NAIJAFEED

Friday, December 30, 2011

Rick Ross sued for cancelling show in Nigeria

Rapper Rick Ross could face a lawsuit over a canceled performance in Nigeria that was supposed to take place on December 28.

Rick Ross was supposed to be the featured performer at the annual Calabar carnival celebration in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Reps for the Cross River State government released a statement to local media, slamming Rick Ross for canceling his appearance unannounced, due to “unforeseen contractual obligations.”

“The rapper, Rick Ross, has issued a statement cancelling his performance at the Calabar Festival, scheduled for December 28, 2011, for reasons not related to his recent surgery and seizures,” the statement read. “The performer’s cancellation is unexpected and the reasons are unknown to Cross River State since he has confirmed receipt of his entire performance fee many weeks ago.”

The government of Cross River State Government has hired lawyers in the United States to explore other options to sue Rick Ross for breach of contract and to recover the performance fee.

Representatives for Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com that the rapper was forced to cancel his appearance at the Calabar Christmas carnival celebration Monday (December 26), just days before the event.

“Rick was very excited to attend this event as it is the biggest festival in Nigeria and he is quite disappointed that he will not be performing,” a rep for Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com.

Reps for Rick Ross were not available to comment about the possible lawsuit as of press time.

AllHipHop

Pics and Video of Kanye West performing at D'banj concert in London right after performing at the 2011 VMA's in Los Angeles

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Video - Healing the wounds from Christmas Day Boko Haram attack

Victims of Nigeria's Christmas Day bombings recall the day as fears rise of more sectarian violence in Africa's most populous country.

Reuters

U.S. promises to hunt down Boko Haram bombers

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Security forces warn of Boko Haram terrorist plot for New Year's Day

Federal Government has been advised to change its counter-terrorism strategy from the current law enforcement-reactive model to a security pro-active model, with a view to minimising casualties each time Boko Haram sect strikes.

A chartered security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, gave the advice, yesterday, in Lagos. He expressed fear of a likely re-occurrence of the Madalla Christmas day bomb explosion on January 1, 2012.

Ona called on the Federal Government not to just aim at arresting and prosecuting members of the Boko Haram sect after they must have committed the act, but to adopt measures to prevent the attacks.

Calling on security agencies to be on their toes, Ona said: "Since Boko Haram struck on Christmas day, they may likely strike on New Year's day. This is based on the fact that terrorists struck on Christmas eve and New Year's Eve in 2010. However, the suicide terrorists changed to Christmas day this year.

"Since past is prologue to the future and the masters of Boko Haram tend to strike on anniversaries and on celebration days in order to maximise fatalities, they will probably carry out more spectacular attacks on New Year's day 2012."

Ekhomu regretted that despite intelligence report on the sect's intention to attack churches on Christmas day, nothing was done to stop them.

Vanguard

Boko Haram claims responsibility for UN bombing

Army sent to guard Abuja after Christmas bombings

Soldiers have been deployed to guard key places in Abuja, in the wake of the christmas Day bombings.

Independent observation by Daily Trust reporters reveals that apart from the stop and check points along high ways coming into Abuja, the most significant change is the tape blockade of Moshood Abiola road by Defense headquarters building.

Another obvious security beef up is the red and white tape barricade of the Tafawa Balewa way by Naval headquarters Abuja.

Our reporters observed that the byways and front entrances of many embassies and government buildings show the same level of security checks even before the yuletide season attacks.

On the road that takes motorist pass several foreign Embassies, including the American Embassy in Abuja, some armed soldiers man security posts.

At the International Conference Centre, soldiers are seen checking motorist driving into the centre, using explosive detection devices to scan under their cars, after also checking their booths.

At major shopping malls in the city, private securities out fits do the checking while soldiers are on standby in their army trucks.

However, notable is the increased security checks with metal scanners and metal detection devices at several city parks and recreational gardens across the city, where despite the apprehension many residents still venture go to relax.

Daily Trust

Video - Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

U.S. promises to hunt down Boko Haram bombers

The US has promised to help Nigeria hunt down the terrorists who killed at least 39 people on Christmas Day, most of them at a church.

"We have been in contact with Nigerian officials about what appear to be terrorist acts and pledge to assist them in bringing those responsible to justice," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement yesterday.

And two months after the death of Sunday Nwachukwu in a South African hospital, another victim of the August 26 bomb attack on the United Nations House in Abuja, is dead, bringing the death toll to 25.

A source at the UN headquarters in Abuja told THISDAY at the weekend that the latest victim - Fred Simiyu Willis, a Kenyan - died on Friday, December 23, at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.

THISDAY gathered that following the August 26 bomb attack, Willis, who was a health officer with the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), was among the victims flown to the South African hospital, and was said to have undergone multiple operations after which he developed several complications.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has condemned the deadly bomb blasts that occured in some parts of Northern Nigeria on Christmas day and "called for an end to all acts of sectarian violence in the country".

A militant religious sect, Boko Haram, had already claimed responsibility for these deadly attacks.

A five-paragraph statement issued in New York said the UN scribe "strongly condemned" the bombings and reiterated his firm conviction that nothing could justify this resort to violence.

Ki-moon also expressed his sympathy and condolences to the people of Nigeria and to those who lost loved ones in the attacks.

In the statement, Ki-moon recalled that, "Last month, at least 65 people were killed in the North-eastern cities of Damaturu and Potiskum after Islamist insurgents bombed churches, mosques and police stations and fought hours of gun battles with police."

This Day

Video - Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram