Funmi Martins’ daughter, Mide’s marriage crashes over infidelity

Daily Star has reported that Mide’s (Late Funmi Martins daughter) marriage to popular Nollywood actor and producer, Afeez Owo has crashed.

Movie moment reports that the marriage packed up on an alleged infidelity accusation by Afeez.

Kunle Afolayan and others shun brother; Aremu for wedding an older woman (PHOTOS)

Aremu Afolayan, Nollywood actor and one of the sons from the popular Nollywood family, has finally tied the nuptial knots with his heartthrob, however his brothers, Kunle and Gabriel shunned the event.

Aremu is a few years younger than his newly wedded wife, whom many say comes from a wealthy home.

Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja (PHOTOS)

To honour the late Nelson Mandela, President Goodluck declared three days of national mourning with flags flown at half mast.

The three days culminated in a memorial service for the late Mandela held yesterday at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja.

Mandela will be buried in South Africa, December 15.

See photos from the memorial service below:

“I used to like women with big hips but I woke up one morning and everything changed” – Don Jazzy

Earlier this year, Mavin record boss, Don Jazzy in an interview with PUNCH said that slim ladies do not turn him on.

“With due respect to slim ladies, there is no way any lady shaped like a broom can attract my full attention. I’m sorry but that’s the truth. My ideal woman must be God-fearing. She must have all the basic curves in the right places. The rounder and bigger her chest and backside, the better,” he told PUNCH.

Well, his taste has changed, he now appreciates slim ladies more.

Suspected oil thief dies in pipeline fire

As reported by  Punch , suspected unnamed oil thief was burnt to death on Saturday after a trunk line belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company along Egbematoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State exploded and caught fire.

It was also learnt that some other oil thieves sustained injuries.

The fire was said to have been ignited by a gang of oil thieves who attempted to break and scoop oil from the pipeline.

It was furthered gathered that officials of Agip were battling to put out the fire.

But there were claims that soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, ignited the inferno when they fired at some suspected oil thieves.

JTF, however, denied the claims and blamed the explosion on the activities of economic saboteurs.

The Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the explosion.

Nwachukwu said, “Information reaching us confirmed that there was actually a blast on the NAOC Agip riser. The cause has so far been attributed to possible sabotage by some disgruntled elements who have grievances with the operations of oil companies in the area.

“The JTF has no security platform in the area. It is certainly not as a result of the security activity against oil thieves.”

Bride escapes death after wedding

A bride narrowly escaped death in an auto crash while on her way from her wedding. The accident involving a NNPC tanker with number plate XG 321 MKA, a cargo truck and two saloon cars happened at about 4:45pm on Saturday, close to the Otedola bridge, Alausa, on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

A witness said the NNPC truck, while descending the slop from Alausa at top speed, could not hold its break. It then ran into the first car and squashed the second one against the cargo truck.

The bride and her husband were said to have jumped out of their car.

When our reporter got to the scene of the accident, the groom was no where in sight. The groom’s elder sister who spoke to our repoter while cuddling her baby explained that they were just coming from the wedding reception of the couple.

She was seen kneeling down and thanking God for their escape but refused to give the name of the couple.

The fire coming out of the truck was put out by sympathisers as the tanker was carrying petroleum product. The accident also resulted in  gridlock which was controlled by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Sad memories on a happy day...

Wife discovers missing husband’s corpse in his office

Adegboyega's office

There was confusion in the Bariga area of Lagos State last week when the decomposing corpse of an estate agent, simply identified as Adegboyega, was discovered by his wife and neighbours in his office.

A resident said on the condition of anonymity that Adegboyega’s wife had shown up at her spouse’s office on Odugbuwa Street, Bariga, because he had not come home.

"Mandela Was Angry With Nigeria" - Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

"It is better to help a friend pay his fine,than tell a lie to help him cover a crime."  - Nigerian proverb.

It was literally a life-long ambition, and I used every opportunity to meet the old man in person. I was finally in a position to press buttons and call old friends to render favours, and in early 2007 I succeeded. I was told I could see Mandela for only 30 minutes at his home, but I needed to get there one hour earlier. Colleagues I had leaned on were skeptical that I would see him despite the appointment, particularly since I will not say it was official. An old South African friend and course mate from South Africa who helped, suggested I asked questions or matters I wanted to discuss with him and send them in advance. I did not think that was the type of meeting I wanted, so I did not.

Mandela was surprised when he was told I worked at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but had spent 6 months trying to see him to pay my personal respects. Why did you not go through your colleagues here? I told him the visit was not official. I just wanted to meet him. He relaxed and apologized that it had taken that long for me to see him. Others left us, except a lady who sat discreetly away from us. I thought she was a medical person.

How are my Nigerian brothers and sisters? He asked me...

