Singer signs new endorsement deal

 The singer on March 7, 2017, signed an endorsement deal with Ping Express, an online money transfer service.

Even though he's gone cold on the music scene, May D is still raking in the cash.

The singer and father on March 7, 2017, signed an endorsement deal with Ping Express, an online money transfer service.

playMay D for Ping Express (Press)

May D, real name Akinmayokun Awodumila, will help preach its low-cost online money transfer to Africans in diaspora.

Speaking on his latest achievement, "It’s a pleasure to be part of the Ping Express brand and help champion the good work they’re doing to make sending money home faster and convenient.

Supporting family back home is top of mind to Africans in diaspora, and I’ve been amazed by how instrumental Ping Express has been in helping them achieve this goal and also save them some money.”

The singer recently released a new song and video titled 'Row ya boat' ft American duo Rock City.

Man who beheaded woman in Lagos said he was paid N4K

A father of 15 who slaughtered a woman for ritual purposes said he was paid only N4,000 to butcher the victim.

A 61-year-old man arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly beheading a young woman in the Badagry area of the state, Taofik Hassan Adara, aka KieKie, has confessed that he was paid a meager N4,000 by a native doctor for the job.

Vanguard reports that Adara was arrested by a vigilante group in the Itoga-Zeba area of Badagry on Sunday, March 19, 2017, with the head, hands and other parts of the lady he had murdered on his way to deliver them to his client in Sango-Ota, Ogun State.

The suspect admitted to killing the woman, said he chopped off the victim’s head with a cutlass, while two Islamic clerics popularly called Alfas, and a herbalist held onto her hands.

He further confessed that the cutlass he used to slaughter the woman whose identity is still yet to be known, was given to him by the herbalist who contracted him for the job.

While answering questions from the police, Adara reportedly said:

“I live at the Itoga-Zeba area of Badagry. I am a wood cutter and at times I assist owners of coconut plantations to pluck coconut.

The whole thing started on Saturday evening when one of my herbalist friends known as Manase, came to me to say that he was expecting two alfas from Sango Ota.

He told me they would be coming with a lady and that he would pay me N4,000 to help butcher the woman. He told me the two needed some fresh human parts to prepare a concoction for one of their clients.

True to his words, the two alfas arrived Itoga on Sunday evening. I noticed that before their arrival, the two alfas had used some charms on the lady. I noticed that she was just obeying their directives without asking any question.

play

The cheap murderer, Taofeek Hassan Adara

 (Vanguard)

The cheap murderer, Taofeek Hassan Adara

Photo Credit: Vanguard

The Alfa from Ota, Baba Ronke, uses human beings for rituals. He deceived the woman to Badagry, saying he was bringing her to a senior colleague who would perform some cleansing by the river side on her.

Immediately they dropped the woman by the riverside they left with a promise to wait for her at the bus stop. While she was waiting, I came and did my part of the job.

I began by asking her where she came from and she said she was from Ojodu Berger. I felt pity for her, but I could not help the situation.

I was on my way to deliver the needed parts to the Alfa at Sango-Ota when I was arrested. This is my second time of working for Baba Ronke and Alfa.

Manase was the one that asked her to kneel down and she did. It was while she was still kneeling that I chopped off her head with a sharp cutlass given to me by Manase.”

While pleading for forgiveness, Adara who has two wives and 15 children, admitted that he had killed one other person about a year ago, disclosing that Manase was the one who also brought that victim to him and paid him N8,000 for that.

LASEMA recovers doctor’s corpse

The body of the deceased Dr Orji Allwell who committed suicide by jumping into the Lagos Lagoon on Third Mainland Bridge, has been recovered.

The Lagos Sate Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said on Wednesday that it had recovered the corpse of Dr Allwell Orji who plunged into the lagoon on Sunday.

Mr Adesina Tiamiyu, General Manager of LASEMA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos that the body was recovered at about 4.00 p.m. by the Marine Police.

“The body was identified by some of his family members, including the driver, in the presence of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni.

“The body has been handed over to the family while investigation continues”, Tiamiyu said.

The general manager expressed his condolences on behalf of the State Government and declared the search closed.

NAN recalls that Orji, a medical doctor, was said to have been driven to the Third Mainland Bridge by his driver on Sunday, alighted and took a fatal plunge into the lagoon.

The deceased, working at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Surulere area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, drowned before help could come.

The police had on Tuesday recovered a corpse they thought was Orji’s but rejected by the family. 

A barbarian cannot change Britain

The terror attack that left three victims and an assailant dead near the Houses of Parliament in London showed the worst and the best of British life.

