Lagos head of service refutes ‘plot’ to stop Sanwo-Olu second term bid (Guardian)
Lagos State head of service Hakeem Muri-Okunola has refuted claims of a rumoured plot to stop a supposed second term election of governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“I hereby dissociate myself from all publications and innuendoes conveying such plots,” Muri-Olunola said in a statement. “I reiterate my support for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his administration’s THEMES Agenda – the six-pillar development plan that is the compass for his projects and policies.”
Sanwo-Olu is yet to formally declare his interest to vie for a second term in office as Lagos State governor. He, however, hinted on Channel Television that “if I dare say so, I think that the citizens know what it is they will be missing if they don’t let us continue to wrap up all the things we are doing.”
The Lagos State governor’s ‘delay’ in announcing his decision is perceived by some as an unusual twist if all is rosy between Sanwo-Olu and the political hierarchy in the state. Read more
Lagos Taskforce impounds 11,300 motorcycles, arrests 9, 664 offenders in 2021 (Vanguard)
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) on Monday, said it impounded a total number of 11,300 motorcycles and arrested 9,664 suspects in the year 2021.
Out of the 11,180 motorcycles, the agency said 11,180 were crushed during the year under review.
The Taskforce Chairman, CSP Shola Jejeloye disclosed this while reviewing the year 2021 at the Agency’s headquarters, Safety Arena, Bolade Oshodi said the 9,664 suspects were arrested for committing varying degrees of crime and were charged to court accordingly.
According to him, there were a series of raids on black spots, illegal Okada parks, and arrests of traffic offenders at areas like Cele bus stop and Ogba where 84 okada and 20 tricycles were impounded for flouting plying restricted routes in the State. Read more
JAMB to introduce self-service registration outlets in Abuja, Lagos (Punch)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, says it plans to introduce self-service registration outlets in Abuja and Lagos to leverage the digital competence of its computer-savvy candidates.
JAMB disclosed this in its Weekly Bulletin from the Office of the Registrar, on Monday in Abuja.
It said that the system is expected to reduce crowds at its accredited Computer-Based Tests Centres in both cities.
The idea, the board explained, is to advance the digital competence of candidates who can do the registration on their own.
It added that it is also to expand the registration access points, in line with the extant federal government’s COVID-19 protocols. Read more
Sanwo-Olu signs bill regulating real estate transactions in Lagos (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has signed a bill regulating real estate transactions in the state.
The governor signed the bill at the Executive Chamber at the Lagos House in the Ikeja area on Monday.
Present at the signing were Commissioner for Housing in the state, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo; the governor’s Special Adviser on Housing, Toke Awoyinka-Benson; amongst others.
The governor Sanwo-Olu said the law to regulate the real estate transactions in Lagos State will help to protect the citizens; the unsuspecting Lagosians who fall prey to many real estate professionals, adding that the law will also help players in the real estate sector to know what is expected of them and for government to be able to track who is doing what in the sector.
“It is really about ease of doing business and ensuring that we can continue to attract private sector investments into the real estate space. We believe this law would be the very first in the country that has taken a deep dive into what is happening in that space and it further strengthens our intervention in housing through the Ministry of Housing,” Sanwo-Olu was quoted as saying.
The governor also signed two other bills into law to provide for the registration of Cooperative Societies in Lagos State; and law to regulate ownership, licensing and sales of pets and to prohibit and restrict people from having in custody dangerous animals in public places. Read more
Olawepo-Hashim backs Zulum’s call for deployment of mercenaries in war on terror (ThisDay)
A former Presidential candidate and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has backed the call by the Governor of Borno state, Babagana Zulum, for a new security template in the war on terror.
Olawepo Hashim also saluted the courage of men and women of Nigeria’s Armed Forces as well as other security personnel that have continued to make huge sacrifices to wade off terror and keep the country safe.
In a release by his media office in Abuja at the weekend, Olawepo-Hashim explained that for those sacrifices not to be in vain, it waa time for the nation to construct a new Defence and Security Architecture to permanently destroy the seed of terror and uproot banditry/kidnapping across the country.
