The Curious Mind

The federal government has announced plans to hire 350,000 more unemployed graduates under the N-Power Volunteer Corps. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Acting President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said President Muhammadu Buhari has requested appropriation of N157.75 billion in the 2017 budget estimates for the N-Power scheme. The N-Power is one of the many Social Investments Programme (SIPs) of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s organisation. Akande urged Nigerians to actively come out and take advantage of the different schemes. He said: ”Out of the N-Power N157 billion in the 2017 budget, 350,000 unemployed graduates more would be hired and trained, alongside 50,000 non-graduates youths to be engaged as artisans and in other creative ventures.” He explained that under the N157.75 billion, a sum of N4.5 billion has been earmarked for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, (STEM) programme to support young Nigerians in building skills in ...

Nnamdi Kanu Some Igbo leaders have demanded the unconditional release of the leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Addressing journalists on the detention of Mr. Kanu, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Soludo, described the continued detention of Mr. Kanu as unacceptable and an abuse of Mr. Kanu’s right to ‘legitimate agitation”. Mr. Soludo was in the company of other Igbo leaders including former presidential aide, Pat Utomi, and former head of Nigeria’s electricity regulator, Sam Amadi. The former bank chief said Nigeria cannot thrive in an atmosphere devoid of the “democratic freedom of speech”. The leaders also condemned the failure of the federal government and its security agencies to obey court rulings, saying the “plan by government to only obey favourable court rulings” is unhealthy for the peace of Nigeria. Mr. Kanu, whose group is calling for an independent Igbo country of Biafra, is being prosecuted for treason by the Ni...

A man identified as Abdulaziz Hassan has been remanded in prison by a Kano Magistrate Court for raping an 11-year-old boy. Hassan, a resident of Rimin Kebe Quarters in the state was charged with unnatural offence, contrary to Section 284 of the Penal Code. During today’s court proceedings, the prosecutor, Insp. Shuaibu Musa, told the court that Hassan had on February 17, 2017, lured the 11-year-old into his shop situated at Rimin Kebe Quarters, Kano, where he allegedly carried out the act. Musa told the court that one Alhaji Abubakar of the same address reported the case at the Zango Police Division, Kano, on February 20, 2017. “Hassan had carnal knowledge of the victim and gave him N100,’’ the prosecutor said. Musa also disclosed that the accused had on February 18, had another unlawful sexual intercourse with the victim. However when the charge were read, Hassan pleaded not guilty. Consequently, the Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Maryam Sabo, ordered that Hassan b...

Tabo Mbeki Former South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, on Monday, condemned the anti-immigrant protest march which was preceded by attacks on foreign nationals in different parts of the country. “As South Africans, we should never forget the enormous sacrifices that were made by the sister people of Africa to help us achieve our liberation. We cannot now behave in a manner that treats fellow Africans, who are now residents in our country, as enemies or unwelcome guests, neither should we commit the offence of viewing or characterizing African migrants in our country as criminals. “I must express my grave concern at events which took place in this city last week, in the context of what was reported as an anti-immigrant march. In that context, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Ringo Madlingozi for what he said in the songs he rendered,” Mbeki said. Mbeki said communities must report criminal activities to police and avoid taking the law into their own hands. “When our commun...

The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi has said that he would introduce a law prohibiting poor men from marrying more than one wife, saying there is a connection between polygamy, poverty and terrorism. He said because muslims practice polygamous marriage, most poor men end up marrying up to four wives with as many as 20 children whom they sometimes don’t train in schools hence, some of them become thugs and terrorists. The Emir gave the statement during a speech he delivered at a muslim gathering on Sunday. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano “Those of us in the [mainly Muslim] north have all seen the economic consequences of men who are not capable of maintaining one wife, marrying four. They end up producing 20 children, not educating them, leaving them on the streets, and they end up as thugs and terrorists.” The emir discussed different areas to be covered by the wide-ranging family law, which he said would be passed by the Kano state government. “The law will address ...

