Clash on Lagos Island: We have made some arrests – PPRO (Nation)
The Police Command in Lagos State on Saturday said that its men arrested some members of the National Union of Transport Workers (NURTW) during a clash between them on Lagos Island on Friday.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) , CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday.
Ajisebutu, however, did not mention how many people were arrested and where they were being detained.
Ajisebutu, however, did not mention how many people were arrested and where they were being detained.
He added that normalcy had returned to the Island as more operatives had been deployed there. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos announces end of 4th wave (Guardian)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the consistent decrease in COVID-19 case positivity indicated the end of the fourth wave in the state.
Abayomi disclosed this through his verified Twitter account @ProfAkinolaAbayomi on Saturday, while giving the state’s COVID-19 update for Jan. 20.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state had on Dec.7 announced the beginning of the fourth wave as the daily infection figure from the virus spiked.
Abayomi said that there was a reduction in positivity rates of COVID-19 infection from 29.3 per cent recorded on Dec. 21, to 1.9 per cent as of Jan 20.
According to him, bed capacity utilisation now stands at two per cent, and the fatality rate stands at 0.71 per cent. Read more
NDLEA arrests 6 over drug cookies, noodles (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, on Sunday, said attempts by drug traffickers to export 1.53 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside hair cream to London, and another 880 grams of cocaine concealed inside synthetic hair to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as 3 grams of cocaine and 5grms of cannabis to Cyprus, packed inside locally made shoes through two major courier companies in Lagos, have been foiled by narcotic officers attached to the firms.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement.
He said in Edo State, operatives on Tuesday, January 18, intercepted a Toyota Camry Car with Reg. No. FKJ 897 DG (LAGOS) loaded with 360.4kg Cannabis sativa heading to Abuja and arrested the driver, Nurudeen Subaru, 42, in Auchi, Etsako West area of the state.
“The following day, the Edo Command officers also evacuated 111kg cannabis stored in a bush at Iruekpen, Esan West LGA while 276 compressed blocks of the same substance weighing 248.4kg were recovered from one Austin Okongwu (a.k.a Igwe), 45, at Agenebode, Etsako East while moving the drug in a Lexus saloon car with reg. no. ABC 583 MJ (ABUJA). Read more
1 policeman, businessman killed as cult gangs clash in Minna (Independent)
A police officer and an Igbo businessman, Mr. Ifeanyi Ozuoka have lost their lives when youth gangsters from Limawa engage their Ogbomoso street counterparts, within Minna metropolis in a bloody clash last weekend.
The immediate cause of the fight which started Thursday between the gangsters from the two communities within the state capital could not be immediately ascertained, but feelers had it that it has to do with tussle for supremacy among some different groups of gangsters.
While details of how the life of the policeman, drafted to quell the crisis was cut short, remained sketchy, the Igbo man is said to have been killed inside his shop, located around Ogbomoso road where he sells machine parts by one of the gangsters.
The gangster whose identity could not be ascertained was said to have charged from the war front and headed to the Igbo man’s shop and stabbed him severally with a knife raced with poisonous substance. Read more
I would be bringing a lot to Nigerian Idol 7- IK Osakioduwa (Nation)
After a thrilling ride at season six of Nigerian Idol, host and media personality, IK Osakioduwa has said he would be bringing more fun to the seventh season.
IK, who returns as a second-time host for the talent cum reality TV show, said he’s excited to be back for another season.
“I’m so excited to be back on the show because coming back for a new season means that I did well the previous season. I’ll be bringing a lot to the table this season and I can’t wait for the viewers to see what we have in store,” he said.
A representative of MultiChoice, the show’s organiser, hinted that IK has always given nothing short of savviness, excitement, and humour both on-air and on stage, hence, there’s no doubt that the Nigerian Idol season 7 is in good hands. Read more
Nigeria Immigration announces major shakeup, replaces Lagos comptroller, others (Guardian)
The Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Isah Jere Idris has approved a major senior staff shake-up involving Six Assistant Comptrollers General and Twenty-Six Comptrollers.
Immigration spokesperson Amos Okpu in a statement said Idris announced the redeployments in a posting order, detailing the movement of the senior officers.
