Okene Explosion: Other Bombers May Be Headed For Abuja, Says Arrested Suspect

 3m360 learnt that a captured bomber involved in the car bombing of a gasoline station in Okene today made a startling confession that another car rigged with bombs and with two men at the controls may be headed to Abuja to carry out a bomb attack.
Today a bomb exploded beside a gasoline station in Okene Township in Kogi State.
 
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that a vehicle parked close to a gas station exploded. A police source disclosed that the vehicle was apparently timed to cause significant fire by igniting underground gasoline tanks in the area. There are no reported casualties, even though the trunk of the car was ripped apart.
 
Moments before the car exploded, residents and auto mechanics in the area said they saw two men walk briskly away from the car. They reported that the two men entered a bush around the area, apparently to hide. A vigilant group searched the forest and found one of the two men and later handed him over to the Joint Task Force team in the township.
 
Our sources said the captured car bomber confessed that he and his accomplice were headed to Abuja in a gold-colored "Honda Academy" saloon car. The bombers stopped at the MPC gasoline station on Lagos road in the Obehira-Oro area of Okene and their vehicle, rigged with explosives, exploded minutes later close to a church.
 
A second bomb planted at the entrance of a church in the Okene exploded before the the end of church service. The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) commander in the state,  Lieutenant-Colonel Gabriel Olorunyomi, said the  bomb was planted at the front of the Lord’s Chosen Church also in Obehira area of Okene timed to explode at the end of the church service. No one was injured in that attack.

EXCLUSIVE: Usher's Stepson -- Family Can't Afford to Keep Him Alive Much Longer

Usher's ex-wife -- Tameka Raymond -- will be forced to take her 11-year-old son off life-support as early as next month, TMZ has learned, all because his insurance coverage is about to expire. Sources close to the family tell TMZ ... Tameka has not lost hope that her son, Kyle Glover, can make a drastic recovery ... despite doctors declaring him brain dead last week following a jet ski accident. We're told she is telling friends ... she still believes in miracles.  According to our sources, Tameka can only keep Kyle on life-support as long as her insurance company agrees to pay ... otherwise she doesn't have the funds to cover the enormous hospital bills.  We're told the insurance company hasn't set a specific deadline, but they've made it clear ... they're only willing to shell out coverage for a couple months ... tops. Our sources say that Usher -- who helped raise Kyle for several years -- has been incredibly supportive in this difficult time... but has NOT offered to pay for any medical bills. We're told Tameka does not see him as a viable financial option. As TMZ first reported, Kyle was struck in the head by a jet ski while inner tubing on Lake Lanier -- doctors declared him brain dead days later.

EXCLUSIVE: Sage Stallone -- Lawyer's Story Doesn't Match Up with Cops

Sage Stallone's lawyer and longtime friend is painting a picture of Sage in the days leading up to his death that is radically different from what law enforcement sources are telling TMZ. Attorney George Braunstein claims: Sage posted pics to Facebook 17 hours before he was found dead.Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sage was dead for a minimum of 3 days (and possibly as long as a week) before his body was found. Our sources say no one had heard from him in a full week.  And we're told his room was filled with cigarette butts and reeked of various smells.  Sage never exhibited any signs of drug use or addiction.TMZ spoke with Robert Rhine, a magazine publisher who worked with Sage two months ago. He said Sage was "out of it" the entire time he worked with him and it was obvious to him and everyone at the photo shoot that Sage was on something.  And our law enforcement sources say there were multiple pill bottles in his room, some of which were "huge."Sage didn't drink.Law enforcement sources tell TMZ his room was littered with various items, including empty beer cans.Our sources say they believe Sage's death was an accident and not intentional

Family Fears for Boston Pastor Abducted in Egypt

CAIRO – The family of a Pentecostal pastor abducted in Egypt on Saturday appealed to his captor to release the 61-year-old man, saying he is a diabetic and the family fears for his health.

The son of Rev. Michel Louis told The Associated Press that his father was on a church trip to retrace Jesus’ steps through the Holy Land with 23 other members of the clergy and worshipers when he was abducted. Along with him, a 39-year-old Boston woman in the group and a tour guide were kidnapped in broad daylight Friday.

