Blind Man sees his wife for the first time in 33 years.

Larry Hester was able to see for the first time in 33 years thanks to a "bionic eye" implanted by Duke Medicine. 

Dogs bite children in lagos.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two dogs
for attacking three siblings and injuring one of them on
the skull.

The police also arrested the owner of the dogs for
allowing them to have uncontrolled freedom.
Our correspondent gathered that the dogs and their
owner, identified simply as Jegede, were arrested by
policemen from the Igando Police Station.

It was learnt that the three victims bitten by the
rampaging dogs were children of Jegede’s tenant
identified as Mr. Abraham Odia.

The incident occurred in the house both parties were
staying at Adegboyega Street, Akesan, Igando, Lagos.
When our correspondent visited the area on Wednesday,
a neighbour, who gave her name simply as Elizabeth,
told us that the dogs were brought newly to
the area, adding that Jegede, who was the house
caretaker, had not given them the necessary drugs.
She said, “The incident happened last Thursday
afternoon at about 5pm. The dogs were supposed to be
chained, but I think they broke loose.
The children’s
parents were not at home, and the kids had been
playing in the compound.
“Suddenly, we began to hear shrilled noises of children
and the dogs barking violently. When we went near, we
found out that the dogs had pounced on the three of
them. The youngest child sustained serious injuries on
the skull.
“I think the dogs had yet to be given the needed drugs
because they were new in the house.
The child was
bleeding all over the body. Some of us had to call the
parents and also involve the police because no one
could move near the wild pets.”

Gist onboard  learnt that the bitten child, a four-year-
old boy whose name was given as Isaac, was initially
rushed to the General Hospital, Igando before he was
referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,
Ikeja for treatment after the assault.
It was learnt that while Isaac sustained injuries on the
skull from the bites, his two elder siblings, whose
names had yet to be ascertained, sustained injuries on
the arms and legs.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Kenneth Nwosu, while confirming the arrest to Gist onboard, said the police had also taken the dogs for
medical examination, to know whether they have rabies
(a fatal dog’s infection) or not.
He said, “The incident was reported to the Igando Police
Station, and the arrest was made.

The dogs were to be
taken by the police for medical examination to be sure
they were not rabies infected. Meanwhile, the victims
have also been taken to a hospital, and they are being
treated at the moment.”
When our correspondent got to the Critical Care Unit of
the LASUTH, where Isaac was rushed to on Wednesday
afternoon, the father, Mr. Abraham, was said to have
gone on an errand.

However, one of the nurses told our correspondent that
the child might have been moved to the Surgical
Emergency Section of the hospital for a more
comprehensive treatment.

Big Brother' star reveals he is HIV positive. Read more....

When "Evel Dick" Donato left "Big Brother 13"
during filming, he cited only "personal reasons" for his
decision. He's now revealing the reason for his exit: He
is HIV positive.

The winner of "Big Brother 8" shared his revelation on an
episode of the VH1 reality series "Couples Therapy" set
to air Wednesday. Donato and his girlfriend, Stephanie
Rogness-Fischer, are cast members on the show, and in
a clip he is seen discussing wanting to come clean
about his diagnosis -- which she is adamantly against
doing.

"Stephanie does not want to talk about it, and if it's
brought up with her she will probably leave," he tells
the show's therapist, Jenn Berman. "There (were) a
million rumors of why I left ... but nobody ever knew and
nobody ever found out."

The news of Donato's status was first known via Twitter.
Donato exited "Big Brother 13" after six days. He told
People magazine that the show's producers first alerted
him to his diagnosis.
"They told me that something was wrong with my blood
test," he said. "They had done two HIV tests. One had
come back positive and the other had come back
negative."

He said he immediately left the show and went to the
house of his mother, the first person he told. Donato
said he is not gay or an intravenous drug user, "but at
this point, it doesn't matter. We create a stigma around
the disease that makes it hard for people to publicly say
they have it."

Donato is on medication that he will have to take for the
rest of his life and said he is coming forward to help
others come out of the shadows. He says he's fully
aware of his reputation as a reality-show villain but
grateful for the platform.

"And I decided that it was time to just publicly say what
I'm dealing with," he said. "On one hand, I'm doing this
for myself: I don't want to hide anymore.

On the other
hand, I hope it will remind viewers to get tested,
practice safe sex, all those things we know in the back
of our minds but maybe don't do."

Dog saved by passerby after falling into tar.

A five-month-old dog that fell into hot tar
spilled around a construction site in northern India was
eventually saved by a four-hour rescue operation.
Claire Abrams from the animal welfare group, Animal Aid
Unlimited, says staff from the charity rushed to the
scene in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, after receiving a
phone call from a passerby. They found the dog lying
motionless, his hardened body stuck to the ground:
"There was no way he could have come out of his own,
without any intervention," Abrams said.

The rescuers spent hours massaging a large amount of
vegetable oil into his body to loosen the tar, avoiding
the use of kerosene because of its harsh effects on skin.

After about four hours, the crew were able to
pull the dog out of the sticky liquid, before
taking him to the animal shelter. It took
several days to clear his body of the tar.

On his first night of arrival at the shelter,
Abrams says: "He was petrified and breathing
heavily." The dog, now affectionately known
as "Tar Baby", has recovered successfully and
has also been vaccinated.

How I fathered 30 children. Atiku reveals. Read more.....

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed how
he made his money and also built a house for his
mother at the age of 15.

Atiku, who is one of the presidential aspirants in the All
Progressives Congress, in his new book titled ‘My Life’,
which he authored, said he bought a mud house for her
mother in Ganye, Adamawa State.
He gave the explanation under chapter six of the book,
entitled ‘Making Money’.
He said he recognised very early in life that he had a
good nose for business and this made him to apply for
and obtained a Federal Housing loan.

The loan, he said, which amounted to N31,000, was the
equivalent of his salary for five years as a customs
officer.
He said, “I was granted a plot of land by the Gongola
State Government at Yola Government Reserved Area. I
hired a foreman and began building my first house.
“With close personal supervision, the bungalow was
completed on time and to my taste. I rented it out
immediately.
“The rent I collected in advance on the house was
substantial enough for me to purchase a second plot. I
built my second house and rented it out.
“I continued to plow back the rent into the building of
new houses and within a few years, I had built eight
houses in choice areas of Yola. I also built a new house
for my mother and rebuilt the old mud house I bought
for her in Ganye when I was a 15-year-old student.”

