Since Saturday, August 8, 2015 when star actress, Tonto Dikeh kicked off her wedding rites in a ceremony held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the media have been awashed with mixed reactions from her fans and critics.  Following that introduction ceremony, Tonto Dikeh has changed her name to Mrs Tonto Wigo Dikeh-Churchill, being that her husband the CEO of Big Churchill Haven Limited and Big Church Entertainment in Ikoyi, Lagos, bears the name Oladunni Churchill.

Tonto Dikeh and Oladunni Churchill
Tonto Dikeh who took to her Instagram in series of mind-boggling posts explained issues relating to her pre-nuptials:  God settled me with Oladunni Churchill.  Pure Joy. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you…1 Peter 5:10.. Ooooo how God has settled me, Dancing like David danced. 

The Obasanjo link  A big congratulations to us and thanks to everyone who wished us well and still wishing us.. Special thanks to My father-in-law, the ex-president of Nigeria Baba Obj and my lovely mother-in-law.. Exclusive Special thanks to my lovely father and best friend Chief Hon. Dikeh and also to the best Step Mom in the Whole world, who never ceases to pray for me… As you wish me may your Joy be full and mighty. I am a happy woman and nothing will ever take that away from me. I have the best mother-in-law and in-Laws any girl can wish for.  (Oladunni Churchill is said to be the nephew of former President Olusegun Obasanjo).  My finding love again  Catch flights don’t catch feelings? So tell me, what is your reason for being? The purpose of your existence? The same reasons why many of us are here in the first place… I don’t mean to kill the Boss attitudes, but I work with bosses all the time. The people who prioritised work over relationships aren’t happy with their Lives. You have to be able to find a balance. Yes we all have an economic reality, But No, money can’t love you. Be happy at every opportunity, never repress your love for the sake of trying to make enough money” What is enough? Can you feed your self? Do you have a bed to sleep in at night? Yet you want a bigger bed, forgetting that you could be looking for someone to share it with. Dont miss out on a family just for money…  Tonto Dike1     Don’t turn into a bitter and cynical person because you were in love once and it didn’t work out… Yes, you invest emotional energy into your partner,but you will always have more energy…. You have a lot of Love to Give. Energy can’t be destroyed so you can’t say it was wasted. Your partner cheated on you… Doesn’t mean all humans are cheats. My ex was a cheat, a prolific internet whore and a fake but that didn’t stop me from loving even harder the next time… You have to be in it to win it. Building breakable barriers will leave you lonely. Loneliness would leave you Sad. If you don’t allow people to get close to you then yes you might not hurt, but you will never Feel. Feelings are just visitors, let them come and go. So catch feelings and flights, but don’t forget love, because that is what all humans need. Don’t let modern trends change your mindset in Cynical ways… Living a life without love, is not living at all.  Dealing with men who have nothing to offer     Some people are beautiful not in looks, not in what they say but in who they truly are. True beauty doesn’t beg for attention. It doesn’t care for likes and mentions. It cannot be quantified by aesthetics. It is a deep and purposeful truth, acknowledged by the soul. My sisters, don’t delay your marital blessings/happiness just because you want the Instagram fame. Don’t give your self too much prayer points in the future when you can decently correct your now, now… At the end of the day, the same guys you nude for today will be the ones to marry off your juniors and rubbish your name and you might miss out on a lot of blessings (contracts/endorsements/etc). Remember we live in Africa where a wrong negative words imprinted in the hearts of others, told by others can ruin your life…

Be wise today my darlings.  Hang on let me get this straight, you expect a Queen to be intelligent, sexy, sophisticated, ambitious, successful, not slept with any people you might know, honest, funny, kind, caring, aesthetically attractive to you, strong, doesn’t consider you a financial plan, self confident, loyal…  tontoh3        Amazing body, great with kids, witty, looks after you, cook, clean, generally sort your life out, style you, give you great massages, workout with you. Be friends with your mom when you don’t wanna be friends with your mum. Organize your schedule. Make enough money to support you both if you ever need it, but not more than you. Smile whenever you tell her to, basically not breathe… Dress up for Sex but not dress up too much when she goes out… But all you have to offer her is your manhood. Ladies Don’t let no man sap all of your energy and love when he obviously have nothing to offer you asides from good sex. I’ve been there, done that and trust me, I ran away. Most annoying is when you as a woman have to be th bread winner and still receive nothing but the manhood.  A good dick never built a house or paid the rent, a hardworking dedicated supportive man does…” narrates Tonto Dikeh.
Source: vanguardngr.com

UGBENU – A chair aspirant at Ugbenu-Oghara community, Ethiope-West Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Godfrey Okuma, attacked with his supporters, penultimate Saturday,  by armed youths allegedly recruited by his opponents,  has petitioned the police to  bring the perpetrators to book.  

