Court Declares Bandits As Terrorists (DailyTrust)
A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared bandits as terrorists.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo declared the activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda bandit groups as acts of terrorism based on an ex parte motion filed by the Federal Government.
Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), who filed the motion ex-parte, said President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval for the proscription of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other terrorist groups in the country.
In its supporting affidavits, the Federal Government said security reports have confirmed that the bandits were responsible for the killings, abductions, rapes, kidnappings and related acts of criminality in the north-east, north-central and other parts of the country.
“The activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other similar groups constitute acts of terrorism that can lead to a breakdown of public order and safety and is a threat to national security and the corporate existence of Nigeria,” the government said. Read more
Obi Cubana’s club speaks on death of customer, says ‘she tripped and fell’ (Punch)
Hustle and Bustle, a nightclub owned by popular Nigerian businessman and socialite, Obi Iyiegbu fondly referred to as Obi Cubana has broken the silence on the death of a female client who died on their premises on November 14, 2021.
The club in a statement signed by its management and posted on its Instagram account noted that contrary to news that made rounds, the young lady’s death was not caused by electrocution in the club, instead, she ‘tripped and fell’. Ever since the tragic incident, the club has been shut.
Moreso, the management of Hustle and Bustle noted that they had kept mum on the situation for two reasons which were that they were mourning with the family of the deceased and also the outcome of the police investigation.
The statement read, “We wish to thank our esteemed patrons and customers for their love and support these last couple of days. Indeed, the loss of a customer is a blow that hit us harder than we could have imagined, particularly because of the unexpected nature of her demise. We want to extend our heartfelt sympathy once more to the family of the deceased; we pray that the almighty God will continue to grant them the fortitude to bear this painful loss. Read more
Court of Appeal upholds lower court judgment on Diezani $40m jewellery forfeiture (Vanguard)
The Court of Appeal Lagos Division has dismissed an appeal filed by the embattled former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the forfeiture of her $40million worth of jewellery to the Federal Government.
The appellate court held that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s bid to overturn the lower court’s order.
It affirmed the 2019 judgment of Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court which forfeited the jewellery following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The appellate court gave its judgment in an appeal filed by Alison-Madueke marked as Appeal No CA/L/1263/19 between DIEZANI ALISON MADUEKE the EFCC)l. Read more
Court remands fisherman over boat engine theft (Vanguard)
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded a fisherman, Gerald Hnonfo, for allegedly stealing a speed boat engine valued N520,000.
The Magistrate, Mrs S.K Matepo, who did not take the Hnonfo’s plea, ordered that he should be remanded in Kirikri Correctional Centre.
Matepo directed the police to send the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
She adjourned the case until Dec. 20 for the DPP’s advice. Read more
Fix refineries before removing subsidy, Catholic knights tell FG (Punch)
The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba of Nigeria have urged Federal Government to ensure that all refinaries are working to the full capacity before removing fuel subsidy.
The Worthy Supreme Council of the Knights, Sir Diamond Ovueraye, stated this on Friday, the Delta State capital during the opening ceremony of the 2021 convention in Asaba.
This call comes amid unpopular plans by the Federal Government to raise electricity tariff in December and remove petrol subsidy next February,
He said, “For the past 10 years, we have been talking about removing of fuel subsidy. Yes, federal government should think a better way of removing subsidy. Read more
Abducted Eze Ndigbo released on Olufon’s death anniversary (Independent)
The Eze Ndigbo of Ifon, Donatus Okereke, who was abducted by some gunmen has been released.
His release tallies with the first anniversary of the death of the Olufon of Ifon, the late Oba Israel Adeusi, who was shot dead by some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on November 26, 2020 at Elegbeka Village, a suburb of Ifon.
Okereke disclosed he was kidnapped by four Fulani persons, one of whom was in an army uniform. They demanded N100 million ransom but eventually negotiated to N20million.
He disclosed that his family paid an undisclosed amount of money to his abductors before releasing him after spending five days in their den. Read more
Special courts to be established for sexual and gender-based violence, says Malami (Punch)
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has affirmed the support of the Ministry toward the establishment of special courts to prosecute Sexual and Gender-based Violence cases in the country.
