FIRE GUTS OBASANJO'S ABEOKUTA'S MANSION

The Abeokuta home of Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo caught fire on Thursday afternoon. Though the extent of the damage at the multi-million Naira Hilltop mansion, as the house located opposite the famous NNPC entrance is often referred t o could not be readily established as the fire had just been subdued by firemen at the time of filing this report, thestreetJournal.org gathered that the former President’s bedroom was one of the areas that were badly affectedby the inferno

BIZARRE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Like the comedian Jim Gaffigan pointed out, a lot of our holiday traditions seem like the actions of a drunk. Who chops down a tree and drags it inside their house (without drinking a 12 pack of beer and a half pint of whiskey first)? But our holiday oddities seem quaint and homey compared to some of the bizarre things they do to celebrate Christmas around the world. In Catalonia, families gather around the "caga tio," a log that's decorated with a cartoon face and plied with treats in the weeksbefore Christmas. On Christmas day, the children sing a song and beat the log with sticks until it 'poops' out presents (caga is the Catalonian equivalent of 'caca,' and means 'pooping'). In Austria, the Christmas season kicks off on Dec. 5 with Krampusnacht Krampus, St. Nick's demonic polar opposite, is a goat-horned devil that shakes fistfuls of rusty chains at passing children. According to legend, naughty kids are snatched by Krampus and dragged to his mountain lair. In more recent years, the custom has morphed into a sort of Halloween in December, giving people a chance to dress up and parade around in their ghoulish costumes. In the Netherlands, the Dutch add a little fear to their holiday celebrations with Zwarte Piet. In arather racist custom that has persisted to this day, Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, is Santa's slave who abducts Dutch children that misbehave, taking them back to Spain, where it is said that Santa and Peter spend their off-season. In a scene many Americans would find shocking, the Dutch dress up as Black Peter, donning black face and Afro wigs, in order to accompany Santa. So don't be too critical when Dad dresses up at Santa this year and smells a little like scotch and cigarettes. It could be a lot worse.

AMERICA ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING TO CITIZENS IN NIGERIA

The United States Embassy has issued travel warning to its citizens in Nigeria ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. The warning which was posted on the Embassy’s website and tagged “Security Warning For U.S Citizens” reminded “U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance during the holiday because of continued security concerns in Nigeria.” The message reads inter alia: “we recommend U.S. citizens remain vigilant during this holiday season given the deadly attacks which were conducted the previous two years over the Christmas holiday. All U.S. citizens in Nigeria should be particularly vigilant around churches and other places of worship, locations where large crowds may gather, and areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers during the upcoming holiday season. U.S. citizens should pay attention to their surroundings, and keep their cellular telephones in close proximity for use in cases of emergency. The Nigerian Security Services have heightened security measures in Nigeria as a result of threats posed by extremist groups and U.S. citizens can expect to see additional police and military checkpoints, additional security, and possible road blocks throughout the country during the holiday season. This year, extremists attacked many locations in Nigeria, killing and injuring hundreds of people. They have threatened churches, mosques, media houses, police stations, immigration and customs offices, transportation centers, financial institutions, large hotels, shopping malls and markets, state government offices,communications centers, beer gardens, and nightclubs. Attackers have also attacked and destroyed public and private schools, educational institutions, cell towers, electrical stations, and churches in many northern and central states. Additionally, extremists continue to target westerners for abduction. The security situation in the country remains fluid and unpredictable”. The US Embassy also urged citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme so that they can have the latest travel updates and also enable the Embassy to contact them in an emergency.

RANDOM FACTS

So the Mayan apocalypse is supposed to occur on December 21, this Friday. Should you be worried about it? If you play by the numbers there are much more imminent dangers that should probably be occupying your mind. NOW CHECK THIS OUT Approximately 800 tornadoes are reported in the United States each year, causing eighty fatalities and 1,500 injuries. A tornado can happen in any season and at any hour, from mountains to urban areas. *** Bonus Fact: Lightning is a leading cause of weather-related injury and even death in the United States. Lightning strikes the Earth more than 5,000 times every minute. Your odds of being struck by lightning in America are 1 in 700,000 in any given year. About 10 percent of lightning-strike victims are killed

THIS WOMAN MUST HAVE SO MANY SKELETONS IN HER CUPBOARD

I know some women like older men, but this is ridiculous. A 37-year-old Swedish woman with an admitted obsession with skeletons has been convicted of disturbing the peace of the dead for allegedly using human bones for sexual purposes. In issuing its ruling the Gothenburg District Court also convicted the woman of weapons crimes, sentencing her to probation and ordering that she undergo treatment for addiction and psychiatric problems. The woman has continually denied committing any crimes, telling the local newspaper that she is an "odd bird" but that she is "not sexually interested in necrophilia." She had argued that she acquired the skeletons legally and that she handled the bones in a respectful manner and that her actions weren't covered by Sweden's laws against disturbing the peaceof the dead. But the woman was found to have kept some bones scattered on the floor in her home, stored skulls in plastic bags, and to have sold some bones to others. "Criminal protection starts when aperson dies, and the protection remains as long as there are remains of the deceased," the court wrote in a statement. According to the court, the 37-year-old handled the human bones "ignominiously", something which is prohibited by Sweden's laws against disturbing the peace of the dead. However, the court threw out a charge stemming from allegations that she had stored human skulls in her freezer and used human bones for sexual purposes. While the 37-year-old was facing up to two years in prison, the court ruled that her lack of criminal record and the nature of her crimes meant she should not be jailed, but instead be sentenced to probation.

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

A fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Street Journal’s findings revealed that the fire might have started from the site of the construction going on in one of the terminals within the airport.

Fire fighters were already on the scene trying to put the fire under control at the time of filing this report.