At least 41 militants and one soldier were
reportedly killed as the Cameroonian military
launched an air raid on suspected Boko Haram
fighters who attacked one of its bases on the
border near Amchide and seized a huge portion
of the town of Ashigashia.
The Voice of America quoted Cameroon military
spokesman, Col. Didier Badjeck, as saying that
about 1,000 suspected Boko Haram fighters had
seized parts of the villages of Ngouma, Sagme,
Ardebe, Mbaljuel, Dambore, Soueram and
Ashigashia and briefly occupied a military camp
on Sunday.
Badjeck also said the militants also kidnapped
several girls on Friday and forced them to marry
the group’s fighters.
He said the military was informed by local
residents that Boko Haram members had
abducted girls between the ages of 12 and 15
and forced them to marry sect members.
Consequently, President Paul Biya of Cameroon
ordered the air strike against the sect. This
forced the Boko Haram fighters from
neighbouring Nigeria to flee the camp at
Assighasia, Al Jazeera quoted the
Communications Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary,
as saying in a statement.
Bakary said the multiple attacks showed that
Boko Haram had adopted a new strategy aimed
at “distracting Cameroonian troops on different
fronts, making them more vulnerable in the face
of the mobility and unpredictability of their
attacks.”
Bakary said at least 34 militants were killed after
the army raided one of their bases in Cameroon,
while another seven were killed in a separate
clash which also claimed the life of a soldier.
Last week, Cameroon said it had dismantled a
Boko Haram training camp on its territory, and
had rescued 84 children who were being trained
there.
More than 40 of its soldiers have been killed in
fighting with Boko Haram this year, according to
Reuters.
A Boko Haram squad attacked the Assighasia
camp on Sunday morning and the “Cameroonian
defence forces had to withdraw after trying to
defend the position”, the government statement
said.

Do I have a reasonable reason not to?

The first person I saw with this new pattern was Kieran Umeayo, but currently, one would want to think that they've banned them from putting on the traditional attire as every single one of them now dresses in the English pattern.
I used to think the reason they initially stuck to the traditional pattern was to uphold our cultural heritage as Nigerians.
Does anybody have a reasonable explanation/opinion as to why the sudden switch to the English attire?

Felt very glad mehn!!

Anytime I want to make a call, I don't bother carrying the phone close to my ear to know if it's ringing at the other end or to know when the person I'm calling has picked. I just hold it at the normal distance from my eye and look at the screen.. ofcourse, it indicates on the screen when it is ringing at the other end and when it has been picked..such that if the other party had a caller tune, I didn't get to listen to it (mind you, my phone was not on loudspeaker).
I also discover that many other people out there (probably the majority) apply this pattern..

In such a case as this, is it still reasonable to subscribe to using a caller tune at a cost of, maybe, N50 or more? as people won't get to listen to the tune afterall.

Kidnappers have stormed Creek Town, a riverine community in Odukpani local government axis of Cross River State and abducted the aged father of the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Etubom Essien Cohbam.
The kidnappers who reportedly invaded the community with boats were said to have fired several gun shots to scare residents of the community before abducting their victim.
An eye witness and resident of Creek Town told our reporter that the sleepy community was woken up by gun shots. “It was like a war scene and people were scared of coming out of their houses. It was like the entire community was under siege.” To wade off any resistance, the victim’s residence was reportedly riddled with bullets.
The kidnappers were also said to have invaded the residence of the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Ekpenyong Ita in Creek Town.
The building was also riddled with bullets, though nobody was reportedly abducted. Efforts to reach the state deputy governor, Mr. Efiok Cobham over the incident proved abortive. When contacted on phone, the press secretary Mr. Effiong Okon promised to get back to our correspondent. His response was still being awaited at the time of filing this report.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Hogan Bassey confirmed the incident, adding that police detectives have been despatched to the area. ASP Bassey said the residence of Etubom Cobham and that of the Director General of DSS were damaged by the kidnappers.

Here in Calabar, CRS.. d sun is rily hot..

==> Balotelli missed a penalty.
==> John Obi Mikel scored.
==> Arsenal are top of the league.
==> Valdes is saving penalties.
==> United lost with Howard Webb.
==> Jose Mourinho isn't special anymore.
==> Barcelona had 48% possession!
THE WORLD IS TRULY COMING TO AN END!!!

elgaitan: We can we download the docket

By 2mrw it will be out on d aforementioned website..

