Gist Arena

David Haines, the British hostage being held by Islamic State, has been beheaded in a new video released by the terrorist group, it has been reported. The 44-year-old aid worker was being held by IS, who had threatened to kill him next in an earlier video depicting a reporter's beheading. The video apparently shows Mr Haines being killed in the same manner -and by the same British-accented Jihadi - as US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Like the two journalists, Mr Haines was forced to make a statement attacking his own government before his death. He says: "I would like to declare that I hold you David Cameron entirely responsible for my execution." The Foreign Office has said it is "working urgently to verify" the video. I have the said video, but will not put it up here because of the graphic nature of the video, you can demand for it if you want to watch, i will send it to you.

Genevieve Nnaji stunning in a Monique Lhuillier dress. The grand event is currently going on at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. See Tiwa's outfit below

A nightclub has been condemned for tweeting a photo of a 'legless' semi-naked woman sprawled out next to empty bottles. Liquid Nightclub, in Windsor, Berkshire, posted the picture with the caption 'Want to end up like her? We're giving away a free booth to groups of girls this friday. DM [direct message] us #Mortal.' The image shows a seemingly unconscious woman wearing just a thong and sprawled out on her front surrounded by drink bottles. The promotion offers a 'free booth' to a group of girls and urges people to apply by sending a direct message. The nightclub, which says it removed the post within 40 minutes, has apologised 'unreservedly'. But the tweet has sparked anger among local councillors.  David Hilton, Conservative member for Ascot, who is chairman of the council's crime and disorder overview and scrutiny panel, said: 'This photograph is totally alien to what the council may argue is responsible advertising or promo...

The Founder and General Overseer of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Joshua, has linked the collapse of an uncompleted Guest House owned by his church to a “strange aircraft” which he said hovered around the building before its collapse. Mr. Joshua said the plane hovered around the collapsed building for over 30 minutes. The clergyman spoke just as emergency officials told this newspaper that 17 people died in the incident while 123 others were evacuated alive and rushed to hospital. Briefing journalists, including a PREMIUM TIMES reporter, on the incident on Saturday, the pastor played a CCTV footage of a flying aircraft to back his claim. In the footage, a plane was seen flying over the collapsed guest house at four different times on Friday morning — 11: 30 a.m, 11: 43 a.m, 11:45 a.m and 11: 54 a.m. The ‎building collapsed at 12:44 p.m Friday afternoon. PREMIUM TIMES was unable to authenticate the footage, and it remains unclear whether there is indeed a re...

Kate Henshaw shared some pics from Senator Florence Ita-Giwa's daughter's traditional happening in Calabar today. 

Brigadier General  Chris Olukolade is the D irector, Defence Information. So the twitter user said to him "another money making venture in the name of fighting insurgency, SMH". And the military spokesman responded 'Be warned. Am I you father's mate'. lol. On twitter, nobody has respect.

Regarding General Ihejirika, I have my own theories regarding how he may have come under Stephen Davis’ searchlight in the first place, ending up on his list of the inculpated. All I shall propose at this stage is that an international panel be set up to examine all allegations, irrespective of status or office of any accused. The dancing obscenity of Shekau and his gang of psychopaths and child abductors, taunting the world, mocking the BRING BACK OUR GIRLS campaign on internet, finally met its match in Nigeria to inaugurate the week of September 11 – most appropriately. Shekau’s danse macabre was surpassed by the unfurling of a political campaign banner that defiled an entry point into Nigeria’s capital of Abuja. That banner read:  BRING BACK JONATHAN 2015.  President Jonathan has since disowned all knowledge or complicity in the outrage but, the damage has been done, the rot in a nation’s collective soul bared to the world. The very possibility of such a dese...

Who wan buy? America's most expensive home is up for sale and it could be all yours for just $139m The massive estate named 'Le Palais Royal' - The Royal Palace, is situated in the seafront of Millionaires Mile, Hillsboro Beach, Florida. It boasts of a 22-carat gold leaf gate, a $2million marble staircase and the first-ever IMAX Theatre to be contracted for private use. The estate, which spans over 60,000 square feet, comes complete with 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, 4,500-square-foot pool, a 12-foot cascading waterfall, double loop LED-lit waterslide, fire pit, swim-up bar for outdoor entertaining, a 492-foot private dock that can accommodate up to a 185-foot mega yacht and an underground garage with parking for over 30 cars. It is the most expensive home publicly listed for sale in the US. See inside the house below  

This rally is happening live in Niger State. The VIP stage carrying state governors, ministers and Pius Ayim Pius collapsed about two hours ago during a rally in Niger state organized by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN. When the stage collapsed, the sound was so loud that many thought it was a bomb, leading to panic. Many people were injured. See more photos after the cut...

