Curence: The Fastest News Update

Photo: Lanre Makun and wife welcome baby girl

AY comedian's younger brother and events planner Lanre Makun and his wife Joy Ofoebu just welcomed their first child together, a baby girl! Big congrats to them!

One last chance to become a St-Remy millionaire! Take a pic with your friends & win N1m

It’s the last month of the year and your still have a chance to win One Million Naira. Winners have emerged every month since the beginning of the year; it could be your turn this time!! ST-RÉMY, the world’s No.1 authentic French brandy is giving consumers the chance to become millionaires this month by way of its OGA (Original, Genuine and Authentic) campaign.

Press statement from EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 arraigned one Ibrahim Isah before Justice M.A Nasir of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja on a 3-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and forgery. Ibrahim allegedly defrauded one Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN) by offering to assist him in the payment of fees and processing of Certificate of Occupancy in respect of Mighty Star Academy.

Playboy magazine would be going non-nude starting with the March 2016 issue. The Jan/February double issue featuring Pamela Anderson will be the final Playboy featuring nudity as she's the most famous Playmate in Playboy history. Not only will Anderson appear on her record 14th Playboy cover, she also took part in her 15th pictorial for the magazine. It will be the final photo spread to feature nudity within the pages of this publication.

Photo of the day!

Acting FIFA pesident Issa Hayatou was pictured nodding off at the ongoing news conference in Zurich. Photo credit: James Scaroll

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria end 2015 in 66th place...

FIFA today Thursday Nov.3rd announced its latest rankings with Nigeria slipping down 7 spots to 66th in the world and 14th in Africa. 2014 AFCON winners Cote d’Ivoire continued their domination while Algeria came second and Ghana’s Black Stars third. Super Eagles of Nigeria dropped down to the 66th place in the latest FIFA ranking while Cote d’Ivoire are still on top of Africa.

After the cut is the top 20 teams in the African continent:

Following reports yesterday that the Nigerian Senate are planning to censor use of social media, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), today sent an urgent appeal to David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

SERAP asked the UN, through the office of Kaye, to 'urgently request the National Assembly of Nigeria, specifically the Senate, to withdraw a bill which if passed into law would undermine the internationally recognized right to freedom of expression and press freedom on the internet in the country.”

Below is the content of SERAP's letter to David Kaye

A court in Mombasa on Wednesday, November 2, sentenced a British national Jermaine Grant to nine years in prison. The sentence was delivered by High Court Judge Martin Muya who found him guilty of nine counts, including forgery.

"The accused will serve one year imprisonment on each of the nine counts and each count will run consecutively, which means that he will serve a total of nine years imprisonment," the judge ruled.

He is accused of illegally procuring personal documents including a birth certificate and a school leaving certificate in September 2011.

"I have noted that the accused is not a first offender as he has previous convictions of being unlawfully in Kenya and giving false information to a person employed in the public service," the Judge declared, "I have borne in mind the mitigating facts adduced by counsel for the accused on his behalf," Justice Muya said.

MTN Nigeria’s CEO Michael Ikpoki has resigned. The company's head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Akinwale Goodluck has also resigned with immediate effect.

Ikpoki has been replaced by Ferdi Moolman as MTN Nigeria CEO while Goodluck has been replaced by Amina Oyagbola as its head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs. Read the press statement released my MTN group after the cut...

Two weeks ago, the University of Oxford female rugby team released a nude photo shoot to sell off their calendar, now the University of Liverpool Female Rugby team have stripped off and it worked perfectly. Their calendar sold out pretty quick. They were sold to support Coppafeel, a charity organisation which teaches women how to check their breasts regularly to detect cancer in it's early stages.

The Liverpool ladies team sold 375 copies of the calendar at £10 each and estimate that profits will be more than £2,000 after expenses are taken out.

Senate President Bukola Saraki visited President Buhari at the state house Abuja this morning.

