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 More excitement filled the air around the presidential campaign headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Abuja late Friday evening as Mr. Suleiman Hashimu, the Lagos to Abuja trekker finally met with the president-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari.

Hashimu had made a personal promise in 2013 that should Buhari contest and win the 2015 presidential elections, he would trek from Lagos to Abuja. Having won the March 28 elections, Hashimu was forced to fulfill his promise and on Monday, April 20, 2015, he arrived Abuja from Lagos amid a cacophony of excitements and surprises.

Giving details of his journey to the President- Elect, the trekker said he passed through Kwara to Niger and then to Abuja.

Though his story may sound incredible, Hashimu said he didn’t care about what people would say of him, stressing that what mattered to him was the fulfillment of his promise to God and himself.

He said: “I made a promise because of the love I have for Mr. President that if Buhari should win the 2015 elections, I will trek from Lagos to Abuja which I have done. I thank God that I made a promise and I fulfilled the promise.

“I passed through Kwara and Niger states to Abuja. I was trekking from 6.00am to 6.00pm and anywhere I find myself when it is 6.00pm, I pass the night there.I spent 18 days from Lagos to Abuja.

“Once I found myself inside the bush by 6.00pm and I managed to continue the trek till 9.00pm to a nearby village.

 “I made this promise two years ago. I am based in Ibadan and I started my journey from Lagos because Lagos is the most popular city in Nigeria and I started from Berger junction in Lagos.

“I am not bothered about what people think. It is a promise between me and my God. I don’t want anybody to believe me. I left Lagos because I made a promise. Right from Kwara state, I never walked alone for five kilometres. People always walk with me to the next village. I work with a construction company based in Ibadan.”

 Speaking at the event, Buhari congratulated Hashimu and thanked God that his health did not fail him.

“I want to congratulate you for making it. He is a young man and he was lucky that his health did not fail him. I also heard so many stories that you wore almost half a dozen pair of shoes. I also understand that there are people who have been quite generous to help you to pay for pair of shoes”, Buhari said.

A meeting of top members of APC convened to resolve all disagreements bordering on the zoning of top offices in the incoming National Assembly ended in a deadlock on at the Rivers state Governors lodge Abuja on Wednesday April 22nd.

According to Vanguard, the meeting came to a deadlock after the leaders failed to reach a consensus on where to zone the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives. The members were divided between zoning it to the North-East and South-West. The leaders however agreed on the zoning of the office of Senate President to the North-Central and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to the South-East.


Sources say outgoing minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and Yakubu Dogara are being nominated for either speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. In attendance at the meeting were President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd); Vice-President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; party leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; governors-elect, senators-elect as well as some top executive officers of the party.

Speaking with State House correspondents after his closed door meeting with President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari this afternoon, President Jonathan referred to Gen Buhari as the President

"We will take a date when the president will come and I will show him round the State House but today is not for that. Today is to continue with our conversation. We don’t need to worry the President,” he said.

More photos from their meeting after the cut...

Actor Bradley Cooper, 40, and top model Irina Shayk, 29, who ended her five year relationship with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in Dec. 2014, were spotted on a Broadway date on Wednesday night.

The two, who were introduced by mutual friends, were seen together in the audience at 'Finding Neverland' Broadway show, according to a report by NYT's Page Six

Actress Mercy Aigbe Gentry is wearing heels and her daughter, Michelle, is same height or even a little taller than her. She must be proud. Oh, and those jeans....another photo after the cut..

One of the popular Sweeten twins, child stars of hit US show Everybody Loves Raymond has killed himself. Sawyer Sweeten (left & centre) shot himself on the front porch of the family home in Texas yesterday morning April 23rd. He was 19 years old.

"This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred," the family said in a statement. "We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love."

Sawyer played Geoffrey Barone in the hit show, which also featured his twin brother Sullivan as Michael Barone and older sister Madylin as Ally Barone. Everybody Loves Raymond ran from 1996 - when the Sweeten twins were just 16 months old - to 2005 when they were 10.

Here are new photos of ex-militant, Asari Dokubo's wife, Hajia Mujahidat Dokubo-Asari. She shared the photos on Facebook this afternoon.

