The Record:Oldest Medical Report of Near-Death Experience Discovered

Reports of people having "near-death" experiences go back to antiquity, but the oldest medical description of the phenomenon may come from a French physician around 1740, a researcher has found.

The report was written by Pierre-Jean du Monchaux, a military physician from northern France, who described a case of near-death experience in his book "Anecdotes de Médecine." Monchaux speculated that too much blood flow to the brain could explain the mystical feelings people report after coming back to consciousness.

The description was recently found by Dr. Phillippe Charlier, a medical doctor and archeologist, who is well known in France for his forensic work on the remains of historical figures. Charlier unexpectedly discovered the medical description in a book he had bought for 1 euro (a little more than $1) in an antique shop.

"I was just interested in the history of medicine, and medical practices in the past, especially during this period, the 18th century," Charlier told Live Science. "The book itself was not an important one in the history of medicine, but from a historian's point of view, the possibility of doing retrospective diagnosis on such books, it's something quite interesting."

To his surprise, Charlier found a modern description of near-death experience from a time in which most people relied on religion to explain near-death experiences. [The 10 Most Controversial Miracles]

The book describes the case of a patient, a famous apothecary (pharmacist) in Paris, who temporarily fell unconscious and then reported that he saw a light so pure and bright that he thought he must have been in heaven.

Today, near-death experience is described as a profound psychological event with transcendental and mystical elements that occurs after a life-threatening crisis, Charlier said. People who experience the phenomenon report vivid and emotional sensations including positive emotions, feeling as though they have left their bodies, a sensation of moving through a tunnel, and the experiences of communicating with light and meeting with deceased people.

Charlier compared the nearly 250-year-old description with today's "Greyson criteria," which is a scale that a psychiatrist developed in the 1980s to measure the depth of people's near-death experiences, so that these cases could be uniformly studied. The scale includes questions about the perceptions people report during near-death experiences, for example altered sense of time, life review and feelings of joy. A score of 7 or higher out of a possible 32 is classified as a near-death experience.

Although the data in the old book were limited, Charlier determined that the patient would have scored at least 12/32 on the Greyson criteria, Charlier said. He published his findings last month in the journal Resuscitation.

In the 18th-century case description, Monchaux also compared his patient with other people who reported similar experiences, caused by drowning, hypothermia and hanging.

The physician offered a medical explanation for the bizarre sensations, too, but his explanation was the opposite of what modern day physicians name as the likely cause of near-death experience, Charlier said. Monchaux speculated that in all of reported cases of near-death experience, the patients were left with little blood in the veins in their skin, and abundant blood flowing in the vessels within their brains, giving rise to the vivid and strong sensations.

However, modern researchers think it is likely the lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain that puts the organ in a state of full alarm and causes the sensations associated with near-death experiences.

The Record:Oldest Medical Report of Near-Death Experience Discovered

Posted by Sylvester 1 comment

Reports of people having "near-death" experiences go back to antiquity, but the oldest medical description of the phenomenon may come from a French physician around 1740, a researcher has found.

The report was written by Pierre-Jean du Monchaux, a military physician from northern France, who described a case of near-death experience in his book "Anecdotes de Médecine." Monchaux speculated that too much blood flow to the brain could explain the mystical feelings people report after coming back to consciousness.

The description was recently found by Dr. Phillippe Charlier, a medical doctor and archeologist, who is well known in France for his forensic work on the remains of historical figures. Charlier unexpectedly discovered the medical description in a book he had bought for 1 euro (a little more than $1) in an antique shop.

"I was just interested in the history of medicine, and medical practices in the past, especially during this period, the 18th century," Charlier told Live Science. "The book itself was not an important one in the history of medicine, but from a historian's point of view, the possibility of doing retrospective diagnosis on such books, it's something quite interesting."

To his surprise, Charlier found a modern description of near-death experience from a time in which most people relied on religion to explain near-death experiences. [The 10 Most Controversial Miracles]

The book describes the case of a patient, a famous apothecary (pharmacist) in Paris, who temporarily fell unconscious and then reported that he saw a light so pure and bright that he thought he must have been in heaven.

Today, near-death experience is described as a profound psychological event with transcendental and mystical elements that occurs after a life-threatening crisis, Charlier said. People who experience the phenomenon report vivid and emotional sensations including positive emotions, feeling as though they have left their bodies, a sensation of moving through a tunnel, and the experiences of communicating with light and meeting with deceased people.

Charlier compared the nearly 250-year-old description with today's "Greyson criteria," which is a scale that a psychiatrist developed in the 1980s to measure the depth of people's near-death experiences, so that these cases could be uniformly studied. The scale includes questions about the perceptions people report during near-death experiences, for example altered sense of time, life review and feelings of joy. A score of 7 or higher out of a possible 32 is classified as a near-death experience.

Although the data in the old book were limited, Charlier determined that the patient would have scored at least 12/32 on the Greyson criteria, Charlier said. He published his findings last month in the journal Resuscitation.

In the 18th-century case description, Monchaux also compared his patient with other people who reported similar experiences, caused by drowning, hypothermia and hanging.

The physician offered a medical explanation for the bizarre sensations, too, but his explanation was the opposite of what modern day physicians name as the likely cause of near-death experience, Charlier said. Monchaux speculated that in all of reported cases of near-death experience, the patients were left with little blood in the veins in their skin, and abundant blood flowing in the vessels within their brains, giving rise to the vivid and strong sensations.

However, modern researchers think it is likely the lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain that puts the organ in a state of full alarm and causes the sensations associated with near-death experiences.

Cracking Down The Strongholds

It’s often a light bulb moment for me when someone casts a deeper understanding into phrases or situations I have hitherto ignored or just never really truly contemplated! I believe everyone has had such a moment where you suddenly get clarity and understand something that has never been clear before; it’s like being in the dark and someone suddenly puts on the light! That illumination or understanding is what I call a light bulb moment!

So I got a light bulb moment last week and it pulled together a lot of things that had been accumulating around me! I spent a lot of time alone growing up and I developed a voracious appetite for books, I can read and understand so fast that most people often believe that there are some books I must have read before as it’s almost impossible to believe my rate of assimilation! People who read a lot will back me up and confirm that the more you read the easier it is to get assimilated into a plot and as such it’s possible to digest it at incredible speeds! Well a couple of years ago, my grey matter went on a prolonged strike!! I simply could not pick up a book and any time tried I just lost interest! After a while I just assumed I had acquired too much junk information and deserved a breather. Along the line I still kept on getting books as presents and I kept quiet about the “strike”; it’s a bit weird to say you don’t read when you write so much!

For the first time in close to four years I woke up looking for a book, I was longing for a book by the same man who had touched my life incredibly in the year 1991. I still remember that morning, walking along the Fountain at Tinubu square when I noticed the book on the floor. Back then booksellers in Marina (the wall street of Lagos) were allowed to display their books on the sidewalks and people could peruse at their leisure and buy! The book was an altogether not new copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s “Power of Positive Thinking” and buying it opened a new chapter in the life of the twenty one year old I was back then! I can’t tell you how many copies of the book I have bought since and I continue to buy as I don’t believe in libraries!! I believe such life changing nuggets ought to go round and most of my books have long queues of people waiting to be blessed by them! A great book is one you often crave for and reading it again and again offers new insight every time! It’s almost impossible to describe how I felt at the restoration of my love for books and I started searching the entire house for the book.

I eventually found a spinoff of the original and it did the trick!! “The power of the Plus factor” is another book by Norman Vincent Peale and I was not even halfway before my mind was revitalised and I was totally invigorated by truths so deep a lot of my strongholds were loosed!!

Strongholds are not necessarily a very strong point for me and I am familiar with them because of 2 particular verses of scripture. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds!!” Most Christians are familiar with the quote but I got more enlightened as someone took the time to explain it. It was the second service and a pastor was leading us in prayers when he explained why strongholds were such an important point. He said that they were they were the negative mindsets and perceptions that mitigated against success.

Words that had been spoken to our psyche and affected growth in every area of life! I am sure quite a lot of people already knew this but I wasn’t one of them! To be sure of his point I took the time to check out the meaning in the dictionary and confirmed that a stronghold was defined as a place where a particular group, activity, or set of opinions is concentrated; a place that is fortified or that can easily be defended. I had perceived strongholds as something of a place of war in the ilk of the walls of Jericho and it never actually occurred to me that they were actually within me, around me. Something of a self sabotage mechanism that we all have acquired either consciously or otherwise!

The human mind remains the most fascinating piece of creation for me; it is the seat of the soul and residence of the Divine and I know for certain it holds all the answers! What I haven’t figured out is how to best use it and given that most ninety year olds haven’t either, I safely assume it is a quest that transcends life as we know it into eternity! I recently discovered another book by Dr Joseph Murphy and it pays particular attention to the state of the mind, its strength and the power of suggestions. The book is titled “The Power of the subconscious mind’ and is a must read for anyone with a quest for knowledge! In the first chapter you learn that “The law of your mind is the law of belief; this means to believe in the way your mind works, to believe in belief itself”. Very simply put, you are what you think you are; you can achieve what you think you can achieve; first step in success is faith that you are able to do it, faith in yourself, faith in the divine; next step is doing it and guess what? You can!

One of my favourite books is by Gary Zukav “Soul Stories” and it tells a most interesting story. The creator of the universe gathered all of creation together. He wanted to hide something from all humans, until they were ready for the knowledge; the profound truth that they create their own reality! The salmon volunteered to hide it at the bottom of the ocean but he said no “they will one day go to that bottom and find it”.

The bear volunteered to bury it deep into the mountain and once again he said no” they will dig into it someday and find it”. The eagle volunteered to fly it to the moon, he said no “they will one day go to the moon and find it. Grandmother mole rose up and everyone became quiet; they expected her to volunteer to bury it deep under the earth’s surface but she being blind and using only spiritual eyes gave the clearest and only acceptable answer!” put it inside them, it is the one place they will never look”.

Cracking Down The Strongholds

Posted by Sylvester No comments

It’s often a light bulb moment for me when someone casts a deeper understanding into phrases or situations I have hitherto ignored or just never really truly contemplated! I believe everyone has had such a moment where you suddenly get clarity and understand something that has never been clear before; it’s like being in the dark and someone suddenly puts on the light! That illumination or understanding is what I call a light bulb moment!

So I got a light bulb moment last week and it pulled together a lot of things that had been accumulating around me! I spent a lot of time alone growing up and I developed a voracious appetite for books, I can read and understand so fast that most people often believe that there are some books I must have read before as it’s almost impossible to believe my rate of assimilation! People who read a lot will back me up and confirm that the more you read the easier it is to get assimilated into a plot and as such it’s possible to digest it at incredible speeds! Well a couple of years ago, my grey matter went on a prolonged strike!! I simply could not pick up a book and any time tried I just lost interest! After a while I just assumed I had acquired too much junk information and deserved a breather. Along the line I still kept on getting books as presents and I kept quiet about the “strike”; it’s a bit weird to say you don’t read when you write so much!

For the first time in close to four years I woke up looking for a book, I was longing for a book by the same man who had touched my life incredibly in the year 1991. I still remember that morning, walking along the Fountain at Tinubu square when I noticed the book on the floor. Back then booksellers in Marina (the wall street of Lagos) were allowed to display their books on the sidewalks and people could peruse at their leisure and buy! The book was an altogether not new copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s “Power of Positive Thinking” and buying it opened a new chapter in the life of the twenty one year old I was back then! I can’t tell you how many copies of the book I have bought since and I continue to buy as I don’t believe in libraries!! I believe such life changing nuggets ought to go round and most of my books have long queues of people waiting to be blessed by them! A great book is one you often crave for and reading it again and again offers new insight every time! It’s almost impossible to describe how I felt at the restoration of my love for books and I started searching the entire house for the book.

I eventually found a spinoff of the original and it did the trick!! “The power of the Plus factor” is another book by Norman Vincent Peale and I was not even halfway before my mind was revitalised and I was totally invigorated by truths so deep a lot of my strongholds were loosed!!

Strongholds are not necessarily a very strong point for me and I am familiar with them because of 2 particular verses of scripture. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds!!” Most Christians are familiar with the quote but I got more enlightened as someone took the time to explain it. It was the second service and a pastor was leading us in prayers when he explained why strongholds were such an important point. He said that they were they were the negative mindsets and perceptions that mitigated against success.

Words that had been spoken to our psyche and affected growth in every area of life! I am sure quite a lot of people already knew this but I wasn’t one of them! To be sure of his point I took the time to check out the meaning in the dictionary and confirmed that a stronghold was defined as a place where a particular group, activity, or set of opinions is concentrated; a place that is fortified or that can easily be defended. I had perceived strongholds as something of a place of war in the ilk of the walls of Jericho and it never actually occurred to me that they were actually within me, around me. Something of a self sabotage mechanism that we all have acquired either consciously or otherwise!

The human mind remains the most fascinating piece of creation for me; it is the seat of the soul and residence of the Divine and I know for certain it holds all the answers! What I haven’t figured out is how to best use it and given that most ninety year olds haven’t either, I safely assume it is a quest that transcends life as we know it into eternity! I recently discovered another book by Dr Joseph Murphy and it pays particular attention to the state of the mind, its strength and the power of suggestions. The book is titled “The Power of the subconscious mind’ and is a must read for anyone with a quest for knowledge! In the first chapter you learn that “The law of your mind is the law of belief; this means to believe in the way your mind works, to believe in belief itself”. Very simply put, you are what you think you are; you can achieve what you think you can achieve; first step in success is faith that you are able to do it, faith in yourself, faith in the divine; next step is doing it and guess what? You can!

One of my favourite books is by Gary Zukav “Soul Stories” and it tells a most interesting story. The creator of the universe gathered all of creation together. He wanted to hide something from all humans, until they were ready for the knowledge; the profound truth that they create their own reality! The salmon volunteered to hide it at the bottom of the ocean but he said no “they will one day go to that bottom and find it”.

The bear volunteered to bury it deep into the mountain and once again he said no” they will dig into it someday and find it”. The eagle volunteered to fly it to the moon, he said no “they will one day go to the moon and find it. Grandmother mole rose up and everyone became quiet; they expected her to volunteer to bury it deep under the earth’s surface but she being blind and using only spiritual eyes gave the clearest and only acceptable answer!” put it inside them, it is the one place they will never look”.

Catholic Church in Big Mess of Confusion.

OVER three years after the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise, Imo State, tension has continued to mount over the appointment of a replacement. The development is currently tearing the Catholic Church apart.

Trouble started May 21, 2013, when Fr. Peter Okpaleke, from the Diocese of Awka, Anambra State was consecrated bishop for the Ahiara Diocese, but Clergy and Laity of the diocese rejected the appointment. The two groups opted for an indigenous priest to be made bishop of the diocese.

Their argument is premised on the fact that Ahiara has the highest number of Catholic priests in Africa who are eminently qualified to be made bishop. They contend that Awka, with a small number of priests, has more than six bishops, allegedly because of the influence of Francis Cardinal Arinze at the Vatican. They therefore decried what they termed the subtle colonization by Awka, whose bishops have taken over most dioceses in Imo and Abia states.

