Jennifer Lopez's high school boyfriend David Cruz has died aged 51. Cruz died in New York on Saturday after being admitted to Mount Sinai West Hospital in Manhattan.
He dated superstar Jennifer Lopez when they were teenagers and they were together for around 10 years.
TMZ.com reports Cruz died of heart disease.
Cruz's longtime partner Isa, told the website: "He was kind and loving.
"He never held on to anything and was always very open. He was a devoted father, he helped raise his step-son who is now in the Marines.
"He loved the Yankees and Knicks. He loved going to the theatre with me. My favorite moment was family date night, because it wasn't just special for me but for the kids as well.
"He always made sure to end things with an 'I love you.'"
Jennifer was just 15 when she got together with Cruz, who was a year older than her at 16.
They were together for around a decade before parting ways in the mid-1990s just as the singer/actress was finding her feet in showbiz.
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to reports that his son refused to isolate himself upon return.
Atiku had on Sunday revealed that his son tested positive for the deadly disease.
He said he has been moved to Gwagwalada specialist hospital.
But reports on Monday emerged that Atiku’s son attended a popular club in Abuja, as well as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s rally that was held in Ibadan.
But reacting Atiku in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe debunked the reports.
Describing the reports as a ‘false narrative,’ Atiku said his son returned to the country on 17th March via Switzerland from some business engagements in France and Switzerland and isolated himself when he returned to Abuja.
He urged Nigerians to disregard the ‘perfidious information that his son accessed open location.
The statement reads, “The clinical case attended a private meeting of six (6) persons same day in Lagos, stayed in his private house for the night and took an Aero 5.20pm flight to Abuja on the 18th.
“The case did not travel with his family or any other but travelled alone by Emirates Airline.
The case wore face mask as a precautionary measure since his arrival in Nigeria.
“The case did not show symptoms of infection and voluntarily placed a call to NCDC on arrival in Abuja late on the 18th to inform them he had returned from COVID-19 prone country and desired to be tested.
“On the 19th, NCDC took his blood sample which result came positive on the 20th. He subsequently went into self-isolation to protect his family within his own house.
“Meantime his son has since tested negative while his wife’s result is being awaited. The two persons are currently in self-isolation.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the perfidious information that the case accessed open location. He was not at Play Lounge nor any other club in Abuja as being mischievously bandied about.
“The case neither attended the Friday Jumu’a prayers nor any social gathering until his evacuation to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital on the 20th where he is being treated and managed.
“We thank Nigerians for their prayers and support through this difficult time. Once again, it needs to be restated that the risk and danger of #COVID19 is real.”
Four persons have been apprehended by the operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Nasarawa State for alleged involvement in examination malpractices.
They were apprehended on Saturday during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Lafia on Sunday, the NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Mamoud Fari, said the suspects were arrested in Karu and Akwanga local government areas and at the Ta’al e-Library in the Lafia Local Government Area of the state.
He said the suspects were arrested while committing the crime at the various examination centres, adding, “The command will not allow this to continue in this country otherwise, the country will collapse one day.”
Fari noted that some of the suspects were hired to write the examination by some students, adding that nobody was above the law.
“It is very unfortunate that our leaders of tomorrow have become criminals at tender ages. If they have started committing crime at this age, what will happen when they become leaders of this country?” he asked.
The commander stated that the suspects would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others in the state, adding that they risked 21 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
In an interview with our correspondent, the Zonal Director in charge of Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states, Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, Dr Mamud Adamu, said the suspects were caught impersonating candidates for the examination.
He said the JAMB management had put in place drastic measures to checkmate irregularities during its examinations in the state.
One of the suspects, Joshua Aziah, admitted to the crime and pleaded for forgiveness.
Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old man, Habeeb Kasali, for allegedly killing his wife’s suspected lover, Bamidele Johnson.
Kasali was reported to have used a pair of scissors to stab Johnson several times in his chest, eye and neck, which led to his death.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Oyeyemi said the suspect killed the deceased based on suspicion that he was having an affair with his wife.
According to the PPRO, the suspect was arrested following a complaint by a relation of the deceased at the Igbesa Police Divisional Headquarters.
Oyeyemi stated, “The complainant informed the police that a fight ensued between the suspect and the deceased at the Totowu area, when the suspect confronted the deceased with the accusation of having an affair with his wife despite several warnings from him.
“In the process, the suspect used a pair of scissors to stab the deceased several times in his chest, eye and neck as a result of which the deceased lost consciousness.
“He was immediately rushed to the Crest Hospital on Isuti Road, Egan, Lagos State, where he was confirmed to have been brought in dead by a doctor.
“Having realised that the victim had died, the suspect took to his heels, but the DPO, Igbesa Divisional Headquarters, SP Abayomi Adeniji, quickly dispatched his detectives to go after him and he was eventually arrested from where he ran to.
