Blizzwap

Brazil to declare no-fly zone over World Cup stadiums

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The Brazilian Air Force will declare no-fly zones over World Cup stadiums to prevent terrorist attacks during this year's soccer tournament, but there's a catch: it can't shoot down intruders, for now.
By law, Brazil's military can only shoot at unresponsive civilian planes on drug trafficking routes near its borders, but not over densely populated urban areas where games will be played in 12 cities.
The Air Force is asking the Brazilian government to change the shoot-down law to allow effective defense of the air space during the 64 games of the June 12-July 13 global soccer tournament, said Air Force Brigadier Antonio Carlos Egito at a news conference on Friday.
In the meantime, the anti-aircraft guns to be deployed near the stadiums cannot be fired at a plane flying into a no-fly zone, said Egito, the military chief of air traffic over Brazil.
The Air Force and civilian aviation regulator ANAC announced that for security reasons commercial flights will not be allowed to land at eight airports that are within the 7.2 kilometer (4 nautical mile) no-fly radius around the stadiums.
The suspension will begin one hour before games kick off and last for 4 to 5 hours, though take-offs will not be restricted. They do not affect the country's main international airports.
The suspensions will mostly disrupt flights at Rio de Janeiro's domestic airport Santos Dumont and complicate the logistics of Brazilian carriers that have already sold 3,000 seats on flights that will have to be canceled.
PLENTY OF SEATS
The good news for soccer fans trying to follow their teams from one game to the next is that only 10 percent of seats have been sold on Brazilian domestic flights during the World Cup, ANAC president Marcelo Guaranys said.
Skyrocketing prices for flights during that period came down 25 percent in January from November levels, he said. Officials said that was because seats booked in blocks have been freed up by travel agencies seeing less demand than expected.
More than 600,000 foreign fans are expected to land in Brazil for the World Cup, joining an estimated 3 million Brazilians who will travel to games in other cities.
ANAC reported last week that renovation work is behind schedule at three major airports, Guarulhos in Sao Paulo, Viracopos in Campinas, which is 88 kilometers (55 miles) from Sao Paulo, and the airport of the capital, Brasilia.
To help reduce the crunch at airport terminals and aprons, the Air Force is lending its military bases for the arrival of VIP delegations and the 32 national soccer teams.
As an example of the heavy traffic to come, officials said Portugal's team will fly into Campinas, followed by a press plane with 200 journalists and four executive jets carrying their star player Cristiano Ronaldo and his family.
Civil Aviation Minister Wellington Moreira Franco told Reuters this week that Italy has been allowed to fly in and out of the Santa Cruz Air Force base near Rio to avoid traveling to the city's crowded airports.
Mexico, Bosnia and Costa Rica have also been authorized to use a military base near their training site in Santos</div>

Brazil to declare no-fly zone over World Cup stadiums

The Brazilian Air Force will declare no-fly zones over World Cup stadiums to prevent terrorist attacks during this year's soccer tourna...