The furore generated by the rejection of Okpaleke, Sunday Vanguard learnt, got to the ears of Pope Francis who promptly appointed John Cardinal Onaiyekan as Apostolic administrator of Ahiara Diocese, with the mandate to get a bishop acceptable to the people and the Catholic Church. Onaiyekan appointed Fr. Louis Asiegbu, a professor, as the Vicar General to oversee the day-to-day running of the diocese pending the appointment of a bishop.

Nine months after his appointment, Asiegbu resigned, allegedly because he didn’t have a smooth relationship with the cardinal. There were allegations that Onaiyekan neglected and rebuffed all his advice. The diocesan priests, as a result, accused Onaiyekan of having a personal agenda, as he has completely abandoned his pastoral and spiritual responsibilities to the flock of the diocese, such as the ordination of deacons and priests, religious professions and confirmation.

They reason that the cardinal is deliberately pressuring the diocese to submit to his planned installation of the rejected Bishop Okpalaeke; but they are unrelenting. The Cardinal in November last year, told the people that he had reached a dead end and had nothing more to do apart from installing the bishop. He recently appointed Fr. Clement Ebii, his protégé, as the new Vicar General, which has also been rejected by the diocesan clergy and the laity.

To further show their displeasure, the people gathered on June 21, at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise, for a prayer rally against what they described as injustice to the church and people by Nigerian church leaders.

Speaking at the event, the parish priest of St. Gregory’s Parish, Ihitteafoukwu, Fr. David Iheanacho said the Ahiara Catholic Diocese parades over 600 priests and 500,000 faithful, noting that before the imposition of Okpaleke, the late Bishop Chikwe, an indigene, spent 23 years and 10 months in the diocese and produced several priests adjudged to be amongst the best in Africa.

“Before his death also, he (Chikwe) sent over 21 names of worthy priests to be considered at his demise. The process of making a bishop is very clear in the Canon law,” he said, explaining that bishopric selection begins from the local people (priests), and thereon to the Papal Nuncio who is expected to forward his choice candidates to Rome out of which one would be appointed bishop. But in the case of Ahiara Diocese, the process was neglected.

Iheanacho argued that the church hierarchy went into all manner of things to manufacture an excuse for an imposition of a pre-ordained person chosen from Awka in Onitsha Province.

“Our people started asking the question: if we have up to 600 priests, is it conceivable that none of them is qualified to be a bishop? If we have that number of indigenous priests and they are seen as unqualified to be appointed bishop, have they not succeeded in destroying the credibility of those priests before the people?” he asked, maintaining that the appointment of Bishop Okpaleke to Ahiara Diocese contradicts natural justice.

“I say this because the Pontiff cannot knowingly recommend what is unjust. Pope Benedict, under whose pontificate, Okpaleke was appointed, is perhaps misled into regarding Ahiara Diocese as not having competent priests to be appointed bishops. That is to say that we are nincompoops or good for nothing people. We have been asking the Pope to send down some impartial observers to look into our agitation,” Iheanacho added.

On the way forward, he said he had told the Nigerian Catholic Bishops Conference, when they came to Ahiara to stop pushing Bishop Okpaleke to the diocese. “Let Okpaleke remain where he is while they go ahead to give us what we want. The church has many options,” he noted, recounting a similar incidence that happened in Enugu in 1978, the first time there was a resistance over an elected bishop.

“Fr. Albert Obiefuna (then Rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary) was nominated to become the bishop of Enugu but the people refused because they said Fr. Obiefuna is from Onitsha Province. Instead of causing trouble in the Church of God, Catholic Bishops immediately (with approval of Rome) created Awka Diocese without any preparation and fanfare and appointed Obiefuna as the bishop, while Eneja (son of the soil), was made the bishop of the already existing Enugu Diocese”.

He noted that if they (present Catholic Bishops) had handled the case of Ahiara like their predecessors did in 1978, Okpaleke would have been a bishop somewhere, while Ahiara Diocese would have been in peace and the Church of God booming.

Also speaking, the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Otulu in Ahiazu Mbaise and president, Ahiara Diocesan Priests Association, Fr. Austin Ekechukwu emphasised the need for Ahiara Diocese to have a bishop from among the indigenous priests in the diocese. “My impression is that all these troubles are the handiwork of some senior ecclesiastical persons, who have vested interests in denying Ahiara Diocese their rights and privileges. No due process could have produced Okpaleke in the midst of Ahiara presbyterium in particular and Owerri Province at large.

“What has happened is a conspiracy for which, according to him, certain eminent personalities within the church should be investigated and brought to book,” he stated.

On the impact of crisis to the diocese, the parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, Egbelu Umuhu Enyiogugu, Fr. Benedict Ogu said the inability of the hierarchy to proffer immediate solution to the problem has caused much harm than good, stressing that the crisis is adversely affecting seminarians and the entire church in Ahiara Diocese.

According to him, the impasse is prolonged because Cardinal Onaiyekan refused to perform his pastoral responsibilities including ordination of priests, administering sacrament of confirmation and other sacramental functions.

“He reasons that by so doing Ahiara people would succumb and accept the injustice. One thing is clear: As it is negatively affecting the diocese, it is also affecting the Holy Spirit, because biblically it is said that as you are persecuting My Church, you are also persecuting Me. This therefore brings to fore the question: ‘Should the people of Ahiara Diocese be punished because they rejected an imposed bishop on them?” he questioned.

He further said that before Ahiara people rejected Okpaleke, he was already rejected by his people and fellow priests in his bid to become the sitting bishop of Awka Diocese, “Since he was rejected by his people and insisted that he must be made a bishop, they packaged him for a place they think they can maneuver,” Ogu added.

Catholic Church in Big Mess of Confusion.

Posted by Sylvester No comments

OVER three years after the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise, Imo State, tension has continued to mount over the appointment of a replacement. The development is currently tearing the Catholic Church apart.

Trouble started May 21, 2013, when Fr. Peter Okpaleke, from the Diocese of Awka, Anambra State was consecrated bishop for the Ahiara Diocese, but Clergy and Laity of the diocese rejected the appointment. The two groups opted for an indigenous priest to be made bishop of the diocese.

Their argument is premised on the fact that Ahiara has the highest number of Catholic priests in Africa who are eminently qualified to be made bishop. They contend that Awka, with a small number of priests, has more than six bishops, allegedly because of the influence of Francis Cardinal Arinze at the Vatican. They therefore decried what they termed the subtle colonization by Awka, whose bishops have taken over most dioceses in Imo and Abia states.

The furore generated by the rejection of Okpaleke, Sunday Vanguard learnt, got to the ears of Pope Francis who promptly appointed John Cardinal Onaiyekan as Apostolic administrator of Ahiara Diocese, with the mandate to get a bishop acceptable to the people and the Catholic Church. Onaiyekan appointed Fr. Louis Asiegbu, a professor, as the Vicar General to oversee the day-to-day running of the diocese pending the appointment of a bishop.

Nine months after his appointment, Asiegbu resigned, allegedly because he didn’t have a smooth relationship with the cardinal. There were allegations that Onaiyekan neglected and rebuffed all his advice. The diocesan priests, as a result, accused Onaiyekan of having a personal agenda, as he has completely abandoned his pastoral and spiritual responsibilities to the flock of the diocese, such as the ordination of deacons and priests, religious professions and confirmation.

They reason that the cardinal is deliberately pressuring the diocese to submit to his planned installation of the rejected Bishop Okpalaeke; but they are unrelenting. The Cardinal in November last year, told the people that he had reached a dead end and had nothing more to do apart from installing the bishop. He recently appointed Fr. Clement Ebii, his protégé, as the new Vicar General, which has also been rejected by the diocesan clergy and the laity.

To further show their displeasure, the people gathered on June 21, at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise, for a prayer rally against what they described as injustice to the church and people by Nigerian church leaders.

Speaking at the event, the parish priest of St. Gregory’s Parish, Ihitteafoukwu, Fr. David Iheanacho said the Ahiara Catholic Diocese parades over 600 priests and 500,000 faithful, noting that before the imposition of Okpaleke, the late Bishop Chikwe, an indigene, spent 23 years and 10 months in the diocese and produced several priests adjudged to be amongst the best in Africa.

“Before his death also, he (Chikwe) sent over 21 names of worthy priests to be considered at his demise. The process of making a bishop is very clear in the Canon law,” he said, explaining that bishopric selection begins from the local people (priests), and thereon to the Papal Nuncio who is expected to forward his choice candidates to Rome out of which one would be appointed bishop. But in the case of Ahiara Diocese, the process was neglected.

Iheanacho argued that the church hierarchy went into all manner of things to manufacture an excuse for an imposition of a pre-ordained person chosen from Awka in Onitsha Province.

“Our people started asking the question: if we have up to 600 priests, is it conceivable that none of them is qualified to be a bishop? If we have that number of indigenous priests and they are seen as unqualified to be appointed bishop, have they not succeeded in destroying the credibility of those priests before the people?” he asked, maintaining that the appointment of Bishop Okpaleke to Ahiara Diocese contradicts natural justice.

“I say this because the Pontiff cannot knowingly recommend what is unjust. Pope Benedict, under whose pontificate, Okpaleke was appointed, is perhaps misled into regarding Ahiara Diocese as not having competent priests to be appointed bishops. That is to say that we are nincompoops or good for nothing people. We have been asking the Pope to send down some impartial observers to look into our agitation,” Iheanacho added.

On the way forward, he said he had told the Nigerian Catholic Bishops Conference, when they came to Ahiara to stop pushing Bishop Okpaleke to the diocese. “Let Okpaleke remain where he is while they go ahead to give us what we want. The church has many options,” he noted, recounting a similar incidence that happened in Enugu in 1978, the first time there was a resistance over an elected bishop.

“Fr. Albert Obiefuna (then Rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary) was nominated to become the bishop of Enugu but the people refused because they said Fr. Obiefuna is from Onitsha Province. Instead of causing trouble in the Church of God, Catholic Bishops immediately (with approval of Rome) created Awka Diocese without any preparation and fanfare and appointed Obiefuna as the bishop, while Eneja (son of the soil), was made the bishop of the already existing Enugu Diocese”.

He noted that if they (present Catholic Bishops) had handled the case of Ahiara like their predecessors did in 1978, Okpaleke would have been a bishop somewhere, while Ahiara Diocese would have been in peace and the Church of God booming.

Also speaking, the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Otulu in Ahiazu Mbaise and president, Ahiara Diocesan Priests Association, Fr. Austin Ekechukwu emphasised the need for Ahiara Diocese to have a bishop from among the indigenous priests in the diocese. “My impression is that all these troubles are the handiwork of some senior ecclesiastical persons, who have vested interests in denying Ahiara Diocese their rights and privileges. No due process could have produced Okpaleke in the midst of Ahiara presbyterium in particular and Owerri Province at large.

“What has happened is a conspiracy for which, according to him, certain eminent personalities within the church should be investigated and brought to book,” he stated.

On the impact of crisis to the diocese, the parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, Egbelu Umuhu Enyiogugu, Fr. Benedict Ogu said the inability of the hierarchy to proffer immediate solution to the problem has caused much harm than good, stressing that the crisis is adversely affecting seminarians and the entire church in Ahiara Diocese.

According to him, the impasse is prolonged because Cardinal Onaiyekan refused to perform his pastoral responsibilities including ordination of priests, administering sacrament of confirmation and other sacramental functions.

“He reasons that by so doing Ahiara people would succumb and accept the injustice. One thing is clear: As it is negatively affecting the diocese, it is also affecting the Holy Spirit, because biblically it is said that as you are persecuting My Church, you are also persecuting Me. This therefore brings to fore the question: ‘Should the people of Ahiara Diocese be punished because they rejected an imposed bishop on them?” he questioned.

He further said that before Ahiara people rejected Okpaleke, he was already rejected by his people and fellow priests in his bid to become the sitting bishop of Awka Diocese, “Since he was rejected by his people and insisted that he must be made a bishop, they packaged him for a place they think they can maneuver,” Ogu added.

Boko Haram Lunch attack in Cameroon, Kidnapping Deputy Prime Minister's Wife

BOKO Haram has stepped up its operations in neighbouring Cameroon after it kidnapped the wife of the country's deputy prime minister and a religious leader in the northern town of Kolofata this morning. Known to operate across borders with bases in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, Boko Haram has generally left Nigeria's neighbours alone up until now. However, with pressure mounting on Nigeria's neighbours to act, the Cameroonian military has been clamping down on the terrorist sect recently, which prompted the attack. Early this morning, the militants attacked Kolofata abducting the wife of deputy prime minister Amadou Ali and a local religious leader or lamido, named as Seini Boukar Lamine, who is also the town's mayor. Three people are alleged to have been killed in the attack and in a swift response, security officials have whisked the deputy prime minister away to safety. He had been at home to celebrate the Muslim feast of Ramadan with his family but was taken unawares by the suddenness of the attack. It is not clear how the deputy prime minister himself survived the attack, as it is likely he was the original target. A security spokesperson said: "I can confirm that the home of vice prime minister Amadou Ali in Kolofata came under a savage attack from Boko Haram militants. They unfortunately took away his wife and they also attacked the lamido's residence and he was also kidnapped." In recent weeks as Cameroon has deployed troops to the border region, joining international efforts to combat the militants and has suffered an increase in terrorist attacks as a result. This morning's attack is the third Boko Haram act of violence in Cameroon since Friday. Colonel Felix Nji Formekong, the second commander of Cameroon's third inter-army military region, based in the regional headquarters Maroua, said: "The situation is very critical here now and as I am talking to you the Boko Haram elements are still in Kolofata town in a clash with our soldiers." At least four soldiers were killed in the previous attacks. Meanwhile, some 22 suspected Boko Haram militants, who have been held in Maroua since March, were on Friday sentenced to prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Boko Haram Lunch attack in Cameroon, Kidnapping Deputy Prime Minister's Wife

Posted by Sylvester No comments

BOKO Haram has stepped up its operations in neighbouring Cameroon after it kidnapped the wife of the country's deputy prime minister and a religious leader in the northern town of Kolofata this morning. Known to operate across borders with bases in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, Boko Haram has generally left Nigeria's neighbours alone up until now. However, with pressure mounting on Nigeria's neighbours to act, the Cameroonian military has been clamping down on the terrorist sect recently, which prompted the attack. Early this morning, the militants attacked Kolofata abducting the wife of deputy prime minister Amadou Ali and a local religious leader or lamido, named as Seini Boukar Lamine, who is also the town's mayor. Three people are alleged to have been killed in the attack and in a swift response, security officials have whisked the deputy prime minister away to safety. He had been at home to celebrate the Muslim feast of Ramadan with his family but was taken unawares by the suddenness of the attack. It is not clear how the deputy prime minister himself survived the attack, as it is likely he was the original target. A security spokesperson said: "I can confirm that the home of vice prime minister Amadou Ali in Kolofata came under a savage attack from Boko Haram militants. They unfortunately took away his wife and they also attacked the lamido's residence and he was also kidnapped." In recent weeks as Cameroon has deployed troops to the border region, joining international efforts to combat the militants and has suffered an increase in terrorist attacks as a result. This morning's attack is the third Boko Haram act of violence in Cameroon since Friday. Colonel Felix Nji Formekong, the second commander of Cameroon's third inter-army military region, based in the regional headquarters Maroua, said: "The situation is very critical here now and as I am talking to you the Boko Haram elements are still in Kolofata town in a clash with our soldiers." At least four soldiers were killed in the previous attacks. Meanwhile, some 22 suspected Boko Haram militants, who have been held in Maroua since March, were on Friday sentenced to prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