Okpu said that Assistant Comptroller General and Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone “F” Ibadan, ACG DE Amahian has been moved to the Planning Research and Statistics (PRS) at the Service Headquarters while ACG LE Oemi-Ockiya formerly in PRS, proceeds to Ibadan as the new Zonal Coordinator;
The Assistant Comptroller General in charge Investigation and Compliance, ACG AO Esekhagbe moves to the Migration Directorate while ACG UA Auna who before now was the Principal Staff Officer to the Ag. Comptroller General is deployed to the Investigation and Compliance Directorate; Read more
Abdulsalami: What Obasanjo told me after I released him from detention (DailyTrust)
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo threatened to sue the military government after he was released from prison.
Abubakar, who was military head of state between 1998 and 1999, released all political prisoners that were incarcerated by the former military head of state, General Sani Abacha who died mysteriously the same year.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Abubakar also said it was laughable the accusation that his government imposed Obasanjo who later became the President and served for two consecutive terms of eight years.
Reminiscing on the event of the period before Nigeria’s transition to the civilian government in 1999, the former head of state recalled that Obasanjo told him he wanted to sue the military government for “crumbling” his businesses. Read more
NUJ honours Josephine Oboh-Macleod (Vanguard)
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, has honoured Chief Josephine Oboh-Macleod with a Merit and Excellence Award in recognition of her humanitarian services.
According to the union, Chief Oboh-Macleod, an internationally-acclaimed art consultant, artist, photographer and UK-based politician, deserved the award because of her selfless and humanitarian contributions to the socio-economic development, peace and community relationship in Nigeria.
Speaking at the presentation, the NUJ Chairman, who was represented by Mr. Tony Imaseun and his team, pointed out that the award was in recognition of her contributions to the development of her fatherland and for being an excellent role model to the younger generation.
He said the unblemished strength of character of Chief Josephine Oboh- Macleod was worth celebrating and worthy of emulation. Read more
Stowaway found in South Africa plane wheel at Amsterdam airport (BBC)
Dutch police say they have found a stowaway alive in the wheel section of a plane that landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport from South Africa.
Flights from Johannesburg to Amsterdam take about 11 hours, with the cargo plane believed to have made one stop, in Nairobi, Kenya.
It is very unusual for stowaways on long flights to survive, due to the cold and low oxygen at high altitudes.
The man’s age and nationality have not yet been determined, police say.
Do any plane stowaways survive?
“The man was found alive in the nose wheel section of the plane and was taken to hospital in a stable condition,” Royal Dutch Military Police spokeswoman Joanna Helmonds told the AFP news agency. Read more
Snoop Dogg is giving away free tickets to the Super Bowl (Billboard)
Snoop Dogg is giving lucky fans a chance to win two free tickets to the Super Bowl.
The rap legend and his liquor band INDOGGO gin have teamed up to offer fans an epic, once-in-a-lifetime experience. To enter into the sweepstakes, follow the INDOGGO Instagram account, post a photo with a bottle of INDOGGO and tag the brand along with the hashtag #IndoggoSweepstakes for a chance to win (and don’t forget to share who you’ll be taking to the game in the comments.
INDOGGO gin is gluten-free, sugar-free and low-calorie gin that has been distilled five times. The beverage features tasty ingredients such as Juniper Berry, orange, coriander and cassia, a cinnamon-like herb used in gin. A 750 ml bottle of INDOGGO retails for $30. Read more
Mahershala Ali talks the terrifying act of playing his own clone in Swan Song (Today)
Mahershala Ali is one determined actor.
During a recent appearance on “Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist,” Ali recalled what it was like to play his clone in his latest film, “Swan Song.”
After growing up with his mom in the Bay-area city of Hayward, California, Ali admitted that he takes his acting very seriously.
“I’m a little stubborn, I will admit,” he told Geist. “Then, let’s call it ‘persistence.’ … I’ve just been, along the way, really focusing on trying’ to get to this place.” Read more
LeVar Burton reflects on his Roots — and America’s path forward: ‘The work is not done’ (People)
LeVar Burton was a sophomore at the University of Southern California when he won the role of Kunta Kinte, a young man from Gambia who is captured and sold into slavery. Less than a year later, he was on screens across the U.S. in Roots, one of the biggest TV events of all time.
