Again, Customs intercepts N3.2b pangolin scales, elephant tusks in Lagos (Leadership)
The comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali, yesterday, said officers of the Strike Force Unit intercepted pangolin scales and Elephant tusks worth N3.2bn in Lagos.
The Customs CG, who was represented by the outgoing national public relations officer of the Service, Joseph Attah at a press briefing in Lagos, said the seizures were carried out on the 2nd of February, 2022 at the Lekki area of the state.
Leadership reports that the current interception is coming barely three months after the unit intercepted sacks of pangolin scale worth N1.7billion in Lagos. Also, the unit in August, 2021 intercepted another sacks of Pangolin scales worth N22billion in Lagos.
The Customs CG, while briefing newsmen, stated that the interception was made from a Siena bus with registration number KRD 541 HH in Lekki area of Lagos. Read more
NDLEA intercepts 40,250kg codeine worth N2b at Lagos port (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted 40,250 kilograms of Codeine based syrup at the Apapa seaport in Lagos which were imported from India.
This comes barely a week after the Agency seized 14,080kg of the banned substance at the same seaport.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
He said, “The drug bust comes on the heels of a similar seizure of 14,080kg codeine syrup and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, on Wednesday 2nd February 2022, at the Apapa port. Both seizures followed intelligence from foreign partners and cooperation of other port stakeholders such as Customs, DSS, Navy and others. Read more
Lagos orders police presence as crisis rocks NURTW secretariats in Agege, Abule Egba (Tribune)
There is palpable tension around Agege and Abule Egba areas of Lagos State following a crisis between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.
Though the cause of the crisis is yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, Tribune Online gathered that armed policemen had been drafted to the NURTW secretariats in Agege and Abule Egba.
It was gathered that some aggrieved members are planning to attack the state sectetariat in Agege and its annex in the Abule Egba area.
The state government has therefore directed the commander in charge of the Rapid Response Squad, Olayinka Egbeyemi, to draft policemen from the unit to the area. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan bound train crushes hearing-impaired woman to death (DailyTrust)
A hearing-impaired woman has been crushed to death by a train in Itoki, Ogun State, Daily Trust has gathered.
The woman was said to be on the rail track when the Lagos-Ibadan bound train crushed her around Itoki Community after the Agbado train station.
A Twitter user had broken the news of the incident in a post on the microblogging platform on Wednesday evening with a picture of her dismembered body.
The deceased was said to be holding a small paper indicating that she was deaf and needed money to take care of her baby. Read more
Woman in court over alleged forgery of 117 PoS receipts (Punch)
A 27-year-old woman, Mutiat Ajoke, on Thursday appeared before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State for allegedly forging 117 Point of Sales receipts.
The police charged Ajoke, whose address was not given, with two counts of theft and forgery.
The Prosecution Counsel, Insp E.O.Adaraloye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between January 2020 and January 2022 at Payee Ventures, Ota.
Adaraloye said that the defendant being an employee of Payee Ventures, stole N17.9 million belonging to one Vera Odjugo. Read more
Business, political, society, thought leaders meet to build consensus for national rebirth (Independent)
One hundred leading business, political, civil society and thought leaders met in Lagos over the last weekend from February 4-6, 2022, under the aegis of The 2022 Committee, in a nonpartisan retreat, to map a new consensus for national rebirth.
A statement by Kashim Ibrahim Imam and Nduka Obaigbena, on behalf of the conveners, said attendance list included 14 current governors and 13 former governors as well as three former Senate Presidents.
The statement said working in three Sub-Committees of National Security, The Economy and Nigeria in Transition, the participants recognised that there is an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition.
It said the meetings will continue, “as we work with federal and state governments, current and future political leaders of all political persuasions, as well as other eminent patriotic citizens, for the greater good of the Nigerian people.” Read more
Fire guts FMBN headquarters in Abuja (Leadership)
The headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has been gutted by fire, which has affected the building’s third floor.
The fire, according to sources at the bank, started at 11pm on Wednesday night and the cause of the incident was unknown.
