Police Confirm Benue Attack, Say Four Persons Killed

The police authorities in Benue have confirmed the attack on Otobi community in the Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.

Gunmen had stormed the community in the early hours of Tuesday, killing five people, according to information earlier gathered by Channels Television.

Among the victims is a House of Assembly candidate for Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election, Igbabe Ochi.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, the Command’s spokesman, Udeme Edet, said four persons were killed in the attack, contrary to media reports.

“We can confirm that an incident occurred earlier today at Otobi-Akpa. Tragically, four individuals have lost their lives,” the Command’s spokesman said.

READ ALSO: Bandits Kill Five In Fresh Attack On Benue Community

He commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring the Command’s commitment in bring the attackers to justice.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family and loved ones affected by this incident.

“Investigation is in progress, and efforts are being made to arrest the perpetrators to face justice,” Edet stated.

The attack followed a Sunday night kidnapping attempt at Ekwu-Ora’Odaba in Otobi, foiled by the community volunteers’ guards commander,  Ocheme Jackson, and his team, prompting a high security alert in the community.

Carrick to bring in Holland as Man Utd assistant

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Michael Carrick has agreed to become Manchester United interim head coach – and former England assistant manager Steve Holland is set to be his number two.

Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion will also be part of Carrick’s staff.

Former United and England midfielder Carrick agreed a deal on Monday night, with an announcement due on Tuesday once the necessary paperwork has been signed.

United sacked Ruben Amorim after 14 months on 5 January and Darren Fletcher took charge as caretaker boss for two matches.

The 44-year-old had a three-game stint as United’s temporary boss after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021.

Holland worked under Gareth Southgate when England finished fourth at the 2018 World Cup and were runners-up at Euro 2021 and 2024.

He spent several years with Chelsea, where he had major success under a number of managers.

The 55-year-old was sacked as manager of Japanese club Yokohama F Marinos in April after only four months in charge.

Woodgate worked under Carrick at Middlesbrough and was a team-mate of United director of football Jason Wilcox at Leeds.

Woodgate managed Boro between 2019 and 2020 and had a short spell as Bournemouth manager in 2021.

Former United defender Evans will return to Old Trafford. Binnion is already part of the club’s coaching staff.

Carrick held face-to-face talks with United officials last Thursday and is understood to have impressed chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Wilcox with his vision for the team.

Carrick is set to play a 4-2-3-1 system, a move away from the three at the back set-up employed by Amorim.

Solskjaer, who has played and managed United, also held talks with the hierarchy over the vacancy.

But Carrick has been chosen given he is more of a hands-on coach than Solskjaer.

Fletcher, who took charge of the games against Burnley and Brighton immediately after Amorim’s exit, will return to the Under-18s.

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Josie Gibson ‘couldn’t breathe’ and suffered health ordeal before This Morning appearance

Josie Gibson, one of This Morning’s best known presenters, has admitted that an appearance on the ITV show triggered a “scary” health struggle behind-the-scenes

Television presenter Josie Gibson has spoken about her early days presenting This Morning, and how she really felt when she first started appearing on the programme.

Josie, 40, who rose to fame when she won Big Brother in 2010, said that she was initially very scared, and nearly had a panic attack on her first day in the studio.

I’m A Celebrity star Josie, who has also presented reality television shows and fitness DVDs in the past, became part of the This Morning presenting line-up in 2018, fronting the competitions segment.

When asked by Best UK how it felt transitioning from taking charge of competitions to presenting the ITV show, Josie said: “I just couldn’t believe it…It’s still a ‘pinch me’ moment.

“I was scared to begin with, the first time I went into the studio I nearly had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe or talk. But I’m just so thankful to This Morning; they really took a chance on me and then stuck with me.”

She has also recently opened up about her weight loss journey and the impact of the ‘1970s diet’ challenge she undertook, one of the methods she has used to lose five stone (31.75kg).

Appearing in a Channel 5 documentary titled ‘The 1970s Diet: Could it Work for you?’ Josie explored the world of eating from 50 years ago by cutting portion sizes and sugar intake, as well as focusing on more boiled foods.

Furthermore, Josie also took up intermittent fasting for three days a week, while doing more exercise.

