Naira Abuse: Policeman in viral video with Okoya’s sons detained for misconduct (Punch)
The Nigeria Police Force has detained a yet-to-be-named officer seen in a viral video with Wahab and Raheem, sons of billionaire businessman, Chief Razaq Okoya, abusing naira.
This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi on his X handle on Friday.
According to him, the moment captured in the video involving the police officer is unethical and contrary to the values of the force, stressing that disciplinary action is underway to address the misconduct. Read more
Nightclubs in Lagos raked in N4.32b during Detty December – report (Vanguard)
Lagos, arguably Nigeria’s go-to entertainment hub, was the spotlight of the recently concluded “Detty December” with nightclubs in the state alone generating a staggering N4.32 billion ($2.7 million) during the period.
A new report by advisory firm MO Africa Company Limited analysed data from November 19 to December 26, highlighting how the city’s vibrant hospitality and tourism sectors attracted travelers from across the globe.
Lagos alone welcomed an estimated 1.2 million tourists, of which 60% were domestic travelers. Read more
Oyo kingmakers reject Owoade’s appointment as Alaafin (DailyTrust)
Kingmakers in Oyo have described the appointment of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin by Governor Seyi Makinde as illegal and unlawful.
Five kingmakers from the town declared the appointment null and void in a statement on Friday, saying they did not recommend such a name to the state government.
They insisted that the only person they recommended as the next Alaafin is Prince Lukman Gbadegesin. Read more
Lagos Governor challenges NIPOST on innovation (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to embrace innovation and challenge out-dated practices, in order to create a forward-thinking organisation.
He spoke yesterday during a meeting with the Postmaster-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST, Ms. Tola Odeyemi.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised the need for sustainable change that aligned with modern societal demands. “I stress the importance of challenging the status quo to achieve sustainable change that meets the needs of today and future. Read more
Stampede: 22 Okija rice victims buried amidst tears in Anambra (Sun)
The victims that died in a stampede that occurred during a Christmas rice distribution in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, have on Friday, been buried. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Police Command in Anambra had confirmed 22 people dead in the stampede that happened on Dec. 21, 2024 during the palliatives organised by a philanthropist in the area.
NAN reports that the inter-denominational burial service organised for the victims held at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Field, Okija, had families of the victims, community members and other notable personalities of the community.
During the service, the Rev. Donald Chukwudolue, who anchored the service, prayed the Almighty God to console everybody that lost their loved ones and wished that such would not occur again in the community. Read more
COVID 19: NEMA holds preparedness response meeting (VON)
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has convened a Strategic Preparedness and Response Meeting in response to the recent public health declaration on COVID-19, in China.
The Director General, NEMA, Zubaida Umar, said the meeting was organised to share insights and updates on the current global COVID-19 situation and its potential implications for Nigeria.
She explained that this was in fulfillment of its mandate to coordinate disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response across Nigeria while remaining committed to ensuring effective collaboration, timely response, and resilience in the face of emergencies. Read more
Gov Ododo domesticates Livestock Ministry (Leadership)
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has approved the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development in the state.
The federal government last year approved the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development and expected that this would be replicated in all the 36 states of the federation.
A statement by the Secretary to the Government of Kogi State, Mrs. Folashade Ayoade said the decision took immediate effect. Read more
Top generals get $20k medical allowance, bullet-proof SUVs, others as retirement package (Tribune)
President Bola Tinubu has approved a generous retirement package for service chiefs and generals, including $20,000 foreign medical treatment, bullet-proof SUVs, cooks, and other benefits.
According to PUNCH, the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTCOS) for Officers and Enlisted Personnel in the Nigerian Armed Forces, signed by President Tinubu on December 14, 2024, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other service chiefs are entitled to a bullet-proof SUV or its equivalent as a retirement benefit.
This vehicle will be replaced every four years and maintained by the military. Additionally, they will receive a Peugeot 508 or an equivalent vehicle as a backup. Read more
Crying Lily Allen admits she’s “having panic attacks” after David Harbour split (Mirror)
Lily Allen has opened up about how she’s coping in the wake of her split from David Harbour.
It was reported last month that Lily, 39, had split from actor David, 49, after four years of marriage. Neither Lily nor David have yet to publicly comment on the speculation, but this week the doting mum-of-two confirmed she has not been faring well lately.
The Smile singer said she is ‘not in a good place’ and having panic attacks that are impacting her life. What’s more, Lily worryingly added that the situation is ‘spiralling’. Read more
Australian Neighbours star shares confronting image of the charred remnants of his home amid LA fires (DailyMail)
An Australian actor has shared his devastation over losing his home in the LA wildfires.
Neighbours star Benjamin Rigsby shared an image of the remains of his home, which had burned down leaving nothing but a charred staircase, to Instagram on Friday.
‘My heart is absolutely and completely broken. Our home is gone’ he wrote alongside the confronting image. Read more
Major BBC star will replace Graham Norton on TV chat show next month (Mirror)
She’s one of the BBC’s biggest stars thanks to her role as host of two of the corporation’s most successful entertainment series.
Now Claudia Winkleman is to stand-in on Graham Norton’s chat show as host for the first time, two years after making a pilot for her own BBC interview series. The presenter, who fronts hit shows The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing, will cover for Graham when he’s away doing his live theatre tour in Australia next month. Read more
UK foreign policy chief says Trump is right to urge higher military spending from NATO (ABC)
Europe’s security “is on a knife-edge” and President-elect Donald Trump is right to say NATO member nations must increase military spending, Britain’s top diplomat said Thursday.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “the post-Cold War peace is well and truly over.”
