Buhari, Obasanjo clash over election fraud alert (Nation)
A huge row broke out yesterday over the February 16 presidential election. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to rig the poll. The President rejected the allegation and advised Obasanjo to “see a good doctor for good treatment”. Obasanjo doubted the impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which defended itself and insisted that it was confident of delivering free and fair elections. Obasanjo said INEC should ensure that one of its national commissioners, Hajiya Amina Zakari, stays off the conduct of the poll, especially at the Collation Centre. Read more
My mother’s death a big loss, says Jimoh Ibrahim (Punch)
Business mogul and legal practitioner, Jimoh Ibrahim, on Sunday gave an insight into the death of his mother, Theresa Jimoh, describing her as “a mother we will always love to have at all times.” According to him, the death is “a big loss” because she was “somebody you won’t like to part with.” Ibrahim, who spoke with PUNCH Metro from the United Kingdom, said “death must occur; something must cause death.” He stated, “I’m not in Nigeria; I’m at the Cambridge University and not yet home. As a PhD student, I need to get the permission of the university to travel. All I can say is that mama will be given a befitting burial; she is right now in the mortuary. Read more
ASUU restates conditions for ending strike (Nation)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that until certain conditions are met by the Federal Government, its members will not return to work. A key condition, according to the striking lecturers, is that government must show concrete evidence of the payment of at least N50 billion revitalisation fund. Another condition attached to the suspension of the strike is “the presentation of concrete evidences of the payment of the promised N20 billion earned academic allowances and showing how the balance of N85 billion will be paid with timelines”. ASUU President Prof Biodun Ogunyemi spoke with reporters in Ibadan, Oyo State ahead of today’s meeting between the union and government’s team. Read more
Suspected herdsmen burn down Catholic seminary, houses in Adamawa (Punch)
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have attacked the Bare community in the Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State and burnt down a Catholic seminary and houses in the area. The Adamawa State Police Command confirmed the incident and said the attackers destroyed several houses but that no life was lost. In a reaction to claims by the Catholic Church that the seminary in the area was burnt down in the attack, the Police Public Relations Officer, Othman Abubakar, said information available to the force did not specify the number and identities of the burnt buildings. “There was an attack and houses were burnt down, but there was no loss of live. But so far, we have deployed our men to restore normalcy,” he said. Read more
We’ve courage to conduct credible polls, says INEC (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disagreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s claim that the forthcoming elections would not be transparent. INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye, who spoke on Channels Television, said the agency would study the issues raised by the former President before making an official response. He said: “He has expressed his opinion, as a former President. We have to also take into consideration that he may have information that some of us do not have. What we are going to do as a commission is that we are going to look at the issues he raised critically. Read more
Police comb creeks, bushes to rescue Wike’s kidnapped aide (Punch)
The Rivers State Police Command said it had begun combing of bushes and creeks in some parts of the state with a view to securing the freedom of the Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Lands, Mr Anugbum Onuoha. Onuoha was on Friday abducted by gunmen in military uniform at a hotel along Ada George Road Port Harcourt. The abductors forced him into a waiting vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown destination. But the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said operatives of the state command had intensified efforts toward ensuring the immediate release of the governor’s aide. Read more
Fed Govt to send foreign security experts packing (Nation)
A new regulation is coming to flush out expatriates operating private security outfits in the country, the Federal Government has said. Such expatriates, it was learnt, are being suspected of aiding insurgency and criminalities. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu stated these in Kaduna at the weekend during the Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers parley organised by the Kaduna Chapter of Association of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN). The NSCDC boss, who was represented at the event by the Assistant Commandant General PGC, Helen Amakiri, said the new regulation’s document is being designed to address the lacuna in the 1986 Private Guard Companies (PGC) Act, which he said has become so obsolete. Read more
Bacterial compounds repel mosquitoes, could stop Zika, dengue, yellow fever (Guardian)
