Tuesday, 29 November 2016
M.I Lends Supporting Hand To Toke Makinwa
Toke Makinwa narrates how Gas cylinder explosion killed her Parents
Describing the events of the day of the gas explosion, she wrote: “I heard a loud bang. Thunder, I thought… The bang I heard was the sound of the gas cylinder exploding. My mum had gotten the cylinder on Friday and brought it home only to discover a leak when it as turned on.
Her mother, she wrote, had told the house help on duty for the weekend not to use the cylinder, which was meant to be returned on Monday.
However, when the other help, Ruth, resumed work Monday morning, Grace failed to pass the information to her “because they weren’t talking”.
She continued: “Ruth, unaware of the danger, had put on the gas cylinder and tried to light the cooker. She died in the first blast. Grace survived the first blast but later died in the hospital.
“In the movies, you sometimes see a scene with someone burning from head to toe, screaming and trying to fight the flames. It happened right in front of me. Everyone ran back trying to figure out who it was and how to put out the flames, shouting advice from a safe distance.
“It took me a moment to realise that it was my mum. I stood glued to the spot, watching her burn… Even after they were driven to the hospital, I could still smell it.
“My mum’s friend spotted me in the crowd and took me and my siblings to her house. We were already there before we realised that none of us had seen my baby brother and cousin.
Toke wrote that her mother died before she could be flown abroad for intensive care while her father, who was seemingly recuperating, eventually gave up the ghost.
“My mum kept asking for her children, yet when my brother was brought into her room to see her she refused to look at him. She was burned all over and in a lot of pain. She died before she could be sent abroad.
“My dad kept asking for his wife. Nobody was brave enough to tell him the truth.
“The day he died, it was unexpected. He had been responding to treatment and was lucid, having conversations with the people that came to visit him.
“He was lying quietly in bed one minute and the next he was agitated, calling my mum by name and asking her to open the door because he wanted to be with her.
“Present in his room at the time was a nurse who was born again, and she knew instantly that the door he was asking to be opened was no ordinary one.
“She asked for everyone to start praying and pleading with the unseen to keep the door shut, to prevent him from leaving
“He kicked in the air like he was struggling to kick open that door and their voices grew even louder.
“Dupe, please don’t open the door,” they kept saying. “Dupe, remember your four children, close the door.”
“Their efforts were wasted. He passed away right before their eyes.
Her parents were buried side by side in Idanre, their hometown in Ondo state.
He father,Caleb Ifemayowa Makinwa, was 35 while her mother, Modupe Monica Makinwa, died at the age of 34.
After the death of her parents, Toke and her siblings moved into the house of her eldest aunt, Big Mummy, in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The OAP was eight years old when her parents died.
“From being a bubbly, friendly child, I became withdrawn and taciturn. From being the child who always came first in class, I went to the bottom of the class,” she wrote, to end the chapter.
Rector slumps, dies during s.e.x romp with teenager
The Acting Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State, has slumped and died at a hotel in Ughelli during alleged sex romp with an unidentified female teenager.
The rector was said to have slumped at his hotel room in Zekoh Place located at Onoharigho street, Ughelli and was rushed to a private clinic, few kilometres from the hotel where he was confirmed dead on arrival.
“He had gone to the hotel in the company of a female teenager and booked a room for an hour of love session with the girl,” a source at the Ughelli Area Command told Vanguard.
Speaking further, the source said: “The girl raised an alarm when the chief slumped but absconded following reports that the victim was confirmed dead. “Though no arrest has been made in connection with the incident, a female manager of the hotel was arrested for questioning but has since been released.”
Suspecting foul play over the incident, a family member who spoke to newsmen at the Rector’s Upper Agbarho residence said: “We are having a meeting with elders of the family if an autopsy would be conducted after which we would take a stand on the matter.”
We shall fight till the last man alive – Militant group
The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, NDGJM, has vowed to continue its attack on pipeline installations until the “last man alive.”
This is coming barely 48 hours after an attack on the 42-inch delivery pipeline line operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC and Niger Delta Western, in Otu-Jeremi, Delta State, which the militant group claimed responsibility for.
In a statement signed by self-styled Gen. Aldo Agbalaja yesterday, the militant group warned the Federal Government to be wary of talks with some leaders of the Niger Delta region which are willing to enter negotiation with the government.