The former Vice President said property investment
could be rewarding, because, according to him, returns
on it could also be high depending on the location.
Kaduna, for instance, he added, was a good place to
invest in property before the emergence of Abuja.
He explained that he built his first house in Kaduna with
the rent he made from other property and that later, he
bought six more plots and built residential houses and
rented them out to individuals and institutions.

Atiku also added that of all the businesses into which
he would venture, he listed what he described as a small
oil services company as the most successful and most
lucrative.

Crazy Idea. Man turns amputated leg into a lamp.

Bonten, now 53, settled in to the fact that he would be losing his right leg -- a harsh reality for an otherwise healthy and active man. But it was damaged beyond repair, and there was nothing he could do. Except, you know, maybe ask to keep it.

But it really happened In July 2012, the unfortunate Dutchman suffered a terrible break while goofing off with his cousin in south Rotterdam. Over time, the leg became infected, ignored, and more infected to the point where, in July of this year, doctors had to remove it surgically. Crazy world.....

You wont believe it. DNA frees North Carolina's longest-serving death row resident.

A pair of siblings who served decades behind
bars in the rape and murder of a North Carolina child will
walk out of prison free men Wednesday after DNA
evidence implicated someone else.

Henry McCollum and Leon Brown were just teenagers
when they were arrested in 1983 and charged with the
rape and murder of 11-year-old Sabrina Buie in Red
Springs, about 30 miles southeast of Fayetteville in rural
Robeson County.

Buie's body was found in an area of Red Springs known
as something of a "lovers' lane," according to Joe
Freeman Britt, the district attorney who prosecuted them
in the '80s. The ground was littered with "beer cans,
condoms and cigarettes," Britt said.
It was one of those cigarette butts that ultimately set
them free.

DNA found on a cigarette "matched another individual
named Roscoe Artis, a convicted rapist and murderer
who lived less than 100 yards from where the victim's
body was found," said a statement from McCollum's and
Brown's attorneys.
Artis is serving a life sentence in a North Carolina prison
on a separate conviction. It was not immediately clear
Tuesday whether prosecutors would bring charges
against him for Buie's murder.

CNN Original Series: 'Death Row Stories'
"This is the most blessed day," Brown kept repeating
Tuesday, according to his attorney, Ann Kirby,
"It was an amazing moment for everyone," added
Vernetta Alston, an attorney for McCollum.

Only not everyone thought it was so amazing.
"This a tragic day for justice in Robeson County," said
Britt.
When asked whether Britt still believes he got the
conviction right, without hesitation, he said,
"absolutely."
"These guys got three trials. Thirty-six people reviewed
it and thought the confessions were correct," Britt told
CNN. "You know how hard it is to get a conviction in a
capital case?"
McCollum, 50, was 19 at the time of his arrest. He was
sentenced to death in 1984 and is North Carolina's
longest-serving death row inmate.

Brown, who is four
years younger than his half-brother, was initially
sentenced to death as well but later had it reduced to
life in prison.
Kirby and Alston said that their clients' confessions
were coerced and that both were "severely intellectually
disabled."
"It's terrifying that our justice system allowed two
intellectually disabled children to go to prison for a
crime they had nothing to do with, and then to suffer
there for 30 years," said Ken Rose, a lawyer with the
Center for Death Penalty Litigation.
"It's impossible to put into words what these men have
been through and how much they have lost."

12 dead in Islamist attack on Somali prison. Read more...

Islamist rebels dressed in government military
uniforms approached the gate of a high security prison
in Mogadishu on Sunday, set off a car bomb and fired
their way into the building, eyewitness Farah Mohammed
told CNN.

They were Al-Shabaab fighters, and security guards at
the prison "foiled the attack" and killed seven of the
rebels, Somalia's Information Minister H.E. Mustafa
Duhulow said in a statement.
"The attackers exchanged heavy gunfire with prison
guards after detonating a car bomb at the main gate,"
Mohamed said. "A plume of dark smoke could be seen
rising from the attacked complex."
During the assault on the National Intelligence and
Security Agency prison three security guards and two
civilians were also killed, 15 others were injured,
Security Ministry spokesman Mohamed Yusuf told CNN.

The attackers tried to free their fellow Al-Shaabab
members held at the prison, who were sentenced to
death by a Somali military court tribunal, said police
Officer Abdifarah Ali.
"We were behind today's raid on NISA prison in
Mogadishu,"

Al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Abdiaziz
Abu Musab said on pro-militant radio station Al-
Andalus. "Our Mujahideen forces stormed the complex
and then sprayed the prison guards with bullets and
bombs," he said.

The government praised the security forces, saying it
shows that Somalia has improved security.
"These terrorists groups are against the security
improvements we are currently experiencing here in
Mogadishu," Information Minister H.E. Mustafa Duhulow
said in a statement. "We say to them that these foiled
attacks strengthen our forces and prove their bravery to
the people of Somalia," he said.

The NISA prison is underground and is close to the
Somali presidential palace in Mogadishu. Hundreds of
inmates, mostly Al-Shabaab members, are being held
there.

Al-Shabaab is an al Qaeda-linked militant group seeking
to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state,
according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

The group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack at
a Kenyan mall last year and is believed to be responsible
for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid
workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union
peacekeepers.

Police inspector dies while fighting wife... Read more....

A police inspector, attached to a division in Apapa,
Lagos, Inspector Danjuma Daniel, on Thursday afternoon
died during a fight with his wife.

