FCT Minister’s 19yr old nephew kidnaps brother, demands N10m

The Bauchi state Police command have arrested a 19 year old man identified as Salisu Salmanu, who claims to be a nephew of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, for conniving with three of his friends to kidnap his own three year old younger brother, Abdulkadir Salmanu, and demanding a ransom of N10m from his father. Salisu is said to be the son of the elder brother of the FCT Minister.

According to a report by Punch, the state police spokesperson, DSP Haruna Mohammed confirmed the incident and said Salisu in company of his friends identified as ; Imrana Abdullahi, 17, Abdullahi Mohammed, 19, and Umar Musa, 19, all residents of the Kofar Idi area of the Bauchi metropolis were arrested on February 28th.

“The suspects conspired with four others, now at large, to kidnap one Abdulkadir Salmanu, male and three years old Kofar Idi, took him to Gwallameji and demanded 10m ransom from the parents. The victim was liberated by the police and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the other fleeing suspects after which they will be charged to court.”he said

When interrogated, Salisu said it was greed that motivated him to kidnap his own brother.

"When we planned the kidnap, we agreed that if we succeeded in getting the N10m, we should buy a car. We also agreed that the rest of the money should be left for spending as individual deemed fit. Honestly, my father meets all my needs. He pays my school fees and every other thing I need. It is just greed and selfishness which the devil put in our hearts. By God’s grace, our hearts have totally changed since this is our first time of doing this, and we pray that God prevent a future recurrence.”

One of his accomplice, Abdullahi Mohammed when interrogated said when they kidnapped the boy, they had no intention of  harming him...

“We took the child, not with the intention of harming him, but so we could get money from his father and release him. We demanded N10m, but the father said he would pay N3m and we insisted it was too small. We finally agreed that he should pay N5m. Honestly, if we had succeeded, we would not have returned the money, but this would have been our first and last operation,” he said.

The police say investigations into the matter is ongoing.

Source: Punch

'I will not lose the elections' President Good Jonathan tells AlJazeera in new interview | READ + WATCH VIDEO

In an interview with Al-Jazeera TV which aired yesterday, President Jonathan said that he'll not lose the upcoming Presidential election. He also said the increase in the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria is not as a result of his mishandling of the group and that Boko Haram did not start with him. Speaking about Jega, the president said he's never had any discussions with anyone to remove him. He affirmed that the elections will not be postponed again. Excerpts from the interview after the cut

 

"I will not loose the elections" President Jonathan said when asked if he was scared of loosing the elections.

When asked what he makes of the insinuations in some quarters that the sudden step-up of military operations in the fight against Boko Haram was because he is scared he might lose the elections on the grounds of insecurity, he said;

"Its out of ignorance. In a political environment, if one party, particularly the ruling party is going to the left, they(opposition) would have to go to the right. They must find something. They must have something to tell the people"

Asked whether the elections will be postponed again, President Jonathan said

"I don't think so. I believe the elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC, that is National elections on the 28th of this month. I don't see why we should postpone again because I am quite impressed with the successes going on in the north. There is a misundestanding about the postponement. In 2011 we conducted elections in Nigeria, we had Boko Haram. The fact is that within this period, somehow the level of Boko Haram within this period was quite serious and from all indications and from the signals the security agencies got, people are trying to use them disrupt the elections. In 2011 there was no such signals and if you disrupt the elections in a number of states especially for the presidential elections, it will affect declaration of results. So the security services don't want to take any chances. They did not tell Nigerians that they must route Boko Haram 100% before the elections could be conducted but they want to degrade Boko Haram to the extent that they would no longer have the kind of strength that they would come out and disrupt the elections. That is the key thing. In terms of taking over our territories, yes we will take over all our territories and very soon there will be no part of Nigeria where they will erect a flag and say this is a Boko Haram territory. That we will do but what I am saying is that even if you do that, that does not mean you are inolated from terror attack. but gradually with improvement in terms of technology and monitoring we will able to bring it down. When we take over all the territories they are holding, they are becoming weaker, now we will improve our monitoring using superior technologies to monitor their activities, then we will begin to pick them and then of course frustrate their activities. So over the period, it will go. We cannot live with terror. No we can't. We would stop it"

