Cracks in 2Baba, Annie Idibia’s marriage surface on social media (Vanguard)
The seemingly perfect marriage between legendary singer, Innocent 2Baba Idibia and Annie, which was solemnised in 2012, appears to be showing some cracks if the Instastory posted by Annie Idibia, which has since been deleted, is anything to go by.
In her story, she accused 2Baba of sleeping under the same roof with Pero, who is one of the mothers of his children (Baby Mama), in the U.S.
She also accused 2Baba’s brother, Hyacinth Idibia, for housing the singer, his kids and Pero under the same roof.
Annie slammed 2face’s manager, Efe, Frankie and the singer’s relatives. Read more
Lekki now hotbed of cyber crime in Nigeria –EFCC (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has labelled the Lekki area of Lagos State as the hotbed of cybercrime in Nigeria.
The anti-graft agency said this in a post titled, ‘Lekki now hotbed of cybercrime – EFCC’, on its Facebook page on Friday.
Data released by the agency showed that 402 suspects were arrested in three months.
EFCC specifically identified Ajah, Badore, Victoria Garden City, Sangotedo and Oniru areas of Lekki as having many internet fraudsters in the state.
The data also showed that many of the arrested fraudsters were aged between 25-34 years. Read more
Lagos COVID-19 cases surpass 73, 000 (Guardian)
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the state stands at 73,182.
Abayomi made the disclosure through his Facebook account, @ProfAkinolaAbayomi, on Friday while giving an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, for Sept. 1.
He said that 2,585 tests were conducted in the state on the date, adding that 175 infections were confirmed.
According to him, the new infections increased the state’s total COVID-19 infections to 73,182. Read more
Anambra Guber: Appeal Court declares Ozigbo PDP’s candidate (Sun)
Momentum swings in favour of Nigerian business mogul Valentine Ozigbo as the Court of Appeal Awka Division sitting in Abuja in its judgement delivered today, Friday, September 3, 2021 declared him the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November election holding in Anambra State.
On July 5, 2021, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, who did not participate in the PDP primary, instituted a suit against the party and its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging Ozigbo’s candidature for the November 6, 2021 governorship election.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal recognised the gubernatorial primary conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on June 26, 2021 at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre as lawful and was visibly upset with the 1st respondent and his lawyers for forum shopping. Read more
Tiwa Savage buries dad (Nation)
Singer Tiwa Savage’s father who died on July 19 has been laid to rest.
The singer shared clips of the event via her Instagram stories.
Few days ago, the mother of one released her father’s burial poster on social media, sharing the invite, the dress code and other necessary information concerning the burial.
The Number 1 African Bad Gyal also vowed to give her father a befitting burial, which many believe she did. Read more
19-year-old candidate who sued JAMB for N1b handed over to police (Punch)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said it has handed over a 19-year-old candidate in the 2021/2022 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination to the police for investigation over what it described as “result tampering.”
According to the board’s Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, who briefed journalists at JAMB’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the candidate, Chinedu John, had claimed he scored 380 in the examination conducted in June was surprised to receive 265 from the board after the results were released.
He said following alleged “alteration” of the UTME score, the candidate’s father, John Ifenkpam, approached an Enugu-based lawyer, Ikeazor Akaiwe, who wrote to JAMB for another opportunity for the boy to retake the examination and demanded N1 billion as damages.
According to Oloyede, the lawyer said the N1 billion was to cover for the physical and emotional trauma the boy had been through from being offered “two separate scores.” Read more
BUK releases cut-off marks for 2021/2022 session, scraps aptitude test (DailyTrust)
Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has released cut-off marks for admission into the 2021/2022 academic session.
The institution also said it will conduct online screening for all candidates that apply to the institution
The screening, which will replace the aptitude test previously conducted by the university, applies to all the candidates for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) who chose the institution as first choice.
This is according to a statement issued on Friday by the Director of the Directorate of Examinations, Admissions and Records (DEAR) of the institution, Hajiya Amina Umar Abdullahi, on behalf of the acting Registrar, Malam Jamil Salim. Read more
FG mulls compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for its workers (Sun)
Federal civil servants may soon be subjected to compulsory COVID-19 vaccination as part of plan to weaken the strength of the disease in Nigeria.
This is as government assured that sufficient dose of the vaccine would be made available before the policy on compulsory vaccination for civil servants would be implemented.
Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this at the Nigeria Health Commissioners’ Forum meeting in Abuja, said federal civil servants are representatives of the government and could be assigned to represent government at public functions, locally or internationally, hence the need to be fully vaccinated.
He said: “The vaccine mandate will soon come. The world is gravitating towards that direction. I can confirm to you that by the time western countries are done vaccinating its people, unvaccinated persons won’t be allowed access into any of the western countries without the vaccine certificate. So, it’s better we begin to prepare our people at home.” Read more
Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal reportedly Returning for ‘The Accountant’ Sequel (Complex)
Ben Affleck and Joe Bernthal are reprising their roles from the Gavin O’Connor-directed film The Accountant in the film’s sequel, according to the director himself.
O’Connor joined Cinema Blend’s ReelBlend podcast, where he confirmed the news. “There will not be a Way Back sequel, but we are doing an Accountant sequel. We literally just closed that deal. We’re doing The Accountant again,” he said.
O’Connor doesn’t just have his eyes set on a sequel, either. During the episode, the director explained that the main reason he wanted to make a sequel to The Accountant was to set the stage for a trilogy.
“Yeah. Yeah. So, I’ve always wanted to do three because what, the second one’s going to be more with – we’re going to integrate his brother into the story,” the director explained. “So there’ll be more screen time for Bernthal in the second one. And then the third movie’s going to be, I call it, ‘Rain Man on steroids.’ The third movie is going to be the two brothers, this odd couple. The third one is going be a buddy picture.” Read more
Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot Star in Netflix’s “Red Notice” Trailer (Complex)
Netflix is bringing us a big three of box office titans for its upcoming film, Red Notice.
The action-comedy, which just got a trailer, stars, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who plays an FBI agent on the hunt for two rival criminals (Reynolds and Gadot). Eventually, The Rock is forced to team up with Reynolds’ con artist to stop Gadot’s thief, who takes them on a wild goose chase around the globe.
Red Notice was originally produced by Universal Pictures, but after Netflix acquired the distribution rights, the $200 million movie will become the most expensive ever released on the streaming service. And although much of the film was shot under COVID-19 protocols, director Rawson Marshall Thurber seems to have pulled it off as though it was shot in the before times.
This isn’t the first time Johnson and Thurber have worked together. The two first partnered up in 2018 for The Rock’s action film, Skyscraper. Read more
How T-Pain utilised PC gaming to further his pop culture legacy (TechRadar)
Clever use of technology has always been T-Pain’s modus operandi. Making his summer 2005 debut with the platinum selling single I’m Sprung, the Tallahassee-native utilized auto-tune in a way that didn’t cover-up a perceived lack of vocal ability (as a 2014 NPR Tiny Desk performance proved). Instead, the vocal-pitch tech was used in more of a stylish homage to legendary funk-outlet Zapp who were known for utilizing a “talk-box” effect on classic songs like Computer Love. This led to a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits between 2005 and 2009 thanks to tracks ranging from “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” featuring Young Joc to lending some assistance on Kanye West’s Grammy winning single Good Life.
It’s fascinating to think that one of modern pop music’s most polarizing and influential artists would still spend the later half of his career evolving from hardcore gaming enthuistist to Twitch streamer through his own Nappy Boy Gaming channel. And, it really started with his transition years ago to PC gaming for some fairly practical reasons. Read more
Why Abba have not gone out of fashion (BBC)
Mamma Mia! Here we go again… Abba have released new songs – and their comeback isn’t just exciting those who were fans first time around.
“Abba saved 2021”, “You saved my life”, “IM CRYING WITH HAPPINESS RIGHT NOW”.
Those are just a few of the comments posted under a video of Benny Andersson playing an instrumental piano version of one of their new tracks on TikTok.
The Swedish pop legends joined the social media network – whose users are mostly under 30 – on Monday in anticipation of their highly-anticipated announcement of long-awaited new material. Read more
How “Shang-Chi” was forced to become Marvel’s potential pandemic saviour (CBC)
Just ahead of the release of what is largely considered the first official movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s long-awaited Phase 4, you’d be excused for thinking the studio has little to worry about.
Since its official inception with Robert Downey Jr.’s first turn as Iron Man in 2008, Marvel Studios’ MCU has come to dominate pop culture in a way no other cinema trend has before.
For the past 10 years, at least one Marvel movie has sat in the Top 10 worldwide box office each year — aside from 2020, when the studio decided to hold their scheduled movies due to the pandemic. In four of those years, they were No. 1.
