NDLEA arrests 70-year-old Lagos grandma, son in Mushin cannabis bust (Leadership)
Christmas cheer turned into cold bars for a 70-year-old Lagos woman and her son after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided their Mushin home and unearthed a staggering 117.9 kilograms of cannabis sativa.
Selifat Funke Cole, the matriarch of the illicit operation, and her son, Babajide Ayorinde Cole, were both apprehended by the anti-narcotics agency on Thursday, December 21st, 2023, sending shockwaves through the Lagos community and shattering their festive plans.
The NDLEA continues to crack down on drug trafficking across Nigeria, with drug busts in Edo, Delta and Anambra states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where a waybill consignment of 25,000 pills of tramadol was intercepted. Read more
Xmas: My gov’t will continue palliative measures to alleviate suffering of Nigerians – Tinubu (DailyTrust)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged the commitment of his administration to continue to implement palliative measures to ease the burden on the most vulnerable, address current hardships and alleviate the suffering of Nigerians
The president made the pledge on Sunday in his Christmas message to all Nigerians.
President Tinubu, who said this year had been a time of transformation and relentless change in our country, added that he was aware that the necessary reforms being implemented to achieve a more prosperous, peaceful nation for all had “imposed unique sacrifices.” Read more
Christmas: Army chief hails courage, resilience of troops (Vanguard)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has lauded troops of the Nigerian Army and commended them for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice in ensuring safety and security of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
This is contained in his Christmas message by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Sunday in Abuja.
Lagbaja saluted the troops for their undying faith in the Nigerian State in the face of adversity. Read more
Emefiele remains worst CBN gov in history — Moghalu (Nation)
Aformer deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, has declared that the embattled ex-CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is the worst the apex bank has ever produced in the history of the country.
Moghalu, in a lengthy post on “X” via his verified handle, gave reasons for his personal judgement.
He cited Emefiele’s incompetence, performance regarding the stability of the naira exchange rate and inflation, the “brazen illegal” provision of Ways and Means lending to the government, his “illegal” attempt to run for president, and the “incompetent” manner in which the naira redesign policy was handled as part of the reasons. Read more
Yuletide: NGO donates food items, beverages to orphanages (Sun)
Poised to put smiles on the faces of the needy and orphans during the yuletide season, an NGO, Grateful Giving NGO, at weekend, donated food items, packs of cereals and beverage drinks to two orphanage homes in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The packages including bags of rice, cereals, milk, beverage, pasta and noodles, were donated at the Gideon Orphanage, Aged, Young Widow and Physically Challenged Home and Alogi Orphanage and Children’s Home, situated in Asero Housing Estate, Asero and Fajol Estate, Obantoko areas of Abeokuta.
Handing over the items at the Gideon Orphanage on behalf of Grateful Giving NGO, Abiodun Awodipe, disclosed that the gesture was to ensure people at the home also celebrate a merry Christmas. Read more
Gov Otu unveils N30b commercial agric development fund – Commissioner (Guardian)
The Cross River Government on Saturday announced plans to unveil a N30 billion commercial agric development fund that would enable farmers to have access to loan as part of efforts to ensure food sufficiency and boost agriculture in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr Johnson Ebokpo, and his counterpart of the Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang, jointly announced this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.
Ebokpo said the fund which would be provided and guaranteed by the state government, would be warehoused by a consortium of banks. Read more
Yuletide: Lagos warns landlords against illegal closure of street gate (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has issued a warning to landlords and community development association leaders, requesting that they promptly abide by the government’s directive that all interlink roads must be accessible within the state during the Christmas and New Year season.
This was disclosed in a statement made available to PUNCH Online by the Public Relations Officer, LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the government’s will to create a safe and secure environment is seriously threatened by those who act against the street-gate laws. Read more
Nasarawa Poly suspends 7 students for displaying ‘immoral pictures’ on social media (DailyTrust)
Isah Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic (IMAP), Nasarawa State, has suspended seven students of the institution for allegedly displaying immoral pictures on social media during a graduation celebration.
In a statement on Saturday by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Ali Hassan Mohammed, the affected students are to resume during 2023/2024 academic session with letters of undertaking from their guardians to be of good behaviour.
The statement reads in part, “Recall that recently seven female Students of the Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, were alleged to have celebrated their graduation by displaying immoral pictures on social media portraying the institution in bad light in the name of after graduation sign out.” Read more
Christmas number 1 for 2023 makes history with remarkable story (Metro)
After 71 years, the mighty Christmas number one is still making headlines – and this year Wham! have nabbed the top spot with Last Christmas.
It appears this year the old classics have yet again come out on top, and this particular festive banger has just completed the longest ever journey to Christmas number one.
George Michael died in 2016 aged 53, but he is the official Christmas number one for 2023. Read more
Libya’s theatre stages comeback after country’s years of turmoil (AfricaNews)
Dressed all in white, a man pretends to aim a slingshot towards another who, running away, tries to dodge the imaginary rock flung towards him.
“Hassituha” (You Felt It), a mostly silent play from eastern Libya, symbolises both the country’s divisions between west and east, and the rebirth of Libya’s National Theatre Festival, which staged a comeback this week in Tripoli after a 15-year hiatus.
When it last took place in 2008, the festival was to be held again in four years. Read more
Sudan’s civilians pick up arms, as RSF gains and army stumbles (AlJazeera)
When the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) called on young men to enlist last June, Zakariya Issa* went to the nearest recruitment centre. He was one of thousands of young people who trained for 10 weeks in Wad Madani, a city just south of the capital Khartoum.
