Tinubu rewards Super Eagles with national award, plots of land, flats in FCT (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, rewarded the Super Eagles of Nigeria with a national award (Member of the Order of the Niger, MON) flats in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and piece of land.
President Tinubu made the pronouncement when he received the players and officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The delegation is led by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh.
The Super Eagles finished as runners-up in the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), hostedhosted by Côte d’Ivoire. Read more
Boss Mustapha: Buhari didn’t approve $6.2m for elections, his signature was forged (DailyTrust)
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has denied approving the $6.2 million purportedly used for international election observers.
Mustapha, who was testifying in the ongoing trial of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, alluded to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature being forged.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an amended 20-count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, conferring undue advantage, and breach of trust among others preferred against Emefiele.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Mustapha denied knowledge of the transaction even after leaving office and he only learnt about it in December 2023. Read more
Lagos police alert residents to resurgence of one-chance robberies (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has alerted residents of Oworonshoki, Alapere, Ogudu, and Ketu to the resurgence of one-chance robbery incidents.
In a brief statement shared on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, announced increased police checks in these areas, which may cause minor traffic delays.
The statement emphasised the importance of these measures for the safety and security of residents, urging motorists to cooperate. Read more
EKOEXCEL impacts 500,000 Lagos Pupils In 1,013 schools (Leadership)
The Lagos State Government’s EKOEXCEL initiative has transformed public primary education in the State, impacting over 500,000 pupils across 1,013 schools.
This is as the world celebrates the 2024 International Day for Women and Girls in Science, with the theme, ‘Women in Science Leadership: A New Era for Sustainability’.
Launched in 2019, EKOEXCEL stands as a powerful testament to this dedication to fostering an enabling environment for girls to blossom in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Read more
First Lady charges states to prioritize fight against drug abuse (Nation)
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has charged state governments to prioritise the fight against substance abuse in their strategic work plans for a safe and secure society.
The charge was given at the opening ceremony of a two-day training on Drug Prevention Treatment and Care, DPTC, organized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for spouses of state governors in Abuja on Monday, February 12.
Tinubu’s position was backed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, as well as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd). Read more
World Radio Day: Oyo Assembly lauds professionals, advocates ethical broadcasting (Independent)
Radio professionals across the country have been commended for informing, entertaining, and enlightening members of the public through their various programmes on electronic media.
The commendation was contained in a statement issued by the Oyo State House of Assembly to commemorate 2024 World Radio Day.
The statement was issued and signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Waheed Akintayo Ilumoka, Oluyole State Constituency. Read more
Fire destroys Kwara State High Court complex, damages court rooms (Channels)
A fire outbreak has razed the Kwara State High Court Complex located in the Government Reservation Area, Ilorin, the state capital.
The fire, which started on Tuesday morning, damaged 40 offices, three open courtrooms, the Registry department, and the Litigation Office of the High Court.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the fire incident and said that the firemen were alerted to the inferno through a distress call which they responded to. Read more
Court admits 2 phones in evidence against suspended UNICAL professor (Nation)
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, admitted in evidence two mobile phones seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
Justice James Omotosho admitted the mobile devices; an Oppo Phone and a Tecno Pova Phone with their chargers after they were tendered by the ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, and the application was not opposed by the defence counsel, Joe Agi, SAN.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Omotosho had, on Friday, granted bail to Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), in the sum of N 250 million with two sureties in the like sum. Read more
Shereé Whitfield reveals what she’s looking for in her next boyfriend after Martell Holt breakup (PageSix)
Shereé Whitfield is ready to find a new man following her breakup from Love & Marriage: Huntsville star Martell Holt.
“Since I’ve been single, I have been working on myself a lot. I would like my partner to be serious and add value to my life in all aspects,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta star tells Page Six exclusively via her rep, Chris Giovanni.
Seemingly shading Holt, Whitfield shares that she is searching for a man unlike any of her previous partners. Read more
Expert breaks down just how bad Taylor Swift’s private jet emissions actually are (Unilad)
An expert has revealed their take on Taylor Swift’s plane fuel emissions.
The ‘Blank Space’ singer has come under fire for her jet use, flying to and from her performances to go and support boyfriend Kansas City Chief’s player Travis Kelce.
However, should Swift simply Shake It Off, or should she be turning around to the haters to tell them You Need To Calm Down?
Well, an expert in carbon footprint measurement has addressed the controversy. Read more
Mark Ruffalo isn’t going to be in ‘‘Captain America: Brave New World’’; actor misspoke about Hulk return during festival Q&A (Variety)
Mark Ruffalo has struck again!
During a Q&A about his career at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, the recent Oscar nominee seemed to confirm that he will be reprising his role as the Hulk in Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World.” Asked by moderator Anne Thompson if he would next appear in the 2025 feature, Ruffalo nodded his head and said, “Yeah.”
“Are you allowed to talk about that?” Thompson asked. Read more
Oscar nominees from films Oppenheimer, Barbie gather for luncheon (VOA)
The casts of Barbie and Oppenheimer gathered Monday for the annual Academy Award nominees’ luncheon along with other Oscar hopefuls coming together for photos, hugs and congratulations.
