How my friend and I celebrated Christmas in kidnappers’ den — Victim (Nation)
Austin Abide Odion left his residence in Benin, Edo State capital as early as December 23, 2021 for his hometown, Unemeh-Uzanu in Etsako East Local Government Area, in order to beat the traffic snarl associated with the Yuletide period. To quicken his journey, he chose to join his bosom friend, Lawrence Egumamhe, who was also travelling home for Christmas with his family in his Mercedes Benz car. Neither Odion nor his friend had an inkling that they would be celebrating Christmas in the den of kidnappers.
Odion, a telecoms engineer in his 40s and cousin to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, and his friend Egumamhe were abducted by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen and kept in captivity for four days before he was released upon payment of ransom by his family members.
Narrating his ordeal, Odion said for four days, his captors denied him and other victims food and water in their den tucked inside a forest. He said the kidnappers later abducted a soldier, following which the gang was busted.
Odion, whose family is based in Benin but works in Anambra State, disclosed that the criminals, who collected his bag containing a huge sum of money amid sporadic gunshots, later obtained a ransom in millions of naira from his relatives before he and Egumamhe regained their freedom around Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. Having been brutalised and dehumanised in the forest, they also had to trek a long distance towards Okene in Kogi State. Read more
Gbajabiamila greets Lagos HoS, Muri-Okunola, at 50 (Guardian)
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has rejoiced with the Lagos State Head of Service, HoS Alhaji Hakeem Muri-Okunola, as he marks his 50th birthday.
Gbajabiamila said Mr. Muri-Okunola has proved himself to be a wonderful public servant throughout his civil service career.
The Speaker noted with delight, how the Lagos HoS entrenched diligence, commitment and innovations in the state civil service, making civil servants more productive and efficient in their duties.
Gbajabiamila said the invaluable contributions of Mr. Muri-Okunola over the years, when he served in different capacities before his present position would remain indelible in the history of the state. Read more
Provision Of Effective Internet Service: LASU, DVT Communications Sign MoU (Independent)
The Management of Lagos State University (LASU) led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi I. Olatunji – Bello, mni, on Friday, 7th January 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VDT Communications Limited on the provision of internet services on the institution’s campuses.
This sealed deal is expected to immensely contribute to better visibility of the upsurging LASU and further propel its soaring flight on the global universities’ ranking.
According to a report from the institution’s Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations (CIPPR), the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) takes care of the provision of internet services for the University’s main Campus in Ojo, the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja and Epe Campuses respectively.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olatunji – Bello, mni, in her opening remark welcomed the team from VDT Communications Limited led by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abiodun Omoniyi. Read more
2023: Omo Eko Pataki charges Indigenous Lagosians to speak with one voice (Tribune)
Prominent Lagos indigenes under the aegis of Ọmọ Eko Pataki on Thursday said 2023 is the “Lagosian inflection point,” the defining moment to turn the fortunes of Lagos State around and restore a new equitable order.
They called on all Lagosians to come together, speak out loud and clear in total rejection of the manner in which they are being sidelined in the governance of the state.
The group gave the charge in a release entitled: “Lagos: Time for a New Order,” issued by its chairman, Chief Olabode George; Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju and Mr. Gbadebo Dallass, both Trustees, and Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, the General Secretary, a copy of which was made available to newsmen.
The group, while giving the charge, further called on their fellow compatriots to go beyond the limiting confines of partisanship, work selflessly with steadfast and brave hearts, defiant of what it termed “oppressor’s insolence,” and ensure they “vote out those who have held us in thralldom for 21 years.” Read more
Toke Makinwa, Nancy Isime are Hollantex Ambassadors (ThisDay)
Hollantex, the leading pan-African Ankara wax print manufacturer, has signed TV hosts Nancy Isime and Toke Makinwa as Brand Ambassadors.
As the new face of Hollantex, the company said Makinwa and Isime would be instrumental in growing the brand’s presence across Africa.
Thomas Fournier, Founder of Hollantex said: “They will support the development and launch of Hollantex’s new collections, leveraging their keen eye for fashion and ability to assemble show-stopping outfits to promote the brand’s beautiful patterns. Together they will showcase the true elegance of Hollantex’s Ankara fabrics for today’s leading woman.”
“Toke Makinwa and Nancy Isime are a glowing representation of the African woman, who remains the muse behind some of the most colorful, diverse and intricate patterns of the Hollantex fabrics. We are inspired by their commitment to their craft and dedication to fashion. They are the perfect embodiment of the Hollantex brand and we see that everyday. From the sets of Nollywood’s biggest productions to the stages of the continent’s biggest events, you can always count on them to be graceful, classy and stylish.” Read more
We’ll shut down Nigeria if fuel prices increase – Niger Delta activist (Punch)
A Niger Delta rights activist, Israel Joe, has asked the Federal Government not to make real its proposed increase in prices of petroleum products.
