1 killed as tanker crushes 3 Lagos tricycles (Punch)
At least one person was killed and several others were injured on Tuesday when a petrol-laden tanker crushed three tricycles in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the tanker, with number plate JJJ 125, was descending a sloppy section of the road inward Ikotun Market when its brake failed.
An eyewitness, Dare Samson, said the tanker driver lost control when he got to the Synagogue Church end of the road.
He said, “Tricycle operators usually make a U-turn shortly after the Synagogue Church back to Egbe. By the time the affected tricycles were about to drop off their passengers, the tanker driver, who had lost control of the vehicle when he got to Synagogue, rammed into them.” Read more
We didn’t seal off Lagos school, Lawal family says (Guardian)
The Lawal family of Lawal village in the Baruwa area of Ipaja has denounced media reports depicting its members as suspected land grabbers that invaded the Shalom Group of Schools, a private school in the community.
In the report that was published in the media, the land grabbers numbering over 40 were alledged to have sealed off the school and chased pupils away from the premises.
However, spokesman of the family, Chief Moruf Owonla, aka Kaka, said the family only lawfully took possession of its landed property from the school owner, after a futile effort to recover the property. Read more
PoS operators hike charges amid naira notes scarcity (DailyTrust)
Despite the extension of the deadline by the Central Bank of Nigeria on Sunday, scarcity of the new naira notes worsened yesterday as Nigerians were unable to get cash from counters in banks in many parts of the country.
It was also tough getting money from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of the banks as well as Point of Sales (PoS).
Buyers and sellers, especially in informal markets were stranded as some of them were still finding it difficult to agree on cash transfers.
Even though it was Monday, many banks could not attend to desperate customers over the counter. On the other hand, PoS terminals that are a critical part of the payment system do not have the new naira notes to give customers. Read more
Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council inaugurates Ad-hoc media committee in Lagos (Vanguard)
The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, in Lagos State, on Monday, inaugurated a seven-man Ad-hoc Media and Publicity Committee in Lagos to rejuvenate image of PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
Inaugurating the ad hoc committee at the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Office in Lagos, the Director-General of the Atiku/Okowa PCC for the state, Mr Tolagbe Animashaun said that the committee became necessary to further promote Atiku.
Animashaun said that the ad hoc committee would be led by a former Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Gani Taofik, while the Vice Chairman would be Mr Muka Popoola, and the Secretary, Mr Jackson Omobiorowo. Read more
Elections: INEC meets Lagos Obas, seeks support (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Tuesday reeled out electoral offences and penalties and sought the support of traditional rulers in educating their subjects to be law-abiding.
The electoral body met with the traditional rulers in the state as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of the forthcoming elections.
Mr Olusegun Agbaje, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, who urged royal fathers to caution their subjects against violence, appealed to them to help mobilise eligible voters in their domains to come out en masse to vote on Feb. 25 and March 11. Read more
New naira racketeering: EFCC to raid Lagos, Kaduna, P’Harcourt currency hawkers (Punch)
Indications have emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to raid new naira note racketeers in key commercial cities including Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna.
The commission indicated this on Tuesday when it disclosed that it had arrested members of a syndicate of currency racketeers trading in the redesigned naira notes at Zone 4, Wuse and Dei-Dei axis of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Abuja suspects were nabbed during an operation to halt the illicit currency trading carried out by the anti-graft agency between Saturday and Monday. Read more
Oshiomhole faces ally-turned-foe in battle for Edo North (DailyTrust)
The race for the Edo North senatorial seat promises to be a fierce contest and will be most closely watched in the February parliamentary election in the state.
The major contenders for the seat are political allies and since there will be no governorship election in the state, the National Assembly election will take centre stage.
The district consists of six local governments, namely Etsako West, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Owan East, Owan West and Akoko-Edo. Read more
Many injured as truck crashes into bus in Anambra (Independent)
A speeding truck reportedly rammed into a bus in the Onitsha area of Anambra State on Tuesday, leaving at least thirty-nine passengers with various degrees of injuries.
The state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the incident said the accident happened around 11:30 am on the Onitsha-Enugu expressway.