“The corpse of the deceased has been recovered and deposited in the Ota General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.”
Oyeyemi added that the state Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.
A commercial motorcyclist, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was on Sunday crushed to death by a truck in Osogbo, Osun State.
The crash occurred at the popular Olaiya junction around 5.15pm, when a truck coming from the Ogo Oluwa end of the Gbongan/Osogbo Road ran over the motorcyclist, who was said to be waiting for the traffic light to give him the go-ahead to proceed to the MDS end of the road.
A Toyota Camry car with four occupants was also damaged by the truck, but the occupants escaped unhurt.
The crash caused gridlock on the busy Gbongan/Osogbo Road as many commuters were held in traffic for several hours.
A shop owner at the Olaiya junction, Ola Adesegun, told punch correspondent that immediately the crash occurred, the truck driver attempted to flee the scene, but he was caught and handed over to the police.
He stated, “The crash occurred around 5.15pm when a truck coming from the Ogo Oluwa end ran over a commercial motorcyclist, who was waiting for the traffic light at the MDS end and killed him on the spot.
“The two passengers being conveyed by the deceased at the time the accident occurred, however, escaped.
“A Toyota Camry coming from the Odi Olowo end was also damaged by the truck.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed the crash.
She said a commercial motorcyclist was killed in the crash, adding that the FRSC personnel were working to clear the gridlock.
Lagos-based preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has asked the Presidency to address the rumours surrounding Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Bakare, who is the Serving Overseer, Dominion Hall, Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly) said this while delivering a sermon on Sunday.
There have been reports in the last couple of months about a strained relationship between Osinbajo and the cabal at the Presidency which culminated in the sacking and redeployment of some of the Vice-President’s aides.
Osinbajo was also relieved of some duties such as overseeing the Social Investment Programme and the economic advisory team.
Bakare, however, said there was a need for the Presidency to speak up.
He said, “It is my considered opinion that all the rumour mills and things going around the Vice-President in this nation, the government must address this country and tell the plain truth about what is going on instead of letting people to continue to make guesses that are unprofitable for our nation or anybody.
“And if they don’t want to say anything, then let them not say but stop this nonsense that is going on. You have a moral responsibility to account for the mess that is going on if you don’t stop it.”
Bakare, who was running mate to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 2011, said he never begged to be Buhari’s running mate.
He said no one could relegate him having “gained access” to the mountain.
The cleric added, “I didn’t apply to be running mate. I was minding my business when I was called. They gave me access into the mountain and you can’t check me out of the place. No.”
Bakare said the Bible “is replete with examples of persons who were nowhere but God elevated them.”
He said characters like Joseph and David received accelerated promotion and ensured that they utilised the opportunity to the full.
The cleric compared that to the case of Osinbajo.
Bakare stated, “I am not sure Osinbajo was a party man. I am not sure he was there when the APC was being formed. I moved the motion for the merger of the CPC and the ACN at the Eagle Square. He was not anywhere around there that day. In fact, I can tell you that he went to the Supreme Court to argue a case on that day when they were looking for him… one day I will tell you the story of what transpired that night.
“Until the kings of the mountain give you access, you cannot do anything on that mountain. But when they give you access, you must know how to carry yourself upon the mountain.”
Fear gripped residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Saturday, as a 17-year-old boy suspected to have developed symptoms of coronavirus was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
But the Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, Prof. Telumun Swende, in a statement, allayed the people’s fears, noting that the teenager was only suffering from common cold.
Swende said, “Earlier today (Saturday), a young man of about 17 years, who had cold and cough presented himself at our facility and informed the medical personnel on duty that he suspected that he had COVID-19.
“However, upon examination, our team of doctors discovered that he had no symptoms of COVID-19.
“Interaction with the patient revealed that he had not travelled out of Benue State for several years and has almost zero per cent chances of contracting the virus.
“It was discovered that he became unnecessarily agitated due to wrong interpretation of COVID-19 symptoms he had read and heard from the social media.
“He was promptly treated and allowed to go home. We wish to use this medium to appeal to social media bloggers and other users to be cautious of what they post on COVID-19, to avoid creating unnecessary panic.
“We wish to assure all and sundry that there’s no suspected case of COVID-19 at BSUTH, Makurdi at the moment.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will arraign the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, for N3 billion graft.
She will be arraigned before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.
The ex-HOS was sacked in September last year after about N600 million was allegedly found in the bank account of her aide.
EFCC investigations reportedly traced about N3bn to Oyo-Ita said to be kickbacks on contracts, illegal estacodes and duty tour allowance received from the government.
Oyo-Ita would be arraigned alongside her special assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd.; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd.; Gooddeal Investments Ltd.
Other defendants include U & U Global Services Ltd., belonging to Effiok and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.
A statement in Abuja on Sunday, by the acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, said they would be arraigned for fraud in relation to DTA, estacodes, conference fees fraud and receiving kick-backs on contracts.
It said, “During investigation, it was discovered that Oyo-Ita, in her roles in the civil service as Director, Permanent Secretary and Head of Service, used her companies as well as Effiok and Umar’s companies as fronts to receive kickbacks from contractors of various ministries and parastatals where she worked.
“The former head of service in collusion with Effiok who was her Special Assistant, along with one Titus Tomsin, made bogus claims of fictitious DTA, estacodes, conference fees which were paid by the government to the accounts of the suspects.”
A 95-year-old grandmother has become the oldest known woman in Italy to recover from coronavirus.
The northern region of Italy has been hit hard by the pandemic, while the country overall now has 53,578 confirmed cases with 4,825 deaths.
Alma Clara Corsini was among those diagnosed with the virus and was admitted to hospital in Pavullo on March 5.
But doctors and specialists oversaw her remarkable recovery and she has become the first person in the northern province of Modena to recover from coronavirus.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ she said earlier this week. ‘They were good people who looked after me well.’
According to Gazzetta Di Modena, doctors confirmed she was able to recover without ‘antiviral therapy’ and her body showed a ‘great reaction’. Ms Corsini has now been discharged from hospital and has returned to her home in Fanano.
As the coronavirus pandemic has threatened to bring the US to a halt, a s.e.x worker has lifted the lid on what will happen to her line of work.
Alice Little, who is the highest-earning licensed s.e.x worker at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Nevada, US, admitted that she was worried business would be impacted negatively.
She told how the viral outbreaks and the fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the business of a s.e.x worker.
The 29-year-old s.e.x entrepreneur said: “S.e.x workers are often stigmatised as diseased trollops to begin with.
“Combine that stereotype with even more societal anxiety over a dangerous virus like COVID-19, and s.e.x workers could wrongly be viewed as walking Petri dishes that should be avoided at all costs."
According to MEA Worldwide (MEAWW), Alice said that s.e.x workers have the right to refuse any client for any reason.
The s.e.x worker said she expected to see cancellations after the announcement of the first confirmed case in Nevada, but that “exact opposite occurred”.
She claims that this increase is down to the “basic human need for connection during stressful times”.
Alice continued: “It goes to show that, in times of crisis, the need for human connection transcends the fear of the unknown.
“When society is faced with an alarming situation rife with uncertainty, people yearn to be with others that will hold them close, listen to them, and remind them why life is worth living."
The escort believes that s.e.x workers offer more than just a physical connection, adding: “Oftentimes, we are our clients' most trusted confidants.
“Clients share their deepest emotional secrets and most tender vulnerabilities with s.e.x workers.
“So it makes sense to me why many people would want to be with s.e.x workers when political or health crises emerge."
The coronavirus cases in the country increased from 22 on Saturday to 31 on Sunday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, on its twitter handle said the cases included 22 in Lagos State, four in the Federal Capital Territory, one in Oyo State and one in Ekiti State.
The centre said the two in Ogun State, including the Italian index case, had tested negative and had been discharged.
The NCDC stated, “Three new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Lagos, Nigeria. Two cases are returning travellers and one is a contact of a confirmed case. As of 05:28 pm on the 22nd of March, there are 30 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. Two have been discharged with no deaths.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine after a doctor who administered a vaccine to her tested positive for Covid-19.
Merkel’s spokesman said she was informed about the doctor’s test shortly after holding a news conference on Sunday announcing new measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, added Merkel had received a precautionary vaccine on Friday against pneumococcal infection. Seibert said in a statement that Merkel, 65, would undergo ‘regular tests’ in the coming days and continue with her work from home for the time being.
Two brothers have described speaking to their grandparents through a window as ‘weird’ but added it was necessary to keep them safe during the coronavirus outbreak. Isaac and Ben Rickett, six and eight respectively, brought their grandma Sue, 68, flowers and a card that read: ‘Happy Grandma’s Day!’
The family from Knutsford, Cheshire, took the decision to speak through the patio window in keeping with social distancing advice amid the coronavirus outbreak. Ben said: ‘It felt like it was happy and weird at the same time but it’s important for us to stay away from grandma and grandpa at the moment because of coronavirus.
‘Grandma really loved us coming to see her. I think she feels a bit sad that she can’t let anybody in or come out of her house very often. ‘We think our card cheered her up a lot.’
Isaac added: “It felt strange not being able to give grandma a big cuddle like I normally do.”
Sue and her husband Alan, 71, usually see their grandchildren regularly as their son, photographer Martin Rickett, lives nearby. Sue said: ‘It was lovely to see them as we haven’t this past week except for occasions through the window.’
