My husband wants to kill me with too much s3x, says woman (Nation)
A mother of three, Olamide Lawal, on Friday pleaded with a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Mapo, Ibadan to grant her divorce on grounds that her husband, Saheed Lawal, engages her with too much sex. In her petition, Olamide who lives in Ibadan also accused her husband of being a drunkard.
”Lawal and I have been married for 14 years now. He is an unrepentant drunk who has no human kindness in him.
”He devotes his time to beer consumption, beating and forcing me to have sex with him. He does not provide for my children. Read more
Autopsies in Lagos, Delta agree Silvester died naturally —Lagos CP (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has said that 12-year-old Silverster Oromoni, died a natural death.
Odumosu made the statement while addressing journalists at the command headquarters in the Ikeja area of the state on Friday.
He said the final results of the post mortem and toxicology examination conducted both at Warri and Lagos agreed that the deceased died a natural death.
The CP added, “For purpose of clarification, it is pertinent to convey to members of the public in simple terms, the commentary/submission of Dr SS Soyemi, the consultant pathologist who led a tear of pathologists to carry out the autopsy. He declared and I quote:
“Sylvester Oromoni Jr, a 12-year old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, reportedly died on November 30, 2021, at a private hospital in Warri, Delta State. It was alleged that the deceased was physically assaulted and poisoned in the school prior to death. Read more
Nigeria to reclaim hub status as Lekki port reaches 80% completion (Leadership)
Nigeria’s quest to reclaim its spot as maritime hub in West and Central Africa is gathering momentum as the nation’s first deep seaport, Lekki Port, has reached 80 percent completion, the Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited has said.
Nigeria has lost its hub status to Lome Port due to the shallowness of the draft and archaic infrastructure at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports but with 16.5meter draught, Lekki Port will be one of the deepest in West and Central Africa.
However, in a Lekki Port completion status report made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, dredging and reclamation works have reached 89.93 percent while the building of quay walls has reached 85.65 per cent.
The report further stated that the effort to complete construction works at the breakwater has gained significant improvement as it now stands at 79.66 per cent while the construction of the landside infrastructure at the port has gained significant attention as it now stands at 67.82 per cent. Read more
Lekki residents seek Sanwo-Olu’s intervention over coastal road encroachment (Vanguard)
Lekki Estates Residents & Stakeholders Association, LERSA, have appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately stop the ongoing allocation of coastal road in the area to private property developers.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, President of LERSA, Olorogun James Emadoye decried the hardship that residents of the area go through due to building construction projects being carried out by property developers on the coastal road.
Emadoye noted that the reluctance of the Lagos State Government to develop the coastal road which is the only access route for some residents in the area has given rise to massive illegal building construction projects on the road.
According to Emadoye, previous efforts and meetings by the residents with some agencies of the state government to issue a ‘stop work order’ on the projects have been unsuccessful. Read more
How my mother’s ill-health affected my career – Nollywood actress (DailyTrust)
Nollywood actress, Funmi Awelewa, has shared the painful experience of how her mother’s ill-health affected her career.
The actress took to her Instagram page on Friday to show appreciation to God for keeping her mother alive, despite many challenges.
She wrote, “The last few months were tough for me but I’m grateful God gave my mother another chance.
“As if it wasn’t enough for a mother that lost her sight a long time ago, seeing her in so much pain made me sad and affected everything that surrounds me. It affected my career.” (sic) Read more
FG lauds progress in dry season wheat farming in Gombe (ThisDay)
The federal government, through the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), has expressed satisfaction with the level of progress made so far in the dry season wheat production in Gombe State.
The position was made known by the Head of NALDA Inspection team, Alhaji Umar Yuguda,during an assessment visit to the100 hectares dry season farming site in Papa area of Nafada Local Government Area yesterday.
NALDA in collaboration with the Gombe State Government has embarked on dry season wheat cultivation on 200 hectares of land in Papa and Dogon Ruwa areas of Nafada and Kaltungo Local Government Areas respectively.
The programme is aimed at creating jobs, filling deficit in the demand of wheat and boosting the economy as encapsulated in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). Read more
Nigerian Breweries restates commitment to CSR programmes (Punch)
Nigerian Breweries Plc has restated its commitment to supporting corporate social responsibility programmes.
