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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Nigerian Army's Head Of Training Dies In Auto Crash

Major-General Y. M. Abubakar

The Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Yusha’u Mahmood Abubakar has died.

General Abubakar died in an auto crash along Maidiguri-Damaturu road on Tuesday.

The Acting GOC 3 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General M. S. A. Aliyu who was travelling with Abubakar survived but sustained severe injuries, the Nigerian Army spokesman, Sani Usman said in a statement.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public of the involvement of its Chief of Training and Operations (Army), Maj Gen YM Abubakar and the Acting GOC 3 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General MSA Aliyu in a road traffic accident along Maiduguri-Damaturu road
“Sadly, we lost Maj Gen YM Abubakar as a result of the incident while Brig Gen Aliyu sustained some injuries & is receiving treatment.”

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The Cameroonian Army Intercepts a French Helicopter Delivering Weapons To Boko Haram

There are several allegations and counter allegations surrounding this story but the level of sophistication that the group has been operating on begs the question as to who is and who is not supporting them.

The unconfirmed says that the Cameroonian army caught a French helicopter delivering weapons to the terrorist group Boko Haram in the North Region of Cameroon.

God help our beloved country.

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Lagos Assembly Orders Relocation of Mile 12 Market to Parafa

Smarting from the last week’s crisis in the Mile 12 market area of Lagos, the State House of Assembly yesterday told the state government to begin arrangements for the relocation of the popular foodstuff market.

The market, which is due to be moved to Parafa, in Ikorodu, according to the House, has overstayed its welcome in the area and should no longer be tolerated in the heart of the city.

Also penciled for relocation is the Owode Market on Ikorodu road and others of such market that have expanded to the highway.
Presenting the issue at Matters of Urgent Public Importance, during Monday’s plenary, member of the House, Jude Idimogu, drew attention of his colleagues to the last week mayhem in which 12 people were killed, scores of persons maimed and raped and over 15 houses razed.

Idimogu noted that such violence and tribal clashes had become one too many in the market with security agencies also fingered for taking sides with one tribe against the other.

While he commended the state government for rising to the occasion to quell the crisis, the lawmaker said that it was high time the government had relocated the market to a better site and away from residential community.

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Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ Records Smashing Opening With $73.7 Million Debut

Disney’s “Zootopia” scored the fourth-biggest March opening ever, debuting to $73.7 million over the weekend.

The animated story about a rabbit who joins the police force ranks as the biggest Disney Animation launch (though not the best Pixar debut), outstripping “Frozen,” the 2012 blockbuster that bowed to $67.4 million. With no major family film opening until “The Jungle Book” lands on April 15, “Zootopia” is well positioned to be the de facto choice for moviegoers with children for the next month.

“There’s an absence of competition,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution chief. “We are set up to have a big, big run.”

March was once seen as a dumping ground for movies, but the success of spring releases like “The Hunger Games,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella” and now “Zootopia” has shattered that prejudice, analysts say.

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Internet Pioneer and Email Inventor Ray Tomlinson, dies at the age of 74.

Raymond Tomilson, the man widely cited as the inventor of email  has died, according to  CNN report on Sunday afternoon at age 74. He reportedly had a heart attack which lead to his death on Saturday.

The US computer programmer came up with the idea of electronic messages that could be sent from one network to another in 1971.

His invention included the ground-breaking use of the @ symbol in email addresses, which is now standard.

He sent what is now regarded as the first email while working in Boston as an engineer for research company Bolt, Beranek and Newman.

The firm played a big role in developing an early version of the internet, known as Arpanet.

However, Tomlinson later said he could not remember what was in that first test message, describing it as "completely forgettable".

His work was recognised by his peers in 2012, when he was inducted into the internet  hall of fame

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Emir Task Security Agents on Curbing Drug Peddling in Katsina

The Emir of Katsina , Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, has urged security agents to initiate strategies to eliminate illicit drugs peddling in the state.

The emir made the appeal on Monday in Katsina at a special meeting with the heads of security organisations to discuss the menace of illicit drug peddling in the state.

“It has come to the notice of the Emirate Council that several young boys, girls and women engage in the consumption of cough syrups with codeine without doctors’ prescriptions.

“The Katsina Emirate Council is worried that the future mothers of tomorrow are slowly killing themselves by taking illicit drugs,” he said.

Kabir advised parents and guardians to monitor the activities of their children and wards in order to prevent them from mixing with bad friends.

“We as the custodians of the culture and tradition of the people in Katsina, and we must do our best to make sure that youths shun drug peddling and abuse.

“I hereby call on youths to engage in skill acquisition training in order to avoid being idle, as idleness is one of the reasons for drug consumption by the youths,’’ the traditional ruler said.

Earlier , the state Commandant of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency , Hajiya Maryam Sani , said that the meeting was necessary to make plans to wipe out illicit drug trade and consumption in the state.

Sani said that state had been identified as holding the first position in the consumption and trade in illicit drugs in the North West.