Top Ten Most Corrupt Police Forces In The World

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Here are the 10 most corrupt police forces in the world.<br /><br /><b>10. Pakistan Police.</b><br />Pakistan’s
 police has been ranked among the most corrupt institutions in the 
country in a survey by an international anti-graft watchdog. Many 
citizens believe that the police is the most corrupt sector of the 
Pakistani government. Police brutality, extortion bribery and arresting 
innocent citizens are all crimes that have been committed among 
Pakistan’s police forces.<br /><br /><b>9. Russia Police.</b><br />Russian 
government is no stranger to corruption, especially within its police 
force. Within recent years, facts have surfaced about the corruption and
 crimes being committed by Russian police officers. Police brutality, 
extorting bribes and arresting innocent citizens are all crimes that 
have been committed among Russian police forces. In order to ensure 
monthly quotas and make ends meet, Russian police turn to corruption and
 bribery.<br /><br /><b>8. Sudan Police.</b><br />Sudan is one of the most 
corrupt countries for various reasons. Not only has their former 
president Oman Al-Bashir been indicted for war crimes and genocide, but 
this nation suffers from a corrupt police force. Sudanese police have 
been known to extort bribes from civilians in order to supplement their 
incomes. Police rarely file reports or investigate crimes, and often use
 violence and retaliation against people who complain about police 
abuses.<br /><br /><b>7. Afghanistan Police.</b><br />Afghanistan has had one 
of the most corrupt police forces in the world, and it seems like it’s 
only getting worse with time. Graft has made it impossible for Afghan 
police to improve and effectively do their job, but corruption is 
witnessed within the police force, as well. Afghan police have been 
known to extort money and inflict violence on civilians at police 
checkpoints around the country. Police also bribe civilians into paying 
them for their release from prison or to avoid arrest. Although police 
corruption has gotten slightly better with international efforts and 
retraining, it continues to suffer at the whim of governmental 
corruption and power.<br /><br /><b>6. Somalia Police.</b><br />The Somali 
police force is at No. 4 amongst the most corrupt in the world. This 
war-torn country continues to face great difficulties and people are at 
the greatest risk. The Somali police have been popular to be ineffective
 and crooked, because they are underpaid. Most of Somali police officers
 involved in steeling, extortion, bribery and they harass individuals to
 get money.<br /><br /><b>5. Iraq Police.</b><br />The Iraqi police have had a
 long history of corruption and, despite funds and retraining efforts, 
they’ve managed to maintain their corruption. Iraqi police continue to 
be highly sectarian and participate in kidnappings, ransom payments and 
bribery. They have proven to be ineffective at controlling terrorism 
efforts and protecting civilians in the ways they need to be.<br /><br /><b>4. Burma Police.</b><br />Burma
 ranked 4 amongst the countries with a troubled agency. Corruption among
 police force is most common here. The Burma police has been known to 
make victims pay for criminal investigations. They are popular for 
extortion money from civilians. Burma is ruled by a highly authoritarian
 military regime, therefore the Burma police and the rights of citizens 
are under direct hold of military.<br /><br /><b>3. Kenya Police.</b><br />Kenya
 ia at No.3 amongst the most corrupt police forces in the world. 
According to a recent survay report of Transparency International, the 
92 percent civilians of Kenya ranked their police as the most corrupt 
and many of them have paid a bribe to their police during the last 12 
months. Civilians are bribed into paying police for access to various 
services, like Customs, healthcare, education, police, registration and 
permits. They paid a bribe even on utility services.<br /><br /><b>2. Mexico Police.</b><br />Mexico
 hold second spot amongst the most corrupt police forces. One of the 
most troubled police and it continues to get worse every day. Crime is 
at an all-time high in Mexico City and border towns, but many police 
officers are only making it worse. Mexican police turn to corruption to 
find other means of money because the pay is low. Police will bribe 
criminals and extort tourists and have been known to give victims the 
option of “plata o plomo,” which means they can either accept a bribe or
 be killed. Mexican police also work with drug cartels to protect them 
and enforce drug trafficking. They often ignore reported crimes and do 
not investigate them, often imprisoning innocent citizens to cover up 
their dirty work.<br /><br /><b>1. Haiti Police.</b><br />World’s most corrupt
 police force is of Haiti. The Haitian police have negatively influenced
 society and Haitian culture with their unethical practices for quite 
awhile. In recent years, the Haitian National Police have violated 
various human rights and broken numerous laws, such as kidnapping, drug 
trafficking and police brutality. They have even resisted preventing or 
responding to gang-related violence. The lawlessness of the HNP appears 
to have died down slightly after the catastrophic earthquake in January 
2010, but only time will tell if it will stay this way</blockquote>
</div>

Top Ten Most Corrupt Police Forces In The World

Here are the 10 most corrupt police forces in the world. 10. Pakistan Police. Pakistan’s police has been ranked among the most corrupt in...

Ayo Adesanya shares heart warming message as her son turns 10

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Actress Ayo Adesanya took to her instagram page to celebrate her son who
 turns 10 today and shared a heart warming message. See below<br />
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"Te<span><span><span>n
 years ago when I first set my eyes and held this baby in my arms at the
 Cook County hospital Chicago Illinois USA, I knew my life will never be
 the same again. Within this wonderful years you have been my friend, 
confidant and hero...you know me when am happy or down..u encourage and 
inspire me most..indeed u are a God sent ...Sweetness as you hit this 
beautiful landmark I pray you grow in wisdom and intelligence ....you 
will live longer to fulfill Gods purpose in your life...goodness.. long 
life, good health..joy ..happiness will follow you thru all your days on
 earth ...have a fab birthday blessed child</span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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Ayo Adesanya shares heart warming message as her son turns 10

Actress Ayo Adesanya took to her instagram page to celebrate her son who turns 10 today and shared a heart warming message. See ...

Wizkid shows off his expensive jewelry acquisition

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That watch is like N3.5/N4m. He's really balling</div>