The miniseries, based on Alex Haley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, told the sweeping story of Kunta’s horrific experience in Colonial America, encompassing generations of his descendants in the centuries to come. It aired across eight consecutive nights, beginning on Jan. 23, 1977.
Though Burton, now 64, acknowledges “ABC kind of backed into” Roots’ success by choosing this scheduling strategy — which was highly unorthodox at the time — the end result was that Roots become a television juggernaut, an inflection point for American race relations and ultimately, a global cultural phenomenon.
“I continue to be surprised by the enduring popularity of Roots worldwide,” Burton tells People. “I’ve been to places on the globe like Suriname, where Kunta Kinte is a national hero and songs are literally written about him. Kunta Kinte is an international symbol of freedom and resistance, and is something that I’m really, really proud of. And that’s something that has certainly grown over time. I don’t think I could be more proud.” Read more
Garrett Hedlund arrested for public intoxication (TMZ)
Garrett Hedlund is in custody after being arrested for public intoxication, TMZ has learned, and it’s the latest in a series of problems the actor is facing.
The arrest went down in Franklin County in Tennessee Saturday night. Bond has been set at $2,100 for the misdemeanor arrest, and at the time this story went up he had not posted it.
The “Friday Night Lights” and “Troy” star has been going through it. He broke up with Emma Roberts just a few weeks ago. They had a child together back in December 2020 … a son named Rhodes. The 2 began dating in 2019.
Garrett has had other legal issues as well. He’s being sued for allegedly driving so drunk back in January 2020. He passed out and slammed into a Nissan carrying a woman and her 3 kids. He was arrested that same night for DUI and pled no contest to a DUI charge the following month. Garrett was placed on 3 years probation. Read more
Mary J. Blige unveils new album tracklist and shares ‘Rent Money’ with Dave East (NME)
Mary J. Blige has unveiled the tracklist for her upcoming new album, Good Morning Gorgeous.
The legendary R&B singer announced her 14th studio album last month, alongside the release of two new singles, the DJ Khaled-featuring ‘Amazing’ and the LP’s title track.
The album – which Blige wrote with D’Mile, H.E.R., Lucky Daye, and Tiara Thomas – is made up of 13 tracks and features the likes of Anderson .Paak, Usher and Fivio Foreign.
Harlem rapper Dave East, who appears on the track ‘Rent Money’. Produced by D’Mile, the track hears the singer get a few things off her chest about a former lover she’s ready to walk away from. Read more
Israel approves multimillion-dollar joint R&D fund with UAE (TimesofIsrael)
Israel’s cabinet approved on Sunday a joint Israel-UAE R&D fund to support tech projects involving Israeli and Emirati companies.
The fund is designed to encourage collaboration on technological innovation, and to help Israeli companies access resources that are not available in Israel, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
It will also help Israeli businesses find Emirati partners, navigate local regulations, and develop marketing strategies.
The fund, which was proposed by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, will allocate NIS 15 million a year over the next decade. The UAE will provide matching funds, for a total of NIS 300 million for the life of the fund. Read more
Cameroon nightclub fire: More than a dozen dead in Yaounde blaze (Aljazeera)
At least 16 people have been killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in Yaounde, Cameroon’s capital, the government said.
The blaze was caused by fireworks used in the club, it said.
The fire engulfed the main room of Liv’s Night Club in the capital’s upmarket Bastos district, home to embassies and diplomatic residences. Authorities said the fire spread to a place where cooking gas was being stored.
“We are still at the level of investigations to find out the names and nationalities of the dead and the wounded,” said government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi on Sunday. Read more
AFCON: Fireworks as Super Eagles,Tunisia, clash in Round of 16 (Leadership)
Nigeria and Tunisia will face off in what promises to be a frenetic Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 at the Roumde Adija Stadium in Garoua today.The match kicks off at 8pm Nigeria time.
While the Super Eagles finished the group stage with 9 maximum points to emerge as group leaders, Tunisia on the other hand head into the round of 16 as one of the two best third-placed sides,having amassed just 3points in the group stages.
This will be the second knockout-stage encounter between the sides in three years after the Super Eagles secured a slender 1-0 victory in last edition’s third-place playoff tie in Egypt.
