Gunmen kill 4, abduct 1 in Awka (Vanguard)
At least four persons were killed in Ifite-Awka, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, when unidentified gunmen invaded the area, shooting sporadically into the air.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday evening caused pandemonium in the community, forcing residents to flee to their homes while traders hurriedly close their shops and scampered for safety.
Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the hoodlums attacked several popular locations, including Book Foundation Junction, Ukwu Aki Bus Stop, “B” Bus Stop, Commissioners’ Quarters, and the Bamboo area of the capital city. Read more
Fire: Lagos wants smoking banned in markets, sawmills (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Government has called on market leaders to urgently place a ban on smoking in all market places, especially around sawmills and plank markets in the state.
This is with a view to controlling the frequency of fire outbreaks in markets in the metropolis.
Recall that the State Fire and Rescue Service recently disclosed that fire consumed properties worth over N17.49 billion between January and November 2024. Read more
Mother, 2 kids injured in Lagos task force raid (Punch)
A female commuter and her two children were injured on Wednesday during a raid by operatives of the Lagos State Task Force in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the task force officials stormed the Powerline area of the community around 10 am to seize motorcycles.
The riders, however, fled their parks to avoid arrest, causing chaos in the area. In the ensuing melee, our correspondent learnt that a rider carrying the woman and her two kids attempted to escape, but rode carelessly, causing them to fall off the motorcycle. Read more
Efforts ongoing to free Nnamdi Kanu from detention — Kalu (Leadership)
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said that there were strong efforts being made to secure the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kalu, from detention.
Kalu reiterated the commitment in Abuja on Thursday while meeting with the South-East Legislators Forum made up of lawmakers from five State Houses of Assembly from the South-East region led by the Majority Leader of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, on a courtesy visit to his office.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the deputy speaker said a lot was being done behind the scene with the appropriate authorities, expressing optimism that the result of the meetings will soon materialise. Read more
Lagos distributes equipment to 1,500 entrepreneurs (Nation)
Lagos State Government yesterday lifted 1,500 aspiring entrepreneurs with tools, equipment and grants, to promote economic sustainability.
The state government also gave N50,000 each to 200 women.
The beneficiaries received the support during the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) WAPA in Lagos. Read more
Gov Yusuf reshuffles cabinet, drops Chief Of Staff, 5 commissioners (Channels)
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has reshuffled his cabinet, scrapped the Chief of Staff (CoS) portfolio, and removed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Bichi.
The announcement was made during a press briefing by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, on Thursday.
According to the statement, the reshuffle is part of Governor Yusuf’s strategy to realign his administration for “optimum performance” and deliver “more dividends of democracy” to the people of Kano State. Read more
LG Autonomy: We’ll jail officials helping govs divert allocations — FG (Vanguard)
The Federal Government, yesterday, said it would initiate criminal actions against elected officials that collude with governors to divert allocations meant for the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.
The Federal Government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the decision was in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court that granted financial autonomy to LGs.
The AGF, who spoke at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Abuja Chapter of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, described the diversion of LG funds by governors as an impeachable offence. Read more
NCAA approves commencement of non-scheduled flight operations in Ekiti airport (Tribune)
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has approved the commencement of non-scheduled flight operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, effective December 15, 2024.
The Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Media, Yinka Oyebode, stated on Thursday that the approval was conveyed in a letter dated December 11, 2024, and addressed to the governor.
He disclosed that the NCAA approved non-scheduled operations under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at the airport for six months, from December 15, 2024, to June 15, 2025. Read more
‘Scream 7’ adds Mckenna Grace to cast (Deadline)
Mckenna Grace is set to join the cast of Spyglass Media Group and Paramount’s Scream 7. She joins the previously announced Neve Campbell, who will be reprising her role from the franchise, as well as new cast members Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor and Asa Germann.
Original creator Kevin Williamson is directing Scream 7 with Guy Busick writing. Project X Entertainment’s James Vanderbilt, William Sherak and Paul Neinstein are producing. The pic has a February 27, 2026 worldwide release date
A logline for the new slasher has not been disclosed, and it is unknown who Grace will be playing in the pic. It comes on the heels of Scream VI, which brought in a franchise-high domestic gross of more than $108 million in March 2023. Collectively, films in the meta horror franchise have earned more than $900 million in worldwide box office. Read more
Hailey Bieber shows subtle support for Selena Gomez after she gets engaged to Benny Blanco (People)
Hailey Bieber is subtly showing Selena Gomez support.
The model and Rhode founder, 28, “liked” Gomez’s Wednesday, Dec. 11, Instagram post sharing the happy news of her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco.
In the photo carousel, the Emilia Pérez star, 32, included a close-up of her marquise diamond ring as well as a snap of her and Blanco, 36, embracing with the caption, “forever begins now..” She also shared a shot of the proposal setting, which included a beige picnic blanket and multiple boxes of Taco Bell, which is known to be a favorite of the singer’s. Read more
‘‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’’ remake in the works from Amazon MGM, Eon Productions (Variety)
A “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” remake is in the works from Amazon MGM Studios and “James Bond” backers Eon Productions.
The film is in early stages of development with executives at Eon and Amazon in the process of meeting with potential writers and directors. It’s intended to be released in theaters.