Wizkid shows off his expensive jewelry acquisition

That watch is like N3.5/N4m. He's really balling

10 Bodily Functions That Continue After Death

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Death doesn't need to stop you from doing all the 
things you enjoy, as long as the things you enjoy are pretty basic. 
Certain bodily functions continue for minutes, hours, days, and even 
weeks after death. You will not believe the kind of things a dead body 
will do with its now-copious amount of time.<br /><br />By the way, this post is not for the weak of stomach.<br /><br />10. Nail and hair growth (by technicality)<br /><br />This
 is a technical function, not an actual function. The body doesn't 
produce more hair and nail tissue, but both of these things do 'grow,' 
in the days after death. What actually happens is the skin loses 
moisture (although cosmetics companies are probably hard at work making a
 cream for that) and pulls back, exposing more hair and making nails 
seem longer. Since you do measure the length of hair and nails from the 
point where they meet the skin to the tip of the hair, the hair does 
'grow'.<br /><br />9. Brain activity (with drugs)<br /><br />One of the side 
effects of modern technology is a blurring of the time between life and 
death. The brain can be almost completely gone, but the heart can keep 
pumping. If the heart is stopped for a minute, there's no breathing, and
 the person was dying anyway, most doctors just pronounce people dead 
while their brain is technically still alive for the next few minutes. 
The brain's cells spend those minutes scrambling for the oxygen and 
nutrients they need to stay alive - to the point where they often damage
 themselves irreparably even if the heart starts up again. Those minutes
 before the damage is too extensive could be extended, with the right 
drugs and under the right circumstances, to days. Ideally, this would 
give doctors a chance to save you, but it's not guaranteed. I know what 
most of you are thinking, "What fun! The biggest problem I had with 
dying is that it could be quick and painless, with no chance that my 
living brain is stuck inside a corpse for days on end." Well, now you 
don't have to worry about that.<br /><br />8. Skin cell growth<br /><br />This 
is another function of different parts of the body dying at different 
rates. While loss of blood circulation can kill the brain in minutes, 
other cells are not as in need of constant care. Skin cells, which are 
used to living on the outskirts of the body and grabbing what they can 
through osmosis, can stay alive for days. Its a good thing they don't 
have brains, or I'd feel sorry for them, the poor doomed things.<br /><br /><br /><br />7. Peeing<br /><br />Peeing,
 we think, is a voluntary function. And we're mostly right, except if 
something's really funny. Not-peeing, though, is not a voluntary 
function. We never have to think about it, because a certain part of the
 brain is always in charge of it. This is the same part that's involved 
in regulating a person's breathing and heartbeat, which is one of the 
reasons people tend to pee involuntarily if they're drunk. The part of 
the brain that keeps the urinary sphincter closed is inhibited. (More 
alcohol will shut down the part that regulate breathing and heart 
function, which is one of the reasons too much alcohol is dangerous.) 
Although rigor mortis stiffens the muscles, it doesn't set in until 
hours after death. Just after death, muscles relax, causing people to 
urinate after death.<br /><br />6. Pooing<br /><br />We all know that in times 
of stress the body eliminates waste, often in front of people or on 
camera. The body relaxes certain muscles and things just . . . progress.
 In the case of dead bodies, the whole thing is helped along by the gas 
that's produced inside the body. This can happen hours after death. 
Hours. Considering fetuses can also poop in the womb (it's true!), this 
may be both the first and last thing we do in life. Puts things in 
perspective, doesn't it?<br /><br />5. Digestion<br /><br />It turns out that 
when you die, bot only are you expelling stuff, you're actively making 
more. Or, at least, something is making more. We forget that we share 
our bodies with tons of other creatures, many of them beneficial. The 
bacteria inside your gut don't die just because you do. While plenty of 
them are parasitic, some of them are great aids to digestion, and do 
part of the work for us. They keep right on chugging, even when we're 
good and dead. Others eat into the lining of our intestines, making more
 of that gas that repulsed us all in section six, which pushes things 
along.<br /><br />4. Erections and expulsion<br /><br />When the heart stops 
forcing the blood around the body, it pools in whatever area is lowest. 
Sometimes people die standing up and sometimes people die lying face 
down. I think everyone here has enough spatial reasoning to understand 
what kind of blood pooling that would encourage. Meanwhile, for all that
 talk of relaxing muscles after death, it doesn't last forever. Certain 
types of muscle cells are activated by calcium ions. After activation, 
the cells expend energy putting the calcium ions back outside the cell. 
After death, the membranes become more permeable to calcium and the 
cells don't expend as much energy to push the ions out, so the muscles 
contract. This does lead to rigor mortis and can lead to expulsion. It's
 real. It happens. Now let's never think of it again.<br /><br /><br /><br />3. Muscle movement<br /><br />Although
 the brain may die, other areas of the nervous system may still be 
active. Nurses report seeing reflex action, which involves nerves 
sending signals to the spinal cord and not the brain, leading to muscle 
twitches and spasms after death. Some even say they've seen shallow 
chest movements after death. (Although maybe the doctor fell down on the
 job for that one.)<br /><br />2. Vocalization<br /><br />Our bodies are 
basically sacks of gas and goo supported by bones (which are filled with
 yet more goo). Rotting happens when bacteria go to work and the 
proportion of the gas increases. Since we carry most bacteria inside our
 body, the gas builds up inside. We've seen several ways it takes out. 
One of those ways is through the windpipe. Since rigor mortis stiffens 
all the muscles, including the ones that work the vocal cords, the 
combination leads to some very eerie sounds coming from dead bodies. 
People hear moans, groans, and squeaks coming from the dead, although 
why they stay around to confirm that the bodies making them are truly 
dead instead of peeing on the floor and running for their lives is 
beyond me.<br /><br />1. Giving birth<br /><br />Oh. Holy. Hell. No Twilight 
scene could be worse than this. Back in the day when people dropped like
 flies, a number of women died while pregnant, and sometimes in times 
that were too cold to give them a burial. This gave rise to a charming 
little term called 'coffin birth.' The gases building up inside a body, 
combined with the softening flesh, were said to cause the body to expel 
the fetus. These events were rare, and caused a lot of rumors, but were 
documented in times before proper embalming and quick burial. It sounds 
like the kind of thing out of an Edgar Allen Poe book, but it did 
happen. And it's yet another reason to be happy that we live in the 
modern world.</div>
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10 Bodily Functions That Continue After Death

Death doesn't need to stop you from doing all the things you enjoy, as long as the things you enjoy are pretty basic. Certain bodily...