Jirmy Abu-Masuh, an Egyptian Bedouin, told the AP he was armed when he stopped the bus on a road linking Cairo to Mount Sinai, ordered the three to get off and took them captive. He said they would be released only after police release his uncle from prison, and he vowed to take more hostages of different nationalities if his demands were not met.

Louis’ son, Rev. Jean Louis, said his father was making his annual mission trip to the Holy Land.

“He’s been doing it for the past four years now, and this just turned out to be a little different from any other year,” said the younger Louis, who works as a youth pastor at a church founded by his father. “He’s a diabetic, so we’d like the person that, or the people that have him in captivity, to know that. We’re just concerned for his health. But we know that the governments are working very hard negotiating.”

U.S. Embassy spokesman David Linfield said the embassy was looking into the kidnapping and working closely with Egyptian authorities who were doing everything to ensure their safe release.

The abduction took place along the road linking Cairo to the sixth-century St. Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Old Testament says Moses received the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The route is a frequent target by Bedouins who abduct tourists to pressure police to meet their demands, which is usually to release a detained relative they say has been unjustly arrested.

Friday’s abduction was the latest in a series of kidnappings in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula over the past year. Abducted tourists are rarely harmed and usually released within days.

Louis’ son said the family is concerned about all three captives and does not want to discuss communications with the U.S. government so as not to jeopardize the chances for their release.

“Any other family or anybody that has loved ones that are in a situation like that can feel … a bit uneasy,” Louis said outside the family home in Boston’s neighborhood of Mattapan. “In spirit, we are confident, we believe in God and we know that our God is active and is real and is gonna intervene on our behalf.”

The Louis family gathered at the elder pastor’s home Saturday to pray and comfort each other. The elder Louis is pastor of the Free Pentecostal Church of God

PHOTO: 38 seriously injured in ghastly accident on Owo-Akure road

A ghastly accident along the Akure-Owo road has left 38 commutters seriously.

A ghastly accident along the Akure-Owo road has left 38 commuters seriously wounded.

A witness said two vehicles - a bus and a car - had a head-on collision, leaving their occupants injured.

Some good samaritans rushed to scene to carry out rescue operation, rushing the injured to the teaching hospital in Akure.

Men of the Federal Road Safety Commision and other rescue workers were yet to arrive the scene as at the time the witness spoke to us.

Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' At Comic-Con: 5 Things We Learned

SAN DIEGO — Quentin Tarantino and the cast of his upcoming "Southern" flick, "Django Unchained," took the stage in Hall H to assure San Diego Comic-Con that, yes, the "D" is silent. After rolling out the sizzle reel that played for industry insiders at Cannes, the panel took questions and talked all things "Django." Here's what we learned:
Tarantino's Western The writer-director has always been a fan of obscure references and borrowing from his favorite genres, but "Django Unchained" marks Tarantino's first official Western. Of course, it's not the kind of Western you're familiar with. Tarantino told the crowd in Hall H that the germ of the idea that became "Django Unchained" occurred to him 13 years ago, and began simply as the story of a slave who becomes a bounty hunter and kills white people. He said wanted to set his Western in a surreal world, and he chose the antebellum South because it was the most surreal and cruel period in American history.
Don Johnson Prefers "Big Daddy" The eight-minute sizzle reel featured the general public's first look at the Southern not-quite-a-gentleman played by Don Johnson. His appearance in the reel was short but satisfied us with enough Southern twang and a killer white suit. Johnson even corrected the moderator when he referred to the actor as "Don Johnson." He said he prefers "Big Daddy." Johnson's inspiration for the drawl? Foghorn Leghorn.
Jonah Hill's Role The actor was the final castmember added to an already star-studded ensemble, but reports announcing the casting didn't include a character description. Tarantino informed the audience that Hill will be playing a Regulator, a member of a proto-KKK that attempts to hunt down Django and Dr. King Schultz. The director said Hill's scene is one of the funniest he's ever written, up there with the color-naming sequence from "Reservoir Dogs."
The "Django" Connection Tarantino has famously connected the worlds of his movies through related characters and hidden references. When asked by a fan, the director said one character would be related to the interconnected world of Tarantino movies. He wouldn't reveal who, but he did suggest that Django and his wife, Broomhilda, are the ancestors of one bad mutha — John Shaft.
What's Next "Django Unchained" still has one more week of filming before Tarantino heads into post-production, so he's not too sure what will be next for him. He did say that "Kill Bill, Vol. 3" is still a possibility, but he wanted to wait 10 years after the original to consider it.
Stick with MTV as we bring San Diego Comic-Con to you with wall-to-wall convention coverage from the panels to the streets. Hosts Josh Horowitz and Steven Smith are onboard for live broadcasts on fan-favorite movies, comic creators, TV shows, cosplay, gaming and more!