According to the group, “Be wary of these political jobbers, whose stock in trade has always been using the struggle to profiteer. We have severally indicated how to end this and definitely not through political jobbers and conflict merchants. If, and when we have reasons to trust anybody to hold discussions with, we shall, through this same medium, announce the process and the persons. This is a warning for the wise.”
NDGJM claimed its Akuma strike force attacked the NPDC pipeline at about 04.00 hours on Sunday, November 27, “to register our presence and jolt those probably slipping into delusion, back to reality.”
The statement reads, “In the last few weeks, we have been silent and observing. The period of silence was definitely not of inactivity. As a matter of fact, it was rather a strategy session, the fruits of which shall start showing up in the coming days.
“The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has also observed the calculated psychological attack recently initiated by the Nigerian security forces against our people, believing that by pursuing and arresting our people, the struggle will be defeated and our resolve would be quelled
“This will not work because what motivates us is stronger than the Nigerian kind of patriotism. Once again, we proclaim that we shall fight till the last man alive.”
Philippe Coutinho: Liverpool forward could be out until mid-January
Liverpool forward Philippe Coutinho had a scan on his ankle injury on Monday amid fears he could be sidelined until the middle of January.Coutinho, 24, was taken off on a stretcher after colliding with Didier Ndong of Sunderland during the first half of Saturday's 2-0 win at Anfield.Though the full results of the scan are yet to be revealed, the likelihood is the Brazilian has ligament damage.
That usually means a player is sidelined for five or six weeks.
It means Coutinho, one of Jurgen Klopp's most influential players as the Reds have moved into second place in the Premier League, looks certain to miss key games.
Liverpool face Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on 19 December, and meet Manchester City at Anfield on New Year's Eve.
Coutinho would miss both games if ligament damage is confirmed.
He was at Liverpool's Melwood training headquarters on Sunday, leaving on crutches with his right ankle in a protective boot before having his scan 24 hours later.
Klopp will also be without £34m summer signing Sadio Mane in January as the striker will be on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal.
The German is unlikely to risk Coutinho's countryman Roberto Firmino in Tuesday's EFL Cup quarter-final against Leeds United at Anfield after he took a kick on the calf against Sunderland.
Daniel Sturridge, who missed that game after reporting tightness in his calf, will be sidelined again.
Adam Lallana, who has missed Liverpool's past two Premier League games after injuring his groin during England's 2-2 draw with Spain at Wembley, continues to make good progress.
He is in training again under the guidance of Liverpool's fitness coaches but will not be considered for the match against Leeds.
Trump Threatens to 'Terminate' Cuba Deal With Obama
President-elect Donald Trump threatened Monday to distance the U.S. from Cuba if the Cuban government refuses to “make a better deal” than the agreement President Obama struck to normalize relations between the countries. His comments put the future of the relationship in doubt just days after the death of longtime Cuban strongman Fidel Castro.
“If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal,” Trump said on Twitter.
Obama worked to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba late into his term in office. Under the new terms, Americans can travel freely to Cuba and bring some Cuban goods to the U.S. However, aides to Trump have hinted there could be a reversal of that policy.
“There’s going to have to be some movement from Cuba in order to have a relationship with the United States,” Reince Priebus, Trump’s incoming White House Chief of Staff, said on Fox News Sunday. He cited freeing political prisoners and ensuring religious and political freedom as important steps. “We’ve got to have a better deal,” he said.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday that the death of Fidel Castro will not impact the efforts to normalize relations between the two nations.
“I wouldn’t expect any impact on the kind of progress that we’re committed to making on our end to begin normalizing relations with Cuba,” Earnest said
Four burnt beyond recognition in multiple accidents along Enugu – Port Harcourt Express way
At least four people were confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State following a multiple auto crash that occurred along Ubakala axis of the Enugu/ Port- Harcourt express way.
He said he was in the Peugeot with 3 of his friends, Husaini Tanko, Imamu Abubakar and Ibrahim Abubakar.
Daily Post gathered that four vehicles were involved in the crash, including a Toyota Hilux van with registration number CG 539RSH, a Peugeot J5 bus with registration No XA 874 AKW, and a Mercedes Benz tipper with registration no EGG 555 YG.
One of the victims, who was identified as Abdulhamid Abubakar disclosed that over speeding on the side of the Hilux van driver caused the accident.