General Buhari masterminded attack on himself-Asari Dokubo

NIGER Delta militant leader Mujahid Dokubo Asari has joined the growing number of people dismissing the recent assassination attempt on former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari as a publicity stunt designed to attract public sympathy. On Wednesday, Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari narrowly survived an assassination attempt in the Kawo district of northern Kaduna when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb right next to his motorcade. According to General Buhari, he has no idea who wanted him dead but it is generally believed that the attack was carried out by terrorist sect Boko Haram. Since the attack, General Buhari's opposition party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) have been blaming each other for the incident. According to the APC, such attacks take place because the government is not providing adequate security, while the PDP has accused the opposition of playing politics with the incident. Some opponents of the General have gone as far as saying the whole event was state-managed as part of a political public relations exercise. Mujahid Asari, the leader of Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force and former president of the Ijaw Youth Council, joined those voices, saying General Buhari masterminded the attack on himself. According to Mujahid Asari the former head of state and presidential candidate in the last three elections, plotted to kill many innocent Nigerians in the explosion. He added that General Buhari and his group would fail in their conspiracy and desperation to take over power from President Jonathan. Claiming he knew the erstwhile Nigerian leader so well, the former militant leader said General Buhari was not known to be driven in a bullet-proof car prior to the incident. He alleged that the use of an armoured jeep in his motorcade started recently which confirmed his stand. Meanwhile, the primate of the Anglican Church, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh has said that last Wednesday’s bomb attack on former General Buhari proved that nobody was free or spared from Boko Haram attacks. However, he advised the federal government to be careful not to be stampeded into taking action that would endanger the lives of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram. 

General Buhari masterminded attack on himself-Asari Dokubo

Posted by Sylvester No comments

NIGER Delta militant leader Mujahid Dokubo Asari has joined the growing number of people dismissing the recent assassination attempt on former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari as a publicity stunt designed to attract public sympathy. On Wednesday, Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari narrowly survived an assassination attempt in the Kawo district of northern Kaduna when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb right next to his motorcade. According to General Buhari, he has no idea who wanted him dead but it is generally believed that the attack was carried out by terrorist sect Boko Haram. Since the attack, General Buhari's opposition party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) have been blaming each other for the incident. According to the APC, such attacks take place because the government is not providing adequate security, while the PDP has accused the opposition of playing politics with the incident. Some opponents of the General have gone as far as saying the whole event was state-managed as part of a political public relations exercise. Mujahid Asari, the leader of Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force and former president of the Ijaw Youth Council, joined those voices, saying General Buhari masterminded the attack on himself. According to Mujahid Asari the former head of state and presidential candidate in the last three elections, plotted to kill many innocent Nigerians in the explosion. He added that General Buhari and his group would fail in their conspiracy and desperation to take over power from President Jonathan. Claiming he knew the erstwhile Nigerian leader so well, the former militant leader said General Buhari was not known to be driven in a bullet-proof car prior to the incident. He alleged that the use of an armoured jeep in his motorcade started recently which confirmed his stand. Meanwhile, the primate of the Anglican Church, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh has said that last Wednesday’s bomb attack on former General Buhari proved that nobody was free or spared from Boko Haram attacks. However, he advised the federal government to be careful not to be stampeded into taking action that would endanger the lives of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram. 

Deadly Virus

Deadly ebola virus now live in Lagos
Nigeria.
No cure for it yet, kills within
21days of contact.
Look at the picture above carefully.
I pray that this will not be your portion
IN JESUS NAME. type AMEN. kindly share to spread
the prayer to your loved ones.
Ignore if you dont care

Deadly Virus

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Deadly ebola virus now live in Lagos
Nigeria.
No cure for it yet, kills within
21days of contact.
Look at the picture above carefully.
I pray that this will not be your portion
IN JESUS NAME. type AMEN. kindly share to spread
the prayer to your loved ones.
Ignore if you dont care

How Google Street View is Tackling Methane Leaks

Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Throughout history, maps have played a critical role in shaping decisions — helping people determine where they are going and how to get there. Now, maps are defining a way to address methane leaks, a potent contributor to climate change. Environmental Defense Fund and Google Earth Outreach have just launched a series of maps that show methane leaks from natural gas pipelines under city streets in Boston, Indianapolis and Staten Island. The new tool has the power to greatly improve how cities and utilities can minimize methane emissions.

Why care about methane?

A recent tide of scientific studies, such as a recent study of emissions in Pennsylvania, have examined how methane — the primary component of natural gas — is escaping from the natural gas supply chain. Such research has made it clear how much that leakage is affecting global carbon dioxide levels.

One of natural gas's potential benefits over other fossil fuels is that, when burned, it produces less carbon dioxide — half as much as coal— to yield the same amount of energy. If used wisely to rapidly displace dirty coal-power plants, for example, natural gas could help the country dramatically reduce overall greenhouse-gas emissions.

Unburned, however, methane is 84 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years after it is released. While methane doesn't linger as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it is initially far more devastating to the climate because of how effectively it absorbs heat. If too much methane escapes along the supply chain — anywhere between the well and the end user — it could postpone the climate benefits of fuel switching, a delay we can ill afford. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, roughly one-third of methane emissions in the United States come from the oil and gas industry, and one third of the warming we are currently experiencing comes from anthropogenically released methane in the atmosphere — addressing methane leakage in the natural gas supply chain is critical.

With great data comes great responsibility

For our analysis of methane emissions from local distribution pipes, Google equipped three Street View cars with methane analyzers and drove through large portions of Boston, Staten Island and Indianapolis collecting methane concentration data, GPS data and wind speed and direction data every half second. Our science team, in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU) researchers, developed a first-of-its-kind algorithm to translate the patterns of concentration data collected by the Street View cars into methane-leak rates for individual leaks. These data and the accompanying maps are designed to help the public, utilities and regulators better understand the pattern and scale of urban methane leaks.

For example, we observed one leak per mile of road driven in Boston and Staten Island, a borough of New York City. Depending on the size of those leaks, the climate impact over the next 20 years — for each leak — ranged from the equivalent of driving a car 100 miles every single day up to driving more than 9,000 miles every day. These data will allow utilities to better prioritize which leaks to repair or pipes to replace, enabling them to get rid of the larger leaks much faster than was possible before.

Helping utilities help themselves

The local utilities — like National Grid, the utility in both Boston and Staten Island, and Citizens in Indianapolis — helped validate the data and provided insight into where their repair efforts should be targeted. Leaks even larger than those we saw in our surveys are of the greatest public safety concern; but those leaks are usually identified and fixed quickly. Smaller leaks are monitored by the utilities, but can go unfixed for long periods of time, spewing significant amounts of climate pollutants into the atmosphere. The new methodologies developed to produce the maps hold the potential to benefit both public health (as leaks can sometimes trigger explosions) and the climate.

If you're a topical expert — researcher, business leader, author or innovator — and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email this potal.ge

In addition to providing a picture of leak rates across cities, these maps clearly show the value of investing in a modern natural-gas infrastructure. Older pipes made of cast iron and unprotected steel can corrode as they age, making them more vulnerable to leaks. Plastic pipes, which are used in newer systems, are more durable over time and leak much less. The 200-times-lower frequency of leaks in Indianapolis, versus Boston and Staten Island, clearly indicates the value of Indianapolis's decision to upgrade to plastic pipes.

Investing in newer infrastructure pays off three-fold:
Minimize safety risks from explosions;
Climate benefits;
Keeps marketable product out of the air and in the pipeline.

In the early 80s, the utility Citizens in Indianapolis made replacing the city's aging pipelines a priority. Today, pipes vulnerable to corrosion make up only one percent of Indianapolis's local distribution system, and leak rates there are congruently low. Our efforts found only five leaks in the pipelines examined — one leak for every 200 miles mapped. While Boston, where about half of the pipes are made of materials vulnerable to corrosion and have been in the ground for more than half a century, averaged roughly one leak per mile mapped.

EDF has focused on "finding the ways that work" for almost 50 years, and this collaborative mapping project is indicative of our commitment to tapping the power of science in pursuit of effective solutions. This project takes a major step toward providing local gas-distribution utilities and regulators the scientific tools to better understand methane leaks and should spur meaningful local efforts to reduce emissions of climate pollutants — with more opportunities for effective action. By continuing our collaborations with Google, CSU, local utilities and the public, we can broaden the scope of what we know, map more pollutants in more cities and spark changes to slow the planet's warming.

How Google Street View is Tackling Methane Leaks

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Throughout history, maps have played a critical role in shaping decisions — helping people determine where they are going and how to get there. Now, maps are defining a way to address methane leaks, a potent contributor to climate change. Environmental Defense Fund and Google Earth Outreach have just launched a series of maps that show methane leaks from natural gas pipelines under city streets in Boston, Indianapolis and Staten Island. The new tool has the power to greatly improve how cities and utilities can minimize methane emissions.

Why care about methane?

A recent tide of scientific studies, such as a recent study of emissions in Pennsylvania, have examined how methane — the primary component of natural gas — is escaping from the natural gas supply chain. Such research has made it clear how much that leakage is affecting global carbon dioxide levels.

One of natural gas's potential benefits over other fossil fuels is that, when burned, it produces less carbon dioxide — half as much as coal— to yield the same amount of energy. If used wisely to rapidly displace dirty coal-power plants, for example, natural gas could help the country dramatically reduce overall greenhouse-gas emissions.

Unburned, however, methane is 84 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years after it is released. While methane doesn't linger as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it is initially far more devastating to the climate because of how effectively it absorbs heat. If too much methane escapes along the supply chain — anywhere between the well and the end user — it could postpone the climate benefits of fuel switching, a delay we can ill afford. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, roughly one-third of methane emissions in the United States come from the oil and gas industry, and one third of the warming we are currently experiencing comes from anthropogenically released methane in the atmosphere — addressing methane leakage in the natural gas supply chain is critical.

With great data comes great responsibility

For our analysis of methane emissions from local distribution pipes, Google equipped three Street View cars with methane analyzers and drove through large portions of Boston, Staten Island and Indianapolis collecting methane concentration data, GPS data and wind speed and direction data every half second. Our science team, in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU) researchers, developed a first-of-its-kind algorithm to translate the patterns of concentration data collected by the Street View cars into methane-leak rates for individual leaks. These data and the accompanying maps are designed to help the public, utilities and regulators better understand the pattern and scale of urban methane leaks.

For example, we observed one leak per mile of road driven in Boston and Staten Island, a borough of New York City. Depending on the size of those leaks, the climate impact over the next 20 years — for each leak — ranged from the equivalent of driving a car 100 miles every single day up to driving more than 9,000 miles every day. These data will allow utilities to better prioritize which leaks to repair or pipes to replace, enabling them to get rid of the larger leaks much faster than was possible before.

Helping utilities help themselves

The local utilities — like National Grid, the utility in both Boston and Staten Island, and Citizens in Indianapolis — helped validate the data and provided insight into where their repair efforts should be targeted. Leaks even larger than those we saw in our surveys are of the greatest public safety concern; but those leaks are usually identified and fixed quickly. Smaller leaks are monitored by the utilities, but can go unfixed for long periods of time, spewing significant amounts of climate pollutants into the atmosphere. The new methodologies developed to produce the maps hold the potential to benefit both public health (as leaks can sometimes trigger explosions) and the climate.

If you're a topical expert — researcher, business leader, author or innovator — and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email this potal.ge

In addition to providing a picture of leak rates across cities, these maps clearly show the value of investing in a modern natural-gas infrastructure. Older pipes made of cast iron and unprotected steel can corrode as they age, making them more vulnerable to leaks. Plastic pipes, which are used in newer systems, are more durable over time and leak much less. The 200-times-lower frequency of leaks in Indianapolis, versus Boston and Staten Island, clearly indicates the value of Indianapolis's decision to upgrade to plastic pipes.

Investing in newer infrastructure pays off three-fold:
Minimize safety risks from explosions;
Climate benefits;
Keeps marketable product out of the air and in the pipeline.

In the early 80s, the utility Citizens in Indianapolis made replacing the city's aging pipelines a priority. Today, pipes vulnerable to corrosion make up only one percent of Indianapolis's local distribution system, and leak rates there are congruently low. Our efforts found only five leaks in the pipelines examined — one leak for every 200 miles mapped. While Boston, where about half of the pipes are made of materials vulnerable to corrosion and have been in the ground for more than half a century, averaged roughly one leak per mile mapped.

EDF has focused on "finding the ways that work" for almost 50 years, and this collaborative mapping project is indicative of our commitment to tapping the power of science in pursuit of effective solutions. This project takes a major step toward providing local gas-distribution utilities and regulators the scientific tools to better understand methane leaks and should spur meaningful local efforts to reduce emissions of climate pollutants — with more opportunities for effective action. By continuing our collaborations with Google, CSU, local utilities and the public, we can broaden the scope of what we know, map more pollutants in more cities and spark changes to slow the planet's warming.

Discovered Virus Lives in Half the World's Population

A virus that lives in the human gut has just been discovered, and to the surprise of scientists, it can be found in about half the world's population, according to a new study.

While it's not yet clear exactly what the virus does, scientists are eager to find out whether it promotes health or influences susceptibility to certain conditions, said Robert Edwards, a bioinformatics professor at San Diego State University and one of the researchers who worked on the study.

The researchers first uncovered hints of the virus after analyzing DNA from fecal samples of 12 people. They found a cluster of viral DNA that all the samples had in common, Edwards said.

Next, the researchers searched a large database of genetic sequences in samples taken from people living on several different continents, looking for the virus's DNA sequence, and found the virus in 75 percent of samples of human feces. However, some of these samples were from the same person, Edwards said, so after taking this into account, the researchers estimated that the virus is present in about half of all people. [5 Ways Gut Bacteria Affect Your Health]

But how could such a common virus go unnoticed for so long? One of the reasons may be that previously, most researchers compared DNA from current samples only to DNA sequences already known to exist, Edwards said. But in the new study, the researchers first compared the DNA in their samples to one another, looking for common sequences.

"[We] did some different kinds of comparisons, and it jumped right out at us as being something important because it was abundant," told Edwards Live Science.

The new virus, which the researchers have named crAssphage, is a type of virus known as a bacteriophage, meaning it infects bacteria. It's likely that crAssphage infects a very common type of gut bacteria called Bacteroidetes, according to the study.

