13 soldiers, police officer killed in Boko haram ambush (Nation)
The Army have confirmed the killing of thirteen soldiers and a police officer in Yobe State in a Boko Haram attack. According to the military, the insurgents lunched two successive attacks on a military formation and an ambush on the Maiduguri/Damaturu high way at about 6.30 pm. The statement which was signed by spokesman 7 Div. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu said several insurgents were killed during the attack, just as the others were repelled. The Nation checks revealed that the police officer killed was the orderly to Gov. Gaidam’s ADC who was on a convoy with the governor eldest son on their way back from Maiduguri. The governor’s son convoy ran into the insurgents thinking they were military personnel as they were said to have been dressed in military uniform. Read more
Buhari slams wife over claim that cabal runs his govt (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari has demanded evidence for the claim that his government is being run by a cabal. He spoke in an interview with Voice of America, Hausa Service. The President’s wife, Aisha Buhari, during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Hausa Service, had first alleged that her husband was being controlled by a cabal. She had said, “The President does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.” Read more
Ortom spends Yuletide with Benue IDPs (Vanguard)
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state was today a guest at the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps in Anyiin and Ugba in Logo local government area and Gbajimba in Guma to identify with them and celebrate the Christmas festivities. Addressing the IDPs, the Governor expressed sadness that they had stayed in the various camps for a year despite the prevailing harsh conditions stressing that his visit was to show solidarity and love in the spirit of the yuletide season. The Governor charged the IDPs to remains prayerful and also called for prays for the souls of those who lost their lives to herdsmen crisis in the state. Read more
IGP Idris plans to arrest, inject me to death – Dino Melaye (Nation)
Senator Representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has alleged that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris is planning to arrest and inject him to death with a deadly substance. Melaye made the claim in a tweet posted on his official twitter handling alleging that those to carry out the plan had already been deployed to the State. According to the Senator, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and personnel had been redeployed from the State. Read more
Amosun’s ex-Chief of Staff justifies his resignation (Punch)
A former Chief of Staff to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Chief Tolu Odebiyi, has explained why he recently resigned his position. Odebiyi spoke in an interview with journalists on Monday at his Iboro country home, in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state. The former Chief of Staff had last month resigned his appointment following a reported disagreement between him and his former boss over an alleged order to defect from the All Progressives Congress to the Allied People’s Movement. He had refused to disclose to journalists the circumstances that led to his resignation. Read more
Presidency warns political appointees against extortion, influence peddling (Vanguard)
The Presidency on Tuesday issued a stern warning to political appointees, government officials and party men against influence peddling for corrupt pecuniary gains and other forms of extortion. A presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, told State House Correspondents in Abuja that complaints of extortions of innocent people by what he called “self-serving name droppers and influence peddlers” was causing increasing embarrassment to the Presidency. He said: “President Buhari had made it very clear since his inauguration that he won’t tolerate any form of impropriety by his appointees, aides, and government officials who abuse and misuse their offices for illegal financial advantages.” Read more
Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Anambra (Nation)
Unknown gunmen have kidnapped two Catholic priests at Nneyi Umeri area of Anambra. A source in Umeri told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Awka that the clergymen were abducted while on their way back from Onitsha on Monday evening. The source, who craved anonymity, said the kidnapped priests were serving in Umueze Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state. He said the victims were returning to prepare for the visit of Cardinal Francis Arinze to the town before they were abducted by the hoodlums. Read more
We live in constant fear of robbers, say OAU off-campus students (Punch)
Following the killing of one Abiodun Babalola, a 300-level student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in the early hours of Sunday by armed robbers, many students of the institution living outside the campus have shared their experience in the hands of the men of the underworld, who constantly attack them. Babalola suffered machete cut at an off-campus hostel named, ‘Adam and Eve’, located in Parakin, Ede Road, Ile-Ife, for allegedly refusing to surrender his iPhone to the robbers, who attacked residents of the hostel. Many students of the institution, who spoke to our correspondent on the incident and the plight of many residing off-campus, said areas with large student population often experience frequent attacks by robbers. Read more
300 Kuje Prison inmates get Xmas haircut (Guardian)
