[PHOTO] CUSTOM OFFICER SHOT DEAD BY BENINIANS

There was mayhem at the Seme border area of Lagos State on Thursday after a 35-year-old man, Saturday Joel, was shot by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service.
Eyewitnesses said Joel was hit by a stray bullet while some customs officers were trying to apprehend a motorist who was smuggling a red Volkswagen bus from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
It was learnt that after the shooting, some residents took to the streets in protest. The residents were said to have alleged that customs officials had killed at least three motorists this month under the pretext that they were smugglers.
It was learnt that in the ensuing pandemonium, the customs officials stationed in the area fled. However, a Superintendent of Customs, identified as J. I Motojelu, was said to have been driving by at the time.
PUNCH Metro learnt that in retaliation, the angry mob, led by a community leader, dragged the officer out of his Toyota Corolla car marked ABJ 663 DW, and killed him.
It was learnt that the irate mob, also set the deceased officer’s vehicle ablaze and set up bonfires at the centre of the road.
The culprits were said to have used the opportunity to steal some items that had previously been seized by customs.
A police source said, “Motojelu, who knew nothing about the incident was beaten to death. The mob opened a customs patrol van stationed nearby and took a G3 rifle with 30 rounds of ammunition kept inside it. They then set the vehicle ablaze.”
Sources told our correspondent that some customs officials and policemen later returned to the scene and fired shots to disperse the mob.
Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, said his men attempted to put out the fire but they had to retreat because of the sporadic gunshots in the area.
It was learnt that the victim had been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
But the NCS Public Relations Officer, Seme Command, Ernest Olattah, said in a statement that the officer was killed while on his way to attend a meeting at the command.
He said, “We announce the gruesome killing of one of our senior officers by some smugglers in the Ashipa area of Seme around 9.50am on Thursday. The deceased officer, while in his official uniform, unarmed, and driving to the command’s headquarters for a routine meeting, was accosted by a mob who forced him out of his vehicle.
“Led by an identified chief of the community, the officer was murdered in cold blood, while his vehicle was set ablaze.”
The customs spokesman said efforts were on to apprehend the culprits adding that the customs had achieved many feats this year alone.
He said NCS operatives, due to their uncompromising stance against smuggling and the protection the nation’s economy, had come under series of attacks by smugglers and some unpatriotic elements that saw smuggling as their rights.
The PRO said, “Customs Area Controller of Seme Border, Othman Abdu Saleh, has in collaboration with sister government agencies including the police, commenced moves to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book. The controller posits that this unfortunate incident will not deter operatives of the command under his watch from carrying out their lawful duties.
‘’This is indeed a sad day for us here in this command, but let me emphasised that we are not relenting in the discharge of our duty as we will not allow the darkness of criminality to dampen the light of our service to Nigeria.”
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told our correspondent on the telephone that seven suspects had been arrested, adding that they would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.
She said, “Joel is recuperating at Badagry General Hospital while the slain customs officer has been deposited at the mortuary.”

[PHOTOS] Angelo denied sleeping with Beverly

Though it is widely believed that the South African housemate, Angelo, had sex with the Nigerian housemate, Beverly, in the ongoing Big Brother Africa reality show, the dread-locked guy has denied it. He said they were ‘just kissing’.
Speaking to Saturday Beats on the phone earlier in the week, after being evicted from the show, Angelo said, “We didn’t have sex. We talked about it. There were some things I said I wasn’t going to do in the house.
I respect my mum so much. Before I got into the house, there were things I told my mummy I wasn’t going to do. I wasn’t butt naked. It looked as if we were having sex in that bathtub. We were just kissing. I couldn’t take advantage of Beverly because I respect her so much.”
Respect is not the only thing Angelo has for the Nigerian lady. Angelo also confirmed that he is in love with her and intends to pursue the relationship.
“We will try and work things out and see how we can make our relationship work. At the same time, I hope the people of Nigeria don’t hate Bev. I would love to come to Nigeria and experience Nigerian culture and take lots of pepper,” he said.
Now that he is out of the house, so many people feel the South African will go back to the girlfriend he left behind before BBA. But he said he wasn’t in any relationship before he got into the show.
“I didn’t have a girlfriend before I got into the house, but I had someone I told to wait for me so that we would see what would happen when I get out of the house. I will be focused on what I want to do as a person and then focus on my relationship with Bev and see where we will take it to,” he said.
No matter his feelings for Beverly though, Angelo said he hopes Melvin, the other Nigerian housemate, comes out tops in the show.
“Melvin is very humble and he is not a selfish person. I wish he wins. I think he is a stronger competition than Beverly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the show ends tomorrow with Elikem, Cleo, Dillish, Melvin and Beverly as the finalists
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/44892.html


READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/44892.html

[PHOTO] U.S. SOLDIER BEHIND AFGHAN MASSACRE APOLOGIZES FOR 'ACT OF COWARDICE'

TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - A decorated U.S. soldier who gunned down 16 unarmed Afghan civilians in a nighttime rampage last year apologized on Thursday at a sentencing hearing to determine his fate, calling the killings "an act of cowardice."

Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has admitted to shooting the villagers, mostly women and children, in attacks on their family compounds in Kandahar province in March 2012.

"I am truly, truly sorry to all the people whose family members I have taken away. I have murdered their families," Bales told a jury in a military courtroom in Washington state, choking up at times. "What I did is an act of cowardice."
Bales pleaded guilty to the killings in June in a deal that will spare him the death penalty. A jury of six military personnel will ultimately decide if he will spend the rest of his natural life in prison or be eligible for parole after 20 years. Closing arguments are due on Friday.
Defense lawyers have been seeking to show that Bales suffered a breakdown under the pressure of his final deployment to Afghanistan. They have argued that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury even before his last deployment to Afghanistan.
"I don't think anybody with a rational mind could say Bob Bales didn't snap," Browne told reporters on Wednesday after the court-martial session before a military jury.
Army prosecutors have said Bales acted alone and with premeditation when, armed with a pistol, a rifle and a grenade launcher, he left his base twice during the night, returning in the middle of his rampage to tell a fellow soldier, "I just shot up some people."

The killings marked the worst case of civilian deaths blamed on a U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War and further eroded strained U.S.-Afghan relations after more than a decade of conflict in that country.
ANGER ISSUES
Speaking slowly and deliberately, Bales told the jury he had struggled with anger issues that worsened after his third military deployment.
He said trivial issues like dirty dishes in the sink would make him angry, and that he was "mad at myself for being mad." He briefly sought treatment between his third and fourth deployments, but felt it was not working and stopped.
"I was a coward for stopping. If you have a problem and you seek help, it's not weakness, it's strength," he said. Under military court rules, he was not subject to cross examination.
Prosecutors had said they hoped to show that Bales had a pattern of bad behavior that predated his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The prosecution rested its case on Wednesday after calling witnesses that included nine Afghans who had been flown to the United States to testify, among them a man who lost six of his seven children and other members of his family. Army spokeswoman Major Allison Aguilar said those witnesses had been given the opportunity to be in the courtroom but they were not present for Bales' statement.
"I hope that the people that traveled so far to come here, I hope they translate this so I can tell them I'm sorry. If I could bring their family members back, I would in a heartbeat. I can't comprehend their loss. I think about it every time I look at my kids," Bales said.
A father of two, Bales also apologized to his military colleagues, fighting back tears as he spoke.
"I love the Army. I stood next to some really good guys, some real heroes," he said. "I can't say I'm sorry to those guys enough."
Bales, who has claimed his memory of the killings is spotty, acknowledged them upon pleading guilty in June and told the court at that time there was "not a good reason in this world" for his actions.
During a nine-day pre-trial hearing last fall, witnesses testified that Bales had been upset by a bomb blast near his outpost that severed a fellow soldier's leg days before the shootings.

(Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Andrew Hay, Toni Reinhold)
http://news.yahoo.com/u-soldier-behind-afghan-massacre-testify-sentencing-hearing-181639968.html

[MUST READ] Badagry Youths Killing: 'Policemen Involved Sentenced To Death?'

The policemen, who were arrested in connection with the lynching of two youths in Ajara, Badagry area of Lagos State, have denied participating in the killing.
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/43873.html

The six policemen, who were arrested after they were spotted in the video of the sad event, are currently detained at the Lagos State Command Headquarters.
It was learnt that they were being held because they “folded their arms” and watched the two young men being killed, instead of saving them.
The Divisional Police Officer, Mohammed Dankoli, was also transferred from the station after the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, accused him of unprofessional conduct.
Police sources told PUNCH Metro on Thursday that the policemen were insisting that they did not rescue the victims because they were ordered not to shoot. They reportedly said they could not have dispersed the angry mob without using lethal force.
One of the policemen, investigating the arrested officer’s conduct, said, “The policemen were not involved in the lynching. We have taken their statements and I can assure you that they were not happy with the lynching of those boys.
“The policemen said on the day of the incident, July 21, 2013, they were led to the scene by the incident officer, ASP Matthew. It was Matthew that told them not to shoot. That was why they did not shoot to disperse the crowd.
“If you watch the video carefully, you will observe that the station officer, Inspector Adefemi Ashogbon, was trying to disperse the crowd but because he was not authorised to shoot, there was little he could do. Even Sergeant John Sonayon, who was also in the video, did not participate in the killing.”
PUNCH Metro had reported that two youths, Ifechukwu  Nwainokpor, a final year student of Delta State University, and his friend, Kazeem Onayemi, an apprentice, were beaten to death by an angry mob on  suspicion of armed robbery.
When asked if the victims were armed robbers, the policemen said, “We don’t know if those boys were robbers, but the vigilance group in the area accused them of killing someone.”
It was learnt that the policemen had sent emissaries to commiserate with the families of the deceased persons and also to plead with the Commissioner of Police in the state, Umaru Manko, to have mercy on them.
A policeman said, “ASP Matthew has been a policeman for 35 years and is due to retire this year. Ashogbon has been a policeman for over 20 years and has a family to look after. We appeal to CP Manko to please temper justice with mercy.”
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/43873.html

