Lagos boarding school sex claims not reported, say police (Guardian)
Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, said the reported sexual activities among students of the Federal Government College, Ijaniki, Lagos was not reported to the police.
It was reported that some students were caught after absconding from school to lodge female colleagues in hotels for sex.
It was gathered that the students, who were all boarders, had on different occasions jumped the school’s fence with their female counterparts and stayed out of school for days.
The students involved in the act were reportedly between the ages of 14 and 17.
The Guardian learnt that for more than three sessions, including the just concluded first term, some of the students, numbering about seven males and five females, had been leaving the school unnoticed.
However, the school authority got to know about the escapades after one of the students allegedly impregnated a female colleague. Read more
Discos hike electricity tariff secretly, consumers kick (Punch)
Electricity distribution companies have quietly increased the payable by power consumers across the country.
Although most of the Discos did not make this public, power users have kicked against the move, describing it as fleece amidst the harsh economic reality in Nigeria currently.
Reacting to the price hike, a resident of Lagos highbrow estate, Mr. Oye Sola, lamented the increase.
He said, “Electricity tariff is now N72.2 per unit. Another price hike from N66; I suspect they are going to N100. A higher price for poorer services. Read more
I’ll transform Lagos economy, says Accord candidate (Nation)
Governorship candidate of Accord Party in Lagos State, Pastor Peter Obayuwana, has promised to transform the state’s economy, if elected.
Obayuwana, in a statement, urged Lagosians to trust him with their votes.
He said: “Just like the name of our party, if we can be in one accord, and I get your vote to become your governor, with my expertise, quality of my team and my experience … I promise to provide leadership that will address your needs, transform the economy of Lagos and restore the excellence the beautiful state is known for.”
According to him, Nigerians wake up on the first day of every year energised, working towards a new agenda, which forms part of a new year resolution. Read more
NPA adjudges APM Terminals best port operator (DailyTrust)
Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa, has received the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Platinum Merit Award for its excellent performance in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) issues.
The HSE award came a few days after APM Terminals was presented with the award of Terminal Operator of the Year by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in December.
The HSE Awards is an annual event to acknowledge and honour port operators within the Lagos Ports complex that have distinguished themselves in the area of health, safety and environment compliance.
APM Terminals Apapa received the highest award, Platinum Merit Award, for its continuous excellent performance at the port. Read more
PSN decries attacks on health workers (Punch)
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, has condemned the murder of a physician, Dr Uyi Iluobe, in Oghara, Delta State, while he attended to a patient in his hospital.
The PSN President made his position known in Lagos on Wednesday, in a condolence message signed by Felix Ndiukwu and sent to the President of the Nigeria Medical Association.
Usifoh decried attacks on healthcare professionals and called on the authorities to prioritise the protection of life.
He said, “The PSN is seriously alarmed that in recent years, major caregivers including pharmacists, physicians, nurses and laboratory scientists have been murdered in the line of duty with reckless abandon without adequate response from the government and its array of security agents. Read more
Buhari: DSS arrests ISWAP commander, others in connection with Kogi bomb blast (Vanguard)
The Department of State Services on Wednesday announced the arrest of two men who carried out the deadly bombing which occurred on 29th December, 2022, near the Palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Okene, Kogi State during the visit of the President Muhammadu Buhari to commission some projects in the state.
The DSS said in a statement made available to Vanguard by its Spokesman Dr. Peter Afunanya, announced that the masterminds of the Vehicle-Borne Explosive Device(VBIED) AbdulmumIbrahim Otaru (aka Abu Mikdad) and one of his associates, Saidu Suleiman were arrested on Tuesday on 3rd January, 2023.
Afunanya said however that the major mastermind, who is a commander of the Islamic States in West Africa, sustained an injury on his leg while trying to escape. Read more
FG inaugurates NDDC Governing Board (ThisDay)
After over three years of flip-flops, the federal government on Wednesday inaugurated the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The new board has as Chairman former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and Chief Samuel Ogbukwu as Managing Director.
The inauguration, which is coming barely a few months to the end of the tenure of the Buhari Administration, has been enmeshed in numerous crises with pending court cases at the Federal High Court.
Inaugurating the board in Abuja, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Umana Umana, urged the board to immediately hit the ground running by implementing recommendations of the Report of the Forensic Audit of the Commission carried out in 2019. Read more
Taylor Swift’s cat is worth $97m, among world’s richest pets: report (NYPost)
Taylor Swift’s cat, Olivia Benson, made the world’s richest pet list at No. 3, with an estimated net worth of $97 million.
FilmMagic; taylorswift/Instagram
Being a cat lady can pay off… literally.
Taylor Swift’s beloved glamourpuss, a Scottish fold named Olivia Benson, is the third-richest pet in the world, according to a new report from All About Cats. The fat cat has clawed together a pawsitively impressive estimated net worth of $97 million.