The company said in a statement on Thursday that this informed its decision to sponsor various concerts during the just concluded Yuletide celebrations.
It listed some of the concerts it supported during the season.
Speaking on the development, National Trade Marketing Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Funso Ayeni, was quoted as saying, “We are thrilled to have been a part of bringing to life concerts around the country this December. A major part of our mission at Nigerian Breweries is to bring happiness to our customers all over the country and the sponsorship of these concerts line up perfectly with this vision.” Read more
Don’t play politics with Olubadan chieftaincy, group warns Adeolu Akande (Independent)
The Chairman of the National Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, has been warned not to play his attention-seeking politics with the death of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguniso I or the ongoing discussion over the emergence of a new Olubadan.
A socio-political group based in Ibadan, Oyo Kajola Group (OKG), gave this warning on Thursday, noting that Akande’s advice that Governor Makinde “should return home and take charge” of the Olubadan matter amounted to crass display of ignorance over the issue.
A statement by the Media Coordinator of the OKG, Comrade Adebayo Ayandele, indicated that Akande’s advice to Makinde, who is on a brief visit to his family in the United States of America, to “come home and take charge” was self-serving and misguided.
The group, which stated that all processes and procedures that are meant to be followed regarding the death of the Olubadan and the emergence of a new one are being followed despite the governor’s absence, said that the Ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and Justice, rather than the governor, are meant to “take charge” at this period. Read more
Singer Portable settles with manager Kogbagidi after money-related beef (Punch)
Fast-rising Nigerian sensation, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has settled with his manager, Kogbagidi, after their fallout regarding money and contracts.
The street sensation is currently making waves with his ‘Zazoo Zeh’ hit in which he featured award-winning singer, Olamide, and Poco Lee.
In a video that went viral on Thursday, the duo had altercations as Portable queried his manager concerning money, car ownership, and contract.
While the duo was discussing in a car, Portable asked Kogbagidi if he signed him and the latter replied, “Do you know how much I have invested in you?
Portable wasn’t taking any of it as he said, “I gave you $500 and N500,000 two times. You’ve ripped me. You know you’re a ripper.”
As the exchange continued, Kogbagidi was seen begging Portable not to be angry. Read more
Rooney Mara to play Audrey Hepburn in new biopic (NME)
Rooney Mara has been cast as Audrey Hepburn in an upcoming biopic from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino.
Apple Studios are backing the project, and whereas no plot details have been announced at this time, the script will be produced by The Current War screenwriter Michael Mitnick.
Hepburn, one of the most famed actors of her generation, reached EGOT status, having earned Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy awards before passing away in 1993. She additionally received accolades for her ongoing humanitarian work.
Mara has been nominated for two Oscars for her roles in the US adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Carol. Recently, Mara was reunited with Carol star Cate Blanchett in Guillermo del Toro’s latest film Nightmare Alley.
Luca Guadagnino has multiple projects in development alongside his Hepburn biopic including new A24 feature Bones & All starring Timothée Chalamet and a remake of Lord Of The Flies. Read more
College professor to release Kanye West biography Wake Up, Mr. West (AllHipHop)
Kanye “Ye” West built an entertainment/business empire by becoming one of the most polarizing celebrities of the 21st century. West’s music, ventures, personal relationships, and political leanings have made headline news around the world.
Self-described Hip Hop culture analyst Dr. Joshua Wright is exploring Kanye West’s connection to the Black community in a new book. Wright will release Wake Up, Mr. West: Kanye West and the Double Consciousness of the Black Celebrity on February 1.
“Kanye is the ultimate contrarian. Whatever people say he should do, he will do the exact opposite,” states Joshua Wright. The Trinity Washington University professor goes on to mention Ye’s highly-criticized comments about chattel slavery.
Wright adds, “For example, when the norm was for rappers to wear baggy clothes and talk about drugs, hustling, and gangsta stuff, he came out with the pink Polo, backpack, and loafers saying, ‘I’m so self-conscious.’ Then, when you fast-forward to the 2018 TMZ interview, and he’s wearing the MAGA hat and saying slavery is a choice, here is the contrarian again.”
A24 & New Regency aboard for Steve McQueen WWII documentary Occupied City (Deadline)
A24 and New Regency are among partners on Oscar winner Steve McQueen’s intriguing documentary Occupied City.
