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22 Jul 2013

Apple Buys Nigerian Entreprenuer Chinedu Echeruo’s Online Mapping Startup For $1 Billion

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This should come as great news to all entrepreneurs and those thinking of startups.Apple has acquired Nigerian Entrepreneur Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com, The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital reports. Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed as at the time of this publication. HopStop has oft been compared to Israel’s Waze which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion. The move is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze.
Chinedu Echeruo grew up in the east, and attented Kings College in Lagos. He completed his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse university and went on to Havard Business School for his graduate studies. He founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private Equity transactions. He also worked at AM Investment Partners, a $500 million volatility-driven convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund.

Pokello and Bassey Gettting Boot : Chasemates shaken by Evictions


Diary: Chasemates shaken by Evictions
Last night saw Africa bid farewell to two of the most flamboyant Housemates in The Chase, Pokello and Bassey.

Seeing these two strong individuals getting the boot has the remaining Chasemates shaken up. "If you are up for Nominations, just be scared," said a cautious Nando. "The people you like the most in the House or the people that you think are the strongest of contenders get sent home," added the Tanzanian.

"I didn't see Pokello leaving, she was in my top five and Bassey was such a loveable person," said Emeraldmate Busi.

"She was the cat that had nine lives," said a surprised Dillish about Pokello's exit. The young Namibian, who like Pokello has found herself on the list of Eviction Nomineesseveral times, told Biggie that she does not want to end up enduring the same fate; of being put up for Eviction every week; as the Zimbabwean . "I don't want to become another Pokello," she confessed.

One person who knows all too well what it is like to be on the chopping block week after week is Annabel. During her Diary session the Kenyan shared her gratitude to Africa for once again shielding her from the grasps of the Eviction gallows, saying: "I don't want to be over confident, I want to thank Africa. It is a good feeling to know that someone out there believes in you and wants to see you in the House".

Stay tuned to DStv channels 197 and 198 for all your Big Brother Africa The Chase action or catch the daily shows on Africa Magic Entertainment (DStv channel 150) at 20:00 CAT.

By Lihle Jacobs

SHOCKING CONFESSION: I Beheaded 100 Men, Pounded 27 Babies & Slept With My Mother- Shina Rambo

In a very shocking interview renowned dare devil robber, Shina Rambo revealed some of the evil things he embarked on in his quest for power, during his reign terror in the 80's and 90's.
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Read below
Shina Rambo now Mathew Oluwanifemi was a name that sent shivers down the spine of people who lived in the South West of Nigeria and even outside Nigeria, like Benin Republic and neighborhood, in the 1990’s.
He was a hardened criminal, a terror and killer, one whom men of the security agencies will never forget in a haste!
A man mountain, towering about 6ft 5inch, well built, dark skinned and sweltering eyes, he carried out his operations, like a movie, in the broad day light, with sophisticated weapons, and bullet belts and explosives strapped roundabout him.
He specialized in robbing exotic cars on highways and banks. Nothing could stop him, not even security operatives, he was totally invincible. He was Shina Rambo!He was born in the year 1958 to a military man who was a bad egg in the service. His father was from Abeokuta in Ogun state, but his mother was a native of Sabongida–Ora in Edo state.
His father had over 18 wives, as was the norm for soldiers to impregnate virtually every woman they met where they were posted to.His father used his military influence to rob innocent citizens, and always brought huge amount of money home.

This used to entice little Shina. He recalls, “I remembered when I was about 7 years old, my father came home with a lot of money, foreign currencies, with blood on it, and they were using something like a woman’s scarf to wipe it, then I asked him, is this an animal’s blood, or human blood? But he wouldn’t answer me, they were just drinking, smoking, and merry making.
”Shina was already indoctrinated into the underworld by his father at a tender age of 7 without him knowing it, as he would sit in front of his son, to dismantle and assemble all sorts of weapons and then polishing them in preparation for an operation. This went on for so long till one day, little Shina, entered into his father’s room while he had stepped into the toilet, and saw a dismembered gun on the floor.