Although the researchers have shown that the virus DNA exists in nature, they have not yet been able to get the virus to replicate in the lab, or get a picture of it.

"We know it's there, but we can't capture it quite yet," Edwards said.

The researchers think the virus could be involved in controlling the number of Bacteroidetes bacteria in the gut, Edwards said.

The new finding "adds another piece to the puzzle" in helping researchers understand how microbes in the intestine affect human health, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at the University of Pittsburgh and a representative of the Infectious Disease Society of America who was not involved in the study. Much more research will be needed to see how this virus interacts with bacteria in the gut and how it could potentially affect health, he said. "There's definitely a lot of avenues of research that the discovery of this [bacterio]phage will open up," Adalja said.

Adalja noted that just because the virus is common doesn't mean it's benign. "The fact that it's there in so many people means that whatever it's doing is not causing something rare," Adalja said. "But there are enough common conditions that affect humans, that there may be a role there," Adalja said, citing obesity and cancer as examples of such conditions.

Discovered Virus Lives in Half the World's Population

Posted by Sylvester No comments

A virus that lives in the human gut has just been discovered, and to the surprise of scientists, it can be found in about half the world's population, according to a new study.

While it's not yet clear exactly what the virus does, scientists are eager to find out whether it promotes health or influences susceptibility to certain conditions, said Robert Edwards, a bioinformatics professor at San Diego State University and one of the researchers who worked on the study.

The researchers first uncovered hints of the virus after analyzing DNA from fecal samples of 12 people. They found a cluster of viral DNA that all the samples had in common, Edwards said.

Next, the researchers searched a large database of genetic sequences in samples taken from people living on several different continents, looking for the virus's DNA sequence, and found the virus in 75 percent of samples of human feces. However, some of these samples were from the same person, Edwards said, so after taking this into account, the researchers estimated that the virus is present in about half of all people. [5 Ways Gut Bacteria Affect Your Health]

But how could such a common virus go unnoticed for so long? One of the reasons may be that previously, most researchers compared DNA from current samples only to DNA sequences already known to exist, Edwards said. But in the new study, the researchers first compared the DNA in their samples to one another, looking for common sequences.

"[We] did some different kinds of comparisons, and it jumped right out at us as being something important because it was abundant," told Edwards Live Science.

The new virus, which the researchers have named crAssphage, is a type of virus known as a bacteriophage, meaning it infects bacteria. It's likely that crAssphage infects a very common type of gut bacteria called Bacteroidetes, according to the study.

Although the researchers have shown that the virus DNA exists in nature, they have not yet been able to get the virus to replicate in the lab, or get a picture of it.

"We know it's there, but we can't capture it quite yet," Edwards said.

The researchers think the virus could be involved in controlling the number of Bacteroidetes bacteria in the gut, Edwards said.

The new finding "adds another piece to the puzzle" in helping researchers understand how microbes in the intestine affect human health, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at the University of Pittsburgh and a representative of the Infectious Disease Society of America who was not involved in the study. Much more research will be needed to see how this virus interacts with bacteria in the gut and how it could potentially affect health, he said. "There's definitely a lot of avenues of research that the discovery of this [bacterio]phage will open up," Adalja said.

Adalja noted that just because the virus is common doesn't mean it's benign. "The fact that it's there in so many people means that whatever it's doing is not causing something rare," Adalja said. "But there are enough common conditions that affect humans, that there may be a role there," Adalja said, citing obesity and cancer as examples of such conditions.

10 Ways You Should Know About The Deadly Ebola Virus

The Ebola Virus is spreading rapidly across West Africa and has caused over 600 deaths since the first reported case in February

1. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
2. EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90% meaning9 out of 10 people who contract the disease are likely to die
3. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
4. Ebola can be contracted through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people including semen and vaginal fluid.
5. Contact with the corpse of a diseased person can also lead to infection with the virus.
6. The symptoms of Ebola include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
7. The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days
8. Suspicious wild life aka Bush meat should be avoided as much as possible and animal products to be consumed should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
9. Regular hand washing is advisable to avoid picking up germs. Use soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol
10. Be aware. Get as much information as you can about Ebola. Protect yourself and your family. Prevention is better than cure

10 Ways You Should Know About The Deadly Ebola Virus

Posted by Sylvester No comments

The Ebola Virus is spreading rapidly across West Africa and has caused over 600 deaths since the first reported case in February

1. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
2. EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90% meaning9 out of 10 people who contract the disease are likely to die
3. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
4. Ebola can be contracted through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people including semen and vaginal fluid.
5. Contact with the corpse of a diseased person can also lead to infection with the virus.
6. The symptoms of Ebola include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
7. The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days
8. Suspicious wild life aka Bush meat should be avoided as much as possible and animal products to be consumed should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
9. Regular hand washing is advisable to avoid picking up germs. Use soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol
10. Be aware. Get as much information as you can about Ebola. Protect yourself and your family. Prevention is better than cure

Ritualist Den Exposed

The police in Kwara arrested 3 suspects for dealing in human parts with one of them making the shocking confession
Three persons in Kwara have been arrested by the police after they were caught in possession of human parts.

Two of the men, identified as Amos Kareem and Abubakar Ladan, were said to be dealers while the third was named an accomplice to the illicit trade.

Kareem confessed that some of his patrons were politicians while Ladan said that he only participated because the former had promised him a motorcycle if he could bring him a human head, hand and leg.

The Commissioner of Police for the state, Ambrose Aisaborsaid that the suspects were arrested following a tip-off.

Ritualist Den Exposed

Posted by Sylvester No comments

The police in Kwara arrested 3 suspects for dealing in human parts with one of them making the shocking confession
Three persons in Kwara have been arrested by the police after they were caught in possession of human parts.

Two of the men, identified as Amos Kareem and Abubakar Ladan, were said to be dealers while the third was named an accomplice to the illicit trade.

Kareem confessed that some of his patrons were politicians while Ladan said that he only participated because the former had promised him a motorcycle if he could bring him a human head, hand and leg.

The Commissioner of Police for the state, Ambrose Aisaborsaid that the suspects were arrested following a tip-off.

Troops Hold Suspected Bomber Disguised As A Woman

Nigerian troops are holding a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at General Buhari on Wednesday.
The young man was apprehended by a military patrol team that immediately swooped-in on the area following the explosion. The team found the suspicious character disguised as a woman; he was clad in female garb, with a brassiere affixed to his chest to exude femininity.

The patrol team that arrived on the scene arrested the suspect while he was trying to disappear into a crowd of onlookers. Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but they were restrained by troops who whisked him away in an armored personnel carrier.

He is currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links.

PRNigeria encourages institutions to be transparent in their information management as it provides news items from authoritative sources for free use by the media.

Troops Hold Suspected Bomber Disguised As A Woman

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Nigerian troops are holding a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at General Buhari on Wednesday.
The young man was apprehended by a military patrol team that immediately swooped-in on the area following the explosion. The team found the suspicious character disguised as a woman; he was clad in female garb, with a brassiere affixed to his chest to exude femininity.

The patrol team that arrived on the scene arrested the suspect while he was trying to disappear into a crowd of onlookers. Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but they were restrained by troops who whisked him away in an armored personnel carrier.

He is currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links.

PRNigeria encourages institutions to be transparent in their information management as it provides news items from authoritative sources for free use by the media.

Muhammadu Buhari After His Convoy Was Bombed In Kaduna

General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) after his convoy was bombed in Kaduna as he made his way to Daura, his hometown earlier today

Muhammadu Buhari After His Convoy Was Bombed In Kaduna

Posted by Sylvester No comments

General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) after his convoy was bombed in Kaduna as he made his way to Daura, his hometown earlier today

Governor Who Raised Alarm On Genocide Affecting Christians In Nigeria’s North ‘Flees Country For Fear of Govt. on His Life’

ABUJA—There was a clear indication last night that former Adamawa State Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, who was sacked last week, had fled the country.

A competent source confirmed to Vanguard exclusively that the governor was not in Nigeria, having left the shores shortly after he was impeached by the state House of Assembly over alleged gross misconduct.

Although the source close to Nyako claimed that the man had travelled out of Nigeria to take a deserved rest after many years on the saddle, it was learnt that the retired naval chief fled the country in a bid to avoid being harassed by security agents, who have been looking for him.

The former governor, who has already filed an appeal against his removal from office, is also said to have fled the country because of security concerns about his life.

“It is true that Nyako had since left Nigeria to go and have a deserved rest but the main reason he left was because he was afraid for his life,” a close confidant of the former governor told Vanguard last night.

According to him, Nyako had to take the option of leaving the country when it became obvious to him that his enemies could even take his life while pretending to be working to remove him from office.

The source said: “Beyond the issue of trying to impeach the governor, he was really worried about people who could harm him because of their fear that he had so much information.





“So, I can tell you that as we speak, Nyako is not in Nigeria,” the source said.

Vanguard learnt at the weekend that the Federal Government was considering declaring Nyako wanted after its operatives had made fruitless search for the former governor both in Yola and Abuja.

It was gathered that security agents, who had been combing Yola and Abuja for the former governor, were frustrated over their inability to trace him.

According to a competent source in Yola, security aides of the former Chief of Naval Staff ferried him out of Yola to an undisclosed location same day he was sacked from office.

The plot to arrest Nyako was hatched a few hours after Adamawa lawmakers voted for his removal from office, having mobilised the required two third majority of the members to sack him.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the federal authorities were considering the option of declaring Nyako wanted as a last resort to compel him to come and face the charges that have been prepared against him by both the office of the AGF and the EFCC.

Governor Who Raised Alarm On Genocide Affecting Christians In Nigeria’s North ‘Flees Country For Fear of Govt. on His Life’

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ABUJA—There was a clear indication last night that former Adamawa State Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, who was sacked last week, had fled the country.

A competent source confirmed to Vanguard exclusively that the governor was not in Nigeria, having left the shores shortly after he was impeached by the state House of Assembly over alleged gross misconduct.

Although the source close to Nyako claimed that the man had travelled out of Nigeria to take a deserved rest after many years on the saddle, it was learnt that the retired naval chief fled the country in a bid to avoid being harassed by security agents, who have been looking for him.

The former governor, who has already filed an appeal against his removal from office, is also said to have fled the country because of security concerns about his life.

“It is true that Nyako had since left Nigeria to go and have a deserved rest but the main reason he left was because he was afraid for his life,” a close confidant of the former governor told Vanguard last night.

According to him, Nyako had to take the option of leaving the country when it became obvious to him that his enemies could even take his life while pretending to be working to remove him from office.

The source said: “Beyond the issue of trying to impeach the governor, he was really worried about people who could harm him because of their fear that he had so much information.





“So, I can tell you that as we speak, Nyako is not in Nigeria,” the source said.

Vanguard learnt at the weekend that the Federal Government was considering declaring Nyako wanted after its operatives had made fruitless search for the former governor both in Yola and Abuja.

It was gathered that security agents, who had been combing Yola and Abuja for the former governor, were frustrated over their inability to trace him.

According to a competent source in Yola, security aides of the former Chief of Naval Staff ferried him out of Yola to an undisclosed location same day he was sacked from office.

The plot to arrest Nyako was hatched a few hours after Adamawa lawmakers voted for his removal from office, having mobilised the required two third majority of the members to sack him.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the federal authorities were considering the option of declaring Nyako wanted as a last resort to compel him to come and face the charges that have been prepared against him by both the office of the AGF and the EFCC.

1 Nigerian Musician "Alariwo Of Africa" Shot By Suspected Robbers In Ibadan, Hospitalized

The musician was said to be on his way to a friend's birthday at Candlewood Hotel in the city when he was attacked by suspected armed robbers. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shot at him about four times, and at least one bullet penetrated his stomach.

Nigerian musician ”Alariwo of Africa” is recuperating in a hospital at Ibadan, Oyo State where he is being treated for wounds he had from gun shots in the city few days ago.

The musician was said to be on his way to a friend's birthday at Candlewood Hotel in the city when he was attacked by suspected armed robbers. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shot at him about four times and at least one bullet penetrated his stomach.

He is however recuperating according to his colleagues who are monitoring his treatment in the hospital.

1 Nigerian Musician "Alariwo Of Africa" Shot By Suspected Robbers In Ibadan, Hospitalized

Posted by Sylvester No comments

The musician was said to be on his way to a friend's birthday at Candlewood Hotel in the city when he was attacked by suspected armed robbers. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shot at him about four times, and at least one bullet penetrated his stomach.

Nigerian musician ”Alariwo of Africa” is recuperating in a hospital at Ibadan, Oyo State where he is being treated for wounds he had from gun shots in the city few days ago.

The musician was said to be on his way to a friend's birthday at Candlewood Hotel in the city when he was attacked by suspected armed robbers. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shot at him about four times and at least one bullet penetrated his stomach.

He is however recuperating according to his colleagues who are monitoring his treatment in the hospital.

Plot to impeach Amaechi Wont Succeed – Rivers APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, wishes to reassure party faithful, the good people of Rivers State and all progressives across the country that the job of the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, remains very much safe. This reassurance becomes necessary in view of the apprehension in some quarters following Wednesday’s confirmation by APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that Rt. Hon. Amaechi is one of the five APC Governors penciled down by the Presidency to be impeached before the 2015 elections – others being the Governors of Adamawa (already impeached), Nasarawa, Edo and Borno.

We are confident that God will not allow the evil machinations of the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to materialise. In the specific case of Rivers State, we are sure that God who has protected Amaechi all these years will surely see him through to the end of his tenure. Having said this, one thing going for Amaechi is that having spent eight good years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and four years as the Leader of the Speakers’ Forum in Nigeria, he is in a better position to understand legislative power games. We should also appreciate the fact that apart from politics, most of the members of the House are Amaechi’s colleagues and political associates who are too principled to sell out at this crucial time.

Amaechi and all the Lawmakers in Rivers State have indeed come a long way! These Lawmakers and Amaechi share the same political fate. They were all members of PDP and were all suspended from the party and forced to join APC. The Lawmakers are all victims of PDP’s brutality and high-handedness. Amaechi and the G25 Lawmakers detest evil, greed and politics without principle, which are the hallmarks of Nyesome Wike’s G6 Lawmakers.

Not to be overlooked is Amaechi’s feats in Education, Health, Agriculture, provision quality roads and making Port Harcourt the World Book Capital. All these have conferred on him an international stature and any mad step to impeach him for any unholy reason will attract the ire of the international community.

We make bold to say that Rivers APC Lawmakers are not only progressives and God-fearing democrats but, most importantly, true sons of Rivers State who will not join enemies of Rivers State who have ceded our oil wells to Bayelsa, Abia and Akwa Ibom states to cause any confusion in the State. These enemies of democracy have demonstrated their hatred for our Governor and the State and it is our duty to ensure that they don’t come in here to scuttle all that Governor Amaechi has achieved for Rivers State and her people.