Several persons were reportedly injured and others hospitalized after the attack,which had fueled tension in the community.    His solicitor, Frank Imonisaghan, in a petition, dated August 20, to the Area Commander, Ughelli Area Command, called for a thorough investigation into the incident to forestall further breakdown of law and order in the town.   Imonisaghan said that his client (Okuma), Solomon Amughoro and Austin Bakpa were all aspirants for the youth chair of the community, but instead of conducting an election, a chief and youth chairman of Oghareki single-handed pronounced Austin as new chair of the community at the residence of the chief.  He said that his client and others rushed to the said residence only for hired thugs armed with guns and dangerous weapons to pounce on them.   His words, “Armed thugs  attacked him (my client) and others,  who did not support their imposed youth chairman, where he (Godfrey Okuma) was given the beating of his life before he managed to escape and others sustained various degree of injuries and are still in the hospital at Oghara receiving treatment.”   “They are presently living in fear since they have been constantly threatened on daily basis and in danger of further attack,” the solicitor added.   He said that the practice and constitution of the community was that the outgoing and subsisting youth chair would swear in the new chair after due process and expressed shock that the said Austin Bakpa has been parading himself as youth chair of the community since August 15.

OWERRI—Governor of Imo State and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors’ Forum, Chief Rochas Okorocha, says his ultimate desire is to unite the governors and leaders of the South East to work with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

Rochas Okorocha  Rochas Okorocha  Chief  Okorocha made his feelings known, yesterday, while addressing newsmen at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, SMICA, Owerri, on his arrival from Abuja.  “As the only APC governor in the South East, I cannot do it alone and I cannot also play the attendant politics of establishing a very strong relationship between the South East governors and the APC-led Federal Government alone.  Hence, every governor and leader in the South East must be carried along in the whole thing,” Okorocha said.  Answering a question, the governor also explained that while in Abuja, the South East governors were able to meet with Mr. President, adding that it was more than even reassuring that the South East people would work totally with the present administration at the federal level.  “We, the governors of the South East and indeed, the leaders from the area, are all determined to work with the President and the President himself is also more determined to work with the South East,” Okorocha said.  It was his considered opinion that all the imaginary worries about what comes to the South East is not absolutely necessary now, adding that the governors had been able to establish a very cordial relationship with Mr. President.  “We have been assured that the South East would not be left out of the whole political and economic equations of Nigeria,” Okorocha said.
Source: vanguardngr.com

A female suicide bomber has killed herself and seven others at the Damaturu Motor Park. Many others were severely wounded by the blast which shook the vicinity.

The bomber, who disguised as a passenger, and was veiled, detonated the bomb at 9:45am when security men manning the park had not commenced checking.  Witnesses said the bomber was clutching a luggage pretending to be a passenger and gained easy access to the unmanned park.   This explosion is one of the many that have rocked the motor park in the recent past.  Meanwhile, the scene of the explosion has been condoned off by security as public-spirited persons were busy evacuating the corpses and the injured to the General Sani Abacha Specialist hospital.

 The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says arrangement has been concluded for the sale of its 2016 application forms.

JAMB-LOGOThis is contained in a statement by the board’s Head of Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday in Lagos.  According to the statement, the measure is to prepare candidates early for the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.  It urged candidates to purchase the examination scratch cards from Zenith Bank, Skye Bank and First Bank.  “The registration fee for the (JAMB) UTME is N5,000 and candidates are also to pay N500 to obtain the textbook, ‘The Last Days’ at Forcados High School.  “Candidates will, however, be issued the book at the point of registration after showing evidence of payment,” the statement said.  It added that the registration period would be  from August 31 to January 15, 2016.  According to the statement, the registration website will close on January 19, 2016.  It noted that the UTME had been slated to commence on February 29 and end on March 14, 2016.  The statement said the board had advised all prospective candidates to ensure they obtained the application forms early as well as fill their personal data correctly to avoid any mix-up.

 The value of capitalimported into the country in the second quarter of the year stood at $2,666.36 million, representing a marginal drop of $5.24 million or just 0.20% quarter on quarter Capital importation thus remained relatively unchanged from the $2,671.59 million recorded in the opening quarter of 2015, suggesting that this new, lower level will be maintained as long as an uncertain economic environment remains. 
 