Days after announcing the end of her relationship with Patrick Schawarzenegger, Miley Cyrus was pictured passionately locking lips with her friend, Frankie Rayder during a wild party in Las Vegas.

That boy is cute!

Baring any last minute changes, four Nigerians along with 6 other nationals will be executed for drug related offenses in Indonesia tomorrow April 25th.

According to an Indonesian foreign Affairs official, the convicted foreigners will be taken to Nusakambangan, the prison island off Java where they are to be executed. Those to be executed also include 2 Australians, one Philippine, one Brazilian and one Indonesian. Australian and Nigerian government have been clamoring for clemency for the drug offenders but their plea appears to have fallen on deaf ears as the Indonesian government has finalized plans to execute the drug traffickers.

It is a law in Indonesia that anyone caught with banned drugs will be executed, foreigners& nationals.

25 year old Pakistani woman, Shabana Bibi pictured above from the Muzaffargarh district in Pakistan died on Saturday April 18th in the hospital after suffering burns to 80% of her body.

According to reports, Shabana's husband of three years, Muhammad Siddique and her father-in-law Pir Bakhsh, beat her and then set her ablaze after she went out to see her sister without taking permission from them. Muhammad Azam, brother to Shabana, while narrating his families ordeal to the media, said he will set himself alight if he does not get justice.

"I would set myself on fire in front of the office of the district police chief if I do not get justice,' he said.

According to him, his sister's marriage has been turbulent from the onset following her inability to give birth to children. Muhammed Siddique and his father have been arrested and will be charged to court soon.

Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas are currently in London for visiting where they also ran in Nollywood actresses Ebube Nwagbo and Nkechi Nnaji.

Ebube Nwagbo and Nkechi who were really excited to meet with the stars took to her instagram page to reveal that they met the Barcelona and Chelsea players where they were shopping at Phillip Plein Shop on Bond Street.
Before running into them, Lionel Messi and Fabregas on Sunday, March 8th Had Dinner with their girlfriends – Antonella Roccuzzo (Messi’s) and Daniela Semaan (Fabregas’) – at the at the Colony Club Casino Bar in London.

Ebube Nwagbo captioned the above photo: “Don’t be Jealous….hehehehehe…With D World;s Greatest @leomessi”

Nigerian Actor Jim Iyke has been using the Christmas season to enjoy quality time with members of his family.
He decided to flaunt his little sister while talking about how beautiful she is and how she doubles as his brother/sister.

He captioned the photo;
This gorgeous lil lady is the brother God gave me. Strong willed, super smart, Protégé, Sis/Bro in one, confidante,Supergirl. Hanging Lastnite wiv my baby sister Uche on Xmas. Gotcha for life kiddo! #GladysGirl #WeOwnBlack #DudeSis #BoughtAKAForLosersOnTheProwl #fashionista. My sis hawter than urs! #CrazyNite #FamRules #LoveHerInfinitely #XmasChronicles

Tonto shared this bathroom photo on her instagram page. wow she looks beautiful, or what do you think

Wow, cant believe my eyes, is this actually true love or some sort of tricks, well, there is nothing one cant expect in this world, after all we were told love is blind. whats's your take on this

British-Nigerian actor & writer, Kalu Ikeagwu says he will only get married when he finds a woman he can't live without..

"I'm yet to find the right person to settle down with. I mean, that person that I love so much and want to spend the rest of my life with. I will get married but let it be according to the will of God. Marriage is an important institution, so it has to be the will of God. I want to be successful in my marriage just as I am successful in my career. I will get married when I find the right person and when I see the lady who is showing the right sign of a wife material." He told Encomium magazine

About what he expects from the woman he wants to marry

" There are a lot of things I would like my ideal woman to possess. Number one, she must have an unshakeable love. And even if it's the only thing she has, I am okay. But she must also have a close relationship with God which is very important."

Press statement from Ekiti state. Read below...

A pressure group in Ekiti State, the Ekiti Democratic Coalition (EDC) has hailed the removal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, accusing the sacked IGP of collaborating with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert the mandate of Ekiti people freely given to Governor Ayodele Fayose. 

Reacting to the sack of Suleiman Abba, EDC, in a statement signed by its Convener, Comrade Boladale Adeniyi, alleged that the sacked IGP and the immediate past Commissioner of Police in the State, Taiwo Lakanu aided the APC lawmakers in their evil plot to remove Governor Fayose.

