Police restricts movement from 8am-5pm during the April 11 election

In a bid to further ensure safety and security in the forthcoming Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections holding on Saturday, April 11, 2015, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba CFR, NPM, NPOM, mni has ordered a restriction of vehicular movement in all the thirty-six (36) States of the Federation from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, April 11, 2015 only.

This restriction excludes vehicles on essential duty such as Fire Service, Ambulances and vehicles used by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement/security agencies.

There is no restriction of vehicular movement in the Federal Capital Territory as there is no election taking place there on the said date.

The IGP assures that adequate security logistics and manpower have been strategically deployed to achieve a most conducive electioneering atmosphere. In this regard, Policemen for election duty have been properly briefed on their roles as stipulated in the Electoral Act. They are expected to be professional, non-partisan, civil but firm in their approach and relation to the public.

Meanwhile, citizens are enjoined to remain vigilant and report all suspicious movements or dealings to appropriate Police authority.

Ag. CP EMMANUEL C. S. OJUKWU, psc

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,

FORCE HEADQUARTERS,

ABUJA

I Want To Die In The Lagoon Shirts Now Trending In Lagos [PHOTO]

Lol.....i trust my people. this is what's trending in some parts of Lagos right now. Igbo boys making money off the situation already. 

Some even said they'll wear it to the polls on Saturday. This is hilarious....God bless Nigeria. 

Iran Nuclear Deal presents MTN with $1bn windfall

South African-based telecommunications company MTN Group and the largest telephone company in Nigeria has disclosed that if after recent negotiations between the United States and Iran, sanctions against Tehran are lifted; it will be able to transfer about $1 billion in accumulated dividends and a loan repayment from its Iranian unit.

The telecommunication giant owns 49% of state-controlled Irancell and after sanctions imposed by the United Nations in 2006 it had been prohibited from sending money back to its South African Headquarters. The United States had in 1979 imposed sanctions on Iran which were later tightened in a fresh batch in 1995.

MTN’s Head of Investor Relations, Nik Kershaw revealed that the company would be able to send some of its accumulated monies if sanction were loosened:

“We have in total an equivalent of about $1 billion, which is both a loan repayment from Irancell due back to MTN, as well as accumulated dividends.”

Iran and world powers have extended negotiations to end a decade-old crisis over the Iranian nuclear programme for an agreement that ensures controls on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Diplomats have been seeking a deal that would allow Iran to have nuclear power but reduce the likelihood of it gaining nuclear weapons.

According to Venture Africa, MTN has been criticized for its activities in the Iranian telecoms sector by a US-based advocacy group, United Against Nuclear Iran-UANI, who initiated a campaign in 2012 calling for the South African country to reduce its operations in Iran while charging MTN of providing them with equipment and breaching Human Rights agreements.

However, MTN Human Resources Head Paul Norman denied that the company assisted the Iranian Government in monitoring political activists.

“MTN’s role in Iran is mostly as a technical partner.

“Whatever equipment MTN has acquired for Irancell was for normal business reasons. This is the same software we utilize at other MTN operations.”

Big Sean I Never Threatened Justin Bieber ... That Tweet Is a Fake!

The Big Sean/Justin Bieber feud is over before it even started ... or more accurately ... it never existed in the first place.  

A rep for Big Sean tells TMZ the tweet going around in which Sean threatened Bieber for laying hands on Ariana Grande during a concert ... is a fake.

We're told Justin and Sean are good friends  ... and that he and Ariana are just fine. 

Another tweet of Sean's -- "so many times in my life I wish I could of been at 2 places at once" -- also sounded like it was about Bieber ... but we're told it had nothing to do with JB, and Sean just misses friends and family while on the road.

Italy court shooting: ‘Four dead, man arrested’ in Milan

(AFP) A gunman has been arrested after he shot dead three people at the Palace of Justice in the Italian city of Milan.

A fourth person was found dead at the court, from an apparent heart attack.

The suspect, Claudio Giardiello, was reportedly a defendant in a bankruptcy case. He was arrested in a Milan suburb after fleeing the scene on a motorbike.

The dead are said to include his former lawyer and a bankruptcy court judge. The shooting has prompted scrutiny of security procedures at the courthouse.

Questions are being asked about how Mr Giardiello managed to smuggle a weapon into a well-guarded building, use it several times and escape.

The suspect was arrested by carabinieri officers in Vimercate, about 25km (15 miles) north-east of central Milan, near the town of Monza.

Mr Giardiello, seen here in a picture released by police, was arrested on the outskirts of Milan

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the “presumed assassin” was now being held at a military police barracks in the Milan area.

The sound of gunfire had sparked panic inside the Palace of Justice on Wednesday morning.

Hundreds of people poured down stairways towards the exits while police and military police officers searched for the gunman.

“All of a sudden we heard at least three or four shots,” lawyer Marcello Ilia told the AFP news agency outside the building.

Women were first to be evacuated by police from the Palace of Justice

“We tried to find out what was going on. There were suddenly lots of police officers who told us not to leave the room, they shut us in,” he said.

“After a few minutes we came out. They told us someone in a suit and tie was armed and at large in the court.”

Citing officials and witnesses, the newspaper La Repubblica reported that the gunman had been attending a bankruptcy hearing when a fight broke out inside the third floor courtroom.

He pulled out a weapon and shot the lawyer, named as Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, as well as another man, who is said to have been a co-defendant in the case.

According to La Repubblica, Mr Appiani was a former lawyer for Mr Giardiello who was acting as a witness in the case.

Police searched the building for the gunman but he managed to escape

The gunman then left the courtroom and headed to the office of appeals court judge, Fernando Ciampi, shooting him dead.

It is not known if the gunman had any links to the judge.

A fourth person was found dead inside the building after apparently suffering a heart attack.

Another two people were wounded and are being treated at a hospital.

After hiding inside the Palace of Justice for more than an hour, the gunman fled on a motorbike, according to La Repubblica.

Mr Giardiello was described as “aggressive” and “a little paranoid” by his former lawyer, Valerio Maraniello, in comments quoted by AFP news agency.

Chocolate City welcomes Jesse Jagz as he returns after three years

Three years after he left record label, Chocolate City, Jesse Jagz is back. M.I and Ice Prince made the surprise announcement on instagram this evening. Jesse signed to the label, run by his brother MI and Audu Maikori, in 2007 and left officially on March 30th, 2012. 

Jimi Agbaje Responds To Oba Of Lagos' Threat

Jimi Agbaje Responds to threat by Oba Of Lagos' . In his words on his facebook page:

In the words of Winston Churchill: "Never, never, never give up."

I'm aware of the intimidation that a lot of you might be facing as we head into the final stretch of this election campaign. 

I get it. I understand what you are going through because I also had to face it in the course of this campaign, if this serves as any consolation.

One thing I've learnt in life, however, is that the people who threaten you, knowingly or unknowingly, further validate your importance and underscore advantage. 

I would like to take this time to encourage you all not to respond to intimidation with violence but rather confront it with the collective power of your votes. Change is coming to Lagos. Tell your friends and families.

I hope you all had a pleasant Easter celebration.