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Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

NFF president Amaju Pinnick responds to report that Siasia and the players are being owed salaries

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:24 PM PDT

Earlier today we published a report from an interview Samson Siasia granted Brila FM where he revealed that he had been owed five months salary and that he was ready to support the players if they boycotted the Rio Olympic quarterfinal match against Denmark due to unpaid bonuses. If you missed the story, read here

Now the president of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has gone on his Twitter handle , to address the report. See that tweets after the cut...
 

RIO 2016: Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana smashes the 10,000m world record set in 1993 and wins Africa's first gold medal

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:18 PM PDT

Ethiopian long-distance runner Almaz Ayana smashed the world record to win the women's Olympic 10,000 metres race on Friday, finishing in 29 minutes and 17.45 seconds.

In addition to winning the first gold medal for an African team in the 2016 Olympics, the 24-year-old beat the previous record, in place for the last 23 years, by a remarkable 14.46 seconds.
 

Her time was 14 seconds inside the 29:31.78 set by China's Wang Junxia in 1993.
It was the first time in seven years that a female athlete had run 10,000m in under 30 minutes and the first four all achieved the feat. The first 13 women across the line clocked personal bests, including five national records.

Kenya's world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot tried in vain to keep up with Ayana but had to settle for silver while Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, the defending Olympic champion, grabbed bronze.

All three women ran inside the old Olympic 10,000m record. Cheruiyot, Kenya's most decorated female athlete, also fell short in the 2012 London Games where she took bronze, meaning east African country's wait for its first women's 10,000m gold medallist continues.

The 31-year-old Dibaba, who returned in 2016 from a two-year layoff following the birth of her son, was seeking to become the first woman in Olympic history to win an individual athletics event three times in a row.

After crossing the finish line, Ayana raised her arms in triumph and then crossed her heart as fans cheers from the stand. She will now turn her attention to her preferred 5,000m distance, in which she is favourite to win and become only the second woman after Dibaba to claim gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 in the same Game.

Paula Radcliffe, the world's fastest female marathoner, told the BBC, "I 'm not sure that I can understand that. When I saw the world record set in 1993, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And Ayana has absolutely blitzed that time."

Source: Reuters/ BBC/NBC

"A feminist is who and what I am": Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on motherhood, feminism, criticisms and "Half of a Yellow Sun"

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:14 PM PDT

"I still look at her [daughter] in absolute wonder. And I think, You're really here and you're really mine. And she is just the most beautiful human being in the world."

"A feminist is who and what I am,"  she said. "It's not a cloak I put on on certain days and take off on certain days."
Acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was hosted by Southbank Centre at Royal Festival Hall, London on Sunday 7 August to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her acclaimed novel, Half of a Yellow Sun. Below are some of Adichie's memorable quotes from her 90-minute conversation with Senior Programmer for Literature and Spoken Word at Southbank Centre, Ted Hodgkinson compiled by BuzzFeed. 

On Half of a Yellow Sun:
"Half of a Yellow Sun is a novel, but for me it's also a deeply felt statement about who we are."
"I think this is a novel about belonging, about what it is to belong, in all different ways."
"Writing the book I would just stop and cry, and that never happened to me before. And the reason that happened was because I knew I wasn't just telling a story. I'd suddenly realise, this actually happened. I found that in that period I was inhabiting a kind of emotional space that I haven't inhabited since, when writing."
"I knew I was going to write the novel, but also I think I was terrified of not doing it well. I felt that the way to do it, for me, would be to take gentle steps towards it. So 'Half of a Yellow Sun' the story, I remember writing that and thinking, If this works out well then it's a sign that I'm ready to write the novel."
On Ugwu:
"I think of Ugwu as the soul of the novel, as the anchor. When I was thinking about this book, Ugwu was the character through whom I imagined the world of the book. As a writer I'm very interested in how writers come to the place where they feel comfortable enough to tell their story, and I wanted to track Ugwu's journey to that."
"Ugwu is me, in that Madame Bovary way, but almost in a more literal way. I don't want to say his journey mirrors mine, because that's not necessarily true, but also Ugwu is the character in the novel who on the outside is the least likely, but who I think internally – how did you put it? – sees feelingly, and I like to think that I do."
On Olanna:
"Olanna's trajectory, I think, was inspired by reading about women, but I was struck when researching by how little the stories of women were told, how rarely women's stories were the centre of narratives about that period. And I would read something and there would sort of be a 'by the way' mention of what a woman had done."
"I think Olanna might have decided to be the good one – you know, in the way that we have a sibling who's a troublemaker. You then feel the responsibility to be good because you feel you have to make up for the troublemaker sibling. [laughs]"
On Richard:
"Because Richard is white and English he's able to do certain things that Biafrans can't, and he does them. But at the same time, I think it's quite clear in the novel that it's not his story to tell. It's certainly something I feel very strongly about. So that's where I slipped in the politics – you know, 'We love you, but no.' [laughs]"
"I've been very amused by how many men – English, white – at events, all very respectfully I have to say, have taken slight issues with Richard. [laughs] Actually, I remember a woman saying to me that she felt I had been malicious, and I said to her, you know, the only reason you think I'm being malicious is because you come from a tradition that expects white English men to be at the centre of everything."
"I remember when I had what I like to call the breakthrough – when I actually realised, you know, Richard is me. So he's white, he's male, he's English, all of that, but he's human. I said to myself, He's human. And that made it so easy."
On research:
"I knew for a long time that I would write a novel. I was waiting to be ready emotionally. And I think also, in a more practical way, I was waiting to accumulate the knowledge I needed, which meant I needed to read all the books I needed to read about that period."
"I went out of my way to do a lot of research, to read everything I could find. But really it was the stories that my father told me that I think made me realise that I was ready to write the book."
"I was struck when I was talking to my father, and some of the other people I spoke to, that they went to weddings in the middle of the war. My father would say, 'And then we had to go to our friend's wedding,' and I remember thinking the first time he told me, Wedding? People found ways to hold on to things that make them human.

