The release of the 82 girls came with a price, BBC reports. Five senior Boko Haram militants were moved from a high security unit to be dri...
President Donald Trump told two Russian diplomats in an Oval Office meeting last week that his firing of “nut job” FBI Director James Comey had taken “great pressure” off him, The New York Times reported Friday.
Comey was leading an FBI investigation into Trump’s campaign team and whether it colluded with the Kremlin during the 2016 election when he was fired earlier this month. The next day, Trump met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office.
Trump’s comments last week and in February — when he reportedly nudged Comey to drop the bureau’s investigation into Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser — have led lawmakers and legal experts to question whether Trump sought to obstruct justice, a criminal and impeachable offense.
“Telling the Russians — the adversary at issue the investigation itself — that firing Comey would ease pressure is compelling evidence of corrupt intent under normal circumstances,” said Andrew Wright, an associate professor at Savannah Law School who specializes in federal criminal law and national security.
“Many a criminal defendant have gotten convicted on evidence of their intent just like that,” Wright said.
CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said Trump’s reported comments were “close to a confession of obstruction of justice.”
Obstruction of justice is broadly defined: It involves any conduct in which a person willfully interferes with the administration of justice. The FBI’s investigation has progressed in recent weeks, and McClatchy reported Friday that Congress was told the probe now includes a look into whether any Trump officials have engaged in a cover-up.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement on Friday that “by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia’s actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia. The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it.”
“Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations,” Spicer added.
But Trump’s conversations with Comey and the Russians was part of a broader patternthat could more easily open him up to charges of obstruction of justice, experts say, beginning with Trump’s reported requests for Comey to pledge his loyalty and assurance that he wasn’t under FBI investigation, and ending when he fired Comey and criticized him to the Russians.
“Historically, obstruction-of-justice articles of impeachment do elaborate a pattern of conduct,” legal experts at Lawfare wrote earlier this week.
“The first article of impeachment against Richard Nixon, for instance, included making false statements to investigators, withholding evidence, counseling witnesses to lie or give misleading testimony, and ‘interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.'”
Trump has reportedly kept in touch, moreover, with at least one former associate who is under active criminal investigation by the FBI: his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
“I just got a message from the president to stay strong,” Flynn told his friends at a restaurant in northern Virginia late last month, according to Yahoo News.
President Donald Trump told two Russian diplomats in an Oval Office meeting last week that his firing of “nut job” FBI Director James Comey...
Kids Health When unwell, children are hard to manage, especially in a school environment. A child who is not feeling well would tend to be emotional and irritable, and would be hard to control, thereby becoming a disturbance for both the teacher and the other students in the class. As such, here are some of the diff erent health related disturbances that can aff ect a child’s classroom behaviour. Inadequate sleep Studies have revealed that children who do not get the necessary rest of 10-12 hours of sleep every night would affect their behavior in the home as well as the classroom. Proper sleep is required for both health and activeness, lack of which could cause hyperactivity or irritability.
As such, parents must make sure their kids get proper rest every day, and talk to the class teacher of any sleep issues in order to make it easier for him/her to handle the kid. Lack of energy Children should get a daily dose of physical activity in order to remain fit and active.
This would also protect them from health related behavioral problems at home and school. Physically active children tend to perform better in school, and generally have stronger immune systems than children who are not physically active. Nutritional deficiencies Proper nutrition is required for a kid to remain healthy and active at school. Studies have revealed that kids with nutritional deficiencies tend to fall behind other children in their studies, and tend to find it difficult to get along with other children in the class.
Nutritional deficiencies would also lead to other health issues like shortened attention span, concentration issues, fatigue and irritability, all of which can affect a child’s behavior in class. Mental illnesses Children with some sort of mental illness would tend to be more prone to behavioral problems in class. Studies reveal that most cases of mental illnesses start at the age of 14 or below, thereby making the child more vulnerable to the symptoms, which can literally interfere with his/her entire life.
This could result in a lifetime of struggle if not handled in time. Acute illnesses Illnesses like ear infections, flu or strep throat can cause behavioral problems in class. For instance, a kid suffering from an ear infection would have trouble concentrating in class until the infection is completely cured, which at times, may take up to two weeks or more. As such, it is imperative to get these kinds of illnesses treated right away in order to prevent the child from facing behavioral issues.
