Egypt court bans activities by Hamas

                           
              Palestinian Hamas policemen march during a graduation ceremony in Gaza City on January 29, 2014.

(CNN) -- A Cairo court has banned all activities by Hamas in Egypt, calling the Palestinian movement that runs Gaza a terrorist organization.

Hamas member Izzat Rashq denounced Tuesday's ruling by the Cairo circuit court as a "political decision aimed to undermine the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance."

Pistorius trial: Athlete blamed for restaurant shooting

                             
                     South Africa was stunned when the athlete shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp



                          
                                There is intense interest in the case in South Africa


A witness at the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has said the South African athlete was responsible for a weapon being fired at a restaurant last year. Boxer Kevin Lerena told the court that Mr Pistorius had asked the owner of the gun to take the blame.

The incident happened the month before Mr Pistorius shot dead his 29-year-old girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The 27-year-old double amputee denies intentionally killing her, saying he mistook her for an intruder. He also denies charges of illegally possessing ammunition.

FG: We’ll Evacuate Nigerians in Ukraine if Need Arises

                              
                                         Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri


As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine over the Crimea, the Nigerian Government has said it is closely monitoring events as they unfold, and would immediately evacuate its citizens if the need arises.

STRIKING RESEMBLANCE: Meet President Barack Obama’s Look Alike, IIham Anas From Indonesia (PHOTOS)

                             
IIham Anas is a 40-year old Indonesian photographer who bears a striking resemblance to the US president. According to reports this has made him a tv star in his country. See more pictures of him after the cut:

Petroleum Ministry Unable to Account for N500m PIB Publicity Funds

                         
                                  Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

•DPR: Why fuel scarcity persists, accuses NNPC of non-payment of royalty
Omololu Ogunmade

Revelations emerged Tuesday on how the Ministry of Petroleum Resources misappropriated N500 million allocated for the promotion of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the 2013 budget without accounting for it.
The disclosure was made when the ministry appeared before the Senate Committee on Gas for the defence of its 2014 budget in the National Assembly.

This came as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which attributed the current scarcity of petrol to the non-renewal of contracts of some independent marketers for the importation of petrol, also told the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) during its budget defence that the non-payment of subsidy to marketers by the federal government was hindering the importation of fuel and thus had resulted in the shortage.

Fuel Scarcity: TUC Asks FG to Investigate Activities of NNPC, Oil Marketers

                                
                                Queue in filling statons


Conoil imports 23 million litres of petrol
Chika Amanze-Nwachuku and Linda Eroke
               
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Tuesday asked the federal government to investigate the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil marketers if it really wants to put an end to the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

This is coming as Conoil, a major petroleum products marketer, yesterday disclosed that it would take delivery of its imported cargo of 23 million litres of petrol tomorrow.
The congress, which expressed concern over the scarcity of fuel, said the familiar trend was unacceptable given the fact that the country remains the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world.

Ekiti Assembly Calls on N’Assemby to Commence Impeachment Process of Jonathan

                              
Credit: Thisdaylive

Members of Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday called on the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency,  commence an impeachment process against  President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged illegal deductions  of oil revenues from the Federation  Account.

Speaking at a plenary session at the hallowed chambers in Ado-Ekiti, members of the Assembly described as “irresponsible and criminal,”  the monthly deduction of over N480 million from the revenue accruable to the state, which they said, had been having a negative effect on the living standards of the people and the state’s economic development.

Air Force Chief Leads Assault Against Boko Haram as 40 More Are Killed

                      
 Air Marshal Adesola Amosu

•Death toll in Borno rises to 166 in four days
Senator Iroegbu   and Michael Olugbode   with agency report
Incensed by the rising number of deaths arising from attacks by the terrorist Boko Haram group, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, personally entered the battle zone last weekend when he flew one of the Alpha jets of the 75 Strike Group of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to conduct air strikes against enemy positions in the North-east.

But despite the air and ground assault by the military, the sect’s onslaught on North-eastern Nigeria continued with the fourth attack in the last three days on the troubled Borno State, leading to the death of at least 40 persons in Jakana, a village 35 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital.

Medical Director Investigated: Federal Medical Center In ‘Financial Mess’

                                       
                                          A lawyer to the FMC director arrested for attempting to bribe EFCC operatives

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, is under investigation. Dr. Abiodun Olufemi Omotosho, who holds that post, is currently the target of an investigation by officials at  the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption, and embezzlement in the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director, and other top officials at the hospital, are said to be on a so-called ‘black list’ of the EFCC for siphoning funds meant for the training of staff. What has also drawn attention, sources tell SaharaReporters, is the cutting down of some salaries of the hospital’s administrative staff.

Obesere Accused Of Rape,Arrested By Police

                               

                                  


Popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Abass Akande, popularly known as Obesere, has been arrested by the Police in Lagos State for allegedly raping a 29-year-old business woman, Miss Olanike Olaiya in his Okota residence, Lagos.

 The victim, who took the matter to the Police, also narrated her ordeal in the hands of the musician whose shows generally fascinate society women.

Bomb Discovered Inside First Bank ,Banking Hall In Osun

                                
Tragedy was averted on Tuesday as a security guard attached to a branch of First Bank Plc in Osogbo, Osun State discovered an explosive substance wrapped in a polythene bag inside the banking hall.
It was learnt that immediately the discovery was made, bank officials and customers were quickly evacuated from the bank.
Some customers of the bank said that a senior official announced to them that a substance suspected to be a  bomb had been discovered where it was planted.

Police Arrest 13 Eiye Cult Members In Lagos

                              
The Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, paraded 13 suspected cultists who were said to have converged from different parts of the state at a hotel recently. Parading the suspects, state Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Manko said: “On March 1, 2014 at about 3:55 a.m. upon a distress call received by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Ilasan Division, Lekki, Lagos, it was discovered that a group of cultists were converging on a hotel situated at Igbokosun, Lagos and were about to perpetrate some evil.

Federal Government recruits forest guards to fight Boko Haram

                              

According to Punch, the Federal Government has resorted to recruiting forest guards to assist the Joint Task Force in combating Boko Haram insurgents in the northern part of the country.

Most of the insurgents are believed to be using routes cutting through forests in states like Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa to smuggle arms into the country from Cameroon and other neighbouring countries.

UNILAG Big Girl Runs Mad In Lagos (PHOTOS, 18+)

                              
Credit: KD Blog

Ladies who go about servicing different men all in the name of "runs" really need to be careful as we now live in dangerous times, where things happen so fast and before you know what's happening to you it could be too late for your health, or worst still, your life.

BREAKING NEWS: Twin explosions rock Maiduguri

                                

 credit: KD Blog

 Twin explosions, Saturday evening, rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. KD BLOG just gathered the blast occurred at Ngomari, a densely populated area of the metropolis. It cannot be ascertained if there are casualties yet.

Updates 8.29 pm:
The capital city of Borno state, Maiduguri, is under attack from insurgents believed to be members of the extremist Boko Haram sect. According to residents, two thunderous explosions, suspected to be from detonated bombs, were heard in the city at about 6.15 p.m. on March 1, 2014, Saturday.
Minutes ago, third explosion has been reported. The blasts occurred at an area called Ngomari, close to old airport Maiduguri.