A report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Nigerian Capital Importation for second quarter, Q2 2015 shows that the second quarter capital imported was $3,137.53 million or 54.06% lower than the $5,803.89 million imported in quarter two of 2014. Capital importation by investment type, according to the report, shows that Portfolio Investment remained the largest of all investment types, with $2,183.15 million in Q2 of 2015, representing 81.88% of all capital imported.  This was $322.50 million or 17.33 per cent  greater than the $1,860.65 million Portfolio Investment recorded in the opening quarter of 2015, when it represented 69.65% of the total. The report added that nonetheless the result returned by Portfolio Investment year on year, its decline remained large at $2,733.99 million or 55.60%.  The key driver of the portfolio investment for the period under review was Equity, which at 84.56% of portfolio investment, increased by $706.70 million or 62.02% from the preceding quarter. Growth in Money Market Instruments further contributed, increasing by $270.39 million or 1,674.78% from $16.14 million in Q1 to $286.53 million in Q2 of 2015.  The remaining component, Bonds, declined on a quarterly basis, $654.58 million or 92.83%, so that its share of total Portfolio investment declined from 26.39% to just 2.31%. Year on year, all sub sectors declined, with Equity suffering the greatest losses, down by $2,029.27 million or 52.36%, accounting for 74.22% of the overall decline. Other Investments, at $272.07 million, represented 15.58% of total Capital Imported, and held the second largest capital inflows by investment type.  Other investments were mainly comprised of Loans, which at $153.23 million represented 56.23% of the total, and Other Claims, which at $117.85 million represented 43.32% of the total. Currency Deposits held the remaining $0.99 million or 0.36%, whilst Trade Credits recorded zero.  Other Claims were up $86.34 million or 274.03%. Year on year, declines in Other Investments were similar, at $141.69 million or 34.24%, although this time were driven by both Loans, which were lower by $83.76 million or 35.34%, and by Other claims, which were lower by $57.55 million or 32.81%.  Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to the Bureau report posted the smallest of the investment types in Q2 of 2015, representing $211.14 million or 14.77% of the total. It remains comprised mostly of Equity, at $211.01 million or 99.94% of the total, whilst Other Capital holds the remaining $0.13 million. Declines were observed both on a quarterly basis and annual basis, of $183.47 million or 46.49% and $261.85 million or 55.36% respectively.
Source: vanguardngr.com

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has named twelve approved centres across Europe, North America, Asia, Middle East and Africa to facilitate the Bank Verification Number, BVN registration exercise for Nigerian banks’ customers in the Diaspora.
 
The approved centres include the ones in Washington DC, Atlanta, New York and Houston, United States of America; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, China; New Delhi, India; London and Leicester, United Kingdom; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. File: BVN registration  File: BVN registration  CBN also disclosed that, “Online Integrated Solutions OIS has been engaged to establish stations for data capture and generation of BVN at a fee of GBP30 per transaction, payable by the customer. The company is expected to capture necessary data for online transmission to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS who would therefore generate the BVN and communicate same to the customer.  The customer may approach OIS for the BVN, where the communication from NIBSS is not received within 48 hours after the enrolment. Thereafter, Nigerian banks’ customers in Diaspora are expected to forward their BVN to their banks for linkage with their accounts.”  Besides Leicester and London where enrolment had already started, enrolment at all the approved centres is expected to kick off from August 24, 2015 for Washington DC, and August 19 for Dubai, UAE while September 7, 2015 has been slated for the possible go-live date for the registration in Johannesburg, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and New Delhi.  September 14 has been slated for possible go-live date for the exercise in Atlanta, United States of America while possible go-live dates for New York and Houston Centres have yet to be determined. The circular added that information on other enrolment centres not listed above will be communicated soon and that customers should visit the NIBSS website for updates on the go-live dates.  The apex bank also directed customers intending to register through OIS to make a booking first and confirm an appointment through the organisation’s website before they could be attended to. In the circular entitled: “Circular on the framework for the enrolment of Nigerian Banks’ customers in Diaspora for bank verification exercise issuance’ CBN presented two options for the Diaspora customers to participate in the BVN registration exercise.  It said: “Nigerian banks’ customers in the Diaspora could present themselves for enrolment for the BVN without travelling to Nigeria. The first option is for the customers of Nigerian banks to present themselves to the offshore branches/subsidiaries of any Nigerian money deposit bank, where such facilities have been made available, for the enrolment for the BVN. The deployment of scanners and other devices to these locations have started in earnest
Source: vanguardngr.com

 Amidst growing fears that the Federal Government has dumped the construction of the Second Niger Bridge project, prominent Igbo   leaders and built environment experts have appealed to President Muhammed Buhari, PMB to ensure that the all-important bridge that would complement the aging River Niger Bridge, is completed on schedule as stipulated in the contract agreement.
 
