FG pledges to refund expenditure on federal roads to state govts

Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing on Thursday pledged the commitment of the Federal Government to refund expenditure on the execution of federal roads to state governments.

Fashola, who stated this in Ado-Ekiti during a courtesy visit to Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, said the planned refund followed request by several state governments.

Doctor jumps into Lagos lagoon

•Police lead rescue operation

In what appeared to be a suicide, a medical doctor, Allwell Oji, jumped into the Lagos lagoon yesterday. The incident happened at 4:45pm on Third Mainland Bridge when Oji, 35, was on his way to Victoria Island where he was going to attend a Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) meeting.

Zimbabwean boxer kills himself to avoid being deported from the UK

A former boxer apparently killed himself rather than face deportation back to Zimbabwe from the UK.
Bhekitshe Moyo had lived in London for 15 years but had recently been informed he would have to leave. Moyo, 42, a former bank manager, taught boxing to children near his home in Wallington.

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigeria, South Africa agree terms

Nigeria and South Africa have agreed to setup a new mechanism tagged the Early Warning Unit to proffer a lasting solution to repeated attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in a joint briefing with the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd) at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja yesterday described the initiative as the concrete outcome of their meeting with the South African government.

Only an Igbo Man Can Rescue Nigeria from Recession - Primate Ayodele Talks on the Nation's Economic Woes

The Spiritual head of INRI Spiritual Evangelical Church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has stated that the only way to end recession in Nigeria is to appoint an Igbo indigene to manage the economy.

He advocated that the head of Nigeria’s Economic Team and the Minister of Finance should be an Igbo, and warned that failure to do this would see the country go in circles.

If You Leave Your Marriage Because Your Husband Cheats, You Are A Fool - Nollywood Actress

                   

Nolywood actress, Seyi Hunter, has some words of advise per se for colleagues Lilian Esoro and Tonto Dikeh.

The actress, in a recent interview with Potpourri bared her thoughts on the many cases of infidelity rocking some marriages in the industry.

In her words:

I Hawked Locally Fried Plantain While Growing up - Toyin Aimakhu

            
Nollywood sensation, Toyin Abraham, in a new interview, opned up on a lot of things about herself.

During the interview, the 'Alakada reloaded' actress, revealed that she actually did hawk plantain while growing up.


Watch video below:

26 Things He Does That Make You Think He Likes You, But Really Mean Nothing

There’s a difference between someone being mildly interested in you and someone actually having feelings for you. 

Needless to say, that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. And by “room for interpretation,” I mean “room for us to overanalyze dumb stuff that literally means nothing at all.” The thing is, someone who really has feelings for you is going to do all of the things that a person who is mildly interested in you does. 

My wife is cheating on me, says police officer

A 37-year-old police officer, Adoyi Okiwori, yesterday approached a Lagos Island Customary Court seeking the dissolution of his three-year-old marriage over alleged infidelity of his wife.

Adoyi told the court that he met his wife, Grace, in Abuja while they were in the university and she got pregnant and gave birth to their five-year-old son, Divine.

He said they later got married on December 27, 2014, adding that the union was blissful until 2016 when he started noticing the strange behaviour of his wife.

Don't marry anyone who puts password on their phone -Counselor warns

A Ghanaian counselor has warned intending couples to avoiding marrying anyone who puts passwords on their phones..Counselor Adofoli wrote

If you are single and thinking of marriage then please don't marry anyone who puts passwords or locks on their phone as a form of security to prevent you from accessing their conversations.
They can surely do this for other security measures, but you must not be the reason for this action. I am very much aware that passwords or lock are for security purposes but one thing I don't approve of is when a spouse becomes the reason for that security measure.

How we got Turkish School kidnap suspects, by police

•One of the suspects holding the cash allegedly retrieved from him...yesterday and The other suspects being paraded ...yesterday PHOTO: POLICE

The Police have arrested four persons over the kidnap of some teachers and pupils of the Nigeria Tulip College (NTIC) in Isheri north of Ogun State on January 23.

The suspects are Bekewei Agbojule, aka Prince Yellow, Are Philip Joel Kakadu, aka “General Kakadu,” a militant leader, Romeo Council, aka Raw and Totki Okoda.

I Want To Thank My Husband For Being So Patient With Me, Omawunmi Writes As They Clock Two In Marriage

The singer took to IG about nine hours ago to thank her husband for being so patient with her and also gave herself a high five for being a fabulous WIFE! She wrote;

Ibinabo recounts pains of surgery, failed marriage

                            

It was a different kind of celebration for embattled actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima who clocked 44 years last Friday.The mother of three, at her birthday gig in Lekki Phase one, hosted her celebrity colleagues, the media and officials of Heritage Bank, sponsors of her annual scholarship scheme tagged ‘Go To School’, meant for kids under the age of 10.