On writing:
"I think the art of writing itself, the art and the act of writing, necessarily requires a certain outsiderness."
"I think it's almost a cliché that writers will talk about 'when I was growing up I didn't have friends,' sort of thing, [laughs] which I have to say is not my story."
"I remember when I first moved to the US and I made a few friends who were writers and I very quickly realised that this was the thing, and I remember thinking, Maybe I should lie, [laughs] because you know, I had many friends. I was the kid in the playground who was organising the girls and telling them what to do. [laughs]"
"I've always felt one step removed from my present. Even at family gatherings I'm sort of always watching everyone. There's a part of me that holds back and watches – there's a part of me that's not engaged because I'm watching. Because there's a storytelling thing in my soul that requires that."
On identity:
"In general as I've become older I've become more superstitious. I like to describe myself as a superstitious Igbo woman, and Igbo women are very superstitious. [laughs]"
"My grandfathers died in that war, and I didn't know them, but I had their stories, which is the reason that Half of a Yellow Sun is the novel that is so meaningful to me, because it is about my ancestry. It's about the story of how we became who we are."
"Most families have the child who wants to know the story of who they are, and I think in my family I'm that child."
On feminism:
"A feminist is who and what I am. It's not a cloak I put on on certain days and take off on certain days."
"I just did not get the memo that men and women are not equal. I did not get that memo."
"I'm a daughter, I'm a sister, mother now, wife. All of those things, and being a good feminist, are not mutually exclusive at all."
On Beyoncé quoting her work:
"I want to live in a world where men and women are truly equal. I want to live in a world where gender doesn't hold women back, as it does today, everywhere in the world. I think we should do everything we possibly can. And having young people talk about feminism, even having people say that word, 'feminist', who would never have said it, I think it's a good thing. Is it ideal and perfect? No. But it's part of the journey, I think.

On feminism in Nigeria:
"I think for people who have a hostility to the idea of gender equality, they will say things like, 'You cannot be feminist and have a husband, actually,' [laughs] 'If you want to be a feminist, be a feminist in your husband's house,' [laughs] and it's nonsense really."
"I feel like younger Nigerian women are actually less progressive than even my mother's generation. It's not a question of blaming them, I think it's a product of the society we live in and the messages they're getting. And so people who are 23 are just obsessed with marriage, as the end-all and be-all. It's very interesting to me."
"I also think there's a kind of viciousness that underlies that obsession, and a kind of misogyny. I find that there's actually a strong strain of misogyny in the young generation of Nigerian women. It's very worrying. It's the young women who police women, even more than men. It's part of the same thing. In the end, for me, it's 'who does the system benefit?' and it benefits men. Even if women are participating in it, it benefits men."
On racism in the UK:
"I'm always struck by how the British are quick to point out racism in America. It seems to me in your own backyard would be a good place to start."
On motherhood:
"I still look at her [daughter] in absolute wonder. And I think, You're really here and you're really mine. And she is just the most beautiful human being in the world."
"Having her I've realised how love really can manifest as anxiety. So I just worry about my child. I want to make sure everything is fine with her."
"I want her to live in a world where borders are not as policed as they are. It's very easy to move capital, but very difficult to move labour and people. I want that to change. I want her to live in a world where men and women have the same opportunities, where gender does not hold women back. I want her to live in a world where she's never told 'you cannot do this because you're a woman'. I want her to live in a world where it's possible to have a normal job and not have to worry about what you're going to eat. I want her to live in a world where healthcare is a human right."
On female sexuality:
"I think a lot of my work is infused with my belief about gender. I think it's so important that female sexuality be seen as a thing that is real, and complex, and is not at all connected with shame."
"It manifests differently but it's true everywhere: There is always an element of shame when it comes to female sexuality. And for me, in my writing, I want to find ways to make female sexuality the human, flawed, beautiful, sensual thing that it is.

