Gunmen Break into Abuja Homes, Abduct Residents, Kill Housewife (DailyTrust)
A housewife simply identified as Salamatu was shot dead when kidnappers stormed Piri community in Kwali Area Council of Abuja.
At least eight residents were reportedly abducted in the incident which happened between Tuesday and Wednesday.
A resident, Yakubu Saidu, said the kidnappers first invaded two houses and whisked away two persons amidst sporadic gunshots.
He said the kidnappers targetted a car dealer identified as Sadauna but since they could not get him, they went away with two of his brothers, on Tuesday night. Read more
Lagos State students demand ban on daytime movement of articulated vehicles (Sun)
The National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) on Thursday appealed to the state government to ban movement of articulated vehicles during daytime to curb accidents and continuous loss of lives.
This is contained in a statement jointly issued by Mr Shasanya Akinola, President of NULASS and Mr Hassan Abdulsalam, Public Relations Officer of the union.
NULASS decried a Tuesday accident when an articulated vehicle ran into some pupils of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Junior and Senior School in the Ojodu Berger area of the state.
The vehicle killed and injured students as they were returning from school. Read more
Lagos to commence monthly tenancy in 2022 – Sanwo-Olu (Independent)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has stated that in 2022, a new policy for monthly tenancy on property occupancy would kick off in the state.
Sanwo-Olu revealed this at the Lagos Real Estate Market Place Conference and Exhibitions organised by the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), stating that the new policy is not to punish landlords/ladies but to ease the pressure of yearly rent on tenants.
“By next year, Sanwo-Olu said a new policy of monthly tenancy on property occupancy would kick off in Lagos. The concept, he said, is not to punish the landlord or reduce the expected revenue of the property owner.
“He said monthly tenancy would ease off the pressure of yearly rent on tenants, as the new policy is designed to make people pay their rents according to their monthly earnings. The policy, Sanwo-Olu said, emanated from an agreement reached by the association of tenants, a consortium of financiers, and the Government. Read more
Bisi Akande was a victim of Obasanjo’s diabolical double-cross – Buhari (Leadership)
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Lagos described Chief Bisi Akande, a former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Osun State governor as a ‘‘perfect public officer,” and the type of person he could go into the jungle with.
Speaking at the public presentation of ‘‘My Participations,” the autobiography of Chief Bisi Akande, the President said the author has retained his ‘‘inflexible integrity,” in and out of public office, never accepting or offering bribes.
The President, who heaped praises on the former governor of Osun State, further described him as a decent, truthful, and friendly person as well as an administrator of the first order, whose leadership qualities made him the unanimous choice as the first chairman of the APC.
President Buhari in a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, used the occasion to narrate his first meeting with Akande, his passion for Nigeria, achievements, and disappointment as governor of Osun State as well as his many battles to wrest power from the then ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party. Read more
Buhari commissions made-in-Nigeria navy ship, others to boost maritime security (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday commissioned a seaward defence boat NNS Oji locally made in Nigeria by men of the Nigerian navy and a helicopter on Thursday in Lagos.
NNS Oji, built by engineers of the Nigerian Navy is the third of its series to be indigenously built at the Naval Dockyard Limited after NNS Adoni and NNS Karaduwa were built in 2016.
Buhari also commissioned six newly acquired ships, including NNS Lana, Kano, Ikenne, Aba, Sokoto and Osun, 111 boats and one helicopter, charging all naval personnel to maintain professionalism and ensure good use of the newly built and acquired vessels including NNS Lana, Kano, Ikenne, Aba, Sokoto and Osun.
Speaking at the event, which also marks the keel-laying ceremony for the construction of Boat-IV and Boat-V, President Buhari said the new inductions to the naval fleet would boost their capability in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain. Read more
Building Collapse: Ogun signs MoU with BCPG (Sun)
Determined to forestall loss of lives and property arising from building collapse, Ogun State has finalised plans to partner and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG).
The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olatunji Odunlami, made this known in Abeokuta when he played host to members of the Ogun state chapter of BCPG, in his office on Thursday, in Abeokuta.
Odunlami noted that the collaboration would also institutionalise effective control mechanism to ensure that all constructions in the state are captured, monitored and structurally certified from the foundation level to completion stage.