Feline fine at No. 2, with an estimated $100 million, is social media influencer @Nala_cat, a Siamese and tabby mix. German Shepherd Gunther VI, owned by the Italian media company Gunther Corporation, nabbed the prize for richest pet in the world with a jaw-dropping $500 million.
The list was made using Instagram analytics and the pet’s potential payday per social media post. In 2020, Swift posted a pic of Olivia sprawled out on a couch, which garnered more than 2 million likes on her Instagram page.
The “Midnights” album star has not been shy about showing just how much she loves her cat, who is named after actress Mariska Hargitay’s popular “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” character. Her fluffy feline has appeared in her “Blank Space” and “Me!” music videos, as well as in various commercials, including one for Diet Coke in 2014. Read more
Dave Bautista: I don’t want Guardians of the Galaxy character to be my legacy (Standard)
Dave Bautista says that he does not want his Guardians Of The Galaxy character Drax “to be my legacy”, and would like to take on more dramatic roles in future.
The professional wrestler-turned-actor said he was “grateful” to have played the character in the popular Marvel films but that he felt “relief” that the franchise was coming to an end.
It comes ahead of the release of Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume 3, which is due to hit theatres on May 5, and is expected to be the last in the series.
Bautista stars alongside Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, playing the dopey and often socially unaware character of Drax. Read more
Hugh Jackman begs Academy to not nominate Ryan Reynolds for best song (PageSix)
Hugh Jackman jokingly begged the Academy to not nominate Ryan Reynolds’ “Good Afternoon” in the best song category amid their decade-long fake feud.
“Hey everybody it’s 2023, and I really really wanted to send out a positive message at the beginning of the year, but recent events have made that impossible,” Jackman, 54, began in a video posted to social media on Wednesday.
The “Greatest Showman” star then explained that while he and his family “loved” “Spirited,” he’s still not onboard for the song to receive an Oscar nomination.
Jackman continued, “Now Ryan Reynolds getting a nomination in the best song category would make the next year of my life insufferable.” Read more
Drake-approved UK rapper Loski found guilty of possessing loaded revolver (HipHopDX)
Drake has co-signed many artists over the years and one of them, UK drill rapper Loski, is now facing jail time after being found guilty of possessing a loaded revolver following a three-year investigation.
The Evening Standard reported the findings from Loski’s trial that finished on Wednesday (January 4), confirming a jury found him guilty of three counts – possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing a firearm when prohibited for five years and possessing ammunition for a firearm when prohibited for five years. The charges are in relation to a 2019 incident where he was stopped in an Uber.
The 23-year-old (real name Jyrelle O’Connor) is part of the Kennington-based drill group Harlem Spartans, but according to Metropolitan Police, he was also a high-profile member of a south London gang who were involved in “violent disputes” with other gangs.
Detective Constable Snazell said there was “no doubt” Loski or his gang associates would have used the revolver in future. He also said the drill rapper was “fascinated” with guns and had Googled firearms and ammunition “numerous times” in the months leading up to his arrest. Read more
Warner Music shareholder who named label in sexual misconduct suit fails to win board seat (Billboard)
Former Atlantic Records employee Dorothy Carvello lost her bid for a seat on Warner Music Group’s board of directors last month after failing to comply with certain requirements in the company’s bylaws, spokespeople for Carvello and the record label said on Tuesday (Jan. 3).
Under a new rule passed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last year that makes it easier for minority shareholders to wage campaigns for board seats, Carvello sought to nominate herself for a seat on WMG’s board, to be voted on at the next shareholder meeting. The activist and author, who alleged in her memoir, Anything for a Hit: An A&R Woman’s Story of Surviving the Music Industry, that she was subjected to sexual abuse and misconduct while working at Atlantic from 1987 to 1990, plans to run again next year, according to her spokesperson.
Carvello’s odds of being elected by WMG investors to a seat on the company’s board were slim because a sizeable chunk of the record label is owned by WMG vice-chair Leonard Blavatnik, the Financial Times reported earlier on Tuesday. Still, Carvello’s novel attempt could set the stage for future bids by activists aiming to bring attention to causes not often discussed in the staid corporate arenas of annual shareholder meetings. Read more
Britain Says Russia May Have Stored Ammunition at Site of Barracks Attack (VOA)
Britain’s defense ministry said Wednesday that a Ukrainian attack on a military barracks in a Russia-controlled city in eastern Ukraine may have been exacerbated by Russia storing ammunition close to where Russian troops were staying.
“Given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike, creating secondary explosions,” the ministry tweeted in its latest daily assessment.
The British defense ministry added that Russia had a history of unsafe ammunition storage before it launched its invasion of Ukraine, “but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate.”