It Was Strong Temptation That Made Me Rape My Wife's Niece - Married Father Of One Pleads

34-year old Kingsley Agbini, has developed stroke following accusations of raping his wife’s niece, Comfort, in their house at Agbarho Community in Ughelli North LGA of Delta State.

According to Dailypost, Agbini who is still recovering from the stroke, admitted to the crime revealing that he developed stroke after he raped the young girl, Comfort on 12 December, 2016, and his wife was told.

He said,

Southern Kaduna Crisis: Nigeria getting to point where human lives do not mean anything – Abdulsalami Abubakar

Former Military head of state, General Abubakar Abdulsalam (Rtd), the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Catholic Bishops of Abuja and Sokoto state, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, held a closed door meeting with Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai over killings in Southern Kaduna.

The elder statesman and religious leaders said it was part of efforts by the National Peace Committee to tackle the incessant attacks in the Southern part of Kaduna State.

Speaking shortly after the meeting with governor El-Rufai, General Abdulsalam said, “We are here due to the recent happenings in Southern Kaduna.

Victoria Beckham Regrets Getting A B*ob Job, Says It Was A Sign Of Insecurity

Over the two decades that have seen her shoot from obscurity to superstardom, Victoria Beckham's countless sartorial choices have been well documented.

But one of her biggest regrets when it comes to aesthetics - possibly more than any possible fashion faux - was her much talked-about move to enhance her bosom.

Woman caught trying to sneak her boyfriend out of jail in a suitcase

Antonieta Robles Saouda, 25, was arrested after she tried to break her boyfriend out of prison by stuffing him into a hot pink suitcase and wheeling him out, according to Central European News agency.

She went to the Jose Antonio Anzoategui prison in Venezuela with her 6-year-old daughter to visit her lover, Ibrain Jose Vargas Garcia, with a plan to leave the facility as a happy family.

Biafra: Court to rule Feb 10 on Kanu’s motion to quash charges

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed February 10 for ruling on a motion by Biafra agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking to quash the charge against him.

Justice Binta Nyako chose the date yesterday after listening to arguments for and against the motion by lawyers to Kanu and the prosecution.

Mikel gets N1.1b severance fee from Chelsea

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi despite getting a free transfer to China is reported to have also received a severance fee worth £2m (about N1.1b) from Chelsea, which is the total pay package of the last six months of his deal with the London side.

The report was coming on the heels of Mikel’s transfer to the Chinese league where he is to earn a whooping N78m weekly according to owngoal.com

Monkey caught trying to have sex with deer

But exceptional cases are known to occur, chiefly in domesticated and captive animals, scientists reported in the journal Primates.

In their study — only the second on the phenomenon — a Japanese macaque or “snow monkey” was filmed mounting at least two female Sika deer, much larger than itself.

Without penetration, the young monkey makes sexual movements while riding on the does’ backs on Japan’s Yakushima Island.

Ronaldo wins Best FIFA Men’s Player award

Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA’s Best Men’s Player for 2016 on Monday, beating Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann on the three-man shortlist to claim the prize in Zurich.

Ronaldo, who picked up his fourth Ballon d’Or in December, also landed the first separate FIFA prize since world football’s governing body and France Football announced in September that they would be presenting two separate awards.

The best (and worst) ways to beat mosquito bites

First one, then another. Bite! Slap! Bite! Before you know it, mosquitoes are descending from the skies to disrupt your backyard summer soiree.

How can such a tiny, fragile insect cause so much pain, suffering and annoyance?

Notwithstanding the death and disease that mosquito-borne pathogens cause around the world, the annoyance caused by mosquito bites can be seriously disruptive (and yes, they might bite you more than your friends). The reactions to bites can be severe, and when swarms of mosquitoes swell in the suburbs, the impacts can be substantial.

Conte Salutes Mikel’s Impact In Chelsea

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has praised Mikel Obi’s contribution to ‘The Blues’ in the 10 years he was at the club.

Mikel has left for Chinese club Tianjin Teda after he lost his first-team place on arrival of Conte at Stamford Bridge.

Electricity tariff hike: Court faults NERC, DISCOs

The application instituted by the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) for stay of action on the landmark judgment against electricity tariff hike has suffered a serious setback as the court has overruled the application.

In the ruling delivered by the Federal High Court Judge, Justice M.B Idris recently, the judge described the application to stay the judgment of the court as unreasonable, lacking in merit and therefore dismissed.