40 facts you need to know about Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela Photo 

1. He was born in July 18 1918 into the Xhosa-speaking Thembu people in a small village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

2. He was named Rolihlahla Dalibhunga by his parents and was given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school.

3. He is also sometimes called Madiba, which is his traditional clan name.

4. Mandela has been called both ‘the world’s most famous political prisoner’ and ‘South Africa’s Great Black Hope.’

5. His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Nelson Mandela was nine, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

6. He was circumcised at the age of 16

7. Nelson Mandela was an activist against apartheid, and he was the leader of the armed wing of the African National Congress.

8. Nelson Mandela was the first South African President who was elected in a completely democratic election.

9. He was elected at the age of 77.

10. Mr Mandela set up South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo.

11. In 1941, aged 23, he ran away from an arranged marriage and went to Johannesburg

12. Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison.

13. Nelson Mandela won the Nobel prize in 1993.

14. In 1994 he published his autobiography ‘long walk to freedom’ which he wrote secretly while in prison.

15. In his spare time, Nelson Mandela studied to become a lawyer.

16. Nelson Mandela’s favorite breakfast is plain porridge, with fresh fruit and fresh milk.

17. Nelson Mandela has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities.

18. During his 27-year jail term, he stayed in cell number 46664.

19. Besides campaigning globally for peace, Mandela focused his still prodigious energies increasingly on empowering disadvantaged children and fighting against HIV/AIDS.

20. He was diagnosed of prostate cancer in 2001.

21. In June 2004 aged 85, Mandela officially retired from public life. His parting gift – a R1-billion endowment to South Africa, to be raised by the three charitable organisations that bear his name: the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Nelson Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

22. He was incarcerated on Robben island for 18 of his 27 years in prison.

23. While in jail on Robben Island in the 1980s, the former president contracted tuberculosis.

24. Nelson Mandela retired from Public life in June 1999 and currently resides in his birth place.

25. Mandela’s birth name – Rolihlahla – is an isiXhosa name that means ‘pulling the branch of the tree’. Colloquially it also means ‘troublemaker’. His English name, Nelson, was given to him by a missionary schoolteacher.

26. He was expelled from the University of Fort Hare after joining a student protest. He later completed his degree through Unisa, which he followed up with a law degree from Wits University.

27. He fled the Eastern Cape for Johannesburg after Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the leader of the Tembu people, tried to set up an arranged marriage for him. After arriving in the city, he found work as a night watchman at a mine.

28. He lived in Alexandra township at first butlater moved in with close friend Walter Sisulu and Sisulu’s mother in Orlando, Soweto.

29. Mandela’s first wife, Evelyn Mase, was a nurse and Walter Sisulu’s cousin. She was the breadwinner in the family and supported Mandela while he studied law at Wits University and became further involved in politics. They had four children together and divorced in 1958.

30. He was the first commander in chief of the ANC’s armed wing.

31. In 1962, he left the country to garner support for the armed struggle. During this time he received guerilla training in Morocco and Ethiopia.

32. The circumstances surrounding his arrest at a police roadblock outside of Howick later that year remain unclear but it is believed that an American CIA agent tipped off the police about his whereabouts. He was convicted of sabotage and attempting to violently overthrow the government.

33. During his time in prison, Mandela was restricted to a 2m x 2.5m cell, with nothing but a bedroll on the floor and a bucket for sanitation in it. He was consigned to hard labour in a lime quarry for much of that time and was, at first, only allowed one visitor and one letter every six months.

34. The apartheid government offered to release Mandela on no less than six occasions but he rejected them each time. On one such occasion Mandela released a statement saying: ‘I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom … What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people [the ANC] remains banned?‘.

35. Mandela wrote a memoir during the 70s, copies of which were wrapped in plastic containers and buried in a vegetable garden which he kept at prison. It was hoped that fellow prisoner Mac Maharaj, who was due for release, would be able to smuggle it out. But the containers were discovered when prison authorities began building a wall through the garden. As punishment, Mandela’s study privileges were revoked.

36. After he was separated from his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, he asked struggle stalwart Amina Cachalia, with whom he had a long relationship, to marry him but she turned him down. On his 80th birthday, Mandela married, the widow of Mozambique’s former president Samora Machel.

37. The ANC was labelled a terrorist organisation by the apartheid government and was recognised as such by countries including the US and Britain. It was only in 2008 that the United States finally removed Mandela and other ANC members from its terror list.

38. The United Nations declared his birthday, July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day. This was the first time the UN dedicated a particular day to a person.

39. Hundreds of awards and honours have been bestowed on Mandela. Among others, he was an honorary citizen of Canada, an honorary member of the British Labour Party, and an honorary member of Manchester United. He also had a nuclear particle (the ‘Mandela particle’), a prehistoric woodpecker (Australopicus nelsonmandelai) and an orchid (Paravanda Nelson Mandela) named after him.

