Turning Point Movie Private Screening In Lagos At 7pm This Evening - Please See Details Below

Impromptu private screening of Hollywood Meets Nollywood movie, Turning Point, tonight at V.I. in Lagos.

Starring: Ernie Hudson, Joe Estevez, Patience Ozokwor, Jackie Appiah, Cynda Williams, Oge Okoye, Igoni Archibong, Enyinna Nwigwe, Ebbe Bassey, Collins (Nollywood Reel), KD Aubert and Todd Bridges.

Produced/Directed by Niyi Towolawi and Co-produced by Egor Efiok.

Members of the press and friends that would like to attend should please contact Egor for invites. 

Thanks and apologies for the short notice.

SRK Releases Official Statement After A Storm Of Unnecessary Controversy Surrounded Him For 2 Days, Concerning His Outlook Turning Points Magazine Article. (Watch Video)

If you missed the first story, please click here to read it 

Watch the video of SRK's official statement below:

Texas Set To Execute Kimberly McCarthy Today - 1st Female To Be Put To Death In The U.S. In 3 Years

The execution today of a Texas woman convicted in the gruesome murder of her 71-year-old neighbour, will mark the first time in three years that a female inmate has been put to death in the U.S.

Kimberly McCarthy, 51, was sentenced to death for the 1997 robbery, beating and fatal stabbing of retired college psychology professor Dorothy Booth. Investigators say Booth had agreed to give McCarthy a cup of sugar before she was attacked with a butcher knife at her home in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas.

It was among three slayings linked to McCarthy, a former nursing home therapist who'd been addicted to crack cocaine. Her lethal injection is scheduled for Tuesday evening.

McCarthy will be the 13th woman executed in the U.S. and the fourth in Texas, the nation's busiest death penalty state, since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976. In that same time period, more than 1,300 male inmates have been executed nationwide.


Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics compiled from 1980 through 2008 show women make up about 10 percent of homicide offenders nationwide. According to the NAACP Legal Defence Fund, 3,146 people were on the nation's death rows as of last Oct. 1, and only 63 - 2 percent were women.

In a final legal effort to spare her life, McCarthy's lawyers asked Gov. Rick Perry on Monday to use his executive authority to issue a 30-day reprieve. They also appealed to Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins to withdraw or modify the execution date, citing his support that Texas adopt a law allowing death-row inmates to appeal on racial grounds. McCarthy is black, while all but one of her 12 Dallas County jurors were white.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month refused to review her case, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles turned down a clemency request Friday.

Her lead attorney, Doug Parks, said drug use was McCarthy's downfall.
"I think when she's off dope she's probably a pretty good person," he said. "I believe now, as I did then, that in the penitentiary, Kim would be absolutely no danger to anyone."

McCarthy declined to speak with reporters as her execution date neared.

Evidence showed that McCarthy called Booth to borrow a cup of sugar. When she came to pick it up, McCarthy attacked Booth, including forcing the woman's hand to a chopping block so she could cut off her finger to remove her wedding ring.

"I remember the pain and agony that poor woman lived through before McCarthy delivered the final stab wounds," former Dallas County assistant district attorney Greg Davis recalled last week.

Blood DNA evidence also tied McCarthy to the December 1988 slayings of 81-year-old Maggie Harding and 85-year-old Jettie Lucas. Harding was stabbed and beaten with a meat tenderizer, while Lucas was beaten with both sides of a claw hammer and stabbed.

McCarthy, who denied any involvement in the attacks, was indicted but not tried for those slayings.

"She took the most defenceless, the most helpless people, people that trusted her, that she chose to attack," Davis said.

The Dallas County jury had already found McCarthy guilty of Booth's slaying when evidence during the punishment phase of her trial linked her to the other two slayings and convinced jurors to send her to death row.

Prosecutors also showed that McCarthy stole Booth's Mercedes and drove to Dallas, pawned the ring for $200 and then went to a crack house to buy cocaine. Evidence also showed she used Booth's credit cards at a liquor store and was carrying Booth's driver's license.

Booth's DNA was found on a 10-inch butcher knife recovered from McCarthy's home.

McCarthy said she blamed the crime on two drug dealers she identified only as "Kilo" and "J.C." There was no evidence to show either existed.

McCarthy was tried twice for Booth's slaying, most recently in 2002. Her first conviction in 1998 was thrown out three years later by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled police violated her rights by using a statement she made to them after asking for a lawyer.

