President Bouteflika Hospitalised in France!

A report yet to be confirmed by  Algerian presidency says President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was on Friday admitted to a hospital in Grenoble , a Southeastern French town.

Although the clinic did not offer any reasons for his hospitalisation nor give an update on his condition, it was revealed that Bouteflika has been in poor health since 2013 when he was treated for a "mini-stroke" in Paris.

One of the few remaining veterans of the war of independence against France, 77- year - old Bouteflika who became Algeria's youngest minister at the age of 25, came to power after helping to end the country's devastating civil war in the 1990s and has ruled the country since 1999. 

Having spent 80 days being treated for the mini-stroke in 2013, Bouteflika was not deterred from standing for election for a fourth time in April 2014, when he won with more than 80 percent of the vote. Although the opposition refused to recognise the result.

He has reportedly been seen only on rare occasions since. In a break from tradition, he failed to appear in public for Eid al-Adha prayers marking the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca last month.

Two Nigerians Bag Jail Term In The UK For Women Trafficking!

A 24 year old Nigerian woman identified as Lizzy Idahosa and her accomplice, 41 year old Jackson Omoruyi were recently jailed eight and two years respectively after a Home Office investigation into the trafficking of Nigerian women into the UK for sexual exploitation.

According to a press release on behalf of the UK's Home Office made available to journalists in Abuja, the investigation began after Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers carried out an operation at the Ambassador Suite Massage Parlour on City Road, Cardiff, in June 2013.

"During the investigation by the Home Office's Criminal Investigations Team, officers persuaded a second victim to speak to them. She also said Idahosa had trafficked her into the UK to work in the 'sex industry'.

"Both victims said before travelling to London, they had been subjected to 'juju' rituals in Nigeria in which they ate snails and snakes, had their hair shaved, drank dirty water and were cut with a razor.

"On arrival, Idahosa told the women they each owed £50,000 for passage to the UK and they or their families in Nigeria would be harmed if the ?debt? was not repaid.

"The women told the court that they worked at brothels around England and Wales including in London, Croydon, Stevenage, Brighton, Swansea and Cardiff - paying their earnings directly to Idahosa or via Omoruyi's bank account.

"Officers from the Home Office Criminal Investigation team arrested Idahosa and Omoruyi in a property in Dressington Avenue, Lewisham, South London, in April this year," the statement said.

Consequence to his arrest, Idahosa was for more than three weeks tried at Cardiff Crown Court in September and October, was found guilty of two counts of trafficking into the UK, two of trafficking within the UK, two counts of inciting prostitution and two charges of money laundering, thereafter was jailed for eight years.

Another Military Helicopter Crashes In Girei, Adamawa, Kills All Three On-Board!

A chopper belonging to the Nigerian Air Force reportedly went down at the same area, where a military helicopter on surveillance mission crash-landed in Damare town in Adamawa state days ealier.

According to reports, residents around the area said the chopper crash landed in outskirts of Girei town, a suburb of Yola, the headquarters of Adamawa State North-east Nigeria.

A statement posted on Defence Headquarters blog said all three crew lost their lives in the event. Rescuers reportedly worked throughout the night until Friday morning to preserve the wreckage and scene. 

The statement read:

“At about 2200hours yesterday 13 November 2014, a ground attack helicopter on an armed patrol crashed around the Federal University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State. 

“The crew of 3 was lost in the ill-fated accident.

“Rescue party worked throughout the night to preserve the wreckage of the aircraft and scene of the accident for proper investigation to be carried out.  Further details would be made known later” .

Photo Of The Day!

A place of worship at Issakaba Base community, Ikota Housing Estate - Lekki area.

Deplorable Living Condition Of Slum Settlements In High-Brow Lekki Area Of Lagos State!

Call them neighbours and you are right, one can not help but ponder over the contrast between the 'high-profile' neighbourhood of the Victorian Garden City (VGC) and the Isakaba base make 'shift-settlement' pictured below, otherwise known as Ikota Housing Estate along the Lekki -Peninsula area of Lagos state, Nigeria.  