As more people have noticed Josie’s weight loss, the presenter has been forced to push back against those who claim she did it through medication or surgery. In an Instagram post, she addressed those claims.

She said: “I didn’t get a gastric bypass; I got off my big a**e, moved more, ate less and educated myself on what I was stuffing into my body.”

Josie, who was recently diagnosed with lipedema, a condition that causes a disproportionate build-up of fat, has also spoken to the Mirror about what it was like doing the 1970s diet.

She said that she initially though the diet would cause her to put on weight due to the high number of carbohydrates, but was reassured to find that whilst she was heavier than she wanted to be before starting the diet, she wasn’t unfit.

Speaking of an interaction with a nutritionist whilst filming she said: “It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level. I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I’ve always exercised. But he was like, ‘No, you’re at a superior fitness rate’.

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Thomas Skinner breaks silence on BBC legal action and why he ditched Strictly final

BBC viewers saw Thomas Skinner compete on Strictly Come Dancing last year with Amy Dowden.

Thomas Skinner has announced he’ll be heading back to the BBC following his absence from the Strictly Come Dancing final last month.

Speaking on Tuesday’s (January 13) edition of Good Morning Britain, the former Apprentice contestant joined ITV hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid for a candid discussion. Last year saw Thomas paired with beloved professional Amy Dowden on Strictly, who recently detailed his decision not to appear on the finale. His involvement attracted considerable online criticism even before his first performance.

The businessman became the first contestant eliminated from the competition, leading to claims among viewers that the public vote had been manipulated due to the surrounding controversy.

However, Susanna read out an official BBC statement during the interview, which confirmed: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week. Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation.”

During the chat, Thomas reflected on his short-lived Strictly journey and disclosed his intentions to collaborate with the broadcaster again. Discussing speculation around potential legal proceedings against the BBC, Thomas explained: “I did have some chats with the BBC, I did.

“They said ‘You’ve been sent something you shouldn’t have been sent, it is what it is. We think you should get some legal advice.’ That was the chat with the BBC. I’ve got no rows with the BBC, I was on the Celebrity Apprentice raising money for Children in Need a week after, and I’m doing bits with them next year.”

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Susanna pointed out that he was absent from the reunion finale, prompting him to share his reasons.

He explained: “The reason I didn’t come back, this is the honest truth. I thought, I’ve had all this bad press, I’ve been front page every time I’ve been on the show, I didn’t want to take away from everyone else.

“I didn’t want my wife to think, ‘Oh, there’s another story about us now.’ It wasn’t fair. But anyway, I ended up being front page anyway! So it didn’t really matter.”

Although Thomas missed the Strictly final, which saw Karen Carney and Carlos Gu triumph, he revealed that Amy has become a ‘family friend’. He also mentioned to Susanna and Ed that he’s arranged to play golf with Strictly pro Kai Widdrington in the upcoming weeks.

Reflecting on the media attention during his time on the BBC programme, Thomas confessed: “It was stupid, there were journalists outside my house following my wife back from Sainsbury’s, I saw my wife getting upset, and that’s what hurt me more than anything, my wife and my family.

“They were knocking on my sister’s door, they were knocking on my friends door, they sat in my local pub and offered people money to sell stories on me! It was mad.2

Thomas might of gone out first on Strictly, but his time on the BBC programme was far from smooth sailing. Things didn’t get off to a great start for the BBC star, when he stormed out of an interview after snatching a reporter’s phone.

It was claimed he would be ‘suing the BBC’ for rigged voting claims following his early exit from the BBC show. He said he had received an “anonymous email” the night he got the boot from the show, which prompted his concerns.

Following that, Tom then said he had asked to see the official voting figures, but claimed the email ‘couldn’t be shown to him’, and he did not attend the final despite all the other celebrities returning.

“I also want to be honest. I know what’s likely to come next. I expect people will call me a liar, they’ll try to cancel me, say I’m hated, or even claim I didn’t get any votes at all. At this point, I don’t care anymore. I know what’s right, and I know the conversations I’ve had,” he said in a statement, “I understand that much of what’s happened is my own fault. I know I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life and I hold my hands up to that.