Malami made this affirmation during the 7th Network Conference on Sexual Assault Referral Centres jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice, FCT High Court, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) Programme.
The theme for 2021 is the Imperative for Special Sexual and Gender-based Violence courts as part of events lined up for the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in commemoration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The AGF was represented by Ag. Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Barr. (Mrs) Victoria Fila Ojogbane. Read more
How church member organised Ondo pastor’s kidnap (Vanguard)
A 59-year-old suspected kidnapper, Ayo Samuel, has confessed that a church member of a Deeper Life Pastor, one Dayo, organised his pastor’s abduction in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Recall that Pastor Otamayomi Ogedengbe was abducted at Irese in Ifedore council area of the state in May this year.
The suspect, Ayo Samuel told newsmen in Akure that he was part of the kidnapping gang that abducted the Deeper Life Pastor.
Pastor Ogedengbe spent some days in the the kidnappers den before he was rescued after his family and church paid ransom to the kidnappers Read more
Male, female lifeless bodies found in car parked on Kano road (Punch)
Two lifeless bodies of a male and female, were on Friday found dead inside a car, parked on Katsina road area of Fagge Local government in Kano.
According to an eyewitness, the deceased were identified, as Steven Ayika, who is said to be married, with two children and one Chiamaka Emmanuel, who was meant to get married in December.
An eyewitness said that the car with tinted glasses was parked in front of Chiamaka’s family house along Katsina road.
Also, the witness said it was discovered that the car was locked from within, while the cell phones of the deceased were switched off. Read more
Ikare Akoko crisis worsen despite curfew (Nation)
The renewed communal crisis in Ikare Akoko, in Akoko Northeast Local Government Area of Ondo State have continued despite the 24-hour curfew imposed by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
Akeredolu imposed the curfew following killings of some persons and persistent shootings..
Residents in the community defied the curfew and attempted to destroy a building housing a bank in the community.
The building reportedly belonged to a rival traditional ruler of the town, the Owa-Ale of Ikare, Oba Adeleke Adedoyin. Read more
Adele calls friendship with Drake one of the ‘biggest gifts’ of her career (Metro)
Adele has heaped praise on her close friend Drake, saying their friendship has been one of the ‘biggest gifts’ of her career.
The Easy On Me singer and the Canadian rapper have grown close due to their similar lives – y’know, being worldwide superstars and all that – and Drake, 35, referred to Adele, 33, as one of his ‘best friends in the world’ while hyping up her comeback earlier this year.
Speaking to Tom Power on the Canadian radio station CBC Radio, Adele said that their shared experiences in the industry has led to their closeness.
She said: ‘We are a dying breed. There was like 10 of us. You know, I don’t think there’ll ever be that many of us again at the top doing it the way we were doing it. Read more
African health workers are avoiding COVID-19 vaccination – WHO (VON)
World Health Organisation -WHO says its minor analysis has disclosed that only 27 per cent of health workers in Africa have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti revealed this during a virtual news conference on yesterday.
She said that the analysis was leaving the bulk of the workforce on the frontlines against the pandemic unprotected.
She noted that the analysis of data reported from 25 countries finds that since March 2021, 1.3 million health workers were fully vaccinated, with just six countries reaching more than 90 per cent. Read more
Scientists perplexed by flesh-eating ‘vulture bees’ that have quit pollen to feed on dead bodies (Independent)
Some bees have now evolved the ability to only eat flesh because of an “intense competition for nectar” and of an evolved gut that resembles vultures instead of other bees, revealed a new study.
These adaptations in a little-known species of tropical stingless bees or “vulture bees” are also complemented by changes in the kinds of bacteria that live in their guts, pointed out researchers of a study published in the journal mBio on Tuesday, which sheds light on how diet affects gut microbes.
While bees typically feed on nectar, the researchers, including those from the University of California (UC) Riverside, said that the “intense competition for nectar” has led to a species of stingless bee in the tropics evolving the ability to feed on flesh.