The exam is on the 17th and 18th of september.. You can find the timetable on the website www.icanig.org. I wish y'all total success in the exams.

phranseeqz: I just did that yesterday. with style sha. I told him the paste he uses smells bad

lol... I can iamgine such a bad-smelling kinda toothpaste

Will you be honest enough to your best friend or family member to draw his or her attention to the fact that he or she has a bad breath?

Tell Ayo I said it's nt making frontpage..

•Arik, FAAN trade blames over breach of security

How did a young boy outsmart security operatives at the Benin Airport yesterday to stow away on a commercial flight to Lagos undetected?
This is one of the questions experts in the aviation industry and security agencies will have to find an answer to after the boy was found on the arrival of the plane at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikejayesterday.
The development has already sparked accusations and counter accusations between Arik Air whose security was breached and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the agency responsible for security in all the nation’s airports.
The boy, whose name was given as Daniel Ihekina, hid in the tyre compartment of Arik Aircraft 5N-MJG, Flight 44 while preparing for take- off to Lagos at 9am.
The management of the airline attributed the development to security lapses at the Benin Airport.
But FAAN countered, saying the airline acted with impunity on the matter.
On board the plane were several top officials of the Edo State government.
Passengers aboard the airline were shocked when security agents found the teenager at the MMA soon after the aircraft landed.
Though none of the officials at the Benin Airport agreed to comment on the issue, there were fears that the boy may have accessed the tarmac through Akenzua Road axis owing to lack of perimeter fencing at theairport. A passenger aboard the plane said: “we were suspicious in Benin when the plane was about taking off when we heard a noise as if the tyre crushed somebody on the ground. Some people even started shouting ‘Jesus, Jesus, which suggested that the boy was already inside the tyre compartment before we left.
“So, we left for Lagos but when we landed at the Ikeja Airport, the boy came out from the tyre compartment and everybody started shouting.
“Seriously speaking, this shows that we have serious problems with regard to securing our airports. This is a serious security breach.If that boy was carrying bomb it means he would have succeeded in blowing up the plane. How can somebody be in an aircraft without being detected? We are in trouble in this country.”
However, Arik Air, in a swift reaction to the development, blamed it all on security lapses at the Benin Airport.
It expressed shock at how anyone could beataviation security checks at the Benin Airport to stowaway into the main wheel of its aircraft.
Spokesman for the company, Mr Banji Ola, said :”The pilot of Arik Air flight W3 544, departing Benin Airport for Lagos at 9.00am today (yesterday) 24thAugust, 2013 reportedto the control tower the presence of a strange boy in the bush about 200 – 300 metres at the end of runway 23.
“The control tower told the captain that they were sending security men to the place to arrest the boy. As the captain was making hisfinal turn, preparatory for take-off, a cabin crew called his attention to the information by some of the passengers that they saw a boy running towards the airplane. The First Officer confirmed that they had observed it earlier and alerted the control tower which responded that they have sent the patrol team to arrest the boy. The captain again reported to the control tower and was informed that the situation was under control and that he had been cleared for take-off.
“On arrival at the domestic wing of MMA, Lagos, a teenage boy, who apparently had sneaked into the aircraft main wheel well jumped out and was arrested by Arik personnel and handed over to FAAN security.”
Managing Director of the airline, Mr. Chris Ndulue, asked the authorities of FAAN to “immediately address the problem.”
But speaking for FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati said Arik Air was responsible for the breach by not conducting a check on the plane after theattention of the crew and ground personnel was drawn to an abnormally on the tarmac.
The procedure for such infraction, he said, is for the crew to abort the flight and return to the apron for check-up.
“It is revealing that Arik Air accepted that their attention was drawn to the presence of foreign bodies on the tarmac. Why they ignored this vital safety precaution reveals their disdain for following safety procedures,” he said and warned that FAAN will not tolerate such infraction from any operator.
He said: “This is arrant display of impunity. The aircraft should not have taxied further, but return to the apron until a proper check is carried out on all parts of the aircraft.
“FAAN will not tolerate such impunity henceforth from Arik or any airline. Any violation would be met with applicable sanctions.”
The suspect is already giving useful information to security agents on his motive.