He expressed worries that the rate at which buildings are being erected without following due process, emphasising the need for concerted efforts of organized professional bodies in the sector to ensure more resilient and safer environment in the State. Read more
Ondo Amotekun uncovers plot to attack state, impounds 50 tinted, unregistered Vehicles (Vanguard)
The Ondo State Security outfit codenamed Amotekun said it has uncovered a sinister plot by bandits to attack the state.
Consequently, the security network, in a bid to foil the plot, had commenced a stop-and-search, identification exercise across the state.
Addressing newsmen in Akure, the state capital, the state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye said over fifty unregistered and tinted vehicles without police permits had been impounded during the stop and search identification exercise.
Adeleye noted that no amount of criticism of the exercise would make it back down on its mandate to rid the state of criminal activities during the yuletide. Read more
Having a fallout with Kiddwaya was tough – DJ Cuppy (Punch)
London-based Nigerian Disk Jockey, Florence Otedola, popularly known as DJ Cuppy, has stated that having a fallout with reality TV star, Kidd Waya, was tough for her.
She said this during an interview with the Pretty Little Thing podcast, which was published on Wednesday.
DJ Cuppy and Kiddwaya, who featured in a British documentary-reality TV show, Highlife, had a fall out during the show which affected their real-life friendship.
The Oxford Master’s student said, “That was really tough for me because it was real life. For the viewers that don’t really understand. I and my friend had a real falling out during highlife and that was on camera, which was okay but it was really tough because we actually fell out. Read more
Troops rescue 20 kidnapped policemen in Yobe State – DHQ (Channels)
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 20 policemen abducted by terrorists in Buni Yadi, Yobe.
The Acting Director Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko said this during a media briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the troops recorded the feat during various operations in the past two weeks.
“Cumulatively, a total 62 terrorist elements were neutralized and 28 of them were arrested, while 54 assorted arms and 144 rounds of the different calibre of ammunition were recovered,” he said in a statement. Read more
Vox announces 5-year movie production plan to develop 25 Arabic titles (National)
Vox Cinemas has announced an ambitious plan to develop 25 Arabic films over the next five years.
Vox is already the region’s largest cinema exhibitor, with more than 600 screens across the Middle East, and oversees a large distribution operation for the likes of Warner Bros and 21st Century Fox, among other international and regional releases. Most recently, the company distributed Al Kameen – The Ambush, the largest Arabic feature film production in the GCC. The film smashed box office records across the Gulf region to become the highest-grossing Arabic language movie in the UAE.
Its move into large-scale production could also make Vox one of the Middle East’s key players in film production. It is already no stranger to the field – in 2019, Vox entered a co-production partnership with Abu Dhabi studio twofour54 and Saudi broadcaster and studio MBC. The trio made their on-screen co-production debut with Rami Yasin’s 2020 vampire drama Three Four Eternity.
The five-year plan announcement was made at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, where Vox is the exclusive cinema partner. Read more
Andy Serkis says he wants to make another ‘Venom’ film (FarOut)
Earlier this year, the much-awaited sequel to Marvel’s 2018 hit Venom came out as an addition to a big year for Marvel. Like Eternals, the new Andy Serkis project was hit with a range of mixed reviews and was criticised by many but it became one of the biggest commercial successes of 2021 because, quite simply, a Marvel project is usually too big to fail when it comes to the financial returns after releases.
Starring Tom Hardy again, Venom: Let There Be Carnage explored a wide range of subjects that had been discussed in public spaces throughout this year as well as the last – ranging from LGBTQ+ issues to police brutality and the breakdown of the family unit in modernity. Director Andy Serkis insisted that he wanted to use the surreal elements of a superhero film to tell a story from a specific and relevant human framework.
Not just that, Serkis also explored other issues that have been plaguing us like capital punishment through scenes containing death by lethal injection. In many ways, this was Serkis’ attempt to conduct a commentary on the modern condition through the most effective medium available to filmmakers right now – a widely appealing Marvel film.