On criticism:
"I remember when the book came out some really unkind things people would say, for example, 'Adichie is tribalistic!' [laughs] That sort of thing. And I'd read it and chuckle, thinking 'nice'. [laughs] I didn't mind it – it comes with the territory."
"I find myself having to deal with bouts of irritation when people constantly insist that my characters are not characters, but [that] they actually represent something about my country's repressive military regimes of the 1980s."
"When you write realistic fiction, there's a sense in which of course it's going to be read politically. But I think there is also something that happens when you're black or brown, and people who are not black or brown read you, because then they read you as anthropology. They're less interested in love, and motivation, and they're more interested in, 'How does the father speak to the regime in your country?'"
On the impact of Half of a Yellow Sun:
"Since then, more stories have been told, more stories have been written about that period. I mean, Half of a Yellow Sun has done well in Nigeria, people read the book, people talked about it. And for me, the most moving thing is to meet people who say, 'I read your book and then I went and asked my parents about their stories.' I always find that so moving."

Six killed as Hausas and indigenes of Imo state clash

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:11 PM PDT

Six people have been confirmed dead in a communal clash between Hausas and some indigenes of Akokwa community in Ideato North Local government area of Imo state today August 12th. The reason behind the clash is yet unknown but police have arrived the community and are working to restore law and order.

'My Government belongs to the youth' - President Buhari

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:09 PM PDT

President Buhari says that his government belongs to the youth of Nigeria. He said this in a personally signed letter to all youths in Nigeria in commemoration of the World International Youth Day which is today August 12th. In the letter, President Buhari acknowledged the role of the youths in the 2015 general election. Read a copy of the signed letter after the cut

PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY
Dear Nigerian Youths, Today is International Youth Day. I am delighted to commemorate this occasion, the second such celebration since I took office. The roles that young Nigerians played in the historic election that brought our government to power will never be forgotten.

This government belongs to you. I would like to use this opportunity to assure you of our commitment to improving the quality of your lives and to creating opportunities for you to achieve your dreams and ambitions. We are mindful of the fact that Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world. Those young people are immensely energetic and talented, consistently blazing the trail in the arts, sports, business and technology.

We are proud of what you have done and what you are able to do. We have launched a number of initiatives targeted at expanding the economic opportunities available to young Nigerians. N-Power, our job creation scheme, for which applications are ongoing, will employ 500,000 of you in agriculture, education, healthcare and technology.

The Aso Villa Demo Day will soon bring 30 of the most innovative young Nigerians to the State House to showcase their talent in providing technology-based solutions to some of our most challenging problems. The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), part of our N500 billion Social Investment Programme, will provide soft loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country.

These are just some of the many initiatives we have designed and are implementing for you. You are the strength and future of our country. Please be assured that this administration will create an enabling environment for you to realize your potentials.

I wish you all a Happy International Youth Day celebration.
Thank You.
Muhammadu Buhari
President Federal Republic of Nigeria August 12, 2016

IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, says he is open for negotiation with FG, denies any pact with MEND

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:07 PM PDT

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has said he is open for negotiations with the Federal government. Kanu and two others have been in detention since October last year for alleged treason.

Speaking through his counsels Ifeanyi Ejiofor and the Amoebi Nzelu today August 12th, Kanu said he wasn't opposed to negotiating with the Federal government.


"Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to political solution in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal. He welcomes genuine political solution to this case. Nnamdi Kanu has people of proven integrity and impeccable character that will negotiate on his behalf, based on his demands when communication on this effect is established"Ejiofor said Ejiofor denounced any negotiation between the Federal government, IPOB and MEND. "In the past few day, the media was awash with news on negotiation going on between the Federal government and members MEND, where our client's name (Nnamdi Kanu) conspicuously featured. It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of the MEND. As such MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government. The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood been peddled by MEND," said Mr. Ejiofor.

Photographer who drugged and raped straight men after luring them to modelling shoots using social media is jailed for 11 years

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 11:28 AM PDT

43 year old  Nigel Wilkinson, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and three counts of administering a substance with intent to rape at Bristol Crown Court.  Wilkinson met his victims on the social network before inviting them to his home for 'male fitness' photoshoots. Once there he would ply them with drink and drugs – including class C date rape drugs Flunitrazepam also known as Rohypnol, and Nitrazepam which renders them "senseless and incapable".

The court heard that he "liked to take the masculinity of straight men" and that his three victims had been left devastated by his crimes.
Detectives suspect the number of victims could run into double figures and said many could have been so heavily drugged they may not have realised what happened.
Sentencing Wilkinson, Judge Michael Longman said:
"You wanted to have sex with as many attractive men as possible. All the victims were much younger than you and entrusted themselves to you. You abused the trust they placed in you. The whole basis of their contact with you appears to be a lie."
The court heard that Wilkinson promoted himself as a male fitness photographer and last summer set up a respectable-looking online enterprise called WilkoPhotography.
He would search for victims on Instagram and invite them to his house in Bedminster, Bristol, under the pretence of putting together a modelling portfolio.