Following the payment of 75 per cent balance for the Power Holding Company (PHCN) successor companies, the private investors will in October take over the entities. They are 10 distribution companies (Discos) and five generation companies (Genco), reports JOHN OFIKHENUA
THE waiting game is over. Money has exchanged hands and in October, power will change hands. The 10 distribution companies (Discos) and five generation companies (Genco), which are the successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), were paid for on Wednesday by private hands.
The Yola and Ibadan Discos will from Octoberbe run by Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing. Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar is the chairman of the company.
The Benin Distribution Company will be managed by Vigeo Power Limited, a multi-business group with interest in Nigeria. Its chairman is Gbolade Osibodu, husband of theformer Managing Director of Union Bank, Funke.
The Eko Distribution Company is now in the firm grip of West Power & Gas, a consortium comprising Alpha Consortium Limited, Atlantic Meridean, Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund 2 Mauritius and Siemens Limited of Germany.
KEPCO/NEDC consortium is now the owner of the Ikeja Disco. The entity will now be under the control of the Korea Electric Power Company.
For Abuja Disco, KANN Consortium Utility Company Ltd is now in charge, while the Enugu Disco had its deal suspended because the preferred bidders was yet to complete their 75 per cent.
Other winners of discos are the Sahelian Power SPV Limited (Kano Disco) and Aura Energy Limited (Jos Disco).
For the generation companies, the former Chief Executive Officer, UBA, Tony Elumelu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Transcorp & Woodlock Consortium, now owns the Ughelli Power Plc.
Elumelu is committing $2.5 billion to the power sector in Africa. The investment is being made through his pan-African proprietary investment company Heirs Holdings – the single largest investor included in the White House statement announcing the Power Africa initiative.
Power Africa is a multi-stakeholder partnership between the United States, the governments of Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Ethiopia, and the African private sector, with the shared objective of accelerating investment in Africa’s power sector over the next five years. The initiative was launched in South Africa during Obama’stown hall at the University of Cape Town.
Elumelu’s holding company, through its investee company, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), purchased the Ughelli power plant, which it plans to restore to its full generating capacity of 1000 megawatts.
Elumelu said: “The investment we are makingdemonstrates our intent to become a significant player in the power sector. It also shows in a clear and meaningful way that African capital can and should be part of the solution to Africa’s challenges. We need more African companies to step up and get involved in Africa’s development.
“Heirs Holdings’ investment in Power Africa isnot just about creating value for shareholders. We want to conduct business in this strategic sector for the long term, in a way that links economic return to social benefits – a key component of what I call Africapitalism. Access to affordable, uninterrupted power will have an immeasurable impact on the economic ecosystem. The cost of doing business will come down, entrepreneurs will expand and innovate, and jobs will be created as a result. That is a very tangible example of what Africapitalism is about: the private sector creating economic prosperity and social wealth.”
Mainstream Energy Solutions owns the Kainji Genco, CMEC/EURAFRIC bought the Sapele Power Plc. Shiroro is now the property of CMEC/EURAFRIC, while Geregu Power Plc is now for Amperion Power Company Limited.
As the public sector prepares to relinquish the operation of the power sector to its investors, the industry is bound to witness significant changes.
The Ministry of Power said it would meet the timeline slated for the handover of the powersuccessor companies to their investors. Minister of Power Prof. Chinedu Nebo said it would not be business as usual in the industry.
The bidders have honoured their path of the obligations they signed with the Federal Government to complete their payment within six months, what is left to be seen is the government making good its promise.
Only a few days before the August 21 deadline for the payment, the would-be operators of the sector flooded Abuja to request the Federal Government to remove some of the barriers that may affect the smooth running of the power sector

For quite sometime now I've noticed that most women-hairdressing saloon are precided by men. They men dress the hairs and even perform the manicuring and pedicuring operations on the women.. I began to wonder within myself, 'does it mean this guys that make these women's hairs are better than the female-hairdressers?'

So women in the house, which do you prefer to make your hair, a male hairdresser or your fellow female hairdresser?