In a recent interview, Serkis claimed that he is already gearing up for the opportunity to direct the third instalment of the Venom franchise with Tom Hardy if the studio gave him the chance. He is already assuring fans that there is a good chance that this will happen even though he doesn’t want anyone to count their chickens just yet. “It’s such a wonderful world to play in,” Serkis exclaimed while explaining why he loves the universe of the film so much. Read more
Boris Johnson and wife Carrie announce birth of daughter (Examiner)
Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie has given birth to her second child with the British Prime Minister after a tumultuous 24 hours for Downing Street.
Mr and Mrs Johnson announced the birth of a “healthy baby girl” at a London hospital earlier on Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the couple said: “Both mother and daughter are doing very well. The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS maternity team for all their care and support.”
The couple announced they were expecting their second child together at the end of July, as the 33-year-old environmental campaigner spoke of having a miscarriage earlier in the year. Read more
Iraq official says US-led combat mission in the country has ended (Aljazeera)
The United States-led coalition’s combat mission countering ISIL (ISIS) in Iraq has officially ended, according to Iraq’s national security adviser.
The announcement on Thursday by Qassim al-Araji followed the final round of technical talks in Iraq’s capital to formally transition the combat mission to an advisory mission to assist Iraqi forces.
“We are officially announcing the end of the coalition forces’ combat mission,” al-Araji wrote on Twitter.
“The relationship with the international coalition continues in the areas of training, advising and capacity building” of Iraqi forces, he added. Read more
Evergrande: China property giant misses debt deadline (BBC)
A crisis at the world’s most indebted company has worsened after news it had missed a crucial repayment deadline.
Chinese property giant Evergrande, whose liabilities exceed $300bn (£228bn), failed to meet interest payments to international investors.
That prompted Fitch, an agency that rates companies’ financial risk, to declare Evergrande in default.
The crisis has spooked investors who fear contagion across China’s property and banking sectors. Read more
Biden convenes over 100 nations including Nigeria for ‘Democracy’ Summit (Independent)
President Joe Biden, who took office amid the biggest US political crisis in decades, hosts representatives of more than 100 countries for a democracy summit Thursday that is drawing fire from China and Russia.
The event, held by video link because of the coronavirus pandemic, is billed by the White House as US leadership in an existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships.
“Make no mistake, we’re at a moment of democratic reckoning,” said Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
“It’s no secret that democracies around the world are facing increasing challenges from new and novel threats. Countries in virtually every region of the world have experienced degrees of democratic backsliding.” Read more
‘Largest-ever outbreak’ of bird flu with ‘phenomenal levels’ across UK (Metro)
The UK is suffering its ‘largest-ever outbreak’ of bird flu, the Environment Secretary has warned.
There are 40 infected premises across Britain amid warnings that wild birds migrating from mainland Europe during the winter are likely carrying the disease.
Half a million birds have been culled as the country remains only a few weeks into a three-month migratory season.
It comes after an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was declared across the UK on November 3. Read more
WHO warns against vaccine hoarding amid fears of Omicron variant (TimesofIsrael)
The World Health Organization expressed concerns Thursday that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the Omicron variant could step up the hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again, complicating efforts to stamp out the pandemic.
The UN health agency, after a meeting of its expert panel on vaccination, reiterated its advice to governments against the widespread use of boosters in their populations so that well-stocked countries instead can send doses to low-income countries that have largely lacked access to them.
“What is going to shut down disease is for everybody who is especially at risk of disease to become vaccinated,” said Dr. Kate O’Brien, head of WHO’s department of immunization, vaccines and biologicals. “We seem to be taking our eye off that ball in countries.”
Months of short supplies of COVID-19 vaccines have begun to ease over the last two months or so, and doses are finally getting to needier countries — such as through donations and the UN-backed COVAX program — and WHO wants that to continue. It has long decried “vaccine inequity” by which most doses have gone to people in rich countries, whose leaders locked down big stockpiles as a precautionary measure. Read more
Team Nigeria win first gold medal in Commonwealth qualifiers (Sun)
The Nigeria Weightlifting team have won first gold medal in the ongoing International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships and Commonwealth Games qualifiers in Uzbekistan.
Christopher Nwadei, Technical Director, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the team would win more medals to make the country proud and fulfill their promise to the President of the Federation, Abdul Ibrahim.
“I am delighted to inform you that Stella Kingsley won Commonwealth Championships Gold medal on Wednesday.