We learnt that the scuffle between Daniel and
his wife got so physical that the couple fell from the
balcony of their apartment ─ a two-storey building. The
couple, it was learnt, was staying at the Ijeh Police
Barracks, Obalende, Lagos.
Our correspondent gathered that the police inspector
and his wife, identified simply as Ada, who had lived in
the barracks for about 10 years, sustained grave injuries
from the fall.
It was further gathered that when they were rushed to a
nearby hospital, Daniel was said to have been confirmed
dead by the medical personnel, while the wife was
admitted for treatment.
Our correspondent learnt that Ada, a trader in a nearby
market, was discharged from the hospital on Saturday
morning.
Speaking with Gist onboard , Daniel’s first son,
Emmanuel, said he was informed about his father’s
death on the telephone.
Daniel explained that he was staying with an uncle in
the Mile 2 area of the state.
He said, “I don’t know what could have caused the
fight. I was not at home. Dad and mum have lived in this
barracks for about 10 years now.
“We were formerly staying in Nasarawa State where dad
initially served. In Lagos, I don’t stay with them, but my
two sisters do. Mum has returned from the hospital, and
she is back home now, but she cannot talk to anyone
for now.”
While the conversation was going on, some neighbours
of the couple asked our correspondent to leave the
premises, scolding the 17-year-old boy for talking to
Gist onboard.
However, it was learnt from a resident that Daniel, an
Eggon man from Nasarawa State, had had clashes with
his wife before the incident. The source added that the
fight on Thursday turned ugly and led to their falling off
from the two-storey building.
The Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer,
Lelma Kolle, said he would get back to our
correspondent on the matter, but he had yet to do so as
of press time.

Assassins kill UNILAG security chief at beer parlour. Read more. ..

Suspected assassins have killed the Head of Operations,
Security Unit, University of Lagos, Mr. Sunday Adejumo.

The 50-year-old was shot dead at a beer parlour on
Oyenuga Street in the Akoka area of Lagos on Friday
evening.
Our correspondent learnt that Adejumo on the fateful
night was in the joint with three of his friends when
some strange faces stormed the pub.
They were said to have headed straight for their target
where he sat and hit him in the chest, before firing
shots at him.
The gunshots were said to have caused confusion in the
area.
We learnt that the deceased died some
minutes later because he could not get help on time.
When our correspondent visited Akoka on Saturday, he
observed that the area was quiet, while the beer parlour
was locked.

A resident, who did not identify himself, said the owner
of the drinking house had been arrested and was being
interrogated at the Bariga Police Station.
He said, “The incident happened around 8.30pm on
Friday. We suddenly heard gunshots and we all rushed
into our different houses because we did not know what
exactly happened.
“It was later we learnt that one of those in the beer
parlour was killed.
“It was not a robbery because they did not steal
anything or injure anybody else. Immediately they killed
him, they left.”

A source, who pleaded anonymity, told our
correspondent that Adejumo might have been killed by
suspected cultists.
He said, “When the gang got in, they went to where he
was sitting. They had different weapons, ranging from
cutlasses to guns.
“One of them went to him, hit him in the chest and he
fell down. He then brought out a gun and shot him point
blank.
“On the table where he was drinking with his friends
were a pay slip, his ATM cards and his car key.”
Our correspondent learnt from another source that the
men wanted to go away with the deceased’s ash
coloured Pathfinder, marked, Lagos APP 404 CM, but
could not.
“We don’t know exactly what their intention was. But
there were blood stains on the car and the car key also
had blood stains. We suspected they wanted to drive it
away, but abandoned it when they saw it was not
responding,” he said.
Anotherpolice source told our staffs that the corpse
of the deceased was taken to the police station late in
the night from where it was taken to the Yaba mortuary.
It was learnt that Adejumo’s car and that of one of his
friends with whom he went to the pub, were taken away
by the police.
Our correspondent gathered that his three friends were
also being interrogated.
A source said, “Since he had been going out to drink, he
had never gone out with these friends. So, they are also
suspects . Although one of them claimed to be injured
during the incident, there may be more to it than meets
the eye.”

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Lelma Kolle,
confirmed the incident.
He added that the Bariga Divisional Police Officer led his
men to the scene where they found the deceased in a
pool of blood.
He said, “Investigations revealed that the man parked
his car a distance away from where he was drinking. The
police also discovered that there was a blood stain on
the car and the car key was found within the vicinity,
also with blood stains. This can only mean that after
they killed him, they attempted to go away with his car.
They actually succeeded in opening the car because
there were blood stains on the car seat. But the car did
not move because of the security system in it.
“The owner of the bar has been arrested and he has
made statements. We cannot categorically say whether
this was a robbery or an assassination plot. The matter
is still under investigation.”
Our correspondent called UNILAG, and a former registrar
of the institution, Mr. Olu Sodimu said the school would
call back.
However, an official of the university in the information
department confirmed the shooting.
The official, who pleaded anonymity, said, “We heard
that he went to a party with some of his friends and
there were gunshots. He was one of the people hit
during the incident. That was what we heard. We are not
aware that he died. I am just hearing that from you and I
will have to confirm that information by making calls.”

Oyakhilomes divorce splits Christ Embassy members. Read more...

Members of the Christ Embassy are divided over a
divorce suit filed against the Senior Pastor of the
church, Chris Oyakhilome, by wife, Anita, in a London
court.
Oyakhilome is the President of the Believers’ Love World
Incorporated, the registered name of the Christian
ministry, while his wife is the Vice President.
Some members of the church on a Facebook page,
‘Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome,’ which is believed to
have been opened by Anita’s fans, expressed differing
opinions on the matter.
On Saturday, one of the church members, Ijeoma Olive
Ehirim said, “I am a Christ Embassy member. I hate one
thing there: How can a pastor be working together with
a lady hand in hand, attending meetings and lodging in
a hotel for days. My girlfriend travels with our branch
pastor annually for PPCF which holds in Lagos. Only
God knows.”
Sharing a similar view, Samantha Iwowo, described
adultery as one of the grounds for divorce.
Iwowo said, “Pastor Chris Oyakhilome must have been
discovered compromising his marital bed business. It is
what it is. God says judgement will start from His house.
‘Touch not my anointed’ is God’s instruction regarding
all His children, not an individual nicking, scheming,
threatening monies off people’s purses and telling them
that salvation is tied to tithes and that seed sowing is
only money donation to the church/pastor’s coffers. One
down, more to roll. Christ be praised.”
In her post, Chinyere Okechukwu-George, claimed to
have left the church when she observed some
irregularities.
“I and my family left Christ Embassy for our own good
after worshiping there for three years plus and seeing all
the things going on under the disguise of church. And I
can comfortably say that for over a year now, we have
had so much peace in our Christian lives. I don’t care
how you view my comment but truth must be told.”
Joseph Osagiede, however, responded saying the
Oyakhilomes were still together.
He said, “I have been in Christ Embassy for 12 years. All
is totally well with thier marriage. All those wishing
them to split and also those going about saying nasty
things about the church, be careful.”
Faith Ebunoluwa Adetayo also said, “I have been in
Christ Embassy since 1990s and I can authoritatively say
some things: I have seen the power of God work,
demonstrated in healings and many other things. I have
seen how that Pastor Chris is less concerned about
mistakes we make.
“He believes that these sins of the flesh will disappear,
only if we listen to the word of God. Rather than
condemning us, he speaks words of encouragement.
And for your information, Pastor Anita is still very much
in the ministry and she’s with her darling husband.”
Meanwhile, the Christ Embassy has kept mum on the
divorce case.