Former Oyo Governor, Ladoja, loses son in fatal auto crash in Lagos

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One of the sons of former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja, died 
yesterday Thursday May 29th in a fatal auto accident on Eko Bridge.<br />
<br />
Adebola Ladoja, who was driving a Volkswagen Golf car, was heading 
towards Lagos Island around 3.30pm when a DAF truck said to be on top 
speed 
lost control, rammed into the median of the bridge and then rammed into 
his car, crushing it and killing Adebola on 
the spot.<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It took several hours before those who came to the rescue of the victim
 could break into the vehicle. He was trapped behind the wheel with 
blood gushing out of his head as a result of the impact,” an eyewitness 
said </blockquote>
Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi 
Braide, confirmed the incident and said the late Adebola's corpse has 
been deposited at the mortuary</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"On Eko Bridge, a Daf truck
 with registration number. JJJ 59 XA, driven by one Justice Oseghai, ran
 into a Volkswagen Golf car marked AKD 107 CJ, driven by Adebola Ladoja,
 son of the former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja. The victim died on the spot. His corpse
 has been moved to the Lagos Island General Hospital’s mortuary for 
autopsy, while the truck’s driver has been arrested."</blockquote>
</div>

Former Oyo Governor, Ladoja, loses son in fatal auto crash in Lagos

One of the sons of former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja, died yesterday Thursday May 29th in a fatal auto accident on Eko Bri...

Presidential fact-finding committee visit Chibok

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Presidential fact-finding committee visit Chibok
</h3>
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Members of the presidential fact-finding committee on the abducted 
Chibok school girls yesterday May 29th paid a visit to Chibok community.
 In a statement signed by the committee spokesman, Kingsley 
Osadolor, the committee met with some officials of the Borno state 
government, including the Borno State Commissioner for Education, 
Musa Kubo, Chairman of Chibok Local Government, Bana Lawan, five 
district heads of the surrounding communities, Chairman of the Parent 
Teachers Association of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, 
the principal, parents of the abducted girls and some of the girls who 
escaped were all present at the meeting.<br />
<br />
Read part of 
the statement after the cut...where's the pic of them there though?</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
"Members of the committee visited the burnt-out 
structures of Government Secondary School, where the girls were 
abducted. The receiving party conducted members of the committee round 
the grounds of the school. The principal, vice principals, matrons of 
the hostels, as well as security guards and cooks were earlier debriefed
 by the committee in Maiduguri. The committee later held an interactive 
session with the Chibok communities on the school premises. At the 
meeting, Chairman of the Fact-finding Committee, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo
 (retd.), who spoke with misty eyes, said the committee came, first, to 
sympathise with the parents and other community members over the havoc 
of the insurgents. He assured the people of President Goodluck 
Jonathan’s concern about the fate of the abducted students, saying that 
the President was having sleepless nights. As we gather here today to 
see you wailing, by the grace of God, we will also gather here to dance 
and rejoice with you when the girls regain their freedom" it read</div>
</blockquote>
<div>
The spokesperson of the committee said the people were 
elated to see them and asked that their message of hope and belief that 
the girls would be found be delivered to the President. He said one of 
the fathers whose 2 daughters are still in Boko haram captivity, Rev. 
Enoch Mark asked that people should stop politicizing the missing Chibok
 girls and also stated that the abduction was not a religious thing as 
both religions were affected by the abduction.</div>
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Presidential fact-finding committee visit Chibok

Presidential fact-finding committee visit Chibok Members of the presidential fact-finding committee on the abducted Chibok school ...

MY LESSON

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A BLIND DATE
</h3>
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Article not written by me o. But enjoy...:-)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
T<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">his fateful Saturday morning, as I try to conclude
my washing, I hear my phone beep but I ignore thinking it must be a
notification from one of these social networks.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 22.5pt;">
T<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">wo hours have passed, I have had a bath, eaten and
about to take a nap when my phone beeps again. ‘Nice pix cutie’, ‘kfb’ the
twitter notifications read… I was surprised to have been noticed because of my
lack of involvement in social networks due to my tight schedule at work…
curious, I checked his profile , it read  ‘My name is Greg, I work with
Exxon Mobil, a Christian  and I am here to make  new friends’ . Few
seconds later I received a direct message from Greg. I got more interested as
the conversation grew.</span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">

</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After weeks of chatting day and night we picked a
dinner date.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">

</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Excited, I showed up in my Josie Natori dress,
Jimmy Choo shoes and Louis Vuitton purse. Greg looked like a happy groom in his
black suit. Love filled the air as the whole of the five star hotel couldn’t
contain us. Greg treated me to the best first date ever and just when I thought
we had it all together, a pregnant woman and two little girls walked towards us
screaming ‘ Daddy!’ ‘Daddy!’ The scale fell of my eyes when this woman gave me
the slap of my life calling me a husband snatcher and all sorts. She dragged
Greg by his belt and threatened to pluck out my eyes if she finds me anywhere
around her husband as they walked out of the five star hotel…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">

</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It dawned on me the whole VIP treatment, expensive
food and drinks was on me when the waiter gave me our bill of 17,450 naira.
Confused, I tried to search through my purse as if I was expecting to find
money in it, then a lady on the next table calls my attention, showing me my
Payment Card that fell out of my purse earlier. Reluctant, I picked it up but
then it struck a chord, a hotel this big should offer e-payment options and so
I asked for a POS which was promptly provided. I was relieved, I was saved.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">

MY LESSON

A BLIND DATE Article not written by me o. But enjoy...:-) T his fateful Saturday morning, as I try to conclude my washing, I hear ...

