Man locks up wife for four years, impregnates her thrice (Punch)
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a man for caging his wife in a room for four years and subjecting her to dehumanising conditions.
The suspect allegedly impregnated her three times while she was in bondage at their home in the Orerokpe area of Delta State.
The husband, who has eight children with the victim, was said to have fed her with only bread throughout her time in bondage and she was not allowed to shower or use the restroom.
However, the bubble burst when some concerned citizens reported the matter to Behind Bars Defenders Foundation, which took up the matter.
The Director-General of the foundation, Harrison Gwamnishu, told PUNCH Metro that the suspect, who holds an OND, accused his wife of being behind his financial woes. Read more
Again, task force, okada riders clash in Lagos (Guardian)
For the second day running, scores of commercial motorcyclists popularly called ‘Okada’ riders clashed with officials of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, also known as Task Force, who were on a routine enforcement of the state traffic rules.
There was chaos yesterday morning in Ikeja Along bus stop, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, which caused panic in the axis as many road users scampered to safety.
The clash came on the heels of a similar clash between the riders and task force officials in Amuwo-Odofin and Mile 2 areas of Lagos on Tuesday.
In yesterday’s incident, a patrol team of the agency escaped death from the hands of angry Okada operators as the riders chased the patrol team and pelted them with stones. Read more
Soldier kept dancing while shooting Lekki protesters – Petitioner (Punch)
One Dabira Ayuku, who said she participated in the #EndSARS protest at the Lekki tollgate, has narrated how soldiers and policemen allegedly opened fire on and killed the Nigerian flag-bearing protesters on the night of October 20.
In a petition she submitted to the Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing the October 20 tollgate shooting, Ayuku wrote that “The soldiers were asking people to run, whilst they shot at them. I remember a particular soldier that kept dancing whilst he shot.”
In the 29-paragraph affidavit she deposed to and submitted to the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel, Ayuku said the shootings started at about some minutes before 7pm and lasted for about 45 minutes. Read more
Amotekun will serve as state’s local response – Makinde (Vanguard)
In his bid to ensure a safe, secured urban and rural communities in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, said the state’s Security Network Agency code named: “Ameotekun Corps” will serve as a local response, which would enhance a peaceful and stable society that will lead to the socio-economic development of the state.
The governor made this known at the passing-out ceremony of Oyo pioneer Amotekun Corps, held at the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Sports Complex, Main Campus, Oyo.
Makinde noted that security has always been an issue and why it was made one of the pillars of his administration, adding that an insecure state could never attract investors either local or foreign. Read more
Dangote takes ‘Staying Safe Together’ initiative to schools, women (Guardian)
As part of activities marking the 2020 Global Sustainability Week, employees of Dangote Group yesterday flagged off an employee volunteering initiative tagged: ‘Staying Safe Together, The Dangote Way,’ an initiative focused on enlightening the public about preventive and safety guidelines to battle coronavirus.
The weeklong activities focused on encouraging both young and old, most especially the womenfolk, to take care of themselves to avert a second wave of the pandemic in Lagos.
The team of Dangote staff volunteers visited schools in Ikoyi environs and donated items like face masks, sanitisers and machines to help prevent the virus. Read more
Strike: FG, ASUU resume meeting Friday (Punch)
The Federal Government has said it will resume meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Friday.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment disclosed this on Wednesday night.
The parley is expected to address various pending issues, including the contentious payment platform preferred by the union.
Recalled that ASUU had opposed the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System used in settling workers’ salaries by the FG and instead, developed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution which is currently undergoing test-run by the National Information Technology Development Agency. Read more
FG to implement post COVID-19 initiatives for creative industry (Vanguard)
The federal government says it will study the report of the implementation committee for post COVID-19 initiatives on the creative industry and commence its implementation in earnest.
