National Leader of All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu has asked President Buhari to recruit 50 million youths into the army to tackle insecurity in the country.
Tinubu made the appeal at the 12th colloquium to celebrate his 69th birthday in Kano State, on Monday March 29.
The former Governor who stressed that Nigeria is under-policed, said those recruited will eat cassava, corn and yam which are grown in the country.
He said;
“We are under-policed and we are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed —33 per cent unemployed?
“Recruit 50 million youths into the army, what they will eat —cassava, corn, yam, we grow here.
“Don’t talk about illiteracy, anybody who can hold a gun, who can handle a gun, who can cock and shoot is technically competent to repair a tractor in the farm.”
Manchester United striker, Marcus Rashford has stated that Burna Boy is his favourite afrobeat singer.
During a Q&A session with his fans on Twitter, the England International was asked by a curious fan who is his favourite Afrobeats artiste.
The fan asked; “Got lots of fans in Nigeria, do you listen to afrobeats ?? And what’s your favourite Afrobeats song at the moment? And who is your favourite afrobeats artist ? ”
Marcus Rashford responded to the question by tagging Burna Boy as his favourite Afrobeats artiste.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano and one of the leaders of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo has stated that APC Chieftain, Bola Tinubu’s colloquium which was held in Kano on Monday March 29 has nothing to do with national unity.
Gwarzo described it as a political move ahead of the 2023 election. He also alleged that Tinubu had failed to ask for restraint and wasn’t active in quelling the tribal crisis in the South West region.
The PDP chieftain said;
“It (colloquium in Kano) has nothing to do with national cohesion and unity. When people were asked to stand up to be counted, he wasn’t there. So many things happened recently with the most recent one being the barbaric violence that erupted in Shasa, Ibadan. Being a political leader of the South West, at least as far as APC is concerned, Tinubu should have asked for restraint and seen to be active in trying to quell the looming crisis.
“As someone who is aspiring to be president of this country, Tinubu should have risen to that occasion and talked positively. You don’t just come and hold your colloquium here (Kano) and think that will be a panacea for national unity.
“As far as I am concerned, it is purely a political move, more about 2023. The APC government has failed and Tinubu is not saying anything. So many lives are being lost on a daily basis, not only in the South West.”
A fugitive who has been on the Zimbabwean police wanted list for the brutal murder of his girlfriend identified as Mitchel Chipere in 2015, has been arrested after pouring hot cooking oil on his new wife.
28-year-old Collen Jamu was arrested on Monday March 29 after leaving his wife with burns all over her body, leading to her being admitted at Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare.
The suspect allegedly killed 21-year-old Mitchell Chipere at her parents’ home in 2015. Jamu reportedly struck Mitchell with a hoe four times in the head after she had tried to end their relationship.
After committing the heinous murder, Jamu tried to hide in one of the bedrooms after Mitchell’s mother returned home before he could make good his escape. The deceased’s mother followed her instincts and sought help from police officers who were in the neighbourhood. The police officers arrested Jamu after they found him hiding under a bed in the main bedroom. Mitchell’s lifeless body was hidden under the bed in another bedroom.
However after being granted bail by the High Court in 2017, he absconded and pushed the court into issuing a warrant for his arrest.
It was gathered that Jamu was not apprehended, despite claims by the Chipere family that he was moving freely around and that they had sighted him in public on several occasions.
Jamu’s father also told the media in November that he was puzzled at why his son was roaming free when he had personally helped them to apprehend him. Stanley Jamu told the Herald;
“I remember when the police came here looking for him but he was not around. I called and lied to him that some people wanted to do business with him. In no time, Collin was on his way and before he even got to the house, the police who were hiding three houses from here picked him up. However, I was surprised to see him after a few hours walking freely in the streets.”
Israella, the 8-year-old daughter of Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, has passed away.
Israella died in the Intensive Care Unit of a Kenyan hospital in the early hours of Monday morning, March 29,
Prophet Bushiri confirmed the sad news in a statement issued through his Facebook page on Monday morning.
The embattled prophet had called an emergency prayer meeting on for his daughter saying she had been battling a lung infection for the past few weeks.
Police in Malawi recently delayed Isabella seeking medical assistance when they blocked the prophet’s children, cousin Esther Bushiri and mother-in-law Magdalena Zgambo to depart from Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe in a private air ambulance. They were later allowed to travel by government after a week.
In the statement, Bushiri described his daughter as a strong young girl who loved to worship and serve God, despite her young age, adding that he and his wife choose not to mourn her but to celebrate her life.
Below is the full statement from Prophet Bushiri on the passing of his daughter:
”It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing on of my daughter, Israella Bushiri.
As a Father it was my desire to see her grow and serve the Lord, however, the will of God was for her to return back to Him.
Israella was born during a time when my wife and I were going through great persecution, and she has lived her life witnessing what it means to fight and labor for the Lord despite trials and battles.
She came at a time when we really needed her and through it all, she offered my wife and I, including the entire church great comfort and enlightenment.
We are a church built on faith and if we aren’t careful to observe the ways of the Lord, we can mistake God’s will for God’s punishment.
If things could be reversed we would have desired it to be so. However, the will of the Lord is above our desires. We have experienced it and have accepted it.
We are a church of God’s love and strength and His love and strength will carry us forward from this day forward.
Israella was a strong young girl who loved to worship and serve God, despite her young age. She was brilliant in her speech and possessed a divine excellency in the way she spoke and even tackled her studies.
Today, all those that encountered her testify that they felt a certain special aura that oozed divinity. She was a walking angel. In our darkest moments she gave us light and in our lowest moments, she lifted our spirits. I am grateful to God to have fathered an angel of such spirit and beauty. She will always be my little girl.
When I spoke to the Doctor, he highlighted that if she had not been blocked at the airport the first time she needed to travel to Kenya for medical assistance, she wouldn’t have passed on.
It is very disheartening and sad, therefore, that my daughter has become a victim of the persecutions that we are facing from South Africa.
However, my wife and I, bow to God’s sovereignty and as this is his will, it could have happened anyway.
Today, my wife and I choose not to mourn her but to celebrate her life. I do not believe that the devil could take the life of my daughter.
She was a child of God and she passed on to be with Him according to His will. We prayed and we fasted, we commanded out- and in this week, when the Lord spoke to me that it will be a week of His will- His will has taken place.
Family, join me, not in mourning as those without hope but in celebrating the life of Saint Israella. She shall always be remembered and forever carried in our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”
I will be addressing the general public at exactly 12.00 hrs (CAT) on ALL our official social media platforms as well as Prophetic Channel.
Mama Sarah Onyango Obama, the grandmother of former US President Barrack Obama, is dead. She was aged 99.
Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Marsat Obama, who revealed that her mother died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu at 4.45am on Monday, March 29.
Sarah Obama had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning, due to an illness but lost her battle with life barely 24 hours later.
The family has announced they want her buried today (Monday) at the Muslim Cemetery in Kisumu.
My family and I are mourning the loss of our beloved grandmother, Sarah Ogwel Onyango Obama, affectionately known to many as “Mama Sarah” but known to us as “Dani” or Granny. We will miss her dearly, but we’ll celebrate with gratitude her long and remarkable life. pic.twitter.com/avDY4f1PVu
Lady Gaga’s dog walker has finally left the hospital after parts of his lung was removed after he was shot on duty.
Ryan Fischer was walking Lady Gaga’s three dogs in February when he was shot and the dogs were kidnapped.
One of the dogs amended to escape and was recovered on the same day. The other two were recovered days later.
Ryan was admitted to a hospital and stayed longer than anticipated due to complications with his lungs.
Ryan says he was already feeling great just days after being shot and moving out of the ICU, and thought his recovery would be a simple process.
Unfortunately, Ryan says one of his lungs didn’t cooperate and kept collapsing and it reached a point where he was readmitted for surgery to remove portions of it.
Ryan is now recovering and he shared an emotional video of himself getting dressed to leave the hospital.
It’s miracle Ryan recovered considering he was shot in the chest at almost point-blank range.
The terrifying experience was captured on surveillance video from a nearby property, and he says that his doctors and nurses even told him they didn’t think he’d make it.
President Buhari will on Tuesday, March 30, leave Nigeria for the UK for his routine medical checkup.
A statement released by presidential media aide, Femi Adesina, this night, March 29, says the President will be back in Nigeria in the second week of April.
”President Muhammadu Buhari proceeds to London, the United Kingdom, Tuesday March 30, 2021, for a routine medical check-up.
