Strangely

Tuesday, 06 February 2018 03:25

NAPTIP employs witch doctors to fight human trafficking

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has engaged the services of local witch doctors in Benin, Edo State to curb trafficking in persons. The state, and in particular its capital city, Benin, is reputed to have the largest cases of human trafficking in Nigeria. NAPTIP said it has gathered witch doctors in the city and made them ambassadors in fighting the menace. Director General of NAPTIP, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this at a symposium for the agency’s officials in Abuja on Monday. “When we gathered these witch doctors recently to sensitise them on what human trafficking…

Monday, 05 February 2018 04:15

560 thieves repent, hold rally to denounce stealing

Scores of self-confessed repentant thieves on Saturday held a rally at Kudai, a village in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State to publicly declare their rebirth and counsel other youth against stealing. Mr Ahmadu Dodo, head of Gyara Kayanka (“Repair It Yourself” in Hausa language) said repentant thieves across the state came together to form the association with the aim of helping society curtail atrocities and misdemeanour by youth in the state. The rally featured self-confessed former thieves climbing up a podium before a large crowd of people from the village and neighbouring communities to take oath denouncing stealing…

Sunday, 04 February 2018 03:13

Egypt says 4,400-year-old tomb discovered outside Cairo

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 4,400-year-old tomb near the country's famed pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside Cairo, the Antiquities Ministry said Saturday, the latest discovery that authorities hope will help revive the country's staggering tourism sector. The tomb was found in a wider area of Giza's western necropolis, which is known to be home to tombs from the Old Kingdom. It likely belonged to a woman known as Hetpet, who archaeologists believe was close to ancient Egyptian royals of the 5th Dynasty.The tomb, unveiled to the media on Saturday, is made of mud brick and includes wall…

Thursday, 01 February 2018 04:03

Police corporal shoots sergeant dead over girlfriend

Police in Adamawa State have confirmed the death of a sergeant from gunshot by a corporal, allegedly following feud over a girl. Spokesperson of the police in the state, Mf Othman Abubakar, confirmed the death of the officer “over a minor disagreement.” The incident happened at a bar in Madagali Local Government Area of the state. A witness who refused to be named said the two officers had a spat over the girl said to be an alcohol seller and the girlfriend of the corporal. “They had a hot argument had on Tuesday over one alcohol seller who is girlfriend…

Tuesday, 30 January 2018 04:25

Drama as National Assembly worker slaps Senator

There was drama on Monday at the new wing of the Senate complex in Abuja after a National Assembly official physically assaulted senate deputy minority whip, Mrs Abiodun Olujimi. The incident happened shortly before the commencement of a public hearing of the committee on petroleum (downstream). Trouble started when an official of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) rode in the same elevator with the lawmaker. Lifts in the assembly are installed in pairs, one reserved for lawmakers (Senators and House of Representatives members), and another for other users. The senator was on her way to the petroleum committee public…

Tuesday, 23 January 2018 04:18

Mysterious Dead Sea Scroll deciphered in Israel

One of the last remaining obscure parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been deciphered by researchers in Israel. Sixty tiny fragments were pieced together over a period of a year, identifying the name of a festival marking the changes between seasons.It also revealed a second scribe corrected mistakes made by the author. The 900 scrolls, written by an ancient Jewish sect, have been a source of fascination since they were first discovered in a cave in Qumran in 1947.The collection is considered the oldest copy of the Bible ever found, dating to at least the 4th Century BC. It…

Wednesday, 17 January 2018 03:21

Traveler arrested at airport for wearing too many clothes

* Man was arrested at the Iceland Keflavík International Airport on Wednesday* Ryan Carney Williams wore eight pairs of pants and ten shirts to avoid excess fee* He was rejected two days in a row by British Airways and also EasyJet* Ryan posted a video to his Twitter profile slamming airline for 'racial profiling' A man traveling from Iceland to England has been arrested for trying to board plane while wearing an excessive amount of clothes. Ryan Carney Williams, who identifies as Ryan Hawaii, reportedly wanted to avoid the excess luggage fee and therefore wore eight pairs of pants and…

Saturday, 13 January 2018 03:27

‘I replied to a Facebook post and was married six days later'

Everyone who uses Facebook will have come across some pretty strange posts in their time. Random friend requests, being added to groups you did not ask to join, and tags that allow "friends" to clog up your timeline with posts or photos you don't necessarily want. But a Nigerian man took that to a whole new level when he posted an unusual advert. Chidimma Amedu put up a post on 30 December, asking any woman interested in being his wife to reply. The proposal"Am of age to and I am ready to say I do and am wasting no time.…

Wednesday, 10 January 2018 02:57

‘I washed dead bodies to survive as student abroad’ - Ajimobi

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Tuesday said that he washed dead bodies as a youth to pay his tuition fees while schooling abroad. Mr. Ajimobi said this at a South-West Youths Regional Summit in Osogbo. The governor, while urging the youths to have a positive mindset toward hard work, said he spent eight years abroad washing dead bodies to survive. He said his parents only sent him 30 dollars all through his stay abroad, adding that he had to look for a way to survive. “I left Nigeria in 1963 to study abroad, but throughout my stay there,…

Wednesday, 10 January 2018 02:50

Woman kills self 'over WhatsApp bullying'

A Hindu woman has killed herself after facing harassment over her friendship with a Muslim man in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, police say. She told a friend on WhatsApp that she loved Muslims after being questioned over her friendship with the man. Police said screenshots of this exchange were shared on social media. Five people from Hindu hardline groups also visited her house on Saturday to warn her parents, police say. The 20-year-old killed herself the same day. The police initially registered a case of suicide, but widened their investigation after reports about the role of social media…

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Wednesday, 10 January 2018 02:49

Man dies as ‘bulletproof’ charm fails

A native medicine seller in Katsina State, Mr Usman Saidu, has been remanded in prison custody in connection with the death of a 27-year-old man, Mr Aliyu Yahuza. Yahuza, it was learnt, died after being shot with a dane gun. The deceased was said to have drunk a ‘bullet-repelling’ concoction prepared by the native doctor, who assured him that he could not die from gunshot. To test the efficacy of the charm, Yahuza was said to have presented himself to be shot at. He, however, died on the spot after a dane gun was fired at him. The native doctor,…

Monday, 08 January 2018 04:09

Countries that get by without a government

At the heart of any modern democracy is the idea that leaders are elected to govern. But with 2018 starting without two European governments in place, the question might be do we actually need politicians? Twelve months ago, Northern Ireland found itself without a government of its own, after deputy first minister Martin McGuinness walked out in a row over a botched energy scheme. The ensuing breakdown in trust between the ruling nationalist and unionist parties shows no sign of being resolved. Given that the support of both camps is required for any new laws to be passed, it means…