Pastor raped my daughter for three years – Mother (Punch)
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Lagos State, on Monday, heard how a businesswoman’s 17-year-old daughter was allegedly defiled by a pastor, Chris Mcdouglas.
The witness said Mcdouglas, a pastor at the Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Lagos, allegedly had sex with the survivor at the back of his church and in different hotels on several occasions.
The victim’s mother, who was led in evidence in chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, told the court that the defendant raped her daughter from 2017 to 2020 in the guise of taking her out for gospel ministration.
Mcdouglas is standing trial on nine counts bordering on defilement, rape and sexual assault by penetration, preferred against him by the Lagos State Government. Read more
Pastor Ibiyeomie declares ‘no sex for 21 days’ for members (Tribune)
Founder and lead minister of Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, Pastor David Ibiyeomie has banned his followers from enjoying their marital rights following the church’s 21-day fasting.
Pastor Ibiyeomie made the announcement during the church’s Sunday thanksgiving service for the year 2023.
Married couples in the church are expected to suspend the consummation of their conjugational rights until the end of the 21 days of spiritual exercise.
During the service, Pastor Ibiyeomie told his congregation that physical intimacy would not be allowed during the period of fasting, stating that abstinence from sex for only three weeks will not kill anyone.
Giving Bible references to back his claims, the cleric read recommended 1 Corinthians 7:5 for the couples. Read more
Train Station Attack: Kidnappers demand N20m each – Sources (DailyTrust)
Kidnappers of the passengers who were picked up while waiting to board a train at Ekehen station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State have demanded for ransom.
It was gathered that the kidnappers contacted family members of the victims on Monday and demanded N20 million ransom ofr each of the kidnapped victim.
A youth leader in the area, Benson Ordia, who confirmed the incident, said the state government has promised to survey the area.
The Edo state Command’s spokesperson, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor said he is not aware of the demand by the kidnappers
Recall that the 32 passengers were kidnapped on Saturday when gunmen invaded the station and whisked them into the bush. Read more
In Lagos, landlords can’t rent house to Labour Party – Pat Utomi (Vanguard)
Renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi said landlords in Lagos are not renting houses out to Labour Party, LP to use as party offices.
Utomi made this disclosure in an exclusive interview with The Niche, an online news platform.
He said, “In Lagos State, you cannot put up a poster. If you want to rent a house, for Labour Party, the landlord will say he doesn’t want APC people to come and burn down his house. You put up posters, they are torn within minutes.
“What kind of democracy is this? This is fascism that we are introducing into Nigeria. And I anticipated it. I wrote about it in a book that came out a couple of years ago – Why Not? It was about citizenship, state capture, creeping fascism and the criminal hijack of politics in Nigeria. Read more
Cash limits: Customers protest as banks begin enforcement (Punch)
Over 20 Deposit Money Banks on Monday began the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new cash withdrawal limit policy across the country with bank customers expressing anger over the new rule.
The Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, had on December 21, 2022, bowed to pressure and revised the bank’s earlier cash withdrawal limits.
The CBN reviewed upwards the maximum weekly limit for cash withdrawal across all channels by individuals and corporate organisations to N500,000 and N5m respectively.
The CBN attributed the development to the feedback it got from stakeholders. Read more
INEC fears election shift over insecurity (Sun)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again raised fresh fears that the forthcoming general election faces serious threats of cancellation and postponement if security challenges across parts of the country fails to improve.
Its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed the concerns, also warned that the cancellation or postponement of elections due to insecurity in some areas would not only hinder the declaration of elections results, but also precipitate constitutional crisis
He stated this at the validation of election security training resources in Abuja, yesterday.
The INEC boss, however, assured that the commission was not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that security was provided for election personnel, materials and processes.
NLC berates presidential candidates for supporting petrol subsidy removal (Guardian)
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has berated the leading presidential candidates over their plan to remove subsidy on the premium motor spirit (PMS) when they are elected.
In its New Year message, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, stated that pronouncements made so far by those seeking election for the office of the President have failed to address fundamental issues underpinning the downstream sector.
His words: “Pronouncements by some leading presidential candidates to remove petrol subsidy if elected to office do not address recovery of local refining, affordable refined products, decent jobs, economic expansion, wealth generation, and shared prosperity. The penchant to mouth subsidy removal as a solution to government’s criminal neglect of our public refineries is not only wicked,but also betrays a predilection to lazy quick fixes, surrendering our economy to foreign interests, transfer of government inefficiency on Nigerians, and enslaving our people with poverty and hardship.” Read more
Lagos community laments gridlock, blames LASTMA officials (Punch)
Commuters plying Iju Road in the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State have lamented the gridlock at Fagba Junction along the road.
A resident of Obawole, a community close to the junction, Tayo Ayowale, said men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority spent time subduing erring motorists and neglecting traffic control.
He said, “That junction has become an ATM for LASTMA officials. Instead of passing traffic, you will find them begging for money from motorists. When they spot a motorist that broke a traffic rule, they all abandon traffic duty while trying to arrest the driver.”