The fire, which the source said started from the office of the Special Adviser to the FMBN Managing Director, Ahmed Dangiwa, was said to have extended to the boardroom of the bank.
Another source at bank, who pleaded not to be named as he was not officially permitted to speak on the matter, said that the fire lasted for about two hours before it was put out around 1am Thursday morning. Read more
Speeding driver crushes pedestrian to death in Anambra (Nation)
A middle-aged pedestrian was crushed to death by a speeding vehicle along Awka/Enugu expressway, Anambra state.
The crash, which occurred Wednesday evening, involved a brown coloured Toyota Camry Car with registration number AJL 471 DN.
According to eyewitness, the driver was on top speed when he lost control and knocked down the pedestrian trying to cross the road.
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Adeoye Irelewuyi confirmed the incident. Read more
APC has failed to protect Plateau state, PDP ready to takeover – Wike (Channels)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) – led administration in Plateau State has failed to tackle the security crisis in the state and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is ready to take over.
Governor Wike said this on Wednesday while responding to questions from journalists within the premises of Plateau State High Court in Jos, where the fraud trial of former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, was heard.
He told journalists when the court session went on break that it is obvious that the APC and the Federal Government have failed to bring to an end the needless killings in Plateau and other parts of the country.
“It is not about the Muslims, it is not about Christians. It is not about the North. It is not about the South. The killings, the insecurity, the hardship, the poverty is everywhere. Read more
Jurassic World: Dominion trailer sees Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern return (Metro)
The trailer for Jurassic World 3: Dominion has just dropped, and we absolutely cannot wait.
As a franchise, Jurassic Park still holds up beautifully almost 30 years after its release, and its successor is more than able to hold a candle to it – both relatively rare feats in the movie world.
Now fans of both the Park and World films are in for an absolute treat as the two franchises collide in upcoming movie Jurassic World: Dominion.
The third installment of Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World series sees the return of OG stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum, decades after they first escaped the doomed park. Read more
CNN+ to air tell-all Dionne Warwick documentary when streamer launches in spring (Deadline)
Tell-all documentary feature Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over is to be one of the first major films to launch on CNN+.
CNN Films struck a deal to acquire the highly-rated documentary for the streamer, which will launch in the Spring.
Debuting at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and launching for international sales at this week’s European Film Market, Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner’s documentary is a deeply personal portrait of the songstress, who became the first solo African American female artist to win a Grammy and went on to win five more.
The film yields insights into Warwick’s rise to music superstardom, from singing in her grandfather’s church, to her life beyond the lights standing up to discrimination in the U.S. and around the world. It features an emotional archive interview with Whitney Houston along with narration from Warwick, who visits key places from throughout her life. Read more
Zooey Deschanel joins Zachary Levi in Harold and the Purple Crayoneru (ComicBook)
Zooey Deschanel has joined the cast of Harold and the Purple Crayon, where she will appear alongside Zachary Levi and Lil Rey Howery in the live-action adaptation of the beloved children’s book. The story, which centers on a four-year-old boy who creates imaginary worlds with his crayon, was originally published in 1955, and was written by Crockett Johnson. The book proved popular enough to launch a whole series of Harold sequels. He was also a cartoonist who created the strip Barnaby for ten years in the 1940s and 1950s.
Oscar nominee Carlos Saldanha will direct the film from a screenplay by Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb creative team David Guion and Michael Handelman. John Davis (Dolemite Is My Name) is producing through Davis Entertainment. This will be the latest adaptation of the series, which was first brought to life as animated short films in 1959, 1971, and 1974, and a 13-episode HBO series in 2002, which was narrated by Sharon Stone.
The film will follow on the heels of Levi’s next turn as the DC hero Shazam in Shazam!: Fury of the Gods. The film, which also stars Rachel Zegler, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and more. Deschanel’s next film appearance will be in Dreamin’ Wild alongside Walton Goggins and Jack Dylan Grazer.
