A Pakistani court on Friday convicted former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi in a landmark graft case, sentencing Khan to 14 years in prison.

Khan, who has been held in custody since August 2023, was charged with around 200 cases but his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, claimed the latest conviction was being used to pressure him into silence.

“I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief,” Khan told reporters inside the courtroom after his conviction.

The anti-graft court convened in the jail near the capital Islamabad, where Khan is being held, and convicted him and his wife over a welfare foundation they established together, the Al-Qadir Trust.

“The prosecution has proven its case. Khan is convicted,” said Judge Nasir Rana, announcing a 14-year sentence for Khan and seven years for Bibi.

Khan maintains the cases are politically motivated and designed to keep him from returning to power.

The sentence has been delayed several times over the past month, with analysts saying the jail term was being used to pressure Khan into accepting a deal with the military to step back from politics.

Since being ousted from power in 2022, Khan has launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticised the country’s powerful generals.

He’s been previously handed four convictions, two of which have been overturned while the sentences in the other two cases were suspended. But, he remained in prison over pending cases.

Last year, a United Nations panel of experts found that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”

Khan was barred from standing in February’s election and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.

PTI won more seats than any other party in the poll. Still, a coalition of parties considered more pliable to the influence of the military establishment shut them out of power.

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man, Samuel Egbetokun for allegedly poisoning cows in the Alabata community of the Odeda Local Government Area of the state.

The command informed PUNCH Online on Friday that two out of the three cows that consumed the harmful substance died instantly before the cattle rearer could intervene.

The command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola stated that the suspect had laced cassava with rat poison and tossed it to the cows while they were grazing.

It was gathered that the cattle rearer, Boji Sanni, initially did not realise that the cassava thrown by the suspect had been laced with harmful substances until the three cows began collapsing after consuming it.

The command said, “The incident came to light on January 16, 2025, when a 54-year-old man, Idris Lawal, of Akingbasa Village, complained to the local police station.

“His cattle rearer, Boji Sanni, caught a man throwing cassava mixed with a substance suspected to be rat poison to his cattle while grazing on January 15, 2025.

“The rearer reported that before realising the cassava was laced with poison, some cows had consumed it. Consequently, two female cows died, and a third is undergoing treatment. The value of the dead cows is estimated at ₦1,500,000.”

Detectives from the Odeda Division, tasked with conducting a preliminary investigation, combed the area and recovered the poisoned cassava, which was secured as evidence, according to the police.

The suspect then reportedly confessed to the crime following his arrest.

“The Commissioner of Police has taken a personal interest in the case, particularly due to concerns about potential retaliation from herders or cattle rearers. He is warning others to refrain from such actions, emphasising that this case will serve as a deterrent,” Odutola said.

This marks the second incident involving residents and cattle rearers in the LG within a week.

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka retired with an injury during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic on Friday in Melbourne.

Osaka needed treatment on her stomach at 6-5 in a first set which she went on to lose on a tiebreak to her Swiss opponent, before shaking hands and leaving the court.

Osaka had a troubled build-up to the first Grand Slam of the year, retiring from the final in Auckland with an abdominal injury.

The Japanese star also revealed last week that she and her rapper boyfriend Cordae, the father of her daughter Shai, had split up.

But the former world number one came to Melbourne in confident mood, saying that her injury was improving.

“I’m pretty optimistic about playing my match. I mean, for sure I’m going to play my match,” she said before the start of the tournament.

“I’ve been practising pretty well for the two days that I’ve been here, so it seems to be going good.”

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, reached the third round of a Slam for the first time since the birth of Shai with fine wins over Caroline Garcia and Karolina Muchova.

But both went to three sets at Melbourne Park and clearly had taken a toll.

Osaka led 5-2 in the first set against Bencic before becoming hampered on her serve and in her movement, allowing Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic to draw level and take it to a tie break, which she won 7-3.

Osaka could not continue and left John Cain Arena waving to fans.

