14-year-old maid arrested for abducting her boss’ two-year-old son (Guardian)
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 14-year-old housemaid, Favour Iwuozor, for allegedly kidnaping the two-year-old son of her mistress.
The Command’s Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspect was arrested on Monday in the Sagamu following a complaint lodged at Sagamu divisional headquarters by one Victoria Nwafor.
Oyeyemi disclosed that Nwafor told the police that she saw a 14-year-old girl on the 22nd of December 2021, with a very sick two-year-old boy in Yaba Lagos.
“She stated further that the little girl was begging for alms under the pretence that the small boy is her younger brother and that their parents died in a ghastly accident in December 2020,” Oyeyemi said.
“Out of compassion, the woman took both of them to her house in Sagamu in order to take care of the little boy deteriorating health condition. Read more
Gunmen kill 7 family members, 17 others in fresh Kaduna attack (Channels)
Gunmen have killed seven members of the same family during an attack on Sabon Birnin Birnin village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed this to Channels Television, saying that security agencies are working assiduously to contain the attacks and also get an update on the number of casualties.
According to the locals, the incident occurred on Monday night when the bandits in their large numbers invaded the community and started shooting sporadically, killing the family members in the process.
Police authorities are, however, yet to respond to the incident. Read more
Magodo Invasion: Again, residents protest police siege on estate (NewTelegraph)
Vehicular and human movements have been grounded in the early hours on Tuesday, as residents of Magodo Phase II Estate in Lagos stormed the main gates and roads in protest over large presence of armed policemen in the estate.
Recall that on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 some persons, described as miscreants acting on the directive of land creditor, Chief Adeyiga, and court bailiffs, invaded the estate with the aim of taking over the properties following purported court order ceding the land to Adeyiga’s.
Consequently, again, on Tuesday, Executives of the Magodo Residents Association (MRA) ordered the two main gates leading into the estate shut in order to prevent any form of invasion.
However, residents and other people were allowed to go out of the estate, but were prevented from entering. Read more
IPOB confirms banning national anthem, use of cows at ceremonies (Punch)
The Indigenous People of Biafra, through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, has confirmed that the group had banned recitation of the Nigerian national anthem in schools in the South-East region.
The PUNCH had already reported on Monday that IPOB, apart from banning the national anthem in schools, also banned the use of Fulani cows during festive seasons in the region.
Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, Powerful said the order came from the “head of directorate and leadership of the group as led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
Powerful, however, explained that he would expatiate with further details more information as regards the directive on Tuesday. Read more
HEDA condemns CP Odumosu’s arrest of security guards at Brooks Estate (Sun)
The Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has express dissatisfaction over the widely reported arrest of some security guards and a passer-by widow with three children, at Brooks Estate in Magodo, Lagos by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, on Saturday, January 1st, 2022.
A statement delivered by the Chairman of HEDA, Suraj Olarenwaju, the civil society group revealed that it was reported and admitted by the force that the Commissioner of Police was on a “Private social visit” to a friend holding a function in the estate.
For HEDA, the Lagos State police boss was expected to act in a civil manner to befitting his class in the Society and show a sense of mental maturity by playing by the rules guiding entry and exit of the estate executed by the security guards. As we know, there are rules guiding every territory, since Mr. commissioner was not going for a war (where protocol in an environment may be thwarted), one expects him to follow the unbureaucratic due process at the main gate as it is obtained in every organized crime.
“We are not Ignorant of those sentiments which triggered the CP’s actions against those diligent security guards. The brouhaha -particularly the gridlock at Isheri, this incident has caused is disturbing and highly condemnable. Read more
Ban: Twitter meets conditions (Nation)
Twitter users may soon have access to the social media platform which has met the six conditions imposed on it by the Federal Government.
The Technical Committee raised by the government to resolve the impasse between the two parties is fine-tuning the offers by the micro blogger before making a final recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The President is also awaiting the report of the committee to lift the ban it imposed on Twitter on June 4, last year.