Harold and the Purple Crayon is one of those properties that has been licensed a few times, but failed to make it all the way to the screen. At one point, Steven Spielberg and Will Smith were attached to the project. Read more
New Dubai venue The Square @ISD to host The Jazz Garden and DXB Blues Fest (National)
Newly launched outdoor entertainment venue The Square @ISD will be hosting two music events over the next month, starting with a revamped version of The Jazz Garden.
The live music series launched in 2008 as a component of the Dubai International Jazz Festival and is now celebrating its 12th season. After the series was hampered owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now returning in a new format dubbed The Jazz Garden Super Series and will be held for the first time in the relaxed garden setting of The Square, at Inspiratus Sports District, Dubai Sports City.
The event is set to take place on February 25 and 26. Though the artist line-up is yet to be unveiled, organisers have said the two-day event will feature “six internationally acclaimed jazz artist and performers” and that the latest Jazz Garden will be the biggest yet.
As with its previous events, The Jazz Garden Super Series will not be ticketed. Instead, there will be a minimum spend on food and drinks in operation and tables must be booked online. Read more
18-year-old UK drill rapper, Donovan Allen stabbed to death days after 1st performance (AllHipHop)
Donovan “Dimzordimma” Allen, an 18-year-old UK drill rapper at the start of his music career, was stabbed to death in North London on Monday (Feb.7).
The Metropolitan Police confirmed Donovan Allen died at the scene despite the best efforts of paramedics. A post-mortem examination found that Donovan died from a single stab wound to the chest. Cops arrested a 14-year-old boy at the scene on suspicion of murder. He has since been released on bail until early March.
The Evening Standard report Donovan was “chilling with friends” when he was attacked on the seventh floor of an Enfield apartment building at 6:10 p.m on Monday. Neighbors claim he was chased through a communal area of the building by an attacker wielding a machete.
18-year-old Donovan Allen was at the start of a promising career. He celebrated his first public performance in an Instagram post on Jan. 24. Read more
FKA Twigs to receive Godlike Genius prize at NME awards (BelfastTelegraph)
FKA Twigs has been announced as the recipient of the Godlike Genius prize at the NME awards next month.
The musician will be the youngest solo artist to ever win the prize.
She follows in the footsteps of previous winners including Massive Attack, Liam Gallagher, Primal Scream and Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis.
The British singer-songwriter, 34, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, has been hailed by the music magazine as “one of the most creative and accomplished artists of her generation, consistently pushing boundaries”. Read more
Abbas accused of power grab after Palestinian appointments (Aljazeera)
Major Palestinian groups have slammed new appointments to top positions in the PLO as illegitimate and an attempt to entrench the power of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and secure the 86-year-old’s favoured successor.
The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) announced the appointments to the Palestine Liberation Organization – an umbrella organisation of Palestinian political parties – after a two-day meeting on February 6 and 7 in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
The meeting was criticised by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the appointments had “neither recognition nor legitimacy”, and that they were “a violation of decisions based on national consensus”.
During the meeting, the first since 2018, three officials regarded as Abbas loyalists were appointed to the PLO’s 16-member executive committee, including controversial PA official Hussein al-Sheikh who will likely replace late chief negotiator Saeb Erekat as the committee’s secretary-general. Read more
FIFA rankings: Nigeria ranks 3rd in Africa, 32nd in world (Punch)
Nigeria has moved up four places and now ranks 32nd in the latest FIFA rankings, despite an early exit from the 2022 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
In Africa, Nigeria ranks third behind Morocco (second), and AFCON 2022 winners, Senegal, which ranks first. Others behind Nigeria are Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon, Algeria, Mali and Ivory Coast.
Senegal currently sits at the 18th position in the world ranking after emerging champions of the 2021 AFCON.
Previous AFCON champions, Algeria, who were number one in Africa, now slipped to 43 in world ranking, while Mali occupied the 48th position, and Ivory Coast in 51st spot. Read more
Philip lauds Obaseki over equal pay for Insurance, Edo Queens (Nation)
Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has lauded Governor Godwin Obaseki for ‘an unprecedented feat’ of approving equal salary and emoluments for the state’s football clubs-Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens.
