Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen on Monday joined Nigeria’s elite at billionaire Tony Elumelu glamorous all-white party in Lagos, embracing the holiday festivities during a visit to his home country.

The Galatasaray forward, who has been in prolific form, was seen mingling with top celebrities at the event hosted by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the UBA Group, with an estimated net worth of $700 million according to Forbes.

The star-studded affair featured electrifying performances by some of Nigeria’s biggest music icons, including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, and Flavour.

Prominent political figures also graced the occasion, with Lagos State Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun among the notable attendees.

The Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Economic Matters, Tope Fasua, has said a weaker currency for the country was one of the best policies of the government.

Tope Fasua said the country’s currency’s low performance in comparison to other currencies has focused the attention of businesses on sourcing local raw materials.

In an interview with Arise TV on Monday night, Fasua noted that the current exchange rate has also stopped Nigerians from leaving the country for other countries.

Fasua argued that Nigeria has more students in the United States and the United Kingdom than most developed countries, not because the country’s education was totally bad but because of wrong choices. He said the weak Naira was also addressing it.

“I’m giving the advantage of making that currency weaker. Because now we’re focusing more on Naira and what Naira can do. We’re focusing more on what we can do ourselves. We’re focusing more on Nigerian raw materials. Many manufacturing companies have now started sourcing local raw materials rather than importing them.

“A lot of people aren’t traveling as many times as they would before. That’s one of the things, especially the middle class. And our middle class were special people. I mean, we assumed that we could travel five, six times on business class every year.

“How come Nigeria is the third or fourth country with the highest number of university students in the U.K. and the U.S. of all the countries in the world, we are rubbing shoulders with China with 1.4 or 1.5 billion people, we’re only 200 million people.  That means that we’re putting so much money.  It is not necessarily a failure of our education. It’s just aspiration. It’s aspiration,” he said.

The President’s Economic Adviser stressed that it was wrong for critics to assume the country would grow to be like Western nations that have been developing for years.

He emphasized that many Nigerians complaining of no work have decided not to work. According to him, the country has work for the citizens.

“The fact that we are rubbing shoulders and expecting that our economy and society will be at par with even the people that gave us colonization, who have had maybe 2,000 years of documented history. That means we have been preposterous. We’ve been preposterous, you know, because we can’t, your child cannot try and be you today. He has to learn and grow. And it’s also a matter of time.

“It’s good that the Naira has become weaker, but it has made us focus more. However, what we’re saying is that for those who are enterprising, for people who have work, who want to work, indeed, there’s work in this country. For those who want to work,” Fasua added.

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community, a gay couple in Georgia has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the horrific sexual abuse of their adopted sons.

According to The Economic Times, William and Zachary Zulock, aged 34 and 36, were found guilty of subjecting their two young adopted sons – aged 12 and 10 – to unimaginable cruelty.

The court proceedings revealed a chilling picture of abuse, with the Zulocks forcing the children into sexual acts and even creating and sharing child pornography.

The extent of their depravity was laid bare when Zachary sent a disturbing Snapchat message to an associate, stating, “I’m going to f–k my son tonight. Stand by,” accompanied by explicit images.

This horrific case came to light when authorities apprehended a member of a local pedophile ring while downloading child pornography.

The investigation led them to the Zulocks, uncovering a disturbing pattern of abuse within their home.

Both William and Zachary pleaded guilty to the heinous charges of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and sexual exploitation of children.

District Attorney Randy McGinley described the Zulocks’ actions as creating a “house of horrors,” emphasizing the gravity of their crimes.

He said, “These two Defendants truly created a house of horrors and put their extremely dark desires above everything and everyone else.”

McGinley commended the victims for their incredible strength throughout the ordeal, stating, “However, the depth of the Defendants’ depravity, which is as deep as it gets, is not greater than the resolve of those that fought for justice and the strength of the victims in this case.

“The resolve I have seen from these two young victims over the last two years is truly inspiring.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jesutega Onokpasa, has said the stampedes recorded across the country in centers where Christmas palliative rice was shared should be blamed on the government.

