TheNewsGuru

Tag: nigerian

  • People say Nigerian music is monotonous, but we are growing – Lagbaja

    Renowned Nigerian musician, music producer and saxophonist, Lagbaja has shared his opinion about contemporary Nigerian music.

     

    At a time when Nigerian music is dominating on the world stage, the veteran singer noted that when it comes to entertainment, Nigeria is the influence on African nations.

     

    Speaking in a chat with TheNewsGuru, he said: “People complain that Nigerian music is monotonous, but we are growing.Now we have learnt to use Nigerian beats . Even if an artiste is doing hip hop, the beat is still Nigerian. That is growth, you might say many of them don’t play instruments, Micheal Jackson no dey play Instrument.Its an explosive industry, its growing. We are the influence on other African nations.

     

    On how Afrobeat legend , Fela Kuti inspires him, he said Fela made him understand the African heritage

    Hear him: “The major thing I learnt from Fela was the fact that I learnt about my heritage . We didn’t know about heritage until somebody told us about it. Oyinbo pushed so many things to our head.When Fela talked about history and explained to me the importance of the black man, what we did before Oyinbo sef come learn small small, it was an eye opener.The major impact is giving me a sense of pride . A lot of people don’t know wearing of tattoos originated from Africa and even wearing of dreadlocks”

     

    READ ALSO: Felabration 2017: Unmasking the Lagbaja you don’t know

     

  • Xenophobia: Another Nigerian attacked, killed in South Africa

    A Nigerian, Jelili Omoyele, a 35-year-old cellular phone technician, was allegedly shot dead in Johannesburg on Saturday, the Nigeria Union, South Africa, has said.

    Its president, Adetola Olubajo, told newsmen on telephone from Johannesburg that Mr. Omoyele, a.k.a Ja Rule, a native of Ibadan, Oyo State, was killed at a parking lot at Doornfontein, Gauteng Province.

    He said a fact-finding team to the scene led by him and National Welfare Officer, Trust Owoyele, met a witness, Sipususo Mkalipi, a South African taxi driver, who confirmed the killing.

    “The deceased and the son of the caretaker of a parking lot had an argument over an unpaid R300 (N11,400) rent.

    “The witness said that the deceased decided to leave his car in the parking lot till Monday because he had no money to pay, but the caretaker’s son shot him on his way out of the building.

    “Omoyele gave up the ghost a few minutes later,” he said.

    Mr. Olubajo said Mr. Mkalipi was the driver, who brought the victim to the parking lot.

    According to him, a murder docket has been opened at Jeppe police state near Johannesburg while the case has been forwarded to the union’s legal adviser, Omoriege Ogboro, for a follow-up.

    The Nigeria Union President also said the incident had been reported to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa.

    “We implore the mission to give necessary support to the union in order to ensure that justice is served.

    “Omoyele is survived by a pregnant wife also in South Africa and his parents in Nigeria,” he said.

     

  • Deportation of Nigerian refugees worrisome – Dabiri-Erewa

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Friday gave Cameroon a thumps down for the alleged deportation of over 100,000 Nigerians from the country.

    Dabiri-Erewa in a statement by her media assistant, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, called the deportation of the Nigerians who fled their homes to escape the Boko Haram insurgency as worrisome and inhuman.

    She said that Cameroon should heed the UN’s call on all countries to protect refugees fleeing the carnage in the North-East of Nigeria and not to return them there.

    “This unfriendly attitude of the Cameroonian soldiers to Nigerian asylum seekers is really worrisome,’’ Dabiri-Erewa said.

    She appealed to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other West African regional groups to prevail on Cameroon to be “their brothers’ keeper in a situation like this’’.

    She said that deportations, according to Human Rights Watch, defied UN refugee agency’s plea not to return anyone to North-East of Nigeria until the security and human rights situation had improved considerably.

