INFO-WORLD

David Moyes believes Manchester United can win the UEFA Champions League after their stirring second-leg comeback against Olympiacos  Soccerway  report. After a disastrous performance in the first leg in Greece, where United lost 2-0, the reigning Premier League champions were under pressure to turn in a much-improved showing at Old Trafford on Wednesday. They did just that, Robin van Persie scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win which saw Moyes and his men through to the last eight of the competition. United are the lowest-ranked side in their respective league in Friday’s draw, but Moyes sees no reason why his side can’t go on to win the trophy for a fourth time. “I hope so,” he said. “We will probably go into the quarter-final tie as underdogs but I don’t see why not. “This football club is capable of it. If we play to our capabilities, which we’ve not shown that often this season, I think we can be a match for any team. “This club has history in the competit...

A 27-year-old woman, Joy Amodu, has been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s court, for allegedly torturing her 10-year-old cousin, Foziya Danguma, for bedwetting. PUNCH Metro  had reported on Wednesday that the defendant, who was a security guard, had tortured the victim by hitting her with a spatula, before inserting ‘Aboniki’ balm (methyl salicylate ointment) in her eyes and private part. Danguma was said to have passed out when she could no longer bear it. Amodu was arraigned on Thursday on one count of causing grievous bodily harm. The charge reads, “That you, Joy Amodu, on February 24, 2014, at 30, Badore Street, Lagos Island, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did cause grievous bodily harm to one Foziya Danguma, aged 10 years, by hitting her with a wooden object and applying ‘Aboniki balms’ on her eyes and private part, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.” She pleaded not gui...

Students of the Bowen University, Iwo,Osun State protested against power outage and lack of water supply in one of the new hostels in the school on Thursday. No fewer than 20 vehicles were damaged by the students who were also said to have looted some shops on the campus. The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Gboyega Aderoju, told our correspondent that although the situation had been brought under control, the school had been shut down till April 1. He said that 10 students were arrested in connection with the looting, but added that they had been released after the police had taken their identities. He said, “The university has been closed until April 1 as a result of the crisis. About 20 vehicles were damaged during the protest, while the police arrested 10 students. “They were protesting an electrical fault in one of the floors in a hostel. They were watching football match when this happened and they trooped out to protest against it. Few of them start...

An Akure High Court yesterday, sentenced three men to death by hanging for alleged kidnapping and murdering of an 18-month-old baby, Rachael Akingboye. The convicts are Olusegun Obaro, Jonah Lase and Theophilus Friday.   The trial judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, in his judgment, said the first and second accused persons were guilty of kidnapping and murder, while the third accused person was only guilty of murder. They had been arraigned on a two-count charge of kidnapping and murdering of Baby Akingboye, “contrary to and punishable under Section 3 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Abduction Law 2010, and murder contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ondo State”. The convicts were said to have kidnapped the deceased from her parent’s residence at Ikorigho in Igbokoda on the night of June 17, 2011. After she was kidnapped, the corpse of the baby was said to have been found near the residence of the parents with her rig...

A telecommunication mast erected in a residential area in Odukpani, near Calabar, has collapsed, killing two persons and injuring three others. The fallen mast also destroyed several houses on its path on March 19. Eyewitnesses told journalists on Thursday that 11-year-old Lawrencia Asuquo, and a businessman, Adindu Fynecountry, from Abia, died on the spot when struck by the falling mast. The witnesses said the mast fell shortly after a brief stormy rain. The Secretary of Odukpani Local Government Area, Eyet Eyibio, said: “we are yet to conduct a study of the situation. We will come out with a comprehensive report on the disaster. “But I will describe the incident as quite unfortunate. “Relevant departments of the council will do a study of the disaster in concert with other agencies of government and the mast owners and take steps to forestall further occurrence. “We will also plan a remedial measure that will help to ameliorate the plight of the victims’’, he sa...

Arik Air has achieved yet another milestone in Nigerian aviation as it has flown the first Nigerian registered commercial aircraft to the United States of America in 20 years. On the night of March 17, the airline operated its scheduled Lagos-New York flight on an A330-200 aircraft with registration 5N-JID. The feat by Arik Air was outstanding given that the flight was staffed operated by Nigerian crew. This latest milestone was the result of almost three years preparation during which time the airline received the Part 129 approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and was also awarded the Extended Range Twin Operations (ETOPS) approval. Arik Air commenced direct flight operations from Lagos to New York in November 2009 on its foreign registered A340-500 aircraft operated by Hi-fly of Portugal and it was the first direct flight from Nigeria to the US to be operated by a Nigerian airline in the last decade. With the ETOPS approval, Arik Air has the fl...

Ello  Dankogol who hails from Kwalla village in Quan-Pan Locla Government Area of Plateau State probably thought he was a cat with nine lives. So when the opportunity came he did not hesitate to make  a sixth attempt at supplying arms to his clients in Plateau State. But he is now ruing that move as he ended up being arrested by the state security service based on intelligent report from the police and the military. This was on February 28, 2014. On that fateful day of his arrest, VM gathered that Bello embarked on his usual trip of trafficking fire arms from a town called Gambari in cameroun via Maiduguri/Bauchi road to Plateau State. According to the State Public Relation Officer of the Service, Kabiru Abdulsamad, the suspect,Bello was in possession of 15 AK 47 riffles when he was arrested in Bauchi metropolis. He said: “The suspect concealed the fire arms in the boot of a Navy blue colour of Toyota Solara with registration number HM 605 EKY . We arrested the ...

