Halima Abubakar Battles Cancer

The rate at which cancer is eating deep into the society is becoming very alarming. Before now, not much awareness has been carried out on the silent killer disease taking over that accolade from the once dreaded HIV/AIDS disease.

Cancer, according to recent research, is killing more people than HIV/AIDS. Cancer has various types like the breast, skin, cervical, lungs, e.t.c., which eat deep into people due to inability to go for check ups or much awareness on it.

One actress that is taking a bold step in battling the menace caused by cancer is Halima Abubakar. To fight cancer, the sexy Kogi-State actress has shaved her hair to that effect.

She shaved her hair with the aim of raising awareness for cancer in conjunction with Wow Diva organisation.

COSMOS MADUKA VS IFEANYI UBA Video: BETRAYAL OR FRAUD

Capital Oil Boss calls Cosharis Boss Pure Water Seller

Ph.D Holder Leaves Banking Job for Dangote Truck Drivers Job

Henry Pender is a graduate of Political Science from the University of Ibadan. Pender graduated in 2000 and has worked as a banker, yet he is among the about 100 graduates undergoing training to become truck drivers; or rather logistics assistants. Pender is also the class governor of this first batch of trainees.“After my service, I had the privilege of being retained at the Rivers State Primary Education Board where I did my primary assignment. I was with them for about a year before I joined the All States Trust Bank, which is now defunct. I worked with them for three years before I joined the Eco Bank, from there I moved to the Oceanic Bank before joining Eco Bank again after the acquisition of Oceanic Bank by Eco Bank.

“I had to leave the banking industry when I married my colleague, because the human resource policy then did not allow spouses to work in the same office. I felt that my wife should stay behind while I as a man would look around for something to do. It wasn’t easy, because the job was not forthcoming as I thought. I attended a couple of interviews at different places, but I didn’t get what I was looking for.

“When this opportunity of becoming truck driver with Dangote presented itself, I applied with open mind. I felt that this is an opportunity for a new beginning to move into a new paradigm that is not explored. We have just begun the journey in the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT). I was pleasantly surprised when I came here to see people from different backgrounds and professions.

“We are all getting along very well. I am looking forward for an experience that would improve our larger society. Dangote has put something in place that would turn out to be a revolution in the transport industry in this country. I think this programme would eventually become a model that all organisations of international standard would adopt in no distance future.

“From personal point of view, I like driving. I have driven a lot since when I became a professional driver and I like travelling. But by coming here, I have been exposed to the academic side of driving. I feel that whatever I do as a graduate, there should be a level of expected difference from what a layman would do. I think the objective of employing graduates as drivers is for sanity to be restored on our highways. Most of us are victims of the recklessness of heavy truck drivers and this is what this initiative wants to address. We are being trained here to become complete gentlemen as drivers,” Pender said.

He explained that he has, essentially, decided to join the truck driving profession out of interest not for material reward.

“As at the time we had our interview, there was no mention of any material reward. It is now that we are hearing that after a successful driving for a certain period, or covering of certain mileage that one would own a truck or things like that. No such thing was mentioned; there was no mention of special incentives rather than we would be employed and paid salaries.

“What I would say lured me into joining the truck driving profession is the name Dangote that is known locally and internationally. I bet you that if it were some other companies that came up with this initiative, some of us may not be here but the mention of the name Dangote, one would know that there is quality; there is a personality behind it; there is international recognition; that is what lured most of us here beyond any other material gain.

“We only discovered the entrepreneurial incentive of this programme when we came here; when most of us have completed their registration. Being somebody who had the experience of the banking sector, I would quickly join Dangote, because I know I would have job security and we are enjoying ourselves here in the NITT as the pioneer batch of this training programme. I never knew there is an institute like the NITT in Nigeria. We are grateful to them for the knowledge they are impacting in us.

“I want to also use this medium to urge the youth of Nigeria to work hard. We have to make names for ourselves by working hard as it is not all of us who are children of the privileged, therefore we are here as part of our dignity of labour. I would rather stay here and do this work than apply for visa to go abroad and face all kinds of humiliation by washing toilets or driving taxi while I have a similar option here or better.

Straight Forward Advice On Marriage That Works

Let’s face it; if you’re looking for advice on marriage, you could spend DAYS researching on the internet without even scratching the surface of all the marriage advice that’s out there.

But the sad fact is, that’s what most people in your situation do…they RESEARCH…but never ACT on the concepts and ideas they learn about because they come up with “excuses” for why THEIR situation is DIFFERENT.

Well let me tell you….your situation is NOT different. And as EXTREME as MY marriage was…my “situation” was NOT different either…

So why am I qualified to give YOU advice on marriage? Because I managed to save my marriage…on my own…after 27 years of fighting, car chases and battles over her way vs. my way.

Our marriage was as bad as it gets.

You see, I married my COMPLETE OPPOSITE. In fact, you’d think we were from different planets if you compared our habits, values, priorities and temperaments… and that’s before you take into account our male/female differences….which brings me to one of the best pieces of advice on marriage that I can give you…

1. LEARN THE “5 LOVE LANGUAGES”

When I discovered this critical bit of advice on marriage, it really opened my eyes as to EXACTLY what made my wife happy. Often times we wish our spouse would treat us a certain way, but we never actually tell them what it is that we want them to do!

Gary Chapman, author of the book, The Five Live Languages, makes it easy for you to communicate what you need from your spouse to feel loved…and what they need from you!

When I found out what made my wife feel loved…I was SHOCKED!

She wanted “acts of service” of all things! I thought that since I liked “words of affirmation”…that she would too!

I hated doing “acts of service” (a.k.a. chores around the house, gardening and repairs) and that’s exactly why I wasn’t meeting her needs! I didn’t realize what I was doing wrong until I read this book.