Buhari okays arms for airport security

                               

Airports security personnel will now bear arms, Minister of State (Aviation) Senator Hadi Sirika said yesterday.

He told reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting – the first in the year – that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the use of arms and ammunition by airport security personnel.

With Sirika were Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina.

Abuja airport to be closed on March 8

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja will be closed on March 8 for repairs, the Ministry of Transportation said yesterday.

The nation’s capital’s airport’s runway is to be reactivated after closure. It will last for six weeks

The announcement of the date, which was previously fixed for next month, was after a meeting between Minister of State (Aviation) Hadi Sirika and stakeholders in the sector. No reason was given for the date change.

35 killed in Istanbul nightclub attack

  
An official statement just released today on the Istanbul nightclub attack records at least 35 people were killed and 40 wounded when an attacker opened fire on New Year's revelers at a nightclub in Istanbul on Sunday, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters.

Jibrin to Dogara: Return $600,000 you took from Ibori

•You’re wrong, Speaker tells sacked committee chair

Sacked Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano), claimed yesterday that his fight against corruption in the Green Chamber has the backing of two international organisations.

He did not name the two organisations but challenged House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to publicly acknowledge the funding of his emergence as Speaker by former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

'Heavy Cold' Forces Queen Elizabeth II To Miss Christmas Church Service

                          

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, 90, missed a traditional Christmas church service on Sunday for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Elizabeth, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, and her husband Prince Philip, 95, suffering what the Palace described as heavy colds this week, delayed by a day the journey to their Sandringham country residence in eastern England. They traveled instead by helicopter on Thursday.

Let us talk, Buhari tells N’Delta militants

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday appealed to the militants vandalizing oil installations in the Niger Delta to come to the negotiation table in order to end their arms campaign in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Buhari said this would afford both the government and the militants the opportunity to decide how the nation’s resources could be managed instead of agitators picking up arms against their fatherland.

In 2017 Nigeria will thrive says Jonathan

Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has said the country will thrive in 2017.

He said this in his goodwill message to celebrate Christmas, where he urged all Nigerians to “treasure our common brotherhood”.


“The essential message of Christmas is that Christ came to earth to live and die for the purpose of reconciling us to God,” part of the message read.

Couple married 64yrs hold each other's hands before dying minutes apart

 

A couple married for 64 years spent their final few moments together clutching each other's hands tightly before dying minutes apart in neighbouring hospital beds.

Dolores Winstead, 83, and husband Trent Winstead, 88, from Tennessee died in Nashville's Saint Thomas West Hospital - five weeks short of their 64th wedding anniversary.Only days earlier Dolores had been completely healthy when Trent was admitted over his failing kidneys.

Adeboye commends Fayose’s boldness, prays for him

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has prayed for Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to succeed in standing up for the masses.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the cleric said the prayer during a visit to the state as part of his nationwide tour for the RCCG’s annual ‘Let’s go a-fishing’ programme.

I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

                       

The presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari did not snub organisers of the recent South-East Economic and Security Summit held in Enugu.

In a statement, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in Abuja on Friday that the President did not, and he absolutely had no reason to snub anyone.

No night journey for petrol drivers-FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday reiterated its total ban of petroleum tanker drivers from embarking on night journeys across the country from Monday, Dec.19.
Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that efforts had been put in place to impound any truck found contravening the order.

Buhari to launch N10 billion agric fund for women

President Muhammadu Buhari will, on Wednesday, launch a N10 billion agriculture environmental impact fund to support women farmers to increase access to food production.

These include women, whose farmlands were affected by environment degradation and terrorism.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by Dean, Agric Faculty, University of Abuja Prof. A.A. Adeniyi said the event by the Women Association for National Agriculture Environment Impact Fund (WAEIF), would focus on food increase to reduce impact of recession.

Muslims should abolish Shariah if they don’t like Christian courts — CAN Secretary

The General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Musa Asake, tells BAYO AKINLOYE that Muslims have no right to complain about a proposed bill to establish Christian courts across Nigeria

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs was reported to have described the Bill for Ecclesiastical (Christian) Courts in Nigeria as an invitation to chaos. What do you think?

Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Is Back At The $25 Billion Mark, For The First Time In Five Months.

The reserves, which shows the state of the country’s financial funds in other currencies, had fallen to an 11-year-low of $24.76 billion, earlier in 2016, recording its lowest point since June 2005.

According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the reserves rose to $25,043,149,161 as at Friday, December 16, 2016.

Nobody asked me to concede defeat, says Jonathan

                            
                         •Jonathan


Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said nobody outside or within the country asked him to concede defeat in the 2015 general elections to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He spoke at the second combined convocation ceremony of Bingham University, Nasarawa State.

