Michael Jackson’s Children Paris and Prince Get Tattoos for the New Year

The family that gets inked together stays together. At least that’s what two of Michael Jackson’s kids did to ring in 2017. Siblings Paris and Prince Jackson shared their recent field trip to a tattoo shop with their fans, thanks to Instagram.

Prince got a very intricate dragon design on his arm. His little sister, Paris, documented her brother’s 8-hour-long process. At one point, Prince paid tribute to his dad as he made the oh-so-popular Michael Jackson sounds.

NASA sending African-American to space station for the first time

Washington (AFP) - NASA is sending an African-American astronaut to the International Space Station for the first time.

The traveler is Jeanette Epps, a physics and science whiz who used to work for the CIA as a technical intelligence officer.

Epps will head to the ISS as a flight engineer in 2018. Her commander will be Andrew Feustel, a veteran astronaut.

"Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer," said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Fire Razes Nnewi Timber Market In Anambra

Fire on Thursday gutted part of the Nnewi Timber Market in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra, destroying goods and machines.

Eyewitnesses said that five traders in the market collapsed and were rushed to hospitals due to shock of losing their valuables in the inferno.

Chukwunonso Nnetu, Chairman of the Nnewi Timber Dealers Association, said that a security guard in the market alerted him around some minutes past midnight about the inferno.

Nnetu explained that fire fighters in Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha fire service stations were immediately contacted to fight the fire.

At Last! FG Resumes Payment For Ex-Militants’ Stipends

The federal government has commenced payment of cash stipends for all former Niger Delta militants, Reuters reports.

These payments started after it the federal government reduced the budget for allowance of the ex-militants.

It was gathered the Nigerian government resumed the payments to stop incessant attack on oil pipeline in the Niger Delta.

Spokesperson for the ex-militants amnesty office Piriye Kiyaramo said two months backlog for August and September have already being paid by the federal government.

Lagos Prescribes Death Penalty For Kidnappers (See Penalty)

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a bill aimed at checking the spate of kidnapping in the state into law, with stiffer penalties, including death sentence for offenders.

The lawmakers passed the Bill for a Law to Provide for the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping and for Other Connected Purposes after the third reading.

The passage of the bill was also sequel to the adoption of a report presented by Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

Rich Getting Richer: Tinubu And 17 Other Prominent Nigerians Get Oil Contracts From NNPC (See List)

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced a list of firms who won the bid to purchase and lift crude oil for Nigeria from 2017 to 2018.

On the list are 39 firms among which 18 are owned by Nigerians. The others include 11 international traders, 5 foreign refineries, 3 National Oil Companies (NOCs) and 2 NNPC trading arms.

Below are the names of prominent Nigerians whose firms would be lifting Nigeria’s crude oil for the one year duration.

Nigerian Army Rescues Another Chibok Girl With Baby Near Sambisa

Sahara Reporters is reporting that troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued another one of the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.

According to the report, the girl was rescued with her baby near Sambisa Forest.

Sahara Reporters quotes a government source as saying that the name of the girl rescued is Rakiya Abubakar and she was carrying baby that appears to be hers.

The rescue was made by troops of the 27 Brigade of the Nigerian Army around Alagarno near Ajigin in Damboa local government area of Borno state.

Rakiya makes the 29th Chibok girl rescued out of the more than 200 girls abducted by Islamist Boko Haram fighters in April 2014 while preparing for their secondary school examinations.