Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Video report - Nollywood online streaming



African Voices meets Jason Njoku the man responsible for giving Nigeria's booming filming industry a dedicated channel online.


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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Former Chief security officer Major Hamza Al-Mustapha claims video evidence of Abacha death


Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who has been on trial for more than 12 years over alleged murder, yesterday, broke down in tears at a Lagos High Court, lamenting that he was kept behind bars because the authorities did not want him to reveal how late Gen. Sani Abacha and late Chief M.K.O. Abiola were murdered.


Al-Mustapha who is standing trial for the death of the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola opened his defence, yesterday.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Al-Mustapha, told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada,  that he had both audio and video evidence of how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Moshood M.K.O Abiola were allegedly murdered.


Al-Mustapha told the court that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was afraid he (Al-Mustapha) would make pubic, information at his disposal, hence he wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
He said: “My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abubakar to further keep me in prison.


“First were the events that happened after the murder of General Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola and for fear that I may divulge information that led to their death, they had to keep me in prison.”


He further told the court: “There is documentary evidence to show that shortly after the death of late Abiola, the then Head of State (allegedly) ordered that various sums of money be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He told the court that $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the CBN to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.


He told the court that all visitations to the late Abiola were on tape, disclosing that some people after visiting Abiola would come back at night to the Presidential Villa to speak against him.
How I made Abdulsalami Head of State


“I am an officer who is being persecuted. After the death of Abacha so much happened within three days and the country was without a President or Vice President. The then Vice President, Lt Gen Diya, was imprisoned for staging a coup. Many senior officers wanted to become Head of State, but God gave me the wisdom and I assisted General Abdulsalami Abubakar to become President. But, this is the price I am paying for my loyalty and for assisting him.”


Al-Mustapha said he did not order Sergeant Barnabas Jabila Msheila (alias Sgt Rogers) to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, saying: “On several occasions I assisted the Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Mr. Kola Abiola, his personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo and his lawyers to visit him (Abiola) in prison. Abiola would have been killed the very day Abacha died but I relocated him within the barracks and used the Strike Force to protect him from those who wanted to balance the equation.”


The matter was adjourned to tomorrow for continuation of the trial.


Vanguard


Related stories: Major Hamza Al-Mustapha sentenced to death by hanging


Sani Abacha's son convicted in Geneva, Swiss authorities’ confiscate $350m


Abacha told Colin Powell about his coup d'état



Video - Bringing Nollywood to the world



Online entrepreneur Jason Njoku shows African Voices around Yaba market where thousands of Nollywood films can be bought.


CNN


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Video - The search for the next Nollywood star



Davis Media Group in collaboration with Paradise Entertainment GH and TLDC for the Nigerian market presents - The Search for Africa's Next Hollywood Star! A reality show to scout and recruit acting talents in West Africa to Hollywood.

TLDC is an entertainment company that organizes and manages brand driving events uniquely through Latin dances. It is the pioneer of salsa dancing in Nigeria and its activities stretch to other African countries. TLDC has since 2005 partnered with well known multinational companies / Brands like Baileys, Unilever's Close Up tooth paste; to enhance their brand awareness in the Nigerian market through Latin dance events.


Our mission is to help our partners drive their brands Africa using Latin dance and arts, as the medium. TLDC believes that through arts, mutual marketing goals can be effectively and profitably achieved with its partners.

Davis Media Ghana Limited (DMG)
DMG is a multi-media production company, located in Ghana, West Africa founded by Award
Winning Producer/Director Samad Davis and his business partner Usman Sharif. DMG is a division of their US film investment and production company and was set up to immediately start producing groundbreaking, next level projects such as; television shows, films, commercials, web content and music videos, that will not only elevate the quality of content produced in Africa, but ultimately make an immediate impact in the entertainment industry in the continent as a whole.

PARADISE ENTERTAINMENT
Paradise Entertainment is management firm owned by Mr. Duke Banson and located in Ghana, West African. Paradise Entertainment has served as the driving force behind such musical super stars in Africa as VIP, KWAISEY PEE, MIMI, SALA and 4X4.
Mr. Banson and his team also specialize in marketing solutions through events and television
Productions like their newest reality show ICONS, the divas edition sponsored by Vodafone.