The President meets with Security Chiefs first in the morning, after which he embarks on the journey.
He is due back in the country during the second week of April, 2021.”the statement reads
Petr Kellner, Czech Republic’s richest man has been killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska, his financial group PPF has said
“We announce with the deepest grief that, in a helicopter accident in Alaska mountains on Saturday, March 27, the founder and majority owner of the PPF group, Mr Petr Kellner, died tragically,” PPF said in a statement.
The 56-year-old billionaire and four others died in the crash, whose circumstances were being investigated..
Alaska State Troopers said Kellner and other victims were aboard an Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter when it went down near Knik Glacier northeast of Anchorage at 6.35pm on Saturday, March 27.
A sixth person on board was in a serious but stable condition at an Anchorage hospital, Alaska State Troopers said.
The others killed were identified as Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado; Benjamin Larochaix, 50, also of the Czech Republic; and two Alaskans, Sean McMannany, 38, of Girdwood, and the pilot, Zachary Russel, 33, of Anchorage.
The five passengers included three guests and two guides from Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, company spokesperson Mary Ann Pruitt said.
Kellner was a towering business figure of the Czech post-communist era, with his wealth estimated at $17.5bn, according to Forbes.
The Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, offered his condolences to the family. “Unbelievable tragedy. I am very sorry,” Babiš said on Twitter.
Mr Kellner made his first fortune in the 1990s through the launch of an investment fund that he used to buy a controlling stake in the country’s largest insurance company. He bought a major European broadcast network, Central European Media Enterprises, for $1.1bn last October, prompting fears in the Czech Republic that the network might lose independence.
PPF is the main owner of consumer lender Home Credit, which has grown in China and elsewhere in south-east Asia as well as a group of telecommunications firms in central and eastern Europe including O2 Czech Republic.
His death came at a time when PPF was acquiring a stake in the Czech bank Moneta Money Bank and proposing to merge it with his Air Bank and the Czech and Slovak assets of Home Credit.
PPF completed the acquisition of Central European Media Enterprises, a group of television stations in central and eastern Europe, last year.
A tragic incident occurred some days ago at one Titi’s Concept bar at Alagbole-Akute community of Ogun State, as over 20 persons died after eating fried meat served at the bar.
It is suspected that the deceased had been allegedly been used for ‘ritual purposes’ by an unidentified cyber fraudster who served them the meat.
A source told Sahara Reporters that the bar owner’s apprentice said the suspected internet fraudster drove into the bar on Thursday March 18 and ordered drinks for everyone, which he repeated the following day Friday March 19.
On Saturday 20th of March, the alleged fraudster-cum-ritualist drove into the bar and also paid for bottles of beer before announcing that it was his birthday. He reportedly went to his car where he got a cooler of fried meat and asked everyone to have a bite while sipping their drinks.
The source said;
“It was at this point that my apprentice noticed his phone was missing. He wanted to capture the scene, make a video or take pictures and post but he couldn’t find his phone so he was more interested in getting the phone than the meat they were sharing. The bar attendants already gave him a bottle of beer paid for by the Yahoo boy and he drank from it before he left to look for his phone. Nothing happened to him, I think whatever caused the death should be the meat because he brought it out from the booth of his car, no one knows where he got it from.
“The story is very true. I think it is a ritual not food poisoning. The Yahoo boy has been coming to the bar; that place is a place where they smoke, drink, anyone can declare that he will foot others’ bills so it was not new when the guy came the first day to say he would pay for all the drinks. Guys there were happy; the second day, the same thing and the third day, he said it was his birthday that he brought some fried meat in his car so he started distributing to them, telling them to use it to step down (take it along with) the chilled beer he bought for them. They were so happy and started eating.
“From what I heard, at midnight, they would wake up and say, we ate last at City Concept, start vomiting blood and die. Like 25 of them are dead now. 10 at Keredolu, another 10 at Jolasco close to Lambe and another 5 at Alagbole. I can’t tell if the figure is up to 50 because some people who were not accustomed to going to the bar might have been there on that day to take a piece and return to their houses. None of them died at the bar, no one lodged in there, it is not a hotel.
“The Yahoo boy did not die; he simply ran away. He has been declared wanted. His car is even parked at Ajuwon there, some people wanted to burn his car but they were advised against doing such so that the culprit would be traced.
“The police are aware of the incident, they even wanted to go and lock up the hotel but when the owner heard of it, she called them and asked why because she did not produce the beer in her hotel and moreover, the beer was opened for each person at their own request. It was not like it was opened behind them and that was not the first nor second time they had come to the bar to drink.”
Another source told the publication that a 19-year-old boy who was at the scene of the incident also vomited blood before he died. The source said;
“He was at the bar; he ate and drank beer too. He vomited blood and died; he has now been buried. His mother and my mother are friends.”
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s former wife almost caught him having sex on the sofa with his former lover Jennifer Arcuri at his family home, Arcuri has revealed.
Arcuri, a US businesswoman aged 36, revealed she had a steamy four-year affair with Johnson, and was almost caught by Boris’ then-wife Marina when she returned home to the couple’s £3.35million townhouse in North London.
Arcuri told the Sunday Mirror: “We were discussing some of the latest chapters from his book.
“He said, ‘I have a complete writer’s block. I need to figure what I’m trying to say but I want you to hear it. I really need you, baby, I really need you.’
“We moved on to reading Macbeth, which was a kind of foreplay routine we had. I said, ‘Let’s skip to the good stuff’. He said, ‘I love that about you, you just want to get to the good part.’
“After we made love… I felt conflicted being there in his family home and seeing him like this but I couldn’t help but love the feeling of being desired.”
Boris Johnson said his then wife, Marina Wheeler, was at work but she arrived home just minutes after Arcuri left.
Arcuri added: “If I’d have stayed 10 minutes more I would’ve been in the house when Marina got back. That’s not a great feeling.
“We slept together at his family home, and in some ways, it was fun, but it didn’t sit right. I realised this wouldn’t just be a one-off.”
Arcuri said she has messages between Johnson and her showing her the address of the house in Islington, North London, before adding he wanted to “check the coast is gonna be clear”.
Arcuri then arrived to find Johnson planning a meal of cheesy pasta.
When she arrived he realised he had to go to the corner shop to get some cheese, leaving Arcuri alone in the house.
During his absence, Arcuri claimed she snapped a selfie in his kitchen as a memento.
Arcuri though didn’t rate the Boris’ cooking skills, describing his culinary efforts as “soggy and limp,” adding he was “completely useless” in the kitchen.
She claims she had a four-year affair with Boris who was the London Mayor then.
But by early 2016 she said she was beginning to feel increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.
The sofa romp wasn’t the only close call the pair experienced, it’s claimed.
In August 2015, they discovered they had both booked tickets to a Sunday matinee performance of Shakespeare’s Richard II at The Globe theatre.
Arcuri, who went with a male friend, spotted Johnson in the crowd with Marina.
While Arcuri avoided eye contact she used her friend as her “eyes” because she wouldn’t look at him.
After the performance Acuri claimed Johnson sent a message which read: “I kept seeing a gorgeous blonde at Shakespeare and thinking she looked familiar.”
She said she would send him sexy pictures – some topless.
It was also revealed that Arcuri was given access to events at three top-level trade missions even though her businesses did not meet the criteria for the trips.
Johnson split with ex wife, Marina in 2018, shortly before news of his relationship with former Tory spin doctor Carrie Symonds, 33, became public.
Symonds gave birth to their son Wilfred last year.
Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have concluded plans to embark on an indefinite strike on Thursday, April 1.
The strike will be coming on the heels of the expiration of the 60-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government on January 25 for the payment of arrears of salaries of house officers across the country and the review of hazard allowance, among other demands. According to members of the association, since the pandemic began in 2020, it has lost 17 doctors, whose families and loved ones are yet to benefit from the Death in Service Insurance Scheme.
A statement released in Abuja by the President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, after NARD’s extra-ordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Sunday, March 28, reads in part
“The NEC observed that her earlier ultimatum given to the Federal Government during the January 2021 NEC meeting in Owerri will expire by 12 midnight on the 31st of March 2021 with no significant achievement.
The NEC reiterated her full support for the Central Placement of House Officers. Nevertheless, they decried the agony our members have been made to pass through for three months now without salaries despite uninterrupted service delivery to the nation.
This is due to the inefficiency of the Registrar of MDCN in handling the processes of central placement of House Officers as approved by the Federal Executive Council since 2017.
