American Singer Faith Evans arrested for domestic violence

American singer Faith Evans has been arrested and charged for domestic violence for allegedly assaulting her husband Stevie J.

According to TMZ, Evans was arrested earlier this week when police showed up at 1 am at the couple’s home in Los Angeles. Reports have it that the couple had engaged in a heated argument that turned violent. 

When police arrived at the scene, visible marks and scratches were noticed on Stevie J’s face. Evans was booked for felony domestic violence but released on bond the same day.

Faith Evans and Stevie J faced breakup rumours in July 2019 after they reportedly stopped following each other on social media. Stevie J fueled the rumours when he posted a string of cryptic tweets, including “Drunk people always speak their truth,” “One’s insecurities can damage them,” and “All that glitters ain’t gold.” 

But the couple downplayed the rumours to TMZ. The speculation returned in December 2019 — this time, due to messages posted to Stevie J’s Twitter. 

“Found [out] that NO woman is faithful. Knew that & it’s a blessing to know,” read a tweet. “Wanna show the world what being a stand-up guy will get you. 12 days of Xmas I sent her 5k a day. Trust no b*tch.”

But he later claimed that he had been hacked and that things were good between him and Evans.

“My wife is the love of my life & my best friend. Whoever hacked me, you not only hurt me but my entire family,” he tweeted in part.

Faith Evans was formerly married to the Notorious B.I.G in 1994 but separated before he was murdered in 1997.

Senate refutes allegations of culpability in NDDC fraud

The senate has refuted allegations that Senators and Members of House of Representative are the brains behind the fraud in NDDC by the executive Director of Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the Interim Management Committee (IMC) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh was said to have so alleged.

He said it clearly smacks of cheap blackmail predicated on a falsehood. This was contained in a statement that was signed by the Senate’s Spokesperson senator Dr Ajibola Basiru and was made available to journalists yesterday.

He said that the National Assembly will not succumb to cheap blackmail from any quarters and is committed to ensuring probity and accountability of all agencies of government no matter whose ox is gored.

The spokesperson said they are at a loss as to why Dr. Ojougboh has repeatedly made such allegations at a time when the NDDC is under the scrutiny of forensic audit and investigation by the National Assembly.

“The Senate is even more surprised considering the fact that the allegations are baseless and unsubstantiated.

Apparently Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is ignorant of the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to carry out oversight function over all agencies expending government resources with a view to exposing and preventing corruption and abuse.

It stands logic in the head to claim that by invoking it’s the constitutional power of oversight to investigate the activities of the IMC, the National Assembly intends to scuttle forensic audit. The outlandish claim is illogical."

He said clearly there is no adverse relationship between the oversight function of the National Assembly and a forensic audit.

Basiru said the National Assembly is committed to repositioning the NDDC to address the challenges of the Niger Delta through facilitating the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

The spokesperson said that does not mean the Senate would not be concerned about the allegations of poor management or outright fraud in the management of the funds and operations of the commission. According to him,

“The setting up of the investigation is predicated on the above concern and not to victimise or witch hunt anyone adding that it was in that regards that the National Assembly accorded the executives the necessary cooperation that will facilitate the completion of the forensic audit.

Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as a former member of the House of Representatives should know that the National Assembly is vested with the powers of appropriation for all government ministries, departments and agencies including the NDDC.

It will appraise the budget and its operations of the Commission like other agencies to entrench a culture of transparency and accountability.”

He said for the allegations in respect of the budget, to have been brought up in the wake of exercise of oversight function by the National Assembly is suspect

“Also, one would have expected an organisation of integrity to have formally made complaints to the anti-corruption agencies of the purported allegations against Senators and Members of House of Representative of the NDDC committees if there are facts to substantiate same.

The Senate and indeed the National Assembly is also committed to exercising its constitutional mandate and will not be cowed by spurious allegations of the likes of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh."

Gunmen kill 30 in Burkina Faso attack

Gunmen killed around 30 people at a livestock market in the eastern Burkina Faso town of Kompienbiga. Local residents revealed that the attack was blamed by a security source on jihadists.

The assailants “burst into the market riding motorbikes and started shooting, especially at people who were trying to flee”, one resident said, estimating the death toll at around 30 from the attack.

A second resident said: “It’s hard to say how many people were killed. There were bodies in the market and others in the bush.”

But he added: “More than 30 bodies were collected” after the attack. He said his brother was at the market at the time and he had had “no news” from him since.

A local official put the death toll at “several dozen” including vendors and residents, while a security source said “armed terrorists” carried out the attack while declining to estimate how many were killed.

The attack came a day after a convoy of main shopkeepers escorted by a local self-defence unit came under fire in the north of the West African country, leaving 15 dead.

The bloodshed in Loroum province was also blamed on jihadists.

The east and north of the former French colony are the hardest hit by attacks by jihadists, who have killed more than 900 people and caused some 860,000 people to flee their homes in the past five years.

Burkina Faso’s armed forces are leading counter-terror operations with increasing frequency.

The impoverished Sahel country is part of a regional effort to battle an Islamist insurgency along with Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Chad.