According to him, they were four in a Peugeot J5 bus traveling from Lafia, Nasarawa to Aba to sell bags of garden eggs and oranges.
Donald Trump’s Son, Surrounded By Heavily-Armed Guards As He Goes To Play
The 10-year-old son of President-elect Donald Trump and wife Melania was spotted playing with a group of children at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida where his family were spending Thanksgiving.
Barron was being watched closely by several men who appeared to be Secret Service agents as he mingled with other children on the lawn at the back of his dad's luxury estate.
He was dressed in a pair of shorts, a shirt and a red baseball cap just like Trump's Make American Great Again campaign hat.
At one point, Barron was seen waving and watching on as a coast guard boat sailed past him as he stood on the ocean wall.
The boat had a guard stationed at the front of vessel armed with a massive machine gun as it patrolled back and forth in front of where Barron was playing.
They were part of a contingent of 150 security personnel assigned to watch over the Trump family as they spent their first post-election holiday at the vacation retreat last week, according to NBC News.
Banker Confesses: I Helped Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia Move Cash From Court
Mr. Oshodi told the court that he regularly visited Ofiili-Ajumogobia’s chamber on the premises of the Federal High Court on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, to collect huge cash sums for onward deposit into the judge’s account.
The banker opened up that whenever the money was above the lawful threshold that could be deposited into the judge’s account, he split it into two, deposited a portion into Ofili-Ajumogobia’s account and the remaining portion into his own personal account.
He explained that he would subsequently transfer the money from his personal account into the judge’s account.
He said at a time he had to help the judge get a Bureau de Change operator named, Abah Said, who helped her to convert Naira into US Dollars whenever the judge was not comfortable with the normal mode of transaction.
Mr. Oshodi said this on Monday when he appeared as a prosecution witness before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, where Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was arraigned with Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for alleged bribery and unlawful enrichment.
Thailand Begins Naming Prince Vajiralongkorn As New King
The deeply revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on 13 October, plunging Thailand into mourning.
The prince was widely expected to succeed his father, but officials had earlier said he wanted to postpone it by at least a year.
The official reason given was that he wanted to give the Thai people time to mourn his father before he became king.
Nigeria Police Kill Three, Foil Attack On Plane
Three suspected armed robbers were on Monday shot dead by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force during a shootout at the busy UTC Junction in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
One of the hoodlums, who escaped being killed by a special team from Inspector General of Police, said they had planned to attack a plane belonging to a popular airline in the country.
It was also learnt that the suspects were forced to stop by the traffic light as they queued behind other vehicles waiting for their turn to get the green light to move.
One of the suspects, according to the eyewitness, alighted from the car and opened fire on some policemen at the junction.
It was gathered that attempts made by the armed robbers to escape after noticing the superior fire power of the policemen proved futile as three of them were gunned down while the fourth sustained gunshot injuries.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, adding that the IGP Intelligence Team intercepted the armed robbers following a tip-off.
Omoni said, “On interrogation, the suspect said they were on a mission to attack an Arik plane.”
Omoni, who identified the injured suspect as Peter James, said he confessed to being a member of a gang that killed a police corporal during the APC rally in Okrika in 2015.
N4.7bn "Fraud": Obanikoro To Testify Against Fayose
A reliable source said, “Senator Obanikoro came to the EFCC office on Monday morning as part of investigations into the N4.7bn. Since he has confessed that he was the one who collected the N4.7bn and distributed it, he is in the best position to testify in court.
“The EFCC wants him to testify against Agbele which will also build a strong case against Fayose who currently enjoys immunity. Obanikoro has agreed and will be listed as one of the EFCC witnesses.
“If Agbele is convicted, it automatically means that Fayose will also be convicted once he is charged in 2018. So let Fayose continue to play games. Omisore and Obanikoro are cooperating and returning money. Their troubles will end soon while Fayose’s own will keep getting worse.”
A source told Punch that EFCC could still charge Obanikoro to court if he failed to cooperate.
He said, “Obanikoro has returned N104m and has pledged to return N480m in instalments every four months but if he cannot cooperate with the EFCC, then he and his sons may be charged along with the others.
“Plea bargain and negotiation are a standard practice in criminal justice across the world.”
Obanikoro had told the EFCC in his statement of oath that he received N4.7bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki in June 2014.