“She currently placed 5th position at the IWF World Championships in the 49 kg Category with a successful lift of Snatch 72 kg, C/Jerk 96 kg and Total of 168 kg. Read more
Zenith Bank praised over Delta Principal’s Cup (Nation)
The Principal of the winning school of the recently concluded Zenith Bank Delta State Principals’ Cup, College of Commerce, Felix Ushe, has praised the sponsor, Zenith Bank Plc, for helping to bring back the Principals Cup in the state.
Speaking after his school lifted the trophy for the second time, becoming the first team in the history of the competition since its return six years ago to achieve such feat, Ushe said it was a difficult one but happy that they achieved the result.
According to him, Zenith Bank has shown that they were people’s bank as they have been helping in developing sports in the country and not Delta State alone.
“I am happy that we won the game, it’s the Lord’s doing and we are happy to achieve that feat,” he said. “Seriously, I am happy with what Zenith Bank is doing with sports
in Nigeria and coming into Delta State to help in resuscitating the Principals Cup, is a laudable one. Read more
UFC 269: Amanda Nunes on motherhood, family and her legacy ahead of Julianna Pena title fight (BBC)
As Amanda Nunes starts to settle into her Zoom interview, there’s an interruption.
Her daughter Raegan, who’s been watching cartoons in the background of their hotel room in Las Vegas, gets up and walks over to join her mum in front of the camera.
Brazilian Nunes, a double UFC champion who defends her bantamweight title against Julianna Pena at UFC 269 on Saturday, beams as she lifts the inquisitive one-year-old on to her knee.
“To raise my hand with Raegan with me inside the cage is what I will look for from now on,” Nunes, 33, tells BBC Sport. Read more
China says Australia, UK and US will ‘pay price’ for Winter Olympics action (Guardian)
China has said that Australia, Britain and the US will pay a price for their “mistaken acts” after deciding not to send government delegations to the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, in the latest warning demonstrating China’s escalating diplomatic tensions with the US and its major allies.
The US was the first to announce a boycott, saying on Monday its government officials would not attend the February Games because of China’s human rights “atrocities”, weeks after talks aimed at easing tension between the world’s two largest economies.
“The United States, Britain and Australia have used the Olympics platform for political manipulation,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry. “They will have to pay the price for their mistaken acts,” he told a regular news conference.
Wang’s warning came as the EU considers its response to the growing call for a boycott. On Thursday, French education and sports minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, said in a radio interview that Paris would not follow suit. Read more
Tottenham’s Europa Conference League match off after 13 positive Covid-19 tests (BBC)
Tottenham’s Europa Conference League match against Rennes on Thursday is off after eight players and five members of staff tested positive for Covid-19 at the London club.
Their match against Brighton on Sunday in the Premier League is believed to be under review.
Spurs said they closed their first-team training centre on Wednesday.
“Discussions are ongoing with Uefa. We shall provide a further update on this fixture in due course,” the club said. Read more
Johnny Herbert urges Max Verstappen to keep it clean in Lewis Hamilton title finale (Metro)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and his title rival Max Verstappen enter the finale tied on points but the Red Bull man will be crowned if neither driver finishes the race thanks to his victory tally.
As a result, Johnny Herbert believes we may see the young Dutchman drive even more aggressively than usual.
Verstappen’s driving style was, he says, fine earlier in the season.
‘Personally, I just saw it as hard racing, and I loved that about Max,’ says Herbert, who won three F1 races including the 1995 British Grand Prix. ‘What we’ve seen more recently is him forcing other drivers off the circuit and then saying he doesn’t understand why he got a penalty. Read more
Jake Paul challenges Tiger Woods to a fight after Google names most-searched athletes (DailyStar)
YouTube star Jake Paul has called out Tiger Woods for a boxing match after discovering the golfing sensation was the most Googled athlete of the calendar year.
4-0 boxer Paul was scheduled for a bout with Tommy Fury on December 18 in Tampa Bay, Florida, but the Brit has withdrawn from the contest due to illness.
Tommy is the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson and the fight against Paul would have been his first pay-per-view event.
Paul has already agreed to a rematch fight against MMA ace Tyron Woodley after the cancellation. Read more