Gist Arena

We have heard some of the abducted Chibok girls were lucky enough to escape.These are the accounts of some of those lucky girls who have since been reconciled with their parents. Sunday Vanguard met with four of the escapee girls whose heroic accounts are recorded below. First is Saratu Isa, 19, who wants to become a teacher some day. Narrating her story, she told Sunday Vanguard that after their SSCE papers on the fateful day, they retired to their hostel to rest and prepare for the next day’s papers. In the night, they slept. She woke sometime later. She also woke up her friend, Comfort Ayuba (born on March 28, 1997), and asked her if she heard the rumour that Boko Haram was about to invade the school. The friend said it was a lie, yet they attempted to locate a safe corner within the hostel to use as hideout if the Islamic terrorists eventually entered the school.But before they could secure a hideout, they started hearing barking orders to other girls in the hostel. ...

Sadly another innocent has been beheaded by the ISIS monster known as “John”. This time around not only was PM David Cameron blamed but also the British Parliament for joining America in the bombing of ISIS targets. Following the brutal murder “John” directs his attention to obama for bombing “his” people in Sham (Syria) announcing his next victim will be American Peter Edward Kassig. Watch HERE

Islamic State militants have published a video that is said to depict the murder of a British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning three weeks after warning that he would be the next to die. If the video is found to be authentic, Henning will be the fourth western hostage to have been killed by the group, following the video-taped beheadings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and Scottish aid worker David Haines. The latest crime comes after the UK launched air strikes against Isis, joining the US and its Arab allies – Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – which had been targeting the group for several days. Shortly before the Ministry of Defence announced that the RAF had attacked two Isis targets, the foreign office arranged for Henning’s wife Barbara to make a televised appeal for his release. His death, if confirmed, will be a devastating blow to her and to their two teenage children. Intelligence agencies on both side of the Atlantic are studying the vid...

Davido is set to make his debut in Nollywood… The pop star recently starred in a new movie being shot by Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus in New York. The excited actress, took to social media to share pictures of Davido onset of her movie saying, ‘Thank you Davido for being part of my shoot. #GuestAppearance #Movie, oshey shot by @africalabashceo’.

A senior magistrates’ court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja on Friday, discharged a reporter for the African Independent Television, AIT, Amaechi Anakwue, in a case of alleged character defamation brought against him by the Nigeria Police Force. Mr. Anakwe was detained Thursday morning after he reported at the Zone 7 police headquarters in Abuja, on the invitation of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of the Zone, Joseph Mbu His discharge by the magistrate, Anthony Ogboi, was sequel to an application by the prosecution to withdraw the case from court. Mr. Anakwue, 40, was alleged to have referred to Mr. Mbu, as “controversial” in a programme broadcast on AIT. In discharging the journalist, Judge Ogboi said that the case had been struck out and ordered the accused not be arrested for the same offence again. Earlier, the prosecutor, Chijioke Okeizie, had applied for withdrawal of the matter without mentioning the First Information Report, FIR, in open court. ...

This is the incredible moment a man thought to have died from Ebola was discovered to be still alive by funeral workers. The 37-year-old was lying in the middle of a street in Liberia's capital Monrovia when a team of workers began to wrap up his body. A reporter from ABC News was filming a piece to camera about the removal of the 'dead' man's body. As the funeral workers sprayed the man with disinfectant and began to wrap his body, they discovered he was alive... The reporter, Dr Richard Besser, was speaking to the camera and was left astonished by what he saw: "He is not dead. They were wrapping him away but he is alive. He is moving his arm. They almost took him away to the crematorium and they noticed he was moving his arm." The unnamed man had been dying from the virus for several days and it is claimed ambulance workers refused to treat him. After realising that he was still alive, many of the people in the street had to plead that he ...

It is not of my practice to celebrate failure, fraud, burial and bed-ridden conditions. Why would anyone be celebrating the sick-man on his bed? To encourage him to death, to mock him or to express elation over his condition? If the national award was ceremoniously gifted to governor T A Orji of Abia State, Peter Odili, and others who made giant footprints in the sands of mediocrity, then anything is "celebratable". Men who went into the home of corruption and married her daughters, impregnated under-development and brought home their children are the type men we hang medals of valor around their necks with smiles on our faces, chorusing "Well done son; you did us proud, please do it again!" And you think we are sane in the head? Yes we are sane; for in the house of mediocrity, mediocrity is the admired and desired of virtues. In short, to not be a mediocre is to incur the collective wrath of the Gods of the land; the Gods of mediocrity. And you will pay dear...

Boko Haram militants allegedly plot to launch the massive attack on Borno State capital Maiduguri during Sallah festival. According to Sahara Reporters the Nigerian military learnt that the sect plan to carry out multiple explosions. To prevent the tragic development the military announced strict measures regrading the movement of vehicles in Borno. Army’s 7th Division spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement that information “at the disposal of security agencies reveals that Boko Haram terrorists have perfected plans to launch multiple bomb explosions in Maiduguri metropolis and other major towns across Borno State during the Eid El Kabir celebrations 2014 using motor vehicles, tricycles, etc. Their main targets include Sallah praying grounds, markets and other public places.” Vehicular movement will be banned in Borno from 5 p.m. today, October 3, to 7 a.m. on Monday, October 6. Usman urged Nigerian Muslims to perform...

