D'banj accused of credit card fraud

D'banj accused of credit card fraud...this is really serious, here is what allhiphop.com wrote about the saga.  Ever since Kanye West signed African artists, D’banj and Don Jazzy, to his G.O.O.D Music label, the former friends and business partners have been at odds with one another.
In a recent interview, D’banj opened up about the ongoing feud between him and Don Jazzy, and mentioned that he would never cheat Don Jazzy knowing that JJC (of JJC and the 419 Squad) had cheated Don Jazzy in the past.
Well, JJC has caught wind of D’banj’s interview and is alleging that D’banj has committed credit card fraud, as well as talking about D’banj’s “419″ past and his escape from the police as the inspiration for his “Mobolowo won” video.

D'banj's explosive new interview. Opens up on feud with Don Jazzy(A MUST READ)

 

 

‘There’s an important person in that building, right?’ the cab driver asked. ‘Important musician?’ I nodded, too tired to let any curious driver drag me into a conversation. He got the message and left me alone the entire drive from Canary Wharf to the London Marriot Hotel, in Grosvenor Square.

Then, as I got down to get my suitcase from the trunk, he gave me a knowing look, smiled, and said ‘are you the musician?’ ‘Of course not’, I said to him, smiling this time. ‘The musician is in Canary Wharf, his name is D’banj’. Silence. Confused look. ‘D’banj?’

Yes, D’banj. He’s big in Africa. You know ‘Oliver Twist?’ Silence again, then as his final ‘no’ came, I said ‘Google him.’

It was 4am on Saturday, April 21. I arrived in London eight hours earlier, and had spent almost all of that time chatting with D’banj, in his first interview with a Nigerian newspaper in a long time, and his first interview on the Mo’Hits brouhaha.

London is D’banj’s town. He’s performed there over and over, his single ‘Oliver Twist’ is on the A-list at Choice FM, and enjoys heavy rotation on other stations. A day before I came, he spent hours doing interviews at the Universal offices in Kensington. Some might hail D’banj as the man championing the gospel of ‘Afrobeats’ across the world. But, just like the cab driver, London does not yet know D’banj.

As we walk into the Choice FM building in the afternoon on Saturday, there are no heads turning or fans gazing. In fact, his lawyer, Elias, who wore a pair of loud snakeskin boots, attracted more attention than D’banj.

Who leaves a zone where they’re comfortable and celebrated; where they’re established and successful, for a place where no one seems to give the slightest care?

D’banj, that’s who.

The 31 year-old entertainer has spent nearly two years building structures he hopes will help take his music to new markets in Europe, and especially America. This move, he believes, cost him his friendship and business relationship with his long time partner Don Jazzy.

‘I’m a risk taker’, he says. ‘Life is all about risks. But you must never endanger yourself. I don’t endanger myself, which is why, even though I’m here, I’m still in Nigeria all the time, performing’.

With incredible energy, and the kind of passion that endeared everyone to him when he first moved back to Nigeria in 2005, D’banj says his deal with Kanye West is a case of ‘preparation meets opportunity’.

‘I pulled up with my entourage at the Emirates first class lounge in Dubai. We were returning from Scott Tommey’s birthday. I came down with Bankuli, my P.A. Chuchu, and my business manager Chidi. My entourage was large and I was looking fly. One of the hostesses ran to me with a Kanye West placard. I said I’m not Kanye o – then I told my guys ‘Kanye is around so no dulling.’ Chuchu and Bankuli spotted Kanye walking in to check in. They went to him and he said we could come over’.

‘As they came, I had my iPad with me, and my headphones. First thing Kanye said was ‘I like your T-shirt’. I wore a Zara T-shirt and a D&G ring. He liked my appearance and said he’d give me 5 minutes. I told him ‘I played with you in Nigeria during NB PLC Star Megajam. I’ve done a song with Snoop and we’re going to shoot the video now. I’d like to play you my songs.’

 I played Oliver, Scapegoat, and Fall in love. He was dancing. He removed the headphones and said ‘I don’t mean to sound rude, but if anyone has to bring you out in the states, it has to be me, not Snoop. He asked when I was going to be in the US, and I told him I was going there that day. Then he asked who my producer was, and I said Don Jazzy. He said ‘come with him.’

Three months later, D’banj, Don Jazzy and their crew were in New York, where, according to D’banj, it took almost forever before they could establish contact with Kanye. ‘It was only an email address he gave us at the airport. So when we got to NY, we sent several emails but got no response. Not a single one.’

‘Then we met someone that knew someone that knew another someone and we got another email address. We sent several messages again, no response. Then Bankuli sent a final one saying, ‘we have been in New York for some time and sent several emails. We have waited long enough and are now on our way to do the Snoop Dogg video’

And then the reply came. ‘Sorry to have overlooked your earlier emails. Mr. Kanye would like to meet with you tomorrow.’

‘We didn’t believe it. Don Jazzy, who had been reluctant all along, still did not believe it. Even when we got there (Wyclef’s studio) the next day, he stood outside. When Kanye came I went to call him ‘Oya come now, come play am the music now’. It was difficult to believe it was real and it was happening. Then when Kanye came in, with the GOOD music acts, I was like, ‘wow’.