“Donald Trump and JD Vance are simply right when they say that Europe needs to do more to defend its own continent. It’s myopia to pretend otherwise with Russia on the march,” Lammy said during a speech in London setting out the center-left Labour government’s approach to foreign policy, which he termed “progressive realism.” Read more
Michael Sheen launching national theatre for Wales (FarOut)
Actor Michael Sheen has announced that he will fund a new national theatre company in Wales after cuts were made to the National Theatre Wales. The Good Omens star will be the artistic director of the new Welsh National Theatre, which aims to share “big stories on big stages for big audiences.”
The company’s first production will take place during the autumn of 2026, with Sheen starring in the project, which will be revealed in the coming months. This venture came after National Theatre Wales announced that £1.6 million in budget cuts were made by Arts Council Wales, threatening the future of the company. Read more
Warwick Davis to be honoured with BAFTA Fellowship at 2025 Film Awards (FilmNews)
British actor, comedian, presenter and producer Warwick Ashley Davis will be awarded the BAFTA Fellowship at the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday 16 February 2025.
The BAFTA Fellowship recognises those who have made an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television and is the arts charity’s most prestigious honour. Born in Epsom, Surrey, Warwick Davis is celebrated for his roles in several of the world’s most successful and enduring film franchises. Davis was diagnosed with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare form of dwarfism. Despite the physical challenges this presented, his passion for acting was evident from a young age. Beyond acting, Davis is also an entrepreneur and advocate who has dedicated his career to creating a more inclusive screen industry. Read more
Truss legal threat to PM over claim she crashed economy (BBC)
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has sent a legal “cease and desist” letter to Sir Keir Starmer demanding he stop saying she “crashed the economy”.
Her lawyers argue the claim made repeatedly by Sir Keir is “false and defamatory”, and harmed her politically in the run-up to losing her South West Norfolk seat in the general election.
Truss was the UK’s shortest-serving PM, forced to resign after just 49 days in office when borrowing costs soared in the aftermath of her government’s mini-budget. Read more
NFF: Eguavoen to assist Eagles Malian coach Chelle (Nation)
The technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Austine Eguavoen will be available to assist the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
Eguavoen who is the technical director of the NFF held the position as head of the team in interim capacity all through the qualifiers for the AFCON, where the team made it with two games to spare.
Chelle will now take over as the coach with the upcoming world cup qualifiers games in March his first assignment at the helm. It will be the first game of his short term deal which covers the period of the world cup qualifiers that ends in October. Read more
Lens accept Man City bid for defender Khusanov (Sky)
Lens have accepted Manchester City’s offer for Abdukodir Khusanov.
An agreement between the clubs has been reached at £33.5m (€40m) plus bonuses.
Uzbekistan international centre-back Khusanov, 20, is set to sign a four-and-a-half-year contract which also contains the option of a further year until June 2030.
The news comes after Omar Marmoush agreed in principle a move to City from Eintracht Frankfurt, pending an agreement between the clubs. Read more
David Moyes agrees Everton return (Express)
Everton have agreed a deal for David Moyes to return as manager 12 years after he left to join Manchester United, according to reports.
The club’s new owners, the Friedkin Group, have targeted Moyes since they abruptly parted company with Sean Dyche just hours before Thursday night’s FA Cup third-round win over Peterborough.
And they appear to have wasted no time in concluding a deal which will see Moyes usher in a new era for the club when they kick off at their new Bramley Moore Dock Stadium next season. Read more
Lakers’ JJ Redick describes anguish of losing home in Palisades fire (DailyMail)
Reports that JJ Redick’s home was lost to the ongoing wildfire in Pacific Palisades are true, the Los Angeles Lakers head coach confirmed Friday, admitting he hasn’t ‘wept or wailed like that in several years.’
The first-year head coach opened up about the devastation with reporters on Friday.
‘I was not prepared for what I saw,’ Redick said. ‘It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house, but I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone.’ Read more
Tyson Fury boxing rematch gets green light just weeks after Oleksandr Usyk loss (MEN)
Eddie Hearn believes a Tyson Fury rematch with Wladimir Klitschko could make sense if the retired Ukrainian boxer returns to the sport.
Klitschko, who turns 49 in March, lost to Fury a decade ago in what turned out to be his penultimate fight. The Manchester-born boxer won unanimously to become a world heavyweight champion for the first time, but Klitschko had a rematch clause, and they were due to fight again six months later.
A second fight was scheduled for Manchester Arena after the first bout took place in Klitschko’s adopted home of Germany. Fury, though, postponed that date after spraining his ankle during training, and UK Anti-Doping charged him after finding unacceptable levels of the banned substance nandrolone in a sample taken 16 months earlier. Read more
Ex-Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg spared jail after admitting he abused wife (IOL)
Former Scotland rugby union captain Stuart Hogg was sentenced to supervision for a year on Thursday, avoiding a jail term after admitting he had abused his estranged wife over the course of five years.
The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse of his ex-partner, Gillian Hogg, when he appeared in court in Scotland on November 4.He admitted shouting and swearing, tracking Gillian Hogg’s movements and sending her messages that were alarming and distressing in nature. Read more