“It’s not the way you want this match to end. I thought it was getting to be a good match,” Bencic said.

“Hopefully she will be fine soon and can play well for the rest of this year.”

Bencic will face either American third seed Coco Gauff or Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round

The Rivers government has announced the death of nine individuals following a suspected cholera outbreak in Andoni and Akuku-Toru LGAs.

Ada Oreh, the health commissioner, confirmed the development on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

She said three deaths occurred in Andoni, while six others were recorded in Akuku-Toru, with 41 suspected cases currently under monitoring across the two areas.

“We urge the public not to panic, as the state government has already implemented measures to contain this outbreak,” Ms Oreh said.

The commissioner noted that health officials were conducting tests to determine definitively whether the deaths were caused by cholera.

She, however, said, “The symptoms observed align with the surveillance case definition for the disease.

“The ministry is also investigating a suspected outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea caused by cholera in the Isiodun community in Andoni LGA. The symptoms analysed are consistent with cholera.”

According to Ms Oreh, the bacteria responsible for cholera thrive in environments lacking access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and hygienic conditions.

She added that the bacteria could be transmitted through contaminated water or food and contact with infected surfaces.

“Rivers is particularly prone to outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera during the dry seasons. This poses significant public health challenges due to the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with such outbreaks.

“The ministry, in collaboration with its partners and the authorities in Andoni LGA, has activated emergency response measures.

“Our rapid response team has also been deployed to the affected areas to enhance disease surveillance, strengthen case detection in health facilities, and supply essential supplies to the communities,” Ms Oreh stated.

Ms Oreh disclosed that the response team had distributed oral rehydration solutions, intravenous fluids, and vital medicines to health centres in the affected areas.

She advised residents to practice frequent hand washing with soap and clean water, particularly before eating and after using the toilet.

Ms Oreh also urged them to drink only boiled or chlorine-treated water to ensure safety.

A group of Nigerian hackers breached the UnitedHealthcare database to steal more than six terabytes of confidential health records and private information of 120 million Americans registered with the insurance company, according to court filings seen by Peoples Gazette.

In a series of coordinated cyber attacks against UnitedHealthcare, the hackers broke into the company’s computer systems in February 2024. They stole the names, addresses, emails, and social security numbers of registered clients who are now seeking redress in court.

Scores of Americans have filed a class action lawsuit against the company before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, saying their private health data was stolen following a 2024 database breach.

The hacking started on February 21, 2024, according to the lawsuit filed on January 15, 2025.

Although Russia-based BlackCat mainly orchestrated the hack, they said the stolen files were downloaded mostly by Nigerians, but some downloads also occurred in Russia and Brazil.

“The data was quickly spread across five continents: North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. In the end, it was downloaded by 47 different parties,” stated the suit filed on Wednesday.

“It was mainly downloaded by users in Nigeria, Russia, and Brazil, with the most activity coming from Nigeria and Russia,” it added. “This experiment demonstrated that data released on the dark web will quickly spread around the world.”

At least 60 Americans are taking part in the lawsuit, each alleging in court filings how they were adversely impacted by the breach, considered among the largest in the healthcare industry’s history.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has dissolved the members of the State Executive Council with immediate effect.

Peoples Gazette reports that the SEC members included cabinet members such as commissioners, SSA and other political appointees of the governor.

Mr Aiyedatiwa, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the affected members were to hand over government property in their possession to the accounting officers.

The governor, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution.

“They are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac. All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government property in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries. Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked the exco members for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours,” the statement issued on Wednesday read.

The Gazette reported that the dissolution came barely one month after Mr Aiyedatiwa won the November 16, 2024, governorship poll.

The governor is expected to be sworn in by February 24, 2025.

Gunshots erupted near the venue of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led, three-member Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday morning, causing widespread panic.