Terrorist attack on 3 Emirs' convoy in Borno

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<h3 class="post-title entry-title">
 
<a href="http://www.lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2014/05/press-release-terrorist-attack-on-3.html">Terrorist attack on 3 Emirs' convoy in Borno </a>
</h3>
<div class="post-header">

</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCIMwWCk0VKQBflapFlhvzIPAAnD1bhpKdCQlgzHBjKPibLdxkEUZ55OY1yYjyrE3Y-lxY9hcWMP6SA_bc-kVicjm7u76Il7Q5fgK7VhnXvyDgMSucsPc-rqi6glQ83GbjktajJ8T_uN-/s1600/Emir+of+Gwoza.jpg" width="247" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2LGaFb-qf-yjT82OH_2TAslzUk4xFyLqBZSbjp9kYo-5TRoG1ItESMqy95VqXL4InwBqEbtWROg9gBauUf4399Sx3qpPocVj0qLeAChpI9s5Kp9XZ1hVcRqOupXUtcDWt6B0qTlt_Y1F/s1600/Emir+of+Uba.jpg" width="216" /></div>
Below is the official press release on the terrorist attack on three 
Borno Emirs' convoy this morning, posted by Presidential Spokesperson, 
Reuben Abati on his website this evening...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A
 band of terrorists today attacked a convoy of the Emirs of Gwoza, Uba 
and Askira who were travelling to Gombe for the funeral of the late Emir
 of Gombe.  Troops deployed in Garkida responded to the attack. The 
Emirs of Uba and Askira were secured while the body of Emir of Gwoza who
 died in the attack has been recovered.  Troops are currently on 
aggressive patrols along the entire route with a view to apprehending 
the perpetrators and keeping the area safe. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Meanwhile, raids carried out by troops of the Special Task Force 
operating in the north-central part of the country have led to the  
arrest of 23 members of armed gangs terrorizing the region.  The 
suspects including a hard drugs supplier were apprehended during raids 
on camps and criminal hideouts located in Bukuru, Jos South and Barkin 
Ladi general areas.  All the suspects are currently undergoing 
preliminary investigation before they will be handed over to appropriate
 prosecuting agency.</blockquote>
</div>

Terrorist attack on 3 Emirs' convoy in Borno

Terrorist attack on 3 Emirs' convoy in Borno Below is the official press release on the terrorist attack on three Borno Emi...

Photos: Actress Angela Okorie shows off hot body in swimwear

The actress shared the photos on instagram.