2nd-Niger-Bridge  2nd-Niger-Bridge  The bridge which was flagged off on March 10, 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be completed in 48 months (March 2018).  Measuring about 1,590 metres long the bridge whose construction cost was put at N117,860,700,741.82, VAT inclusive, forms part of the 11.90 kilometer length project.  Although officials of both the Federal Ministry of Works and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, denied reports that work on the project has been discontinued, Vanguard Homes & Property which went to the Asaba and Onitsha ends of the project site last week, observed that only skeletal works are ongoing as most of the workers have allegedly been retrenched by the contractors.  It was not certain whether the retrenchment was necessitated by the rains which usually affect construction works during rainy seasons or because the Federal Government has not yet released any fund for continuation of the project.  Apparently reading danger signals from the ongoing scenario, Igbo leaders and built environment experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property insisted that since government is a continuity, the incumbent Buhari administration should go ahead to complete the project because of its strategic importance to the economic development of the entire country.  In the beginning  Former President Jonathan had during his presidential campaign rally in Onitsha, Anambra state in January, this year, given the assurance that the project would be completed on schedule and delivered. Jonathan said the project which is being executed through the Public Private Partnership, PPP arrangement, would also be managed by the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF.
 
2nd-Niger-Bridge 

According to him, “So far, N10 billion has been spent and, out of it, N1.5 billion was used for paying for damages and others. In fact, the link road that is about three kilometres from the main road to the bridge which is almost 80 percent of the road has been fixed,” he said.  He noted that about 260 Nigerians and 50 expatriates were working there.”But when the work will be in full swing, we expect that it will give work to about 2,000 young men and women and about 60 expatriates.  Commercialactivities  So, it is one of the major projects that will engage a number of people. We asked Julius Berger and the federal Ministry of Works about their commitments to the project and they said the project will be completed within the time frame. And I am optimistic they will surely do it,” the former president was quoted as saying.  He noted that when completed, the bridge would improve commercial activities in the South-East and South West, adding that government had made a proper arrangement for the financing of the major unity infrastructure, hence government would provide about 25 percent funding for the project.  Views of built environment experts  The Registrar of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, QSRBN, Mr. Godson Moneke described the award of the contract for the construction of a second bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha as a deceit by Igbo elites and the former President to get the votes of the Igbos.  He premised this assertion on the fact that the immediate past government did not have the will to build the bridge. Moneke wondered why the Public Private partnership, PPP model was adopted for the construction of such an important bridge that would impact upon the lives of millions of Nigerians.  According to him, the PPP model is an attempt to short change would-be users of the bridge. Moneke who eulogised the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration, enjoined the President to silence his critics who claim that he is anti-Ndigbo, by jettisoning the PPP model and constructing the bridge which is of immense economic importance to the country.  Ohaneneze, NBA react  The Chairman of Anambra State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Elder Chris Eluemuno warned against any move to discontinue the construction of the bridge. According to him, there is nothing whatsoever to warrant the abandonment of the project.  “Why should he  (Buhari) abandon the project?  Is it because it is located in Igbo land or what? What we should even be talking about is to review some areas that is hindering the smooth execution of the project, so as to quicken the pace of work on it,” he said.  The Ohaneze chieftain noted that although all the actions and utterances of  President Buhari point to the fact that he did not like Ndigbo, he (the President) should know that when completed, Ndigbo would not be the only beneficiaries of the second Niger bridge project.  The Chairman of Anaocha branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Chris Adimora spoke in the same vein. “The Bridge is the connection link between the South East and the rest of the country. If the existing bridge should collapse today as a result of old age and over- use, it will mean total calamity and complete cut off from the old Eastern Nigeria and the rest of the country.  Our appeal is that the Federal Government should fund the bridge 100 percent like it funded Lokoja and other bridges in the country,” Adimora canvassed. He enjoined the Federal Government to take a look at the contract documents and remove any concessioner attached to the project.  “The Federal Government should also review the contract documents and remove the PPP arrangement. PPP is even a Greek gift to Ndigbo. The Federal Government should not contemplate termination of the contract. If Federal government completes the project, Ndigbo will now know that Buhari is not partial,” the NBA boss said.  In his own reaction, the  Chairman of Idemili branch of NBA, Mr Ben Okoko described the Second Niger bridge as a project that is long overdue. He noted that discontinuing with the project, will be a big blow to the South-East and South-South geo-political zones..  According to Okoko, “Buhari, as at now, cannot yet be said to be anti-Igbo, having agreed to complete Zik’s Mausoleum project. We expect him to do the jobs as he promised because the names, Okechukwu and Ogbuagu which Ndigbo gave to him is not going to be in vain. Let the project continue at whatever agreement, even if it is PPP.  Free flowof traffic  If any traffic congestion occurs in the existing Niger bridge, motorists will be stranded”. “Government should also complete all the adjoining roads connecting the second Niger bridge like the road linking Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area and Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area to ensure a free flow of traffic.  All the roads that will take their routes from the second Niger bridge should be rehabilitated, “ he suggested. Okoko called on the Federal Government to also place the rehabilitation of Enugu/Onitsha, Enugu/Umuahia/Aba/ Port Harcourt dual carriage ways and the  Okigwe/Arondizuaogu/Akokwa/Uga/Nnewi highway, among others on top priority, to give Ndigbo a real sense of belonging.  More reactions  In the same vein, the Ogirishi of Igboland, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, said it would be a political and economic miscalculations for the Federal government to stop the project, adding that the bridge is the only connecting link between the South East and other parts of the country.  “Politics aside, that bridge will help to boost economic base of this nation because without it, there will be no economic link between the South East, South South, South West and the rest of the North,” he said.  The Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East Zone, in its own view, warned that human rights groups would not tolerate a situation where the second Niger bridge project would be abandoned just because of change of government.
 
