Police arrest man who allegedly killed mother, sister (Punch)
The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a young man who allegedly killed his mother, Mrs Charity Orji, and his sister, Miss Ukamaka Orji, and buried them in a shallow grave in their backyard in the state.
The suspect, identified as Somadina Orji from Igboariam in Anambra State, was said to have committed the offence on Monday, December 4, 2023, at Umuagu Inyi, in the Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
According to various reports and videos of the incident, the late Charity, a native of Inyi but married in Igboariam, Anambra State, had been living in her family house with her children for some years. Read more
Naira Notes: There’s sufficient stock for economic activities, CBN assures Nigerians (Guardian)
Amidst complaints by some Nigerians about scarcity of Naira notes, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says there is adequate supply of the currency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CBN gave the assurance against the backdrop of complaints by some bank customers on scarcity of Naira notes at the counters, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) Points of Sale (PoS), and Bureaux de Change (BDCs).
Some officials of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) also claimed that the DMBs were not getting adequate supply of cash from the CBN. Read more
Senators donate December salaries, N109m to victims of Kaduna drone misfire (Vanguard)
The entire 109 Senators of the 10th Senate have donated their one-month salaries, amounting to N109m to the victims of drone mishap in Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government Area of the Kaduna State.
This was announced on Sunday by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin at the Kaduna Government House when he led a high-powered delegation of the Senate to the state.
The Senators were received by the state governor, Senator Uba Sani. Read more
Arase to Nigerians: Be security conscious ahead of Christmas (Nation)
The chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has called on Nigerians to take the issue of security seriously ahead of the yuletide.
The former police boss urged Nigerians to report any suspicious incidents or activities to law enforcement officers in order to nip the problem in the bud.
Arase spoke at the grand opening of Tastia Restaurant located on 6th Avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja. Read more
NDLEA nabs businessman with cocaine at Enugu Airport, disrupt bachelor’s eve In Katsina (Leadership)
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Saturday, December 9, intercepted at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, 12 consignments of cocaine belonging to members of a drug trafficking organisation, while arresting a suspect, Augustine Justine Emeka.
LEADERSHIP reports that the agency also disrupted a pre-wedding (Bachelor’s Eve) drug taking competition in Katsina.
The businessman, Emeka, 44, who claims he deals in copper wire was arrested at the airport upon his arrival from Douala, Cameroon via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airline with the 12 consignments consisting of 797 pellets of cocaine weighing 17.6 kilograms. Read more
Sosoliso crash survivor pays tribute to victims 18 years after (Punch)
Survivor of the tragic Sosoliso plane crash 18 years ago and America’s Got Talent star, Kechi Okwuchi, has paid a tribute to the 60 schoolmates lost in the devastating incident.
In an X post on Sunday, Kechi asked the 60 angels to keep watching over her and one other who survived, as she made more memories for them.
Kechi wrote, “Dear 60 Angels, 18 years have passed since the Sosoliso plane crash that took your lives among other dear souls while sparing mine and 1 other. Read more
FG to increase coconut production to 500,000MT in 2025- Kyari (Guardian)
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar, says the Federal Government is working toward increasing Nigeria’s current production level of coconut from 224,186 Metric Tonnes (MT) to 500,000MT by 2025.
Kyari said this during the 2023 10th International Coconut Festival AGUNFEST in Badagry, Lagos, on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the festival was: “A Decade of Coconut culture to Ignite century Action Plan For Coconut Prosperity in Nigeria”. Read more
NUJ honours media icons in Lagos (Sun)
Those recognised by the NUJ include the Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed, Mr Ray Ekpu, Dr.Danladi Bako, High Chief Tony Akiotu, Mrs Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo, Mallam Baba Dantiye, Alhaji Najeem Jimoh, Prof Stella Okunna, Prince Henry Odukomaiya and Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye.
