Anyone who interferes in electoral process is Nigeria’s enemy —Buratai (Punch)
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that those who seek to undermine the country’s democracy by interfering in the electoral process must be seen as “enemies of Nigeria and dealt with appropriately.” The Army chief also said that though the military is mandated to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity, it is also constitutionally accorded the power to “act in aid of civil authority when called upon to do so.” Buratai said this in his opening remarks at the expanded weekly meeting with principal staff officers, general officers commanding, and directors held at the Army Headquarters Conference Room, Abuja, on Wednesday. Read more
Eunice Atuejide withdraws from presidential race, endorses Atiku (Guardian)
The national chairman and presidential candidate of the National Interest Party (NIP) Eunice Atuejide Wednesday withdrew from 2019 presidential race and endorsed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. “So my people, having committed to always put Nigeria first, having gotten to know most of the candidates vying for the Presidency in 2019 one on one, having investigated most of them independently, and having seriously considered the inherent dangers in allowing the incompetence of President Buhari to continue, I choose to fight for the benefit of every Nigerian on the side of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),” Atuejide said on Wednesday. Read more
Air Force destroys Boko Haram Camp in Borno (Nation)
The Nigerian Air Force said on Wednesday that it has destroyed Boko Haram terrorists’ camp and neutralized some of its fighters in a village called Arboko in Borno State. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said in a statement that the strikes were launched after an intelligence platform had established the presence of the terrorists in the area. Air Commodore Daramola said: “The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has decimated a Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) camp and neutralized some of their fighters at a settlement called Arboko in Borno State. Read more
Akwa Ibom APC, PDP trade blame as thugs kill two, burn 13 INEC vehicles (Punch)
The Ikot Ekpene chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday accused the Peoples Democratic Party of masterminding the attack on Obot-Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Two people were killed, while 13 vehicles belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission meant for election duties were burnt. The APC alleged that before the postponement of the February 16 polls, the PDP had hired armed thugs from Cross River and Rivers states to cause havoc and unleash the mayhem in Obot-Akara. Read more
Gunmen assassinate Imo APC chairman (Guardian)
Unknown gunmen have assassinated a chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State Ifeanyi Ozoemena. Ozoemena is the APC chairman in Logara/Umuohiagu Ward in Ngor Okpala Council Area of the state. He was murdered in his house on Tuesday night shortly after he reportedly presided over a meeting of the party in the ward. Imo State Commissioner of Police Dasuki Galadanchi confirmed Ozoemena’s death. Galadanchi said the murderers operated in an SUV Jeep. He added that police have evacuated the corpse while an investigation is ongoing. Read more
Mosque, market targeted for bombing in Kano, foreign election observers allege (Punch)
A team of foreign observers under the aegis of the Pan African Women Project International Observers have raised the alarm over classified information of a planned bomb attack on selected targets in Kano. The observers said they received emails from a source they did not make public, that a mosque and popular market were being targeted for the attack ahead of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. Publicity Secretary of the group, Ms. Mphoeue Keitseng, who hails from Botswana, said this at a joint press conference with their local partners in Kano, late on Tuesday. Read more
Climate change affects women more than men —Experts (Punch)
Experts have called for concerted efforts from the international communities, regional bodies and other stakeholders to manage risks of climate change on women. They made the call at a session on “Addressing the Gender Dimensions of Climate Change and Security’’ at the Planetary Security Conference at The Hague. The experts insisted that the impact of climate change on water, peace and security on women was evident in the loss of livelihoods and dignity. According to them, climate change has been recognised as a defining threat to peace in the 21st Century, as increasingly demonstrated by ground-level realities. Read more
Ebola outbreak ‘under control’ in part of eastern DR Congo (Guardian)
An Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 500 people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been brought under control in one major area, the health ministry said late Tuesday. In a statement, it said there had been no new confirmed cases of Ebola in the Beni area for the past 21 days. “We can now consider that the Ebola epidemic is currently under control in Beni,” it said, describing this as “major progress”. Read more
Shamima Begum: IS teenager says losing UK citizenship ‘unjust’ (BBC)
Shamima Begum – the teenager who fled London to join Islamic State in Syria – has said being stripped of her British citizenship is “unjust”. Ms Begum, 19, told ITV News that she found the Home Office’s decision “heartbreaking”, but she may try for citizenship via her Dutch husband. It is only possible to revoke someone’s UK nationality if they are eligible for citizenship elsewhere. The home secretary suggested Ms Begum’s newborn son could still be British. Read more
Saudi prince agrees to step up anti-terror ‘pressure’ with India (Guardian)
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian leader Narendra Modi vowed Wednesday to increase pressure on countries that fuel terrorism. The promise came as fallout from a suicide bomb attack that India has blamed on Pakistan overshadowed the latest leg of the crown prince’s tour aiming to boost his country’s image. Modi did not mention Pakistan — a key Saudi ally — as he again blasted the “barbaric attack” in Kashmir last week that left at least 40 paramilitaries dead. Read more
Sand Eagles’ Assistant coach, Chukwuma Agbo, is dead (Punch)
The Nigeria Football Federal, on Wednesday, announced the death of Chukwuma Agbo, who until his death, was the Assistant coach of the Beach Soccer Eagles. On their verified Twitter handle, NFF described the death of Agbo as “another painful loss”. NFF tweeted, “Yet another painful loss! We are sad to hear of the passing of Assistant Coach of our Beach Soccer National team, the Super Sand Eagles, Chukwuma Agbo. Our prayers are with his family at this time. May his soul rest in peace.” Read more
Sarri: Kante not the best at moving ball fast (Goal)
The Blues coach has no plan to move the midfielder back to his previous position despite his side’s recent dip in form and the mounting pressure Maurizio Sarri says he will not return N’Golo Kante to his natural defensive midfield role because the Frenchman cannot move the ball quickly enough. The 27-year-old has been used in a more advanced position since the Italian took over last summer, with Jorginho taking the deeper spot in midfield. Read more
Sala tragedy sparks unsavoury legal dispute (Guardian)
The tragedy of the plane crash that killed Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala has now entered an ugly aftermath as Premier League club Cardiff City and French side Nantes threaten to go to court over his £15 million ($19 million) transfer fee. Sala, who was buried at the age of 28 in the Argentine village of Progreso on Saturday, never played a game for Cardiff. The plane carrying the striker and pilot David Ibbotson came down in the English Channel en route to the Welsh capital on January 21, two days after he completed his transfer from Nantes. Cardiff have so far refused to pay the first instalment of the club record fee, believed to be £5 million, as they await the results of an Air Accidents Investigations Bureau (AAIB) investigation into the causes of the crash. Read more
Ozil has the key is in his hands – Emery (Goal)
The attacking midfielder has won his manager’s approval in training this week and could be back in the side to face BATE Borisov on Thursday. Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has told Mesut Ozil he must consistently be available without injury or illness if he is to have a future at the club. Ozil, 30, is enduring a difficult season with the Gunners, having appeared in just 14 of their 26 Premier League matches. Injuries and sicknesses have been contributing factors, though when he has been able to play, Ozil has rarely met expectations, prompting Emery to leave him out on several occasions. Read more