Femi Falana, counsel to Omoyele Sowore, convener of RevolutionNow Movement, on Monday, alleged that the Nigerian government offered the activist a “death warrant” deal while in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.
Falana disclosed that the Nigerian government reached out for the deal during Sowore’s first 45 days in detention.
Featuring on TVC’s The View, Falana said: “They went to a court behind us and got an order to detain Sowore for 45 days to investigate his alleged terrorism.
“At the end of the investigation, nothing was found but they went to him in detention to reach a deal.”
The activist stated that the DSS also reached out to him to convince Sowore when they could not persuade the Sahara Reporters’s publisher to take the deal he was offered.
“When they could not succeed, they met me and they wanted me to persuade him to agree to sign his death warrant and I told them off,” he said.
Falana said the intelligence agency “filed charges” against Sowore when they could not convince him to take the deal.
Twelve persons have died in an accident on Sunday as a truck container carrying over 103 people somersaulted at Sawmill village along Mokwa-Makera road in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger state.
The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Joel Dagwa, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Minna that the accident involved a container truck with registration No. KJ 555 XX heading to Lagos .
Dagwa said that the truck took off from Maiduguri, picked passengers from Zaria in Kaduna State before heading to Lagos.
” The accident involved 103 people, 55 females ,40 males, 8 children’s , 5 adults. Twelve of them were killed while 91 sustained injuries and taken to Mokwa general hospital for treatment.
“All the 12 corpses have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue,” he said.
He blamed the accident on over-speeding on a sharp bend of the road.
Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele has just announced the death of her father, saying she tried, but God knows best. Though she didn't disclose when and what killed him, the actress and mom of two simply wrote;
''Dad!!! May your soul Rest In Peace!! I tried Dad! I did!! We love you but God knows best!!! #iwish i can turn back the hands of time''.
Russia’s national team will be missing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) handed down a four year ban over doping.
Russia will also not be able to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and other major sporting events during the period.
WADA accused Moscow of falsifying data from its anti-doping laboratory.
However, Russian sportsmen and women would be allowed to compete at the two Olympics only if they can demonstrate that they were not part of what WADA believes was a state-sponsored system of doping.
A spokesperson for WADA, whose executive committee is meeting in Lausanne, said: “The full list of recommendations by Compliance Committee have been unanimously accepted.”
The ban was long anticipated.
Under the ban, Russian government officials would be barred from attending any major events, while the country would lose the right to host, or even bid, for tournaments.
Full disclosure of data from the Moscow laboratory was a key condition of Russia’s controversial reinstatement by WADA in September 2018.
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) had been suspended for nearly three years previously over revelations of a vast state-supported doping programme.
Former prisoner John Anthony Crilly, who robbed Nigerian businessman Augustine Maduemezia in his Manchester home in 2005 has turned out to be one of the heroes, who subdued the London Bridge terrorist, Usman Khan.
Crilly, armed with a fire extinguisher, followed Khan to the bridge after fighting him at Fishmonger’s Hall where he had fatally stabbed Cambridge graduates, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones. Crilly, in an act captured on CCTV, then sprayed Khan with the extinguisher, in the hope of short-circuiting the suicide vest Khan claimed he was wearing.
The ex-prisoner aimed the extinguisher on Khan’s eyes and sooner covered him in foam, allowing others including a hero with a narwhal tusk to subdue the terrorist.
Khan’s explosive vest proved to be fake, but Crilly did not know that and told the Mirror he had hoped to short-circuit the device.
‘At first, I thought throw that at him, then I thought I could spray it and soak the belt, maybe short-circuit the belt,’ Crilly said.
‘I started spraying him and it seemed to do the job. I was spraying it in his eyes. He was all covered in foam and then he came bursting through it again with the knives.’
After following him to the bridge, Crilly kept spraying him with the fire extinguisher. Describing the effect of his efforts, he added: ‘He [Khan] can’t see and that gives the whale guy a chance to give him a poke.’
