Hospital treating Olaotan threatening to dump him, wife cries out (Punch)
Veteran actor and former Tinsel’ star, Victor Olaotan, popularly known as Big Daddy, turned 69 on Wednesday, February 17, but sadly, he is still in a Turkey hospital battling with the effects of a traumatic brain injury he suffered after a ghastly car accident in October 2016.
His wife, Julia, has been relentlessly seeking support for him and some actors have also solicited for support on Olaotan’s behalf. In 2019, billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Femi Otedola donated N30m to the actor.
In an interview with Sunday Scoop, Julia thanked Otedola and other well-meaning Nigerians that had lent their support, but stated that she still needed money to offset her husband’s hospital bills. She said, “I need all the help I can get. I have been silent but now, I am drowning. Apart from Mr Otedola and a few other people who have supported me, I still need help. His monthly expenses are $7,500, excluding the caregiver’s salary and other things like feeding and toiletries. Read more
2 siblings slump, die during heated argument in Benue (Sun)
Two blood brothers have reportedly killed themselves during a heated argument over farmland at Tse Agbulu, Kunav community, Sengenv ward of Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
The siblings who were identified as Iorhemba Adóón and Jima Adóón were alleged to have killed each other with charms.
According to sources from the area, the strange incident happened about two weeks ago during a heated argument.
A source said the two brothers were fighting over ownership of farmland belonging to their late father, and did not exchange blows at all, but only used incantation which led to their death within few minutes interval.
One of the sources disclosed that Jima Adoon took a tractor to plow his rice farmland close to River Benue, but when his immediate elder brother, Iorhemba, heard about his presence on the farm, he went there to meet him and tried to forcefully stop the tractor driver from further plowing the land. Read more
3 years on: Martins seeks Leah Sharibu’s release (Guardian)
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins has urged the Federal Government to secure Leah Sharibu’s release.
He said government’s failure to secure her release for the past three years, coupled with increase in cases of kidnapping and armed banditry across the country, recent being the abduction of over 40 students of Government Science College, Kagara, in Niger State and four teachers, was regrettable and unjustifiable in view of enormous financial and material resources expended to wage war against insurgency and all forms of insecurity in the country.
Recall that Leah Sharibu, a Christian, was among 110 female students of Government Science Secondary School, Dapchi, Yunusari Local Council, Yobe State abducted by Boko Haram on February 19, 2018. Her case, in particular, attracted unprecedented local and global attention, owing to the fact that others were released, while she was detained for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Read more
5 days after, Kagara students, others still in bandits’ captivity (ThisDay)
Despite speculations, which went viral about possible negotiations to free the abducted students of Government Science College, Kagara, in Niger State, the 27 schoolboys, 15 members of staff of the school, and their family members are still in captivity five days after the raid.
Besides, some 40 travellers, who were kidnapped eight days ago at Kundu village in Rafi Local Government Area of the state, remain with their captors, though 10 of them were released last week.
This is as the federal government vowed never to pay ransom to the bandits to secure the release of the victims. The government said at no time did it consider the option of paying ransom to the bandits to secure the freedom of the persons abducted from the boarding school on Wednesday.
In a related development, a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, who met some of the bandits last week and advocated “blanket amnesty” for them, has denied involvement in any negotiations for the release of the kidnapped persons. Read more
Eko Club leadership tussle: Fanimokun floors Dosunmu at A/Court (Nation)
The leadership tussle between Lagos socialite Chief Babatunde Fanimokun and former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Shamsideen Ade Dosunmu over the presidency of Eko Club, was finally laid to rest on Wednesday with the landmark judgment delivered in favour of the former by Hon. Justice Obietonbara Daniel-Kalio of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
Justice Daniel-Kalio while delivering the landmark judgment jointly prepared by Justices O. A. Otisi, U.A. Ogakwu, noted that the subject-matter of Appeal No. CA/LAG/CV/346/2020 by Dr. Shamsideen Ade Dosunmu & Incorporated Trustees versus Chief Babatunde Rasheed Fanimokun in which the plaintiff filed three grounds of appeal was placed side-by-side with the prayers of the respondent on the need for speedy delivery of judgment confirming the respondent as duly elected President of Eko Club.
