Pics: Many dead, others trapped as Synagogue Church building collapses

Many people are reported to have died with several others injured after a building inside the headquarters of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun, Lagos collapsed around 2pm this afternoon.
Many worshipers who lived inside the church were among those who died while some are believed to still be trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.
Four ambulance buses have arrived the scene, taking the injured to the hospital while the dead ones are being evacuated to the mortuary.  Details later...


Update: There are reports that as many as 50 people died this afternoon when the building collapsed. The building is also said to be is reserved for foreigners visiting the church for spiritual help.

Shock pics: Liberian woman found hanging in Lagos

The woman was found hanging from the tree in the early hours of today September 12th on Bankole Street, Isheri-Oke, Lagos and has been identified as a Liberian woman simply called Kate.

According to Punch, the woman was a worker in a sachet water factory before she killed herself. A resident of the area said people in the area started to distance themselves from her after the outbreak of Ebola in Lagos which was brought into the country by a Liberian. They also started avoiding her because of her ill health, a situation believed to have frustrated her enough to commit suicide.

"We see her in this neighbourhood every day. I used to see her every day in the dress she died in.She always looked sick but people stopped selling to her after the Ebola outbreak. It could be because she was Liberian and looked sickly. This might have frustrated her.”

Oscar Pistorius granted bail. Sentencing set for October 13

For his manslaughter charge, Oscar Pistorius faces from a 'fine to 15 years in prison' but the judge granted him bail extension today and asked him to go home.The judge didn't believe he will attempt to run despite the fact that he's sold all his property (to pay his legal fees). Oscar will remain in the custody of his uncle until October 13th when he will return to court for sentencing...

Pics: Toke Makinwa Covers Season 2 Of 'The celebrity shoot'

The Season 2 of The Celebrity shoot' by fashion designer and stylist Abbyke Domina is out. It's about celebrating successful African women and modern Africa clothes and Toke makinwa covers the new season where she shared in a brief interview what fashion is to her. She says her fashion icons are Eku Edewor,  Zed Eye and Lisa Folawiyo. Continue to see more photo...

Ex-girlfriend on how Oscar Pistorius terrorised her: 'I hid gun because I feared he'd kill me'

Oscar Pistorius’s former girlfriend has spoken of her ­terrifying ­relationship with the 'angry and possessive' Paralympian.

20 year old Samantha Taylor (pictured above) said she feared he would kill her and revealed she once hid his gun after he flew into a rage at her.

Oscar was cleared of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp yesterday, but Samantha said: “It could have been me.”

New Big Brother House found. Official launch date is now October 5th

A new Big Brother house has been found in Johannesburg, South Africa following the devastating fire that demolished the original house on 2 September. The search was concluded after exploring all possible options both locally and internationally, for a suitable venue to produce the 9th season of Africa’s biggest reality show.

Big Brother Hotshots will officially launch on Sunday 5th October. As they countdown to the launch, fans across the continent can look forward to some pleasant surprises in true Biggie fashion.

Oscar Pistorius found guilty of manslaughter

Yesterday Oscar Pistorius was found not guilty of premeditated murder and second degree murder because according to the judge, his conduct after the shooting was 'inconsistent' with someone who intended to commit murder. But he has been found guilty of manslaughter this morning. The judge said he acted negligently when he fired shots into the toilet door. The question now is, will he be jailed for manslaughter?

*He was also found not guilty of the first firearm charge - (firing a gun through the roof of his car)
*He was found not guilty of the third firearm charge (unlawfully possessing 38 rounds of ammunition at his home without having a license).
*He was found guilty of the second firearm charge. He discharged a weapon in a public place, a restaurant called Tashas and asked his friend to take the blame. The judge says Oscar was sufficiently trained in the use of firearms, so should not have asked for a firearm in a public place

The judge said no one submitted that there was an intention to pull the trigger, but that does not absolve him of the crime of negligently handling a firearm. Will Oscar walk?

Lagos state government supports FG September 22nd resumption date

The Lagos state Government has thrown its weight behind the September 22nd public and private schools resumption date by the Federal government following efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in the country.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the state governor on Media, Lateef Raji, the state government says following the non-existence of any Ebola virus patient in the state, it is safe for students to return back to their classes. Find the statement after the cut...

Nigerian man arrested for abducting and raping a woman in the US

29 year old Nigerian man based in Brookline, Pennsylvania, Samuel Okorie is accused of grabbing a woman at a public place and sexually assaulting her. The incident took place over the weekend in a residential neighbourhood.

According to police report, early Sunday morning, police came to the house (right), in Brookline and arrested Samuel Okorie. He was booked on charges including rape, kidnapping  and robbery. A 21 year old woman identified Okorie as the man who sexually assaulted her. Police say the victim ran up the street, crying for help. Neighbours said she was screaming 'help me, help me'. When a neighbour approached her, she said "he raped me, he's coming to get me.".

He's such a good looking guy, why would he turn to rape? And then the story is somehow.

