Ambode allays residents’ fears over ongoing projects (Guardian)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State late on Wednesday allayed the fears of the residents of the state over ongoing projects. He said that his administration was making concerted efforts to complete many of them before May 29 when its tenure would end. Ambode gave the assurance during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in parts of the state. The governor said the good thing about continuity in governance which he had been preaching, is that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had signed on to the projects. Read more
Olawepo-Hashim condemns Lagos killing of APC supporters (Nation)
The presidential candidate of People’s Trust (PT), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has condemned violence at the Lagos rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where thugs of political rivals allegedly fired gunshots at one another. Two persons were reportedly killed in the process while many others sustained various degrees of injury in the pandemonium that ensued. Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement by the Presidential Campaign Council of People’s Trust (PT) described the incident as ominous. The statement by its Director of Communication, Laura Oloyede, called on Nigerians to take note of the violent dimension that the governing party has introduced into the campaigns for the forthcoming general election. Read more
Ohanaeze denies endorsing Atiku (Guardian)
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo pulled a surprise trigger on Thursday when it denied endorsing the presidential aspiration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Rumours had made the rounds that Ohanaeze Ndigbo was part of the Igbo groups that met in Enugu late last year at a meeting presided over by constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze, to endorse the aspirations of Abubakar. The alleged endorsement was thoought of as a way to show gratitude for picking Mr Peter Obi as his running mate. But addressing a press briefing in Enugu to mark its second year in office, the leadership of the socio-cultural organization said there was no truth in the matter, stressing that it was yet to adopt any candidate. Read more
Ganduje vows to investigate Kwankwaso over fund diversion (Vanguard)
Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has revealed that his predecessor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, used money meant for road project to fund his presidential campaign in 2015. While revealing what transpired, Ganduje, who was a former deputy governor to Kwankwaso, said that ”I was the deputy governor when the project was conceived. Ninety per cent of the total sum of the contract was provided by the 44 local governments while the remaining 10 per cent was provided by the state government. “However, Kwankwaso collected the 90 per cent from the 44 local government, paid the mobilisation fee and funded his presidential campaign with the remaining balance. The Kwankwasiyya people have started campaigning with the 5km road project, but I will expose them.” Read more
Herdsman, 40, docked over alleged destruction of N4m crops (Guardian)
The police on Thursday in Abeokuta arraigned a 40-year-old herdsman, Usman Abubakar, over alleged destruction of crops worth N4 million with his herd of cattle. The defendant, who has no fixed address, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, unlawfully entering and malicious damage before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court. The Prosecutor, Insp Olubisi Lawrence, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Oct.10, 2018, at 5.00p.m, at Alagbagba Village in Abeokuta. He said that Abubakar and others still at large conspired and unlawfully grazed their herds of cattle on a farmland belonging to Mr Segun Oyeku and destroyed his maize and vegetables worth N4 million. Read more
Over 30, 000 fresh IDPs arrive Maiduguri – UN (Nation)
Over 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have arrived Maiduguri, capital of Borno State in recent weeks following the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks, the United Nation has declared. Its head of United Nation Humanitarian activities in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon stated this on Thursday. He expressed concerns over the fresh upsurge of displaced people in the last few weeks following renewed attacks. “More than 30,000 internally displaced people have arrived in Maiduguri, mainly from Baga in recent weeks. “The majority of these people have arrived since 20 December 2018, often after arduous journeys with young children. Read more
269,000 PVCs yet to be collected in Kogi, says INEC (Vanguard)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Thursday that 269,000 out of 1.6 million registered voters in Kogi State have yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Mr Ahmed Biambo, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity in the state INEC office, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja. Biambo said that only Nigerians with permanent voter cards would be allowed to vote in the forthcoming general elections. He urged those that registered before and during the continuous voter registration exercise yet to collect their PVCs to go to their local government headquarters to collect them. Read more
We won’t judge Amaechi based on audio leak – Tony Momoh (Independent)
While advising those releasing the tapes to find better things doing, he said APC will not judge Amaechi based on the audio leak. “There are three ways people express themselves; in their thoughts, words and in their deeds. Many people say thoughts are free. That is a lie because your own thoughts are recorded in creation and you bear responsibility for them. But unfortunately, human beings cannot read the thoughts of people”. “So, if you know what people think of you, they may even be wishing you dead while they are laughing. So, people bear responsibility for whatever they do. On earth, it is what we see you do and we monitor that we use in binding you”. Read more
