Fire at Kara bridge market destroys goods worth millions (Guardian)
Traders at Ajimula International Market, by Kara Bridge, Isheri Olofin, Ogun State, yesterday, recorded losses as fire ravaged the market.
The fire burnt consumables and non-consumables that include, polythene bags, plastic, nylon, motorcycles and others in makeshift structures spread over an acre of land.
The fire, which reportedly started at about 10:00a.m. was stopped from spreading to adjoining structures by Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, without any recorded injury or fatality.
The agency said it got a call regarding the incident at about 11:53 a.m. and commenced combating the fire at about 12:05 p.m., following the arrival of the first fire crew from Alausa, before their Ikeja counter-parts joined and the fire was finally put out at about 1:59 p.m.
Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, lamented that fire and related emergencies kept rising in spite of preventive and proactive measure devised by the agency. Read more
Buhari reappoints Adeyeye as NAFDAC DG (Vanguard)
President Muhammadu Buhari has reappointed Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye as the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
Her reappointment was made known via the agency’s Twitter handle on Friday.
Recall that her first tenure ended November 2, 2022, making Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, to take over as the Acting DG of the Agency on November 12, 2022.
However, making announcement for her reappointment, the agency opined: “Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has been reappointed as the @DGatNAFDAC for the second and final tenure of five years. She stopped by briefly at the corporate headquarters in Abuja to meet with some Directors”. Read more
Efforts ongoing to rescue abducted female officer – Army (Punch)
The Nigerian Army has said efforts are still ongoing to rescue a female officer, Lt. P.P Johnson, abducted in Imo allegedly by the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, stated on Friday in Abuja that the female officer was abducted on December 26 while visiting her grandmother in Aku-Okigwe in Imo.
That was shortly after the completion of her cadet training and subsequent unveiling as a lieutenant into the Nigerian Army, he added.
Nwachukwu stated that the video footage of her abduction had emerged on social media where her abductors claimed her abduction was in line with their fight for Biafra against the Nigerian state. Read more
Lagos NSCDC beefs up security in INEC offices (Guardian)
Lagos Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC ), has beefed-up security at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), officers in Lagos, in response to an order of the Commandant General (CG) of the Corps to ensure total protection of INEC facilities and materials across the country.
The Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, in the last CG’s Quarterly Conference, for the year 2022, gave a marching order to zonal commanders and state commandants to stop the attacks on the facilities or materials of INEC in the country.
The CG further stated, at the Conference held at the National Headquarters, Sauka, Abuja, that by virtue of the Act establishing the Corps, it was the Corps’ duty to provide security and protection for critical national assets and infrastructure.
Consequently, Lagos State Commandant of Corps ( CC ), Edenabu Okoro Eweka, immediately deployed armed personnel to beef up security in the two INEC offices, located at Sabo, Yaba, and Surulere area of the state. Read more
Lagos PDP Rep aspirant mobilises support for Atiku (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party contender for the House of Representatives seat in Ikorodu, AbdulAzeez Awesu, has mobilised youths and adults in the division to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general elections.
Awesu, who is challenging the withdrawal of his mandate at the Supreme Court, during a rally he convened in Ikorodu on Wednesday, urged members of the division to vote for Atiku.
Speaking during the event, Awesu said the rally was to let people know that the PDP was actively on ground in the division, adding that the party’s presidential flag bearer was a unifier that would deliver on his promises to the people.
He said, “People really need to know that PDP is still on ground. That is just the basic essence of the rally and to know that Atiku Abubakar is going to be the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Read more
How 2 Lagos teenagers sold their organs for N200k in Ogun (Vanguard)
Two teenage girls are currently at death’s door after selling their organs for N100,000 each to a medical doctor at Redwood Specialist Hospital, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The girls involved are a 17-year-old Precious Ikechukwu, daughter of Bishop Ikechukwu Umeayo, the Founder of Living Word Anointed Gospel Mission, located at Iyana-Ipaja in Lagos, and her father’s Secretary, 19-year-old, Theresa Obam.
Precious and Theresa allegedly connived with a member of the church, Mrs Blessing Adeleke who often attends the church’s prayer vigils.
Vanguard learnt that Mrs Adeleke, who was staying with her mother-in-law in the compound where Bishop Umeayo’s church is situated took the girls to one Dr Durodola in the aforesaid hospital in the Ogun state capital. Read more
PDP Crisis: How G-5 alliance may affect Makinde’s second-term bid (DailyTrust)
The second term bid of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is being threatened by the continued insistence of the G-5 governor to work against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Makinde is the only first-term governor among the quintet – Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
Although Ortom, Ugwuanyi and Ikpeazu are seeking senatorial seats, Makinde’s ambition is the most threatened considering the dynamics of Oyo politics.
The state is controlled by many political gladiators that it is difficult for a single politician to be the major determinant in an election. Read more
Ohanaeze Youth hail Buhari, Emefiele over judgment quashing terrorism allegations (Independent)
Ohanaeze Youths Movement has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over court judgement quashing the move by the Department of Security Services (DSS), to charge the Apex Bank boss with trumped up charges of terrorism financing.