Vice-Chairman of the Uhumnwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, Walter Aiwekhoe, on Tuesday, reportedly escaped from a forest where suspected kidnappers kept him, hours after he had been abducted.
Aiwekhoe's reported escape came barely 48 hours after the kidnap of two female teachers in Benin by gunmen.
The seizure of the teachers and three children of one of the victims, on Sunday, also came a week after three other female primary school teachers regained their freedom after 14 days in captivity.
One of the teachers, our correspondent learnt, was snatched from her car while driving to church in company with three of her children. The car was recovered the next day while the whereabouts of the teacher and her children remained unknown.
The second teacher was said to have been abducted while returning from church.
Aiwekhoe who was ambushed on his way to the office by armed gunmen was said to have escaped from where he was kept in the forest.
An eyewitness to the abduction of the council boss said the suspected kidnappers blocked the Vice Chairman's vehicle with a jeep and ordered him out of his car and forced him into a waiting vehicle amid sporadic shots.
The Chief Press Secretary to the council chairman, Mr. Osaro Best Idahosa, who had earlier confirmed the incident later told our correspondent that his principal had escaped from his captives somewhere around Obiaruku, Delta State.
He said, "We are celebrating here because he just called from Obiaruku in Delta State that he is presently at the police station. He said he escaped from where they kept him and ran towards the road where he met policemen. So, we are going to pick him up from the police station in Obiaruku."

The strike by university teachers will continue. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government again failed to reach an agreement yesterday.
The two sides continued to hold on to their different positions on the crucial issue of funding.
Even as the grey areas are yet to be cleared, the Federal Government agreed to release N130 billion to tackle the issues of infrastructural decay and pending allowances in the universities.
Chairman of the Presidential Universities Needs Implementation Committee and Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, at the end of about four-hour meeting between the two sides in Abuja told reporters that the negotiation would continue.
According to him, progress was made in the area of tackling the infrastructural deficit in the Nigerian universities with the release of N100 billion, which will be distributed next month.
He said: “The Federal Government has been able to harness about N100 billion, which Mr. President has agreed. that will flag of the project and starting from the first week of September in virtually all the universities. The process of achieving that is ongoing at the Centre and due process for it at various universities”
“The infrastructure deficit will be addressed like hostels, labs and libraries. Some will be renovated while others will be brand new. Every university will be affected and each of the hostel will accommodate 1,200 students.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim maintained that all issues have been resolved except the unpaid allowances.
He said the Federal Government had agreed to release N30 billion for that purpose which must be paid according to the verifiable claims by each University Council.
He reiterated the position of Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the N92 billion being demanded by ASUU as wages could not be met.
He said the responsibility of settling the pending arrears now rests with the University Councils, who will be supported with N30 billion.
ASUU President Nasir Isa Fagge said the team will report back to their National Executive Council (NEC) to decide appropriate response to the Federal Government’s offer.
He maintained that ASUU’s position has not shifted from the 2009 agreement.
He said: “The union is talking about the implementation of 2009 agreement and not renegotiation. If you remember the objective of going on strike is to get government to implement the 2009 ASUU and FG particularly to implement the provisions of the memorandum of understanding we reached with the government in 2012.”

There is confusion in high security circles over the reported killing of the leader of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Abubakar Shekau, by operatives of the Joint Task Force in Borno State.
The spokesman of the JTF, Col. Sagir Musa, said in a statement on Monday that the Boko Haram leader died of gunshot wounds he sustained during the invasion of the Sambisa Forest Headquarters of the sect in June.
Curiously, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade, referred our correspondent to the headquarters of the JTF in Borno State, when he was contacted for further confirmation.
Ordinarily, the killing of the most wanted terror leader, who has a $7m bounty on his head, would have been celebrated by allsecurity agencies but the situation appears to be different in the absence of evidence of his death.
Musa said intelligence reports at the disposal of the JTF showed that "Abubakar Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorist, may have died."
The JTF spokesman said the Boko Haram leader was seriously wounded in the attackon the sect headquarters at Sambisa on June 30, by the special forces and was taken to a border community in the nation's border with Cameroun, identified as Amitchide, for treatment.
He said Shekau did not recover from the gunshot wounds he sustained at the Sambisa Forest.
Musa added that Shekau was behind the abduction of elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Ali Mongonu, and the French family of seven, comprising four children, ata border town between Nigerian Cameroun.
The statement said, "Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide - a border community in Cameroun for treatment, from which he never recovered.
"It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between July 25 and August 3, 2013. He was reported to have masterminded the kidnap of the seven French citizens and that of the elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno, in addition to many murders of Islamic clerics in northern Nigeria.
"He was also responsible for the bombings of many places of worship and public buildings, including police and United Nations Headquarters in Abuja."
Musa added that a video released purportedly by the Boko Haram leader on August 13, 2013, was a deceit by a memberof the sect to convince members to continue with the insurgency.
He urged members of the sect to lay down their arms and accept the Federal Government's offer of dialogue.
燤usa added that the video was "dramatisedby an imposter to hoodwink the sect members to continue with terrorism and todeceive undiscerning minds".
However, it was gathered that the military high command in the country was bitter about the release of the statement on Shekau's purported death because of the growing lack of evidence around it.
However, a top security source confided in our correspondent on Monday that the statement was viewed as a product of sabotage and an unnecessary contest for glory by the JTF, which prosecuted the war against terrorism.
The source said that the hurried release of the news of the killing of Shekau on the date a new division of the Nigerian Army was taking over from the JTF was rather suspicious.