Source: Blueprint.ng
Kids Health When unwell, children are hard to manage, especially in a school environment. A child who is not feeling well would tend to be...
“ MO ” is a short film co-written and directed by Nollywood fast-rising director, Damilola E. Orimogunje.
The film features Nollywood leading lights Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Nkem Marchie, Judith Audu, Gregory Ojefua, Paul Utomi and Olamide Orimogunje .
MO revolves around Moremi (Nkem Marchie), a teenage girl who became a sex-slave “Prostitute” for her aunt, Madam Kofo (Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi), a religious adept procuress. Fast-forward to three years later, Remi has by no choice become a pro in the business of harlotry. She is now a sad half-hearted stripper, hooker and drug addict.
However, she still seeks her redemption, with the help of her new found love, Dozie (Olamide Orimogunje), a tender but indefatigable civil servant. But surprisingly to all, Moremi has an unforeseen plan.
The film was shot in Lagos and explores the themes Prostitution & Fate.
Watch teaser:
“ MO ” is a short film co-written and directed by Nollywood fast-rising director, Damilola E. Orimogunje. The film features Nollywood lead...
With all the trouble trailing his presidency at home, Donald Trump took a trip on Friday, hoping it would shift attention to foreign policy agenda, as opposed to the controversies about his methods, Buzz Nigeria reports.
The destination is Saudi Arabia, and on Friday afternoon, he’s expected to fly out. After Saudi Arabia, he would head to Israel, to Belgium and then finally to Italy.
According to sources, he scheduled this trip in a bid to visit the most sacred places to three of the world’s major religions, while also seizing the opportunity to meet with world leaders in Arab, Israel, as well as in Italy.
Threatening to cast a shadow over his trip are, among other things, the political tumult in Washington about the President’s sacking of former Director James Comey of the FBI, plus his alleged pressure on Comey to cease the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Not to talk about the appointment of the special committee to look into the alleged Russian connection to the elections in 2016.
Speaking at the White house on Thursday to a news conference, Trump said:
“We look forward to getting this whole situation behind us.”
This would mark his first foreign trip since assuming office at the beginning of the year, and his team are definitely hoping it would help put a perspective on the troubles at home.
Leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel have expressed their expectation of the POTUS, but hanging over everything are his perspective on the Iran nuclear deal, his stand to NATO security and his attitude to the Paris climate agreement, as these could create some pressure at the meetings.
Republican strategist Charlie Black, speaking about this, said:
“It’s almost always true that when a president goes on a big foreign trip, especially one that has some important summits … that dominates the news and knocks most other stuff out.”
“Whether by accident or design, this will help him in terms of Russia news for a while.”
Trumps team have made it clear that the plan of the trip is three-thronged. To reaffirm the leadership of the US, to build a better relationship with leaders of the world, and foster unity among the three major religions of the world.
With all the trouble trailing his presidency at home, Donald Trump took a trip on Friday, hoping it would shift attention to foreign polic...
Fear of a possible coup d’etat in Nigeria has emerged, as reports reaching Post-Nigeria, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari may defy his Doctors’ order, and cut short his medical vacation, to forestall the occurrence.
Recall, that the 74-year-old Head of State, spent nearly two months on his medical leave in London, earlier this year.
He left again on 7th May, handing over power to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Analysts had previously warned that Buhari’s prolonged absence, could spark a power struggle ahead of the 2019 Presidential election, should the Leader become incapacitated.
According to a source who spoke in confidence to Post-Nigeria via telephone: “Information reaching us has it that Buhari is planning to cut short his medical vacation, because of fear of a possible military coup.’”
“Meanwhile, the information is still very vague. But I can assure you that Mr. President is no longer comfortable with the news of a possible military coup. His presence can douse a lot of tension. I can assure you that he will definitely cut short his leave.”
This came as the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has now warned Army officials, against becoming involved in the country’s politics.
He made the remarks on 16th May, after the Nigerian Army received information that, “some individuals have been approaching some Officers and Soldiers, for undisclosed political reasons.”
Also speaking, a top security source stated: “A coup is not likely to happen, given the precedent. There was similar pressure in 2010, with Yar’Adua terminally ill, but the soldiers stayed in their barracks.”
However, Buratai’s statement prompted the UK embassy in Nigeria, to issue a warning against “non-democratic” change of government in the country.