In conclusion, we are pleased to congratulate the PDP 25 Lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently declared for APC. By so doing, they have proved and demonstrated that they are true progressives who are resolutely committed towards an egalitarian, virile and vibrant Rivers State. With this development, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, Deputy Speaker, Hon Barr. Leyii Kwanee, Majority Leader, Hon Barr Chidi Llyod, Deputy Leader, Hon Ewor Nname Robinson, Acting Chief Whip, Hon. Irene M. Inimgba and others, APC now enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Rivers State House of Assembly. With the rejection of PDP by the Rivers State people, the Hon. Evans Bipi-led G6 renegade lawmakers should read the handwriting on the wall and follow the good example of the majority lawmakers before it is too late.

Long Life APC!

Plot to impeach Amaechi Wont Succeed – Rivers APC

Posted by Sylvester No comments

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, wishes to reassure party faithful, the good people of Rivers State and all progressives across the country that the job of the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, remains very much safe. This reassurance becomes necessary in view of the apprehension in some quarters following Wednesday’s confirmation by APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that Rt. Hon. Amaechi is one of the five APC Governors penciled down by the Presidency to be impeached before the 2015 elections – others being the Governors of Adamawa (already impeached), Nasarawa, Edo and Borno.

We are confident that God will not allow the evil machinations of the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to materialise. In the specific case of Rivers State, we are sure that God who has protected Amaechi all these years will surely see him through to the end of his tenure. Having said this, one thing going for Amaechi is that having spent eight good years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and four years as the Leader of the Speakers’ Forum in Nigeria, he is in a better position to understand legislative power games. We should also appreciate the fact that apart from politics, most of the members of the House are Amaechi’s colleagues and political associates who are too principled to sell out at this crucial time.

Amaechi and all the Lawmakers in Rivers State have indeed come a long way! These Lawmakers and Amaechi share the same political fate. They were all members of PDP and were all suspended from the party and forced to join APC. The Lawmakers are all victims of PDP’s brutality and high-handedness. Amaechi and the G25 Lawmakers detest evil, greed and politics without principle, which are the hallmarks of Nyesome Wike’s G6 Lawmakers.

Not to be overlooked is Amaechi’s feats in Education, Health, Agriculture, provision quality roads and making Port Harcourt the World Book Capital. All these have conferred on him an international stature and any mad step to impeach him for any unholy reason will attract the ire of the international community.

We make bold to say that Rivers APC Lawmakers are not only progressives and God-fearing democrats but, most importantly, true sons of Rivers State who will not join enemies of Rivers State who have ceded our oil wells to Bayelsa, Abia and Akwa Ibom states to cause any confusion in the State. These enemies of democracy have demonstrated their hatred for our Governor and the State and it is our duty to ensure that they don’t come in here to scuttle all that Governor Amaechi has achieved for Rivers State and her people.

In conclusion, we are pleased to congratulate the PDP 25 Lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently declared for APC. By so doing, they have proved and demonstrated that they are true progressives who are resolutely committed towards an egalitarian, virile and vibrant Rivers State. With this development, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, Deputy Speaker, Hon Barr. Leyii Kwanee, Majority Leader, Hon Barr Chidi Llyod, Deputy Leader, Hon Ewor Nname Robinson, Acting Chief Whip, Hon. Irene M. Inimgba and others, APC now enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Rivers State House of Assembly. With the rejection of PDP by the Rivers State people, the Hon. Evans Bipi-led G6 renegade lawmakers should read the handwriting on the wall and follow the good example of the majority lawmakers before it is too late.

Long Life APC!

Boko Haram Must Be Defeated In Just Three Months, Dr. Peregrino Brimah

On April 26th, in the first days after the abduction of 234 girls from Chibok, we sent a formal letter to the president of Nigeria, requesting executive authorization for us civilians to bear arms and engage the Boko Haram terrorists [Letter: http://ends.ng/?p=864]. It is now three months and the Jonathan government has avoided responding to our request while failing to control the Boko Haram menace.

We are ready to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. Hundreds of hunters have in suit, been waiting for the approval of the government to go into Sambisa forest on a rescue and exterminate mission. We are in constant communication with these hunters and with the Civilian-JTF, a force of over 30,000 brave Nigerians who are ready and on stand-by, awaiting the approval from the presidency to take the fight back to Boko Haram and avenge their abducted brothers and sisters and killed and maimed parents, children, friends and relatives. Thousands of Nigerians from across the nation, including ex-military men have also since indicated their readiness to join this mission to sack the forests of Borno of all remnants of the terrorist aberration, while rescuing the thousands of girls and boys abducted over the past 5 years.

As the Nigerian military copes with compromise, sabotage and inevitable, related, desertions of its soldiers, Nigeria desperately needs the civilian patriotic response to terror. We are willing and able to go ahead and at no cost to tax payers – with our contributions and promises from international groups and gun lobbies, we will finance our mission and arm ourselves to capacity to decimate Boko Haram within just three months by God’s mighty grace.

We have carefully drawn out an operating plan to cordon, and strangulate the terrorists, taking advantage of affordable modern devices and tools of warfare. We will combine heart with intelligence and the justified desire for revenge of the victims – we the people of the entire nation. Towards this end, we will implore on the military to temporarily evacuate areas of conflict because we cannot any longer afford to have more military weapons, tanks and APC’s be delivered through military carelessness to the terrorists. We will wipe them out while ensuring they lack the ability to regroup and re-arm as provided by the current failed military strategy.

Civilian patriots are proving their value in Iraq’s similar crisis right now. We ask all well meaning Nigerians and global observers to press the Jonathan administration to immediately approve of our request for the right to obtain and bear arms and engage Boko Haram to finally bring a complete end to the insurgency destroying life and farming in the north of Nigeria.

Boko Haram Must Be Defeated In Just Three Months, Dr. Peregrino Brimah

Posted by Sylvester No comments

On April 26th, in the first days after the abduction of 234 girls from Chibok, we sent a formal letter to the president of Nigeria, requesting executive authorization for us civilians to bear arms and engage the Boko Haram terrorists [Letter: http://ends.ng/?p=864]. It is now three months and the Jonathan government has avoided responding to our request while failing to control the Boko Haram menace.

We are ready to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. Hundreds of hunters have in suit, been waiting for the approval of the government to go into Sambisa forest on a rescue and exterminate mission. We are in constant communication with these hunters and with the Civilian-JTF, a force of over 30,000 brave Nigerians who are ready and on stand-by, awaiting the approval from the presidency to take the fight back to Boko Haram and avenge their abducted brothers and sisters and killed and maimed parents, children, friends and relatives. Thousands of Nigerians from across the nation, including ex-military men have also since indicated their readiness to join this mission to sack the forests of Borno of all remnants of the terrorist aberration, while rescuing the thousands of girls and boys abducted over the past 5 years.

As the Nigerian military copes with compromise, sabotage and inevitable, related, desertions of its soldiers, Nigeria desperately needs the civilian patriotic response to terror. We are willing and able to go ahead and at no cost to tax payers – with our contributions and promises from international groups and gun lobbies, we will finance our mission and arm ourselves to capacity to decimate Boko Haram within just three months by God’s mighty grace.

We have carefully drawn out an operating plan to cordon, and strangulate the terrorists, taking advantage of affordable modern devices and tools of warfare. We will combine heart with intelligence and the justified desire for revenge of the victims – we the people of the entire nation. Towards this end, we will implore on the military to temporarily evacuate areas of conflict because we cannot any longer afford to have more military weapons, tanks and APC’s be delivered through military carelessness to the terrorists. We will wipe them out while ensuring they lack the ability to regroup and re-arm as provided by the current failed military strategy.

Civilian patriots are proving their value in Iraq’s similar crisis right now. We ask all well meaning Nigerians and global observers to press the Jonathan administration to immediately approve of our request for the right to obtain and bear arms and engage Boko Haram to finally bring a complete end to the insurgency destroying life and farming in the north of Nigeria.

PDP awmakers In Oyo Moves To Unseat Governor Ajimobi

Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi faces impeachment threats from state lawmakers

In Oyo State, the fear of the possible impeachment of Governor Abiola Ajimobi heightened last week with a series of secret political moves by members of the state House of Assembly.

The development in Oyo is coming just as one of our correspondents gathered that there was apprehension in Borno State over the rumoured defection of the former Governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, to the Peoples Democratic Party. There are fears the defection might ignite a political crisis in the state.

In Oyo, a source told one of our correspondents in confidence that, at least, 24 House members had been meeting secretly and that more members were being wooed to join the group. He said 10 legislators from the APC had joined the 14 other legislators from the PDP and AP and that they were holding secret meetings on the modalities to impeach either the governor or the speaker, Monsurat Sumonu.

The House has 32 members with the All Progressives Congress having 18 members; Peoples Democratic Party nine; while the Accord Party, which had seven, now has five members.

The source said, “The House has been calm because the speaker is dancing to the governor’s tune. Once she is removed, the new Speaker can go ahead to implement the impeachment plan. But the problem is that the group has yet to agree on who will be the next Speaker. For the PDP to have that power, it must improve on its present figure in the house. I am aware that it is being worked on with a move to woo AP legislators and possibly some APC legislators in the house,” he said.

Signs early in the week that impeachment plans were being hatched were denied by the majority leader of the House, Oyeniyi Akande. Speaking on behalf of the 18 APC members during an emergency press conference, Akande said a report that APC members were part of a meeting held with the PDP and Accord last weekend could not stand the test of time.

He said, “I am using this period to debunk that statement that APC members were part of that meeting; they were not part of that meeting at all, none of our members was in that meeting. I am saying it categorically that we are solidly behind our governor, Ajimobi, beyond 2015. We have the positive opinion that he is going to win the second term election.”

The minority leader in the house, Rafiu Adekunle, however said that some members of the ruling APC were part of the meeting, and that for safety reasons, he would not give their names.

“For political reasons, no member of APC can boldly come out and affirm my claim publicly. Let me tell you emphatically, immediately after plenary, four other members signified their readiness to associate with the project.”

On Tuesday, a release signed by all APC members where they denied holding any meeting with a group was issued. This was a confirmation of the source’s claim which also backed the fact that there was an impeachment fear in the state.

The Chairman of APC in the state, Mr. Akin Oke, told our correspondent that he did not envisage an impeachment move in the state, confirming that the party’s members in the house were made to pledge their support to the governor.

He said, “This era of impeachment is not good for our democracy. If a governor’s achievement is not satisfactory after three years in government, why not wait till the next election to remove him through the electorate? Instead of sponsoring legislators to remove governors, the electorate should be allowed to decide that.

“In Oyo State or anywhere in the South-West, it is not possible to remove our governors. The 18 legislators in Oyo have come out to deny meeting legislators from the PDP and AP. It shows that such a move will not be welcome in Oyo. Ajimobi and the legislators have always enjoyed a good relationship so why should there be fear over his impeachment?” asked the chairman.

But the PDP chairman in the state, Yinka Taiwo, told our correspondent on Friday that there were six APC lawmakers holding talks with the PDP on how to move to the party.

“The minority leader who is a PDP member in the house is handling the matter. I am aware that six APC lawmakers in the house are talking with him. They said they were not happy with the APC and are eager to join the PDP. We are considering their proposal,” he said.

In Borno State, some political observers argued that the defection of Modu-Sheriff, the estranged godfather of the present governor, Kashim Shettima, would make it easy for the ruling PDP to effect the removal of the governor.

Already, the former governor has three members of the House of Representatives, AbdulRahman Terab, Peter Biye and Lawan Isa, who are set to move with him to the new party.

Though many of the members of the House of Assembly have not come out to associate openly with the former governor, they are suspected to be holding secret talks with him and may move with him to the PDP.

The permission given by the presidency to the former governor to land at the Maiduguri International Airport, which has been closed to all manner of flights for over two weeks, some observers have noted, is a pointer to the extent that the PDP will empower the ex-governor to upturn the political balance in the state.

The thinking is that with what happened in Adamawa State where the governor was removed and in Nasarawa, where the governor has been served with notice of impeachment, many believe Borno may be in the radar of the President and the PDP for a similar treatment.

But a member of the state House of Assembly, who spoke under anonymity, said Borno lawmakers would not mete out the same treatment to Shettima, saying, “He has been nice to us and we see ourselves as part and parcel of this administration. We have never had any major crisis under this dispensation and why now?”

The lawmaker said the current chairman of the APC in the state, Hon. Bukar Ali Dalori, was a member of the Assembly. “So, why should we betray such trust and go with the opposition who can never be trusted.”

Another respected politician in the state, who did not want his name in print, said, “2015 is still a long way away and if Sheriff brings enough money from Abuja, he could destabilise the system and even move for the governor’s impeachment.”

A top aide to Shettima, who would not have his name in print, said, “The issue of impeachment doesn’t arise in Borno State. The issue will only be a distraction and the governor is focused on delivering on his promises to the people of Borno State.”

He added, “Of course, you know that unlike what obtained in Adamawa, a PDP lawmaker in Borno State defected to APC. The State chairman was from the State Assembly, all of these confirm the level of cohesion between the two arms, and it will be difficult to change this.”

PDP awmakers In Oyo Moves To Unseat Governor Ajimobi

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Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi faces impeachment threats from state lawmakers

In Oyo State, the fear of the possible impeachment of Governor Abiola Ajimobi heightened last week with a series of secret political moves by members of the state House of Assembly.

The development in Oyo is coming just as one of our correspondents gathered that there was apprehension in Borno State over the rumoured defection of the former Governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, to the Peoples Democratic Party. There are fears the defection might ignite a political crisis in the state.

In Oyo, a source told one of our correspondents in confidence that, at least, 24 House members had been meeting secretly and that more members were being wooed to join the group. He said 10 legislators from the APC had joined the 14 other legislators from the PDP and AP and that they were holding secret meetings on the modalities to impeach either the governor or the speaker, Monsurat Sumonu.

The House has 32 members with the All Progressives Congress having 18 members; Peoples Democratic Party nine; while the Accord Party, which had seven, now has five members.

The source said, “The House has been calm because the speaker is dancing to the governor’s tune. Once she is removed, the new Speaker can go ahead to implement the impeachment plan. But the problem is that the group has yet to agree on who will be the next Speaker. For the PDP to have that power, it must improve on its present figure in the house. I am aware that it is being worked on with a move to woo AP legislators and possibly some APC legislators in the house,” he said.

Signs early in the week that impeachment plans were being hatched were denied by the majority leader of the House, Oyeniyi Akande. Speaking on behalf of the 18 APC members during an emergency press conference, Akande said a report that APC members were part of a meeting held with the PDP and Accord last weekend could not stand the test of time.

He said, “I am using this period to debunk that statement that APC members were part of that meeting; they were not part of that meeting at all, none of our members was in that meeting. I am saying it categorically that we are solidly behind our governor, Ajimobi, beyond 2015. We have the positive opinion that he is going to win the second term election.”

The minority leader in the house, Rafiu Adekunle, however said that some members of the ruling APC were part of the meeting, and that for safety reasons, he would not give their names.

