Celine Dion's husband and former manager Rene Angelil dies

Rene Angelil, the husband and former manager of Celine Dion, has died aged 73, the singer has announced. Mr Angelil, who Dion married in 1994 and with whom she has three children, died at home in Las Vegas from cancer. Dion took two career breaks to look after Mr Angelil after he was diagnosed with throat cancer, first in 2000. Mr Angelil was born in Montreal in 1942. After managing groups in Canada, he was approached to manage Dion by her parents when she was aged 12. Last year, Dion told USA Today she was preparing for her husband's death. "When it hits me, it's going to hit me," she told the newspaper in August 2015. "But my biggest job is to tell my husband, we're fine. I'll take care of our kids. You'll watch us from another spot." The Montreal Gazette says he mortgaged his house to finance her first album. She has recorded 25 studio albums, and is the fifth-best-paid recording artist in the world, with a value of some $630m (£437m). In 1999, her song My Heart Will Go On, from the soundtrack of the film Titanic, won two Grammy awards. She has been a regular performer at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas since 2003. She returned to performing last year after a year-long hiatus to look after Mr Angelil. He stepped down as her manager in 2014.

WIZKID SMASHES DAMMY KRANE'S HEAD WITH A BOTTLE AT CLUB QUILOX

Things have gotten out of hand between Wizkid and Dammy Krane with both men reportedly involved in a club fight in the early hours of Friday, January 15, 2016. An exclusive report said both Pop singers were at Club Quilox to hang at an ‘All Black Party’ hosted by Super Eagles and Seattle Sounders FC forward, Obafemi Martins when things got heated between them. According to sources, Dammy Krane was at the club before the Ojuelegba star came in at about 4am to party as well. Upon setting eyes on Dammy Krane, the Caro singer went over to him and it appears Wizkid got the cold shoulder or something. Following this, he picked up a bottle and smashed it on Dammy Krane’s head. Several other reports say it was quite a scene as even the club securities had to step in and mitigate the situation. It was further reported that Wizkid was first to attack singer Dammy Krane, whose current state we cannot immediately ascertain, but it appears he wasn’t badly injured (if at all he was). Club Quilox owner Shina Peller also reportedly weighed into the matter, taking both musicians to his office in a bid to help settle the scores. Guests present at the party, according to NET, said both artistes returned from Peller’s office looking calm like nothing transpired earlier. But another version of the incident was shared by BEAT FM presenter Osi Dirisu. He claimed Wizkid walked up to Dammy Krane and threw a glass cup at him which led to a cut on Dammy Krane’s lip. He also stated that Dammy Krane had been in the company of dancehall star Timaya and footballer Obafemi Martins when the incident happened. It was also reported that three people had to hold back an obviously livid Dammy Krane from retaliating. Other sources say 2face Idibia was called to come intervene and help settle the dispute between both singers. One of the sources said both singers ended up drinking from same glass after the clash. Recall that Dammy Krane took to microblogging site Twitter on Tuesday, January 12 and accused Wizkid of stealing ‘something’ from him.
He went on to rant in several unprintable phrases as he called the former EME singer out.
He however apologized for the Twitter rants via his Instagram account on Thursday, January 14, stating that Wizkid stole his contents without due permission.