It has been reported that a female tourist, who was innocently posing for pictures in a zoo without the knowledge that a lion was somewhere watching her, was attacked. Zambezi reports that, the tourist was mauled by a lion that pounced on her from the bush as she posed for pictures at Safari in Zimbabwe. Officers say the woman was leaning on a fence when the caged lion spotted her and raked his gigantic paws down her hip and arm. The pair had been enjoying the views on a day out together and were taking pictures of the lion enclosure, believing the beasts were further away. But the white lion was actually just hidden among bushes and pounced as her unnamed boyfriend captured the picture. It is believed she is still in hospital receiving treatment.

The Senator representing Bayelsa east, Ben Bruce Murray has expressed dissatisfaction over the N40 million designated in the 2017 national budget for the feeding of wild animals in the presidential villa. Tweeting last night on his official handle, the senator said:  'It breaks my heart that at a time when many Nigerians cant eat we are budgeting ₦40 million to feed wildlife in Aso Rock Presidential Villa! 'At ₦510 to a dollar,  #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira  is no luxury, it is not even a necessity. Nigeria has reached the stage where it's a necessity!

Two years ago, as Indian scientists successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars, a photograph that went viral showed women dressed in gorgeous saris with flowers in their hair celebrating at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in the southern city of Bangalore. It was reported that the ecstatic women were scientists and the photograph challenged the stereotype that rocket science in India was a male preserve. Isro later clarified that the celebrating women were administrative staff, but it went on to add that there indeed were several women scientists who had worked on the mission and were in the control room at the time of the launch. The BBC's Geeta Pandey recently travelled to Bangalore to meet some of the women who have taken India into space. As a little girl growing up in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, Ms Karidhal was an avid sky watcher who "used to wonder about the size of the moon, why it increases and decreases. I wanted to know...

The White House Press Secretary and Communications Director, Sean Michael Spicer confirmed on Tuesday, ‎the phone call between the two leaders. However, the readout was released on the official website of the US Government. One curious omission from America’s version of the conversation, is the invitation of Buhari to Washington DC at a “mutually convenient” day. Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, had released the Nigerian version immediately after the call. THE READOUT President Donald J. Trump spoke this week with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria to discuss the strong cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities. President Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with President Buhari to expand the strong partnership. The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against ...

The French army is using birds of prey to take down drones to protect its air bases as well as to secure public airspace in case a drone poses a threat. Eagles were first used by the Dutch police force to intercept drones used by criminals and terrorists. Inspired by this success, the French military began training eagles for military programmes. The pilot programme started last spring at Mont de Marsan air base in southwestern France with a team of four raptors – three females and one male. They are taught from a very young age until they become fully-trained at around 8 months, when they reach full maturity. The eagles used in France are bred using artificial insemination since eagles are a protected species and harvesting wild eggs is strictly forbidden. Part of the training involves familiarising the eagles with the sight of drones. Even before they hatch, the eagles are surrounded by drones so they become part of their natural environment. Eventually they are taught to ...

Those who knew Mike Ilitch, the Little Caesars founder and Detroit Tigers owner who died last Friday, have spent the past few days fondly remembering his impact on friends, on Detroit residents, and on the sports community. Mike llitch Ilitch also had an impact on the daily life of one of the most iconic figures from the civil rights movement. For more than a decade, Ilitch had quietly paid for Rosa Parks' apartment in downtown Detroit. That story came to light thanks to Damon Keith, a Detroit native and federal judge. "They don't go around saying it, but I want to, at this point, let them know, how much the Ilitches not only meant to the city, but they meant so much for Rosa Parks, who was the mother of the civil rights movement," Keith told The Curious Mind. Rosa Parks Shortly after her famed defiance of segregation sparked the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, Parks moved to Detroit and became an important presence in the city for years afterward....

Nollywood Actor, Uche Maduagwu has announced that another celebrity marriage will hit the rocks in few days from now. The actor, few weeks ago, blew the whistle on Tonto Dike’s broken marriage which was later confirmed by the actress. In his post on Instagram page @Uchemaduagwu, the actor advised his female fans to take their time in getting married to avoid getting hurt especially by men who shower them with gifts. He said most men who shower women with gifts, money are deceitful. He wrote: “A few weeks ago when I blew the whistle on my very dear sister’s broken marriage. A lot of people, even my celebrity friends too were doubting me and some even said I should face my acting and stop meddling in other people’s matter. “Well, shame on you alI, I don’t want to mention names, but you know yourselves. This woman is my very close friend, aside being a colleague, she is someone I call my sister, because that’s what she is to me. I thank God that she had gone an extra mile to talk m...

