62-year-old man in court for allegedly swindling sister of N2.4m (Tribune)
A 62-year-old man, Fatai Omopariola, who allegedly swindled his sister of N2. 4 million on Friday, on appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The police charged Omopariola, who resides in Mushin, Lagos, with three counts of breach of peace, theft and obtaining money under false pretences.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Prosecution Counsel, Insp Aondohemba Koti, told the court that the defendant allegedly collected a Toyota Camry 2006 Model from the complainant, Yemi Omopariola, to sale. Read more
LASG dislodges land grabbers from Agege land (NewTelegraph)
The Lagos State Task Force on Land Grabbers (LSTFLG) has dislodged some unnamed persons suspected to be land grabbers from a portion of land measuring 1339.564 square metres situated on Iju Road in Agege Local government Area.
This, according to the LSTFLG, is in continuation of the zero tolerance posture of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration against land grabbing in Lagos State. The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore, stated this while reviewing the report of the enforcement exercise carried out on Friday, January 24, by officials of the Land Grabbers Taskforce and police men attached to State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit.
Onigbanjo, who is also Chairman of the Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, said the suspected land grabbers had forcefully encroached and seized the land belonging to the Estate of one Mr Moshood Olatokunbo (late) and prevented his widow, Mrs. Olabisi Olatokunbo and other Administrators of the estates, from taking possession of the land. Read more
Okada riders poise for war in Lagos (Vanguard)
The stage is set for a major confrontation between the Lagos State Government and commercial motorcyclists and tricycle operators otherwise known as Okada and Keke riders today.
Last week, the state government announced the ban on their activities in six Local Government Areas and nine Local Council Development Areas in the state, with its enforcement to begin today, February 1, 2020.
Other states in the federation have equally banned them but they found their way to Lagos.
The decision to ban them according to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, was reached after consultation with stakeholders and the State Security Council, in compliance with the extant Transport Sector Reform Law 2018. The consultation with stakeholders he said, was necessitated by the debate on what had been widely referred to as the motorcycles and tricycles menace. Read more
LASTMA official allegedly commits suicide (Nation)
An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) has allegedly committed suicide.
The body of the official simply identified as Akinde was seen dangling on a tree lifeless.
He was said to have allegedly hung himself at Opebi near the popular Adebola House.
None of the sympathisers could say what led to the action.
The Nation learnt that he was recently redeployed from his Alausa base, but was not happy about the redeployment.
A source close to the late Akinde said he was battling with mental illness. Read more
Bostwana registers first case of Coronavirus (Tribune)
The Republic of Botswana has announced that it has registered its first-ever suspected case of Coronavirus on January 30, stating that the suspected case was registered at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport.
Mr Malaki Tshipayagae, Director of Health Services in the country, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
In the statement, Tshipayagae stated that the suspected case was registered at the airport upon arrival via Ethiopian Airways from China.
It stated that the suspect case is still under isolation at Block 8, Clinic and investigations are ongoing. Read more
Buhari reacts to US visa ban, sets up committee (Punch)
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Saturday, reacted to the suspension of the issuance of ‘immigrant visas’ to Nigerians by the United States’ Government.
He set up a committee to look into the matter with a view to meeting the requirements of the new US’ policy on visa issuance, a State House statement said in Abuja.
The committee is chaired by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, The PUNCH reports.
“The committee will work with the US Government, INTERPOL and other stakeholders to ensure all updates are properly implemented,” the statement signed by Buhari’s media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, said. Read more
How will US travel ban affect Nigerians? (DailyTrust)
The US has announced it is expanding its curbs on immigration to include six more countries, including Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar will now be blocked from obtaining certain types of visas. In 2018, the US issued twice as many immigration visas to Nigeria than to the other five nations combined. An official said the new measures were the result of failures by the six countries to meet US security and information-sharing standards. Read more
ASUU mobilizes members for strike over IPPIS, others (Nation)
An indication emerged in Jos on Saturday that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commence the mobilization of its members across the country for a strike action.
The chairman of the University of Jos chapter of ASUU, Dr Lazarus Maigoro gave this indication after a special congress of the body held behind close door at ASUU secretariat in University of Jos.
According to the branch chairman, Dr Maigoro, “We are just coming out of a special congress which was conveyed to review the extent to which the federal government has implemented the agreement it reach with ASUU since 2009. Read more
Over 75,000 people in Wuhan may be infected with coronavirus (NYPost)
Scientists at Hong Kong University published research in a medical journal on Saturday that projects as many as 75,815 people in Wuhan, China, may have been infected with Coronavirus, the South China Morning Post reported.
The city of 11 million people has been on virtual lockdown for weeks as China seeks to stem the spread of the deadly virus. The death toll jumped overnight by 46 to 259 people, while the number of confirmed cases in China soared to 11,791. Around two dozen other countries have reported another 137 cases, Reuters reported. Read more
Soldiers discover Colombian drugs cartel’s fibreglass submarine (DailyMail)
Soldiers have discovered a drug-smuggling submarine that was used by a Colombian cartel to ferry cocaine with a street value of up to £100million.
The 17-metre long fibreglass submarine, known as a ‘narco-sub’, was found in the municipality of Bajo Baudo in the western Colombian department of Choco, near the border with Panama.
Authorities believe it was due to be loaded with cocaine that was to be distributed along the Pacific coast.
Authorities believe it was due to be loaded with cocaine that was to be distributed along the Pacific coast. The material found in the jungle was destroyed. Read more
Brexit trade talks: EU to back Spain over Gibraltar claims (Guardian)
The EU will back Spain over its territorial claims to Gibraltar in the next phase of Brexit negotiations by giving Madrid the power to exclude the British overseas territory from any trade deal struck with Brussels.