McCarthy is a former wife of Aaron Michaels, founder of the New Black Panther Party, and he testified on her behalf. They had separated before Booth's slaying.
McCarthy is among 10 women on death row in Texas, but the only one with an execution date.

In 1998, Karla Faye Tucker, 38, became the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War for a robbery in Houston where two people were killed with a pickax. Two years later, a 62-year-old great-grandmother, Betty Lou Beets, received lethal injection for the slaying of her fifth husband in northeast Texas to collect insurance and pension benefits. And in 2004, Frances Newton, 40, was executed for the 1987 slayings of her husband and two children in Houston.



Source: abc

Anushka Sharma Looks Effortlessly Beautiful On Femina Magazine's February Issue Cover Of India's Most Beautiful Women

Indian star actress and model, Anushka Sharma looks effortlessly beautiful on the latest cover of Femina Magazine's "India's Most Beautiful Women" Isuue.

SRK's Outlook Turning Points Magazine Column Creates National Uproar In India And A Cross Border War Of Words Between Indian And Pakistani Politicians!

In a strange and bizarre turn of events,,the 'My Name Is Khan' superstar's special column written for the Outlook Turning Points Magazine (Special Agenda 2013) in association with The New York Times newspaper, has created a sorts of national uproar in India and a cross border war of words between Indian and Pakistani politicians.

For the special edition of the Outlook Magazine, Shah Rukh Khan (aka SRK) was invited to write an opinion column on what it means to be a Muslim in India and globally post 9/11. It is titled:

"Being a Khan: What it means to be a Muslim in the post-9/11 world. And what India means for the world as a Muslim power."

SRK writes:

"I sometimes become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in India. There have been occasions when I have been accused of bearing allegiance to our neighbouring nation rather than my own country - this even though I am an Indian, whose father fought for the freedom of India. Rallies have been held where leaders have exhorted me to leave and return to what they refer to as my original homeland.

I gave my son and daughter names that could pass for generic (pan-India and pan-religious) ones - Aryan and Suhana. The Khan has been bequeathed by me so they can't really escape it. I pronounce it with my epiglottis when asked by Muslims and throw the Aryan as evidence of their race when non-Muslims enquire. I imagine this will prevent my offspring from receiving unwarranted eviction orders or random fatwas in the future.

I became so sick of being mistaken for some crazed terrorist who co-incidentally carries the same name as mine that I made a film subtly titled My Name Is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) to prove a point. Ironically, I was interrogated at the airport for hours about my last name when I was going to promote the film in America for the first time."

SRK further writes:

"My first learning of Islam from my father was to respect women and children and to uphold the dignity of every human being. I learnt that the property and decency of others, their points of view, their beliefs, their philosophies and their religions were due as much respect as my own and ought to be accepted with an open mind. I learnt to believe in the power and benevolence of Allah, and to be gentle and kind to my fellow human beings, to give of myself to those less privileged than me and to live a life full of happiness, joy, laughter and fun without impinging on anybody else's freedom to live the same way.

The living of my life has enabled me to be deeply touched by the love of millions of Indians.

Beneath the guise of my superstardom, I am an ordinary man. My Islamic stock does not conflict with that of my Hindu wife's. The only disagreement I have with Gauri concerns the colour of the walls in our living room and not about the locations of the walls demarcating temples from mosques in India."

Despite SRK firmly reaffirming his allegiance to and patriotism and love for his country India in his column, a Pakistani politician called Hafiz Saeed strangely commented that SRK "can move to Pakistan if he does not feel safe in India."

Then came the odd comments of Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik, who said that "India should provide security to SRK."

These two comments have created an uproar in India. Articles have been written in some Indian media outlets that strangely bash SRK for the words of Pakistani politicians. Social networking sites are abuzz with the matter, with some people even more strangely asking SRK to comment/apologize for his column and for what the Pakistani politicians have said.

SRK's fans and friends have also come out in droves from India and around the world on social networking sites, supporting SRK and condemning the "defamatory" articles by some Indian media outlets and comments by those who hate SRK. SRK has been trending on Twitter nonstop for more than 24 hours now. A source close to SRK was quoted as saying that SRK is very upset at the comments of the Pakistani politicians.

Indian politicians have also joined in, including India's home minister:

"We are quite capable of looking after security of our own citizens...let him (Malik) worry about security of his own." -RK Singh, India's home minister.