The NEC bemoaned the suffering of some of our members in GIFMIS platform who have not been paid salaries for four months now due to delay in biometric capturing by IPPIS department.
They lamented the inhumane treatment being meted on our members in some State Tertiary Institutions like ABSUTH being owed twenty months salaries, IMSUTH five months salaries and UNIMEDTH three months salaries.
The NEC also observed that despite the three-month window given to the Federal Government to review the hazard allowance of health workers, the hazard allowance has remained a paltry sum of five thousand naira monthly.
The NEC noted that despite the efforts of NARD, the erroneously paid 2020 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to non-resident Doctors is yet to be addressed. Also, the 2019, some of 2020 and 2021 MRIF are yet to be paid.”
The death of a Nigerian man identified as Leohand Lyeanyi has triggered a protest at Outer Ring Road near Vikaspuri, as the Indian police have been accused of having a hand in it.
It was alleged that the 43-year-old Nigerian man died in West Delhi’s Tilak Nagar after an alleged brief interaction with a policeman in the early hours of Sunday March 28.
The police however denied this by stating that initial medical examination did not reveal any visible external injuries, and had no link to his interaction with a policeman and a home-guard patrolling duty in the area.
Urvija Goel, deputy commissioner of police (west) told newsmen that the police were in the process of arresting protesters who allegedly took part in the protest he described as “riot” near Vikaspuri, under the Tilak Nagar police station’s jurisdiction.
Goel said;
“We have rounded up some people who were rioting. They are being booked and will be arrested.
“While we are continuing the probe, we want to make it clear that there were no external injury marks on the man’s body. This fact has also been stated in the medico-legal examination report.”
According to his friends, Lyeanyi had been living in Delhi for the past many years and was into medical tourism, particularly catering to patients from Nigeria.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Lyeanyi’s relative Yabo Stan said the man was walking from his home to the main road to board a cab when he was stopped by two policemen riding a motorcycle. He alleged that the policemen tried to extort money from Lyeanyi.
He said;
“Eyewitnesses have told me that when Lyeanyi said he only had enough money to pay for his cab fare, one of the policemen hit him on the back of his head with a stick. We have seen CCTV footage, which shows a policeman hitting Lyeanyi.”
Stan also accused the police of hiding the CCTV footage. He said;
“The police have taken control of all the CCTV footage and are burying all evidence.”
It was gathered that some Nigerians rushed Lyeanyi to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where he succumbed during treatment.
The police, however, gave an entirely different account of the incident. According to the DCP, a policemen and a home guard were patrolling the streets around 2.30am when they noticed three-four men walking in the dark.
Goel said;
Hearing the sound of the siren from the patrol bike, the men began running away. Seeing them run, the policeman and home guard began chasing them.
CCTV footage shows Lyeanyi getting into an auto, hopping off it and holding on to a shutter of a shop, before collapsing.
There is no evidence of the home guard having any physical interaction with Lyeanyi.
It was also gathered that the police charged at the protesters with baton to disperse them. However after the protesters were dispersed, they returned and pelted the police with stones and bottles.
The baton charge left at least five protesters with visible injuries. The police said they were yet to take stock of injuries to their personnel.
One of the protesters, Jude Osia said;
“The police here have been harassing us. They take bribes from us when we are unable to produce our documents. They frisk us without any reason. Even the local shops sell goods to us at a higher price.”
A 91-year-old police officer in Arkansas who has no plans to retire anytime soon has said he will only consider retirement when the ‘good Lord says so’.
LC Smith, who is known as Buckshot, has spent nearly 60 years working in law enforcement in his hometown of Camden, about 100 miles southwest of Little Rock.
The veteran officer, who turns 92 next month, currently works for the Camden Police Department and is the oldest active police officer in the state.
When asked when he will step down, Smith told CNN: ‘When the good Lord says so’.
Smith, who got the nickname Buckshot as a teen, still patrols the street where he was born and raised.
He spent more than 46 years working as a deputy for the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department. He patrolled and worked in the Criminal Investigations Division during that time.
In September 2010, he enjoyed a brief retirement after stepping down from the sheriff’s department. But his retirement lasted just five months before he joined the Camden Police Department.
‘Camden Police wanted me to come to work, so I came,’ he said. ‘I don’t fish, I don’t hunt… so I wouldn’t have anything else to do.’
He currently works with the police department four days a week from 7am to 3pm.
His duties include being the department’s bailiff and helping with the community watch program. Smith also carries out traffic stops, patrols school zones, and helps with escorting funerals and parades.
Camden’s mayor, Julian Lott, told CBS that Smith carries a gun but had an even more powerful tool at his disposal.
‘He knows your mama and he knew your grandmother,’ Lott said. So he has the authority to speak into our lives.’
It isn’t clear if Smith was ever married or if he has children, but when he’s not on patrol, he likes attending church and ‘spending time with his lady friend,’ according to CNN.
Throughout his decades-long career, Smith says he has taken more people home, such as children, than to jail during his patrols. He insists being a good officer isn’t about how many arrests are made but rather having compassion for citizens.
‘This badge and gun don’t make you a police officer. You’ve got to respect people,’ he said.
Mom and manager of Grammy-award-winning singer, Burna Boy, Bose Ogulu, recently had a chat with media personality, Latasha Ngwube, where she dished some very wise counsel to women in Nigeria
In her words, Ms Ogulu stressed that it is more important for women to be respected than to be loved. She also asked women to ensure they carry themselves the way they want to be treated.
In her words
”Carry yourself the way you want to be treated. If you make yourself an object, you’ll be treated like one.
Let people know there is a brain between your ears, when they do, they may be uncomfortable around you, but they will respect you.
It is more important to be respected than liked.
Be competent at what you decide to do. Or Learn competence in something, before you do it.
Shut Up, when you don’t know what people are talking about, (* that should be a prerequisite for all twitter users before logging on) have the loudest voice when you do know.”
A 36-year-old Nigerian man Michael “Mark” Ikenna, and his Thai girlfriend have been arrested and charged with allegedly possessing and selling cocaine in Banglamung, Thailand.
Region 2 Narcotic Suppression officers had received a tip-off from a concerned citizen that the suspects were allegedly selling cocaine in the Pattaya and Bangkok area.
The officers captured Ikenna, and Nantana Chiewpanitch, 25, in a sting operation conducted by undercover police who arranged to purchase 10 grams of cocaine in Takhiantia on Friday, March 26.
Ikenna was arrested outside his Takhiantia house and 9.8 g. of white powder seized from him. Police found Nantana Chiewpanitch inside the house but she denied involvement with drug dealing, saying she has only known Ikenna for a few months and worked in a call center in Bangkok.
Investigators then searched their apartment in Bangkok where they recovered nearly a gram of cocaine and hundreds of plastic bags police said were used to package drugs for sale in Bangkok, the East and Central regions.
Police said the Nigerian claimed he was an exporter of dried dory fish to his home country. Police countered it was a shell company used to launder his drug money.
They were taken to the Banglamung Police Station to face charges of illegal possession of Category 2 drugs (cocaine) with intent to sell.
Nike said in the lawsuit that the company, MSCHF Product Studio Inc, infringed on and diluted its trademark with the black-and-red, devil-themed shoes, which went on sale online on Monday. Lil Nas X is not named as a defendant in the suit.
The shoes are customized Nike Air Max 97 sneakers that contain red ink and “one drop of human blood” in the sole, according to a website describing the 666 pairs of limited edition shoes. The back of one shoe says “MSCHF” and the other says “Lil Nas X.”
Several media outlets reported that the shoes sold out in less than one minute at a cost of $1,018 per pair on Monday March 29.
The lawsuit argues that Nike must maintain control over its brand “by setting the record straight” about what products bear its distinctive “swoosh” logo.
“In fact, there is already evidence of significant confusion and dilution occurring in the marketplace, including calls to boycott Nike in response to the launch of MSCHF’s Satan Shoes based on the mistaken belief that Nike has authorized or approved this product,” the lawsuit says.
In a statement after the complaint was filed, Nike reiterated that it is in no way affiliated with the Satan Shoes.
“We don’t have any further details to share on pending legal matters,” Nike said. “However, we can tell you we do not have a relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF.”
Lil Nas X tweeted about the news with a short clip from the cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” in which a character says: “I was just kidding. … You guys know I was just kidding, right?”
Reality star and supermodel, Kendall Jenner has reportedly been granted a temporary restraining order after a man threatened to have her killed.
According to TMZ, a judge signed off on the order against Malik Bowker on Monday, March 29, after the 25-year-old model was informed by an LAPD detective that the 24-year-old man allegedly intended to buy an illegal firearm and shoot the both of them.
