6 men in court accused of setting police station ablaze (Guardian)
Six men on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court accused of stealing and setting a police station ablaze.
The accused, Tunde Abiodun, 32, Sodique Tiamiyu,22, Seun Olatokun, 27, Akeem Apena, 52, Olawunmi Lateef, 28 and Isah Lukeman, 24 all of no fixed address, are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, arson and stealing.
They, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, ASP Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences on Oct. 21 at 5.30 p.m. at the Pen Cinema Police Station in the Agege area of Lagos. Read more
Prophet, mother, son remanded for allegedly killing 400 level LASU student (Nation)
A prophet, Segun Philip, mother, Bola Adeeko and her son, Owolabi Adeeko were on Friday arraigned before an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo for the alleged murder of a 400-level Lagos State University student identified as Favour Daley-Oladele.
The prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice, Kemi Bello had brought the charge before the court.
The trio were charged on two counts of conspiracy and murder.
The charge was not read for the three accused persons and they did not have counsel.
The presiding Judge, Justice Grace Onibokun adjourned the matter to March 3rd and 10th, 2021 for hearing and ordered they should be remanded in Correctional Facility. Read more
Newspapers vendors protest colleague’s killing as FCT police probe shooting (Punch)
Newspapers vendors in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday protested the killing of their colleagues, Ifeanyi Elechi, who was shot dead on Thursday by a security aide to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The vendors who were carrying placards, demanded justice, insisting that the errant operative who is believed to be a Department of State Services operative must be brought to book.
Gbajabiamila has issued a statement expressing regrets over the tragedy and announcing the suspension of the officer involved. Read more
Buhari: There is corruption at many levels of govt, nearly every stratum of society (Thisday)
President Muhammadu Buhari has noted that the sad reality confronting Nigeria is that “there is corruption almost everywhere; at many levels of government, and nearly every stratum of our society.”
Speaking while receiving the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the Investigation of Ibrahim Magu, suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), headed by Justice Ayo Salami (Rtd), at State House, Abuja, Buhari said his desire was to make Nigeria a country that had no tolerance for corruption and where the menace was vigorously battled.
”Corruption is present in all countries. Some Governments treat it with levity. Some fight it all the time. I want Nigeria to be counted among those countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption,’ the President said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina. Read more
Senator Ndoma-Egba loses wife in motor accident (Vanguard)
Former Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has lost his wife to a ghastly motor accident along the Benin – Akure Expressway.
According to reports, she was going for a function in Akure when the accident occurred.
Vanguard reports that apart from losing the wife, earlier this year he also lost his mother-in-law, mother and his former media aide… Read more
#EndSARs protests: Police arraign 2 middle aged men for alleged arson, theft (Guardian)
The Police on Friday arraigned two middle aged men, Sunday Oluwatoyin, 31 and John Joseph, 23, at an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ court for alleged arson and theft.
The Police prosecutor, Sgt. Olubu Apata told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence on Oct. 20 at a police station in Ikere-Ekiti.
Apata said that the defendants on the date, conspired together to commit arson on a police station at Ikere-Ekiti during the EndSARS protests. Read more
2023: Vote us out if you are tired of our faces, Lawan to Nigerians (Vanguard)
Ahead of 2023 general and presidential elections, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has asked Nigerians not to vote for them if they have failed the people.
Lawan has also told Nigerians that the annual budget of the National Assembly is less than one per cent of the nation’s 2021 budget.
According to him,those who are not comfortable with the Senators in the present 9th Senate should not hesitate tovote them out in 2023 if they don’t like their faces, adding that it will be better for Nigerians to vote out the current crop of Federal lawmakers, replace them with new and better representatives instead of engaging in endless agitations to close down the National Assembly and debates over alleged “Jumbo” salaries and allowances enjoyed by lawmakers. Read more
Onitsha to become port of final destination soon – Moghalu (Vanguard)
Managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Chief George Moghalu has said that efforts had been intensified to ensure that Onitsha River Port in Anambra State became port of final destination before long.
Addressing former Presidents General from the 181 communities in Anambra State during their meeting in Awka, Moghalu said once the port became functional, the only thing required for businessmen in this part of the country was for importers to pay for their goods abroad and clear them at Onitsha when they arrive Nigeria.
Moghalu, who spoke through a former member of the Anambra State House of Assembly and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Theo Nnorom said as managing director of NIWA, his desire was to see that Onitsha River Port became fully functional, such that goods were cleared there to reduce the stress of going to Lagos and Apapa ports to clear goods meant for Onitsha. Read more
Israeli scientists claim they’ve partially reversed cellular aging process for 1st time in history (RT)
Researchers in Israel claim to have partially reversed cellular aging using a somewhat controversial treatment. While only a small study, it improves our understanding of the aging process in humans.
The shortening of telomeres, the caps at the end of each of our chromosomes, is one of the main underlying mechanisms behind aging. Cell division whittles down these telomeres each time it occurs, leaving each new chromosome slightly shorter than its predecessor.
This, in turn, increases the risk of mutation down the line, which can often lead to age-related diseases like certain types of cancer. Read more
S Africa anti-racism protests over ‘whites-only graduation party’ (AlJazeera)
The South African police have fired tear gas at opposition activists protesting against alleged racism at a Cape Town school after a so-called “whites-only” year-end dance party was organised off-site, reportedly by parents.
Anti-riot police on Friday fired tear gas and water cannon towards nearly 2,000 members of the radical left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party who gathered near the school.
“Police fired tears, stun grenade and used water cannons to prevent the protesters from approaching the school,” Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller reported from Cape Town.
The protesters dispersed and regrouped a few blocks away. Read more
WHO advises against treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients with remdesivir (CBC)
Gilead’s remdesivir is not recommended for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence the drug improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday.