Onokpasa regretted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has failed to meet up with his promise of making food available to all citizens.

In an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday, a strong supporter of President Tinubu, Onokpasa stated that there was need for the government to take action against hunger in the country.

While describing the stampedes recorded in Okija, Ibadan and Maitama as unfortunate, the APC chieftain called on the President to work towards reducing high cost of food items in the country.

“The stampede is most unfortunate. The lives that were lost may they rest in peace. I think the real problem is that we have just failed woefully in producing food for our citizens. When we were campaigning for this administration, the people were calling us Agbadorians. Because our president was always talking about producing food. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to be able to produce the food.

“We just have to accept that’s our fault. The good thing about agriculture is that you can plant a crop today and harvest in three months, in six months, in one year. We try to convince our president to concentrate on food production.

“Even if we cannot reduce the price of petrol or whatever else, let our people have food to eat. Let our citizens have food to eat.  It’s a shame that we have allowed prices to skyrocket, especially of food. Let people just have food to eat. That’s my take on it,” Onokpasa said.

A Chief Magistrate in Ibadan, Olabisi Ogunkanmi, has ordered the remand of Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, the owner of Agidigbo FM; and Fasasi Abdulahi, the principal of Bashorun Islamic High School.

According to The Nation, the remand will last pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.

The ruling, issued on Tuesday, followed their arrest in connection with the recent stampede at Bashorun Islamic High School.

All three individuals were arraigned at Chief Magistrate Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, under a heavy security presence.

Naija News understands that they face a four-count charge, including conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities during the event.

Tensions were high at the court premises as supporters of Oriyomi Hamzat gathered, though the presence of law enforcement maintained order.

A brief moment of unrest was reported when the police vans transporting the suspects began to leave the premises.

President Bola Tinubu has said there is no need to probe Nigeria’s Security Chiefs on the prevalent insecurity in Nigeria.

Tinubu made this known in a chat with journalists on Monday night, where he discussed his administration and governance of Nigeria.

When asked if he would be probing security chiefs, Tinubu said he has confidence in what they are doing and will not disrespect the institution with the threat of a probe.

He said, “I’m not probing any service chief. You cannot disrespect the institution because of threat of probe, and you cannot fight this war without investment in technology, in weaponry.

“They are living and operating in a very serious condition. We have huge country, a very huge one, and lots of forests, unoccupied spaces. Give them credit for what they are doing, I am proud of what they are doing today. No need to probe.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu has declared that corruption in all its ramifications, is bad for the people.

Tinubu made the declaration while answering a question during his first presidential media chat about the intention of his administration to fight corruption.

The Nigerian leader said increasing the minimum wage of workers in the country to ₦70,000 is part of the measures adopted to fight corruption in the country.

He stressed the need to identify the root causes of corruption and deal with such causes.

Human rights lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a hypocrite following his recent presidential media chat where he advised Nigerians to manage their electricity consumption.

During the chat, Tinubu had suggested that Nigerians reduce their electricity bills by switching off lights when not in use.

He said, “It’s not negative to learn to manage. You learn to control your electricity bill, switch off the light, let’s learn to manage.”

However, Omirhobo questioned the President’s credibility in offering such advice amidst rising costs of living and governance expenses.

His remarks come in the wake of escalating energy costs. Since Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023, petrol prices have quadrupled from less than ₦200 per litre to over ₦1,100 in many regions, following the removal of subsidies.

Additionally, electricity tariffs have surged. On April 3, 2024, the electricity regulator increased the Band A tariff to ₦225 per kilowatt-hour from ₦66, prompting widespread public backlash.

Omirhobo urged the government to prioritise reducing governance costs and providing practical solutions to Nigeria’s energy crisis.

Omirhobo in a post on Twitter wrote, “It is hypocritical for Tinubu to advise Nigerians to learn to manage by learning to control their electricity bill by switching off their light when he has refused to learn how to cut down the cost of governance.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has phased out high-interest foreign exchange (FX) swaps to stabilise financial markets.

It has settled 80 per cent of FX forward obligations, thereby boosting liquidity and market confidence.