So to some, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may appear to be locked in as simply another entry in the MCU’s unbroken list of hits — but that is far from the reality. Read more
Famous composer Mikis Theodorakis dies at 96R (BBC)
Mikis Theodorakis, the celebrated composer best known for the music from the 1964 film Zorba the Greek, has died in Athens aged 96.
Theodorakis was in the resistance to the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War Two and later served as an MP.
He was also a leading figure opposing military rule in Greece from 1967-1974.
Zorba the Greek told the story of an English writer in Crete whose life is transformed when he meets Alexis Zorba, a gregarious peasant. Read more
Jeanette Zacarias Zapata: Mexican boxer, 18, dies days after knockout in Montreal (BBC)
Jeanette Zacarias Zapata appeared to have a seizure in the ring and was taken to hospital after the fight
A teenage boxer has died, five days after being knocked out in a professional fight.
Mexican welterweight Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, 18, was knocked down in the fourth round against Marie Pier Houle at the GVM Gala International in Montreal on Saturday.
She appeared to have a seizure after being dazed by a left uppercut and a right hook and was taken to hospital.
The fight promoter, Yvon Michel, announced the news on Thursday.
“It is with great sadness and torment that we learned, from a representative of her family, that Jeanette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45 pm,” his statement read. Read more
Lagos bars motorists as Eagles hosts lone stars (DailyTrust)
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers between Nigeria and Liberia, the Lagos State government has barred motorists from accessing the road that leads to Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
In a circular, Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said motorists will be barred from 12 pm.
He advised motorists heading towards Costain, Lagos Island from Masha/Kilo and Surulere to use Adeniran Ogunsanya or Bode Thomas to link Iponri or Eric Moore to access their destinations or use Adelabu to connect Babs Animashaun/Eric Moore axis to link Brewery and access Costain or Eko Bridge.
“In the same vein, motorists can use the aforementioned route to access Surulere from Lagos Island. Vehicle owners heading towards Ikorodu Road from Surulere are also advised to make use of Akerele to link Ogunlana Drive inwards Itire road and connect Ojuelegba to their destination”, he stated. Read more
Why water-logged Lekan Salami Stadium’s renovation cost over N5bn -Makinde’s aide (Punch)
Lekan Salami Stadium water logged
A friendly match between Shooting and Slovenian club, NK Tabor Sezana at the newly-renovated Lekan Salami Stadium
The Lekan Salami Stadium Complex costs over N5bn because other facilities will be built apart from the water-logged, roof-leaking main bowl.
Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
Other facilities expected to be in the stadium are the gymnasium and indoor sports hall, a tennis court as well as the luxury apartments. Read more
FIBA World Cup: D’Tigers handed tough qualifying group (Vanguard)
Nigeria’s D’Tigers were on Tuesday handed a tough schedule as they were drawn alongside Cape Verde, Mali, and Uganda in Group A of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
At the Qualifiers’ Draw Ceremony held at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in the Swiss city of Mies, Nigeria could not have asked for a worse draw. It came on a day the Ugandan side eliminated them from the ongoing 2021 FIBA AfroBasket in Kigali, Rwanda 80-68 during a Qualification to Quarter-Final match.
If they had won, they would have advanced to the AfroBasket quarter-finals to meet Cape Verde, who have so far in Kigali stunned their foes, including former continental champions Angola and hosts Rwanda.
Nigeria however beat Mali 81-73 in their opening Group C match, with Mali going on to finish bottom of the group. Read more
Lewis Hamilton breaks down in Dutch Grand Prix practice as Charles Leclerc fastest (BBC)
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two in Dutch Grand Prix second practice while Lewis Hamilton missed most of the session with an engine problem.
Hamilton’s Mercedes stopped on track after he had done just one flying lap. He was classified 11th.
Leclerc headed team-mate Carlos Sainz by 0.154 seconds.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was third, ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso. Read more
FIFA pledges action after England players suffer racist abuse in Hungary (Guardian)
FIFA vowed to take action after racist abuse was aimed at England players during their World Cup qualifier in Hungary as Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday labelled the incidents “completely unacceptable”.
Monkey chants were directed at Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham during Thursday’s match at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, which Euro 2020 runners-up England won 4-0.
Manchester City forward Sterling scored the first goal in the convincing win but the result was overshadowed by the abuse aimed at the visitors’ black players.
Missiles and a flare were also thrown onto the pitch by a hostile home crowd. Read more