"Rehman Malik's remark is condemnable and hilarious when you consider that everyday Pakistanis are killing each other. Muslims in India are totally secure. We don't need any compassion or support from Pakistan." -Maulana Khalid Rasheed

"SRK is a nationalist and a national icon, he should give a befitting reply to Pakistan." -Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP

"It's better if Malik does not meddle in our affairs. SRK should be given security or not is to be decided by us not Pakistan." -Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena

"According to our constitution, all are equal. As for Malik, he should think about securing minorities in Pakistan first." -Manish Tiwari

In another recent event, a journalist asked SRK about the killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces during a press conference. SRK answered by strongly condemning the killings, but Aaj Tak news channel misrepresented his statement and gave the wrong impression that SRK was supporting Pakistan. That also caused an uproar in social media, with hundreds of thousands of SRK fans bombarding Aaj Tak with demands for a public apology. Aaj Tak finally gave in and issued an apology to SRK and his fans for misrepresenting his statement.

It looks like what SRK wrote in the Outlook magazine was proved right by the strange turn of events!

Source: PinkVilla 

Justin Bieber Releases New Song Aimed At Selena Gomez Split And Critics (See Video)

Justin has kept quiet about his relationship

Justin has kept quiet about his relationship

In two brand new tracks, Justin Bieber talks about the problems and pressures of his relationship and opens up in new interview with Billboard. Please click on all the highlighted links to read the interview and all the connected stories. Below is exactly how www.mirror.co.uk is reporting it:

If you're finding it hard to feel sorry for Bieber, that's normal

After the dramatic split with long-term girlfriend Selena Gomez, he grabbed his favourite crayon and began writing about his heartbreak.

Kind of like Adele, but nowhere near as good.

And now Justin Bieber has revealed the story behind the high profile break-up in two brand new tracks on album Believe Acoustic.

In an interview with Billboard, the 18-year-old confessed: “I'm not in the happiest place that I've ever been. I'm trying to get through what I'm going through.”

He posted a string of tweets building up to the release of his new music, promising to explain ‘what is going on in my life instead of rumours guessing.’

‘I’ve got some things to say,’ he wrote. ‘With everything going on I’m gonna tell u myself how I feel. Some of the most honest music I have ever written.'

And he wasn’t kidding. A song written by Biebs himself called Nothing Like Us isn't exactly subtle or cryptic about his two-year relationship with Disney princess Selena.

Will we ever see this happen again?

Splash

He sings: "Lately I've been thinking, thinking about what we had / And I know it was hard, it was all that we knew, yeah / Have you been drinking, to take all the pain away?"

"I gave you everything, baby / Everything I had to give / Girl, why would you push me away?"

Aside from the fact Selena can apparently out strength him with a simple push, Bieber’s voice is spot on while he smashes at the piano like a toddler learning to play Chopsticks.

In the next verse he asks: "Tell me was it worth it? We were so perfect / Baby I just want you to see," appearing to blame Selena for ending their relationship.

The song continues: “I wish that I could give you what you deserve / 'Cause nothing could ever, ever replace you.”

And the chorus includes: “There's nothing like us, there's nothing like you and me / Together through the storm.”

He promised fans that his new album would be his version of the truth and told Billboard magazine in his latest interview: "There's so many rumours.

“People say I call Selena every day and she won't pick up the phone or I'm chasing her down, and these are all fake stories."

Read the full interview in Billboard magazine - out today

Billboard

Bieber - who became the most followed person on Twitter last week - added: “I don't go on blogs or anything like that. I hear things. People tell me if something happens on the Internet. It gets back to me, definitely."

Another song, Yellow Raincoat, features the lyric: "Fame, money and girls drive you crazy.”

Obviously, to a normal teenager that sounds like a pretty good Friday night out but when asked if he still has fun (despite moaning about most things), Bieber said: "Definitely, all of the time. I'm 18.

“I have a great team around me. I have great friends. We have a blast. They keep me occupied and my mind off of the negative things.

"When you are 18, you're going through that transition. You have a high school girlfriend, you might not. Going to college. Figuring yourself out, leaving home."

What is he wearing? Seriously...

Splash

Want more revenge songs? Then check out our top 10 best (and worst) celebrity revenge songs ever - video special.