A woman, who picked our correspondents call to the
Nigerian office of the church on Saturday, said she had
no information to give on the matter.
When asked to confirm if the divorce suit was true or
not, she simply said, “I have no information to give on
the matter.”
When another call was made to the church thorough
another number, the respondent, who identified herself
as Pastor Christabel, said the church had no information
about the case.
“No, we have no information on the matter,” she said.

An online newspaper, The Cable , had reported on Friday
that the divorce case, with Suit No FD14D01650, was
filed on April 9, 2014 at the Divorce Section A, Central
Family Court, First Avenue House, High Holborn,
London, the United Kingdom, on Anita’s behalf by
Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.
Anita reportedly filed for dissolution of the marriage
between her and her pastor husband, which produced
two teenage daughters – Sharon and Charlyn – on the
grounds of “unreasonable behaviour” and “adultery.”

Apple recalls iPhone 5 for battery woes. Read more....

Having trouble with your iPhone 5 battery? You might be eligible for a free replacement.

Apple ( , Tech30 ) said "a very small percentage" of
iPhone 5 smartphones may "suddenly experience shorter
battery life or need to be charged more frequently."

Don't get too excited just yet. After a year or two,
everyone's iPhone battery seems to carry less juice than
it once did. But Apple's repair program is limited to
certain customers in the United States and China.
Only iPhone 5 smartphones sold between September
2012 and January 2013 are eligible, and only those that
fall within a certain range of serial numbers. Apple has
opened a website that allows people to determine
whether their phones are eligible. (To access your serial
number, tap Settings > General > About > Serial Number).
Apple announced an even smaller iPhone 5S battery
recall program last year. In June, Apple issued a recall in
37 countries for European iPhone chargers that were
overheating

Senegal confirms first Ebola case. Read more.....

The West African country of Senegal has
confirmed its first Ebola case one week after closing its
border with Guinea over fears that the deadly outbreak
could spread, the Senegalese Press Agency reported
Friday.

Senegal is the fifth country in the region where the virus
has spread.
Senegal's health minister, Awa Marie Coll Seck,
confirmed that a 21-year-old university student from
Guinea was infected with the Ebola virus and placed in
quarantine in the Fann Hospital in Dakar, the news
agency reported.
Officials in Guinea alerted Senegal on Wednesday after
losing track of the young man, the agency reported.
The man, who doesn't have any signs of bleeding, went
to the hospital for a checkup, the agency said. His
condition is stable.

On August 21, Senegal closed its border with
Guinea over fears of the Ebola outbreak, the
deadliest ever. The closure includes any
aircraft and ships traveling to Senegal from
Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia.
The Ebola outbreak "continues to accelerate"
in West Africa and has killed 1,552 people, the
World Health Organization said Thursday.
The total number of cases stands at 3,069,
with 40% occurring in the past three weeks.
"However, most cases are concentrated in
only a few localities," the WHO said.
The outbreak has been centered in Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia, with a handful of
cases in Nigeria.

The overall fatality rate is 52%, the WHO said,
ranging from 42% in Sierra Leone to 66% in
Guinea.
The case of the Conakry University student is
the first one reported in Senegal, which is
northwest of Guinea.
Sierra Leone and Liberia border Guinea to the
southwest. Those three nations have been the
epicenter of the Ebola outbreak.
Corpses in the three countries are being
buried without determining a cause of death,
the WHO says. Medical staff cannot keep up
with current health demands, especially with
the limited supplies they have on hand.
Senegal is not the first country to close its
border during the outbreak. President Ellen
Sirleaf has shut most of Liberia's borders to
contain the virus. The few points of entry that
are still open are testing people passing through for
Ebola. Guinea and Sierra Leone have done the same.
Kenya, South Africa and others in the region are also
limiting travel to and from the area.
On Friday, the WHO urged countries to avoid actions that
compromise Ebola response efforts, such as closing
borders and entry points or banning flights. The
measures isolate and stigmatize the affected countries,
making it difficult to transport supplies, the organization
said via Twitter.

The crisis has taken a heavy toll on health workers
caring for those struck down by the virus. The WHO said
Monday that 120 health care workers have died in the
Ebola outbreak, and twice that number have been
infected.

Six months after: A letter to you, my son's killer/s - by Aisha Falode

A grieving mother writes an open letter to her
son's killer/s 6 months after his passing. The
19yr old son of ace sports broadcaster Aisha
Falode was thrown from the rooftop of a 17-
storey building on February 15th 2014 in Dubai.