On whether he mishandled the seriousness and strength of the group, he said

"No it is not a question of mishandling. Boko Haram didn't start with me"

On allegations leveled against him by APC Senators that he plans to sack Chairman of INEC Prof Attahiru Jega, he said;

“Except somebody is insinuating that the Chairman has done something wrong. You cannot change an officer, except the person has done something wrong. Government, whether at the federal or state level, president or governor, does not wake up and change somebody, especially somebody like the INEC Chairman, except that person has done something wrong. INEC is a very sensitive body. For me to change INEC Chairman, Nigerians and non-Nigerians will ask questions. So, you cannot wake up and change INEC Chairman. I have never discussed with any person on earth about changing INEC Chairman”

WATCH VIDEO BELOW 

Stop Inciting Nigerians Against Jonathan, Ex-Militant Leaders Warn Obasanjo and Buhari

Niger-Delta Ex-militant leaders have warned former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, to stop instigating Nigerians against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The former warlords stated that the continued ridiculing of the president in the eyes of Nigerians could cause disunity along ethnic and religious divides.

Speaking under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiatives (LPCDI) on Sunday, the ex-militant figures argued that Nigeria’s security and peace was being threatened by the hate campaigns by various political parties ahead of the presidential polls, adding that the frequent media attacks on President Jonathan’s government especially by Mr. Obasanjo was further heating up the polity.

In a statement after the group’s meeting, its leader, Reuben Wilson, popularly known as General Pastor Reuben, cautioned former President Obasanjo to think carefully before issuing divisive statements against President Jonathan, who hails from the Niger-Delta. “We are advising Obasanjo to think very well before he takes any further action. It should be known that Nigerians are watching him closely and monitoring his utterances and actions against President Goodluck Jonathan”, the group said. They continued: “Nigerians are aware that because President Goodluck Jonathan refused to dance to his tunes as a perceived stooge, Obasanjo’s attacks [have] become a dangerous and threatening comic relief to the unity of the country. Obasanjo should stop instigating Nigerians against Jonathan through his utterances.

Rather he should be grateful to Goodluck Jonathan completing all his abandoned projects, like the East-West Road”. According to the group, Mr. Obasanjo should give credit to Mr. Jonathan for completing most of the projects awarded by the former president. “This should be the gesture from a political father to his son. Why can’t he assist his son Goodluck Jonathan to take Nigeria to the next level? Why is Obasanjo pulling down Jonathan’s administration to cause disunity in the country? We advise him to have a rethink before it is too late”. The ex-militants also warned the APC flag bearer against the use of religion and ethnicity in the ongoing political campaigns.

“We call on the APC and General Buhari to have a rethink over the use of religion and ethnicity to campaign against Jonathan’s re-election”, the group said. They added: “Why is the APC using the fact that Jonathan is from a smaller geographical area to oppress him? Why can’t they argue based on what Jonathan has done and what he has not?”

Iran Calls Obama’s 10 Year Nuclear Demand ‘Unacceptable

Iran rejected and termed “unacceptable” U.S. President Barack Obama’s demand that it freeze sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years on Tuesday, but said it would continue talks aimed at securing a deal, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. Reuters was there: “Iran will not accept excessive and illogical demands,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying by Fars.

“Obama’s stance … is expressed in unacceptable and threatening phrases … ,” he reportedly said, adding that negotiations underway in Switzerland would nonetheless carry on. Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sat down for a second day of meetings hours after Obama had told Reuters that Iran must commit to a verifiable halt of at least 10 years on sensitive nuclear work for a landmark atomic deal to be reached.

The aim of the negotiations is to persuade Iran to restrain its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions that have crippled the oil exporter’s economy. The United States and some of its allies, notably Israel, suspect Iran of using its civil nuclear program as a cover to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran denies this, saying it is for peaceful purposes such as generating electricity.

Kerry and Zarif met in the Swiss lakeside town of Montreux as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to criticize the diplomacy in a speech to Congress in Washington.