Their militaries, under-equipped and poorly trained, are struggling despite help from France, which has 5,000 troops in the region.

Unrest in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger killed around 4,000 people last year, according to UN figures.

PDP sweeps Cross Rivers LG poll

Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross Rivers State have won all the chairmanship and councillorship positions already declared by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission on Sunday.

The local government election held on Saturday.

Results from 10 local government areas were declared on Sunday by the Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Mike Ushie.

The local government results declared include Akamkpa won by the PDP chairmanship candidate, Linus Bassey-Etim, Akpabuyo LG won by Emmanuel Offiong-Bassey, Bakassi LG won by Iyadim Amboni-Iyadim and Calabar Municipal Council won by Eke Effiong-Nta.

Others are Calabar South LG chairmanship seat won by Esther Edet-Bassey of PDP, Etung LG won by Etuk John-Nkom, Ikom LG won by Egumi Kingsley, Obubra LG won by Dr Bassey Agara, while a woman, Justina Joseph-Edem won in Odukpani LG and Obeten Ofem-Ebri won in Yakurr.

Five political parties took part in the election, including All Progressives Congress, Labour Party, Young Progressive Party.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hire security firm

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have enlisted the services of an A-list security firm that charges up to £7,000 (N3,348,174) per day.

The couple, who now live in Los Angeles with their son, Archie, are using GDBA, a security company owned by Gavin De Becker who served as security chief for President Ronald Reagan. His company provides security to A-listers for Hollywood such as Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lawrence, Madonna, Cher, and Barbra Streisand.

A source said,

“Harry and Meghan have full confidence in de Becker’s firm and they come highly recommended. They are the biggest security firm in LA and by far the most respected. They aren’t cheap, but if you want the best you have to pay for it.”

Actor Michael J. Fox describes GDBA as a “secret service for famous people”.

De Becker is thought to be close friends with Oprah Winfrey, the chat show host who is also a confidante of Meghan.

Harry and Meghan’s security has been a subject of much debate after an insider told the Daily Mail earlier this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could only afford to start paying off their £2.4million bill for Frogmore Cottage once Prince Charles had agreed to foot their astronomical security costs in the US.

It is unclear who is paying for the security bill, though friends of the Sussexes claimed this week that the couple would be paying for protecting out of their own pocket.

According to the anonymous source, the couple are not ‘asking for any special treatment’ with regard to their security situation, and ‘have not received any’.

Harry and Meghan Markle have been living in a Beverly Hills mansion owned by Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry with their son Archie since mid-March, after moving over from Canada.

Daily Mail reported that the couple has experienced ‘unimaginable’ levels of intrusion from the press while living in the Beverly Hills mansion during the coronavirus pandemic, including paparazzi-operated drones illegally flying within 20 feet of their house to snap photographs.

At least five such incidents have been reported to the LAPD.

The couple has been spotted only a handful of times since their move to Los Angeles, first volunteering for a local charity dropping off food to locals who are more at risk of catching coronavirus, as well as taking their beloved dogs out for a walk.

The Duke and Duchess were unexpectedly stripped of their Metropolitan Police security team after their move to North America following their announcement they were stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family earlier this year.

ECOWAS youth council induct Falusi as ambassador

The leadership of West Africa (ECOWAS) Youth Council has decorated Adedayo Falusi, as an Ambassador of the council. This was contained in a statement released to the media by Amb. William-Ologun Oluwaseun, Chairperson of the Council. Speaking with the Guardian, Oluwaseun said, 

“As enshrined in our mission statement, the WAYC is dedicated to the productive engagement of youths for the advancement of the human race. We are committed to ensuring favourable youth policies across the countries in the West Africa region.

We considered Falusi as an ambassador of the council after meeting with the standard requirements of achieving same. He can now be addressed as Ambassador Falusi.

We charge him to do more and not rest on his laurels. He should now increase the tempo and extend his youth empowerment and opportunities, philanthropical gesture and advocacy beyond Nigeria,” he said.

Falusi has, over the years, shown tremendous commitment to youth empowerment, empowerment and advocacy in Ondo state and across Nigeria, not minding racial or religious background. Many youths have, through him, attained greater heights in their chosen careers.

The WAYC Chairman further revealed that the Council is identifying with individuals such as Falusi who are shining figures across the region; adding that the council’s ambassadors represent everything it preaches and stands for.

Ambassador Falusi in his acknowledgement statement commended the entire Council for honouring him with the Thomas Sankara Leadership award. “I’m amazed at the fact that the WAYC could recognize a low profile humanitarian and leader like myself. I see the gesture as encouragement to relentlessly keep up with my humanitarian efforts. For me, this is a bigger call to keep doing well.

Former Exxon Mobil engineer bags 15 years in jail for raping his tenant's niece

Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, has sentenced an EX- Exxon Mobil engineer, James Onuoha, to 15 years imprisonment for raping his tenant’s 14-year-old niece.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye sentenced him, today, June 1, 2020, without an option of fine after finding him guilty of the offence of rape.