Police were investigating him for offences against a 19-year-old man from Kent when officers attended his home in April to arrest him and found a second victim, a 23-year-old from Gloucestershire, asleep on his sofa. Both had traces of sedatives in their systems.

The second victim had no knowledge of what had happened but described it as "the most disgusting thing an individual can do".


During the investigation, police identified a third victim, a 19-year-old from Wiltshire, who was also found to have traces of sedatives in his system.
None of the victims had any memory of the acts committed on them.

During searches of the house police found photographs of a variety of males, some of who were naked, on his computer.

Virginia Cornwall, mitigating, admitted Wilkinson had a "reckless disregard" for the men for his own sexual gratification.

He had behaved in a "selfish, reckless and damaging" way at a time when he had lost his job and believed he was suffering a terminal illness, which was not the case, she added.
The former shop manager has now written a letter of apology to his victims, which "shows he has an understanding of the enormity of what he has done", she claimed.

Police are continuing to investigate Wilkinson's background and want to speak to anyone who may have had contact with him through photography or dating websites.

Detective Constable Stacey Matthews said: "Nigel Wilkinson promoted himself as a male fitness photographer and last summer set up an online enterprise called WilkoPhotography.
"He'd use social media to identify men he wanted to photograph and would invite them to Bristol for a photo shoot. The men would often stay at his home and throughout their visit he would ply them with alcoholic drinks, some of which were laced with sedatives. While they were in a drugged stage, Wilkinson's predatory nature would prevail and he'd commit sexual acts on them without their consent. On the surface Nigel Wilkinson was a photographer in male fitness models. In private he was a cunning sexual offender who used his photography enterprise as a cover and catalyst for his deviant activities."

Source: SunUK

World Youth Day: When Nigeria's economy became the largest economy, it was because of our youths - GEJ

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 10:53 AM PDT

In Celebration of World Youth Day, Former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan shared a message to Nigerian Youths, via his official Facebook page. It read,
"I salute the resilience and creativity of our youths on a day dedicated to them. From Adichie to Jelani Aliyu, our youths continue to be our pride. When Nigeria's economy became the largest economy on the African continent, it was and is because of our youths. When we perform exploits at the Olympics and other sporting events, it is because of the great Nigerian youths. Nigeria and indeed the world has no greater asset than our youth and you will continue to be my personal inspiration. My message to youths is to urge you to continue to develop yourself through positive endeavors. The future is yours. God bless our youths. GEJ."

Billionaire daughter Adama Indimi releases stunning new photos to mark her birthday

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 10:47 AM PDT

She posted these beautiful pictures on social media to celebrate her birthday. Another photo after the cut.

Miss Sahhara and her massive boobs take new photos

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 10:15 AM PDT

She looks pretty. Sahhara shared the photos on her IG page. More photos after the cut.
 
 
 

Photos: Actor Junior Pope and wife expecting their second child

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT

Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo and his wife Jennifer are expecting their second child. The couple got married in July 2014 and already have a son. Congrats to them. Continue to see more photos.

Photos: VP Osinbajo, Speaker Dogara, Sokoto gov Tambuwal, others at the commissioning of new NBA House

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 10:03 AM PDT

Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, commissioned the new Nigerian Bar Association House in Abuja today August 12th. In attendance at the ceremony were the NBA President Augustine Alegeh, Speaker, House of Representative Yakubu Dogara, Sokoto state governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami amongst others. More photos after the cut.
 

 

Adrienne Bailon kisses new boyfriend and gospel singer Israel Houghton while on European Holiday (photos)

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 09:58 AM PDT

American singer-songwriter and television personality Adrienne Bailon is deeply in love with her new Grammy Award winning gospel singer boyfriend Israel Houghton and she wants the world to know. She today uploaded a GIF photo of her kissing Houghton while on vacation at Paris. On another Instagram post she also said that the very rich Houston flew her parents on their wedding anniversary to come and holiday with them in Paris.

The couple went public with their relationship in March a month after Israel announced his divorce from his wife of over 20 years. Israel and Adrienne are now currently in Greece.
More vacation photos after the cut.



 



 

Solomon Dalung responds to the report that Mikel Obi paid $4000 to free squad after hotel officials held them to ransom over bills

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 09:49 AM PDT

John Mikel Obi reportedly paid $4000 to free the Olympic football squad after the team was held to ransom by hotel officials in Sao Paulo over bills incurred by additional NFF officials. (Read here) The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has denied the report through a statement released on the Minister's official Facebook page and signed by Nneka Ikem-Anibeze, his Special Adviser on Media .The statement read;
The attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has again been drawn to the news that Team Nigeria's Captain John Mikel Obi paid hotel bills accruing from the 8 unaccredited players and officials in Rio with the National U-23 team.
According to the Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung, the chief coach of the team Samson Siasia in company of another official had come knocking on his door at about 4am Sao Paolo time. "Siasia was in my room early this morning and said the hotel security had refused to allow the team leave the hotel due to unpaid hotel bills. I also lodged in the same hotel with the Permanent Secretary and other members of the National Assembly who came to watch the match against Columbia. I told him to add the bill to the permanent Secretary's bill so that he can clear it alongside other bills. The amount incurred by the excess officials and players is $4,600. When we checked out of the hotel, the money was added and the Permanent Secretary paid all outstanding bills. I am surprised to hear and read that Mikel Obi saved an embarrassing situation by paying the bills" Dalung stated.