POLITICS: Bola Tinubu to sue AIT

Press statement from APC Chieftain Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's media office. Read below...

"All Progressives Congress National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to sue the management of the Daar Communications Limited, owners of the Africa Independent Television, AIT for the defamatory content of a documentary aired on Sunday.

Counsel to Asiwaju Tinubu, Tunji Abayomi, said a letter asking Daar Communications to apologize for the content and stop further airing was delivered this afternoon.

A part of the letter to AIT reads, " ... You aired an hour long documentary focussing on our client (Bola Tinubu). Clearly pre-occupied with political resentment and hatred neither warranted, necessary, proper, or justified, you published several false allegations against our client...More disturbing is your misrepresentation that the said documentary was "sponsored" without disclosing the "sponsors". You cannot under law, hide under media freedom to maliciously injure a citizen's reputation".

The letter also demanded for N20billion (Twenty Billion Naira) as cost of damage done to the reputation of its client failing which the client will sue the company.

Another part of the letter reads: "…to affirm the right of our client against your defamatory publication, we demand that you confirm to us within 24 hours of receipt of this letter, an apology and retraction of the said publication/documentary."

PDP candidate arrested for murder in Ebonyi state

Police in Ebonyi state have arrested 38 year old Chidi Ejem, a PDP House of Assembly candidate in Ebonyi State over a murder case. According to the States Police spokesperson, Chris Anyanwu, over the weekend, hoodlums attacked some Labor Party supporters in the state and in the process killed one Udu Emegha, 36.

Police said investigations into the killing led them to the home of Chidi Ejem where cutlasses stained with blood, a gun and other weapons were found. Continue...

Anyanwu explains;

"A group of hoodlums numbering up to 23 were led by one Emmanuel Innocent from Amaigbo Etiti Edda and they besieged the house of the deceased and attacked him, beating him to comma. The said Udu Emegha gave up the ghost, later the team of police operatives rounded up the said Emmanuel and others in the house of one Chidi Ejem. Chidi is a candidate of House of Assembly and a 38-year- old man. The exhibits recovered include three cutlasses with blood stain, a single barrel gun and some expanded cartridges. The state CID has just commenced investigation into the matter and the cause of this murder will be unraveled. We have in our net Chidi Ejem, Emmanuel Innocent and 35 others. So far we have arrested 37 suspects in connection with the murder."

Photos: ISIS Executioner, Jihadi John's adult photos released

These are the photos of ruthless killer, Mohammed Emwazi, the ISIS executioner popularly known as Jihadi John and currently the most wanted man in the world. He's pictured left during his time as an IT worker in Kuwait. His parents have also been identified but claim not to be associated with him. The last time he spoke to them, they said he tricked them into believing that he was a humanitarian aid worker in Syria.

See Cynthia Morgan semi nude photos you missed

The dance-hall queen is pictured left in her nightwear and right during the shoot of a music video. 

See What Chris Brown is Doing in this photo

A happy-looking Chris Brown pictured pressing against a fan, who seemed to have forgotten her panties at home, at his Between The Sheets tour 'meet & greet' event over the weekend. Chris is currently on tour with Trey Songs and Tyga and one of the options they gave to their fans is to buy a ticket which includes a meet & greet where fans get to take pics with the stars.

Well, this fan made sure she got every single dollar out of her meet & greet ticket by coming out with no underwear and backing it up on Chris Brown...so seemed very happy to oblige.

First photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna together

TMZ just obtained the first photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna pictured together since news hit town that the A-listers are dating. The actor is pictured standing next to the singer at her birthday party two weeks ago. See the TMZ report after the cut...

Rihanna and Leo DiCaprio should be a perfect match -- neither's into settling down with one person for too long -- but now that they're banging ... one of them is way more committed than the other.

We got pics of RiRi and Leo getting cozy recently at her birthday party -- which he helped organize -- and sources at the bash tell us one thing was clear ... Rihanna's the clingy one.

We're told Leo is affectionate enough -- they engaged in plenty of PDA -- but he could barely get a moment to himself. As one source put it, "she's the baddest bitch in the party, but she's following him everywhere."