It has been revealed that bandits and insurgents operating in the northern part of the country are brought in by helicopters along with their weapons of destruction most likely from foreign country countries. This was revealed at a senate meeting in Abuja yesterday. A debate was held following a motion moved by Senator Barnabas Gemade from Benue State over the spate of deadly violence in parts of the North. During the debate, Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina revealed that attackers of some of the affected places were not local people but were air-dropped from somewhere else along with their supplies, adding that the local people claim seeing helicopters landing in thick forests and dropping off supplies for the bandits. Reacting to this, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe from Abia said Nigeria has the right to go after the attackers to the countries they are coming from since they already know that helicopters were used to bring in the insurgents. Many of the senators cal...

Now a similar attack has occurred in Lagos State as no fewer than 15 armed robbers invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in Alagbado, Lagos State,  cart ing away with about 40 phones and money estimated at N2m. The robbers, who operated for about 20 minutes, were said to have also attempted raping some of the church members before they left the church premises. It was learnt that the men came around 2am penultimate Friday while the over 450 congregation was engrossed in a prayer session. A member of the church, who craved anonymity, said some of the members had observed a strange man making phone calls while the vigil was on. He said,  “The vigil actually started around 12 midnight. Some of us observed a man who came in around 1.30am. He was seated in the women’s section. About four persons tried persuading him to change seat, including the pastor, but he refused. So they left him. “I observed him going out several times to make phone calls. At about 2am...

A US judge ordered US rapper Chris Brown on Monday to remain behind bars for allegedly breaching his probation stemming from his notorious 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna. The 24-year-old, arrested Friday after being booted out of a rehab facility in Malibu, will have to stay in custody until a probation violation hearing on April 23. Judge James Brandlin said he found it troubling that Brown had told a group therapy session there: “I am good at using guns and knives,” prompting his ejection from the center for drug and anger management. Brown also violated the center’s internal rules by “touching elbows or standing very close to a female client,” the singer’s attorney Mark Geragos acknowledged. Geragos asked for Brown to be allowed to begin another rehab program immediately, but prosecutor Mary Murray opposed this, saying the court had given him “repeated opportunities. “He’s put himself in custody,” Murray told the Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Brown was ...

A good number of Nigerian brands, especially in the telecommunications and banking sectors are now associating with creative personages in music and acting, to make their brands more endearing to their targeted audiences. The trend which started a little over five years ago, has gained more relevance as a result of increasing exposure to television. The popularity of  the entertainment industry is also giving fillip to brand ambassadorship. Top celebrities in the Nigerian creative industry have, in the last five years, found this growing business a new way of making huge earnings. Some Nigerian top stars who have bagged major endorsement deals include; Iyanya Since his highly successful 2012 monster hit single ‘Kukere’, it has been one hit after another, one award after another and one endorsement contract after another for the once impoverished singer. The pop singer recently closed a deal reportedly worth N35 million with mobile phone manufacturing company...

Many times, pint-size humans are despised by the society, but for popular Nollywood actor, Chinedu Ikedieze popularly known as Aki, who got conferred with the MFR title by President Jonathan in July 2010, his height is a gift from God and he appreciates that very much. He made it clear in a recent interview with Yes magazine that his national honour did not come with any visible benefits. He explained that he got no monetary value or special benefits to the title as obtained in western countries, but that the joy of getting such is the recognition. "When I am traveling and I get to the airport, I get special preference and recognition. Apart from that, I don't get any other thing. I don't get paid, I don't get any special benefits as an MFR. As an MFR, I hold the same position with some of those who are Members of the British Empire (MBE) and they have some special benefits in the international community and honourary recognitions but those things are not her...

That Mercy Johnson is the hottest and most sought after actress in Nollywood is not questionable. That Mercy Johnson is a better actress than Tonto Dikeh is not contestable. That Mercy Johnson is sexier than Tonto is not also contestable. That Tonto Dikeh doesn’t hide her jealousy for Mama Purity is not questionable as well. Everybody knows that Tonto Dikeh doesn’t hide her hatred for Mercy Johnson, she even refused to attend Mercy Johnson’s wedding then and even told some of her close colleagues not to attend the wedding. Well, one thing you may not know is that scripts rejected by Mercy Johnson are either forwarded to Tonto Dikeh or to other actresses. That’s the main reason why Tonto Dikeh is jealous of Mercy. Another reason is because Mercy is married with a kid while Tonto is yet to get hooked to a serious guy that would take her to the alter. Another reason why Tonto is jealous of Mercy is because Producers and fans prefer Mercy to her. No wonder Tonto felt threatened w...