Start preparing your child for common entrance and JAMB this Christmas season

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. – Benjamin franklin The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. – Malcolm X Is your child one of those taking the National common entrance, JAMB, SSCE, SAT or any other exam between January and March 2016? Then if you want to

help your child secure success, continue reading…

Have you ever wondered how come the failure rates in exams are so high despite the fact that students take exams after several years of studying in class? Have you done everything possible to ensure that your child will be one of the successful few among the millions who will be writing the forthcoming exams? Is there an extra edge you can give your child?

Between 4 to 6 trucks belonging to Dangote group were burnt during the Biafra protest that took place in Onitsha, Anambra state yesterday December 2nd. The Central Mosque in Onitsha was also torched. Continue to see more photos...

The supreme court has set aside February 5th 2016 as the date to rule on the appeal Senate President Bukola Saraki filed against the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which affirmed the jurisdiction of Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT ) to try him on 13 count charge of false assets declaration while he was governor of Kwara state.

A 36 year old father and his 18 year old teenage daughter who have just had a baby together have gone public with their incestuous relationship after their child was taken from them and into care.
The father Cris and daughter Sara from Mallorca, Spain, insist they are in love and should be allowed to bring up their daughter, who is also the man's granddaughter.
Incest is not against the law in Spain as long as it is between two consenting adults. Eww..

After Reddit moderator BesottedScot got wind of Aron's story, the social media user called on fellow Redditors to send Christmas cards to the 10-year-old to help show the boy he has friends across the Internet.

"I really want him to get a big massive smile on his face," the moderator wrote. "So please, write a wee message in the card to show your support too!"

Mariah Carey was taken to a hospital in New York on Wednesday, due to a severe flu. The singer is reportedly currently hooked up to IVs that are filling her up with fluids and vitamins to fight off the symptoms. She’s slated to perform a special concert on Saturday in New Jersey, but that remains up in the air right now.

Carey reportedly began feeling ill after an appearance at New York’s Pier One on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning she suffered from extreme dehydration, Carey’s team rushed her to the hospital. The singer is said to be making a steady recover, and is expected to be released sometime later in the day.

Wishing her a speedy recovery.

Fuel scarcity will end in a few days – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians that the current fuel scarcity in the country will be over in a few days, following the approval of the subsidy payment by the National Assembly.
He said:

The fear of insecurity in the country has created a hole in the profit margin accruing to the tourism sector, which is why so much needs to be done and hurriedly too.

In 2014, the World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism comprises of about 11 percent of the global GDP. The organisation also declared that the worth of expert of tourist provisions is nearly 6 to 7 percent of complete exports of services and goofs. Assessment has it that tourism industry hires nearly 6 percent of the global professional population staff includes railway employees, travel agents, airline employees, taxi workers, hotel employees, bank personnel, insurances, tour or travel guides, vendors, photographers, life savers, potters, as well as individual in control of locations visited by tourists like art, museums, shops, galleries, parts and theatres. Therefore, tourism is a function that cuts across the majority of the economic activity of a country.

Glo prepares Aba subscribers for Yuletide with Slide ‘n’ Bounce

Globacom on Saturday night prepared the residents of Aba, Abia State, for the forthcoming Yuletide season with a big-bang edition of Nigeria’s tour concert, the Glo Slide ‘n’ Bounce.

For top dignitaries and other fun seekers who trooped out in their thousands to watch the show at the Binez Hotel, Aba, there could have been no better way to herald the Christmas season than the Glo Slide ‘n’ Bounce concert which had an array of the biggest entertainers in the country.

The residents of the city also confirmed that “in Aba, age is not a barrier to fun”, as 78-year old Chief Silas Nwakandu, was one of the Aba residents who attended the show.

Experts task corporate entities on sustainable investment for growth

The benefits of having experts gather to deliberate on issues of national concern is the hope that they will proffer solutions to nagging economic problems, and one of the major issues confronting Nigeria, and indeed Africa, today is how to turn economic opportunities into sustainable investment.