40. When Mandela was 9 years old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically.

Fans Pay Tribute to Paul Walker at Unofficial Memorial

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Fans of the 'Fast and Furious' actor pay respects to the late star in a fan-organized tribute which is held at the crash site in Valencia, Calif.

Many fans attended an unofficial memorial held at Paul Walker's crash site in Valencia, Calif. on Sunday, December 8. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the actor's fans came in their tuned up cars as well as on foot to mourn the death of the "Fast and Furious" actor and his friend Roger Rodas.

Many of the fans left flowers, stuffed animals and notes at the crash site. There was also a large banner provided to pay homage to the late actor. A Nissan Skyline which Walker drove in the fourth installment of the movie as well as some cars from the popular franchise were also featured at the event.

Among the attendees were local organizers of the Southern California chapter of Gawad Kalinga, a non-profit organization which helps build home for the typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines. "The people there love him, he has so many fans in the Philippines," Tony Pascau said, as quoted by Los Angeles Times. Pascau added that what struck him most was the fact that Walker was attending a charity event for the Philippines when the tragic accident happened on November 30. In addition, the president of the Philippine American Charity Foundation Luzviminda Micabalo came from Las Vegas with her husband to pay respects.

Members of the NorthPark Community Church which is located near the actor's death scene participated in the event by offering water, hot chocolate and coffee for fans attending the memorial. "We just decided that this was a community event, and we needed to participate and be a good neighbor and show our support to the fans and families," NorthPark pastor Bob Hudson explained.

In other news, after two men were arrested for allegedly stealing a piece of wrecked Porsche Carrera GT, another person tried to sell burned tree bark claimed from the crash site on ebay. After asking for at least $100 a piece, the seller had a change of heart and canceled the auction. "I would like to apologize to the family, friends, and fans of Paul Walker. At the time I listed the bark for sale, I did not realize the emotional impact it would have," the seller said, as quoted by TMZ.

Source: ACESHOWBIZ

Lady GaGa Dresses as Christmas Tree in London

Lady GaGa apparently is in the holiday spirit. The singer who is known for her unique outfit wore a pine tree as a hat as she left the "Jingle Bell Ball" show at O2 arena in London on Sunday evening, December 8.

The tree GaGa wore during the evening was completed with some baubles and a golden star on top. In addition to the tree hat, the "Applause" singer wore green wig, making her appearance similar to a Christmas tree. She additionally wore a red dress and towering boots as she walked to the Langham Hotel.

On Sunday, GaGa performed at the 2013 Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball. During her performance, the 27-year-old singer told the audience that she was so happy to be able to go back onstage. "This is a very exciting day for me. I haven't performed in an arena since February because grandma had a hip problem. So thank you for being my welcome back," she said, as quoted by U.K.'s Daily Mail. "I have a very very rebellious spirit but when I get in trouble I tell them I was born this way," GaGa added between songs.


"I learned something really special during all my time off. While I was gone, I learned I might have had my picture taken every day and people calling my name but I felt unfulfilled. I never wanted to be famous for no reason. I live for this moment when the spotlight hits my face. I get to watch you laugh at me and say I can't believe she said that. I want you to know that. I want you to know, I don't live for fame I live for this moment right now, the applause," she also said.

More pics HERE

No One Has Seen Us Quarrel – Tunde And Wunmi Obe

They have been married for 15 years and in this new interview with Punch, they shared the secret of their 15-year-old union.

Tunde and Wunmi Obe have blazed the trail as one of the best couples in the entertainment industry. They are both artistes and in this interview, they share the secrets of their 15-year-old union.

When and how did you meet?

Wunmi: That was 25 years ago. I was in the University of Lagos and joined a campus band. Meanwhile, he had come from Lagos State University to rehearse with the band. Initially, there was nothing between us. We were just friends and we got talking. We discovered we had some many things in common. As time went on, we discovered our passion for music and television as well.

Tunde: We both became friends as a result of the band and when we began to talk, we understood we had many things in common. We became deeper in our thinking and found out we had more than an interest and that brought us closer.

When did you decide to marry her?

Tunde: There was no proposal. There is a way you bond together and you start thinking of getting married and moving in together. We were business partners and registered our companies together before we got married. I believe we were meant to be.

When you were courting, did it cross your mind that he could disappoint you?

Wunmi: Not once. If you know your partner, you would know what to expect.

Was there any opposition when you wanted to get married?

Tunde: Yes, it was my sister. We were very close and like most sisters, she was very attached to me and didn’t want another woman to have me. Ironically, she is closer to my wife than me now.