YOUNG BUCK SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON, BUT TO SPEND 18 MONTHS BEHIND BARS

Young Buck was SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS in prison on Friday (July 13) following being convicted on weapons charges. The judge sentenced the former G-Unit rapper to serve his two counts concurrently, spelling a total of 18 months in jail. Calls and emails to Buck and his attorney, Robin Mitchell Joyce, weren't immediately returned, but the former G-Unit rhyme slinger did speak to NBC affiliate WSMV-TV upon walking out the court Friday.
"With the judge not considering my history to subtract some time, I'm just thankful for what time I do have," Young Buck told WSMV-TV.
The former G-Unit rapper, real name David Darnell Brown, has fallen on nothing but hard times in the past few years.
In August 2010, his Tennessee mansion was raided by federal agents, as they seized jewelry, platinum plaques and slapped the rapper with gun possession charges. Buck would later file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Then in October 2010, the IRS announced plans to auction off Buck's seized property. This past March, an already rocky time only got rockier, when Buck's SUV was riddled by 11 bullets, wounding his girlfriend in the shoulder. Buck, however, left the violent incident unscathed.
"I've had some rough times," he added to WSMV. "I've been fighting the bankruptcy situation, and there were some court situations."
According to MSNBC, Buck, real name David Darnell Brown, was arrested for possessing weapons despite being a convicted felon following a stabbing several years prior. Fans will remember that incident has Buck allegedly stabbing a man, who sucker punched Dr. Dre, to defend his honor back at the 2004 Vibe Awards.
All this being said, Buck receiving 18 months, instead of a full three years in prison, has to be deemed as a break. One that Buck is accepting of and plans on coming out a better person after surviving the ordeal.
"My pride is through the roof," Buck said. "My head is held high, and I'm just looking to get all this behind me.

Air Misharp : Commercial aircraft rams into airforce plane

A commercial aircraft, en route Lagos from Jos, rammed its wings into an airforce C-130 aircraft on the tarmac of Jos airport as it was about to take off, yesterday.

The C-130 aircraft was in Jos to airlift students of the Airforce Military School and Airforce Girls Military School both in the Plateau State capital when the accident occurred.

As a result of the accident, a substantial part of the mainframe of the commercial aircraft, a Boeing 737-700 with registration No. 5NMJI, was taken off on impact while its dismembered body remained hanging on the C-130 aircraft.

A joint investigation into the immediate and remote cause of the accident, which recorded no casualty, involving NAF, the airline and the relevant Nigerian aviation bodies has commenced.

A statement released by the Nigerian Airforce on the incident by Wing Commander A. Makun, Deputy Director, Directorate of Airforce information said: “ An Arik Airline Boeing 737-700 with registration No 5NMJI on a routine flight to Lagos brushed the wing of a parked Nigerian Air Force C-130 (NAF 917) at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang Jos”.

“The incident happened at about 1345hrs today when the Arik aircraft was taxiing at the airport tarmac in preparation for take-off. The tank 1 wing tip of the NAF C-130 was damaged while the wing of the Arik aircraft was dismembered and hung on the NAF aircraft”.

“There was no casualty recorded during the incident, however, the 2 aircraft had to abort their missions. The NAF C-130 was in Jos to airlift students of the Air Force Military School and Air Force Girls Military School . Meanwhile, a joint investigation by the Nigerian Air Force and Arik Airline management has commenced”.