…which reminds me…here’s another great piece of advice on marriage you need to keep in mind…

Many couples make the BIG mistake of treating their spouse the way they WISH their spouse would treat THEM!

In other words, smothering your spouse in hugs and kisses isn’t going to make him/her want to hug/kiss YOU more if what they actually need from YOU is “acts of service” like taking out the trash or cleaning the house!

If you want to improve your marriage and have your spouse meet your needs, by meeting theirs FIRST, I highly recommend this book. You can find it at: http://www.stopyourdivorcein4weeks.com/gary.html

Now I’ve never seen anyone talk about this last piece of advice on marriage, so pay close attention…

2. YOU CAN’T IMPROVE YOUR MARRIAGE UNLESS YOU FEEL LIKE IT FIRST

Many people search for the recipe for a happy marriage, in a quest for a simple LIST of things they can go do and then simply “check the items off of their list.”

But unfortunately, that’s not how REAL married life works. I could give you a long list of advice on marriage that would improve your relationship, but that list won’t do you any good. If you’re like most married couples, you won’t act on ANY advice on marriage… until you first feel like doing it FIRST.

Telling you to “go do something” to improve your marriage is NOT going to make a difference in your relationship when you resent your spouse and feel SO negative that you can’t even bring yourself to do it!

The key is actually FEELING LIKE doing something positive for your marriage…and THEN doing it.

Believe me; it’s MUCH easier to do something nice for your spouse when you’re feeling optimistic about your marriage…than it is to “force” yourself to be the first one to take a step towards a better marriage.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “How do I get to the point where I FEEL LIKE doing something to improve my marriage? I’m so frustrated with my spouse right now!”

Well, I’m glad you asked. I offer a FREE mini-course on “How to Overcome Your Negative feelings…the Moment they Appear.” If you’re at all interested, keep reading so you can get started on the mini-course right away…

Halliburton Bribery Scam: Million-Dollar Bribes Were Wired To Abdulsalami Abubakar, Julius Berger, And Obasanjo

Abdulsalami Abubakar

By SaharaReporters, New York

A report published today by Vanguard newspaper has uncovered a list of some of the foreign banks used to funnel close to $200 million in Halliburton bribes to Nigerian officials, including two former heads of states.
Under pressure from the United States, President Goodluck Jonathan recently directed that the files on the $180 million Halliburton bribery scam be reopened and the principal suspects re-arrested for prosecution.

Even though the Vanguard report failed to mention the former Nigerian heads of state implicated in the scandal, SaharaReporters has learnt that the principal targets are former military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mr. Abubakar’s share of the illicit bribe funds, a total of $37.5 million, was wired to him through accounts in the American Express Bank Annex at the Towers World Financial Centre, New York, the Seaway National Bank, Chicago, and the Bank of New York.

Mr. Abubakar, who served as military ruler after the death of General Sani Abacha, operated several bank accounts that period included A/C No 187765 Chips VID 250517 (in the name of Maizubi Holdings, Minna), A/C No 0074952045, Routing Number 071001216, Foundation Inc., A/C No 9800263826 Swift/Sort Code GHBAGRAA001 and A/C No 0039342923-21 Routing Number 052001533.

The bribery deals were overseen by Jeffrey Tesler, a lawyer and dual citizen of the UK and Israel who served as a consultant to KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton that sought to secure construction contracts worth $6 billion. Mr. Tesler was arrested in the UK in 2009. In 2011, he struck a plea bargain with US authorities that sent him to jail for 21 months. In addition, he forfeited $150 million to the US government.

Mr. Tesler reportedly used several fronts, including former Air-Vice Marshal Abdul Dominic Bello, to distribute bribe sums. A source indicated that Air-Vice Marshal Bello played a role in funneling funds to several Nigerian government officials. Bribes of over $68 million were wired to him using accounts at several banks. These included Lloyds Bank of London, A/C No 736827, Bank of Credit and Commerce International, London, American Express Bank, A/C No 2101653, HSBC, A/C No 31505024, and Lloyds Bank, A/C No 0737041. All transactions were done using a company called Tri-Star.

Vanguard disclosed that the various bribe sums were shared with the active knowledge and connivance of Sena Anthony, the company secretary of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG). Ms. Anthony’s role earned her an arrest, detention and prolonged interrogation during the first investigation. Subsequently, Nigerian investigators decided that she was key to unraveling the complete list of the bribery beneficiaries.

Vanguard learnt that Mr. Obasanjo used a variety of cronies to collect a total of about $39 million in bribe funds. Mr. Obasanjo reportedly used construction giant, Julius Berger, as a go-between. He purported that the huge sums of money were invested in the PDP, whereas only a minute fraction of the funds actually got to the party.  Mr. Obasanjo's assistant, Bodunde Adeyanju, was briefly arrested and detained by Nigerian law enforcement.

The source also disclosed that Malabo Oil, which is owned by former Minister of Petroleum Dan Etete, received some $2 million from the bribery scam. In addition, Nigeria’s former spy chief, Umaru Shinkafi, also received $1.65 million of the Halliburton bribe. The cash was wired to him through the American Express Bank in London and in a joint account he operated with Ashiru Bisiji Aliyu.

Another big-time beneficiary was Abdulkadir Abacha. A brother of former dictator Sani Abacha, he received various sums amounting to about $13 million. The funds were sent through account names Headway Eng. Ltd. (A/C No 68579222), Strategic Ind. Ltd. (A/c No 76434366), and Action Investment Intern Ltd.

Ibrahim Aliyu, a former federal permanent secretary, used Union Bank Plc London office at Copt Avenue with account No 02101/01/010 312/ Swift Address UBNIGB31A.

