Gist Arena

The latest suspected ISIS propaganda film has been uploaded to YouTube and appears to feature a jihadist with an American accent. The 55-minute 'Flames of War' video was posted online today and bears hallmarks of previous Islamic State tapes including Hollywood-style effects and bloodthirsty, call-to-arms language. The clip bears the stamp of the al-Hayat Media Centre, ISIS' English-language propaganda arm. A male voice in well-spoken English with a non-specific American accent provides the voice-over, using dialogue seemingly hijacked from a blockbuster action film. He says: 'In the face of the dark wave of the crusader force, the historical land of two rivers bore life to a mission that would transform the political landscape of the world.' Almost an hour follows of battle scenes where militants wield rocket launchers, the footage manipulated with special effects. Piles of bloodied corpses are spliced with speeches by President Obama and former pre

An article published Saturday afternoon on a website, Christian Science Monitor and authored by Howard LaFranchi criticised the Unites States President Barack Obama for leaving abducted Chibok schoolgirls to their fate. Over 200 of them were rounded up in their school – Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State – by dozens of members of the Boko Haram sect on April 14 2014. LaFranchi in the article titled ‘How a Nigerian school girl escaped Boko Haram: Is Washington still concerned?’, wondered why the Obama administration took a painfully long time to invite one of the Chibok girls escapee to speak to its officials or relevant arms of government. He said: “Had the Washington (recent) event featuring the first US appearance of one of the Nigerian schoolgirls, who escaped the terrorist group, Boko Haram taken place months ago – at the height of interest in the fate of about 300 mostly Christian kidnapped girls – more people might have come to hear the soft-spoken g

Sen Musliu Obanikoro, the Minister of state for Defence, on Friday said investigations were ongoing over the aircraft that allegedly caused the collapse of a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCAN) had claimed that an unidentified aircraft had hovered above the building many times before it finally came down. No fewer than 86 persons died while many were seriously injured when the six-storey building collapsed on Sept 12 in Lagos. Speaking with newsmen after a condolence visit to the Church, Obanikoro urged Nigerians to remain calm as the mystery would be unraveled. “We must not pre-empt the outcome of the investigation. “The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the police and the police will do all it can to conclude investigations swiftly. “My appeal is that people should wait for the outcome of the investigation”, he added. “Human lives are involved and so th

Here are some photos from the one-storey church building belonging to Christ Chosen Church of God which collapsed yesterday September 19th. The building, which had been vacated recently by the church following its relocation to a bigger site, was being demolished by 8 workers when it caved in and fell on them. Three people have been confirmed dead while five were rescued from under the rubble. See more photos below

Unbelievable. Journalist Nicholas Ibekwe this afternoon shared audio proof of T.B Joshua offering journalists (who are covering the building collapse) N50,000 to 'fuel' their cars after he met with them behind close doors at his church premises. After giving them the money, he asked them what they planned to write and some of them said whatever he wants them to write. He asked them to talk about the people who were rescued/survived and not focus on the people who died. listen to ‘Audio Proof’ on Audioboo Listen to the audio above and see more tweets from Nicholas after the cut... Read from bottom up...  

A robbery suspect, Azubuike Nwafor, has confessed that he went into crime to enable him raise money to give his late mother a befitting burial. His dream of giving the late mum befitting burial was, however, truncated when he was arrested and taken away in the presence of his family. The 30-year-old man, from Dunukofia, Anambra State, is currently cooling his heels at the police station. The suspect said though the incident was his greatest disgrace, he, however, expressed happiness that he had achieved his aim. He was arrested on June 8, 2014 while the burial ceremony of his mother, the late Augustina Nwafor Akairun, was at its peak. Nwafor was nabbed by a team of policemen from the Anti-Robbery Squad of Lagos State Police Command for diverting the goods of his employer, selling same and converting the money to his personal use. Nwafor said: “We are seven boys and four girls in the family. I am second to the last child. My mother died on June 3. She was buried on

Different strokes for different folks. Ever since some entertainers declared their intention to seek elective offices, the decision has been welcomed with mixed reaction and several controversies. The likes of Desmond Elliot, 9ice and KSB are some of the entertainers who have gone under public scrutiny over their political ambition. For popular Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, whose eye is set on the Lagos State House of Assembly, the bone of contention has been on the name ‘Olushola’ which he has adopted. Until recently, a lot of Nigerians did not know the actor is a Yoruba man till his campaign posters surfaced online. In a chat with Saturday Beats, the actor said that he has never denied his ethnicity. He said that while growing up, the name everybody called him was Shola. “Where I grew up in Surulere they know me by the name Shola and that is what they call me. I use Desmond Elliot which is my first and last name for my profession basically because I wanted to rema

A former Vice-President of the country, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has declared that he has more experience to lead Nigeria than incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. The Adamawa State-born politician, in an interview with AFP, a French news agency, on Friday, blamed the escalating spate of insurgency and violence in most parts of the North-East especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States on Jonathan. He insisted that the present administration had done nothing significant to address the fundamental issues and also improve the lives of the populace. He said, “This insurgency shouldn’t have lasted even six months. Within weeks, we (Obasanjo and I) crushed it because we did not neglect military training and, of course, we did not lack the leadership and the capacity to take decisions. “I told Nigerians that Jonathan did not have the capacity; he didn’t have the experience. He didn’t have anything and yet they gave him the chance, the opportunity. And they can now see the chan

After a knock, the nurse gently pushed the door and peeped into the admission room, “Can I come in?” she asked, smiling caringly. She didn’t wait for any answers as she made her way to the bed where Robert Chigozie Okwara laid. “How are you today young man?” she asked, walking towards the front of his bed. She stopped, rested her hand on the patient’s chest. “I have come to get you for your exercise today,” she announced, turning in the direction of a wheel chair placed by the door. She pulled the wheel chair closer to the bed, bridged it with a sliding wood to enable Okwara to transit, perhaps, painlessly, from his bed to the wheel chair, unassisted. “CJ, you may rise, try and sit on the wheel chair so that we may go for your exercise. Take your time.” The young man nodded as visitors and his dad watched him in the process. Slowly, he   sat up, took a deep breath, surveyed the bed with his looks, tried to find a suitable position for his next shift towards the wheel ch

Mario Balotelli drove to Liverpool training on Thursday in his £240,000 (about N65million) Ferrari F12 Berlinetta which he shipped from Italy last week. The 24 year old footballer moved from AC Milan to Liverpool in a £16million switch last month. See the super car below Balotelli also has a £160,000 camouflage Bentley GT

Singer Praiz says marriage is not in the cards for him right now and said when he's ready to settle down, it won't be with any girl in the entertainment industry.. "I don't intend to marry anyone in the industry. I want my love life to be different from what you see on the screen" he said "Marriage is not something one just rushes into. I can't say because everyone is getting married, I should now rush into marriage. It's a deal forever. Basically, I am just focused on my musical career" he said Speaking on his kind of woman, Praiz says women who like to work turn him on "I like my woman to be ambitious. I like a lady who likes to work. It turns me on. I like a woman who would give me that challenge, she must be a good dresser. I like a lady who is obedient, humble and patient with me whether she is right or wrong. Obviously she has t be physically attractive" he said

President Jonathan earlier today visited the site of the collapsed building at T.B Joshua's Synagogue church. He is currently in Lagos to attend a PDP rally which will hold later today at TBS. The traffic in Lagos today because of this rally eh...

Award-winning broadcaster Funmi Iyanda took to twitter this afternoon to share her weird encounter with T.B Joshua many years back and also talks about how the tape that recorded her two-hour interview with him mysteriously disappeared at her office. See more tweets after the cut...