Tasty and refreshing, there are lots of medicinal benefits associated with Zobo drink. We call it  Zobo  locally but it is known as Hibiscus Sabdariffa or Roselle in most other English speaking countries. Zobo drink is a popular street-side juice usually sold in refill bottles. Zobo is a supplemental herb that is derived the plants calyces, which are the collection of sepals separating the blooming flower from the stem. It is usually soaked into water and drank for its medicinal and refreshing benefits. There are lots of medicinal benefits associated with Hibiscus as it contains a lot of anti-oxidizing agents and vitamins. According to Dr. Kurtis Frank, although it has a variety of claims medicinally, it appears to have evidence to support its role in reducing blood pressures in persons with elevated blood pressure. Zobo can be taken hot or cold and as iced drink, it is a remedy for quenching thirst effectively. It is often recommended as an alternative to artif...

The list goes thus 1. A morning routine.  Some people enjoy reading the paper and drinking a quiet cup of coffee, while others use this time to go for a run or exercise at the gym. A few simple minutes of food prep the night before, and setting the alarm for as little as 10 minutes earlier, will help set the right pace for your morning. 2. Prayer and/or meditation.  Studies have shown that regular mediation and/or prayer, can positively affect your heart and benefit your mind. Taking a five-minute break at the office, or taking a walk around the building to clear your mind is a daily indulgence that isn’t expensive or caloric. 3. Family rituals. You don’t do your best work when you are feeling guilty and distracted. These feelings often come from grabbing nightly fast food for dinner, skipping after school performances and sports, and missing important parent/teacher conferences due to working late. Even if your nightly dinner is reheated leftove...

Hair breakage can range from Not-So-Bad to Call 9-1-1. Some factors that contribute to breakage are out of your control, but many of the reasons behind hair breakage lead right back to what we do to our hair on a daily basis. While stopping breakage completely may take some time, you can often minimize it pretty quickly by stepping up your hair care game. 1. Trim Your Ends  To some women, trimming equals cutting, which may as well equal “No, Thank You.” Done right, a trim only removes dead ends, not whole chunks of hair. When you trim proactively, you reduce the chances that your ends become so dry and brittle that a cut becomes necessary. Women who suffer from split ends have to cut them away before they break off on their own. When split ends get out of control, they travel up the hair shaft, making a serious cut more likely. Instead, why not trim the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of hair every two to three months? Trims are more even and less traumatic than cuts that have to...

The low supply of new naira notes at various commercial banks has propelled the House of Representatives to direct the Nigeria Police and the State Security Service (SSS) to commence the arrest of peddlers of the new notes. The lower chamber also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  yesterday to work on a periodic replacement of old and mutilated naira notes, urging it  to investigate its staff against the alleged practice of  "bribe-for-new-naira-notes." Hon. Nosakhare Isaac Osahon, who moved the  motion that sought the urgent need to energise the fight against the trading in new notes, noted that section 21 (4) of the CBN Act 2007 criminalises the hawking, selling or otherwise of naira notes, coins or any note issued by the CBN. "This act is encouraged by the persistent scarcity of new and lower naira notes, particularly the N5, N10, N20 and N50 across the country, thus creating an avenue for illegal currency hawkers to make brisk busine...

Four persons acting for themselves and as representatives of those who participated in the ill-fated recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have filed a suit against the federal government, seeking among others, a refund of their application fees. They also asked the court to declare that the conduct or the execution of the recruitment exercise was illegal, unwarranted and in violation of the their fundamental rights to life. The plaintiffs, who filed the suit at the registry of the court, brought the application under Sections 33,34,  and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the equivalent articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right. Also joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, the NIS and its  Comptroller General, David Shikfu Parradang. The applicants, Charles Ugwuonye, Friday Danlami, Chinedu Onwuka and...

The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria [FRCN], whose report and recommendations President Goodluck Jonathan relied upon to suspend the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, is a beneficiary of the CBN “intervention” spendings, the suspended CBN chief has said. The FRCN had, in a 13-page report, following its review of the audited financial statement of the CBN for 2012, made allegations of financial impropriety against the CBN under Mr. Sanusi. Based on the report, President Jonathan, in suspending Mr. Sanusi from office, expressed his government’s loss of confidence in the bank chief’s ability to lead the Central Bank to achieve its mandate as enshrined in the CBN Act. But Mr. Sanusi, in a response to the FRCN report, described the allegations against the CBN under his leadership as not only “false and unfounded”, but also “malicious and fabricated.” He dismissed the entire report as full of “misconceptions, misrepresentations and erroneous inference...

The House committee on Public Accounts has faulted claims made by the minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that N24 billion police pension fund is intact, saying facts at its disposal show otherwise. At a resumed hearing on the matter yesterday, the members of the House who met with the director general of Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD), Mrs Nellie Mayshak and her team, representatives of the office of the Accountant General of the federation and other related parties, said Okonjo-Iweala has to prove that she was not just ignorant of the facts or deliberately misleading the public. “We challenge her to a Public debate where all the media houses will be present and will be broadcasted live on all Television stations, so Nigerians will know whether or not the N24billion was not missing”, chairman of the committee, Hon Solomon Olamilekan declared. The lawmaker added, “all these documents being brandished arou...