‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ pushes cinema sales to N1b in one week (Channels)
Funke Akindele’s newly released movies, Everybody Loves Jenifa and Alakada! Bad and Boujee have pushed Nigerian cinemas to record ticket sales of over N1 billion in one week.
According to Nile Media Entertainment Group data, tickets worth N1.02 billion were sold between December 20 and 26, 2024, a record high for Nigerian cinemas.
“Today, we’re proud to share an incredible milestone: the Nigerian box office has crossed 1 billion Naira in a single week in 2024,” the independent entertainment company stated.
Funke Akindele’s movie, Everyone Loves Jenifa, has had 153,800 total ticket sales as of December 26 and has made N782.8 million in 14 days, on track to surpass the N1 billion naira mark in fewer days than A Tribe Called Judah, her previous record-breaking film, which hit a billion in ticket sales in 21 days. Read more
13 burnt to death in Ondo road accident (Leadership)
No fewer than 13 persons have been burnt to death following an auto crash at Abule Panu before Ose Bridge, on Owo-Ikare highway in Ondo State on Saturday.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the only surviving person in the accident was rescued with serious injuries.
The ghastly accident was said to have occurred at about 10:14 am and claimed the lives of 13 commuters on the spot in two buses involved. Read more
Blackout in Abuja, as TCN begins maintenance (Vanguard)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has informed residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, about looming blackouts in some areas.
In her statement on Saturday, the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, TCN, disclosed that TCN engineers would conduct planned maintenance exercises at two transmission substations on Saturday and Sunday.
She said, “Maintenance will be carried out on a 60MVA power transformer and its associated switch gears at the Gwagwalada 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation.” Read more
Kidnappers demand N75m to release Anglican priest, family (Nation)
Kidnappers of an Anglican priest, Rev. Canon Olowolagba, his wife and two children, have demanded a ransom payment of N75m.
The Anglican priest and his family were abducted along the Ise Akoko-Iboropa road in Akoko North-East Local Government area of Ondo State.
He hails from Ikaram-Akoko. Read more
Nebula Care Hospital opens in Lagos, promises high quality medical delivery (Independent)
In its collaborative efforts with Nigeria to deliver high quality Medicare in Nigeria, an ultra-modern medical facility specializing in trauma-related ailments has been established in Lagos, Nigeria by the Indians.
Nebula Care Hospital Limited with company number: RC-7133773, incorporated in Nigeria on Sep 12, 2023 is situated at Wilmer Street, Ilupeju, Lagos State.
The chairman of Nebula Hospital Care Limited is Dr. J.G. Makadia. Read more
Gov Abdulrazaq’s Chief of Staff is dead (Tribune)
Chief of Staff to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara state, Prince AbdulKadir Mahe, is dead.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, he said that Prince Mahe died Saturday morning, December 28, 2024.
The statement, which described the late Chief of Staff as a perfect gentleman, community leader, urbane public servant and a statesman, said that he will be buried Saturday at his residence on Moro Street, Adewole Estate, Ilorin, after the Asr prayer. Read more
Woli Arole laments high number of awaiting trial inmates in Oyo (Punch)
The founder of Friends’ Fellowship International, Oluwatoyin Bayekun, has said about 1,200 inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, were awaiting trials.
Bayekun, famously called Woli Arole, stated this while speaking with Saturday PUNCH shortly after donating different items to the inmates on Thursday.
He lamented that the situation at the correctional centres across the country was pathetic, calling on the Federal Government to address the plights of the inmates and the facilities critically. Read more
Oloto, Suenu Royal families hold second reunion (Nation)
The Omotorisha Branch of the Royal Oloto Family of Mainland Lagos and Fasinro Branch of Suenu Chieftaincy Family recently held their second family reunion.
The reunion, which specifically brought together the Omotorisha descendants of the two notable Lagos families, followed the first one held at Oto in Mainland Lagos on December 26, 2023, where the two families reunited after over a hundred years of separation.