In his statement, the ex-minister told the EFCC that he handed N1.3bn to the then governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore; while N1.219bn was given to Fayose through his aide, Agbele, during the build-up to the Ekiti governorship election which Fayose won.
Obanikoro was said to have converted a remainder of the money into $5.377m and handed it to Fayose at Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, in the presence of the then Ekiti State PDP Secretary, Tope Aluko, and other party stalwarts.
He is believed to have kept about N785m for himself, an action which is said to have angered Fayose.
Lagos Police Arrest Two For Pouring Chemical On Girl, Using Her To Beg (Photo)
It was gathered that Amadi allegedly poured chemical on Esemonu, which made her sustain injuries in different parts of her body.
A Punch correspondent was told that Esemonu was subsequently led everyday by the suspect to a pedestrian bridge in the FESTAC area where she was made to beg for alms from passersby.
At the end of every begging trip, the two women reportedly shared the money collected.
However, a Good Samaritan, who observed the victim’s condition on the bridge, reportedly alerted policemen from the FESTAC division, leading to the arrest of the two women.
The matter was subsequently referred to the Office of the Public Defender, which transferred the victim to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters.
A social worker who was privy to the case told Punch that Mama Esther was a relation of the victim and had lured her from their village in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said, “The girl lived in Port Harcourt with her parents. But last year, her mother handed her over to Mama Esther after the latter promised to support the family by taking the girl to Lagos. She said the girl would continue her education when they get to Lagos.
“However, when she brought her to Lagos, she decided to hand her over to Amadi, who she owed some money. The woman then decided to use her for begging.
“The girl said she noticed that Amadi would make her sleep before pouring a substance suspected to be chemical on her body. By the time she woke up and scratched the spots after feeling some pains, they would become sore. The woman would then bandaged the place and take her out for begging.
“She said whenever the injuries heal, she would make her sleep again and pour the chemical on her. The woman started with her bottoms and then her laps. She said such had happened about four different times.”
Another source said Mama Esther, in her confession, claimed that she always collected between N2,500 to N3,000 as her share every day.
The source said the money the women were making off the victim kept them in the fraudulent business.
“The girl said although they lived in a slum in the Oyingbo area, the woman always took her to FESTAC to beg. She said there were other girls in the slum. She could not recall the exact place where her parents lived in Port Harcourt. She mentioned streets like Rumuokoro, Saint Jude and Rumola. She said she attended Saint Jude Academy and was in basic three before she was brought to Lagos. The girl explained that her younger sister, Ebierechi, was with another family. However, the suspect had maintained that they lived under the bridge,” he added.
The Director of OPD, Mrs. Salami Olubukola, condemned the action of the women, saying the state would ensure that justice was served.
She said, “This is a despicable act and the height of man’s inhumanity to man which must be condemned by all. Lagos State will never condone child abuse and cruelty and we shall go to any length to protect our children from barbaric acts.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said, “Investigation reveals that it is their stock in trade.”
The NAPTIP Lagos zonal coordinator, Mr. Joseph Famakin, confirmed that the victim was in the agency’s shelter.
He said, “The girl was brought to us last Friday and she is going through some psychological counseling and treatment. We are also investigating if there are other people involved in the crime. The two suspects are with the police.”
Zain Asher interviews Kene Mkparu, MD/CEO Filmhouse Cinemas – Nigeria’s largest chain of theatres
Beginning his interview with ‘CNN Marketplace Africa’, Mkparu outlines his thoughts on the importance of cinema telling Asher:
“The experience people can get in cinema cannot be replicated anywhere on a small screen of TV… The whole experience; the sound, the picture, the guest service, you can't get it at home. But the way we see it, we see Netflix and the rest of them as complimentary. We don't, personally, see them as competitors. Because the same audience that will come to a cinema to watch a film, then three months or so down the line.”With Filmhouse Cinemas being the largest cinema chain in Nigeria, Asher asks Mkparu about the market as a whole and what genre of films are the most popular to Nigerian audiences.
Mkparu explains to Asher:
“At the moment, it's about 60-65 per cent Hollywood, the taste. And then about 35 per cent Nollywood… But what we're finding is that Nollywood films are generating the kind of revenues that Hollywood films are generating in cinemas.”Asher asks Mkparu whether he could present a unique characteristic about Nigerian audiences and their movie tastes.