“There are elections. If you’re not happy with your leaders, then you should change your leadership through the democratic process and through elections”, the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright said earlier.
Although Analysts seem to believe a coup is possible but unlikely, there are fears that some Politicians loyal to Buhari, a Muslim from the North, could obstruct Osinbajo, a Christian from the South.
“Northern leaders will try to get a concrete deal that will at best, see Osinbajo step down for a Northern candidate to run in the 2019 poll”, a source said.
“If that agreement cannot be reached, some figures may resort to extreme measures to get their way, and so a coup isn’t ruled out, considering the top military establishments are in the North, and Northern soldiers dominate the Army.”
UK-based Security Analyst and Counter-Terrorism Expert, David Otto, believes a coup could succeed, only if Northerners were behind it, given the perception that top positions within the Army, are covered by people from Northern Nigeria.
“If a coup were to occur in Nigeria, with the composition of the military, it will not be successful, if a Southerner was behind it”, he said.
“There could be genuine fear from the so called ‘Northern Cabal’ (elite from northern Nigeria), that what happened with the previous leader Yar’Adua could happen to President Buhari: Leaving Osibanjo, a Southern Christian, to take charge and maybe run in 2019.
“The fact that Buhari is out of the country indefinitely is not good for Nigeria stability. President Buhari must either return to Nigeria , disclose what’s wrong with him or put the interests of the country [first] and resign as a result of his unfortunate ill health”, Otto concluded.
Fear of a possible coup d’etat in Nigeria has emerged, as reports reaching Post-Nigeria , revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari may def...
Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya, who died in Canada in the early hours of Thursday, May 18, 2017, may be buried there, if plans are not changed at the last minute. Insiders close to the family have woven a few details together about the 42 year old mother of two daughters.
Here are 11 details encomium.ng compiled:
1. Moji Olaiya died in the hospital around 3 am (10 pm in Canada).
2. Her health, complicated by childbirth two months ago (when her daughter was delivered prematurely), deteriorated about three days ago.
3. She died of heart attack, but cause of death is still being awaited.
4. She purposely went to Canada to have her baby because of better medicare.
5. She was staying with a friend in Canada.
6. She was already planning to return to Nigeria on June 20. She already paid for a flight ticket.
7. Her husband, an Alhaji, is based in Abuja. He’s expected in Lagos tomorrow (Friday, May 19).
8. Her distraught 18 year old daughter, Adunola, an undergraduate of Babcock University in Illisan, near Ijebu Ode (Ogun state), is insisting that her mother’s corpse should be brought to Nigeria.
9. But friends and family are trying to persuade Adunola to allow burial in Canada.They reason that her mum was a Moslem and the cost of ferrying the corpse is unnecessary.
10. Moji Olaiya lived in Magodo area, near Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Kosofe local council) with her aged mother.
11. Many of her colleagues gathered at the Magodo house today (Thursday, May 18). We counted Funke Etti, Iyabo Ojo, Muka Ray, Doris Simeon, Fathia Balogun, Bisi Ibidapo-Obe, Regina Chukwu, Yetunde Wunmi, Fali Werepe, among many.
Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya, who died in Canada in the early hours of Thursday, May 18, 2017, may be buried there, if plans are not chan...
Yoruba Nollywood actress Mojisola Olaiya has sadly passed away. The 42-year-old actress who delivered a baby girl in March died in a Canada hospital last night from possible complications from her child birth.
Late Moji Olaiya is the daughter of legendary musician, Victor Olaiya. She’s the third Nollywood star to have died in recent weeks following the demise of Pastor Ajidara and Olumide Bakare.
The news of Moji Olaiya’s death filtered into the country in the morning of Thursday, May 18.
NAIJ.com exclusively called one of her closest friends who said she told him she will be crossing to US from Canada where she had her daughter. He said Moji was not sounding sick as at the time they last spoke.
Moji welcomed her new baby 18 years after she had her first child, Adunola. She got divorced from her first husband Otedola in 2008 and got hooked to another man whom she had her new baby for.
It is alleged that the actress will be buried in Canada according to Islamic rite. She is survived by her father, mother and daughters. She held her baby dedication on Tuesday, May 16.
May her soul rest in peace.
Yoruba Nollywood actress Mojisola Olaiya has sadly passed away. The 42-year-old actress who delivered a baby girl in March died in a Canada ...
According to Reuters, Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race.