The Minister of Informational and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja, when the committee presented the report to him.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the report was physically presented to the minister by the Chairman of the committee, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, while other members participated virtually. Read more
Bandits demand N100m for six ASPs in Katsina kidnappers’ den (Punch)
The bandits holding six Assistant Superintendents of Police captive in Katsina State for over one week are demanding N100m ransom for their release.
The PUNCH gathered that the ASPs were among the nine who were just promoted to their current rank. They were attached to the Mobile Police Squadron 6, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Findings on Wednesday indicated that they were demobilised from the riot unit and eight of them were on their way to the Zamfara State Police Command on transfer when they were ambushed in the Dogondaji area of Katsina State and taken into the forest. Read more
Mariah Carey confirms Christmas single with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson (Metro)
Mariah Carey has just saved Christmas after the singer confirms she’ll be dropping a special holiday single, Oh Santa, featuring Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson. If that wasn’t exciting enough dahlings, the undisputed Queen of Christmas also announced Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special will be available to stream next month. The singer teamed with Apple TV Plus for the special which centers on a crisis at the North Pole that requires help from Santa’s great friend, MC. Of course, the elusive chanteuse and jumps into action to Save the Day, combining musical performances with animation for a festive treat. Read more
Roof collapse kills 8, injures 20 at wedding ceremony (Vanguard)
Eight people died while 20 others injured as roof collapsed at a wedding ceremony on Wednesday in Pakistan’s northwest Kurram Tribal District, local media reported.
According to the reports, the roof collapsed at the wedding ceremony in Pewar area of Parachinar Region of Kurram, a tribal district in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The deceased include six women and two children.
Local people and rescuers pulled out the bodies and the injured from the rubbles and took them to the District Headquarter Hospital of Parachinar. Read more
US records quarter of a million deaths from coronavirus (BBC)
The US has recorded more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19, a bleak marker as cases soar once again across the country.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the country has now reported 250,029 deaths and nearly 11.5 million cases.
It has more reported infections and a higher death toll than any other country worldwide.
And cases have once again started to soar throughout the US, hitting new daily highs in the last week. Read more
Marvel’s Zoe Saldana teams up with Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Garner for Netflix’s The Adam Project (Metro)
Zoe Saldana has signed up to star opposite Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s upcoming movie The Adam Project. The film will see Ryan star as a pilot who uses ‘rudimentary time-travel technology to reunite with a younger version of himself in order to solve a mystery’, according to reports from Variety. Few details are known about the action-adventure project planned by Netflix, but Jennifer Garner has also signed up. The Adam Project is also the first film produced under Ryan’s The Group Effort Initiative, which is a self-funded program to promote diversity and give more people of colour a chance to work on his productions. Read more
Bobby Brown’s son, Bobby Brown Jr., dead at 28 (PageSix)
Bobby Brown’s son, Bobby Brown Jr., has died at 28.
The younger Bobby was born to Brown and Kim Ward, with whom Brown had an 11-year off-and-on relationship. TMZ, who reported the news Wednesday evening, says that while police are still at Brown’s LA-area home, foul play is not suspected.
Ward gave birth to Brown Jr., the second of her two children with Brown — whom she had known since they were children — less than a year before Brown and Whitney Houston had their daughter Bobbi Kristina. In a 2016 interview with Boston Magazine, Ward claimed that Houston never warmed to the boy and preferred that Bobbi spend time with Brown and Ward’s older child, La’Princia, saying “[Houston] has a problem with little Bobby.” Read more
Ethiopia issues arrest warrants amid Tigray unrest (BBC)
Ethiopia has issued arrest warrants for 76 army officers accused of being linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Forces loyal to that party are fighting the government in the restive Tigray region.
Ethiopia’s prime minister has said that his army is advancing on its capital, Mekelle.
Hundreds have reportedly died and tens of thousands have fled the area after two weeks of clashes. Read more
National Guard soldier killed herself after being gang-raped by colleagues: mum (NYPost)
A devoted Army National Guard soldier killed herself after she reported being sexually assaulted on the job — but the military branch did nothing to help, according to her mum.