“For political reasons, no member of APC can boldly come out and affirm my claim publicly. Let me tell you emphatically, immediately after plenary, four other members signified their readiness to associate with the project.”

On Tuesday, a release signed by all APC members where they denied holding any meeting with a group was issued. This was a confirmation of the source’s claim which also backed the fact that there was an impeachment fear in the state.

The Chairman of APC in the state, Mr. Akin Oke, told our correspondent that he did not envisage an impeachment move in the state, confirming that the party’s members in the house were made to pledge their support to the governor.

He said, “This era of impeachment is not good for our democracy. If a governor’s achievement is not satisfactory after three years in government, why not wait till the next election to remove him through the electorate? Instead of sponsoring legislators to remove governors, the electorate should be allowed to decide that.

“In Oyo State or anywhere in the South-West, it is not possible to remove our governors. The 18 legislators in Oyo have come out to deny meeting legislators from the PDP and AP. It shows that such a move will not be welcome in Oyo. Ajimobi and the legislators have always enjoyed a good relationship so why should there be fear over his impeachment?” asked the chairman.

But the PDP chairman in the state, Yinka Taiwo, told our correspondent on Friday that there were six APC lawmakers holding talks with the PDP on how to move to the party.

“The minority leader who is a PDP member in the house is handling the matter. I am aware that six APC lawmakers in the house are talking with him. They said they were not happy with the APC and are eager to join the PDP. We are considering their proposal,” he said.

In Borno State, some political observers argued that the defection of Modu-Sheriff, the estranged godfather of the present governor, Kashim Shettima, would make it easy for the ruling PDP to effect the removal of the governor.

Already, the former governor has three members of the House of Representatives, AbdulRahman Terab, Peter Biye and Lawan Isa, who are set to move with him to the new party.

Though many of the members of the House of Assembly have not come out to associate openly with the former governor, they are suspected to be holding secret talks with him and may move with him to the PDP.

The permission given by the presidency to the former governor to land at the Maiduguri International Airport, which has been closed to all manner of flights for over two weeks, some observers have noted, is a pointer to the extent that the PDP will empower the ex-governor to upturn the political balance in the state.

The thinking is that with what happened in Adamawa State where the governor was removed and in Nasarawa, where the governor has been served with notice of impeachment, many believe Borno may be in the radar of the President and the PDP for a similar treatment.

But a member of the state House of Assembly, who spoke under anonymity, said Borno lawmakers would not mete out the same treatment to Shettima, saying, “He has been nice to us and we see ourselves as part and parcel of this administration. We have never had any major crisis under this dispensation and why now?”

The lawmaker said the current chairman of the APC in the state, Hon. Bukar Ali Dalori, was a member of the Assembly. “So, why should we betray such trust and go with the opposition who can never be trusted.”

Another respected politician in the state, who did not want his name in print, said, “2015 is still a long way away and if Sheriff brings enough money from Abuja, he could destabilise the system and even move for the governor’s impeachment.”

A top aide to Shettima, who would not have his name in print, said, “The issue of impeachment doesn’t arise in Borno State. The issue will only be a distraction and the governor is focused on delivering on his promises to the people of Borno State.”

He added, “Of course, you know that unlike what obtained in Adamawa, a PDP lawmaker in Borno State defected to APC. The State chairman was from the State Assembly, all of these confirm the level of cohesion between the two arms, and it will be difficult to change this.”

Stephen lists Mikel Obi for AFCON tie

Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, has included Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi for next month’s AFCON tie with Liberia, MTNFootball.com reports.
Mikel opted out of the first leg in Monrovia, which finished 2-2, when it was first learnt that the game will be played on an astro turf.
Keshi’s programme was on Tuesday handed to the Nigeria Football Federation’s technical department, according to top officials of the glass house.
“The coach has plans to name a killer squad that would include Chelsea stars John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses,” a top official told MTNFootball.com.
Several top officials who accompanied the Eagles to Monrovia earlier this month clamoured for the recall of Mikel after the team’s midfield collapsed against a rampant home team.
Mikel has yet to play under Keshi, who took charge of the Eagles in November.
However, West Bromwich Albion striker, Osaze Odemwingie will have to wait a little longer before he returns to the Eagles fold, another top official told MTNFootball.com
“For Osaze, he would just be returning from his three-match ban and the coach feels he has not seen enough of him so I don’t think he would be making the Liberia game,” the official revealed.
MTNFootball.com also gathered that the Eagles coach is expected to name his squad for the AFCON return leg next week with the camp opening for home-based players in the first week of next month.
The match will be played on October 13 in Calabar.

Stephen lists Mikel Obi for AFCON tie

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, has included Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi for next month’s AFCON tie with Liberia, MTNFootball.com reports.
Mikel opted out of the first leg in Monrovia, which finished 2-2, when it was first learnt that the game will be played on an astro turf.
Keshi’s programme was on Tuesday handed to the Nigeria Football Federation’s technical department, according to top officials of the glass house.
“The coach has plans to name a killer squad that would include Chelsea stars John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses,” a top official told MTNFootball.com.
Several top officials who accompanied the Eagles to Monrovia earlier this month clamoured for the recall of Mikel after the team’s midfield collapsed against a rampant home team.
Mikel has yet to play under Keshi, who took charge of the Eagles in November.
However, West Bromwich Albion striker, Osaze Odemwingie will have to wait a little longer before he returns to the Eagles fold, another top official told MTNFootball.com
“For Osaze, he would just be returning from his three-match ban and the coach feels he has not seen enough of him so I don’t think he would be making the Liberia game,” the official revealed.
MTNFootball.com also gathered that the Eagles coach is expected to name his squad for the AFCON return leg next week with the camp opening for home-based players in the first week of next month.
The match will be played on October 13 in Calabar.

IGP, Abubakar on traffic duty

MD Abubakar - Inspector General of Police – fully dressed in Traffic uniform and controlling traffic at the popular Ministry of Finance Junction at Central Abuja.

IGP, Abubakar on traffic duty

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MD Abubakar - Inspector General of Police – fully dressed in Traffic uniform and controlling traffic at the popular Ministry of Finance Junction at Central Abuja.

Get More Price On Your Business

Get More Price On Your Business

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Yellowstone Volcano's Heat Melts Road

Yellowstone National Park closed a popular road Thursday (July 10) after geothermal heat cooked the asphalt.

Part of Firehole Lake Drive, a scenic one-way road off ofYellowstone's main loop, was shut down for repairs when oil bubbled to the surface, damaging the blacktop, the Park Service said in a statement. The closure doesn't affect the Grand Loop Road, which sees 20,000 visitors per day during the summer.

Park spokesman Dan Hottle told Live Science that Firehole Lake Drive's surface hit 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) on Thursday, about 30 degrees to 40 degrees F (17 to 22 degrees C) hotter than usual.

Geothermal heat radiating from Yellowstone's underground supervolcano, combined with warming from the summer sun, softened the 3.3-mile-long (5.3 kilometers) road.

Hottle noted that the road problems do not mean the volcano is showing signs of an impending eruption. "The supervolcano is not going to blow," he said.

Road closures from heat damage aren't unusual in Yellowstone, which has more than 10,000 geothermal features and 500 geysers. The park has previously closed Firehole Lake Drive for repairs due to heat damage, Hottle said. "This road has had this particular issue in the past, but it doesn't happen too often," he said.

The Park Service plans to work on repairs through the weekend, and hopes to reopen the road by early next week, Hottle said.

Within the next five years, the Park Service also plans to relocate a part of Grand Loop Road that takes visitors past Frying Pan Spring. "That area of the road is always buckled up and being repatched and repaired, so we're moving it away from the thermal area," Hottle said.

Yellowstone Volcano's Heat Melts Road

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Yellowstone National Park closed a popular road Thursday (July 10) after geothermal heat cooked the asphalt.

Part of Firehole Lake Drive, a scenic one-way road off ofYellowstone's main loop, was shut down for repairs when oil bubbled to the surface, damaging the blacktop, the Park Service said in a statement. The closure doesn't affect the Grand Loop Road, which sees 20,000 visitors per day during the summer.

Park spokesman Dan Hottle told Live Science that Firehole Lake Drive's surface hit 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) on Thursday, about 30 degrees to 40 degrees F (17 to 22 degrees C) hotter than usual.

Geothermal heat radiating from Yellowstone's underground supervolcano, combined with warming from the summer sun, softened the 3.3-mile-long (5.3 kilometers) road.

Hottle noted that the road problems do not mean the volcano is showing signs of an impending eruption. "The supervolcano is not going to blow," he said.

Road closures from heat damage aren't unusual in Yellowstone, which has more than 10,000 geothermal features and 500 geysers. The park has previously closed Firehole Lake Drive for repairs due to heat damage, Hottle said. "This road has had this particular issue in the past, but it doesn't happen too often," he said.

The Park Service plans to work on repairs through the weekend, and hopes to reopen the road by early next week, Hottle said.

Within the next five years, the Park Service also plans to relocate a part of Grand Loop Road that takes visitors past Frying Pan Spring. "That area of the road is always buckled up and being repatched and repaired, so we're moving it away from the thermal area," Hottle said.

Ways Skin Can Signal Health Problems

The largest organ in the body, the skin, is sometimes said to be a window into a person's general well-being, because it can carry clues about the health of other organs. Changes in the skin, ranging from discoloration to new growth, may sometimes be early signs of more serious underlying health problems, dermatologists say.

"I think of us as medical detectives," said Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "I'm always looking for that clue — when did this change happen, why it's here, what are the other symptoms … Those clues will help me find what's going on inside, both in the mind and the body."

A handful of skin changes have been commonly associated with internal diseases. When people spot these signs, they might need to see their doctor, Day said. [7 Weirdest Medical Conditions]

"A few weeks is not uncommon to have something come and go, but if it persists beyond that, I would say see your doctor — especially if it gets worse during that time," Day said.

Rashes and patches on the skin

In general, a rash that does not respond to treatment, and is accompanied by other symptoms — such as fever, joint pain and muscle aches — could be a sign of an internal problem or infection. A rash may also occur due to an allergy or signal a reaction to a medicine, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

A velvety rash on the back of the neck or around the arms, usually with a color slightly darker than the person's normal skin tone, is a sign that the patient may have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, Day said. "When I see that, I warn the patient to get their blood sugar checked, and watch their diet."

Less commonly, the velvety rash — called acanthosis nigricans — could be a warning sign of cancer in an internal organ, such as the stomach or liver, according to Mayo Clinic.

A purple rash on the lower legs that does not respond to topical medication can be a sign of hepatitis C infection, Day said.

Bronzing of the skin and other discolorations

In people with diabetes, a bronzing of the skin can be a sign of a problem with iron metabolism, Day said. A yellowing of the skin, on the other hand, may signal liver failure, and may occur along with the yellowing of the whites of the eyes, Day said.

A darkening of the skin — mostly visible in scars and skin folds, as well as on joints, such as elbows and knees — could be a sign of hormonal disease, such as Addison's disease, which affects the adrenal glands, according to the AAD.

New growths

People who see new growths on the skin should always have them looked at by a doctor, as they could be skin cancer, and are sometimes also a sign of internal disease or a genetic syndrome, according to the AAD.

For example, in a condition called eruptive exanthemas, yellow bumps on the arms, legs or rear could be a result of high triglyceride levels, signaling uncontrolled diabetes, according to the AAD.

The distribution pattern of acne also can provide clues about the underlying problem. In women, acne that appears mainly along the lower face or jaw line can be a sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome, Day said. The condition often causes other symptoms, such as weight changes, thinning hair and increased hair growth on the face, she said.

Nail changes

Changes in the color or shape of nails can often be a sign of deficiency or organ system issues, Day said.

For example, nail changes that look like fungal infection may actually be a result of psoriasis in the nails, even though the condition typically affects the skin. People who also have joint pain could have a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis, Day said.

In addition, liver problems and kidney problems can sometimes cause changes in the color of the nails, Day said.

Changes in skin's hardness and dryness

High blood pressure and kidney problems sometimes result in a thickening of the skin on the shin, Day said. Moreover, very dry, itchy skin could be a sign of hormonal problems, such as an underactive thyroid, she said.

"If you are over 30 or 40, and you've never had eczema as a kid — and all of a sudden, your skin is dry and you seem to be getting eczema — that could be sign of a hormonal issue like low thyroid" function, Day said.

People with an autoimmune disease called systemic sclerosis may experience a swelling and hardening of the skin. In more severe cases, this could result in the hardening of internal organs, such as the lungs or heart, according to the AAD.

On the other hand, very loose and silky skin is a symptom of a rare connective tissue disease, called acquired cutis laxa, which could signal blood cancers such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma, and could progress to affect internal organs, according to the AAD.

Ways Skin Can Signal Health Problems

Posted by Sylvester No comments

The largest organ in the body, the skin, is sometimes said to be a window into a person's general well-being, because it can carry clues about the health of other organs. Changes in the skin, ranging from discoloration to new growth, may sometimes be early signs of more serious underlying health problems, dermatologists say.

"I think of us as medical detectives," said Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "I'm always looking for that clue — when did this change happen, why it's here, what are the other symptoms … Those clues will help me find what's going on inside, both in the mind and the body."

A handful of skin changes have been commonly associated with internal diseases. When people spot these signs, they might need to see their doctor, Day said. [7 Weirdest Medical Conditions]

"A few weeks is not uncommon to have something come and go, but if it persists beyond that, I would say see your doctor — especially if it gets worse during that time," Day said.

Rashes and patches on the skin

In general, a rash that does not respond to treatment, and is accompanied by other symptoms — such as fever, joint pain and muscle aches — could be a sign of an internal problem or infection. A rash may also occur due to an allergy or signal a reaction to a medicine, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

A velvety rash on the back of the neck or around the arms, usually with a color slightly darker than the person's normal skin tone, is a sign that the patient may have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, Day said. "When I see that, I warn the patient to get their blood sugar checked, and watch their diet."

Less commonly, the velvety rash — called acanthosis nigricans — could be a warning sign of cancer in an internal organ, such as the stomach or liver, according to Mayo Clinic.

A purple rash on the lower legs that does not respond to topical medication can be a sign of hepatitis C infection, Day said.

Bronzing of the skin and other discolorations

In people with diabetes, a bronzing of the skin can be a sign of a problem with iron metabolism, Day said. A yellowing of the skin, on the other hand, may signal liver failure, and may occur along with the yellowing of the whites of the eyes, Day said.

A darkening of the skin — mostly visible in scars and skin folds, as well as on joints, such as elbows and knees — could be a sign of hormonal disease, such as Addison's disease, which affects the adrenal glands, according to the AAD.

New growths

People who see new growths on the skin should always have them looked at by a doctor, as they could be skin cancer, and are sometimes also a sign of internal disease or a genetic syndrome, according to the AAD.

For example, in a condition called eruptive exanthemas, yellow bumps on the arms, legs or rear could be a result of high triglyceride levels, signaling uncontrolled diabetes, according to the AAD.

