Nollywood actress Yetunde Akilapa blames stealing allegations on 'spiritual problem'!

News going about town says that an upcoming Nollywood actress, Yetunde Akilapa was caught attempted to burgle a house located at 16 Ibitoye Street, Magado, Lagos on Sunday, January 12. She was badly beaten by residents of the house.

We gathered that it was her second stealing incident in one year. 

In February 2013, the actress was reportedly involved in a home break-in incident in the Shomolu area of Lagos for which she was arrested, prosecuted and remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison for six months.

Two months after her release, she was caught stealing again. Yetunde  however says she's not a Kleptomaniac, that her problem is spiritual.

"I am not a thief. I didn't steal anything. I dont know what is happening to me. I have every reason to believe my problem is spiritual. I can't even explain the circumstance I found myself. People should not ruin my life and career. I am fed up with life. I am not what people think I am. I have never been to Kirikiri Maximum Prison as alleged. God please help me out of this mess! As I am speaking with you now, I am in Ibadan, Oyo state seeking the face of God and I believe I would get out of this dilemma one day. I am not a kleptomaniac. I have not stolen anything" she told Encoimum magazine.

Yetunde was also rumored to have been banned from the Odunfa Caucus of the Yoruba Movie Industry, an allegation she denied stating she had called her bosses and they said such a decision was never taken.  

 

"There is nothing like that. When I heard that rumor, I called all my bosses, and they said there was nothing like that. So it's just a rumor. People are only interested in fueling issues because of my situation. Nobody banned me from acting". She said 

Yomi Fabiyi, a member of the Odunfa caucus spoke on behalf of the group, reacting to the ban he told Encomium magazine.

"My opinion is that the association has procedures. With the report highlighted on social media, it looked half baked. To me, half truth is worse than a lie. I want to believe if she was caught with stolen items, the items must have been stated. She said they found her with four keys and nothing suggest the keys fit into any of the doors there. The association would even have to investigate the matter, especially when the reporter seem to be filing his report on a third party account. If there was any ban whatsoever, where is the proof? Then who banned her from acting? The association does not condone crime in any form and will act on authentic information. So Yetunde Akilapa to me has not been banned, But that will be investigated if necessary" 

Counsel to Yetunde Akilapa, Barrister Bosun Osifowora also released a statement on the issues about Yetunde's theft story, her alleged Kirikiri prison detention as well as her ban from the Odunfa Caucus of the Yoruba Movie Industry.

His statement reads: 

"We write to expressly correct the impression that Yetunde Akilapa has been banned or suspended. She has not received verbal or written notice to that effect. Yetunde is sorry and remorseful that her name is involved in such things. She has very much regard for the industry and Odunfa Caucus, more reason she fights hard to always clear her name. It is ridiculous to suggest she wil be expelled when it is abundantly cleared that she has been cleared of any wrong doing but needs physical and spiritual help. There is no dignity fighting someone on the floor.

We also like to correct the following impressions:

* Yetunde was never in Kirikiri prisons during the first case. The matter was charged to court and bail application was granted  and condition met same day which the media was aware of. The case lasted three months and she attended court from home, not from custody.

* There was nothing like master key and on no account did the police say the keys found on her were compared to the key hole of the rooms in the hosue and it opened. Why are journalist feeding people with stories so untrue? They were her keys, just four pieces. 

* On this second case, whoever broke the news lied. Yetunde was never accused of stealing. The accuser suspects she may have been sent to drop some fetish substance. Must lies sell stories?

* The case got a twist when in an effort to prove her innocence of diabolical intentions, she confidently stated she is a budding actress. One of the guys googled her name and found the previous story, hit her in a swift reaction, hence she fainted. The guy has since apologized. 

* It was on this note that the police was informed and the matter was settled and it was abundantly clear her accusers were also at fault. One thing now led to another until it dawned on her, after public accusation she began to realize she is in the wrong place. 

* We are all Africans, efforts are in top gear to find a lasting solution to this menace. She needs your prayers, not your persecution now.

