HOW TANKER CRUSHED NAVY OFFICER TO DEATH IN LAGOS

A tanker driver, identified simply as Mike, has crushed to death a 47-year-old naval officer, Tali Muhammed, in the Apapa area of Lagos State.

The tanker was said to be heading for a private park on Dockyard Road, Apapa, when the incident happened.The tanker was said to be owned by a firm, Godswill Limited.

Punch Metro learnt that Muhammed was part of a traffic team overseeing the smooth passage of trucks and other vehicles on the road, where Naval Training Command Headquarters was located.

The Adamawa State indigene was reportedly asleep around 5am on Wednesday when he was awoken by the noise of the speeding truck.Our correspondent gathered that as he awoke from sleep, he shouted at the driver to stop.

The driver, who was unaware that the victim was at the back of the vehicle, was said to have put the vehicle in reverse.Our correspondent was told that Muhammed, a master warrant officer in the navy, was crushed to death.

The tyres of the tanker were said to have climbed on his body and broken his skull.

When PUNCH Metro visited the scene of the incident, he observed that security checks on tankers going through the route had been intensified.A colleague of the victim, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Muhammed had been buried according to Islamic rites.

He said,“Around 5am on that day, the tanker was speeding and his headlights were also off.The noise of the tanker woke Muhammed up and he asked the driver to stop.The man had driven ahead, but as he reversed, unaware that Muhammed was at the back, the tanker hit the officer and he fell on the ground.The vehicle climbed his body and broke his head.The driver did not know he had killed him, because it was dark. It was when he was accosted that he knew.”

Another source, who declined to give his name, said the naval authorities had already given directives to officers and men manning the road that after 5am, no truck should be allowed entry into the Dockyard Road.He added that the accident happened because the driver wanted to beat the time.

An eyewitness told Punch Metro that the suspect was handed over to the policemen attached to the Apapa division, while the corpse of the victim was deposited at the Naval Medical Centre, Ojo.

He said when the news was broken to his wife, she fainted and had since been hospitalised.

“He had five kids. When the news was broken to his wife, she fainted.She was rushed to the hospital where she is presently receiving treatment.”

It was gathered that the deceased had already spent 30 years in active service before tragedy struck.

A resident, Gbemi Sola, said since the incident happened, no truck had been allowed to move into the dockyard to load products.

“Also, loaded trucks of inflammable products like petrol are not allowed to exit.

“This has come with its attendant implications on life and property , while many oil despots are currently not loading any product for now.

“The implication is that about 40 per cent of petroleum products meant for distribution across the country cannot be distributed,” he said.

The Command Information Officer, Western Naval Command, Lt. Commander A. Sani, said tanker drivers cooperated with the command on the incident.

He said, “The drivers assisted us to evacuate the remains of the deceased and for about one hour we had to clear the road.

“After that, they were allowed to use the route and continue with their legitimate businesses.”

He said the command had already met with the family of the deceased to condole with them, adding that the deceased was a disciplined officer.

“He was dedicated and hard-working. What happened was unfortunate and as it is our custom, we have sent a delegation to his burial.

“The navy commander has visited the family. We will ensure they get all that is due to them,” he added.

Tom Cruise Doesn’t Fight Back as Internet Swells With Stories About Not Seeing Daughter Suri

Wasn’t it only last year that Tom Cruise was suing magazines over stories about him not seeing daughter Suri?

How things have changed: Google Cruise’s name and you will find 78 stories about Tom not seeing Suri for a variety of lengths of times– anywhere from a year to 540 days.

But no one has said anything. Bert Fields, attack dog lawyer for Cruise, has said not a word about anything. By now, Bert would be seething in every corner. There’s been no word from publicists denying the stories. In the old days, Pat Kingsley– who ran interference for Cruise– would have immediately set up photo ops of Tom and Suri playing on swings, shopping, holding big stuffed animals, eating ice cream etc.

This time: it’s a blank, a dead hole.

What’s going on? It does seem that Tom has let the cult of Scientology block him from seeing Suri. What kind of person doesn’t see a 7 year old for more than a week? month? three months? It’s either a year or that 540 days. And this is a person with resources beyond description: private planes are to Tom Cruise what the A train is to us plebes. Not only that: Katie Holmes moved to Calabasas, California, a 30 minute drive in traffic from Cruise’s Beverly Hills manse. It’s not like they live oceans away from each other.

