Author: starconnect
By Emmanuel Thomas LAGOS – In the glitz and glamour of Nollywood, Jim Iyke has long been the ultimate alpha male archetype. For decades, he ruled our screens as the quintessential “bad boy”—confident, untouchable, and always in control. But in a stunningly candid new interview, the veteran actor stripped away the movie-star persona to reveal a deeply vulnerable, painfully human side that fans rarely get to see. Opening up about the collapse of his marriage, Iyke offered a raw, cautionary tale about grief, fatherhood, and the delicate balancing act of relationship survival. Every marriage has its breaking points, but…
By SCM Correspondent A COCKY hate monster who vowed to “blow up” Jewish schools just 73 minutes after being released by police has been jailed for five years. Vile Tavius Jean-Charles, 36, subjected six terrified victims to a relentless campaign of antisemitic abuse near London synagogues over a six-month period. The thug’s reign of terror came to a violent head in March when he targeted a driver in Stamford Hill, North London. Jean-Charles screamed “I will kill you Jews” before smashing the passenger window of the victim’s car as it drove down the street. Cops nabbed the brute on…
By abiodun KOMOLAFE I Saturday, May 23 IJEBU JESA, Osun – Approaching the midpoint of a momentous year already defined by dramatic twists and turns, a critical mid-term review and scenario planning for the remaining months is not out of order. To be meaningful, any such exercise must anchor itself on how we interpret – in view of our immediate realities – the very concept of a social contract within a democracy. To regain quality, the social contract must be reinforced in favour of the overwhelming majority and their families. We must return to the standards we once…
By Our Reporter PORT HARCOURT – The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to its ongoing structural reforms and digitisation drive, stating that the initiatives are vital to enhancing service delivery across the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku made this known during a working visit to the NDDC Bayelsa State Office in Yenagoa, where he engaged with members of staff and commended their dedication and professionalism. Expressing delight at the warm reception accorded him, the Managing Director praised the workforce for its resilience and shared commitment to the…
BY SCM STAFF WRITER A SICK cyber predator who targeted vulnerable children online has been caged for ten years. Twisted David Chellapah, 31, engaged in a “sustained” and relentless grooming campaign against multiple youngsters aged between just 12 and 15 across social media. But the monster’s reign of terror came to an abrupt end when eagle-eyed detectives intercepted him at a pre-arranged meeting where he planned to abuse a child. The pervert was cornered and arrested on October 17 last year by the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command. A subsequent raid on Chellapah’s home uncovered a digital treasure trove…
By Benjamin Omoike I Saturday, May 23. 26 LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Government has announced that 61.52 per cent of public secondary school students sponsored by the state in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, as the state intensified investment in education support programmes and digital learning infrastructure. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja on Friday. Alli-Balogun also revealed that the state government committed ₦1.4 billion…
By SCM Foreign Desk BEIJING — A massive gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has killed at least 90 people, state media reported on Saturday, marking the country’s worst industrial disaster in more than a decade. The blast ripped through the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Changzhi city, at approximately 7:29 p.m. local time on Friday. A total of 247 miners were working underground when the explosion occurred. According to the official state news agency, Xinhua, local authorities had been alerted shortly before the blast that an underground carbon monoxide sensor had triggered…
Titus Eleweke, South East Editor AWKA, Anambra – Nigerian human rights lawyer and lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the gruesome murder of Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a school teacher at Community High School, Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as “the public execution of national conscience.” According to him, the murder of Mr. Oyedokun was not merely the death of a teacher, but a devastating reflection of the collapse of security, humanity, and governance in Nigeria. In his Weekend Musings titled: “HOW NIGERIA FAILED MR. MICHAEL OYEDOKUN: A NATION…
WARNING:New Ebola Has No Cure, No Vaccine By SCM Health Correspondent GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating epidemic of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) in Central Africa. In its first official meeting on the crisis, the WHO Secretariat officially designated the regional risk assessment as “Very high” for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and “High” for neighbouring Uganda. Unlike the more common Ebola virus (Zaire strain), which has seen the development of highly effective vaccines and therapeutics in recent years, the…
Benjamin Omoike I Saturday, May 23. 26 LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to establish a Lagos Wealth Fund and a ₦1 trillion “Produce for Lagos” initiative as part of broader strategies to strengthen economic resilience, guarantee food security and build long-term financial stability for the state. Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Abayomi Oluyomi, disclosed this during the Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday. Oluyomi said the proposed Lagos Wealth Fund had recorded significant progress, including public hearings and the development of an advanced draft of the Lagos State Wealth Fund Law aimed at institutionalising…