Crilly, a former heroin addict, was originally found guilty of murdering and robbing the 71-year-old Maduemezia in his home on February 8, 2005 and jailed for life, with a minimum term of 20 years.
He was sentenced in December 2005.
Crilly stole a blender and a mobile phone in the bungled burglary in which his accomplice was found to have been the killer of the Nigerian.
He spent 13 years in prison until his murder conviction was quashed following a Supreme Court ruling on joint enterprise law.
In April 2018 Crilly pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was re-sentenced to 18 years in prison.
He was told he would serve half of the sentence in prison, but having done time since 2005 he had already completed the nine years required and was released on license.
The Supreme Court ruled that the law on joint enterprise, where defendants are prosecuted for murder even if they did not strike the fatal blow, had been misinterpreted.
One of Crilly’s friends, Michelle Feather, wrote on Facebook: ‘I honestly think your friend would be proud of you John Crilly for your actions, so many people could have died if it wasn’t for your quick thinking!! Be proud of yourself.
‘You’re a brave man John massive hugs to you!! Would have you by my side any day you deserve a medal.’
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has postponed the presentation of an Integrity Award to the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo amidst protests over the tightening of space for freedom of expression in the country.
Osinbajo was slated to be presented with the award as part of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting holding on Monday night in Lagos, which coincides with the World Anti-Corruption Day.
The plan to honour Osinbajo however generated protests as some Nigerians took to social media querying the timing of the award.
However, Executive Director/CEO of the Centre, Motunrayo Alaka, in a statement posted on the organization’s Twitter page @WSoyinkaCentre at 2:32 am on Monday announced the postponement of the award to Osinbajo.
She said the postponement was in response to the protest against what she called, “the repression of freedom of speech” by the present administration, citing the case of the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement and Sahara Reporters’ Publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
She wrote: “The postponement was decided on, to align with protests against the repression of #FreedomOfSpeech in recent times, especially the incidence between the Department of State Security (DSS) and @YeleSowore, Publisher of @SaharaReporters, on Friday 6 December.
“The Vice President @ProfOsinbajo himself shares this awareness and the inappropriateness of the award at this point.”
Carroll Spinney, the man behind Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for nearly 50 years, has died. He died at the age of 85 on Sunday.
Spinney died in his home in Connecticut, and had been living with dystonia, a disorder that causes a person's muscles to contract uncontrollably, a Sesame Workshop statement announced on Sunday.
"Since 1969, Caroll's kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street," the nonprofit organization behind the beloved children's show said. "His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while."
"Sesame Street is proud to carry his legacy — and his beloved characters — into the future. Our hearts go out to his beloved wife, Debra, and all of his children and grandchildren. We miss him dearly."
Many people where shocked when CDQ took to social media to 'embarrass' his colleague -- Mochedah, saying the songstress would have been the most sexiest artist that ever came out of Nigeria, but she lost the title due to too much d--ks.
Shortly after his claim, many went after him, calling it distasteful as Mochedah is fully married. Some also demanded he shows receipts of his claims.
CDQ however gave the award to Tiwa Savage, declaring her as a saint.
He said; ''Omoooo forget Tiwa Savage still remain the most sexy artist Nig ever produced.vIfwould have been Mo’cheda dat year but oko ti poju mami looo.Just thinking out loud.''
Yomi Black has dared Toke Makinwa to show Nigerians how she funds her lifestyle. This is coming after Toke Makinwa chastised Nigerians for always calling out their celebrities for things they are now praising Cardi for. Yomi said Toke should hide behind being an OAP and actress, because he knows how much that brings to the table, and neither should she claim her endorsement funds her, cus they are all in the industry together.
Though it was a repost, many took it to be Yomi Black's post, and after a few back lash, he made another post saying he gives no fccks -- meaing he is owing up to it.