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has cleared the air on the anticipated resumption date for public and private schools as directed by the Federal Government.   Speaking on Friday at the Jumaat prayer conducted at the state secretariat mosque in Alausa, Fashola revealed that a new resumption date would be decided after the health status of those under surveillance for the deadly Ebola Virus Disease would have been ascertained next week Thursday. The Governor further disclosed that there were still about 19 people currently under surveillance, and noted that the 21 days slated for the surveillance would end on September 18, 2014. “Even though the number of Ebola cases has reduced and most of the contacts are out of the 21-day quarantine, we should avoid any complacency. Until the last case is over and surveillance completed, we should not relent in the effort at tackling the disease”  Fashola said. He also revealed that recently, the members of...

The World's tallest dog has died just days before his 6th birthday. Zeus was 3ft 6 inches tall at the shoulder and when he stood on his back legs was an incredible 7ft 4in high. He weighed 11 stone. The giant Great Dane, who was named the world's tallest living dog in the 2012 Guinness World Records, died on September 3rd. He lived in Michigan, US, with his owners before his passing.

Nine persons including a child died this morning in a fatal multiple accident that occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.  According to eyewitnesses, 2 Mazda cars collided with a Petrol tanker which immediately busted into flames. Men of the Nigeria Fire Service, Police and FRSC are currently at the scene managing the situation. The fire has since been put out but the traffic is still said to be on a standstill. Continue.. .

Retired General  Benjamin Adekunle, popularly known as ‘Black Scorpion’ is dead.   He died Saturday morning in Lagos according to his wife, Folake. Adekunle assumed command of the Lagos Garrison as a substantive Lt. Col. When the Nigerian Civil War erupted in July 1967, Adekunle was tasked to lead elements which included two new battalions (7th and 8th) - to conduct the historic sea borne assault on Bonny in the Bight of Benin on 26 July 1968 (carried out by Major Isaac Adaka Boro's unit). This happened after the federal government gained confidence of most south western ethnic groups as a direct result of Biafran push to mid-west state and probe into Western region. Adekunle was promoted to Colonel after the Bonny landing. Details later

Three Nigerians,  Oladapo Obasoto Olatunbosun alias Richard (32), Dickson M Dickson (29) and Abiodun Oluwagbemiga Oyekunle alias Jerie (33) , all pictured above, are currently on their way back to Nigeria this morning after they were indicted in an e-shopping fraud in India, where they've lived for several years. According to an Indian police report, the three young men  had been previously arrested for indulging in cheating and online fraud in Chennai, India in 2011 and were recently arrested with  an Hyundai Santro car, two LED TVs, 6 mobile phones, 3 cameras,3 watches, 7 imported perfumes, 3 laptops, 1 Ipod and 32 pairs of shoes, which they had purchased through fraudulent online shopping. Continue.. They were given their flights by the Special Tahsildar (Refugee) on Friday and this morning they  took the 9.30 am  flight from the International airport at Meenambakkam in India to Dubai. From Dubai, they will take a transit flight to Nigeri...

In recent times, the crime rate at Ogbomoso, Oyo State has become inordinately high. And this is more so the case in areas where the student populace of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Akure (LAUTECH) reside. With reports of theft, burglary, assault and rape, among other vices on the rise, the students of the institution residing at Adenike area again rose to an uproar on September 6, as one of the notorious armed robbers-cum-rapist was finally caught in the act. Continue... Minimal violence ensued as the intended victims called the Students’ Union leadership and handed the criminal over to them. The Speaker of the Students Representative Council, Olalekan Salami, alongside other members of the House, took the criminal in the Unions’ bus, but unfortunately, on their way to the Police Station, the bus was involved in a mysterious accident, leaving a severe injury on Olalekan and 14 other persons in the bus with the exception of the criminal, Segun (last name w...

Thousands of internally-displaced persons have stormed churches in Borno State for refuge. The internally-displaced persons decided to seek refuge in the places of worship after members of the Boko Haram terrorist group sacked their communities. Some of the churches where the internally-displaced persons are taking refuge, Saturday PUNCH learnt are the Assembly of God, Wulari; Church of the Brethren in Nigeria popularly known as EYN, Wulari; and the RCCG Redeemers’ House also in Wulari. Saturday PUNCH also learnt that one of the churches had equally rented houses in Maiduguri to accommodate the victims, aside those accommodated at the Christian Association of Nigeria’s office in the Borno State capital. As the crisis confronting the internally-displaced persons is biting harder, the Caritas Nigeria and JDPC, the humanitarian and human development organs of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, also confirmed that multitudes of IDPs had overwhelmed churches in Borno. The Ex...