When Katie first hooked up with Tom in 2005 and had Suri — who turns 9 next week– they all lived with Cruise’s sisters and mother. All of those women had joined Scientology and jumped on Cruise’s gravy train. Tom’s sister Lee Ann came to New York and met with me, then sent me a “gift” of a three panel Scientology indoctrination in a box. I cherish it to this day. Suri knew all those people until Katie “escaped” from Cruise over July4th weekend in 2012. She hasn’t seen any of them either, ever again.

Scientology is clearly not for families. Today’s headlines are about how cult leader David Miscavige had a private investigator spy on his own father. Everything is open for discussion now thanks largely to Lawrence Wright and Alex Gibney’s book and documentary, “Going Clear.” What remains to be known is how the movie going public will react to Cruise “disconnecting” from his 9 year old because crazy people have told to do it.

You’ve got to feel sorry for Tom. He joined Scientology to get something family like out of it. And now he’s had 3 failed marriages and he’s separated from his youngest child. Those couldn’t have been his goals.

Shots fired! Mode 9 responds to Reminisce’s ‘Local Rappers’...

(No beef, Reminisce and Mode 9 seem to say in this photo. Photo: Filed) In January 2015, Reminisce led Olamide and Phyno on a rap song titled ‘Local Rappers,’ a song on which the three indigenous language rappers glorify the street and play down the use of ‘punch lines’ and ‘word play’ in rap. The song didn’t quite go down well with a lot of rappers, but most of them kept quiet for the sake of peace and perhaps to avoid any controversy. But with punch lines, lyricism and word play being concepts for which Mode 9 became renowned, the 6-time Lyricist on the Roll winner and veteran rapper has responded. The rapper made his feelings known by responding to a tweet directed at him by explaining that those who say punchlines aren’t special are those who can’t do it. Referring to his 2007 album, One Amongst Many, the 16th track, ‘Spectacular‘ in particular, which bears the line: ‘Punchlines ain’t nothing special, so screw it/ the ones who say that are the ones who cant do it,’ Mode 9 has responded in a way. The song, ‘Local Rappers’ is off Reminisce’s forthcoming 3rd studio album, titled Baba Hafusa scheduled to drop on April 30, 2015.... 

Kidnappers demand N13m ransom for Orekoya kids

Kidnappers of the Orekoya kids have demanded a N13 million ransom for their release.

The kids were abducted by their housemaid on April 8, a day after she was hired.

The kids are Ademola (6), Adedamola (4) and Aderomola (11 months).

The housemaid, Mary Akinloye, a 23-year-old indigene of Ibadan, Oyo States, was said to have been hired through OLX, an online trading portal.

The agency, formerly known as Dealfish, deals in buying and selling; it is also a free classified advert website where one can easily post adverts including vacancies for free.

Akinloye was said to have told the kids’ eldest brother, Michael (10), that she was going to buy his siblings’ biscuits.

Yesterday, the Orekoyas got a call, asking them to pay a N13 million ransom.

All the family’s efforts to reach the maid had failed until yesterday. The Ikorodu, Lagos address she gave could also not be traced.

Michael alerted their mother to the disappearance of his siblings when the maid did not return with them by 1pm, about five hours after they left home.

Around 9am yesterday, the children’s mother, Mrs Adebisi Orekoya reached the maid’s phone, but heard a male voice that demanded a N13 million ransom.

The Orekoyas begged to speak with their children and the kidnappers promised to get back to them at 10am.

“They called at 10am and gave the phone to my children; I asked them (two of the children) ‘how are you?’ They said ‘mummy, we are fine.’ The kidnappers then told us to get the money as soon as possible, else…,” she told The Nation yesterday at their Lawanson Road, Surulere, Lagos residence.

A distraught Mrs Orekoya wondered how the woman she decided to help turned to hurt her.

“I just want to appeal to them to return my children; we do not have that kind of money. I wonder what they are given the 11-month old baby to eat since yesterday,” she said.

Mrs Orekoya, who works in a bank, urged the police to help recover her children.