Wunmi: There was no opposition from my family. He was a very respectful and focused person and he didn’t show any negative traits. The only skepticism was from my siblings who kept asking how sincere ‘this fine boy’ would be. They thought he would be a playboy because of his looks but he proved he was not. They saw he was comfortable in his skin and focused. At a time when his mates were misbehaving, he was serious-minded.

How many years have you been married?

Wunmi: 15 years.

What has the experience been like?

Wunmi: Just like any other marriage, we have had our challenges but if you love each other and are determined to make it work, it will. It depends on how you view the marriage and your partner. Also, it depends on if you got married for the right reasons. We are friends and we enjoy each other’s company. We talk, argue, throw banters and make each other laugh. Every marriage face challenges but thank God, it’s been good and we remain each other’s friends.

Do you quarrel?

Wunmi: Of course. It will sound fake if we don’t quarrel.

Who apologises first?

Wunmi: I do.

Tunde: We don’t quarrel, we disagree. We devised a process, where we don’t use abusive words when we disagree. There are no shouts, no noise and each person makes their point known as if you are in a boardroom. We normally agree at the end of the day. I apologise too but Wunmi is always quick to say, “I’m sorry.” We thank God that our disagreement has never got out of hands. Nobody has seen Wunmi and I quarrel, not even our children.

Not even a third party?

Wunmi: We don’t allow a third party because there was no third party when we decided to get married. A lot of couples involve third party because they don’t know how to deal with each other. When you are determined that this marriage would work, you will take steps without inviting a third party.

You are always in same clothes…

Wunmi: Not always but when we do, it is because of the brand, T.W.O. The brand is different from us as a couple.

Are you always going out together?

Wunmi: No. We have our individual lives. Even when people see me in the malls or markets, they ask why didn’t I come with him. We do move about together but we still do things separately. We have same business but we don’t have to be together always. He could go for meetings outside Lagos and I would be with the children. We have our strengths which we combine for our benefits. We do different things at different times.

 

Any regrets been married to each other?

Tunde: No, not after 25 years of being together.

How do you handle your fans?

Tunde: There are some who prefer Wunmi and some prefer me. A lot more like us as a couple and they get inspired by our union.

How do you relate with female fans?

Tunde: I have learnt to deal with everyone with respect and dignity and they see me as a brother.

Do you get mad at some wayward female fans?

Wunmi: First, we are artistes and cannot erase the issue of having fans-male or female. Whenever I am with him, I don’t have nasty experiences from any fan. Moreover, I trust him to be able to handle such matters if they ever occur. He is mature and intelligent to handle it.

What gives you the assurance that he will not fall into temptation?

Wunmi: I have seen him react in the face of temptation several times and I trust him. We have come a long way.

What if anyone tells you something about him?

Wunmi: Women have to keep it at the back of the mind that idle talks destroy any home. Why is that person telling you something about your spouse? Even if it’s true, you apply wisdom and go about it carefully. My maxim is, what I don’t know would not hurt me. I don’t have to go through his phone to check call logs or read text messages. A man, who is inclined to adultery, when he is caught, will not change; rather, he will be more careful!

Tunde: If a lot of women had allowed certain situations to simmer, not fester and pass away, they would still have their homes. A man you put under pressure to the point of frustration will walk into the hands of another woman.

What are the most valuable gifts you have shared?

Tunde: The kids she gave me. I have bought some things which I know she appreciated but I believe it’s the thought behind the gift that matters and not monetary value.

Wunmi: Five years ago, I lost my engagement ring and one Christmas, he bought me another one. The ring had three stones on it and he said it represented our children. I was touched by the way he gave it to me because that was what he would have done if he had proposed. He went on a knee and put it on my finger.

Do you share same friends?

Tunde: We do have one or two friends.

Wunmi: It’s good to have friends as long as they are genuine but we have been stung a lot of times and withdrew. We enjoy our own company and are close to our siblings, acquaintances and adopted younger ones who we welcome to our home.

Who is stricter as parents?

Wunmi: He is but I take extreme measures sometimes.

Tunde: We are both loving parents and sometimes we warn ourselves to be strict with them.

Are any of them toeing your path?

Tunde: It’s our daughter but she has to face her studies squarely now. We allow them to express themselves musically but it’s not yet time to come near a microphone. They should face their studies and not allow any distraction.

Are there challenges working together as a couple?

Wunmi: No

No crisis over finance?

Tunde: When we started, we had nothing and every kobo made was worked for. We can’t forget those days now that our bank accounts are healthy. Money can never be an issue and we have arithmetic of sharing money when it comes in.

Any joint account?

Tunde: Yes, but that is the business account. We have our individual accounts, which are for our personal use. That has never posed a problem.

What’s your husband favourite dish?