He warned that civil society organisations would not hesitate to shut down Nigeria if the Federal Government went ahead with such a plan.
Joe, who stated this in a statement in Warri, said Nigerians would no longer tolerate the hardship brought upon them by the present regime at the centre.
He said, “Nigerians will no longer tolerate the hardship brought upon us by this government. We listened gleefully to the speech of the President and it wasn’t clear if the subsidy would be removed or not. Read more
Obasanjo, Jim Ovia, Unilag VC extol virtues Of late Prof Ibidapo-Obe at symposium (Tribune)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Jim Ovia as well as the Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, on Friday, in Lagos, extolled virtues of the late former and eight substantive Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, saying his contributions to university education, nation’s building and humanity generally was not only huge but priceless.
The trio among numerous other high profile personalities in attendance including chief Obasanjo’s wife, Mrs Bola Obasanjo, wife of late former governor of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, Aare Rasaq Okoya, Prof Peter Okebulola’s wife, Prof Oluwatoyin Okebikola, gave the commendation at a bi-annual symposium organised in honour of the late professor of systems engineering at Civic Centre in Victoria Island.
Professor Ibidapo-Obe graduated at UNILAG in 1971 as the overall best graduating student of his set and joined the service of the university in 1972 and rose across the file to obtain a full professorship at 34 and later became the eighth VC of the university and he died a year after his retirement in January 2021 at 71.
Speaking further, they said the late Ibidapo- Obe was a true professional and his contributions to quality education in Nigeria and globally are greatly acknowledged. Read more
‘Driving after abusing substance can land you in jail’ (Nation)
The Head of Youth Desk at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos, Juliana Anake, has warned against drug abuse.
She said it was especially dangerous to drive after taking hard drugs.
Anake spoke during the Youth Justice and Dignity Project organised by Young Men’s Christian Association held at the Obalende roundabout, Lagos.
Tagged: Talent Hunt for Bus Conductors: Resilience Against Negative Peer Pressure, the event brought together bus conductors, drivers and members of Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers. Read more
Anglican Church honours Journalist for being a blessing to Children (Independent)
For his philanthropic deeds, an Influential journalist and The Guardian newspaper’s Head of Defence and Security Affairs, Mr Odita Sunday-Udemaguna has received a surprise award from his home branch church, St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Parish, Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The senior newsman, Odita who has been in the industry for about two decades, with experience in crime reporting, was the only person who was honoured with the award at the launch of a book authored by the parish priest, Rev Canon Nnaoma Ijezie.
He was specifically honoured in the church auditorium for being a blessing to orphan and less privileged children in the country.
During the maiden edition of his Anioma Back To School Project in 2017, a total of 112 students and pupils within the less privileged bracket majority of whom are orphans benefitted from the TOSC Foundation by way of school bags, mathematical sets, notebooks, literature books, dictionaries and other learning materials. Read more
Unpaid Arrears: National Assembly Workers to begin strike (VON)
Workers at the National Assembly under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria have resolved to begin industrial action accompanied with picketing of the federal parliament on Monday.
The workers are protesting against non-payment of a backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances, among others.
The National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission chapters of PASAN held a joint congress in Abuja on Thursday and resolved that the workers should down tools, about one week before the lawmakers are to return from recess.
Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives had embarked on Christmas and New Year break. Plenary is scheduled to resume on January 18, 2022. Read more
Sandra Bullock hails Netflix’s impact on film industry (Metro)
Sandra Bullock has hailed the influence that Netflix has had on the film industry.
The 57-year-old actress has starred in hits for the streaming giant such as Bird Box and The Unforgivable and has praised the company for the way it treats both actors and directors – even claiming that she would have been put out to ‘pasture’ without the streamer.
Sandra told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘They’re good to artists. They’re good to filmmakers. If it wasn’t for Netflix, a lot of people wouldn’t be working. Their stories wouldn’t be told.
‘Who would think that me, as a woman, would still be working at this point? I would have been out in the cow pasture. It’s true.’ Read more
Bizzy Banks arrested on drug, weapons & money laundering charges (AllHipHop)
Drill rapper Bizzy Banks has been arrested on multiple charges.
Bizzy Banks, whose real name is Majesty Blessed Moses, was booked on drug, weapons and money laundering charges. Police found more than two pounds of marijuana, a gun loaded with hollow-point bullets and $2,750 at his home.
The Hackensack Police Department’s investigation was led by Detectives Mark Carrillo and Sergio Raneli as well as Detective Sgt. John Dalton. The Bergen County Regional SWAT team and New York Police Department also provided assistance.