From there everything happened fast. Next they were meeting Jay Z, making a presentation to LA Reid (At Electric studios), and discussing contracts. But while the label offered him a traditional recording contract, D’banj opted for a joint venture agreement structured to guarantee three things: retaining full control of his materials in Africa, signing Don Jazzy on board (on behalf on Mohits USA), and, he says, bringing the Universal/Def Jam imprint to Africa.

‘I’ve always thought of how I can be a useful vessel to the industry. A friend and colleague always says to me: ‘D’banj, you’re the Jesus Christ of the industry.’ So having ran Mohits for nine years, I already had plans of how we could blow Mohits up. I had plans of expanding, and most especially, bringing hope to that 11 year-old kid somewhere in Africa who may never have had the opportunity to get signed to major labels’.

‘So it was not really just about me. There’s a big market in Africa. I said to them, ‘I’ve sold millions of records in Africa, we’ve done millions of hits with CRBT, and I’ve run the most successful label on the continent. You take care of the US, but let me take you to Africa.‘ And I’m happy to tell you that we’re doing that. D’banj’s album will be the first under Universal/Def Jam Africa, and we’re already putting all the structures in place’.

‘I’m a businessman.’ I learnt from my mom, who’s a very successful businesswoman. So having run and funded Mohits for nine years, I knew we had to move to the next level. And everything we wanted was happening. Finally we could take African music to the world.’

Just like the lyrics of the song, D’banj was an Oliver Twist. Here’s a guy who had conquered a continent; was sitting on the top three list, and making more money than anyone else in his category. D’banj was a big player in Nigeria, where there are over 150 million people; a big player in Africa, with over 850 million people. But he wanted to play big globally, with 7 billion people to grab from.

And that’s where the problem started. ‘Don Jazzy was no longer comfortable. You know, we were like fishes out of water, in this new system, starting all over again, like when we returned home in 2004. I got him a place in the US, set up a studio there, just so he’d be comfortable and be able to work without going to hang around the studios. In one year Jazzy did not make a song. I said, maybe you want to go back to Lagos, you’ll get inspiration there?’ I was all about the work, I wanted us to make this happen, so we can bridge that gap and create a path for Africa. But Jazzy wanted us to go back home. And I understand. He’s my friend, my brother’.

‘But I never expected him to do what he did.’ He said to me in July last year ‘Let’s scatter Mohits. He told me there are two captains – two captains cannot be in a ship. I was like ‘that’s not possible, this is a marriage’. He said ‘then this marriage is no longer working’. I said then let’s go for counseling; I asked, so what happens to our children?’

Don Jazzy wanted Mohits, D’banj says. And that happened on April 16, 2012 – after months of a bitter feud, characterized by accusations and counter accusations, widespread speculation, leaked emails and failed reconciliation attempts.

‘You can see he has signed already’, he said, showing the agreement with Don Jazzy’s signature. ‘I have full rights to my catalogue and full ownership of my Koko Holdings, while he has full ownership of Mo’Hits, including the artistes and liabilities.’

Already judged guilty in the court of public opinion, and publicly disowned by his own boys Wande Coal and Dr SID, D’banj says he’s sad, but not bitter. Does he feel kind of lonely, alone in the cold? ‘Asking me if I’m lonely because Wande or Jazzy has left me is like asking my first sister if she’s lonely now – she has two kids now, lives in Canada. Don Jazzy is still my brother – we just had to move on. We’ll still work together in future, same with my boys.

 In fact, just this week, he sent me the remix to Oliver Twist that we’re releasing in the UK on May 14. All the interviews I’ve had here, I kept hyping him. It’s already in my system – you know me, I’m a one-way soldier. Jazzy is a very quiet person. Loyalty is key. My loyalty still lies in the friendship I had with him. He was cheated by JJC, and I was present. I swore never to cheat him. But I’d like to think our visions became different.

‘It was clear when we met that Jazzy wanted to be the biggest producer, I wanted to be the biggest African entertainer, not the biggest singer. I had my mind on money. In order to say I’m the biggest, I had to be the richest. So for a very long time, he was on the back end. He respected my act, I respected his music judgment. Every meeting that brought us money I went for. I’d say I need to confirm from Don Jazzy because that was the agreement, even though I knew it was my decision. First Glo deal was $500,000. That Landcruiser jeep was because of my demands. It was because of the skill and exposure that I used to bargain. I’m a businessman’

‘People say I’m less talented, I was known as a jester in the JJC squad. I’d make everyone happy and play the mouth organ, but I knew what I wanted. I decided to give Don Jazzy power in 2007 when we realized that after four years, they did not recognize us as a record label. We had signed artistes and done all this work. So we restructured, and restrategized. So I told him to chill, so he can be more respected and be the don. I’m older than him by one year, yet I respected him like a don. I remember when he came out at Ali Baba show, I knelt down for him, so people would say he’s the baba. All the talking in my ears and all, it was an arrangement. All the Soundcity advert and all, he did not tell me anything. It was all an arrangement.’

With his UK publicist Vanessa Amadi taking notes nearby, his manager Bankulli interjecting every now and then, and several legal documents surrounding us, D’banj spoke passionately of his former partner in the same way a man might go on about a cherished and respected, but estranged, lover. He’s on his sixth cigarette, and thinks the room is stuffy, even though no one complains. So he opens the sliding glass for ventilation.

 ‘Jazzy did his part’, he says, sitting down again and looking me in the face. ‘He made the music for nine years. But nothing stops him from making for twenty more years. We could have changed the formula. Why didn’t he want to change the formula? It was time to expand the business, Mohits was Motown reloaded. 