Before handing down the verdict, the convict’s counsel, Dr Victor Olowonla, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to tender justice with mercy as he was a first time offender.

Onouah, was first arraigned by the Lagos State Government, in January 2016 at the Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge bordering on wilful indecent act, unlawful sexual intercourse, unlawful and indecent deals and having sexual intercourse with an underage girl.

According to Police Prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Agbonedeso, the defendant committed the offence at Samuel Amoore Street, Idowu Estate, Oke Ira Nla, Ajah, Lagos‎.

RSS Arrests Man Blackmailing Salawa Abeni With Nude Picture

The operatives of Rapid Response Squad, RRS, has arrested a 19-year-old National Diploma holder of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos as the brain behind the blackmail of Queen Salawa Abeni with nude photographs.

The suspect, Olufowoke Oladunjoye Emmanuel, a resident of Brentfield Avenue, Peace Estate, Magboro, Ogun State, was picked up by the Decoy Team of RRS last week Thursday after three days of monitoring him.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu had in the wake of the attempt by an unknown individual to blackmail Alhaja Salawa Abeni sometime in April 2020, directed the Commander, RRS, DCP Olatunji Disu to fish out the suspect.

After technical diagnosis of the complaint, the decoy team narrowed down on the suspect few days later.

Sources close to the team disclosed that the suspect couldn’t be picked because of the prevalence of COVID-19.

The suspect in his statement to the police confessed to have been the mastermind behind the ploy to publish some nude pictures of Waka Queen in exchange for money, adding that he was alone in the scheme.

The suspect, a 2017/2018 Electrical Engineering student of Yabatech, disclosed that he saw the nude pictures in a memory card which he picked up on the floor in Yabatech sometime in November 2019.

He added that after downloading the nude photographs of Salawa Abeni on his phone, he picked up her mobile number from her Instagram page. 

“On 1st of April, 2020, I chatted her up and also called her after sending few of the photos to her online.

My intention was to negotiate with her for few bucks and for me to destroy the photographs.

I thought everything was going on fine until the following day when I heard the news of the blackmail over the radio. I was with my mother. She was even cursing the blackmailer unknown to her that I was the brain behind it.

I immediately sneaked out, destroyed the memory card and threw my mobile phone and SIM card into nearby wetland in Magboro. Since then, I never mentioned it to anyone and called Madam Salawa Abeni about it again”, he disclosed.

Buhari has done well in job creation - Festus Keyamo

Yesterday, the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo said that the Buhari-led administration has done well in job creation in the last five years.

Keyamo said this when he appeared on Channels Television “Sunday Politics” programme. He stated that the effort of the government has gone unnoticed because Nigeria’s population grows faster than the rate of job creation.

The Minister said,

“The Buhari administration has performed well in its job creation promise. The basic thrust of this government in job creation is to ‘skill up’ people so they can be self-employed and create jobs.

What makes the efforts of the government unnoticed is because Nigeria’s population grows faster than the rate of jobs. The population grows faster than the rate of job creation. On job creation, we have done creditably well."

On efforts made to cushion the effect of Coronavirus on workers, Keyamo added,

“The FG has made a special fund available to cushion the effect of COVID-19. People at the grassroots; the unskilled labourers are a big part of the economy.”

Chairperson of new NNPC board still unclear

Although the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Act as amended in 2007 provides for the appointment of nine persons to the Board, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, named six members, leaving the public, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, as well as NNPC with the need for clarification.  

Statutorily, the Chairman of the board should either be the Minister of Petroleum Resources or the Group Managing Director appointed by the President; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance; six other persons appointed by the President, who by their experience and knowledge of the oil and gas industry, have the capability of contributing to the Corporation.  

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina announced yesterday that Buhari had reconstituted the NNPC Board following the expiration of the term of the board members appointed in 2016.

While the six other members, as listed by extant regulations were appointed by the President and are Mohammed Lawal (North West), Tajudeen Umar (North East), Adamu Mahmood Attah (North Central), Senator Magnus Abe (South South), Dr Stephen Dike (South East), and Pius Akinyelure (South West).

Expectations were that the GMD, Mele Kyari, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse and the Minister or State Minister of Petroleum Resources, who should be the chairman would make up the other three members of the new board.

Recall that Buhari had appointed Dr Thomas John last year as an acting alternate chairman of the Governing Board of NNPC to end the tenure of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

John was expected to hold the position until the appointment of a new Minister or Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. 

It was, however, not clear, if the President, who doubles as Minister of Petroleum Resources is holding to the chairmanship of the board or the Minister of State, Timipre Sylva.

When asked of the full list of the board, a reliable source at NNPC noted that the corporation is still awaiting communication on the matter from the Presidency.

Another source noted that Sylva has been chairing the board of the corporation and that the board has been active. At the time of filing this report, request for further clarification from the Presidency was not attended to.

Energy expert, Adeoye Adefulu stated that the lack of a properly constituted board is not just a breach of the enabling law of NNPC, but also takes away one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring accountability, providing a strategic direction and bolstering corporate governance of the Corporation.