Beyonce's body made into an architectural design

Beyonce's body has been made into an Australian skyscraper by a design firm.
Famed design firm Elenberg Fraser has the greenlight to erect a 68-story building in Melbourne ... which it says copies Beyonce’s form in her “Ghost” video.
The firm says the Bey tower design isn't just for show, it actually makes sense structurally. The final product will house 600 apartments and a hotel.

Buhari laments state of Nigeria’s military

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has for the first time met those campaigning for the release of more than 200 girls abducted by Islamist Boko Haram militants last year.

His predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, declined to meet the Bring Back Our Girls activists.
Mr Buhari promised them that troops for a regional force to fight the militants would be in place by the end of July. The kidnap of the girls from a school in Chibok sparked global outrage. The president also regretted that Nigerian army known for its military finesse in the sub African region has been unable to rout out the Boko haram in Nigeria.
The President hosted a delegation of 'Bring Back Our Girls' led by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Mrs. Mariam Uwaise at the presidential Villa in furtherance of their campaign for the release of over 200 abducted Chibok girls from Borno State.

Responding to the 13 points demand by the group, President Buhari regretted what he described as the conflicting reports of the terrorist attacks, saying that the delayed response by the former government encouraged the escalated attacks and promised to rebuild the ravaged communities.

The mass abduction sparked one of the biggest social media campaigns of 2014, with the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls being used more than five million times.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks since Mr Buhari took office in May vowing to tackle the insurgency "head on".
The Nigerian military has said it has arrested "the mastermind" behind two recent attacks on the northern towns of Jos and Zaria in which almost 70 people were killed.

Addressing members of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group and the media, the president said that the government was doing all it could to tackle insecurity, but did not refer directly to the 219 Chibok girls abducted in April 2014.

Earlier, the activists had marched through the capital, Abuja, on their way meet Mr Buhari at his official residence.

One of the founders of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group told the BBC that "there was no time left" for the government to act.
"The rescue of the Chibok girls would be the strongest statement this government could make for having respect for the sanctity and dignity of every Nigerian life," said Oby Ezekwesili.

In his speech, Mr Buhari spoke of the "paradox" of Nigeria asking its neighbours for help, despite itself providing help to so many other countries in the past.
"How the mighty have fallen," he said.

The president criticised the previous government's "incompetence" in dealing with the kidnapping and the broader Boko Haram insurgency.
Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin are all expected to provide troops for the 7,500-strong regional task force to tackle Boko Haram.
The force will be led by Nigeria but have its headquarters in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena.

The Chibok schoolgirls have not been seen since last May when Boko Haram released a video of around 130 of them gathered together reciting the Koran.

President Buhari gave a detailed account of the efforts to end insurgency in Nigeria and assured the country that there's no lost hope.

“I think you will agree that the present government take the issue very seriously. Within a week of being sworn in, I visited Niger, Chad and would have visited Cameroon but for the invitation of the G7 to go to Germany and listen to them. I’m very impressed with the leadership of this important group (G7) other than the United Nations itself. They are very concerned about the security in Nigeria led by abduction of the Chibok girls by the terrorists.

“When the terrorists announced  their loyalty to ISIS, the whole attention again was brought squarely to Nigeria. And now we are rated with Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria , this is very unfortunate.

“After Ramadan, I will visit Cameroon to see the President there and then Benin Republic. But on the efforts we have been making, we will not disclose some of them publicly because it  will not be consistent with security. But I assure you that under the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the military have met. The ministers of defence have met. We the presidents have met here in Abuja except the President of Cameroon who was represented by his Minister of Defence.

“Strategy and tactics have been drawn. Multinational taskforce has been put in place more or less with headquarters in Ndjamina with a Nigerian General as Commander. The troops delegated by each of the countries are to be put in place by the end of the month. And Nigeria, I assure you  will do its best because we as I said are the battle ground and we are being helped by our neighbors”, he said.

“It is paradoxical what the Nigerian military has achieved from Burma to Zaire to Liberia to Sierra Leon to Sudan. But Nigeria has now to be helped by Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. How are the mighty fallen!