Lawyers, litigants, politicians, and reporters scrambled for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

However, swift intervention by fully-armed security operatives restored calm, allowing the tribunal sitting at the Edo High Court Complex on Sapele Road, Benin, to continue.

Edo APC Chairman Jarret Tenebe, condemned the incident, describing the shootings as deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

Tenebe said: “The tribunal is a sacred space, where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.

“Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn the shootings in the strongest possible terms.”

Edo chairman of APC also stated that violence had no place in a civilised society, while declaring that the people that were responsible for the heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.

The former representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, of the APC, won the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo, and was inaugurated on November 12 last year.

Seven of 18 political parties that participated in the election, which filed petitions at the tribunal, were Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Accord (A), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Alliance (AA), which wanted their candidates to be declared winner of the keenly-contested poll.

Speaker of the Nasarawa House of Assembly, Danladi Jatau, has promised to support and increase funding for the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, in making the institution a citadel of learning.

Mr Jatau gave the assurance while in the audience with the university’s management, led by the vice-chancellor, Sada’atu Liman, on Tuesday in Lafia.

Mr Jatau commended the university’s management for their efforts in developing it and called for its sustenance.

The speaker assured his leadership’s readiness to pass resolutions and bills directly affecting the education sector.

Earlier, the vice-chancellor said funding was the major issue affecting the university.

The VC said the university’s liability needs urgent attention and called for the House intervention to address it.

Cyril Ndifon, the suspended dean at the law faculty of the University of Calabar, on Tuesday, alleged that pictures extracted from his phone in the alleged sexual harassment offence were edited.

Mr Ndifon told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, that the pictures allegedly extracted from his phone by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were edited.

The suspended lecturer stated this while being led in evidence as the first defence witness (DW-1) by his lawyer, Joe Agi.

In the pictures, he said he did not see his face or that of the prosecution star witness, who was identified as TKJ.

“I did not send any nude photographs, neither did I solicit for any. This (Oppo phone) is not the phone I used to chat with her (alleged rape victim).

“She has another number which she used to chat with me,” he said.

He said ICPC admitted in court that they did not ask for the girl’s phone to verify the pictures.

When asked about ‘Exhibit H’, which contained pictures and chats allegedly exchanged between him and the alleged rape victim, he said, “All these pictures are not from my phone. Looking at it, slide 661 shows that this document has been edited.”

He added, “I haven’t gone through the whole document so I don’t know which other part was edited. I watched the video slide. But I didn’t see my face or TKJ’s (name of the girl withheld).

“The ICPC didn’t invite me to where they were doing the extraction, and I haven’t been told who told ICPC about the complaint.”

Mr Ndifon told the court that TKJ, a student of the Faculty of Law in UNICAL, made her statement to ICPC on November 9 and 10, 2023, after he was already charged to court on October 30, 2023.

Despite not being qualified, he alleged that TKJ was admitted as a student after testifying against him. The embattled lecturer said she was listed as number one on the notice for those who wrote supplementary exams for the faculty of law.

Mr Ndifon expressed shock that the prosecution witness came to testify as he could not even assist her, being that he was no longer in the law faculty of law at the time of the allegation.

“The allegation against me occurred when I was no longer in the faculty of law, so she cannot say I had asked for oral sex or any other advances. I’m totally shocked she came to testify because nothing like that happened,” he insisted.

The suspended dean said he neither sent nor requested explicit photographs from anyone. He accepted knowing TKJ through her uncle in the UK, who informed him that she allegedly paid someone in the vice-chancellor’s office N100,000 to help her secure admission into the law faculty, but the person failed to do so.
Mr Ndifon said, “Her uncle then asked me to help recover the money since admission had closed, but I felt insulted and refused to respond, having scored 102 in her JAMB exam.”

ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, cross-examined Mr Ndifon before Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until February 12 and 13 for continuation of trial.

ICPC had, on January 25, 2024, re-arraigned Ndifon alongside his lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, on four counts bordering on alleged sexual harassment and an attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

The commission had alleged that Mr Ndifon, while being the dean of the law faculty, requested a female diploma student, identified as TKJ, to send him her “pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself” through Whatsapp chats.