He sat down in front of it, and bit by bit, he had assembled it effortlessly in no time at all. His father came out of the toilet, and saw his son, with a loaded gun in his hands. Shina flashed back and said, “That day my father was so disappointed, that he wanted to kill me, he grabbed the gun from my hand and shot straight at me, but I miraculously escaped out of the room.Then he waited for me to be less alert at night he came to my room with a machete and tried to behead me, but once again, I escaped, but the machete caught my left leg. (rolled up his trouser to show us the large scar, that made everyone sighed in pity).
It cut me so deep I thought I was never going to walk again. That day I knew I had graduated, all that was left was to pull the trigger, and I was so eager. Shina Rambo became so notorious in no time, and was hell bent on succeeding in his career as an armed robber, that he went through any length to secure spiritual powers for fortification.
To the extent of pounding over 27 live new born babies in the mortar with a pestle, cutting off about 100 human tongues and cooking them to eat, visiting the spiritual river called river of life in Ogoja, Cross Rivers State, living in an Iroko tree for days, and sleeping in the cemetery.
He was given a spiritual wife who always followed him for any operation, she dressed like an Alhaja, people thought she was human, but she was a spirit, that was why they never saw her face.
He said she was his personal driver, that she could drive from Nigeria to Cotonou, in the speed of light.

Hear him. ”I was involved in so many rituals, that I can’t start naming them now, I was so powerful, I went underground, inside trees that looked like a city, a lot of beautiful houses inside the tree, I had my own too, I went into a river called River of life in Ogoja, where a lot of politicians and wealthy men used to come, I had several personalities, I could change my form whenever I wanted to, that’s why the police were busy killing innocent people, and thought they were killing Shina Rambo.
The 9 herbalists that gave me that power, I became stronger than them, one day I went to their shrines, and killed all of them, so that they don’t reveal my secrets. I had too many powers; my spiritual wife could drive any car in this world or out of it, no police vehicle, or anyone for that matter, could ever chase and catch me during an operation.

She was out of this world, and when she had completed her operation, they took her away from me. I could give anything to get powers, and the elders knew, so they also gave me anything I wanted.I once beheaded hundred men, and gave them the heads fresh, they were so happy with me that they made me invincible.
No matter the kind of bullet you shot at me, it was just like pure water on my body. I could give anything to get power, but of all the things I did to get power, the one that still breaks my heart the most, is sleeping with my mother. My father is dead now, but my mother is still alive, and she lives with me she is 85 years old, whenever I set my eyes on her, I just start crying.
I can`t bear it. Shina Rambo was a raging terror, he was infallibly dangerous, the police dreaded him, both in Nigeria, and Benin Republic, his place of interest for business.

He would go to police stations, in broad daylight and kill every policeman there, drive to check points and open fire on every policeman on duty, he didn’t like the police at all, and was never afraid of them, he operated in broad day light armed to the teeth looking like Johny Rambo, in the popular Sylvester Stalone movie, “First Blood”.
He once robbed 40 exotic cars in one day and drove all of them in a convoy, from Lagos to Cotonou, unstopped. He was powerful; he was wealthy, and impenetrable. He was a tin god, apparently belched from the very arroyo hell, we all dreaded him. He had a wife and three children, but he lost all of them in one day during a bloody police raid whilst he was away on operation.
His wife was his stabilizing factor his life changed afterwards. He says “my wife was everything to me,

I was forbidden by the elders to sleep with any other woman apart from her, I could gather about 50 women around me in a hotel, and they will just be playing with me, we would smoke, drink, and sniff cocaine, I will give them money but I will never sleep with them. I will go back home to my wife and sleep with her. That was why the police never caught me. She knew my job, she knew what I was, I never left them alone at night, I operated in the day time and go back home to my family at night.
I had everything, I was very wealthy, I once spent 50 million naira in a day. I did it a lot, there was one day that we were coming from an operation and it seemed as if my powers were going to fail me, the police and the army were almost closing in on us, so we had to drive into a crowd and threw millions of naira in the air, there was commotion, everybody was busy picking naira notes even the police, until we escaped.

I was too rich, but anything the devil gives you never lasts, he will collect more from you, it’s only the devil that will give you Fila, (cap) and ask for Iro and Buba.(wrapper and top). I lost everything, all the money, my family; I was so powerful the police couldn’t catch me but I lost it all.I had to surrender myself to the police, and I was arrested and jailed for 11 years.
When I was serving my jail term in Agodi prisons, Ibadan, Prophet T.O Obadare came visiting, and having been encouraged several times by the Christian brothers and sisters in the prison to give my life to Christ, he prayed for me and converted me, and changed my name to Oluwanifemi, and it was so miraculous, the next day I woke up and started speaking in tongues. It was during the time of President Olusegun Obasanjo, that we were granted freedom.