Nigeria have enjoyed a sensational start to the Africa Cup of Nations and head into the knockout stages as the standout side and team to beat at the tournament after a string of thrilling results. Read more
Big-name Tottenham star omitted from squad to face Chelsea as loan exit beckons (TeamTalk)
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been left out of the squad to face Chelsea on Sunday, with the club ‘open’ to letting him leave on loan.
The 25-year-old playmaker joined Spurs from MK Dons in 2015 and was outstanding his first few seasons working under Mauricio Pochettino. He also established himself as a regular in the England senior side during that time.
However, Alli’s form has dropped dramatically over the last three campaigns. This season, he has only started eight of the club’s 19 Premier League outings so far.
The 25-year-old has been left on the bench for the last two games. However, he won’t even be afforded that luxury at Stamford Bridge, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein. Read more
Gary Lineker sends message to Liverpool after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal at Crystal Palace (LiverpoolEcho)
Gary Lineker was among those left impressed by Liverpool’s first-half display against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.
With Manchester City dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday, Jurgen Klopp’s side had the opportunity to close the gap to nine points – with a clash against City and a game in hand still to come.
Still without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita due to the African Cup of Nations, the performance once again showed the depth within the squad.
Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring with a powerful header from a corner, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain then doubling the advantage. Read more
Novak Djokovic ‘cards to fall’ as Jim Courier delivers Australian Open verdict (Express)
Novak Djokovic being banned from this year’s Australian Open was a blow to everyone, according to former world No 1 Jim Courier. The Serb had jetted out believing a medical exemption would enable him to play. However, after a lengthy battle with the authorities, he was then kicked out of the country and deported instead.
Djokovic is currently reflecting on the debacle, with the world No 1 revealing he’d take some time out following the debacle in Australia.
The Serb had believed he’d be able to play and therefore compete for a 21st Grand Slam title of his career.
Yet Djokovic was kicked out of Australia instead and Courier has now reacted, expressing a belief more ‘cards will fall’ while also saying ‘everyone has lost’ as a result of the decision. Read more
Tyson Fury calls out Francis Ngannou and offers him big cash prize for boxing bout (DailyStar)
Tyson Fury has doubled down on his offer to fight Francis Ngannou by urging the UFC heavyweight champion to “come and see him” to make some “real money” following UFC 270.
The WBC heavyweight boxing champion and MMA megastar have exchanged challenges in recent weeks after Ngannou suggested that he wanted his first title defence to be his last in his current employment.
And following his unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane on Saturday evening, he again talked up a move into boxing before receiving a direct reply from Fury the following day.
Ngannou told Joe Rogan immediately after his victory: “As I always say, boxing is always in the back of my pocket. It’s something that I must do before the end of my career.!” Read more
Verstappen: More titles in F1 would ‘just be a bonus’ (F1i)
Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen says that any additional titles that may come his way in the future will just be added bonuses that he will enjoy.
Last month in Abud Dhabi, Verstappen conquered – albeit in controversial circumstances – his maiden F1 crown, achieving the milestone in his seventh year in the sport, having started his path to glory with Red Bull in 2015 at just seventeen.
Ahead of last month’s 2021 title decider, Verstappen revealed that missing out on the championship wouldn’t change his life.
However, with his first title now under his belt, the Dutchman ambitions to win more although he admitted that equaling or beating the outstanding seven-title record held by his arch-rival Lewis Hamilton would require “a bit of luck”. Read more
Australian Open: Rafael Nadal wins epic tie-break as Denis Shapovalov beats Alexander Zverev (BBC)
Rafael Nadal progressed to the Australian Open quarter-finals with a straight-set win over Adrian Mannarino as the Spaniard continues his quest for a record-breaking 21st major title.
Nadal, 35, edged an epic 28-minute first-set tie-break as he eventually converted his seventh set point.
Mannarino struggled with injury after the tie-break, as sixth seed Nadal went on to claim a 7-6 (16-14) 6-2 6-2 win.
Nadal plays Denis Shapovalov next after he beat third seed Alexander Zverev.
Canadian 14th seed Shapovalov, 22, reached his first Australian Open quarter-final with an impressive 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory over Germany’s Olympic champion. Read more
