Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab -

Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab

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Muslim Students under the aegis of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, on Thursday protested the punishment of two pupils in Lagos by their principals.

The principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, allegedly flogged Aisha Alabi because she wore hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims, on the school premises.

Mafoluku Senior Grammar School principal, Elizabeth Omidele, was accused of harassing Barira by telling her to pull off her hijab outside the school premises.

The protesters, who turned the office of the Lagos State Governor into a praying centre, insisted on seeing Goveror Babatunde Fashola before they would end the protest.

When our correspondent left the scene of the protest at about 2.45pm, the protest was still on.

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Religious Matters, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Kosoko, had earlier assured the protesters that government would attend to the matters judiciously.

He said, “The governor is not around. He is not in the state. If he is around, he would have attended to you on the matters. Our governor is a friendly person and does not want crisis in the state.”

The group’s secretary, Shuaib Okuneye, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, complained that the pupils were deprived of their rights.

He said, “Ironically, these principals have no problems with other female students wearing mini-skirt and mini-gowns as school uniform.”

Culled from The Punch Nigeria...

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Simply Cheska...

 

Pope Benedict promises obedience to successor...

Pope Benedict XVI

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Pope Benedict XVI promised his “unconditional reverence and obedience” to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday, a poignant farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.

The pontiff appeared to be trying to defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiar situation of having a reigning pope and a retired one.

Delivering an unexpected speech, Benedict also urged the “princes” of the church to set aside their differences as they elect the next pope, urging them to be unified so that the College of Cardinals works “like an orchestra” where “agreement and harmony” can be reached despite diversity.

He said he would pray for the cardinals in coming days as they choose his successor.

“Among you is also the future pope, whom I promise my unconditional reverence and obedience,” Benedict said in his final audience.

Benedict’s decision to live at the Vatican in retirement, be called “emeritus pope” and “Your Holiness” and to wear the white cassock associated with the papacy has deepened concerns about the shadow he will cast over the next papacy.

Cultists kill musician at LASU

Damilola Olaniyan

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Some suspected cult members operating on a motorcycle allegedly shot and killed a student of the Lagos State University while the latter was leaving the school through the Iba Gate on Thursday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased, Damilola Olaniyan, was an upcoming Hip Hop artiste who went by the pseudonym Damino Damoche.

According to reports, Olaniyan, a student of Banking and Finance, was killed after writing a test at Faculty of Management Science.

A student of the institution, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the deceased had a misunderstanding with some members of a cult group over an undisclosed issue.

The source added that after shooting the deceased, the attackers also stabbed him repeatedly.

He said Olaniyan, a native of Ogun State, was popular on campus having produced songs with DJ Zeez and Konga in the past which had received considerable airplay.

He said, “The incident happened around 4pm when Damoche (Olaniyan) was leaving school. Some guys wielding guns and machetes on a bike started shooting at him and even after he fell to the ground, they stabbed him repeatedly before fleeing.

“At this point, everyone took cover for fear of being hit, but it was obvious that Damoche was the target.”

Asked if the deceased was a cult member, the source said it could not be ascertained immediately saying, “It is very hard to identify a cult member but Damoche was very popular, sociable and was always at every social gathering involving students.”

Nigeria loses N8tn to illegal gold miners....

Nigeria loses N8tn to illegal gold miners...

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The country lost $50bn (N8tn) in the last two years to neighbouring countries as a result of illegal mining and exportation of unprocessed gold.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Linus Awute, said this on Wednesday during an interview on the sidelines of the Nigerian-Brazil Investment Forum in Abuja.

He described the loss as monumental, adding that the activities of illegal gold miners were far beyond control. Awute, however, added that the Federal Government had put in place mechanism to address the problem.

He said, “What the country loses to illegal mining is tremendous; but the truth is that the amount of gold that left this country because of the illegal mining activities was more than $50bn in the last two years.

“The amount of unprocessed gold that has left this country through the neighbouring countries, Ghana in particular, and being processed in Ashanti, is enormous.”

Awute, however, said the Federal Government had begun the process of formalising the operations of illegal miners in the country, adding that such a move would help to generate revenue in the form of royalties to the government.

Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown 'sentenced to 55 days in jail following THIRD drink driving arrest' ...

Mugshot: Brown posed for a mugshot after being arrested for DUI back in March 2012 

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Bobby Brown is reportedly heading to jail.

The ex-husband of the late Whitney Houston was sentenced to 55 days in prison on Tuesday, according to TMZ.

The 44-year-old was handed down the jail term after being arrested for drink driving for the third time back in October last year.

As well as prison time, Brown was given four years probation and ordered to complete an 18-month alcohol program.

Brown is required to turn himself into the jail facility by March 20 of this year.

In the interim he must attend three Alcoholic Anonymous meetings a week.

Brown pleaded no contest to the charges in court on Tuesday.

Following his arrest last year, Brown denied multiple DUI charges after being pulled over at around 1 a.m. on October 24, 2012 when police believed he was driving erratically in the Tarzana area of Los Angeles.

After the arrest, the Don't Be Cruel star pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.

The singer maintained his innocence at a Los Angeles court, despite the fact it was the third time he was charged with DUI.

Officers subsequently discovered he was behind the wheel without the dashboard breathalyser he was previously ordered by a court to carry around with him.

Brown was charged with driving under the influence with a refusal to submit to a chemical test, driving with a suspended license due to a conviction of an alcohol offence, and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device.

The last two counts are the result of another DUI arrest back in March in the San Fernando Valley.At the time, Brown received three years' probation and did a spell in rehab after pleading no contest in that case.

Jail time: Bobby Brown has been sentenced to 55 days in jail following his third drink driving arrest...

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

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Simply Cheska...

UPDATE: Was Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend PREGNANT? 'Blade runner' hit with new claim that 'sent him over the edge' before she was shot dead..

Pregnant? A new report claims that Reeva Steenkamp, pictured left with Oscar Pistorius, had been murdered after revealing that she was pregnant...

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A bombshell new report has claimed that Oscar Pistorius may have shot his girlfriend dead after learning that she was pregnant with his child.

If true, the revelation would be the latest in a string of twists since the death of model Reeva Steenkamp at Pistorius' home on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius claims he killed Steenkamp accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her for an intruder in his bathroom.

Memorial: Oscar Pistorius is at his uncle's home after being granted bail following his hearing and is planning to hold a memorial for his dead girlfriend

But prosecutors say he intentionally shot her in cold blood after the couple had an argument.

The National Enquirer reported on Monday that the argument was sparked by the news that Pistorius was about to become a father.

A source close to investigation told the supermarket tabloid: 'Police believe the preg­nancy secret she revealed is what sent Pistorius over the edge and left her dead, with bullet wounds to the head, chest, pelvis and hand.'

The source added: 'Later that night, neighbors complained of shouting and fighting coming from the house. 

'Police were called to investigate  but it appeared to be just another lover’s spat, so nothing was done except to ask them to quiet down.'

No warning: Steenkamp is pictured outside Pistorius' home in her car hours before she was murdered

An autopsy on Steenkamp's remains would prove whether she was carrying a child or not, but police have said that the results of her post-mortem would not be revealed.

It's the latest lurid claim to hit the case, which has seen numerous sensational allegations in the wake of Steenkamp's death. However, it remains unconfirmed in South Africa.

Pistorius, who had both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was just 11 months old, competed on a set of prosthetic blades, earning him the nickname 'blade runner.'

He has competed as a sprinter in each of the Paralympic Summer Games since 2004 until running alongside able-bodied athletes in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

But his days as a runner will be numbered if he's found guilty of Steenkamp's murder.

His family said on Tuesday that the runner held a private memorial service for Steenkamp at his Uncle Arnold's home in Pretoria, where he has been staying since he was freed on bail.

In mourning: Friends and family arrived to pay their respects at Arnold Pistorius house in Pretoria, South Africa, where Oscar has been since he was released on bail, as a memorial service was held for Reeva Steenkamp

Arrivals: The South African Paralympic athlete, 26, who denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp, 29, has been free on bail since last Friday. Friends and relatives were pictured arriving at his uncle's home in Pretoria last night

The runner's family has asked for privacy but confirmation of the memorial service came after a leak in the media, Sky News reported today.