Boats on lagos waters rickety, unsafe –Investigation

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<span class="date published time" title="2014-05-31T00:00:46+00:00"></span><span class="post-comments"><a href="http://www.punchng.com/feature/boats-on-lagos-waters-rickety-unsafe-investigation/#respond"><span class="dsq-postid" rel="230831 http://www.punchng.com/?p=230831"><br /></span></a></span> </div>
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<img alt="Boats on lagos waters rickety, unsafe" class="attachment-bigstoryimage" height="134" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Boats-on-lagos-waters-rickety-unsafe.jpg" width="250" /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
 hushed tones, and cluster of twos and threes, they discussed the latest
 incident; men and women, decked in various outfits ready to embark on 
another voyage across the lagoon from the Majidun jetty in Ikorodu all 
the way to C.M.S in the heart of Lagos Island. Time was 9:00 am Monday, 
May 19, 2014 and the mood this time was far from what it used to be. 
News of a boat accident at Victoria Island two days earlier where one 
person, a lady identified as Claire, died and eight others escaped 
miraculously, had sent shivers down the spines of many.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While scores elected to go by road on 
this day for fear of what is gradually becoming a frightening trend, the
 few others who kept faith with the system that sunny morning, did so 
with their hearts in their mouths. A handful in this category told our 
correspondent they were also worried about their safety travelling by 
this means of transportation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“I also heard about the news of the 
accident, I am a little bit scared but I know that God will surely take 
control,” a woman who sat next to our correspondent in one of the boats 
headed for C.M.S, said. Several others looked extremely alert, rather 
than relaxed, as the boat throttled on vigorously, emitting fumes from 
its engine.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today, exactly two weeks after the latest
 tragedy, there is still fear and apprehension in the air. Visits to 
jetties in other parts of the city like FESTAC, LASU-Ojo, Apapa, 
Liverpool, Lekki, Epe, revealed how poor traffic had become. The 
situation is a far cry from what it used to be. A lot of people are 
staying away for fear of a possible tragedy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The accident on May 17 is the third major
 incident in less than three months this year on Lagos waters. Earlier 
in March, about 12 people died when a boat they were travelling in 
capsized in the FESTAC area while few weeks later in April, another nine
 perished in the Oworonshoki axis of the lagoon in similar 
circumstances. The boat, filled with workers heading home to Ikorodu 
after the close of the day’s business, sank after its nose hit a log of 
wood on its path. It took efforts of local divers and officials of the 
National Emergency Management Agency to rescue 22 others. For the 
survivors, it was a chilling experience – a close shave with death.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bimbo Adamolekun, who lives at Oriwu in Ikorodu but works with an IT firm in Victoria Island told <em>Saturday Punch</em>
 during a conversation inside a BRT bus in the course of the week, says 
that he does not trust the system enough for him to patronise the local 
boat operators running the route.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“My colleague who lives in Ikorodu too 
told me about the ferry at Majidun and another one at Ebutte. But I am 
scared to even go there. I don’t know how to swim in case anything 
happens so I prefer to find my way through the traffic than to risk my 
life. As far as I am concerned, the water is not safe.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are dozens like Adamolekun who the 
poor state of commercial boats and the rising cases of water accidents 
continue to scare away from the jetties.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Daniel Peters, one of the survivors of 
the FESTAC boat mishap, doubts if he’ll ever have the courage to go by 
that means of transportation again. The experience, he says, continues 
to hunt him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“I just thank God for my life, the 
situation was not funny. We were more than 24 on the boat and the load 
was just excessive. It was the last boat for the day and everyone rushed
 in.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“As I was in the boat, suddenly, water 
started entering into the boat. At first it was like a joke but before 
we knew what was happening, the boat capsised. That was how we all fell 
under the water.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“It was battle for survival. I know how 
to swim but other people were pressing me under water. So, I was 
gradually losing strength. But when it occurred to me that I was going 
to die if I did not act fast, I mustered energy and swam with my last 
strength. That was how the divers saw me and came to my rescue.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“It was a miracle and I thank God. I 
don’t know if I will have the confidence to travel on boat again. I am 
afraid because I don’t know what might happen,” he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The growing cases of accidents, apart 
from causing panic among patrons of the water transportation system in 
Lagos, has equally raised fresh questions on the real state of many 
boats operating commercially on the waterways. Our correspondent took, 
through several boat rides, moved round to experience first-hand, how 
safe it was to travel on these mini vessels. The discovery, indeed calls
 for urgent intervention.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the Majidun jetty for example, most of
 the boats on parade were discovered to have gone past their best years.
 Even though some of the operators would claim they are in good 
condition, findings by <em>Saturday PUNCH</em> show that many of the vessels look old, ill maintained and are fast crumbling.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Navigational gadgets like radio 
transmitters, tracking devices, fire extinguishers and first aid boxes 
are missing in many boats plying Lagos waterways. The jetties are not 
also equipped to aid and monitor the operations of the boats, it was 
also discovered. In cases of emergency, accidents or attacks by pirates,
 locating a boat could be a tall order or an almost impossible task. 
Patrol boats are also an uncommon sight on most of the routes visited.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to the United Kingdom’s 
Department of Transport (Maritime and Coastguard Agency), a standard 
commercial boat should have lifebuoys, life jackets, distress signals, 
fire extinguisher, on-board communications and alarm systems, emergency 
lighting (hand-held) and medical supplies as basic equipment. These 
items which are key elements in safety practices are missing in nearly 
all commercial vessels in Lagos.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A boat operated by Bell Marine in which 
the reporter travelled from the Majidun jetty to Lagos Island in the 
course of the investigation, vibrated all through the journey as though 
it was about to rip apart. Signs of crack and weariness were visible all
 over its body. The floor of the boat, dressed with splintered planks, 
was almost an eyesore, shifting away from positions at regular intervals
 throughout the journey. You would almost beg to disembark at the 
nearest stop if you lacked the guts.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Though, every passenger got a life jacket
 before hopping on the boat, many of these safety vests were in 
questionable conditions, <em>Saturday Punch</em> observed. The situation is not peculiar to Bell Marine; it is almost the same across board.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At Dominion Logistics, another licensed 
commercial boat operator also stationed at the Majidun jetty, vessels in
 different states of disrepair were seen anchored on the shore. A 
mechanic with the company, Feyijimi Friday, told our correspondent that 
only four of their boats were currently working. According to him, the 
high cost of purchasing and maintaining a boat, is among reasons why 
many of the vessels are overworked and eventually wear out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The boats are expensive,” he revealed. 
“To get a good locally built boat, you will have over N1.5m and 
sometimes you will have to buy the engine separately and the cheapest is
 N500, 000. It is not everybody that can afford this. That is why as 
operators, we repair and manage what we have.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At C.M.S, another very active jetty, Jamiu Abiodun, himself a boat mechanic, told <em>Saturday Punch</em>
 that greed on the part of some operators was responsible for the 
terrible state of most of the commercial boats and the rising cases of 
accidents. According to him, rather than employ competent hands to man 
the boats, some owners, while trying to save cost, engage quacks who 
know nothing about the business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“There are different types of boats and 
the prices are also different. There are foreign-built and local boats 
but because the foreign ones are too expensive, a lot of people go for 
the local ones. But the problem is that many of the operators don’t want
 to employ good captains who they will pay a reasonable salary.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“To get a good and experienced captain 
that can operate and maintain a boat well, at least that person will be 
paid N70, 000 monthly. But because many operators don’t want to spend 
money, they give the boat to people who they pay as little as N15, 000 
for a month. People like this don’t know anything about operating or 
maintaining a boat and that is why some of them look the way they are 
now,” he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was a similar story at the Liverpool 
Jetty in Apapa when our correspondent visited. Operators were helping 
passengers into their fragile-looking boats – many in disturbing 
conditions. Without this strategy, one of them told our correspondent, 