This, experts believe has become imperative considering the huge youth population of Africa, which is expected to surpass those of India and China by 2040. In is in the light of this that experts who gathered at the FirstBank Sustainability forum at the Lagos Business School in Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, recently underscored the need for greater effort to produce jobs for the youths.

In their words, job creation should be part of sustainable solutions by businesses as only being meaningfully employed or engaged in jobs confer more dignity on beneficiaries than providing aid and handouts

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian military officials yesterday revealed what they say is hard evidence that Turkey is involved in an oil trade with ISIS, offering more detail on earlier claims that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has flatly denied.

“We presented evidence how the illegal oil trade is carried out to finance the terrorist groups,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister, Anatoly Antonov, said, according to state media.

“We know how much Erdogan’s words are worth,” Antonov added

Senate seeks re-imposition of ban on rice

Senate has asked the Federal Government to restore the ban earlier placed on importation of rice through land borders by the immediate past government.

The lawmakers made the appeal following series of abuse currently carried out by rice importers who bring rice into the country through neighbouring countries.

The appeal for restoration of the ban on rice importation through our land borders by the lawmakers followed the presentation and adoption of the report of Senate ad-hoc committee on import duty waivers, concessions and grants to importers.

The committee in its report said lifting the ban on land importation of rice as recently directed by the Comptroller – General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hammed Ali (retd), will lead to evasion of custom duty and revenue losses to the Nigerian maritime industry.

Kogi: What INEC should have done

The death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent governorship election in Kogi State has undoubtedly stoked serious controversy.

Before his passing on Sunday, a day after the election, Audu had taken the lead in the vote count with 240,867 votes compared to the 199,514 votes scored by his main rival, Captain Idris Wada, the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Though largely free of violence, polling was cancelled in 91 polling units on account of violence and other irregularities.

By Ochuko Akuopha

OLEH—SURVIVOR of Tuesday’s Fulani herdsmen attack at Ofagbe community, Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Thompson Ogege, yesterday, appealed to the state government and security agencies to bring the culprits to book.

Recounting his ordeal to newsmen on his hospital bed at the Ughelli Central Hospital, Ogege disclosed that Mr. Japheth Inibu, who was killed in the attack by the suspected Fulani herdsmen, was his brother- in-law.

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has expressed shock over media reports that Imo State government has earmarked over N600 million for Christmas and New Year decorations in the state.

According to a press statement by his media aide, Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu, the former Deputy Speaker questioned why Imo should spend such huge sums at a time the citizenry are going through untold hardship arising from over 20 months of unpaid salary arrears and pensions.

It was the considered opinion of Chief Ihedioha that the 27 local government councils had been comatose for years, while several industrial disputes had remained unresolved.

By Simon Ebegbulem

Members of Benin Forum, the apex socio-political organisation in Edo State, have scored Edo State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, high on infrastBenin Forum gave the score-card when its members, led by Chief David Edebiri, Esogban of Benin, joined Governor Oshiomhole on inspection of some projects in the state capital.

Chief Edebiri, who marvelled at the level of reclamation done on the Queen Ede gully erosion site, said critics of the government should see the project to be convinced that the money that comes to the state was judiciously spent.

Yuletide: Lagos to arrest sellers, users of fireworks

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS—As the Yuletide activities kicks off nationwide, Lagos State Government, through the state Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has urged parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to desist from the use of fireworks, popularly called “banger,” even as it warned sellers against the sale of the items.

General Manager LASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele who gave the warning yesterday, in his Alausa office, said that a special team consisting of the agency, the police and other security operatives have been mobilized to apprehend offenders within the ambit of the law for prosecution.

He warned dealers and end users of fireworks to steer clear of the state because of the potential hazard of the item to the people and the environment.