She seemed to have had a premonition of the incidence, saying: “I was supposed to leave home by 6am that day to resume work by 7:30am but I couldn’t leave until 7:30am. Despite that I kept returning to our apartment from downstairs, asking the children if they were alright. They replied ‘yes.’ I will go downstairs again and return up stairs, going to their (children’s) room asking again if they were alright and they would say ‘Yes mum.’ That was how I left home after the third time of doing so; it’s unfortunate that it turned out this way.”

Mrs Orekoya’s father, Senior Apostle Adegoke Adekunle, appealed to the kidnappers to release his grand children.

He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Itire Police Station, Isah Abdulmajid has visited the family, adding: “We hope the security agents will help with their (children) release.”

The Nation saw family members and other well wishers in the sitting room, commiserating with the Orekoyas.

Lagos Police Command spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), confirmed the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

He said efforts were on to nail the culprits and rescues the children.

 “All hands must be on the deck to rescue the children,” he said.

This guy has gamed the airline industry so he never has to pay for a flight again

When I spoke with Scott Keyes, he was on a 10-hour layover in Dallas kicking back in the Centurion Lounge, where American Express has provided its members with free food and drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, free spa services, and even its own shower suite.

“It’s just a day in the office in here essentially,” the 28-year-old Keyes told Business Insider. “I’ve got a nice work space, food, drinks, some Wi-Fi. This is like this whole other world.”

Keyes, a reporter for Think Progress, gained access to the lounge as a perk from one of his 25 credit cards. The card, an American Express Platinum, typically has an annual fee of $450, but Keyes managed to get it waived for the first year by taking advantage of an online deal. After that, he’ll either try to get the next year’s fee waived as well, or he’ll simply downgrade the card to something that doesn't carry a fee. 

This is nothing new for Keyes, who told us that he uses his massive collection of credit cards to gain points, frequent flyer miles, and plenty of other member perks all the time. He then turns around and uses those perks on vacations like his upcoming trip that will take him 20,000 miles on 21 flights — all for free.

This isn't luck. Keyes is somewhat of an expert on traveling for little to no cost, not unlike extreme couponers who put incredible amounts of time, energy, and thought into making sure they never pay a penny more than they have to when making purchases.

After jealous friends kept asking him how he does it, Keyes decided to write his e-books “How To Fly For Free” and “How To Find Cheap Flights.” He even made an email list to send friends updates on any amazing travel deals he comes across on Twitter or his RSS feed. 

Courtesy of Scott KeyesA picture of Keyes's itinerary. He'll be traveling to Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, and Finland over the course of two months.

The epic world trip spans 13 countries — Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, and Finland — over the next two months. Total airfare is 136,500 frequent flyer miles plus a few small taxes, such as ‘airport use’ fees, that are all under $20 per flight.

Aside from those taxes, Keyes will be paying exactly $0 for his trip, including his hotel stays. 

He told Business Insider that it took around 10 to 15 hours to plan his itinerary, including finding flights that will use his miles, choosing between airlines, and avoiding “fuel surcharges” at all costs.

Courtesy of Scott KeyesKeyes at the Hierve el Agua in Mexico, rock formations and the remnants of old geysers. The 28-year-old author and reporter is an admitted wanderlust.

Keyes had been living and working for the past year in Oaxaca, Mexico, but now that he’s returning to the US, he realized it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time traveling before jumping back into a full-time job. 

“It’s tough when you have a job and you have to ask your boss for time off,” Keyes told Business Insider. “You only have a limited time off and then you spend a lot of that traveling. I figured while I’m in a position where I don’t have a 9-to-5, I might as well take advantage.”

Courtesy of Scott KeyesGetting a "fish massage" in Cambodia.

This is not the first time Keyes has gone on an incredibly cheap getaway for next to nothing. He has flown to Milan for $130, gone to Galapagos for $45, and visited Norway and Belgium for around $350 instead of the typical $1,000.

“It’s not necessarily easy or intuitive for beginners,” he told Business Insider about finding bargain flights. “But the good news is that because if you do a little bit of leg work — learn how to get a few miles and how to use them well — you can start to travel really, really well.”

Courtesy of Scott KeyesKeyes skiing by the Matterhorn in Italy.

Keyes has a few methods to procure his frequent flyer miles, including opening new credit cards that award miles or points, letting airlines know when there’s a problem with his flight, and not being afraid to get bumped if a flight is full.