Impeached South Korean leader, Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over his failed martial law bid, ending a weeks-long standoff with authorities and becoming the first president to be detained in the nation’s history.

Yoon, who faces charges of insurrection over his short-lived effort to impose martial law last month, said he would comply with investigators to avoid “bloodshed.”

A former prosecutor who led the conservative People Power Party to election victory in 2022, Yoon could face the death penalty or life in jail if he is found guilty of insurrection.

He had sought to evade arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by members of the Presidential Security Service who had remained loyal to him.

His guards had installed barbed wire and barricades at the residence, turning it into what the opposition called a “fortress.”

Yoon, who had vowed to “fight to the end,” managed to thwart a first arrest attempt on January 3, 2025, following a tense hours-long impasse between the guards and anti-graft investigators working with the police.

But before dawn on Wednesday, hundreds of police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office again surrounded the residence, some scaling perimeter walls and hiking up back trails to reach the main building.

After a standoff of about five hours, authorities announced Yoon had been arrested and the impeached leader released a pre-recorded video message.

“I decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office,” Yoon said in the message, adding that he did not accept the legality of the investigation but was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”

Yoon left his residence in a convoy and was taken to the offices of the CIO.

Investigators began questioning Yoon shortly after his arrest, Yonhap reported.

AFP reporters earlier witnessed brief scuffles at the gate of the residence, where Yoon’s die-hard supporters had been camped out to protect him, as authorities first moved on the compound.

His supporters were heard chanting “illegal warrant!” while waving glow sticks and South Korean and American flags. Some laid on the ground outside the residential compound’s main gate.

Yoon shocked the nation late on December 3 when he declared martial law, claiming he needed to safeguard South Korea “from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements”.

He deployed troops to parliament but lawmakers defied them and voted against martial law. Yoon revoked martial law after just six hours.

Yoon can be held for up to 48 hours following his arrest. Investigators would need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.

Yoon’s legal team had repeatedly decried the warrant as illegal.

His ruling party also said Wednesday’s arrest was unlawful.

“History will inevitably record the fact that the CIO and the police executed an unjust and illegal warrant,” PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong told a party meeting, apologising to Yoon’s supporters.

In a parallel probe, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday launched a trial to rule on parliament’s impeachment of Yoon.

If the court endorses the impeachment, Yoon will finally lose the presidency and fresh elections will have to be held within 60 days.

The trial was adjourned on Tuesday after only a very brief hearing as Yoon declined to attend. The next hearing is set for Thursday, although the proceedings could last for months.

South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon’s detention, with floor leader Park Chan-dae telling a party meeting it was “the first step” to restoring constitutional and legal order after weeks of turmoil.

The country’s parliament speaker echoed those sentiments.

“Now that the chaotic situation has ended, we should concentrate our efforts on stabilising state affairs and restoring people’s livelihoods,” Woo Won-shik said.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has sued the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, arguing that his purchase of Twitter shares in 2022 was carried out with violations, the regulator said in a filing published Tuesday.

“Defendant Elon Musk failed to timely file with the SEC a beneficial ownership report disclosing his acquisition of more than five per cent of the outstanding shares of Twitter’s common stock in March 2022, in violation of the federal securities laws,” the agency said in a court filing.

According to the SEC, the omission enabled Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, to continue purchasing shares at “artificially low prices, allowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his beneficial ownership report was due.”

Musk’s role on the social network has been marked by numerous controversies and led to various legal actions on the part of investors, former employees and companies that had contracts with Twitter, now called X.

Shareholders, for example, have filed a lawsuit against Musk, accusing him of disclosing his five per cent stake in Twitter too late, after the deadline set by the SEC.

Timileyin Ajayi, 32, who was remanded in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nasarawa State Police Command in Lafia, the state capital for the alleged murder of a 24-year-old corps member, Salome Adaidu.