A statement by Pistorius' representatives said: 'This statement is released in response to a leak to the media regarding a planned private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp.

'Oscar Pistorius, will hold a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, tonight.

Oscar Pistorius claims he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead by accident believing her to be an intruder at his home

'Oscar specifically requested the memorial service as he continues to grieve and remains in deep mourning for the loss of his partner Reeva.

'Since it is such a sensitive issue, Oscar has asked for a private service with people who share his loss, including his family members who knew and loved Reeva as one of their own.

'The Pistorius family would like to make a personal request to the media, to please respect their privacy at their home in Pretoria tonight.'

Also on Tuesday, it was revealed that Desmond Nair, chief magistrate of the Pretoria Magistrate's Court who presided over the bail hearing, is in mourning after it is believed one of his relatives killed herself and her children.

The bodies of a woman and her two sons were found on Sunday evening at their Johannesburg home by her ex-husband, police warrant officer Balan Muthan said.

Authorities suspect the woman administered a substance that killed her children, and took her own life by ingesting it as well. 

'I can confirm the deceased is my first cousin,' Nair said.

The woman's brother, Vishal Maharaj, identified her as Anusha Maharaj. Police said Maharaj was her family name before she married. South African media identified her as Anusha Mooljee.

Muthan said police suspect 'she took her own life by ingesting a substance that killed her,' and that she 'most probably' gave the same substance to her children.

Autopsies were conducted on Monday and toxicologists were analyzing the substance believed to have killed the three family members.

Suicide notes were found and a murder investigation was underway, Muthan said. He said copies of the notes were admitted as evidence in the probe and declined to comment on the contents.

Eyewitness News, a South African media outlet, said the boys who died were 12 and 17 years old and cited neighbor Claire Osment as saying she rushed outside after hearing screams coming from the townhouse where they lived.

Pistorius is staying at the home of his uncle Arnold, right, while he is on bail and planning to hold the memorial there. Arnold is pictured here comforting his niece Aimee

Pretoria chief magistrate Desmond Nair, who presided over the Pistorius bail hearing in Pretoria, South Africa, is in private mourning, reports said

'We asked what happened. The dad just said, "She has killed my boys." He was just crying,' Eyewitness News quoted her as saying.

'He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe that his sons are gone.'

Nair, 44, has presided over a number of high-profile cases, including the 2008 conviction on fraud charges of Sydney Maree, a South African who took American citizenship and became a track star in the United States.

He also presided over a 2011 plea agreement in which rugby player Bees Roux received a five-year suspended prison sentence for the beating death of a policeman; and inquiries into alleged misconduct by magistrates around South Africa.

On Friday, Nair delivered a lengthy discourse on why he was granting bail to Pistorius, including an assertion that prosecutors had not argued persuasively that the Paralympian was a flight risk.

Nair criticized shortcomings in the state's investigation, but he also said aspects of Pistorius' account of what happened were not convincing.

Charged: Carl Pistorius, with sister Aimee, in court to see their brother Oscar granted bail after being charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

The murder-suicide would be the the latest in a series of twists that have come along with the Pistorius trial.

Last week, the chief investigator in the case against Pistorius, Hilton Botha, was removed from the inquiry after it was revealed that attempted murder charges against him had been reinstated in early February.

The charges relate to a 2011 incident in which Botha and two other police officers allegedly fired on a minibus.

In another surprise, a lawyer for the Pistorius family said Sunday that Oscar's brother, Carl, faces a charge of unlawful, negligent killing for a 2008 road death. 

That charge had also been dropped and later reinstated.

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

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Simply Cheska...

Man bags 20 yrs jail for killing his father...

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ASABA— AN Asaba High Court, yesterday sentenced a 30-year-old farmer, Opukeme George to 20 years imprisonment for killing his father on Christmas eve.

The convict, who hails from Tuomo town in Bomadi local government area of DeltaState, was found guilty of killing his father, Kosine George with a cutlass following quarrel that broke out between them over missing fish.

