My wife sent nude photos to other men—Gospel singer Paul Nwokocha (Punch)
Popular gospel singer Paul Nwokocha has finally addressed the swirling rumours about his marital woes, delivering a no-holds-barred statement in a trending video on his official YouTube channel.
Nwokocha declared that he has no regrets about ending his marriage, citing his wife’s alleged “abominable acts” as the reason behind his decision.
“If I marry today and find out that the wife I married is doing an abominable thing before God and before man, I will send you out of my house,” he asserted in the video, which was posted on Sunday. Read more
Lagos Assembly Crisis: Plot to remove Meranda as Speaker thickens (Vanguard)
There are indications that the camp of the embattled ex-speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is plotting to remove the incumbent Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, at any moment.
The indications emerged over the weekend when an inside source confided in Vanguard.
According to the source, after a series of failed attempts to remove Meranda since her emergence on January 13, 2025, there have been a series of permutations to relaunch embattled Obasa to power. Read more
Traders, consumers lament rising ogbono prices in Nigeria (Guardian)
Consumers and traders of wild mango, popularly known as ogbono, have expressed concern over the escalating cost of the staple ingredient across markets in Nigeria.
Ogbono, a key ingredient in Nigerian cuisine, is derived from the native mango seed and used for its thickening properties in soups. Apart from its culinary use, it is also known for its high fiber content, which may help lower cholesterol and affect fat cell growth.
Currently, a milk tin cup of ogbono sells for between N2,700 and N3,000, a sharp increase from the N1,000 price in the first quarter of 2024. Similarly, a ‘derica’ cup, which was sold at N6,000 earlier in the year, now costs between N10,500 and N11,500. Read more
SARS remains dissolved — Police (Tribune)
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), high Command on Monday debunked the report making the round about the return of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Force describing it as false and that it remained dissolved.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
According to the statement, “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to debunk circulating rumours and misinformation speculating the return of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) with a reformed set of rules. Read more
2027: Source reveals details of Atiku’s meeting with Obasanjo (Sun)
Details of the meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have been revealed.
Daily Sun reported that the duo are in a closed-door meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State with speculations hinting at a possible alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Monday’s meeting was confirmed by Abubakar’s media adviser, Paul Ibe and it was revealed that Abubakar was accompanied by former governor of Cross River State, Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto State, and Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central. Read more
Court adjourns Nnamdi Kanu’s alleged terrorism trial indefinitely (ThisDay)
Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja, has adjourned indefinitely the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The adjournment on Monday was based on Kanu’s insistence that Justice Nyako cannot continue trying him, having recused herself from the matter earlier.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, when he was rearrested and brought back to Nigeria for trial bordering on alleged terrorism. Read more
Tinubu mourns renowned Islamic scholar Sheik Modibbo Daware (VON)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed profound sadness over the passing of Sheikh Modibbo Ibrahim Daware, a renowned Islamic scholar from Adamawa State.
In a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu extolled Sheikh Daware’s humility, piety and devotion to scholarship.
He described his passing as a painful loss not only to his family and community but also to the entire nation. Read more
800 ex-Boko Haram fighters undergoing deradicalisation – DHQ (Channels)
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Monday disclosed that 800 former Boko Haram fighters who surrendered to the military are currently undergoing deradicalisation for onward re-integration into the society.
The Chief of Defence, Operations, Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, made this known on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.
According to him, one year is enough time to re-orient and reintegrate the ex-terrorists into the larger society. He said though about 129,000 Boko Haram fighters have been arrested so far, only 800 former fighters were carefully selected to participate in the rehabilitation and reintegration project tagged Operation Safe Corridor. Read more
Selena Gomez says ‘some of the magic has disappeared’ amid ‘Emilia Pérez’ controversy, but she has ‘no regrets’ (Variety)
Selena Gomez got candid about the recent controversy surrounding her Oscar-nominated movie, “Emilia Pérez,” while speaking at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Sunday.
The film — which has the most nominations going into the Oscars this year — has experienced a fall from grace since tweets resurfaced in late January from its lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, expressing controversial views on Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars. As a result, Netflix has distanced itself from Gascón and is no longer financially supporting her on the awards trail.
“Some of the magic has disappeared,” Gomez said of the controversy at Santa Barbara Film Festival, where she received the Virtuosos Award. “But I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done and I’m just grateful. I live with no regrets, and I would do this movie over and over again if I could.” Read more
To fight dissent, Kenya clamps down on social media, AI (DW)
A silent war is unfolding in Kenya, not on the streets but in the vast, uncharted world of the internet.
Kenya’s digital landscape is at a breaking point, as the government clamps down on AI-generated content and social media activism, igniting what many have described as a ticking time bomb of online resistance.
In recent months, Kenya has witnessed a series of abductions targeting government critics. Notably, individuals such as cartoonist Gideon Kibet and 24-year-old Billy Mwangi were reportedly abducted after sharing AI-generated images depicting Kenyan President William Ruto in a coffin. Read more
Ed Sheeran stopped from busking in Bengaluru by Indian police (BBC)
British pop star Ed Sheeran was stopped from busking in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on Sunday, with police saying he didn’t have the necessary permissions.
A video showing a local police officer unplugging Sheeran’s microphone on Bengaluru’s Church Street – a crowded shopping and entertainment area – has since gone viral.
Officials told the ANI news agency a request from Mr Sheeran’s team to busk on the road was rejected to avoid congestion in the area. Read more
Bestselling novelist Tom Robbins dies at 92 (NPR)
Tom Robbins, at a 2014 reading of his memoir Tibetan Peach Pie at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing in Beaverton, Ore.