Metuh tore confessional statement, says EFCC source

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, has torn a confessional statement he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, a top operative of the commission has said. The top officer of the commission said on Tuesday, alleged that Metuh tore the statement when it was brought to him for his signature. The source alleged that the PDP spokesman tore the statement he had earlier made to shreds and attempted to put the pieces in his mouth when operatives stopped him. Metuh was arrested by the EFCC last week for allegedly receiving N1.4bn meant for the purchase of arms from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). The source said the interrogators believed that the PDP spokesman destroyed the statement after realising the gravity of the evidence against him. The top operative added that the commission was considering filing additional charges against Metuh for allegedly destroying a major evidence in the case against him. He added that the action of the PDP spokesman amounted to a wilful damage of government property. “The tearing of statement is tantamount to wilful destruction of government property and it is a serious offence. Also, the fact that he obstructed operatives from performing their job is a criminal offence. “We will explore the possibility of filing a separate charge against him at the Federal Capital Territory High Court,” the source said. There was a report last week that the EFCC was investigating the account of Destra Investment Limited, owned by Metuh.
According to the report, the EFCC investigators discovered that Destra Investment Limited was used to fund the PDP’s activities, including its 2015 campaigns. The EFCC alleged that the company, which had N6, 676,576.06 as of November 24, 2014, ($26,706.3) recorded a balance of N1.4bn ($5,600,000) by last December. Some of the deposits in the account are N400m from the Office of National Security Adviser on November 24, 2014; N253m on December 2 and 4, 2014 from Ibrahim Kabiru, whose identity had yet to be confirmed; N91m on December 2, 2014 from Capital Field Investment; and N92m on December 3, 2014. Meanwhile, Metuh has said he will no longer speak to investigators about the N400m ($1,600,000) he collected from former President Goodluck Jonathan. He said rather, he would only speak in an open court. Metuh had admitted before the EFCC operatives that he received N400m ($1,600,000)  from Jonathan, but refused to disclose what the money was meant for or for what job. In a statement by his Special Assistant, Ihediwa, in Abuja on Tuesday, Metuh claimed that he executed a project for the former President but refused to explain the job he executed for the ex-President that fetched him the huge sum. Metuh, who is said to be on hunger strike, said he would only disclose the job he did for the defeated former President in an open court. Ihediwa said, “In exercise of his rights, he has since given his statement to the EFCC wherein he submitted that he received the sum of N400m ($1,600,000)  from the former President for an assignment, which he executed to the satisfaction of the former President. “In further exercise of his rights, Metuh has also indicated his readiness to make public the nature of this assignment, but only in an open court in line with the laws of the land, and where his statement would not be distorted by anybody.” Meanwhile, the caucus of the PDP in the House of Representatives has demanded the release of the PDP spokesperson from the custody of the EFCC within 48 hours. The Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor, a member of the PDP from Delta State, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, clarified that the demand did not mean that the lawmakers were against the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government. Ogor added, “We are not in support of corruption or any corrupt person, but due process must be followed. Metuh has been arrested and kept in detention for nine, almost 10 days, without trial. “We insist that he should be taken to a court of competent jurisdiction or granted an administrative bail as has been done in cases involving other persons.” The caucus recalled that like Metuh, former Kaduna State military governor, Brig.-Gen. Jafaru Isa, a “known associate” of President Muhammadu Buhari, was also detained by the EFCC for receiving N170m ($680,000) from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. However, the PDP observed that in the case of Jafaru, he was granted bail soon after his arrest by the anti-graft agency.
“Isa Jafaru was granted bail after the EFCC chairman (Ibrahim Magu) visited Aso Rock. What does that tell us?” Ogor asked. The EFCC had said Isa was granted bail after he refunded N100m from the N170m he collected from Dasuki. Ogor added, “If you make a reference to the refund of money, then we have missed the point. The point is ‘why keep a man in detention endlessly without trial’? It is not the duty of the EFCC to direct anybody to refund money. That is the responsibility of the courts.’’
PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwon, told one of our correspondents that he was not at the place where the incident allegedly happened. Kwon said, “I wasn’t there and I won’t want to react to hearsay. “Only those who were there can confirm or deny whether the incident took place or not.”

Breaking: Presidency distances self from missing 2016 budget

Ladies and Gentlemen we are sorry to interrupt your busy schedule but we bring you the latest of form of comedy in 2016. The National budget of our entire nation goes missing but Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, assured that a feedback from the committees assigned to look into reports of the missing 2016 budget, sent to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 22, 2015, will be ready tomorrow (Thursday, January 14, 2015). Saraki gave this assurance during proceedings on the floor of the Senate, following a Point of Order raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator, representing Abia South Senatorial District, Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, for the Senate to address the issue of the missing budget, which dominated the traditional and social media space since yesterday. Abaribe, quoting order 42 of the Senate Standing Rule, said the matter was discussed yesterday, during a closed door session of the Senate without feedback. But responding, the Senate President said: “It was agreed in the closed session yesterday, that the Senate will wait for a feedback from the committees assigned to look into the matter,” adding that “the feedback from the committees should be ready by tomorrow (Thursday).”

EFCC COMMENCES INVESTIGATION INTO SAMBO's OFFICE, EX VICE PRESIDENT TO BE ARRESTED SOON

It was reported on Monday, January 11 that EFCC operatives were looking into transactions involving Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser and the office of the vice president. A company owned by the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, Destra Investment allegedly paid N25m to Abba Dabo, a former special adviser to Sambo in December, 2014. It was reported that the reason the Sambo was being investigated was because some of the funds Dasuki disbursed was for the PDP presidential campaign in the north which was coordinated by the office of the former vice president. An EFCC source said investigation was also being carried out into the office of Gen. Owoye Azazi, a former national security adviser. “Operatives are intensifying investigation into the activities of the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, as part of the ongoing probe. “The commission is also detaining some of the people who worked under the late Azazi. You know that there is no government office that would not come under this probe. “The reason is that the ONSA was strategic and was called upon to play a role in all cases identified as emergency. “This thing will touch all the offices in the previous government. It is just a matter of time. “The former VP coordinated the PDP’s presidential campaign in many parts of the North.” Meanwhile, the PDP urged the former president Goodluck Jonathan to speak out on the controversial $2.1bn meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram sect but which was allegedly shared by some influential politicians.