By Francis Igata

ENUGU—Former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Change, PDC, for Enugu-East senatorial district election last March 28, yesterday, asked the Appeal Court,Enugu Division, to declare him winner, contrary to the verdict of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal which ordered a fresh election.

In a cross appeal brought before the three-man Justices of Appeal Court led by Justice A.D Yahaya, Counsel to Nnamani, Ricky Tarfa, SAN, prayed the appellate court to outrightly declare Nnamani winner since the evidence of PW5 (Forensic Data Analyst) was relied upon by the lower court to establish wide spread irregularities that substantially marred the election.

Vanguard End of Year Thanksgiving: Cleric wants Nigerians to back Buhari’s anti-graft war

…says no longer business as usual for politicians
Global economic downturn a cycle —Adefaye

By Olayinka Latona & Providence Obuh

THE General Overseer of Tabernacle of Safety Church, Prophet Samson Olayooye, yesterday, appealed to Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption in the country.

The cleric, who spoke at the end-of-year thanksgiving and praise service, organised by Vanguard Media Limited, said it was imperative to discover the causes of corruption and eliminate them.

The cleric, who assured that in spite of the present economic meltdown in the country, expressed that there is still a strong hope for Nigerians, stressing that President Buhari needed the wisdom of God to pull through in the fight against corruption in the country.

He said: “I pray that God will endow our President with the necessary wisdom that he needs to direct the affairs of the nation, God’s wisdom to fight against corruption will be released on him and he should hold on to his commitment to fight corruption and he will win the battle by God’s grace.”

Buhari leaves for S-Africa today to discuss railway, power projects with China’s President

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for South Africa today to participate in the Forum on China/Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Johannesburg where he will ask China’s President Xi Jinping to fund rail and power projects urgently needed to diversify an economy hit hard by a plunge in oil prices.

The meeting would be a continuation of his interaction with Jinping which began in New York during the last General Assembly of the United Nations, UN.

The President would be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; Minister of Transportation, Chubuike Amaechi; and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah to the forum which would commence on December 4 and end on December 5.

Rivers suspends overseas scholarships for students

By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Rivers State Government has suspended its overseas scholarships for students of the state origin in foreign universities, saying it will only pay the tuition fees for those in final year.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim Jack, disclosed this to parents of the students, yesterday, in Port Harcourt. She said the government would see how the students would continue their studies in the state-owned universities, adding that the decision to suspend the scholarship scheme was due to paucity of funds.

Some of the parents who spoke to newsmen condemned the decision of the government, stressing that the government should have sourced money to sustain the scholarship scheme.

Meantime, Governor Nyesom Wike has said that his administration will not reduce workers’ salary from the N18, 000 minimum wage.

Two suspects are dead after a police shootout on Richardson street in San Bernardino last night as police closed in on the masked gunmen suspected of killing 14 and injuring another 17 at a regional center yesterday. One of the suspects has been identified as Syed Farook.

Reload Multivitamin at the just concluded 88^th Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Abuja celebrates the first anniversary of the liquid range that was officially launched at the 87^th edition of the conference in Uyo.

For the first time in the history of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria’s conference there was a cafe purposely built to attend to the needs of the participant, exhibitors and guests at the conference under the management of Pharmacy Plus Ltd the Product Licence Holders of Reload Multivitamins.

Christina Milan shared a photo of her daughter, Violet, meeting her idol Zendaya. Everyone ignored the caption and attacked Christina for her daughter's crotchet braids, saying that it looked too heavy for a 5year old to carry and that it was borderline child abuse. Read the messages after the cut...

Read the press statement from the office of the Senate president below.

Clarification on false claim that Senate passed a bill proposing to jail social media users for two years. The bill being made reference to, is An Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and Other Related Matters, which absolutely makes no mention of jailing social media users.

Senator Na’Allah’s bill seeks to make illegal, the common act of individuals sponsoring frivolous petitions to tarnish/blackmail public servants or political office holders for selfish purposes.