M.G. Bakari, owner of Sherwood, reportedly acted for himself and a former head of state. He received huge sums through various accounts including Bank HSBC, Euston Road, London, A/C No 39067293 Sort Code 40-04-07, Swift Code MIDOGB; A/C No 024002112100; Monument Trust, Channels Island, Sherwood A/C No 024002112001 through which the sum of Euro 664, 020. 83 was wired to Sherwood.

President Jonathan’s order to re-open the Halliburton bribery scandal involving prominent Nigerians followed subtle criticism by the US. US officials recently told Mr. Jonathan that the Barack Obama administration would not authorize release of about $130 million in the Halliburton case until Nigeria demonstrated seriousness in prosecuting Nigerian officials who accepted bribes from Halliburton.

A source at the Presidency said Mr. Jonathan is not interested in prosecuting the former heads of state involved in the scam, despite soured relations between him and former President Obasanjo. Mr. Jonathan recently heaped praise on the prime suspect, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, describing him as the person who stabilized Nigeria's democracy.

Our source said Mr. Jonathan was upset over Mr. Obasanjo’s increasingly biting criticism of his administration, but doubted that the current president could risk taking on his predecessor and benefactor. “Don’t forget that Chief Obasanjo put him where he is,” said the source.

There are unanswered questions about the whereabouts of the $26.5 million returned by construction giant, Julius Berger, in a plea bargain arrangement with Mohammed Bello Adoke, Nigeria’s current Attorney General. A top aide to Mr. Jonathan asserted that Mr. Adoke misappropriated the funds with the help of some lawyers who were also involved in the case. The source disclosed that the funds were then used to set up an airline known as “Izzy Air,” a private charter airliner.

Wonder bank owner in Enugu remanded in prison for alleged N600m fraud

From PETRUS OBI, Enugu

An Enugu Federal High Court yesterday remanded a prominent lawyer and Chief Executive of Karchack Services Limited, Mr Christian Chukwudozie Ebuzoeme in prison custody for alleged fraud. The laywer is alleged to have conspired with one Amaechi Okoye (now at large) to advertise for money deposits without having banking licences.

He was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge bordering on intent to obtain money by false pretences. Counsel to the EFCC, Johnson Ojogbane had prayed the court to withdraw his earlier charge dated November 7, 2012 to pave way for the new three-count charge.

Counsel to the accused person, J. Agha did not object to the application but urged the court to allow him argue his client’s bail application.

But the presiding judge, Justice Mohamed Shaibu refused to grant the request for argument on the bail application on the ground that it was not properly filed before the court. Justice Shaibu subsequently, adjourned the case to November 21 for trial and remanded the accused person in prison custody.

A press statement issued by the EFCC had earlier disclosed that Ebuzoeme, a native of Ojoto, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Karchack Services Limited would be docked for allegedly defrauding innocent citizens of their hard earned money through a phoney investment scheme involving over N600million.

The release, which was signed by Wilson Uwujaren, the acting Head, Media and Publicity said that Mr Ebuzoeme and his accomplice, Mr. Amaechi Okoye ( still at large ) through Kachack Services Limited located in New Haven, Enugu, for three years mobilised deposits from unsuspecting members of the public using the promise of mouth watering returns on investment over specific periods as bait. “

At the beginning, a few of the investors were paid dividends which helped swayed them to plough in more resources and equally convinced others to join the fray. But the flow of dividends soon dried up. After several months of being unable to pay their investors, the two partners, Ebuzoeme and Okoye, split the company.

“Okoye continued to manage the business of Karchack Services Limited while Ebuzoeme moved on to establish Yardenit Limited but the operations were still the same. They continued to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians through bogus promises that were never fulfilled.

“While the investors were left clutching at straw, Ebuzoeme and his partner in crime, Okoye continually smiled to the bank and expanded their business to new frontiers in China and South Africa.”

Igbos In Togo thrill audience with masquerades

In Togo, Nigerian masquerades thrill audience as late Igbo leader goes home in style

Chief Eme Chukwu 1952-2012

Maurice Archibong 
But, for the transition and attendant loss of the person involved; it would seem that countless Nigerians in Togo and the many indigenes of the host country that watched in utter fascination as masquerades thrilled the audience no end, last Saturday, November 10; wished such outing could hold everyday.

Welcome to Lome, where several representatives of beings from the spirit world prowled this earth during the symbolic funeral ceremony for Chief Eme Chukwu, who until his death on September 11, was Chairman of Igbo Union Togo. A scion of the late Mazi Chukwu Lekwauwa Family of Umuokpo, Amankalu Alayi; Chief Eme Chukwu alias Power, who was born on August 10, 1952; also held the traditional title of Onje mba enwe iro.

Preceding last Saturday’s symbolic burial at his residence on Rue de l’Ocam, Lome; there was a Wake for the late Chief Chukwu at Eglise Evangelique Presbyterienne du Togo (Togo’s Evangelical Presbyterian Church) in Afevime, Aniko Palako on Friday, November 9. However, the burial proper will take place at the late chief’s country home in Alayi, Abia State; on December 22.

On November 14, the remains of Chief Chukwu left the CHU Tokoin (University Teaching Hospital) Mortuary in Lome for Nigeria, preparatory to the interment, which will be followed by Thanksgiving Service at Wesley Methodist Church, Amakalu, Alayi. Apart from the famous Abam traditional war dance troupe, there were at least three other cultural ensembles, which included a masquerade clothed in Esighi like Ekpe but put on a leash akin to Nnaabo.