The legal documents obtained by the news outlet state that Bowker has been placed on a psychiatric hold at a local hospital and is due to be released, which is said to be causing the ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star “severe emotional distress and anxiety”
Kendall, who has 24-hour security at her home – has claimed to have never met Bowker before and is frightened that he will cause her harm, which is why she applied for the restraining order that means he has to stay 100 yards away from her at all times by law.
It’s not the first time the supermodel has been forced to apply for a restraining order.
Back in 2018, Kendall was granted a five-year restraining order against an alleged stalker, John Ford, who was found sitting outside her home for the second time in a week, and after Kendall was originally given a temporary document ordering Ford to stay 100 yards away from her and her home at all times.
Brazillian Football legend, Ronaldo Nazario has apologised for his “horrible” haircut at the 2002 World Cup which inspired school kids to copy his style.
The former Real Madrid striker and current owner of football club, Real Valladolid shaved off all his hair apart from a small section at the front of his head just before his nation’s semi-final triumph over Turkey.
The hairstyle inspired children across the globe to copy his look.
Almost 20 years later, Ronaldo has now come to apologise to all mothers, adding that the haircut was a diversion tactic to stop people talking about his fitness.
‘It was horrible!’ Ronaldo told Sports Illustrated. ‘I apologise to all the mothers who saw their children get the same haircut.’
He went further to explain the story behind the haircut, claiming that he had sustained a leg injury and did the cut to avoid having to talk to the media.
“I saw my teammates and asked, ‘Do you like it?’ They said, ‘No, it’s horrible! Cut this off!’ But the journalists saw my haircut and forgot about the injury.”
Ronaldo also finished the tournament as top scorer with a tally of eight goals, meaning he won the Golden Boot as well.
The triumph at the 2002 World Cup, took Brazil’s total to five World Cup wins across their history.
Cristiano Ronaldo could face a FIFA sanction for his furious outburst after Portugal were denied a winning goal in their World Cup qualifier clash against Serbia on Saturday night, March 27.
The Juventus striker played the ball over the line in added time to seemingly give his side a 3-2 victory, despite Serbia’s Stefan Mitrovic attempt to clear Ronaldo’s off the line.
However, referee Danny Makkelie waved on the play and there was no VAR or goal-line technology to check the call.
In reaction to the denial of his winning goal, Ronaldo screamed at the assistant referee before throwing his captain’s armband to the floor and storming off the pitch.
Corriere dello Sport has now revealed that the Euro 2016 winner could receive a sanction from Fifa if they deem his reaction to be ‘offensive or violent conduct’.
Article 11 in the Disciplinary Code reads: “Offensive conduct or violation of the principles of fair play” before going into more detail about what that entails.
It says: “Associations and clubs, as well as their players, officials or any other member or person performing a function on their behalf, must comply with the Laws of the Game, the FIFA Statutes and the regulations, directives, guidelines, circulars and the decisions of FIFA; likewise, they must comply with the principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity.”
It has not yet been confirmed whether or not Ronaldo has breached the rules of Article 11.
If he is deemed guilty, Explica reports that Article 12 then details the punishment, saying the ban could be ‘at least one match or an appropriate period of time for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent or anyone other than a match official’.
According to historian and biographer Robert Lacey, who has written a new book looking at Prince Harry and Prince William, Meghan Markle was a "massive problem for the royal family.
British charity said it kept a £10,000 donation from Meghan Markle a secret because they feared her donation could damage the charity’s reputation.
In August last year, Meghan Markle, 39, gifted funds from The Royal Foundation to Nottingham charity Himmah – a community project tackling poverty, racism and social exclusion.
Director Sajid Mohammad told the BBC a decision was made not to speak publicly about the donation because it was feared it could damage Himmah’s reputation.
However after Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan’s bombshell tell-all with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made accusations of racism within the Royal Family, the charity felt they “needed to show solidarity” with the duchess.
He admitted: “The reason we didn’t go public is the trustees took a view that she was like Marmite and there could be reputational issues – people not liking our charity because they don’t like her – so we decided to keep the donation secret.
“After the interview we realised we’re a poverty and race organisation [and] that we needed to show solidarity.”
The charity said the money from Meghan’s foundation has been put towards stocking the food bank, purchasing equipment and providing vital funds for the Salaam Shalom Kitchen – the only joint Muslim and Jewish community kitchen in the UK.
Reacting to the donation, Himmah’s director joked: “For ages I thought the whole thing was a hoax.
“They kept emailing me and ringing me about the donation saying it was from the Duchess of Sussex and I just couldn’t believe it – I was utterly gobsmacked and hugely humbled that Meghan knew about our charity and wanted to support us.
“It’s an absolutely incredible sum and we’re so very grateful.”
Karen Worth, co-chair and trustee Salaam Shalom Kitchen, said: “We are so delighted and pleased that Salaam Shalom Kitchen has been noticed and chosen by the Duchess of Sussex.
“The money given to us by her foundation will help to continue our important work in Hyson Green area of Nottingham, which is one the most deprived areas of the city.”
The donation came from funds raised for The Royal Foundation from the sale of Together: Our Community Cookbook and the duchess gifted the money so the charity can “continue transforming lives through the power of cooking and food.”
A Man identified as Jian Feng has reportedly sued his wife for bringing forth what he called an “extraordinarily ugly” young lady.
According to report a Chinese Man identified as Jian Feng has sued his wife for giving birth to what he called an “incredibly ugly” girl.
“I married my wife out of love, but as soon as we had our first daughter, we began having marital issues,” he told the Irish Times. “Our daughter was incredibly ugly, to the point where it horrified me.”
Initially Jian accused his wife of infidelity, because he knew he could never be the father of an unattractive child. However, DNA tests proved that the child was indeed his. Feng’s wife then came clean and admitted she had about $100,000 worth of cosmetic surgery done in South Korea before they met.
Feng sued his wife on grounds of false pretenses, for not telling him the truth about the plastic surgery, and duping him into believing that she was beautiful. A judge agreed with Feng’s argument and ordered his wife to fork over $120,000.
There was a Mild Drama this morning at Sam Mbakwe cargo airport involving Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Obi of Obinugwu ancient kingdom in Orlu LGA of Imo State and Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator representing Imo West senatorial district in the National Assembly, aboard Air Peace flight to Abuja this morning.
According to IgbereTv, the royal father, a former chairman of Imo State as well as Southeast council of traditional rulers, accosted Senator Rochas Okorocha sitting close to him, exploding with so much rage and royal anger.
What started as a mild altercation all of a sudden snowballed into a full-fledged confrontation inside the aircraft, as the charismatic popular royal father descended on Okorocha with his walking stick. If not the timely intervention of the flight captain who rushed out when Eze Ilomuanya was hitting Okorocha with his royal walking stick to depart from his sight, the story would have been something else. The embattled former Governor was visibily rattled and shaken to his bone marrow. Okorocha was hastily relocated to another seat even as Eze Ilomuanya was heard warning him to stay away from Orlu if he truly wants peace to reign.
Recall that Eze Ilomuanya was removed from office by Okorocha during his reign as Imo State governor and subsequently installed another in his place as traditional ruler. Since then, the bad blood between the duo can only be imagined.
Recall that Immediate past Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, reinstated Eze Cletus Illomuanya, who was dethroned by Rochas Okorocha. Ihedioha through his Chief Press Secretary, Chibuike Onyeukwu, in a statement to newsmen in Owerri, said his action was based on a legal advise that Eze Illomuanya of Obinugwu was reinstated back as a traditional ruler.
Two suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Sunday, March 28, wounding about 20 people on the first day of the Easter Holy Week.
National police spokesman Inspector General Argo Yuwono said at a press conference in Jakarta that the worshippers suffered from wounds around their necks, chests and legs. Some had blisters on their hands and feet.
The explosion occurred when the congregation had been inside the church on the island of Sulawesi, South Sulawesi police spokesman E Zulpan told Reuters.
The two suspected suicide bombers are confirmed dead, said Coodinating Minister for Polical, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD.
The minister said he has ordered the police and military to increase security in places of worship throughout Indonesia.
South Sulawesi police chief Merdisyam said that five church staff members and four worshippers are among the wounded. Due to health restrictions, there were few people in attendance at mass.
The two suspected bombers had arrived at the church around 10.20am on a motorcycle, said Mr Yuwono. They tried to enter the cathedral but a security officer stopped them.