“These are the only bees in the world that have evolved to use food sources not produced by plants, which is a pretty remarkable change in dietary habits,” UC Riverside entomologist Doug Yanega said in a statement. Read more
France disinvites British home secretary from migrant crisis meeting after Boris Johnson’s ‘unacceptable’ letter (Independent)
A meeting between British Home Secretary Priti Patel and her French counterpart Gerald Darmanin has been dramatically cancelled following Boris Johnson’s latest intervention in the migrant crisis.
A public letter sent by the Prime Minister to President Emmanuel Macron was described as “unacceptable” by the French Interior Ministry which said Ms Patel was “no longer invited” to the meeting with other European ministers on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from the Home Office.
In his letter, Mr Johnson said the two countries needed to “go further and faster together” to deal with the crisis, following the sinking of a migrant boat on Wednesday with the loss of 27 lives. Read more
French fishermen block Channel traffic in post-Brexit licences row (France24)
French fishermen on Friday began a day of action to disrupt cross-Channel traffic in protest at the post-Brexit fishing rights granted by Britain, blocking ferries seeking to access the northern port of Calais.
Half a dozen fishing boats blocked access to the port as part of a protest due to last one-and-a-half hours, an AFP correspondent said. On land, fishermen were also expected later to disrupt freight traffic seeking to enter the Channel Tunnel.
“We want our licences back,” read an English-language banner brandished on one of the boats, the Marmouset II.
The regional chief of the CNPMEM fishing union, Olivier Lepretre, said the action was intended to “put pressure on the British government”, and threatened other actions including on products imported from the UK. Read more
Man charged with murder over disappearance of Bobbi-Anne McLeod, 18 (Metro)
A 24-year-old man has been charged with murder following the disappearance of Bobbi-Anne McLeod in Plymouth.
The student, 18, was last seen alive at a bus stop in Leigham on Saturday at around 6pm on her way to meet friends in the town centre.
Investigators said on Tuesday that they found a woman’s body near Bovisand, South Hams, in their search, but formal identification is yet to be completed.
Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of murder that same day, although the older suspect was later released with no charge. Read more
Migrants at US-Mexico border run makeshift school for stranded children (VOA)
At America’s southern border, pandemic-related restrictions continue to block most migrants from filing claims for asylum in the United States. New arrivals, including large numbers of children, have settled into border encampments and shelters hoping for a change in U.S. policy.
As the months drag on, one organization has marshaled former teachers among the tent dwellers to give daily classes for migrant children.
The Sidewalk School for Children Asylum Seekers started almost three years ago as a Texas couple’s effort to keep up with the humanitarian crisis on the border. This month it officially registered as a U.S. nonprofit organization and opened its largest school yet. Some 10 teachers are providing instruction to roughly 500 children in three massive tents erected in a squalid encampment a few blocks away from the bridge linking Reynosa, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, to Hidalgo, Texas.
Under one of those tents, 36-year-old Josue Herman Sanchez Mendoza spoke into a microphone in front of dozens of students, ages 10 to 17, who had gathered for a social science class. He talked about a set of virtues the students should embrace: honesty, patience, tolerance, respect, generosity and willpower. Read more
Gaiya, Lumumba warn against consortium of indigenous coaches for Super Eagles (DailyTrust)
Two former members of the House of Representatives, Hon. Godfrey Ali Gaiya and Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh, have opposed recent calls by some Nigerians for the Nigeria Football Federation to appoint a consortium of indigenous coaches to lead the Super Eagles to the 2022 AFCON and the 2022 World Cup playoff.
Following moves by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to terminate the contract of the present technical adviser of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, some Nigerians are of the opinion that instead of wasting money on another foreign coach, competent Nigerian coaches should be assembled to lead the Super Eagles in their future engagements.
However, Hon. Gaiya, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports in the sixth Assembly told Daily Trust yesterday that the call for a team of local coaches for the Super Eagles is a call for more confusion.
“We cannot talk about Nigerian coaches at this moment. The truth is that most of them lack the necessary technical knowhow to coach this team. Going by the mentality of Nigerian coaches, if he sees that the players are earning higher than him, complex will set in.