Wunmi: Pounded yam. His mother told me before she passed on that an Ondo man likes pounded yam, so I learnt how to prepare it.

Do you have pet names for each other?

Wunmi: I call him Tee.

Tunde: I call her Wunmi

*This is very well. I pray we have more of successful marriage stories from our entertainment industry*

Photo's from Dr SID & Simi Osomo’s Introduction Ceremony

MAVIN records artiste, Dr Sid and fiancée, Simi Osomo have started their marital journey. Their introduction ceremony held today with Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya, his manager and some other celebrities in attendance. We wish the couple all the best. More photos after the cut.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Big congrats to them!

Who rocked it best! Chidinma, Davido or Wizkid?

Who rocked the Camo best?

'There are times my colour is a disadvantage and I cannot get certain roles'- Juliet Ibrahim

Ghanaian actress Juliet Ibrahim in a chat with Punch last weekend.

Background

My name is Juliet Ibrahim, an actress and I was born in Accra, Ghana. I am the eldest of four children. I grew up in several countries- Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia and Ghana.  Some of the countries I grew up in were war-torn countries and I experienced war in Lebanon, Ivory Coast and Liberia. This made me grow up and stronger than I should be.   As the firstborn, I had the responsibility of taking care of my siblings and helping my mother during those periods of conflicts. My father is a Lebanese businessman, who runs a supermarket. He kept moving his business from one country to the other as a result of wars. I read marketing, advertising and public relations at the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Growing up

I am a half-caste and as a child, there was no colour difference- you are just happy with where you are and who you are with. Then, Ghanaians accepted people for who they are.  However, I am being told now that I am receiving more favours because of my fair complexion.   It seems people now have issues with coloured people.

Acting

I have always wanted to be in the spotlight. As a child, I wanted to be a very popular musician and there was an opportunity in 2005. Somebody called me for an audition and I was given a lead role where I acted alongside Majid Michel. After my first movie, I got another role.  It has been nine years in the industry. Though not an easy feat, I thank God. Recently, I produced my own film and it will be premiered in Lagos this December.

Challenges

Sometimes, it is related with my colour.  The fact that I am of a mixed race makes people think that I receive preferential treatment. That is a huge misconception.  There are times my colour is a disadvantage and I cannot get certain roles. They would rather give the role to a dark-skinned actor especially if both parents are dark in the movie. Sometimes, the fair-complexioned actors are cast in the roles of husband snatchers and other bad characters. People don’t know that we go through a lot.  It has been very challenging to get a role that can elevate my talent.

The real Juliet Ibrahim

I am just a very simple person.   I am hardworking, a businesswoman and a mother of a three-year-old son. I do charity work too. I released two of my singles this year.

Relationship

I am married to a Ghanaian, who is a quarter-caste. His mother is half Lebanese and half Ghanaian. We met several years ago when he was living in the United States of America. I was attracted to his personality and intelligence. We kept in touch and got married three years ago when he relocated to Ghana.

Family life

My family copes very well when I am away working. My husband works too. He is currently out of the country. I miss my son a lot at such times but my mother is taking good care of him.

Any other business

Apart from acting, I operate a boutique in Accra. I have a beauty salon as well.  I also run a charity organisation for cancer awareness. It has been running since 2010. I have my production house and I also do music. I have a modelling and talent agency, where I recruit young people who are interested in taking part in movies and television commercials.

Style

I used to wear anything and walk around with my flip flops.  Now, I am conscious of the fact that style matters and anything I do as a celebrity is a part of me.   I always have to look my best always.  Style, for me, is wearing what I am comfortable in. I try my best to always play with my shape and make sure my figure comes out.  I can try any kind of dress. I am very dramatic with my dressing.

Favourite fashion accessories

Sunglasses and handbags.

Wish list

If I were not an actor, I would have been a musician.  Also, if I did not get the chance to be in the spotlight, I would have been a very famous lawyer.

*running to have my skin bleached* *lol*

73year old Roberto Cavalli flaunts beach body with younger girlfriend Young Enough to be his grandchild

Wow! the renowned fashion designer Roberto Cavalli  who is 73 keeps flaunting his beach body every time he hits the beach with his girlfriend who is in her 20′s.

They are proof that age is no barrier to finding love

Denrele Edun, Beverly Osu Visit Mandela’s House In Soweto To Pay Their Last Respect

Beverly has been in South Africa since the Channel O Awards and yesterday, she, Denrele and some South African friends visited Mandela’s house in Soweto to pay their last respect.

 

Meanwhile, check out the Mandela top Beverly is rocking. She says it was the only Mandela shirt she could get - it’s for ages 2 & 3, but she bought it. 

 

African peeps showing love to an anti-apartheid hero... Quite impressive!