He told the court that he killed the father on December 24, 2011, due to provocation, saying that it was the father that attacked him first when he (son) demanded to know the whereabouts of the two pieces of fish that he kept.

We’ll not negotiate with Boko Haram – France...

Members of the boko haram sect...

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Cameroonian security officials stand at the vehicle a French family was driving before being kidnapped.The minister’s statement comes after rebels show video of kidnapped family.

The family of seven was kidnapped in Cameroon.

A masked spokesman says France has declared war in Islam Boko Haram wants jailed members and their wives released.

France will not negotiate with the Islamist rebels who kidnapped a French family in Cameroon, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday.

“We do not negotiate on these bases, with those groups,” Le Drian said on French radio station RTL. “We will use all possible means to secure the release of hostages.”

The radio announcement comes a day after rebels in Nigeria released a chilling video of the family that was abducted in neighbouring Cameroon.

The seven-member family was flanked by armed fighters from the Boko Haram movement in the brief video. One of the captive men read a statement demanding that Nigeria and Cameroon free jailed members of Boko Haram, which is battling to establish Islamic rule in northern Nigeria, and their families.

“Meet all the demands we have mentioned, and if you leave out one of them, we will kill these hostages,” the masked man says.France blasts ‘cruelty’ as Boko Haram displays kidnapped family

The family – a couple, their four children and an uncle – were seized in a national park in remote northern Cameroon on February 19.Authorities in Cameroon said they were quickly spirited across the border into Nigeria.

Poverty fueling Boko Haram insurgency – Clinton.....

Former United States President Bill Clinton...

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Former United States President Bill Clinton on Tuesday canvassed ways through which Nigeria could effectively deal with Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country.

Among the ideas suggested by him are poverty eradication, education, equitable distribution of wealth and job creation for the nation’s teeming unemployed graduates.

Clinton, at Thisday Newspapers awards in Abeokuta, Ogun State, also flayed what he described as Nigeria’s failure to efficiently manage and maximise her oil and human resources for the benefit of all.

Nigeria, he argued, would do better if her resources were efficiently managed by her leaders.

He said one of the ways the nation could eradicate her high level of poverty, especially in the North, was to have powerful state and local governments.

Clinton, who added that programmes to check Boko Haram violence and insecurity were desirious, advised that deliberate efforts should be made by the three tiers of government to give “economic opportunities” to Nigerians lagging behind .

“You have to somehow bring economic opportunity to the people who don’t have it,” he said, “You have all these political problems — and now violence — that appear to be rooted in religious differences and all the rhetoric of the Boko Harams and others, but the truth is the poverty rate in the North is three times of what it is in Lagos. ”

He said that poverty remained the main driver for the attacks by Boko Haram and needed to be addressed by strong local and Federal Government programmes.

Pointing out that “too much inequality” was capable of limiting growth and opportunities among the citizens of a country, he stressed that a redistribution of wealth would go a long way in addressing the violence and insecurity in Nigeria.

Officially shameless: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West pose nude on the cover of French magazine...

Shameless: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West pose on the cover of the spring issue of French magazine L'Officiel Hommes...

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She recently said she's working on being more guarded with her private life.

But perhaps Kim Kardashian meant after her baby with Kanye West is born. 

The couple pose nude on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel Hommes, the reality star caught in an expression sure to make her daughter blush as Kanye reveals his bare back, wrapping his arms around her.

The black and white image features on the spring issue of the men's magazine, shot by Nick Knight.  Its release comes just days after Kim was forced to shut down rumours she is planning her exit from Keeping Up with the Kardashians after season nine.

It had been suggested that Kim may want to leave the show following the birth of her first child with Kanye West, after claiming her baby will not appear on television.

Kim told DuJour magazine: 'I think there's always an evolution of, you know, what you want to do in life. It's all about finding things that really excite you and motivate you and spark you all over again.

'I'm realizing that no matter what, if you go into something with all these expectations and plans, once you're actually living it, it could be completely different.'

Missing her man: Kim posted this picture of herself with Kanye on Instagram on Monday

Kim also told the publication that rapper Kanye has taught her 'a lot about privacy', and after his own reluctance to appear in the series, perhaps it wouldn't be a surprise if she did decide to bid farewell to the Kardashian bubble.