He equally enjoined the federal government to take note of the alarm raised by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state to the effect that Nigeria’s existence was threatened by the growing number of ISWAP fighters in some parts of the state, warning that allowing the terrorist group to grow would spell doom for the country. Read more
Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest, kill cook in Kaduna (Channels)
Gunmen on Monday kidnapped a priest of the Catholic Church of Kafanchan Diocese, Reverend Father Joseph Shekari.
The Priest was abducted from his residence at Ikulu Fari in Chawai village of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the early hours of the day.
Although the police authorities and the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan are yet to confirm the incident, a resident of Kauru, told Channels Television, that the priest returned from a thanksgiving service on Sunday night.
He was later kidnapped from his residence. Read more
Hanifa: Court orders legal representation for Tanko, other accused (DailyTrust)
A High Court sitting at Audu Bako, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, has ordered a legal representation for Abdulmalik Tanko and his accomplices.
Tanko, 34, and his accomplices – Hashim Isyaku, 37 years, and Fatima Jibrin, 26 years, all residents of Tudun Murtala in Nasarawa LGA of Kano State, were accused of criminal conspiracy, kidnap, confinement and culpable homicide contrary to section 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code.
A magistrate Court 12, sitting at Gidan Murtala and presided over by Chief magistrate Muhammad Jibril, had asked for Tanko and his accomplices’ case to be transferred to the state high court number 6.
Counsel to the state government, led by Aisha Mahmoud, applied to the court to adjourn the case to the higher court as the magistrate had no jurisdiction over the case. Read more
Benin Republic extends Igboho’s detention for 6 months (Leadership)
The government of the Republic of Benin has extended the incarceration of Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Sunday Igboho, for six months.
The development contradicts a recent announcement by an Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, that Igboho will soon be released from detention.
Though Olajengbesi has since resigned from the team of lawyers handling Igboho’s case, he posted on Facebook over the weekend that “Chief Sunday Igboho will be out very soon and there will be massive jubilation across the entire Yoruba land.
“He is no doubt a courageous man. This is very authoritative just that our Yoruba leaders should stop being selfish and allow good to prevail.” Read more
D’banj excites fans as Nigerian Idol audition show kicks off (Nation)
Energetic singer D’banj has been trending for some time on social media platforms after making his first appearance as a judge on Nigerian Idol.
Fans of the Kokomaster do not seem to get enough of him as he was number two on Nigeria’s Twitter trend list.
The fans applauded the organisers’ decision to bring the self-acclaimed entertainer on board.
“Whoever made Dbanj part of the judges made a very good decision,” a fan tweeted. Read more
Helen Mirren responds to ‘Jewface’ criticism over Golda Meir role (Variety)
Helen Mirren, who plays Israeli prime minister Golda Meir in an upcoming biopic, has broken her silence on the debate around her casting.
“Golda,” which wrapped in December and also stars “Call My Agent’s” Camille Cottin, is directed by Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv (“Skin”).
However, there was disquiet over the casting around the time the film was shooting in London, last winter, after photographs emerged of Mirren looking drastically different for the role.
Actor Maureen Lipman (“The Pianist”) told Variety in Jan.: “Helen will be great. Good actress, sexy and intelligent. Looks the part. [But] my opinion, and that’s what it is, a mere opinion, is that if the character’s race, creed or gender drives or defines the portrayal then the correct — for want of an umbrella [term] — ethnicity should be a priority.” Read more
Ghanaian filmmaker, Leila Djansi named mentor for Netflix and UNESCO project (MyJoy)
Ghanaian filmmaker Leila Djansi has been named one of the mentors for a Netflix & UNESCO project.
‘African Folktales, Reimagined’ is a short film competition across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The winners will be trained and mentored by industry professionals and provided with a US$75,000 production budget to create short films that will premiere on Netflix in 2022 as an “Anthology of African folktales”.
The award winning filmmaker was part of the judges and mentors who did the first round of selection and shortlisted 21 emerging filmmakers out of over 2,000 applications. Read more
Kanye West deletes all Instagram posts about Kim Kardashian and their kids (PageSix)
Kanye West has scrubbed his Instagram of all posts pertaining to Kim Kardashian and their children.
After spending the last few days accusing his estranged wife of kidnapping their daughter Chicago, putting North West on TikTok against his “will” and more, the Yeezy fashion designer erased all accusations and only left posts pertaining to his career and projects.