Oshiomhole Wins By Landslide

 3m360 has ascertained from a top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is the winner of the Edo State governorship election.
With votes counted from 18 local governments in Edo State, Mr. Oshiomhole, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), had garnered 477, 478 votes. His main rival, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (ret.) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 144,255 votes.
“It’s clear that the incumbent governor is going to win by a landslide,” said the INEC source, adding, “INEC is in the process of preparing a formal statement to declare him the winner.”
Some analysts regarded the July 14 election as a final proof of the political irrelevance of Tony Anenih, former chair of the PDP’s board of trustees who paraded himself as a kingmaker in the state. Mr. Oshiomhole trounced his PDP rival, handpicked by Mr. Anenih, in both the candidate’s ward as well as that of Mr. Anenih.
President Goodluck Jonathan had campaigned in Benin City for the losing PDP candidate. The president had also ordered the deployment of thousands of soldiers to major towns in Edo State in a bid to intimidate voters and shore up the PDP candidate. However, the people of the state trooped out in large number to ensure that Mr. Oshiomhole’s victory could not be stolen.
Reached moments ago, an aide to Governor Oshiomhole said the governor was grateful for the vigilance of the people to ensure that the voters triumphed over the PDP’s gimmicks. He added that the governor saw his victory as an indication that the people of Edo “have decisively rejected those who lie and kill for the sake of power.”
Olaitan Oyerinde, the governor’s private secretary and one of his closest aides, was murdered by assassins suspected to have been hired by PDP henchmen in the state.
Governor Oshiomhole was declared winner by INEC's returning officer Prof. Osayuki Oshodi at exactly 7:40 AM Nigerian time.
 

INEC's Official Results of Edo State Gubernatorial Election of July 14 2012
Akoko ACN-29803
  PDP-13,785      
Egor ACN 60,623 PDP 3,486      
Esan North-East ACN-13,068 PDP-12,478      
Esan Central ACN- 9,751 PDP- 6,758      
Esan South-East ACN-14,904 PDP-9,634      
Esan West  ACN-13,499 PDP-13,282      
Etsako Central ACN-16,834 PDP-5,113      
Etsako East ACN-14,904 PDP- 9,634      
Etsako West ACN-44,962 PDP-5,920      
Igueben ACN 9,751  PDP-6,758      
Ikpoba Okha ACN-58,809 PDP- 6,505      
Oredo ACN-66,552 PDP-9,081      
Orhionmwon ACN. 26,163 PDP-8,716      
Ovia North-East ACN-26,835 PDP-5,4278      
Ovia South-West ACN. 15,150 PDP-7,229      
Owan East ACN-22,483 PDP-11,709      
Owan West ACN-15,150 PDP-7,229      
Uhunmwonde ACN-17,011 PDP-5,826      
TOTAL ACN = 477,478 PDP =144,235

INEC's Official Results of Edo State Gubernatorial Election of July 14 2012

3 Student Union Government (SUG) Presidents Die In Ghastly Car Crash

The Presidents of the Student Unions of the Federal University of Technology, Akure Dapo Awopegba (pictured above), Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo Abiodun Akintola and Ondo State School of Midwifery lost their lives in a lone car accident along the Owo-Akure Road.

The spokesman for the Ondo state police command, Aremu Adeniran said the auto accident occurred at Emure Ile junction on the expressway on Friday night around 8p.m.
Mr. Adeniran added that the accident occurred as a result of over-speeding.
Reports say the Union leaders were on their way back to their various institutions from Abuja, where they had gone to witness the presentation of an award to the Ondo state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, and some other eminent Nigerians by the National Association of Nigerian Students.
They were travelling in a bus donated to the Joint Campus Committee by the state government recently.
Others who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical centre, Owo.
May their souls RIP, Amen.

Suicide Bomber Who Attempted To Kill Deputy Gov. Of Borno State Was About 15 Years Old

Fresh information emerging about the suicide bombing attempt to kill the Deputy Governor of Borno State and the Shehu of Borno yesterday, have revealed that the suicide bomber was a young boy of about fifteen years old.
According to the deputy governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha, “The suicide bomber was about 15 years old … Fortunately we both escaped unhurt”. The royal father and the deputy governor had to take refuge at the Government House.

The deputy governor continued: 
“Actually, the bomb did not explode in the mosque. It was detonated outside the mosques after we had finish the Friday prayers and we came out. As we were about parting with the royal father, suddenly the bomb was detonated and there was confusion everywhere… we all thought that we were getting out of this crisis situation in Borno State, but with what happened today, everything seems as if we are getting nowhere in our efforts at ensuring peace in the state.”
He therefore asserted that the state government and security agencies would intensify efforts on intelligence gathering in order to achieve the goal of bringing the ugly trend to an end. Pointing out that the issue of dialogue was not only with the state, but also the Federal Government.