Yes, Ekpe and Nnaabo are typical Efik masquerades but the Efik people of Cross River share a lot, ancestrally and culturally with the Igbos, especially of Arochukwu, and those from Old Bende (Abiriba, Alayi, Ohafia), as well as other clans commonly called Cross River Igbos. Aside the appearances of representational spirits (aka Ojuju Calabar), the traditional dress of some member of the malefolk, which threw up Ukara and Usobo also echoed the propinquity between the Efik of Cross River and Igbos of Abia State, in particular.

Chief Chukwu’s funeral was attended by people from all the Igbo-speaking states. While one could attribute this to the fact that he was Chairman of Igbo Union in Togo, it is also worth noting that; although the late Chief Chukwu hailed from Alayi in Abia, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s envoy to Togo, Ambassador Matthew Sunday Adoli, graced the occasion with his presence. In the same vein, Yoruba-born President of Nigerian Community Togo, Alhaji Idriss Gbadamosi, who resides in Kpalime, travelled more than two hours down to Lome to pay his respect to the departed Igbo Union Chairman.

Alhaji Gbadamosi was accompanied to the event by numerous Nigerians from various other ethnic groups. Despite his famed genial disposition, Amb Adoli is still a diplomat to the core, and he demonstrated this through the conduct, that he is a stickler for protocol by being neither the first to arrive nor the last to depart. Ostensibly too, throughout the ambassador’s presence all exuberance was kept in check. However, as soon as HE left; the drums boomed louder and native smokescreen derived from burning palm-nuts filled the air as some traditional performers virtually set the venue on fire.

Wow! From Ambassador Adoli, Alhaji Gbadamosi and other dignitaries, down to the cultural repertoire that livened up the space last Saturday; each one made everybody proud to be a Nigerian. Believe. According to Dr. Godwin Elendu, a businessman, writer and scholar; “The late Chief Eme Chukwu would indeed be missed, because he was not only a competent Chairman of Igbo Union Togo but also an embodiment of discipline and fairness to every human being, irrespective of religion, tribe or nationality”. We say QED to this apt and incontrovertible epitaph.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Peter Eneh, dies in Enugu

Veteran Nollywood actor, Peter Eneh, died on Thursday evening in Enugu, days after one of his legs was amputated.

Eneh, who had been admitted to Parklane Hospital, Enugu for some months succumbed to the illness.

His legs were said to have become infected, leading to his hospitalisation.

Eneh served two terms as chairman of the Enugu chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and had featured in a number of films.

With his death, Nollywood has lost yet another respected member of its fold.

Among departed Nollywood personalities in recent times are Sam Loco Efe, Geraldine Ekeocha, Ahmed Alasari.

Dealing with a Flirtatious Flirting Partner

Flirting is a fun, social and healthy human behavior. It is a way we introduce our existence to others, express our self-confidence and let others know that we find them attractive. Even though it is an overall harmless behavior, flirtation seems to be a problem in most relationships. People find it offensive and disrespectful, as well as causing them to feel jealous. There are ways you can deal with your partner�s flirtatious ways without having to end the relationship or argue on a regular basis, by understanding the reasons and meanings behind your partner�s flirting.
Okay, so you would rather have your partner not flirt at all. This may be what you want, but not necessarily what you are going to get. We all want to feel special and like we are the only one our lover has eyes for, but the truth is, your partner�s eyes have a right to explore whatever or whoever it is around them, as do you. Being in a relationship never means that you own your partner or can start changing things about them, which is why it is so essential that you study your partner�s personality, attitudes and habits while you are still in the dating process and before you decide to have an official relationship.
What you should focus on is the reasons behind your partner�s flirting. It could very well just be that your partner carries a high and self-confident personality, and chooses to express that confidence through flirting, as many people do. If this is the case, then you were probably already aware of your partner�s confidence when you met him or her, but just grew less fond of it as you grew more emotionally attached. In these cases, it would be best to get in touch with your own self-confidence to prevent insecurity, and learn to accept your partner�s personality.
Maybe your partner�s flirting has a deeper meaning behind it other than just a high self-esteem. Unfortunately, sometimes our partners will flirt because they really are attracted to other people and it could damage your relationship, depending on how much it bothers you. Being attracted to other people does not necessarily mean that your partner wants to go and cheat on you with all those people. Being attracted to others could mean that your lover is simply acknowledging the good looks that another person carries and stops it at that point. Attraction does not always create a temptation to cheat and you should allow your security to grow on this fact.

About Adsense Pros And Cons

You have that site on-line for quite a while, its generating a good number of hits every day and you’re thinking whether or not to use AdSense advertising on it to make it generate some form of income.

Well this is a description of the pros and cons of this approach to Internet advertising. AdSense has definitely hit the Internet like something from another planet and people are very excited about it everywhere. There are negative aspects to Adsense and alternatives to consider. 

AdSense is generally a great tool for webmasters. Whereas, they would use to worry about how to raise enough money to keep their sites profitable, or at least keep them on-line those worries are gone.

AdSense allows webmasters to forget about those worries and concentrate on creating good content for their sites. In fact, the emphasis is now on creating quality content (often associated with the top-paying words) which will bring you many visitors.

AdSense can also very well integrated with your website, it’s easily customizable in terms of colors, size and position which means you can experiment with it in any way you like to maximize your income.

AdSense is a very good means of generating a constant revenue on your site. All you need to do is create some quality content and keep it updated constantly and you can literally live off your website. A lot of people are doing just that nowadays with AdSense, so it’s become sort of a business in itself.

It’s also a great program because you can have the same account advertising on all your pages. This is great for webmasters wit a lot of content because it means they don’t have to create many accounts unnecessarily. 

But as stated, above, there are some negative aspects to advertising with AdSense and here’s a small list of such cons.

Clearly the largest negative impact the AdSense program can have on you is through Google closing your accounts. Most of the time this happens because of so called ‘click fraud’, which means somebody would be producing artificial clicks on your page.

