Lagos APC chieftain Oyasodun dies (Nation)
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Rev. Timothy Oyasodun, is dead.
Fondly called ‘Iyo’ by admirers, the politician and cleric was the chairman of the party at Bariga Counvil, Lagos East Senatorial District.
The senator representing the district, Tokunbo Abiru, expressed shock at the demise of the progressive, recalling that he played a crucial role during the recent senatorial by-election. Read more
Gunmen kidnap Kaduna PFN chairman, wife (Punch)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the Kaduna State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Apostle Emmanuel Egoh Bako, and his wife, Cindy.
The gunmen were said to have kidnapped the cleric and his wife at their residence at Albarka Camp, Fadan Kagoma, near Kafanchan in Jema’a Local Government Area of the state on Christmas day.
No official statement from the state yet but the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, Rev. John Hayab, confirmed the incident. Read more
My administration inherited N27bn pension arrears when I took over in 2019, says Bauchi gov (Tribune)
A whopping sum of N27 billion was inherited as outstanding pension debt by the present PDP-led administration in Bauchi State when it came on board on 29th May, 2019.
The disclosure was made by the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir disclosing that the immediate past administration led by Mr Mohammed Abubakar did not make any attempt to settle the debt thereby piling it up.
The Governor was speaking when he received the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bauchi State Chapter, Rev. Joshua Ray Maina who led the Christian community in the state to pay him the annual Christmas homage at the Government House on Friday evening. Read more
Jonathan condoles with Kwankwaso over father’s death (Thisday)
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has condoled with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso over the death of his father, Alhaji Musa Sale Kwankwaso.
In a condolence message issued on Friday by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President lamented the passage of Kwankwanso, describing the late patriarch as a trusted sage and great community leader.
Jonathan also prayed to God to grant his soul eternal rest. Read more
Nkanga: Akwa Ibom declares seven days of mourning (Punch)
Former Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom State and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga(retd)
The Akwa Ibom Government on Saturday mourned Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd), the Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum and former Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom State under the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
The government also declared a seven-day period of mourning effective December 26, 2020.
The Air Commodore in the Nigerian Air Force was said to have died on the eve of Christmas at the age of 68. Read more
Lai Mohammed mourns ace film producer Chico Ejiro (Sun)
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has expressed shock at the death of veteran film producer Chico Ejiro.
Mohammed said Ejiro’s death was a huge blow to Nollywood and Nigeria’s creative industry in general.
The minister, in a statement by the Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, expressed his condolence to the family and friends of Ejiro, and the creative industry.
Describing the late ChicoEjiro as a prolific movie director and a shining star of Nollywood, Mohammed stated that Nollywood had through its movies stamped Nigeria’s creative presence all over the world. Read more
Buhari’s nepotism would have caused coup if non-northern Muslim were president – Kukah (Tribune)
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev Matthew Kukah has said that President Muhammadu Buhari acts of nepotism could have led to a coup had the president been a non-northern Muslim.
Bishop Kukah spoke this in his Christmas message titled, ‘A Nation in Search of Vindication’ on Friday.
He said, “This government owes the nation an explanation as to where it is headed as we seem to journey into darkness. Read more
It is graceless to fan embers of hatred, strife, FG replies Kukah (Vanguard)
The federal government says it is graceless and impious for any religious leader to use the period of Christmas, which is a season of peace, to stoke the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, warned religious leaders that resorting to scorched-earth rhetoric at this time could trigger unintended consequences.
The statement was made available to newsmen by Mr Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture. Read more
737 Max: Air Canada flight in unscheduled landing after engine issue (BBC)
An Air Canada Boeing 737 Max aircraft has been forced to make an unscheduled landing after developing engine trouble, the airline has said.
The plane was en route from the US state of Arizona to Montreal in Canada when it was diverted shortly after take-off, Air Canada said.
The plane was carrying three crew members at the time and landed safely. Read more
Girl, 13, charged in Jersey City murder of 35-year-old man (NYPost)
A 13-year-old girl was charged Friday with the fatal shooting of a man nearly three times her age in Jersey City, NJ.
The teen, whose name was not released, allegedly gunned down Niles Holmes, 35, near Martin Luther King Drive and Wilkinson Avenue around 4:15 p.m. Dec. 10, the office of Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said Friday.
Cops found a second, surviving victim of the shooting, identified by prosecutors only as a 24-year-old man. Read more
207 killed in Wednesday Ethiopia attack (Guardian)
A total of 207 people were killed in a Wednesday attack by gunmen in western Ethiopia, the country’s Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said, more than doubling a previous count.
The independent government body had on Wednesday said 100 people were killed in their sleep and crops burned in a pre-dawn assault in the Metekel area of the Benishangul-Gumuz region.