The Minister also restated that 8 unofficially accredited persons have been following the team since they left Atlanta including 4 players and 4 officials. The organizers of the games, the International Olympic Committee are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation.
"In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra 4 players making 29. As we speak now, the Nigeria Football Federation is the only federation that does not have a single board member on ground. Not even the Secretary-General is here. So, it is really unfortunate that this is happening. We have paid all players and other athletes their first 11 days in camp and the payment of the rest of the days will commence today( Friday). We want to plead with the players to shelve all actions capable of distracting them from their upcoming game on Saturday against Denmark and channel all grievances through the appropriate route. We remain committed to the welfare of all our athletes in camp as we look forward to giving them our unhindered support" Dalung reassured.

Photos: A resident of Aba spotted dumping refuse into drainage

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 09:37 AM PDT

Abia Fact News shared these photos which shows a female resident of Aba dumping garbage into a drainage.
"It is totally unacceptable, condemnable and punishable that some disgruntled elements residing in some parts of Aba, notablely along Aba Cameroun road, Hospital road and axis are truncating the efforts in keeping Aba environment clean," AFN wrote.
"According to the report forwarded to us by Toengines that those recalcitrant persons now use drainages as dumping grounds for their home churned out refuse not minding the grave health hazards. It is pertinent to state here that government of Abia State and its agencies; ASEPA, Aba Urban Renewal (AUR) concerted efforts in sanitizing Aba is been truncated by these individuals. We hereby make a clarion call on all concerned agencies ASEPA, AUR and others to wade in so as to apprehend offenders and mate necessary punishments they deserve which will serve."
More photos...

'I never saw him as competition'-Lil Romeo comes for Bow Wow, bares his thoughts on their childhood days

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 09:31 AM PDT

Master P's son, Romeo Miller popularly known as Lil Romeo  back in the days came to his Instagram page today to confirm the age-long belief of fans and the media that he and Bow Wow didn't get along while growing up because Bow Wow always saw him as competition.
 
According to Lil Romeo, who Bow Wow has dissed in the past, he never saw Bow Wow as competition but rather as a big brother and he remembers all the late nights the both of them spent growing up together with Chris Brown. Read his post on Instagram after the cut.
 
 

Photos: Governors of Delta, Zamfara, Plateau, Anambra, Osun states in China for the China-African business forum

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 09:14 AM PDT

Six state governors include governors of Delta Ifeanyi Okowa, Anambra Willie Obiano, Osun Rauf Aregbesola, Jigawa Badaru Abubakar, Plateau Simon Lalong and Zamfara Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, are representing the Nigeria Governors Forum at a seminar with China African business forum in China. More photos after the cut.

"The Gay Marriage that Broke The Nigerian Internet" - Warri man David Ukre's husband Eric opens up about their wedding

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:04 PM PDT

On August 1st, LIB reported (read here) and shared photos from the white wedding of a Nigerian Gay man David Ukre, from Warri, Delta state, who got married to his white partner Eric T. Shoen in New York, on Saturday July 30th. The post on LIB was to celebrate their love and freedom in the US. However, slight controversy arose when some trolls attacked the newly married couple on their social media accounts.

 David's husband Eric has now opened up in an article for The Huffington Post, saying they didn't expect the news to leak and break the Nigerian Internet, as David's family members were unaware about his sexuality and wedding. Read his article below.


We tried very carefully to make sure this wouldn't happen. Guests were instructed not to take photos during the ceremony. We were very particular about who was invited. It was a sad added bonus that most of the guests from Nigeria cancelled just 24 hours before the ceremony.
On July 30, I married a Nigerian man. Although he is very special to me, he is not famous. He has never done anything to warrant so much media coverage. We had a small ceremony under the leaves of some great old trees on the lawn of an adorable little restaurant. My family and our closest friends joined us. Our vow exchange was only 30 minutes long. 

What followed was a day of love, laughter, joy, eating, sore feet, kids running circles around the yard, and family and friends celebrating our day together. We posted only a few photos to our Facebook pages and asked guests to not post photos or mention our marriage.