There’s one really nasty side to that. It doesn’t have to be you making those artificial clicks. It could very well be your competition doing this in order to shut you down, or the competitor of whoever is advertising on your page, looking to drive their marketing costs up.

The earning AdSense brings you are by no means constant. In fact, they’re not even close to that. Anything you do to your site could end up being a big mistake costing you a great deal of money. It’s that kind of pressure that has a negative impact on you.

First of all, you constantly need to make sure your site is in the spotlight of search engines when people are searching for whatever it is your site is about.

If you fail to do that you won’t have any visitors, and that of course means you won’t have any AdSense revenue. In a way this is nothing new, as any form of generating revenue on the Internet with advertising has such a drawback.

And finally, another major problem is that you constantly have to feed your site with better and better content. Now, of course, certain sites are very well geared towards doing this but with some types of content this is rather hard to achieve. This is often why the services of a copywriter are employed to generate more and more content.

When writing original content, the best thing a website owner can do is research a topic thoroughly and then return to writing with lots of information they can out in their own words, and show their own opinion on.

So there are the pros and cons of using the AdSense network for generating profits through advertising. Now the choice of whether or not these work for you is yours.

Gunmen kill family of six in Zangon Kataf

By Luka Binniyat & Ndahi Marama KADUNA —  

There was palpable tension in Kaduna State, yesterday, as hundreds of youths protested the alleged killing of six members of a family at Maduachi village in Zonkwa area of Zangon Kataf Local Government in the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The youths carrying green leaves matched through the heart of the town, condemned the killing of the members of the family.

Another eyewitness told Vanguard that the gunmen numbering about 20 invaded the village and shot sporadically into the air for over 30 minutes before entering the family compound of the victims to kill them.

National President of Bajju Youth Association, Gad Ezekiel, in his account said the attackers killed all the members of the same family, leaving behind a little girl with bullet wounds.

Governor Patrick Yakowa of the state, however, condemned the killing, describing it as saddening. Yakowa spoke through his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Mr Reuben Buhari. Maduachi village is about two kilometres from Zonkwa.

…Kill three in Maiduguri

The Kaduna killing came against the backdrop of reports that unidentified gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram Islamic sect, yesterday, trailed three Igbo traders to their respective shops in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State and shot them dead.

The death of the traders in the Bulabulin ward of Biafra area of the state capital, brings to seven, the number of people so far killed in Maiduguri in the last four days.

The Chairman of Zagon Kataf Local Government Area, Mr Dominic Yahaya confirmed the incident in a telephone interview withVanguard, saying: “The attackers came in the early hours of today (yesterday) and shot the family of one Yakubu Kayit. They killed members of the family and burnt their corpses. A little girl with bullet wounds was the only survivor.

Tension as youths protest

“There was really tension here when the youths came out in large numbers this morning and protested the murder. It was a very tough task calming them down. I am told that the attackers are being trailed. It was indeed a gory sight to see these corpses,” Yahaya said,

Another resident of the area, Emmanuel Danboyi, said the incident allegedly happened at about 11p.m.

He said: “In the day time, we saw a trailer parked but at about 11p.m. when we had gone to bed, we began to hear gun shots for several minutes. By then, I had to evacuate my family to a safe place. Later, we discovered that all the people in the house had been killed and burnt  beyond recognition.“

State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Aminu Lawan, while confirming the incident on telephone, said investigation had commenced, adding that no arrest had been made.

Yakowa condemns killings

However, a Government House statement, yesterday, read in part: “The Governor of Kaduna State is truly saddened by the gory incident of Wednesday 14, 2012 in Madauchi, Zangon Kataf Local Government. But even in the face of such unwarranted and deliberate attempt to incite and create chaos, the state government will not be deterred in its quest of ensuring a secured and united Kaduna State.

“The state government, while totally condemning the killing as an act of barbarism, sympathized with the families of the departed, His Highness, the Agwam Bajju, Mallam Nuhu Bature, the Local Government Council and the entire people of the state.

Meanwhile, in the Maiduguri killings, the gunmen stormed the traders’ shops in a tricycle, chanting God is great and started firing gunshots into the air to scare people away.

Vanguard learnt that the Bulabulin ward, facing the eastern flank of popular Maiduguri Monday Market, MMMK, has been condoned off by men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, to prevent further attacks and killings.

Ahmadu Bello Way and the Shehuri North road were closed bY   JTF, leaving only the Shehu Laminu Way for motorists and pedestrians yesterday in Maiduguri.

Spokesman of the  Borno State Police Command, Gideon Jibrin confirmed that there were attacks on some shops in Bulabulin ward of the metropolis yesterday morning adding, that three people were killed in their shops by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

He said no arrests have been made by either the police or JTF.

Why I remain a virgin at 25

By Christian Agadibe

She is a product of AMBO reality TV show and she tells whoever cares to listen that her virginity is still intact despite massive sexual harassment in the movie industry. The Adamawa State-born actress even boasts that nothing would make her lose her virginity to another man except her husband.

Annabella Zwyndila, who was recently nominated for ZAFAA Awards as Best Upcoming Actress, opens up to The Entertainer on her journey to movie stardom. Excerpts:

Tell us about youself

I came from the northern part of Nigeria, Adamawa State to be precise. My father is a military officer while my mother is a lecturer. I came from a home where education and discipline is a necessity. I am a twin (laughs). I graduated from University of Jos where I studied Physics.

Where is your twin sister?

She works in Abuja; she is not an actress eventhough she studied Theatre Arts.

Back then in school, did you have the intention of going into acting?

No! Actually a lot of people have asked me this question before but do you know that my coming into acting was a surprise because I didn’t have plans of going into it even after some friends persuaded me.

When did you venture into acting?