    The presidential aide said that a 55-page Human Rights report entitled “They Forced Us onto Trucks like Animals: Cameroon’s Mass Forced Return and Abuse of Nigerian Refugees,” condemned the act.

    The report, according to her, states that since early 2015, Cameroonian soldiers had tortured, assaulted, and sexually exploited Nigerian asylum seekers in remote border areas.

    She said that the report added that the soldiers also denied the Nigerians access to the UN refugee agency, and summarily deported, often violently, tens of thousands to Nigeria.

    “It also documents violence, poor conditions and unlawful movement restrictions in Cameroon’s only official camp for Nigerian refugees as well as conditions recent returnees face in Nigeria,’’ she said.

    Dabiri-Erewa said that Cameroon’s forced returns breached UN principles, which prohibited forceful return of refugees and asylum seekers to persecution and, under regional standards in Africa, to situations of generalised violence such as in Nigeria’s North-East.

  • Nigerian Entertainers who can regale you this Sallah

    Nigerian Entertainers who can regale you this Sallah

     

    Nigerian celebs you can spend Sallah with

     

    The Sallah festival is a common Muslim event that brings Muslims around the world together . In no particular order ,TheNewsGuru takes a look at Nigerian entertainers who can regale you this Sallah.

     

    1. Halima Abubakar

     

    Despite just recuperating, Halima Abubakar can host you this Sallah.

     

    2.Sound Sultan

     

    Unknown to many , Lanre Fasasi a.k.a Sound Sultan is a Muslim. The award winning singer will no doubt be eating a lot of meats during this period and he just may be able to extend some to you.

     

    3.Reminisce

    Nigerian indigenous rapper, Reminisce a.k.a Alaga Ibile will gladly live up to his status today. Just pay him a visit

     

    4.Di’Ja

     

    Talented Mavin Records singer, who is married with a baby will definitely be celebrating Sallah and may just have a few more meats to go round.

     

    5.Faithia Balogun-Williams

    Fathia had earlier stated on Instagram that she cannot wait for Sallah to arrive. It’s finally here and we know she won’t disappoint her fans.

     

    1. Pasuma

    Everybody knows Fuji maestro, Pasuma is fun loving and loves the groovy side of life. The versatile Fuji artiste sure has what it takes to host you this Sallah.

    1. Femi Adebayo

    The revered actor who is also a Muslim will likely be celebrating Sallah with his family and friends. Who knows, there might be room for more guests like you.

     

  • Hajj 2017: Death toll of Nigerian pilgrims rises to seven

    The number of Nigerian pilgrims who have died at the current Hajj exercise has risen from five to seven, officials have stated.

    The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Abdullahi Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with journalists at Mount Arafat, Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

    Mr. Mohammed had earlier on Tuesday at the pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders announced the death of five Nigerian pilgrims.

    Though, the identities of the dead pilgrims were not disclosed, the chairman said the pilgrims were from Kwara, Kogi, Katsina and Kaduna states and had died due to natural illness.

    “We have lost seven pilgrims due to natural illness. Male and female, particularly from Kwara, Kogi, Katsina, Kaduna. No single accident recorded this year. All pilgrims were evacuated in good time.

    “We will have to say that, so far so good. Even the mortality recorded this year is the lowest in the last 10 to 15 years. We pray that will be the end of any mortality that we are going to record, ” he stated.

    He expressed optimism that the movement to Mustalifah, back to the pilgrims’ tents and the observation of stoning of the Jamarat will also be well coordinated, peaceful and that the pilgrims will finish their Hajj rites safely.

    “Importantly, the commission has introduced an emergency call centre. We have officers who man that call centre 24 hours. So, any pilgrims under any distress situation should call this number 90008251, 920008251,” he said.

    He said the commission has a robust, effective and well-coordinated medical team with ambulances stationed in various medical camps to attend to emergency needs of pilgrims.

    He said the commission was also coordinating well with the state officials to attend to the needs of the pilgrims.