Atlast Toke Makinwa ties the knot, releases her wedding photos!

Information reaching us revealed that TV/Radio personality Toke Makinwa finally tied the knots with her longtime beau Maje Ayida, on Wednesday January 15th at a private wedding. She's recently released her wedding photos, accompanied by a beautiful message. 

Some of the wedding Photos:

















 



Her message below...

On the 15th of January 2014,  I got married to my lover and Best Friend. It was such an intimate event, I haven't stopped apologising to family and friends who feel slighted that they could not attend.  I really did not wish to keep it a secret, If anything we would have loved to have all our loved ones there with us but this was our registry and  so much had happened between Maje and I in the last 3 months. Plus, it was such a huge surprise, I had no clue. I hate surprises but I must say, this one knocked me out of my elements because i usually suspect something is happening. Hehehehe!  I am not fully over it yet.

Relationships are tough, people go through the ups and downs and we as a couple have had our share of that. Having a private moment was not to offend anyone, it was God's appointed time and No, I am not pregnant. Lol.  Having a baby is a precious gift from God and when that time is right, I am sure he will bless us with ours. Without boring you all, cos you mean so much to me, I have decided to share some of the pictures from the happiest day of my life.

Thank you all for your endless prayers, emails, calls and support. Our wedding dates (Engagement and Blessings) will be announced soonish.

Roving Informant wish the Ayidas' a HML. 

Man arrested for allegedly setting wife, son ablaze!

A man, who had been on the run after allegedly setting his wife and son ablaze in their one-room apartment at Agugu area of Ibadan, has been arrested.

It was reported that DSP Olabisi Clet-Ilobanafor, the Oyo State Police spokesperson, confirmed the arrest on recently in Ibadan.

The suspect, who was said to have committed the offence on Dec. 27, 2013 at about 4.00 a.m., was arrested recently at Ita-Baale area of Ibadan at about 11.30 a.m.
Clet-Ilobanafor said that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect killed the duo after accusing his wife of engaging in extra-marital affairs.

“Although investigations are still not conclusive, preliminary findings showed that the couple had a history of domestic violence.

“We learnt from neighbours that the woman called him an ex-convict during a dispute and before he stormed out of the house, he swore that she would not see 2014.

“The fire started in the room and surprisingly, the door to the room was locked with a padlock from outside.

“This suggests that the woman and her child were locked in from outside,” she said.

The police gave the names of the victims as Felicia and Gbolahan. 

Source: News Agency of Nigera

Ex-policeman to die by hanging for killing 20-year-old!

Mathew Egheghe, a former policeman attached to the Bayelsa State police command is to die by hanging for killing 20-year-old Victor Emmanuel at a checkpoint along Sani Abacha Expressway, Yenagoa, on October 16, 2011. 



Victor was killed in the presence of his mother, who tried in vain to stop the policeman from killing her son. After the shooting, the police reportedly removed a copy of the Bible he held in his hand and replaced it with a pair of scissors. 

The victim who was being conveyed by a commercial motorcyclist to his destination after a church service was killed for condemning extortion and bribery at the checkpoint. He was reported to have said: “Oga policeman, don’t you people go to church even on Sunday. Pity this poor man, now.” After a protracted legal battle spearheaded by the mother of the deceased, Grace, and human rights community including Ankio Briggs, the state High Court, Nembe Division, sitting in Yenagoa, on Tuesday found Mathew guilty of murder. 
The court presided over by Justice Lucky Boufili, however, discharged and acquitted Lucky Oberemelu (first accused) and John Imeh (third accused) over what it described as the failures of the prosecution to directly link them to the murder. 
He said the first accused person could not have been responsible for the shooting that led to the death of Victor since evidence before him showed he was only armed with a smoke gun. He further ruled that the third accused person though was assigned an AK47 rifle on the day of the incident, evidence from the police proved that he returned the gun with all his assigned ammunition intact. In a judgment that lasted over an hour in a quiet and sultry courtroom, Boufili traced the origin of the matter, dissected all evidence before him and held that all the bullets that eventually killed Victor were fired by Mathew. 
The judge was faced with the task of determining whether the prosecution was able to establish its case beyond every reasonable doubt by proving that the deceased died; that the death resulted from the acts of the accused persons and that the act was intended to kill or cause bodily harm to the deceased. On the first ingredient of murder which is whether the deceased died, the judge said, “Evidence before me unequivocally points to the fact that Victor Emmanuel died.” Referring to the report of the pathologist and the evidence he gave before the court, he said nine bullets had entry and exit points on the body of the deceased. “The pathologist certified the cause of death to be multiple gunshot injuries,” he said, adding that five of the bullets hit late Victor on the head. On whether the evidence of the pathologist could be relied upon in determining the culpability of the second accused persons, the judge said any evidence averred to by a qualified medical expert could be used to determine the cause of death. 
The judge further said: “There is no doubt that the death of the deceased was as a result of the gunshot fired at him by the second accused person.”  