2nd-Niger-Bridge 

The Chairman of the CD in the zone, Uzor A. Uzor said they will give Buhari up till the end of November, and if no tangible work is executed at the site, all the human rights groups would mobilise themselves and embark on constant protests against the Federal government.  Traders in Anambra state, under the aegis of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, in their own voice, urged Buhari to change the contract arrangement from PPP to government financed project.  AMATAS President, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo who spoke on their behalf, said government financed construction of bridges across the country without mounting toll gates and wondered why the second Niger bridge project should be handled under PPP arrangement which also entails mounting a toll gate to start collecting money from motorists as soon as the bridge becomes operational. He asked rhetorically: “is it because the project is located in Igbo land   or what?  We have not abandoned the 2nd Niger Bridge  A source in the Federal Ministry of Works told Vanguard Homes & Property in Abuja that work is seriously going on at the site of the bridge. “Anybody saying that work had stopped on the 2nd Niger Bridge is a mischief maker. You can go to the place yourself and confirm, anything you see there you publish.  The Governor of Anambra State, Chief  Willie Obiano    visited the site a few weeks ago with our officials and then somebody is saying that work has been abandoned. It is absolutely not correct,” the source said.  Amplifying the position of the Ministry, Julius Berger said that it was a mere speculations that work had stopped on the project. The company said it was optimistic that the project would be completed on schedule at the pace of work going on presently.
Source: vanguardngr.com

 LAGOS—Last week’s massive losses in the international commodities and financial markets have resonated further in the Nigerian space at the opening of business yesterday as the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, benchmark index, the All Share Index, ASI, declined 2.2 per cent  to 29,214.13 points bringing Year-To-Date loss to 15.7 per cent, the greatest loss in six months.