New Music :D’banj – ‘Oyato’

We know you’ve been bumping ‘Oliver’ for a while but D’banj has finally released his first official single after his split with former partner Don Jazzy.

Titled ‘Oyato’ (Yoruba for I’m different), D’banj as expected sings about his position as a solo artiste, the trials he’s faced in recent times and how victory is certain for him.

Produced by J Sleek, D’banj goes back to harmonica which gives the J Sleek-produced number a more melodious flavour

D’banj Signs Jay Sleek (as Don Jazzy’s replacement) As Official Producer Of His Record Label (DB Records).

Making the announcement on Twitter yesterday, hit making producer J sleek revealed that he has signed with Dbanj’s new label, DB records.

“Officially signed to @iamdbanj DB Records… Its World Wide Music History In the Making … Ooshee!!” He tweeted along with a pic of him with dbanj.

Apparently, Jsleek will be playing the ‘Don Jazzy’ role for Dbanj and artists on the DB records roster, that includes K-switch. Infact, they’ve collaborated on a song already (its titled ‘Oyato’), which will be Dbanj’s first single since the mo’hits split.

Jsleek has been top-line producer in the Nigerians hip-hop industry for the last half-decade. His past bangers include 2face’s ‘Only me’, Sound Sultan’s ’2010′ and many more.

‘I’m not gay’ Banky W says

Nigerian R&B singer, Banky W has reacted to rumours about his sexuality.

The singer mentioned this during an interview he granted to Y! Magazine, saying ‘It’s hilarious to me and completely false. I’m not. Maybe it’s because I’m not married, and I practice safe sex and thus have no children yet.’

Speaking on his political ambitions, the EME label boss confessed his desire to constantly throw his weight behind candidates he believes in, since he can’t run for office himself ‘…our constitution states that you have to have been born in Nigeria to qualify. I wasn’t, so I don’t qualify anyway. I figure my time will be better spent throwing as much support behind candidates that I feel should be the ones leading the country’, he said.

Banky W and his label mates recently released an all-star album titled ‘Empire Mates State of Mind’ and are currently on a U.S tour that will end on Sunday, September 2, 2012

Jennifer Lopez Confirms She’s Leaving ‘American Idol’1 Day After Steven Tyler Announces Departure

'I honestly feel that the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much,' Lopez said Friday morning
Jennifer Lopez is the latest judge to flee “American Idol.”The Bronx-born singer made the announcement Friday during “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” one day after fellow judge Steven Tyler also confirmed he’s stepping away from the show.
“I honestly feel that the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much,” Lopez, 42, tells Seacrest, who also hosts the Fox singing competition.
“You have a lot of other responsibilities, and a lot of other things that you do and you have to pay attention to that too,” Lopez adds. “I could keep just doing ‘Idol’ for the rest of my life, but that would be giving up a bunch of other things. We had an amazing run.”
She admits it was a rough decision to made.
“It’s just been a really long thought process,” Lopez says. “I’ve been telling the absolute truth in the sense that I really have been torn since we spoke about it, even before the finale, like what are we going to do next year.”

Jennifer Lopez performs onstage during 'American Idol' in May. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)
But Lopez pointed out she had originally only signed on to do one year of the show, but stayed for two.
“I didn’t know I would be so moved emotionally by working on the show and working with the contestants,” Lopez says. “It was just such a lovely surprise in my life to do it.”
The show’s third judge, Randy Jackson, may also be on his way out.
He plans to leave his judging job, and move into a mentoring role on “Idol,” a source told Us Weekly.
Mariah Carey is in serious talks to step into one of the empty judge’s seats, according to the magazine.
Lopez left open the chance to make appearances on the show in the future.
“I feel like no matter what you guys need over there, I’m always going to be here,” she told Seacreast. “If you call me and say, ‘We need you to come for the first show,’ I’m like, ‘Yes ok!’ ‘We need you to come and be a mentor.’ ‘Alight.’ I feel like there’s just that tie there.”