It was a reminder of the threat we've lived under for a very long time. But it also was a demonstration of a professional police service swinging into action and of our citizens rushing to each other's aid.

We have a saying here: Keep calm and carry on. I'm sure that even on a day such as this we'll live up to it.

Timothy Stanley

Britain has been dealing with various forms of political violence since the 1960s, when the sectarian Troubles erupted in Northern Ireland. Last year, one of our members of Parliament, Jo Cox, was murdered by a sympathizer of the racist far-right. And we've been on alert against Islamist terrorism since 9/11. On July 7, 2005, 52 people were killed by suicide bombers in London.

Our security services are second to none and are believed to have prevented 13 terror attacks since 2013. Their job, however, is made all the more difficult by the situation in the Middle East. The Syrian civil war has radicalized some young Britons; around 850 of them are believed to have traveled to Syria or Iraq to support or join the fighting. About half that number are thought to have returned. Others have tried to travel to the region and been stopped.

Police treating UK attack as an act of terror 01:57

That Britain hadn't had a significant, successful attack since 2013, when a soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby, was beheaded in the street, is a testament to how well our security agencies have been coping.

So was the swift response of London's police force on Wednesday. We know that one officer lost his life. The officer was given CPR by Tobias Ellwood, an MP and former soldier who lost his brother in a bombing in Indonesia. There's no greater testament to the strength of Britain's institutions than the selflessness of our police and the quality of MPs like Ellwood.

As for the attacker, there's a lot of speculation at the moment. But the location of this attack was surely picked to say something about the British state and its vulnerability. Reports indicate that an attacker drove along Westminster Bridge, mowing down tourists, and then into the railings outside the Houses of Parliament.

The moment the UK Parliament stopped 00:32

An attacker then approached the grounds of the Houses of Parliament and stabbed a police officer. This is a place where, as a journalist, I go all the time. My newspaper colleagues were inside the building in the lobby offices. There were MPs at work in the Commons. The Prime Minister was inside the palace grounds.

What if the attacker had a bomb? What if he had got farther into the complex? The situation could have been even worse.

One piece of good news is that Parliament intends to sit tomorrow, Thursday, and continue its business as normal. That's how a democracy wins. Britain's extremist right will demand tough measures -- it has always confused me that people who claim to love their country as much as the far-right does are so keen to change it at a moment's notice.

Modern Britain is defined by tolerance. Please don't believe the worst that you might read online: We have fine community relations here. We are a generally peaceful and good-natured country. We are also known for our coolness under fire. We have seen this violence before and will endure more to come. But we don't give in to terrorists. A barbarian cannot change a country as old and civilized as ours.

US officials: Info suggests Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians

US officials: Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians 14:11

The FBI has information that indicates associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton's campaign, US officials told CNN.

This is partly what FBI Director James Comey was referring to when he made a bombshell announcement Monday before Congress that the FBI is investigating the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, according to one source.

The FBI is now reviewing that information, which includes human intelligence, travel, business and phone records and accounts of in-person meetings, according to those U.S. officials. The information is raising the suspicions of FBI counterintelligence investigators that the coordination may have taken place, though officials cautioned that the information was not conclusive and that the investigation is ongoing.

In his statement on Monday Comey said the FBI began looking into possible coordination between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives because the bureau had gathered "a credible allegation of wrongdoing or reasonable basis to believe an American may be acting as an agent of a foreign power."

The White House did not comment and the FBI declined to comment.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer maintained Monday after Comey's testimony that there was no evidence to suggest any collusion took place.

"Investigating it and having proof of it are two different things," Spicer said.

One law enforcement official said the information in hand suggests "people connected to the campaign were in contact and it appeared they were giving the thumbs up to release information when it was ready." But other U.S. officials who spoke to CNN say it's premature to draw that inference from the information gathered so far since it's largely circumstantial.

The FBI cannot yet prove that collusion took place, but the information suggesting collusion is now a large focus of the investigation, the officials said.

The FBI has already been investigating four former Trump campaign associates -- Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Carter Page -- for contacts with Russians known to US intelligence. All four have denied improper contacts and CNN has not confirmed any of them are the subjects of the information the FBI is reviewing.

One of the obstacles the sources say the FBI now faces in finding conclusive intelligence is that communications between Trump's associates and Russians have ceased in recent months given the public focus on Russia's alleged ties to the Trump campaign. Some Russian officials have also changed their methods of communications, making monitoring more difficult, the officials said.

