Wizkid Releases Azonto Video on Star Music

News release...

Superstar Wizkid has announced the release of the video for his viral single Azonto on Nigeria’s pioneer mobile music platform, Star Music.

The video for the song was shot in London by Mr Moe Musa and is inspired by the famous Ghanaian dance, Azonto.

 Walter Drenth, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, noted that artistes like Wizkid are the future of Nigerian music and Star Music is proud to be associated with the internationally celebrated artiste.  “The energy and vibrancy that Wizkid’s music exudes is not restricted to his music alone; it’s synonymous with Nigerian music and young Nigerians in general. So you can understand why we are really happy to be the first platform to share this wonderful video to the world.”

The MOBO-winning star who’s building a remarkable career, selling out concerts, winning awards here and abroad and building tremendous influence on social media says he’s ‘very ‘happy, proud, excited, name it. These are some of the many ways companies like Star can support Nigerian artistes, by giving our fans avenues to move closer to us. Star Music is a fantastic platform, you won’t believe how cool it is!’ 

Star Music is available on several mobile operating systems, including Android, Java, Blackberry, iphone, ipad and Google Play; as well as on a dedicated mobisite.

Star Music can be downloaded free from the following stores.

Celebrities model Yomi Casual's 2013 design collection

 

The award winning designer, who is also AY comedian's younger brother, just unveiled his 2013 collection which features celebrities such as - Ebube Nwagbo, Desmond Elliot, Chinedu Ikedieze, Susan Peters, Uti Nwachukwu, Iyanya, Zack Orji, Okey Bakassi, Don Jazzy, Efe Tommy, Jimmy Jatt and Elenu. See more photos after the cut....

 

 

Again, Police And SSS Trade Words Over Killers Of Governor Oshiomhole's Aide With (PHOTOS)

Governor Adams Oshiomhole

By SaharaReporters, New York

The credibility of Nigeria’s security agencies was again brought into question today as wild accusations and counter-accusations rang out in the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions looking into the murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, the Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.     
The governor, in his testimony before the committee, reiterated his position that Mr. Oyerinde was killed by his political opponents.  He said that the police deliberately went to arrest innocent people in order to give the impression that they were working, and thereby divert attention from the real culprits.  The police, he insisted, are trying to cover up the real criminals who perpetrated the dastardly act.                                    
The Director General of State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpenyong, gave a detailed account of how the service carried out its investigations and arrested its own batch of suspects.                        
DIG Peter Agana and DCP Chris Ezeike testified on behalf of the police, and they sought to fault Governor Oshiomhole’s testimony, describing it as frivolous, baseless and unfounded.  Ezeike said that the police investigation of the remote and immediate circumstances surrounding the murder of Mr. Oyerinde revealed that he had had a problem with his landlord.  He said they were also exploring the politically-motivated killing theory as well as the multiple fatal accidents that involved the convoy of Governor Oshiomhole.    
The police further insisted that their own suspects are the actual killers of Oyerinde, and that his wife, Funke, was invited to identify the suspects.   The suspects, he said, were taken to the scene of the crime and all of them admitted the role they played in the crime.
Ezeike denied that he told anybody that he wanted to meet with the Governor privately on the matter as had been alleged by the Governor.  He maintained that the SSS transferred seven suspects to the police, and not the six earlier paraded, and that Lawal Abubakar who was arrested in Kano was not handed over to them.
"They (SSS) did not transfer any report either preliminary and concluded, and no single item stolen from the deceased’s house as exhibit was handed over to the police by SSS," he said.  Muhammed Abdullahi, who was the ring leader, confessed that the gun they used was locally-made gun but the SSS maintained that it was a double-barreled gun that was used to commit the crime.                                                 
The police admitted that the suspects arrested by SSS are actually criminals because they confessed to many crimes they have carried out in Edo State and its environs.   The Governor and the human rights lawyer Femi Falana told the committee that so far, there were two contradictory reports on the case, and that there is a need for the President or National Security Adviser (NSA) to set up another Independent Panel to investigate and reconcile the two versions of both Police and SSS.
The Attorney General of Federation described the case as complicated and that it is difficult to determine which version to believe.
In a very strange case, the SSS and the police have paraded a different set of suspects, each of which confessed to having killed Oyerinde in his residence in Benin City.
The public hearing was attended by leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, civil society organizations, and others.