We're told they've been hooking up for about 3 months, but it's still not exclusive -- more like they're each other's first choice. Not that anyone's crying for either of them. #LeoProblems

Boko Haram video shows two men accused of spying being beheaded | SEE PHOTOS

Boko Haram released a video on twitter yesterday showing the beheading of two men they accused of being spies for the Nigerian police. The two men, identified as Dawoud Muhammad & Muhammad Awlu, were led by Boko Haram militants to a forest where they were made to kneel and confess their 'crimes' to the camera. 

In his confession, Muhammad (right) said he was a farmer from Baga and that he'd been approached by a police officer who offered him money in exchange for infiltrating Boko Haram.

'We went to see a man from Mijka and a police officer that was with him. The officer gave me 5,000 Naira' Muhammad tells the camera.

He said their mission was to spy on Boko Haram, and in exchange, he'd get 'a lot of money and will never go back to being a farmer again'. After the confessions, the militants beheaded both men and placed their severed heads on their chest. See more photos after the cut...

Wiz Khalifa slams Amber Rose in new song, calls her a ho & stripper

Sorry Amber. It looks like it's really over for Wiz Khalifa. He said as much in his new track 'For Everybody' featuring Juicy J which he released late yesterday. On the track, Wiz said he fell in love with a stripper and fell right back out of love. Wiz raps;

"I fell in love with a stripper. Funny thing is, I fell back out of love quicker. Bottles be turnin' these girls into thots. Instagram be turnin' these wives into h**s."

In another line, he said'  "You all 'bout that money, that sh*t that I throw. Just make sure you clean off that pole."

In the song, he also references Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, and Drake, and claimed the 'stripper' has  hooked up with all of them! Ouch Wiz! That's the mother of your son.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Gen. Buhari reacts to current Fuel scarcity

The APC Presidential candidate took to twitter to react to the current fuel scarcity in Nigeria. Another tweet after the cut...

SEDUCTION: See what Singer Seyi Shay wore to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan

Quite a number of folks are bashing singer Seyi Shay for this outfit she wore to meet Mr President at the youths event that took place in Lagos last Saturday. Many think the dress was inappropriate. Do you think so too? See tweets from Wale Gates after the cut...

'I don't act in movies my mother can't watch' - Actor Kalu Ikeagwu

Nollywood actor Kalu Ikeagwu says he does not act in any movie his mum can't watch. He says a critical decision for him before taking up any script is to ask himself if his mum can watch the film..

"What determines the script I accept is the quality and morals behind it. I can't feature in movies that are boring. My movies must have something to teach, entertain and inform so that you can learn something. Any role I play in a movie doesn't matter to me. What matters is that you must have something to learn from the movie. The other thing that determines whether I do a movie or not is before I take the script, I will ask myself whether my mum can watch the movie. If she can,  I do it. If she can't I don't do it" he told Encomium magazine

Check out this throwback photo of comedian Klint Da Drunk

Almost doesn't look like him. The wife shared the throwback pic to celebrate him as he turns a year older today. Happy birthday to him.

Amazing photos: Woodpecker escapes attack by a Weasel

These amazing photos taken by amateur photographer Martin Le-May, shows the green Woodpecker struggling to escape an attack by the Weasel at Hornchurch Country Park in Essex, UK. The green Woodpecker takes off to try to shake off its attacker. The photographer says the Woodpecker survived the confrontation and the Weasel ran off into the long grass. See the photos after the cut...

EXPOSED: DJ Khaled sued by jeweler for collecting blings and not paying for them

All these people that will be showing off with things that don't belong to them...lol. DJ Khaled has been sued an a NY jeweler who says the rapper ordered a ton of bling from him and has refused to pay for them. He says Khaled is owing him over $100,000

According to TMZ, in papers filed in court, the jeweler said Khaled got 2 Rolex watches, a custom made diamond chain, a pair of diamond earrings & a 4 carat diamond ring from Rafaello & Company in 2012.

The company, R&C says it had a written agreement with Khaled that gave him 15 days to check out any jewelry the company sent him. The deal was ... if he liked the goods, he would pay -- and if not, send 'em back.