We always knew we would expand, he always said I had more swagger than anyone else he knows, And I know he’s one of the best producers in the world; we wanted to make Mohits the biggest in Africa. Other labels were springing up. So if we could conquer America, London when no one had done it before.

 Most of our people stop in Germany, or Paris. But this is America, this is the big league; it makes us the strongest, the biggest. We had already made the money. And who best to introduce me to the rest of the world? Kanye did not want to change anything about my music, my style of dressing, or my brand. It is God’s favour. But Jazzy was and is very scared. Something had worked for eight years, so he wanted to maintain the status quo. People are afraid to try new things.’

‘But’, he tells me, still maintaining eye contact while lighting another cigarette, ‘I’m not afraid. I’m a vessel that God is trying to use to help the industry. I’m a bridge. Once in a few years, one artiste comes from the UK to run the world, none has come from Africa. Fela was the closest. It’s been my own dream; I made my name from Nigeria, unlike Seal, Wale, and Tinie Tempah. And I want to bring Universal, Def Jam and all to Nigeria. So if I can build that bridge, then we’re good, because it will give hope to the boys in Asaba, in Oshogbo that this thing is possible.’

The day after our Canary Wharf interview, we meet up at Highbury Islington, where he’s shooting a documentary and the promo for the Oliver Twist competition for the UK. D’banj’s new crew: Semtex (a white A&R rep from the label), Bankuli and Vanessa, are on the ground, working with the production team. ‘This is why we’re here o. This is the work’, he says as he invites me into the dressing room.

‘And when people say why am I not talking, this is why. I’m focused on making this happen. It’s more important for me to make sure I don’t disappoint all those who have invested in me; all those who believe in me and are supporting the movement, than to be fighting over who’s right or wrong. Even now that I’m talking to you, I don’t even know if I should be doing this interview.’

It’s very unexpected that D’banj – the super aggresive D’banj – is speaking in this manner. He has fought many battles, cut off many former friend-associates, ignored the Nigerian media, and reportedly humiliated several Mo’hits members, including Ikechukwu and Dr SID. Temperamental, often impatient, and vocal, those who know him will tell you the D’banj they know, is not the one that’s speaking.

So I ask:

The perception is that you’ve become arrogant, unreachable, proud. You’re not the D’banj we used to know; not the D’banj I used to know – and most people in the media will say this is true

Obviously people will say stuff – but this is me. I can’t keep up with everyone, no matter how much I try. But I understand where I’m coming from. I cant forget my roots – all the interviews I had yesterday, I was ‘bigging up’ DJ Abass, he gave me my first show in London. You saw me giving Jazzy props in my interview earlier. That’s me. If I was arrogant I wouldn’t have been the one even chasing Jazzy around since he told me last July that he wanted to scatter Mohits. Last time I saw him was on February 19 at Irving Plaza. He didn’t support the show, and he only came on stage when SID and Wande were performing. I wanted peace.

And even my mom, who had supported us from beginning, who gave us the house we stayed in (in Michael Otedola estate, Lagos), the Previa bus we used and paid for Tongolo video, spoke to his parents last December; ‘this is what your son said o’. I remember my mom saying to me, ‘if you guys have been together all these years, and no wahala, then if you need to part, I hope there’ll be no wahala.’ She was very particular about that. I had enough proof to have come out and speak; this thing has been on for a long time, and we’re in April now. But I don’t want to cause any wahala. I don’t want to spoil anything. I don’t want trouble. Right now, I just want to be able to move on and do my business.’

That’s surprising, because when the leaked emails emerged, revealing private email conversations between the estranged partners, all fingers pointed at D’banj. Don Jazzy, a likeable celeb and social media addict, didn’t have anything to prove. D’banj was the one who looked bad, and, understandably, would want to make a move that could earn him public sympathy.

‘The signing (away of my shares in Mohits) was already being discussed before April 16. If I kept quiet from January till now, what would it benefit me to leak anything? Remember all the stuff about my password and all? We know where that was from, I really wouldn’t want to think it was from him, my brother, but it could be from anywhere, but I don’t want to call anyone’s name’

But were the emails forged?

Everything in those emails were facts. And I don’t even think the mails favoured me in any way. It’s not the exact mails that were sent and signed, but there were elements of truth in the mails that were published.’

Why did you tell Ebony you own Mohits?

My mom advised me not to speak. And the interviewer took it out of context. I co-owned Mohits. We registered the business in 2004, and we owned it 50:50. So I spoke about that, but the interviewer took it wrong and the fans put pressure on them and they corrected it.

How about Sahara Reporters?

I never wanted to have any interview. It was on the eve of my US show. I was told I should do the interview, because they’re very troublesome. I had to do the interview for the sake of my show the next day. I was guaranteed that there’d be no politics questions. I had not been in the country. And I had been under pressure. Sadly, when that happened and I was being attacked in the media, none of my guys came out to support me.

Looking at all this, what are your regrets?

The truth is that if nothing went wrong, you’d have still heard all this good news and Mohits would take the glory, I didn’t come out in eight years to say anything. Everyone made their contributions. There were no issues, as long as it worked. My mistake was thinking that we were one. People don’t question their brothers and sisters.

How do you feel about Wande Coal and Dr. SID taking sides with Jazzy?