Last July, Russian intelligence agencies began orchestrating the release of hacked emails stolen in a breach of the Democratic National Committee and associated organizations, as well as email accounts belonging to Clinton campaign officials, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

The Russian operation was also in part focused on the publication of so-called "fake news" stories aimed at undermining Hillary Clinton's campaign. But FBI investigators say they are less focused on the coordination and publication of those "fake news" stories, in part because those publications are generally protected free speech.

The release of the stolen emails, meanwhile, transformed an ordinary cyber-intrusion investigation into a much bigger case handled by the FBI's counterintelligence division.

FBI counterintelligence investigations are notoriously lengthy and often involve some of the U.S. government's most highly classified programs, such as those focused on intelligence-gathering, which can make it difficult for investigators to bring criminal charges without exposing those programs.

Investigators continue to analyze the material and information from multiple sources for any possible indications of coordination, according to US officials. Director Comey in Monday's hearing refused to reveal what specifically the FBI was looking for or who they're focusing on.

US officials said the information was not drawn from the leaked dossier of unverified information compiled by a former British intelligence official compiled for Trump's political opponents, though the dossier also suggested coordination between Trump campaign associates and Russian operatives.

Boko Haram DSS arrests suspected terrorist with AK 47 in Ekiti

The DSS also announced that it had arrested the kidnappers of two German nationals in Kaduna State.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a Boko Haram suspect in Ekiti State.

The DSS also announced that it had arrested the kidnappers of two German nationals in Kaduna State.

The agency made the disclosure via a statement released by spokesman, Tony Opuiyo.

The statement reads:

Recent operations carried out by the DSS in various parts of the country have significantly degraded capabilities of hoodlums, especially kidnappers and terrorists whose activities have continually threatened the peace.

For instance, on March 20, 2017, a suspected Boko Haram kingpin, Adenoyi Abdulsalam, was arrested in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State by a Joint Military/DSS operation team. An Ak-47 rifle was recovered from the suspect who is presently undergoing investigation.

Abdulsalam was on the final stages of kidnapping some high level targets in Ekiti, not only to raise funds but to terrorize communities in the State. Prior to this arrest, several other Boko Haram suspects had been apprehended in various parts of Northern Nigeria especially the States of Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kogi.

Typical cases of arrest include that of 29 year Boko Haram member, Usman Ladan Rawa (a.k.a Mr. X) on March 17, 2017 at Lafia, Nasarawa State. Rawa was discovered to have rented accommodation at Lafia for Abdullahi Isa, known for his notorious terrorist actions.

His plan was to establish an effective base to conduct terrorism, kidnapping and robbery operations in Abuja, Minna, and other adjoining States. On March 15, 2017, Nasiru Sani (a.k.a Osama) was arrested at Ahmadu Bello Way, Bauchi. He is a Boko Haram top commander, and discovered to have escaped from Bauchi Central Prison in October 2010 and hid in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Similarly, on the same March 13, 2017, at Jeka-da-Fari Market, Gombe State, Adamu Jibrin was arrested. He operated under the pseudo name of Dantata Sule and served as a middleman for Boko Haram members and their commanders especially the one simply identified as Kanumbu. Suspect affirmed his membership of the sect.

On March 1st and 2nd, 2017, at Ngalda Town of Fika LGA, Yobe State and Nagazi area of Adavi LGA, Kogi State, Abdulazeez Umaru and Nuhu Usman a.k.a Okadigbo were respectively arrested. Umaru, who has confessed his membership of the Boko Haram sect was arrested by the Service in concert with the local vigilante. Preliminary investigations have revealed the participation of Usman in several deadly insurgent attacks in Kogi State.

While the Service has ensured a relative peaceful environment in the month of March, it is instructive to note that it recorded many successes in the month of February as can be seen from its operations during the period.

On February 2, 2017, one Suleiman Yahaya who had been on the wanted list of security agencies was arrested during a raid in Potiskum LGA, Yobe State, for his role in several terrorist attacks in Borno and Yobe States. Similarly, on February 7, 2017, in Kumbotso LGA, Kano State, Mohammed Isyaka (a.k.a Maikwano), was also arrested for his complicity in Boko Haram attacks in the North East.

Meanwhile, on February 9, 2017, at Ayingba, Dekina LGA of Kogi State, the trio of Uwais Abubakar, Abdullahi Umaru and Mukhtar Suleman who are Boko Haram terrorists, were arrested by the Service’s tactical team.

Suspects were actively involved in series of attacks on select targets in Kogi State such as the Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State University and the newly constructed Kogi State Revenue House, Lokoja.

Ali Bukar and Mustapha Umar were also arrested on February 17, 2017 at Zaria Road, Kano State for their involvement  in Boko Haram activities. Abdullahi Isah, an indigene of Isari LGA of Yobe State was equally arrested at the Lafia Modern Market, Lafia, Nasarawa State for gun-running to raise funds for Boko Haram operations. He was a suspected armourer of the sect.