Rev. Jolly Nyame, former Taraba governor, on Tuesday joined his excited colleagues to celebrate stylish Christmas haircuts offered to 300 inmates of Kuje Prison, FCT. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the free haircut was offered by the National Association of Barbers and Salon Employers of Nigeria (NABSEN), during a Christmas visit to the Prison. The outreach was undertaken in collaboration with Fades and Bangs Global, an Abuja-based international barbing outfit, and Maria Luna, the Deputy Ambassador of Venezuela. A NAN correspondent, who covered the outreach, reports that the inmates also received blankets, beverages, among other items. Read more
Second child dies in US custody at border (BBC)
An eight-year-old boy from Guatemala has died in US government custody, immigration authorities say. A Texas congressman named the child as Felipe Alonzo-Gomez. It is the second time this month an immigrant child has died while being detained after crossing the US-Mexico border. The previous instance saw seven-year-old Jakelin Caal, also from Guatemala, die just hours after being taken into custody. Texan congressman Joaquin Castro called for a congressional investigation into the boy’s death. Read more
Toddler dies in circumcision in Italy (BBC)
A two-year-old boy has died from blood loss following a failed circumcision at a migrant centre in Italy. The boy’s twin brother also underwent the procedure in Rome’s north-western suburb of Monterondo and is recovering in hospital. A 66-year-old man has been charged with murder, according to Italian media. Some 5,000 circumcisions are performed in Italy each year but more than a third are carried out illegally, according to health charity Amsi. Cultural non-profit group Arci said the procedures had taken place at a refugee centre it runs with the local council in Monterondo. Read more
Argentine woman abducted in 1980s freed (BBC)
An Argentine woman seized in the 1980s by people traffickers has been reunited with her family in a joint operation by Argentine and Bolivian police. The whereabouts of the woman, who is now 45, had been unknown until earlier this year when police received a tip-off she was in Bermejo, south Bolivia. The police then located the house in which she was being held and freed her and her nine-year-old son. The names of the rescued mother and son have not been revealed. In a statement released on 25 December, Argentine police said that the woman had at last been able to go back to her family home in Mar del Plata. She and her son were freed earlier this month. Read more
NFF owes workers five months salaries (Guardian)
The array of sponsors not withstanding, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), allegedly owes its workers five months salaries.Also, the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF is said to owe Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr two months salaries. Pinnick had boasted last Thursday in Lagos that the NFF could beat its chest anywhere that it is 60-65% self-funded, saying that corporate Nigeria’s support for Nigerian Football had improved significantly over the years. The NFF actually celebrated its numerous sponsors in Lagos for their morale and financial support. At the occasion were big wigs and representatives of AITEO Group, Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries PLC, Amstel Malta, Zenith Bank PLC, Tropical and General Investments, WAPIC Insurance PLC, Cadbury Nigeria PLC, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Simba Group (TVS: Official Motorycle and Tricycle Partner of the Super Eagles, among others. Read more
President Weah’s striker son to join Celtic on loan from PSG (Vanguard)
London – Timothy Weah will leave French champions Paris St Germain (PSG) on loan for six months in January, the U.S. striker said on Tuesday. British media reported that the 18-year-old was set to join Scottish champions Celtic. Weah has played only three times for PSG this season as bigger names such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani have limited his first-team chances. In a message posted in French on his Instagram page, Weah thanked his PSG team mates, the coaching staff and supporters for making him feel part of the family. Read more
Things to get excited about in football in 2019 (BBC)
As 2018 comes to an end, everyone will reflect on an eventful year during which England won a World Cup penalty shootout, Liverpool lost one of the most incident-packed Champions League finals ever, and Manchester City won the title in record-breaking style. But what do we have to look forward to in 2019? Read more
Site manager steals client’s money, claims he was defrauded (Punch)
Officers of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a site manager, Rasaq Yusuf, for allegedly stealing money belonging to his client. PUNCH Metro gathered that Yusuf’s client, Sharafa Oyeniyi, paid him the sum of N430,000 to construct a gate and get other materials for his house. It was learnt that Yusuf failed to render the service for which he was paid and he could not produce the money. Oyeniyi said efforts to get a refund had proved abortive. He said, “Yusuf started working on my building site three months ago. I gave him the sum of N430,000 for the purchase of the gate and other materials. He used his friend’s account to collect the sum of N200,000, claiming that the owner of the account was the welder that wanted to construct the gate. Read more
Eight-year-old burnt to death in Enugu (Punch)
The Enugu State Police Command has commenced investigation into the death of an eight-year-old boy from a suspected kerosene fire in the Umundu community, Udenu Local Government Area of the state. The command’s spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, said it occurred on Sunday night. Amaraizu said the boy and other family members were in their house when the fire broke out and engulfed the whole apartment. The News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying, “It was gathered that the incident occurred when the victim, Chikamso Nnamani, aged about eight years old, tried to refill a lamp with kerosene. Read more