Alex Milan Tracy/AP
Tom Robbins dazzled millions of readers with the whimsy and imagination in his bestselling novels, such as 1984’s Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All, from 1990, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, a 1976 book adapted by director Gus Van Sant into a 1993 film.
Robbins died at his home in La Conner, Washington, according to a statement from friend Craig Popelars. He was 92.
Tom Robbins lived in Washington state for most of his adult life, but he was born in Blowing Rock, N.C. His family moved around the South, settling in Warsaw, Va., where he picked up a knack for storytelling. As a boy, he would tell stories aloud to himself, outside, with a stick in his hand. Read more
Father who stabbed his 14-year-old daughter to death during kitchen ‘play fight’ jailed for minimum of 15 years (People)
A British father who claimed he accidentally stabbed his teenage daughter to death while they were play-fighting has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.
On Monday, Feb. 10, Simon Vickers, 50, of Darlington, U.K., was “jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years” at Teesside Crown Court in Northern England following the death of his 14-year-old daughter Scarlett Vickers, according to a news release from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which handles all public prosecutions in England and Wales.
Vickers was convicted of murdering his daughter in July 2024 on Jan. 27 after a court heard earlier in the month that Scarlett had been fatally stabbed while the father and daughter were just “messing around together in the kitchen, in a normal playful way,” Sky News reported. Read more
Palestinians returning to ‘toxic wasteland’ in northern Gaza (AlJazeera)
Displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have found once-bustling cities reduced to toxic wastelands, according to residents and aid agencies.
Shocked by the level of destruction, Gaza City residents are calling for action over a building sanitation crisis in the enclave’s largest city, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.
A scene of devastation has met those hoping to rebuild their lives in the northern reaches of the enclave, the focus of the most concentrated Israeli military action during the war. The dangers posed by damaged buildings are matched by missing public services and streets filled with heaps of rubbish. Read more
Danes offer to buy California (RT)
A crowdfunding group in Denmark has proposed that their country acquire the US state of California for $1 trillion and a lifetime supply of Danish pastries. The satirical idea of purchasing the territory comes after US President Donald Trump reiterated his interest in buying Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of acquiring Greenland – an autonomous territory of Denmark – citing the island’s significant strategic and economic value for the US. Both Danish and Greenlandic officials have vehemently rejected the idea. Trump, however, has suggested that he would be prepared to use military and economic force to obtain the territory. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stressed last month that purchasing Greenland is a serious goal and “not a joke.”
In response to Trump’s continued interest in the island, the ‘Denmarkification’ group has outlined its own proposal to the US president, offering to take California off his hands and throw in a lifetime supply of Danish pastries to “sweeten the deal.” The group pointed out that Trump has already described the state as “the most ruined” in the US. Read more
UFC inducts Adesanya/Gastelum fight into hall of fame (VON)
The 2019 Fight of the Year winner between Nigerian-New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, Israel Adesanya and American Kelvin Gastelum has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
‘The Last Stylebender’ announced himself to the MMA world by beating Gastelum for the interim middleweight title in a gruelling 25-minute battle at UFC 236 in April 2019. In the end, Adesanya won by a unanimous decision.
Gastelum sent Adesanya into the fence with a booming right hook in the opening stanza. But Adesanya came back to drop Gastleum with a clubbing overhand in round two. Read more
US-based teenage fencer chooses to represent Nigeria (Nation)
American-based teenage fencer Peluola Akinbamiro has pledged her allegiance to Nigeria on the international stage.
The 13-year-old student from Fort Bend Fencing Academy in Houston expressed that her love for Nigeria inspired her decision to reach out to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, aiming to make her international debut for the country.
Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigerian Fencing Federation, noted that more fencers from abroad are eager to join the federation and represent their homeland. Read more
Continuation from print
Ikorodu City FC unveil 12 new players (Punch)
Nigeria Premier Football League side, Ikorodu City FC, on Monday unveiled 12 new players to bolster the team for the remainder of the league season.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the unveiling ceremony was held at the club secretariat at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The club’s Director of Media and Communications, Samuel Bamisebi, said the move to engage more players was in response to emerging needs of the team. Read more
Ayomike wins Femi Pedro @70 Golf Kitty (ThisDay)
A tournament put together in honour of former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the Grand Patron of Ultimate Golf Challenge, Femi Pedro came to a thrilling end at the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 on Thursday with former Club Champion, Tim Ayomike emerging the winner.
The tournament which was a roll-call of who-is who in the section saw the high flying Ayomike ending his game with a score of 69-net, beating the second placed Emmanuel Olayiwola Ogunrinde, who also carded 69-net on countback. Kayode Adejumobi was further down in the winners chart ducking in the third position.
The celebrant who played in the same group that comprises former Golf Captain and Nigeria Cup defending Champion, Tayo Babalakin and 18-handicap Akin Semowo also gave a good account of himself. Read more
Tyson Fury will be Anthony Joshua’s next opponent, not me, says British rival Derek Chisora (Sky)
Derek Chisora has suggested three possible opponents for his next and likely final career fight.
After Saturday’s victory over Otto Wallin, Chisora canvased the crowd as to whether they wanted to see him fight Daniel Dubois, the IBF heavyweight titlist, Oleksandr Usyk, the unified WBC, WBA and WBO champion, or Anthony Joshua.
Joshua remains a major star in British boxing but he has not managed to reclaim a world title since his first loss to Usyk. Read more
Celtics trust championship core as they seek another NBA title (Axios)
As chaos engulfed the NBA ahead of last week’s trade deadline, the Celtics largely stood pat — betting that a proven roster is enough for another title run.
Why it matters: Heading into the season’s home stretch, the Celts’ bet on stability will decide whether they can repeat as champions.
This year’s team hasn’t been as spotless as last year’s historic squad, which cruised through the regular season and dominated the playoffs. Read more