2015: WOMEN SHUT DOWN ABUJA FOR DAME JONATHAN

About 30,000 pro-Goodluck Jonathan women across socio-economic backgrounds yesterday converged on the Eagles Square, Abuja for a mega rally, purportedly in support of President Goodluck's re-election bid. Although the event was organised by the ...
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B’Haram kills 56 in Borno mosque, village attacks

IN yet another bizarre occurrence, suspected members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, have reportedly gunned down 56 people praying in a mosque in Borno State.
Agency reports on Monday indicated that the killings occurred on Sunday morning at a mosque in Konduga town, about 35 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the Borno State capital city.
A State Security Service agent and a member of a vigilante group working with the military told the Associated Press on Monday that they counted the bodies at the mosque after the attack.
A member of the vigilante group, Usman Musa, said four of his colleagues were killed when they responded to calls for help.
Musa said the vigilantes encountered “fierce resistance from heavily armed terrorists,” along the way from Maiduguri to Konduga.
The state security agent spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to reporters.
Musa and the security service agent said the attackers wore military camouflage uniforms used by the Nigerian army, which they might have acquired in one of their attacks on military bases.
On their way back from Konduga, the security forces came upon the scene of another attack at Ngom village, five kilometers outside Maiduguri, where Musa said he counted 12 bodies of civilians.
Twenty-six worshippers at the mosque were hospitalised with gunshot wounds, said a security guard at the emergency ward of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. He and the state security agent both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to give information to reporters.
Agency reports also indicated that the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Ibrahim Shekau, boasted in a video that his members had killed many soldiers.
In a video received by journalists Monday, Shekau reportedly brushed off any gains asserted by the security forces.
“You soldiers have claimed that you are powerful, that we have been defeated, that we are mad people,” Shekau said in the local Hausa language.
He added, “But how can a mad man successfully coordinate recent attacks in Gamboru, in Malam Fatori, slaughter people in Biu, kill in Gwoza and in Bama, where soldiers fled under our heavy fire power?
“We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more. We can now comfortably confront the United States of America.”
On Christmas Day in 2011, Boko Haram members attacked St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, killing at least 43 parishioners.
When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen Chris Olukolade, he said that he was not aware of the killings in the Borno mosque.
“I am not aware of this incident. I have not received any official briefing on this incident you are talking about,” Olukolade said.
The violent sect has been responsible for at least 2,000 deaths since 2009 when it began a violent campaign against the Federal Government and its varied targets have included churches, mosques, drinking joints, military and police facilities.
Just last week, the terrorists attacked a barricade mounted by the Joint Military Task Force in Gonori, Yobe State, killing six soldiers and two policemen.
A state of emergency to curb the sect has been on in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states since May 14.
Meanwhile, the United States government has said that it has sent out invitations to some of the 19 governors in northern Nigeria to deliberate on ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
The US Mission in Nigeria said a senior delegation from the US State Department expected in the country for the 9th meeting of the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission, scheduled for Abuja on August 15, would hold discussions with the governors.
United States Consul-General, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, stated this during a “Roundtable with Opinion Leaders on the US-Nigeria Bilateral Relationships” in Lagos on Monday.
Hawkins said the rationale behind the planned meeting was to have the “inputs’’ of the governors as part of efforts by the White House to collaborate with the Nigerian government in ending terrorism in the country.
He added that the discussions with the governors would involve the leader of the American delegation, the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman; an Assistant Secretary in the US Department of Defence, high ranking Deputy Assistant Secretaries of States from the State Department, and officials from the US-Africa Command among others.
PUNCH NIGERIA

[PICTURE] Actress, Tonto Dikeh Attempts To Commit Suicide

Controversial Nollywood actress/Singer, Tonto Dikeh was said to have attempted committing suicide.
She really wanted to end her own life but thank God for the intervention of good friends. 
Tonto Dikeh took to her instagram page to share what actually happened to her, she also posted this photo below on her instagram page and wrote below it.
"WokeUp happy n decided to share diz***I've bin here b4 n I can tell u we stronger Dan our problemz/painz/Etc**That day I realized SUICIDE iz for COWARDZ**if u've gat no1 to talk to like mii I suggezt u strt wit GOD,diz shitzzzz crazy(world) but it iz Ourz dnt leave it in SHAME,ILOVEU"---Tonto Dikeh.

Photos: See What Many Ladies Wear To Confuse Men

 

Ever noticed someone (a lady) whose posterior used to be flat, eventually becomes bigger like Kim K's over night? 

Well, if you have, don't trip, she just got this from the market! it's foam in there!

Na wa for ladies o!