Mkparu explains to ‘Marketplace Africa’:
“I think the mistake people make is to look at Nigeria as one demographic. Nigeria is not. To us in the cinema business, Nigeria is three different kind of demographics of people… And it's very important to understand this because their behaviour, their taste, their economic power - completely different. And where they live, completely different. We set up three different kinds of cinema. The cinema we're sitting in now is our signature cinema, but we also have the regular multiplexes for the regular middle class and lower middle class folks.”On the topic onto piracy and the film industry, Asher asks Mkparu where responsibility lies to combat it.
Mkparu tells Asher:
“I think it's everybody… There are only about 35 cinemas in Nigeria, and that's not enough. People yearn and demand film entertainment in cinema, or film entertainment as a whole. They don't get it, so pirates fill that gap.”Continuing on the topic of piracy, Asher asks Mkparu on what could be done to stop the consumer accessing pirated materials.
Outlining his position to ‘Marketplace Africa’, Mkparu responds to Asher by saying:
“By building them their own cinema… Once we have those in place, and Nigeria needs at least 500 of those, once we have those 500, I tell you piracy will reduce significantly.”Concluding the ‘Marketplace Africa’ facetime interview, Asher asks Mkparu what he believes the future of Nigerian film is.
Mkparu tells ‘Marketplace Africa’:
“Last year alone, the Nigerian theatrical box office value was $50 million. And that was only in about 20 cinemas. We expect this year for that value to jump 40 per cent… we expect the footprint to almost double or grow by 50% in Nigeria this year. So we expect year on year a minimum 15 percent growth in cinema business. There are probably about five cinemas open every single year and that's been happening like that for the past three years.”
Church Members Padlock Bishop, Others Over Alleged Financial Recklessness
The Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, Anglican Diocese, Sapele, Delta State, has been dismembered by a crisis between worshipers and the presiding Bishop, Rt. Rev B.A. Erifeta, JP.
Since July 2015, some worshippers, who are at loggerheads with the bishop over alleged financial impropriety, high handedness and maladministration, have refused to walk the sanctuary to reverence God, preferring to worship the Almighty in the open air, along Boyo Road in the town
The hostilities degenerated to the extent that the congregation locked the bishop, other members of the clergy and youths in the cathedral during a service.
The hostilities degenerated to the extent that the congregation locked the bishop, other members of the clergy and youths in the cathedral during a service.
When it happened last year, it took the breaking of the keys of the burglary proof and gate for them to get out. Saint Luke Cathedral, Sapele, is perhaps the only Anglican Church in the state where the members worship God in such a manner and even unbelievers are shocked as to why children of God would not bury the hatchet.
The dispute erupted several years ago and efforts to resolve the conflict amicably have hit the wall. Primate, concerned bishops wade in Recently, the Bishops of Warri diocese, Rt Rev, Christian E. Ide, Oleh diocese, Rt Rev U Aruakpor and Erifeta himself went on a troubleshooting mission to notable members of the diocese, including Sir Newton Ejiro Omoko (JP), Chief E.K. Gbragada, Chief Omatseye One of Warri Kingdom, Sir, Simon Agbaroli and Chief J.I. Efemini a prominent Chief in Idjerhe Kingdom to let bygones by bygones, but there was no headway.
A source, however, told Vanguard that the matter is now at the table of the Primate of the Anglican diocese, who summoned the parties for a meeting, last Wednesday, but it was aborted because of his engagement. He added: “The primate will reschedule the meeting for another day if it has not been done already.” Our complaint against Erifeta – Aggrieved worshipers The parishioners submitted a 67-point allegation against their bishop ranging from financial impropriety to stealing and immoral activities. A member of the Saint Luke Cathedral, Sapele, who accused Erifeta and his supporters of standing the truth on the head, told NDV:
“The first sign of trouble was in April 2014 when he (Erifeta) allegedly disbanded the over 100-member choir of the church. Some elders of the church, some between the ages of 70-90 years went to beg him and he practically chased them out of his office, vowing to set up his own choir.
“As we speak, the building (church) has been abandoned and taken over by weeds while inside the auditorium is dirty, a sign of not being used, over a long while. We worship outside, along Boyo road, near the cathedral. You can see that we have erected canopies to conduct their services every Sunday. “Since we started worshiping outside, we have witnessed a lot of revival as many of those who left the cathedral on account of Bishop Blessing Erifeta’s alleged unbearable attitude have returned with several positive testimonies.”