The luncheon is a warm, feel-good, egalitarian affair where little-known first-time nominees in categories like best animated short get to rub shoulders and share tables with acting nominees like Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, whose snubs for best director and best actress, respectively, for Barbie caused a major stir, were both present for the nominations they did get and were all smiles before lunch. Read more
Lloyd Austin to resume Pentagon duties one day after admission to hospital (Guardian)
The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, is expected to “resume his normal duties” on Tuesday, a day after he was admitted to a hospital for what the Pentagon described as an “emergent bladder issue”.
A statement issued by the Pentagon said Austin, 70, had undergone non-surgical procedures under general anesthesia to address the bladder issue. “We anticipate a successful recovery and will closely monitor him overnight,” the statement read.
The Pentagon’s statement added that “a prolonged hospital stay is not anticipated” for Austin and that “his cancer prognosis remains excellent”. Read more
Parasite Producer Barunson E&A names Yoonhee Choi as CEO (Deadline)
Parasite producer Barunson E&A has a new CEO.
Yoonhee Choi has stepped in to take over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae. She has been with Barunson E&A since 2021, when she was hired as Managing Director and was upped to COO in April last year.
Choi was previously at CJ ENM, serving as head of international sales for films such as the Barunson E&A-produced Oscar winner Parasite and The Spy Gone North and producer of titles such as Seobok, Hard Hit and Nothing Serious. Read more
Even with Trump, Kim Jong Un may spurn talks, analysts warn (VOA)
Six months after the collapse of their 2019 summit in Hanoi, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to then U.S. President Donald Trump conveying a sense of personal betrayal.
“I am clearly offended, and I do not want to hide this feeling from you,” Kim told Trump in the last of 25 personal letters exchanged between the two men and shared with veteran U.S. journalist Bob Woodward.
In Hanoi, Trump had rejected Kim’s offer to dismantle a major nuclear facility in exchange for lifting most U.S. sanctions. Over the subsequent months, the talks reached a standstill, as each side backed away from the commitments made at their initial 2018 meeting in Singapore. Read more
AFCON: Asisat Oshoala defends Iwobi, lambasts Tunde Ednut, VeryDarkMan (Nation)
Asisat Oshoala, a prominent female footballer, has criticized popular blogger Tunde Ednut and social media critic Verydarkman for their attack on Alex Iwobi following the Super Eagles’ AFCON loss.
The Nation reported that some Nigerians took to Iwobi’s social media pages to criticize his performance in a destructive manner, attributing the Super Eagles’ failure in the 2023 AFCON to him.
Both Verydarkman and Tunde Ednut expressed their disappointment with Iwobi’s performance during the match. Read more
Sven-Goran Eriksson granted wish of being Liverpool boss for March charity match (IrishExaminer)
Sven-Goran Eriksson will fulfil his lifelong dream of managing Liverpool when he takes his place in the LFC Legends dugout for a charity game against Ajax Legends next month.
Former England boss Eriksson revealed in January he had “best case a year” to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
During a round of TV interviews upon revealing his health issues, the 76-year-old Swede disclosed his lifelong love for Liverpool and how he always wished to be manager of the club. Read more
Under-fire Bayern turn focus to Lazio after Leverkusen humbling (France24)
Stung by a 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich head to Lazio on Wednesday knowing only a deep run in Europe will salvage their season.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were humbled by an outstanding Leverkusen on Saturday and are now five clear in the league and remain unbeaten after 31 games in all competitions.
Bayern managers are judged primarily on the team’s Champions League showings, particularly in recent years when the side’s financial might made domestic dominance a formality. Read more
Pochettino hails ‘‘priceless’’ Gallagher after Chelsea comeback win (ESPN)
Mauricio Pochettino said match-winner Conor Gallagher is “priceless” to Chelsea after his two goals helped them to a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday evening.
Chelsea went into the break 1-0 down after Jefferson Lerma’s wonder goal in the first half, but Gallagher scored just a minute into the second half and then a 91st minute winner to break Palace’s resolve. Enzo Fernández added a third in the 94th minute of the match as Chelsea cameGallagher’s first saw him finish well off a Malo Gusto cross, while for the second he slotted home neatly from the edge of the box to give Chelsea the win.
“I think he’s a player with a great commitment to the team, always trying to compensate for every single situation,” Pochettino said of Gallagher. “It’s priceless to have a player like him. I’m so happy for him as it’s a victory we needed.” away from Selhurst Park with three points. Read more
Tiki Toa to fly Oceania’s flag at Beach Soccer World Cup (RNZ)
The captain of the Tahiti men’s beach soccer team says they are heading into the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai this week confident of a better finish following their one-month training stint in Brazil.
The Tiki Toa has led the way for Oceania on the world stage in Beach Soccer, continuously punching above their weight, with runner-up finishes at the 2015 World Cup in Portugal and 2017 World Cup in the Bahamas, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) said.
Raimana Li Fung Kuee told OFC the team has had the time to acclimitise to the temperature, learn new skills and play friendly games against different teams and players. Read more
Woods partners with TaylorMade to launch Sun Day Red apparel brand (StraitsTimes)
Tiger Woods will be sporting a new look when he makes his 2024 season debut this week after he announced on Monday that he has teamed up with TaylorMade to launch a new apparel and footwear brand named Sun Day Red.
Woods, a 15-times major winner who last month revealed he had parted ways with Nike, is known for his meticulous attention to detail and will have a significant role in the lifestyle brand’s products.
“I have learned so much over the years and have a lifetime of experience adjusting my apparel and footwear to help me play better based on the way it was constructed,” Woods, 48, said in a news release. Read more