“Then the explosion happened. Based on information on the ground, the vehicle is destroyed, there are several human remains, and of course this will be part of our investigation.” said Yuwono.
Father Wilhemus Tulak, a priest at the church, told Indonesian media that a person who was holding off a suspected suicide bomber was wounded.
Security camera footage showed a blast that blew flame, smoke and debris into the middle of the road. Photos from the scene showed police had set up a cordon around the church and cars parked nearby were damaged.
Police did not say who might be responsible for the attack and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police are investigating whether the suspects belong to a network, said Mr Yuwono.
Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has condemned the attack, and called on the public to remain calm.
“I strongly condemn the act of terrorism and I have ordered the police chief to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators’ networks and expose the network to its roots,” said the president, known popularly as Jokowi, in an online live broadcast,” he stated.
“Terrorism is a crime against humanity and has nothing to do with any religion. All religious teachings reject terrorism. The entire state apparatus will not tolerate this kind of terrorism, and I ask the public to remain calm and carry out worship because the state guarantees the security of religious people to worship without fear,” he added.
Jokowi also asked the public to work together to fight terrorism and radicalism.
“For the victims who were injured, we pray that they are given a speedy recovery and the state guarantees all medical expenses and care for the victims,” said Jokowi.
Boy Rafli Amar, the head of the country’s National Counterterrorism Agency, described Sunday’s attack as an act of terrorism.
Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto said Sunday’s blast could have caused far more casualties if it had taken place at the church’s main gate instead of a side entrance.
“Whatever the motive is, this act isn’t justified by any religion because it harms not just one person but others, too,” Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, said in a statement.
Gomar Gultom, head of the Indonesian Council of Churches, described the attack as a “cruel incident” as Christians were celebrating Palm Sunday, and urged people to remain calm and trust the authorities.
A popular Kenyan musician, Philip Ptaroba Okoyo, who is better known by his stage name Japesa, has shocked his fans after he purchased a coffin in anticipation of his funeral.
Taking to his Instagram page on Saturday, March 27, the flamboyant rap artiste shared a photo of himself posing with the casket and said that he didn’t want his fans to struggle with funeral expenses.
“Bought myself a coffin, just in case nikufe msisumbuliwe na till number,” he wrote.
His fans reacted to the post with a section of them saying that he should mind his utterances as words are powerful while others noted that the coffin is cheap.
TV reality star, Kim Kardashian, 40, who filed for a divorce from her estranged husband, Kanye West, last month, begged the rapper to meet up with her after he made disparaging tweets towards her mum, Kris Jenner in 2020.
In the eagerly-anticipated 20th and final season of the Keeping Up with the Kardashians show, Kim was seen speaking to the camera about the split on Thursday’s episode.
She revealed Kanye, 43, had been residing at their Wyoming ranch while she remained at home and she wouldn’t mind meeting up with him.
The scenes came amid Kanye’s infamous social media meltdown last year, in which he posted a series of hurtful tweets about his wife and her mother Kris Jenner.
Kim said on the episode that she found the scenario ‘frustrating’ and urged him to meet with her to discuss his woes.
She said: ‘Kanye’s been in Wyoming and he’s been posting a lot of things on social media. That is a little bit frustrating, but you just have to kind of separate yourself from what’s going on at home and what’s going on on the internet.’
It then seemed that Kim was reaching out to her aides in a bid to contact Kanye, as she was seen speaking on the phone.
She said: ‘I am happy to come tomorrow, I am happy to come to Wyoming next week, whenever he wants. I’m still happy to come there and be supportive and chill with him and hang out with him and I know he needs that.’
At the time of filming, the rapper had posted a series of tweets about the Kardashian family.
He accused Kim’s mother Kris of ‘white supremacy’ and said he would ‘go to war’ with her.
Kanye and Kim began dating in 2012 and were engaged in 2013 before marrying in a lavish ceremony in May 2014.
The divorce is the first for Kanye and third for Kim, who was previously married to Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2004 and Kris Humphries from 2011 to 2013.
The Federal Government has raised alarm over three thousand doses of fake COVID19 vaccines sent to Africa from China.
The Director of Hospital Services of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, made this known in a letter dated March 26, 2021, to the Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Health Institutions.
The letter in part reads
“The Ministry is in receipt of a letter from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 regarding the arrest of about 3,000 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines which were Africa-bound from China.
The report further indicates that the fake COVID-19 vaccines are already in circulation in Africa.
To prevent the importation of fake vaccines, kindly note that the Nigeria Customs Service has designated Nnamdi Azikiwe international Airport as the only Point of Entry (PoE) for imported COVID-19 vaccines.
I am therefore to bring this to your notice and dispel any possibility of COVID-19 vaccines being available for sale or being administered by any unauthorized institution. Please accept the assurances of my best regards.”
As of the time of writing this report, The Nation reporter tried to reach Dr Adebiyi via calls to authenticate the said letter, but to no avail.
However, a top source in the FMoH confirmed to The Nation that the letter is authentic, and emanated from the Ministry to the CMDs and MDs of Federal Tertiary Health Institutions across the country.
Belgium league goal scoring machine, Paul Onuachu scored a late winner as the Super Eagles of Nigeria beat Benin 1-0 at the Stade Charles de Gaulle on Saturday night, March 27, at the 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifier.
Onuachu nodded home in the 93rd minute ending Benin’s eight year unbeaten home run, after scrambling for the ball during a frantic goal mouth action.
With the goal, the Super Eagles now top Group L with 11 points from five games.
Benin will now have to fight for qualification next week in Sierra Leone, after Sierra Leone drew 0-0 in Lesotho earlier today.
The Super Eagles will now play Lesotho in Lagos next week, but the game will have no significance giving Rohr an opportunity to test fringe players.
BMW have ditched Nigerian-born UFC fighter Israel Adesanya as an ambassador after an offensive comment he made in an online video.
The Nigerian-New Zealander who was to be unveiled as the face of BMW in New Zealand, had told possible future opponent Kevin Holland in an online video, “Bro, I will fu**ing rape you.”
According to Australian TV network Nine, he has since lost his potentially lucrative deal with the car manufacturer. A statement released by BMW read;
“Due to the comments made by an athlete online, we have reviewed our pending association with said athlete and we have decided not to push forward with a specific ambassador for the brand at this time in New Zealand.”
Adesanya later admitted he “crossed the line” and has since apologised.
In a short statement he shared on Twitter, the 185-pound UFC champ said:
“Last weekend fight talk escalated to a point in which I crossed the line.
“I understand the gravity of this word and how it can affect and hurt other people apart from my opponent, although that was NEVER my intention.
“I am still to growing under the spotlight, and I take this as a lesson to be more selective with words under pressure.”
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson who is also the sports minister had blasted the middleweight champ and urged the UFC to consider taking action.
He said;
“There is never a time to make flippant comments about rape. It’s just not something anybody should do.
“I’m sure Israel understands that. I believe he has deleted the tweet in question. It will be up to the UFC as to what they do.
“But I would certainly be making clear to him, and to anybody actually, that we have to take rape seriously.
“It’s not an issue that anyone should be making jokes or flippant comments about at all.”
Prince William has been named as the sexiest bald man on the planet according to a new study using Google.
The Sun reports that cosmetic surgery specialists Longevita conducted the study by searching for how many times the Royal had been called ‘sexy’ in various online blogs and articles around the internet.
The results found that William had been called ‘sexy’ a whopping 17.6 million times, to come out on top.
The royal’s search results beat out Mike Tyson, Jason Statham, Pitbull, and Michael Jordan, who completed the list’s top five men.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Floyd Mayweather, and John Travolta were also mentioned in the study, as well as Vladimir Putin.
“There are quite a few bald public figures we can feast our eyes on,” a spokesperson for Longevita said, according to the outlet.
See the full list – with how many times they’ve been called sexy in online articles.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa has said that he will resign if he is asked to do anything against his conscience.
The 40-year-old EFCC Chairman who said this in an interview on NTA, said he will be guided by the law in all his actions.
Bawa also urged Nigerians to stop glorifying corruption and corrupt people in the society. He said in the interview;
“We need to change our attitudes in Nigeria. We are in the habit of worshipping people that have money in the society, but never bother to ask questions about their source of income.
“In winning the fight against corruption, we are engaging all stakeholders including religious leaders, community leaders and others.
“We are going to embark on massive public enlightenment to sensitise people on the need to shun corruption in all its forms.
“I will continue to do what is right. The Commission under my watch will continue to abide by the rule of law. If anybody asks me to do anything contrary to my conscience or against the rule of law, I will resign my appointment.”