He added: “You asked why we worship outdoors, the outside worship is to protest the continued stay of the bishop. Some of the allegations against the bishop among others were that he denigrated the church when he turned his staff upside down in the altar and placed curses on members of the church, mismanagement of church funds, abuse of elders of the church and all that.
Crumbling pulpit
“Is it not strange that the pulpit of the church collapsed when the bishop was having bible study with his clergy on 17th Feb 2015, and recently the pulpit of Our Redeemer Anglican Church Sapele, crashed when the bishop was studying with his priests on 27th September 2016? He however promised to fix it,” he said.
He asserted: “Regrettably, the bishop failed to get read the handwriting on the wall even after one of the priests, Venerable O.E Okpara, who preached in the cathedral using the platform of the pulpit after it was repaired, died weeks later.”
His words: “After this incidence, the members of the church wrote a petition to the primate elucidating on the above allegations against the bishop. Members have expressed grave concern and dismay on the insincerity of the church authority to uphold the truth. The matter has been to the domain of traditional rulers in the area, Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Zone 5, Benin City, court, etc. Supposed prejudice
“The people perceive injustice by the church authorities and this has made the resolution difficult. It was reported that the panels set up by the church authority was skewed to give the bishop an advantage and the people rejected them, insisting that there must be fairness,” he said.
Contrary to the stand of the spokesperson of the church, he said: “All the Anglican churches in Sapele and environs are unanimous on the bishop’s removal as they have stopped remitting money to the diocese until Bishop Erifeta is removed. Currently, all the churches are witnessing massive development since the stoppage of assessment.”
Brazil footballers plane crashed due to lack of fuel (photos)
 |
| Scene of the plane crash in Colombia. Photograph: @AndresFelipe/Twitter |
A plane carrying Brazil's Chapecoense football team crashed in Colombia this morning. At least 25 of the 81 passengers has been confirmed dead.press release from aviation authorities said the chartered aircraft declared an emergency at 10pm local time on Monday (0300 GMT) due to an electrical failure. However, the mayor of the municipality of La Ceja, Elkin Ospina, previously said it appeared the aircraft ran out of gas.
The plane, operated by Venezuelan airline Lamia, was carrying 72 passengers and nine crew members when it crashed in a mountainous area outside Medellín.
Ospina, as quoted by Noticias RCN, said:
"The plane broke in two and the situation is complex."Among the survivors are Alan Ruschel, a defender for Chapecoense. He has been taken to a nearby
hospital in stable condition. Goalkeepers Marcos Danilo and Jakson Follmann also survived, along with a flight attendant.
The mayor of nearby Medellín, Federico Gutierrez, who is at the crash site, told Blu Radio that there may be more survivors, but that access to the crash site is complicated.
Roger Moore Reveals 3ft 11in Actor In ‘The Man With The Golden Gun' Slept With 35 Women During Filming
But while Ian Flemming's creation was a notorious lothario, Roger Moore has revealed that Bond bad-guy actor Herve Villechaize was the real womaniser off-screen.
Moore said that Villechaize, who played diminutive henchman Nick Nack in The Man with the Golden Gun, was a 'sex maniac' with an 'unnatural' lust for women.
Speaking at the Southbank Centre, the veteran 007 actor claimed that while they were filming in the Far East, Villechaize - who was 3ft 11ins tall - slept with 35 women, many of them prostitutes.
Moore, 89, recalled: 'He was a very small man and he used to touch me and I used to say, 'Don't touch me. You are diseased'.
'I wasn't being cruel about his size, it was just that he was a sex maniac. He had a lust for ladies, unnatural.
'When we were in Hong Kong he would find girls in girly clubs and go with a flashlight, 'You, you, not you'.'
Moore said that when the cast and crew were leaving Bangkok he asked Villechaize how many women he had slept since they had arrived in the Far East.
He said: 'He told me 35. I told him that did not count as he paid for them, but he said, 'Sometimes when I pay they refuse'.
'Poor man. He never stayed above the first floor in a hotel as he could never reach the buttons in the lift.'
Villechaize shot himself in his Hollywood back garden in the middle of the night in 1993 when he
was aged 50.
He had suffered with long running medical problems related to his height and was battling an illness related to his undersized lungs.
Despite enjoying a successful acting career which took off after appearing in the Bond film,
Villechaize's life descended into a parade of broken marriages, health problems and legal battles.