Man sues wife for giving birth to ugly children, Judge orders wife to pay $120,000

A certain middle aged man, Jian Feng recently sued his wife for giving birth to what he called an “incredibly ugly” girl.

“I married my wife out of love, but as soon as we had our first daughter, we began having marital issues,” he told the Irish Times.
“Our daughter was incredibly ugly, to the point where it horrified me.”

Initially Jian accused his wife of infidelity, because he knew he could never be the father of an unattractive child.

However, DNA tests proved that the child was indeed his. Feng’s wife then came clean and admitted she had about $100,000 worth of cosmetic surgery done in South Korea before they met.

Feng sued his wife on grounds of false pretenses, for not telling him the truth about the plastic surgery, and duping him into believing that she was beautiful. A judge agreed with Feng’s argument and ordered his wife to fork over $120,000.

So funny1!!

Devastating story of teen who watched her step-father murder her family

On New Year’s Day 2012 suicidal taxi driver Michael Atherton went on a crazed shooting spree in his family home in Horden, County Durham, killing three women before pulling the trigger on himself.
 
Among the victims were his partner, Susan McGoldrick, her niece, Tanya Turnbull, and Tanya’s mother, Alison Turnbull. 

Susan Goldrick was shot in front of her daughter Laura, then 19, who says: 'I really wanted to stay and like help me mam and hug her, but me body just took us and ran. Me and Tanya were running together.'

'He aimed at us both, but he got Tanya most and me just a little bit, because our blood is mixed in on the dining room wall, up the wall.'

Laura also described her stepfather's chilling obsession with his guns: 'When he was drunk, he used to go upstairs, and you could hear the gun cabinet open. It was an accident waiting to happen.'
Despite being investigated three years earlier when officers were told he'd threatened suicide, Atherton was allowed to keep six guns in the family home.

When Susan tried to leave Michael to start a new life, he embarked upon the horrific late-night killing spree inside the family home.
Laura survived only by escaping through a first-floor window and jumping to safety. 

The story unfolds in a new TV documentary, which explores how the family members left behind following the horrific gun attack are still coming to terms with the events that took place.
It also follows their campaign to change gun licensing laws in the UK. 

Speaking about the tragic event, which took place in Horden, county Durham, Dr Keri Nixon said: 'This is one of the most brutal murders I have come across.'

 

So where did it all begin?
In 1992 at the age of 27, Susan gave birth to daughter Laura, but her marriage broke down.
When Laura was three months old Susan met local bodybuilder, Michael Atherton. 

But Susan's siblings had a bad feeling about him.

Susan's brother, Norman Hardman, said: 'He thought he was Mr. Perfect, and I said to my sisters you know there's just something not right. Cause I'd heard a few stories about him you know, going around, getting drunk, causing trouble.
'Something stood out because he was quiet and it was the way he used to look at people. He'd sort of have a stare when he looked at you.'

Forensic psychologist, Keri Nixon, who works with Merseyside Police in domestic homicide cases and has been looking into Atherton's profile for the documentary shed some light on this.
She explained: 'Body building was a major part of Atherton's life. He was obsessed with his image, he was obsessed with how big he was, he was obsessed with showing his body off at competing events. 

'This helps us understand how narcissistic he was.' 

Evil: Susan (L) met local body builder, Michael Atherton (R) when she was 27 but her family had a bad feeling about him

Atherton and Susan's relationship became serious very quickly, and in 1994, Susan gave birth to their son, Michael Junior.
At this point, to the rest of the world, they appeared like a perfect family unit. 

Susan's sister, Mavis Foster, said: 'The kids were all Susan's world. She was a brilliant mum. She'd do without anything if it meant getting for her kids.'
Daughter Laura said: 'She was very loving and caring, she loved her family so much, that's really all she lived for really, we were like the most important thing in her life.' 

While Susan doted on the children, Atherton appeared disinterested, especially in his stepdaughter Laura, who never saw him as a father figure.

As Laura grew up, Atherton spent as little time as possible with her and Susan's family claim Atherton tried to cut off contact between Susan and those closest to her.
Behind closed doors he'd beat Susan black and blue. 

He would drag her around by the hair, kick her and throw ornaments at her; she was forced to lie to those close to her and pretend she injured herself by walking into a wall.

Mother and daughter: Alison Turnbull and daughter Tanya (R) were victims of the mass shooting on New Year's Day

Teenage daughter Laura was witness to some of the horrific assaults.
Recalling the dark times, she said: 'He'd laid in bed pretend to be asleep, let me mam fall asleep, and then he kicked her in the leg and then dragged her by her hair, threw her down the stairs.'
It transpired that Susan had been admitted to hospital seventeen times for injuries caused by Atherton.

