Critics slam ‘dictator’ Buhari over Onnoghen’s suspension (Guardian)
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari Friday said the country’s chief justice Walter Onnoghen was suspended because of the ‘respect’ his government has for the Rule of Law. “In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated 23rd January 2019,” Buhari said. But critics said the president’s move was in violation of the same Rule of Law. The government dragged Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) where he is facing a six-count charge of non-declaration of assets. Read more
Atiku’s endorsement tears Ohanaeze apart (Punch)
There is crisis in the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, following its recent endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Atiku was endorsed by the group on Thursday at a meeting held in Enugu, creating crisis among notable Igbo leaders, especially those in the All Progressives Congress. Ohanaeze had endorsed the PDP candidate on the same day President Muhammadu Buhari visited Anambra and Enugu states, where he inaugurated some projects. But some Igbo leaders, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; and Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, kicked against the endorsement at a media briefing on Thursday night. Read more
Trump accepts deal to halt painful shutdown (BBC)
President Donald Trump has yielded to political pressure to end the longest US government shutdown in history. After 35 days, he backed a deal to fund federal agencies for three weeks, but it includes none of the money he has demanded for a US-Mexico border wall. The Republican president previously vowed to reject any budget unless it included $5.7bn (£4.3bn) to fund his signature campaign pledge. But Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, flatly refused. Later on Friday, the Senate and House unanimously passed a bill to temporarily end the shutdown, after which President Trump signed the bill into law. Read more
Sanchez scores as Man Utd beat Arsenal (BBC)
Alexis Sanchez made a goalscoring return to Arsenal to set Manchester United on their way to a fourth-round FA Cup win which makes it eight straight wins for interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Sanchez has struggled to produce his best form since swapping Emirates Stadium for Old Trafford a year ago but was at his sharpest to take Romelu Lukaku’s superb reverse pass in his stride and round Petr Cech to give United a 31st-minute lead. Lukaku was the creator again two minutes later as Jesse Lingard’s precise finish doubled United’s advantage – and even though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back before the interval, Solskjaer’s side were always in control. Read more
Suspected ritual killers murder farmer in Ogun, flee with head (Punch)
Tragedy struck in the Ogere Remo area of Ogun State when some assailants, suspected to be ritual killers, hacked a 41-year-old farmer, one Fidelis Ikpechi, to death. Saturday PUNCH learnt that the suspects also made away with the victim’s head and some parts of his intestines, after killing him on his cassava farm. It was learnt that Ikpechi, who hailed from the Obi Local Government Area of Benue State, was on his farm around 4pm on Thursday when the incident happened. His body was said to have been found in a sack on the street on Friday morning. Read more
Tricycle operator remanded for allegedly defiling 10-year-old girl (Punch)
A 28-year-old man, Edet Edem, was on Friday arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Uyo for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl. Edem, a tricycle operator, who lives in Use Offot village in the Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, is standing trial on a two-count charge of defilement. The suspect hails from Oku Iboku community, Itu Local Government Area of the state. The police prosecutor, Inspector Samuel Akpan, told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 13, 2019 at Use Offot village. Read more
Police arraign guests for incurring N453, 000 debts in hotel (Punch)
Two guests at a hotel in Oke-Odo, Sangotedo area of Lagos State, have been taken to a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court for allegedly incurring debts estimated at N453,000. The suspects – Rasheed Olatunbosun, 37, and Adeniyi Adetoye, 27 – were said to have checked into the hotel sometime in December 2018 with a woman, who is still at large. City Round learnt that the trio had presented themselves at the hotel as company officials who came for a seminar in the area. Our correspondent gathered that after spending about two weeks in the facility, the woman disappeared, leaving her colleagues behind. Read more