Nigerian couple in the UK has been sentenced for selling illegal skin-whitening products

A Nigerian couple in the UK has been sentenced for selling illegal skin-whitening products online. Jonathan and Holiness Ikpere have avoided jail after admitting selling the toxic products. They are thought to have earned hundreds of thousands of pounds from selling banned bleaching concoctions from their home in Towpath Mead, Southsea.

 They imported large quantities of cosmetics from countries in West Africa before selling them in the UK and other countries abroad. They were caught in the UK's first national investigation into the online sale of dangerous skin-whitening products. Jonathan Ikpere, a PHD student studying at Portsmouth University, set up various PayPal accounts to collect orders for eBay purchases, which had a turnover of more than £100,000.

 According to Yahoo!, Southwark Trading Standards, who led the investigation, seized nearly 3,000 illegal and dangerous skin lightening products from their home. Customers who bought the products risked permanent skin and blood vessel damage and even infection. Paul Gander, team leader of Southwark Trading Standards, said:

"The Ikperes imported a large volume of cosmetics from Nigeria and made a small volume themselves on their premises. A lot of this stuff comes into this country from West Africa, Pakistan and even China. "When officers raided their home they discovered a mixing bowl in the kitchen, where the couple's own brand of skin lighteners were being created. Holiness Ikpere even marketed the products with her own face on the labels.

 "The dangerous element of what they were doing were unbelievable. Holiness had no safety or quality control of what she was manufacturing. Cosmetics need to have preservatives in them. "There needs to be safety assessments carried out which they did not do. She was putting illegal ingredients in the products but not informing customers." The couple pleaded guilty to manufacturing toxic bleaching cosmetics and were fined £17,000, as well as given 60-hour community service orders each.

 Both received suspended sentences, six months for Jonathan and four months for Holiness, suspended for a year.

Governor says Anybody who blocks my convoy again will be shot and killed

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State said on Monday that anyone who blocks his convoy will be killed.

This is as soldiers from Nkwagu Military Cantonment in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, at the weekend raided Onicha/Igboeze Onicha autonomous community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following an attack on the convoy of the state governor, Dave Umahi, by some youths from the area on Friday.

The governor’s convoy was reportedly blocked along the Umudomi axis of Onicha-Abakaliki road while on his way back to the state capital from his Uburu, Ohaozara home on Friday night.

The attack occurred when the governor made a stop in the area to ascertain the source of a commotion along the road.

It was gathered that there was already a clash among some youths there before the governor arrived the area.

A source in the community said the clash escalated when the governor made the stop.

Efforts by security agents in the governor’s convoy to stop the clash proved abortive as some of the youths overpowered one of the soldiers in the convoy and collected his Ak47 rifle from him while the convoy was speeding off.

To recover the gun, soldiers numbering over 100 on Saturday morning invaded the communities and made indiscriminate arrests of youths and some leaders of the area linked to the incident.

The soldiers said they must recover the gun before leaving the community.

Reacting to the incident on Monday, the governor ordered the immediate arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of all those involved in the attack on his convoy.

Narrating the incident at the Executive Council chambers while receiving some guests, the governor also condemned the attack and described it as a criminal breach of the law.

He said the suspects made away with a gun belonging to an army officer and expressed worry over what they could have done if it had been an ordinary victim that encountered them.

Enraged by the development, Umahi also pronounced a ban on wake-keeps and other such ceremonies beyond 10p.m across the state.

He also detailed his security aides to ensure that all the suspects were identified and brought for prosecution and possible imprisonment.

Umahi said: “Yesterday night, I was coming back by 12 midnight. Of course, I had to stop over at the College to inspect projects, but when we got to Onicha, they blocked the road.

“Even with the litany of army and the police and everything, they did not even want to open the road.

“Then I said they should arrest all of them, but most of them ran away. I think they even took a gun from an army officer.

“So, the chairman of the local government, the House of Assembly members and coordinators, they are working very hard and the SSA on Security – they are all there to sort it out.

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Woman who was stabbed 17 times by her husband withdraws case, forgives him

She was stabbed 17 times by her husband in Karatina, Nyeri County has withdrawn the assault charges.

Ms. Peninah Wangechi told Principal Magistrate Alice Mwangi at the Karatina Law Courts that she had forgiven her husband, Samuel Ndirangu, for the attack that occurred in April this year and would want the case withdrawn.