That night, we went out dancing to a club with friends who stayed over. The next morning, we decided to take some friends with us on the first day of our honeymoon to see Niagara Falls. We were still enjoying every moment of calling each other husband, taking photos kissing in front of the falls, getting sprayed at the Cave of the Winds, and accepting well wishing texts from family and friends.
Monday morning, I woke up early to return the rental car that we had used for the weekend. When I returned, my husband was pacing and crying, distraught, pointing to his phone. Somehow, someone had either sold or given photos from our wedding and first dance to one of Nigeria's notorious gossip bloggers, Linda Ikeji who chose to publish them on her blog. Whether to out David and make a mockery or to somehow use it as advocacy, no one knows. What we do know is that she had no permission from either of us to use our photos or story.


My husband calls me "the fixer" for a reason. I felt like I might be able to fix this before it got out of control.  I called my sister who is an attorney for advice. Given that the information was posted on an international site, there was little we could do. My friends at Google and Blog-spot, and attorneys who are friends of mine gave me the same unfortunate news. Mind you, this is all happening at 6:30 a.m. on a Monday morning. Friends from all over the USA messaged me as soon as I posted on my Facebook for some assistance. 

I did contact the blogger directly via email and asked that the photos of our wedding, of our trip with my family, photos of our groomsmen, and direct quotes from my Facebook page be removed. I quickly locked down the security on my Facebook which had been relatively open so that I could use it for advertising and sales. I never heard back from her.

At 7:00 a.m. I got a call from my twin brother, who is my best friend:
J: "Eric, which blog are you talking about?"
Me: "There should only be one"
J: "It's already on at least a dozen blogs." 

I had to tell David at this point that there was little I could do. At the same time, his phone and my phone started to heat up with Facebook messages from strangers condemning us for being gay. His phone started to ring continuously from unknown Nigerian phone numbers.
I felt lost. I still get a terrible feeling in my stomach just a week and a half later. I hate being helpless. How could our tiny, personal wedding in Rochester mean so much to hateful people on the other side of the planet that they would find us on the internet so they could harass us?


I worked as fast as I could asking bloggers to remove our photos and mention of us, but only one complied.  By the end of the day, more than 150 sites had blogged about us. They were not saying anything overtly mean for the most part. The comments, on the other hand, mostly mentioned the "end of times," beheading us if we came to Nigeria, asking God to rain down evil upon us, suggesting that we get anal cancer and die, calling us devils, and threatening us in various other vulgar ways. Some people commented positively, but they were in the minority.


David's groomsmen were also accused of being gay.  One of them felt compelled to come out via social media after the pressure.
David's family was harassed by neighbors and local hooligans. He hadn't told his family we were getting married. They were not even aware he was gay.  David's sister called to make sure we knew that she knew and she supported us. She relayed that his mom was not admitting anything and continued to defend David to anyone who bothered her. His other siblings also messaged us to say that they were being harassed via telephone, in person, and social media.

You might ask yourself why I would share this story.
You see, I fell in love with an amazing Nigerian man. I knew it was illegal for him to be gay in his country. I knew it was illegal for his family to know he was gay and not report him. I never thought that my tiny little wedding in Rochester, New York to this man would go any further than between our close friends who were invited and maybe some of their friends. 

David was afraid to come out of the closet to his family for so many reasons, some of which I recognize in my own coming out story. Telling my parents was very frightening, painful and tough, but they support me now. I grew up here, where letting someone know you are gay was tough, not illegal. Some of David's reasoning can only be understood by someone who grew up in Nigeria or a similar country where it is illegal to be gay.


Why would this be such big news in Nigeria? I believe it is because the press still wants to vilify gay men and women.  They want to show that the USA is a place that corrupts the morals of children and is a den of sin an iniquity. The current political election probably isn't helping change that impression much. The mere thought of two men getting married is enough to incite vitriol from all corners of Nigeria, and other parts of the world still today.

We queer folk still have a lot of fighting to do.  We may have thankfully won marriage equality here on American soil, but until it is legally safe for our gay, queer, trans, and gender non-conforming brothers, sisters, and family to live their lives as they wish to be in all corners of the world, the fight must go on.

Photo Credit: Luke Reynolds Photography

3 questions you need to ask before taking slimming teas

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:58 AM PDT

Before you join the band wagon, sipping on teas and green stuff, we know you really want to know what these slimming teas are about or if these testimonies from people are simply photo-shopped by genius graphic artists.

WHY DO I NEED SLIMMING TEA?
Wait o! When people talk about slim teas the next thing some other people do is to look at their chubby friend or relative! Tah! Do you realise that slim people have their own struggle to keep their mid-section flat? Everyone needs a slimming tea to keep them in shape because of its amazing health benefits gotten from green tea!

DO I GET TO SEE THE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY?
Well, it is not exactly a genie in the lamp situation. Adding weight happens over a period of time so shedding the accumulated fat will also take some time, depending on the effectiveness of the tea.

DOES IT WORK?   
Drink tea and actually lose weight? Yes, 100 percent possible! Now, it depends on the tea you have decided to choose but with the new rave about slimming teas, how do you get to know what works and what doesn't right? 

Slimming teas work only if you have the right ingredients like green tea, lotus leaf, mulberry leaves, hemp kernel and cassia seeds! These exact ingredients are in each tea bag in a pack of Slimtea!!! Achieving your weight loss goals is one call away! 


