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Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has hit out against President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and even the Nigerian Military in a speech that warned of difficult times ahead for Nigeria. “Let me make bold to say that, if we continue to apply force alone, seeing Boko Haram has become an industry in the Government circles and within the Boko Haram itself, it maybe suppressed for a while but it will not be eliminated,” said Obasanjo. Obasanjo speaking at a book Launch in honour of the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Mustapha Akanbi‎, in Abuja The speech comes during a series of recriminating accusations between President Goodluck and Obasanjo. Last week, Goodluck’s spokesman accused Obasanjo of “untrue” comments. In his speech, on Boko Haram, Obasanjo said:

A 25-year-old musician, John Sunday, yesterday told the police in Lagos that he took to armed robbery in order to raise money to launch his album. He was paraded with Onyekachi Oshomi (24), by Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti. “I am a musician from Ikofepepe in Akwa Ibom State. We were three in the gang, but one is on the run. I needed money to launch my album, Tureke Reggae; that is why I went into robbery. I was targeting N100,000,” Sunday confessed. Aderanti said on November 21, at 10pm, he got a tip-off that some robbers were planning to unleash terror on Lagos. He said he directed the Officer-in-Charge, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP), to go after them.

The Inspector general of police, Sulaiman Abba, appeared before the House of Representatives Police Committee today after several days of ignoring their invitation. The meeting chaired by Usman Bello Kumo quickly denigrated into bad blood between committee members and the IGP. The IG had opened his statement explaining why the police incaded the house last week by rehashing the initial police statement that they had credible intelligence that some thugs had planned on causing mayhem at the resumed sitting of the house. The Inspector general of police, Sulaiman Abba, appeared before the House of Representatives Police Committee today after several days of ignoring their invitation. The meeting chaired by Usman Bello Kumo quickly denigrated into bad blood between committee members and the IGP.

Nigeria’s minister of petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has just been elected the first female president of OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries). She is the replacement for the former president, Abdourhman Atahar Al-Ahirish who hails from Libya. She is expected to hold the post for one year and to resume the position immediately. She was elected today at the 166th General Meeting of the organization in Vienna, Austria. She was the first female to take on the position of Minister of Petroleum resources in Nigeria and also elected the first female president of OPEC.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon (Getty Images)'Tis the season to stay amicable with your sort of ex. Despite their marital woes, Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey will be spending Christmas together with their 3-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan. "Gotta keep that going. I want to make sure we have a wonderful holiday together," Cannon told In Touch Weekly. As for where they'll be celebrating, the America's Got Talent host replied, “Somewhere cold and snowy, like Aspen [Colorado].” Aspen has been a regular holiday destination for Carey, 44, and Cannon, 34. Who can forget last year's trip when the "All I Want for Christmas" singer walked her dogs in the snow while sporting a festive red bikini?

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N9 billion for the distribution of 750,000 clean cooking stove and 18,000 wonder bags for refuse disposal. Briefing State House Correspondents after the council meeting, presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Supervising Minister of Information, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed and that of the Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, said the approval is in a bid to reduce pressure on forest resources caused by indiscriminate felling of trees which has led to deforestation and desertification. They said the stoves and wonder bags, which are meant for women in the rural areas, will be distributed under the National Clean Cooking Scheme (NCCS) which seeks to stem the use of solid fossils like firewood and charcoal for cooking which has adverse effect on the users.

As revenue from oil dips on account of fallen oil prices in the international market, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised the Federal Government to reduce payment of oil subsidy to oil marketers. The apex bank also flayed the states and local government councils in the country for solely depending on the statutory allocations for survival. Mr Godwin Emefiele, speaking on the state of the Nigerian economy after the November meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the CBN in Abuja, called for the deregulation of the Nigerian oil industry. In the 2015 fiscal year, the apex bank boss advised the Federal Government to reduce the volume of money paid as subsidy with a view to managing the meagre resources coming as oil proceeds into the government coffers.