Others include, Prof Femi Adefela, Chief Emeka Izeze, Aremo Taiwo Alimi, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Dr.Grace Achums, Sir Folu Olamiti, and Mrs. Agbeke Ogunsanwo.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), under the leadership of Dr. Chris Isiguzo, MFR has honoured some outstanding media Professionals, at the second edition of its Milestone Recognition of Media Icon in Nigeria, which was held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja Lagos on Thursday. Read more
Jessica Biel Is reportedly ‘turning the other cheek’ to Justin Timberlake’s scandals because ‘he’s a different person now’ (Shefinds)
Britney Spears brought all the negative press back to Justin Timberlake with the release of her bombshell memoir, The Woman In Me, and his wife, Jessica Biel, has reportedly “turned the other cheek” in regards to the scandal.
The scandal in question? The “Toxic” singer revealed that when she and Justin Timberlake were in a committed relationship from 1999 to 2002, she fell pregnant with their child and at Justin’s insistence, got an abortion.
This isn’t the first scandal that Timberlake has been involved in: back in 2019, he issued a public apology to Jessica after photos of him holding hands with this Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright went viral. Keep reading for more information. Read more
2 Chainz rushed to hospital after car accident in Miami (PageSix)
2 Chainz was rushed to the hospital early Saturday morning after he got into a car accident in Miami.
The “It’s a Vibe” rapper — born Tauheed K. Epps — took to his Instagram Story to share video footage following the crash.
In the clip, he showed himself getting loaded into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher. Read more
Teenage children of jailed Narges Mohammadi accept her Nobel Peace Prize (BBC)
The teenage twins of jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi have accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
Ms Mohammadi – who is serving a 10-year jail term in Tehran – won this year’s prize for her work fighting against the oppression of women in Iran.
In a speech smuggled from prison and read out by her children, she denounced Iran’s “tyrannical” government. Read more
A mother searched for her son for months — until NBC News discovered he’d been buried in a pauper’s field (NBC)
Gretchen Hankins was in bed on a Friday night in May 2022 when her 39-year-old son leaned down with a hug and kiss and told her he was going to meet friends for the weekend. He promised to return in time for Sunday dinner.
He didn’t come home.
Jonathan David Hankins’ mother and teenage daughter were accustomed to his leaving for a few days at a time; he suffered from meth addiction, and knew not to enter their house when he was using. But this time, something had clearly gone wrong. Read more
Mother charged with 4 counts of manslaughter over deaths of children in 2021 fire (Sky)
The children, two sets of twin brothers aged four and three, died after a blaze ripped through a mid-terrace house in Sutton, south London.
The boys – Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four – were killed after the fire on 16 December 2021.
Deveca Rose, 29, has been charged with child abandonment in addition to manslaughter, police say, and is expected to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Read more
‘My brother killed mum over a bacon butty – her final phone call will always haunt me’ (Mirror)
The daughter of a woman killed over a bacon sandwich says she can never forget her mum’s final phone call to her.
Jordan Bush, 22, was ”devastated” after her mum, Kelly Pitt, 44, was murdered by her brother who had flown into a rage over a simple sandwich in May 2023. Lewis Bush, 26, became angry with Kelly at their home in Newport, Wales, during a row over the food and while the shocking incident was taking place Kelly called her daughter who could hear Lewis ”shouting and screaming” down the line.
After the call ended, Lewis went on to brutally murder his mum by punching, kicking and stamping her to death. Jordan’s partner, Kieran Saunders, 30, a labourer, found Kelly’s body two days later and Lewis was arrested. A post-mortem found Kelly had suffered internal bleeding and 41 rib fractures, with mirror glass and clumps of hair found around her body. Read more
Belarus and Equatorial Guinea sign agreements and Minsk seeks allies (AfricaNews)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed cooperation agreements during a visit to his Equatorial Guinean counterpart on Saturday as the isolated Kremlin ally seeks African support during the Ukraine war.