Jonathan Holmes will think twice about assaulting a woman ever again. CCTV camera caught him hiding behind walls and looking out for a victim after a drunken night out. Around midnight, he began following his intended victim, pushed her and tried to drag into the bushes. What he did not anticipate however is the fight she put up. The woman punched him twice in the stomach while holding her house keys and began to scream.

Press statement from the Nigerian Military below...

Vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison providing security at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, Dalori in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State yesterday Tuesday afternoon apprehended an 11-year-old boy, Master Usman Modu Tella, a potential suicide bomber. He is suspect number 82 on the poster containing the photographs of 100 wanted suspected Boko Haram terrorists released by the Nigerian Army.

Amber channels Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes and more feminist icons in the Dec/Jan issue of Paper magazine, with pretty story on why the single mother went all feminist on us this year. Speaking about why she decided to be a slut shamer and identify as a feminist, Amber said

“I would look on [Wiz’s] Instagram and he would have pictures of all these women all over him… and then I would post a picture of me and my son. And people would be like, ‘Does your son know that his mother’s a whore?'” she says. “People are like, ‘Wiz is out f***ing mad bad b***hes and you’re at home crying over him because he’s the best thing that f***ing ever happened to you and now you’re just a fat, bald-headed single mother and no one will ever love you.’ So yeah, I guess months of seeing s**t like that, I was just like, ‘I can’t live like this. There’s something wrong.'” More pics after the cut..

They look good together and seem very happy. See another photo after the cut...

There are several reports of an active shooter(s) in an Inland regional center in San Bernardino, California, that serves the disabled and needy. Eyewitnesses who finally found a way to escape their offices said about 2 gunmen with masks and bullet proof vests walked into their office and started shooting.
Update: The 3 suspects who shot the building have all escaped. They escaped in a black SUV and lefyt a package behind. The Bomb squad is currently on scene.

L-R: Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (3rd left); Rep of Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Hon. Adetoun Adediran; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Sarah Sosan; Wife of the Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi; his Wife, Mrs. Florence and Vice President, Lagos Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Chief (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande, during the 4th Oyo State Officials Wives Association National Women Summit, Mauve 21 Event Centre, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Wednesday, December 02, 2015. More photos after the cut...

From ROMANUS UGWU, Abuja

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is to write a strong-worded protest letter to the USA-based international kit sponsor, Nike, over the omission of the NFF official logo on the sets of jersey the U-23 Dream Team VI is currently prosecuting the CAF Olympic Games qualifier tournament in Senegal with.

The Nigeria sporting media were awash with the report that in contrast with developments over the past years in modern soccer history of national teams donning crested jerseys, the Coach Samson Siasia’s squad lined out for their victory over their West African rivals, Mali with blank jerseys.

A certain Mike who has been struggling got a bit of reprieve from a source anyone would least expect...his landlord. In a note shared online, the landlord named Jack foregoes rent for December in order to enable Mr Mike give his family a proper Christmas. See the note after the cut...

Sahara Reporters is particularly coming for Ben Murray-Bruce because he's a media mogul! Why he didn't oppose this bill or alert the public to it is puzzling. See more tweets after the cut...

A certain mum has been spending too much time on the phone that she doesn't pay her son as much attention as the lad expects and he has made her pay in no small way. In an image uploaded to reddit by the boy's dad, the boy penalised his mumr with a fine that is literally out of this world.

Who elects this individuals into office by the way? Here's the bill the Senate/Nigerian government wants to use to jail social media users. It's “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith, Sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South.

“Where any person in order to circumvent this law makes any allegation and or publish any statement, petition in any paper, radio, or any medium of whatever description, with malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government, he shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment term of two years or a fine of N4,000,000.00” the bill specified. On the social media, the bill read:

The lion was shot dead today after it escaped from its enclosure at Jos Wildlife Park. But couldn't they have used tranquilizer instead of shooting it dead?

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