No one has been charged for his murder. Read
Ms Falode's letter below
In years gone by, I read detective
books and watched Crime series depicting
how murderers sleep at night. How they
wake up in sweat with nightmarish images
of the soul they had taken, and are so filled
with dread and guilt of their crime that they
spend their night dripping hot, sticky sweat
of horror at what they had done.
How they stare at the night, wishing
somehow it would never come, I mean,
murderers live in such fear wishing they
could turn the hands of the clock or go
back in time and re-enact the whole scene
of their evil deed, so as to reverse the
killing of their innocent victim. Continue...
Such was my naivety because death was so far
away from me. Then death came so close to
me I can still feel its hot breath down my spine.
Yet I see how helpless it has become for it
cannot strike the same victim twice. Death is so
uncanny, it takes a soul but it knows that the
soul goes back to the Maker in peace, yet he is
lucky because the person who wore its cloak,
the person who struck the blow, the person who
took breath which does not belong to him,
becomes its victim.
I say this today, my son's killer/syou have
become the victim. Death has deceived you and
is now sneering at you. You are in your own
hell, a living hell, hades of which will be
immersed in you for the rest of your life.
Toba Falode aka Tyler Fray would have been
alive today, breathing, laughing, writing songs
about life and oppression, songs about people
like you, evil people who think they can oppress,
suppress and kill just because they can, but he
is not for he rests in the bosom of the Almighty
his creator. You Killer had no right taking his life
because you did not give it.
Killer have you ever gone back in history or do
murderers have no time to read up what
happens to those of their like who came before
them? If you do you will know that the Avenger
of Death is forever lurking behind you and one
day, very soon and sooner than you can imagine,
you will pay for your crime and your sins. The
Bible which we uphold says vengeance is God's
and indeed the Quran as well says there is no
hiding place for the wicked.
Killer, the sister's heart you wrenched by taking
her brother and confidant, the family you brought
despair and misery on, the friends you left
crippled with excruciating pain and I though
drenched in sorrow by your inhumane
callousness, know in my heart that the Avenger
is upon you.
You have challenged the Almighty God by taking
a life He created by breaking His commandment
that thou shall not kill. Then like a wicked
unrepentant soul, you walk the streets as if
nothing happened? Believing in your ignorance
that the one who created ears cannot hear and
the one who created eyes cannot see. Surely
your conscience is judging you, you sweat
profusely in the cold of the night, and shiver in
the heat of the day, you jump at the slightest
sound and you keep looking over your shoulder,
petrified even of your own shadow and dreading
the inevitable and knowing in your heart that
death has cunned you and the Avenger is so
close you can feel the hair on your nape
standing.
Perhaps one day, your nightmare will end and
you will free yourself but not before the Avenger
gets you, forcing you to speak, telling the world
of how you killed my son on that sad night
hunting you in Dubai. When you pushed my boy,
a good son, and the hope of my future from a 17
Storey building. What a callous, heartless
andcold-bloodedkiller!
How did you kill him, why did you kill him? Oh,
lest I forget you, the witness, an accessory to
murder. Only God knows what pushes you to
soil your hands with innocent blood by
remaining silent and protectinga killerfrom a
most foul and heinous crime while the image of
Tyler’s dead body haunts you at night, you said
you wish you could have done more at the time
of his death. Yes you can. Speak up and free
yourself from the insanity creeping up on you
and the long stretch of dark miserable years
ahead, how did Tyler Fray die?
How did my son's innocent blood splatter on
your body? Did your bloody knuckle punch the
life out of him, or did you smash him with a
stone before throwing him over the balcony, or
did you just push him to his death? Why did you
say you would take the punishment for his
death, why do people you call friends keep
meeting such a fate around you, is it
coincidence?
Do you know, that there were actually three
people on that balcony on that night? The all
seeing God, the omnipotent, the ever present…He
was there and He witnessed that murder and He
is calling you to account forTyler’s Death.
Killer!!!! Look! Feel!
Hear the sound of the footstep of the long arms
of the law looming over you like the sun covers
the earth …..........
The Avenger is upon you like the waves of the
Ocean smashing against the rock there is no
escape for God is a just God.
I know Toba is in heaven and that gives me
peace.
What kind of peace can a killer give his mother?

To join the call for Justice for Toba go to:

Facebook: Justice for Tyler Fray a.k.a Toba
Falode

Twitter: twitter.com/TylerFray

Instagram: instagram.com/justicefortylerfray

Sign The Petition: Change.org:
https://www.change.org/petitions/government-
of-the-federal-republic-of-nigeria-the-
government-should-insist-the-case-file-on-the-
death-of-oloruntoba-oluwadamilola-falode-
should-be-reopened-for-investigation-he-was-
murdered-on-the-15th-february-2014-2

Email: justicefortylerfray@yahoo.com

Wonders shall never end. Edo command nabs man for sleeping with dog. Read more...

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a
19-year-old boy in Iguosa community, Ovia
North East Local Government Area, for allegedly
having sex with a dog.
The young man, identified simply as Osagiator,
was said to have taken the dog to an
uncompleted building where he had sex with it.
It was learnt that earlier, the residents had
gathered at the palace of the head of Iguosa
community when the news of the incident spread
within the length and breadth of the area.
A resident in the community, George
Ogbonmwan, while narrating how the teenager
was caught, said he had saw the suspect with
the dog and had thought that he wanted to steal
it.
He added that he decided to call the attention of
the owner, Garuba Samari.
Ogbonmwan said when he and the owner of the
dog traced Osagiator to the uncompleted
building; they were surprised to see the suspect
having sexual intercourse with the dog.
“When I saw the way the young man carried the
dog like a baby, I decided to tell the owner. We
went to the uncompleted building and caught the
boy sleeping with the dog,” he said.
However, the suspect, who claimed that he
resided in Uselu in Benin, said he was a regular
visitor to Iguosa community, where he sought
menial jobs.
He explained that he did not know what came
over him.
He claimed that the dog followed him as he
walked along a street in the community. He
added that he took the animal to the
uncompleted building, but did not know what
made him to have sexual intercourse with it.
He said, “I was walking along the street. I saw a
dog following me and I carried it like a baby. I
just went into the uncompleted building where I
did what I did to it. I don’t know what came over
me.”
Samari, who quickly disowned his pet, insisted
that the boy should be handed over to the police
to decide what to do with him.
“The dog has to follow him. I have nothing to do
with the dog again,” Samari added.
The Odionwere of the community, Pa Clifford
Igiehon, and the scribe, Festus Obadiaru,
described the act as an abomination. They
added that the suspect had been handed over to
the police.
Igiehon said, “It is an abomination against the
community. The young man came from Uselu
community in Benin City. I don’t know why he
decided to commit the act here in the
community. We don’t want to see him here
again.”
The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer,
Noble Uwoh, said the suspect had been arrested
and taken to the state police headquarters for
further investigation.
He added that the dog had since been killed by
the community.
“The boy has been arrested and transferred to
the state headquarters for further investigation.
The community killed the dog because the people
said that it was an abomination,” Uwoh said.

Bank customers to pay N65 for ATM withdrawals. Read more...