    He expressed satisfaction over the hitch-free movement of pilgrims from Makkah to Muna and to Arafat.

    Climbing the Mount Arafat is a fundamental aspect of the Hajj rites.

    “Anybody who knows what Hajj used to be in the past, for you to move from Makkah to Muna, minimum you need is about eight hours, because of the traffic and the confusion. For you to move from Muna to Arafat, you need nothing less than four to five hours because of the congestion and the confusion. But now, it takes only 10-15 minutes, maximum of 20 minutes, you arrive at your destination,” Mr. Mohammed said.

    “So, actually, the Saudi system is working perfectly. But, just like any other human endeavour, there is always room for improvement. We hope, the authorities, despite the successes recorded they will try to meet up, especially the turnaround time of the vehicles,” he added.

    He said the return of pilgrims to Nigeria will commence on September 7, stressing that the commission will maintain the ‘first in first out policy,’ except for those under emergency.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that eminent Nigerians such as wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki are also performing the spiritual exercise in Mekkah.

  • FG arrests 8 Chinese, 12 Nigerian accomplices for illegal mining

    The Federal Government on Monday arrested eight Chinese nationals in Plateau State for alleged illegal mining.

    The National Security Adviser, NSA, Ali Monguno, ordered the arrest of the miners on Monday at Kampani Zurak village in Bashar chiefdom of Wase Local Government Area of the state.

    Also arrested were 12 other Nigerians allegedly involved in illegal mining activities in the area.

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, who was in the company of the NSA to the mining site accused security operatives of aiding and abetting illegal mining activities in the state.

    Fayemi made the accusation while addressing security operatives at the mining site.

    “It is sad that security operatives are giving them (illegal miners) security cover. If not, why do people guard this site?” the minister said.

    Fayemi declared that the foreigners and their accomplices would be taken to Abuja for proper investigations and prosecution.

    The minister also declared the alleged chief miner, Abdullahi Usman, popularly known as “Dan China”, wanted.

    He said the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, had directed that illegal mine sites in the area be sealed up and the miners arrested.

    The 20 illegal miners have been taken into the custody of the police in Jos.

     

  • Again, 128 Nigerian deportees arrive from Libya

    A batch of 128 Nigerians deported from Libya arrived in Lagos on Thursday aboard a chartered Airbus A320 Afriqiyah aircraft with registration number 5A-ONA

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the aircraft landed at 5.35p.m at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

    The deportees, comprising 126 male, two female, were flown back into the waiting hands of officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The two females and four male deportees had medical cases.

    The Director General, NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, represented by Mr Suleiman Yakubu, Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, used to occasion to counsel Nigerians not to be deceived by phantom promises in their quest for pastures.

    He said that one of those who returned had sustained bullet injuries all over his body had been stretchered into a NEMA ambulance.

    Maihaja said the victim would be taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for proper medical attention.

    He advised Nigerians to stay back and contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the country.

    “There are a lot of things you can do in Nigeria here. You don’t have to travel outside the country in search of greener pastures.

    “My advice to parents is to keep tab on their children and to ensure that they know where their children are going and not to be deceived by phantom promises,” he said.

    Maihaja said NEMA and some state governments had put various schemes in place to help rehabilitate and reintegrate returnees into the society.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli, had on Wednesday said that 540 Nigerians were set for deportation from Libya, beginning from Aug. 10.

    She had said that the deportees would be brought back to Nigeria in three batches.

    Thousands of Nigerians have been flown back from Libya, with some voluntarily returning with the help of the International Organisation for Migration.

     

  • 4.5 million Nigerian adults smoke 20 billion cigarettes annually – FG

    4.5 million Nigerian adults smoke 20 billion cigarettes annually – FG

    The Federal Government through the Ministry of Health has lamented the high consumption rate of tobacco in the country, saying that about 4.5 million Nigerians consumed 20 billion cigarettes yearly.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this on Monday at a sensitisation workshop for law enforcement agencies and mass media on the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 in Abuja.