She insisted that she had made the decision out of her own free will, and had neither been threatened nor compelled to withdraw the case.

The woman also told the court that they no longer live together with the accused.

The magistrate granted the request and set Ndirangu free.

Wangechi, a mother of three had been stabbed 17 times on her back, chest and face following a domestic fight with her then husband.

She was admitted at the Karatina Sub-county Hospital where doctors said that though she had bled a lot, the knife wounds were fortunately not severe.

The suspect surrendered to the police after the attack and was detained at Karatina Police Station before being arraigned.

Peninah Wangechi in hospital. PHOTO| COURTESY

Facebook and Instagram deletes hundreds of Nigerian accounts

Facebook and Instagram deletes hundreds of Nigerian accounts for being involved in 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour

third operation, originating in Egypt, focused on Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, TurkeFacebook has removed hundreds of accounts, pages, and groups from its social network platforms that the company says were involved in coordinated inauthentic behaviour.

The tech giant said it removed a total of 443 Facebook and 125 Instagram accounts, as well as 200 pages and 76 groups originating in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Nigeria, and Indonesia. Facebook said one of the operations was sharing local news in targeted countries and promoting content about UAE as well as criticism of Qatar, Turkey, and Iran.  

A smaller operation was involved in “domestic-focused coordinated inauthentic behaviour in Indonesia,” with fake accounts sharing content in support of the independence movement in West Papua province, while others posted criticism of it

A third operation, originating in Egypt, focused on Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, and Qatar, the social media company said. Facebook said of the fake accounts, “(They) typically posted about domestic news and political topics including content in support of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The fake account also made criticism of  Qatar, Iran, and Turkey; and Yemen’s southern separatist movement.”

Over seven million accounts followed one or more of the pages and some 3,000 accounts joined at least one of the groups.  Around 193,000 people followed one or more of the Instagram accounts

Lebanon, and Qatar, the social media company said. 

Facebook said of the fake accounts, “(They) typically posted about domestic news and political topics including content in support of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The fake account also made criticism of  Qatar, Iran, and Turkey; and Yemen’s southern separatist movement.”

Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi Responds to Lizzy Anjorin and her Fans

see below 

Obviously  The drift between  her and Lizzy Anjorin  is over.
Thanks Be to God

Kidnappers kill pregnant wife of ECWA pastor

Kidnappers kill pregnant wife of ECWA pastor after collecting ransom . Mrs. Ishaku Dogo Katung, the wife of a pastor with the Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA, has allegedly been murdered by her abductors in Kaduna State, despite payment of ransom for her freedom

The deceased - who was pregnant - was the wife of the minister in charge of ECWA Prayer House, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State. Her murder followed the payment of a ransom of N400,000.

Federal Government may sack workers to meet minimum wage demand. – Chris Ngige.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Thursday, October 3rd said that the demand of labour over the implementation of the new minimum wage would cost the Federal Government N580 billion annually.

Ngige said that such adjustment, in line with labour’s demand, was not sustainable as the government would have to lay off some workers to be able to meet their demands.

The minister said government cannot afford that kind of money now, adding that the focus of President Buhari’s government is on workers on grade level 1 step 1 and level 6 step 1 where the impact of the wage would be felt by workers.

The Minister spoke in Abuja when the leadership of United Labour Congress (ULC) led by its President, Joe Ajeiro, paid him a courtesy at the ministry. While urging workers to show more understanding to the plight of the federal government, Ngige said the current economic realities, may make the new wage bill not feasible.
He said that the government was avoiding a situation where it would have to lay off workers, adding that this would add to the burden of the citizenry.

Ngige appealed to the labour to accept the consequential adjustment from levels 7 to 17, adding that the federal government had only three months left to implement the new minimum wage. 
He said the government would not tell the labour leader what it could not pay, stating that no worker deserved to be owed salary.

Stop Writing Letters.~ Rtd. General Akinrinade Advises Ex~President Olusegun Obasanjo.

"Stop Writing Letters." ~ Rtd. General Akinrinade Advises Ex~President Olusegun Obasanjo.

"If I have an opportunity to advise him, I will say he should not write letters again. Each time he writes letter, the question I ask is: when he was there, how did he do it? He should not write letters again. He has access to them and he can give his advice, instead of writing” Akinrinade, who assessed the 20 years of stable civil rule, said it could have been better: ”We have not found exactly the formula. My assessment is that we have done very poorly. We could do much better.”