The distribution pattern of acne also can provide clues about the underlying problem. In women, acne that appears mainly along the lower face or jaw line can be a sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome, Day said. The condition often causes other symptoms, such as weight changes, thinning hair and increased hair growth on the face, she said.

Nail changes

Changes in the color or shape of nails can often be a sign of deficiency or organ system issues, Day said.

For example, nail changes that look like fungal infection may actually be a result of psoriasis in the nails, even though the condition typically affects the skin. People who also have joint pain could have a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis, Day said.

In addition, liver problems and kidney problems can sometimes cause changes in the color of the nails, Day said.

Changes in skin's hardness and dryness

High blood pressure and kidney problems sometimes result in a thickening of the skin on the shin, Day said. Moreover, very dry, itchy skin could be a sign of hormonal problems, such as an underactive thyroid, she said.

"If you are over 30 or 40, and you've never had eczema as a kid — and all of a sudden, your skin is dry and you seem to be getting eczema — that could be sign of a hormonal issue like low thyroid" function, Day said.

People with an autoimmune disease called systemic sclerosis may experience a swelling and hardening of the skin. In more severe cases, this could result in the hardening of internal organs, such as the lungs or heart, according to the AAD.

On the other hand, very loose and silky skin is a symptom of a rare connective tissue disease, called acquired cutis laxa, which could signal blood cancers such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma, and could progress to affect internal organs, according to the AAD.

How I killed, drained teenager’s blood for money ritual – Suspect

Muyideen Salaam, a 35 year-old apprentice at Aketegbo community in Seme, Badagry area of Lagos, gave this chilling confession of how he killed a 13 year-old boy, Rilwan Amuda, in his crave for materialism.

The Ibadan-born suspect claimed he was tempted to opt for money ritual after his wife left with their two children when feeding became an uphill task for him.

According to him: “ I was alone in the video shop club owned by my master when one of my friends named Nuru came and said he knew someone who could make us rich . He told me all that was needed was just the blood of a boy of about 15 years of age.

He said all I needed to do was to get the person since he had already contacted a herbalist. In my desperation, I told him we would take Rilawan, mama elewa’s son since I had easy access to him because he usually ran errands for me and sometimes I gave him money and used closthes. We felt it was useless to go out and get someone else since Rilawan stayed in the same area with us. I made him understand that getting someone was not the problem but taking him to the herbalist’s shrine where he would be killed.

When we told baba our constraint, he gave Nuru a ring and instructed us to just touch whoever we wanted to bring with it , that the person would follow us without hesitation.

On that fateful day, I called Rilwan and touched him with the ring . To my surprise, he became dumb and followed us to the shrine. We kept him there until it was dark .

When it was midnight and there was no one in sight, we took him away from the shrine and laid him on the ground. While Nuru slashed his throat with a knife given to us by the herbalist, I held a bowl close to his neck for the blood to pour into it.

Rilwan did not put up any resistance as promised by baba because he was hypnotized. And his memory was gone.

After we collected the blood, we gave the bowl to baba and carried Rilawan’s body far away from the shrine to avoid suspicion and dumped it on the expressway so as to give an impression that he was hit by a vehicle. We thereafter, went to bath with the blood as instructed by baba.

He performed some rituals fore us and mixed the blood with a black native soap and gave us to bath with after which he said we would become rich.

But after bathing with the substance, by the third day, we did not see any money as promised by baba. We were as poor as we used to be . We were so angry and decided to go to baba’s place to fight with him.

But on our way, Rilwan’s mother held me and asked me to produce his son for him. She said she was informed that he was last seen with me. She vehemently refused to let go of my trouser even when I denied. This caused a scene and people gathered around me and started beating me. Nuru who was with me managed to escape. Policemen from Seme division came and took me away. It was at that moment I opened up.

But Nuru who lured me into it is nowhere to be found . I am left to bear the brunt alone . If I had known, I would have continued working for my master where I was paid N1,500 every month. The most painful aspect is that I do not have a mother, father, sister or brother. I am just all alone in the world. I do not want to die even though I partook in killing somebody “, he said in an emotional laden tone.

After his arrest, policemen reportedly took him to the herbalist shrine where the suspect showed them the bowl that was used to drain Rilwan’s blood. The herbalist identified as Soji Akodiya did not deny demanding for a human blood from Muyideen and his fleeing friend but he stated that the killing never took place in his shrine.

Out of curiosity , this reporter was forced to ask why he looked so haggard and tattered when he could make money to take care of himself. In response,he looked at the reporter , smiled sheepishly and said, “you will not understand”

Continuing he said : “ Yes, I told them what they needed for money ritual was human blood. Because money ritual is one of the greatest tasks in our line. I told them they could either use their own blood for it but I believe they never wanted to and brought that of the boy. I was not around when the boy was slaughtered . I did not even know when they brought him. He was not even killed in my shrine….”

But Muyideen interrupted saying “It is a lie. You knew when we brought him. It was even you that gave us knife and a bowl to put the blood. You even told us not to kill him in your shrine for security purpose and you were aware we were going to kill him that night”.

But the herbalist ignored the interjection and continued “ I am a herbalist who speacialise in attending to barren women. I also help people to get jobs and also give charms to traders to sell more than their fellow traders. I collect, N50 to N500 , depending on what the oracle demands. It is then left for my clients to appreciate me. I got money ritual charm from a colleague ten years ago when all herbalists went for a meeting in Ijebu-ode . Usually, what we do at such meeting is to help ourselves. For instance, if I have the cure for any disease and others do not, I will give to them and vice visa.

That was how the baba gave all of us ogun owo (money ritual charm)and instructed us on how to administer to our clients . I have never used it before, this is my first time. It was even when Nuru came to me that I realised I had the charm”.

Asked why it did work for the suspect and his fleeing partner in crime, the herbalist relied “ it did not work because they did not follow my instruction. The instruction was to bathe with the prepared concoction nine days after its preparation but they used it on the third day. Had they followed the instruction, they would have noticed a total turn around in whatever they set their hands to do . Their businesses would have been lucrative . And if they leave N1000 in the bag, they would wake up to meet triple of what was there”.

Mystics. Pure mystics. It’s unbelievable the extent many go to get rich. There are the politicians who believe that charms can make them powerful and transport them into powerful positions. Even when the efficacy of these rituals is in doubt, some people still believe that rituals can change their lives for the better. Evil men continue to chase their shadows. One thing is clear. Evil begets evil. There’s a price for every bad thing. Those who indulge in these primitive and devilish tendencies never end up well.

How I killed, drained teenager’s blood for money ritual – Suspect

Posted by Sylvester No comments

Muyideen Salaam, a 35 year-old apprentice at Aketegbo community in Seme, Badagry area of Lagos, gave this chilling confession of how he killed a 13 year-old boy, Rilwan Amuda, in his crave for materialism.

The Ibadan-born suspect claimed he was tempted to opt for money ritual after his wife left with their two children when feeding became an uphill task for him.

According to him: “ I was alone in the video shop club owned by my master when one of my friends named Nuru came and said he knew someone who could make us rich . He told me all that was needed was just the blood of a boy of about 15 years of age.

He said all I needed to do was to get the person since he had already contacted a herbalist. In my desperation, I told him we would take Rilawan, mama elewa’s son since I had easy access to him because he usually ran errands for me and sometimes I gave him money and used closthes. We felt it was useless to go out and get someone else since Rilawan stayed in the same area with us. I made him understand that getting someone was not the problem but taking him to the herbalist’s shrine where he would be killed.

When we told baba our constraint, he gave Nuru a ring and instructed us to just touch whoever we wanted to bring with it , that the person would follow us without hesitation.

On that fateful day, I called Rilwan and touched him with the ring . To my surprise, he became dumb and followed us to the shrine. We kept him there until it was dark .

When it was midnight and there was no one in sight, we took him away from the shrine and laid him on the ground. While Nuru slashed his throat with a knife given to us by the herbalist, I held a bowl close to his neck for the blood to pour into it.

Rilwan did not put up any resistance as promised by baba because he was hypnotized. And his memory was gone.

After we collected the blood, we gave the bowl to baba and carried Rilawan’s body far away from the shrine to avoid suspicion and dumped it on the expressway so as to give an impression that he was hit by a vehicle. We thereafter, went to bath with the blood as instructed by baba.

He performed some rituals fore us and mixed the blood with a black native soap and gave us to bath with after which he said we would become rich.

But after bathing with the substance, by the third day, we did not see any money as promised by baba. We were as poor as we used to be . We were so angry and decided to go to baba’s place to fight with him.

But on our way, Rilwan’s mother held me and asked me to produce his son for him. She said she was informed that he was last seen with me. She vehemently refused to let go of my trouser even when I denied. This caused a scene and people gathered around me and started beating me. Nuru who was with me managed to escape. Policemen from Seme division came and took me away. It was at that moment I opened up.

But Nuru who lured me into it is nowhere to be found . I am left to bear the brunt alone . If I had known, I would have continued working for my master where I was paid N1,500 every month. The most painful aspect is that I do not have a mother, father, sister or brother. I am just all alone in the world. I do not want to die even though I partook in killing somebody “, he said in an emotional laden tone.

After his arrest, policemen reportedly took him to the herbalist shrine where the suspect showed them the bowl that was used to drain Rilwan’s blood. The herbalist identified as Soji Akodiya did not deny demanding for a human blood from Muyideen and his fleeing friend but he stated that the killing never took place in his shrine.

Out of curiosity , this reporter was forced to ask why he looked so haggard and tattered when he could make money to take care of himself. In response,he looked at the reporter , smiled sheepishly and said, “you will not understand”

Continuing he said : “ Yes, I told them what they needed for money ritual was human blood. Because money ritual is one of the greatest tasks in our line. I told them they could either use their own blood for it but I believe they never wanted to and brought that of the boy. I was not around when the boy was slaughtered . I did not even know when they brought him. He was not even killed in my shrine….”

But Muyideen interrupted saying “It is a lie. You knew when we brought him. It was even you that gave us knife and a bowl to put the blood. You even told us not to kill him in your shrine for security purpose and you were aware we were going to kill him that night”.

But the herbalist ignored the interjection and continued “ I am a herbalist who speacialise in attending to barren women. I also help people to get jobs and also give charms to traders to sell more than their fellow traders. I collect, N50 to N500 , depending on what the oracle demands. It is then left for my clients to appreciate me. I got money ritual charm from a colleague ten years ago when all herbalists went for a meeting in Ijebu-ode . Usually, what we do at such meeting is to help ourselves. For instance, if I have the cure for any disease and others do not, I will give to them and vice visa.

That was how the baba gave all of us ogun owo (money ritual charm)and instructed us on how to administer to our clients . I have never used it before, this is my first time. It was even when Nuru came to me that I realised I had the charm”.

Asked why it did work for the suspect and his fleeing partner in crime, the herbalist relied “ it did not work because they did not follow my instruction. The instruction was to bathe with the prepared concoction nine days after its preparation but they used it on the third day. Had they followed the instruction, they would have noticed a total turn around in whatever they set their hands to do . Their businesses would have been lucrative . And if they leave N1000 in the bag, they would wake up to meet triple of what was there”.

Mystics. Pure mystics. It’s unbelievable the extent many go to get rich. There are the politicians who believe that charms can make them powerful and transport them into powerful positions. Even when the efficacy of these rituals is in doubt, some people still believe that rituals can change their lives for the better. Evil men continue to chase their shadows. One thing is clear. Evil begets evil. There’s a price for every bad thing. Those who indulge in these primitive and devilish tendencies never end up well.

The World’s Most Deadly Pirates, By James Bridger, USNI

West Africa is home to the world’s most violent pirates—who are now capable of overwhelming armed guards. Last month pirates killed a crewmember during an attack on German-owned oil tanker. Instead of fighting off the pirates, the embarked security team retreated to the ship’s citadel safe room.

For the shipping and insurance worlds, the widespread adoption of armed guards aboard vessels essentially “solved” Somali piracy, as no vessel employing them has been hijacked by pirates. An attempt to transfer this panacea to the pirate-prone waters of West Africa, however, has proved inadequate and ill-suited to local conditions.

On the night of April 29 pirates attacked SP Brussels about 35 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. Local security forces guarding the vessel were unable to prevent the pirates from boarding and retreated to ship’s citadel along with the crew. The guards did not emerge until the following morning, only to find that the ship’s chief engineer had been killed and another crewmember injured; they failed to reach the citadel.

That incident and others like it highlight three important issues that distinguish West African maritime crime from that in other parts of the world.

First are the distinctive operating environment, in which international naval patrols are absent; the limited response capacity of regional security forces; and the prohibition on the use of foreign armed guards.

Second is the uniquely violent nature of Nigerian pirates and their propensity to engage in shootouts with security forces.

Finally, there are the multiple shortcomings of using local armed guards aboard vessels and the inherent danger the shipping industry faces in being overly reliant on that measure.

Getting Around the Neighborhood

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a Nigeria-centric problem that primarily occurs within 100 nautical miles of the coast and targets the ships plying the regional oil trade. Local naval forces have provided a modicum of security for transiting vessels, but their ability to respond to pirate attacks outside of territorial waters and secure anchorages is limited. The pirate’s proximity to shore coupled with local concerns over state sovereignty has prevented international naval operations from deploying as they have off Somalia.

Those same confines have restricted Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) from operating in the region as national laws prohibit foreign guards from carrying weapons within the 12nm limit of territorial waters. For embarked security, shipowners are forced to rely on armed guards contracted from littoral states. Those guns on deck, drawn from national police and naval forces, are often poorly trained and undermanned, making them ill-equipped to match the threat they face.

Ultraviolence

A recent UN report found that pirate attacks in West Africa from 2006 to 2013 have been proportionally more severe (involving vessel hijacking, hostage-taking and violent acts toward crew members) than those in the Western Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. West African pirate attacks have also become more violent over time, the report notes, particularly from 2011 onward. International Maritime Bureau data records show more crewmembers were injured and killed off Nigeria than other country from 2012 to the first quarter of 2014.

Regionally distinct pirate “business models” partially explain this phenomenon. When Somali pirates hijack a vessel, they must ensure that the hostages are kept alive so that ransom negotiations for the return of the entire crew and ship can proceed smoothly.

West African hijackings, by comparison, are usually “extended duration robberies,” in which the crew and vessel are only held hostage until the ship can be pumped of its petroleum cargo. When maritime kidnappings occur, pirates take only the most valuable (usually Western or Asian) officers for ransom while leaving the rest of the crew and vessel behind. Under both scenarios, the majority of the crew hold no value for the pirates, and are thus considered disposable assets.

Armed to the Teeth

West African pirates are also better armed and trained than other maritime criminals, reportedly wielding heavy machines guns, such as M60s, and RPGs. Many of these weapons are “legacy firearms” circulating from previous African conflicts, while others are sold or rented from corrupt security forces.

This heavy armament is a product of the pirate’s proximity to their onshore bases in the Niger Delta, which allows them to carry more weight in weapons and ammo and less in fuel and water than their Somali counterparts. Nigerian pirates also display military-grade tactics, explains Kevin Doherty, owner of PMSC Nexus Consulting: “They know how to skillfully maintain and fire their weapons, they ambush security forces, and they board vessels with tactical precision.”

