Commotion in Mile 2 as stray bullet kills tanker driver (Vanguard)
The killing of a tanker driver identified as Hassan by a stray bullet around Mile 2-Tincan Port on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos, yesterday afternoon, compounded the commotion and rage associated with the traffic on that axis. It was gathered that heavily armed police officers on raids of drug dealers and addicts under the bridge reportedly shot one of them but a stray bullet hit the driver tanker, who died instantly. Read more
LASU will get Faculty of Pharmacy, says Sanwo-Olu (Nation)
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) that he will give the Lagos State University (LASU) a Faculty of Pharmacy, if elected next year. Sanwo-Olu made the promise yesterday during his interaction with the state chapter of the society. The APC candidate noted that after more than three decades of existence, the state university should be a centre of academic excellence for the production of manpower in pharmacy. Read more
Sowore kicks over exclusion from presidential debate (Guardian)
Mr Omoyele Sowore, Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has protested against his non-inclusion in the planned Presidential Debate being organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG). Sowore spoke on Thursday with aviation correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after he arrived from United States, aboard a Delta Air Lines flight. He said his exclusion from the debate being organised in collaboration with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (NBC) was unfair. Read more
Army rows out 11 sapper generals in Benue State (Guardian)
Nigerian Army has rowed out 11 Sapper-Generals from service at a colourful ceremony held at the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), Makurdi, the Benue State capital. Speaking at the rowing out ceremony yesterday, Chief of Army Standard and Evaluation, Maj.-Gen. Adekunle Shodunke, who represented Chief of Army Staff at the event, said the ceremony was a sign of respect for the Generals who have retired honourably from the Nigerian Army after putting in many years of service to the nation. Read more
19 freed as Imo decongests prisons (Nation)
After years of complaints, the congestion of Owerri Prisons, with its attendant health and security challenges, has finally got the attention of the state government. Even though the state governor, Rochas Okorocha had on different occasions raised the alarm over the poor state of the Owerri Prisons, especially the worrying issue of congestion, no practical step was taken to address the problem until now. Penultimate Tuesday, the state chief judge, Hon Justice Paschal Obinna Nnadi released 24 Prison inmates in a major decongestion exercise. Twelve other Awaiting Trial Men were referred to various high courts handling their cases. The exercise was to commemorate the 2018 Jail Delivery Day. Read more
Senate okays $1 billion cash for Ajaokuta (Nation)
The Senate yesterday okayed $1 billion for the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company. The cash would come from the Federal Government’s share of excess crude revenue. The upper chamber also said all monies that may from time to time be appropriated and authorised by any tier of government should be part of the funding for the completion of the project. It said all loans or grants from time to time made to the country for the purpose of completing the Ajaokuta Steel Company should be accommodated. This followed the adoption of the “Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, 2018 passed by the Senate. Read more
Buhari okays 65-year retirement age for teachers, says Minister (Punch)
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Thursday said that President Muhammadu Buhari was in support of increasing the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 years. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Adamu made this known during a public hearing on the need to insulate teachers from the retirement age for public servants organised by the House of Reps Joint Committee on Basic Education and Public Service. Adamu informed the committee that the Nigerian Union of Teachers had submitted the new retirement age proposal to the ministry and the National Assembly for approval. Read more
Senate defies Trump with Saudi war vote (BBC)
The US Senate has voted to withdraw US military aid for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen and to blame the kingdom’s crown prince for the murder of a journalist. The historic vote is the first time any chamber of US Congress has agreed to pull US forces from a military conflict under the 1973 War Powers Act. Some of President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans defied him to pass the measure with Democrats by 56-41. But the resolution is seen as largely symbolic and unlikely to become law. Read more
Donnie McClurkin Survives Accident Four Days After Experience Concert (Guardian)
Renowned American gospel singer and minister, Donnie McClurkin, survived an accident on Wednesday in the United States, when he lost consciousness while driving. He was in Nigeria last week for the soaraway Experience gospel concert, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos State. The 59-year-old award-winning gospel artiste said two human angels followed his swerving car with their emergency blinkers onto stop traffic, drove behind him until the car crashed into the middle concrete island. Read more
Iwobi ‘perfectly made’ for Arsenal, says Akpom (Vanguard)
Former Arsenal youth player Chuba Akpom says his Gunners Academy teammate, Alex Iwobi is ‘a perfect Arsenal player’. Iwobi was given a break by Arsene Wenger in 2015 and has established himself in the Gunners first team under present coach Unai Emery. Akpom, on the other hand, had gone on seven different loan spells before finally moving away from the north London outfit to link up with Greek side PAOK in the summer. Read more
Chelsea condemn anti-Semitic chants (BBC)
Chelsea say fans who sang an anti-Semitic chant in the Europa League game with MOL Vidi have “shamed the club”. A vocal minority chanted offensive songs about Tottenham fans early in Thursday’s 2-2 draw in Hungary. That came days after four fans were suspended for allegedly racially abusing Raheem Sterling. “Anti-Semitism and any kind of racial or religious hatred is abhorrent to this club and the overwhelming majority of our fans,” a spokesman said. “It has no place at Chelsea or in any of our communities.” Read more
UEFA club competitions model threatens European Football, says LaLiga (Guardian)
UEFA’s proposal for the future of its Club Competitions threatens the future of European football, according to LaLiga and other European leagues. A broader dialogue is needed between all parties to avoid creating an unfairly tiered system that harms the foundation of European football: smaller clubs and leagues. Early this month, UEFA approved the new so-called UEL2, a new European competition beginning in 2021 that would consist of 32 clubs primarily from lower-ranked leagues. Read more
Ritualists abduct sleeping mother’s newborn baby (Punch)
Suspected ritualists have reportedly abducted a 13-day-old baby at Uro-Ajowa in the Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday while the mother of the baby, Mrs Oluwaseun Olomodi, was still sleeping. A source stated that two suspected ritualists sneaked into the room where the newborn baby and the mother were sleeping and took the baby away. Read more
Police arrest five-man robbery gang (Nation)
Katsina State Police Command yesterday arrested a five-man robbery gang, who had been terrorising residents of Funtua and its environs. Police spokesman Isa Gambo said in a statement on behalf of Commissioner Mohammed Wakil that nemesis caught up with the suspects when they invaded the house of Haruna Idris of Dan-Dutse Quarters, Funtua. Gambo listed the names of those arrested to include: Umar Yahaya, 24, Abdulmalik Yahaya, 20, Abdulrashid Musa, 20, Abdurrahman Suleman, 21, all of Maigamji village in Funtua Local Government. Read more
Osun woman arraigned for pouring hot water on pregnant lady (Punch)
A resident of Alapupu area of Okinni in the Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Semiat Azeez, has been dragged before an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly pouring hot water on a pregnant woman. The 24-year-old Semiat, who was arraigned for brutalising one Rukayat Lukuman with hot water laced with suspected poisonous substances, allegedly attacked the victim following a minor misunderstanding. Read more