks in an effort to halt the violence.

A previous attempt at dialogue this year collapsed when a mediator quit over leaks to the media and a Boko Haram spokesman said they could not trust the government.

Boko Haram is believed to have several factions, including a hardcore Islamist wing.

Boko Haram `accountant’ arrested with N4.5m cash

Boko Haram `accountant’ arrested with N4.5m cash

The onslaught of the security services against Boko Haram seems to be paying off with the arrest of a top operative of the Islamist group described as the accountant.

`The accountant’ was said to be in transit between Kano and Zaria, last week, with N4.5 million cash belonging to the Islamist group when men of the JTF intercepted and arrested him.

Sunday Vanguard sources said he was travelling in a commuter bus as a cover.

The arrest came barely two days after security agents tracked and killed Boko Haram spokesman, Abu Qaqa, in an operation in Kano.

Anti-American protest in Kano yesterday

The Islamist group’s `accountant’, it was learnt, embarked on the journey which originated from Maiduguri, Borno State, to make cash transfers.

The sources said his cover blew after he and another associate made some money transfers in Kano, an action that aroused the curiosity of bank officials who alerted security agents.

The associate was arrested but, by then, the `accountant’ was already on his way to Zaria.

Subsequent manhunt yielded fruit as the `Boko Haram accountant’ was arrested in transit.

The Islamist group’s kingpin, according to the sources, is under intense interrogation by security agents in Kano.

Sunday Vanguard understood that the security services believe the arrest of the `accountant’ is a major breakthrough in the efforts to contain terrorism in the country.

Boko Haram is believed to be behind deadly attacks in the northern part of the country.

Ugo Ozuah allegedly shot dead by police just 5days after his wedding

Ugo Ozuah allegedly shot dead by police just 5days after his wedding

Ugo Ozuah was allegedly shot by men of the Nigerian police force in front of the UPS office on the Gbagada Express way on Thursday September 20th. He died early this morning at a hospital in Lagos. Ugo just got married last Saturday September 15th, 2012.

Details as to what really happened that Thursday night are sketchy but according to friends of the late 
 businessman, he was at the expressway with another friend trying to flag down a taxi around 9 at night, when policemen pulled up and shot him twice in the chest at close range. They said he was not resisting arrest, he wasn't arguing with the police, he was not asked to identify himself, he was just standing there with a friend and got killed for no reason.

Sounds crazy to me! The IG of police has said the men that killed the newly married man were not policemen...but they were wearing police uniform, so who were they?

This is truly sad, and quite unfortunate! I can't even imagine what his wife would be going through now. Hopefully, Ugo's family will get justice for this senseless killing!

Flood takes over Lokoja-Abuja highway

 The flood currently ravaging some parts of Kogi  assumed a frightening dimension on Thursday evening when a part of the Lokoja-Abuja highway was overtaken by  flood water.

Mr Isaac Martins, the head of operation of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Kogi Sector of Command, confirmed that the section of the road at Banda village was flooded.

Martins said on telephone that FRSC officials had been dispatched to the spot to control traffic.

He said the flood had slowed down vehicular movement but added that the commission was in control of the situation.

Apart from the Abuja-Lokoja highway, other major roads affected were  Ganaja and Ajaokuta roads.

Vehicles going to the southern part of the country had difficulties going through the road to Ajaokuta and Okene from the North.

The flood submerged some transformers and other PHCN installations in Lokoja and Ajaokuta, thereby throwing the two towns into darkness.  (NAN)

Mikel shuts Twitter account after racist abuse

 Chelsea’s Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel was forced to close his Twitter account on Thursday after suffering a barrage of racist abuse prompted by his costly mistake against Juventus.

Mikle Obi

Mikel removed his profile from the micro-blogging website less than 24 hours after his blunder contributed to Juventus’s late equaliser as Chelsea were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw in the opening match of their Champions League defence at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Chelsea originally insisted it was coincidental that Mikel had decided to delete the ‘Mikel12Official’ account he only set up earlier this year.

But the European champions later admitted they had informed the police after being made aware of the unacceptable nature of the abuse Mikel had endured.

“We’ve been made aware of racist tweets targeted at Mikel which are totally unacceptable, disgusting and abhorrent,” a Chelsea statement read.

“We’ve informed the police and support taking the strongest possible action.”

Mikel gave the ball away with a careless pass 10 minutes from the final whistle and Juventus took advantage as Claudio Marchisio played in Fabio Quagliarella for the equaliser.

The 25-year-old apologised immediately afterwards, saying: “If I want to make up an excuse, I can. But, for me, I gave the ball away. I put my hands up, we move on.

“I’m sorry about the mistake, but there are no excuses.”