*Tinubu arrives Lagos for Christmas holiday (Punch)*Spotify crowns Olamide most influential street pop artiste (DailyTrust)

Tinubu arrives Lagos for Christmas holiday (Punch)

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday evening, arrived in Lagos from Abuja ahead of the Christmas celebrations.

The Presidential Jet NAF 001, which conveyed the President, touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at 03.55pm.

The President was received at the airport by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin; the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro; and the state Chief of Staff, Mr Tayo Ayinde, amid a cheering crowd of supporters. Read more 

Spotify crowns Olamide most influential street pop artiste (DailyTrust)

Spotify has named Nigerian rapper, musician, and record executive, Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as “Olamide,” as the most influential street pop artiste of his time.

Spotify’s Editor for West Africa, Benewaah Boateng, announced the recognition in a statement made on Thursday in Lagos.

Boateng emphasized the impressive rise of the subgenre “Street Pop” within Nigeria’s music landscape, indicating its progressive ascension into popular music. Read more

South East Development Commission bill passes 3rd reading at House of Reps (Guardian)

Fifty-three years after the conclusion of the Nigerian civil war, the House of Representatives has passed through the third reading of a bill seeking the establishment of the South East Development Commission.

The House unanimously took the decision at the Committee of the Whole chaired by the deputy speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, after considering the report of the bill.

Standing in Kalu’s name as the lead sponsor and indeed, all the lawmakers from the South East region, the explanatory memorandum of the bill stated that the Commission will be charged with the responsibility to receive and manage fund from allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region as a result of the effect of the civil war. Read more 

N-Power beneficiaries receiving arrears, says Betta Edu (Channels)

The Federal Government has resumed payment of  arrears to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme.

The beneficiaries were being owed some months’ salaries by the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

However, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, said the payment of arrears to beneficiaries which was started on Wednesday (yesterday) will continue until the last person is paid. Read more

Fixing power, ending insecurity, your priorities in 2024, economist tells Tinubu (Vanguard)

An economist, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, has advised the Federal Government to prioritise power and security in 2024 to boost economic growth and development.

Ekpo, who is the Chairman, Foundation for Economic Research and Training, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Lagos.

He was speaking on how the nation’s economy fared in 2023 and expectations in 2024. Read more

Housing: FG to create 2.5m jobs for Nigerians (Sun)

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, said the Federal Government is set to create 2,500,000 direct and indirect jobs through the Renewed Hope Cities Project of the present administration.

Dangiwa stated this in Abuja on Thursday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a consortium of very highly reputable developers led by Continental Civil and General Construction Company limited and Ceezali limited for the delivery of 100,000 housing units across Nigeria.

He explained that the jobs creation would help in reducing unemployment and actualization of the administration target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. Read more

Police dismiss 2 officers attempting to extort Dutch tourist (Guardian)

The Nigeria police have dismissed two special constabularies, Jimoh Lukmon and Kareem Fatai, who were caught in a viral video trying to extort money from a Dutch tourist who was on a power bike en route to Abuja.

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, pronounced their dismissal at the state’s Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan on Thursday.

Lukmon and Fatai, who were on duty along Moniya-Iseyin road were seen in the video demanding money from the woman. Read more

Reps calls for regulation on sale of naira notes by POS operators (Leadership)

On Thursday, December 21, the House of Representatives passed a motion urging Point-of-Sale (POS) operators across Nigeria to discontinue the sale of naira notes. Additionally, the House called for an immediate cessation of excessive charges imposed on customers by these operators.

The motion also directed the Committees on Banking Regulations, Digital, and Electronic Banking to summon the Minister of Finance and National Planning as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The aim is to seek explanations regarding the alleged non-payment to customers by commercial banks over the counter and via ATMs.

The House’s decision stemmed from the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to Curb the Sale of Naira Notes by Point-of-Sales (POS) Operators in Nigeria,” presented by Hon. Mohammed Dan Abba Shehu. Read more

2 killed, 1 injured in fresh Plateau attack (DailyTrust)

At least two persons were reported killed on Wednesday night in an attack by gunmen in Gana Ropp village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Daily Trust gathered that 19-year-old Jude Nicodemus was instantly killed in the attack, while two others initially suffered severe injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Barkin Ladi. One of the injured victims, it was learnt, died while in the hospital. The incident occurred at about 8pm.

A resident of the area described the incident as unfortunate in this Christmas season, and that the attack happened without any form of provocation whatsoever. Read more

Sexyy Red reacts to ‘SkeeYee’ being crowned Best Rap Song of 2023 (HipHopDx)

Sexyy Red has enjoyed a breakout year in 2023 and she’s collected another accolade thanks to “SkeeYee.”

On Wednesday (December 20), Rolling Stone revealed their picks for the best rap songs of the year and they gave the nod to Sexyy’s “SkeeYee” anthem in the top spot.

“Her conversational delivery and almost whiny trills make her exciting flow feel casual,” Rolling Stone wrote in praise of the single, “and Tay Keith’s production is nostalgic for the simpler times of T-Mobile Sidekicks and physical mixtapes with its sinister piano loop, spacious bass, and piercing high hats. ‘SkeeYee’ spread like a contagious laugh, so silly that it’s extraordinary.” Read more

Widow of Journalist killed by Saudi Arabia granted asylum in US (VOA)

The widow of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist who was assassinated in 2018 by Saudi operatives in Turkey, has been granted political asylum in the United States, the newspaper reported Thursday.

Hanan Elatr went into hiding in Washington after her husband was killed in an incident that U.S. intelligence officials concluded was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“I couldn’t really believe it,” Elatr said about reading the letter notifying her she had been granted asylum, the Post reported. Read more

Tiffany Red says Diddy should be held accountable for his treatment of her friend Cassie (NBC)

Last month, the singer Cassie filed a federal lawsuit accusing her ex-boyfriend, the music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, of physical abuse, rape and sex trafficking during their nearly 10-year relationship. 