    The minister said preventive measures to be taken by the government through the Tobacco Control Act would include prohibition of smoking for persons under 18 years of age as well as the ban on smoking in parks, markets, restaurants and other public places.

    Adewole, whose speech was read by the Head of Department, Public Health, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, said, “According to Nigeria’s adult tobacco survey, over 20 billion sticks of cigarettes are consumed in the country by 4.5 million adults. This is 5.6 per cent of our population annually. The survey shows that 4.1 million men and 500,000 women smoke in Nigeria, while 6.4 million adults are exposed to smokers. We have to fight this looming epidemic now.

    “In May 2017, the World Health Organisation reported that tobacco presently kills more than seven million people each year. Six million deaths are from direct use while others are due to exposure to tobacco smoking.

    “Low and middle-income countries such as Nigeria account for 80 per cent tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. This is an increased strain on our already weak and fragile health system.”

    The minister called on security agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service to bring stringent conditions on tobacco companies and sellers so as to discourage the culture of smoking.

    “Tobacco is the only drug that has been linked to many cancers. It also contributes to many other health conditions. The government will begin the prohibition of the sale of tobacco to anyone below the age of 18 years. Secondly, the buying and sale of cigarettes will be sold in only a pack of 20 sticks. We will also ban the sale of tobacco through mails and other online devices. Smoking anywhere in the premises of a childcare, educational and healthcare facility shall also be prohibited.”

  • Internet Fraud: US jails Nigeria’s Fawaz Animasaun for two years over $1m scam

    Internet Fraud: US jails Nigeria’s Fawaz Animasaun for two years over $1m scam

    A Nigerian, Fawaz Olanrewaju Animasaun will spend the next two years in jail in the United States for defrauding East Texans and others out of nearly $1m.

    Twenty-seven-year-old Animasaun, is one of two persons named in a federal indictment for charges of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, as well as aiding and abetting.

    He was travelling to the U.S. from Ghana, by way of Amsterdam, when he was arrested at the airport in New York in November last year.

    Just a few weeks later, the 7-foot-1-inch tall Nigerian was an inmate at the Gregg County Jail awaiting his turn in a federal courtroom.

    Under a plea agreement finalised in May, Animasaun is serving three years in prison on the conspiracy charge. He is ordered to pay $930,737.60 in restitution to three financial companies.

    Court documents show Animasaun will pay $135,989 to East Texas-based Austin Bank as part of that restitution.

    In addition, the agreement states that Northern Trust Company is due $46,800 and UMB Financial Corporation is due $747,948.60.

    Animasaun and his alleged accomplice Idowu Temitope Omolade, also from Nigeria, are believed to be involved in at least 21 fraudulent wire transfers between April and August of 2012.

    And that may not be all.

    A rare footnote made by a U.S. Attorney in the 21-page federal indictment reads, “Because the purpose of this complaint is to set forth only those facts necessary to establish probable cause to arrest, I have not described all the relevant facts and circumstances of which I am aware.”

    The indictment says the purpose of the conspiracy was to “… unlawfully obtain money through unauthorised transfers of funds from bank accounts and brokerage accounts.”

    To do that, the Nigerian men allegedly impersonated actual account holders in emails exchanged with banking and financial services personnel. In those email conversations, the indictment says the suspects “… harvested details about the target accounts, including account balances, and obtained wire transfer instructions.” With those details, the suspects were then able to initiate a wire transfer without the account holder’s knowledge or authorization.

    The indictment said that the money was moved through a series of accounts using “money mules,” or people who may or may not have known they were assisting in the transfer.

    Other financial institutions affected include Wells Fargo, UMB Bank, UMB Financial Corporation, Northern Trust and Northern Trust Corporation.

