Gist Arena

Friday's retreat focuses on priority areas such as agriculture, corruption, education and security. Frequent power outage at the venue of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, retreat, Friday, disrupted activities at the event as politicians and experts met to explore possibilities for moving the country forward. The 3rd NGF Retreat 'Towards a Sustainable Democracy' held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The first session, chaired by Bukola Saraki, former NGF Chairman, began with two topics – 'Overview of the Current State of Agriculture in the States' and 'Nigeria Without Oil: Unlocking Agricultural Value Chain. At the beginning of the session, there was a five minute power outage, forcing the announcer to scramble for an apology to the audience after electricity was restored. A few minutes later, there was another power cut which lasted three minutes. The third power cut within the hour lasted almost 30 minutes, throwing the hall into darkness and forci...

A Connecticut pastor seeking to cleanse his soul for a long-past infidelity met fire and brimstone, then forgiveness from his flock before reportedly keeling over from a suspected heart attack. Bishop Bobby Davis, pastor and founder of the Miracle Faith World Outreach Church in Bridgeport, kept parishioners after services Sunday, saying he wanted to come clean about an apparent affair he'd had, one congregant told the Connecticut Post. Although police are investigating the incident, indications are that he suffered a fatal heart attack after getting a mixed response.

Rapper,producer, songwriter 2Shotz has announced the release of his 6th studio album before the end of the year, ‘B.O.S.S’ (Built On Self Success) will be released in Nigeria in 2014, under his Umunnamu outfit. 2Shotz releases the official video to his new single ‘For The Ladies’ which was recently released. The visuals to this awesome piece is crystal a relentless effort from Paul Gambit who directed the video with much creative scenes, costumes and vixens not forgetting the well illuminated lighting. Remember it’s all for the ladies. DOWNLOAD VIDEO HERE Watch after the cut...

The Imo Government said it discovered crude oil in some local government areas, and urged the Federal Government to inspect the sites for possible exploration. The Managing Director of Imo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, Dr Henry Okafo, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Owerri on Friday. Okafo said the areas are Oru East and West, Ngor-Opkala and Obowo Local Government areas. He said if the oil discovered was utilised, it would afford the state an opportunity of becoming a front runner among the oil producing states in the country.

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has won the US National Critics Book Prize for her novel, Americanah. The writer’s work tells the story of a Nigerian woman who moves to the US to pursue a college education. In 2008, her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the UK’s Orange Prize and Purple Hibiscus was longlisted for the Booker Prize four years earlier. Other category winners for the US honour included Sheri Fink’s book about Hurricane Katrina. 

Gunmen suspected to be sea pirates yesterday attacked two tugboats operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). The attackers also kidnapped the captains of the boats. A source told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred around 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday. A security source added that the attacks occurred at Peter’s town in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa. The tugboats were reportedly in transit from Nembe to Port Harcourt when they came under attack.   The event led to intensified security patrols by the marine division of the Nigerian police and the Joint Military Task Force known as “Operation Pulo Shield.”   The attacked tugboats were identified as MV Ebizar and MV Smoke, but the identity and nationals of the kidnapped crew members could not be immediately ascertained. "The gunmen took [the captives] to an unknown place. Nobody knows their whereabouts,” a security source told our correspondent. The JTF’s media coordinator, Colonel Onyema Nwac...

Defence Minister, Aliyu Gusau A meeting called to resolve an embarrassing row between Nigeria’s defence minister, Aliyu Gusau, and the defence chief, Alex Badeh, ended in a deadlock Thursday after the two officials stuck to their claim to superior authority, government sources said, fuelling concerns about the likely implication of the impasse on government’s campaign against extremist sect, Boko Haram. Officials briefed about the meeting said Mr. Gusau insisted on meeting directly with military chiefs – a demand that originally sparked the row; and Air Vice Marshal Badeh refused to apologise to the minister.

With the Malaysian plane still missing, U.S. Airways Flight 1702 was heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when the front tyre blew out and the pilot decided to abort takeoff. The nose gear then collapsed when the pilot tried to land the plane again. The plane was carrying 149 passengers and five crew who emerged unhurt ..A Passenger told CBS "“We were airborne, then struck back down by the nose.The plane went up, came back down a little bit the first time, then didn’t think much of it. Went up the second time, and then kind of felt loose and went straight back into the ground. Kind of sheer terror in everyone’s eyes,”  Lucky people....More photos below

I never saw that tweet but Eedris claims inthe past, Donjazzy tweeted "If you are a rapper, your father will never be proud of you.’..He is still angry over that statement and when Punch asked him he said Donjazzy was lucky he didn't mention his name because he would have flogged him..lol " First of all, why didn’t he stay in London for the British government to give him a record deal? Shebi all of dem stayed in London, while some of them, like Banky W, went to America? But they all rushed back to Nigeria because it is here they could make such money. Of course, in America, they will not get paid $10, 000 for a show. Even some of the Americans like 50 Cent, the highest they will get for a show in their country is $50, 000. But they get paid $500, 000 here. If you could make such money here, you don’t have the right to stand up and say as a rapper, your parent will never be proud of you. Fortunately, it was money from rap music money that I used to build my houses. I...

