The Head of Service in Edo state, Anthony Okungbowan, has been kidnapped in Benin city, the state capital.
The Nation reports that Okungbowa was kidnapped at gunpoint and whisked to an unknown destination this evening Saturday, December 19.
The abductors are yet to reach out to his family members or the state government.
The state police command is yet to comment on the incident.
The Lagos State Safety Commission on Saturday night December 19, sealed off CUBANA night club in Ikeja and other facilities for non-compliance of the State Government COVID-19 protocols.
On Friday, December 18, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, placed a ban on concerts, street parties, and nightclubs as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID19 in the state. Nigeria is currently experiencing a second wave of the pandemic and so the numbers of confirmed cases of the virus have been on the increase.
On Saturday night, a team from the Lagos State Safety Commission led by the Lagos state commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, stormed the Ikeja GRA facility of Cubana grills and shut down the facility for hosting its customers despite the ban on night clubs.
Videos shared online by the Lagos state government shows the nightclub goers being ordered out of the facility.
See more photos and videos below
The Lagos State Panel of Inquiry sitting in Lagos has summoned the former Police PRO for Lagos and Zone 2 to testify as a witness before the panel.
A building contractor, Olaide Fowotade, had petitioned the panel alleging that in 2017 he was brutalized by a policeman named Ayo Aduku attached to Ketu Police station. He alleged that the said police officer beat him up and removed two of his teeth.
While briefing the panel, the petitioner stated that he wrote a petition to Zone 2 headquarters and was received by the office of the then AIG, Mr. Aderanti who is now retired. When asked who is still within the police force he can call to bear him witness and put more light on the case, Olaide mentioned CSP Dolapo Badmos the then Police PRO of the zone 2.
The panel then sent a written witness summon to the former PPRO and copied the Inspector General of Police. She is expected to appear before the panel on January 15, 2021, to testify.
It is not known if CSP Dolapo has been granted official permission to testify before the panel, as the bureaucracy of regimented authority will not allow the officer to appear before the panel without official directives to do so.
CSP Dolapo has been in the forefront of fighting police brutality and several citizens have testified of how she's been curbing police brutality within her capacity.
Recall that in the past, she wrote an unprecedented letter to SARS policemen, warning them to be civil and professional in their dealings with citizenry.
See the summon papers below
Former Super Eagles attacker, Daniel Amokachi, has blasted the Nigeria Football Federation for the new contract it gave to Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr which has a $2 million compensation clause.
Rohr was appointed as coach of the Super Eagles in 2016 following Sunday Oliseh’s resignation as manager of the national team.
According to Oliseh he left the post due to the failure of the federation to support him and also over his unpaid wages and contract violation.
Rohr upon taking over in 2016 guided the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but failed to progress past the group stage.
Rohr who finished third at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt and was handed a new deal after the federation reviewed his job and expressed satisfaction with him.
Nigeria recently failed to beat lowly-rated side Sierra Leone in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers putting much criticism on the Franco-German tactician.
Special assistant on sports to Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, Daniel Amokachi, has now come out to reveal Rohr’s contract contains a huge $2 million compensation clause, which in his view is a terrible choice considering how the football body treated indigenous coaches like Sunday Olisey and Emmanuel Amuneke.
“For the administration to bring somebody like Oliseh and not giving him time because he’s Nigerian and they let go,” Amokachi told Brila FM.
“To bring in somebody like Amuneke and not giving him time then they let him go. Then you bring a new coach where those two coaches are far better than him; pedigree-wise and portfolio-wise.
“But still, they gave the machinery a lot of money, $60 plus with all the bonuses, if they play two matches in a month, then you’re talking over $100,000.
“And then at the end of the day, you put a $2m clause on a coach that has never won anything. A coach that came from Burkina Faso to Tunisia then to Nigeria and you put a $2m clause, that’s the first I’m hearing such.
“If you were bringing Guardiola you can put $10m if he says he wants it because you know who he is; he has won laurels. But for a coach that has not done anything, not achieved anything and you put a $2m clause? There’s a lot of failure in that.
“I’ll not rate them (NFF) out of 10, but all these things I’ve broken down will tell anybody with common sense where I’m coming from.”
Sugar Land police in Texas are investigating the death of a Nigerian couple found dead in apparent murder-suicide.
The husband and wife identified as Benjamin Okigbo and Theresa Okigbo were found dead at their Greatwood home on Friday morning, December 18.
The discovery was made around 10:05 am at the Greatwood Subdivision in the 1500 block of Brookstone Lane. Police said the case is being investigated as a murder-suicide.
On Saturday, Police said that their investigation revealed that Benjamin Okigbo strangled Theresa Okigbo to death. He then attempted to kill both of his 21-year-old sons by strangling them before he eventually killed himself by hanging.
Both of the sons survived the attack with injuries that are not life-threatening. They are both receiving treatment at a hospital.
On Friday morning, the couple's daughter, who doesn't live at the home, went there after she became concerned. She then called 911 and told the dispatchers that her parents were dead.
"One of the kids dialed 911 apparently there was a fight or disturbance going on inside the residence," Police chief Eric Robbins said.
