Gist Arena

A British Airways plane flying from Abuja,Nigeria to London was forced to make an emergency landing on a Spanish island when a Nigerian woman gave birth in business class. The 30-year-old Nigerian woman who was 26 weeks into her pregnancy went into labour 36,000 feet up, causing the pilot of the British Airways plane to divert to Palma de Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands Mailonline reports that she gave birth in the business class section of the plane,a Boeing 777 carrying 296 passengers Once the plane had touched down, mother and baby were raced to hospital where they are said to be stable.Under BA regulations, pregnant woman can fly on their planes until the end of their 36th week, or 32nd week if carrying more than one baby. A spokesman for British Airways said..

The police on Friday confirmed that its officials disabled three unexploded improvised explosive devices, IEDs, at the scene of the May 1 explosion in Nyanya, Abuja. The explosion caused the death of at least 19 people while about 60 others were injured. While addressing journalists on Friday at a news conference in Nyanya, the scene of the incident, the police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the IEDs had been rendered safe. The spokesperson of the Department of State Security, SSS, Marilyn Ogar, and an official of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, attended the briefing. Mr. Mba said that six others apart from the 60 injured had been treated and discharged. “Investigations are ongoing and we appeal to the citizens to rally round the security forces at this critical point in our history.

Mavin artist Dr Sid celebrated his birthday with some fans and friends yesterday May 1st at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos. See more pics after the cut...

According to multiple eye-witness reports, there's an unusual heavy presence of military personnel at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu shared photos online and said the military men are making life difficult for passengers who are either departing or arriving the country. See more photos after the cut...

A theory on how the bombs are possibly being transported around Nigeria has been encountered on twitter. This is especially important following MAY DAY BOMB BLAST in Nyanya, FCT, which claimed at least 19 lives. A cautious twitter user @MicahOnly narrated a short tweet of a very suspicious incident that happened on April 20, 2014, on his way from Kaduna to Abuja and he tweeted what he saw and even said "if you hear a bomb explosion again in Abuja, i might a theory as to how it got into the city''. See all he tweeted after the cut...

According to Premium Times, the Police Command in Borno state and the State Security Service (SSS) yesterday May 1st had a joint press conference at the headquarters of the Borno State Police Command where they stated that the actual number of missing girls is 276 and not 234 as earlier reported and could even be more.   Speaking at the press conference yesterday, the Borno state Police Commissioner, Tanko Lawan said the figure they have is the authentic number as they have carefully gone round the Chibok village and its environ to collate the names of girls that have gone missing since April 14th when the school was attacked by the Boko Haram men. Continue...

President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned Service Chiefs to an extraordinary security meeting following yesterdays bombing in Nyanya Abuja killing 19 people and leaving several injured. The meeting according to the President's spokesperson, Reuben Abati, is ongoing at the moment. Didn't they have a security meeting after the last Nyanya bombing? God help us in this country! Meanwhile, the Nigerian police have confirmed that 19 people lost their lives yesterday. Too sad!!

The much expected release of the movie, Half of a Yellow Sun in cinemas across Nigeria suffered a setback as the anticipated event didn’t take place. But contrary to widely held belief, the film board in Nigeria didn’t ban the movie. Rather, there was a delay in getting a certification for the movie to be shown in cinemas which was why the producers had to move the release to another date. Encomium Reports: According to Film One Distribution, the distributor of the movie, “The movie was not banned by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board. “The highly anticipated release of Half of a Yellow Sun in Nigeria has been postponed due to delay in obtaining certification from the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board for the public release of the film. Subject to obtaining the certification of the board, the film is now rescheduled for release on May 2, 2014.”

It was published few months back, about a 27 year old virgin who is auctioning her virginity for $550,000 (N80 Million naira ) .The difference was, she kept her identity hidden and said only the highest bidder will get to see her face. Now, she has finally revealed her identity and she is stunning . The 27-year-old medical school student using the name “Elizabeth Raine” to protect her identity, has been running the online virginity auction since March 31 which ends May 7. She told Huffington Post “I actually didn’t like the anonymity. People mistake it for shame.Plus, there has been some speculation that I’d be outed and I wanted to do it on my own terms.” The current top bid listed on her website is $300,000, but she said she’s received bids near $550,000 that she’s in the process of confirming. More after the cut....

The United States Government has pledged to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and insurgency within the coming days, Secretary of State, John Kerry had announced in Ethiopia. Kerry made the announcement while briefing newsmen on Friday in Addis Ababa as part of his activities during a three-day visit to some African countries including Ethiopia. The visit, which would take him to Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is to discuss the security and political situation in parts of the continent, with special focus on the violence in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. He said that the consistent attacks on civilian population, mainly women and children in some part of Nigeria was alarming, and pledged that the U.S had concluded plans to assist in arresting the situation. Kerry, who did not give further details, however challenged African leaders on the need to deliver good governance, peaceful transitions and provide security to the people in o...

SEVENTEEN days after 234 students of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists and the public outcry that have continued to greet the alleged uncoordinated approach of the security agents to rescue them, a major military operation is set to commence as four different battalions, a little more than a Brigade of the Nigerian Army, have been mobilised.  Meanwhile, Borno State Police Command and the Department of State Service, DSS, office in the state, yesterday, released new figures of the missing schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents, saying 276 students, not 234 were initially taken away. This has contradicted the earlier claims by parents of the affected girls, who said 234 of their daughters were kidnapped when the insurgents attacked the school.