Anambra state University renamed Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

The Anambra House of Assembly on yesterday September 11th passed a bill, changing the name of the state-owned university at Uli to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

The bill was passed during the plenary of the legislature in Awka to honour the former Biafra hero.
The decision followed the report of the House Committee on Education which recommended the change of the name.

Pres. Jonathan won't interfere with ongoing investigation of accusation against Ali Modu Sheriff

Find the State House press release below...

We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Oscar Pistorius may be found guilty of manslaughter, what the judge said

The judge didn't find Oscar Pistorius guilty of murder but from what she said this afternoon, it looks like she's planning to find him guilty of manslaughter. Whether it will carry a prison sentence remains to be seen. Below are some of the things judge Masipa said this afternoon;

*He was negligent
*He could have run to the balcony and screamed. He could have called security.
*He was reckless, acted in haste and used excessive force
*He had other options but chose to use a loaded gun
*He could have run to the balcony and called for help like he did after the shooting
*He could have called for help in less time it took to shoot through the door.
*He had reasonable time to reflect and think
*There was no explanation why Oscar didn't call security before arming himself and going to the bathroom.
*If he woke and found someone over him and opened fire, that would have been excusable conduct.

Pics: Khloe Kardashian and her massive butt step out in Calabasas

The reality star and her massive butt pictured yesterday going to the gym (left) and pictured right shopping in Calabasas on Tuesday. When a paparazzo asked Khloe "Who has the better butt between Kim or yourself?" Khloe responded, "Definitely Kim".

Rihanna rocks gray wig as she transforms for Tush magazine

The singer and fashion icon switches up her look and transforms into some kind of goddess in new dramatic photos for German fashion magazine, Tush. The Bajan beauty rocks a long gray wig, frosted eyebrows, and a pair of white feathery wings as she poses in the Nevada desert for famed photographers, Gomillion & Leupold. See more photos after the cut...

Judge finds Oscar Pistorius not guilty of murder

Judge Masipa has read much of her judgement and she's just found Oscar Pistorius not guilty of murder. The judge said there were not enough facts to prove the most serious charge of pre-meditated murder. She said the case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence and dismissed the witness testimony. She said the witnesses were unreliable as they were confused when giving testimony and said most of what they said weren't accurate. She said even if Oscar was evasive with some facts, and was a 'very poor' witness, it doesn't mean he's guilty of murder.

She explained that Oscar's reaction after killing Reeva shows he didn't have criminal intent, hadn't foreseen he'd killed her. She said he could not have faked his reaction minutes after the shooting. She even dismissed the whatsapp message between the lovers, saying relationships are dynamic. She also said evidence did not support the state's claim of second degree murder.

"The state has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder. There are just not enough facts to support such a finding'- she said.

While he's not guilty of premeditated murder, he awaits to find out if he's guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter) which is the negligent death of another. It means there was no intention to kill but the killing is unlawful.

Toke Makinwa writes about her very understanding husband

What every working woman hopes for...an understanding man who pushes you, and not one trying to stifle you!

Nigeria has no single current case of Ebola virus - Health Minister

Dan Nwomeh is the spokesman for the Minister of Health. And above is the man who brought Ebola to Nigeria. We've contained it...hopefully it stays that way! See more tweets after the cut...

British nurse who caught Ebola in Sierra Leone plans to return there

William Pooley, the 29 year old British nurse who recently got treated of the Ebola virus which he contracted while working as a voluntaeer nurse in Sierra Leone, says he plans to go back to the country to continue working there and help other victims. Speaking with UK Guardian, Pooley said;

"While I'm happy to be recovered and alive, there's a lot of stuff on my mind with what's going on back there. It would be relatively safe for me to go back and work there, and it's really the least I could do having received all this amazing care and have people look after me and potentially save my life. It's the least I could do to go back and return the favour to some other people, even just for a little while. The more help they get, the less chance there is they get sick.” he said.

Nigerian Teachers threaten to strike over new resumption date

The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, have threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the Federal government does not shift the date of resumption as well as put in place measures that would protect their members from contracting the deadly Ebola virus while teaching in schools.

Speaking in a telephone interview with Punch, the National President of the NUT, Michael Alogba, said the union had taken a decision not to allow any of its members go into any school to teach if the eradication of the deadly virus has not been scientifically and medically proven.

Photos: Actor Desmond Elliot to contest for Lagos House of Assembly

Actor and movie producer Desmond Elliot is contesting for Lagos State House of Assembly in 2015 under the APC. Some of you may not know this, but Desmond is from Lagos state. See what he plans to do when elected into office after the cut...

Bill Gates offers Nigeria, other countries N8billion to fight Ebola virus

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced it will be donating $50million (N8billion) to support the efforts of Nigeria and other West African countries hit by the Ebola Virus outbreak in containing the spread of the deadly virus.

Announcing this in a statement issued today September 10th, the foundation said the money will be immediately released to the United Nations agencies and international organizations that are involved in the Ebola fight to enable them and national governments purchase needed supplies and scale up emergency operations.