Justice M.A. Hassan had in a judgement on Thursday barred the DSS from inviting, arresting, detaining or charging the CBN Governor with any allegation of terrorism or fraudulent act.
The Justice described the plot to arrest Emefiele of terrorism as oppressive, baseless, fabricated and unacceptable.
Lauding the judgement, Ohanaeze Youth group, in a statement by its secretary General, Nwada Amaka urged Buhari to investigate the Director-General of DSS over his role in the failed plot to frame Emefiele for terrorism. Read more
Why are men attracted to women’s breasts? (JPost)
For years, scientists have tried to discover why men are attracted to female breasts. It has taken a long time to come to a conclusive answer; this may be because the question is a difficult one and the answer is murky. Or, perhaps, they just like to keep returning to the question for personal reasons.
Authors Larry Young and Brian Alexander recently released a book entitled, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction. The authors analyzed all the emotional, biological and cultural elements behind heterosexual men’s attraction to breasts. In a column he wrote for the Huffington Post, Larry Young – an expert in the neuroscience of social relationships – explained that biologically, the straight male obsession with breasts is “pretty weird.”
“As the success of Hooters, “men’s” magazines, a kajillion websites, and about 10,000 years of art tell us, men are extremely drawn to breasts, and not because boys learn on the playground that breasts are something that they should be interested in, Young wrote in the Huffington Post. “It’s biological and deeply engrained in our brain. In fact, research indicates that when we’re confronted with breasts, or even breast-related stimuli, like bras, we’ll start making bad decisions (and not just to eat at Hooters).” Read more
Ian Khama: Botswana issues arrest warrant for former president (BBC)
A court in Botswana has issued an arrest warrant for former President Ian Khama for the possession of illegal firearms.
The judge issued orders that Mr Khama should be arrested on sight.
The 69-year-old left the country last year and has been residing in neighbouring South Africa.
He has denied the charges and says they are part of a political conspiracy after he fell out with his successor President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Mr Khama left office in 2018 after two five-year terms. Read more
Jennifer Lopez confirms new album explores her and Ben Affleck’s rekindled romance (Metro)
Jennifer Lopez has revealed exactly what fans can expect from her forthcoming album This Is Me…Now and it sounds like a full-blown ode to her husband Ben Affleck.
A follow up to 2002’s This Is Me… Then, Lopez’s new record is set to drop in 2023 and the hit-maker confirmed it’ll cover all things Bennifer 2.0.
Of This Is Me…Now, JLo shared: ‘We captured me at this moment in time when I was reunited with the love of my life and we decided we were going to be together forever.’
Hardcore Bennifer shippers will know that lots of the songs on This Is Me… Then were actually about Affleck, 50, who Lopez, 53, was romantically involved with at the time. Read more
Elon Musk insults a critic with vulgar language (TheStreet)
Elon Musk makes every effort to distinguish himself from every other executive.
In particular, he sets his own standards for public remarks. The obvious example is his new content-management policy on Twitter, the social network he purchased on October 27 for $44 billion.
The Tesla (TSLA) – Get Free Report chief executive has said that one reason he bought the microblogging platform was to remake it into the center of free speech. He describes himself as a free-speech absolutist.
By banning accounts, Musk argues, Twitter 1.0 violated the very principle of free speech. Musk has therefore reactivated most of those banned accounts, including that of former President Donald Trump. He also reinstated accounts that had been suspended for comments against transgender people.
The principle he has set is that any message is acceptable on the platform as long as it does not violate the law of the state or country where it is posted. Read more
Anti-woke Canadian rapper tops music charts with his controversial message (NPost)
Rapper Tom MacDonald, who grew up in Alberta and British Columbia, is known for his anti-woke, anti-government stance — and has amassed a right-wing fanbase for his bold lyrics — is rising to the top of mainstream music charts.
He was called “one of the most talked about new artists in hip-hop, with one of the most divisive personas the genre has ever seen,” in an Inked Magazine article.
In one of his songs, “Snowflakes”, he muses: “If you lie to the government, they’ll put you in prison, but when they lie to all of us, it’s called being a politician. You think taking guns away will save our kids from the killings, but your pro-choice abortion kills way more children.”
After a video for the song was released on YouTube in June 2021, he gained more recognition, including a Twitter follow from Donald Trump Jr. and an interview in The Daily Wire with Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator. The video has since been viewed more than 21 million times. Read more
Trump’s tax returns are now public (Fortune)
Democrats in Congress released six years’ worth of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, the culmination of a yearslong effort to learn about the finances of a onetime business mogul who broke decades of political norms when he refused to voluntarily release the information as he sought the White House.
The returns, which include redactions of some personal sensitive information such as Social Security and bank account numbers, are from 2015 to 2020. Their release follows a party-line vote in the House Ways and Means Committee last week to make the returns public. Committee Democrats argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake, while Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.