When our correspondent visited the junction, he noticed six LASTMA officials struggling with the driver of a Toyota Highlander, whom they claimed flouted a traffic law. Read more
NESG to dialogue with presidential candidates on Nigerian economy (Vanguard)
As part of its commitment to national development and principle to providing an economic foundation for democracy, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, is set to hold a series of dialogue on the Nigerian economy with presidential candidates that will accentuate discussions on the roadmap towards an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.
A statement by the CEO NESG, Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola in Abuja, said the presidential dialogue series is geared towards sensitising stakeholders and citizens of Nigeria on peaceful, informed and accountable democratic participation and would provide a unique platform and opportunity for presidential candidates to discuss their economic agenda in an environment of civil discourse.
The statement read: “Nigeria is at a decisive point in its history and as we countdown to the 2023 polls, it is critical, like never before, to nudge Nigerians towards making informed voting choices. The challenge before us, therefore, is to ensure the evolution of a process towards a leadership with a broad knowledge of the issues and the political will to steer the ship of our great nation towards shared economic prosperity.
“In a bid to live up to our mandate to foster the establishment of an economic foundation for democracy, we will actively seek independent direct engagements with the presidential candidates on critical economic policy reform issues and prescriptions, in the national interest. Read more
Anna Kendrick made embryos with ‘toxic’ ex who had feelings for someone else (PageSix)
Anna Kendrick was ready to start a family with a “toxic” ex-boyfriend before learning he had feelings for another woman.
The 37-year-old actress revealed on Monday’s episode of the “Armchair Expert” podcast that she and the unidentified ex created embryos together prior to their split.
“I was with someone — this was somebody I lived with, for all intents and purposes my husband. We had embryos together, this was my person,’” she said.
“And then about six years in, about somewhere around there, I remember telling my brother, when things had first kind of gone down, ‘I’m living with a stranger. Like, I don’t know what’s happening.’” Read more
Everything you didn’t know about “The Shining” (Vice)
Over 40 years after its release, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining remains one of the most respected and forensically dissected horror movies ever made. Armchair detectives have poured over every frame, trying to unwrap hidden meanings in its costumes (like little Danny’s jumper) and dreaming up theories about Jack Nicholson and Kubrick’s beef over cheese sandwiches. But not until now have we had a comprehensive rundown of what’s true and what’s false about the film. In a new book, we hear from a whole host of people who witnessed what went down inside the walls of the Overlook Hotel.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a peek behind the curtain of Kubrick’s icy horror. A decade in the making, it’s the definitive book on the film and unearths secrets about its making, while finally putting to bed some of those wilder internet theories. Here, the book’s editor, Lee Unkrich, reveals some of the fascinating things he learned in the making of The Shining.
The casting of Shelley Duvall as Jack’s wife Wendy was controversial: Stephen King thought it was a terrible choice, Lee says. “Even Jack Nicholson was confused,” he added. “He wanted someone like Jessica Lange to be his co-star.” Kubrick had other plans however. He had been impressed by how Duvall had cried in Robert Altman’s Three Women, for which she had won Best Actress at Cannes. Read more
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ in Peril Amid Ballooning Budget, Crew Exodus (THR)
Francis Ford Coppola’s latest movie, the sci-fi-tinged Megalopolis, has descended into chaos, according to multiple sources. The movie, currently halfway through shooting in Atlanta, has in the last week lost key creative talent including its production designer and supervising art director. That’s on top of losing the entire visual effects team in the first part of December.
To many insiders, the production is giving severe Apocalypse Now vibes, and it’s one on which the iconoclastic 83-year-old director is breaking a cardinal Hollywood rule: Never spend your own money.
Megalopolis has been a passion project decades in the making for the filmmaker, who turned heads in the fall of 2021 when news broke that he would be self-financing the $120 million film, partially with the tens of millions he made selling his popular Northern California wineries. The budget has since expanded and the film is now about halfway through its 80- to 90-day shoot, but a production source says it’s unclear whether the production can go forward as planned.
Representatives for Coppola did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Read more
Dr. Dre threatens Marjorie Taylor Greene with lawsuit for using his music without permission (TMZ)
Dr. Dre just went in hard on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, threatening her with legal action for exploiting his music “to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda.”
Dre’s lawyer, Howard King, fired off a letter to Greene, saying “Mr. Young [Dre] has not, and will never, grant you permission to broadcast or disseminate any of his music.”
As we reported, Greene posted a video of her walking to the House floor Monday, using Dre’s song, “Still D.R.E.” as the music bed.
King fired off a demand letter to Twitter, asking the company to block her post. For its part, Twitter not only blocked the post … it also locked her Twitter account.
But Dre wasn’t done. King’s lawyer went after her in a blistering way, saying “you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country. It’s possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on.” Read more
Shania Twain reveals why she posed nude at 57 (CinemaBlend)
Shania Twain has spent her career pushing the boundaries of country music – both musically and visually. It would be an understatement to say that she caused a stir within the genre with her belly-baring midriffs. Despite being a trendsetter in that regard, it was never her goal to make her body a focal point. Yet the country music legend made headlines last year with the first semi-nude promotional photoshoot of her career. More recently, the “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” singer revealed to Today’s Hoda Kotb more about why she posed nude at age 57.