Adaidu, who was serving in Abuja, was reportedly killed during a visit to Ajayi’s residence in the Papalana area of New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Ajayi was arrested on Sunday, January 12, while attempting to dispose of Adaidu’s severed head after dismembering her body.

He was subsequently paraded at the Nasarawa State Police Command headquarters, alongside the knife and machetes allegedly used for the crime.

Visibly injured from a mob attack prior to his arrest, Ajayi admitted the killing during an exclusive interview with Channels Television, stating that it was unplanned and stemmed from feelings of jealousy.

“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time, it’s not something I planned. It happened on that day and it happened. Not that I have the plan in mind, she was cheating.

“She hides most of the things from me most times. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided,” he said.

When asked if he regretted his actions, he replied, “I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person.

“You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can actually put yourself in the position that the person is going through. That is why I don’t have any regrets because we were actually compatible.”

Adaidu’s family denied any knowledge of a relationship between her and the suspect.

Her elder sister, Esther Adaidu, said, “This so-called Timi guy, we don’t know him. We have never seen him until we were called up to tell us that this guy murdered and dismembered our sister.

“I demand and need justice to be served to this guy sitting over there because he is the one that murdered my sister and he confirmed it to me.”

Her uncle, Samson Adaji Adaidu, who described the gruesome details of the crime, stated the position of the family.

“The position of the family is we discovered this through the Nigerian Police and we are expecting justice from the police,” he said.

He narrated the sad experience, saying, “He has succeeded in destroying our daughter, not ordinary killing, he butchered her into pieces. He cut that body into more than 50 pieces and when you look at the whole thing, he is preparing that body for consumption because he cut them and left them in about six polythene bags’

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, assured all that justice will be served.

He said, “Investigation is ongoing, and upon conclusion of the investigation, he will be arraigned in court for prosecution. I want to assure the family and members of the public that this suspect will not be spared if found wanting.

“He will be charged to court for prosecution. We are calling on members of the public who may have any complaints against the suspect to come forward with their complaints and it will be looked into and investigated.”

While media reports suggested that Ajayi is a gospel singer, he identified himself as a cryptocurrency trader during the interview with Channels Television.

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: '𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭,' 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝

Timileyin Ajayi, 32, has been remanded in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nasarawa State Police Command in… pic.twitter.com/0WzYHJrRJD

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) January 15, 2025

President Bola Tinubu has met with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, on the eve of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Their meeting was aimed at improving intra-African trade and collaboration to benefit the African people.

This was disclosed in a post shared on the X handle of President Tinubu, on Monday, January 14.

The post reads: “This evening, on the eve of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, I had meaningful conversations with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

“Africa has what it takes to develop itself. We have the resources, the people, and the capacity. We must look inward to improve intra-African trade and collaboration to benefit the African people and the continent. The time for Africa is now.

“We can. We must. We will”

United States President-elect Donald Trump has disclosed that both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to meet as soon as he takes office.

“And I know he (Putin) wants to meet, and I’m going to meet him very quickly.

“I would have done it sooner but you have to get into the office. For some of the things, you do have to be there,’’ Trump told the Newsmax broadcaster in an interview.

In early January, Trump declined to say when he was going to meet with Putin but said that such a meeting would not be appropriate before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no substantive preparations for a meeting with Trump yet, but there was political will, as “such contacts would be very, very necessary and advisable.’’

Trump’s National Security Advisor Designate Mike Waltz said on Sunday that the two leaders could hold a phone conversation in the coming days or weeks.

A presidential election took place in the U.S. on Nov. 5, 2024.

Republican candidate Donald Trump, who served as the U.S. president in 2017 to 2021, was declared the winner by all leading race callers and networks.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris conceded defeat.

The Electoral College voted in accordance with the will of the voters on Dec. 17, 2024, while the new Congress approved the results of the vote on Jan. 6.