Toke's initial post;
What Yomi shared;
''You see why people love someone like Cardi B? She owns her shit, just like the Kardashians. You get what you expect. She hasn't denied being a stripper or enjoying showing her body. She doesn't go around forming motivational speaker and quoting Bible passages on social media like some Saint. Dear Toke, I dare you to openly show how you can afford your lifestyle. And don't come with shit like you're and actress or OAP because we all know how much both earn. Also don't spew shit about endorsement deals because we are in marketing communications and know how much these deals are worth. This has got to be the most hypocritical post of 2019. Copied from @sojioguns.''
An update from him after few of Toke's fans attacked him;
Mrs. Rachael Adewumi, founder of TAKEM Empowerment Initiatives (TEIs), an NGO, has advised women against remaining full-time housewives.
Adewumi, at an end-of-year party on Sunday in Abuja, urged women to get an employment or learn a trade.
The party was organised by the NGO to support widows with household items.
Adewumi explained that it was no longer news that a lot of women go into depression as a result of the sudden death of their husbands, who were the bread winners of the family.
“Such narrative must change; women should be allowed to work to support their husbands so that they won’t be a burden to anyone when their husbands are not there.
“A lot of them with nothing to fall back on, end up dying as well, leaving the children to suffer in the hands of the society or relatives.
“Some even go into prostitution and are exposed to diseases. It is necessary for us to advise women not to rely solely on their husbands, ” she said.
According to her, the NGO has empowered 500 Abuja rural women to improve and sustain their livelihoods through different support programmes.
She added that women ready to learn had been supported through scholarships and payment of school fees across the three levels of education in the country. She said that youths and widows had benefited from conventional training and starter packs with which to start up businesses.
Operatives of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad , SARS Katsina State Police Command have arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly masterminding the kidnap of his six-year-old step-sister in Makera Funtua Local Government Area of the state.
The victim, Asiya Kazeem was abducted while returning from an Islamic school on April 16,2019.
During investigation, the suspect, Ibrahim Kazeem, confessed to have conspired with his girlfriend, whom he identified simply as Murja, to abduct the victim, adding that she was kept in Talata Mafara Local Government area of Zamfara state, under his girlfriend’s watch.
Thereafter, he disclosed that he gave the gang his father’s telephone number to contact him and demand ransom for the victim’s release.
As the negotiation for ransom pegged at N3 million was ongoing, Ibrahim was alleged to have been relating the situation back home to the gang.
Police sources hinted that, “he eventually pleaded with the gang to accept the N200,000 ransom as bargained by his father. He told them that everyone was traumatised already. Following his intervention on phone, the gang accepted.
His elder brother was invited by the kidnap gang to come with the money and pick his sister. But they kept tossing him here and there in order to ensure he was not coming with the police.
“At the end, he was asked to drop the money at a designated place where there were many people.
From there, they asked him to go and pass the night at a school where the child would be brought to him. Later they changed their mind and asked him to sleep at the motor park.
Around 2am, they called him on the phone to go and pick the abducted girl at a designated place.
They ordered him to go immediately and pick her before another group would kidnap her”.
The case according to the Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, was transferred to the State Criminal Interrogation and Intelligence Department, SCIID where SARS operatives took over the case”.
On his part, Ibrahim, blamed himself for listening to his girlfriend. He said, “my girlfriend came visiting and I kept her in an apartment detached from our main building. Nobody knew she was in that house. But during her stay, I could not give her money.
She suggested that we should abduct my step -daughter so as to raise the money to give her. She said my father would not hesitate to bring out money for ransom.
On the day she was returning from Islamic school, I took her to my girlfriend who was on a motorbike. I had to appeal to them to release her because of the tension Asiya’s disappearance caused. Now I am ashamed of myself “.
The command spokesman said that efforts were still on to apprehend Ibrahim’s girlfriend who fled immediately she got wind of his arrest , as well as other members of the gang.
The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries Int., Apostle Johnson Suleiman has declared support for the re-election of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who he said, deserved a second term on account of his exceptional performance in major sectors of the state.
He said this while addressing journalists in Auchi, Estako West Local Government Area of the state after the Annual Thanksgiving Service of the Church.