After his suicide his girlfriend of the time found a note which read: 'I love everybody. Nobody is to blame for this.'
Paris-born Villechaize was married twice and was known as a prolific womaniser.
His second marriage to Camille Hagen, a 5ft 8ins tall actress 14 years his junior, ended after 15 months with his wife complaining about the women in her husband's life, including his first wife, who still worked as his secretary.
Villechaize took pride in his success with women, and once said: 'I used to exploit my height and let them mother me until I realised I was robbing myself of my masculinity.'
Why i Quit Five Star Music:Harrysong reveals
Two weeks ago, Harrysong dumped Five Star Music and shared the logo for his own record label 'Alter Plate'. Most people felt things have gone soar between him and his label mates, hence the shocking withdrawal from the group.
In this chat with Premium Times, the singer opens up on his latest move and why he quit Five Star Music. Read after the cut...
Harrysong, was signed on with Five Star Music. Now the head honcho of his own label, ALTERPLATE, he is quick to explain the reason behind his exit from the label that made him a star.
“My contract expired and that was why I left Five Star music to set up ALTERPLATE. I am thankful to 5 Star Music Group and everyone who have put in an effort to make the Harrysong brand what it is today.”
When asked if his exit didn’t lead to some form of friction between himself and his former label bosses, Kingsley Okonkwo aka KCee and Emeka Okonkwo aka E-Money, he said,
“When the contract expired I aspired to grow and express myself in another light and that’s why I put together ALTERPLATE. This is my vision and this is a dream that I have nursed for so many years. There is no friction between 5 Star Music and I.
There is also no bad blood brewing between my record label and I. I will always respect my former labels, Questionmark Records, and Five Star Music, because I learnt a lot from them. I will always respect them any day and anytime; there are my bosses.
So is the feeling mutual? To this he responds, “I don’t know about how they feel but I know how I feel. I had their blessings to move on.”
When asked if Five Star Music offered to renew his contract, he said,
“I don’t want to talk about that. Other record labels have approached me but I can’t leave Five Star Music for any other record label. My dream has always been to put together a new platform having learnt a lot from other platforms.”
On the inspiration behind ALTERPLATE, the Gala sausage brand ambassador says,
“I started playing music as a music director and choir master in a church. So ALTERPLATE simply encapsulates the various ways I express my music. It also reflects all the effort that I have put into my works and how it has satisfied my clients and my fans over the years. I needed to put this label together to meet the expectations that people have for my brand.”
The 35-year-old artiste also sheds more light on the direction of his label.
“My label mates and I will perform with a live band at any event or concert where we are billed to perform. The ALTERPLATE band is set up to back me up on stage whenever I am performing.
Having grown in my career, I also have to improve on my craft. ALTERPLATE is also a stand-alone band that will perform without me at events because it is a complete music team. This is a business I have been meaning to do full time for a long time,” he reveals.
Speaking further, Harrysong, who is the only child of his parents also reveals the reason why he has chosen to go solo at this stage in his career.
“I didn’t go solo two years ago because perhaps I wasn’t strong enough to stand on my own. But it’s been a long time coming. I am a strong believer in the popular saying, which says, ‘ A child who doesn’t know how to walk but decides to run will fall down.’ This saying pretty much sums up my situation,” he says.
Although Harrysong appears ready to stand alone, the artiste who moved to Lagos in 2007 where he met KCee who signed him on with Five Star Music is confident in his team’s capabilities.
“I have a team that is assigned to different offices and this will allow me focus on my own music. I will release my own album next year. Writing seminars, live band sessions, vocal sessions.
I have missed performing live music all these years and this is what I intend to do henceforth. I have no regrets so far because it is all a learning curve for me. For now, there is no bad blood between Five Star Music and I,” he concludes.
Kidnappers To Get Death Sentence In Lagos, Other Punishments
The approval followed the adoption of a report presented by Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and Lagos State Independent
Electoral Commission, LASIEC.
NAN reports that the bill was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.
The bill prescribed life sentence to kidnappers, whose victims did not die in their custody.
The bill states that any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her will, commits an offence, and liable on conviction to death sentence.
The bill, which criminalised attempt to kidnap, also stipulated life imprisonment for anyone who makes attempt to kidnap another person.
Also, the bill is against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person. This attracts seven years imprisonment.