Oldest Tortoise in Africa, Dies at Soun of Ogbomoso's Palace aged 344.

The 344-year-old tortoise popularly known as Alagba, in the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso, has died. The tortoise which was the oldest in Africa, was sick for a few days before her demise on Thursday.

 The tortoise became a popular breed upon ascension of the throne of the current Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi with the monarch providing good shelter and health support for the tortoise during its sojourn on earth. Confirming the incident to the Nigerian Tribune, the Private Secretary to Oba Oyewumi, Toyin Ajamu, stressed that the tortoise, which attracted people from all walks of life from Nigeria and abroad, will be greatly missed not only by the palace household but everyone who came in contact with Alagba during her lifetime.

 “Alagba had lived in the palace for centuries. The tortoise played host to many monarchs in Ogbomoso in the past. Alagba became popular because Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, Soun of ogbomosoland, used his personal resources to cater for her well being," he said. “The tortoise had two staff members of the palace, dedicated to her. They provided food, health support and other logistics, so as to make sure she gets the best treatment. Often times, Kabiyesi shared great moments with Alagba.

 On a daily basis, Alagba, had tourists visiting her from different parts of the world. The palace household, Ogbomoso community and stakeholders in the tourism sector are mourning Alagba’s passing.“ he added. The palace secretary explained that plans were underway to preserve Alagba’s body for historical records.

SCOTLAND BECOMES FIRST UK NATION TO MAKE SMACKING CHILDREN A CRIMINAL OFFENCE

The ban on all physical punishment was backed by 84 votes to 29 by the Scottish Parliament on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 3) The bill was introduced by Scottish Greens MSP John Finnie.

He argued that: 'Physical punishment has no place in 21st century'. 

The law change is aimed at giving children the same protection from assault as adults. But parents and carers are only allowed to use 'reasonable' physical force in order to discipline children.

Reacting to the passage of the bill, Mr Finne said it sent a 'strong message' that violence is never acceptable.

He said: 'I am absolutely delighted that the Scottish Parliament has taken this historic and courageous step.

'The leadership shown by MSPs will send a strong message that violence is never acceptable in any setting, and that our children deserve at least the same legal protections that adults enjoy.

'Physical punishment has no place in 21st century Scotland. The international evidence tells us that it can have serious impacts on children, and that it is not effective.

'As I have progressed this campaign over the last three years, it has become clear just how many people believed that striking a child was already outlawed.

'I am extremely proud to have brought forward the legislation that will enhance children's rights in Scotland and believe that today we have taken a huge step toward making Scotland the best country in the world for children to grow up in.'

Mr Finnie earlier addressed critics of the Bill, who suggested it could criminalise parents.

He said: 'There is no evidence that a change to the law results in increased prosecutions in any of the more than 50 countries where some of the reforms have taken place.

'In fact, this change in the law in Ireland prompted more parents to contact services to ask for help and support with alternative disciplining techniques.

'Surely this is something which should be welcomed, and an encouraging consequence of a positive legal change.'

Osinbajo’s N90Billion Alleged Election Fraud

Timi Frank to CAN President: Stop aiding Corruption. Re:Osinbajo’s N90Billion Election Fraud .

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank yesterday called on the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle to stop denigrating Christians in Nigeria. Frank in a statement in Abuja also urged Dr. Ayokunle to face his priestly duties instead of using his sacred office to aid and abet corruption. He said it was a mortal sin for the CAN head to portray the highly reverred Christian body in the country as being pro-Corruption through his recent comments.

 It could be recalled that Ayokunle, visited Osinbajo in Abuja on Friday and later spoke with reporters at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, where he met with top members of CAN. He declared Osinbajo innocent of the N90billion allegation against him without proof and vowed to mobilise Christians against any act to destroy the works of the Vice President. Frank said: 

“As a Christian, I am ashamed of the attitude and character of this present CAN president in the person of Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle. “CAN in its original form represents the body of Christ and Ayokunle ought to have known that it owes the citizenry or at least God, an obligation to win souls, be good ambassadors of the church and crusade for good governance. 

 “As a supposed shepherd of the nation’s Christian body, if two of your sheep have a misunderstanding, I think you ought to have heard from both parties before taking a position. “I am however not surprised because like pregnancy evil cannot be hidden under tainted cassocks and collars. “I have heard from not a few reliable quarters that he often goes cap in hand before politicians in the name of praying for them. “It is shameful that the CAN President has turned the body of Christ into a political pressure group.