Oyetola took N18b loan after losing election – Adeleke (Punch)
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has disclosed that his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, took N18 billion loan after he lost the July 16th, 2022 Osun governorship election.
This is as he also revealed that the state is indebted to the tune of N407.32 billion as of November 30th, 2022.
Adeleke disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting with Osun State Traditional Rulers at Osogbo, Osun State Capital.
According to him, my administration inherited eight outstanding loan facilities, apart from salaries and pension debts, from Governor Oyetola’s administration.
Adeleke explained that the repayment period for the loan facilities ranges from 16 months to about 28 years. Read more
We’ve recovered over N30b from suspended AGF – EFCC Chairman (DailyTrust)
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said the commission has recovered more than N30 billion from the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed.
He said this Thursday while appearing on the Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The commission is currently prosecuting the suspended AGF over alleged N109 billion fraud.
The EFCC boss, who pointed out the achievements of the agency from January to December, 2022, gave other recoveries as N134,33,759,574.25, $121,769,076.30, £21,020.00, €156,925.00, ¥21,350.00, CFA300,000.00 among others. Read more
Seriki’s death, painful, shocking – Sanwo-Olu (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described the death of Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Demola Seriki, as painful, shocking and a big loss to Lagos State and Nigeria.
He described the late Seriki as a businessman, politician, and public administrator, whose contributions remain indelible in the hearts of residents of Lagos State and Nigerian citizens as a whole.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile on Thursday, said the death of Seriki came at a time when his wealth of experience is mostly needed in the country.
Seriki, a former Minister of State for Defence and Minister of State for the Interior, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Madrid, Spain on Thursday, at 63 years old. Read more
Police arraign man for Canadian visa fraud (Punch)
A 32-year-old man, Anthony Ihedioha, has been arraigned before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court for allegedly collecting N2.2m from a man on the pretext of processing a Canadian visa for him.
Our correspondent gathered that the accused collected the money from one Uzor Collins, promising to procure a working visa to Canada for him in 2021 but had since then been unavailable until he was arrested by the police on October 13, 2022.
The police prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in 2021 in the Bariga area of Lagos State.
According to him, the offences contravene sections 411 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015. Read more
Big Brother Titans premieres January 15 with $100,000 grand prize (Vanguard)
Leading entertainment company, MultiChoice Nigeria, has announced that the special Big Brother edition tagged ‘Big Brother Titans’, will commence on January 15, 2023, live on DStv channel 198 and GOtv Channels 29.
This special edition of the Big Brother franchise will feature selected housemates from Nigeria and South Africa in one House, playing the game for the ultimate prize.
Announcing the commencement of the show and prize money, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, disclosed that BBTitans edition will run for 72 days, and the winner will cart home a prize of $100,000 cash.
“Big Brother Titans is a special edition of the widely loved Big Brother show. This special edition is a fusion of two TV phenomena, BBNaija and BB Mzansi. We are bringing housemates from two giant nations, Nigeria and South Africa, under one roof, to give African entertainment audiences a show of intense drama like never before. We are telling our audience to be ready for the biggest takeover on TV starting from January 15. It promises an abundance of Nigerian and South African swag, banter, romance, and everything in between. Read more
Alleged Organ Harvest: Ekweremadu accuses EFCC of being responsible for his travails (Channels)
The former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being responsible for his travails at the London Court where he is in detention.
The Senator who has been in custody in London over an alleged organ harvest, told the Federal High Court Abuja, that the anti-graft agency wrote a letter to the London Court that made the foreign court refuse to admit him to bail.
Ekweremadu’s allegations were contained in an application he filed before the Federal High Court, seeking order to set aside an interim order granted in favour of the Federal Government for forfeiture of his 40 properties in the country and outside the country.
In the application brought by his counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo, Ekweremadu claimed that the forfeiture order was granted the Federal Government in error, because the EFCC suppressed information and facts in respect of the properties. Read more
2023: Tinubu lacks mental alertness to be president – PDP (Independent)
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu is unfit to be President of Nigeria come 2023.