I won’t be too quick to judge Wande Coal. I hear it was Jazzy that tweeted those Wande tweets. I don’t know how true that is, but I know he had our social media accounts. As at a month ago, I couldn’t access any of my accounts. My password was changed on Twitter and Facebook. Then Universal intervened. I’m about to be verified on Twitter now. I’m not really a social media person, so it was Don Jazzy and some of our other guys that were running it. Wande himself knows the truth. He cannot talk to me like that. 

The whole Mohits knew who ran the label businesswise. They knew who to come to when they needed to get money out, after we recorded the album. Who knows the factory where Dansa was made? But you will know the marketing manager. The car he’s driving, I bought him a brand new Prado from Phyllis and Moss after he crashed the car he won from Hiphop World awards. I bought six Range Rovers last year. I bought D’Prince an LR 3 last year, he crashed it, then I bought him a Range, and it’s true that I bought two Bentleys. Because of Jazzy. But after July last year, after the issue with Jazzy, I bought myself the Aston Martin.

You bought that? I thought that was a gift?

I bought it.

How were you able to fund all that?

In the last nine years, there are a few people and corporate bodies that God has helped me build relationships with, either individuals or banks, or even corporates that are involved in the growth of the industry. I’ve enjoyed their support, and even now that we’re going global, we’re pooling the funds together from all these places.

Could you possibly be Nigeria’s richest pop star? A billionaire?

Vanity upon vanity. Money is material. In terms of what we’re doing, you’ll call me a Trillionaire, because this vision is too big for only me. With the help of the industry, the government, people like you Ayeni, we will not only be billionaires, but trillionaires, and not just me, but every little kid that has same talent like Beyonce, or Nicki Minaj. And with the standard of the UMG worldwide, we can pass people out from our own Universal Music Group Africa, Universal Def Jam Africa, and everyone should jump on this ship with us. It’s not the Titanic.

There’s been a lot of confusion – what label exactly are you signed on?

My album comes out under my label/GOOD Music/Island Def Jam. I’m funding the D’banj album, in America, through GOOD Music/Island Def Jam. GOOD Music is Kanye West who is co-executive producing with me. The deal comprises of Island Def Jam, in US. But in UK, it is under Mercury. My first single will be released in Europe on May 14. My work will be released in Africa through Universal/Def Jam. We don’t have these structures in Africa, and they’ve seen how much money they’ve lost. They’ve seen what I’ve done with Mohits. I made my pitch to them; I’ve made them realize how much they were losing in the African region. Over 150m Nigerians, over 800m Africans. 2% of that is 8.5m. They were not making anything except from S.A, which has been the US of Africa. So we will be launching this label in Ghana, in partnership with Vodafone, launching in Nigeria in partnership with MTN. Def Jam Africa will be up soon; Kenya, SA, and North Africa will follow.

Why are you risking all this? What if you burn your fingers and lose everything you’ve worked for?

Lose out? Well, I am happy I even have something to risk. To whom much is given, much is expected. Look at Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jay Z, Kanye West, these people take it to the max, take it to where they believe that they can push it to. In the first instance, coming back to Nigeria with Jazzy was because I was a risk taker. And I wouldn’t say I’m throwing everything away. I would say I’m putting everything back in, in order to rip into the future. I get a broadcast from Tonye Cole everyday. He says when you tell people this your vision, know that it’s not for you alone – it’s for everyone. It’s like what Fela did. If what I’m doing doesn’t work, but sows that seed that will germinate in three, five years, it means my name will be written in gold.

Some people have tried this before you, unsuccessfully. Do you have doubts and fears sometimes?

My last album was in July 2008 – no album in four years and I know what I still command in those four years. The momentum for me to be able to do this is because I see how much it took me, I saw the benefit, it’s God, and the favour of the relationships we’ve built. Plus, I don’t take no for an answer, I don’t take negativity. It will work in Jesus’ name. If not, I wouldn’t have landed in the UK and hear Oliver Twist on the radio. Nor would I be in the mainstream media with them saying I’m pioneering afrobeats. I said to them ‘Oh hell no, that’s Fela’s music. Fela is the legend.’ So I pray to God – I beg my fans, it‘ll be good to do half a million downloads. It’s possible, it’s a different market. Platinum in UK is 300,000. I believe with the support of my people in Redding, Coventry, Dusting, Hackney, Thamesmead, Abbeywood, we can do it.’

And so, as I say my goodbyes and flag down the cab that’ll take me to Heathrow Airport, I can’t help thinking out loud: should one man sacrifice the wishes of the collective on the altar of ambition and material wealth? But then, what should be expected of the man whose dreams and ambition grow beyond those of other – possibly myopic- members of the collective: should an individual sacrifice his personal desires; derail his destiny, so to speak, in the interest of the collective?

In all of this, faithfulness and loyalty have been brutally murdered. And the jury is still out on who pulled the trigger.

Is this real intimacy or just our normal video shooting location

We have come across a video involving Ghanaian darling boy actor John Dumelo in a very hot romantic act with a lady who is believe to be a Nigerian actress.The video shows John Dumelo who was in a pair of boxer shorts, kissing the lady very passionately whiles the light skinned lady who was spotted in an orange night wear with a flower tattoo on her right shoulder and other parts of her body, participated willingly in the extremely intimate act.Our investigation reveals that the 2 minute, 43 seconds video is part of a Nigerian movie titled “Love Me” which starred the Ghanaian actor.Check out the video below all in the name of acting.