“133 of the victims were adult men and 35 were adult women. Seventeen children, one of whom a six-month-old baby, and 20 elderly persons were killed,” the EHRC said in a statement posted to Twitter late Friday. Read more
Berlin shooting: Several injured in Kreuzberg (BBC)
Four people have been seriously injured after a shooting in Berlin in the early hours of Saturday, police say.
Heavily armed police officers were deployed to the scene in the Kreuzberg district, German media report.
The four injured were aged between 30 and 42. One man was pulled from the Landwehr canal, reportedly with a gunshot wound to the leg. Read more
Egypt hospital fire kills seven COVID-19 patients (Punch)
A fire at a hospital north of Cairo on Saturday killed seven coronavirus patients, security and judicial sources said.
The blaze in the intensive care unit of the hospital in Obour district, on the outskirts of Cairo, also injured five other people, the sources said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, the sources said, adding prosecutors had launched an investigation into the incident. Read more
Rising river levels on Christmas Day force hundreds near Quebec City to leave homes (CBC)
Heavy rainfall and rising water levels have forced more than 200 people north of Quebec City to leave their homes, with helicopters needed in some cases to take isolated residents, firefighters and police officers to safety.
The mayor of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, a town of about 8,000 people located less than 30 minutes from the provincial capital, declared a 48-hour state of emergency on Friday, as firefighters went door to door to help people leave their homes.
The water levels surged rapidly, going from 50 cubic metres per second on the morning of Christmas Eve to 850 cubic metres per second at 11:45 p.m. on Christmas Day, according to the town’s mayor, Carl Thomassin.
So far, no injuries have been reported. Read more
Zac Efron selling glam LA mansion for $5.9m (NYPost)
The “High School Musical” star Zac Efron is graduating from his Los Angeles home. The actor is letting go of his Los Feliz residence, Variety reported. It’s available for $5.9 million.
The California native purchased the midcentury modern property in 2013 for $4 million, and hopes to clear a little cash on his investment.
Efron has spent the last few months living in South Australia, filming the movie “Gold.” Perhaps he’ll extend his stay if he has one less home to worry about back in United States. Read more
LeBron James helps Lakers to Christmas Day win – NBA round-up (BBC)
LeBron James has now won 10 and lost five of the 15 games he has played on Christmas Day
LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a comfortable 138-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day.
Davis scored 28 points and had eight rebounds, while James had 22 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the defending NBA champions.
James, 35, has now scored 383 points in games on Christmas Day, moving him into second all-time above Oscar Robertson.
Only late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has scored more, with 395. Read more
Liverpool won’t force Salah to stay, says Klopp (Nation)
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp sees no reason why Mohamed Salah would want to leave the Premier League champions but says he would not keep the Egyptian forward at the club against his will.
Salah told Spanish newspaper AS in an interview this month that he admired Real Madrid and Barcelona, fuelling talk in the British media that he was looking to move on.
“I think the only reason to leave Liverpool at the moment is the weather. What other reason could be there?” Klopp said at a news conference. Read more
South Africa players raise fists before first Test against Sri Lanka (BBC)
South Africa have expressed their “ongoing commitment” to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement after their players raised their fists before the first Test against Sri Lanka.
The Proteas opted not to take a knee before their limited overs matches against England last month.
Former South Africa president Nelson Mandela raised a clenched fist after his release from prison in 1990.
“The raised fist is a powerful gesture in our history,” said a team statement. Read more
James Harden recently violated the league’s health and safety protocols (Guardian)
Three-time reigning NBA scoring champion James Harden will play for the virus-hit Houston Rockets when they open the season Saturday at Portland with only one player over the league minimum.
The Rockets were forced to cancel their scheduled opener Wednesday against Oklahoma City after being unable to field the minimum eight players, due in part to Harden.
But their official NBA injury report Friday revealed rookie forward Kenyon Martin Jr. and reserve Ben McLemore were self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.
Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins and guards John Wall, Eric Gordon and Mason Jones were listed as out due to “health and safety protocols,” as they must quarantine after being declared close contacts to those with the deadly virus. Read more
Leicester fight back twice to earn draw with Man Utd (BBC)
Leicester City twice came from behind to deny Manchester United a record-equalling 11th consecutive away win in the Premier League on Saturday.
Axel Tuanzebe diverted a close-range effort from Jamie Vardy – who had had an otherwise quiet afternoon – into his own net in the 85th minute to keep the Foxes second in the table.
Bruno Fernandes had given United the lead with just over 10 minutes left when he latched on to substitute Edinson Cavani’s through ball and finished past Kasper Schmeichel. Read more
Scottish Premiership: Hagi fires Gerrard’s Rangers to win over Hibs (Punch)
Ianis Hagi fired Rangers to a 1-0 victory over Hibernian on Saturday as the Scottish Premiership leaders extended their winning streak to 13 games.
Steven Gerrard’s side have not dropped points in 12 games since they last faced Hibernian in September.
They had to fight hard to maintain that perfect streak before Hagi’s second goal in successive games broke the deadlock at Ibrox. Read more