Spokesman of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr Charles Aniagwu who stated this while speaking on “AIT Kakaaki” on Thursday stressed that Tinubu lacked the mental alertness to lead a country like Nigeria.
He stated that Tinubu was being foisted on Nigerians for selfish reasons and urged Nigerians to reject the APC candidate due to his mental capacity to articulate issues.
According to him, Tinubu’s many gaffes in recent times buttresses the argument that he lacks the mental alertness to lead a country in troubled times. Read more
Kano Cleric, Abduljabbar, to die by hanging for blasphemy (DailyTrust)
An Upper Sharia Court in Kano has sentenced controversial Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, to death by hanging.
The court earlier convicted the embattled cleric after finding him guilty of the charge of blasphemy levelled against him.
The judge, in his sentencing, orders the state government to seize the two mosques belonging to Abduljabbar.
The judge also called on all media to desist from using any of Abduljabbar’s teachings and pictures. Read more
Jay-Z’s favourite songs of 2022 include cuts by Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Beyoncé and more (NME)
Jay-Z has released his year-end playlist featuring his 40 favourite songs from 2022 including tracks by Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Beyoncé, Drake, 21 Savage and others.
The playlist, shared to TIDAL, has a featured photo of a plastic-covered sofa, which is a likely nod to Beyoncé “Renaissance” song “Plastic Off the Sofa”.
Jay-Z included two songs that he was featured on: Neck & Wrist by Pusha T and Pharrell, and DJ Khaled’s God Did with Fridayy, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and John Legend.
Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘‘N95”and “Savior” feature, as do Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex”, “Jimmy Cooks” and “Major Distribution”. Read more
Ben Affleck in talks to direct DC movie (Metro)
Ben Affleck is in talks with DC Studios’ new bosses about directing his very own superhero flick amid major changes at the company.
It’s confirmed that Henry Cavill has been axed as Superman just two months after announcing his return to the role of Clark Kent, leaving fans well and truly devastated.
As one Hollywood star exits, another steps in with new DC co-chair James Gunn confirming that he also had a meeting with Ben on Wednesday.
Coincidentally, Ben and Henry co-starred together in Batman v Superman and two instalments of Justice League. Read more
Dave Chappelle Hollywood Bowl attacker sentenced to jail (HipHopDX)
Dave Chappelle‘s attacker at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year has reportedly been sentenced to jail time.
According to Deadline, 24-year-old Isaiah Lee pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count each of battery and entering a restricted area during a live event on Wednesday (December 14).
Lee was sentenced to 270 days in county jail, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office revealed.
Dave Chappelle was performing at Los Angeles’ Netflix Is A Joke Fest in May when Lee stormed onto the stage and spectacularly tackled the comedian to the ground. Read more
Gunna released from jail in guilty plea deal (BBC)
Rapper Gunna has been released from jail in the US after he agreed to enter a guilty plea to a gang-related charge.
According to his lawyer, Gunna maintains his innocence despite pleading guilty.
The 29-year-old, real name Sergio Kitchens, was among 28 people linked to Atlanta record label YSL arrested in May.
They include fellow rapper Young Thug, who is set to face trial next month accused of criminal gang activity.
In a statement released through defence attorney Steve Sadow, Gunna says he took an Alford plea. Read more
Avatar 2 set for opening weekend bigger than $500m (DigitalSpy)
Avatar: The Way of Water is on track to make more than $500 million at the box office during its opening weekend.
According to Deadline, the hotly-anticipated sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi epic will be shown across 52,000 screens when it hits cinemas this week and is expected to earn $525 million globally – making it Disney’s biggest global release ever.
Avatar remains the highest-grossing film of all time, having made a massive $2.9 billion worldwide, so the sequel’s predicted success comes as no surprise.
Taking place over a decade after the events of the first film, The Way of Water reunites us with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his newfound family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Read more
Eddie Murphy set to receive prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes (DailyMail)
Hollywood icon Eddie Murphy is set to receive the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award at the upcoming 80th Golden Globes.
The honorary award recognizes the recipient’s ‘outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment’, according to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Previous recipients of the trophy include Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and an array of other A-listers.
