University of Calabar Official Website and Portal Hacked

A recent trend in Nigeria is the systematic hacking and defacing of websites of institutions and organizations, with tertiary institutions been the worst hit.

I was alerted by a friend some minutes ago that the website of the prestigious University of Calabar, popularly know as UNICAL is currently treating visitors to "Bend Down Select", a song by Young Jon Featuring Lil Kesh  with on-screen dancers to complete the groove. What my friend was saying in plain words is that hackers who called themselves "$_naijaGHOST$" hacked the website and and defaced it with the above image. The hackers did not stop at defacing the site but added animations and XXX video (pornographic video) to the homepage with a sound track to go with it. (see full pix after the cut- NB-- 18+ only)

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Senate President Won't Condone Aides Breaking The Law

The senate president has reacted to an allegation by the DSS against Mr. Ugochinyere Ikenga who is one of his aides. In his tweet, he stated that the the DSS should investigate the matter  thoroughly and hold the aide accountable if he is found guilty.

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Fears as Customs intercept 102 bags of plastic rice

The Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 102 bags of plastic rice branded “Beat Tomato Rice’’ with no date of manufacture.

The Customs Area Controller of  F.O.U. Comptroller Mohammed Haruna, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.

He said that the commodity was stored for distribution as Yuletide gifts for the public.

Haruna said that officers of the unit intercepted the plastic rice along Ikeja area on Monday, adding that a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.

“Before now, I thought it was a rumour that the plastic rice is all over the country but with this seizure, I have been totally convinced that such rice exists.

“We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it.

“I advise those economic saboteurs who see Yuletide season as a peak period for nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business.

“The unit has decided other operational modalities that will give them a run for their monies and count their losses,” NAN quoted the controller as saying.

He described smuggling as a global phenomenon, adding that such act could not be curbed entirely but could be brought to its barest minimum.

Haruna appreciated well-meaning Nigerians who provided the service with prompt information that led to the discovery of the bags of plastic rice.

The controller, however, advised the media to educate the public on the existence of plastic rice, adding that it was no longer a rumour.

Haruna assured Nigerians that the distribution point of the particular plastic rice seized by the unit had been blocked with immediate effect.

He said that investigation was still ongoing.

The controller said the unit would hand over the plastic rice to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for proper investigation.

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MMM On A Mannequin Challenge.

The money-box scheme called MMM that started in Russia was introduced to Nigerians via  MMM Nigeria when the country was said to be at the peak of what many described as the worst recession in Nigeria's economic history. The economic hardship and the urge to get rich quick made a lot of Nigerians to rush into it and welcomed MMM as their only way to carter for themselves in a time where the exchange rates were hitting the roofs; hence most people failed to ask themselves some very important questions.

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Democrats That are Protesting in America Should Give Peace a Chance - Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

The former president of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on his Facebook page appealed to the American Democrats that a protesting the emergence of   Donald J. Trump as the next president of the United States of America to let peace reign as The US is meant to be a model nation to others.

I appeal to Americans who are protesting on the streets after the emergence of Donald J. Trump as President-elect to give peace a chance. Democracy is all about accommodation and the United States is a model for the free world.
All democrats must value the process of democracy more than the product.
While exercising their rights, I plead with the Great American people not to do anything that will impinge on the old and cherished values and traditions of the US on democratic ethos. 

- GEJ.

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Massive Explosion Hits Seattle Neighborhood in USA

A massive explosion ripped through a Seattle neighborhood early Wednesday -- obliterating at least one building, damaging several others and sending nine firefighters who'd been investigating a gas leak to a hospital in the Washington state city.

The one battalion chief and eight firefighters transported to Harborview Medical Center suffered minor injuries, said Seattle fire spokeswoman Corey Orvold. In a statement, Harborview Medical indicated that all nine were in satisfactory condition with injuries ranging from burns to cuts to abrasions.

While they recovered, their colleagues remained in a commercial part of the city's Greenwood neighborhood to address lingering flames and other issues. The Seattle Fire Department tweeted around 3:30 a.m (6:30 a.m. ET) that 67 personnel -- including firefighters, commanders and medics  were on site.

About 2½ hours earlier, an initial group of firefighters was dispatched to Greenwood to check on a reported natural gas leak, Orvold told reporters Wednesday morning. The explosion went off 39 minutes into that call -- destroying a building that included a restaurant and shattering windows as far as two blocks away.

Its destructive force was evident in images tweeted by the fire department showing debris stuck in trees and littering the street, as well as the shattered windows of nearby storefronts and restaurants.

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Oil Workers Strike Over NNPC Restructuring Plans

NNPC Towers

Unions shut down operations at Nigeria’s state oil firm Wednesday in protest at restructuring plans, a spokesman said, in a move that could worsen fuel supplies in Africa’s largest producer.

“Operations at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have been grounded nationwide,” said Babatunde Oke, of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN).

It followed a call by PENGASSAN and its junior workers counterpart NUPENG to protest “the unilateral decision of the minister of state for petroleum Ibe Kachukwu to unbundle the NNPC”.

Kachukwu, who also doubles as the head of the NNPC, announced the said the restructuring was to make the company more efficient and profitable.

The NNPC has long been accused of inefficiency and withholding billions of dollars in government oil revenue, prompting an overhaul aimed a boosting transparency and cutting corruption.

Oke said the unions were concerned about the effect of the planned restructuring on their members.

“We have asked our members in NNPC to withdraw their services until the minister is ready to engage us on the matter,” he added.

The workers action would hit the loading of petrol at NNPC depots, worsening already dwindling supplies that in the last two weeks have seen long queues form again at Nigerian filling stations.

Despite being Africa’s biggest crude producer, Nigeria has to import petroleum products because of a lack of capacity at its four functioning domestic refineries.

The government keeps prices at the pump low and pays the difference with the international market rate to fuel importers, who have frequently held the country to ransom over unpaid revenue.

The oil sector accounts for 70 percent of government revenue but has been hit by the global fall in crude since mid-2014, weakening the naira currency and forcing up the cost of living.

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