Lukashenko met Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the capital Malabo as part of an African tour to bolster ties on the continent.
Deals were signed on launching the first phase of a regional centre to promote Belarusian products in central and west African markets, Lukashenko told Belta news agency. Read more
NFF empathises with Sunshine Stars, FC One Rocket over robbery attack (Leadership)
The Nigeria Football Federation has decried the recent spate of robbery attacks on players and officials of football clubs travelling by road in the country to honour matches in the domestic Leagues, while appealing to security agents to devise further means of protecting road users in the land.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said the Federation is disturbed by the trend, which has seen players and officials of Nigeria National League club, FC One Rocket and NPFL side Sunshine Stars attacked with persons injured and valuables lost over the past few days.
“The NFF is seriously disturbed and disillusioned by this unwarranted trend. First, it was FC One Rocket of Abat, Akwa Ibom State that was attacked. Their players and officials lost a variety of valuables in the attack in Ihiala, Anambra State while on their way from an NNL match against Ikorodu City in Lagos. Read more
3 candidates bid to host 2027 Women’s World Cup – FIFA (DailyTrust)
FIFA on Saturday confirmed that three bids to host the Women’s World Cup in 2027 had been lodged “across three confederations” before the bidding process closed.
From Europe comes a joint bid between Belgium, Netherlands and Germany while Mexico and the United States also teamed up as they submitted another joint bid just before Friday’s deadline.
Brazil is the only country with a sole bid.
“FIFA will now conduct a thorough evaluation process, including on-site inspection visits that are due to get underway in February 2024, before publishing its findings in a bid evaluation report in May 2024,” the organisation said in a statement. Read more
Haaland has foot injury and misses Manchester City’s match at Luton in Premier League (USAToday)
Erling Haaland was ruled out of Manchester City’s away match against Luton in the Premier League on Sunday because of a foot injury.
City manager Pep Guardiola said Haaland had a “bone stress reaction” after the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Guardiola wouldn’t put a timeline on Haaland’s absence, saying: “Week by week, day by day — we will see what happens.” Read more
Steve Cooper: Nottingham Forest not expected to sack manager in coming days after Premier League draw at Wolves (Sky)
Nottingham Forest are not planning to sack Steve Cooper in the coming days after they earned a battling draw at Wolves on Saturday.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this week that Cooper would not survive a fifth straight Premier League defeat, with Evangelos Marinakis, Forest’s owner, seriously considering changing manager.
However, the performance and result at Molineux has placated Marinakis to a degree, and the Greek businessman has now shelved any plans to sack Cooper in the coming days. Read more
Novak Djokovic makes offer to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after “not friends” remark (Express)
Novak Djokovic wants Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to “sit down and reflect” with him in the future. The 36-year-old, who won a record-extending 24th Grand Slam title when he lifted the US Open trophy in September, has enjoyed fierce battles with both players throughout his illustrious career but has admitted they “are not friends.”
Djokovic faced Federer in five Grand Slam finals before the Swiss star retired from tennis last year. And the Serbian won four of those encounters. But Djokovic was beaten by Nadal in five of the nine Grand Slam finals the duo faced each other. Meanwhile, Federer and Nadal played against each other in nine major finals, with the Spaniard winning six of them.
And Djokovic has spoken about the rivalry between the trio during an interview with 60 Minutes host Jon Wertheim. Read more
Kilmarnock come from behind to beat leaders Celtic (BBC)
Kilmarnock came from a goal behind to secure a second home win in a row over Celtic as Matty Kennedy’s late strike handed the visitors their first Scottish Premiership defeat of the season.
Derek McInnes’ side knocked the Glasgow side out of the Viaplay Cup 1-0 in August and this time inflicted Brendan Rodgers’ first league defeat since his return as manager.
It means Celtic’s lead over Rangers, who beat Dundee 3-1 on Saturday, remains five points having played a game more than their city rivals. Read more