At this point, I was glued to my seat, the revival where Shina Rambo gave this exclusive confession was on an open ground revival in the ancient city of Ibadan, right in front of me, on stage, was Evangelist Mathew Oluwanifemi, the once feared Shina Rambo, clad in a loose fitting shirt, black pants and a pair of leather sandals with a black Holy Bible in his hands, gigantic dark skinned and bald headed, still had those fiery looks, and stealth movement.
I was more transfixed than focused, God is indeed awesome, he picked the offering basket raised it to the congregation prayed and asked who had anything to give to God, at first I was reluctant, my mind was occupied and out of an innate compulsion, sheer curiosity I stood up, dipped my hand in my pocket walked towards him briskly and calculatedly brought out my offering, dropped it into the basket, and looked deep into his eyes, I had too many things to ask him, there were too many questions unanswered.
He looked back at me, and spoke in Yoruba, saying God bless you my brother; we know your type when we see them.The congregation broke into a mild giggle, as all eyes were on me as I went back to my seat, with a lot of things on my mind, and the red light on my midget still blinking, in the breast pocket of my jacket…

To be continued……
By Tunde Moshood

…MONALISA, LAIDE BAKARE, DORIS SIMEON TOP NOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES WITH SHORTEST MARRIAGE'S LIST

Doris Simeon
Doris Simeon was married to movie producer and director, Daniel Ademinokan. Their marriage produced a child, David, and it collapsed in May 2013.

Stella Damasus
Following the death of her first husband, Jaiye Aboderin, Nollywood diva, Stella Damasus, got married to socialite, Lanre Nzeribe and the union crashed nine months after.

Monalisa Chinda
Nollywood actress, Monalisa Chinda, got married and separated from her husband, Dejo Richards, in 2004. This union crashed over allegation of domestic violence and infidelity.

Foluke Daramola
This cross over actress was married to Tunde Sobowale, son of former Lagos state commissioner of education, Professor Sobowale. A few years after the crash of that marriage, Foluke is now remarried to Mr. Kayode Salako.

Laide Bakare
Laide got married to an American based bizman, Olumide Okufulire and the marriage produced a girl child. A few years after, the union crashed. And Laide is now remarried to a Lagos based businessman, Tunde Oriowo.

Ngozi Ezeonu
This top actress packed out of her matrimonial home many years ago on account of her husband’s alleged unfaithfulness as he dumped her for another woman whom he impregnated.

Fred And Agata Amata
The handsome actor, Fred, and her TV presenter wife, Agatha, have always served as a case study of Nollywood couple whose marriage hit the rocks as a result of infidelity. Though, they attributed the break-up to irreconcilable differences.

Stephanie Okereke
This A-List actress is said to be very happy with her divorce as she sees herself as being better off without her ex-footballer husband, Chikelu Ileoanusi.
The reason for their breakup was attributed to financial problems.

Eucharia Anunobi-Ekwu
Although, Eucharia wanted her marriage with Charles Ekwu to last, the ex-hubby had other plans as he depended on the actress for his own welfare and that of the family until he was caught red-handed making love to their 13 years-old house girl.

Clarion Chukwura
Clarion had been married to two husbands but she is without any of them today. She has laid the blame for her failed marriages as the prize she has to pay as an artiste.

Shan George

Shan first got married as a teenager but left the marriage after giving birth to two boys. She later married a US-based guy, Tony Nwosisi, but she later found out that the man was married to another woman who had given him children at the time of his marriage to Shan, so she decided to quit the marriage for good.

Femi Adebayo And Khadijat
Funke Akindele was on the centre of this couple’s problem. But nobody had a fact on that yet. Femi Adebayo’s marriage to Khadijat produced three lovely children.

JENIFER ELIOGU
Jenifer Eliogu’s marriage crashed months after she delivered her second son. She lost her husband to a Swiss woman.

Hilda Dokubo

The speculation was that Hilda and her hubby both accused each other of infidelity. The husband, Karo, was initially based in Lagos, when he was allegedly being hinted with tales of his wife’s amorous affairs with other men in Port Harcourt.