Kanye and Kim put their home up for sale.....

About a month ago, it was reported that parents-to-be Kim and Kanye plunked down $11 million for a 10,000-square-foot Bel Air mansion.

Now it's being reported that the new Italian style home has been quietly put back on the market. That is according to The Real Estate Stalker.

Property records do indeed now reveal that in late January 2013 the couple - or at least Miss Kardashian through the same trust connected her former faux-Tuscan in the Bev Hills P.O.—coughed up an undisclosed amount of moolah for the big ol' Bel Air Crest crib in question that sits on three-quarters of an acre with scenic canyon and city views and was last listed with a $10,750,000 price tag.

However, don't count on K.K and Kanye to gut or expand the five bedroom and 6.5 bathroom mock-Med McMansion, as was previously reported they planned to do. In fact, don't even count on them moving into the damn house because, according to Patty, they are already in escrow to flip the pricey pad for about a million bucks more than the still unknown amount they paid for the place just three weeks ago.

Arik, AIT, Other Beneficiaries Of Odili’s ‘Stolen’ N100bn Keep Mum-PREMIUMTIMES

Peter Odili , Mary Odili and several Nigerian judges

By Nicholas Ibekwe

The alleged beneficiaries will not refute or confirm if they accepted Odili’s ‘stolen’ funds.
All the parties involved or mentioned in the N100 billion allegedly stolen from the treasury of Rivers State by former governor, Peter Odili, as reported by citizen journalism outfit, Sahara Reporters, last Sunday, declined to comment on the alleged scam when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES.
Last Sunday, the New York based organisation, reported that it has obtained draft charges that were never presented in court and prepared by activist lawyer, Festus Keyamo, for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during the tenure of Farida Waziri as the commission’ chairman.
The charges showed how Mr. Odili, using 24 other prominent government officials, media owners, and businessmen, carried out the widespread plundering of the state’s treasury.
Mr. Keyamo, who still represents the EFCC in several other corruption cases, did not deny that the charges existed or whether he did prepare them for the commission. He, however, declined to comment.
“I have no comment about it. You can find out from Lamorde (EFCC Chairman),” said Mr. Keyamo in a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES.
Just like Mr. Keyamo, the EFCC was also non-committal on the charges, neither confirming nor denying its authenticity.
The commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said he cannot comment on the charge as the said charge was written during the tenure of Mrs. Waziri, immediate past chairman of the commission. When pressed for more details, Mr. Uwujaren referred us to Mr. Keyamo.
Arik, largest recipient keeps mum
The document shows that between January 2004 and December 2006, the Arik Air boss, Arumemi-Ikhide, received over N60 billion from the River State’s account, making the airline boss the largest beneficiary of the fraudulent sum.
Sources say Mr. Odili used the money to buy into Arik Air although he is not listed as one of the owners of the airline.
When PREMIUM TIMES asked Arik if it indeed received the money from the politician and what it was meant for, the airline’s spokesperson, Ola Adebanji, declined to comment.
Daar Communications, others keep mum
Just like the originators of the charges, the alleged beneficiaries of the state funds would also not comment.
The managements of media house alleged to have benefitted from the lush fund refuse to speak about their alleged involvement in the fraud.
According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2007, Mr. Odili gave about N2 billion to Raymond Dokpesi, founder of Daar Communications PLC, owners of AIT and Raypower FM; over N300 million was given to Nduka Obaigbena, owner of Leaders and Company, publishers of ThisDay Newspapers; John Momoh, proprietor of Channels Television Ltd, allegedly collected N50 million; while over N100 million was given to Newswatch Communications Ltd.
Prominent editors, columnists and reporters were also alleged beneficiaries of Mr Odili’s stained fund.
Mr. Obaigbena did not answer his calls and refused to reply to text messages sent to his mobile phone. Channels Television’s Controller of News, Ambrose Okoh, told PREMIUM TIMES that he is not aware of any money given to his organisation. He immediately disconnected the call and refused to answer other calls made to his telephone number.