“We will do our best to restore the respectability of our country and its institutions. And with you, your steadfastness and your seriousness, we will do what we can do. We will accommodate all your observations including the negative ones about the performance of the government and its agencies”, he said

“At the G7, the leadership there asked us for our shopping list  which I’m still compiling. The military has submitted theirs and I’m waiting for the governments of the front line states to submit theirs local government by local government in terms of infrastructure, schools, health care, roads, markets, churches, mosques and so on

Dozens of ISIS fighters killed from poisoned food after breaking Ramadan fast

Several ISIS fighters were killed after breaking their Ramadan fast with a poisoned meal in  the Iraqi city of Mosul. According to reports, the poisonous dinner was served up to 145 jihadist for iftar - the traditional meal which celebrates the end of the day's fasting.Shortly after the meal 45 of the fighters died.

It's not clear if it was a deliberate toxic attack or just a bout of food poisoning said a spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Reports of the mass death appeared in local Iraqi media

Mayor of the City of Houston declares July 17th as Basketmouth Day

Yes, Basketmouth, the Nigerian comedian. The Mayor of the City of Houston 'Annice D. Parker, has declared the 17th of July as Basketmouth Day in Houston, Texas in recognition of his contribution in integrating the Nigerian American Community through his art for the past 6 years in Houston.

The congressional recognition ceremony will hold on July 18th, same day as his One Man Stand Comedy Concert 'Basketmouth Uncensored' in Houston at Ayva Center. This is a great achievement for Basketmouth as he becomes the 1st Nigerian entertainer to have this honor conferred upon. Big congrats to him...

The trangender Tyga allegedly sent nude photos to comes for him on instagram

The transgender porn star that Tyga is accused of sending nude photos to Mia Isabella is coming for him on social media after his lawyers reportedly sent her a cease and desist action. Mia took to instagram to slander Tyga the more. She has nothing to lose, Tyga better thread carefully. See what she posted on instagram after the cut...

Lol. See what this guy did with Keke Napep (photo)

A guy named Kenneth who lives in Calabar but is from Nnewi in Anambra state redesigned this Keke. He added the stuff in front to make it more balanced. Makes sense or nah? See a pic of Kenneth after the cut...

Gunmen kill 14 in Plateau village

Gunmen have killed 14 people in an attack on Sho village of Barkin Ladi local government of Plateau State, whose capital Jos witnessed suicide bombing on Sundaynight which killed 51 persons.
In the Monday night blast in Kano, one critically injured person has died. Another person taken to hospital injured, has been treated and discharged.
The gunmen stormed Sho village, Barkin Ladi LGA midnight and killed 14 residents.
The attack on Sho village was announced by the member representing Barkin Ladi constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Gyendeng.
Gyendeng lamented that members of his constituency were been killed on a daily basis by gunmen. He called on the federal government to do everything possible to nip in the bud the activities of terrorists in the country.

Mark Lipdo, the founder of a Non-Governmental Organisation( NGO) also confirmed the killings.
He described the attack as inhuman which must be condemned
He said “all efforts at peace building are being impeded by the terror attacks.”
Kano State Police spokesman Musa Magaji Majiya, said Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Idris had visited the scene to ascertain the extent of damage.
According to him, as soon as the police conclude preliminary investigations, the public will be briefed of its feedings. No arrest has been made, he added

N1.3b: EFCC detains Lamido, sons

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday detained a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alh. Sule Lamido and two sons ahead of their arraignment before a court in Kano today.
The three detainees have also been flown to Kano in preparation for their trial in connection with an alleged N1.3billon worth of contracts.
They are being charged on a 24-count  relating to alleged mismanagement of over N1.3billion.
Also, the EFCC has arraigned a staff of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Abuja, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C. N Orji of the FCT High Court, for an alleged N1.8 million bribery scam.
The suspect faces a two-count on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.
Investigation by our correspondent showed that Lamido and his two sons were detained after reporting for further investigation.
But they were informed that they would be flown to Kano for trial on Wednesday.
A source said: “The investigation of Lamido and his two sons has reached an appreciable level for their arraignment in a court in Kano.
“We have been interrogating the former governor on alleged award of contracts to some companies owned by his children. The value of the contracts was in the region of about N1.3b.
“We are also looking into allegation of money laundering against the ex-governor and some of his children. You know one of the sons of Lamido had been convicted for a similar offence.
“The allegations against Lamido have to do with alleged mismanagement of funds, money laundering and abuse of office.”
A top official of the EFCC confirmed the relocation of Lamido from Abuja to Kano.
“The three people have been flown to Kano but our immediate challenge is that the case has not been assigned to any Federal High Court judge as I speak with you.
“But we are hopeful that they may be arraigned on Wednesday or Thursday. They are facing a 24-count charge bordering on alleged mismanagement of over N1billion.”
Also, the EFCC has arraigned an employee of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C.N. Orji of the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja.
The suspect is facing a two-count charge on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.
According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, the suspect’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed “a petition from one Rasheed O. Taiwo, who claimed that he paid a bribe of N1.8million to the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, Mr. Danladi Umar, through the accused.
But the chairman of CCT, Umar, had consistently denied demanding or receiving any bribe sum through the suspect or anybody.
The EFCC however said the petitioner, Taiwo, alleged that, “Umar who claimed to be presiding over a case in which he was involved, demanded a N10m (ten million naira) bribe as “settlement”, to give him a clean bill of health.
”The petitioner further alleged that, after several negotiations, he paid N1.8m as initial deposit, into the account of Ali Gambo Abdulllahi, in one of the new generation banks.”
The case has been adjourned to October 21 and 22 for commencement of trial.