Congo presidential loser rejects surprise result as ‘coup’ (Nation)
Supporters of Congo’s president-elect celebrated an unlikely win on Thursday, but the runner-up denounced a fix and France, Belgium and the Catholic Church all cast doubt on the results. A chaotic vote in the vast and volatile nation of 80 million people has raised fears of renewed violence and at least two people were killed in clashes at one town in the west. But most parts of the country were calm. The electoral commission (CENI) announced around 3.00 a.m. (0200 GMT) that opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, 55, had won the Dec. 30 vote, edging out another opposition candidate, businessman Martin Fayulu. Read more
Corbyn calls for election over Brexit (BBC)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has stepped up calls for a general election “at the earliest opportunity” to “break the deadlock” over Brexit. In a speech, he said a new government would have a fresh mandate to negotiate a better withdrawal deal with the EU. He told Theresa May: “If you are so confident in your deal, call that election, and let the people decide.” The Conservatives said Labour did not have a plan for Brexit and were “playing politics”. Mr Corbyn has resisted growing calls from within his own party to get behind another EU referendum, insisting an election is still his top priority if Theresa May’s Brexit deal is rejected by MPs next week. Read more
Mourinho free for Real return as United pay compensation (Guardian)
Jose Mourinho is available for a dramatic return to Real Madrid after Manchester United paid him a reported £15 million ($19 million) in compensation following his sacking last month, according to British media on Thursday. The Daily Mail reports that a source close to Mourinho — whose contract was due to run till the end of the 2019/20 campaign with the option of an extra season — has revealed that compensation has been paid. “There are no issues over Jose’s contract with Manchester United. Everything has been sorted,” the newspaper reports the source as saying. “Jose is able to take on another job right now but is in no rush. Read more
Ramsey leaves Arsenal for Juventus (Nation)
Arsenal striker, Aaron Ramsey has agreed to a five year deal with Italian giant Juventus, at the end of the season. The deal is worth around 36 million pounds. Ramsey, who joined the Gunners from Cardiff in 200, and scored 52 goals in 252 Premier League matches, will undergo a medical test on Sunday, after being told by Arsenal manager Unai Emery that he is not part of his plans at the Emirates. The deal is expected to be finalised after Juventus’ Super Cup fixture against AC Milan next Wednesday. It is reported that he will earn up to 140,000 pounds a week with the Italian club, which rounds up to 7.2 million pounds a season. Read more
‘Kill white babies’ rapper faces fine (BBC)
Prosecutors are calling for a suspended €5,000 (£4,520) fine for French rapper Nick Conrad, who is on trial for incitement to murder in Paris after he published an online video entitled “Hang White People”. The music video shows the rapper acting out the kidnap, torture and hanging of a white man. The lyrics, which sparked outrage, call for white babies to be killed. Mr Conrad denies the charge, and says the song is a comment on racism. The nine-minute video, first published on YouTube in September, was quickly suspended for violating the company’s terms of service. It depicts a white man being shot and tortured by the rapper and an accomplice. He is forced to bite the pavement and is kicked in the head before being hanged. Read more
Three pupils sent to juvenile home (Nation)
Three Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1) pupils, who allegedly gang-raped their 15-year-old classmate, were yesterday remanded in a juvenile home. They were arraigned at a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court, which doubles as a Family Court. They are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful carnal knowledge, sexual assault and defilement. Chief Magistrate Tajudeen Elias ordered the boys remanded at Borstal Training Institution in Adigbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State, pending advice by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Prosecuting Sergeant Hafsat Ajibode said the boys committed the offences last July at Makoko, Yaba, Lagos Mainland. Read more
Six suspected touts face trial for alleged display of firearms (Vanguard)
Six suspected touts, on Thursday, appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for allegedly causing terror to inhabitants of Ojo area of the metropolis. The defendants: Godwin Chineye, 19; Rasheed Eniola, 18; Obumaeme Azubuike, 36; Waheed Femi, 32; Kamali Maikazi, 18; and Chidiebere Onyeboyin, 26, all live at Ojo area of Lagos. They are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, willful damage and display of firearms and dangerous weapons. Read more
Building contractor charged with N39.7m theft (Nation)
A self-proclaimed building contractor, Dehinbo Olatunji, who allegedly obtained N39, 730,000 under false pretence, was on Thursday brought before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Olatunji, 38, was arraigned by the Police before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku on a two-count charge of obtaining and stealing. Prosecuting Inspector Haruna Ibrahim alleged that the defendant committed the offences sometime in June 2018, at Wasimi Maryland, in Lagos. Read more