Ebola Virus: Wife of Late Port Harcourt doctor discharged

Special Adviser to the Minister of Health on Media and Communications, Mr Dan Nwomeh, just announced that the wife and sister of Dr. Iyke Enemoah have both been discharged from the isolation centre in Lagos.

Inside the exotic wedding of Senator Florence Ita Giwa's daughter

The first daughter of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Koko Florence Mayen, is getting married on Sept. 13th (traditional wedding) and Sept. 20th (white wedding) to her heartthrob Chimaobi Shawcross Obioha Jnr and according to Encomium magazine, the millionaire businesswoman is planning the wedding of the year that will cost millions of Naira.

According to the magazine, the wedding will hold at Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu Square, Lagos, while the reception will hold at Eko Hotel & Suites.

The bride's dress and other bridal wears will be flown in from Beirut, Lebanon.

Photos: Tiwa Savage and Davido at Africa unplugged press conference

The super star singers pictured at a press conference today ahead of their Africa Unplugged concert this Sunday at o2 Brixton Academy London...

Khloe Kardashian and French Montana 'on a break' because he was too dependent

According to Us Weekly, Khloe Kardashian and French Montana are on a break after dating for about eight months because he was 'dependent' on the reality star.

"They are on a break," one source tells Us. "The relationship got too heavy and Khloe needed to take a step back."

Another insider says the Moroccan-born musician, 29, was too "needy" for the reality star, 30. "It grated on her that he became so dependent on her," the pal tells Us.

It didn't help, of course, that her family never really warmed to her beau. Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner "did not approve and told Khloe all the time," the first insider says. And she wasn't the only one with reservations; a friend previously told Us that sister Kim Kardashian-West and stepdad Bruce Jenner were "very skeptical" of the rapper and worried he was using her for fame.

Chris Brown blast his fans on instagram

Yesterday Chris Brown posted a pic his and Karrueche Tran's faces melded together on his instagram page and a fan asked him why he wasn't following Karrueche. (Chris is not following anyone on instagram). Chris Brown's response? See it after the cut...

Davido thrilled about his name and Tiwa Savage displayed at Brixton Academy hall

Brixton Academy is also called O2 Academy, Brixton, and is one of London's leading music venues, nightclubs and theatres, situated in Brixton, south London. Davido and Tiwa have a show there this Sunday.

Oby Ezekwesili reacts to Jonathan's order to pull down offensive bring back Jonathan signs

We first saw the offensive hashtags on the twitter timeline of the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the President, Doyin Okupe, before the signs were spread all over Abuja.

The convener of the #bringbackourgirls campaign, Dr Oby Ezekwesili just shared her opinion on the issue on Twitter. See more tweets after the cut...

Chris Oyakhilome speaks on divorce, says media is writing stupid things

Chris Oyakhilome said he was not accused of the things (the media) said, and neither did he 'commit' those 'stupid' things (the media) said. And he asked people to pray for his wife because she made a mistake. Read what he said below...

"I understand that some media houses particularly in Nigeria and maybe in South Africa have been writing some real stupid things. Frivolous charges...that's crazy.

Miss BumBum Brazil release lingerie photos

The pageant released new lingerie photos of the contestants to say thank you for reaching one million votes in the competition.

Online voting will determine 15 finalists from the 27 ladies vying for this year's title. The finale will hold in Sao Paulo, Brazil in November. Check out the photos after the cut...

House of Reps want Sept 22nd schools' resumption date changed

The House of Representatives want the September 22nd school resumption date for private and public primary/secondary changed.

According to Punch, the Reps explained yesterday that it had directed its Committee on Education to take “another look” at the date in view of the fact that the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country had yet to be fully contained.

The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Victor Ogene, who conveyed the position of the House in Abuja, said there was still apprehension among parents and guardians over the Federal Government’s decision to change the earlier resumption date of October 13 to September 22.

Two male friends take cheeky selfie behind Miss Bikini Ireland models

The pic above of two friends taking a selfie behind contestants of Miss Bikini Ireland, has gone viral. Friends Jim Ippoliti and Juano Manuelo saw a photoshoot was going on at the Temple Bar in Dublin on Sunday and instead of watching from the sidelines like others did, they decided to join the fun, from behind the scantily dressed ladies

Jim Ippoliti posted the pic to Facebook and wrote:  "Well, well...I wouldn't call this a failure! LOL."

The pic has over 100,000 likes and many were amused by it. Another photographer captured the two friends taking the selfie behind the girls and also shared the pic. See it after the cut...

Check out 2face and Wizkid's photoshoot for their first ever collaboration

2face and Wizkid are the headlining of this year's Hennessy Artistry 2014 and they just released photos from a shoot they did to promote their first ever collaboration, shot by famed photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and styled by Lilian Unachukwu. See the photos after the cut...

Jim Iyke shares new photo with Nadia Buari

 Jim Iyke shared this photo with that caption on his instagram page ...

GEJ orders removal of offensive #bringback Jonathan signs

Find the State House press release below...

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant  be brought down immediately.

President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #Bring Back Our Girls hash tag.