“To think that that’s what took her life — that’s what broke her,” Debbie Robinson, the mother of officer Morgan Robinson, told CBS Evening News.
“They wanted her body. And they took her soul.”
The horror that led to Morgan Robinson’s suicide began two years earlier, when one of her supervisors allegedly sexually assaulted and harrassed her multiple times while they were stationed in Kuwait, according to CBS, which is investigating failures by the US military to address sex crimes internally. Read more
LMC impressed by NPFL clubs’ infrastructure upgrade (Vanguard)
The League Management Company (LMC) has expressed satisfaction with the efforts of NPFL clubs to upgrade their stadium infrastructure in compliance with a recent directive of the league body pursuant to the CAF and NFF Licencing Regulation infrastructure requirements.
Chairman of LMC, Shehu Dikko read the scorecard after a review of works at the affected match venues and noted that some of the clubs that are likely not to complete their stadium upgrade have already indicated alternative venues for their home fixtures for the NPFL 2020/2021 season.
The LMC had on 30th October 2020 released a list of 13 approved stadia for the 2020/2021 season while 11 others were recommended for specific upgrades/renovation before recertification/approval to host NPFL matches. Read more
Togo’s Football Federation ‘has no plans to investigate the death’ of Toyi Awi (BBC)
The Togo Football Federation (TFF) has said that so far it has no plans to investigate the sudden death of a player on Monday.
Winger Toyi Awi collapsed and died suddenly while training with his club ASKO de Kara, who are the Togolese champions.
The 26-year-old fell to the ground clutching his chest during training on Monday evening and passed away before he reached hospital.
“So far we have not decided whether to carry out an investigation into the sudden death of this promising player,” a TFF spokesman told BBC Sport Africa. Read more
ATP Finals: Daniil Medvedev beats lacklustre Novak Djokovic to advance to semi-finals (Metro)
Daniil Medvedev beat an out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic in straight sets to book his spot in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals. Medvedev, the world No. 4 from Russia, has become known for his ability to break his opponents’ brains and the world No. 1 – who has done similar to his victims throughout the years – quickly ran out of answers and momentum as he slumped to a 6-3 6-3 defeat in an hour and 21 minutes. Djokovic, who has won this tournament on five separate occasions, now faces a shootout with Alexander Zverev to try and book his spot in the semi-finals. Should he progress he’ll face Dominic Thiem. Read more
Lukaku sends Belgium into Nations League finals (BBC)
Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Belgium secured their place at the Nations League finals with victory against Denmark.
Leicester’s Youri Tielemans opened the scoring after just three minutes with a drilled finish.
Jonas Wind headed in an equaliser but Lukaku turned in Kevin de Bruyne’s pass before heading home a third.
A Nacer Chadli own goal reduced the deficit but De Bruyne swept in a fourth for Belgium.
Who is up and down in the Nations League?
The victory means Roberto Martinez’s side, who beat England 2-0 on Sunday to end the Three Lions’ hopes of reaching the finals, finish top of Group A2. Read more
Mikel Arteta admits he was ‘shocked’ by the state of Arsenal after Unai Emery’s departure (Metro)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he’s still working to heal the wounds exposed at the club from Unai Emery’s era. The Spaniard replaced Emery as Gunners boss ten months ago after the former Sevilla manager was sacked following a dismal start to the season. Arteta has made a solid start at the Emirates, winning the FA Cup at the end of his first season at the club. However, perhaps his most vital work has been in restoring faith among supporters, who turned against Emery. Read more
LeBron James taps Diddy protégée Dia Simms for new booze line (PageSix)
LeBron James has invested in a new tequila and mezcal brand, and the woman behind Diddy’s billion-dollar booze business has been tapped to run it.
Dia Simms — the music mogul’s former protégée who spent more than 15 years helping him build Cîroc — is the new CEO of the James-backed Lobos 1707 line, according to a press release.
An insider told us James invested in the brand with partner Maverick Carter because of its commitment to “diverse leadership.” Read more