Are they people in the house who are lovers of Africa's number one radio game show-- Lunch Hour Show? How many of us have called into the show? How many have ever won? I've called in a quite a number of times and also won in some of those times I called. From Calabar where I reside, the frequency of paradise 105.5FM in Calabar (presenter- Caleb Essang aka mrfabloz) and Atlantic 104.5FM in Uyo(prsenter- Uwem Jonah aka eskeweno) reach my radio. Those are the two stations I listen to. Share yours, do you or do you not enjoy the show?

Really??...feels good to hear that.

Today, August 13, is marked worldwide as left handers day. Unfortunately, many 'bad eggs' in todays society discriminate against this left handers. Incidentally, there are a whole lot of successful men and women worldwide who are lefthanded, in the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Opera Winfred, Barrack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Emeka Ike, Desmond Elliot, Lionel Messi and many more..
I hope we don't have people in the house who discriminate against lefthanders.. You don't have to, they are God's creation just like you and I..

Mod, I will really appreciate if this is push too the frontpage, let's get a much wider view of the people.

Essential things to be carried along with to church are Bible, jotter and pen. Recently one item joined the list- phone charger. This, ofcourse is due to the inadequate power supply in our homes. I carried mine to church and charged my phone. Did you do same?

vb0mb: "85 percent of Nigerians" how many Nigerians have you chat with? Where did you get such statistics? May be is within your village.

I don't have to chat with them directly.. I've listen to lots of them speak, with that alone I can draw reasonable conclusion.. I was just being lenient to say "85%" I would have still been correct if I said 95%...

I'm beginning to notice that 85% of Nigerians cannot talk for a long time without speech mannerisms such as.. "you know . . .", " ee know . . .", "as in. . .", "emmm. . ." and lots more. Even those in the media and others who are supposedly acclaimed to have a good command in english language are guilty of this.
Fellow nairalanders, what can we do to ourselves to eliminate these mannerisms and speak much more fluently?

What's just all this about these stories of snakes? Yesterday it was that snake bit someone's "joystick"... the other day, they said someone swallowed snake and vomitted it out... weeks ago, it was that snake fell on somebody from a tree... Today, they said snake saved another animal's life..blah blah blah di blah.. Most annoying, they are all on the front page.
Please we can we talk about better things than snake? ...Smh

Aaaaaaargh!!! I'm sick and tired of all these snake stories.. Yesterday it was that snake bit someone's "joystick".. The other day it was that someone swallowed snake and vomited it out... Snake fell down from a tree on somebody.. Now today it's another snake story. Please there are better things to talk about than snake.. Please!!

There is still no harm in being nice and helpful once in a while. Not every by-passer asks for 'change', why can't they be atleast nice to the one or two atmost that needs their assistance?

A couple of times I've been in need of smaller denominations of a single large naira notes such as N1000, N500 or even N200, and when I walk up to a street vendor or petty trader for aids with smaller denominations of those notes without neccessarily wanting to buy something with it, the response I always get from 95% of them is "No, I don't have change", most annoying, it is said in a rather rude manner. But the unvarnished truth is, they actually have those smaller denominations.

Are they people in the house who can give a good explanation of this act, why wouldn't they assist you with those smaller denominations and rather lied that they didn't have it?

Na wa o.. Dis man is a whole 94 years... It is nt abt tym he left the rigors of this world nd enjoyed himself wif Baba God in Heaven?...

Or beta still, if private jet is too expensive you can simply make it an aeroplane