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22year-old Mary Konye, who threw acid in the face of a friend, Naomi Oni, while wearing a veil as a disguise has been jailed for 12 years.
Naomi suffered burns to her face and chest in the attack near her home in Dagenham, East London, in December 2012. Mary attacked her because she had once called her ugly, her trial was told.
Ms Oni needed skin grafts and has suffered permanent scars to her leg, chest, stomach and arms and was almost blinded in one eye. She must wear a silicon face mask and faces further reconstructive surgery.
CCTV footage captured Konye, who was found guilty in January, secretly following the Victoria’s Secret shop assistant home from work while wearing a veil.

In the impact statement, read to the court by prosecutor Gareth Patterson, Ms Oni said she found it very difficult to live with her physical appearance and was now “paranoid and scared” about being outdoors alone.
Before the attack, Ms Oni said, she was a “confident” young woman. “All this changed that day I was struck with acid and my life was turned upside down.”

Ms Oni said: “I’m reminded what I look like every day I look in the mirror or see the reaction on people’s faces. The whole traumatic experience has changed my life.
At times I felt suicidal and thought about ending it all.”
On being attacked by someone who had been a friend since secondary school, Ms Oni said: “It was bad enough believing it was a random attack. Knowing Mary planned this is beyond belief. I don’t trust people in the same way anymore.”

Nollywood Thespian and Gulder Ultimate Search Anchor, Chidi Mokeme turned 42 yesterday, March 17th and had a little birthday bash with few friends. Annie Idibia and hubby Tuface were spotted there.
More photos below:

On episode 116, we feature Nigerian-American Sports Illustrated model, Adaora Akubilo.  Abi spoke to the 5’11 beauty about how she went from being a devoted academic to a successful fashion model.  She also addresses those who’ve criticized her for showing skin in her sexy swimsuit shoots.  Tune in and read the full transcript of the interview below!

Culture Shock: Episode 116 

Introduce yourself
Hi, my name is Adaora and I’m a Sports Illustrated model
Talk a bit about your background as a Nigerian…were you born here…
I was born in Connecticut, however, both my parents are Nigerian.  They are Igbo and I got a chance to live in Nigeria when I was younger for almost six years.
What was that experience like? 
{laughs} I was ten when I went.  I understood the language, you know my parents speak Igbo around me and stuff, and I understood it.  I knew a few words here and there but I really can’t speak it, so when I went there it was like, alright, this is different.  The kids were so mean to me because I dressed differently and I spoke differently.  You know, I just didn’t sound like them so it was an adjustment.  Eventually I learned how to fit in.  I gradually lost my American accent, I almost blended in except for the fact that I was 5 ft 11 inches at age 10 {laughs}.