Flamboyant Nigerian Bishop Oyedepo Faces N2 Billion Lawsuit For Assaulting Female Church Member

Bishop David Oyedepo

  Popular pastor and founder of the Living Faith Christian Church International, David Oyedepo, will face a legal action for slapping a young lady during church service, last year.
Robert Igbinedion, a Lagos based lawyer, confirmed to Premium Times Friday that he had filed a suit, on behalf of the young lady, at the Ogun State High Court for the enforcement of the lady's fundamental rights to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, human dignity, fair hearing, and freedom from discrimination.
Mr. Igbinedion is seeking an award of N2bn as 'general and exemplary damages' against Mr. Oyedepo.

Popular pastor and founder of the Living Faith Christian Church International, David Oyedepo, will face a legal action for slapping a young lady during church service, last year.
Robert Igbinedion, a Lagos based lawyer, confirmed to Premium Times Friday that he had filed a suit, on behalf of the young lady, at the Ogun State High Court for the enforcement of the lady's fundamental rights to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, human dignity, fair hearing, and freedom from discrimination.
Mr. Igbinedion is seeking an award of N2bn as 'general and exemplary damages' against Mr. Oyedepo.
"If a wrong is done to the young lady, she is bound to receive justice for that wrong," said Mr. Igbinedion, a Solicitor at Salus Populi Chambers.
In the suit, Mr. Igbinedion said that the young lady, while answering an "illegal" alter call, was trying to explain herself when the pastor gave her "a dirty and thunderous slap."
"The respondent (Mr. Oyedepo) made the alter call for witches to come out, he did not make a similar call for other categories of sinners like illicit drug dealers, contract inflators, fraudsters, adulterers, and fornicators in the church," read the suit.
Mr. Igbinedion, who represented the victims of the celebrated Pastor Emeka Ezeugo (popularly known as Reverend King) at the Magistrate court, in 2006; stated that cases of violence in the place of worship if not nipped in the bud could escalate into 'uncountable' dimensions.
Furthermore, he said the calling out of the young lady (and others) as witches are illegal, unconstitutional, and a breach of Section 34 of the Constitution of Nigeria, African Charter on Human and People's Right, and United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Right.
The suit asked the court to compel Mr. Oyedepo to issue a self-signed public apology to be published in two national dailies and one international satellite television station.
It also wants the respondent to issue a similar alter call for drug dealers, corrupt government officials, bribe-giving contractors, and other category of sinners who are members of the church.
In December last year, a video of Mr. Oyedepo viciously slapping a teenage girl during church service for saying she is "a witch for Jesus" appeared on popular site You Tube.
Though later removed, the video went viral within days with the pastor, fondly called Papa, receiving a lot of stick from outraged viewers and members of the public.
One viewer described the act as "unbiblical, barbaric, and a disgrace."
Days later, another video surfaced in which Mr. Oyedepo tried to justify his action saying "it is my ministry to slap" and that the fact that the witch, rather than going to court, apologized showed his superiority.
"People now complain on the Internet that I slapped a witch.  If I see another one, I'll slap," he said in the video.

JAMB to release University admission cut-off marks May 21st

The JAMB registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde has on Thursday revealed that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has set May 21st as the release date for the cut-off marks for university admissions, adding that a harmonised cut-off point would kick start admission process for 2012/2013. Prof. Ojerinde made this known in Abuja when he received a four-man delegation from the Nigerian Turkish Nile University, led by its Vice Chancellor, Bunyamin Kaptanoglu, who paid him a courtesy visit. It would be recalled that JAMB successfully conducted the 3rd edition of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on the 24th of March. According to JAMB, a total of 1.5 million candidates applied and sat for the examination in Nigeria and six other countries.

Accidental Airforce missile discharge strikes building in Port Harcourt

Residents of Woji in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital scampered for safety at about 7 a.m. Friday when they heard a deafening blast at an uncompleted building. The blast was from An Airforce fighter jet on routine maintenance at the Airforce mechanic hangar that accidentally fired a rocket. The rocket travelled about three kilometres away and hit the uncompleted building located at 98, Woji street in Port Harcourt. P.M.NEWS correspondent who visited the scene of the incident reports that there was no injury or loss of lives but a minor damage to the building and Nissan car with Registration number Lagos DX 879 KRD was partly damaged. Some residents of the area said they actually panicked erroneously believing that the Boko Haram Islamic sect may have fired the missile as part of their threat to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan. Members of the State Security Council at a media briefing attended by the Air Force Commander, Air Vice Marshal Abba Ali Zannah; the State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Indabawa and the Director of the State Security Service, SSS, in the state, Olusegun Agbaje, said the incident was a rare and isolated one that could be as a result of mechanical, electrical or human error. Zannah, while urging members of the public to go about their normal lives without fear, said the actual cause of the incident is being investigated and that the outcome of the investigation will be used to prevent similar occurrence. “This morning at around 7:20 hours during a routine pre-planned inspection of an aircraft, a rocket flew out of the aircraft and pierced a building under construction at 98, Woji road. “There was no injury to persons or any loss of lives. Members of the State Security Council jointly inspected the scene of the incident. This unfortunate incident is a very rare and isolated occurrence that can happen to an aircraft. “We also learnt that that the Defence Headquarters had ordered a high powered investigation into the incident. “The incident is a system failure that could be as a result of mechanical, electrical or human error. The incident is being investigated and we are confident that the outcome of the investigation will help step up measures to ensure that we forestall future occurrence,” he said. PM News Post your Comment here!