Deputy Governor, Monetary Policy, Mohammed Sani, said the CBN has also maintained robust external reserves to support exchange rate appreciation.

He stated these in a presentation titled “Enhancing FX Market Efficiency” at a meeting of the Economic Management Team (EMT) convened by the Federal Government to assess critical economic policies and progress in key sectors.

Sani highlighted the launch of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS), which aims to improve transparency and enhance market operations.

The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, focused on strengthening economic resilience.

A statement by Mohammed Manga, Director, Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, said the meeting noted efforts to address market reforms and agricultural performance.

Edun commended the progress made in the foreign exchange and agricultural sectors.

He urged stakeholders to accelerate efforts toward achieving economic stability, food security, and sustainable growth.

He emphasised the importance of coordinated implementation of policies to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring affordable food and improved living conditions for Nigerians.

Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, presented a report on the 2024 wet season performance, revealing a 4.5 per cent increase in overall crop production.

However, millet production declined slightly by 0.2 per cent.

The minister expressed concern over rising production costs, particularly maize, which surged by 69.7 per cent, and significant food price increases, with cowpea prices rising by 300 per cent.

He lamented the food crises reported in 31 states, which have severely impacted the Northeast.

Despite these challenges, there were slight improvements in mechanisation and farmland expansion, with a two per cent increase in tractor use and a 2.3 per cent rise in cultivated farmland.

The Ministry of Agriculture outlined ambitious plans for 2025, which include boosting food security through hybrid seed production, technology adoption, and climate-smart practices; promoting export crops such as cocoa, sesame, and ginger; and enhancing rural infrastructure with cold chain facilities, feeder roads, and electrification.

Nigerian movie actor and filmmaker Toyin Abraham’s newly released movie ‘Alakada! Bad & Boujee’ has grossed N58 million in its first weekend at the box office.

The film, which is the fifth installment in the Alakada series, premiered in cinemas nationwide on December 20.

Taking to Instagram as well as the X platform on Monday, December 3, Abraham expressed gratitude to her fans for their unwavering support during the movie’s opening weekend.

She also highlighted how the success was achieved without offering incentives to encourage ticket sales. She wrote:

“With an overwhelming outpouring of love, kindness, and compassion from fans all across the country, we were able to make this as our opening weekend figure.”

“Thank you for watching and supporting us. Without expecting gift or inducement at the box office to buy our tickets, you’ve stood by us, and we are deeply grateful.”

She also addressed the limited availability of the film in cinemas but urged fans to spread the word and continue supporting the movie. Toyin Abraham added:

“However, we’ve learned that #AlakadaBadAndBoujee isn’t showing in many cinemas.”

“Nigerians, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This support means the world to me. Please, let’s keep the momentum going—spread the word far and wide.”

See screenshot of Alakada: Bad and Boujee milestone below:

Abraham began her acting career in 2003 and is celebrated for her versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles. She has produced and starred in several hit movies, including ‘Ijakumo’ and ‘The Ghost and the Tout’.

Famous Nigerian live streamer Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja, popularly known as Peller, has stunned fans after revealing the highest amount he earned in a single night from TikTok Live.

During an appearance on The Honest Bunch podcast, Peller opened up on his earnings, sharing that he made an impressive N10 million in one night.

According to Peller, the substantial amount came from gifts sent by viewers during a live-streamed match.

He said: “N10 million is the biggest money I’ve gotten from TikTok, one night like that wey I play one match like that, I come get N10 million.”

Peller further elaborated that the gifts viewers send on TikTok Live are converted into money, which contributes to his substantial earnings.

“They would be gifting you, so those gifts na money,” he added.

However, he clarified that the value of the “lion money” gift is relatively low, with some users only talking big but not contributing significantly.

When asked about his previous live session with Nigerian music star Davido, Peller cleared up the rumors that he had made $220,000.

He disclosed that the actual amount earned from the live stream with Davido was much lower, approximately N1.5 million.

Peller’s revelation has sparked discussions across social media, with many users expressing surprise at the potential earnings from TikTok Live.