It was gathered that the truck, which had no registration number, was moving at high speed when it lost control over its wheel and crashed into a Mercedes 608 bus with registration number ENU355 UJ. Read more
Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter in “Rust” shooting (BBC)
Alec Baldwin was on the phone during firearms training for a movie where he fatally shot a cinematographer on set, prosecutors said, as they charged him with involuntary manslaughter.
Santa Fe’s District Attorney’s Office accused the actor of “many instances of extremely reckless acts”.
Halyna Hutchins died on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico after Mr Baldwin allegedly fired a prop gun.
The film’s armourer has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Read more
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite to announce Bad Boys 4 (HipHopDX)
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have joined forces to announce plans for the fourth installment in the Bad Boys series.
Sony Pictures confirmed to Variety that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are both on board to direct Bad Boys 4. The duo also directed 2020’s Bad Boys For Life, which served as one of the final blockbusters at the box office before the pandemic swept the globe.
Will Smith made the announcement official with a hyped post to social media on Tuesday morning (January 31) declaring “It’s about that time” as he pulled up to his co-star’s house with “Shake Ya Tailfeather” from the Bad Boys II soundtrack booming through his car’s speakers. Read more
Academy will not strip To Leslie Oscar nod despite campaign concern (RFI)
Andrea Riseborough will keep her controversial Oscar nomination for To Leslie even though a review of the indie film’s unorthodox promotional campaign uncovered concerns, the Academy said Tuesday.
The British star’s best actress nomination, unveiled last week by Hollywood’s most prestigious awards group, sent shockwaves through the industry.
While her performance was lauded by critics, the film had grossed just $27,000 at the box office, and had not received the sort of expensive and highly visible marketing campaign that is widely seen as essential for Academy Awards glory. Read more
Hosting the CMA Touring Awards, Keith Urban helps honour the stars of the concert industry who remain backstage (Variety)
COVID-19 hit the music industry hard. As venues closed and shows were cancelled, much of the population masked up and hunkered down at home, and a vital stream of income for artists — touring — withered and dried up.
Country acts, long considered road warriors, were especially affected. Nashville became the hub of the country music business, after all, by geographic proximity to more than half of America’s population. It was a reasonable drive for performers based in Music City to reach audiences throughout the South, across the Midwest and into the Northeast, then head home to Nashville, and head out again.
Hitting the highway became a lifestyle for the musicians who came to call Nashville home. And “the road” became part of country music’s DNA, a double helix of highways and miles. Read more
4 key suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse are in US custody (NBC)
Four key suspects in the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were transferred to the United States for prosecution as the case stagnates in Haiti amid death threats that have spooked local judges, US officials announced Tuesday.
The suspects now in custody of the US government include James Solages, 37, and Joseph Vincent, 57, two Haitian-Americans who were among the first arrested after Moïse was shot 12 times at his private home near the capital of Port-au-Prince on July, 7 2021.
Also charged is Christian Emmanuel Sanon, an elderly pastor, doctor and failed businessman that authorities have identified as a key player. His associates have suggested he was duped by the real — and still unidentified — masterminds behind the assassination that has plunged Haiti deep into political chaos and unleashed a level of gang violence not seen in decades. Read more
Police chiefs apologise for Hillsborough failures (Guardian)
The national body for police chief constables has issued an official apology for the police failures that led to the unlawful killing of 97 people in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, and for the “pain and suffering” experienced by the bereaved families for years afterwards.
Martin Hewitt, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), made the apology at the launch of a report setting out senior police officers’ commitments to learn lessons from the Hillsborough failures. These include every force having signed a charter for bereaved families in 2021 that requires police organisations to acknowledge mistakes with “openness” and “candour” after a public tragedy, and not “seek to defend the indefensible”, as South Yorkshire police were accused of doing after the 1989 disaster.
Andy Marsh, the chief executive of the College of Policing, the standards-setting body for the police in England and Wales, said a new code of ethics would also be issued for consultation in the next few weeks, that would incorporate a code of practice requiring chief police officers to ensure openness and candour including in inquests and public inquiries. Read more
Brazil’s former president Bolsonaro applies for 6-month US tourist visa (France24)
Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has applied for a six-month tourist visa to remain in the United States, his lawyer said on Monday, despite calls for any US visas held by Bolsonaro to be revoked following violent protests in Brasilia.