Shaibu said only the state has been able to achieve equal pay for both its men and women football teams, adding the least paid player in both Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens earns more than N150,000 monthly outside bonuses and allowances.
“Edo Queens and Bendel Insurance are the first clubs that will not be washing their jerseys after each match. From this season, every player will have two jerseys in each match. So, fans that come to watch the matches have the chance of taking jerseys home after the game,” Shaibu said at the unveiling of Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens jerseys. “The clubs are at par when it comes to salary. The least paid Insurance player earns N150,000, the same with Edo Queens players.
“Obama tried it, it didn’t work; Trump tried it without success; and today Joe Biden is still battling with the issue of getting men and women players in the United States to earn equal pay. But Obaseki has done it.” Read more
Tottenham’s new signings blamed for disappointing defeat to Southampton (Mirror)
It was a night to forget for Tottenham Hotspur as they sacrificed a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes to go to lose 3-2 to Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday night.
Spurs were on course to move up to 6th and close the gap on the top four to just one point ahead of this weekend, but it was not to be for Antonio Conte ’s men.
Newly signed Juventus pair Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski once again featured off the bench, as Spurs fans got to see a bit more of them in action following their cameos against Brighton on Saturday.
Bentancur came on 10 minutes before Heung-Min Son put his side 2-1 ahead in the 60th minute, while Kulusevski featured six minutes later, but former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has blamed the pair for the defeat. Read more
West Ham star Declan Rice outlines ambition to win trophies but describes transfer speculation as ‘just noise’ (EveningStandard)
Declan Rice has reiterated his ambition to win trophies and play in the Champions League – but reassured West Ham fans by describing speculation over his future as “just noise”.
Rice is a target for Chelsea and both Manchester clubs, and West Ham are braced for summer interest in the England international.
West Ham are adamant Rice will not be sold and manager David Moyes values him at well over £100million.
The 23-year-old has rejected two contract offers from West Ham and, while he has never agitated for a move, he has made it clear he wants to challenge for the game’s biggest honours. Read more
Aston Martin unveil new AMR22 challenger (PlanetF1)
Aston Martin have kept launch season rolling with the reveal of their new-look 2022 challenger, the AMR22.
The Silverstone-based team, which is heading into its second season back on the Formula 1 grid, unveiled the AMR22 in an online launch, the car which they hope will inspire their rise back up the pecking order.
Their previous incarnation Racing Point grew into a midfield leader thanks to the controversial close design ties with Mercedes, but aerodynamic changes for 2021 hurt both outfits, with Aston Martin, formerly known as Racing Point, dropping into the lower reaches of the midfield, ultimately finishing P7 in the Constructors’ Championship.
But now it is about looking ahead as Aston Martin became the third team to hold their 2022 launch, following on from Haas’ livery and design reveal on February 4, while Red Bull took the covers off of their RB18 on February 9. Read more
Simona Halep: Chris Evert praises tennis star’s decision to compete without a coach (GiveMeSport)
Chris Evert has praised Simona Halep’s decision to split with her coaches and not hire a replacement.
Halep had been working with Daniel Dobre and Adrian Marcu, but parted ways with both coaches after her fourth-round defeat at the Australian Open.
It came just four months after Halep ended her working relationship with Darren Cahill – a former top 25 player that has coached the likes of Andre Agassi and Andy Murray.
Cahill first started working with Halep in 2016, helping her reach three Grand Slam finals, win the 2018 French Open, and achieve world number one status. Read more
James Worthy rips Lakers after loss to Blazers (USAToday)
The Los Angeles Lakers may have hit rock bottom in what has been widely regarded as their worst loss in a trying season.
Just hours before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Lakers sleepwalked through a 107-105 loss Wednesday night to a depleted version of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Blazers traded CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday for Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, a 2022 protected first-round pick and two second-round picks. None of the newcomers dressed for the Blazers, and they also were missing Damian Lillard. The six-time All-Star has not played since Dec. 31 because of an abdominal issue that required surgery.
Former Lakers great James Worthy didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Lakers afterward. Read more