Banks customers will from September 1, 2014
pay a token for cash withdrawals made on other
banks’ Automated Teller Machines, the Central
Bank of Nigeria said in a directive released on
Wednesday.
The re-introduction of the ATM charges came
almost two years after the CBN and the Deposit
Money Banks cancelled the N100 ATM charge in
December 2012.
The new directive for the reintroduction of the
charge was posted on the CBN website, but
instead of N100 per withdrawal, customers using
other banks’ ATMs will now pay N65.
According to the order, which was contained in
the circular signed by the Director, Banking and
Payment Systems Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo
Fatokun, the central bank and the DMBs agreed
to re-introduce the ATM charges because the
cost of transaction was becoming too
burdensome for the banks to continue to bear.
Fatokun also said the charge would become
effective on the fourth ATM withdrawal in a
month, thus making the first three withdrawals
on other banks’ ATMs within the month free.
The circular dated August 13, 2014, read, “The
CBN hereby issues the following directives: The
re-introduction of ‘Remote-on-us’ ATM cash
withdrawal transaction fee, which will now be
N65 per transaction, to cover the remuneration
of switches, ATM monitoring and fit-notes
processing by acquiring banks; the new charge
shall apply as from the fourth ‘Remote-on-us’
withdrawal (in a month) by a cardholder, thereby
making the first three ‘Remote on us’
transaction free for the cardholder, but to the
paid by the issuing bank.
“September 1, 2014 shall be the effective date
for the implementation of the new charge; banks
are expected to conduct adequate sensitisation
to the customers on the introduction of the new
fee; all ATM cash withdrawals on the ATM of
issuing banks shall be at no cost to the
cardholder.”
The CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’
Committee, had in December 2012 transferred
the payment of the N100 fee on ‘Remote-on-us’
ATM cash withdrawal transactions to the issuing
banks.
The fee was shared between the acquiring bank,
issuing bank and switch companies at the
commencement of the arrangement.
However, Fatokun, in the latest circular, noted
that issuing banks had during the
commencement of the arrangement in 2012
decided to waive the issuer fee of N35, which
should ordinarily have been an income to them.
He further said, “Consequently, banks only bore
the cost of N65 each time their customers use
another banks’ ATMs.
“However, as a result of the unintended
consequences of the decision, which has resulted
in substantial cost burden incurred by banks in
defraying the cost of the service, the payment
structure for card carrying bank customers is
hereby reviewed in line with present realities.”

Fact You Need to Know about Ebola. Read more...

By CNN......
Facts:
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by
one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the
strains can cause severe illness in humans and
animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused
illness in some animals, but not in humans.
The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one
in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the
Congo ) in Central Africa: and the other, in
southern Sudan (now South Sudan) . The virus is
named after the Ebola River, where the virus was
first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely
contagious. It is infectious, because an
infinitesimally small amount can cause illness.
Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates
suggest that even a single virus may be enough
to trigger a fatal infection.
Instead, Ebola could be considered moderately
contagious, because the virus is not transmitted
through the air. The most contagious diseases,
such as measles or influenza, virus particles are
airborne.
Humans can be infected by other humans if they
come in contact with body fluids from an infected
person or contaminated objects from infected
persons. Humans can also be exposed to the
virus, for example, by butchering infected animals.
While the exact reservoir of Ebola viruses is still
unknown, researchers believe the most likely
natural hosts are fruit bats .
Symptoms of Ebola typically include : weakness,
fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach
pain. Additional experiences include rash, red
eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty
breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including
internal).
Typically, symptoms appear 8-10 days after
exposure to the virus, but the incubation period
can span two to 21 days.
Unprotected health care workers are susceptible
to infection because of their close contact with
patients during treatment.
Deadly human Ebola outbreaks have been
confirmed in the following countries: Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, South
Sudan, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Republic of the
Congo (ROC), Guinea and Liberia .
According to the World Health Organization,
"there is no specific treatment or vaccine," and
the fatality rate can be up to 90%. Patients are
given supportive care, which includes providing
fluids and electrolytes and food.
There are five subspecies of the Ebola virus: Zaire
ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV),
Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Taï Forest ebolavirus
(TAFV) and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
Statistics:
There have been more than 3,300 reported human
cases and more than 2,000 deaths since the
discovery of Ebola.
Timeline:
*Includes outbreaks resulting in more than 100
deaths or special cases.
1976 - First recognition of the EBOV disease is in
Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo).
The outbreak has 318 reported human cases,
leading to 280 deaths. An SUDV outbreak also
occurs in Sudan (now South Sudan), which incurs
284 cases and 151 deaths.
1989 - In Reston, Virginia, macaque monkeys
imported from the Philippines are found to be
infected with the Ebola virus (later named the
Ebola-Reston virus).
1990 - In Texas and Virginia quarantine facilities,
four humans develop Ebola antibodies after
contact with monkeys imported from the
Philippines. None of the humans has symptoms.
1995 - An outbreak in Democratic Republic of the
Congo (formerly Zaire) leads to 315 reported
cases and at least 250 deaths.
2000-2001 - A Ugandan outbreak (SUDV) results
in 425 human cases and 224 deaths.
2001-2002 - An EBOV outbreak occurs on the
border of Gabon and Republic of the Congo
(ROC), which results in 53 deaths on the Gabon
side and at least 43 deaths on the Republic of the
Congo side.
December 2002-April 2003 - An EBOV outbreak in
Republic of the Congo results in 143 reported
cases and 128 deaths.
2007 - An EBOV outbreak occurs in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 187 of
the 264 cases reported result in death. In late
2007, an outbreak in Uganda leads to 37 deaths.
149 cases were reported.
November 2008 - The Ebola-Reston virus
(RESTV) is detected in five humans in the
Philippines. They are workers on a pig farm and
slaughterhouse and suffer no symptoms. This is
the first known occurrence of the Reston virus in
pigs.
2014 Outbreak :
Confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola as of
August 1, 2014 ( World Health Organization ):
Guinea - 485 cases, 358 deaths
Liberia - 468 cases, 255 deaths
Nigeria - 4 cases, 1 death
Sierra Leone - 646 cases, 273 deaths
March 25, 2014 - The CDC issues its initial
announcement on an outbreak in Guinea, and
reports of cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone. "In
Guinea, a total of 86 suspected cases, including
59 deaths (case fatality ratio: 68.5%), had been
reported as of March 24, 2014. Preliminary results
from the Pasteur Institute in Lyon, France suggest
Zaire ebolavirus as the causative agent."
July 2014 - Patrick Sawyer, a top government
official in the Liberian Ministry of Finance, dies at
a local Nigerian hospital. He is the first American
to die in what officials are calling "deadliest Ebola
outbreak in history."
July 2014 - Nancy Writebol, an American aid
worker in Liberia, tests positive for Ebola.
According to Samaritan's Purse, Writebol is
infected treating Ebola patients in Liberia.
July 26, 2014 - Kent Brantly , medical director for
Samaritan Purse's Ebola Consolidated Case
Management Center in Liberia, is infected with the
virus. According to Samaritan's Purse, Brantly is
infected while treating Ebola patients.
July 29, 2014 - According to Doctors Without
Borders, Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan who was
overseeing Ebola treatment at Kenema
Government Hospital in Sierra Leone dies from
complications of the disease.
July 30, 2014 - The Peace Corps announces it is
removing its volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone
and Guinea.
July 31, 2014 - CDC raises its warning to Level
3 . It warns U.S. residents to avoid "nonessential
travel" to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.
August 2, 2014 - A specially equipped medical
plane carrying Ebola patient Dr. Kent Brantly lands
at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia.
He is then driven by ambulance to Emory
University Hospital in Atlanta.
August 4, 2014 - CNN reports that three top
secret, experimental vials of the drug, "ZMapp,"
were flown into Liberia last week in a last-ditch
effort to save Brantly and Writebol, according to a
source familiar with details of the treatment.
Doctors report "significant improvement."