The two settled for an undisclosed amount of money just 24 hours after Cassie, whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, filed the lawsuit. Following the settlement, Combs said that he “wishes Ventura nothing but the best,” while his attorney, Ben Brafman, said the settlement was “not an admission of wrongdoing.”

The singer/songwriter Tiffany Red, one of Ventura’s longtime friends, told NBC News in an exclusive interview that aired Wednesday on NBC News’ “Top Story with Tom Llamas” that Diddy should be held accountable for his treatment of the singer. Read more

Vin Diesel’s former assistant sues actor for sexual battery, claims he molested her at hotel in 2010 (People)

Vin Diesel’s former assistant filed a lawsuit against him alleging sexual battery. 

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles by plaintiff Asta Jonasson on Thursday and obtained by PEOPLE, claims that in 2010 at Atlanta’s St. Regis hotel the Fast & Furious actor-producer forcibly pulled Jonasson onto a bed, groped her breasts and legs and masturbated. Vanity Fair was first to report the lawsuit. 

Reps for Diesel, whose legal name is Mark Sinclair Vincent, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Read more

Santa Claus takes a tumble during Madonna’s concert lap dance (Fox)

Santa Claus is having some fun before the holiday season.

During Madonna’s Celebration Tour stop in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night, the singer incorporated her backup dancers and a white-bearded man, dressed in a red suit, into one of her performances.  

One of Madonna’s dancers approached Santa to perform a lap dance when things took a turn. Once the female dancer got on top of him, both Claus and the dancer took a fall forward. Read more

Kyiv repels major Russian drone attack as Putin’s forces hit by ‘mouse fever’ (Independent)

A major drone attack by Russia was stopped by Ukraine, according to the country’s air force that claimed to have shot down 34 out of 35 of the Irainian devices.

The drones were sent over in several waves targeting 12 different regions of Ukraine over a seven-hour period from 8pm on 20 December.

However, just one got through the air force’s defences. Images released this morning by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine appear to show damage caused by one at a warehouse in the Kyiv region. Read more

Angola quits OPEC over lower production quotas (AfricaNews)

Angola announced Thursday that it’s leaving the OPEC oil producers cartel, coming after it battled with the group over lower production quotas this year.

Diamantino de Azevedo, the African nation’s oil minister, said Angola “does not gain anything by remaining in the organization,” according to state news agency Angop. The country joined OPEC in 2007.

Disagreements over lower oil quotas for some African countries, including Angola, led to an usual dayslong delay to OPEC’s November meeting, where the group, along with allied producers led by Russia, decide how much oil to send to the world. Read more

Gombe United seek better funding (Punch)

The technical coach of Gombe United Football Club, Mohammed Babaganaru, has appealed to the state government to alleviate the sufferings of players by providing funds to aid the team’s performance.

Babaganaru made this appeal on Thursday in Pantami Township stadium.

The PUNCH reports that Gombe United’s Mujeeb Odufeso scored the team’s lone goal in the 76th minute against Katsina United. Read more 

India’s Sakshi Malik quits over election of new wrestling federation chief (AlJazeera)

A top Indian wrestler has announced she will quit the sport in protest after the country’s wrestling federation replaced a president accused of sexually abusing female athletes with his close ally.

Sakshi Malik, an acclaimed wrestler who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and led protests against Brij Bhushan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), announced her retirement on Thursday.

“We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us,” Malik, 31, told a news conference in New Delhi, referring to the protests earlier this year. Read more

Otto Wallin explains tactic used to end Anthony Joshua’s Deontay Wilder dream (Mirror)

Otto Wallin has explained the benefit of using a sports psychologist throughout his career as he joked about helping Anthony Joshua with his mindset.

Wallin looks to ruin Joshua’s plans of fighting Deontay Wilder in March when he fights the Brit at the ‘Day of Reckoning’ event in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. The Swede is unbeaten in six fights as the only loss of his career came against Tyson Fury four years ago in a fight that could have been stopped when Fury suffered a big cut above his eye. Read more 

Simon in talks with Ligue 1 Club Nantes over new deal (CompleteSports)

Moses Simon is in talks with Ligue 1 club Nantes over a new contract, reports Completesports.com.

The Nigeria international’s current deal is due to expire next summer.

With a number French clubs including Olympic Lyon and Lille keen to sign Simon on a free transfer, Nantes now want tie him down on a new contract. Read more

Amanda Serrano will co-headline with Jake Paul in Puerto Rico in March (BBC)

Amanda Serrano will co-headline with Jake Paul when she defends her featherweight world titles against Nina Meinke on 2 March.

The fight against Germany’s Meinke will take place over 12 three-minute rounds in Serrano’s native Puerto Rico.

Serrano vacated her WBC title this month after the organisation refused to sanction that format for her bout with Danila Ramos in October. Read more

Piers Morgan hits out at Mary Earps again after slamming spoty for ‘not winning anything’ (Mirror)

Piers Morgan has taken another bizarre dig at Mary Earps after she was named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year by discrediting her achievements in 2023.

Earps, 30, won the prestigious prize on Tuesday thanks to a public vote after a tremendous year. The Manchester United superstar saved a penalty in England’s Women’s World Cup final defeat to Spain and won the tournament’s Golden Glove award.

Earps also picked up the same prize in the Women’s Super League and is the most recent recipient of FIFA’s The Best Women’s Goalkeeper award. She also picked up two trophies with England, winning the Women’s Finalissima and Arnold Clark Cup. Read more

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