Dick Van Dyke starred in the original 1968 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a kid-friendly musical fantasy film adapted from the children’s book by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Directed by Ken Hughes, produced by Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and written by Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes and Richard Maibaum, the story followed widowed odd-ball inventor Caractacus Potts (Dyke) and his children, who salvage a scrapped racing car with magical abilities in pre-war England. The film’s title song was nominated for an Oscar.
Megan Fox’s ex Brian Austin Green has harsh words for Machine Gun Kelly following split after pregnancy reveal (DailyMail)
Megan Fox’s ex-husband Brian Austin Green is weighing in on her shocking split from Machine Gun Kelly with some tough words for the rapper-turned-rocker.
The 51-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 star suggested that MGK — real name: Colson Baker — was immature when he said he should ‘grow up’ during a chat with TMZ.
Surprisingly, Brian — who was spotted out earlier on Thursday — claimed to have not even heard that his ex-wife Megan, 38, had broken up with MGK, 34, just weeks after they announced they were expecting their first child together. Read more
3 men detail new rape allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs (MusicNews)
Three men have described how Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs “drugged and raped” them.
The shocking new lawsuits allege Combs knocked out the men with alcohol before “frighteningly consistent” sexual assaults.
The incidents took place between 2019 and 2022, according to documents filed in New York’s Supreme Court and obtained by NBC. Read more
Biden grants nearly 1,500 commutations, 39 pardons in record act of clemency (France24)
Outgoing President Joe Biden said Thursday he had commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 others, in what the White House called the largest single-day act of clemency in US history.
The move comes just over a week after the 82-year-old Biden pardoned his troubled son Hunter, something he had previously promised not to do, prompting anger from both sides of the political divide.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement announcing the action. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.” Read more
US man found wandering near Damascus after months in Syrian prison (BBC)
A US man, detained for months in a Syrian prison after entering the country on foot, has described being freed by hammer-wielding men as rebels overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The man – who later identified himself as Travis Timmerman to the BBC’s US news partner CBS – was found by residents near the capital Damascus.
It comes as rebels say they intend to close Assad’s notoriously harsh prisons and track down those involved in torturing or killing detainees.Read more
CHAN Eagles will play tougher friendlies – Ogunmodede (Punch)
Super Eagles B co-handler Daniel Ogunmodede has said the team will be put to the test against tougher oppositions as they continue their preparations for the 2024 CHAN qualifiers double header against Ghana, The PUNCH reports.
The Remo Stars coach and his Rangers International counterpart, Fidelis Ilechukwu, have been drilling 29 home-based stars in Ikenne ahead of the assignment which will see them play the first leg of their encounter in Accra on Sunday, December 22 before returning to Uyo for the return leg on Saturday, December 28.
The team have so far played three test games against non-league sides, scoring 11 goals and conceding one. They beat Grassrunners FC 1-0 earlier this week before thrashing Emmydinho FC 5-0 with a 5-1 win over G-12 Academy on Thursday. Read more
WAFCON 2026Q: Super Falcons to face Benin or Sierra Leone (CompleteSports)
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will battle Benin Republic or Sierra Leone for a place at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Benin Republic and Sierra Leone will clash in a first round fixture in February, 2025.
The winner of the contest will face Nigeria in the second round in October, 2025. Read more
Indian teen becomes youngest world chess champion (BBC)
Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest-ever world chess champion after beating defending champion China’s Ding Liren in a dramatic turn on Thursday.
Dommaraju, 18, is four years younger than the former record-holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985.
The Chennai prodigy has long been a superstar in the chess world, having attained the status of chess grandmaster at the age of 12. Read more
Man Utd grab win at Plzen in Europa League; Chelsea keep perfect record (JapanToday)
Rasmus Hojlund fired Manchester United to a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday, while Chelsea beat Astana 3-1 in the Europa Conference League.
Ruben Amorim’s United side came from behind to beat the Czech side thanks to a second-half brace by Danish striker Hojlund, provisionally moving to fifth in the league phase standings.
A top eight finish will see United qualify automatically for the round of 16, while finishing ninth to 24th will earn them a play-off tie to reach that stage. Read more
Ange Postecoglou blasts “unacceptable” Timo Werner performance in Rangers draw (Mirror)
Ange Postecoglou branded Timo Werner’s performance “not acceptable” after Tottenham escaped a humiliating defeat to Rangers.
Dejan Kulusevski came off the bench to score a 75th-minute equaliser after the Scottish side took the deserved lead. And Fraser Forster needed to make a great late stop to save the former Celtic boss suffering a shock loss on his return to Glasgow last night. Tottenham have now won just once in eight.
Postecoglou vented his fury at the display of former Chelsea forward Werner before hooking him at half-time. The Spurs manager, whose squad has been hit by injuries, said: “He was not playing anywhere near the level he should.
Lakers’ LeBron James unlikely to play vs. Timberwolves (ABC)
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is unlikely to play Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources told ESPN.
It would give James, who missed Sunday’s game with foot soreness, eight days in between games if he returns Sunday against Memphis.Because of the NBA Cup, the Lakers are able to take a prudent approach with the schedule to allow James to recalibrate and recharge his body. Read more