the vessel could fall on its side. He admitted many boats here were old 
and weak.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During the trip, the engine of one of the
 boats boarded by our correspondent stopped at intervals, coming back to
 life after some intervention from the man operating it. There were 11 
other passengers including a kid of about 10 years in this ramshackled 
boat which had a bucket ready to bale out water. The boat was leaking 
from three sides. It is nothing strange here and so the passengers cared
 less in spite of the apparent danger. But, it is far from the type of 
boat you expect to see on the waterways of a mega city.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most commercial boats operating on Lagos 
waters are built locally with substandard materials that age too 
quickly. Standard specifications and other safety criteria are largely 
not considered by the manufacturers who also fail to put weather 
consideration in their designs. Engine capacity, another major 
consideration for a commercial vessel, is not also adhered to by many of
 the local producers as boats are fitted with engines whose capacities 
are not commensurate with the type of workload they presently shoulder. 
Windshields, wipers, headlamps are also given less attention – many of 
these items are not replaced when worn out. They are among factors that 
contribute in making an average locally-built boat a disaster waiting to
 happen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Though, the Lagos State Waterways 
Authority, the agency saddled with the responsibility of licensing and 
regulating the activities of commercial boats, says it conducts a check 
to ascertain the sea-worthiness of the vessels three times in a year, 
many of the boats seen ferrying commuters across different destinations,
 still lack the basic safety equipment required for the business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When confronted with what LASWA was doing
 to address the rising cases of boat accidents in Lagos and why most of 
the vessels were in questionable conditions – far from what obtains in 
other civilised societies, Managing Director of the agency, Mr. Yinka 
Marinho, told <em>Saturday Punch</em> that the situation had improved a 
lot from the time the agency was established six years ago. He said 
though LASWA regulates most of the activities on major routes on the 
waterways, it is not totally responsible for all that happens as there 
are other agencies and outfits that also have oversight functions in 
this regard.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Part of our responsibility is to ensure 
that any boat coming in to take part in transportation business within 
the state must first be inspected by us,” he told our correspondent. 
“This agency is a regulator, a regulator of anything that moves within 
the waterways.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“So, our first job is to have the 
inspection team of LASWA look at the boat, check that it has all safety 
gadgets that we consider essential, check the sea-worthiness of the boat
 and we do this three times in a year for each boat that operates on our
 waterways.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“But when people want to pour blame on us
 for all the wrong things they feel are happening on our waterways, they
 forget that there is the National Inland Waterways Authority that also 
issues licences to boaters and controls a fair portion of the channels. 
So, we are not completely responsible for all that happens on the 
waterways and also round the clock as our operations only runs from 
6:00am to 6:00pm,” he revealed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Earlier in the year, the Lagos State 
government outlawed night travel on its waterways. The move was part of 
strategies to improve safety and eliminate avoidable accidents. But 
sadly, boat operators and local fishermen continue to break that rule, 
exposing themselves and the lives of passengers to danger. The last two 
accidents, according to findings by <em>Saturday Punch,</em> happened at night, hours past the stipulated time for boats to ply the water channels.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The Marine Police have more oversight 
functions towards the evenings on the waterways,” Marinho cuts in. “We 
are hoping to have some meetings with them where we can look at the 
whole issue of night travel and work out a systematic way to stop and 
enforce the ban on night travel.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The waterway is a different environment 
at night due to visibility and the lagoon is so vast and so dark, there 
is so much that can happen that cannot be seen because of the darkness. 
Most of the accidents that have happened are at night when people are 
not supposed to be travelling. Everywhere in the world, it is emphasised
 that people should avoid night travel.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A top official at the office of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Marina, Lagos, told <em>Saturday Punch</em>
 that the agency was also taking measures to ensure safety on water. The
 official, who opted to remain anonymous, said the agency was 
cooperating with other relevant bodies to ensure things work 
appropriately for the benefit of all those patronising water 
transportation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the moment, LASWA controls about 59 
jetties and landings covering 13 major routes and pockets of smaller 
feeder channels. Dozens of privately-owned commercial boats operate on 
these routes apart from the ferry service run by the state government. 
NIWA on its own controls four jetties but at the moment, only two were 
found to be active by our correspondent.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apart from the questionable state of most
 of the boats running transport business across the Lagos waterways, 
almost all the ones checked operated first party insurance policy – the 
type that provides meager cover only for vessel owners and not for the 
passengers who are largely exposed to danger and need protection the 
most.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The state is working on an insurance 
policy on all transportation modes. In the water business, most of our 
operators have some sort of insurance. We are trying to standardise it 
to have a better cover for all boaters.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The insurance that the state will look 
at is mainly for the passengers. The boat operators would be in charge 
of their own vessels but our major interest is to cover the passengers,”
 the LASWA boss said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But in spite the current safety question 
hanging over water transportation in Lagos and the poor state of 
commercial vessels, some commuters still prefer to stick to this system.
 Many in this category told our correspondent that regardless of the 
risk, they prefer to go by boat because it is faster and less stressful.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Already, the Lagos State government has 
started distributing free life jackets to boat operators and local 
fishermen in riverine communities. On Thursday, May 8, the government 
gave out about 2,000 life jackets as part of moves to promote safety on 
water. It is the first phase of the 10, 000 life jackets earmarked for 
distribution across the state. But industry watchers want the 
administration and relevant authorities to do more by providing good and
 well-equipped boats to further protect passengers and boost activities 
in the sector.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At some jetties at Victoria Island and 
Ikoyi, though, vessels controlled by private and well established 
operators like the Metroferry Marine Services had a semblance of what a 
proper commercial boat should look like. The company, in its fleet, 
boasts eight-passenger ferries with seating capacity for 50 each, six 
“water taxis” with a capacity for 25 passengers, four-passenger 
transport vessels with seating capacity for 28. It is among a tiny few 
trying to change the face of water transportation in the state even 
though they are also miles behind when compared to what obtains 
elsewhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A visit to Bonny Island, Rivers State by 
our correspondent recently also exposed how far-behind commercial boats 
are in Lagos. The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company, as part of its
 commitment to the community, has provided well equipped and standard 
ferries and boats to move people from the island to mainland Port 
Harcourt, the state capital, at different times of the day. Passengers 
apart from enjoying maximum comfort while on board, were guaranteed 
their safety. From your seat, you could signal the captain where you 
wished to disembark. It is that easy and interesting. Jude Onwuleri-eki,
 a marine engineer based in Port Harcourt, believes this is the way a 
standard ferry or commercial boat system should operate. Sadly in Lagos,
 a city whose population swells by the hour, the situation is still a 
distant contrast.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In April 2012, the Lagos State government
 entered into a ferry manufacturing agreement with Aluminium Boats 
Company of Brisbane, Australia to build boats for its water 
transportation system. An initial batch of 60 ferries each with a 
200-passenger capacity was billed to be deployed across various routes 
to ease the stress of road movement. Two years on, the wait still 
continues. Only two boats of 54-seater capacity operated by the Lagos 
Ferry Company currently run commercially. Last year, the Governor, 
Babatunde Fashola, while inspecting some facilities at Mile 2 where 
construction work is ongoing, assured that retrofitting work being 
carried out on five 80-seater aluminium ferries to be deployed for 
subsidised water transportation would be ready on time to further ease 
movement. That promise is yet to be delivered one year after. All you 
see instead are rickety boats ferrying passengers daily on trips that 
could end in tragedy. Except the situation improves drastically and 
safety comes before profit, much of Lagos’ over 17 million population 
might continue to go by road in spite of the perennial traffic debacle 
than turn to the waterways which promises faster arrival at 
destinations.</div>
</div>

