INEC was never ready for elections - PDP Chairman Muazu says

PDP Chairman Adamu Muazu says that INEC was never prepared for the earlier proposed date of February 14th for the general elections.

Genevieve Nnaji, P-square, Don Jazzy others make Most Influential Igbo Personalities’ list

Top Nigeria’s entertainers, Genevieve Nnaji, P-square and Don Jazzy have exclusively made the list of Most Influential Igbo Personalities, otherwise known as MIIP among other wave making celebs in the showbiz industry who are of the Igbo origin.

Football player arrested for killing his girlfriend after finding out she was transgender

21 year old popular Texas college football player Carlton Ray Champion Jr. (left) has been charged with the murder of 24yr old transgender woman, Ty Underwood ()right, who was killed on Jan. 26th

Police first caught a break in the case when Ty's roommate, Kedrick Darks, told police Underwood had been dating a man named “Carlton” for several weeks prior to her death. Police say they interviewed Champion, who confirmed that he had been communicating via a service called “Kik” with Underwood, who was going by “Tyra” on the service. They were able to search Champion’s tablet computer and allegedly discovered communications between Champion and Underwood dating back to January 19, 2015.

“After reading the text between Champion, Jr. and Underwood, it was clear that the two have had sexual relations with each other,” one detective wrote. The investigation revealed a series of messages between Champion and Underwood on January 25 in which Underwood was angry with Champion for initially agreeing to meet in person that night and then backing out. Underwood sent a message saying she no longer wanted to see Champion, to which he allegedly responded: "That’s how it is now, I will make it up.”

After that, there was allegedly some additional conversation about where and how they would meet, and whether it would be at a Texas College or along a random street. The conversation makes it appear they were to meet on 25th street. The investigators also obtained surveillance video allegedly depicting Champion exiting his dorm early on the morning of January 26 following the Kik conversation.

They say Champion met up with Ty - and when he found out he was born a male, Champion allegedly killed him.

One of the detectives interviewed Champion’s father and wrote “[Champion’s father] stated that Carlton Jr. was meeting [Underwood] and thought [Underwood] was female. According to [Champion’s father], Carlton Jr. was supposed to get some type of sexual favor from [Underwood] but realized [Underwood] was a male.”

Additionally, investigators say Champion’s jacket worn at the time of the murder tested positive for blood in a preliminary test that’s too basic to determine whose blood was sampled.

Source:  CBSTV

Niger troops sent to 'crush' Boko Haram in Nigeria

Parliament unanimously approves deployment of troops as part of a regional offensive against armed group.

A Niger MP says the resolution authorised the country to send some 750 troops to Nigeria [File - Reuters]

Niger's parliament has voted unanimously to send troops to Nigeria to join a regional fight against the armed Boko Haram group.

South Sudan rebels shell oil-rich town of Bentiu

Army says backers of vice president destroyed a mounted vehicle and captured a tank, a day after famine appeal launched.

Fighting has killed almost 50,000 people and forced almost two million from their homes [AP]

South Sudanese rebels have shelled government positions in the oil-rich town of Bentiu, a day after the UN launched a $1.8bn aid appeal to stave off famine in the war-wracked country.

Ukraine says civilians killed in rocket attack in east

President says at least seven people killed in Kramatorsk, as fighting rages in several areas ahead of peace talks.

Ukraine says that Russian-backed shelling at the Petrovskiy district in Donetsk killed seven people [File: Reuters]

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that Russian-backed fighters have launched an artillery strike on the town of Kramatorsk, killing at least seven civilians.

Obama confirms death of US hostage held by ISIL

Statement confirms death on Friday of aid worker Kayla Mueller, who was seized by ISIL in Syrian city Aleppo in 2013.

Kayla Mueller was taken captive in August 2013 after leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo [Reuters]

Barack Obama, the US president, has confirmed the death of a US hostage held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).