Trump had refused to release his returns when he ran for president and had waged a legal battle to keep them secret while he was in the White House. But the Supreme Court ruled last month that he had to turn them over to the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
The release, just days before Trump’s fellow Republicans retake control of the House from the Democrats, raises the potential of new revelations about Trump’s finances, which have been shrouded in mystery and intrigue since his days as an up-and-coming Manhattan real estate developer in the 1980s. The returns could take on added significance now that Trump has launched a campaign for the White House in 2024. Read more
Beyoncé’s Christmas cards spark speculation new music videos are coming (Metro)
The Beyhive is abuzz this festive season with predictions that Queen B is going to drop some music videos for her album Renaissance.
Released in July, Beyonce has yet to release a full music video for any of the tracks on the album, however has kept fans on the edge of their seats by dropping visuals here and there.
But a Christmas card sent by the 41-year-old hit-maker in recent days has Twitter ablaze with theories that a video is finally on its way.
The card in question was sent to a select handful of individuals, mainly journalists, and features a photo of Yonce on the front wearing a fluffy bustier and a white cowboy hat. Read more
Thank you, King’: Brazil lights up in honour of Pelé (BBC)
Brazil has woken up to its first day without footballing legend Pelé.
“The King”, who won three World Cups and was widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, died at the age of 82 in São Paulo on Thursday.
Overnight, Pelé’s face shone on buildings across the South American nation and landmarks were lit up in his memory. Fans took to the streets dressed in his iconic number 10 shirt.
Brazil’s government has declared three days of national mourning.
The front pages in Brazil were all talking about Pelé on Friday. One read “Pelé died, if indeed Pelé can die”, because for Brazilians, he is their eternal King. Read more
Sassuolo makes surprise bid for Olisa Ndah (Sun)
Italian Serie A side, Sassuolo, has made a bid for Orlando Pirates’ and Super Eagles defender, Olisa Ndah.
According to reports from Isolezwe. Pirates have a deal in the works from the Serie A team, who are presently ranked 15th in the Italian top division.
Ndah has witnessed a meteoric rise in the last five years. The 24-year-old Nigeria international has gone from playing in the doldrums four years ago to being one of the most reputable defenders in South Africa.
The former Remo Stars man shot to prominence last year when he helped Akwa United win the Nigeria Professional Football League – their first ever. Read more
Unai Emery tells Emi Martinez he ”needs to adapt quickly” after Aston Villa return (BirminghamLive)
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery says he is “going to check” that Emi Martínez is ready for the match against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day after only recently returning to training at Bodymoor Heath.
It is still less than a fortnight since Martínez was playing in the World Cup final for Argentina and lifting the trophy after his heroics in the penalty shootout that decided the match. Emery is hopeful his goalkeeper is “100 per cent focused” on Villa again and ready to “adapt quickly” to how the club work rather than the way in which his national team does.
Robin Olsen deputized against Liverpool on Boxing Day, but Martínez is expected to return against Tottenham for the final match of the year. After playing every minute of all six matches in Qatar, though, Emery has no doubts about the player’s fitness.
“He is going to be available physically, and his mentality we are going to check,” the Villa boss told the PA news agency. “Hopefully, he is coming 100 per cent focused on Aston Villa. Read more
Cody Fisher stabbing: Birmingham nightclub’s licence suspended (BBC)
The nightclub where a 23-year-old footballer died in a knife attack has had its licence suspended for 28 days.
Birmingham City Council held an urgent meeting earlier after police said there had been “serious management failings” at the Crane nightclub.
The West Midlands force said Cody Fisher had died during “a fight on the dance floor” and officers had then faced “a scene of chaos and drug use”.
The suspension is pending a full review hearing to take place at a later date. Read more
Mick Schumacher opens up on the pressure of being Michael’s son (F1News)
Mick Schumacher has undoubtedly the most famous surname in motorsport history, one which understandably comes with a daunting level of pressure.
Mick’s father is, of course, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, who is regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all-time by many.
Michael was an unbelievable talent that saw Germany have some of the biggest Grand Prix attendances, with thousands of fans keen to catch a glimpse of the 53-year-old in action.
Given his success, many have compared Mick to his father for the vast majority of his career over recent years, from when he switched from competing under his mother’s maiden name, to his father’s surname. Read more
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight date agreed as Frank Warren gives update (MEN)
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to finally undergo their hotly-anticipated heavyweight clash in early March, promoter Frank Warren has stated – leaving just two months of preparation for the Gypsy King to defend his crown.
Fury, who won the WBC and The Ring Magazine heavyweight titles after beating Deontay Wilder within seven rounds in February 2020, has coasted through his last three fights – taking on Wilder once more alongside Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte, the latter two being on home soil.
With 11th, sixth and 10th-round stoppages in those bouts respectively, many have questioned Fury for failing to fight anyone of his calibre; though for some reason or another, those fights have not taken place.
One reason is Anthony Joshua ‘s rematches against the Ukrainian; having lost in September 2021, ‘AJ’ took on Usyk again in August, though another loss meant that ‘The Cat’ needn’t prove himself against the Watford-born star again. As a result, Usyk vs Fury is a fight that has been billed in the minds of pundits and fans for some time – and when the two came head-to-head following Fury’s win over Chisora earlier this month, a bout seemed to be closer than ever. Read more