Boko Haram leader threatens Cameroon in YouTube video

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened Cameroon in a video message on YouTube, warning that the same fate would befall the country as neighbouring Nigeria.

The video, which was posted on January 5, is directly addressed to Cameroon's President Paul Biya after repeated fighting between militants and troops in the country's far north.

"Oh Paul Biya, if you don't stop this, your evil plot, you will taste what has befallen Nigeria... Your troops cannot do anything to us," Shekau said in Arabic.

It is first time Shekau has directly addressed Cameroon and is also the first admission that Boko Haram has been actively operating in the country.

Boko Haram fighters had in the past launched attacks on northeastern Nigeria from bases in Cameroon but recent months have seen an increase in strikes within the country.

Boko Haram, which began its violent insurgency in 2009, has taken over swathes of territory in three northeastern Nigerian states, and declared some towns as part of its Islamic caliphate.

Cameroon's far north has come increasingly into the group's firing line and on December 28, Yaounde deployed fighter jets against Boko Haram for the first time.

Biya personally ordered the air strike after the insurgents crossed the border and seized a military camp, the government said on December 29.

The aerial bombardment, hailed as a new phase in the counter-insurgency, forced the Islamists to flee, it added.
Cameroon's president has made a series of strong statements against Boko Haram and in October last year vowed to go after the group "until it's totally wiped out".

In May last year, he said that a Paris meeting of Nigeria's neighbours was designed to "declare war on Boko Haram".

But a key agreement at the summit to set up a regional force has yet to be implemented, with Cameroon increasingly vocal in its criticisms about the lack of a coordinated response to Boko Haram.

Love Story Of The Century

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 95-year-old newlywed Virginia man has died just weeks after his 96-year-old wife was taken away by family members to Florida.

Eddie Harrison died Tuesday in a hospital after suffering from influenza, said Rebecca Wright, who was caring for the couple in their Alexandria, Virginia, home. Harrison became distressed after his wife and longtime companion, 96-year-old Edith Hill, was taken away, Wright said. Wright is Hill's daughter.

"He lived for her, and she lived for him. It's the love story of the century," Wright said, recalling how they would dance, take walks and care for each other.

Harrison and Hill's marriage this year after 10 years of companionship was disputed in court. Their wedding was problematic because Hill has been declared legally incapacitated for several years. Another of Hill's daughters, Patricia Barber, contested the marriage, saying it would complicate the eventual distribution of Hill's estate. But Hill and Harrison said they wanted to stay together.

A judge appointed a new guardian for Hill to protect her interests, removing Barber and Wright as guardians, but left the marriage intact.

The interracial aspect of the marriage also was unique because the two longtime Virginians would not have been allowed to marry if they had met in their 20s, 30s or 40s under state law at the time.

On Dec. 6, Hill's guardian arrived to take Hill away to Barber's home in Florida for what was supposed to be a two-week vacation. Police were called to the home during a traumatic 40-minute negotiation to convince Hill to leave, Wright said.

When Hill did not return home as planned after two weeks, Harrison began to realize she was not coming back, Wright said. Daisy Birch, a family friend, said Harrison was heartbroken. He also became ill with the flu and checked himself into a hospital.

A dispute continues between the two sisters, Barber and Wright, over Hill's affairs and place of residence.

Source: Yahoo news

Oprah Not Dying Of Cancer

The news going round that Oprah Winfrey has been diagnosed of cancer and has a few weeks to live is a hoax.

Google search showed that the news originated from NAHA (Negros Against Hair Line Abuse, some bloggers and social commentators.

It seems that the fake news is a ploy to increase the number of visitors to the website. This is furthermore thought to be so as the likes of CNN, Times, and big media outfits seem not to be aware of such development since Oprah is such a big fish for such outfits.

PDP Replies Obanikoro

 

The Peoples Democratic Party has responded to the allegations of fraud by a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, in his suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the conduct and the outcome of the party’s governorship primary in Lagos State.

 The PDP denied Obanikoro’s allegations in a counter-affidavit it filed in opposition to Obanikoro’s application for an interim injunction seeking to restrain the PDP from submitting any name as its governorship candidate in the state to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Both the PDP and INEC are the defendants. INEC was not represented in court when the matter came up for hearing before Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Tuesday.

 The party, through its counsel, Paul Ananaba, had also filed a separate preliminary objection in opposition to the suit with which Obanikoro is seeking the nullification of the primary on the grounds of alleged irregularities.

The party insisted that there was no over-voting as the earlier announcement of 806 as the accredited voters was a tabulation error. PDP Youth Leader in Lagos State, Samuel Ladeinde, stated in the supporting affidavit, “At the conclusion of voting, a total of 864 ballot papers were issued to accredited delegates.