Professionally, I would say a year ago, but I have done some minor roles while I was still in school.

Would you say you stumbled into acting?

It all started when a friend of mine got me into Amstel Malta Box Office reality television show. I am someone who has multiple personalites, so she was like I can make it in the competition and all that. I didn’t take it seriously but eventually I got picked. It was not as if I had it in mind that I was going to be an actress. It just happened like that. I attended a few auditions and got chosen for roles.

What was your experience in the AMBO house?

(Laughs) It was funny and memorable because we had a lot of people with different attitudes and ways of behaviour. So, you have the option of enduring people or going out of control. But one thing I understand is that acting is not that easy, there are some procedures you have to go through. So, I leanrt a lot in the house.

What challenges are you facing as an actress?

I have challenges as an actress and even as a human being. While I was growing up, I had challenges but now it is not all about challenges, it is how you are able to come out of what you see as challenges and how strong you can stand. My father taught us to always believe in ourselves, and to always to have a plan B. I have been able to manage challenges though I have a couple of friends who because of one thing or the other feel inadequate and begin to settle for failure and all that. No, it didn’t happen with me. I was taught how to manage challenges.

Did your parents object when you wanted to join the movie industry?

My mum didn’t buy the idea and when I told my dad, he was shocked. He looked at me in the eyes for like three to four minutes and he was like ‘well, it is your dream face it’ . With his expression, he was saying a whole lot. ‘I have done mine; I have achieved my dreams and I am successful. Let me see you succeed’. So, it wasn’t really cool, I have to struggle to make my mark.

Did you have a quarrel or argument with your parents about your decision?

No way, should I? I can’t argue with my father, I can’t argue with my mum either. My mum didn’t support it. They said actresses don’t have good stories to tell. They don’t have good ending. The women don’t get married, the men are very loose, I don’t know how to put it, but the truth is when I told my father, he was like ‘it’s your dream, live it’. So, this is why I desire to make them proud, but I am happy it’s coming out well.

A lot of things are happening in the movie industry, how do you think you can break into the A-list?

I believe there is enough room for everyone. Genevieve can be Genevieve in her own style, Stella Damasus can be Damascus in her own style. I will also create my own style and mannerism. I have my own way of delivering, my own way of expressing things.

As a military officer’s daughter, you must have grown up in the barrack, so what’s your growing up like?

It was memorable to start with. It was fair but I won’t say we were too rich or too poor; we were just in between. We had everything, we went anywhere we liked. I say ‘we’ and that includes me and my twin sister. I remember when I lost money belonging to my dad, you know, the old man locked me indoors for three days and I got to be given water and food. I had my bath indoors for three good days, no coming out. It was like a house arrest. My dad is so used to it when you do something wrong, he won’t just come out and say ‘kneel down  there or raise up your hands’ as we were treated in school. He locked me up and said what I did was wrong, and that I should be more careful next time.

Can you say you’re born with a silver spoon?

I won’t say I was born with a silver spoon because there were tough times. Sometimes, we asked dad for something and he would say it was not the right time to have it. But then we enjoyed our childhood.

What inspired you into acting? 

I won’t say something inspired me because as I stated earlier it is something I never saw coming. I am my own inspiration; I am my own strength. When the thought of acting came to my mind, I started looking out for some people.    

Who is your role model?

I will mention only a few (laughs) because I don’t want some people to feel I love one person more than the other. I love all of them, but the one that comes to my mind right now is Joke Silva.

What is the most difficult role you have played in a movie?

I don’t think there is any difficult role I have played.

There must be a role or better still a script that was so difficult for you to interpret?

I like my role in Samantha, it is not just because it’s a lead role for I have done three lead roles in movies that would soon hit the market. But it is about uniqueness.

Are you married?

No

Northern girls marry early, is it your educational background that made you not to follow the trend?

(Laughs) I am not a Muslim. But it doesn’t really have to do with religion. It has to do with what the parents feel is good for their children. I went through the four walls of the university and marriage is something that will happen naturally. It is not as if it’s something that is going to be imposed on someone. S, I am still waiting.

What would you say about young girls that are being forced into marriage?

I would say it’s not proper because you have to give the person involved an opportunity to express herself, to know whom she wants to marry, whom she loves and all that. If you force someone to marry a person definitely problems will come.

Did someone come for your hand in marriage at a tender age?

Yes, several times. I remember when I was 13-years-old, a man wanted to get married to me. And when I turned 15, someone in the church also wanted to marry me but it didn’t really work because my parents felt that I was too young. But now, I have to find someone or rather someone must find me.

Have you been sexually abused?

No.

Have you been sexually harrassed by any producer?

Of course, sometimes it happens (laughs). A role that is supposed to be yours is taken from you because of one or two requests that you can’t meet. So, sexual harrassment is not only in the movie industry. It is everywhere.

Can you act nude?

It depends on what I am going nude for and what part of my body I am going to expose. But I want to say that acting is not necessarily about going nude to prove a point. There are several ways that one can actually prove a point. Any role given to me as long as it is about going naked, I won`t do it.

If you’re given a script to act a lesbian, can you do it?

(Laughs) As an actress, I have to be all round. I have to be flexible. So, every script given to an actress must be interpreted to bring a true reflection of the character to the audience. I am not a lesbian in a real sense. I am not. But the character one plays in a movie doesn’t relate to the person’s real life.

Have you been heartbroken before?

Heartbreak is something that has to do with an individual, if you think your heart can be broken then it can be broken.

When did you start dating?

I started dating when I was 23-years-old, but it was a queen relationship. It`s not something based on mundane things and all that, it was just a matured relationship but I am not going to say much about it.

Did the relationship last for so long?

Not really long.

Did you have sex during the relationship?

I am still a virgin. I lost my guy to the cold hands of death but recently I found someone else and we are getting married soon.