Picture of Ikota Housing estate entrance below:

Picture of Victoria Garden City (VGC) entrance below:

Manor Garden Estate in front of Ikota Housing estate below:

Pearly Gates Estate, close to VGC, Manor Garden and Ikota Housing Estate below:

  

Ikota Housing Estate: 

Ikota Housing estate is one of the low-income settlements relocated over twenty-years ago from Maroko, the area where the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Lagos, and Addax Petroleum is currently situated, along the Lekki Peninsula axis of Lagos state. 

As required of well-meaning citizens of a State, of-age (18-years and above) residents of this community perform their civic responsibility by voting during elections, just like their "upper-class" neighbours. The propulsion of this discussion is that while the high-brow and middle class areas get to enjoy some percentage of electoral promises, peharps due to the fact that they have influential individuals living among them; residents of the low-income estates get less than they deserve or might have been promised during electoral campaigns.

Despite past and present government's electoral campaign promises of 'House For All', motor-able roads, healthy drinking water, electricity supplies, quality/ affordable Health-Care schemes' ...the basic amenities that makes life easy, residents of this estate and other poorly planned/ densely populated communities are not seeing the actualisation of most electoral promises.

They live in unplanned and poorly constructed houses with no drainage, toilets/ bathrooms, and proper waste disposal system, as a matter of fact, some construct their houses on dustbins, as seen in the picture above.

They buy drinking water from residents that are lucky to have constructed bore-holes. During the rainy season, this community is dangerously flooded. There is no motor-able road. The only thing peharps going for this people is population because that is what lures most Politicians to these communities during polls.

Why should citizens of any well meaning State, be allowed to live in this deplorable condition while elected government officials at both State and Local government levels appear unperturbed.

The government can do much better than this, and we hope they do. 

Obianuju Mbanusi writes

Yobe School Bombing - State Government Shuts Down All Schools!

Following Monday bomb blast, Yobe State government has indefinitely shut all (Government/ Private) primary and secondary schools in some councils of the state pending when security improves.

The bomb explosion on Government Senior Science Secondary School, Potiskum assembly ground was detonated by a young boy, dressed like a student, who walked up to the assembly ground after an unidentified car dropped him off at the gate of the school at about 7:30am. The incident reportedly claimed the lives of at least 48 students and injured scores of others.

Military sources in Damaturu, revealed that unlike in Borno State where suspected insurgents launch attacks from either Sambisa or Gulumba Forests, the operational cells of the insurgents are located within Potiskum township and its environs. 

On his part, the Emir of Fika, who also doubles as the Chairman of Yobe state Council of Chiefs, Dr Muhammadu Ibn Abali Muhammadu Idrissa, summoned an emergency meeting of all the district heads, ward heads and village heads under his domain at his palace where they allegedly discussed on how to best handle security situation in the area.

In a brief address to the gathering of over 30 title holders the Emir expressed deep concern about the continuous attacks and lost of lives as result of the Boko haram insurgency.

Photo source: AP

Early Morning Blast Leaves Scores Of Students And Teachers Dead At Potiskum, Yobe State!

Scores were reportedly killed on Monday after an explosion ripped through a school in Potiskum, Yobe state, northeast  Nigeria as students gathered for morning assembly.

Accounts of the incident given by eye witnesses revealed that blast happened at the Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School in Potiskum, the commercial town of Yobe state, at about 7:45am (0650GMT).

The reports says students and teachers gathered for the morning assembly when a bomber disguised as a student of the school entered the assembly hall with the students and triggered the explosive devices killing several students

Yobe State Commissioner of Police, Markus Danladi, who reportedly confirmed the bomb blast, said that he was on his way to the scene of the incident as he had no details. 
There is no official death toll, but 13 bodies were reportedly taken to hospital with more than 30 others left "with various degrees of injuries".