A Nigerian Catholic priest, Fr. Kelvin Ugwu has said that most laws created in the name of religion are meant for the poor and poor women.
The Malawi based priest stated this on Saturday, March 27, following the ongoing Hijab controversy in Kwara State.
“If we are to be sincere to ourselves, most of these unnecessary laws created in the name of religion are basically meant for the poor and for poor women,” he wrote.
“You will not find the super rich kids in schools where there will be foolish arguments like, whether it is mandatory to wear or not to wear Hijab. What most of these rich folks will do, ordinary poor Muslims CAN’T do it and go free.
Even in parishes, the day one super rich man will come to church with his female kids all wearing trousers, even the church warden oppressing the young poor girls in the village because of trousers will be the first to greet the super rich children and compliment them with words like: “unu amaka”(you people are looking beautiful).
This is how some women between 1990 to year 2000 were condemned to hell because they wore trousers. Then between 2010 and 2021, women no longer go to hell because of trousers. Almost every woman now has trousers. Is it not a miracle? Mtchwww!
The way some of you make God to look like one jobless old man sitting down with broken glasses and looking and taking records of who will wear trousers and who will not, who will wear hijab and who will not, deserve to be in the Guinness book of records. I am not yet sure which category it will fall under.”
‘Bad Girls Club’ cast member, Deshayla Harris has been confirmed as one of the victims killed in Virginia Beach Shootings over the weekend.
Deshayla, 29, of Norfolk, who appeared on season 17 of the reality TV show “Bad Girls Club,” died in one of the three separate shootings that occurred in the Virginia Beach resort area on Friday, March 26.
According to a press release from the Virginia Beach police department, Harris was a bystander at the second shooting incident, which occurred along 19th Street. She is reported to have died at the scene.
A second victim was identified as Donovon Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach. She was killed in the third shooting of the night during a confrontation with an uniformed Virginia Beach police officer, according to WAVY.
Eight other people were wounded during the evening’s gunfire, the report said.
Authorities are working to determine if the three shootings on Friday night were related and if there are any additional suspects.
Law enforcement has charged and arrested three individuals from the first shooting—22-year-old Ahmon Jahree Adams of Chesapeake, Va., 18-year-old Nyquez Tyyon Baker of Virginia Beach, Va., and 20-year-old Devon Maurice Dorsey Jr. of Virginia Beach. They have each been charged with seven counts of felonious assault, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and reckless handling of a firearm.
Harris appeared on season 17 of Bad Girls Club in 2017, which was the final season of the Oxygen reality series. She was dubbed the “Firecracker Fashionista” on the show.
Harris’ death comes mere months after the Bad Girls Club franchise lost another cast member. Last December, Bad Girls Club star Whitney Collings, who appeared on season 3 and was nicknamed “Boston” on the show, died of unspecified causes. She was 33.
Manchester United football star, Ryan Giggs and his former wife, Kate Greville are at loggerheads over who gets their dog after their split.
The Old Trafford legend and Kate Greville, who is a public relations expert, both want ownership of their six-month-old puppy Mac.
The former couple split after police were called to Gigg’s home and he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Kate and another woman in November 2020.
Kate, 36, took the dog with her when she ran away from his home.
Before their split, the couple bought another dog named Atlas, which they hoped would be company for Mac.
A source said to Sun UK: “Ryan and Kate got lots of joy from Mac and got another dog so he had a play companion.
“But do they keep the dogs together or do they split them up and both take one?
“They both want the dogs and neither side wants to give in.”
Giggs, 46, lives at his £1.7million mansion in Worsley, Greater Manchester.
After his arrest he quit as manager of Wales but denies any wrongdoing.
He is awaiting to see if he will be charged to court.
ussia President, Vladimir Putin received his Covid-19 vaccination behind close doors on Tuesday according a statement released by the Kremlin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media late Tuesday night, March 23: “Putin was vaccinated against the coronavirus. (He) feels good. Tomorrow he has a full working day.”
No video or images of the vaccination process have been made available.
Earlier in the day the Kremlin said Putin’s vaccination would not be a public event.
Peskov said that the reason the vaccination was not being recorded was because Putin “doesn’t like” being vaccinated on camera, before adding, “you will have to take our word for it.”
An unusual move for a leader who sometimes poses topless and shares photos of himself fishing or hiking.
When asked why the Russian leader is not planning to show his vaccination process for publicity, Peskov said Putin does a lot to promote getting vaccinated, adding: “The President devotes a fairly significant part of his working time to events, talks, meetings related to vaccination, vaccine production, and so on and so forth.
“As for vaccination under the cameras, he has never been a supporter [of it], he doesn’t like it,” Peskov said.
Peskov also said the type of vaccine used will not be revealed.
“We deliberately do not say what kind of vaccine the president will take, all the while noting that all three Russian vaccines are absolutely reliable and effective,” Peskov said.
At first it looked like Putin seemed reluctant to get the vaccine as he has qualified for vaccination since late December.
Local media sites believe Putin’s refusal to have the vaccine on Live TV may have bungled a golden opportunity to encourage hesitant Russians to get vaccinated.
Former Manchester United goalkeeper, Roy Carroll has opened up on his battles with alcohol and depression
Carroll won the Premier League at United but found life off the pitch difficult.
The Northern Irishman began drinking in 2006 and it soon became more and more frequent.
He revealed how he became depressed after covid-19 forced him to leave his job as a goalkeeping coach at Nottingham Forest’s academy after one day and return to Northern Ireland a year ago.
According to him he found life during the lockdown tough and he was starting to struggle again before Dungannon Swifts offered him the opportunity to play again at the age of 43, two years after his last Irish League appearance for Linfield.
According to Carroll his problems with depression and alcoholism started at West Ham in 2006 when he was home nursing a back injury.
‘I’d never had a long injury before and slowly but surely I was getting into a deeper hole. I wasn’t mentally prepared for it,’ he says.
‘I was just in a dark room and drinking heavily. I had no outside help. Nobody knew what was wrong with me because I never spoke about it. Everybody thought I was the happiest guy in the world but I would go home, shut the door and bang my head against the wall, have a few drinks to try and forget.
‘For me, it was getting rid of the depression. You’d have loads to drink and forget about it. The next day it got worse and you’re back on the drink. It doesn’t work. I went into rehab because others wanted me to: my wife, my agent and my friends. I didn’t see there was anything wrong with me, that was my biggest problem.’
Carroll says his drinking continued while he was at Rangers, Derby and Danish club Odense.
But while jobless after leaving Denmark, it turned to another thing.
‘When I had a club, I always had the mind to not drink the day before a game,’ he says. ‘That was strange — when I stopped playing and nobody wanted me, I was drinking nearly every day.
‘I had a lot of time on my hands, my drinking was crazy. If I hadn’t stopped, I wouldn’t be here today. I don’t feel my body would have held up to it.
‘I was never at that stage where I would have killed myself. I was quite lucky I wasn’t that far ahead. But I would have died from the drink. The stuff I was drinking and the way I was drinking it, I wouldn’t have woken up one morning. I don’t care about alcohol any more. The first four or five years were very difficult but now I don’t need it. I’m mad enough without the drink!
‘But the depression will come back once in a while. I’m never going to get rid of it.
‘A lot of footballers will be going through it, but they don’t come out and say it until they retire. They try to keep it in because it’s their livelihood.’
‘Trust me, in this day and age when we’re locked down, I know what people are going through,’ says the former United keeper.
‘I’d been good for quite a long time until this. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, it knocks you down.
‘I would have to fight very hard sitting in the house. I was struggling with it because I didn’t know what I could do, then Dungannon came in for me. I never thought I would be back playing again after being out for so long.
‘I’m lucky. We watch football every night on TV and these professionals don’t realise how lucky they are to still be playing. I feel sorry for the thousands of kids, men and women who can’t play sport. I know how serious that is for mental health.
‘You have to show a brave face for the kids when you’re doing Zoom chats because each week they’re getting more and more down. There’s no point me saying everything is brilliant — it’s not.’
Nick Freeman who represented the player on Thursday at Mould Magistrates Court told the court that Brandon Williams’ father, Paul was the driver caught speeding on the A55 in Rhaullt Hill therefore Brandon should not be punished for not responding to a police form, as the form was received by his father.
According to the prosecuting lawyer, after the car was stopped for speeding, a response form had been sent directly to Williams for him to complete, but he failed to do so.
Williams, who earns £40,000-a-week at United, argued that his father is the person who deals with his mail post and was the reason he never responded to the police’s letter.