“Such a coach will find it difficult to look at the players’ faces and ask them to sit up. So we need a foreign based coach who has seen it all and can tell the players to sit up or get out. Read more
Joshua faults Wilder on Fury defeat (Nation)
Anthony Joshua has suggested Deontay Wilder gave himself little chance of beating Tyson Fury in their trilogy fight by concentrating on his jab early in the contest.
Having enlisted the services of a new trainer in Malik Scott in preparation for October’s showdown, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ targeted Fury’s body in the early rounds to slow down the bigger man with jabs to the midsection.
That plan was halted when Wilder was floored in the third round. While he responded in style by knocking down the champion twice in an explosive fourth, Wilder emptied the tank as he chased more power shots and was viciously finished in the 11th.
Speaking during JD Sports’ Champions League of Everything, Joshua explained how modern day heavyweights are now so much bigger than their classic counterparts, making the job of constantly moving around the ring and out jabbing your opponent across 12 rounds all the more difficult. Read more
Rangnick’s backroom staff will include Solskjaer’s Man Utd team – and some new additions (DailyStar)
Incoming Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick is set to assess his backroom staff as the Red Devils look to move on from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Solskjaer was dismissed as United manager following the side’s 4-1 loss to Watford last weekend.
Rangnick is set to join United on an interim basis before moving to a consultancy role next summer.
And as one of Rangnick’s first jobs at Old Trafford will be to assess his backroom staff, according to The Athletic. Read more
Eddie Howe set for first Newcastle Game in charge after negative Covid test (Independent)
Newcastle United have confirmed that manager Eddie Howe will be in the dugout for the first time at Arsenal on Saturday after returning a negative test for coronavirus.
The former Bournemouth boss was hired after the recent Saudi-led takeover. However, he was forced to miss the Premier League clash with Brentford last Saturday after testing positive.
The 43-year-old will be aiming to end the struggling club’s wait for a first Premier League win of the season at the Emirates.
Howe has inherited a club where the pressure is unique, and does so with the threat of relegation – Newcastle are bottom of the Premier League after taking just six points from their opening 12 matches – and the repercussions of the Saudi-backed takeover having heightened scrutiny on Tyneside. Read more
Antonio Conte warns his Tottenham players he will be ‘evaluating’ them after their dismal defeat (DailyMail)
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has warned his under-performing players they are all on trial after their embarrassing night in the Europa Conference League.
Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Slovenian minnows NK Mura – the lowest ranked club in the third-tier European competition who were only formed in 2012 and had lost all four of their previous games – as the size of the task Conte inherited was laid bare.
The Italian said after the defeat that having had just three weeks in the role he can now understand what he is dealing with and that Spurs are at a ‘not so high’ level.
With the January transfer window just around the corner, Conte is assessing his squad before reporting back to the club, which on Thursday night’s evidence could be bad news for a number of players. Read more
Pat Cummins announced as Australia Test captain as Tim Paine takes break from cricket following sexting scandal (Metro)
Australia have confirmed Pat Cummins will take over as Test captain for the upcoming Ashes following Tim Paine’s involvement in a sexting scandal.
Just hours earlier, Paine announced he would be taking an indefinite break from all forms of cricket to protect his mental health despite initially being named as skipper for Australia’s 15-man squad to take on England last week.
The 36-year-old wicket-keeper-batsman first captained the Test team against Pakistan back in October 2018 and it appears unlikely he will lead the side again.
Pace bowler Cummins has been supporting Paine as vice-captain for the last two years, with Travis Head also promoted to a leadership position in January 2019. Read more
‘Ridiculous, audacious, absolutely brilliant’ – Judd Trump creative finish (Eurosport)
Judd Trump produced one of the most creative finishes to a snooker match in recent memory as he raced into the second round at the UK Championship.
The 2019 world champion and undisputed world No. 1 was putting the final touches on his 6-1 win over David Lilley when he decided to entertain the crowd huddled into the York Barbican.
After fizzing home the final red and completing his 819th career century, Trump started to knock in the colours with ease. So much ease, in fact, that he elected to spice things up by smashing the cue ball into the remaining colours after potting the brown.
He was left in a seemingly impossible position: Read more