Love scam: EFCC returns 10,000 Euros to French victim

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it had recovered and returned 10,000 Euros (about N2.25million), to F. Mercade, a French citizen, who was a victim of an internet love scam.

According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the fund was wired to the victim through his account in France on the recommendation of the French Embassy in Nigeria.

The statement said Roger Balima, French Police Liaison Officer who confirmed the receipt of the funds by the victim, thanked the EFCC “for the good job.”

The EFCC said Mercade was duped by two Internet fraudsters, Omodara Adedapo Oluseye and Adesuyi Ayodeji Adedapo after he was deceived into a phantom relationship that was supposedly altar-bound.

The statement said: “The scam was reported to the commission via a petition from the French Consulate in Lagos, on behalf of Mercade.

“The petitioner alleged that he met a Nigerian beauty by name, ‘Kate Williams’ on the Internet sometime in 2009 and they developed a relationship which was to culminate in marriage. ‘Williams’ was to relocate to join Mercade in France, to consummate the relationship.

“While Mercade planned the logistics of the relocation, ‘Williams’, who purportedly did some jobs for an unnamed company in Nigeria, came up with a story that the company refused to pay ‘her’ for job done. ‘She’ sought the assistance of Mercade and the ‘couple’ contacted a lawyer named ‘James Robert’, to procure travelling documents and help her claim money from the company owing her.

“Mercade parted with 25,000.00 Euros, through Western Union, in processing his brides’ passage with no bride in sight. Eventually, it dawned on him that he had been scammed.

“Investigations into the matter by the commission that ‘Kate Williams’ is the pseudonym of Omodara Adedapo Oluseye, a male student of the College of Agriculture, Akure, who, however, resides in Ibadan Oyo State.

“Omodara’s accomplice, Adesuyi Ayodeji Adedapo, assisted in collecting the money transferred by the victim from the Akure, Ondo State branch of a new generation bank, using forged drivers’ license

The two scammers were prosecuted on a two count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences before a Federal High Court Lagos, convicted and sentenced them on June 13, 2011, to one year imprisonment each without an option of fine.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has arrested Ann Igwe, who was the secretary to a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Source close to the commission said the suspect was picked up last week and had given useful information.

The anti- graft agency is investigating how the biometric contract to streamline pension administration became conduit for stealing of pension fund

Boko Haram kills 148 in Borno attacks

BOKO Haram Insurgents  on Wednesday invaded Kukawa town in Kukawa Local Government and Monguno town in Monguno Council of Borno State, killing 148 people.

   Over 68 persons were injured.

Kukawa is a farming and herding community, located about 179 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the state capital.

A survivor, Aji Bukar, who escaped to Maiduguri, gave a horrific account of how the terrorists surrounded Kukawa and started shooting indiscriminately at the time Muslims were about to break their fast.

He said: “We started hearing gunshots all over the town. The terrorists surrounded the town, shooting. Confusion and panic took over the town as people ran helter-skelter. They were confused.”

According to him, the insurgents had a field day, leaving the streets littered with bodies.

Residents, Bukar said, were yesterday still afraid to come out to bury the dead.

“ The village is deserted. Elders are afraid the attackers may return, which has delayed the burial of the victims,” he said.