On top of the domestic violence, there was an even greater threat to Susan. Atherton had taken up a new hobby: shooting.
Laura explained: 'He used to show them [his guns] to friends, which is a stupid thing to do, which we told him. It was an accident waiting to happen. 

'There was something about his connection with the idea of having this power in his hands that really really enthralled him, and that should to many people have been a huge danger sign, you know a violent man, with issues, and violence with guns, it's not a healthy recipe.'

In 2008, Atherton showed just how dangerous he could be after an argument escalated between him and Laura and he threatened to shoot her.  

'After that argument, he said "ah I'm gonna go upstairs and blow me head off", and I was thinking in my head, "please do it cause I absolutely hate you". 

'Me mam phoned the police. When the police turn up, Atherton denied what happened. He pretended to be asleep on the bed and said that me mam was lying.'

The police confiscated Atherton's guns, but his license wasn't revoked, and a few months later the police returned the guns - a decision that had tragic consequences. 

Police were called to the family home four times over alleged domestic violence from Atherton towards Susan, Atherton was cautioned for one of the assaults, but Susan stayed with him and refused to press charges. 

On one of the occasions a police officer that attended the scene recorded that Susan was displaying classic symptoms of emotional abuse. 

In 2011, Atherton pushed her one step too far.

Standing up: It was when Athertron (not pictured) raised his hand to Laura that Susan ended the relationship and he lost his cool

Laura explained: 'He was drunk in the kitchen after being in the pub, I come in from uni about nine o'clock, and then he was shouting saying I'm a bitch and I'm evil, and then I was walking upstairs screaming and then he said come down here now I dare you, and I said what are you going to do, hit us like?
He raised his hand to Laura and that's where Susan stepped in, telling Atherton that the relationship was over.

Atherton moved out and Susan started thinking about the future, her children noted that they'd never seen her so happy.
A close friend of Susan's said: 'This woman was starting a new life, she was going be free of him, and that's what's just so terribly sad, at the point that she had the strength to stand up to him is the point which he took it all away. He knew it, he knew it was over this time, he knew that she was gone, and he couldn't face that.'

However, Atherton told Susan he had health problems and managed to persuade her into allowing him to stay at the house over Christmas. 

'Susan was a really good woman, she was a really good mother and a really good partner, and in spite of all the aggression, all the attacks, all the horror, she still feels responsible towards him,' said a family member.

But as far as Atherton was concerned, if she was going to live without him, then she wasn't going to live at all.
Surrounded by her family, Atherton realised he couldn't control 47-year-old Susan, and it tipped him over the edge. On New Year's Day, he loaded his gun and began shooting. 

Laura recalls: 'And then that's when he come in and shot me mam in the back. Practically point blank range in the back.'

In our prayers: 'There's never a minute of the day goes past without thinking of them', said Laura

Laura was injured from the shrapnel but managed to escape out of the bedroom window into next door's balcony.
After shooting Susan's sister Alison, 42, in a final insult, Atherton shot her daughter Tanya, 24, for a second time in front of her. 

Dr Keri Nixon believes Atherton planned to kill himself after the murders.
'He's not the kind of man that was going be in prison, that was the ultimate control. He controlled what happened to him as well, by shooting himself.'

In March 2013, an inquest into the murders revealed the extent of the domestic violence and uncovered the failing of Durham constabulary, which enabled Atherton to hold a fire arms license and commit those horrendous crimes.
 
Speaking in the aftermath of the terrible atrocity, Laura said: 'I just want her back. I can't believe I've been robbed of me mam, me sister, me aunty.  

Live on: The family have pulled together and are determined that the girls deaths will leave a lasting legacy

READ MORE AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Strike: Ex-ASUU leader, Iyayi, killed in gov’s convoy crash

Former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Festus Iyayi, yesterday died in an auto crash involving the convoy of Kogi State Governor Idris Wada along Lokoja-Abuja Road.

Iyayi and other members of ASUU, University of Benin branch, were on their way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the union scheduled to hold today. The meeting is to enable the NEC receive reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in the universities across the country.
The accident occurred about noon at Banda village near Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, when an escort car in the convoy of the governor had a head-on collision with the bus in which Prof. Iyayi and the other members of ASUU were travelling.

Eyewitnesses told National Mirror that the ASUU team was travelling to Kano in a Toyota bus with registration number ED 357 ASL.
The remains of the late professor were said to have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Lokoja, while other injured victims, including the driver of the convoy’s Hilux pick-up van, were taken to the same hospital for medical attention.

Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Olakunle Motajo, who confirmed the accident, said preliminary investigation revealed that there was wrongful overtaking on the part of the governor’s vehicle. Wada later visited the emergency unit of the hospital to commiserate with the victims and also at the mortuary to see the remains of Iyayi.

