Gist Arena

Yesterday we reported that a petition urging President Obama to deport Canadian pop star-turned-bad-boy Justin Bieber had racked up more than 70,000 signatures. Today it surpassed the 100,000 mark, which means the White House is required to issue an official response. "We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked," the petition says. "He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society." The singer was arrested last week on various charges including driving under the influence, which was apparently the straw that broke the outraged, Bieber-hating camel's back. Stay tuned to see how the White House chooses to respond to the petition to revoke the Biebs' green card. We've got our fingers crossed that the response will weave in some Bieber lyrics...

Abuja—The Federal Ministry of Environment has developed a draft action plan for the phasing out of light weight non-biodegradable plastics in the country, a top official of the ministry, said, yesterday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja, said that the draft action plan had already been adopted by stakeholders in the sector. He recalled that the ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, had in December 2013, organised a workshop to sensitise Nigerians on the process. "What we intend to do now is to follow the implementation of the action plan since the awareness has already started; the next step is to source funds from UNIDO to implement the plan. "Once we have funds, we will continue with other activities in the process of phasing out heavy non-biodegradable plastics." The official said it was not possible to completely phase out non-biodegradable plasti...

OWERRI — Palpable confusion reigned in Owerri, yesterday, as a father tied his seven children, including his triplet, to a wheel-barrow and was heading to an unknown destination before officials of Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development intervened. Vanguard investigations revealed that the 44-year-old man, Israel Dike,  is a native of Odenkume, Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, but resides in Ugwu Ekwema, Egbu Road, Owerri. The children's hands were securely tied to a wheelbarrow while the man was soliciting for buyers for the children, saying he was fed up with his dwindling economic fortunes. A staff of the ministry told Vanguard: "Following a tip off, a high powered team led by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Nma Onyechere, quickly went and rescued the children." Apart from disclosing that he planned selling some of them with a view to enabling him take proper care of others, Dike equally lamented that Governor Rochas Okorocha put him...

LAGOS — Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Oshodi-Makanju, of an Ikeja Magistrate Court has heard  how two former staff of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) allegedly stole N28.81  million belonging to the bank. The prosecutor, Police Supretendent J. Onilegbale told the court that the money, which was meant for the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), was stolen in bits by the two defendants over a period of seven months (February to September 2009 ) until it accumulated to N28 million. The defendants, Olanrewaju Shittu, 26, and Babatunde Salami, 25, are standing  trial before the court and had since pleaded not guilty to the charges preffered against them. They are facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud and stealing. The court  had earlier  granted them bail in the sum of N1 million each and two sureties in the like sum, one of which the magistrate said must be a director  of a bank or in the civil service. The prosecutor tol...

A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February19 for further mention of a suit filed by "seven destitute persons" against the Lagos State Government over what they called inhuman treatment. The plaintiffs are Joseph Aniebonam, Osondu Mbuto, Osondu Agwu, Nnenna Ogbonna, Emily Okoroariri, Friday Ndukwe and Onyeka Ugwu. The seven instituted the suit for and on behalf of 76 others. Joined as respondents are the Attorney General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye; and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Umar Manko. When the case was mentioned on Wednesday, the counsel to the plaintiffs, Ugo Ugwunnadi, told the court that the case was coming up for the first time. He informed the court that he had only been served with court processes by the first respondent (AG), and had yet to receive any process from the second respondent. He, therefore, applied for a date for hearing. The counsel representing the Lagos Attorney General, Tayo Odupitan, told the court that he had filed a counter-af...

A 33-year-old Ghanaian woman, confessed to setting her ex-husband and his new family on fire while they were sleeping out of jealousy.The woman who wiped out her ex-husband's entire new family committed the crime on Monday 27th of January, 2014. Efua Badu and her ex were once married but later separated when the two were having problems in their marriage. Their families tried to settle the matter, but her ex-husband insisted it was over. He later got married and impregnated a 25-year old lady who gave birth to a daughter who is now two and half year-old. Efua who couldn't stand losing her man, the father of her two kids, at around 1.30am in the early hours of Monday set the uncompleted building her ex was living ablaze, killing him, his new wife and their baby while they were all asleep. She later fled from the scene, but when fire fighters got there, they couldn't trace where the fire began and said someone might have set the family ablaze. After investigation, Efua w...

President Jonathan is seeking the death penalty for any person who is found guilty of hacking into Criminal National Information Infrastructure or any computer network that would lead to loss of lives The bill which is called the Cyber Crime bill 2013 and currently before the House of Reps, seeks to address all forms of criminality within the cyberspace and also proposes a life sentence for anyone who uses any computer network to carry out terrorism acts. In a case where there is no loss of life but the offender causes grave bodily harm, the bill recommends a prison term of not less than 15months. A 10 year jail term or a fine of N20million or both is been proposed for anyone who engages in child pornography.. The bill defines Critical National Information Infrastructure as 'certain computer systems, networks information infrastructure vital to the national security of Nigeria or the economy & social well-being of its citizen'. Sent from my BlackBerry® smartp...