“I’m not perfect and I’ve never pretended to be. But what I can’t accept is my family being dragged into this. So I need to take a step back. I never wanted any of this to become public.”

He later admitted he “regretted” signing up for the show but vowed to continue working with the BBC after they gave him his “big break” on The Apprentice several years ago.

“If I’m being completely honest, I really regret doing Strictly Come Dancing. I wish I’d never done it,” he shared, “The only positive to come from it was making a new friend in Amy, who is a genuinely lovely person. Aside from that, it’s brought a huge amount of negative attention, and it has affected me more than I’d like to admit.”

The Mirror exclusively revealed that Skinner’s voting figures weren’t what they might have seemed. Insiders have pointed to an independent exit poll of 125,000 viewers which was carried out concurrently by website Strictly Spoiler as “clear evidence of his unpopularity.” It shows how Skinner attracted just 1805 votes, which was the lowest of any contestant on the BBC programme.

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Like the official voting figures which are then combined with the judges’ scores, it placed Skinner bottom. A source claims: “The poll – which is larger than an exit poll for a general election – comprehensively shows that Skinner was the least popular contestant by a long way. There is no conspiracy. These are the cold, hard facts.”

Trisha Goddard shares cancer update after heartbreaking question to doctor

Trisha Goddard has shared a powerful update on her stage four breast cancer and revealed how treatment, fitness and family support are helping her live well with the disease

Trisha Goddard has shared a candid update on her health after confronting the return of breast cancer, describing a hearbreaking question she was forced to ask her doctor.

The TV presenter, now 68, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and successfully beat the disease. She later rebuilt her life in the United States with her fourth husband, Allen, settling in Connecticut and continuing her broadcasting career. However, that sense of stability was shattered in July 2022 when she discovered the cancer had returned.

This time, the diagnosis was far more serious. Trisha learned she had stage four breast cancer that had spread to her hip and was told it was treatable but not curable. The devastating news followed a traumatic accident at her home, where a fall left her with a shattered femur and in severe pain.

Recalling the moment she found out, Trisha told Closer: “At the hospital, I was off my face on every drug known to man when an intern wandered in and said, ‘Oh, yeah, you’ve got a cancerous tumour.’ That’s how I found out and I said, ‘Am I going to die?’”

Throughout the ordeal, Trisha says her husband Allen, whom she affectionately calls Boo, has been her rock. The couple met in the US in 2017 and married in August 2022, just weeks after her diagnosis. Trisha acknowledges that her illness has echoed painful memories for Allen, whose first wife died from breast cancer, leaving him a single father to two young children.

“I’m lucky to have Allen,” she said. “His first wife died with breast cancer and he was left a single dad of two children aged nine and 11. The first thing I said to him was, ‘I’m sorry to put you through this again.’ He comes to all my appointments and sat with me during chemo. I’m blessed.”

In addition to her husband’s support, Trisha has spoken about the importance of having a wide-ranging medical and emotional care team. She counts a nutritionist, a gastroenterologist, massage therapists and personal trainers among those helping her manage life with cancer. She also sees a specialist psychologist every week to ensure the emotional burden does not fall entirely on her marriage.

“I also see a specialist psychologist every Tuesday, so I don’t dump everything at Allen’s door. I have a support system – that’s the backbone – I’m not Wonder Woman. And not for a moment do I think everyone is as fortunate,” she said.

The care she has received has also inspired her to campaign for improved services in the UK for people living with life-limiting conditions. Trisha recently met with Ashley Dalton MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, who also has metastatic breast cancer, to advocate for better support.

Encouragingly, Trisha says her current treatment is working well. “My cancer counts are very low; my oncologist calls me entry level,” she revealed. Her regime includes regular injections, infusions and a daily pill, alongside a strict commitment to fitness. She power walks daily, trains at the cancer centre gym several times a week and even enjoys ice-skating.

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Stranger Things scandal as fans spot huge sign scenes were FAKED in ‘David Harbour row’

Fans of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things are up in arms about a wild theory that Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour’s final scenes were faked. It comes after reports of bullying allegations on set

The Stranger Things fandom are in a frenzy after one eagled-eyed viewer spotted something telling about Hopper and Eleven’s final scenes.