The governor, who was shocked over the incident, however, told the management of the hospital to give the injured the best treatment. In a statement later, the state government confirmed that an escort vehicle in the convoy of the governor was involved in a fatal accident at Banda Village, while the governor was returning from an official engagement in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, stated that the convoy was on a speed of 80 kilometres per hour when a bus collided with the escort van. “Sadly, in the storm, it was discovered that a renowned academic and respected human rights advocate, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was in the other vehicle died in the accident.

There were other victims with varying degree of injuries from both sides,” the statement said. Born in 1947 in Ugbegun, Ishan in Edo, late Iyayi obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial Economics from the Kiev Institute of Economics in the former U.S.S.R.

He became a lecturer in 1980 at the Department of Business Administration, University of Benin. Iyayi, who was the ASUU president in 1986, was also a known author with four books to his credit. The late unionist won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for one of his books “Heroes” in 1988.
The title of other books to his credit are: “Violence”, “The Contract” and “Awaiting Court Martial.”

Meanwhile, reactions have been pouring in on the death of Iyayi. President Goodluck Jonathan expressed sadness over the death of the former ASUU president.
A statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, commiserated with the leadership and members of ASUU on the tragic death. Jonathan also expressed condolences to Iyayi’s family, his colleagues, friends and associates.

Senate President David Mark also lamented the death of the frontline academic. Mark noted the giant strides of the university scholar, which had brought international fame and value to the nation.

He regretted that Iyayi was one of the leaders of ASUU dialoguing with the Federal Government on how to resolve the lingering strike by university teachers. Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan also expressed deep shock at the sudden death of Iyayi and called on players in the education sector, including the Federal Government and striking lecturers, to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of excellence at the tertiary level in honour of the deceased.
The governor in a statement by his Press Secretary, Felix Ofou, said the highest honour that the late Iyayi deserved was the return to the pursuit of academic excellence in our universities and other higher institutions. ASUU also mourned the death of its former President.

The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, said: “The sad news was broken to the union in the morning of November 12. I cannot say anything right now. We have just lost one of our own, Festus Iyayi, who was very dear to us.

I am mourning.” The immediate past President of the union, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the news came to him as a rude shock and was still in doubt if it was true. Awuzie, now the Vice- Chancellor, Imo State University, said: “I know the NEC executives of the union should be on their way to Kano, but I am still expecting the details of the death.

“Until I get full details on the circumstances of his death, I might not be able to say much,” Awuzie said. Prof. Ahunna Okerengwo, the Chairman, University of Port- Harcourt chapter of ASUU, says the death of Iyayi on Tuesday was shocking. Prof. Damian Opata, the Head, Department of English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said Iyayi’s death was unfortunate. “It is very sad coming at this time,” he said.

The Kano meeting is to deliberate on whether to call off the strike as the NEC receives reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in all the universities across the country. Local chapters of ASUU had held their congresses on Monday to vote on the suspension or otherwise.

The said agreement, which necessitated the subsisting July 1 action, required that the Federal Government will, within a period of five years, release more than N1trn, to bridge the noticeable infrastructural deficits in the nation’s ivory towers. Also, the Federal Government would have released N92bn, for what the union christened, “earned allowance.”

However, ASUU seems to have a moral burden now as the Federal Government said it had released over N30bn as part of the contentious earned allowance. Last week’s meeting of the Fagge-led ASUU with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, prompted positive steps by ASUU towards ending the strike.

At the meeting, President Jonathan was said to have pledged government’s readiness to release N220bn in next year’s budget and in subsequent appropriations.

Already, chairmen of local chapters of ASUU are converging on Kano, preparatory to the meeting, from where a positive resolution is being expected. Chairman of one of the federal universities in the South-South, who did not want his name mentioned, said the strike “may be suspended on Saturday.”

“Many of the chapters are disposed to ending this strike, which has cost us all a full semester. “As I speak with you, we (chairmen) are on our way to Kano for NEC meeting tomorrow (today).” Asked if the strike would be suspended, he said: “I think so, judging by reports from the Monday congresses we held simultaneously. We may suspend the strike on Saturday or Sunday.”

He, however, admonished government to ensure that it honoured its promise so as not to return the university system to this “sorry past”. This, of course, formed the basis for the Monday congresses and today’s “decider” NEC meeting.

Meanwhile, the University of Jos, UNIJOS, chapter of the union explained its support for the continuation of the ongoing strike. After considering the outcome of the meeting which the union’s national body had with President Jonathan, members of the branch had last Monday voted in favour of the continuation of the fourmonth- old strike.

The UNIJOS branch of ASUU said the meeting with the President achieved nothing, a position which had also been condemned by some stakeholders The Branch Chairman, Dr. David Jangkham, said yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that his members were compelled to take the stand because of the government’s insensitivity to their plight.

Reported from National Mirror