In furtherance of sustaining its operations against Boko Haram during the month of February, the Service on February 28, arrested a Boko Haram Commander and food supplier, Ibrahim FULATA and his associates – Shamsudeen Aliyu, Zaharadeen Ibrahim and Suleiman Abubakar at Zaria Clinic, Dustsen Tanshi  area of Bauchi LGA of Bauchi State.

Determined to sustain the prevailing peace and stamp out all cases of kidnap in various States where it is taking root, the Service staged vigorous operations which recorded successes.

The duo of Ibrahim Sule and Bello Shehu were arrested on March 13, 2017 at Nasarawa town, Nasarawa LGA of Kaduna State for their suspected involvement in the kidnap of two German nationals – Dr.Peter Breuning and Johannes Brehinger – on February 22, 2017 at Pahkogo, Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State. They are being questioned to establish other possible members of the network.

On February 9, 2017 at Umuahia, Abia State, Tochukwu Prince Johnson and Madubuike Christopher Iromaka were arrested for alleged threat to abduct two prominent businessmen in the State namely: Obioma Okorie and Chidozie Ohabuchiro. Also on February 12, 2017, a notorious local bandit, Saidu Musa was arrested in Makarfi LGA of Kaduna State for terrorizing people of the area. On arrest, a pump action gun and 23 cartridges were discovered in his vehicle, Toyota Carina KRD 523 EZ (Lagos).

In another development, on February 3, 2017, Ashiru Abubakar, a suspected kidnapper, was arrested at Maraban Jos Junction, Igabi LGA of Kaduna State. He was a member of the notorious gang that kidnapped 11 travelers along Kaduna-Abuja road, where they extorted several millions of naira from them to buy their freedom.

The Service also arrested some kidnappers in Kaduna, Kogi, and Plateau States. While Bingel Mohammed, Kabiru Lawal, Dahiru Lawal and Shagari Usman were arrested in Maigiginya Village, Igabi LGA, Kaduna State on February 4, 2017, Lawal Abdullahi, a notorious kidnap kingpin was also arrested on February 6, 2017 at Elka, Ohizenyi Okehi LGA of Kogi State.

On February 24, 2017, at Bosso LGA, Niger State, Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a Baba Dogo, a notorious kidnapper/cattle rustler was arrested. On the same date at Ankpa Town, Kogi State, 30 year suspected kidnapper, Mallam Idris Baba was shot dead while trying to evade arrest.

Earlier on January 28, 2017, in Wudil, Wudil LGA, Kano State, the Service arrested Ahmed Muhammed, a high profile Boko Haram terrorist, who kept custody of many persons abducted by sect members during their operations. On January 31, 2017, one Yusuf Hayatudeen, a suspected terrorist was arrested by the Service at Oziokutu Adavi LGA, Kogi State. Subject had threatened to bomb a Radio House in Okene, Kogi State before his apprehension.

The Service wishes to state that the successes recorded in these mop up operations were made possible by the cooperation and support of patriotic citizens and other stakeholders who volunteered useful information in this regard. While the Service pledges to sustain this tempo by undertaking similar operations in many more areas, there is no doubt therefore that the zeal towards ensuring safety of life and property will be dutifully maintained.

London attack: 7 arrests as police probe attacker's links

This post is from cnn by Laura Smith-Spark, Euan McKirdy and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

London (CNN)Police investigating the deadliest terror attack in central London in 12 years have arrested seven people and searched six addresses, Britain's most senior counterterror police officer said Thursday.

Inquiries are continuing in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country, Mark Rowley said.

Rowley revised the number of dead down by one to three. The victims were a police officer protecting Parliament, a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s, Rowley said.

The attacker, who rammed a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before attempting to storm the Houses of Parliament, was also shot dead at the scene.

Twenty-nine people were treated in hospital, seven of whom are still in a critical condition, Rowley said. There were also a number of "walking wounded," he said.

Hundreds of detectives worked through the night, Rowley said, with their investigation focused on the attacker's motivation, preparation and associates.

"It is still our belief -- which continues to be borne out by our investigation -- that this attacker acted alone yesterday and was inspired by international terrorism," he said. "To be explicit, at this stage, we have no specific information about further threats to the public."

A UK official told CNN the working theory was that the attack was ISIS "inspired or copycat", but the authorities were "still investigating." He added, "Values and community cohesion are now most important -- this is kind of a test case."

A candlelit vigil will be held Thursday evening in Trafalgar Square, not far from Westminster, to show solidarity and remember the victims, the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement.

