2019: Lagosians don’t want one-man state – Agbaje (Punch)
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said that the electorate are eager to cast their votes in the 2019 poll in order to turn the state into a “peoples’ Lagos. Agbaje noted that Lagosians were yearning to emancipate themselves from the old “order of doing things”. He disclosed this when he received the British Deputy High Commissioner, Laure Beaufils, according to a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of the Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Modupe Ogunbayo, on Friday. Read more
Police uncover fake drugs factory, arrest 4 in Lagos (Guardian)
The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has arrested four persons operating an illegal fake drug production factory in Lagos. The Force Public Relations Officer, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood, told newsmen on Friday in Lagos that the suspects operated the factory from a four-bedroom building located at No. 2 Okunnenye Street, Ikotun Egbe area of the state. Parading the suspects at the factory premises, Moshood said the IRT operatives raided the secret factory on Thursday, following a tip off. Read more
Osinbajo, Obi trade tackles at VP debate (Nation)
In measured tones, All Progressives Congress’ Yemi Osinbajo and Peoples Democratic Party’s Peter Obi tactically turned the vice presidential debate held in Abuja yesterday into a sparring match as they expressed their knowledge of the economy and other national issues. During the debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Osinbajo utilised his hands-on knowledge and involvement in running the nation’s economy to project a capacity for effective leadership while Obi made generous use of facts and figures. Read more
Atiku’s promise to restructure Nigeria in six months, sign of autocracy –Oluwajana, APC chieftain (Punch)
The South-West has the second largest voting population in the country. How prepared is the APC to win this zone in the forthcoming 2019 general elections? The South-West is hugely populated by the Yoruba people. The Yoruba people are progressives by culture and nature. This explains why the South-West is governed by the APC. When any portion of this area is taken through rigging and manipulation, there is always palpable unease in the land. Because of these peculiarities, there is a natural admiration and acceptance of the APC, which makes it easy for the party to sell its programmes and we are doing this with ease. The APC will record a landslide in the South-West. You can take these words to the bank. Read more
EFCC raids homes of suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu (Guardian)
The South-East zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it had raided two homes of suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu. Acting Spokesperson of the commission, Mr Tony Orilade, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, on Friday, named the suspects as Okechukwu Akachukwu and a couple, Onuora Edgar and his wife, Adaora, of Independence Layout, Enugu. According to him, the raid was consequent upon the resolve by the Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, to intensify the fight against internet and cyber fraudsters across the country. Read more
Stop blame game, focus on development, Osinbajo tells governors (Nation)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday urged state governors and other stakeholders in the country to stop the blame game and focus on human capital development in their respective areas. He made the call during the launching of Human Capital Development Programme: Healthy, Educated and Productive Nigerians for a Globally Competitive Nation by 2030 at the extended National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Advising them to resist playing politics with issues, he said that it was time to get the job done. Read more
Your threat is empty, Oyo APC replies Shittu (Nation)
Oyo state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has said that instead of joining words, it has decided to ignore the utterances attributed to the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, over his decision not to support the party’s governorship candidate at the 2019 general elections. While addressing the press recently, Shittu said he was short-changed by the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and denied the party’s governorship ticket despite paying a huge amount to purchase the expression of interest form. Consequently, he said he would not campaign for the party’s flag bearer or work for his success in the election. Read more
2019 elections: US says violence looms in Nigeria (Punch)
The United States Government has expressed fear that the Nigeria’s general elections scheduled for 2019 are likely to be characterised by violence. It said the conduct of the elections could have significant consequences for the democratic trajectory of Nigeria, West Africa, and the entire continent. The US however said the public disturbance that the elections would cause might not be “large-scale nationwide conflict” but “localised violence.” The US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, disclosed this in his presentation during the US Congress hearing on Nigeria’s forthcoming elections in Washington DC on Thursday. Read more
Release of 289 Cameroon anglophone separatists delayed (Guardian)
The release of nearly 300 people arrested in connection with Cameroon’s anglophone crisis has been delayed by red tape, state radio said Friday, a day after they were pardoned by President Paul Biya. Courts in six prisons across the West African country ordered the separatists be freed on Friday, but administrative difficulties have slowed the process, according to state radio. Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo earlier said that the list of all those to be freed would be published after court hearings. Read more
Trump names new acting chief of staff (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has named Mick Mulvaney, the director of the office of management and budget, as acting White House chief of staff. Mr Mulvaney, 51, replaces General John Kelly, who is leaving by the end of the year. In a tweet, Mr Trump described Mr Kelly as a “great patriot”, who had served the country with distinction. But earlier this year, General Kelly was forced to deny he had called Mr Trump an “idiot”. Read more
Mo Salah wins 2018 BBC African Footballer of the year (Guardian)
Mohamed Salah has been announced as the BBC African Footballer of the Year for the year 2018. The Liverpool forward won the prize ahead of club teammate Sadio Mane, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Ghana’s Thomas Partey, and Morocco’s Medhi Benatia. Salah, 26, won the award last year and is the first player since Nigeria’s Jay-Jay Okocha to win the award in consecutive years. “It’s a great feeling to win again. I’m happy and I would like to win it also next year!” Salah told BBC. Read more
Man Utd ‘doubt everything’ – Mourinho (BBC)
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says his team are “far” from being built in his own image as he prepares to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. United are 16 points behind leaders Liverpool, having won just one of their previous five Premier League games. Mourinho, who took over as manager in May 2016, conceded: “We have doubts about everything. “But we are going with the players we have available and a team capable of going there to fight for the victory.” Read more
Boca manager leaves after Copa loss (BBC)
Boca Juniors manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto has left the club, days after their defeat in the Copa Libertadores final by arch-rivals River Plate. They lost 3-1 in extra time in Sunday’s second leg in Madrid to make it 5-3 on aggregate. The game had been postponed and then relocated after River fans attacked the Boca bus and injured players before their second leg in Buenos Aires. Former Boca striker Schelotto had been in charge for two and a half years. Read more
I stayed with policeman’s corpse for 10 hours after killing him – Traditional ruler (Punch)
Jonathan Tsekar, the traditional ruler of Tiv community in Opeji, in the Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, has disclosed the events leading to the murder of a policeman attached to a police post in the community. Tsekar reportedly killed the policeman, Gbenga Adeboyejo, a corporal, after a charcoal business deal between them went awry. The ruler was said to have murdered Adeboyejo on a farm in the neighbourhood on November 27 and buried him with his phone. Read more
Man kidnaps ex-boss for accusing him of stealing, demands N1m ransom (Punch)
A kidnap and robbery ring operating on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has been busted with four members of the gang arrested. The suspects are Babangida Garba, Sani Mohammed, Ibrahim Dogo and Ibrahim Haruna. City Round learnt that the suspects met their Waterloo sometime in November as one of them wanted to pick up N1m ransom for the release of one Alhaji Ulere, who they had kidnapped in Abuja. Read more
Man slashes wife’s head over infidelity allegation (Punch)
A married woman based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mrs Chindima Diala, is battling with an injury allegedly inflicted on her head by husband. It was learnt that the incident happened on November 29, when Diala accused her husband, Norbert, of engaging in extramarital affairs. Our correspondents learnt that trouble started that evening after he arrived home late and his wife alleged that he was returning from his girlfriend’s place. Norbert was said to have taken offence and descended on his wife with a plank, slashing her head in the process. Read more