News
At 44 I’m still a Virgin


My name is bamike and I’ve lived quite a peculiar life. I’m 44years old and am still a virgin. I know it sounds odd and almost impossible. Let me tell you a bit about myself.
Growing up for me was harsh, I come from a very poor home, my father is a contractor farmer, he farms other people’s farm for money, we were too poor to afford our own farm, my mother was a nanny and cleaned people’s houses. It was really tough growing up, everything was hard to come by.
My parents couldn’t afford to take care of me so I was sent to live with one of my mothers sisters aunty rose. Aunty rose is my mothers older sister, she was a teacher in a government owned secondary school. Aunty rose is unmarried and lived alone. My mother once told me a man had betrayed her when she was younger, he got her pregnant and abandoned her but she lost the baby during delivery and ever since, aunty rose hated every man.
I wouldn’t say I enjoyed living with aunty rose, she paid for my education and literally brought me up but living under her roof meant I had to live by her rules.
The number one golden rule was ‘stay away from men’.
I attended the same secondary school my aunty taught hence It was a strict regimented six years for me. She taught me to be afraid of men, they only knew how to destroy and ruin ones future. I remember one time I was in ss2, during a free period I was playing with a boy in class, and aunty rose was passing in the corridor and spotted us. When I got home that day, she made me stand under the scorching sun from 2pm to 4pm without any lunch. I learnt one important lesson that day, laughing or playing with boys was a cardinal sin.
‘Do you want him to touch you and ruin your life forever and move on with his like nothing happened? Do you want to be the laughing stock and not have a bright future?’ She screamed at me that day.
I completed my secondary school education without any deep communication whatsoever with the opposite sex. I gained admission into a polytechnic in our state and I went to school from home. Aunty rose kept an eagles eye on me, I didn’t dare have a close male friend.
My first relationship was after my HND and it was the owner of the cyber cafe where I got a job, his name was James. He said he liked me a lot and couldn’t stop thinking about me. I found attention overwhelming, I kept this from aunty rose and nursed my new wonderful secret. One day after work, James asked me to wait behind. When everyone had gone, he came close to me and without warning slipped his hand inside my blouse, cupped my breasts and squeezed it. I was alarmed, such had never happened to me before. He said he wanted to ‘feel’ me, to show me he loved me. I was too stunned to say a word. I immediately got up like one struck by lightning and dashed out of the cafe without saying a word. I never went back. It occurred to me that what aunty rose had told me was true, he didn’t love me he just wanted to ruin me. I resolved not to let that happen to me and so in that manner I’ve lived my life staying clear of men.
In my early thirties, I met another man through a friend of aunty rose, he was looking for a wife. I was happy, finally someone approved of. She however warned me sternly not to sleep with Stanley till he at least paid my bride price. I thought the idea to be a good one, after all we had all our lives to have sex, what’s the rush?
Stanley wasn’t happy when I told him, he grumbled that we were getting married, why was I being childish and archaic. I stood my ground, in some part of my head, this was some sort of test to know if he truly cared about me. He later grudgingly agreed, I was so elated. I was getting married to a nice man who cared about me and not my body. Loving genuinely for the first time, I gave Stanley my all. I would cook and take to his house, wash and clean, I was determined to be the best wife ever to my husband.
I however came home early one day from the market, and rushed to prepare food for my Stanley. Passing my aunties room on my way to kitchen, I heard strange noises. I was baffled. Aunt rose was supposed to be in school by this time. I opened the door without knocking to verify the source of the sound and I saw the most bizarre scene of my life. Aunty rose was in her bed naked with my Stanley!! At first I didn’t understand what I was looking at. Aunty rose? Stanley? How in Gods name? Aunty rose was so ashamed she couldn’t look at me.
I left her house that night to a friends. I couldn’t stop crying, the woman who had raised me and taught me to stay clear of men was just a bloody hypocrite. I couldn’t do anything she was my mothers sister after all. I called things quits with Stanley, to make matters worse he seemed relieved with the decision. In my anger and bitterness, I moved with my friend to Lagos and got a job. I worked hard and channeled all my hate and bitterness to work. Few years down the line, I have money and am successful but I’m tired of hating and shutting men out. I yearn a fulfilling and loving relationship, I don’t know how not to be awkward around men, my social life is static. I’m 44, unmarried and still a virgin.
News
Mbah to NBA: “Law, the Conscience of the Nation, Justice Sector Reform, a Cornerstone of Our Administration”
By ORJI ISRAEL


Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has reminded lawyers that the law is more than a profession, as it serves as the conscience of the nation.
Mbah, who spoke during the opening of the 2025 Annual General Conference, AGC, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Sunday, also restated the commitment of his administration to justice sector reform, saying that it remained the cornerstone of his government.
“Let me say this: the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Stand Out, Stand Tall,’ is a timely reminder of the responsibility we bear as lawyers and leaders. The law is not just a profession – it is the conscience of the nation. We are not only courtroom advocates; we are also defenders of truth, architects of peace, and champions of equity,” he said.
Listing some concrete steps by his administration towards justice sector reform, the governor said, “Since assuming office, we have made justice sector reform a cornerstone of our governance. Just a few examples will suffice.
“We were among the first states to fully implement financial autonomy for the judiciary in line with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This has enhanced the efficiency, independence, and dignity of our courts.
“We have carried out a comprehensive rehabilitation and digitization of our courtrooms across the three senatorial zones. The High Court Complex in Enugu is equipped with e-filing, virtual hearing facilities, and an integrated case management system.
“To decongest our courts and promote alternative dispute resolution, we have strengthened and expanded the Enugu Multi-Door Courthouse, making it a model in the region for commercial and family dispute settlement.
“Through partnership with civil society and the NBA, we have expanded access to pro bono legal services for indigent citizens and detainees, especially in our rural areas. No one should be too poor to afford justice.
“We have also carried out an extensive codification and review of obsolete state laws to reflect modern realities, ensure gender justice, and promote the ease of doing business in Enugu.
“Perhaps one of the reforms I am proudest of – we introduced real-time transcription for our courts. Attaining Verbatim Reporting for the courts has eliminated the strain of longhand recording on judges, cut down on delays and improved productivity,” he said.
He, however, asserted that none of the reforms was an end in itself, noting that they remained part of a broader vision of his government towards making Enugu State the preferred destination for investment, innovation, and inclusive development.
“From smart schools, safe communities to accessible healthcare – our vision cannot be achieved without a justice system that is fair, functional, and trusted,” he added.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar III, while the keynote address was given by charismatic leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters of South Africa and a member of country’s national parliament, Julius Malema.
News
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran


Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.
This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa.
Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village.
“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”
This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.
“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”
Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”
This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.
“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”
We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.
News
Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye
….Media Sustainability: Soneye Advocates Tax Reliefs, Independent Fund for Journalism


Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.
Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.
In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.
“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.
The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.
-
Finance4 days ago
Tinubu Launches Personal Income Tax Calculator to Improve Compliance, Fairness
-
News4 days ago
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
-
Transport2 days ago
August24news Publisher, Ajagbe, Set to Present Best Driver and Best Conductor of The Year Awards
-
Business2 days ago
Lagos Mainland Trade Fair set to take place next month
-
Hospitality4 days ago
Excitements in Enugu as Gov Mbah Unveils Reconstructed Hotel Presidential
-
Hospitality4 days ago
Gov. Mbah and the Rebirth of Hotel Presidential
-
News1 day ago
Mbah to NBA: “Law, the Conscience of the Nation, Justice Sector Reform, a Cornerstone of Our Administration”
-
Agriculture4 days ago
Niger State to End Direct Supply of Live Cows, Launch Meat Processing for Southwest Markets