It was learnt that the President has agreed in principle that Twitter’s social networking operation be restored in Nigeria. Read more
Kwara NSCDC establishes female squad to prevent abduction in schools (Leadership)
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara State, has created a Female Squad to man security in schools across the state.
The newly established squad was set up to checkmate the abduction of students from schools.
The State Commandant of NSCDC, Makinde Iskil Ayinla, announced this in Ilorin, the state capital on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the activities of the Corps in 2021.
“A Female Squad that will keep watch over our schools to checkmate students’ abduction will be unveiled this month. We have trained some selected personnel on this and with the permission of the state governor, we will deploy them to schools this month,” Ayinla stated. Read more
2023: Federal lawmaker says Osinbajo is saleable candidate for Presidency (Guardian)
Hon. Hafizu Kawu, the member representing Tarauni federal constituency, Kano, says the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is a saleable presidential aspirant if he chooses to contest the Presidential elections in 2023.
Kawu made the disclosure during a press conference on Monday in Kano.
The federal lawmaker, who urged Osinbajo to contest the Presidential elections in 2023, said that the move will consolidate on the achievements of the present administration.
“Osinbajo is a saleable candidate for the party whose antecedents, experience, honesty, capacity and capability speak volumes.
“As a close ally and former aide of the Vice President, I chose to make this briefing without his consent, yet I am doing it due to Osinbajo’s impressive vision for the country. Read more
’’Creative Industry Needs Continuous Sponsorship To Thrive’’ – Lai Mohammed (VON)
The Nigerian Creative industry needs continuous sponsorship, funding and support to thrive.
The minister said this after watching a play titled “Death and the King’s Horsemen” by Wole Soyinka at the Terra Kulture, in Lagos southwest Nigeria.
“After the agriculture sector, comes the creative industry which employs the largest number of people especially the youths and women. We need to support the creative industries through donations and sponsorships. This production would not have been possible without the sponsors, so we must all contribute to help grow the industry”, the Minister said.
In reaction to the play “Death and the King’s Horsemen” by Wole Soyinka, Alhaji Mohammed described Nigerians as people with cultures even before they were colonized by the White man. Read more
Man appears in court charged with murder of mother and three children (Metro)
A man has appeared in court charged with the murders of a mother and three children.
Damien Bendall, 31, is accused of raping and murdering 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, as well as allegedly killing her brother John Paul, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11.
The charges come after four bodies were discovered following a ‘sleepover’ at a house in Killamarsh, South Yorkshire, on September 19.
Bendall appeared in person at Derby Crown Court where he was not required to enter any pleas to the charges. Read more
Machine Gun Kelly to release 2 new albums this year (Kerrang)
As well as guesting on Avril Lavigne’s upcoming album and starring in the new Jackass movie, Machine Gun Kelly seemingly has big plans for his own material in 2022.
The musician had previously teased a “guitar-heavy” new album entitled Born With Horns (produced by Travis Barker and originally thought to be released on New Year’s Eve 2021), and now it turns out there’s also a whole other record to come on top of that.
“I know the rumor was i was dropping the album New Year’s Eve…” MGK tweeted. “see you in 2022.” He also added: “two albums this year.”
In October, Machine Gun Kelly told Variety that Born With Horns is more like “college”, while its predecessor Tickets To My Downfall “was metaphorically high school”. Read more
The Weeknd’s new album Dawn FM is dropping this Friday (OfficialCharts)
The Weeknd has announced that his new album, Dawn FM, will be released in full this Friday (January 7).
Abel Tesafaye announced the news on his Twitter account yesterday, after previous posts teased the possibility that he might surprise drop the entire in one go.
Dawn FM will be the follow-up to The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, the super-charged After Hours. So far, the LP has been trailled by the new single Take My Breath, another collaboration with Swedish pop superproducer Max Martin (Blinding Lights, Can’t Feel My Face).
