Family of missing drummer accuses pastor of stalling probe (Punch)
The family of Zachariah Barnabas, who until his disappearance was a drummer at the Kingdom of Glory Church in Lagos, has accused the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Olayinka Samuel of trying to obstruct an investigation into his whereabouts.
City Round gathered that the 23-year-old who had been a paid drummer at the church for about four years went missing after he allegedly attended a programme at the church on October 11, 2023.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Barnabas’ sister, Janet, accused the church GO of telling the family different stories, including raising a false alarm that her brother had been found in a hotel. Read more
CBN lifts ban on cryptocurrency transactions in banks (DailyTrust)
The Central Bank of Nigeria has reviewed its position on the ban on cryptocurrency transactions in Nigeria.
The apex bank said on Friday that it has changed its stance on crypto assets in the country and asked banks to disregard its earlier ban on crypto transactions.
This is contained in a circular dated December 22, 2023, with reference number FPR/DIR/PUB/CIR/002/003, and signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Haruna Mustafa. Read more
Crisis looms in Lagos health sector as JOHESU threatens strike (ThisDay)
Health services in Lagos State may be plunged into crisis if the health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions Assembly (JOHESU) of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) make good their threat to embark on industrial action over welfare issues.
The workers are aggrieved over the failure of the state government to issue circulars for Pharmacist Consultant Cadre and payment of Retention Allowance for all Health Workers on CONHESS Salary Scale. The 15-day ultimatum is effective December.
In a letter to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, titled: ‘Notice of 15-day ultimatum to proceed on indefinite strike’, the workers urged the government to expedite action on the matters to avert an imminent crisis. Read more
3,341 males, 72 females on death row as 1,840 inmates write School Certificate (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS said no fewer than 3,341 males are currently on death row while 72 females are also to face the hangman noose.
Controller General of the Service, Haliru Nababa disclosed this at a news conference Friday in Abuja.
He added that there are 1,293 males and 15 females in life sentences while 18,935 males and 357 females are convicted inmates. Read more
Former speaker Dogara loses mother (Guardian)
The mother of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has passed away at 103 years.
Dogara announced the death of his mother in a statement on Friday evening.
The lawmaker who represented Dass/Tafawa Balewa/ Bogoro constituency, said that “it is with utmost gratitude and total submission to the will of God Almighty that we announce the transition to glory of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, Mama Saratu Yakubu Tukur which occurred today, Friday, December 22, 2023 at the age of 103 years.” Read more
Rivers Crisis: Group sues Tinubu, Fubara, INEC (Channels)
Six leaders from Rivers State have dragged President Bola Tinubu to the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly compelling Governor Siminilaya Fubara to enter into what they called an unconstitutional agreement.
They insist that the said agreement which was signed on December 18 was not only illegal but amounted to an usurpation, nullification, and undermining of the extant/relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The plaintiffs led by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Bonny State Constituency, Victor Jumbo, are Senator Bennett Birabi, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O. P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs, and Emmanuel Deinma. Read more
Kanu: FG missed opportunity to free Southeast -Bishop (Nation)
The recent judgement by the Supreme Court on the leader of indigenous people of Biafra IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was an opportunity missed by the federal government to free Southeast from insecurity.
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Niger, Rt Rev Owen Nwokolo called for unity among people of Southeast to enable them to get anything meaningful from the Federal Government.
Nwokolo gave the advice in a chat with newsmen at the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State Friday. Read more
FG decries killing of elephants by soldiers in Borno (Sun)
Federal Government has condemned the killing of two elephants by the military in Borno State, saying that the killings were not only illegal, they undermine the fragile balance of the nation’s ecosystem.
Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako who conveyed the displeasure of the government, said that the government is deeply concerned about the illegal killings.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent illegal killings of elephants and other wildlife species across the country which involves the killing of two elephants by the military in Kala Balge, Borno State at the instance of a Local Government Chairman and the killing of another elephant by a professor from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State. The Ministry also received similar unpleasant information on the killing of two booted eagles that migrated all the way from Europe but met their deaths in both Kebbi and Sokoto states. Efforts are being made by my ministry to retrieve the transmitters attached to these birds and return them to the researchers in Europe. Read more
Beyoncé makes surprise appearance at Brazil afterparty following ‘Renaissance’ film premiere (HipHopDx)
Beyoncé headed south to surprise fans in Brazil where she popped up at an afterparty following the premiere of her Renaissance concert film.
Brazilian fans couldn’t contain their excitement at a “Club Renaissance” party on Thursday’s event (December 21) as Queen Bey graced their presence in a sparkling silver dress.
The Grammys record-holder got on the mic at the event and spoke about how important it was to her to show up for her Brazilian BeyHive. Read more
Sydney Sweeney slams claims she was objectified in Rolling Stones music video (EW)
Sydney Sweeney is clapping back at critics who claim she was objectified in the Rolling Stones’ “Angry” music video.
In the video, Sweeney, clad in black studded chaps and a corset, rides in a convertible, dancing and singing along to the song, which is off the iconic rock group’s new album “Hackney Diamonds”. Sweeney has some choice words for people who think she was sexually objectified in the clip.
In a new interview with Glamour UK, the Anyone But You star said of her starring role in the video: “I felt hot. I picked my own outfit out of racks and racks of clothes. I felt so good in it.” Read more
Cher breaks all-time Official Chart record with DJ Play a Christmas Song (MusicNews)
Pop icon Cher breaks UK Official Chart records today with DJ Play a Christmas Song.
Cher becomes the first female artist to achieve a Top 40 hit with new material on the Official Singles Chart across seven consecutive decades. While Cher’s UK chart debut originally came in the form of Sonny & Cher’s chart-topping duet I Got You Babe in 1965, her debut solo single All I Really Want To Do broke the UK Top 40 the same month, and Cher has gone on to chart a solo single of new material in the Top 40 in every decade since.
At 77 years, 7 months old, Cher also becomes the oldest solo female performer to secure a Top 40 on the Official Singles Chart with the lead single from her 27th studio album Christmas. DJ Play a Christmas Song breaks all the way into the Top 20 at Number 20 this week. Read more
Trump on ‘poisoning the blood’ remarks: “I never knew that Hitler said it” (NBC)
Former President Donald Trump on Friday defended his recent remarks about immigrants “poisoning the blood” of America, saying he never knew it was language used by Adolf Hitler.
Trump’s assertion that he didn’t know Hitler used similar phrasing in his manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” came after the former president made the comments last weekend, drawing comparisons to the genocidal Nazi dictator — and then repeated the term several more times.
In an interview Friday, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if he used “poisoning the blood” in the same way Hitler meant it — that Jewish blood cannot be part of German blood. Read more
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry jet to tropical holiday vacation with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet (People)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are kicking off the holidays with a warm-weather getaway.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted in Costa Rica with their son Prince Archie, 4, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 2, CRHoy.com reported on Thursday. The family of four reportedly arrived on Dec. 14 and departed on Dec. 20. The local outlet said that they traveled to Zapotal, Nandayure and Guanacaste.
Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, have squeezed in a few private vacations this year. In September, the couple reportedly stopped in Portugal (where Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and her family live part-time) after the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany and quietly visited the Caribbean in October after marking World Mental Health Day in New York City. Read more
Court rejects Andrew Tate’s request to visit his mother in the UK after heart attack (Independent)
A Romanian court on Friday rejected a request by the divisive influencer Andrew Tate to temporarily leave the country to visit his mother in the U.K. after she had suffered a heart attack, his spokesperson said.