"London is the greatest city in the world. We will never be cowed by terrorism. We stand together, in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will," it said.

Tourists injured

Rowley told journalists late Wednesday that police believe the attack was an act of "Islamist-related terrorism," and indicated they knew the identity of the assailant but were not releasing his name.

Police officer Keith Palmer was killed in the London attack, March 22, 2017.

Overnight, police in the city of Birmingham, in central England, raided an apartment, but it was not clear whether it was linked to the London attack. When asked for information, local police referred CNN to London's Metropolitan Police. The Met told CNN it would not comment for "operational reasons."

Only one of the victims has been publicly identified. Keith Palmer, a 15-year veteran of the London police force, was fatally stabbed on the grounds of Parliament before police killed his attacker.

A number of tourists were among 40 people hurt in the assault, including five South Koreans and three French high school students, according to officials from both countries. One Australian had been hospitalized, officials there said. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said one Chinese tourist was slightly injured.

It was the first mass-casualty terrorist attack in Britain since 2005, when 52 people and four attackers died in the July 7 bomb attacks on the London public transportation system.

British lawmakers are returning to Parliament Thursday, where many were trapped for hours as the police operation unfolded outside the previous day.

One member of the government, Tobias Ellwood, was lauded a hero after attempting to save the police offer, Keith Palmer, who later died.

How the attack unfolded

The area around Westminster was teeming with people when the attack began at about 2:40 p.m. local time (10.40 a.m. ET) Wednesday. Witnesses said the attacker drove his car along the sidewalk over Westminster Bridge, ramming into pedestrians as he went. The vehicle hit a large number of people, including three police officers.

"The car then crashed near to Parliament and at least one man -- armed with a knife -- continued the attack, trying to enter Parliament," Rowley said. One of those who died was a woman, he added.

Parliament was placed on lockdown for several hours and lawmakers were forced to remain in the main debating chamber of the House of Commons.

In the early hours of Thursday, much of Westminster -- Britain's political heart -- was still cordoned off by police, with access blocked to Downing Street and police headquarters at Scotland Yard.

Condemnation, condolences

Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as "sick and depraved." She said attempts to defeat through violence the values Parliament represents would be "doomed to failure."

"Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal. And Londoners -- and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great City -- will get up and go about their day as normal," she said Wednesday.

Theresa May: UK will never give in to terror 00:48

"They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives. And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror. And never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart."

People echoed May's defiance online, sharing an image of the London Underground logo emblazoned with the words "We are not afraid."

View image on Twitter

 Follow

Dr Ben White 

✔@drbenwhite

together #WeAreNotAfraid

8:19 PM - 22 Mar 2017

 
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Khan, the mayor, paid tribute to the emergency services and said: "My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to everyone who has been affected."

He announced extra armed officers would be deployed on the streets of the British capital. However, Rowley said there were no plans for military officers to provide extra protection at this stage.

World leaders expressed their condolences, with US President Donald Trump phoning the British Prime Minister to pledge US support in "responding to the attack."

"Spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well," he tweeted.

 Follow

Donald J. Trump 

✔@realDonaldTrump

Spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well.

2:33 AM - 23 Mar 2017

 
•  12,69412,694 Retweets
 
•  68,03568,035 likes

In New York, the NYPD stepped up security at "UK sensitive locations," including the British Consulate in midtown Manhattan, James Waters, the department's counterterrorism bureau chief said. NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said that it was routine to step up resources in this way during global terror events.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said security would be increased around the country's parliament building in Canberra.

He tweeted: "Australia stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Britain in war against terrorism. Our heartfelt sympathies are with the victims."

Witnesses report chaotic scenes

Robyn Lyon, 34, from Rugby, said he was walking along Westminster Bridge when he saw the car plow through the crowd.

Witnesses describe 'horrendous' Parliament attack 01:23

"I saw a car, the crunch of car, hitting the curb. I kind of thought the guy had maybe had a heart attack or something," he said.

"The accelerator suddenly picked up so you had that revving... It hit several people. I jumped out the way into a road.

"I stood in shock and saw carnage around me and the car carrying on up the bridge."

Craig Meichan, 20, a student from Ormskirk near Liverpool, was on a field trip with around 15 others and had left Parliament just a moment before.

"It sounded like a car backfiring, police began shouting and they started cordoning off the area," he told CNN, adding that he believed his tutor was still locked inside.

CNN's Angela Dewan, Nic Paton Walsh, Simon Cullen, James Masters, Schams Elwazer, Stephanie Halasz, Elizabeth Roberts, Steve Almasy, and Mark Oliver contributed to this report.