Bizzy Banks was locked up at the Bergen County Jail. He’s awaiting his first court appearance at the Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack. Read more
Harry Belafonte’s daughter says Sidney Poitier’s death Is ‘most difficult thing’ he’s had to fathom (People)
Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier were close friends for almost 80 years and fought for civil rights side by side.
Now, Harry, 94, is deep in mourning for Poiter, who died Thursday evening at the age of 94.
The singer’s daughter Shari Belafonte told PEOPLE, “Losing Sidney is probably the most difficult thing my father has had to fathom, more so than losing Martin L. King.”
“They were closer than brothers,” says Shari, 67. “They have known and loved each other for more than 70 years, collaborating, living life to the fullest. While Harry was much more vocal and seemingly more instrumental in the civil rights movement via his stage presence and his navigating the dynamics between Leaders and politicians, Sidney broke those barriers in a much more creative way by taking a stand in the characters he portrayed so brilliantly on film.”Read more
Star-studded blockbuster The 355 savaged in reviews as it’s branded ‘disappointing’ and ‘lazy’ (Metro)
New blockbuster The 355, which features a star-studded cast led by Jessica Chastain, has been panned in reviews, being branded ‘disappointing’ and ‘lazy’.
The new film follows a wild card CIA agent who joins forces with three international agents after a top-secret weapon falls into the wrong hands.
Jessica stars alongside the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz, and Sebastian Stan – but the impressive cast list hasn’t made up for what appears to be a lacklustre story.
The Guardian dubbed it a ‘disappointing dud’ and as ‘forgettable as its title,’ while The Times has argued that the incredible cast deserved more, adding that the good parts ‘can’t save this hotchpotch production from its ruinous inadequacies.’ Read more
Ben Affleck explains why working on Justice League was ‘the worst experience’ (CinemaBlend)
It’s no secret to anyone who follows along with the DC Extended Universe that Justice League was a troubled production. The finalized movie that made into theaters in late 2017 was largely reshot by Joss Whedon and skewed drastically from Zack Snyder’s original vision, not to mention the public later learning of numerous behind-the-scenes clashes. Now Batman actor Ben Affleck has said that his time on Justice League was “the worst experience” for him, although not all of that had to do with the movie itself.
DCEU fans will recall that following Justice League, Ben Affleck was originally supposed to direct and star in The Batman, which would have been his first time playing DC’s Dark Knight in a solo movie. However, in early 2017, he relinquished helming duties, and two years later, he
officially exited the project. During a conversation with The Los Angeles Times about both his professional and personal lives, Affleck discussed how he realized he wouldn’t be “happy” directing, and then he said the following about why Justice League was such a difficult time for him:
It was really Justice League that was the nadir for me. That was a bad experience because of a confluence of things: my own life, my divorce, being away too much, the competing agendas and then [director] Zack [Snyder]’s personal tragedy [Snyder’s daughter Autumn died by suicide in 2017] and the reshooting. It was just the worst experience. It was awful. It was everything that I didn’t like about this. That became the moment where I said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ It’s not even about, like, Justice League was so bad. Because it could have been anything.
So in addition to being saddened about director Zack Snyder losing his daughter, and subsequently frustrated about how much Justice League was being changed following the filmmaker’s departure, Ben Affleck was also struggling through his own issues, particularly divorcing Jennifer Garner and relapsing into alcoholism. Put all those pieces together, and it’s no wonder he felt miserable working on the fifth DC Extended Universe movie. That said, in January 2021, Affleck said that taking on the Batman role to excite his kids, and even getting to wear the Batsuit to his son’s birthday party, was “worth every moment of suffering on Justice League.”Read more
Ethiopia announces amnesty for jailed opposition politicians (DW)
Ethiopia released several political prisoners Friday in a bid to jumpstart a “national dialogue” amid a grueling civil war.
The unexpected move to release political prisoners, including some from Tigray, the region whose forces are at odds with the federal government in Ethiopia, comes amid a pause in the conflict.
The government said it was releasing important members of Tigray’s forces and opposition leaders from the Oromo ethnic group and the Amhara. The Oromo are Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group.
The pardons coincided with a farewell visit by outgoing US envoy Jeffrey Feltman to Addis Ababa. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the development.Read more
CDC director says US may see ‘precipitous decline’ in omicron cases like South Africa (ABC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday there is a good chance that the U.S. will follow the “ice-pick”-shaped curve of South Africa’s omicron surge of the COVID variant, but cautioned that it could roll through different parts of the country at various times, as previous waves have.
“I do think in places that we are seeing this really steep incline, that we may well see also a precipitous decline, but we’re also a much bigger country than South Africa,” Walensky said in a briefing with reporters.