Since arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa, from his native King William’s Town in Eastern Cape, Mayenzeke Shiyani has had a hole in the wall on Commissioner Street as home. These peculiar living arrangements have attracted a whole lot of people, who have come around to see this odd scene. Shiyani comments he misses many things from his original home, including his two sisters, his mother, “and waking up to Morvite, Weetbix and Jungle Oats for breakfast.” He now spends most of his time neatly tucked away inside the large cavity, which is long enough to hold him completely stretched out in a sleeping position. It is not very high nonetheless, only about two feet tall. He does not leave his hole very often, only to wash himself, buy some food, or sit around to hear his favorite radio stations on the small transmitter device he always carries with him. The hours he is normally away are between 2 pm and 6 pm. “I walk to the filling station with my two-liter bottle to fetch wa...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled a new project that aims to establish the first inhabitable human settlement in Mars by 2117. The initiative called "Mars 2117 Project" was announced on Tuesday by  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE,  on the sidelines of the 5th World Government Summit, currently being held in the Emirate. "The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. Our aim is that the UAE  will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality," said Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid. Sheikh Mohammed said his country was one of the world's leaders in space science investments, adding that it aims to accelerate the research in this area. "The new project is a seed that we plant today, and we expect future generations to reap the benefits, driven by its passion to learn to unveil a new knowledge," Sheikh Mohammed said. According to a st...

Did Adele secretly marry her longtime love Simon Konecki? All signs point to yes, especially after the 15-time Grammy winner’s Album of the Year acceptance speech at Sunday night’s awards show. As previously reported, the modest British singer, 28, who scored five Grammy awards alone during the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 12, thanked her baby daddy, 42, during her acceptance speech, calling him her “husband.” And while the two have yet to formally confirm they tied the knot, there have been signs for a while now that they secretly wed over the holidays. Last month, both the “Hello” singer and Konecki were spotted out in Los Angeles sporting what looked like wedding bands. The Life Water and Drop4Drop CEO was spotted leaving a local Target with their son, Angelo, 4, wearing a thick gold band on his ring finger while Adele was spotted out that same weekend running errands in L.A. with an equally suspicious band on her ring finger. Adele’s rep previously decline...

Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said that although the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a platform under which he ran for a second term but lost in the 2015 elections failed to win the presidency seat, the failure however did not diminish the party. He however said that it is a clear sign that PDP will win in 2019, following the steps the party is taking now. Jonathan said this while receiving the party’s delegation who visited him at his Abuja home on Monday. The visit by the leadership and Strategy Review Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was to intimate the ex-President on the party’s steps towards taking back power from the now ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, party in 2019. “We lost the Presidency but that does not diminish PDP. Every other party in Nigeria also know that PDP is still the number one party.” “I think losing the presidency is temporary; we should be able to get that position back,” Dr. Jonathan said. Chai...

Popular Nigerian music star, Timi Dakolo, is getting sued for using Majek Fashek’s hit song, “Send down the rain” without authorization when he was sick. This was made known by Majek’s manager, Uzoma Day Omenka, who disclosed that the two artistes will be meeting in court before the end of March over copyright infringement that is worth about N100m. “We are not taking this case lightly. We are just awaiting the arrival of our solicitors from the U.S., and the UK then we will hit the courts. For crying out loud, this guy is making money from itunes and he did what he did because he thinks in Nigeria, anything goes. If he can prove as he claimed that he paid for the use of the song and he can show concrete proof of it then he will go free, but if not, we will definitely meet in court” he said. Majek’s manager added that he was very angry with Timi Dakolo, because he doesn’t have respect for the music legend during the time of his tribulations. “Timi remixed the song without the...

Wife of the Bayelsa State Governor. Dr (Mrs) Rachel Seriake Dickson returned home three months after delivering her quadruplets in America. She was received by her husband and women of the state. This is the first time she is having a baby after so many years of waiting and trusting God.