He also uses Award Wallet and a detailed spreadsheet to keep organized so he never misuses his credit cards or loses track of his points and miles. In fact, since he started accruing cards, Keyes insists his credit score has actually increased just by virtue of handling his credit responsibly.

Courtesy of Scott KeyesStanding 18 inches from the mouth of this hippo in Mozambique was the "most scared I've been in my life," according to Keyes.

And when it comes to finding cheap trips, Keyes has an RSS reader and Twitter list chock-full of blogs and websites like Airfarewatchdog and The Flight Deal that he skims to see if there are any “mistake fees” or cheap flights available.

The key, he said, is flexibility.

“If your ultimate goal is to be able to find as cheap a flight as possible and go somewhere cool for not much money then starting with an open, blank slate and going wherever there’s a cheap flight right now is going to be your best bet,” he told us.

Courtesy of Scott Keyes

Since starting his frequent-flyer-mile journey, Keyes has been to 30 countries — this next trip will make that count 42 — and flown 354,000 miles or roughly 14.3 times around the earth.  

“The moon is only 250,000 miles away,” Keyes laughed. “I’ve only got 150,000 more to go until I can get back from the moon."

As for his upcoming trip, Keyes said he’s most excited to visit a “beer spa” in Prague. 

“I don’t quite understand it because I don’t speak Czech, but my understanding from pictures is that you just go and soak in beer,” he told us. “And who can complain about that?"

Man pours acid on his girlfriend after his pastor told him she was behind his illness

22-year-old Ghanaian lady identified as Anita Otema (pictured above) has lost her left eye and parts of her body badly disfigured after her ex-boyfriend attacked her with acid at her Abeka Lapaz residence in Ghana following his pastor's revelation that she was behind his constant ill-health.

Narrating what happened to Ghana's Joyfm, Anita said her 28 year old ex-boyfriend Kwabena Fosu popularly known as Abodeman attacked her in the night at their home with the corrosive substance after his pastor accused her of being behind his recurring ill-health and told him she (Anita) was making money spiritually through his illnesses.

After her boyfriend was told this by the Pastor, he stormed their house where they both lived as a couple and poured the acid on her. He has been on the run since the incident.

This is the original story that a cop told about killing a black man before a horrifying video emerged

Video taken by a bystander appears to show a white South Carolina police officer firing eight shots at a black man who was running away.

But before the footage surfaced, the officer gave a seemingly contradictory account of the shooting.

Michael Slager, 33, said through his attorney, who has since resigned, that he had pulled over a Mercedes-Benz with a broken brake light Saturday about 9:30 a.m. in North Charleston, The Post and Courier reported.

The driver, Walter Scott, 50, then fled on foot, according to Slager's account.

After reaching the Mega Pawn shop, at 5654 Rivers Ave., Slager announced on the police radio that he "deployed" his Taser but it didn't work, according to a police report cited by the Courier. Slager's former lawyer, David Aylor, did not say in a statement whether his client had fired the Taser.

A struggle ensued, according Slager's account, and Scott tried to grab the Taser. Slager radioed the department to say that Scott had gotten ahold of the device, according to the police report cited by the Courier. Slager then "felt threatened" and fired his gun, according to the police officer's account.

The video, however, shows that Scott had turned and run away from Slager before the officer fired his weapon eight times. It is not clear from the video whether Scott ever had control of the Taser.

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Aylor withdrew his counsel as soon as he saw the video, according to an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast.

Watch the video below:

As The New York Times describes the video:

Something — it is not clear whether it is the stun gun — is either tossed or knocked to the ground behind the two men, and Officer Slager draws his gun, the video shows. When the officer fires, Mr. Scott appears to be 15 to 20 feet away and fleeing. He falls after the last of eight shots.

Vimeo/The Post and Courier

A lawyer for Scott's family said the coroner told him that Scott was hit with five bullets — three in the back, one in the buttocks, and one in an ear, according to The Times. At least one bullet also reportedly entered his heart.

The video continues for nearly three minutes after the shooting. Neither of two officers in the frame administers CPR, even though the Courier reported that the police said they tried hard to save Scott's life. A backup officer who arrives on the scene lifts Scott's shirt, and the footage ends with Slager checking Scott's pulse.