Shania Twain got her followers talking when she dropped her topless “Waking Up Dreaming” single cover on her Instagram account. Take a look at it for yourself:
In the aftermath of the cover making waves, the country music superstar opened up about embracing her body in her fifties while appearing on NBC’s Today. Hoda Kotb got right to business asking Twain why she went “The Full Monty” at age 57. And according to the performer, the decision stemmed from a desire to face her fears after a life filled with body insecurities: Read more
Brazil Congress: Mass arrests as Lula condemns ‘terrorist’ riots (BBC)
About 1,500 people have been held in Brazil after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in the capital Brasília.
The rioting came a week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in.
He condemned the “terrorist acts” and vowed to punish the perpetrators.
Mr Bolsonaro has not admitted defeat in October’s tight election that divided the nation, and flew to the US before the handover on 1 January.
On Monday, he was admitted to hospital in Florida with abdominal pain. Read more
The wackiest reveals from Prince Harry’s new book (Metro)
Prince Harry’s long-awaited book was finally released at midnight, and Metro’s own feature’s Queen Amanda Cable has come up with her favourite spots from the new book.
It might feel like we’ve already read every page, cover to cover, without it even hitting the shelves – but we can guarantee you haven’t.
From a frozen royal member to the Queen joking about Harry’s bald patch in their last ever conversation – here Amanda Cable choses 15 of the wackiest reveals from ‘Spare’. Read more
Osimhen enjoying best run at Napoli (Punch)
Statistically, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is enjoying his best run for Italian Club Napoli since joining for a record fee in 2020 and there could be more to come for the player before the end of the season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The striker became the Serie A club’s record signing after joining for an initial €50 million plus add-ons.
Osimhen has netted 10 Serie A goals in 13 appearances for Napoli this season, and his contributions, as well as others, are currently keeping the club on top of the table with 44 points from 17 matches.
In his third season with Napoli, a further look at the stats from previous season shows that the player has dwarfed his numbers from the two previous seasons, and could be on his way to setting a remarkable club record at this rate. Read more
Gareth Bale: Wales captain retires from football aged 33 (BBC)
Wales captain Gareth Bale has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33 after a glittering career.
The nation’s most-capped male player and record men’s goalscorer announced his decision on social media.
Bale, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, is arguably Wales’ finest ever footballer.
“After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football,” Bale said.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love.” Read more
Aruna, Meshref lead African contingent as WTT contender serves off today (DailyTrust)
African champions, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Dina Meshref of Egypt will lead the African contingent to the first World Table Tennis, WTT Series event of the year tagged WTT Contender Durban 2023.
This will be the first time, South Africa will host a WTT Contender event and this event among the series of events on WTT’s 2023 calendar commence today and end Sunday, 15 February.
Aruna who recently moved to Russia from Germany to continue his professional career is number four seed in the men’s singles ranked 14th in the world while Meshref is also the number four seed in the women’s singles and ranked 28th in the world.
The Nigerian is the highest ranked African in the world and he will lock horns against some of the world’s best including Brazil’s Hugo Calderano who heads to Durban as the highest ranked player in action. Read more
Damar Hamlin: Bills player moves from Cincinnati to Buffalo hospital one week after cardiac arrest (BBC)
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been discharged from a Cincinnati hospital one week after suffering a cardiac arrest during an NFL game.
He will continue his recovery at a hospital in Buffalo, doctors said.
The 24-year-old, who had to be resuscitated on the pitch, was released from University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) on Monday.
“He is doing well and this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” said Dr William Knight.
Hamlin collapsed during a match at Cincinnati Bengals after making a tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins, and received more than 30 minutes of medical attention on the field before being moved to an intensive care unit in the city. Read more
Mikel Arteta plays down Bukayo Saka injury fears after Arsenal beat Oxford United in FA Cup (Metro)
Mikel Arteta has played down injury concerns over Bukayo Saka after Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Oxford United in the FA Cup on Monday evening.
Saka started the FA Cup third-round tie but was forced off with 15 minutes remaining with a suspected knee injury.
Arsenal are about to embark on a tough run of fixtures as they play Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday before facing Manchester United and then Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round.
But Arteta has indicated that Saka should be available for Arsenal’s north London derby this weekend, despite his injury on Monday. Read more
Drop aged players, Izilien advises Super Falcons coach (Guardian)
Former Super Falcons coach, Godwin Izilien, has advised Coach Randy Waldrum to exclude aged players from the list of players he will be inviting to the camp ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup to be cohosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20.
Nigeria’s senior women national team will be taking part in the biggest Women football fiesta, following its qualification at the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) held in Morocco.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Izilien said that dropping aged players should be seen as adding vibrancy to team, adding that benchwarmers in their clubs shouldn’t be considered if the country is to perform well at the tournament.
“For the Super Falcons to excel at the 2023 Women World Cup, I believe the old players in the squad should be sidelined to pave way for the younger ones. Read more