 The group alleged that Suleiman Abba was to be used by the APC to subvert democracy in Ekiti and some other PDP controlled States. "Lakanu was removed unceremoniously as Ekiti State Commissioner of Police. Now, Suleiman Abba too has been sacked. "The major lesson to be learnt here is that Fayose’s mandate is being guarded by God and He is ready to humiliate anyone working against the people's governor," EDC said.

The group warned the APC lawmakers to tread the path of peace and development rather than advertising their hatred for Ekiti and its people. It said; "If you were using Lakanu against Ekiti people and Lakanu was removed, you were also using IGP Suleiman Abba, he has now been sacked, shouldn't it be clear to those plotting against Fayose that they are hitting their heads against Ekiti rocks?

"The fate that befell CP Lakanu and IGP Suleiman Abba is enough to tell those still running from pillar to poll, plotting Fayose’s impeachment to understand that Fayose holds Ekiti people's mandate and fighting against him is like fighting against the entire people of Ekiti and the Lord who created them."

South African government says it will be deploying soldiers to the streets to curtail the xenophobic attacks in the country. South African Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said the soldiers will be deployed to Alexandra township, north of the main city Johannesburg. She said the Troops will not take over the responsibilities of the police but would assist in maintaining order.

The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has been sacked by president Jonathan. Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati just made the announcement.

Abba took over from M.D Abubakar as IG of Police in August 2014. Pres. Jonathan has appointed DIG Solomon Arase as Acting IGP with immediate police. Find the press statement after the cut...

 

The singer showed off her amazing, banging body in a Crochet swimsuit while on vacation last week

"South Africa has many business interests in Nigeria but of course, you do not expect me to reveal what we will do until the time is right.”he said

These four men accused of stabbing Mozambican man Emmanuel Sithole to death on Saturday April 18th appeared in court today and were later remanded in prison. SA Police released their photo on Twitter. Check out the photo from the attack and see if it's the same men.

According to this twitter user @Davydhabba, this is how the General Hospital Otukpo in Benue State looks like. Is this for real? See more photos after the cut...

An Egyptian criminal court in Cairo, Egypt's capital has sentenced former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. The former President's supporters attacked opposition protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012, sparking clashes that killed at least 10 people.

Delivering judgement today, Judge Ahmed Youssef dropped the murder charges against Morsi and said the sentence was instead linked to the “show of force” against protesters & unlawful detentions. Morsi who is Egypt's first freely elected president came into office in 2011 after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. He was ousted by the army in 2013.

19 year old Australian Audrey Pekin, (left) has told how she was allegedly raped twice by a Nigerian man she identified as Henry Alafu (pictured right), while on holiday in Bali with her family last Christmas. Speaking with Channel 9's A Current Affair, Audrey said she met Henry at a party and a few days later, he called to tell her there was a party happening at a villa and asked her if she wanted to come. She agreed. But instead of taking her to the party, Henry allegedly took her to where he was staying and there, he allegedly raped her.

"He went from a man to a monster. I can't quite describe the feeling, the sadness, to know what was about to happen and that I would or could not have done anything to stop it. I was literally shaking and drooling... I threw some very feeble punches, but I could not move my arms...I could not move anything.' Audrey told ACA

'He was crushing me, he nearly suffocated me... He could have killed me,' Audrey told ACA.

CCTV footage captured Alafu waiting in the lobby for Ms Pekin, as she stopped at the hotel before they continued with their night out. It was before the alleged attack took place

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo pictured at a Church Thanksgiving organized in his honour after he was released from prison in 1998. Photo credit: SeeMeSeeNigeria

72 year old Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who was one of late Saddam Hussein's most trusted henchmen in Ba'ath Party and later became an ISIS commander has died in fighting in Tikrit. al-Douri, who was one of the world's most wanted man and had a $10million bounty on his head was killed during fighting with government troops in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad, on Friday according to Iraqi officials. The man, popularly known as King of Clubs, was fighting alongside ISIS militants.

Today, after parading his body in glass coffin so Iraqi people could see that he'd been killed, they delivered his body to the Ministry of Health in Baghdad. See the photos after the cut...