D’Banj joins Elton John as labelmate after Split from Don Jazzy

African pop giant and former Mo’hits boss Dapo ‘D’banj’ Oyebanjo has signed withMercury Records, an imprint in the UK under the Mercury Records Group ofUniversal Music UK. Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the The Island Def Jam Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries ofUniversal Music Group. Mercury Records lists D’banj on their official website as one of their acts alongside the likes of UK rock singer-songwriter Elton John, Soft Rock singer Taylor Swift Irish rock group U2, former The Beatles musician Paul McCartney and others. Although his publicist and management are yet to respond to our E-mails concerning the signing, D’banj seems to have confirmed the news himself as he has updated the bio section profile on his Twitter page. D’banj has also launched his personal website www.dbanjofficial.com where the Mecury Records logo boldly appears in the bottom right corner. The new bio reads ‘DB/Good Music/ Mercury/IDJ’ (IDJ meaning Island Def Jam). When asked by a fan on Twitter what ‘IDJ’ means, he responded ‘island Def Jam bro’. D’banj is however not listed on the G.O.O.D Music/Def Jam official roaster on the label’s website. D’banj who recently parted ways with his former Mo’Hits label partner Don Jazzy has relocated to the US where he will continue to push his brand and music in the foreign music market. The entertainer is set to officially release his smash single ‘Oliver’ (which recently made Scott Mills’ Radio 1 ‘Record Of The Week’) in the UK on May 14. D’banj as announced earlier will also perform at the 2012 Barclaycard Wireless Festival which holds at the Hyde Park, London, on Saturday, July, 7 2012 and at the BBC Hackney Weekend 2012 in London come June 23 and 24. -Nigerian Entertainment Today

Nollywood Celebrity At Ay Live Show

Pension Scam – Senate Orders Police to Investigate Farida Waziri and Lamorde

  The Senate Joint Committee on Investigations into Pension Administration has asked the Police to probe the allegation that the Pension Reform Task Team paid N5.8m into the account of the former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. , and her successor, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde.
The committee arrived at this decision at its sitting on Tuesday, when the Chairman, Senator Aloysius Etok, said it had become imperative to get to the roots of the allegation that Waziri and Lamorde, who both denied the allegation, collected the N5.8m to travel abroad for biometric verification.
Waziri and Lamorde, had appeared before the committee to deny that about N5.8m was paid into their accounts by the PRTT for a trip abroad to carry out biometric data capture on pensioners.
But the Assistant Chief Account, Mr. Toyin Ishola, in his presentation, insisted that the N5.8m withdrawn by Madubuike and handed over to Yusuf was meant for Lamorde and Waziri.
“I urge the committee to investigate further and you will find out that the money was actually paid to them,” he insisted.
Although Chairman of the committee, Senator Aloysius Etok, had asked the EFCC to investigate the matter, Ishola protested, saying the EFCC was not in a position to investigate a case in which it was indicted.
Etok, however, reversed himself and directed that the Police should take over the investigation and verification of the details of payments to Waziri and Lamorde.
The committee also heard how members of the PRTT used bank accounts of employees of the Police Pensions Office to siphon about N5.9bn of the funds belonging to the office.
Waziri, however, said banks helped the corrupt civil servants to siphon the pension funds in their desperation to make money.
“Without bank collusion, they could not have stolen these billions, it is the banks and they knew it,” she said.
The committee has however, asked the Police to investigate the allegations against the two anti-corruption personalities of the EFCC and report back to it.
Appearing before the committee, Mr. Christian Madubuike, an employee of the Police Pensions Office, admitted that several amounts totalling N5.9bn were paid into his accounts by the office between 2007 and 2012.

How Car Gift Landed Farida Waziri in Hot Water

He said it was the practice in the office for accounts of the officials of the office to receive payments and the said amounts would be withdrawn by the account owner who returned the money to the authorising officer.
Madubuike said, “They paid money into the accounts of staff of the office and the money is withdrawn and returned to the Assistant Director, Mr. John Yusuf (a member of the PRTT). That is the practice.
“Monies were paid into my account without my knowledge, but my boss would call me and tell me that money had been paid into my account and I should go and withdraw it and return it to him.
“Since everybody in the office withdrew the money paid into their accounts and returned it, I could not disobey my superior as I am the most junior in that section.”
He said the N5.8m allegedly paid to the EFCC officials was first paid into his account after which he was instructed to withdraw the sum, which he did, and presented to Yusuf.
Another member of the Accounts Department of the Police Pensions Office, Magareth Oyoebi, confirmed that it was the practice for accounts of employees to be used to receive payments from the pension funds.
Co-Chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya, read from the statement of account of Madubuike on the details of the payments and withdrawals from the account.
He said, “In 2007, N1.8m was paid into your account; 2010, N1.8m; another N2.8m was again paid. In 2011, N400,000 and in one day, N2.1m was paid which was divided into three installments.”