In September, he was deployed with 500 people to fight the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group stronger than the army and backed by the United Arab Emirates. Many of his friends and peers were killed or wounded within a couple of weeks.
“I lost five of my friends,” Issa, 20, told Al Jazeera from Saudi Arabia, where he now lives. “They were more than friends. They were my brothers.” Read more
Ukraine will suffer ‘insane’ losses if US stops aid, warn frontline troops (Independent)
There is a growing sense of alarm among Ukraine’s frontline forces at dwindling supplies of arms and ammunition and signs that the commitment of international partners is faltering, according to multiple senior Ukrainian military officials.
Ukraine’s military fears Vladimir Putin’s forces could break through its defensive lines and secure victory for Russia within days if the US does not commit to more aid, with intense fighting still taking place and hourly assaults targeting the key industrial town of Avdiivka, despite the onset of the country’s bitter winter.
“It is a very difficult situation, very difficult, but the guys from the defence forces are holding their ground,” says Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka’s military administration, in an interview with The Independent. Read more
Nikki Haley bypasses reaching out to Iowa independents and Democrats ahead of the caucuses (NBC)
With her polling position stagnant in Iowa, Nikki Haley and her allies are choosing not to target independent or Democratic voters in the state, bypassing a potential opportunity to persuade them into changing their party registrations on caucus night.
The group that is effectively running the ground operation on behalf of Haley in Iowa, knocking on doors to mobilize voters for the caucuses, said it is not making a concerted, focused effort to turn out independents next month.
“The bulk of who we’re talking to are registered Republicans, because that’s who caucuses,” Drew Klein, senior adviser for Americans for Prosperity Action, said. “There really haven’t been in recent history any historical indications of campaigns going out and really targeting independents, and they also have a pretty low rate of actually showing up to participate.” Read more
Berlin film festival to honour Martin Scorsese for lifetime achievement (LBC)
Martin Scorsese will be honoured for his lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, organisers said.
The 81-year-old director, whose extensive work ranges from decades-old classics such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull to this year’s Killers Of The Flower Moon, will be given an honorary Golden Bear, the festival’s top award, on February 20.
“For anyone who considers cinema as the art of shaping a story in such a way that is both completely personal and universal, Martin Scorsese is an unmatched role model,” festival directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said in a statement. Read more
Man, 26, killed after being hit by white van before driver ‘flees scene’ (Mirror)
Officers with Sussex Police have opened a murder investigation after a serious crash near Preston Park, Brighton, which has led to road closures in the residential suburb
A murder investigation is underway after a young man was struck by a white van before the motorist allegedly drove away.
Motorists and the public should avoid the area near Preston Park in Brighton, East Sussex, following the collision, which happened at 5am today. The white van is reported to have collided with the 26-year-old man, who was a pedestrian, before making off from the scene. Read more
Eagles need to rebuild confidence to triumph – Siasia (Punch)
Former Super Eagles striker and coach, Samson Siasia, has said the three-time African champions need to build their confidence back to get a chance at winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Siasia commended the current squad for its individual talents but stressed that team confidence was key to a fourth continental success in Ivory Coast.
“The team has good players, but they have to play as a team. If they start playing as a team, then we might have a chance to do whatever, but time is not our friend. The time is short. Read more
Osimhen will thrive in Premier League — Bassey (CompleteSports)
Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey says his compatriot Victor Osimhen is tailor made for the Premier League.
Osimhen has been linked with Premier League big guns including Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.
The forward has also expressed his desire to one day play in England. Read more
Transfers that could cause chaos: Mbappé to Madrid and more (ESPN)
Not all transfers are created equal, especially midway through the European season in the January window. Indeed, some moves would cause shock waves through the game if they happen. They probably won’t, but here are some that could do just that.
Kylian Mbappé: Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid: The big one. Mbappé’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer and, as yet, there are no signs he is set to pen a new one. The 24-year-old reportedly wants to move to Real Madrid, but is loath to do so on a free transfer out of respect for his club, so that means the January transfer window is likely to be the last chance he could do so for a fee — unless he agrees to a new deal with an achievable release clause, of course. Read more
Tottenham ready to offer Ange Postecogluou’ ‘excellent’ star for 23-year-old transfer target (HitC)
Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to offer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Chelsea in a swap deal to sign England midfielder Conor Gallagher during the January transfer window.
Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou is desperate to strengthen their side in the upcoming winter market. Tottenham started strongly under the Australian but their season started to unravel after a couple of injuries. Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma have also shown ill-discipline.
Only Liverpool also received four red cards in the opening 17 matches of the Premier League term. Bissouma has drawn two of Tottenham’s four dismissals to date along with one apiece for Romero and Destiny Udogie. Bissouma and Udogie have also both seen five yellow cards. Read more
Great Britain’s Tara Moore cleared of doping and ban lifted (BBC)
British tennis player Tara Moore is free to play again after a panel ruled that contaminated meat was the source of her failed doping test.
Moore, 31, was ranked as Britain’s leading women’s doubles player when she was provisionally banned in May 2022.
She maintained she had never “knowingly taken a banned substance” and intended to prove she was a “clean athlete”. Read more
India beat Australia in women’s Test for first time (BBC)
India secured their first Test win over Australia with an eight-wicket victory in a one-off match in Mumbai.
Australia began the final day with five second innings wickets in hand and a lead of 46 but India ruthlessly dismissed the tourists for 261.
India then chased down a modest target of 75 shortly after lunch thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 38. Read more