The weapons and tactics displayed by the pirates are often superior to those of the security personnel hired to protect vessels, notes a report from the counterpiracy think tank Oceans Beyond Piracy. As a result, local soldiers contracted to guard ships have reportedly hidden during pirate attacks. “They hide, just like that,” exclaimed a regional seafarer. “When we ask them why they hide, their answer is simple, ‘The weapons of rebels and pirates are stronger.’” An alternative explanation, often anecdotally reported, is that naval guards have colluded with pirates in exchange for a share of profits.

Nigerian pirates are often undeterred by onboard security forces and willing to use deadly force to achieve their objectives. While shootouts between pirates and embarked security are exceedingly rare in the Indian Ocean, they are becoming increasingly common in the Gulf of Guinea, resulting in multiple casualties.
Fatal Nigerian Pirate Attacks 2012-2014*
Date & Location Incident Details CasualtiesFeb. 13, 2012100 nautical miles South of Lagos, Nigeria Pirates fired on, boarded, and robbed a drifting bulk carrier, MVFourseas, off the coast of Nigeria. The pirates killed the ship’s master during the robbery, while chief engineer died from injuries sustained during an attempted escape. Master and chief engineer killed.
Aug. 3, 201245 nautical miles SW of Bonny Island, Nigeria Pirates armed with AK-47s overpowered the Nigerian naval personnel guarding an oil barge,Jascon 33, and kidnapped four crewmembers for ransom. Two Nigerian guards killed, two guards injured, four crewmembers kidnapped.
Dec. 13, 201225 nautical miles SW offshore, Bayelsa, Nigeria Pirates armed with machine guns attacked an offshore supply vessel, PM Salem, and engaged in a 20-minute firefight with onboard security guards before retreating. One Nigerian guard killed, one guard injured.
Feb. 4, 2013Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria Pirates attacked and boarded an anchored chemical tanker, Pyxis Delta, conducting STS operations off Lagos. The onboard naval security returned fire and eventually repelled the attackers. One crewmember died from injuries sustained during the firefight. Two pirates were also killed.
Feb. 5, 2013Near Angiama, Niger Delta waterway, Nigeria Gunmen ambushed an Indian-owned oil barge as a Nigerian military detachment escorted the ship through the Niger Delta. Two Nigerian soldiers killed, one crewmember killed, three crewmembers wounded.
April 29, 201435 nautical miles W offshore Bayelsa, Nigeria Armed pirates boarded a product tanker, SP Brussels, under way. The onboard security forces fired at the pirates before retreating to the citadel along with most of the crew. Chief engineer killed, third officer wounded. Two pirates were also killed.


The Wrong Answer

Armed guards aboard ships in West Africa do not provide the silver bullet security solution that PMSCs have in the Indian Ocean.

A key differentiator in the latter theatre is that ship owners have a number of tools for vetting the quality and compliance of the armed security they hire.

For example, the GUARDCON contract developed by BIMCO, the largest international shipping association, provides a standard agreement between ship owners and PMSCs that covers guidance on Rules of Force and other security issues. In addition, there is the ISO/PAS 28007accreditation that allows PMSCs to certify their compliance with appropriate regulations and best practices.

Vetting and compliance is much more problematic in West Africa as vessel owners and masters have far less oversight over the armed guards they bring aboard. Owners can either hire security forces directly through a local agent, or engage a PMSC to act as an intermediary to employ local guards and provide unarmed logistical support and leadership. In either case, BIMCO notes, the local security forces will operate under their own rules of engagement and cannot be bound to the provisions of GUARDCON.

When a vessel contracts local security, it is the soldiers’ commander, not the shipowner, who usually controls the number of guards posted. An undermanned and poorly drilled guard team bears responsibility for the fatality aboard the SP Brussels, argues Rene Toomse, CEO of the PMSC Aburgus. “What was missing,” Toomse explains, “was a guard assisting all the crew into the citadel while others were fighting with the criminals.” The vessel had only two armed guards on board at the time of the attack, rather than the BIMCO-recommended staffing of four.

Maritime insurers and PMSC owners have privately expressed reservations that an over-reliance on guards is contributing to lax safety and security standards in West African waters. One source close to the London insurance market noted a particular problem of vessels with embarked security rejecting advisories to avoid prolonged exposure in high risk-areas close to the Niger Delta, opting instead to save time and fuel by using shorter routes and “shooting their way out” of any potential pirate attacks. The majority of those incidents, it was further noted, are never reported to authorities and thus contribute to a cycle of inaccurate threat perceptions and inadequate security measures.

Multiple Layers


Praying for Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan, described as clueless

It is very unlikely that the laws barring foreign armed guards from West African territorial waters will change, despite pressure from PMSCs and shipping organizations. Concerns over sovereignty and control understandably run deep, particular in Nigeria, and the current regime of renting local guards to foreign ships is too lucrative to give up. Unarmed PMSC advisors working with local guards offers an improved measure of security, but BIMCO still warns that the ability of PMSC leaders to effectively control their teams will be limited.

As no single defense against West African piracy is impenetrable, a multilayered security system must be implemented. This begins with a pre-transit risk and security assessment and requires up-to-the-minute information on pirate activity and vessel vulnerabilities. Communication security is also essential, as pirates are known to select their targets by obtaining route and cargo information from open and private sources. Vessel-hardening measures such as the use of citadel safe rooms are key, but it is also imperative that crews are regularly drilled for emergencies. Vessels also need a well-staffed 24-hour watch as West African pirates primarily attack at night.

Even with all those measures in place, the most important lesson to draw from the SP Brusselsand other fatal pirate attacks is that no vessel should ever be lulled into a false sense of security.

The World’s Most Deadly Pirates, By James Bridger, USNI

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West Africa is home to the world’s most violent pirates—who are now capable of overwhelming armed guards. Last month pirates killed a crewmember during an attack on German-owned oil tanker. Instead of fighting off the pirates, the embarked security team retreated to the ship’s citadel safe room.

For the shipping and insurance worlds, the widespread adoption of armed guards aboard vessels essentially “solved” Somali piracy, as no vessel employing them has been hijacked by pirates. An attempt to transfer this panacea to the pirate-prone waters of West Africa, however, has proved inadequate and ill-suited to local conditions.

On the night of April 29 pirates attacked SP Brussels about 35 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. Local security forces guarding the vessel were unable to prevent the pirates from boarding and retreated to ship’s citadel along with the crew. The guards did not emerge until the following morning, only to find that the ship’s chief engineer had been killed and another crewmember injured; they failed to reach the citadel.

That incident and others like it highlight three important issues that distinguish West African maritime crime from that in other parts of the world.

First are the distinctive operating environment, in which international naval patrols are absent; the limited response capacity of regional security forces; and the prohibition on the use of foreign armed guards.

Second is the uniquely violent nature of Nigerian pirates and their propensity to engage in shootouts with security forces.

Finally, there are the multiple shortcomings of using local armed guards aboard vessels and the inherent danger the shipping industry faces in being overly reliant on that measure.

Getting Around the Neighborhood

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a Nigeria-centric problem that primarily occurs within 100 nautical miles of the coast and targets the ships plying the regional oil trade. Local naval forces have provided a modicum of security for transiting vessels, but their ability to respond to pirate attacks outside of territorial waters and secure anchorages is limited. The pirate’s proximity to shore coupled with local concerns over state sovereignty has prevented international naval operations from deploying as they have off Somalia.

Those same confines have restricted Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) from operating in the region as national laws prohibit foreign guards from carrying weapons within the 12nm limit of territorial waters. For embarked security, shipowners are forced to rely on armed guards contracted from littoral states. Those guns on deck, drawn from national police and naval forces, are often poorly trained and undermanned, making them ill-equipped to match the threat they face.

Ultraviolence

A recent UN report found that pirate attacks in West Africa from 2006 to 2013 have been proportionally more severe (involving vessel hijacking, hostage-taking and violent acts toward crew members) than those in the Western Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. West African pirate attacks have also become more violent over time, the report notes, particularly from 2011 onward. International Maritime Bureau data records show more crewmembers were injured and killed off Nigeria than other country from 2012 to the first quarter of 2014.

Regionally distinct pirate “business models” partially explain this phenomenon. When Somali pirates hijack a vessel, they must ensure that the hostages are kept alive so that ransom negotiations for the return of the entire crew and ship can proceed smoothly.

West African hijackings, by comparison, are usually “extended duration robberies,” in which the crew and vessel are only held hostage until the ship can be pumped of its petroleum cargo. When maritime kidnappings occur, pirates take only the most valuable (usually Western or Asian) officers for ransom while leaving the rest of the crew and vessel behind. Under both scenarios, the majority of the crew hold no value for the pirates, and are thus considered disposable assets.

Armed to the Teeth

West African pirates are also better armed and trained than other maritime criminals, reportedly wielding heavy machines guns, such as M60s, and RPGs. Many of these weapons are “legacy firearms” circulating from previous African conflicts, while others are sold or rented from corrupt security forces.

This heavy armament is a product of the pirate’s proximity to their onshore bases in the Niger Delta, which allows them to carry more weight in weapons and ammo and less in fuel and water than their Somali counterparts. Nigerian pirates also display military-grade tactics, explains Kevin Doherty, owner of PMSC Nexus Consulting: “They know how to skillfully maintain and fire their weapons, they ambush security forces, and they board vessels with tactical precision.”

The weapons and tactics displayed by the pirates are often superior to those of the security personnel hired to protect vessels, notes a report from the counterpiracy think tank Oceans Beyond Piracy. As a result, local soldiers contracted to guard ships have reportedly hidden during pirate attacks. “They hide, just like that,” exclaimed a regional seafarer. “When we ask them why they hide, their answer is simple, ‘The weapons of rebels and pirates are stronger.’” An alternative explanation, often anecdotally reported, is that naval guards have colluded with pirates in exchange for a share of profits.

Nigerian pirates are often undeterred by onboard security forces and willing to use deadly force to achieve their objectives. While shootouts between pirates and embarked security are exceedingly rare in the Indian Ocean, they are becoming increasingly common in the Gulf of Guinea, resulting in multiple casualties.
Fatal Nigerian Pirate Attacks 2012-2014*
Date & Location Incident Details CasualtiesFeb. 13, 2012100 nautical miles South of Lagos, Nigeria Pirates fired on, boarded, and robbed a drifting bulk carrier, MVFourseas, off the coast of Nigeria. The pirates killed the ship’s master during the robbery, while chief engineer died from injuries sustained during an attempted escape. Master and chief engineer killed.
Aug. 3, 201245 nautical miles SW of Bonny Island, Nigeria Pirates armed with AK-47s overpowered the Nigerian naval personnel guarding an oil barge,Jascon 33, and kidnapped four crewmembers for ransom. Two Nigerian guards killed, two guards injured, four crewmembers kidnapped.
Dec. 13, 201225 nautical miles SW offshore, Bayelsa, Nigeria Pirates armed with machine guns attacked an offshore supply vessel, PM Salem, and engaged in a 20-minute firefight with onboard security guards before retreating. One Nigerian guard killed, one guard injured.
Feb. 4, 2013Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria Pirates attacked and boarded an anchored chemical tanker, Pyxis Delta, conducting STS operations off Lagos. The onboard naval security returned fire and eventually repelled the attackers. One crewmember died from injuries sustained during the firefight. Two pirates were also killed.
Feb. 5, 2013Near Angiama, Niger Delta waterway, Nigeria Gunmen ambushed an Indian-owned oil barge as a Nigerian military detachment escorted the ship through the Niger Delta. Two Nigerian soldiers killed, one crewmember killed, three crewmembers wounded.
April 29, 201435 nautical miles W offshore Bayelsa, Nigeria Armed pirates boarded a product tanker, SP Brussels, under way. The onboard security forces fired at the pirates before retreating to the citadel along with most of the crew. Chief engineer killed, third officer wounded. Two pirates were also killed.


The Wrong Answer

Armed guards aboard ships in West Africa do not provide the silver bullet security solution that PMSCs have in the Indian Ocean.

A key differentiator in the latter theatre is that ship owners have a number of tools for vetting the quality and compliance of the armed security they hire.

For example, the GUARDCON contract developed by BIMCO, the largest international shipping association, provides a standard agreement between ship owners and PMSCs that covers guidance on Rules of Force and other security issues. In addition, there is the ISO/PAS 28007accreditation that allows PMSCs to certify their compliance with appropriate regulations and best practices.

Vetting and compliance is much more problematic in West Africa as vessel owners and masters have far less oversight over the armed guards they bring aboard. Owners can either hire security forces directly through a local agent, or engage a PMSC to act as an intermediary to employ local guards and provide unarmed logistical support and leadership. In either case, BIMCO notes, the local security forces will operate under their own rules of engagement and cannot be bound to the provisions of GUARDCON.

When a vessel contracts local security, it is the soldiers’ commander, not the shipowner, who usually controls the number of guards posted. An undermanned and poorly drilled guard team bears responsibility for the fatality aboard the SP Brussels, argues Rene Toomse, CEO of the PMSC Aburgus. “What was missing,” Toomse explains, “was a guard assisting all the crew into the citadel while others were fighting with the criminals.” The vessel had only two armed guards on board at the time of the attack, rather than the BIMCO-recommended staffing of four.

Maritime insurers and PMSC owners have privately expressed reservations that an over-reliance on guards is contributing to lax safety and security standards in West African waters. One source close to the London insurance market noted a particular problem of vessels with embarked security rejecting advisories to avoid prolonged exposure in high risk-areas close to the Niger Delta, opting instead to save time and fuel by using shorter routes and “shooting their way out” of any potential pirate attacks. The majority of those incidents, it was further noted, are never reported to authorities and thus contribute to a cycle of inaccurate threat perceptions and inadequate security measures.

Multiple Layers


Praying for Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan, described as clueless

It is very unlikely that the laws barring foreign armed guards from West African territorial waters will change, despite pressure from PMSCs and shipping organizations. Concerns over sovereignty and control understandably run deep, particular in Nigeria, and the current regime of renting local guards to foreign ships is too lucrative to give up. Unarmed PMSC advisors working with local guards offers an improved measure of security, but BIMCO still warns that the ability of PMSC leaders to effectively control their teams will be limited.

As no single defense against West African piracy is impenetrable, a multilayered security system must be implemented. This begins with a pre-transit risk and security assessment and requires up-to-the-minute information on pirate activity and vessel vulnerabilities. Communication security is also essential, as pirates are known to select their targets by obtaining route and cargo information from open and private sources. Vessel-hardening measures such as the use of citadel safe rooms are key, but it is also imperative that crews are regularly drilled for emergencies. Vessels also need a well-staffed 24-hour watch as West African pirates primarily attack at night.

Even with all those measures in place, the most important lesson to draw from the SP Brusselsand other fatal pirate attacks is that no vessel should ever be lulled into a false sense of security.