The Observer has learned that the Spanish government has insisted on reference to the Rock in the EU’s opening negotiating position, which will be published in draft form on Monday.
Boris Johnson will be presented with the choice of reaching agreement with the Spaniards about Gibraltar’s future or exposing its citizens to economic peril by pushing it outside any EU-UK trade deal. Read more
Sofia Kenin wins Australian Open for first grand slam title (NYPost)
This, essentially, was where Sofia Kenin was going to win or lose the Australian Open final: She was down love-40 while serving at 2-all in the third set against two-time major champion Garbiñe Muguruza.
Kenin came through in spectacular fashion. She won the next five points, each with a winner — one an ace, the others clean groundstrokes to cap exchanges of 11 shots or more.
The American wouldn’t lose another game on her way to earning a Grand Slam title at age 21. Read more
See the unsung heroes driving Liverpool on to Premier League glory (DailyMail)
Another game, another victory, another three points closer to the title.
Liverpool’s merry march continued on Wednesday night as they dispatched of West Ham to go 19 points clear at the top.
It is a case of when, not if, Liverpool end their 30-year league title drought.
But there are now bigger fish for Jurgen Klopp’s men to fry as they approach greatness and immortality.
Their unbeaten run has now stretched to 41 games, and they are eight away from matching Arsenal’s Invincibles. The likes of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk win plenty of plaudits but the supporting cast isn’t bad either…
So who are the unsung stars in this Liverpool team that are driving them towards a shot at history? Read more
West Ham sign Hull forward Jarrod Bowen for £22m on deadline (Guardian)
West Ham boosted their fight against relegation after completing the £22m signing of the highly rated Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen late last night. Uncertainty had hung over the deal as the 11pm deadline approached and West Ham, who had to work hard to agree personal terms with Bowen, were forced to request an extension after a day of delays and intrigue.
Complications initially arose when the 23-year-old refused to accept a contract containing a clause triggering a 50% pay cut in the event of David Moyes’s struggling side dropping into the Championship. A compromise was reached when he altered his demands and asked for a relegation release clause, thought to be £20m, to be included in a deal worth £60,000 a week.
Doubts remained, though. With the clock ticking down towards the deadline, club officials were still unsure if the player was on his way to London. Read more
Japan says no plan to cancel 2020 Olympics (DailyTrust)
Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers have dismissed rumours that the Games were endangered by the spread of the coronavirus. “We have never discussed cancelling the Games. Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate with the (International Olympic Committee) IOC and relevant organisations and will review any countermeasures that may be necessary,” the organisers said in a statement to the German news agency DPA. The IOC also said preparations for the July 24-August 9 Games were continuing as planned. The World Health Organisation had declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China — a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. Read more
Ogunbote downplays title favourite tag for Lobi (NewTelegraph)
Lobi Stars head coach Gbenga Ogunbote has toned down claims that his team are favourites to win the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title at the end of the season.
Ogunbote spoke to npfl.ng at the end of the Matchday 17 fixture which saw Lobi Stars defeating Nasarawa United 2-1, and said there can only be a clear favourite when every team has played the same number of matches.
“I think it’s to early to start labelling a team as favourites because we still have so many matches to play. We have not even reached the halfway line yet and we still have teams with outstanding matches including us. Read more
Championship: Wayne Rooney stunner helps Derby crush in-form Stoke (Vanguard)
Wayne Rooney helped fire Derby County to a 4-0 Championship win on Friday to check Stoke City’s resurgence under Michael O’Neill.
The Potters had claimed 10 of the previous 12 points available in league action under Northern Ireland manager O’Neill to kick clear of the relegation zone prior to the trip to Derby.
But Derby have been outstanding at Pride Park this term, losing just twice in the league, and a fourth straight home success was ultimately secured with ease. Read more
Olympic qualifiers to go ahead after China’s quarantine (NewTelegraph)
The China national women’s soccer team will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Sydney next month after being quarantined in a Brisbane hotel as fears spread about the outbreak of a new virus that has killed more than 170 people.
Quarantine was imposed by health officials in Queensland state who said on Wednesday that 32 people, including players, coaches and staff, traveled through the virus-effected Chinese city of Wuhan a week ago.
The team was placed in isolation after arriving in Brisbane from Shanghai on Tuesday, and will remain confined to a Brisbane hotel until Wednesday, reports The Associated Press. Read more
Emre Can completes loan switch from Juventus to Dortmund (Vanguard)
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Emre Can from Juventus on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move.
Germany international Can joined Juve in 2018 after his contract with Liverpool expired, but has been short of match action this season.
The 26-year-old has made just eight Serie A appearances under Maurizio Sarri and was left out of the Turin giants’ Champions League squad. Read more
Ndidi better than Kante –Rodgers (NewTelegraph)
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says Wilfred Ndidi is a better player than Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. Ndidi arrived Leicester City in January 2017 as a direct replacement for Kante, who was an instrumental part of the Foxes’ titlewinning team in 2015/16.
Rodgers believes that Ndidi reads the game better than Kante. “I think they’re different,” Rodgers told a news conference on Thursday. “Wilf (Ndidi) is a young player at 22 but reads the game so well and how he recovers the ball to allow our attacking players to play. Read more
Rudiger rescues point for Chelsea at Leicester City (DailyTrust)
Rudiger scored twice as Chelsea secured a 2-2 draw at Leicester City. In an end-to-end match, Leicester were denied a half-time lead through Jamie Vardy thanks to an excellent save by Willy Caballero, who started ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Chelsea made the breakthrough a minute after half-time as Rudiger headed in Mason Mount’s corner. Leicester hit back with two goals in 11 minutes as Harvey Barnes’ deflected effort looped over Caballero and Ben Chilwell slotted in a low cross from Youri Tielemans. Read more