The recipient of the award is decided by the HFPA’s board of directors and is one of the show’s highest honors. Read more
Ukraine cherry picks targets as Russia hammers the east (AlJazeera)
Throughout the 42nd week of the war, Russian forces shelled the entire line of contact and launched limited ground assaults in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Russia claimed to be making limited gains, but these, said Ukraine’s general staff, came at a high cost in men and military materials, forcing Russia to delve into aged and unreliable weapons stocks.
Most of the Russian ground activity was focused on the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar in Donetsk, which encompass nodes of highways that could facilitate further expansion. Some Russian assaults came near Svatove, in Luhansk.
Separatist leader Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said Russian forces were advancing in the east. Read more
Mick Schumacher handed F1 lifeline as he signs for Mercedes as reserve driver (Metro)
Mick Schumacher says he is ‘thrilled’ to be joining the Mercedes Formula 1 team as a reserve driver for the 2023 season.
The son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher lost his race seat at Haas at the end of the 2022 championship to fellow German Nico Hulkenberg.
Having also cut ties with the Ferrari Driver Academy, this move represents a huge lifeline for the young Schumacher after a very disappointing start to his F1 career.
He made his debut in 2021 but failed to score points in his maiden season due to the terrible performance of Haas’ car, though he easily outclassed rookie teammate Nikita Mazepin. Read more
Zaidu Sanusi ruled out of Porto’s Cup clash (Sun)
Super Eagles defender Zaidu Sanusi has been ruled out of Porto’s League Cup clash against Vizela on Friday because of an injury.
Sanusi has been out of action since November 1, when he sustained an injury in Porto’s crunchy UEFA Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid.
The 25-year-old left back was subsequently ruled out of action for at least a month after it was confirmed that had hurt his adductor muscle.
Sanusi has missed Porto’s last five games against Pacos Ferriera, Mafra, Boavista, and Chaves. And according to Record.pt, he would still be sidelined when the Portuguese champions square off against Vizela at Estadio do Dragao. Read more
World Cup 2022: France bid to stop virus spreading through squad before Argentina final (Standard)
Didier Deschamps has revealed France are taking precautions to stop a virus spreading through their squad before Sunday’s World Cup Final against Argentina.
Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were unavailable for last night’s 2-0 win over Morocco after suffering with sickness.
Kingsley Coman was “feverish” earlier in the day and Deschamps said France “had a few cases of flu-like symptoms”.
Upamecano returned to training on Tuesday and was named on the bench on Wednesday night, but Rabiot was told to stay at the team hotel. Read more
Real Madrid agree deal to sign teenage star Endrick from Palmeiras (ESPN)
Real Madrid have reached an agreement to sign Palmeiras forward Endrick in 2024, the club announced on Thursday.
Endrick — who is now 16 and will move to Madrid when he turns 18 in July 2024 — is one of the most exciting young talents in Brazilian football.
Sources told ESPN that the teenager has agreed a five-year contract and will join for a transfer fee worth a total of €72 million including variables and taxes.
Madrid beat a number of top European clubs — including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — in the race to sign Endrick. Read more
Boris Becker: Former Wimbledon champion released after serving 8 months of prison sentence (BBC)
Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been released from prison after serving eight months of his sentence for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
The 55-year-old German was jailed for two and a half years in April after being found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act.
He was released from prison on Thursday morning.
The BBC understands Becker will be deported from the United Kingdom. Read more
De Vries selects race number on FIA 2023 entry list (F1i)
Nyck de Vries has chosen to use lucky 21 as his race number when he steps up to Formula 1 full time in 2023 with AlphaTauri.
All regular drivers get to choose a permanent competitor number which they keep for the duration of their time in the championship. Esteban Gutierrez was the last driver to use #21 until 2016.
The former Formula E world champion made his F1 debut in this year’s Italian GP as a short-notice stand-in for Alex Albon, who was taken ill with appendicitis and had to undergo surgery in Monza.
De Vries took the seat but not Albon’s car number, which is #23. Instead he raced under #45 which is a ‘spare’ number assigned to Williams to use for junior and reserve drivers during Grand Prix weekends. Read more