The decision to erase the accusatory posts — which also claimed Kardashian, 41, believed he put “a hit out on her” — came after a video on social media showed West, 44, spending time with three of his four kids without any sort of chaperone.
The “Monster” rapper took Saint, Chicago and Psalm to his and Jason Lee’s event called “The Future Brunch.” Read more
Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt lands lead role as cult leader Jim Jones (DigitalSpy)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) has been cast in the lead role of Jim Jones in a new psychological thriller based on the infamous Jonestown cult and massacre, White Night.
Directed by Anne Sewitsky (A Very British Scandal) and scripted by William Wheeler (The Ghost in the Shell), the film is a direct adaptation of Deborah Layton’s memoir Seductive Poison. Chloë Grace Moretz (Mother/Android) will star opposite Gordon-Levitt as Layton.
The memoir documents the story of Layton’s initial entry into Jones’ cult and how she became a prominent member of the People’s Temple. Soon Layton began to realise the horrifying truth behind the cult which eventually led to the mass murder-suicide of over 900 people at their base (Jonestown) in Guyana in 1978.
The film reflects on her time as a member of the cult and her attempts to speak out against its existence later on. Read more
Kylie Jenner gives birth to 2nd child (CBS)
The Kardashian and Jenner clan has officially grown by one. The youngest of the famed siblings and reality stars, Kylie Jenner, announced on Sunday that she and Travis Scott have welcomed their second child together.
Jenner posted a simple black and white photo of what appears to be the newborn’s hand on Sunday evening, captioning it “2/2/22.”
The birth of Jenner’s second child comes days after her daughter Stormi Webster’s fourth birthday.
Jenner had announced she was expecting again in September with a short video showing some moments from her first few weeks of pregnancy — starting with the moment she and Scott apparently found out she was pregnant, and ending with a clip of Stormi kissing Jenner’s baby bump and saying “baby.” Read more
Brit Award-nominated composer confirmed for Jodie Comer’s West End debut (BelfastTelegraph)
Brit Award-nominated singer Self Esteem has been announced as the composer for Prime Facie, the theatre show in which Jodie Comer will make her West End debut.
The singer, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, was previously one half of Sheffield-based indie duo Slow Club but went solo in 2017 to pursue a more pop sound.
She is nominated for best new artist at Tuesday night’s Brit Awards at London’s O2 Arena, alongside Little Simz, Joy Crookes, Griff and Central Cee.
Killing Eve star Comer will play Tessa in Prima Facie, a one-person play by Suzie Miller, portraying a brilliant barrister who has progressed from her working class origins to the top of the profession. Read more
The Who announce 2022 tour at TQL Stadium, first stop in Cincinnati since 1979 concert tragedy (Cincinnati)
For the first time since the 1979 concert disaster, The Who are returning to Cincinnati.
The British rock band will perform at TQL Stadium on May 15, a stop part of the 2022 tour “The Who Hits Back!”
The Who had previously scheduled a show at the BB&T arena at Northern Kentucky University in 2020, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year will mark 43 years since the concert tragedy, where 11 teens and young adults were killed and others were injured after a concert stampede at Riverfront Coliseum. Read more
Plateau United triumph 1-0 to end Rivers United’s unbeaten run (DailyTrust)
Rivers United’s unbeaten run finally came to an end on Sunday after they were beaten 1-0 by Plateau United in the 2022 Nigeria Professional Football League Week 11 fixture played at the New Jos Township stadium.
It was a double blow for Rivers United as apart from ending their unbeaten run, Plateau United’s victory paved the way for Remo Stars to reclaim the summit of the table.
Former MFM man, Jesse Akila’s strike in the 33rd minute was enough for Plateau United to end Rivers United unbeaten run since the beginning of the season.
In Ikenne, Remo Stars halted 3SC’s winning streak by a lone goal scored in the 62nd minute by captain Junior Nduka from a beautiful 25 yards free-kick. Read more
Marko reveals 2022 Red Bull car will receive update before Bahrain GP (Formula1News)
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko reveals that, upon its initial launch, the RB18 will not quite be the finished product.
Red Bull are set to reveal the car they hope can spur Max Verstappen to his second consecutive world title on 9 February, but the Austrian reveals that the Milton Keynes-based outfit will be keeping their cards close to their chest.