The Executive Director News of Daar Communications Plc, Imoni Amarere, would not respond to our enquiries on what the money the company got was meant for.
“I’m not Daar Communications spokesperson. Talk to the company’s public affair department,” he said in a telephone conversation. The email message sent to the public affairs department of the company as put on its website was not responded to.
Sources say the money Mr. Odili gave to Daar was what helped the company survive during its financial crisis during the Obasanjo administration. It is not clear if the company knew the money was actually state funds.
Senior PDP members also implicated
Saharareporters stated that the 220-count draft indictment revealed how Mr. Odili and 24 others, including former People’s Democratic Party, PDP, national chairmen, Ahmadu Ali and Barnabas Gemade; former Minister of Aviation, Babalola Borisade; retired army general, Ike Nwachukwu, partook in misappropriating the funds. Others allegedly included are: Pauline Tallen, Olufemi Agagu, and a professor, Ukandi Damanchi.
The name of businesses included in the charge sheet are Courage Communications Ltd, Attn Ltd, Ragolis Water Ltd, M/S Wetland Health Services Ltd, Transky Ltd, Foby Eng. Ltd, First Medical/Sterile Company Ltd, Habila Resources Ltd, Rockson Engineering Co. Ltd, Ojemai Farms Ltd, Ojemai Investments Ltd, and Godsonic Oil Company Ltd, an oil company owned by Peter Odili which also has business interests in the Nigeria/Sao Tome Joint Development Zone (JDZ) Block 4.
Mr. Odili also wasted state funds on party officials. Mr. Ali, Mrs. Agagu, Mr. Gemade and Mr. Nwachukwu allegedly got N20 million each.
Between September 2005 and 2006 over N4 billion was paid to Mr. Borisade in the guise that the money will be used for the renovation of the Port Harcourt Airport, according to the document.
The affidavit shows that on March 3 and March 10, 2006, Mr. Odili withdrew $2 million (N300 million) for personal use claiming the money was meant to sponsor senior government officials for an overseas trip. Towards the end of his tenure in office, Mr. Odili allegedly intensified his looting. On March 16, 2007, he withdrew another $2 million under the same guise of sponsoring state officials for a foreign trip. A month later, on April 20, he did another withdrawal of $2 million for the same purpose, On May 23, 2007, six days before his tenure expired, Mr. Odili withdrew another $1 million, the document stated.
Also Mr. Odili, through an aide, Emmanuel Nkatah, posted to the state’s liaison office in Abuja, allegedly withdrew over N4 billion from the state’s Zenith Bank account No. 6010916567. Perpetual injunction
In 2007, Mr. Odili obtained a perpetual injunction shielding him from prosecution or investigation for corruption by anti-graft agencies. The injunction was granted by Justice Nyaure Buba of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt. Mr. Buba has now been transferred to Lagos.
After Nigerians and the international community condemned the EFCC’S non-prosecution of Mr. Odili, the commission picked up gusto in prosecuting the former governor for the various allegations, and appealed against the injunction.
Five years after the appeal was filed, the Court of Appeal is yet to sit to hear the suit. Mr. Odili’s wife, Mary, was a judge of the Court of Appeal until February 2011, when President Goodluck Jonathan approved her promotion to a justice of the Supreme Court. Group reacts
The Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said Mr. Odili treated the state treasury like a personal purse while he was governor. He said state funds went to “private hands” and Mr. Odili “presided over the sharing.”
Mr. Adeniran said he is not surprised that some media houses were alleged to have received some of the money:
“Most of the media houses are compromised. Remember Odili and Ibori (convicted ex-governor of Delta State) are major shareholders in many media houses. They own the largest percentage of media houses today. It is easy for money bags to buy them (media houses) over,” he said.
Mr. Adeniran exonerated Mr. Keyamo from any blame saying as a consultant he can only do what his client (the EFCC) directs him to do.
- See more at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/122155-arik-ait-other-alleged-beneficiari...

Photos from Halima Abubakar's Mistresses movie premiere

The premiere took place on Sunday 24th February at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.