A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) told our correspondent on the phone that the militias  caught many residents and shot them in two mosques.

He said: “People were just preparing to break their Ramadan fast and had gathered in nearby mosques when the Boko Haram insurgents came in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles painted in ash colour. They rounded up people and shot them.

“They torched several houses. One of our colleagues, who escaped the attack, said they have recovered 97 bodies, some of them burnt beyond recognition, before burying them this afternoon (yesterday).”

Forty-eight people were reportedly killed at Monguno in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State on Tuesday night, which is located about 145 kilometres from Maiduguri and 25 kilometres from Kukawa town.

About 23 people were said to have sustained injuries. Houses and shops were burnt down by the gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists.

Narrating the Monguno attack, an escapee said the insurgents fled from the Sambisa Forest and regrouped on the shores of Lake Chad to attack unprotected villages near Monguno town.

He said: “The attackers, armed with rifles and explosives, burst into our villages and summoned men to gather for a special message from the Boko Haram leader. Three minutes after, one of the gunmen ordered them to lie down and all of them were shot dead at close range.”

The man said they launched another attack on a nearby village, eight kilometres from Monguno, adding:  “The number of casualties, including the injured ones, is 23. Twenty-five farmers and herdsmen were killed in the other village.  No woman or child was killed.”

The House of Representatives member representing Monguno, Nganzai and Marte Federal Constituency, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, confirmed the attack yesterday. He described it as deadly.

A military source said:  “Many people were killed. I don’t think our men were there at the time of the attack. The casualty figure may be much high.”

A former official of Kukawa Local Government, Alhaji Habib Kakero, wrote on his facebook: “Our town Kukawa has been attacked by Boko Haram. They killed many of our people. May  their souls rest in peace.”

Mohammed Kukawa, who hails from Kukawa but lives in Maiduguri said he lost three of his family members in the attack.

“A family member, who escaped to a nearby village in Niger Republic, called to tell me that my elder brother, who is a farmer, an uncle and other relations were among those killed yesterday,” he said.

A medical personal of the Accident and Emergency Unit (E&AU) of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) said 25 injured persons were brought in along with many bodies from Monguno and deposited at the morgue.

“We received 25 victims of Boko Haram attacks in Monguno village today (Thursday). I was at the hospital when the victims were brought in by some security operatives with over a dozen members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF),” he said.

Why ministers’ list is being delayed, by APC

THE delay in appointing ministers and other key Federal Government’s officials will soon be over, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed assured  yesterday.

He claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari was being cautious in appointing ministers because he wanted to carry along all forces and groups that ensured victory for APC at the polls.

Mohammed spoke with reporters in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, at the sideline of his yearly Ramadan lecture.

The party’s spokesman said concerns being expressed by the citizens on the ministerial list were justified.

He added: “One should understand that when you win an election with the collaboration of so many forces and groups, you have to be extremely thorough before making an appointment here or there. I am very sure that in a few days time hopefully, the issue of ministerial list and appointment will be a thing of the past.

“I think the concerns are genuine and it is unfortunate that we also met ourselves in a situation we did not prepare for. We cannot be tired of repeating the truth that this particular transition is like no transition that this country has ever experienced. Before now, it was either one president succeeding or in the case of another president handing over to new president from the same political party.

“This is the first time the opposition will take over from the ruling party and that in itself throws up a lot of issues. Foremost of this, you don’t know what you were going to meet on ground.”

On the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s ultimatum to President Buhari, Mohammed said: “PDP is revelling in its new found glory of opposition and we must indulge them. Honestly, the party is just entertaining itself and Nigerians. The honest truth is that you don’t give anybody ultimatum to appoint ministers. It is more in our own interest to appoint ministers.”

He urged the citizenry to prevent reactionary forces, who never wanted or voted for change, from sabotaging the party’s change mantra.

 “While Nigerians have made history by voting for the opposition to take over the reins of power from a ruling party that held sway for 16 years, they must now follow up by ensuring that the process of change, which they brought about comes to fruition. And the best way to do it is for Nigerians to remain politically aware and engaged as they were in the run-up to the elections.

“That simply  means they must be willing to defend the change they voted for by continuing to support the Buhari government while preventing the reactionary forces, who never voted for change anyway, from sabotaging this party’s change mantra; whatever is worth fighting is worth defending.