'I'm ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships,' Kim added. 'I'm realizing everyone doesn't need to know everything. I'm shifting my priorities.'

Addressing the reports on her Celebuzz page earlier this month, Kim admitted she doesn't know where life will take her, but said she is 'staying on through at least season 10' of Keeping Up (the E! show is currently in season seven).

She wrote: 'As everyone knows, we are extremely proud of the show and all of us are staying on through at least season 10. The show remains to be my number 1 priority and it’s a big part of my life and I enjoy every moment of it.

Baby on the way! Kim cradled her bump as she arrived for the Elton John Oscar Viewing Party in Hollywood, California on Sunday evening

'It has given me such a rare opportunity to share more of my life with all of you and has brought my family closer to each other. I’m looking forward to the new season and beyond.'

The 32-year-old added: 'The fact is that I have many goals that I still need to reach and accomplish and I (like so many of you) don’t know where my life will be in the next couple of years, but I’m looking forward to continuing this journey.'

Kim is expected to give birth to her first child in July this year.

The couple announced that they were expecting on December 30. 

The happy news was first revealed by Kanye onstage during his concert in Atlantic City as Kim watched from the audience.

All white: Kim held a fur stole as she vamped it up in her plunging dress 

The rapper said 'stop the music', then announced 'make noise for my baby mama right here,' with a wide smile.

Kanye's announcement prompted a flurry of excited tweets from the audience.

Kim, who was sat in the audience during the show, is said to have not known that her man would reveal their pregnancy and was in shock like many of the rappers fans.

She confirmed the news in a message to her fans titled 'New Year, New Beginnings' not long after.

She wrote: 'It’s true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby. We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family. Happy New Year!!! Xo

Addressing the claims: Kim wrote about suggestions she was planning to quit Keeping Up with the Kardashians on her blog last week, after telling DuJour magazine she wanted more privacy

The couple have been dating since April last year, and before the pregnancy was announced previously denied rumours that Kim was expecting.

Kim is currently thought to be around the four month mark in her pregnancy. 

The reality star is still married to her estranged second husband Kris Humphries. The pair's divorce has been prolonged as the basketball star has insisted on a court case, claiming the marriage should be annulled as it was 'fraud'.

Since Kim and Kanye began dating in April they have rarely been apart.

Despite the shortness of their relationship, the two have been friends for years.

It has even been speculated that the rapper had been in love with Kim back in 2009, when he appeared to refer to her in his track Knock You Down.

Lovers' stroll: Kim and Kanye looked blissful as the couple shopped in Paris on January 25

At the time the song was penned, Kim was in a relationship with NFL star Reggie Bush, whom she went on to date on and off for three years.

The song includes the lines: 'You was always the cheerleader of my dreams... To seem to only date the head of football teams... And I was the class clown that always kept you laughing... We were never meant to be, baby we just happened.' 

He then goes on to rap: 'You should leave your boyfriend now.'

Kim made it clear she was missing Kanye when she took to Instagram on Monday. 

A picture she posted of the pair with the caption, 'I miss him too!!!!', garnered nearly 140,000 likes within the first hour.

Kim tweeted this picture on Monday with the caption: Fun day working with my high school BFF @simoneharouche...

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

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Simply Cheska...

Four Nasarawa varsity protesting students shot dead

Nasarawa State University Students' Protest...

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Four Students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, were on Monday shot dead by security operatives in Keffi during a demonstration in the vicinity of the institution.

A 400 Level student of Geography, simply identified as Aminu, was said to be among those killed, while several others received gunshot injuries.

The crisis compelled the authorities to shut down the institution.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the Nasarawa State Police Command, Mr. Michael Ada, said two students died, while seven others received gunshot injuries.

About 17 other students were arrested by security agents, including the institution’s President of the Students Union. The students of the institution were said to have blocked the Abuja/Keffi road in protest over scarcity of water and power in the institution.

But the police denied shooting the students, saying they only cleared the highway blocked by the protesting students. Ada, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, absolved the police of involvement in the killing of the students. He said any question relating to the incident should be directed to the Army.