She said that the command had intercepted large quantities of cannabis within the last two weeks and arrested some suspects.

Sani, who spoke on behalf of other security chiefs, said that many traders in the state had left their trades to engage in the sale of illicit drugs especially cough syrup.

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Residents of "Second Lagos" Protest 10 years of Power Outage

According to recent reports ,
Scores of residents of three communities on the Ibafo-Mowe axis of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway popularly referred to as “Second Lagos’’, on Monday protested what they called 10 years of power outage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities were protesting the cutting off of electricity supply to their areas in the last decade.

The protesters, who converged on Punch Newspapers premises along the busy Lagos/Ibadan Expressway with some policemen on guard, also blocked part of the road at Ibafo, causing traffic jam.

The placard-carrying protesters, who had massed as early as 7.00 a.m., directed their protest at the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDEC) which serves the area.

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Nigerian Minister of Labour James Ocholi dies in Auto mobile accident with Son and Wife

News reaching Chifys world just revealed that the Labour minister James Ocholi  was involved in an auto mobile accident this afternoon by 3pm, along Kaduna Abuja express way. The Hon. minister and his son were said to have died on the spot while  his Wife who was earlier said to be in a coma as a result of the auto mobile accident that claimed the lives of her husband and son by 3pm this afternoon, also later died in Doka General Hospital, about 60 kilometres to Kaduna, having sustained severe injuries.

He also said that the Minister’s driver was in a critical condition at the same hospital. The Hon. Minister was a senior advocate of Nigeria from Kogi state. Three days of mourning from 7 to 9th March will be observed in honour of the late Minister.

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P-Square is Still GLO Ambassador

P-Square

Contrary to recent rumour that Globacom had terminated it’s contract with sensational music twins P-Square, the telecommunications operator has denied the media reports that it has ended brand endorsement deal with music duo, Peter and Paul Okoye of P-Square.

The company confirmed in a statement it released in Lagos on Thursday that, contrary to such media speculations, the twins were still its brand ambassadors, stating that it was only in the process of reviewing contracts with its ambassadors, including the twins.

“We have not disengaged P-Square or any of our other ambassadors. We are currently in the process of reviewing our contracts with the brand ambassadors,” the statement said.

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JAMB: Lagos State Government Lifts Ban On Vehicular Movement During Monthly Sanitation

THE Lagos State government yesterday lifted the restriction order on human and vehicular movements during the monthly environmental sanitation slated for today.

This is to enable students, invigilators and other stakeholders participate effectively in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB)

Information Officer, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Mr. Tunde Awobiyi, said in a statement that the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, had directed residents of the state to still observe the day by cleaning their homes and environments.

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Supreme Court Upholds Verdict For Rev. King To Be Hanged

The Court has upheld the verdict that Rev. King will surely face the "hangman's noose"

EXCEPT for the final declaration of the Supreme Court, it would have been a birthday bash and wild jubilation for members of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) yesterday, if the death sentence of their General Overseer, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, had been repealed by the apex court, as some newspaper pages were already awash with birthday greetings for their spiritual leader, whose death verdict was ironically sealed on his birthday.

The Supreme Court yesterday set aside the appeal filed by the General Overseer of Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, also known as Reverend King.

The appeal was challenging the judgment of a Lagos High Court that condemned him to death by hanging, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

The Lagos State Government, in its reaction yesterday through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, applauded the judgment, saying it was another confirmation of the seriousness of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration to be decisive in fighting crime in the state.

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Sunday Oliseh Quits Job as Super Eagles Chief Coach

Sunday Oliseh 

NIGERIAN football followers woke up yesterday to the news that Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh, has quit his job.

The Eagles’ Manager, who recently had a run in with his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), following his ‘unsavoury’ comments in his twitter account, quit his job through the same medium in the early hours of yesterday.

The former Super Eagles’ captain, who took over from Stephen Keshi eight months ago, hinged his decision to quit the job on “contract violations, lack of support, unpaid wages, benefits to my players, assistant coaches and myself.”

He wrote: “I feel fortunate, blessed and eternally grateful for having had the honour to play, captain and coach this great nation of ours, Nigeria.”

Before the sudden turn of events, Oliseh had declined to meet with the NFF Technical Committee on Thursday in Abuja as scheduled, saying he wanted to use the time to travel to England to meet some of the players that would likely feature for Nigeria against Egypt in the 2017 AFCON’s qualifiers in

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INSTITUTE OF HUMAN VIROLOGY ABLAZE

It's a CDs day and am chilling at home when I get a call from a friend telling me that my primary place of assignment P.P.A is on fire!

Apparently I don't believe her because I did not think it was possible. I call a friend at work and the news is confirmed. The top most floor was gutted by fire this afternoon, the fire service were there to put the fire out. Sources say it was as a result of power surge but  investigations are on going.who know's if  there would be work on Monday. See more pictures after the cut.

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