Molecules made by bacteria keep mosquitoes at bay. The compounds are newfound potential stand-in for DEET. N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called DEET or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. In lab tests, the molecules were as effective as DEET in stopping Aedes aegypti mosquitos, which can carry Zika, dengue and yellow fever, from snacking on artificial blood. The tests published January 16 in journal Science Advances suggest the compounds also deter two other mosquito species: Anopheles gambiae, a major malaria carrier, and Culex pipiens, which can carry the West Nile virus. Read more
Israel in ‘new partnership’ with Chad (BBC)
Chad and Israel have renewed diplomatic ties in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as “a partnership… to forge a prosperous and secure future for our countries”. His comments came during a brief visit to Chad where he was welcomed by President Idriss Deby. In recent years, Israel has made a big effort to improve diplomatic relations with several African countries. Chad, which has a majority Muslim population, cut ties in 1972. Read more
Israel-based Ofoedu begs Rohr for Eagles’ opportunity (Guardian)
Maccabi Tel Aviv attacker, Chikeluba Ofoedu has called on Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr to give him a chance to prove himself at the National team.Since taking his game to Europe after his exploits in the 2011/2012 Nigeria league season, Ofoedu has continued to impress in front of goal. At 19 years he joined Rangers from UNTH Healers FC and scored 12 goals to emerge the club’s top scorer. Ofoedu then moved to Turkey to join division one side Trabzon later in 2012 and went on to play for other first division sides, Karşıyaka, Samsunspor and Eskişehirspor till July, 2017 scoring double figures for each before the big move to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Read more
Nigeria plans to feature in blind football at 2020 Olympic Games (Guardian)
Nigeria may feature in the blind football event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Already, the Federal Government has started recruiting players for the national team, which would be trained to contest in the games in Japan. The national blind football team, to be known as ‘Star Eagles,’ is the outcome of rigorous countrywide search by officials of the Para- Athletics Federation of Nigeria aimed at giving talented physically challenged persons opportunity to advance in football like other sports. Speaking during a four-day national blind football trial in Enugu hosted by a non-governmental organization, BINA Foundation at the weekend, president of Para-Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Dr. Geoffrey Ogu said his association would raise a national blind football team ahead of the Olympics games. Read more
Man City beat managerless Huddersfield (BBC)
Manchester City scored their 100th goal of the season as they eased past managerless Huddersfield to move back to four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. David Wagner left the Terriers by mutual consent on Monday with the club bottom of the league, leaving coach Mark Hudson temporarily in charge. City, who had netted 19 goals in their past three games, were not at their free-scoring best in the first half at the John Smith’s Stadium. But the defending champions went ahead in the 18th minute when Danilo’s long-range effort deflected in off the head of Christopher Schindler. Read more
Patriots to face Rams in Super Bowl (BBC)
The New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime to reach the Super Bowl for a third successive year in a historic night in the NFL. Rex Burkhead ran in from two yards to set up a meeting with the LA Rams. Greg Zuerlein’s 57-yard field goal gave the Rams a 26-23 overtime win as they beat the New Orleans Saints. New England and LA will meet at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, 3 February. It’s the first time in the Super Bowl era that both Championship games have gone to overtime after Harrison Butker kicked a field-goal to bring the Chiefs level with 11 seconds remaining of the fourth quarter. Read more
I regret not stealing before being caught –Suspect (Punch)
One Akeem Azeez shocked many people present in court on Friday during his trial when he openly expressed regrets at his inability to successfully burgle a building before he was caught. The 20-year-old Azeez was standing trial alongside 24-year-old Omisakin Sunday for an attempt to steal. The two suspects, who had been convicted for undisclosed crime and served jail terms in the past, were arraigned before Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara on three counts of felony, unlawful entry and forceful removal of burglar-proof bars. The accused pleaded guilty to the charges. Read more
Woman arrested for forging friend’s signature to withdraw money (Punch)
A 27-year-old woman, Rosemary Godday, has been arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to withdraw money from her friend’s bank account. PUNCHMetro gathered that Godday impersonated her friend, Rosemary Onovakpuri, by filling a cash withdrawal teller for N500,000 with a forged signature. It was learnt that Godday was apprehended when a discrepancy in the signature on the teller and that of the account holder in the bank’s system was discovered. Upon her arrest, Godday claimed that she impersonated Onovakpuri because she owed her. Read more