In an accompanying post to the announcement, The Weeknd teased the involvement of legendary producer Quincy Jones in the project, alongside actor Jim Carrey
(possibly in a long-form music video), as well as Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne and Oneohtrix Point Never. Read more
French TV star twin Igor Bogdanoff dies of Covid six days after brother (RFI)
French TV personality and scientist Igor Bogdanoff died of Covid-19 on Monday at the age of 72, less than a week after his brother Grichka. The twins made their name on Temps X, a cult science TV programme in the 1980s.
The death of Igor was confirmed on Monday evening by his lawyer Edouard de Lamaze, as well as his agent.
A father of six children from several relationships, Igor had been hospitalised with a Covid-19 infection since mid-December, as was his twin brother Grichka.
Igor died just six days after Grichka passed away in a Parisian hospital, also of Covid, the lawyer confirmed. Read more
Hawkeye composer calls reaction to the show’s post-credits scene “bittersweet” (DigitalSpy)
Disney+ series Hawkeye bucked the trend of its Marvel Cinematic Universe contemporaries, choosing not to look ahead in its ubiquitous post-credits’ scene.
Instead, once the credits of Hawkeye had finished rolling, the series flashed back to its very first episode with a rendition of the in-universe Rogers: The Musical number ‘Save the City’.
The spin-off series recruited real-life Broadway composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman to write the song, and Shaiman has now spoken out about fans’ mixed response to the post-credits’ performance.
Explaining how the idea to revisit Rogers: The Musical first came about, Shaiman told Inverse: “It was just there. It was an idea that almost came up as a joke one day and then they didn’t let it go. It just kept coming up.” Read more
Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s Jason Reitman on how that major third-act cameo came together (CinemaBlend)
That major third-act cameo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife wasn’t just an example of reverent fan service. It also played a pivotal role in the defeat of Gozer and helped protagonist Phoebe Spengler get some closure with her grandfather. But just how did that legendary moment come to pass? Director Jason Reitman has given fans a peek behind the curtain.
In a recent interview with Empire, Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman revealed the logistics behind OG Ghostbuster Egon Spengler’s shocking cameo. The first step? Getting the blessing of the late Harold Ramis’ family. He said:
‘‘The first person that ever read the script was my father, and after my father it was the Ramis family. It was Harold’s widow, Erica, and daughter Violet, who I grew up knowing – we were both on the set of the original back in ’83. I talked to them about what we wanted to do, how we were going to do it. They came to set, and they viewed visual effects that came to the editing room. They’re the first people to ever actually see the movie. So they were part of this movie from start to finish and I think they were aware of how much I wanted to honour Harold. Egon was my favourite Ghostbuster. This is a Spengler story, and this movie is dedicated to him in every way.’’
Once Harold Ramis’ family had given the cameo their stamp of approval, Jason Reitman had to create a digital recreation of the actor that wouldn’t appear glitchy or artificial. His main priority was believability: in fact, the entire film depended on it. He explained: Read more
BTS stars RM, Jin and Suga have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19 (People)
BTS members RM, Jin and Suga have recovered from COVID-19 after contracting the virus last month, their label shared.
The musicians first tested positive for coronavirus in late December and subsequently entered quarantine. In a new statement posted to online platform Weverse, BTS management company Big Hit Music shared an update on RM, 27, and Jin, 29, on Tuesday.
“RM and Jin, who had been receiving treatment from home for the past ten days from Saturday, December 25, are now able to return to their daily activities,” they shared.
“Neither member exhibited any particular symptoms during their quarantine,” Big Hit added. “Jin had a slight fever when he first began treatment at home but has since made a full recovery.” Read more
Super Eagles AFCON Camp: 23 players in, 5 yet to arrive (Vanguard)
A total of 23 players have arrived the Abuja camp of the Super Eagles where preparations are ongoing for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Three of the four players who replaced members of the squad from the first list are already in camp. The team is putting finishing touches to their strategizing before they jet out of the country on Wednesday.