The show’s epic finale landed on Netlix on New Year’s Day and ever since, viewers have been pouring over every single shot as they mourn the ending of the series. The cast’s farewell after 10 years of filming togther came after Eleven actor Millie Bobby Brown reportedly made a formal complaint accusing her co-star David Harbour (Hopper) of harassment and bullying before production began on the hit Netflix show’s fifth and final season. A source said: “There were pages and pages of accusations. The investigation went on for months.”

However, not long after the allegations came to light, David and Millie made a public display of unity by walking into the Stranger Things red carpet final premiere on 6 November and hugging in front of the media. Millie also likened co-star and screen dad David to her father calling their friendship “special”. When asked about the importance of showing a united front, to which Millie said: “We’ve been doing that for the last 10 years.”

What really happened on set of the Duffer brother’s show remains a mystery, but one fan believes that the last episodes of the show pointed to things not being so cosy between David and Millie during filming. Self-proclaimed pop culture fanatic Matthew Huff took to TikTok to share his theory that both actors filmed their joint scenes seperately amid tensions – with producers simply cutting them together in the final edit.

In a now-viral video, Matt, who posts as @thereportcardmatthewhuff, shared: “I think there is evidence that these two HATE each other,” pointing to images of the co-stars embracing on November 6, 2025. “Supposedly, these two had ‘beef’ on set but they’re promoting the show so they did this staged photoshoot at the premiere like they’re buddy-buddy,” said Matthew before showing a screengrab of a video “Netflix released of them hugging”.

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On November 26, Millie told The Hollywood Reporter that “everything was fine” with her on-screen dad, the content creator explained, before stating that, despite this, he had been “watching these two the entire season with an eagle eye”.

Referring to Eleven’s goodbye to Hopper, he claimed: “I think this scene in the season finale is very telling. Why is it telling? Because there is a decades-old tradition of actors hating each other but having to do scenes together. So they came up with some very clever camera tricks to make it appear that these two people are shooting together when, actually, they are not speaking. They are not in the same room”.

“They’re coming up on to the roof. This is their final scene of the show so it should be very emotional,” Matthew says, showing clips of Millie in grey. “We have this shot where Millie Bobby Brown is in the front. There is somebody in the background, maybe David Harbour but its dark, we can’t really tell.”

He prefaces how there is then “one very quick establishing shot where Millie is in the foreground and David is in the back. I do think everybody was in the room for this”. However, the TikToker things that after this, things change. “Very quickly, we pivot,” Matthew claims, showing a shot where “Harbour has his back to the camera” and saying: “I think that is a body double”.

He continues: “We then then get a shot with no David Harbour, and we very briefly see this [a dimly lit shot with Harbour in the background] which I think could have been edited to add him in”. The creator the highlights the scene circling back to Harbour’s back facing the camera as he crouches in the background, adding that “he’s squatting in the corner for no reason”.

The scene peaks during the emotional exchange between Eleven and her adoptive father Hopper. Matthew states: “I think this could be a ‘Parent Trap’ shot where as long as they [the actors] don’t cross the middle of this shot, its fine”. Here he refers to the editing done to actress Lindsey Lohan, and later seen of Michael B. Jordan in Sinners, where clips are lined up to mimic one shot.

Suggesting several close-up shots could potentially be the real actor or parts of body doubles, the scene “very quickly zooms in so that we don’t even have Harbour’s silhouette [in the shot]”.

The “biggest tell of all,” and “the real red flag,” says Matthew, is that “we don’t even get a full hug shot. Instead, Eleven passes the bracelet to a gloved hand, which could be anyone. Rather than any sort of emotional hug which would have required these two actors to be in the same room, we get this light little arm tap. There’s nothing like an arm tap to say ‘oh, I’m about to die. I might never see you again,'” he jokes.

The analysis concludes with a zoom in of the final shot, showing an extremely poorly lit scene of David Harbour and “the back of someone, perhaps not Millie.”. Posted a week ago, the TikTok has received nearly 658,000 views, 54,200 likes and nearly 400 comments. Interestingly, one comment wrote: “I got the vibe when I noticed that ‘Papa’ officiated her wedding and not ‘hop,'” which was liked by 847 users.

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