Bieber has had a number one album for FOUR consecutive years and his new release Believe Acoustic – out today - is widely expected to top the Billboard 100 this week.

Despite having millions of fans and multi-platinum selling records, the Canadian admitted he doesn’t expect to be liked and successful in the charts forever.

"I don't think that I'm going to be boiling hot for the rest of my career. I think that, if I'm not on top. it would be because I didn't want to be,” he said.

"It would be a time when I wanted to take a break and do movies or take a break and raise a family."

To be fair, life IS tough for Justin

Getty

When mysterious pictures of Bieber holding something that looked like a joint emerged on TMZ , we never dreamed that the star would speak out about the claims.

Following the US website’s allegations that Justin smoked weed at a New Year’s Eve party, he logged onto the website and had a share about his feelings and what not.

He said: ‘Everyday growing and learning. Trying to be better. U get knocked down, u get up. I see all of u. I hear all of u. I never want to let any of you down. I love u.’

This week he added: "I learn the hard way. But it's about how I pick myself up and be better and stronger."

Biebs also spoke about his anger after being  snubbed by the Grammys - despite being one of the biggest popstars in the world.

How kind of him to shower the paparazzi in mineral water

© www.splashnews.com

"My whole life I've dreamed of winning a Grammy. At this point, the excitement of that has gone down.

"I'm more excited to just make great music for my fans. That's just something that if it happens, it happens.

"I'm so happy for the other artists who got nominated and have won Grammys. [I'm supporting] Chris Brown. I'm a fan. His music is really good. That's what they should focus on: the music."

As opposed to getting involved in fights with other musicians , eh?

Buy the new issue of Billboard to read the full interview.

Oge Okoye And Lynxxx Stun On The Cover Of The Red Sheet Magazine's February 2013 Issue! YES!!!

Nollywood actress Oge Okoye and popstar Lynxxx grace the cover of the lifestyle publication. 

On the front cover, Oge speaks to the magazine on motherhood, living life on her own terms and life as a superstar.

On the reverse cover, Lynxxx speaks on his life and exciting career.

Be sure to get your copy of The Red Sheet Magazine now!!!

Beautiful Oge and handsome Lynxxx!!! You both rawck!!!

Jagajaga, Africa's 1st Horror Movie Fall Of 2013, Has Just Been Filmed In Calabar And Creek Town. (Produced & Directed By Frank Adekunle Macaulay)

The ACE Director & my big brother, Frank Adekunle Macaulay

The cast (with my firm favourite actor, Frederick Leonard) & crew (with Ukpai Oti).

Frank Adekunle Macaulay is a true film-maker and a very thorough director. He is one of the best directors that I know and has won awards to this effect. He pays the greatest attention to detail that only a true professional exudes.

Watch out for Frank's Jagajaga, Africa's First Horror Movie Fall Of 2013. You will not be disappointed!!!

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2013: Nominees Announced - Obi Emelonye's 'The Mirror Boy' Among The Top In The List With 11 Nominations! Jackie Appiah Also Nominated For 'Best Actress In A Drama'! CONGRATS To E4 PR Peeps! Yay!!!

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) Nominee Announcement, was watched by audiences in 47 African countries and the nominees for the first ever Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) were revealed during a special edition of lifestyle program, 53 Extra. Held in association with MultiChoice and headline sponsor, Amstel Malta, the AMVCA recognizes and rewards excellence in African film and TV.

Encompassing 28 awards in 26 categories, the AMVCA includes 6 categories where viewers will vote for winners and 18 more technically focused categories where winners will be selected by an expert industry based judging panel (judges will be announced at a later date).

This judging panel will also select the rising star TrailBlazer of the Year and the Industry Merit recipient, a veteran industry professional whose long-term contribution will be honoured.

Ensuring that the awards specifically recognize outstanding achievements, the AMVCA did not name nominees in two categories (Best Documentary and Best On-line Video), as the nominee selection team had preferred to award certificates of encouragement instead to all entrants.

Understanding that there will be great curiosity about the initial selection team responsible for the nominees list, the show revealed their identities. They are Allison Triegaardt, Armand-Guy de Beer, Bongiwe Selane, Deborah Odutayo, Ebou Waggeh, Eileen Sandrock, Njoki Muhoho,Phad Mutumba and Richard West. Together, this expert team has an extraordinary range of experience and an impressive passion for the art of African storytelling. More info on these accomplished individuals is available at www.africamagic.tv.