“And so it may very well be that we see this ice-pick shape, but that is it travels across the country,” she said.
As far as the rapid spread of coronavirus cases contributing to that decline, Walensky said there was not yet conclusive data to say for sure that people who recovered from omicron would be protected against reinfection. The CDC is setting up studies to find out more, Walensky said.Read more
Flutterwave sponsors AFCON broadcast on Afrosport TV (Punch)
Sport fans across Nigeria and the whole of Africa are in for a great time as Africa’s first continental Free-To-Air sports channel, Afrosport TV, commences operations on Free Digital Terrestrial Television Network.
Afrosport TV will be a 24-hour free continent-wide sports channel in Nigeria, delivering top notch content in sports that are hitherto found only on Pay TV channels.
To support and ensure unrestricted access to great sports content, Flutterwave, the Fintech Unicorn of Africa has pledged its support for Afrosport TV by taking up the sponsorship of the AFCON 2021 broadcast. The sponsorship would facilitate the world class delivery of the AFCON 2021 on free-to-air TVs in Nigeria as well as on the African Union of Broadcasters’ network across the continent.
Explaining the rationale behind the sponsorship deal, Managing Director Flutterwave, Mr. Olugbenga Agboola said, “The idea of making quality sports content available and accessible to every Nigerian and the rest of the continent for free resonates with the ideal of making life easy, which is the one thing Flutterwave was established for.” Read more
AFCON 2021: Super Eagles send a warning to rivals with a routine win in warm-up match (Soccernet)
The 2013 continental kings prepared for their opening clash against the Pharaohs with a comfortable win in their warm-up match
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have sent out a warning to the rest of their rivals at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after they beat Cameroon side Coton Spot 2-0 in their pre-tournament warm-up match on Friday.
The Super Eagles start their quest for a fourth AFCON title with a clash against Egypt on Tuesday, and they prepared for the encounter with a friendly match against Cameroon’s 15-time champions.
Interim boss Austin Eguaoven played two different teams in each half, with Maduka Okoye staying in goal in the first half.Read more
Arsenal to wear special one-off kit while Gunners prepare Dusan Vlahovic transfer push (Mirror)
Arsenal’s season is currently going better than many fans would have expected, sitting fourth in the Premier League and things going well both on and off the pitch.
With all eyes on the club at the moment, the Gunners will use Sunday’s FA Cup fixture to promote a very important cause.
For one match only, Arsenal will wear all-white at home in order to raise awareness of knife crime in London.
It will be the first time fans will see the club don white instead of the traditional red at the Emirate Stadium.Read more
Antonio Conte urges Tottenham to match his ambition if he is to stay long-term (Independent)
Antonio Conte says Tottenham have to match his ambition if he is going to be a long-term success at the club, but has no concerns about the short length of his contract.
The Italian who took over from Nuno Espirito Santo in November and only has 18 months on his deal, has already made it clear how far he thinks Spurs are from challenging for top honours.
After Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Chelsea he said Spurs were a team in the “middle” and were incomparable to their London rivals.
He has admitted there is a big rebuilding project at the club, but is currently only contracted to the summer of 2023. Read more
Kevin Durant lacks support as Nets get blown out by Bucks (NYPost)
The Nets hosted the Bucks on Friday night for the first time since last season’s heartbreaking ouster, an overtime loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
This time the stakes weren’t as high. But the beating was far worse.
The Nets got thrashed 121-109 by the shorthanded Bucks before a sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center.
And the game wasn’t as close as it sounded. Read more
Smith recovers from early wobble for 3-shot lead at Kapalua (Yahoo)
The scenery off Kapalua suggests a chill vibe. The scoreboard at the Sentry Tournament of Champions delivered a clear message to get a move on it.
Cameron Smith took that to heart Friday.
Smith opened with two straight bogeys to not only lose his one-shot lead, but fall completely off the first page of the leaderboard. And then the Australian made a sensational recovery, capped by four straight birdies at the end for a 9-under 64 and a three-shot lead.
“Few poor shots, a silly three-putt on the second,” Smith said. “I had to hit the reset button.” Read more
Work underway on new Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya paddock (PlanetF1)
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is undergoing a makeover before Formula 1 rolls back into town for pre-season testing.
The venue has become one of the longest-serving stops on the Formula 1 calendar, having held the Spanish Grand Prix every year since 1991 without interruption.
But updates to the 31-year-old track are taking place, first highlighted with a tweet sent out by the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya themselves, stating that a new paddock area is going to be built, though precious little detail was added at the time.
However, images from DAZN F1 analyst Albert Fabrega showed that the construction work was indeed well underway. Read more