The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser.
Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said.
In January, the Trump White House initially denied any contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The White House and advisers to the campaign have since confirmed four meetings between Kislyak and Trump advisers during that time.
The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far. But the disclosure could increase the pressure on Trump and his aides to provide the FBI and Congress with a full account of interactions with Russian officials and others with links to the Kremlin during and immediately after the 2016 election.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Flynn’s lawyer declined to comment. In Moscow, a Russian foreign ministry official declined to comment on the contacts and referred Reuters to the Trump administration.
Separately, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Washington said: “We do not comment on our daily contacts with the local interlocutors.”
The 18 calls and electronic messages took place between April and November 2016 as hackers engaged in what U.S. intelligence concluded in January was part of a Kremlin campaign to discredit the vote and influence the outcome of the election in favor of Trump over his Democratic challenger, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Those discussions focused on mending U.S.-Russian economic relations strained by sanctions imposed on Moscow, cooperating in fighting Islamic State in Syria and containing a more assertive China, the sources said.
Members of the Senate and House intelligence committees have gone to the CIA and the National Security Agency to review transcripts and other documents related to contacts between Trump campaign advisers and associates and Russian officials and others with links to Putin, people with knowledge of those investigations told Reuters.
The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it had appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign and possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Mueller will now take charge of the FBI investigation that began last July.
According to Reuters, Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kre...
28-year-old Olaolu Akorede of Hg2filmworks was allegedly arrested by the operatives of the Area J Command, Ajah, Lagos for allegedly procuring an harmful herbal liquid for his lover, Halimat, which later allegedly terminated her pregnancy and damaged her fallopian tube.
In a private chat with OMG NAIJA, Olaolu insisted that his account was hacked, that he has not been arrested.
The HG2 CEO shared a video to OMG NAIJA to debunk all allegations made against him by this unknown ‘Halimat’ woman who claimed to be his girlfriend and pregnant for him.
He also added that his false arrest should be disregarded, that he is safe and fine in his house.
According to the report, his arrest followed a petition by Halimat who claimed that she is the girlfriend of the video director.
She also claimed that she met him in New York where they had a brief affair that led to her pregnancy.
According to her, after she told him the news, he was happy and insisted that they get married.
She said, “He requested for a return ticket to come back to Nigeria and I spent N400k to purchase a return ticket for him. When he came back to Nigeria, he also collected the sum of N2.5m from me to prepare for our wedding.
But instead, he went to Abeokuta, Ogun State, to meet a native doctor who prepared a herbal liquid for him which he claimed was for treatment of diabetics. He convinced me to drink it and because I did not suspect anything, I drank from it.
Unknown to me, it was to abort my pregnancy or to kill me. After drinking it, I began stooling blood and ended up in the hospital. Doctors later performed surgery on me and discovered that the herbal liquid had affected my unborn baby and damaged my Fallopian tube.”
it was gathered that he was arraigned before an Igbosere magistrate court on a 4 count charge of obtaining N2.5m under false pretense, procuring unknown herbal liquid to terminate pregnancy, maliciously administering poison which caused the death of an unborn baby and admitted him on bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
See video below:
28-year-old Olaolu Akorede of Hg2filmworks was allegedly arrested by the operatives of the Area J Command, Ajah, Lagos for allegedly procuri...
According to The Nations, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday confirmed that another Chibok schoolgirl had been found, barely 12 days after the release of 82 by their Boko Haram captors.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina said the recovery of the girl was announced by the acting president during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
“Yes, at the Federal Executive Council’s meeting, the Vice President broke the cheering news to members of the cabinet and after that I have also spoken to Defence people who confirmed it.
“The details are yet to fully unravel. But in terms of if it is true, yes, it is true. I learnt she is already being brought to Abuja, but I have not seen her”
The presidential aide expressed the hope that the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other Nigerians in captivity would soon be rescued.
He dismissed the claim that members of the Boko Haram sect had started regrouping in the Sambisa Forest, saying that the Federal Government had the capacity to confront any security challenge arising from any part of the country.
”One thing you can be sure of is that this government has the capacity to confront any security challenge that arises.
“So, if they are regrouping they will be flushed out again.
“I believe that we have seen the worst of that insurgency. We are in a mopping up process and I believe the mop-up would be completed.’’
Also yesterday, the Army said it had arrested 126 suspected Boko Haram members at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damboa, Borno State.