Why an Ebola epidemic is spinning out of control. Read more...

By Laurie Garrett.(cnn)

The Ebola epidemic now raging across
three countries in West Africa is three-fold larger
than any other outbreak ever recorded for this
terrible disease; the only one to have occurred in
urban areas and to cross national borders; and
officially urgent and serious. At least 1,090 people
have contracted the awful disease this year,
though the epidemic's true scope is unknown
because of widespread opposition to health
authorities in afflicted Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone.
This week, 39-year-old physician Sheik Umar
Khan -- labeled the country's hero for his brave
leadership of the epidemic fight -- died from
Ebola, adding yet another public fear: that even
the doctors cannot escape the disease.
But as terrifying as Ebola is, the virus
has been controlled in the past, and
can be again. The current crisis, which
threatens an 11-nation region of Africa
that includes the continent's giant,
Nigeria, is not a biological or medical
one so much as it is political. The
three nations in Ebola's thrall need
technical support from outsiders but
will not succeed in stopping the virus
until each nation's leaders embrace effective
governance.
As was the case in Kikwit, Zaire, in 1995 -- an
Ebola outbreak I personally was in as a journalist
-- there is no vaccine or cure for the disease. The
key to stopping its spread is rapid identification
of the sick; removal of the ailing and deceased
from their homes; and quarantine and high
hygiene measures to prevent transmission of the
virus to family members and health care workers.
In the absence of such measures, Ebola will kill
upwards of 70% of those it infects, as the virus
punches holes in veins, causing massive internal
hemorrhaging and bleeding from the eyes, ears,
mouth and all other orifices.
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are among the
poorest, least governed states in the world. About
half of the nations' adults are illiterate. The 11.75
million people of Guinea have a per capita annual
income of merely $527 , and their combined male/
female life expectancy is 58 years. In 2011, the
government of President Alpha Conde spent $7 on
average per capita on health .
Life is no better for the 4.2 million people living in
neighboring Liberia , where per capita income is
$454, life expectancy is 62 years and the
government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
spends $18 per capita on health. In Sierra Leone ,
the 6 million residents have a per capita income
of $809 per year, life expectancy is merely 46
years, and the government of the President, Dr.
Ernest Bai Koroma, spent $13 per capita last year
on health.
Since Ebola first broke out in March in Guinea,
fear has gripped the region, coupled with
suspicion and wild rumors. Some have
proclaimed the epidemic "divine retribution" for
past sins. In April, Guinean health officials failed
to quarantine an Ebola patient who reportedly
spread the virus from a remote area to the capital
-- a lapse that undermined government credibility.
In April, a mob claiming that foreigners were
spreading diseases attacked a Doctors Without
Borders clinic in rural Guinea and forced the Nobel
Peace Prize-winning group to abandon its
mission. The charity returned only after it had
negotiated its safety with local religious leaders.
In the capital city of Conakry, families have been
hiding their ailing relatives.
Even the local Red Cross was forced to abandon
a part of the country after men brandishing knives
surrounded them. And in one district, police fired
tear gas at a mob that was trying to raid the
morgue in order to give their loved ones proper
burials, despite the risk of contagion.
As the epidemic spread to Sierra Leone in May,
brought in by a traditional healer who tended to
ailing Guineans and then returned home, similar
problems surfaced. Family members defied a local
quarantine , thereby spreading infection. By the
end of May, authorities were losing track of Ebola
sufferers amid widespread fleeing from health
facilities ; the toll of missing patients approached
60 by June.
Some local leaders spread rumors that
"the white people" were conducting
experiments, infecting Sierra Leonians
or cutting off people's limbs. Doctors
Without Borders warned that
widespread belief that Ebola does not
exist threatened to spread the disease
regionally. Today the word "Ebola"
carries so much stigma that few ailing
individuals even seek diagnosis.
By the end of June, the epidemic was
exploding in Liberia, fueled by the
same sorts of denial and wild rumors
that were rampant in Sierra Leone and
Guinea. In one county, men with
weapons chased off government
health workers.
Today, the World Health Organization
is officially loath to say so, but under
these circumstances, this epidemic is
beyond anybody's control.
Nobody, in any culture, relishes having their ailing
loved ones removed from a family's care, or their
bodies hauled off to ignominious mass graves.
But the violent reaction to such measures in West
Africa is far more extreme than anything that has
occurred in other Ebola crises since the virus's
first appearance in Zaire in 1976.
This should come as no surprise to anybody with
a modicum of knowledge of recent history.
The nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
have a shared, brutal history of civil wars that
since 1989 have left more than 400,000 people
dead, displaced half a million people from their
traditional homes, seen rape used as a weapon
against tens of thousands of girls and women,
and put Liberia's former President behind bars as
a war criminal.
One of the most heinous features of the 1989-
to-2005 wars was public amputation, typically
carried out by child soldiers. The violence began
in 1980 when Samuel Doe killed President William
Tolbert and then tyrannized Liberia for a decade,
growing rich off its diamond trade.
In 1990, rebels invaded the country from Ivory
Coast, captured Doe, tortured him, dragged him
naked through the streets of Monrovia, and then
executed him. Charles Taylor took over the nation,
running it until 2003. Taylor, in turn, helped his
comrade Foday Sankoh seize control of Sierra
Leone, and they systematically exploited their
nations' mines, leading to the United Nations
term "blood diamonds."
What you need to know about the deadliest ever
outbreak
With help from Guinea, a second civil war started
in 1999 in Liberia, eventually engaging multiple
warring factions, each more brutal than the other.
It spilled over into Sierra Leone and was egged
on by military elements in Nigeria. By 2000, all
three of the now-Ebola-torn countries were
embroiled. Taylor fled into exile in Nigeria in 2003,
and both he and Sankoh faced U.N. war crimes
trials. Sankoh died of a heart attack before his
trial; Taylor is now imprisoned.
In these three nations, few families have not
experienced murders, rapes, torture, maiming, loss
of homes and death. Fear, suspicion, poverty,
pain and superstition are the norm, the noise that
everybody lives with, every minute of their lives.
Ebola is simply a new scream heard above that
terrible background din.
The challenge today in these barely functioning
states is to find ways to lower the overall noise,
focus on stopping the Ebola virus, and bring
governance and peace to three countries that
have rarely experienced either.