When officers arrived, they found the couple's bodies inside. They were both in their 50s.
Many neighbours were shocked when they heard the news. One said the couple had lived in the Greatwood home for about 20 years. She said she spoke to the wife a few days ago and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The investigation remains ongoing.
On a new song released today, December 18, Grammy award winning rapper, Eminem has apologised to singer, Rihanna for "siding" with her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who infamously assaulted her in 2009.
Eminem was referring to a decade-old song that leaked in 2019, on which he said "of course I side with Chris Brown"
But in a new song titled 'zeus' which appears on Eminem's surprise album Music to be Murdered By Side B, released Friday, Eminem raps: "And wholeheartedly apologies Rihanna for that song that leaked/I'm sorry, Rih, it wasn't meant to cause you grief."
On his new track, he admitted the original lyric "was wrong of me".
The new album accompanies his January album 'Music to be Murdered By'.
At the time the track leaked last year, Eminem's spokesperson said: "This is a leak of something that's over 10 years old. After Eminem recorded it, he scrapped it, and rewrote it."
Brown pleaded guilty to the assault in 2009, and received five years probation and a community service order.
Eminem and Rihanna have collaborated several times, including on 2010's US number one single Love the Way You Lie, as well as Numb on her 2012 album Unapologetic and The Monster from The Marshall Mathers LP 2 in 2013.
The rapper's new album features collaborations with Dr Dre, Ty Dolla $ign, J Premier and Skylar Gray.
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Nigerians have been asked to comply with COVID-19 health guidelines during the holiday to avoid another lockdown following increased cases of the disease in the country.
In a statement released after the National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, it was noted that the current trends are now approaching or surpassing the levels reached during the lockdown imposed at the height of the epidemic earlier in the year.
The NEC which stated that people’s non-compliance with laid down health guidelines such as the wearing of masks, social distancing, and hand washing led to the increased cases of Coronavirus in the country, urged Nigerians to avoid activities or behavior that may aggravate the situation and necessitate another lockdown.
The statement read;
NEC IN ITS RESOLUTION EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN ON RISING CASES OF COVID-19 IN NIGERIA
Today at its monthly meeting, the National Economic Council, NEC, received a briefing on the coronavirus disease pandemic in Nigeria and notes with serious concern the increasing number of cases in many States across the country.
NEC is alarmed that the current trends are now approaching or surpassing the levels reached during the lockdown imposed at the height of the epidemic earlier in the year.
The trends also show that more and more younger people are getting infected. While many of the young victims may be asymptomatic or recover without serious illness, they pass the virus to older and more vulnerable people, especially people with pre-existing health conditions, who develop serious illnesses and may easily lose their lives in the process.
Sadly, the country is now experiencing a huge resurgence of COVID-19 patients needing intensive care and the existing health facilities are fast becoming overwhelmed.
NEC notes that this increase is being accelerated by non-compliance with the non-pharmaceutical interventions advised by government, including the wearing of masks, limiting of gatherings, especially indoors and the washing/sanitization of hands.
NEC, therefore, wishes to reemphasize the importance of these measures. Particularly as we approach the end of the year and the social gatherings associated with the holiday season, we must avoid activities or behavior that may aggravate the situation and necessitate another lockdown.
Members of the Council, therefore, resolved to enlarge its current COVID-19 Ad-Hoc Committee led by the Governor of Delta State, and further mandates the Committee to URGENTLY consider and propose additional measures to manage the current situation.
Meanwhile, NEC firmly resolves to advocate rigorous and strict enforcement of the non-pharmaceutical interventions listed below:
1. Restrict all physical gatherings and instead opt for virtual meetings, whenever possible. If physical meetings must be held, ensure there is adequate ventilation of the room, limit the number of attendees, wear face masks, maintain a physical distance of at least two metres and adhere to other public health measures.
2. No mask, no entry, no service – all staff members, visitors and customers entering workplaces, shops, entertainment or business premises must wear a face mask that should cover the mouth and nose at all times, and should not remove them, especially if speaking to another person in close proximity.
3. Temperature checks must be carried out on all employees and customers entering office and business premises (any person with a temperature 38 degrees Celsius or above, should be denied entry and advised to go for a health check).
4. All office and business premises must have a handwashing station with running water and soap or hand sanitizer at the entrance. Employers and business owners have a responsibility to ensure hand sanitizers are always refilled and soap and water always available.
5. Office, shops and business premises must be well-ventilated and cleaned regularly throughout the day, ensuring that frequently touched surfaces like desks, countertops, work stations, railings, door handles, are cleaned and disinfected. An occupational health and infectious diseases preparedness plan must be in place, in case an employee, customer or visitor becomes unwell.
The continued spread of COVID-19 puts increased pressure on our already fragile health systems and threaten Nigeria’s economy. Traditional, social and religious leaders are therefore urged to play their own part by promptly taking responsible and decisive actions to help stop the spread and upsurge of the virus in Nigeria.
States are also encouraged to take any further steps as may be considered necessary in their areas.
Members of the National Economic Council also commiserated with families of the Kankara schoolboys who were abducted by terrorists in Katsina State while also consoling with the entire people and government of the State.