Outgoing Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole Major-Gen. Lucky Irabor told reporters in Maiduguri that the suspects were flushed out during mop-up operations.
He said the mop-up was conducted after the Boko Haram terrorists stormed Sabon Gari in Damboa Local Government.
Gen.Irabor said: “During the attack, we lost about six soldiers and equipment; some of our soldiers were also wounded.
“After the unfortunate incident, a joint operation was carried out by 3 and 125 Task Force Brigade of the army.
“Based on intelligence report available, we learnt there was an attempt by Boko Haram to attack Damboa town and many of the insurgents had infiltrated the IDPs camp in Damboa.
“We also had an intelligence report that many of those insurgents that participated in the attack on Sabon Gari had infiltrated the IDPs camp.
“During the raid on the camp, one of the terrorists in particular was identified to have taken part in the Sabon Gari attack.
When we searched him, we found a wallet on him containing the Identity card of one of the soldiers that was killed during the attack.
“So, in essence, that gave the purpose for further operations that our troops of 125 Brigade and the Civilian JTF rounded up about 126 of the terrorists in the camp.
“As you all know that peace has started returning to the areas, but we realise that the Boko Haram terrorists were hiding under law abiding citizens to continue to cause havoc.
“The operation is a continuous one, even though the arrest had elicited reactions from some NGOs working in the camp, also the IDPs, who viewed what we are doing differently.”
He went on: “This was what really happened. Though yesterday, there was an incident in Konduga where three suicide bombers detonated their explosives, killing themselves and wounding some locals.
“Also, we had a case where some of our troops on patrol in Dikwa ran into an Improvised Explosive Device, where two soldiers were wounded, but they are getting better in the hospital.
“In Damasak also, we suspected Boko Haram movement looking for logistics and food, we laid ambush and killed four of them and recovered a Hilux truck, weapons, fish and rice.
“It will also interest you to note that our Naval component of the operation has been very active in Lake Chad.
“We are currently strengthening out platforms on that axis toward ensuring that we go deeper in our operations to fish out other Boko Haram terrorists in the area.”
“Looking back into our operations in the last 14 months that I took over as the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole , much has been achieved,” Gen. Irabor said.
He has been transferred by the army to head the Multi Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Njadmena, Chad Republic.
The Army also yesterday said it had rescued 30,000 women and children held by Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest in the last 14 months.
Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, the outgoing Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, made this known at the handover ceremony in Maiduguri.
Gen. Ezegwu attributed the successes recorded so far in the fight against insurgency in the North-East to doggedness, hardwork and determination of troops in the frontline.
“Success recorded so far is as a result of collective efforts of all of you here.
“I cannot take this glory alone because I could not have achieved anything without your support and encouragement,” he said.
Gen. Ezugwu has been replaced by Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf after serving for 18 months.
According to The Nations , Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday confirmed that another Chibok schoolgirl had been found, barely 12 days ...
Two sisters from Nigeria, Chinelo Chidozie and Ndidi Obidoa, have have created sunblock designed specifically for darker skin tones.
The duo who are founders of the black skin care line Bolden, are set to launch the sun block soon.
While speaking with OkayAfrica, the duo pointed out the need that warranted their creation. They noted that contrary to popular belief, black people do need sunscreen, adding that even though Melanin helps to fight the sun’s rays, added protection is necessary.
However, because most available sunscreens are developed for light skin, they all leave white residue on dark skin, which detracts many black people from wearing sunblock.
Although black people have a lower risk of getting skin cancer than white people, they have significantly higher death rates from skin cancer ― a 2016 study found that black people were most likely to be diagnosed with melanoma in its later stages, with the worst prognosis and the lowest overall survival rate.
“A lot of black people don’t wear sunblock because they don’t see the damage immediately,” Chidozie told OkayAfrica in an interview published on April 29.
“There’s an issue with education around sunscreen in the black community. Even though skin cancer doesn’t affect people of color as much as it affects people with white skin, that makes it more dangerous because it’s often not caught until it’s in an advanced stage.”
The formula for their brightening moisturizer sunscreen has Vitamin C and SPF 30, and dries clear on the skin. The product is set to be rolled out this summer.
Two sisters from Nigeria, Chinelo Chidozie and Ndidi Obidoa, have have created sunblock designed specifically for darker skin tones. The du...