But in the lawsuit, R&C says Khaled did neither -- keeping the watches, chain, earrings and ring ... and never paid a dime for them when he was billed.

Throwback photos of some of Nigeria's top comedians | SEE HERE

Throwback pic of some of Nigeria's top comedians shared by Ali Baba. See another throwback pic after the cut...

..with RMD

Nigerian Government stalling our operations against Boko Haram - Chadian soldiers complain

According to a report by Reuters, Chadian military officers, who are part of the West African Joint Military Task Force to fight Boko Haram, are complaining that the Nigerian government is stalling their operations to assist in fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria. According to the report, Nigerian military officers recently rebuffed the offer of the Chadian soldiers to join in the mission to recapture Baga and other towns. Find the report after the cut...

 

When battle-hardened Chadian troops overran a Boko Haram camp in northern Nigeria last week, they wanted to press deep into territory controlled by the Islamist group but Nigeria refused to let them.

Having defeated al Qaeda in Mali two years ago, Chad's military believes it could could finish off Boko Haram alone. It has notched up victories that have pushed the Nigerian militants back from the Cameroonian border.

But with presidential elections this month, Nigeria is keen to press ahead with its own military campaign against Boko Haram, aiming to push it out of major towns before the March 28 ballot.

In a country proud to be a major African power, it would be an embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan as he seeks reelection for a smaller nation to tackle Nigeria's security problems, diplomats say.

In their forward base in the town of Gambaru on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, Chadian soldiers displayed dozens of guns seized from Boko Haram and a burnt-out armoured vehicle painted with black and white Arabic script.

"We turned back because Nigeria did not authorise us to go any further," army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa said.

Nigeria's spokesman for operations in the northeast, Mike Omeri, said cooperation between Chadian and Nigerian forces has brought some major military successes and any issues would be resolved via existing command structures.

But the Chadians say there have been no joint operations between the two forces. Chad's offer to join a Nigerian offensive to capture Baga, site of one of Boko Haram's worst atrocities in January, was rebuffed, Bermandoa said.

Officials from Chad, Niger and Cameroon say lack of cooperation from Nigeria has for months hampered efforts to put together a regional taskforce against Boko Haram. Chad was compelled to take unilateral action in January, under a deal that allows it to pursue terrorists into Nigeria, after Boko Haram violence started to choke off imports to its economy.

With Niger and Cameroon deploying thousands of troops on their borders, blocking escape routes for Boko Haram, the tide may be turning. In what Nigeria has branded a sign of desperation, the Islamist group has carried out wave of suicide attacks and threatened to disrupt the election.

Francois Conradie, analyst with South African-based NKC Research, said that if the current offensive can be sustained, Boko Haram could quickly be driven out of the remaining towns it holds. It would, however, remain a deadly rural guerrilla force.

“All of this is good news for stability and will probably be to Mr Jonathan’s electoral advantage,” he said.

OPPOSITION CRITICISES RELIANCE ON CHAD

Many in Nigeria ask why it took so long to act. Boko Haram killed thousands last year and kidnapped many more in its six-year campaign for an Islamist emirate in Africa's largest oil producer.

Niger, Cameroon and Chad say Nigeria neglected the uprising in its economically backward northeast, an opposition stronghold. Borno state is home to two percent of Nigeria's 170 million people.

But in recent months, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler who is running as the presidential candidate for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), has gained popularity with voters desperate for tough policies both on corruption and Boko Haram.

Amid pressure from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria's electoral commission announced a six week postponement to the Feb. 14 election, to allow the army to tackle the security situation in the northeast so voting could go ahead there.

Ernst Hogendoorn, Crisis Group's Africa deputy programme director, said the government appeared to have engineered the delay in the hope the APC would slip up or the military could boost Jonathan by defeating Boko Haram.

"Boko Haram has certainly suffered a strategic setback ... Clearly this improves Goodluck Jonathan's chances somewhat," said Hogendoorn. "The question is do any of these forces have the ability to maintain this tempo, particularly the Chadians and to a lesser degree the Nigerians?"