Nigeria seeks more foreign investors’ Participation At World Economic Forum!

Nigeria is looking to attract more foreign investors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, to ensure a beneficial global participation in this year’s World Economic Forum on Africa which will be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja from May 7 to 9 2014.

Leading key members of the government’s Economic Management Team from the public and private sectors and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, will leave Abuja on Tuesday for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

A statement from the presidency reveals that President Jonathan is scheduled to host special events in Davos aimed at boosting attendance at the economic forum in Abuja by leading players in the world’s political and economic affairs who meet in the Swiss winter resort annually.

“It is expected that the forum will bring regional, continental and global leaders together in Abuja to discuss innovative structural reforms and investments which Nigeria and other African nations can buy into to sustain their economic growth, create more productive jobs for their youthful populations and greater prosperity for all their citizens,” the statement read.

The theme of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Abuja is “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs” which is in tandem with Nigeria’s economic priorities for 2014, as enunciated in this year’s national budget proposals.

Kate Henshaw Narrowly Escapes Death After Almost Being Crushed By BRT Bus!

Nigerian movie star Kate Henshaw narrowly escaped an auto accident in Lagos yesterday after an ugly encounter with a BRT Bus, in Anthony area of the state.

It was revealed the ugly scene would have resulted to a ghastly crash between the BRT Bus and Kate’s car if not for divine intervention. Kate wonders if the BRT drivers receive any driving lessons…see her tweets and peep’s reaction below:

Obama says; Pot is ‘a bad habit’ that is no ‘more dangerous than alcohol’!

In an interview with David Remnick published in The New Yorker on Sunday, President Obama equated smoking marijuana with “a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

When Remnick asked whether it was “less dangerous” than cigarettes or alcohol, the president demurred. It is less dangerous, he said, “in terms of its impact on the individual consumer. It’s not something I encourage, and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy.”

Obama then acknowledged the structural inequalities surrounding drug laws in the United States. “Middle-class kids don’t get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do,” he said. “And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties.”

He went on to attack the hypocrisy of long sentences handed out to users by laws written by politicians who have likely committed the same crimes. “[W]e should not be locking up kids or individual users for long stretches of jail time when some of the folks who are writing those laws have probably done the same thing,” he said.

Of the challenges to federal drug policy issued by the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, the president said that “there is a lot of hair on that policy.” By which he meant, it seems, that there is some validity to the slippery slope argument used by opponents of legalization: “If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, ‘Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka,’ are we open to that? If somebody says, ‘We’ve got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn’t going to kill you or rot your teeth,’ are we O.K. with that?”

Obama seemed particularly concerned with the plight of African-Americans and Latinos throughout the wide-ranging interview. “You have an economy,” he said at one point, “that is ruthlessly squeezing workers and imposing efficiencies that make our flat-screen TVs really cheap but also puts enormous downward pressure on wages and salaries. That’s making it more and more difficult not only for African-Americans or Latinos to get a foothold into the middle class but for everybody—large majorities of people—to get a foothold in the middle class or to feel secure there.”