Ibori jailed over $250m fraud, to spend 41/2 years in Jail

LONDON (AFP) - Former Delta state governor, Chief James Ibori was Tuesday jailed by a British court for 13 years on  for his part in a $250 million fraud of state funds but to spend four and half years behind bars.
James Ibori, 49, who was governor ofoil-rich Delta State between 1999 and 2007, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Chief James Ibori

Scotland Yard says that during his two terms as governor, Ibori “systematically stole funds from the public purse, secreting them in bank accounts across the world”, in a fraud worth $250 million.
In February, Ibori pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money, five of money laundering and one of obtaining a property transfer by deception.
He also admitted conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to make false instruments, and one count of money laundering linked to a $37-million share fraud surrounding the sale of shares in Nigerian company V Mobile.
Ibori “deliberately and systematically defrauded the people whose interests he had been elected to represent”, said Sue Patten, head of Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service central fraud group.
Britain’s International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said corruption was a “cancer” in the developing world and the sentence sent a strong message to people eying Britain “as a refuge for their crimes”.
“We are committed to rooting out corruption wherever it is undermining development, and will help bring its perpetrators like Ibori to justice and return stolen funds to help the world’s poorest,” he said in a statement.

Culled The vanguard

See how some of our Nigerian celebrities looked growing up, way before they became stars.

Mercy Johnson

Goldie

MI- Abaga

Psquare

World Bank's Statement On The Selection Of Dr. Jim Yong Kim As The 12th President Of The World Bank Group

Dr. Jim Yong Kim defeated Nigeria's finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the WB President

The Executive Directors followed the new selection process agreed in 2011 which, for the first time in the Bank’s history, yielded multiple nominees.
This process included an open nomination where any national of the Bank’s membership could be proposed by any Executive Director or Governor, publication of the names of the candidates, interviews of the candidates by the Executive Directors, and final selection of the President.
The Executive Directors selected Dr. Jim Yong Kim as President for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2012. The President is Chair of the Boards of Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The President is also ex officio Chair of the Boards of Directors of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the Administrative Council of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
We, the Executive Directors, wish to express our deep appreciation to all the nominees, Jim Yong Kim, José Antonio Ocampo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Their candidacies enriched the discussion of the role of the President and of the World Bank Group’s future direction. The final nominees received support from different member countries, which reflected the high caliber of the candidates. We all look forward to working with Dr. Kim when he assumes his responsibilities.
Dr. Jim Yong Kim is currently President of Dartmouth College. A U.S. national, Dr. Kim is a co-founder of Partners in Health (PIH) and a former director of the Department of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization (WHO). Before assuming the Dartmouth presidency, Dr. Kim held professorships at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He also served as chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and director of the François Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Kim was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship (2003), was named one of America’s “25 Best Leaders” by US News & World Report (2005), and was selected as one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” (2006). He was elected in 2004 to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences—one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine—for his professional achievements and commitment to service. He has published widely over the past two decades, authoring or co-authoring articles for leading academic and scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, and Science.
Born in 1959 in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Kim moved with his family to the United States at the age of five and grew up in Muscatine, Iowa. Dr. Kim graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1982. He earned a medical doctorate from Harvard Medical School in 1991 and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard University in 1993. He is married to Dr. Younsook Lim, a pediatrician. The couple has two young sons.
Contacts:
In Washington: David Theis, (202) 458-8626, dtheis@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

20yr old girl detained in prison for 4 years for stealing N10k phone

Her name is Blessing Effiong from Akwa Ibom state and in 2008 when she was only 16, she was arrested and detained for being in possession of a stolen N10, 000 phone. She has been awaiting trial at the female section of Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos for four years now. Unbelievable, right? 

 

In 2008, I bought a Starcomms phone for N10,000 in order to start a business centre. A few days later, a man called me and said the phone was stolen from him. I told the man I didn’t know it was stolen. We had an agreement that I should return the phone and he would refund my money.

I gave the man my address but when he got to my place, he said the phone was stolen from him along with his laptop and some other vital documents. He accused me of being a thief, called the police and had me arrested. I was charged with robbery and have been in Kirikiri since then as my trial has yet to begin.

The Akwa-Ibom indigene, who was interviewed by the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and representatives of the Office of the Public Defender, during a visit to the prisons to evaluate the number of awaiting trial persons there, narrated in detail how she had been incarcerated since the age of 16 because she could not afford the services of a lawyer.

Effiong said she was arrested at her guardian’s house in Ebute-Meta but was transferred to the Agboju Police Division from where she was taken to an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

She said although she was 16 at the time of her arrest, the Investigating Police Officer claimed she was 21 so that she would be tried as an adult.

“I told the IPO that I was only 16 years old and that I knew nothing about the stolen phone but the IPO wrote 21 on my statement and claimed I was lying about my age. I was arraigned as an adult,” she said.

Effiong added that even after four years, her trial had not begun as the court was said to be awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(Culled from Punch)

Can Gbenga Daniel win this Battle??

Gbenga Daniel

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re -arraigned former Governor Gbenga Daniel before Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje of the state High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State.