Held at Iga Suenu (Suenu Palace) in Isale-Eko, Lagos Island, the reunion had in attendance the Suenu of Lagos, Chief Omogbolahan Nojeemdeen Aremu Durosimi; the Onisabe of Igbobi Sabe, Oba Owolabi Adeniyi; Prince Babatunde Shittu-Oloto aka Tunde Oloto; Secretary to the Suenu Chieftaincy Family, Olaseni Ogungbadero; Mrs Modinat Badru and Dr. Akinlade Babafemi amongst other notable sons and daughters of the families. Read more
SZA responds to fan calls for joint album with Kendrick Lamar (HipHopDx)
SZA does not seem opposed to the growing fan calls to do a joint project with her frequent collaborator, Kendrick Lamar.
The pair just recently reunited on the song “30 For 30” off SZA’s new Lana (SOS Deluxe) album, which arrived just after they announced a joint tour.
Social media has since been going crazy calling for a full body of work from the two, and one such post made its way on to SZA’s Instagram Story – which fans are taking as a co-sign. Read more
Gwen Stefani reflects on No Doubt reunion at Coachella: It “meant so much to me” (NME)
Gwen Stefani has spoken further about the recent No Doubt reunion at Coachella 2024.
The pop star reunited with the band to perform at the festival on both weekends, marking their first shows since 2015.
No Doubt were originally together in their first run between 1986 and 2005, with their first reunion lasting from 2008 to 2015. In 2016, Stefani cast doubt on a possible second reunion in an interview with Rolling Stone, stating that the band members had “grown apart as far as what kind of music we want to make”. Read more
Comedian Hannah Berner clarifies Blake Lively joke was filmed before star’s legal action against Justin Baldoni (EW)
Comedian Hannah Berner is setting the record straight on a joke she made about Blake Lively in Netflix’s new Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year.
In the special, which started streaming Friday, Berner pokes fun at various pop-culture headlines from 2024 in her three-minute set, and at one point deadpans, “The word ‘c–t’ was trending this year. I don’t think Blake Lively was that bad.”
The ill-timed joke caught viewers’ attention online in the wake of Lively’s much-publicized legal complaint against her It Ends With Us director and costar Justin Baldoni, leading to Berner addressing it in an Instagram story, also shared on Friday. “My joke in the Netflix roast was filmed before news of the [complaint]. To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake xoxo,” Berner wrote. Read more
Ken Jeong got ‘‘emotional’’ reading ‘‘Community’’ movie script (RollingStone)
Ken Jeong can’t say much about the upcoming film based on Community, but he will share how it made him feel. In a new interview with TV Insider, the actor shared that reading the film’s script made him “emotional.”
“[It] just brought me right back, and that’s all I’m legally allowed to say,” Jeong said, before adding, “There is a script, there is a plan. We just don’t know when [it will happen].”
“Once that’s agreed upon, it’ll be magical and real emotional,” he added. “I think being on set experiencing that again [will be] so gratifying. Words can’t even express.” Read more
Sony Pictures CEO blames critics for poor run of Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter (Independent)
Outgoing Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra has claimed Madame Web fared poorly at the box office “because the press just crucified it”.
Vinciquerra, who is stepping down on 2 January, insisted that the superhero film starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney wasn’t bad at all.
“Madame Web underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It wasn’t a bad film and it did great on Netflix,” he told the Los Angeles Times. Read more
John Stamos once auditioned to play the Grinch but was ‘‘allergic” to the prosthetics (People)
John Stamos almost put the mean in green.
The actor, 61, revealed on the Dec. 23 episode of the ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast that he auditioned to play the Grinch in the 2000 Christmas favorite How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The podcast from Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises features Saturday Night Live cast member James Austin Johnson as the cynical green character.
In the episode, Stamos said he was unable to continue going for the iconic role in the adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ 1957 children’s book because he had an allergic reaction to the prosthetics during a makeup test. The part ultimately went to Jim Carrey, who played opposite Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor and Christine Baranski. Read more
Musk says ‘‘hateful unrepentant racists’’ must be removed from Republican Party as visa feud deepens (Independent)
Elon Musk has declared that “hateful, unrepentant racists” should be removed from the Republican Party “root and stem” as the in-party feud over H-1B visas intensifies.