“I say this with all sense of responsibility, and against the stark realities that we face daunting challenges in all sectors. Never before has our nation been put in a situation where it virtually had to start rebuilding from scratch, after almost all sectors have become nearly comatose. This is why it is necessary for the new government at the centre to make haste slowly, and get it right once and for all.

“Whereas we face huge problems in the economic and security sectors, as well as in the area of infrastructural renewal, just to mention a few, let us restrict ourselves to the social issues alone for the purpose of these remarks. Our health sector is in serious distress, for want of stronger description. Nigeria’s health statistics are worse than the average for African countries, even though we are the giant of Africa,” Mohammed said.

He added: “This is not a problem of ‘this government is slow’ or ‘this government is fast,’ it is a challenge of understanding the enormity of the problems we face and finding a lasting solution once and for all, so we won’t be going around the circles.

“As the Buhari administration tackles these challenges, let all citizens continue to play their own party by making their voices heard loud and clear, insisting on nothing but good governance, resisting all the reactionary forces who favour the status quo because it favours them, and above all, giving an unflinching support to President Buhari.”

Man disappears over wife’s third set of twins

Where  is Citizen Emeka Benjamin Uche, a Lagos factory worker?

That was the big question yesterday as his wife, Ruth, 34, from Abia State broke the news of his disappearance since February.

Uche, 39, fled home when he learnt that his expectant wife was carrying a set of twins – the family’s third.

Mrs Uche was at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa yesterday with her six children, pleading for help.

Not many knew what she wanted as she stood under a tree, close to the Press Centre, carrying the babies. Her first two sets of twins, much older, stood close to their mother, and did not in any way seem intimidated by the sea of cameras and faces focusing on them.

Mrs. Uche was receptive when  our reporter approached her to narrate her ordeal.

In 2009 when she first conceived, she was delivered of two girls – Goodness and Godnews. The second conception, two years later, produced another two – a boy and a girl, named John and Joyce.

But when her husband, Emeka, learnt that the third pregnancy was another set of two he fled their number 32, Awori Street, Agege home on the outskirt of Lagos to an undisclosed location in Ikorodu, Lagos.

The third set of twins arrived last month. They were named Daniel and Daniella.

Mrs. Uche said she could no longer cope with widening needs for food, clothes, drugs and school fees.

Her meagre earnings as a teacher in a private school in Lagos can no longer meet their needs.

Her story: “I met my husband in 2002 but we got married in 2008. We met in the village at Umuahia. I don’t want to leave the children and run away. This is why I want government to help us,” she said.

She recalled that she never wanted the third pregnancy, but her use of traditional means of family planning (counting fertile and infertile days) failed her.

“I was using traditional way of family planning where I calculate some days before having intercourse. It was working for me. You can see my first set of twins is four years old.

“You know as women, we cannot deny our husband that thing whenever they request for it. Whenever I mistakenly take in, he would say that I was pretending. Sometimes, I would go through long process to abort the pregnancy. After that, another one would happen. I would still have to go through the process again to abort it. When this one happened he still insisted that I was pretending until the pregnancy became obvious.”

“My Church was responsible for the payment of the first delivery. The church paid N120, 000 for the delivery of the first set of twins. The two deliveries of the twins have been through Caesarean Section for which we paid N120, 000 each. The last twins are through normal delivery”.

Mrs. Uche explained that her husband, a factory worker in Iju Road, Agege, has since refused to pick her calls. She learnt that he stays in Ikorodu.

“Since I gave birth to the children, I have tried calling my husband but he would not pick once he knows that it is me. I contacted his mother and other relatives to tell them that he has run away. They promised that they will call back. Since then, none of them has called me. It is not easy for me at all.

“I know only two of his relations. One of them lives in Ikorodu; the other one lives at Ajegunle. My elder brother, who could have also helped, is very angry with me for giving birth to another set of twins. He warned me before not to have any other child after the two sets of twins, especially with the kind of husband I have.

“I cannot put my hands in blood shedding by committing abortion. I want Nigerians to help me because there is nobody to pay their school fees.

“I went for immunisation some days ago and I told them my condition and why they have not been seeing me. It was there that they advised that I should come to government. Government should please help my children; no one to help me with house rent, electricity bill, school fees, food and so on,” Mrs. Uche said