In a recent interview with Encomium mag, popular Yoruba comic actor Baba Suwe said that he has not received any money from NDLEA as damages and that the 'false accusation' has damaged his acting career and most of his friends don't want to associate with him anymore... "I have not collected any money. The most painful thing is that I was wrongfully accused. Had it been I actually committed the crime, I wouldn't mind but they punished me for nothing. I was in NDLEA for almost three weeks and nothing was found on me. No matter the kind of juju one may have used, I don't think there is anybody that can even conceal cocaine for even two days. It would burst inside the person's stomach which may lead to death. And I believe after all their investigations, they should have released me so that I can continue with my career. But the whole situation, the way I was treated actually rubbished my image. My career has been dwindling. A lot of people who are supposed...

Yesterday  at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Anambra state, Anambra Governor Peter Obi presented a cheque of N160 million which is to be disbursed to 160 first class graduates who are origins of the state. The Governor said it was a gesture by his administration to encourage undergraduate students to strive for academic excellence.  He directed that none of the recepients should be given cash but the money should be paid into their various accounts for better utilization.

In a report titled 'Kenya Moore's fake 'African Prince' boyfriend, a 'rented' Bentley and massive money woes: Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore stretches reality TV to the limit' UK Daily Mail describes our Koko Master as a legendary womanizer :-). Read part of the report below The former Miss USA has been bombarded by claims from co-stars that her story that she's been swept off her feet by an 'African Prince' - who has never been seen - is fake. MailOnline has learned that the closest anyone has got to guessing the identity of Kenya's mystery man is that he is Nigerian pop star D'Banj - real name Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo.

Anytime Nigerian soldiers come out to tell us that they have recorded a major victory against the dreaded and heartless Boko Haram sect, just know that something deadlier is coming. And it is happening yet again. Few days ago, the Military told Nigerians that the Boko Haram members are even begging for their lives and that they say their cleric has told them to end the war because the soldiers have over-powered them. But the reports reaching OluFamous.Com is different. In the last 24hours, Boko Haram has killed over 100! And today, Friday morning, deadly Boko Haram fighters stormed a military barrack in Maiduguri and the city is still under heavy guns and bomb attack as at the time of reporting... Sources told OluFamous.Com that soldiers at the Giwa Barrack in Maidiguri were taken unaware by the men who stormed the place in several vehicles. At least, three bombs have been deployed by the insurgents. The soldiers are said to be engaging Boko Haram in a serious gun battle an...

Since I published the raunchy photos of actress Biola Ige and Muna Obiekwe doing things on a movie set on Thursday morning, a lot has been said about the act and the lady who allowed herself to be a tool for the show. But it appears Biola Ige do not give damn. Below is what she told a report about the photos: See the Gist HERE "Thanks for calling but at this period I shall not be talking. But I appreciate the fact that you called and I promise that soon when I have something to say, I will call you." Gist Arena

The Ogun State Police Command, yesterday, said it had nabbed a 38-year-old man, Adelani Ayomide, with a bag containing 18 human skulls. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said the suspected ritualist was arrested at 6:48am, yesterday, on Ado-Odo, Owode Road by policemen attached to a division in Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the state. Adejobi said: "Policemen attached to Ado-Odo Division, while on a stop-and-search exercise along Ado-Odo Owode Road sighted a pedestrian, Adelani Ayomide, 38, of Ilaro, Ogun State with a bag containing 18 human heads.

More revelations by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts indicated on Thursday that the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation could not account for N35bn it collected from the Service Wide Vote within nine years. While the records of the Budget Office of the Federation showed that the OHSF received N52bn between 2004 and 2012, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Remi Adelakun, admitted only N17.6bn. The committee, which is chaired by Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, insisted on Thursday that Adelakun must explain how the N35bn was spent. At Thursday's session, the permanent secretary and officials of the budget office had disagreed over how much the latter released to the OHSF.

ABUJA—THE Senate Committee on Finance investigating the alleged failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to remit $20 billion into the Federation Account said yesterday that the forensic report of consultants the committee hired to look into the account of the NNPC on the missing fund would be ready next week. He however clarified that the forensic audit was carried out on the $2.1 billion which was the third party financing as the senate does not have the required financial resources to hire a forensic expert that would conduct audit of the entire account of the corporation. Speaking at the investigative hearing on the alleged unremitted fund, Chairman of the Senate Committee Finance, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has also given the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, two weeks to submit details on certification of subsidy for Kerosene and fuel from July 2013 to December 2013. Makarfi said, "We found out that they (Ministry of Finance) don't have the ...

For a country that boasts a high population growth rate and is expected to hit 300 million by the second half of this century, Nigeria, curiously, has been rated second on the list of least-sexually active countries in the world, second only to Japan. Latest data released by Richest.com has shown that only 15 per cent of Japanese are happy with their sex lives – perhaps unsurprising, given how little of it they're having. Another shocking statistics shows that around 45 per cent of women in Japan report that they are uninterested in – or despise – sexual contact. In the case of Nigeria the survey states: "…what's interesting about Nigeria is that not only are they having sex about as frequently as those in the United States, but their satisfaction rate is at 67 per cent." Comments on other countries were as follows:  · America: "…this is an interesting number, given how sexualised the media is in the States. In an age where the internet is very influential a...