So you came back here when you were like 16?
Yeah, I came back to the States when was 16.
When did you begin modeling?
I started modeling probably around 17.  I was a sophomore in high school when I was approached by a scout.  And it really wasn’t anything I thought about.  I think my mom mentioned it to me when I was younger but you know, my father always drilled in my head to go to school so I was always academically oriented.  It was all about school, school, school so I just didn’t see where the modeling thing fit in, but I talked to my mom about it and she was like sure.  So, it was actually a modeling school.  I’m sure people have heard about those and they’re like a little leery about them but my experience was actually a positive one.  I went to the school, I took classes, and kind of got myself familiar with what modeling was and stuff like that.  I got placed in the city and got placed with an agency and I would kind of go in the city in the summer time to kind of model because I was in college.  I eventually went to college and stuff like that, but it wasn’t until after I graduated college that I decided to pursue it full time.
You’re a Sports Illustrated model.  That is huge for any model, first of all.  Then for model of color that’s even bigger.  How did you land the gig?
Sports Illustrated it was a dream of mine.  I always looked to models like, the black models in the past who’ve done it: Shakira, Tyra Banks, Noemie Lenoir, I believe Naomi Campbell did it one time, and Jessica White.  So I looked to these women, you know it’s like the trailblazers, the ones who did it before me, Roshumba Williams.  You know, these are all beautiful black women and they’re all different.  Some are lighter, some are darker, and Sports Illustrated seemed to embrace all kinds of black girls, so I was like, there’s room for me there.  I think there’s a good chance that I can really get this.  I wasn’t sure how they would embrace me with my hair natural, because I was wearing my hair natural at the time.  A lot of girls don’t wear their hair natural, but they were like yeah, we love it, we love you so, so I was like, this is great.  I was excited my first year doing it so I was very excited.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was like a dream come true.
I shot in Australia my first time so my second time going back, it was really nice going back to Africa, even though it was southern Africa.  It was so nice to go back to Africa.
Your photos are beautiful and sexy.  But I noticed on a few Nigerian blogs, people make comments like, what would her father think of her posing topless.  So I wanted to know what you would have to say to those people and how you feel about nudity.
Well, what I would say about the blog posts and the nudity thing, my father is very proud of me, first and foremost.  I am a well rounded individual.  I did everything he wanted me to do, and kind of like what I wanted to do, like going to school, getting my education, and this is just something that I’m adding to my resume and my life achievements and accomplishments so he’s very proud of me.  And as long as I’m happy that’s all he cares about.
[My photos] are done in a tasteful way.  I’m not out there, boobs all out {laughs}.  Like I’m being a little coy with it, you know, I’m kind of like hiding it a little bit.  I’m hiding my boob, it’s not all out there like hello {laughs].  No one knows what my nipples look like {laughs}.  It’s not all out there.  It’s done in a very tasteful way and I would never compromise myself.  If I wasn’t comfortable doing it and if I felt like I was in some way doing something that would embarrass my family, I would never do anything that would embarrass my family or myself for that matter.
So nudity done in a tasteful way, and if you’re comfortable, God created these bodies of ours, you know, I’m just celebrating it.  And getting paid at the same time so that’s a good thing.
They say being a black supermodel in the industry can be really tough.  What kinds of obstacles have you faced?
Yeah, it is a little challenging being a black model.  They try to base it on what the public wants and what the majority is.  And I understand that a lot of the consumers and the people out there buying these things are white, but there are also black people selling things and buying, and what not.  So I feel like people in the industry, they’re a little hesitant.  Because I don’t know if they’re nervous thinking that the black models won’t be well received if they’re put in the forefront all the time.  And I just think that it’s a misconception because there are a lot of people black or white who I think would embrace the fact that more black models are higher profile and being used more.  So I think that’s the biggest challenge.  I feel like if we can just overlook that, if we just let go of this stigma that oh, a black model won’t sell a product as much as a white person would, it’s kind of like, I don’t know, it’s a backwards way of thinking and I feel like it’s a lot of fear and not knowing, and things like that.
I want to play this game with you called, “what would you rather?”  I’m just going to ask you a few questions and you tell me what you would prefer.
So, Lagos or New York City?
{laughs} I’m going to say Lagos right now because can I just say, I’ve had friends who’ve been going home.  I haven’t been home in a long time, like years, and when I was there I was young so, but I’ve been hearing so many good things about Lagos so I’m going to say Lagos now because I want to go and see what Lagos is about today.  I’ve been hearing so many positive, great, raving reviews about Lagos today.

Naomi Campbell or Tyra Banks?
Naomi Campbell
Eba and egusi or filet mignon?
Eba and egusi {laughs}
Nollywood or Hollywood?
Nollywood man, Nolly!
Reality TV or scripted television?
Scripted TV
Goodluck Jonathan or Obama?
I’m gonna go with Obama
Twitter or Instagram?
I’ll say Twitter.  I’m still trying to get with the whole Instagram program.  I’m not with it yet so I’m still tying to figure that out.