Specifically, Justice Daniel-Kalio said the panel relied on the judgment of the lower court in line with the provision of the amended constitution of the Eko Club, 2014 and of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) that Chief Babatunde Fanimokun has the right to vie for selection as the President for a third consecutive year, having served as President of Eko Club from February 2017 to February 2019. Read more
Fulani herdsmen in south to Northern elders: We won’t return to North (Sun)
Fresh facts have emerged on the swirling controversy over the instruction given by Northern Elders Forum (NEF), to Fulani herdsmen in parts of Southern Nigeria, to return to the North, on account of the quit notice allegedly given to them. The Ondo State government had first ordered the herdsmen to leave its forest reserves and this was followed by Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, who allegedly sacked the Sarkin Fulani in Oyo State. Since the quit notices and NEF directives were issued, high level consultations at governorship level have been ongoing to resolve the crisis occasioned by these socio-political developments. The NEF had even urged governors of the northern states to prepare to receive law abiding herders who want to return to the North.
However, the body of Sarkin Fulani (heads of Fulani communities in parts of the Southern Nigeria), who are at the centre of the controversy, have stridently said they were aware of the “Return-to-the-North” directive issued by the NEF, arguing that it was never communicated to them. Read more
Insecurity: Our borders should be checked to prevent foreign incursion – S’West govs (Guardian)
The Southwest governors, yesterday, stressed the need to tighten Nigerian borders to prevent foreign herdsmen from coming into the country without any form of caution, saying a number of them have come in with their herds and what they do is worrisome.
The Chairman of Southwest Governors’ Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State stated this at the security meeting held at the Oyo State Governor’s Office, Ibadan.
The meeting was hosted by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office. Read more
Okowa’s aide feared killed in Delta community (Punch)
Suspected gunmen on Saturday reportedly shot dead the Special Assistant to Delta State Governor on Youth Development, Okiemute Sowho, in Sapele.
Witnesses said that Sowho, popularly known as Daddy K, was shot at a close range along Crudas axis by Akintola Road in the metropolis.
The gunmen were said to have driven in a white Venza and drove off after killing Sowho. Read more
Ogun embarks on permanent solution to farmers/herders conflicts (Guardian)
Ogun State Government said it has commenced the process for a permanent solution to the lingering farmers/herders’ crisis in the Yewa area of the state.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Afolabi Afuape, disclosed this at the Palace of the Olu of Ilaro, during the state’s delegation visit to farmers/herders’ clashes affected area. He said though the clashes are a national problem, the residents need to be vigilant by reporting strange faces and movements to security officials.
“Government is not happy with what is happening in this part of the state. We have come on the instruction of the Governor to see what could be done to address this crisis. Let me stress the need for peaceful co-existence among our people, irrespective of where you come from. Read more
US plane scatters engine debris over Denver homes (BBC)
A Boeing jet has scattered debris over a residential area near Denver after one of its engines failed on take-off.
The Boeing 777, with 231 passengers and 10 crew on board, was able to return safely and land at Denver airport. No injuries were reported.
Police in the town of Broomfield posted pictures of what appears to be the front of an engine casing in the front garden of a home. Read more
Chris D’Elia says ‘sex controlled my life’ as he returns to public eye after sexual misconduct allegations (Metro)
Chris D’Elia has returned to YouTube and the public eye, eight months after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Back in June 2020, the comedian was accused of harassing teenagers and soliciting naked pictures on social media, and in September, he was accused of exposing himself to three women. At the time, an attorney for D’Elia said that the You star ‘emphatically states that he has never engaged in any sexual conduct with any woman without her consent’. Read more
Leading Greek actor Dimitris Lignadis held over rape accusations (BBC)
Prominent Greek actor and director Dimitris Lignadis has been arrested over underage rape allegations.
Mr Lignadis, 56, is accused of raping a 14-year-old boy in 2010, and of a second assault, details of which have not been made public.
The former artistic director of the National Theatre of Greece denies all the accusations, his lawyer said. Read more
Former concentration camp guard, 95, deported to Germany from US (Metro)
The US has deported a 95-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard to Germany. Friedrich Karl Berger, who has lived in America since 1959, was a guard at the Neuengamme concentration camp, near Hamburg in Germany in 1945. He admitted that he prevented prisoners from escaping and accompanied them during a forced evacuation that resulted in the death of 70 people. But he said he did not witness any murders or abuse while he worked at the camp for a few weeks towards the end of the war. Read more
Bird flu: Russia detects first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans (BBC)
Russia has reported the first case of a bird flu strain, H5N8, being passed from poultry to humans.
Officials said seven workers at a poultry plant in the south of the country had been infected following an outbreak there in December.
“All seven people… are now feeling well,” said the head of Russia’s consumer health watchdog, Anna Popova.