McQueen remains in production on the project, which is about Amsterdam under Nazi occupation during World War II.
A24 will handle domestic and New Regency will handle international, with both players co-financing. As previously revealed, Film4 are also co-financing and retain UK broadcast rights.
Partners on the Netherlands-UK co-pro also include the Netherlands Film Fund, Mondriaan Fund and Amsterdam Fund for the Arts. McQueen’s Lammas Park outfit is also a co-producer. Production began a few years ago. Read more
Software engineer comes out of Broadway retirement to save Wicked from cast shortage (TheHill)
As Broadway attempted to come back to life after a year of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant stunted those plans — but also gave one software engineer the opportunity to save the show.
Carla Stickler was working as a software engineer in Chicago when she received an unexpected phone call to fill in for a lead role in the musical “Wicked.” Stickler was asked to play Elphaba, known as the Wicked Witch of the West in New York City.
“To say it was an incredible moment would be an understatement. I am so overjoyed to have performed with this amazing cast and crew,” wrote Stickler on her Instagram account, post-show.
Stickler is a show business veteran, performing in Broadway musicals for over 10 years. She left show business back in 2015, following injuries and health issues, according to CNN. Read more
Hugh Jackman returns to The Music Man on Broadway following COVID recovery: ‘feels so good’ (People)
Hugh Jackman is back on Broadway!
On Thursday, the 53-year-old actor announced his return to The Music Man following a bout with COVID-19.
Sharing a video on Instagram, Jackman is seen wearing a white face mask outside of the production’s theater as he shared the happy news.
“I can’t tell you how good this moment feels. Yes, we’re back,” the X-Men star said in the video. “… To all those people who had tickets for the last 10 days, I’m so sorry. I hope, I pray, that you’ll have a chance to reschedule, but … I’m so excited to be back and to bring this show — which is just pure joy and full of hope and belief and faith — back to Broadway.” Read more
Benedict Cumberbatch to star in Wes Anderson’s next Roald Dahl movie adaptation (FilmNews)
Benedict Cumberbatch has been tapped to star in Wes Anderson’s movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
The Spider-Man: No Way Home star will play the titular character Sugar in the movie, which is based on Dahl’s 1977 short story, according to the Daily Mail’s Entertainment Columnist Baz Bamigboye. The journalist stated that the film will begin shooting in London very soon.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is about a gambler who studies a meditation method to gain the ability to see through cards. He goes on to open a string of orphanages with his winnings.
The project marks the second time Anderson has made an adaptation of a Roald Dahl story following on from his 2009 stop-motion version of Fantastic Mr Fox, which featured the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Jason Schwartzman. Read more
Berlinale’s European Film Market set to go online, festival will stay in-person (Variety)
The European Film Market, which runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival, will be held online for the second consecutive year due to the pandemic. The festival, meanwhile, will be maintained as an in-person event, Variety can reveal.
Numerous sources are indicating that the EFM has quickly changed gears following a rise in COVID cases in Germany. The festival did not respond to requests for comment by press time, though it’s understood a formal announcement is imminent.
The EFM is the world’s second biggest film market following the Cannes Marché du Film.
The festival has been grappling with rising COVID cases in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases reported 56,335 new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, as well as 264 deaths associated with the virus. Around 71.6% of the population have received both vaccines, but just 41.6% have received the booster. (The government has set an 80% target for double-dose vaccinations, and aims to administer 30 million booster shots by the end of January.) Read more
AFCON 2021: Ighalo u-turn as striker could now be available for the Super Eagles (Soccernet)
The 32-year-old attacker was initially ruled out of the biennial competition, but he is now set to play for the three-time African champions.
Odion Ighalo could now be available to aid the Super Eagles cause at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after the striker posted a cryptic message on his Instagram.
Ighalo was initially ruled out of the competition after his Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab blocked him from travelling.
The 32-year-old was included in Austin Eguavoen’s 28-man squad, but Al-Shabab confirmed on Thursday that he would not be joining the squad as the invitation from the NFF arrived late.
Kamaru Usman brings MMA to Lagos, ‘Face-off Fight Night’ holds today (Guardian)
The maiden Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tagged: “Face-off Fight Night” will debut at the Grand Africa Ballroom, Lagos Continental Hotel, on Friday.
