President Buhari leaves Saudi Arabia for UK on 2-week private visit

President Buhari on Saturday, November 2nd departed Makkah via Abdulaziz International Airport Jeddah for Unitted Kingdom after he successfully performed the Lesser Hajj.

The Nigerian leader left Makkah for Jeddah at about 1.30pm (local time) while his presidential aircraft took-off for London at exactly 3.05pm. 

President Buhari was accompanied on the Saudi trip by Governors Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Prof. Babagana Zulum of Borno and Aminu Masari of Katsina. The governors and other members of the entourage departed Jeddah for Abuja as President Buhari only travelled with very few of his aides to London.

Chinese man born with nine toes undergoes surgery to cut off four of them

21-year-old Chinese man simply known as Ajun has undergone surgery to correct a birth deformity that left him with nine toes on his left foot. 

Smaller digits sprouted out between his normal-sized toes in odd places. And he also lacked a big toe, instead having two smaller toes in a 'v' shape. 

He spent his childhood avoiding any social interaction and was too embarrassed to ask a girl on a date. 

Describing his tough schooldays, Ajun said: 'I stopped wearing sandals outside since my third year of primary school. 

'I've never had a girlfriend because I'm so imperfect. I never thought I'd find anyone who wants to be with me.'

Usually, people born with such deformities have the extra digits surgically removed during childhood but Ajun's superstitious parents did not want him to have the toes removed because a fortune teller told them they were a good omen.

He suffered for so long with the condition because of his parents' stubborn belief that it was a 'gift from the heavens'.  

Ajun said: 'They were superstitious, so they didn't deal with it. They thought if it really looked too bad, I could just cover it with my shoes.'

Ajun was however determined to rid himself of the extra toes once he reached adulthood.

American man murders Nigerian woman he met on dating site because she refused to marry him

Antonio Wilson, a 38-year-old man from Georgia, America, has been arrested for the alleged murder of Fabiola Thomas, 39, because she refused to marry him. 

Thomas' roommate discovered her body in the bathtub at the Atlanta Newtown Apartments and alerted police. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

According to local police, Thomas and Wilson met on the dating app, Plenty of Fish. Police spokesman Sean Thompson said the killing was in connection to Thomas rejecting the idea of them getting married. 

A warrant indicates Wilson planned to give Thomas an engagement ring, but Thomas said she didn’t want him coming to her house.

Police could not release any details of how Thomas was murdered, but stated that her body had signs of trauma.

EFCC to prosecute doctors who issue fake medical report to suspects on trial

EFCC says it is set to prosecute medical doctors who issue fake medical reports to those undergoing trial for financial crimes.  

The acting chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, disclosed this, on Friday, during an interactive session with anti-corruption stakeholders and journalists at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Magu also said many of these fake medical reports issued by doctors actually frustrate pending cases in court.

“We will extend our investigation to doctors who gives fake medical reports to individuals who are facing different kinds of corruption cases. so we put them on the spot. Some would win Senate and present serial medical results that they cannot appear in court. Some would be brought to the courtroom on a stretcher”.

”Many of these fake medical reports are actually the reasons why many of our cases in court are overstretched and go on for years endlessly,” Magu explained.

Many corruption cases in recent years have been stalled over alleged ailments suffered by the suspects, many of whom the judges have been forced to grant permission to seek medical treatment, usually overseas.  The judges usually act on medical reports presented in court by the 

EFCC says it is set to prosecute medical doctors who issue fake medical reports to those undergoing trial for financial crimes.  

Bullion vans: Magu shuns question on Tinubu petition

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on Friday refused to answer a question regarding a petition submitted against All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu.

Magu, who held a press conference in Abuja, had lamented the high rate of corruption in the country especially among the youths who perpetrate internet fraud.

The EFCC boss had also stated that any non-governmental organisations operating in the North-East were being used for money laundering.

CSP Dolapo Badmus weighs in on Naira Maley's statement that "having big booty is better than having a Masters degree"

Chief Superintendent of Police, Dolapo Badmus has weighed in on Naira Marley's controversial statement that "having big booty is better than having a Masters degree".

The rapper made this statement on Twitter.

Reacting to it, CSP Dolapo Badmus wrote: 

So having a big body part is now better than having Educational or vocational qualifications?(like seriously?) I still cant get over this! I'm saying it again, we need to restore sanity to our system and stop tolerating public nuisance!

Its mediocracy for anyone to applaud an obviously delinquent and unproductive dead duck (deemed a bad influence) hiding under the guise of making music, obnoxious music for that matter.

My advice to younger ones: let no one confuse you. To have a good body part is great.......but to have educational or vocational qualification is more important! Infact its non negotiable! Your body part cannot give you sustainable existence only good educational or vocational qualification will do...be guided!

#podiuminternational #podiumradiotv #podiumblog #podiumgist 

Nigerian Navy arrests five vandals, recovers 3,400 litres of 'stolen petrol

The Nigerian Navy operatives attached to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) on Thursday, October 31st arrested five suspected pipeline vandals with 136 jerry cans laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).  

The suspects; Oseni Noah, Toyin Hunsa, Rasheed Amish, Kamoru Ishau and Ibrahim Ojogbele, were arrested and handed over to officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). They were nabbed along Badagry creeks by naval personnel attached to the FOB, Badagry, while they were conveying the suspected stolen products on a wooden boat towards Benin Republic.

The Commander FOB Badagry, Capt. Tamuno Senibo, said that the suspects were intercepted by a navy boat on routine patrol. He said that the boat has 136 jerry cans of 25 litres capacity of suspected PMS.

“The estimated volume of this product is about 3,400 litres, while the boat and out board engines remained seized. It is believed that the product was stolen from one of NNPC pipelines that runs from Atlas Cove, in Apapa to Ejigbo and Mosimi depots in Lagos and Ogun States.

“It is very important to state that the Atlas Cove is very strategic to the country for its refined reception of petroleum product and distribution to other NNPC depots in Ore, Shagamu and within the western part of the country. Consequently, the facility has become very attractive to vandals who go there to steal the product and pirates alike,’’ he said.

He said the arrest represented a very important achievement of the navy’s constitutional mandate and a set back to the logistic requirements of the criminals.

“The Base will continue to dominate the nation’s waterways in order to prevent the theft of our common wealth. The product is believed to have been collected from a vandalised pipeline. The suspects will be handed over to officials of NSCDC for custody and further investigation,’’ he added.

The Assistant Superintendent, NSCDC, Anyebe Benjamin, commended the navy for its effort in combating crime around the country’s waterways.  He also commended the navy for its sustained war against vandals, and also assured that thorough investigation would be conducted and appropriate actions taken.