Tate is charged in Romania with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
After the Bucharest Court of Appeal’s decision, Tate’s spokesperson said the ruling “has left us disheartened.” On Thursday, Tate said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that his mother was hospitalised and that he would ask the court for “an emergency visit to London.” Read more
Mel B proudly owns branding James Corden the ‘biggest d***head’ she’s ever met (Mirror)
Spice Girl icon Mel B has proudly owned branding Gavin and Stacey star James Corden the ‘biggest d***head’ she’s ever met in a scathing remark she made last year
Spice Girl’s Mel B has doubled down on her scathing comment about James Corden.
The singer branded the Gavin and Stacey star one of the “biggest d***heads” she has ever met back in 2022. Mel B has since proudly owned the comment during her appearance on Joe Lycett’s show Late Night. She had originally made the comment in an interview on The Big Narstie Show last year. Read more
Egbe: Stop blaming Peseiro for snubbing home-based players (ThisDay)
The inclusion of just three domestic-based goalkeepers in Nigeria’s provisional list of 41 players submitted by Super Eagles Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, to CAF ahead of the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, has been described as the fallout of bad pitches across the country.
Ebi Egbe, one of the country’s facility experts, insisted yesterday that the trend will continue under foreign coaches hired by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) until clubs in NPFL choose to do the right things by elevating their playing surfaces.
Egbe who is the CEO of Monimichele Limited, one of the best stadium turf experts in Nigeria, stressed that it will be difficult for the local players making the senior national team because of the level their talents have been reduced to by the poor surfaces they play in the domestic League. Read more
2024: NASS pledges adequate budgetary provision for Parasports (Leadership)
The leadership of the National Assembly has pledged to make adequate provision in the 2024 budget for people living with disabilities in the areas of sports.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Sumaila Kawu, made the pledge when they received members of the Federal Capital Territory para-soccer team. The game was held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja..
Addressing the athletes at the National Assembly premises, Ndume, who is the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on appropriation said special funds would be allocated to parasports to encourage them. Read more
Top India wrestler to return honour in protest against sport body’s new chief (AlJazeera)
A top Indian male wrestler says he is returning one of the country’s highest civilian awards in protest against the election of a president to the sport’s ruling body backed by his predecessor, who is accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers.
Bajrang Punia, the first Indian wrestler to win four world championship medals, was awarded the Padma Shri – the fourth highest civilian award – by the Indian president in 2019 for his achievements as an athlete.
On Friday, Punia shared his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, formerly Twitter, saying he would “not be able to live with the respect bestowed upon him by the government of India at a time when women wrestlers have been insulted”. Read more
Simmons says back improving, but too early to target Nets return (ABC)
Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons admitted Friday night that the lower back nerve impingement that’s sidelined him for nearly two months has him as frustrated as he’s ever been.
“It’s probably one of the most frustrating points in my career just because I wanna be out there to help my team win and compete,” he said before Brooklyn took on the defending champion Denver Nuggets at Barclays Center. “But at the end of the day, it’s one of those things that’s a part of sports. Not every game’s promised. Injuries happen. Unfortunately, it happens. So, for me, it’s just focusing on what I can do now and doing what I can to get back on the floor and contribute.”
Simmons has missed 21 straight games since suffering the injury against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 6. Read more
Zimbabwe cricket suspends 2 national players over recreational drug use (Fox)
Zimbabwe Cricket said Thursday that two national players had been suspended for “recreational drug use”.
“The concerned players, Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta, both tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case recorded during a recent in-house doping test,” the board said in a statement.
Madhevere and Mavuta have been suspended “with immediate effect” until a hearing is held on the breach of anti-doping rules. Read more
Man City make history with Club World Cup win (BBC)
Julian Alvarez scored twice as Manchester City won the Fifa Club World Cup for the first time by beating Brazilians Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.
Pep Guardiola’s side, taking part in the tournament after winning last season’s Champions League, made the ideal start as Alvarez struck after 40 seconds, chesting in from close range after Nathan Ake’s long-range strike hit the post.
They added a second in the 27th minute when Nino turned Phil Foden’s cross into the back of his own net. Read more