Two sisters who escaped death by the whiskers would henceforth view their father as the devil’s incarnate after his failed attempt to murder them. The extremely lucky young ladies, 23-year-old Ezonboere Odoni and her 16-year-old sibling, Miemene Odoni, are receiving treatment at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, where they were taken to by benevolent neighbours. As Sunday Sun gathered, the victims were viciously attacked by their father, Ekpokemem Odoni, 57, who dealt deep machete cuts on the heads, hands and legs of his daughters with clear intent to kill them while they were sleeping. The satanic act took place in Agudama in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State on January 9, 2017, about 11.00pm. The chain of events that brought the two sisters close to death’s door began when their father sustained a serious injury on his right leg in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, where he had gone to cut wood. When he got home, and in show of love to t...

It’s been five years since the death of legendary singer Whitney Houston, and Nick Gordon is remembering the woman who helped raised him. In a touching post to his Twitter page on Saturday, the 26-year-old shared a throwback photo of himself and Houston. “Can’t believe it’s been 5 years,” he wrote. “I miss you.” Houston – who raised Gordon since he was abandoned by his own mother at 12 – died in 2012 at age 48 after being found unresponsive in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel. Officials announced that the legendary singer died of an accidental drowning. Contributing factors included heart disease and cocaine use, an investigation found. Also in the photo was Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of Houston and Bobby Brown who was found unresponsive in the bathtub of her home on Jan. 31, 2015. After six months of medically induced comas and a hospice stay, she passed away on July 26, 2015. Gordon, w...

It takes two to tango, but unfortunately this dance has ended: Amber Rose and Val Chmerkovskiy have called it quits. Multiple sources confirm to The Curious Mind that Rose, 33, and the Dancing with the Stars pro, 30, have ended their nearly five-month-long romance. The breakup news was first reported by E! An insider tells PEOPLE, “things seemed great with them just a few days ago.” Rose competed on season 23 of DWTS and was paired with Val’s older brother, fellow pro dancer Maks Chmerkovskiy. At the end of October, PEOPLE reported that Chmerkovskiy and Rose were first spotted getting friendly at her birthday party. “They met through Maks and really like each other,” a source told The Curious Mind. “It’s very new, but it’s going well.” In early December, it was reported that the duo’s relationship turned official. “They’re solid and in a good place,” a second source told The Curious Mind  of the pair, who stepped out hand-in-hand in Los Angeles a week prior. “They’re bo...

Former President Barack Obama wasn’t kidding when he said he and wife Michelle Obama would “get back to work” soon after their post-White House vacation in the British Virgin Islands. Less than one month after leaving office, the Obamas have signed Washington, D.C., attorneys Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell to “manage contract negotiations with potential publishers for the former president and Mrs. Obama’s respective books,” Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for the former president, said in a statement. With an eye on the equally lucrative speakers’ circuit, the Obamas also announced on Friday that they have selected the Harry Walker Agency to coordinate speaking engagements. The heavyweight agency also manages Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and Barbara Walters. There are not yet any dates set for the speaking opportunities or the book releases, says a source close to the Obamas. As another person involved in the process put it, “We are just launching on the adventure.” These tw...

J.K Rowling  J.K. Rowling dragged Piers Morgan via Twitter on Saturday, mocking the commentator as a “celebrity toady” for his defense of President Donald Trump. It all started when the Harry Potter author retweeted video of Morgan’s appearance on Friday night’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher. During the show, Morgan was shut down by Australian comedian Jim Jefferies, who told Morgan to “f— off” for claiming Trump’s controversial immigration order against seven majority-Muslim countries is not a “Muslim ban.” “Yes, watching Piers Morgan being told to f— off on live TV is *exactly* as satisfying as I’d always imagined,” Rowling wrote on Twitter. That caught the eye of Morgan himself, who quickly engaged in a war of words with the beloved author. “This is why I’ve never read a single word of Harry Potter,” Morgan fired back. To which Rowling replied, “Because you had a premonition that one day the author would roar with laughter at seeing you called out for yo...