The presidential inauguration will take place on Jan. 20.

Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in a midnight fire outbreak at Ahịa Mgbede, situated opposite the New Motor Spare Parts Market in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The inferno, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, left several shops in ruins, with goods and properties reduced to ashes.

The tragic incident has plunged the affected business owners into agony and despair.

Eyewitnesses said the fire raged for several minutes before firefighters arrived, while victims and sympathizers struggled to salvage what they could.

One of the victims, identified simply as Uche, narrated the devastation saying “We arrived this morning to find our shops reduced to rubble. The loss is immeasurable and has sent shockwaves through the entire business community.”

He added that the cause of the fire remained unknown but disclosed that many shop owners were severely affected.

He also recounted how a female victim, overwhelmed with heartbreak and frustration, attempted to harm herself but was restrained and consoled by sympathizers.

The Anambra State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Unit, led by the state fire chief, Chukwudi Chiketa.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Firefighters attended to a massive fire outbreak at Ahịa Mgbede, located opposite the Motor Spare Parts Market, Uruagu Nnewi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“The distress call was received at 2:15 am on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Firemen and firefighting equipment from the Nnewi and Ogidi Fire Stations were immediately deployed to the scene.

“Our Firemen fought tirelessly to contain the fire, but it reignited later this morning. Efforts are ongoing to completely extinguish the fire.”

The fire chief confirmed that no casualties had been recorded as of the time of filing this report.

He, however, urged the public to adopt fire safety measures and promptly report fire outbreaks to the fire service.

“Always be conscious of fire and avoid actions that could trigger outbreaks. Fire is dangerous but preventable. When incidents occur, call the Fire Service immediately to enable timely intervention,” the statement read.

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola and his wife, Cristina Serra, have separated after 30 years together.

According to a report by SPORT on Monday, the divorce is “totally cordial, stable and friendly”.

The report claimed that Guardiola drifted apart from Cristina after working in different countries for at least five years.

The couple met in 1994 and got married in 2014 near Barcelona.

They have three children together: Maria, 24, Marius, 22, and Valentina, 17.

It is understood that Serra has been living in Barcelona full time with one of three daughters, Valentina, while Guardiola stays in Manchester.

Serra is a Brazilian journalist and has been pictured with Guardiola at different times last year.

The report stated that the decision to end their marriage was made in December, with only members of their inner circle initially aware of the split.

Friends and family have also been warned not to reveal more information about the divorce.

Serra left Manchester in 2019 to work in a fashion company owned by her family, Serra Claret.

In November, Guardiola put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with the Premier League champions until 2027, despite a belief he would leave the club at the end of his previous deal.

Retired actress, Dalyce Curry, known for her roles in films such as ‘The Blues Brothers,’ ‘The Ten Commandments,’ and ‘Lady Sings the Blues,’ has died in the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, as reported by Forbes, on Monday

She was 95 years old.

Authorities confirmed that Curry’s remains were found at her burned-down property in Altadena, California.

According to her great-granddaughter, Dalyce Kelley, Curry was last seen on the evening of January 7 when Kelley dropped her off at home.

The following morning, Kelley attempted to check on her but was unable to pass police barricades near the area.

The family searched for Curry at the Pasadena Civic Centre, which had been set up as a shelter for displaced residents, but she was not located.

Days later, officials confirmed that her remains were discovered at the site of her destroyed home.

“About an hour ago the coroner confirmed her remains were indeed found at the property. #RIPMOMMADEE,” Kelley, wrote on Facebook on Sunday, January 12. “We had a great run. She impacted my life in so many ways. This loss is devastating.”

“She was very active,” said her granddaughter Loree Beamer-Wilkinson. “You would not think she was 95.”

Curry’s passing is one of at least 24 fatalities reported in the Los Angeles area as a result of the fires.

Authorities of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State have announced the closure of the polytechnic effective from January 13, till further notice.

