6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Southern California

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Southern California on Thursday July 4th.



This is the largest earthquake to hit the region in decades. The quake, which occurred at 10:33 am was centered in the Searles Valley, a remote area of Kern County about 100 miles from Los Angeles.



The quake was the largest in Southern California since the 1994 6.6 Northridge quake, which caused deaths and destroyed properties worth billions of dollars. Thankfully, today’s quake was located far from the metropolitan Los Angeles area.



Reacting to the tremor, Ava DuVernay tweeted: "Been living in Los Angeles all my life. That was the longest earthquake I’ve ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong. It was so long I thought for the first time ever “Is this the big one?” Damn. Respect Mother Nature. She’s the boss."



"I was in my kitchen trying to get some coffee and all the windows started rattling," said Emma Gallegos, a 34-year-old journalist in southwest Bakersfield. "It was just a little bit at first — I thought something was going by, and then I realized all the windows were rattling. It was kind of a long gentle roll and I felt two distinct waves."



Gallegos said that the dried chiles hanging from a hook on her kitchen wall were all shaking. "It was surreal."



Local emergency agencies have been flooded with calls, and officials urged that people only use 911 for emergencies.



"We are very much aware of the significant earthquake that just occurred in Southern California. Please DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless there are injuries or other dangerous conditions. Don't call for questions please," the LAPD said in a statement.

EFCC accuses judge of bias in cases involving Bukola Saraki and Rochas Okorocha

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja of exhibiting bias in favour of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorcha, in his handling of the cases they filed.



The allegation is contained in two fresh motions the EFCC filed before the court, demanding the withdrawal of Justice Taiwo from the two fundamental rights enforcement cases filed by Saraki and Okocha.



The EFCC said although it did not hope to always win its cases before the judge, the trend of Justice Taiwo’s orders in cases where it was conducting corruption/financial crimes investigations, made it difficult for it (the EFCC) to believe in the judge’s impartiality. The commission resorted to filing the fresh motion following the refusal by the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Kafarati to transfer the cases from Justice Taiwo’s court, as requested by the EFCC in a petition it earlier wrote against the judge.




The grounds, on which the EFCC based its fresh motions, include that: “His Lordship while sitting in Ekiti Judicial Division of the Federal High Court had in two previous cases involving former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, Attorney-General of Ekiti State and officials of Ekiti State Government given orders/decisions wherein the 4th respondent/applicant’s statutory powers to investigate economic and financial crimes were curtailed and gagged contrary to the established principles by superior courts.

“One is suit number, FHC/AD/CS/32/2016 between A.G. Of Ekiti State vs. EFCC and 17 Ors, while the other has been upturned by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/EK/8C/2017 between EFCC V. Mr. Ayodele Fayose & Anor.

“The 4th respondent/applicant does not expect to always win its cases before this honourable court, but the trend of decisions/orders being made against it by my lord in cases where it is conducting corruption/financial crimes investigations. has made it difficult for it to believe in my lord’s impartiality.

“The 4th respondent/applicant had petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking that this matter be re-assigned from my Lord’s court to another court, and the Chief Judge advised that a formal motion be filed to that effect.”

It faulted the ex parte orders parte directing the respondents in the case, including the EFCC,”to stay all action in connection with the subject matter of this suit, to stay all action in connection with the subject matter of pending the determination of this suit”.

The commission said the orders had an indefinite life span “since no one can state when the main case can be determined.” It added that the orders were in the nature of interlocutory injunction “which ordinarily requires the aderse party to be put on notice” The EFCC stated:


“Without considering the merit in the application vis a vis the venue of the alleged violation of the fundamental rights, the court made an interlocutory order without hearing from the respondents applicant.

It is well established legal principle that no court has the power to stop the investigative powers of the 4th respondent or any agency established under the laws to investigate crimes.”

The commission argued that the orders issued by the court on May 9 and May 14, 2019 restrained it from performing its statutory duty. Other respondents in both cases the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau.



The EFCC had, in its earlier petition to Justice Kafarati, May 21, 2019, accused Justice Taiwo of being bias against it. In the petition, signed by the EFCC’s acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the commission equally complained about the ex parte orders made by Justice Taiwo on May 9 and 14, restraining the commission from continuing its investigations of certain corruption allegations against Saraki, and Okorocha.



It requested in the petition the re-assignment of the two men’s cases and all other ones involving it in the judge’s docket to another judge of the court. It also recalled in the petition how the judge, out of alleged bias while sitting in the Ado-Ekiti Division of the court, gave rulings in favour of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.



In their separate responses, Okorocha and Saraki urged Justice Kafarati to ignore the request by the EFCC, arguing that it was baseless. Saraki and Okorocha also contended that the orders made in their favour by the judge were justified owing to the circumstances of alleged harassment by the commission leading to their decision to file the cases in which the judge issued the restraining orders.



