Man beheads friend over argument surrounding ingredients to make soup (Nation)
A 27-year old Indian hemp farmer, Owalum Benedict Ochin, has been remanded to prison custody by Akure Magistrate’s Court for beheading his friend and roommate identified as Ekon.
Benedict was said to have committed the act after a brawl over ingredients to put in a soup.
He was also alleged to attack one Blessing Opor with a machete after beheading his friend.
Benedict said he hails from Calabar in but came to Ondo State in search of job and was introduced to Blessing Opor and others who cultivated Indian hemp. Read more
Lekki shootings: Another victim with amputated leg appears before panel (Punch)
A man with an amputated left leg on Friday appeared as a petitioner before the Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate on the night of October 20.
The amputee’s lawyer, O.E. Bamgbola, gave his client’s name as Lucky Philemon.
Bamgbola told the panel that his client was before the retired Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel in relation to the Lekki shootings.
He said, “The petition relates to a peaceful protester who suffered gunshot injuries as a result of the shootings on the 20th of October in the Lekki axis, in consequence of which he became an amputee; his left leg was amputated. Read more
10-year-old girl throws step brother into well (Nation)
A 10-year old girl (names withdrawn) has been paraded by men of the Ondo State Police Command for the killing of her step brother.
The suspect was said to have thrown her step brother inside a well because their father showed much love to him.
She was said to have lied that the boy was kidnapped.
The incident happened at Owode, behind central mosque, Akure. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan expressway: FG to construct 4 pedestrian bridges on Ibadan tollgate-Ojoo axis (Guardian)
The Federal Government has said that four pedestrian bridges will be constructed between Ibadan tollgate and Ojoo in course of the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Mr Funsho Adebiyi, Director, Federal Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Friday in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the news briefing followed the meeting held with representatives of the Oyo State government by officials of the federal ministry of works and housing. Read more
COVID-19: Tambuwal Goes into Isolation, as Deputy Takes charge (Thisday)
The Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Friday said he was on self -solation.
In a statement he personally signed and issued to newsmen in Sokoto, the Governor said following my official trips in the past few days, during which I was in close contact with some personalities, some of whom have tested positive for COVID-19, I have been medically advised to go into self-isolation.
He added that as a result, “I will withdraw from official and physical engagements for the period prescribed by the COVID-19 protocols, with effect from Friday, Dec. 18, 2020”. Read more
Buhari meets Kankara schoolboys (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari, is meeting with the released students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State.
The boys were released on Thursday, December 17 in Zamfara State and taken to Katsina State on Friday morning amidst tight security. Read more
Tiny boys with big guns ordered me to say they were Boko Haram members in video – Kankara (Punch)
One of the freed schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, has narrated his six-day ordeal in the hands of his abductors.
The student, who claimed he featured in a video released by Boko Haram on Thursday, said he was “convinced” by the kidnappers to speak in the video.
“I don’t know who they are but they said I should say they are Boko Haram —gang of Abu Shekau,” the student said at the Katsina State Government House on Friday shortly after Governor Aminu Masari received the 344 abducted schoolboys.
Gunmen had invaded the school premises last Friday and abducted over 300 students after a gun duel with the police. Read more
Afenifere claims FG paid ransom for Katsina schoolboys’ release (Thisday)
Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Friday said it had no doubt that the federal government, contrary to its claim, paid ransom to the terrorists who abducted Schoolboys in Kankara, Kastina State to free them.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, titled ‘Kankara Boys: Now Nigeria Is Finished!, said the Kankara abduction was a clear signal that Nigeria was finished and concerned Nigerians, especially the elites in the Northern part of the country must speak up.
Afenifere urged Nigerians to come together and rescue the country from the chaos and precarious conditions the Muhammadu Buhari administration had plunged it into. Read more
Libya’s Gen Haftar frees Italy fishermen held for months (BBC)
Eighteen foreign fishermen who were held in war-torn Libya for more than three months have been released after a visit by Italy’s PM Giuseppe Conte.
Libyan patrol boats loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar arrested the men, who are based in Sicily, on 1 September. The group were accused of trespassing in Libyan waters.
Italy disputed that claim.
The detention of the men was embarrassing for Mr Conte, accused by some of being too soft on the general. Read more
Advanced satellite can peer through clouds and into buildings (Metro)
A new kind of satellite is able to peer through cloud cover and, in some cases, even inside buildings. The satellite was launched several months ago by a company called Capella Space and this week it was opened up for use by governments and private companies. Instead of optical imaging, it uses a process called synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that beams down a powerful radio signal to its target. The satellite then collects and interprets the signal as it bounces back to create the image. Read more
Nurse faints moments after receiving coronavirus jab (RT)
A nurse at a Tennessee hospital collapsed soon after taking a dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Though she recovered moments later, the mishap struck another blow to a public health initiative to promote trust in the new jab.
A nurse manager at the CHI Memorial hospital in Chattanooga, Tiffany Dover, was among the first to get the inoculation at the facility on Thursday. But as she spoke to media moments after receiving her first dose, Dover reported feeling “really dizzy” before fainting, as was captured in a live broadcast.
Fortunately, a doctor was there to break Dover’s fall, and after several minutes she was back on her feet, explaining that the reaction is not uncommon for her. Read more
Thousands flee Islamist attacks in Mozambique (BBC)
The number of civilians forced from their homes by conflict in northern Mozambique has quadrupled this year – to 420,000 – according to the United Nations.