In the Electoral Committee Chairman’s (Senator Saidi Kumo’s) opening remarks, he mentioned that 806 delegates were accredited.

 “But this initial remark was a tabulation error, which occurred by the omission to tabulate the following list of delegates even though they had been duly accredited for the exercise. “Ikeja ad hoc delegates – 30; Ikeja automatic delegates – 7; Ojo automatic delegates – 6; Mushin automatic delegates -8; Alimosho automatic delegates – 7, and the total is 58. “The agents and aspirants were clearly informed at the electoral desk of this tabulation omission, which they accepted without opposition before the counting votes cast commenced.

“During the voting, the agents of the aspirants had verified each delegate before the delegate was given a ballot paper to vote, thus ensuring that only duly accredited delegates voted and each such delegate received only on ballot paper.” Obanikoro had, in his suit filed on December 15, 2014, asked Justice Ahmed Mohammed to nullify the primary on the grounds that it was marred with irregularities, including over-voting, disruption of the exercise by armed thugs, improper accreditation of voters.

He also accused a leader of the party in the state, Chief Olabode George, and the winner of the December 8 primary, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, of recruiting armed thugs to manipulate the exercise.

Ugandan Maid Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail For Abusing Toddler

A Ugandan maid has been jailed for four years for abusing a toddler in a case that shocked the country and the rest of the world after a graphic video of the assault was made public.

The 22-year-old maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, originally pleaded guilty about two weeks to torture, but later the charge was reduced to abuse, to which she also pleaded guilty to on last Friday. Tumuhiirwe on Monday remained apparently emotionless as her sentence was handed down in a court in Kampala. Chief Magistrate Lillian Buchan told Tumuhiirwe she had committed an ‘unjustifiable and inexcusable’ crime. She gave her a four-year sentence due to the ‘ruthlessness exhibited’ on an ‘innocent, helpless child.’ The maid, was filmed beating, kicking and stamping on the 18-month-old child.

On Friday, she said the attack was revenge after she was beaten by the child’s mother. The mother denied beating her. Earlier charges of torture were dropped.

The video footage, which prompted the case, came from a camera the child’s father, Eric Kamanzi, had installed in his home after noticing his daughter was bruised and limping. He reported the abuse to police last month and circulated the video online to family members. The footage was later shared more widely, provoking horror and upset internationally.

After the sentencing, Mr Kamanzi said: “It’s not for us to decide the punishment for what she committed”.

 “We hope this has set an example for other maids out there, that you can’t just go to someone’s house and torture their baby and expect to walk out,” AFP reports.

Police have recommended that parents do background checks with friends, neighbours, local police, council and previous employers before taking on nannies or maids given these responsibilities.

Finally! Bill Cosby's Wife Cammile Breaks Her Silence.

Bill Cosby’s wife Camille Cosby finally breaks her silence, defending her husband in a statement on the recent sexual assault allegations against her husband.

Bill Cosby kept quiet on the allegations until recently, where he asked the “black media” to have a neutral mind and gave credit and lots of praise to his wife for supporting him 100%.

She writes: “I met my husband, Bill Cosby, in 1963, and we were married in 1964. The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work. He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew. A different man has been portrayed in the media over the last two months. It is the portrait of a man I do not know. It is also a portrait painted by individuals and organizations whom many in the media have given a pass. There appears to be no vetting of my husband’s accusers before stories are published or aired. An accusation is published, and immediately goes viral. We all followed the story of the article in the Rolling Stone concerning allegations of rape at the University of Virginia. The story was heart-breaking, but ultimately appears to be proved to be untrue. Many in the media were quick to link that story to stories about my husband – until that story unwound. None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked – who is the victim?"

Over 20,000 braziers recalled due to injury fears

A Japanese lingerie maker is recalling over 20,000 brassieres after complaints that underwears suddenly poked out, sometimes while women were wearing them. The Japanese division of lingerie maker Triumph International, which has made a name for itself with concept lingerie such as a solar-powered bra and an “Abenomics” bra, said they took the move due to fears of injury. “We are sorry for the trouble, but we ask customers to stop using the bras immediately,’’ the company said in a statement. The company added that it deeply apologized and would take steps to prevent a recurrence. “The recall applies to roughly 22,000 bras ranging in cost from 5,600 to 6,200 yen (£30.4 to £33.7) and sold only in Japan,’’ a company spokeswoman said. There have been no reports of injuries from the defect, which caused the tips of the under wears to protrude from holes in the fabric, sometimes after washing and sometimes while people were wearing them. “It would be terrible if it happened again and somebody’s skin was scratched,’’ she added.

Source: Vanguard News Paper