Russia’s defense ministry said early Wednesday that its troops’ “massive use” of mobile phones led to the January 1 strike. Read more
US House without a speaker after McCarthy loses 6th round (DW)
For a fourth, fifth and sixth time, Republicans tried to elect Kevin McCarthy into the role of House Speaker on Wednesday, falling short on each occasion.
McCarthy lost each round after a sufficient number of Republicans voted for the surprise nomination Byron Donalds, also a Republican, on day two of the House’s attempt to elect a speaker.
In addition to the 20 who broke ranks and voted against McCarthy, Republican Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “present,” in the fourth, fifth and sixth vote, signifying further defections could be in progress.
Some Congressional analysts have suggested McCarthy’s only path to the speaker role would be if enough Republicans who defected altered their course to vote merely “present,” nullifying efforts to impede his path to the gavel. Read more
Jalen Brunson’s 38-point night propels Knicks past Spurs: ‘He’s a monster’ (NYPost)
Gregg Popovich made a point pregame of telling his players this would be a very different Knicks team than the one it defeated last week in San Antonio.
Jalen Brunson, he pointed out, would be on the floor this time.
“He wasn’t there last time,” the Spurs coach said. “He’s a monster. He’s got such a toughness about him.”
The latest example was Wednesday night. In his second game back from a hip injury, Brunson made sure the Knicks wouldn’t get swept by the rebuilding Spurs. He poured in a career-high 38 points, including 11 in the final quarter, as the Knicks survived the pesky Spurs, 117-114, at the Garden to win their third straight game. Read more
Peseiro hits Europe for Super Eagles stars (Sun)
Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro was in attendance at the Gtech Community Stadium on Monday, January 2, 2023 for Brentford’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in a Premier League match.
The Portuguese coach actually came to watch Frank Onyeka in action against one of the top teams in Europe but the Super Eagles midfielder is recuperating from a hamstring injury and was not picked in the matchday squad.
However, Onyeka was present at the stadium and met with Peseiro shortly after the game.
Onyeka was involved in the last two matches played by the national team, against Algeria and Portugal, but was a non-playing substitute in the two AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe. Read more
Gregg Berhalter: Mother of Gio Reyna confirms she reported USMNT head coach for kicking his wife in 1991(Sky)
The mother of USA midfielder Gio Reyna has confirmed she reported head coach Gregg Berhalter for kicking his wife over 30 years ago.
Berhalter will not take charge of the USA’s training camp in California later this month amid an ongoing US Soccer investigation after he admitted kicking his wife of 25 years during an argument as a teenager.
The governing body instigated the probe after Berhalter, who took his side to the World Cup in Qatar, revealed he had been the subject of a threat to expose the incident involving his then girlfriend Rosalind in 1991 during the tournament.
On Tuesday Berhalter posted a statement of his own on social media saying an “individual contacted U.S. Soccer” during the 2022 World Cup saying “they had information about me that would ‘take me down”. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo banned from making Al-Nassr debut in Saudi Arabia on Thursday (Mirror)
Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned from making his Al-Nassr debut against Al-Ta’ee on Thursday.
The 37-year-old was due to play his first game for his new club at Mrsool Park in the Saudi Pro League, after he was unveiled as an Al-Nassr player earlier in the week. Ronaldo was set to receive a hot reception by supporters of his new team as they prepared to see the five-time Ballon d’Or in action for the first time.
However, he will now not feature for Al-Nassr as he is still banned for his behaviour following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat against Everton last April. Ronaldo slapped the hand of Jacob Harding as he stormed down the tunnel at Goodison Park, damaging the boy’s phone in the process.
His mother, Sarah Kelly, claimed that Harding’s hand was also damaged and hurt by Ronaldo. Following an investigation by the FA, he was fined £50,000 and handed a two-game ban on November 23 – just a day after the forward’s contract was terminated by United. Read more
Injured Kyrgios out of Adelaide but ”no doubt” for Australian Open (RFI)
An injured Nick Kyrgios on Thursday pulled out of next week’s Adelaide International II, but his team insisted he was in “no doubt” for the Australian Open.
It is the second straight tournament the temperamental tennis star has withdrawn from after his no-show for the ongoing mixed-teams United Cup event in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth due to an ankle issue.
“We know that the Adelaide International was a key lead-up event for Nick, and I know he is disappointed to not be able to play in Adelaide this year,” tournament director Alistair MacDonald said. “We wish him well for the Australian Open.”
There are two ATP-WA Adelaide Internationals this month, with Novak Djokovic headlining the first one this week. Read more
Lakers’ LeBron James to miss highly anticipated game against Miami Heat with non-Covid illness (DailyMail)
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Miami Heat with a non-COVID illness.
The Lakers also ruled out guard Lonnie Walker IV with left knee soreness.
James had been listed as questionable due to left ankle soreness before getting sick.
The Lakers just completed a five-game road trip, going 3-2. One of the losses was a 112-98 setback to the Heat last Wednesday in Miami.