Boko Haram  leader,  Abubakar Shekau   has refuted claims of his death after he appeared in a new video obtained by AFP. Shekau mocked the Nigerian military in the latest video saying that reports of his death were nothing but propaganda. Only a partial portion of the 36-minute clip was released due to graphic and violent scenes. Read a partial transcript below: “As long as I’m on this earth, every infidel is in trouble. Allahu Akbar” (sporadic shooting) “You are not honest, you have nothing to say. Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath," “The wish of Obama (United States President) will not kill me, the wish of Francois Hollande (of France) will not kill me, the wish of Benjamin Netanyahu (of Israel) will not kill me, the wish of Ban-ki Moon(of the United Nations) will not kill me, the wish of Queen Elizabeth will not kill me, the wish of the infidels of the world will not kill me, much less of President (Goodluck Jonathan...

A Liberian man who traveled to the United States four days before having contact with a symptomatic Ebola victim in Monrovia "knew he had Ebola," according to his former boss as a FedEx contractor who said he abruptly left his job before the incident. In interviews with the Liberian Observer, one of the nation's largest newspapers, both Thomas Eric Duncan's former boss, Henry Brunson, and an unnamed coworker agree that they believe Duncan knew he had Ebola when he boarded a plane out of Monrovia with a final destination in Texas. Brunson noted that, having come into contact with a pregnant woman who died hours after her interaction with Duncan, he knew of his disease. “If he were in Liberia, he was going to surely die,” Brunson told the paper, saying he was "glad" that Duncan was in a country with adequate medical resources. Duncan worked as a driver for Brunson at the FedEx contractor SafeWay Cargo until mid-September. According to the Observer...

A court in Ilesa, Osun State, has convicted and sentenced to life in prison, a powerful politician in the state, Obafemi Kolawole, for  raping  a pregnant woman. To go with the prison term, Kolawale is to recieve several lashes of the whip as a lesson. According to PM News, the said Obafemi, a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, was alleged to have, on the 15th of September, 2007, raped an Action Congress of Nigeria, (now All Progressives Congress), member, Tosin Ajakaye, who was pregnant as at the time of the incident, after the 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun State. The newspaper reports that Kolawole was charged before the State High Court sitting at Ilesa, on a two-count charge of rape and indecent assault contrary to Sections 358&360 of the Criminal Code cap 34, Vol II, Laws of Osun respectively in the case of The State Vs Obafemi Kolawole HIL\2c\2009. At the trial, the victim narrated ordeal that on 15th September, 2...

A new video is reported to have been released to AP by Boko Haram men showing the beheading of a man said to be a military pilot who co-piloted the missing Naval air force jet. The video also shows burnt out plane parts with Nigerian military markings. Two pilots and an Alpha jet have been missing since Sept. 11. Below is the report from AP... A new video allegedly shows Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau disputing claims of his death, and the beheading of a man who identifies himself as the pilot of a missing Nigerian Air Force jet. It shows burnt out plane parts with Nigerian military markings, the first indication that Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists have the capability to shoot down aircraft. The man beheaded with an axe identifies himself as a wing commander, saying he has not seen his second pilot since the jet was shot down. Before his beheading, the pilot reportedly gave his name, rank and date of birth, which is 1975 and also said ...

More than half of the N171.32 billion ($1.1 billion) paid to Malabu Oil and Gas for the procurement of one of Nigeria’s richest oil fields, OPL 245 by Shell and Eni was used to bribe Nigerian politicians and intermediaries who helped to secure the controversial deal, Reuters is reporting. According to a letter seeking the help of UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to freeze the assets of those involved, Italian prosecutors said some of the N83 billion ($533 million) slush money was used to buy private jets and armored vehicles. “We are investigating many money transfers to many people in various countries who received sums that vary from millions of dollars to thousands of dollars,” Reuters claimed the letter reads. British prosecutors acting on the request have already frozen two accounts with combined sum of N29.5 billion ($190 million) belonging to the chief intermediary, Emeka Obi. Former oil minister, who was convicted for money laundering in France, Dan Etete,...

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has called for the cancellation of the Environmental Sanitation Day in Nigeria. He made the call while speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria's review of the containment of the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. Do you agree with him?

A proud fiancee. The ex-beauty queen is engaged to the multi millionaire businessman. She shared this on her twitter page... Dabota and fiance, Prince Sunny Aku...

AIT senior correspondent Amaechi Anakwue was today charged to an Abuja Magistrate court by AIG Joseph Mbu. The senior correspondent is currently facing a Judge for calling Mbu 'controversial' on a TV pragramme. Meanwhile former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has reacted on twitter... I love this woman. See more tweets after the cut...