Nigerian video producer arrested for poisoning pregnant girlfriend

A Nigerian video director and CEO of Hg2filmworks, Olaolu Akorede, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison, Lagos, for allegedly poisoning his pregnant girlfriend and killing their unborn child.

He was arrested by police on Tuesday and arraigned before an Igbosere magistrate court on a four-count charge of obtaining N2.5 million under false pretense, procuring unknown herbal liquid to terminate pregnancy, maliciously administering poison which caused the death of an unborn baby.

Police prosecutor, Okete Ejima, told the court that the accused intentionally procured the harmful liquid for the complainant to kill her and the unborn child.

The accused, however, denied the allegations in the open court and the magistrate, O. O. Otitoju, admitted him on bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Mrs. Otitoju also adjourned the case till May 22 for mention, while the defendant was taken to Ikoyi prison, Lagos pending when he would be able to fulfill his bail conditions.

Olaolu, however, denied almost all the allegations, but admitted that he procured an herbal liquid to treat his estranged lover’s diabetic condition.

The 28-year-old director is alleged to have procured a harmful herbal liquid for his lover, Halimat, to drink for the treatment of diabetes, which later allegedly terminated her pregnancy and damaged her fallopian tube.

His arrest followed a petition by Halimat through her counsel in the Chamber of Bislaw Legal Practitioners.

Her petition read, “I met the suspect in New York, U.S, in November, 2016 while both of us were on vacation and began a relationship. When I came back to Nigeria, I noticed that I was pregnant and I told him about the development and he was very happy on the phone. And he begged me to keep the pregnancy until he returns to Nigeria for us to wed.

“He requested for a return ticket to come back to Nigeria and I spent N400,000 to purchase a return ticket for him. When he came back to Nigeria, he also collected the sum of N2.5 million 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.”

She added, “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.”

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Chibok girl escapes Boko Haram

A schoolgirl believed to have been abducted by Boko Haram three years ago has been rescued by government troops while "escaping from captivity", Nigerian officials said on Wednesday.

Femi Adesina, a presidential spokesman, said the girl was found less than two weeks after 82 others were released by their abductors in exchanged for five Boko Haram commanders.

"The details are yet to fully unravel. But in terms of is it true? Yes, it is true. I learnt she is already being brought to [the capital] Abuja but I have not seen her," Adesina told reporters.

He added that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is acting president while President Muhammadu Buhari is on sick leave, informed senior ministers of the rescue at the weekly cabinet meeting.

Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad also confirmed the rescue on Twitter, saying the girl was "found by Nigerian troops while she was escaping from captivity".

The schoolgirl is believed to have been among the 276 pupils seized by Boko Haram from a government school in the town of Chibok in April 2014.

Fifty-seven escaped in the immediate aftermath. Of the 219 who did not manage to flee, 106 have either been released or found, leaving 112 still missing.

The government has said that talks for the release of the remaining schoolgirls still missing are under way.

The abduction drew international attention to the armed group, while the Nigerian government's failure to act quickly to free the girls spurred a global Bring Back Our Girls movement.

About 2,000 girls and boys have been abducted by Boko Haram since 2014, with many used as sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers, according to Amnesty International.

Some 20,000 people have been killed and about 2.3 million displaced since Boko Haram started its armed campaign in 2009.

Al Jazeera

Suicide bombers kill two in northeast Nigeria

Three female suicide bombers killed two people and injured six others in an attack on a village in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, a police spokesman said on Tuesday.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but it bears the hallmarks of Islamist militant group Boko Haram, whose heartland is Borno and which often uses women for suicide attacks.

Borno state police spokesman Victor Isuku said the bombers detonated their explosives on Monday night in Mandarari Ward, Konduga Local Government Area, some 36 km (22 miles) from state capital Maiduguri, at about 9:30 p.m. (2030 GMT).

Although Nigeria's army has pushed out Boko Haram from most of a swathe of land in the north that it controlled at the start of 2015, suicide attacks and gun raids in some parts of Borno have increased since the end of the rainy season late last year.

The military says the start of the rainy season in a few weeks' time will probably reduce the militants' movement and activity.

Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes since 2009 in an insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in the northeast of Africa's most populous nation.

Reuters

Video - UNICEF children's trauma project yields positive results

Nigeria has made massive gains against Boko Haram in the country's north-east. But the aftermath of the insurgency has forced millions of children out of school and left hundreds of thousands orphaned. Aid agencies like UNICEF are looking at creative ways of helping young people cope with their trauma. Here's Kelechi Emekalam again with one forum that's producing amazing results.

Victor Moses gets new endorsement deal

The good times are rolling fast and thick for the Nigerian and Chelsea star, Victor Moses, who last Friday won his first Premier League title with the Blues.

While Moses who has had an amazing season is making it count on the pitch, he is also making a fortune for himself off the pitch as he has just sealed an endorsement with Opera Mini, which has named the Chelsea star as an ambassador.

It is understood that Moses will be featured in the new Opera Mini TV commercial as well as a range of collaborative projects extending throughout 2018.

“Football is one of the most popular types of content consumed by Opera Mini users throughout Africa,” says Jørgen Arnesen, Global Head of Marketing and Distribution at Opera. “Victor Moses is a perfect match for Opera, being not only a high performer but also a great role model and natural ambassador of his home country Nigeria.”

Speaking of his choice as a brand ambassador for Opera Mini, Victor Moses states, “I am proud to be in partnership with Opera and am looking forward to working together. The Opera team have taken me through their plans and vision for the brand in the Nigerian market and it’s made me incredibly excited about the future. I’m delighted to be a part of such a groundbreaking campaign.”

Opera recently launched its first nationwide TV and radio commercials to announce a faster and more affordable internet experience with the Opera Mini browser.

Already airing in South Africa and Kenya, there will be a special version for Nigeria. Victor Moses will literally be challenging his on-field speed against Opera Mini’s.

It is not clear how much the deal is worth.

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