Slimtea is affordable and available for purchase! Nationwide payment on delivery options available too! Visit our website www.slimtea.com.ng or contact the following to make enquiries and place your orders; 
CALL/WHATSAPP: 09083337537, 09080441897, 09098138709, 09080441904, 08181433296, 09084564395.

13 year old Schoolgirl who was 'abused by 137 paedophiles over 2years reveals only three have been jailed

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:51 AM PDT

A  schoolgirl Paula Smith (not her real name) who was abducted from her school, taken to a house and raped for over two years at the age of 13 by 137 paedophiles has revealed that only three were ever jailed by the Police.

According to her she was groomed by a man on Facebook who for two years repeatedly abused her and also pimped her out to other child molesters online after sharing her profile on swinger sites without her knowledge.


Different paedophiles will travel from across the country to abuse Paula, meeting her in city centre hotels or houses and in one occasion she was allegedly tasered.

According to reports from Birmingham mail, Paula claims social services, her school, and police failed to swiftly end her nightmare ordeal, despite obvious signs she was being sexually exploited as a child and when her mum reported to police after growing suspicious, she provided names, addresses and even car registrations of those who had abused her but only three have been jailed so far.

Her schoolteacher William Hanna, 66, his girlfriend Dianne Whitehouse, 61, and Ian McGlasson, 50, were sentenced to a total of 19 years but reports say two other suspects committed suicide when they found out they were going to be arrested.

Paula, who is now aged 22 and a young mum of two kids, now wants to know why police seemingly called a halt to their investigation after three convictions, despite her providing them with a lot of concrete evidence.
"I gave police the names of 137 men, many of their car registrations, I even knew where some of them worked. But the police told my mum that what had happened to me was so big and complex that they would only focus on the main ones."
In November 2008 she says she was targeted by pensioner Nigel Greaves who pulled up in his car as she was walking to school.

Paula said:
"He called me by name, said where I lived and then asked me to get into his car. I assumed Nan had arranged for him to come and pick me up. 
"He drove me towards Nan's house but then headed to his instead. I asked him why and he said he needed to pick something up and asked me to go inside. Once inside, he dragged me upstairs."
Paula says she was repeatedly raped before later being dropped off by Greaves in Birmingham city centre.

Battered and dazed, she went to the Children's Hospital, where she had been under the care of a psychiatrist. She recalled: "The psychiatrist called the police, my Nan and I had a medical and swabs were taken.
"But I was too scared to tell them who had attacked me as he knew my address and had threatened to do to my little sister what he had done to me."
Days later she was targeted on Facebook by paedophile Ian McGlasson after she hinted at the trauma she had been through online.

Paula said:
"He messaged me over Facebook and then on the phone. He said he was a counsellor who could help me. I eventually agreed to meet him for a coffee at a hotel in Birmingham. He said we could not go to his office as he had taken on this case himself."
Paula met Ian McGlasson in the hotel lobby, still in her school uniform, then he took her to his room where he raped her.

She said:
"We sat and talked for an hour and I became upset. He then sat next to me and began touching my leg. He then covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me down and raped me. Afterwards he said he was really sorry, he said he just wanted me to feel loved."
Paula confused, shocked and emotionally unstable then returned home but did not report the attack to police - and McGlasson continued the grooming on Facebook.
She said:
"He kept contacting me, saying he was sorry and genuinely wanted to help me. Because I was so depressed and vulnerable, I believed him."
McGlasson later offered Paula a 'weekend therapy session' at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, paying for her train fare from Birmingham. When she arrived at his house, the abuse continued.
"He gave me alcohol, and put something in my drink to make me fall asleep," she recalled. When I woke up at one point, I was gagged and tied to the bed and he was having sex with me. He was also filming it all. 
"The following morning, I woke up and it was as if nothing had happened. He even cooked breakfast."
The abuse continued for close to two years and then McGlasson started buying her presents including jewelry, then introduced Paula to William Hanna and Dianne Whitehouse, other paedophiles who started abusing her and introducing her online to other paedophiles in the country.

Paula said:
 "Ian had suggested I see other people and I was too scared to say no. He would say,'my friend wants to meet you. The more you struggle the more you will get hurt.'"
Paula says over the 21 months she was abused by more than 137 paedophiles.
"They were from Scotland, Ireland, Devon, London, Oxford, everywhere. They were all ages, including a 19-year-old Birmingham university student," she said. I mostly met then in hotels, but the ones from Birmingham I would meet at their houses. They were all members of the same website."
Hanna and Whitehouse violently abused Paula, as well as pimping her out to others.
She said:
"They were violent, forceful and threatening. Yet at the same time Ian began saying how he loved me, he was making out like I was his girlfriend and I guess I fell for it."
Paula said:
"I was strangled, had a knife held to my throat, had multiple men rape me. I was belted by various people. One man even tasered me."
She claims that man was Andrew Bicknell, from Birmingham, who allegedly abused her for many months, including an attack involving up to eight other men at his home."I blamed bullying at school for the bruises and the school never picked up on anything. My attendance from 2008 to mid 2010 went down to 12 per cent but the school said nothing. There were no letters to my family."

Everything ended when McGlasson messaged Paula's mum over Facebook when he could not get in touch with the schoolgirl, the suspicious mum now called police who now made arrests.

Hanna, from Acocks Green, was convicted of three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child and of causing/inciting involvement in pornography. He was jailed for seven years.

Whitehouse, from Cannock, was found guilty of two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child and causing/inciting involvement in pornography. She was sentenced to six years.

McGlasson, from Stratford-upon-Avon, pleaded guilty to six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child and two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming and was jailed for six years.

Paula says she feels she's still not received justice because of the many abusers still out there.
"I told police everything, but only about 12 people were arrested and only three were ever charged. Police did not tell me why, but they told my mum they wanted to concentrate on the main offenders."
Paula, a proud mum of two is now helping other victims of CSE and abuse, having recently arranged a talk for fellow survivors.

She said:
 "When Ian was arrested I had an idea I still loved him. But I was still brainwashed. Since then I've done lots to understand child abuse, domestic abuse and recovery. I got all the help I need, now I want to help others. Everything is looking up."
Source: Birmingham Mail/ Mirror UK

I married my partner hoping she'd provide for the family- says placard-carrying unemployed graduate

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:42 AM PDT

Photos of Patrick Muthomi, an unemployed graduate from Chuka University, carrying a placard in the streets of Nairobi; with his educational qualifications and phone contact listed on it, have been making the rounds on social media since Wednesday.
Efforts of the 28-year-old graduate from Chuka University, Kenya, seems to have paid off barely as he has received countless calls from potential employers who have promised to give him a job.
 
In an interview with eDaily, Muthoni, who graduated in 2014 said he married his girlfriend hoping she would get a job and provide for the family.
"I am married. My wife and I are blessed with a 2-year-old daughter. When I got into a relationship with my partner – back then, I was banking on her to get a job and provide for the family. I wasn't sure who – between her and I – would get employed first. But things did not go as we had expected. She, just like me, did not get employment," recounts Mr Muthomi.
Muthomi further narrated to eDaily how immediately after graduation, he got a job as a business teacher at Mwiga SDA Secondary School in Nyeri where he worked for five month. He left his teaching job, hoping to find a well-paying job as an accountant in the capital Nairobi, where he'd relocated together with his wife and toddler.
 
More than a year later, his dream has not materialized yet. The competitive nature of city occupants has locked him out of employment despite sending nearly 200 resumes to different organisations, all of which he has never gotten a call back.
"I left Nyeri to come to Nairobi with big dreams of getting a well-paying job. Little did I know that getting employment in Nairobi is never easy compared to other cities. I have sent more than 200 of my CV's with no responses,"  he says.

With employment dreams quickly becoming a far-flung mirage, Mr Muthomi resorted to hawking tissue paper and serviettes to provide for his family. But the meager income was not enough so Muthomi had to look for a job that would pay well. He spent Sh1200 to make a placard that would advertise him to potential employers.
"Reality dawned on me Wednesday morning that I need more money. After much thinking, I decided to make a Sh1200 placard that would highlight my plight, at the same time sell my qualifications to any potential employer who would be moved by my effort. I have explained my sorrowful stories to many company executives, but none has considered employing me," says Patrick, whose ambition is to become an accountant  
"Although my biggest problem is finding a job, my mind is still telling me that Nairobi is the place for me to grow in my career as an accountant. For me, Nairobi is the hub of employment," he concludes.
Source: eDaily Kenya

Photos: Humpback whale killed in Enu-ama beach, Ondo State

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 01:15 PM PDT

According to the eyewitness who shared these photos, the whale pictured was killed at Enu-ama beach in Ilaje local government area of Ondo state, yesterday August 11th. Another photo after the cut.


Photo Credit: @Tomyboiz

Ruggedman and 9ice collaborate on new song

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:54 AM PDT

Ruggedman and 9ice drop a new song. Nobody saw this coming. Sounds like a continuation of their massive collaborative hit Ruggedy Baba.
This one is titled Religion and is produced by Krizbeatz. Mixed and mastered by Marqai.

DOWNLOAD LINK : http://mpjamz.com/s/ea1aa3710

50 Cent has a message for everyone

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:27 AM PDT

He put up the photo above on Instagram with the caption 'This is really real in every field.'
 

Photos: Pres. Buhari receives delegation from Ogoni land

Posted: 12 Aug 2016 08:20 AM PDT

President Buhari this morning received a delegation of Ogoni leaders led by King G.N.K. Gininwa OFR,Gbenemene Tai Kingdom. Footballer Joseph Yobo who is an Ogoni land indigene, was also part of the delegation. More photos after the cut.

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