Zik, Ndi-Igbo and their southern neighbours: Charting a new political direction for Nigeria (4) Yesterday we presented in details how Awo stopped Zik from going to the Central Legislature via the Western Region. Today, we publish the origins of Igbo-Yoruba conflict in Nigerian politics and linkagers to the NNDP, NYM and NCNC. Read on… ROOTS of Igbo-Yoruba conflict in Nigerian politics The first point to be noted is that the appearance of ethnic conflict in Nigerian national politics especially as it relates to the Igbo and the Yoruba actually masked a more complex struggle between interests that were non-ethnic in nature. In this study, it will be shown that although the political mechanics of anti-colonial nationalism first ignited tension and defined the parameters of Azikiwe’s face-off with the leadership of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), in the end, class and personal interests became the dominant factor that deepened that face-off and have foisted the persistent Igbo-Y...

Saheed When on Wednesday 29-year-old Saheed Badmus went to a viewing centre on Lamina Street, Egbe, Lagos State, to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-final match between Chelsea Football Club and Atletico Madrid, little did he know that was the last match he would ever watch. PUNCH Metro learnt that the graduate of Ekiti State Polytechnic was stabbed to death by a barber identified only as Yemi, during an argument that broke out at the viewing centre. Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Thursday, observed a large crowd on the street talking about the incident. Saheed’s friends took our correspondent to a portion of the street where spinkles of Saheed’s blood could be seen. They told PUNCH Metro that passions were high at the viewing centre as most of the Chelsea fans were desperate to see their team qualify.

These are the new trains recently acquired by the Nigerian Railway Commission, which is due to be rolled out soon. The new trains were ordered by the MD of NRC, Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade. See more photos after the cut...

With the Basketball Commission forcing L.A Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell his team following his racist audio tape scandal, several high-profile black celebrities have shown interest in buying the team. Oprah Winfrey, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Floyd Mayweather and Magic Johnson have all shown interest, especially Oprah. Sterling, however, says his team is not for sale and won't go down without a fight. The 81 year old, who has not issued a public apology yet, bought the Clippers for $12 million in 1981. Today they are worth a staggering $575 million. Oprah is worth over $3billion...so she's capable. The only way Sterling can be forced to give up his team is if 3/4 of the NBA owners agree to the sale.

The man she dumped to marry a rich man is now doing well, but actress Laide Bakare is having it rough in the house of the rich man she rushed to marry. Alhaji Arilowo has escaped and has remained elusive for weeks now, thus leaving the EFCC with no choice but to shut down all his known properties. The big house she moved into in Lekki with her new husband, who is now on the run, has been seized. Also, his expensive Bentley, 2014 edition, has been confiscated. Laide Bakare's boutique too is gone.

Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of President Olusegun Obasanjo has written another open letter to the leadership of the Boko Haram sect. Although she accused those in President Goodluck Jonathan’s inner circle of hindering the resolution of the crisis posed by the Boko Haram insurgency, she faulted the insurgents for betraying the true essence of revolutionaries in directing their venom against the lower class. "I am moved to write about the current state of affairs in Nigeria.  My first inclination was to write to the President but since all letters to him seem to elicit only open derision and even more stupidity from his inner circle , I have decided to address my letter to a group also currently causing Nigerians a lot of pain and agony that may actually have more sense than the country’s leadership." This is serious. Read Iyabo's shocking letter after the cut....

The Commandant-general of Mission for African Chaplaincy, a Christian organisation in Lokoja, Kogi State, Sam Keddy Balogun, has been arrested by the police for illegally possessing a firearm. The pastor was arrested along with his bodyguard with a Toyota Hilux van painted in military colour, which registration number was concealed. The police said it was being used to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public into believing that the organisation is a paramilitary organisation recognised by law. Parading both men before journalist at the police headquarters in Lokoja, the Kogi State police commissioner, Seidu Madawaki said his men also arrested one Saliu Mohammed who claims to be Pastor Balogun’s bodyguard with a short gun. The commissioner said Saliu confessed that the pistol was given to him by his boss who he said, was the commandant general of the Mission for African Chaplaincy. He said a search was conducted on the house and two cartridges were recovered with one other a...

Some media outlets are reporting as high as 70 while CNN puts the figure at 9, NEMA at 10 and the Nigerian police at 12. The blast occurred last night Thursday May 1st around 8.20 at Karshi Taxi Park, very close to the scene of the April 14th bomb blast. It is believed that the explosion came from a bomb-laden white Volkswagen parked at the taxi park. The bomb went off as residents of the area were returning home. Eye witnesses said bodies of some of the victims were scattered on the ground, while some were burnt beyond recognition. A statement released by the NSCDC and NEMA said that 10 bodies were recovered from the scene while several others were taken to different hospitals. "While security agencies have condoned off the area of the explosion in Nyanya, Abuja, response agencies have moved injured victims to hospitals and at least 10 lifeless bodies have been deposited in the mortuary while 13 unconscious victims are receiving medical attention in different hospitals in Abu...