She added: ‘We had a good chat and a giggle through the patio door. ‘It was strange, but we were making the most of it really and I think that’s what you’ve got to do – it’s very important people do this, it makes you feel so much better to see them.’ Sue said she and Alan will video call their other two grandchildren, who live further away.
A Premier League footballer allegedly slept with his wife's sister - after boredom from coronavirus isolation took over.
The unnamed star is alleged to have got 'wrecked' in an attempt to cope with the general lack of direction in his life after sport was cancelled by the virus.
Top flight football has been suspended until April 4, the Champions League and Europa League have been pushed back indefinitely and the European Championships have been postponed until summer 2021.
The virus has forced many Premier League squads into self-isolation after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
And psychologist Steve Pope has revealed that the impact on the mental health of footballers is causing huge problems which clubs may not have accounted for once the virus began it's spread across the globe.
“Premier League players have so much money, on the face of it they should have no concerns. But they desperately miss the celebrity aspect of performing and turn to other things, usually bad for them or destructive," Pope wrote in The Sun.
“One player phoned the other day to say, ‘I got wrecked and ended up sleeping with my wife’s sister’.
“Many players are mentally lazy. They are told when to train, what to eat, where to turn up, how to play.
“The ones I have spoken to are suffering from stress and anxiety, moving already towards depression.
“Some are devastated by not knowing when they’ll be able to not only play again, but train with their mates.
“Those from lower league clubs are desperately worried about their future.
“They are like, ‘I’m in the last season of my contract, I’m 33, I was playing for a new one. Now if the season doesn’t finish, how can I prove myself? How do I earn money?"
Nigerian Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal popularly known as KWAM 1 thrilled guests at a party with songs teaching safety precautions against coronavirus.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory disease that originated from Wuhan, China in 2019. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the infection, a pandemic after it rapidly spread among continents.
The musician was at a party, somewhere in Nigeria with his band and he sang about use of hand sanitizers, the safety in social distancing and also acknowledge the efforts of the Nigerian government.
Award-winning actress, Bukunmi Oluwashina has debunked the rumours that she is a lesbian.
According to the Nollywood thespian, she said even though she dresses like a Tomboy she is not in any way a lesbian and that she has numerous boyfriends.
The actress who recently became a producer cum director after she worked on her personal project titled “Traffic”, made the statement in a chat with newsmen.
She said, “Tomboy does not mean you are a lesbian, as a matter of fact, I don’t get to keep girlfriends (Female friends) closer like I do keep my boyfriends. The closest people around me are all guys, plenty. And all we do is to discuss business not prick (Laughs). Productive conversation is the only thing that can get me addicted to someone. I’m not that romantic like people think. I’m a freaking introvert”.
“But When its time for you all to meet my man, when he shows up, you probably see him. Not promising though because I love a private life. I always don’t like talking about or posting the most beautiful part of my life on the media, because people ruin beautiful things. I kinda have anthropophobia. But God would help me when that time comes sha. The most important thing now is hustle”, she added.
Veteran movie producer, Wale Adenuga has disclosed that most Nigerian actors are poor and are suffering needlessly, calling for a reform of the nation’s movie industry.
The movie entrepreneur also noted that other actors who are living large are getting by through the support of wealthy sugar daddies and sugar mummies.
According to him, the lack of structure in the industry has led to the rise of cabals who are against any meaningful change in the industry.
According to Punch, Adenuga spoke at the launch of his PEFTI Film Institute in Ibadan during the week.
He said he created the institute for training of actors, producers, and the likes, saying it is not a film theatre.
“If things are not checked, there are disasters ahead. The cinemas that we have are too elitist in outlook and the common man cannot afford the luxury. What we need are community cinema houses where people can pay as low as N500.
“If Nollywood is well structured, there would be pension and health insurance schemes to the advantage of practitioners but that is not the case at the moment. What we have are self creations and growth of cabals.
“When there is no structure, there would be cabals. That is why there is a high prevalence of abuse in the industry. PEFTI has come to Ibadan to liberate potential female actresses. As a student with PEFTI, you can feature in our films. Every production house has formed a cabal but PEFTI is a platform where budding talents can express themselves and get exposed.
“A lot is going on in Nollywood and this is encouraged by lack of structure. Nollywood is the only industry that has no united front. In Nollywood, it is an all-comers affair. Anybody can become a director. There are no ethics and no professionalism. I can say that 90 percent of the popular artistes in the industry do not belong to any association.
“I can name actors that died without proper care. Our members are too proud whereas all is not well with Nollywood. We just grandstand and create the wrong impression. It is only the men that are painting the real picture in Nollywood and it is the picture of poverty. People who are enjoying the muddy water of the Nollywood will not want things to be reformed. Many of them lift themselves by using sugar daddies and sugar mummies,” Adenuga said.
