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The police at the Maroko Division, Lekki, Eti Osa, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, have arrested a suspected fake pastor, Prince Kayode Ogbeniola, 43, for allegedly stealing a Samsung handset inside the Redeemed Christian Church of God, aka City of David, situated on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. He was arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate's Court on a one count charge of stealing. The police alleged that the accused, a resident of Ajah, Lagos, from Ondo State, was arrested following a complaint by the Chief Security Officer attached to the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The accused entered their church as a worshipper and stole a handset belonging to a member of the church, Vivian Oji and escaped on 13 December, 2012. But nemesis caught up with him when he came back the following Sunday to steal another one, and the victim sighted him within the church premises making calls with her phone. She confronted the accused to give her the phone in his possession because it be...

A housewife whose husband is an alleged member of the Boko Haram sect has lamented her family's ordeal since her husband was allegedly taken away by security agents in Abuja. She said that her husband's name was Muhammad and that  he ran away leaving her with four children to cater for. According to her, her husband was a trader at Abuja before the police discovered his alleged membership of Boko Haram sect. The housewife, Mrs Maryam Inusa narrated their ordeal to our correspondent in Kano at the hospital where she was left for dead in the mortuary alongside 14 dead bodies killed during the joint military task force (JTF) raid at Unguwa Uku area, in Kano. She sustained broken arms, bleeding nose and looked emaciated, when our correspondent met her. A mortuary attendant at the hospital told LEADERSHIP that she was brought by men of JTF among the dead and it was discovered that she was only injured and when the hospital authorities  alerted the soldiers who brou...

It is still not a good story in Pulka, Bornu state, despite the assurance of the Joint Task Force,JTF of a peaceful Easter, as gang of suspected Boko Haram gunmen attacked the palace of the District Head of Pulka, Ali Pulka in Gwoza council area; and shot him dead before his wife and children during the Easter break. The incident reportedly happened at about 10.35pm on Monday. Pulka, is a border town with Cameroun, and 119 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. A top police officer attached to the Divisional Police Station, Gwoza who doesn't want his name in print disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Maiduguri. He said that the gunmen came in two Golf Volkswagen vehicles and motorcycle, proceeded straight to the palace, shot the district head, before soldiers rushed to the scene to prevent further attacks and killings in the town. His words: "our report on the assassination of the District Head of Pulka (Ali) and attacks on the palace...

A serving member of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC who was kidnapped last week in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State has been rescued by the Nigerian police. The Ebonyi State Public Relations Officer, DSP Sylvester Igbo, who disclosed this to newsmen in Ebonyi state stated that the timely report of the incident at the Command was what ensured the speedy rescue of the victim and her car. "At about 7:30 pm, one Dr. Chiagozie Onuoha Bibiana, a medical Corper attached to the Civil Service Clinic, Abakaliki was at Mile 50 kidnapped in her Honda accord car by four armed men and taken into Umuoghara bush at Ezza North LGA. "They placed a demand of 20 million naira on the victim. The speedy report of the incident to the police enabled the police to Quickly swing into action. "When they couldn't bear with the pressure from the Police and seeing that the police were closing down on them, they abandoned the victim and took to their heels. "The Honda accord car...

Federal Government has concluded arrangements to scrap the National Examination Council. Plans have also been concluded to cancel the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for applicants into the nation's tertiary institutions. The government's decisions, which would be made public soon via a White Paper, are based on the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies. A government source told our correspondent that the decisions were part of the recommendations made by a White Paper Committee set up by the government on the Oronsaye report. The source added that upon receipt of the latest report, President Goodluck Jonathan has been meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo and a few top government officials to take final decisions on it. It was in one of such meetings held on Tuesday that th...

I read this article by Umar Bello and decided to share it, I find it interesting 'Every established order tends to produce the naturalization of its own arbitrariness' – Pierre Bourdeau Recent happenings in Nigeria have again necessitated the need to look into our peculiar circumstances and see the factors that may hinder the emergence of a strong united Nigeria built on the ideals of humanity and democracy. Part of the problem is the deliberate promotion of stereotypes against certain people which robs us of essential truth and leads to the gradual erosion of harmony and mutual coexistence. As usual with stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination against the stereotyped group gradually sets in. The target group is 'externalized' as out-group and tagged negatively in all representations. This is done with a simultaneous creation of a very positive in-group and the establishment of superiority complex. Van Dijik in his theory of ideological square maintains that in preju...