He noted that the governor has done well and deserved reelection while commending the developmental strides being recorded across the state.
He said, “We have a governor who goes far to bring investors and makes sure they invest in the state.
“The education system is solid, pensioners are happy, and everything is fine. As we get into Edo 2020, we are believing God that there is going to be peace. The governor will come back and we believe God will help us.”
He said the governor has brought peace and sanity to the state, noting, “We can see every aspect of government is getting needed attention. The governor has done well in areas of education, agriculture and infrastructural development. It is not about starting the project but about excellence.”
Speaking during the thanksgiving service, Governor Godwin Obaseki urged for more prayers for the state and country. The governor reiterated that he would continue to sue for peace in the state but not to the detriment of the welfare of the people, stressing,, “If we have to fight to make Edo better, I will do so, If we have to fight to put food on the table of the poor, we will do so.”
The Purple Hibiscus Creative Writing workshop will have a new home this year.
Now in its 11th year, the workshop, which is organized by multiple award-winning Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, will hold in Awka, Anambra State, from December 9 to December 14, 2019.
It has previously been held in Lagos. Alongside Chimamanda, sessions at past workshops have been facilitated by the late celebrated Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, the National Librarian of Norway Aslak Myhre, NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature winner Chika Unigwe, the Poet laureate of Scotland Jackie Kay, and the award-winning American novelist Dave Eggers.
The facilitators for this year include author, Eghosa Imasuen of Narrative Landscape Press, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, award-winning Zimbabwean writer and Lola Shoneyin, renowned author and director of Ake Literary Festival The workshop has over 200 alumni, including Miles Morland Writing Scholarship Recipient Eloghosa Osunde, Ayobami Adebayo, whose debut novel Stay With Me was shortlisted for the Baileys Prize, Jowhor Ile, the first Nigerian winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature, for his debut novel, And After Many Days, and Writivism Prize winners, Kelechi Njoku and Pemi Aguda.
Saudi Arabia will no longer require restaurants to have separate entrances segregated by sex, the government says.
Previously, it was mandatory to have one entrance for families and women, and another for men on their own.
The restrictions had already been quietly eased in practice, with many restaurants, cafes and other meeting places no longer enforcing segregation.
A series of sweeping social reforms in Saudi Arabia has been accompanied by an intensified crackdown on dissent.
Earlier this year, a royal decree allowed Saudi women to travel abroad without a male guardian's permission, and in 2018 the Gulf kingdom ended a decades-long ban on female drivers.
But activists complain that many laws discriminatory against women remain in place. And several prominent women's rights advocates have been arrested even as the government has made reforms.
Sanna Marin, aged 34, will become the world's youngest prime minister as head of a women-led coalition government in Finland.
The transportation minister was picked by her Social Democratic party to take charge after PM Antti Rinne quit. She is expected to be sworn in this week.
She will lead a centre-left coalition of five parties all headed by women.
Mr Rinne stepped down after losing the confidence of a coalition member over his handling of a postal strike.
When she takes office, Ms Marin will be the world's youngest sitting prime minister.
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Centre for Ilorin Studies will on December 12, 2019, honour All Progressives Congress (APC) National Stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
This is in recognition of his contributions to the development of humanity, Director of the centre, Dr Ibrahim Jawondo, has said.
He added: “UNILORIN, under the auspices of the Centre for Ilorin Studies, known for hunting distinguished personalities who have and are contributing to the development of the humanity, will be honouring the Asiwaju of Lagos-turned Asiwaju of Africa with award of excellence on December 12, 2019.
“The award is based on his track record of contributions to growth of Nigeria(ns) and humanity at large.”
The contributions of the frontline politician, Jawondo said, distinguish him as “the pace setter for good governance in Nigeria, as demonstrated while he was the governor of Lagos State; as a democrat with goal-oriented thought and activities; as a talent hunter and developer, as evident in the collection and attainment of his political associates; a politician who his guided by the spirit of one Nigeria; as a detribalised Nigeria and as a lover of the downtrodden masse”.