How were you able to overcome sexual urge while in the university?

(Laughs) Listen, my dad taught us good morals. My father is an army officer, so I fear him a lot. In fact, I respect him a lot. He is not everywhere but he keeps his eyes on us. Even when I went abroad, he was not there but I didn’t misbehave. While I was in the hostel he was not there with me but the good morals he taught us have kept me till date.

As a virgin, how were you able to cope with temptations here and there?

Actually, that side of me is dead until I get married. Aside avoiding pre-marital sex, I am also a born again Christian and I fear God a lot. I can remember while we were growing up we had that lesson about sexually transmitted diseases and the fear of all those things really kept me away from sex. So, if I must have a relationship we must enter into agreement of no sex. It has to be a smooth relationship but if you feel you can’t wait and you’re so much in a hurry or your body is inching you, then propose. I have all those things in mind but thank God I have found someone who proposed. So, as a married woman, I’ll be free to do it and know I am not committing any sin.

What is your ideal man?

My ideal man doesn’t have anything to do with what and where he is coming from or how deep his pocket is. This person I am dating has a beautiful side of him, he is very hospitable and very caring. He is understanding and God fearing. These are the kind of people I like around me.

If your husband says he is not comfortable with your acting, what will you do?

I love movies so much it has now become part of me, it’s my baby, my first born child. I nurture it with all jealousy so if you come into my life, you have to understand me, you have to embrace my concept and support it. And these are the things I found in this particular guy, he loves everything I do even though he has reservation about acting. He thinks I can make a difference so he believes in me. I am not just going to disappoint him, but if the time comes for me to choose between movies and my love, I prefer to choose my love because he is my future.

Aside acting what else do you do?

I am a writer. I write a lot and have a whole lot of scripts at my disposal. Very soon some of them would see the light of day.

Is it true that you are related to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar?

He is my uncle; he is a very nice man and a father. He is always there for people. I remember when we were little kids, he and my dad had these nicknames they used to call each other. All that the people portray him to be is not true. He is a nice person, he is caring, he is ever willing to support and help people. He is a nice father, and a nice uncle that everyone wishes to have.

Pete Edochie, my husband and I –Rita Edochie

From EMMANUEL UZOR

She is not a new face in the Nigerian movie industry. The Anambra-born ace actress seems to have gone underground in the movie business. In this interview, she spoke on her relationship with veteran actor, Pete Edochie, sex in Nollywood and other issues bothering on entertainment. Excerpts:

Tell us your name? 

My name is Rita Tony Edochie, I am of the Nollywood. I grew up with my uncle, Mr. Okaka of the Railways Corporation because my mother took me to him immediately after the civil war. I was very small, I was just two years old. I lived with him throughout my primary school and after that, I came to Onitsha for my secondary school. Immediately after my secondary school, I got married. I entered the university and graduated in 1990, I have been a broadcaster with Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS). Acting is a flair and I love it very well.

What is your relationship with Pete Edochie?

A very great one, Pet Edochie happens to be the elder brother of my husband, Tony Edochie of Anambra Broadcasting Service. They are from the same father and mother, that is the relationship.

He brought you into Nollywood?

Well, let me say I followed his steps as well, but it has been something that is inborn, something that I love so much. Even when I was in primary and secondary schools I have been doing stage acting, so it is not just because of Pete Edochie, it is something that is a flair, something that I love so much. Incidentally, thank God in heaven, I got married to the linage of broadcasters and film makers and I joined them.

Why did you dump broadcasting for acting?

Yea, I have been in ABS, I went into c. Like I said, it is a flair, something I love doing so much and when you watch acting and broadcasting, they marry each other, so I love doing the two, anyway I try to do my best.

When did you join THE movie industry?

Since 1997.

What was the first movie you featured in and what role did you play?

Waterloo, I can’t remember vividly the role I played there but I know I played a role of a mother. I can’t remember to whom I played the role to but it was either to Saint Obi or whomever, but it was Waterloo. After Waterloo, Evil men, then  Igodo, immediately after Igodo, everything sparked off.

Did you experience stage fright the first time you were on set?

Let me tell you the truth, as a broadcaster, all eyes were always on me, so I just can’t say I had stage fright but at the same time I can’t say I didn’t fidget. I fidgeted seeing others that started before me, I said ‘oh God am I going to get this?’ But at the end of the day, I got it and that is it.

How many movies have you acted?

Oh, will I be able to count? I will not be able to count but I know it will be up to 100.

Which of them threw you Into stardom?

I can’t really say, some people always say it is Igodo, some  say August Meeting but to me as Rita Edochie, I know the ones I did and I believe they threw me to stardom, that is it.

You are not on set in the recent times, what happened, have you resigned?

There is no way I can resign because this is something I know I can do even in my old age, so there is no way I can resign. Actually, it is all about the fees they pay us, you know the least paid artiste, that is the known one earns N400, 000. So there is no way a person that earns N1 million and all of a sudden you want to pay him N200, 000, but it is not their fault, it is the fault of all these pirates. The marketers and producers are no longer making their money, it is not their fault, it is the fault of the pirates. So, I ventured into other things, I went to Abuja, from there, I travelled outside the country, from London back to Gambia, I have been in Gambia for a while doing business, trying to make sure my family is okay,  I ventured into business.

When are your fans expecting you back?