With Chad already squeezed by a slump in the price of oil, its main export, the government says it can only sustain the offensive in Nigeria for a short time, diplomats say.

Buhari, however, has already criticised Jonathan for relying on Chad to push back Boko Haram, saying his government would tackle the problem alone. Many in the military and the government are keen to limit foreign involvement on Nigerian soil, diplomats say.

When Chadian forces last month entered the town of Dikwa, they were told to leave by Nigeria's military, which said it was planning air strikes, Bermondoa said.

After Nigeria's army retook Baga last month, Army Chief Major General Kenneth Minimah said his soldiers would recapture a handful of remaining towns before the elections, listing Dikwa as one of them. “The war is almost ended," he said.

TENSIONS HAMPER REGIONAL FORCE

Boko Haram was long regarded by neighbouring countries as an internal Nigerian problem, but attacks in Cameroon and Niger last year prompted the regional response. Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Benin and Cameroon agreed in May to join forces against the militants.

Since then, however, distrust and misunderstandings have stymied preparations for the force, due to take effect by the end of this month. Nigeria initially sent low-level representatives to planning meetings, angering its allies.

Cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria has been dogged by long-running border tensions, while Niger accused Nigerian troops of cowardice.

"Nigeria must get involved and honour its promise of providing between 2,500 and 3,000 to the multinational force," said Cameroon's defence spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck.

Cameroon has stepped up its activities since July, when Boko Haram attacked Kolotafa, the hometown of its deputy prime minister, killing dozens and kidnapping his wife.

The government has boosted its security forces in northern Cameroon from 700 to around 7,000.

"We have to do whatever it takes to make sure the sect does not occupy any town in Cameroon," said Colonel Joseph Nouma, in charge of Operation Alpha, the mission against Boko Haram.

However, Nouma said he has orders not to enter Nigeria, and Cameroon has denied Nigerian troops the right to pursue insurgents into Cameroon.

Along its 400 km (250 miles) border with Nigeria, Cameroon has created 14 new bases, with heavy artillery batteries. It has also deployed surveillance drones, a senior intelligence officer said.

Another senior Cameroon military figure said they were attempting to choke off Boko Haram's revenues, including the trade in fuel with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    "All of this looks to be paying off," the officer said, with no incursions since mid-February.

Meet the pretty daughter of APC VP candidate Yemi Osinbajo Osinbajo

Kiki, the pretty daughter of APC VP candidate Yemi Osinbajo shared some lovely face pics of herself on social media. She's stunning!

Reality star Masika Tucker exposes her tryst with Justin Bieber and shares photo online

Justin Bieber turned 21 on Sunday March 1st and something interesting happened on instagram that day. Love and Hip Hop Hollywood star Masika Tucker exposed her tryst with Justin on his birthday by posting a photo of her hand on the back of a half-dressed white guy with the exact same Indian head tattoo on his shoulder as Justin Bieber with the caption: Happy 21.

When people called her out for exposing Justin that way, she quickly deleted the photo...

QUESTION OF THE DAY - Every man must answer -

Una dey hear? Now, get to work and eat it like a cupcake...*wink*

Naked man climbs out of a window at Buckingham Palace | A MUST SEE

A few days ago, a bizarre video was posted on Youtube showing a naked man climbing down from a window at Buckingham Palace. The incident was captured by a bystander who shared the video online but some people think it's a hoax as it didn't make sense to them that a completely naked man would be climbing the walls of the Queen of England's home. Plus the Palace declined to comment on the video. See another photo after the cut...

POLITICS: Fani Kayode sues APC spokesman Lai Mohammed for N5bn

Na wa o! They have started suing each other now. Lol. So, Femi Fani Kayode's lawyers have written to APC spokesman Lai Mohammed, asking him to withdraw the statement he made yesterday questioning Fani Kayode's mental state, issue an apology and enter negotiations for N5billion as damages against him. This is coming a day after APC threatened to sue Fani-Kayode over his claims of an oath-taking pact between Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Bola Tinubu. Read the full documents after the cut to understand better...