Joining this nominee selection team in January was the accounting firm Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo, who will also verify all winner results going forward.

M-Net Africa's MD Biola Alabi, says, “We want the AMVCA to be transparent, credible, respected and fair. So we selected people to the nominee selection team who embrace this philosophy. We will do the same when selecting the industry-judging panel that will pick winners in certain categories. We know that everyone associated with these awards must be diligent and conduct themselves with integrity during what are challenging, tough processes. At this time, I must also say that we are truly delighted with the list of nominees and we wish them all well. Roll on March, we couldn’t be more excited about the big night and promise TV audiences an event to remember”!

However, the focus of the night were the nominees and leading the way was South African hit Otelo Burning with 14 nominations while Nigeria’s brilliant The Mirror Boy grabbed 11, just in front of Man on Ground, another powerful Nigerian offering which garnered 9 nominations.

Other titles scoring multiple nominations included Perfect Picture (8), Two Brides and a Baby (7), Maami (5) and Skeem (5). In total, there were 110 nominees chosen from 43 different productions from countries as diverse as Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Meanwhile, some of the most eagerly awaited categories also boasted high profile nominees.

In the category for Best Actress in a Drama, the nominees are Bubu Mazibuko, Genevieve Nnaji, Nolwazi Shange, Funke Akindele and Jackie Appiah while in the Best Actress in a Comedy category Funke Akindele, Lilian Esoro and Mercy Johnson are all in the running. In the Best Actor in a Drama category, the nominees are Fabian Adeoye Lojede, O.C Ukeje, Kenneth Uphopho, Edward Kagutuzi and Jafta Mamabolo. Nominees for Best Actor in a Comedy are Hafiz Oyetoro, Kunle Bamtefa, Bovi Ugboma, Francis Odega and Ikhide Isaac.

In the Best Movie Overall category are Skeem (Tim Greene), Man on Ground (Akin Omotoso, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and Rosie Motene), Jozi King (Jamie Ramsay), Otelo Burning (Sara Blecher) and The Mirror Boy (Obi Emelonye).

Now, while the judges deliberate on the non-viewer voted categories, viewers can also start casting their votes for the 6 all-important viewers voted categories. Voting begins tonight (January 28) at 23:00 CAT and closes at midnight CAT on March 3, 2013. Viewers can vote via WEB, WAP or SMS.

Keep watching the Africa Magic channels, which will profile the nominees over the next few weeks to ensure you know who is who. Remember, the first ever Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards will be screened on DStv and GOtv on Saturday 9th March, live from Lagos. So get ready to check out the fashion on the red carpet, to hear the winner’s speeches and of course, to celebrate great African talent.

Source: www.africamagic.tv

Tattoo Forced On Screaming Toddler By EVIL Mother As She Pins Him Down! Outraged You Tube Viewers React. (See Video - Viewer Discretion Is Advised Please)

A shocking video shows a scared boy, believed to be about three years old, restrained by his mother as he is forced to get a tattoo on his arm. The boy cries and struggles to break free, but continues to be inked by the needle.

A disturbing new YouTube video captured the shocking moment when a woman took her toddler son to a tattoo parlor to get a tattoo! As the boy screams out in pain, his mom keeps him restrained — and loud hardcore dance music is played in the background.

Although the mother and boy have not been identified, the infant is believed to be around three years old, and they are thought to be in Cuba. She clutches him close to her chest and at one point says “mire, mire,” which means “look, look” in Spanish.

It’s not clear in the video what the tattoo is of, but one thing is for sure — viewers were completely outraged.

Viewers React To Shocking Tattoo Video

“I’d love to hold her down and tattoo BAD MOTHER across her forehead and see how the f**k she likes it,” one YouTube commenter wrote.

“I almost puked watching this video — as a mom I can’t believe this woman would do this to her own child!!! You should be disgusted with yourself, I hope you go to prison you psycho!! And YES, that child will remember that for the rest of his life. The years before 5 last THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. I am reporting this. You are the worst mother!!” someone else added.

Warning: Video may be shocking to some viewers.

This EVIL WITCH should be identified and arrested!!! Babanla nonsense!!!

Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG) Pastor Saw Vision Of Boko Haram Declaring Ceasefire Just Last Week And It Has Come To Pass!