Daniel is facing a 38- count charge bordering on breach of trust, fraudulent conversion of public landed property to personal use, failure to declare his assets truthfully and stealing over N211m.
According to the EFCC, the said N211m was allegedly stolen by the accused in several tranches while serving as governor of the state.
Daniel was first arraigned before Mabekoje last October 12  and after pleading not guilty to the charges filed by the EFCC, the judge  adjourned the case and ordered that the former governor be remanded in the commission’s custody.
The anti - graft agency later added 27 more charges against Daniel, bringing the total to 43, but he was however granted N500m bail bond with sureties in like sum.
After five months of standing trial before Justice Mabekoje during which the court heard arguments and counter- arguments of both counsel, the court discharged Daniel, citing fundamental errors in the manner the charges were filed against the accused by EFCC.
According to the judge, the prosecution should have obtained consent to prosecute the accused from the Chief Justice of Ogun State first before initiating criminal proceedings against him.
But on Monday, EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, who appeared with two other counsel- Adebisi Adeniyi and Tayo Olukotun, told the court that Daniel was in court for "re -arraignment."
Appearing for Daniel are 16- man legal team led by the quartet of Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), Mrs. Titi Akinlanwon and former Attorney - General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Mr. Akin Osibajo.

 

Michael Jackson New Album 'Immortal' Coming Out Nov. 21

A new Michael Jackson album is on the way.

Epic Records in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson will release Immortal on Nov. 21.

Described as a musical tapestry for Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, which kicked off last night in Montreal, the album features redesigned versions of Jackson's hits, mashups and never-before-heard outtakes including an alternate take on the Jackson 5's ABC and a choir that Jackson recorded for They Don't Really Care About Us. 

Immortal will be released as both a deluxe double disc version and single disc.

Wande Cole mum on Mo’Hits crisis ,As wande Dazzles Malaysians

DESPITE the tiff between D’Banj and Don Jazzy, the “Bumper II Bumper” crooner was busy this week thrilling Nigerians in Malaysia to a hilt. R source in the country that is fast becoming another haven for Nigerians, a lady, said “Wande literally brought down the entire roof of Celebrity Nightclub at Mount Kiara” in the palm-oil driven country. 

 Cole, who left Nigeria in the heat of the controversial spat between the once-good friends, delighted even non-Nigerians at the event but refused to comment on the reported parting of ways between D’Banj and Don Jazzy. It is believed that he kept mum so that he wouldn’t rock the already tipped boat.

 “We all understand he was being careful, all these musicians share the same market. Wande is set to release an album and he won’t want to say stuff that could incur the wrath of D’Banj’s fans thereby hurting his commercial value,” R source inferred. Fans were said to have paid 120 Rengits, equivalent to N5,000, to gain entry into the club. He performed for an hour. D’Banj, who has been to Malaysia four times under one year, is set for another visit to the country in five weeks.

Boko Haram Plans Massive Attacks In June To Prove President Jonathan Wron

Islamist militant group Boko Haram is planning a series of coordinated mass strikes in June 2012 to prove Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan wrong on his prediction that the activities of the group would be fully curtailed by the end of June.

A source knowledgeable about the groups plot said the group had recently distributed copies of Mr. Jonathan's speech in Hausa to its various cells to enable the various units prepare for massive attacks on security agencies, party offices and political figures around the northern region.

In particular, the group plans to attack governors Isah Yuguda of Bauchi, Jonah Jang of Plateau; Babangida Aliyu of Niger State; Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State, as well as the former governor of Borno, Modu Sherriff, all of whom it believes are collaborating with security agencies to arrest and kill their members. Also reportedly marked for attack is the Defence Minister, Mohammed Bello.

The source also revealed that due to the sect's desire for more political acceptance in the region it plans various attacks on the political offices of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) nationwide.

SaharaReporters has also learned that the sect is planning to do an internal cleansing by killing those believed to have sold out on other members. Interestingly the sect source also revealed that Boko Haram has now set up an Internet monitoring platform to monitor discussions of their activities.
Visiting Seoul, South Korea, last week, Mr. Jonathan made the impolitic announcement to Yonhap news agency, that his government would have overcome Boko Haram by June. It was not clear how he arrived at such a deadline, or why it was necessary to broadcast it, giving his government’s poor track record with the militants and security in general.

NIGERIAN PAYS $1 MILLION TO PEEP AT BEYONCE'S BOOBS

This very Nigerian man, the publisher of Thisday is many things to many people. But in this undated photo, a revelation of unimaginable proportion was that the Nigeria man actually paid Beyonce Knowles $1 million just to take a peep at her unbuttoned chest..

 

Federal Government To Stop Funding Of Universities - Anyim Pius Anyim

Pius Anyim

The Federal Government has advised federal universities to be prepared to swim on their own, or sink.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at a fundraising dinner organized by the University of Jos, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, called on the institutions to generate funds independently from investors, associates and alumni.
Mr. Anyim, a former President of the Senate, also said that the government would inaugurate a committee to assess the level of need of the institutions and make recommendations, apparently to back the decision that has already been taken to starve them of funds.
This decision to pass the burden of financing to the universities is certain to lead to increases in tuition in federal universities, just as a similar decision to withdraw the subsidy on petrol last January led to the exponential price increases that fuelled that month’s mass rallies nationwide


The pattern of passing vast financial burdens to impoverished citizens is happening at a time that the executive and legislative arms of the government are continuously finding ways to grant to themselves lavish budget provisions.
Only recently, it emerged that the nation’s Senators had bought new Toyota LandCruiser Sport Utility Vehicles at a cost of over N16million each.  Each of them already enjoys a fleet of luxury official cars. This year, federal legislators will receive an estimated N71 billion in jumbo allowances and packages they have allocated to themselves.
Not to be outdone, the presidency has this year budgeted for itself, for food alone, about one billion Naira.

EFCC Press Release: Court Jails Banker Six Months Over N12 Million ATM Fraud