He said, “The policemen that went to the scene only cleared the expressway that was blocked by the students. Two students were killed and seven others were hospitalized for injuries sustained during the violent protest.

“Any question on the killing should be directed to the Army. They have their Public Relations Unit, the police were not involved in the shootings.”

But the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, denied the claim that soldiers did the shooting. He said soldiers were not deployed for the purpose of stopping the protest in the university. Attahiru said soldiers could not have gone to the scene of the protest to shoot the said students, as there was no deployment.

Boko Haram releases video of kidnapped French family...

Members of the boko haram sect...

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Boko Haram on Monday released a video online, which showed seven French hostages kidnapped from Northern Cameroon with three masked militants.

Associated Press reports that the video, posted on YouTube and mentioned on a jihadist website, shows one of the two French men reading a statement, with a woman in between them.

Four children sat on the ground near them, flanked by two masked militants dressed in camouflage and holding rifles.

A masked militant in the video said the sect kidnapped the Moulin Fournier family — three adults and four children — who were taken from outside a national park in Cameroon on Feburary 19. A black banner in the background, bearing the images of the Quran, flanked by two Kalashnikov assault rifles, resembling a symbol previously used by Boko Haram was also shown in the video.

The man said the kidnapping was due to the French military intervention in northern Mali, where its troops were fighting with Malian soldiers against Islamic extremists.

The man also threatened the Nigerian and Cameroonian government, calling on them to release their imprisoned members.

Did the acid attack girl do it herself? Police probe Victoria's Secret worker and seize her laptop...

Emotional: Naomi Oni, 20, pictured with This Morning host Phillip Schofield earlier this month

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Police are investigating a theory that the Victoria's Secret worker who suffered horrific acid burns to her face may have inflicted the injuries on herself.

Naomi Oni, 20, spent a month in a burns unit and has been left partially blinded from what she claimed was an unprovoked assault by a woman wearing an Islamic niqab.

The part-time model said she feared an unknown enemy was 'out to kill her' and wanted to die when she first saw the way her face had been disfigured.

Shocking: Naomi Oni was returning from a shift at Victoria's Secret in Stratford, when the attack happened

However, police are now investigating whether the attack may have been self-inflicted after they seized her computer and found she had searched websites about acid attacks before she suffered her injuries.

She is believed to have researched Katie Piper, a model who became famous for her bravery after she had sulphuric acid thrown in her face by an ex-boyfriend in 2008.

Miss Oni said she is 'really upset' about the allegation. Her family have accused the police of not doing enough to catch the true perpetrator and wasting time by instead focusing on a 'crazy' line of enquiry.

Miss Oni was severely scarred on December 30 following a shift working at lingerie store Victoria's Secret at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, East London.

Campaigner: Miss Oni is understood to have researched high profile acid attack victim Katie Piper before she was attacked herself

She said she was getting off a bus close to her home in

Dagenham, Essex, at around 12.40am when she noticed a woman in traditional Muslim clothing, which covered all but her eyes, 'coldly' staring at her from behind. 

She then felt something being thrown at her, she added. 'Before I could feel it burning, I just knew it was acid. I thought, OK, someone is out to kill me.' 

Miss Oni suffered horrific burns to her face, leg, arm and head. She lost her hair and eyelashes in the incident and has undergone several operations since.

Doctors had initially feared that she would be permanently blinded but following intensive treatment at a specialist burns unit, she recovered sight in her left eye and partial sight in her right eye.

Miss Oni's story was first reported earlier this month after she went public in a bid to help police find her attacker. 

She made an emotional appearance on ITV's This Morning, for a reported fee of £3,000.

'I don't want people to see me in public. I don't want to get the Tube or the bus. If I have to go to the hospital, I take a taxi,' she said. 'I have no clue why someone would do this to me.'

Her case attracted much sympathy and top American cosmetic surgeon Cap Lesesne offered to operate on her for free. 

The incident has caused considerable concern near her home and she and her mother have moved out temporarily for fear of further attacks. 

Far right groups, such as the English Defence League, have used the attack to criticise Muslims.