File photo: The floor of Stock exchange  File photo:
The floor of Stock exchange  Investors lost N227.7 billion yesterday to peg market capitalization at N10 trillion at the close of market. Likewise, market activity declined as value and volume traded shed 43.9 per cent and 25.5 per cent to N2.8 billion and 257.7million units respectively.  This development came as oil price crash in the international market continued with Brent Crude, Nigeria’s Sweet Crude benchmark, and West Texas Intermediate crude both traded at six-year lows of USD43.48 (down from last weekend’s price of USD45.46 and USD38.89 (down from USD39.89 last weekend) a barrel, respectively.     Basic provisions of 2015 budget  This meant further erosion of Nigeria’s ability to implement the basic provisions of 2015 budget.  Financial and investment bankers who spoke to Vanguard yesterday at close of markets indicated that they expected the development in the international markets to worsen market outcomes in Nigeria this week.  According to Afrinvest Group,  a Lagos investment banking  firm; “Today’s (yesterday) performance reflects the negative sentiments that have persisted in the Nigerian equities market.  Given the sustained run of losses in the market and the absence of a catalyst to excite investors, performance is expected to be driven by speculations in the short term, thus, we advise investors to maintain medium to long term investment horizons as headwinds continue to bedevil the equities market in the short term.”  The bears had sustained its reign over the Nigerian stock market last week as the market closed in the red on four trading days of the week extending weekly losses for the third consecutive week.  Analysing the global trend Afrinvest economists had said “negative investor sentiments persisted across regions given sustained pressures on oil prices while slowdown in the growth of the Chinese economy (world’s 2nd largest economy) has further exacerbated poor sentiment.”     The analysis  The analysis added that the recent devaluation of the Chinese currency, Yuan, has heightened uncertainties across regions, prompting a further pullback in the global equities markets last week.  Global equities market had extended downward trend Week-on-Week (W-o-W). In the developed markets, the UK FTSE sustained its bearish run as the index lost 4.1per cent W-o-W. The European markets continue to grapple in fears of a slower Chinese GDP growth. This was observed in the performance of the German DAX and France CAC which declined 5.8 per cent and 4.6 per cent W-o-W respectively despite manufacturing data that showed stronger growth during the week.     Asian markets  In the Asian markets, the China Shanghai Composite index tumbled 11.5 per cent following the release of manufacturing data that showed a slowdown in pace of growth after the recent devaluation of the Yuan. Similarly, the Hong Kong Hang Seng and the Japan Nikkei depreciated 6.6 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively as negative sentiments linger on in the markets.  In the rest of the BRICS markets, Russian RTS declined 7.4 per cent as persistent fall in oil prices coupled with economic sanctions heightened negative sentiments towards the market. The Brazilian IBOVESPA showed signs of improvement close to the end of the week as a mild rally lifted the market. However, the index slipped 3.5 per cent to close the W-o-W in the red. The South African FTSE and India BSE also dipped 3.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.  In Asia, the Shanghai Composite Index slid 8.5 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 5.8 percent, tumbling further into a bear market. The measure is about 25 percent below an April high, with a gauge of price momentum dropping to the lowest since the October 1987 stock-market crash.     Greater China equities  Greater China equities plummeted, with Taiwan’s benchmark gauge dropping as much as 7.5 per cent. More than USD4 trillion was wiped from the value of Chinese equities from June 12, 2015 to last weekend.  Performance of the African markets mirrored other regions as all the markets along with Nigeria’s traded downwards W-o-W save for the Ghana GSE (+0.7 per cent). The Egypt EGX lost the most (-9.0 per cent) W-o-W, followed by the Nigerian All Share Index (-2.7 per cent), and the Kenya NSE (-2.0 per cent).  The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell 1.8 percent, heading for the lowest closing level since August 1999.
Source: vanguardngr.com

Akure—POLICE detectives in Ondo State are probing the death of a two-year-old-boy during a scuffle between his mother and a neighbour at Idanre area of the state.

Vanguard gathered from a source that one of the thugs brought by the suspect to settle scores with the mother of the deceased reportedly forcibly removed the baby from her back and smashed him on the concrete floor.  Consequently, the neighbour, Toyin Akinrosotu, has been arrested and detained, while mother of the boy, identified as Beatrice, has appealed to the police for justice.  Another source, however, said the baby fell off the back of his mother during a scuffle occasioned by an argument.  It could not be confirmed what led to the argument, which degenerated to a scuffle that resulted in the death of the two-year-old boy.  However, the remains of the deceased had since been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in the town for post-mortem examination after pictures were taken.  The police authorities in the state has transferred the matter to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, CIID, of the state Police Command to probe the cause of the fight that led to the boy’s death.     Eyewitness’ story  An eyewitness account said the suspect, who lives at Awolata Street, Idanre, reportedly led some suspected thugs to the house of mother of the deceased and allegedly beat her up, causing the death of the baby boy.  While the fight was ongoing, the baby, who was allegedly smashed on the floor, was rushed to the hospital where he later died while doctors were trying to save his life.  The mother of the baby boy later reported the incident at the police station and the suspect was arrested.  Police spokesman in the state, Wole Ogodo, who confirmed the death of the boy, said the mother reported the matter to the police and upon investigation, the suspect was arrested.  Ogodo disclosed that the command was investigating the cause of the fight, adding that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as the investigation was concluded.  He warned people against taking the laws into their hands during disagreement.
Source: vanguardngr.com