Despite this, Williams was found guilty for failing to provide information and was slapped with the £1,000 fine and ordered to pay £720 in costs.
Brandon’s lawyer Freeman argued successfully that no points should be imposed on the player’s license as the defender was focusing on his football and that his father, who had been clocked speeding at an average of 85mph in a 70 zone in north Wales, was dealing with his mail.
His lawyer argued that the Mercedes, which Williams bought as a 50th birthday present for his father, has never been driven by the defended and was staying at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester at the time of the incident.
Manchester United defender, Brandon Williams, 20, has been fined £1,000 for failing to report to police about a speeding offence in Wales after a £40,000 Mercedes registered in the player’s name was caught speeding on a north Wales road.
Nick Freeman who represented the player on Thursday at Mould Magistrates Court told the court that Brandon Williams’ father, Paul was the driver caught speeding on the A55 in Rhaullt Hill therefore Brandon should not be punished for not responding to a police form, as the form was received by his father.
According to the prosecuting lawyer, after the car was stopped for speeding, a response form had been sent directly to Williams for him to complete, but he failed to do so.
Williams, who earns £40,000-a-week at United, argued that his father is the person who deals with his mail post and was the reason he never responded to the police’s letter.
Despite this, Williams was found guilty for failing to provide information and was slapped with the £1,000 fine and ordered to pay £720 in costs.
Brandon’s lawyer Freeman argued successfully that no points should be imposed on the player’s license as the defender was focusing on his football and that his father, who had been clocked speeding at an average of 85mph in a 70 zone in north Wales, was dealing with his mail.
His lawyer argued that the Mercedes, which Williams bought as a 50th birthday present for his father, has never been driven by the defended and was staying at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester at the time of the incident.
The United Nations has warned that women are being gang-raped by soldiers in front of their families and men are being forced to rape their relatives in a wave of sexual violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray province.
According to Wafaa Said, the UN aid coordinator in Ethiopia, more than 500 rape cases of sexual violence have been reported at five medical centres in the northern state.
‘Women say they have been raped by armed actors, they also told stories of gang rape, rape in front of family members and men being forced to rape their own family members under the threat of violence,’ she said.
Tigray region of Ethiopian has seen an increase in violence by soldiers on civilians since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a military offensive against Tigray’s regional leaders (who control the TPLF party) in November 2020.
Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said the assault was aimed at the TPLF party which had ruled Ethiopia for three decades until 2012 and continued to control the Tigray region, despite attempts by the Ethiopian federal government to bring it under federal control.
The military offensive has also brought in soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea, resulting in heavy ethnic violence that has seen civilians indiscriminately killed, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced and left without food.
‘Most of the internally displaced people left with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing,’ Said told the UN on Thursday.
‘They are generally traumatized and tell stories of the difficult journey they took in search of safety. Some reported walking for two weeks and some as far as 300 miles,’ Said said on Thursday.
‘Of the people who traveled with them, some were reportedly killed particularly youngsters, people were reportedly beaten, women were subject to rape, some were pregnant and delivered on the way losing their babies.’
The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described the acts carried out by Ethiopian military as ethnic cleansing but Ethiopia has rejected Blinken’s characterization.
This week, prime minister Abiy (pictured below) acknowledged for the first time that atrocities such as rape had been committed.
He also said guilty soldiers will be punished but said Eritrean soldiers are reportedly the ones who have committed the most crimes.
Dozens of witnesses in Tigray have told Reuters that Eritrean soldiers routinely killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted households and crops.
In a major announcement on Friday March 26, Aiby said that Eritrean soldiers have agreed to leave the region – just five days after he acknowledged for the first time that they were even there.
‘Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border,’
He added that the Ethiopian National Defence Force will take over guarding the border area effective immediately, Abiy said.
Grey DeLisle, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and actress, has revealed how her first marriage ended.
She said she got married at 19 and was playing Scrabble with her husband when he asked if she had cheated. She immediately started crying and confessed to cheating on him.
It was too late by the time she realised he was asking if she had cheated at the game they were playing.
She wrote: “I got married at 19 and things ended when we were playing Scrabble. He asked me if I was cheating and I immediately broke down crying and tearfully confessed everything…because I didn’t realize he was talking about the game.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed N6.98 service charge on Nigerians for all USSD transactions.
A statement jointly signed by the apex bank and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and released today March 16, says customers will pay a flat fee of N6.98 per transaction every time they use USSD services from March 16.
The deal was part of an agreement reached with banks following a disagreement between banks and telecom firms over USSD and other text message transaction requests.
“Effective March 16, 2021, USSD services for financial transactions conducted at DMBs (Deposit Money Banks) and all CBN-licensed institutions will be charged at a flat fee of N6.98 per transaction,” the statement partly read.
This replaces the current per session billing structure, ensuring a much cheaper average cost for customers to enhance financial inclusion. This approach is transparent and will ensure the amount remains the same, regardless of the number of sessions per transaction.
To promote transparency in its administration, the new USSD charges will be collected on behalf of MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) directly from customers’ bank accounts. Banks shall not impose additional charges on customers for us of the USSD channel.”the statement in part reads
The CBN said the charges were part of the agreements after banks and telecommunication operators met on Monday March 15, to discuss the N42bn debt owed mobile operators by banks.
The Federal Government had last week asked telecommunication operators to put on hold, their impending suspension of USSD services over the debt owed by banks.
Eight members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) have reportedly been kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna State.
They were reportedly abducted on Friday evening, March 26 while on transit along Kachia Road in the southern part of the state.
Leader of the men’s fellowship of the church in the province, Elder Adaji told Channels Television that the abducted persons were on their way to Kachia for an evangelical outreach programme before their bus was ambushed by the bandits.
It was gathered that the victims were transferred to another vehicle by the bandits who zoomed off to an unknown location, leaving behind the church bus.
Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani who confirmed the incident tweeted;
The report of the Kidnapping of RCCG members along Kachia road in Kaduna is yet another tragedy.Bandits have turned our state into their hub;B4 one kidnap is resolved,another one is unfolding.Humans have become preys.On entry you meet their snare,on exit you meet their ambush.
To the Imams in our own part of the country who wants to move to the villages to preach during Ramadan;To the Pastors who wants to move to the rural areas to minister during Easter,suspend action;Bandits are Godless.
A couple chose to call attention to the poor state of a road in their state by staging their honeymoon there.
The pair got a bed and placed it in the middle of the terrible Ohi-Orogwe road in Imo state.
In one of the photos, the man is seen carrying his woman, while standing ankle-deep in mud.
In another, the man is pictured serving the woman breakfast in bed in the middle of the bad road.
The couple also laid on the bed decorated with rose petals.
This comes just months after 3 friends set up a table with chairs to drink beer on the same road, while calling the attention of the government to its poor state. (read here).
So far, nothing has been done.
Below are more photos of the couple staging their honeymoon on the bad road.
Thomas Markle was pictured delivering a letter to Oprah Winfrey’s house, asking for an interview with the US TV host.
He drove up to Oprah’s property in Montecito, California, which is close to his daughter Meghan Markle’s home, and handed the letter to a security guard on Thursday, March 25.
The 76-year-old, who made the trip from his house in Rosarito, Mexico, wants to tell his side of the story, it is claimed.
A source told The Sun: “Thomas delivered a letter to Oprah asking her to contact him so he could tell his side of the story.
“This was not a note to Meghan and Harry, it was meant for Oprah.
“Thomas watched the interview she did with them and feels he deserves a chance to have his say.”
Meghan Markle and her dad have not spoken for four years.
During the interview with Oprah, Meghan discussed her strained relationship with her dad, saying, “I grieve a lot.”
She told Oprah: “I mean, I’ve lost my father. I lost a baby. I nearly lost my name. I mean, there’s the loss of identity. But I’m still standing, and my hope for people in the takeaway from this is to know that there’s another side.”
She said she found it difficult to describe his actions, adding: “I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child.”
North Korea has released new images of its missile tests carried out on Thursday, claiming the missiles it launched were a “new-type of tactical guided projectile”, in its first statement since the test.
The Thursday, March 25, launch was the country’s first ballistic launch in almost a year and the first since Joe Biden became US President.
In response to the launch, Biden has said the US will “respond accordingly” as under UN Security Council resolutions, North Korea is banned from testing ballistic missiles
The US, Japan and South Korea have since condemned the tests.