Tracey Moore --Hollywood Celebrity Acting Coach
Tracey Moore has committed well over twenty years to casting for film, television and
Commercials with directors such as: Spike Lee, Gus Van Sant and Samad Davis. Moore has been instrumental as an acting coach in mounting of thousands of actors, from Dave Chappelle to John Stewart, to Hip-Hop Artist such as: Busta Rhymes, 50 Cents, Eve, Nelly and Ludacris, to BET's 106 & Park television host, Terrence J and Rocsi, in the embryonic and most successful stages of their careers.

Hollywood star Anthony Anderson; Will be in Nigeria August 12, 2011 for the audition as the host.


Linda Ikeji


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CNN covers the Nollywood industry



Monday, August 1, 2011

Nigerian Girl, 15, Victim of Norway Terror Attack


A 15-year-old Nigerian girl, Modupe Ellen Awoyemi, has been named in a list of 24 victims of the Friday, July 22, 2011 terror attack in Norway.


Awoyemi's name appeared among those confirmed by the Norwegian police at the weekend during the tragic events which happened at Utoya and Oslo.


Although information about Awoyemi were sketchy as at press time, it was found that she was a resident of Drammen, a city in Buskerud County, Norway.


Already, a facebook page titled: Norway Victim - Modupe Ellen Awoyemi - Rip - 22.07.11 has been opened to accommodate condolences for Awoyemi for which scores of such have already poured in less than two days.


Further information obtained about the deceased indicated that she had a sister, Tinuke Margreth Awoyemi, who is an assistant Nurse resident in Debrecen, Norway.


Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that most of the victims of last week's terror attack were aged between 14 and 30.


It was also discovered that of the people identified so far, 23 were killed on Utoya Island, while one was killed in the Oslo bomb blast.


The total number of confirmed dead is now at 41, from a provisional death toll of 76.


The list also includes Tamte Lipartelliani, a Georgian woman who is the second non-Norwegian to be named.


Norway was struck by two sequential attacks targeted at the civilian population, the government, and a political summer camp on Friday last week.


The first was a car bomb explosion in Regjeringskvartalet, the executive government quarter of Oslo, outside the office of Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, and other government buildings.


The explosion killed eight people and wounded several others, with more than 10 people critically injured.


The second attack occurred less than two hours later at a youth camp organised by the youth organization (AUF) of the Norwegian Labour Party (AP) on the island of Utoya in Tyrifjorden, Buskerud where a gunman disguised as a policeman opened fire at the participants, killing 69 attendees, including personal friends of the Prime Minister and the stepbrother of Norway's crown princess Mette Marit.


The Norwegian Police Service arrested Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian right-wing extremist, for the mass shootings in Utoya and subsequently charged him with both attacks.


Breivik, who has acknowledged responsibility, is currently in custody awaiting trial for the twin attacks. Prosecutors have said that trial will likely not take place until next year due to the complexity of the case.


During the week, sources were quoted as saying the gunman's first words to special operations teams arriving on Utoya Island were "I am now finished".


The 32-year-old, who gave no resistance to his arrest, was also said to have put his hands in the air, leaving his weapons 15 metres away.


Eyewitness accounts said the gunman was dressed as policeman, with a walkie-talkie at the time of the attack.


Police also confirmed that Breivik is being kept in solitary confinement, and was interviewed again on Friday.


Meanwhile, the attacks have generated lots of reactions, some of which are rather controversial.


Guardian of London reported that one of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi's former ministers has defended the thinking of the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.


Francesco Speroni, a leading member of the Northern League, the junior partner in Berlusconi's conservative coalition, who was reportedly interviewed on a popular radio show, said, "Breivik's ideas are in defence of western civilisation."


Speroni spoke as other right-wingers around Europe, including leading officials of his own party, distanced themselves from the massacre on Utoya and the ideology that inspired it.


The Italian politician was endorsing the comments of another high-profile member of the league who had drawn fierce criticism for arguing that the killings might have been part of a plot to discredit hardline conservative thinkers.


His lawyers have also been reported to say, Breivik may be insane, a statement that has polarised the society.


Breivik's attack is considered the deadliest of such to have ever been carried out by one man.


Daily Independent


Related story: Al-Qaeda groomed Nigerian terrorist in London