By the time she appeared on television, police had reportedly sought to retrieve Miss Oni's laptop computer, which was handed over by her disabled mother, Marian Yalekhue.

It is believed she had searched websites relating to acid attacks and the story of Miss Piper, 29, who campaigns for victims of facial disfigurement. The pair were due to meet after Miss Oni's public appeal.

Horrific injuries: Naomi Oni suffered burns to her face, head, arm and leg in an apparent attack in December

Officers have since questioned relatives about whether Miss Oni could have harmed herself.

Miss Oni said: 'The police haven't been able to find anyone. They even asked my aunt if I had done it to myself, which really upset me. Why would anyone do this to themselves?' 

Friend Sheila Maclean said it was 'innocuous' that Miss Oni may have watched a Channel 4 documentary about Miss Piper on her computer, adding that this would simply have been due to an interest in make-up. Miss Oni's boyfriend Ato Owede, 23, said the police are 'concentrating on the wrong things' and 'are just coming to a silly conclusion'. 

Police have yet to establish what kind of chemical was used in the attack. No arrests have been made. A spokesman for the Metropolitan police said officers 'continue to follow a number of lines of enquiry'

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

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Simply Cheska...

Woman stabs daughter-in-law to death

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Abuja — A housewife, Mrs Kareen Opara, has gone underground after allegedly stabbing her son’s wife, Esther Oluchi, to death in Anguwa Baba area of Nasarawa State. But the police have launched a hot chase to fish out the suspect.

The suspect, who was living in the same neighbourhood with his son, Chinedu and the deceased wife, hailed from Umueze Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State. She was alleged have been at loggerheads for sometime over a picture taken by the deceased at the wedding of Kareen’s daughter, last December.

Trouble was said to have broken out between the late Oluchi and her mother-in-law when it was reported to her that Kareen was caught at a herbalist’s home with one of the photographs she took at her son’s wedding.

In a bid to retrieve the picture, Oluchi approached Kareen and pleaded with her to return the said picture to her but she ignored all pleas and rather took offence for the effrontery of her daughter-in-law.

Angered by what she saw as “confrontation” by her son’s wife, she immediately confronted Chinedu and warned him to call his wife to order or risk being punished along his spouse.

2015: Jonathan to empower ministers against govs...

President Goodluck Jonathan...

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PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan appears to have devised a strategy for freeing himself from the clutches of governors hostile to his 2015 ambition, especially those from the states ruled by the Peoples Democratic Party.

At the center of this strategy, The PUNCH learnt, was a plan to empower ministers against the chief executives of their home states and create alternative power base from which Jonathan could tap for his second term ambition in 2015.

The ministers that would readily benefit from this presidential empowerment, as already discussed and decided on by members of the President’s kitchen cabinet, are those from states whose governors have been seen as antagonistic to Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

The revelation came even as the Nigerian Governors’ Forum holds its election on Monday (today) in Abuja.

Though President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday that it had no interest in the governors’ forum elections, there were indications that the Presidency would put the poll under close watch.

Beyond merely electing who replaces Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of the forum, analysts say the NGF poll will pinpoint the direction of the 2015 poll, especially within the Peoples Democratic Party.

Okocha, Kanu made me choose Nigeria –Moses...

Victor Moses...

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Chelsea forward Victor Moses has revealed how former internationals Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu talked him into choosing Nigeria over England, especially after he was overlooked by England coaches.

The former Crystal Palace sensation was named the Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa following his spectacular display as Nigeria won the African title for the third time.

Moses played for England from Under-16 to U-21 level and was tipped by former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan to be one of England ’s finest. But unfortunately, U-21 boss Stuart Pearce and former England manager Fabio Capello had little or no interest in Moses.

“I played all through the age levels for England and when Nigeria first asked, I wanted to concentrate on my club football,” the 22-year-old told Mirror.co.uk.

“Stuart Pearce may have spoken to my agent about England, but he never spoke to me directly and Fabio Capello never spoke to me or showed any interest in me.

“Nigeria asked again and it just seemed like the right thing to do.

“Jay-Jay Okocha and Kanu encouraged me as well before I started playing for Nigeria and it was great to speak to two legends of the country.”