Voluptuous actress, Sarraphina Onyekachi Amaechi, a public administration graduate, has come a long way in the movie industry. The ebony beauty is respected and appreciated for her talent. Her rise to prominence did not come as a result of her using her “oranges” to dazzle men in the movie industry, according to her, she took the stairs, savouring every bit of pain and gain along the way. But her oranges continue to put her in the searchlight of men, everywhere she goes. In fact. Serraphina said her b00bs are becoming rebellious. Sharing an experience where the “big oranges” cause a stir, she said: “The breasts are becoming more and more aggressive by the day. One fateful day I was travelling, just at the airport, as I just bent down to open my bag, my breasts fell out like bombs. I was so embarrassed but then that is part of me and I am proud of it.” On taking up a nudé role in a Nollywood movie, Serraphina said. “It’s not about the money but more about telling the story as it were. I can act in a p0rn movie but I can never go nudé myself. If I have to act with somebody, they use a body double to do the acting, that’s fine. But as for me, I can never go nudé. If you insist that I must act nudé, then you have to use a body double.”

Popular Nollywood comedian Hafiz ‘Saka’ Oyetoro lost material worth millions of Naira after his office at the Theatre Arts Department of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education was destroyed in a fire.
The fire started mysteriously at around midnight on Thursday morning and razed the entire Theatre Arts Department.
“What can I say, other than to thank God for the gift of life, because no live was lost in the inferno… We actually have good fire extinguishers, but nobody was around to do anything, given the time the incident occurred. Fire fighters have been here but they did little and the authorities have been here too,” Oyetoro said.
“I also lost my promotion letter, most painful was the fact that I was to submit some important documents for some international engagements but now this may not happen as the documents have also been lost to the inferno.”


We pray God replenish your lost!!

The members of the Boko Haram Sect have written to the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army threatening to attack Maimalari Barracks on Friday (today), Punch reports. Read full report below…

Investigations revealed that security had been beefed up in the Maimalari Barracks which has the Headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division of the Artillery Corps, the Ordinance, the Signal and other crucial units of the Army in Maiduguri.
It was gathered that while security agents saw the letter as a ploy to instill fear into security operatives, all efforts were being made to ward off any attack on the foremost military formation in the North-East.

A source said that the insurgents might have compelled one of the drivers to get the letter to the military of their plan to attack the barracks.
The source said that the letter was written in Hausa Language.
“Yesterday, the Boko Haram sect wrote that they would attack the Maimalari Barracks. They wrote the letter in Hausa Language to give the notification of their coming.
“However, security operatives are praying for them to come to the barracks. The barracks is the biggest; it is the cantonment in Maiduguri.
“The barracks accommodates, the 7th Infantry Division, the Artillery, Ordinance, Engineering, Signal and other corps.
“People are even surprised how they got the letter to the barracks; one cannot rule out intimidation of one of the drivers to get the letter to the barracks.
“Soldiers are on the red alert. There are many soldiers there who are waiting for the attack. Soldiers are battle ready,” the source said.
The current threat is coming barely after the Boko Haram sect launched an attack on Giwa Barracks, the Headquarters of the 21 Artillery Brigade on March 15, 2014.
Authoritative military sources said that over 350 insurgents were killed in that attack while some soldiers were injured. A soldier was also said to have lost four children to the attack.
Our correspondent also gathered that the Special Forces had taken over the Gwoza Hills believed to be one of the strongest hideouts of the sect in the North-East.
Investigations revealed that the Special Forces stormed the Gwoza Hills and killed several insurgents in a combined operation with the men of the Nigerian Air Force on Wednesday.
The source said that a soldier was killed in the attack while some others were injured.
“There was an encounter in Gwoza Hills. Troops have taken over the place; it was another fierce encounter.
“A soldier was killed and some others were wounded. On the part of the insurgents, I can’t give you the exact casualty figure because the Air Force was involved and bombs were used.
“Gwoza Hills is one of their strong points. The Boko Haram took over the entire place before the battle but soldiers have taken over the place and have captured some of their arms and ammunition.
“That place is one of their main operational bases; corpses are smelling there. It is a joint operation involving the Air Force and others.
“The insurgents hide under the hills to launch attacks. It takes over three hours to climb to the top of the hills in some cases. The hills are massive,” the source said.
Source: Punch