This is evidence of the existence of God who used Pastor Danjuma of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), to break this news to the Great House Parish congregation at Gowon Estate in Lagos, last week Friday, after he saw this EXACT vision unfolding...and it has come to pass exactly as he decreed. He also confidently said at the end of the prophesy, "Don't worry yourselves, Boko Haram is over"! I was privileged to witness that prophecy and to my surprise, read this news as early as 3am this morning. My jaw literally dropped when I saw it. GOD IS ON THE THRONE!!! Read the news below:

After about three years of attacks on security formations, public and worship places, the Jamaatul Ahjlil Sunna lidawati wal Jihad otherwise known as Boko Haram, on Monday agreed to cease-fire.

The organisation’s Second Commander (southern and northern Borno), Muhammed Abdulaziz, in a statement, cited dialogue with the Borno State Government as reason.

 “I am announcing this ceasefire with the approval and consent of the leader Sheikh Abubakar Shekau. We, therefore, call on all our members to stop all acts of violent immediately and await further directives,” said Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who introduced himself as the second in command to Mr. Shekau.

Reports say the group declared the ceasefire in Maiduguri at about 3:00 p.m. on Monday.

But the Federal Government, in a swift reaction, said it would not make a formal pronouncement yet on the ceasefire.

Abdulaziz, who was said to have been in company with another top member of the sect while reading the statement, did not say when the dialogue with the Borno State Government took place.

Assuring that the group was serious about the ceasefire, Abdulaziz said security agencies could, once the ceasefire is fine-tuned, go ahead and arrest anyone that violates it.

The statement reads: “I, Sheikh Muhammed Abdulazeez Ibn Idris, is the 2nd Commander- in-charge of southern and northern Borno after Imam Abubakar Shekau of Jamaatul Ahjlil Sunna lidawati wal Jihad otherwise known as Boko Haram.

“For sometime now, we the members of Jamaatul ahlil Boko Haram sunna lidawati wal jihad otherwise known as Boko Haram have recently had a meeting and dialogue with the government of Borno State where we resolved that given the prevailing situation, there is the need for us to cease fire.

“We, on our own, in the top hierarchy of our movement under the leadership of Imam Abubakar Shekau, as well as some of our notable followers agreed that our brethren in Islam, both women and children are suffering unnecessarily; hence we resolved that we should bring this crisis to an end.

“We therefore call on all those that identify themselves with us and our cause, to from today (Monday) lay down their arms. Let every member who hears this announcement relay it to the next member who hasn’t heard.

“We have met with the Borno State Government on two occasions and the fallout of the meeting was to cease fire. Presently, we are going to comply with the ceasefire order and by the time we are done with that, then security agencies could go ahead and arrest whomever they find carrying arms or killing under our name. We are very much aware of the fact that some criminals have infiltrated our movement and continued attacking and killing people using our name.

“Of course, there is a faction within us, but the larger faction of our movement is the one in support of this ceasefire move. Moreover, once top members of our group, including Imam Abubakar Shekau, are in support of the need for ceasefire, other smaller factions can be dealt with easily.

“This message, by the Grace of Allah, comes directly from the office of Imam Abubakar Shekau, the supreme leader of Jamaatul ahlil Sunna lidawati wal Jihad.”

But the Federal Government said it would properly study the conditions (if any) for the ceasefire before a decision and pronouncement could be made on it.

A top Presidency official, who pleaded anonymity, said, “From our experience, the sect is not reliable and their words cannot be taken at face value.

“All facets of governmental apparatus would be consulted before a final decision would be taken on the matter. We are not in a hurry to jump at their offer.

He added that while government was committed to dialogue, it would not negotiate with any group on a position of weakness.

Sect To Surrender Arms

Sheik Abdul Aziz urged the Joint Task Force and other security agents to reciprocate the ceasefire announcement as it takes immediate effect.

On the mode of the ceasefire, the second in command said talks with government officials on how to surrender the arms are also on-going and urged members of the sect nationwide to cooperate fully.

The sect has earlier announced ceasefire with many stiff conditions in the recent past as security and government officials rejected such conditions.

Reasons And Conditions For Ceasefire

He said the adoption of the ceasefire is because of the hardships women and children are subjected to and urged members to abide by the directive of the ceasefire and to extend it to others yet to be aware of the development.

He also demanded that detained members of the sect be released and the destroyed mosque of its late leader, Mohammed Yusuf, rebuilt as a condition for the ceasefire.

Source: Punch