The panel found “a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients,” the guideline said.
“Especially given the costs and resource implications associated with remdesivir … the panel felt the responsibility should be on demonstrating evidence of efficacy, which is not established by the currently available data.” Read more
Man arrested mid-interview – for a job with state police (NYPost)
A Washington man applying for a job with the state’s police force got arrested mid-interview.
The 31-year-old admitted something that set off alarms as he was going through the background check and polygraph test process for a gig with the Washington State Patrol on Tuesday, local outlet KING-TV reported.
“A person in the application process for a civilian job with the WSP disclosed information that raised concerns of criminal activity,” a police spokesman said in a statement.
Officials didn’t divulge exactly what the man said — but it resulted in him getting cuffed on two counts of child rape. Read more
Uganda’s Bobi Wine released, 37 dead in protests over his arrest (AlJazeera)
Uganda’s presidential candidate Bobi Wine has been released on bail, local media reported, as police said the death toll in clashes triggered by his arrest earlier this week hit 37.
Wine, who was charged with actions likely to spread the novel coronavirus, is expected to appear back in court on December 18, the Daily Monitor reported on Friday.
The 38-year-old pop star and politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was arrested on Wednesday while campaigning in eastern Uganda for the January 14 general elections.
He was charged with holding mass rallies in violation of restrictions on gatherings imposed by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Read more
Toronto-area students stage walkout to protest racism (CBC)
York Region Catholic high school students walked out of classes on Thursday to protest what they say is persistent, often unchecked racism in their schools.
The strike organised by Students Speak Up YCDSB, an advocacy group founded by recent alumni of the York Catholic District School Board just north of Toronto, is the latest action taken by Canadian students in recent months to demand meaningful action from school administrators.
One of the students who took part in the protest was Selena Osunde, who has been attending classes virtually during the pandemic but let her teachers know she would not be present Thursday. Read more
Joe Biden turns 78. Here’s how old other presidents were on Inauguration Day (USAToday)
President-elect Joe Biden turns 78 on Friday, exactly two months before he will take the oath of office as the United States’ 46th president.
On Jan. 20, Biden will be the older than any other president on their Inauguration Day. He’ll break the record set by his predecessor, President Donald Trump, who was 70 when he took office in January 2017.
The median age of presidents who have taken office since 1960 is about 56 years old.
Biden has spun his age as an advantage, saying he serves as a “bridge” to the next “generation of leaders.” Read more
Mourinho questions Sterling’s withdrawal from England games (Guardian)
Jose Mourinho called on England boss Gareth Southgate to name the managers pressurising their players to pull out of international duty as he suspects Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling will be fit to start against Tottenham on Saturday.
Southgate hinted several times during the recent international break that some players faced pressure from their clubs to withdraw from his squad.
Sterling withdrew from the squad with an injury niggle which Southgate would not elaborate on, while Spurs striker Harry Kane played all-but 14 minutes of the Three Lions’ two Nations League fixtures. Read more
Neymar returns for PSG ahead of Champions League resumption (Vanguard)
Neymar is set to return from injury for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 on Friday with a view to facing RB Leipzig in a crucial Champions League match next week, the club said.
The Brazilian, who has been sidelined since injuring a thigh muscle against Turkish club Basaksehir in the Champions League on October 28, came through a training session with the PSG squad without any problems on Thursday.
Coach Thomas Tuchel said on Thursday that Neymar could play “a few minutes” against Monaco.
The injury ruled him out of Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers during the international break. Read more
Fans tell Antoine Griezmann to respect Lionel Messi while chasing his car outside training ground (RT)
In scenes doing little to conflict remarks by a former confidante that Lionel Messi is “emperor and monarch” at Barcelona, fans have been seen telling Antoine Griezmann to show “respect” for the club legend while pursuing his car.
France forward Griezmann was driving away from the club’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper when a group of fans spotted his Rolls Royce, shouting at him to “respect Messi” in an incident that has been picked up by the media in Spain.
Eric Olhats, Griezmann’s former advisor, told France Football last week that Messi had a “deplorable attitude” and was responsible for a “regime of terror” at the Spanish giants. Read more
Exhibition match: South Korea court orders compensation over Ronaldo’s absence (Punch)
A South Korean promoter was ordered to compensate fans on Friday after Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo failed to play an exhibition match as promised.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner stayed on the bench throughout a 3-3 draw with a K-League all-stars team in July last year, despite the pleas and anger of a sell-out 65,000 crowd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Match promoter The Fasta had run adverts promising the Portuguese striker would play.
The Seoul Central District Court ordered The Fasta to refund half the ticket price and an additional 50,000 won ($45) in compensation to each of 162 plaintiffs who had sued the promoter. Read more
Boateng ‘knows how I feel’ about Bayern departure: Flick (Guardian)
Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick hinted Friday that he feels burly centre-back Jerome Boateng should have been offered a contract extension for next season by the European champions.
The 32-year-old Boateng helped Bayern win the treble for the second time in his career last season, but has been told his contract will not be renewed when it expires next June.
“Jerome knows how I see it and how I feel about it. That’s important to me,” Flick confirmed in a press conference before Saturday’s game at Bremen. Read more
Atletico target first victory against Barcelona since 2010 (Punch)
Atletico Madrid’s La Liga challenge will not succeed or fail on Saturday but end a decade-long drought by beating Barcelona and they could justifiably become favourites for the title.
A first league victory over Barca since 2010 would put Atletico nine points clear of their opponents and extend an impressive unbeaten run in the league to 24 matches.
They have played seven games so far this season, scoring 17 goals while conceding only two. Read more