A six-year-old boy born with a 'tail' is being worshipped as a monkey god, but his parents have been forced to hide him away due to the attention.
Shivam Kumar's neighbours believe he is a divine being due to the unusual growth of hairs on his back, so they shower him with chocolates and snacks.
They flocked to see him as word spread after he was born in Delhi, India, and some came with flowers believing he was a reincarnation of Hanuman, a powerful monkey deity for Hindus.
The growth shocked doctors and Shivam's parents, including his mother Reena, 30, refuse to shave it off because "it would bring a bad omen for our family".
The incessant visits took place for almost a full year before the family's local guru asked them to stop letting people carry on with worshipping him as a God.
The guru said it would have untold effects on his psyche in later life.
Since then, the boy has been living his life normally, but continues to be pampered by his neighbours.
His mother said: "Everyone loves him so much in my neighbourhood.
"Initially, it caused a problem for us as people would visit our house every other day which would hinder our daily lives.
"Our guru suggested asking people to stop this madness and let them live their life, so we followed his instructions and the people now have lessened approaching us although it has not stopped completely.
"Sometimes people would come and ask about Shivam but we would deny them by saying he is not in the house."
When asked if the doctors have suggested any treatment for Shivam, Reena is adamant "there is nothing wrong with my son as he is perfectly healthy".
Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe Sunday night after excelling through rounds of swimsuit and evening gown struts, questions on social issues and one final chance to explain why she was the right choice.
"I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me — with my kind of skin and my kind of hair — was never considered to be beautiful," she said in her last response. "I think it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."
The two runners-up for the crown were Miss Mexico and Miss Puerto Rico.
"If you do not use your beauty for your life's mission, it's just an empty ornament," Sofía Aragón, representing Mexico, said earlier in the competition.
Madison Anderson represented Puerto Rico.
Julia Goulding has welcomed her first child, a healthy baby boy.
The Coronation Street actress, 34, took to Instagram to confirm that she'd become a mum and revealed that she's named her son Franklin Wolf Silver.
Little Franklin was born on November 30 and the soap star shared a picture of herself in early labour when she went for a walk with her husband Ben Silver.
In the snap the then parents-to-be wrapped up warm as they walked through the woods together.
Julia captioned the photo: "Thank you to the lovely couple in the park who took this picture for us.
Natalie Nunn's husband has moved out of the family home after claims she slept with Dan Osborne behind his back.
American football player Jacob Payne, 29, was seen putting cardboard boxes into a moving van following reports that he'd dumped the reality TV star.
It was reported Natalie had a threesome with Dan, who is married to and shares two children with I'm A Celeb's Jacqueline Jossa, and their CelebrityBig Brother co-star Chloe Ayling , which Dan denies.
On Sunday Jacob, who plays for the Arizona Rattlers, looked glum as he moved his belongings out of their house in the US.
It came after it was reported that he'd dumped Natalie after seven years of marriage.
A source told The Sun : "Jacob was so angry when the story came out last night. He has gone to stay with friends and says he needs some time alone.
"It's not looking good and the scandal has broken up their marriage. Natalie is devastated and cannot believe this is happening."
Chloe came forward to say they had a threesome together after a wild night out.
The model said she wanted to confess because she felt bad for Dan's wife Jacqueline who will be unaware of the new claims.
She claimed to The Sun that after a night of boozing and partying - which saw the stars papped together - they went back to a hotel and engaged in sexual activity together.
Chloe claims that she watched Dan have full sex with Natalie, who was married to Jacob at the time, before kissing and performing a sex act on Chloe.
But Dan has angrily denied that anything happened between them.
While they did go out partying together that night, Dan says that absolutely nothing happened between them and denies that he was unfaithful to Jacqueline, with whom he shares daughters Ella, four, and Mia, one.
A representative for Dan told Mirror Online: "This story is not true and Dan will be seeking legal advice."