She said that adequate measures had been quickly taken to stop the spread of infection. Read more
Anne Hathaway was ‘ninth in line’ for the role of Andy in “The Devil Wears Prada” (Metro)
Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada is one of Anne Hathaway’s most famous roles – but it turns out many other actresses were in line to play the assistant before Anne. The 38-year-old was apparently the ninth actress in line for the role in the 2006 comedy-drama, which marked her first leading role in a film marketed towards adults. Anne appeared on the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race to speak to the queens, and was asked by Rosé if there were any roles she had to ‘fight tooth and nail for’. The Oscar winner said: ‘How much time do you have? Read more
Wall Street Charging Bull sculptor Arturo Di Modica ‘dies aged 80’ (BBC)
The sculptor behind Wall Street’s famous Charging Bull statue has died aged 80, reports say.
Friends of Arturo Di Modica told Italian media that the sculptor died in his home town of Vittoria, Sicily. He had been fighting cancer for many years, La Repubblica reported.
The bull was originally installed in New York in 1989 without permission.
It was designed to represent the “strength and power of the American people” after the 1987 market crash. Read more
So much at stake in Rivers United, Enyimba duel, says Coach Osho
(Guardian)
The CAF Confederation Cup second round second leg tie between Rivers United and Enyimba is much more than a game at the Adokie Aimiesimaka Stadium. It is a match that will decide so many things, including whether Rivers United and not Enyimba should have represented Nigeria in this year’s CAF Champions League.
At the end of the 2019/2020 season, which was halted abruptly due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the League Management Company (LMC) adopted the Points Per Game system to decide placements on the final league table. And through that system, Rivers United, who were ahead of Enyimba on the log, lost the right to play in the Champions League to the Peoples Elephant based on the calculations. Thus, Enyimba played in the Champions League while Rivers United got the less glamorous Confederation Cup slot.
Again, at the beginning of the season, Rivers United invaded Enyimba’s camp and lured some of their finest players to Port Harcourt. Enyimba supporters still see the move as an affront aimed at crippling the club.
Ahead of the first leg of the tie in Aba, supporters of Rivers United United, including the state’s governor, Nyesom Wike, promised to reward the team handsomely if they defeated Enyimba in Aba. The governor promised the players and their officials N20 million for victory in Aba, while the state’s former PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, pledged N2 million for a win. Read more
Nigerian footballers are respectful, says Rohr (Punch)
Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has praised Nigerian players as he salutes them for their respectfulness.
The 67-year-old Franco-German has coached the national team since 2016 and admitted that because of his age, he had earned a lot of respect from top Nigerian stars including Mikel Obi and Victor Moses.
“There are so many different footballers and people in Nigeria and they all have to form a team that is marching in the same direction. It’s a very interesting task. I still enjoy it,” Rohr said in the podcast “Leadertalk” with German television channel Sport1. Read more
Thomas Tuchel criticises Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi after Chelsea’s draw with Southampton (Metro)
An irate Thomas Tuchel could not hide his emotion and took aim at Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi after hauling both players off in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Southampton. Mason Mount cancelled out Takumi Minamino’s well-taken opener with a penalty in the 54th minute to ensure Tuchel’s unbeaten record remained intact but the German cut a frustrated figure on the touchline throughout much of Saturday’s clash at St Mary’s. The Blues will have been desperate to apply some pressure on Manchester United and Leicester with all three points and Tuchel was less than impressed with the display and admitted it felt like a ‘missed opportunity’ for his side. Read more
Real victory puts pressure on Atletico after leaders’ shock defeat (BBC)
Casemiro scored Real Madrid’s winner at Real Valladolid as they closed to within three points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.
The Brazilian midfielder had missed two great headed chances before he finally converted, nodding the ball past keeper Jordi Masip in the 65th minute.
Team-mate Mariano Diaz twice had the ball in the net but was ruled offside. Read more
Daniil Medvedev turns up the heat on Novak Djokovic ahead of Australian Open final (Metro)
Daniil Medvedev turned up the heat on world No. 1 Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open by claiming it’s his opponent who has more to lose but the top seed warned he won’t just ‘hand over’ a major title. Medvedev, who thumped Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in Friday’s semi-final, is on a 20-match winning streak, including 12 consecutive wins over top-10 players. Djokovic, the top seed from Serbia, has a streak of his own to protect in the final. Read more
Everton beat Liverpool at Anfield for first time since 1999 (BBC)
Everton produced an outstanding Merseyside derby performance to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1999.
In a landmark result for both sides, Everton earned their first derby win anywhere since 2010, while Liverpool have now lost four successive home matches for the first time since 1923.
Everton finally rid themselves of their Anfield bogey with a brilliantly drilled performance in which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane were excellent, while Richarlison led the line tirelessly.Richarlison put Everton in front after three minutes when he latched on to a superb pass from James Rodriguez to beat Allison. Read more