When the cases came up on Thursday, Justice Taiwo drew parties’ attention to the fresh motions by the EFCC,to which lawyers to Saraki and Okorocha sought time to respond to. The judge consequently adjourned both cases till September 27, 2019 for the hearing of the motions.

Stella Damasus and husband Daniel Ademinokan reveal challenges they face in raising their step-children

Stella Damasus and her husband, Daniel Ademinokan in a new YouTube video revealed the challenges they face in living with their kids from their previous marriages, which includes the stare at airports and people on social media.



Stella Damasus who admitted that having a blended family took a toll on her, revealed that she was careful at first not to scold Daniel's son so as not to come off as a wicked step-mother. According to her, things took a different twist after her husband's mum told her to stop treating him with kid gloves if she indeed loves him as much as she loves her daughters.



Daniel who on the other hand admitted to having quite a messy divorce, revealed that they don't use the 'step' word in their family. According to him, people find it quite hard to believe he is not the biological father of Stella Damasus' daughters. The filmmaker who talked about the first one-on-one encounter his ex-wife, Doris had with Stella Damasus, further revealed that having a blended family is way much bigger than those inside as it goes all the way out.

NDLEA arrests 90-yr-old marijuana seller in Ondo State

The Ondo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 90-year-old man, James Salihu, for dealing in Indian hemp.



He was arrested on Wednesday by NDLEA detectives in Supare Akoko. The State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Haruna Gagara, noted that Salihu has been known to be notorious in the community.



He noted that the suspect was arrested and later granted administrative bail due to his poor health condition and warned him to desist from such an evil act, adding that the suspect would face prosecution as soon as he is confirmed medically fit.

National Assembly pledges to intervene in the continued detention of Shiites leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky

The National Assembly, today pledged to intervene over the continued detention of the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, by the Department of State Security (DSS).



Zakzaky is being held by the DSS, while facing charges for culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of public peace. The House Leader, Ado Doguwa, made the promise when members of the group, popularly called the Shi’ites, stormed the National Assembly, demanding the release of their leader.



Doguwa, who met them at the gate, assured that their message would be delivered to the appropriate quarters.


“This place called the National Assembly provides a window where you come and ventilate your concern and anger. But I assure you, I give you my commitment and the commitment of this institution, that we will address this issue that you raised.

“And in promising you, I will collect the contacts of your leaders. And by the time I am able to convince my colleagues and superiors, we will get back to you and discuss further,’’ he said.

Doguwa commended members of the group for the peaceful manner they had conducted themselves. The spokesman of the sect, Ibrahim Musa, expressed concern that the health of their leader was deteriorating, hence, the need for his release.



The Shiites have regularly held street protests to press for the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since December 2015.

Busola Dakolo officially files complaint against Pastor Fatoyinbo

Busola Dakolo has officially filed a rape complaint against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) with the police, days after going public with the allegation in a tell-all interview.



Recall that Bukola, wife of popular Nigerian singer, Timi Dakolo, had alleged that the rape incident occurred while she was still below 18 and at her Parents' home in Ilorin. She is the second person to have accused Pastor Fatoyinbo of rape, after Ese Walters.



It was also gathered that the police has already launched an investigation, following the complaint.

I have never been raped in my life - Ese Walter clarifies

Ese Walter has shut down reports on social media that she was raped by the Senior Pastor of COZA, Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.



Ese in 2013 accused Fatoyinbo of trying to manipulate her into having a sexual affair with him while she was a member of his church.



In the wake of Busola Dakolo's claim of Fatoyinbo raping her when she was 17, many Nigerians on social media suggested that Ese was also raped by Fatoyinbo.



In a post she shared on Facebook, Ese clarified that she has never been raped.

See her post below.

Police explains trending photo of Elisha Abbo with IGP Mohammed Adamu

The Nigeria Police Force has reacted to a viral photo of embattled Senator Elisha Abbo purportedly having a conversation with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu. Abbo.



Some Nigerians dug the photo out and released it online even as the senator is currently being investigated for assaulting a nursing mother in an Abuja sex toy. The release of the picture fuelled suspicion that the lawmaker was an associate of the IGP whose officer was in the shop while Abbo assaulted the woman.



However in a statement released on Thursday July 4th, the Nigeria Police Force said the picture was taken in Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s office when the IGP paid the governor a courtesy visit during a security meeting with northern traditional rulers in Kaduna on April 30.


“Whatever may be the motive behind the display of the picture at the time when the senator is under investigation, be it known that the IGP, a public servant, interacts with every Nigerian, irrespective of their status, political leaning, tribe or religion, etc. in the course of discharging his duties as the number one cop of the nation.

“The public should therefore disregard the obviously mischievous intentions of the author of the post,” the police statement read