The inaugural edition, which will witness five bouts among 10 professional fighters, is being organised by an African-oriented Nigeria MMA professional promotion company, 5Five 4Four
(54) Limited and powered by the UFC Welterweight World Champion, Kamaru Usman.
The clashes will feature Damilare ‘Ring Beast’ Addulrahimb against Ugochukwu ‘Nicotine’ Melvin, while Jude ‘Hurricane’ Ezugwu will lug it out with Richard ‘Resident Ninja’ Chidi Nwankwo, as Emmanuel Onoja contends with Richard ‘Shield’ Muzaan. Daniel ‘Big Shark’ Emeka engages in a brawl against Ayivor ‘Finisher Mawuko.
Speaking on the partnership, Usman said the introduction of MMA in the country was to create opportunities for the youth that are interested in the sport. Read more
Senegal’s Ismalia Sarr ruled out of AFCON (AfricanFootball)
There are very strong indications that Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr has been ruled out of the AFCON 2021 after he was assessed by the national team’s medical staff.
Watford reluctantly released Sarr on Tuesday to travel to Dakar and be assessed by the Senegal team doctor for a knee injury that has kept him out of action since November 20.
“Watford believed Ismaila Sarr was not fit enough to feature in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and yet he was still sent to Senegal as they wanted to make their own assessment,” The Athletic reported on Friday.
“It was a club versus country row and now he’ll be sent to Spain to see a knee specialist. Read more
FIFA Best top 3 revealed as Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski shortlisted for 2022 prize (Independent)
Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski have been announced as the final three nominees for the Fifa Best Awards men’s player of the year.
Bayern Munich and Poland striker Lewandowski was the winner of last year’s award while Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina star Messi was the winner of the 2021 Ballon D’Or prize.
They are joined in the top three by Liverpool and Egypt forward Salah, who is the Premier League’s top scorer this season with 16 goals in 20 appearances.
Barcelona stars Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr were revealed as the final three nominees for the women’s prize. Putellas was announced as the winner of the women’s Ballon D’Or in December after playing a starring role in Barcelona’s dominant treble last season. Read more
Novak Djokovic thanks fans for their support in first message from Australian border detention hotel (DailyMail)
Novak Djokovic has spoken out from inside Australian border detention to thank his family and fans for their support as he waits to hear whether he will be deported.
The Serbian tennis ace, who has been held since Wednesday after he was barred from entering the country to compete in the Australian Open, also posted a Christmas message because today is Christmas Day in the Orthodox tradition.
‘Thank you to people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated,’ he wrote in English underneath a post in Serbian, in which he also thanked his family and countrymen.
A second post against a background which featured an image of the birth of Christ said: ‘God’s peace. Christ is born. Happy Christmas. May God’s love invigorate and fulfill you all.’ Read more
Ricciardo admits to ‘not knowing a lot’ about certain aspect of F1 (RacingNews365)
Daniel Ricciardo has explained how he prefers to focus his energy on the driving side of Formula 1, rather than getting bogged down in the technical and mechanical elements of the sport.
The Australian driver admitted on the Gypsy Tales podcast that he doesn’t pay much attention to the technical side of racing, and that he feels that it’s an approach that works well for him.
“It’s funny because my mates will say, ‘Dude, you are driving these multimillion-dollar cars’, with the most technology – the most advanced machinery, pretty much, in the world,” Ricciardo commented.
“Yet, you might [just about] know how to change a spark plug. You might know how to take off your tire, but I like that! Read more
Cofidis launch new-look kit made by Decathlon (CyclingWeekly)
Cofidis have unveiled a new look for 2022, with the team set to wear their first strip from new kit suppliers Van Rysel, Decathlon’s cycling brand.
The iconic red and white remain but with a stylish update, sectioned off into block colours. The shoulders are white, torso red, and with accompanying black shorts. The strip will be worn by both the men’s team and the newly launched women’s continental squad.
With muted inclusion of sponsors Cofidis and technical supplier De Rosa, the strip offers a clean look in a 2022 peloton defined by busy design that leans heavily on gradients.
Decathlon’s Van Rysel was announced to have penned a two-year deal to be the official apparel partner for Cofidis in October. Read more