Already I am back, there was this movie I shot in Enugu, I can’t remember the name because by the time we shot it, it had no name, it is owned by Remmy Jes. We shot it in Enugu, I don’t know whether it has been given any name, the movie is very great, it was a very massive one, we used four Cannon cameras, the new cameras and you know what it means to use four cameras and when the movie comes out, everybody will be thrilled because it is a very great one. In the movie, I was a witch, I went off my kind of role, I was a witch in that movie because at least people always believe that in every movie, I must cry because I am a very emotional person but this time around, I dealt with people, I didn’t cry. Patience Ozokwor was in the movie, Kenneth Okonkwo, Uche Jumbo Chioma Chukwuka and others were in the movie and I dealt with Patience Ozokwor, you know she deals with people a lot but I am happy I dealt with her in that movie.

Was that kind of vendetta?

She dealt with me all these years, in fact, I was happy the only one I had opportunity to pay her back.

People prefer epic movies to other kind of movies, WHY?

That is what I am saying, the movie is epic and if you watch my movies each time I am producing, it is epic because I am an African, I love Africa a lot and I am a Nigerian and I love Nigeria a great deal. What we are doing is to showcase our culture like there is this programme I am trying to do in Africa Magic, it is all about culture, you know we don’t speak Igbo language again but when you watch Africa Magic, you will see Yoruba movies and Hausa movies, and we are not happy. So, I have been going to their office all this while for them to give us airtime, and they were like we don’t have content.

Is it true that we don’t have content?

Yes, we don’t have content but I came out to beg our people to come out so we can have our own content, let us start shooting Igbo movies, start doing something about our culture, let us do a lot of things that will showcase our common heritage because we are a great people like the Ofala and new yam festivals, it is all about culture in Africa Magic.

Ghanaians seem to have dominated the industry in the recent times what happened?

Actually what happened was that when we started, we used some Ghanaians, they came down and shot movies with us but at a time, it was like if you don’t use their people we will not sell there and it was a big problem. At a time, they even stopped our people from acting there but I think they are now resolving it. We came to a point that they refused our entry into their country to shoot movies saying that it must be their people alone. We taught them and after that, they were like we have learnt it. So if you don’t use their people, they will not allow you to shoot there.

The old faces are fast fading out, why?

They brought in new ones because they have got to pay them peanuts and we are not ready to take that peanuts, the only thing we are doing is to see how we can reorganize our industry, when we do that, then we will be able to come out and say this is the way it should be done. What they do is once they call one senior actor, they will pay others anything and that is what we are going to look into.

People are tired of seeing the old faces every time, can’t you groom younger ones?

We have young ones but they can never be like the old ones because they are not doing it well. Ok, Sam Loco is dead, there is nobody that can act Sam Loco, nobody can act Pete Edochie, somebody can act Osuofia, already many people are acting Osuofia, somebody can act KOK but nobody can act Sam Loco or Pet Edochie, that is what I am telling you and what we are trying to say is can we get them? Most of them are just ready to do anything but at the end of the day; they will end up not doing it well. For me, I am a very emotional person, I will not want to go into acting wicked roles not because I can’t do it but when I am acting wicked role, you will know I am just trying to show but for somebody that it is inborn, when the person is doing it, you will see the person over-reacting in the very movie because the person will get it right.

Why do you always cry in movies?

When we shot Igodo, people around were carried away, Pete Edochie couldn’t stand my cry and the producer could not stand it too, they walked away, all the village women around could not stand it, they were crying as if something really happened because I did it real but these people will like to rub rob in their eyes for tears to come out, it has to be natural. Even when I am watching movies that I also participated in, I cry also, so it is just real me, am very emotional.

Do you cry in real life?

That is me, that is what people say about me, I can’t really separate myself from the role I play in movies because like I said I am a very emotional person but it can be separated for others. Take for example, somebody like Pete Edochie, what he acts is not his real life because I know him very well, he is a very typical example. What he acts is opposite of whom he is Pete Edochie is a man that can not leave his house without saying 15 decades of Holy Rosary, he can’t even open his door for you, he is a serious Christian, he is only trying to interpret the script given to him.

What about the controversial allegation of sex before role in the industry? 

I love that question, sex before role in the industry. As a person, I have never been harassed by anyone, be it executive producer or producer in order to give me role. But let me tell you the truth, they don’t harass them, the girls are the people that harass, quote me anywhere. Do you know one funny thing that is happening now? Ladies in Asaba pay producers for them to appear in movies, it is happening right now in Asaba. They furnish the producer’s house, buy cars for them just for them to appear and show face in a movie. But I don’t know whether they want to be carrying drugs or not but it is something that is happening in Asaba. They want to pay for them to be seen in the movies. For me, you are paying me for my services. In those days, when we started, I used to drive from Onitsha to Enugu for audition, as a broadcaster. Then, I will just walk straight to the table and register my name and elegantly walk out, the people doing the audition will call me back and give me roles. But these days, instead of the girls going to audition, they will be going from one hotel to the other looking for executive producer’s and producer’s rooms and after that, nobody would want to waste his tape and time because even if you give them the role, they will not do well and at the end, they will end up not giving them the role. After the producers used those stupid girls, they will still not use them in their movies and they will start going around saying, ‘the producer said if I don’t sleep with him he will not give me role’, they are all liars, they are the ones harassing them because when you refuse to go for auditioning and instead go from one producer’s room to the other, what are you looking for?  But hey will be the ones crying that they were being harassed.

As an old hand in the movie industry, have you groomed any actor or actress?

Yes, my role model as you heard me shout is Mercy Johnson, that is my African Queen. Of all the girls in Nollywood, she is the person I love most because she is natural to a fault, she can fit in anything, she is over natural, and I like her because she does it well anytime any day, I give it to her. After Mercy Johnson, Chioma Chukwuka, Ini Edo, Genevieve, you see all these girls, they are all good but of all the girls, Mercy Johnson is still the best.

Have you officially retired from ABS?

I have not really retired, I am in the court with Anambra State government because they retired me compulsorily in 2008. So, I had to sue them for N500 million. Since then we have been in court.