A total of 23 players have arrived the Abuja camp of the Super Eagles where preparations are ongoing for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Three of the four players who replaced members of the squad from the first list are already in camp. The team is putting finishing touches to their strategizing before they jet out of the country on Wednesday.
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands) Read more
Djokovic gets ‘exemption permission’ to play in Australian Open (Punch)
World number one Novak Djokovic said Tuesday that he was heading to the Australian Open to defend his title after being granted a medical exemption to play.
All participants at the Australian Open, which starts on January 17, need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a medical exemption, assessed by an independent panel of experts.
The Serb has repeatedly refused to confirm if he has been inoculated, with his participation at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park the subject of intense speculation for months.
“I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022!” the nine-time Australian Open winner said on Instagram. Read more
AFCON 2021: Afena-Gyan and Salis miss out on Ghana’s final squad (AfricaNews)
Ghana’s Coach Milovan Rajevac has named his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations – Cameroon 2021. The Serbian trainer had earlier in December named a 30-man provisional squad but trimmed the squad to 28 having camped in Doha – Qatar since December 23, 2021.
AS Roma youngster Felix Afena Gyan and Clermont Foot midfielder Salis Abdul Samed missed out on the final list for the tournament which kicks off in Cameroon on Sunday, January 9, 2022.
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew are in there, while Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus is also on the list despite his Dutch club naming him for a training camp in Portugal this week.
Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, Reading pair Baba Rahman and Andy Yiadom, and Swindon Town goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott, who made his debut during last year’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers, are the other England-based players selected.
Southampton takeover: Dragan Solak-backed company set to buy Premier League club (BBC)
Southampton are set to be taken over by a company backed by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, BBC Sport understands.
The company called Sport Republic is buying Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in the club.
Gao took over the club in August 2017, with Katharina Liebherr, who inherited Saints from her late father Markus in 2010 when they were in League One, retaining 20%.
Saints are 14th in the Premier League and were promoted in 2012. Read more
Novak Djokovic will play in Australian Open after receiving medical exemption from vaccine mandate (CBS)
Novak Djokovic announced he will return to the Australian Open to defend his title after receiving a medical exemption from the tournament’s vaccine mandate.
In a post wishing his social media followers a happy new year, the top ranked tennis men’s player in the world revealed he was granted an exemption to play.
“I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022!” Djokovic said, with a photo of him next to luggage.
Tournament organizers confirmed Djokovic in a statement was given a “medical exemption” after a review that included two separate independent panels of experts. The experts are made up of doctors from immunology, infection disease and general practice. Read more
Ferrari deter drivers from ‘pushing limits’ in 2022 (PlanetF1)
Ferrari want their drivers to stay within “the limits” in 2022 to keep crash costs down and not blow the team’s development budget under the cost cap.
That was less of an issue last year when the SF21 was not the subject of continuous development, offering more licence to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to push the boundaries.
The Scuderia duo were not immune to the odd accident here and there, with Leclerc hitting the barrier at the end of qualifying for his home race in Monaco, ironically securing pole position in doing so but unable to start the grand prix due to the damage the car had sustained.
Sainz, meanwhile, also had a couple of Saturday shunts, including in Hungary, and according to figures published by Sky Germany, Ferrari were second only to Haas in the list of combined crash damage costs for 2021 at nearly six million euros. Read more
Claressa Shields’ middleweight title fight against Ema Kozin has been rescheduled to February 5th. (GiveMeSport)
Claressa Shields’ middleweight title fight against Ema Kozin has been rescheduled to February 5th.
Shields was initially supposed to fight the Slovenian on January 29th at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff but Great Britain’s boxing commission suspended the sport for the whole of this month.
The British Boxing Board of Control said it made the decision based on advice from the organisation’s medical panel.
Robert W. Smith, the Boxing Board of Control’s general secretary said: “Following advice from the British Boxing Board of Control Medical Panel, Boxing tournaments under the jurisdiction of the BBBofC will be suspended for the month of January. Read more