North Korea’s Friday statement, issued through state media outlet KCNA, says the two weapons struck a test target 600km (373 miles) off North Korea’s east coast, which goes contrary to Japan’s assessments that they flew just over 400km.
The statement added that the new missile is able to carry a payload of 2.5 tons, making it capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
State media said the missile had an “improved version of a solid fuel engine” and described it as a tactical guided missile that could perform “gliding and pull-up” manoeuvres, which could mean it is harder to intercept.
The State media released a picture of the missile being launched and also released a photo of North Korea’s generals clapping at the launches.
Supreme leader, Kim Jong Un was not present during the launch.
“The development of this weapon system is of great significance in bolstering up the military power of the country and deterring all sorts of military threats,” Ri Pyong Chol, the senior leader who oversaw the test, was quoted by KCNA as saying.
The recent missile test comes after North Korea warned the United States not to cause “a stink” and that the Biden administration would “pay a price” if they miscalculated against North Korea.
Biden told reporters that the launch was a violation of UN resolutions and that the US was consulting with partners and allies.
“There will be responses – if they choose to escalate, we will respond accordingly,” he said.
“But I’m also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearisation.”
The test highlights the progress the country’s weapons programme has made since denuclearisation talks with the US stalled under former President Donald Trump.
Chrissy Teigen has revealed that she and her husband, John Legend have had sex at a host of ‘strange’ places, the Democratic National Convention and a public plane inclusive.
The supermodel and mum made the revelations to TV host and comedian, James Corden during a game where she could either reveal the strangest place she’s ever had sex — or eat “bull penis.”
And she chose the former.
“… One time at the Grammys I had said, ‘We had sex at that Obama thing.’ And that came out wrong, because what I actually meant was, it was that Obama thing, but wasn’t like with them or near them … I believe it was at the DNC, actually,” she said on “The Late Late Show.”
A surprised Corden clarified, “Sorry, so when you said ‘that Obama thing’ you meant the Democratic National Convention, otherwise known as ‘that Obama thing’?”
She said they had sex in the bathroom but that’s not the only public place they have had sex.
Teigen, 35, also revealed other places she has gone down with Legend, 42.
“It was a while ago. I mean, I can fire these off if you want, I can say [clothing stores] Ron Herman, Fred Segal, boom, boom, boom,” she added.
“On a plane. Not even private, James!” Teigen added. “Public.”
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, on Thursday, March 25, convicted and sentenced ten internet fraudsters.
Those convicted are Agbi Favour Alaba, Otasowie Kelly Osaremen, Chukuwdi Greater, Simeon Asein, Onosemuode Eyube Abel, and Aigbata Joseph. Others are Momodu Abdulmalik, William David, Erhirouture Precious, and Obibi Odemaro.
The suspects who were arraigned on separate one-count charge of impersonation and obtaining by false pretenses, pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them.
The charge against one of the defendants, Alabi, reads: “That you Agbi Favour Alabi (a.k.a LEI WEI) on or about the 12th day of February, 2021 at Ogieva Street off Auchi-Benin Road , Benin City, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Hounourable Court did fraudulently impersonated one LEI WEI (a Chinese) who is a U.S.A. Army personnel by using his pictures on WeChat App Account with intent to obtain money, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) and (ii) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition Prevention, Etc.) Act ,2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the same Act”
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Ahmed Arogha prayed the Court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
The defence counsel, Pascal Ugbome and John Arih asked the Court to temper justice with mercies as the defendants were first-time offenders and have become remorseful.
Justice Nwite convicted and sentenced Alaba, Osaremen, Chukuwdi Greater, Asein, Onosemuode Eyube, and Aigbata Joseph to two years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. Alaba is also to forfeit a Mercedes GLK 350, 2015 model to the Federal government.
The duo of Odemaro and Precious also bagged two years imprisonment but with a fine of N500,000 and N300,000 respectively. Odemaro is to forfeit a Lexus 350 SUV to the Federal government of Nigeria.
However, the duo of Abdulmalik and David were sentenced to six months imprisonment each with the option of a fine of N100,000 each. The convicts are to forfeit the phones recovered from them to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The presidency has debunked claims of an alleged rift between President Buhari and his strong ally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President Garba Shehu, the Presidency stated that reports of a rift between the two leaders of the APC are false and the handiwork of some media mischief makers.
The statement added that if Asiwaju is not a frequent face in the Aso Rock Villa, it is on account of the fact that he is not a cabinet member of this government.
It read;
The Presidency wishes to make it clear that there is no rift between President Muhammad’s Buhari and his strong ally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The President and the Asiwaju have a very strong commitment to the All Progressives Congress, APC towards bringing CHANGE and this is a commitment they have made to the Nigerian people.
Recent reports of a rift between the two leaders of our party are false; the handiwork of some media mischief makers.
It is quite unfortunate that certain sections of the media feed on birthing controversies, providing a nexus for naysayers who work behind the scenes planting such stories which are absolutely false.
This administration is aware of pessimists and cynics who willfully spread misinformation to create doubts in the minds of the people about the relationship between its leaders and whether the party will remain intact or not.
There is no doubt that the President and the party are focused on development, peace and security, restructuring of the economy and war against corruption in the country and will not be diverted to anything else.
This desperate attempt to fool the people will not succeed.
To President Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu remains one of the most respected political leaders in the country who has stuck to his principles in the face of all adversities.
He was instrumental to the formation, growth and development of the APC into a formidable political party and the political alliance is waxing even stronger.
If the Asiwaju is not a frequent face in the Aso Rock Villa, it is on account of the fact that he is not a cabinet member of this government.
The fact that he is not every day around the Villa does not make him less of a friend to the President and this administration.
Unemployed graduates, Hamza Alkali Kolo and Hauwa Usman, have welcomed quadruplets in Bida, Niger state.
Hauwa delivered the quadruplets, three girls and one boy at the Federal Medical Centre Bida. The ceremony was held on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Ummu Amara Mosque, Essozhi, Bida.
Hamza is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida while Hauwa studied Community Health at School of Health Technology in Minna. Both are currently unemployed.
Meanwhile, well meaning individuals including the First Lady of Niger State, Hajiya Amina Abubakar Sani Bello, have been donating cash, baby and food items to the couple.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, have arrested a 28-year-old man, Ibeh Theophilus Uche and his mother for their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud to the tune of about N50million.
Uche, the runs 10 Kobo Wine Place, Ikotun, Lagos, was arrested recently in his room in Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, following credible intelligence reports about his alleged criminal activities.
During interrogation, Uche, who presents himself variously as Rachael Armstrong , Keanu Reeves, Rebekah Schwarzenberger, Keanu Private, Elizabeth Hortman and Stefan Paulson, confessed to being into Bitcoin investment scam, romance scam and identity theft.
The suspect also confessed to have defrauded his victims to the tune of about N50m, since he started the criminal activities in 2020.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had been using a First Bank account belonging to his mother, who is one of his accomplices, to launder the proceeds of his alleged criminal activities.
Items recovered from the suspect are one iPhone 11 Pro Max; one iPhone 12 pro max; two MacBook Pro laptops; a PlayStation 5; an iPad and a small Nokia touch phone.
Others are a Mercedes Benz S550 2015 Sedan car and a Lexus RX 350 SUV 2016, among other incriminating items.
A young man is wanted after he allegedly killed his mother, and buried her in a shallow grave.
The man, identified as Chukwudi Chukwu, a native of Umumnakpi village, Egwu Achi community in Oji River, Enugu, is said to have killed his mother on Sunday, March 21.
After killing her, he reportedly decapitated her, and buried her body in a shallow grave in their compound.
He then reportedly fled and has not been seen since then.
The police has exhumed the body of the deceased and declared the man wanted.
Soldiers of an unidentified battalion in Operation Lafiya Dole in Borno state have staged a protest over their posting to a location in the Theatre of Operation.
The protesting soldiers stormed the headquarters of the Theatre Command in Borno State on Thursday night, March 25, shooting sporadically into the air as they rejected their posting. They cited non-payment of allowances and poor equipment as reasons for their rebellion.
Some of the soldiers who spoke under anonymity recalled how a whole unit that went for reinforcement when Marte was captured last month, were killed due to poor weaponry they took to confront the insurgents who came armed with sophisticated weapons.
This protest is coming barely two weeks after it was reported that the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, during an interview claimed that the monies allocated for the purchase of weapons during the tenure of the immediate past service chiefs cannot be accounted for. Monguno however released a statement later, denying he ever made such a claim.
The Nigerian Army is yet to react to the protest by the aggrieved soldiers.