The former president and an ex- military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon were honoured with a Doctor of Letters (Honaris Causa) by the university.

PHOTOS: British Woman Punished After Defrauding Osaze Odemwingie & Others of Over N60m

Nigerian footballer, Osaze Odemwingie

A fraudster who stole over £130,000 (N55million) from Osaze Odemwingie, Premier League footballers, a top manager, and two millionaire businessmen has been jailed for three years and eight months.

The woman identified as Claire Liddle, 41, conned wealthy clients including Stoke City striker Peter Odemwingie, Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom, and former Celtic boss Tony Mowbray by offering to organise their luxury holidays.

Why Every Man Should Be in Labour Room with His Wife - Life Coach, Lanre Olusola Dishes Words to Men

In an exclusive interview with Punch Newspaper, popular Lagos-based motivational speaker and life coach, Lanre Olusola, popularly called The Catalyst, has dished out his experience what he learnt as a father, and as usual, he had some words for fathers and prospective fathers.

Interested in the story, read the full interview below;

God fights for Christians, other religions fight for their gods – Apostle Johnson Suleman

Fiery preacher and founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has lamented the hardship in the country as a result of the current economic recession.

God’s Oracle, as the Auchi-based preacher is fondly called, said things are going from bad to worse under the current dispensation, adding that only those who are close to God will enjoy despite the untold hardship in the nation.

Man, 45, docked over alleged impersonation of Osinbajo on Facebook

•Osinbajo

A 44-year-old man, Eseosasere Gift Osifo, yesterday appeared before an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court for alleged impersonation and fraud.

Osifo was in court for creating a Facebook account using details of Vice President Yemi Osunbajo to defraud unsuspected victims.

The Prosecutor, Mr Onoche Ekwom, Principal Legal Officer, Department of State Services (DSS), told the court that the accused committed the offence between January and August before he was arrested and brought to the court.

10 Reasons Why It's Often Hard for Guys and Girls to Be Just Good Friends and Nothing More

Can men and women be friends? Any sensible, modern thinking person would say that, of course, men and women can be close friends and nothing more.

But is it really that simple? Like it or not, both men and women are made, by nature, to seek out a mate in members of the opposite gender, and that natural urge can’t always be put completely to one side.

Guys and girls should be able to be just friends, and we want to be, but here are ten reasons why it’s not quite as easy as you might think:

Obama hails exchange rate flexibility at talks with Buhari

•GOOD TO SEE YOU: President Muhammadu Buhari with his United States counterpart Barack Obama at their meeting in New York...yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE


United States President Barack Obama yesterday praised President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing flexibility in exchange rates.
He spoke during a meeting of the two leaders on the sideline of the 71 United Nations’ General Assembly in New York.

Woman kills herself after sex tape she sent to ex-boyfriend goes viral

       

A raven-haired Italian beauty has committed suicide after a sex tape she made with her new boyfriend went viral after she sent it to her former boyfriend to make him jealous.

Tiziana Cantone, 31, who lived in Naples, Italy, killed herself while alone in a cellar after the embarrassing video of her performing a sex act surfaced on the worldwide web.

I Have an Invisible Husband Who Won't Let Any Other Man Come Close to Me - Woman Makes Shocking Claim

A woman has told a really stunning story of how an invisible husband has disturbed her life for several years.

The woman identified as Lerato Bawela, a South African, has made a revelation that has left people stunned.

She revealed that she can’t get a man to love her or find a job and she believes this is because of an invisible man she married when she was 17, who chases all her lovers away because he’s jealous.

Nigerian trader killed in South Africa

                        

The Nigeria Union in South Africa said on Thursday that a Nigerian petty trader, Monday Okorie, was killed in Potchefstroom, North West Province of that country, on Tuesday.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of the Union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, that the victim was an indigene of Agwu in Enugu State.

Great Sex Linked To Heart Disease For Older Men But Not Women

If you’re an older man in a relationship and you have sex once a week or more, you may be twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event than a less sexually active man, according to a study released this week in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Especially if you enjoy it.
“Older men who found sex with their partner extremely pleasurable, or satisfying, had higher risk of cardiovascular events than men who did not feel so,” said study author Hui Liu, associate professor of sociology at Michigan State University.

Agbakoba writes Buhari, Saraki, Dogara on way out

EX-Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, with suggestions on how Nigeria can get out of recession.

In the September 15 letter, which he also sent to Senate President Bukola Saraki, and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Agbakoba said Nigeria was suffering from “malignant metabolic economic syndrome, complicated by inflation, high interest rates, unemployment, weak infrastructure and results of the global fall in the price of oil.”