The school authority said this is to ensure the safety of lives and property, owing to the protest by some students on the decision of the management to verify their National Diploma results from their former schools.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Public Relations Officer, Yemi Ajibola.

He said: “Management expresses its zero tolerance to fake results from any quarter,” he said.

“Consequent upon this, students have been advised to stay away from the campus in their interests, as parents and the public are assured of a timely update as events unfold.”

The students are also protesting an alleged increment in their tuition fees and delay in the mobilisation of their Higher National Diploma students for the National Youth Service Corps.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a gospel singer, Timilehin Ajayi, for allegedly killing and dismembering 24 years old , Salome Enejo, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, for suspected ritual purposes.

The command’s spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel in an exclusive interview said that Enejo was a corps member serving in Abuja before she was brutally murdered by the suspect.

The suspect, Ajayi, was apprehended by churchgoers on Sunday in Orozo, a community bordering the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Nasarawa State after he was found carrying a polybag containing the severed head of Enejo.

The church’s Bible Study Teacher and General Secretary, Caleb Umaru, explained that a member had noticed Ajayi acting suspiciously near a river.

He claimed that the said member alerted others when Ajayi threw a bag into the river, which was later retrieved and found to contain his girlfriend’s severed head.

Umaru said, “It was just before the end of the service, around 11 a.m., during the final pledge and prayers. A church member, Brother Victor, opened his eyes during the prayers and noticed someone walking suspiciously by the river near the church, carrying a bag. His movements caught Victor’s attention, prompting him to call over Brother Amos to take notice as well.

“When he saw them, he threw a black nylon bag into the river, and when they enquired from him what he threw into the river, he said nothing. After many questions that he didn’t answer, they left him and went back but didn’t go into the church.”

Umaru disclosed that the suspect attempted to flee the scene after he was repeatedly asked to open the bag before he was chased down and apprehended in a farm area and before he was handed over to the police, who arrived at the scene just in time.

It was learnt from Umaru that a motorcyclist who had transported Ajayi with the sack enlisted help to confront him. According to Umaru, the four men approached Ajayi and ordered him to retrieve the bag he had thrown into the river.

Meanwhile, the suspect was rescued from being mobbed by the vengeful crowd who caught him with the severed head.

He added that further investigation uncovered the rest of the mutilated body inside the suspect’s apartment.

“The suspect was found with a fresh human head, and when we got to the scene, we rescued him from being mobbed by the ones who accosted him.

“During the investigation at his place of residence, we found two sacks filled with the victim’s dismembered body. The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Salome Enejo; her parents have been contacted and have identified her. She is a National Youth Service Corps member, serving in Abuja.

“The suspect is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital; he was injured when we rescued him. A thorough investigation has commenced,” Nansel added.

Governor Alex Otti’s administration has approved the monthly payment of stipends ranging from N250,000 to N350,000 to traditional rulers in the state.

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The information commissioner, Okey Kanu, announced this on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that the members of the Traditional Rulers Council at the state and local government leadership level will now earn an additional N100,000 monthly.

Mr Kanu reiterated the commitment of the Abia government to give pride of place to Abia traditional rulers to promote the state’s cultural heritage.

The commissioner expressed the state’s resolve to rebase its 30-year development plan to reflect the current economic realities. Mr Kanu said the Abia economic team charged with the assignment would soon be inaugurated.

He added that the government had rejigged the State Harmonised Taskforce to ensure full compliance with its policies on street trading and driving against traffic.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that in the past, the state government had raised concerns about street trading and driving against traffic, which resulted in negative effects.

He said the government had taken serious steps to ensure that the rules would be enforced to stop these practices in Abia.

Regarding education, the commissioner said that the government had commenced the implementation of its out-of-school policy by reopening schools in the state after the Yuletide holidays.

Mr Kanu also said a special task force had been established to ensure compliance with the initiative aimed at eradicating the phenomenon of out-of-school children in Abia.