Ebola Crisis: Two down with fever in Lagos after contact with victim. Read more....

The Lagos State Government on Friday said two
persons out of those who had contacts with Mr.
Patrick Sawyer, the dead Liberian Ebola victim,
had manifested symptoms of fever.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, made
the disclosure when he addressed newsmen on
the update of the country‘s first Ebola case in
Ikeja.
Idris said the two persons were among the 70
contacts being monitored and investigated for any
symptoms of the disease by the state government
and other partners.
The commissioner, who said the two cases were
under observation, however stressed that they did
not test positive to the virus.
Idris said the state government would continue to
monitor all contacts with the victims until the end
of the 21 incubation day period of the virus.
“Our Rapid Response Team is currently tracking
all contacts of persons exposed to the dead
passenger with Ebola virus.
“The contract tracing team is following 70
contacts of the EVD case and linking them to
clinical support when needed.
“Two suspect cases had fever, they are under
observation and so far have tested negative to
the virus.
“The monitoring of suspect cases will continue
until the end of the period of 21 days from their
exposure to the victim,’’ he said.
The commissioner said an emergency operation
centre had been activated in Lagos ,by the state
and its partners as part of efforts to check the
threat of the virus.
He added that the Federal Government had
stepped up measures to screen incoming
passengers to Nigeria to identify any traveler with
symptoms through, airport, seaport and border
crossing.
Idris said a deceased body was recently brought
to Nigeria from Liberia, explaining that the
government was investigating if he died from
Ebola.
The commissioner urged residents to collaborate
with government in checking the Ebola threat in
the country by reporting suspected case for
government‘s intervention.
While saying diseases thrived well in dirty
environments, Idris urged residents to maintain
clean body and environment to reduce the risk of
the virus.
Also speaking. Prof. Abdul Salim Nasidi of the
National Disease Control Centre said noted that
though disease had no cure ,it was treatable.
He warned members of the public against
emphasizing that the virus had not cure,saying it
might discourage those with suspected cases
from accessing treatment.
While saying the Federal Government was doing
everything to check the threat of the
disease,Nasidi urged citizens not to panic as no
fresh case had been discovered yet in the country.

Chinas Chief Imam was stabbed to death. Read more...

The imam of China’s largest mosque – in the
city of Kashgar in Xinjiang – has been killed in
what appears to be a targeted assassination.
Jume Tahir, 74, was reportedly stabbed after he
led early morning prayers at the Id Kah mosque
on Wednesday.
His killing came two days after dozens of people
were reportedly killed or injured in clashes with
police in Yarkant county, in the same prefecture.
The reasons for his death remain unclear.
But the BBC’s Damian Grammaticas in Beijing
says Tahir, who was from Xinjiang’s mainly
Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, was a vocal and
public supporter of Chinese policies in the region.
Radio Free Asia quoted an unnamed shopowner
near Id Kah as saying he saw a body lying in a
pool of blood front of the mosque in the morning
and police clearing a huge crowd that had
gathered. He was told the body was that of Mr
Tahir.
A hasty burial was conducted by the late
afternoon and the funeral procession was heavily
guarded by military and police, according to The
Los Angeles Times .
Shortly after his death, police sealed off roads in
and out of Kashgar and cut internet and text
messaging links to other parts of China. Those
restrictions have since been lifted.
Tahir was appointed imam of the 600-year-old
mosque by China’s ruling Communist Party.
Some say he was deeply unpopular among many
Uighurs who disliked the fact that he praised
Communist Party policies while preaching in his
mosque.
He had also echoed the official government line
that blamed the rising level of violence in
Xinjiang on Uighur separatists and extremists,
says our correspondent.
On Monday, a knife-wielding gang attacked a
police station and government offices triggering
clashes that killed “dozens” of Uighur and Han
Chinese civilians, according to state media outlet
Xinhua.
But activists disputed this account and said that
local Uighurs were protesting against a Chinese
crackdown on the observance of Ramadan,
which ended on Monday.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that some
government departments in Xinjiang were
banning Muslim staff from fasting during
Ramadan, and several university students told
the BBC that they were being forced to have
meals with professors.
There has been an upsurge in Xinjiang-linked
violence that authorities have attributed to
Uighur separatists.
In May at least 31 people were killed when two
cars crashed through an Urumqi market and
explosives were thrown. In March, a mass
stabbing at Kunming railway station killed 29
people.
In response Chinese authorities have launched a
year-long security campaign which includes
increased police and troop presence in key cities
and towns in Xinjiang. Scores of people have
been arrested, and some sentenced to lengthy
jail terms or death.