“The presentation, which is important for fans and sponsors, does not show any special details on the car,” he said in conversation with Sport1.
“The new car will only be ready shortly before the start of testing in Barcelona on 23 February.” Read more
Senegal declares national holiday to celebrate AFCON victory (Leadership)
Senegal President, Macky Sall, has declared Monday a public holiday to celebrate the national team’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) win following their victory against Egypt, public television announced.
Sall, who had been due to visit Comoros at the end of a trip that took him to Egypt and Ethiopia, cancelled the last leg of the planned trip in order to welcome the triumphant Lions on their return to Dakar on Monday, RTS said.
Led by Liverpool star, Sadio Mane, Senegal overcame Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out at Sunday’s final in Cameroon.
After two previous final defeats in 2002 and 2019, Senegal finally claimed their first AFCON title. Read more
Nike cancel Mason Greenwood sponsorship after Man Utd player’s arrest and bail (Mirror)
Nike have terminated their deal to outfit Mason Greenwood after the Manchester United forward was arrested and released on bail.
Greenwood, 20, was apprehended by Greater Manchester Police in late January on suspicion of the rape and assault of a woman.
While in police custody, he was further arrested on charges of sexual assault and making threats to kill.
Officers were granted two extensions to question Greenwood before he was released on bail on Wednesday. Read more
Everton boss Frank Lampard responds to Glenn Hoddle slamming Dele Alli’s outfit choice (Express)
Frank Lampard has explained that he’s “not bothered” at what clothes Dele Alli chooses to wear so long as he delivers on the football pitch following criticism from Glenn Hoddle. Deadline day signings Alli and Donny van de Beek were in attendance at Goodison Park at the weekend for their FA Cup clash against Brentford.
Both were left out of the matchday squad, but the pair were officially unveiled to a packed stadium at the half-time interval.
Everton’s two new signings received a good reception from the home crowd, but Hoddle was not impressed with Alli’s outfit.
Speaking on BT Sport, Hoddle said: “I thought he’d just got dragged off the street to be honest. Read more
Celtics have reportedly received 2 trade offers for Dennis Schroder (CBS)
Another day, another Dennis Schroder trade rumor. This time, the Celtics reportedly have a couple of offers on the table for their backup point guard.
Boston is expected to deal Schroder ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls would like to acquire the playmaking reserve. According to Matt Moore of The Action Network, both of those teams have already sent offers Brad Stevens’ way.
Moore also echoed that Boston’s priority at the deadline is “to clear salaries to save on the luxury tax.” So it’s unlikely that Milwaukee’s offer is all that appealing to Boston, given the Bucks are a tax team and would need to shed $4.7 million to acquire Schroder. Milwaukee has contracts that would line up perfectly in a trade, from Donte DiVincenzo to Bobby Portis to George Hill, but the C’s may not want to take any of them back and instead opt for future draft capital. For a young player like DiVincenzo, Milwaukee would likely want a pick in return, which again doesn’t line up with Boston’s objective at the deadline.
From Chicago, the offer could include Troy Brown Jr., who really hasn’t done much over his four-year NBA career but is a good salary match at $5.1 million. Boston would likely want Coby White instead, but the C’s would probably have to throw in some sweetener to make that deal happen. Chicago is also a little light on what they can offer up in terms of draft picks, having emptied their chest in trades for Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan the last 12 months. Chances are, the best Boston could do from the Bulls are a bunch of second-round picks. Read more
Lewis Hamilton quashes retirement rumours by posting video with Formula 1 trainer in preparation for 2022 title battle with Max Verstappen (Talksport)
First Lewis Hamilton announced ‘I’m back!’ Now he’s stepping up training with a run through London ahead of Formula 1 pre-season testing at the end of February.
Rumours had been rife over a potential early retirement for seven-time world champion Hamilton, but those appear to have now been quashed with the Brit back in the public eye.
Hamilton, 37, hadn’t been heard from since a controversial and unprecedented safety car call at the end of the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi allowed rival Max Verstappen to pass on the final lap and claim his maiden world title.
His team principal at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, triggered retirement speculation after his squad dropped protests at the championship result, saying: “I very much hope that Lewis continues racing”. Read more