    Animasaun was transferred out of the Gregg County Jail on June 28, in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. Federal Bureau of Prisons records show he is now in a detention centre in Brooklyn, New York, and will remain there until June 2019. He could have received up to 30 years in prison for each count of the indictment.

    The indictment states that Animasaun kept Omolade informed of the progress, and told him when to expect specific wire transfers. Omolade is not listed as a federal inmate, and there is no record of an arrest. Aliases listed in the indictment include “Michael Chernick” and “CLICKIDONLINE.”

    Animasaun is listed in the indictment with four aliases, including “Larry Hoover” and “Slim Husstle Olanraywaju.”

  • How Nigerian musicians glorify, profit from cyber crime

    How Nigerian musicians glorify, profit from cyber crime

    By Omotayo Ojo

    The music industry in Nigeria in its contemporary state is so much awash with indecency to the extent that when you turn on your radio or download a song, there is the likelihood you hear songs that subtly promote cyber crime.

    Innocently, some music lovers who are more thrilled by the rhythms of songs rather than lyrics have lent their support to the popularisation of these groovy but morally blank songs, without having an inkling of the messages conveyed in the said music.

    This rapid disappearance of morality in Nigeria’s music space is fueled by the harmonious fantasy [life is all about flamboyance] existing between artistes and cyber criminals.

    Recently, a heated debate on the melodious relationship between our young artistes and cybercrime ravaged the internet after, a lawyer turned rapper, Falz generally condemned usage of slangs related to ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’, our own Lingua Franca for cybercrime.

    Many music lovers believed Falz was attacking 9ice’s Living Things and this was how the discourse became a viral topic.

    In the ‘Living things’ song, 9ice mentioned all forms of cybercrime ranging from ”Wire-Wire” and “Money Order” – which are both common means cyber criminals adopt in transferring money from their victims’ bank account to themselves; he also referenced marriage fraud.

    He particularly explained the marriage fraud, a part of his lyrics said in Yoruba, “O le je kan ma marry…kin sha ti lowo” which intepretes as a feigned romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining their affection, and then using that goodwill to commit fraud.

    We will never forget other songs like ‘Yahooze’ from Olu Maintain; Kelly Hansome’s ‘Maga don pay’; Rapper, Olamide even named his record label ‘Yahoo-Boy-No-Laptop’, all of the tagging along with ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ mentality is what most of Nigerian artistes relied on for a quick glory in a country where morality is on the low.

    In fact, saying Nigerian artistes promote cyber crime will be an understatement, especially when some of them who were baptised in the waters of cyber crime are already resurrecting in the global scene as fraudsters.

    Profiting from crime

    Recently Singer, Oyindamola Johnson Emmanuel, popularly known as Dammy Krane was arrested on several counts related to theft in the American city of Miami.

    Krane was arrested by TapJets, the Private Jet service provider who he allegedly intended to deceive, by booking their service with a stolen credit card.

    Also, recall that in July 2016, Nigerian rapper, Babalola Falemi, popularly known as Sauce Kid was sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing $15,388 using stolen credit card numbers in Boise and Meridian Idaho, United States of America.

    Sad! Sauce kid bags 2-year jail term

    Entertainers in Nigeria’s movie industry are equally not sainted in this whole affairs, as there are instances where script writers infuse cyber crime related dialogues in their script to portray ‘quick-money’ syndrome and the industry as also witnessed its own share of actors, actresses who have been indicted, punished in their wild chase for money.

    In 2006, A popular Yoruba movie actress, Hassanat Akinwande Taiwo, popularly known as Yetunde Wunmi was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for cocaine trafficking. This is denting the country’s national image and making us undesirable in the comity of nations.Nigeria’s image as a country has been seriously tarnished by the above specie of cyber-crimes.

    Nigeria’s image as a country has been seriously tarnished by the above species of cyber-crimes.

    Quoting a report from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Buhari once said “Nigeria has been ranked third in global internet crimes, coming after United States of America and United Kingdom respectively.