Conversations around H-1B visas have divided Donald Trump’s party, with his Department of Government Efficiency heads Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on one side and other allies like Laura Loomer on the other. The Space X founder escalated the feud on Friday night when he called for some “contemptible fools” in the GOP to be removed.
Musk made the statement in response to a post on X by Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council. Read more
Ex-Nigerian international footballer calls for more investments in sports (Leadership)
A Nigerian-born former international footballer, Maurice Michael Udobia, has said Nigeria needed to invest more in sports facilities and associated equipment if the country is to achieve more successes in different sporting activities.
Udobia, who is in Nigeria for a short vacation, noted that countries that have excelled in sports are those who have paid attention to the provision of facilities, athletes’ welfare and investments in equipment.
During his playing days, the former Nigerian international featured for Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, Calabar Rovers, Stationary Stores, and Bendel United before proceeding to Spain to play professionally. Read more
Ex-Eagles star Sunday Stephen donates rice to widows in Lagos (Vanguard)
Former Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Stephen, has donated 15kg bags of rice to widows at the Mountain of Fire Ministry, Region 31, Ojodu Berger, Lagos, as part of his foundation’s end-of-year outreach.
The donation, organised by the Sunday Stephen Miram Orphanage, aimed to ensure widows in the community could celebrate the yuletide season with dignity.
Stephen emphasised his foundation’s broader mission, which includes supporting orphans, widows, and vulnerable children by providing education, healthcare, mentorship, and spiritual development. Read more
Sinner & Swiatek cases ‘disgusting’ for tennis – Kyrgios (BBC)
Nick Kyrgios says the high-profile doping cases involving Grand Slam winners Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are “disgusting” for tennis.
Italian men’s world number one Sinner still faces the threat of a possible suspension after he twice tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March.
Swiatek, also 23, served a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned heart medication in August, when the Pole was women’s world number one. Read more
Arsenal go second with win over struggling Ipswich (RNZ)
Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League and within six points of Liverpool after a largely trouble-free, if slightly pedestrian, 1-0 win at home to struggling Ipswich Town on a chilly night in North London.
A first-half goal from Kai Havertz, who pounced on a smart pull-back from Leandro Trossard, proved the winner although the hosts should have scored more goals as the Gunners’ performance failed to provide many pre-New Year fireworks.
Lacking the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka, it took 19 minutes before Arsenal mustered their first shot although four minutes after that Havertz netted his sixth of the season in all competitions by tapping in Trossard’s whipped cross. Read more
Ruthless Enzo Maresca axes another Chelsea star after Noni Madueke decision (Mirror)
Enzo Maresca has showed his ruthless side again after revealing he axed ANOTHER Chelsea star.
Chelsea boss Maresca dropped Portugal international Renato Veiga from the Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. That comes on top of England winger Noni Madueke also being axed from the Chelsea squad which is not the first time he has been dumped this season.
Maresca described both decisions as being “technical” which only really explains that neither were injured but both did something the no-nonsense manager did not like. Veiga, 21, a £12m summer signing, has been a regular in the squad this season, has made seven appearances and his absence from the bench meant Chelsea had to fill it with more kids. Read more
Ex-ESPN star Charly Arnolt rages at journalists who chose Imane Khelif as Female Athlete of the Year (DailyMail)
Former ESPN personality Charly Arnolt has taken a furious swipe at the Associated Press reporters who chose controversial Olympics boxer Imane Khelif as their Female Athlete of the Year.
Four AP journalists and members sparked outrage this week after giving Khelif – whose gender was the subject of fierce controversy in Paris – third place in the voting for their award behind Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles.
The Algerian took gold in the women’s welterweight competition despite calls for her to be barred from fighting female opponents almost a year after she was thrown out of the World Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests. Read more