The United States received his application on Friday, his lawyer, Felipe Alexandre, said, adding that Bolsonaro will remain in the United States while his application is pending.
“He would like to take some time off, clear his head, and enjoy being a tourist in the United States for a few months before deciding what his next step will be,” Alexandre said in an email response to Reuters. Read more
Arsenal confirm Albert Sambi Lokonga to Crystal Palace loan transfer (Football)
Arsenal have confirmed that midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has joined Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.
Lokonga joined the Gunners back in the summer of 2021, signing from Anderlecht for a fee in the region of £16 million after establishing himself as one of the Belgian Pro League’s most exciting young talents. However, his time at the Emirates Stadium has been mixed.
The 23-year-old delivered solid performances during his debut campaign, excelling when deployed in a midfield pivot alongside Granit Xhaka. However, when Thomas Partey returned to full fitness, Lokonga struggled for game time and when he was utilised it was often at the base of a 4-3-3 setup, where the youngster struggled to make a meaningful impact. Read more
18-year-old Akinsanmiro joins Inter Milan from Remo Stars (Channels)
Midfielder, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, has completed his move to Italian giants, Inter Milan.
This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by his club, Remo Stars.
The club said the teenager – who is an academy product of the club – signed a four-year deal with the Italian side. Read more
Chelsea sign Fernandez for Premier League-record 121m euros (France24)
Chelsea have signed World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record 121 million euros ($131 million), the Portuguese club announced early on Wednesday.
The midfielder, 22, was named Best Young Player of the World Cup for his displays during Argentina’s successful campaign in Qatar.
The £106.8 million fee eclipses the previous record of £100 million that Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021. Read more
Patrick Reed fires back at Dubai ‘‘tree gate’’ controversy (NYPost)
Patrick Reed has fired back at critics after finding himself embroiled in yet another controversy.
The 32-year-old former Masters champ and current LIV Golf member has spoken out about the ‘tree gate’ incident Sunday at the Dubai Desert Classic, where during the third round his tee shot on the par-4 17th hole at Emirates Golf Club landed in a palm tree and set off a series of chaotic events.
Under the Rules of Golf, if a ball gets stuck in a tree and a player can identify the ball, a player may take an unplayable drop with a one-stroke penalty, rather than having to return to the tee for a lost ball. Reed said after his round that he could “see and identify” his ball by his marking on it — a black line with an arrow — through binoculars. Read more
LeBron James moves past Steve Nash, Mark Jackson for 4th place on NBA’s all-time assists list (USAToday)
LeBron James continues to close in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, but it was his movement up the NBA’s all-time assists list Tuesday night that served as a great reminder of James’ all-around brilliance.
With 10 assists (and counting) against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, James moved past Mark Jackson (10,334 career assists) and Steve Nash (10,335) for sole possession of fourth place on the NBA’s all-time career assists list. He trails only Chris Paul (11,246 entering Tuesday), Jason Kidd (12,091) and John Stockton (15,806).
While it’s unlikely James – or probably anyone – will ever catch Stockton in assists, he’s now just days away from passing Abdul-Jabbar, who has been the NBA’s all-time leading scorer since 1984. James entered the night 116 points behind Abdul-Jabbar. With 20 points (and counting) he’s now less than 100 points away from becoming the NBA’s all-time leader. Read more
Leicester City leave it late but get their hands on Harry Souttar from Stoke City (PlanetSport)
Leicester City have signed Stoke City defender Harry Souttar, who played for Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, on a five-and-a-half-year deal.
Stoke City defender Harry Souttar has joined Leicester
The centre-back told the Leicester website: “I’m delighted to join such a great football club and challenging myself in the Premier League is an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.
“There are world-class facilities here and a squad full of fantastic players, so I can’t wait to get started.”
The 24-year-old joined Stoke in 2016 from Scottish Premiership side Dundee United. Read more