It links the crisis in Cabo Delgado province not just to attacks by Islamist militants, but to a perceived failure to distribute vast mineral and off-shore gas revenues to the local population.
A senior UN refugee agency official visiting Cabo Delgado described the situation there as “really dire” and urged Mozambique’s neighbours and the wider international community to intervene in what she said had been, for too long, an “invisible” crisis. Read more
China to vaccinate 50m people for Lunar New Year: report (CBC)
China is planning to vaccinate 50 million people in the high-priority group against the coronavirus before the start of the peak Lunar New Year travel season early next year, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
Beijing is planning to distribute 100 million doses of the vaccines made by Chinese firms Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the report said.
China has granted emergency-use status to two candidate vaccines from Sinopharm and one from Sinovac Biotech. It has approved a fourth, from CanSino Biologics Inc. for military use. Read more
Adele working with Pearl Jam drummer on new album (Metro)
She likes to keep fans guessing as to when exactly she will end her five-year hiatus, but Adele’s musical return is certainly gathering pace. Showing off her seven-stone weight loss while hosting US show Saturday Night Live in the autumn, the British powerhouse warned fans that a follow-up to 2015’s 25 wouldn’t be until next year at the earliest. But now Pearl Jam drummer Matt Chamberlain has suggested Adele’s ‘powerful and emotive’ comeback is closer than she makes out after spending this week in the studio with her. Read more
Star Wars actor who played Boba Fett dead at 75 (CBC)
Jeremy Bulloch, the English actor who first donned a helmet, cape and jetpack to play Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, died Thursday.
Bulloch died at a London hospital from health complications after years of living with Parkinson’s disease, his agents at Brown, Simcocks & Andrews said in a statement. He was 75.
As the Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett, Bulloch made off with a frozen-in-carbonite Han Solo in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, then zoomed around the desert of Tatooine in a jet pack in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Read more
NPFL to kick off Dec 27 – Sports Minister (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL, is set to start on December 27.
The League like all other Leagues in the world was halted due to the covid 19 pandemic. But even when other Leagues in the world came back without fans, the Nigerian League has remained in the cooler.
Youth and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare confirmed on Friday while briefing Journalists at the National Stadium, Surulere in Lagos that the NPFL will restart on December 27.
The cherry news was applauded even by Journalists at the venue as the Minister disagreed that Nigerian football was not dead but agreed that interest in Nigerian football has waned. Read more
Players ‘overwhelmingly support’ continuing to take a knee, says PFA after consultation (BBC)
Players are “overwhelmingly in support” of continuing to take a knee to highlight racial inequality and fight discrimination, says the Professional Footballers’ Association.
The players’ union consulted members on whether they wanted to continue the gesture after some fans booed it.
Members were asked whether an alternative should explored, but they wanted to continue with “this act of solidarity” before kick-off.
“The results were clear,” said the PFA.
“Players overwhelmingly support continuing this act of solidarity despite any adverse responses that may be received.” Read more
Maria Sharapova announces engagement to millionaire UK art dealer (RT)
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova said ‘yes’ to her longtime boyfriend, British businessman and co-founder of the online auction house Paddle 8, Alexander Gilkes, who she has been dating for almost three years.
The pair took to social media to officially announce their engagement with the five-time Grand Slam winner revealing she agreed to marry the famous art dealer right from the start of their relationship.
“I said yes from the first day we met. This was our little secret, wasn’t it,” Sharapova wrote, posting a series of pictures of the newly engaged couple. Read more
Bayern Munich eager to stamp authority on league leaders Leverkusen (Guardian)
Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick says it would be the “cherry on the cake” if his side capped an incredible 2020 by beating Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday to finish the year top of the Bundesliga.
Second-placed Bayern, who won the treble last season, are one point behind leaders Leverkusen, the division’s only club still unbeaten, ahead of their last game before the two-week winter break.
“It would be the cherry on the cream cake if we get the three points,” Flick said Friday. Read more
Bundesliga: Schalke sack Baum after 79 days as head coach (Punch)
The Bundesliga’s bottom club Schalke 04 on Friday confirmed the sacking of Manuel Baum after just 79 days as head coach, with Huub Stevens returning for his fourth stint to try to end their 28-game winless streak in the league.
Schalke are already on their third coach this season as Stevens, 67, replaces Baum, who was appointed on September 30 after predecessor David Wagner was sacked.
At the time, Baum was described as the club’s “last bullet” in the fight against relegation. Read more
David Rudisha: Yet to decide on Tokyo Olympics (BBC)
Kenya’s David Rudisha says he is yet to decide whether he will try and win a third straight 800 metres Olympic title in Tokyo next year.
Rudisha, who turned 32 on Thursday, has struggled with injuries since defending his title in Rio in 2016 and has missed the last two World Championships.
Ankle surgery meant that the world record holder would not have been able to compete if the Tokyo games had gone ahead this year, instead of being delayed until 2021 by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
No ‘quick fix’ for struggling Arsenal, says Arteta (Guardian)
Mikel Arteta said Arsenal knew there would be no “quick fix” after he arrived at the club as he scrambles for solutions following a disastrous start to the Premier League season.
The Gunners head into Saturday’s Premier League match at Everton languishing in 15th place in the table following a 1-1 draw against Southampton.
Arsenal’s winless league run now stretches to six matches, with the club enduring their worst start to a top-flight season since 1974/75. Read more