Boats on lagos waters rickety, unsafe –Investigation

In hushed tones, and cluster of twos and threes, they discussed the latest incident; men and women, decked in various outfits rea...

Emir Of Askiria Narrates How He Escaped Being Kidnapped By Boko Haram Insurgents

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong>The Emir of Askiria, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammadu, has narrated
 how he escaped from being abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect.</strong><br />
The
 emir, who is a member of the ongoing national conference, said this in a
 text message to the Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji 
Akinyemi on Friday, 30 May, 2014.<br /><br />Earlier today, <a href="http://news.naij.com/67308.html">it
 was reported that some hoodlums, suspected to be members of the 
Islamist militants group, invaded the convoy of dignitaries going for 
the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar</a> and made attempt to abduct some of the Emirs in the entourage.<br />
According to Muhammadu, who was one of the emirs, he made a narrow escape as the hoodlums descended on him and other emirs.<br /><br />While
 disclosing the news in Abuja today, the Assistant Secretary in charge 
of media and publicity of the National Conference, Mr. Akpandem James. 
said the conference was happy that the emir was able to escape.<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="A picture taken from a video distributed to journalists in recent days through intermediaries and obtained by AFP on March 5, 2013 reportedly shows Abubakar Shekau (center), the suspected leader of Islamist extremist group, flanked by six armed and hooded" itemprop="image" src="http://img.naij.com/n/05/e/boko-haram-3-apf-5march.jpg" vspace="5" /></td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>* Members of Boko Haram sect</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
“In
 response to a text message sent to the Deputy Chairman of the National 
Conference, Professor Akinyemi, the Emir who was taking a deep breathe 
after the miraculous escape, said, ‘My deputy Chairman, I’m most 
grateful, it was a narrow escape'.<br /><br />“Akinyemi in a solidarity 
message to the Emir said, ‘Your Royal Majesty, on behalf of the National
 Conference, please accept our heartfelt relief at the failure of the 
attack on your convoy. We thank Allah for your safety."<br /><br />James 
added that the deputy chairman also expressed the happiness of all the 
delegates over the escape of the Emir and whole heartedly condemned what
 he described as “cowardly and dastardly attack.”<br /><br />It was gathered that two other Emirs, <a href="http://news.naij.com/67308.html">the
 Emir of Uba, Ismaila Mamza and Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Tinta, all in 
Borno State, were not so lucky as they were kidnapped during the attack</a>.<br /><br />As
 at the time of compiling these report, no one knows the location of the
 traditional rulers although security operatives said they are on the 
heels of the abductors<span id="bufferBlock" style="height: 1px; line-height: 0; margin: 5px 0 0 -1px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 1px;"> <br />READ MORE:  <a href="http://news.naij.com/67343.html">http://news.naij.com/67343.html</a></span></div>

Emir Of Askiria Narrates How He Escaped Being Kidnapped By Boko Haram Insurgents

The Emir of Askiria, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammadu, has narrated how he escaped from being abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect. The ...