Cultists arrested for terrorising Lagos community, murder (Punch)
The residents of Iju Ishaga community of Lagos State have heaved a sigh of relief following the arrest of four suspected cult members said to be terrorising the area by the police. PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects: Tobi Popoola, 24; Collins Osobase, 25; Babajide Ishola, 28; and Abraham Amos, 24, were members of the Eiye confraternity, which is notorious for disrupting the peace in the Iju Ishaga area. Read more
INEC pledges commitment to credible elections in 2019 (Guardian)
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has promised to enforce inclusiveness, transparency and accountability to deliver credible elections in 2019. Speaking as guest lecture at Realnews’ sixth anniversary, he said: “INEC is deeply committed to democratic elections in the belief that the outcome can contribute to political stability and consolidation of democracy, which will foster rapid economic progress.” Read more
Amaechi humiliated me before my wife – Magnus Abe (Punch)
The All Progressives Congress senator representing Rivers South East constituency, Magnus Abe, has claimed the Minister of Transportion and Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, humiliated him by telling him not to contest in the presence of his wife. The Interview magazine reports that Abe said Amechi’s actions may hurt the party badly in the forthcoming elections. Read more
PDP denies destroying APC’s billboards in Enugu State (Guardian)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied the allegation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it was destroying billboards of other political partiesin Enugu State.APC factional chairman, Ben Nwoye, had accused the PDP of stopping his party from mounting billboards in the state and destroying available ones. But the state PDP chairman, Chief Augustine Nnamani, stated yesterday: “Ordinarily, the state chapter of the PDP would have wished not to join issues with the opposition APC… Read more
Bello places N100m bounty on aide’s killers (Punch)
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has announced the state government’s decision to reward anyone who provided information that will lead to the arrest of the killers of one of his aides with N100m. An aide to the governor, Alhaji Yusuf Adabenege, and his driver, were assassinated last Friday in Okene. The governor made the announcement when he paid condolence visits to the families of the slain aide and his driver on Wednesday. Read more
Durotoye picks Abdullahi-Iya as running mate (Guardian)
The presidential candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr. Fela Durotoye, yesterday chose Mrs. Kahdijah Abdullahi-Iya as his running mate for the 2019 polls. While presenting Abdullahi-Iya to representatives of the party’s national chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Dania, alongside members of the board of trustees, the national working committee among others in Lagos, Durotoye said after due diligence and wide consultations with party members and her family, Mrs. Abdullahi-Iya was picked in line with the philosophy and vision of the gender equality of ANN. Read more
Madagascar presidential candidate withdraws fraud complaints (Independent)
Madagascan presidential hopeful Marc Ravalomanana on Wednesday withdrew his legal complaints over alleged irregularities in the first round of the election, his lawyer said. Neither Ravalomanana nor his arch-rival Andry Rajoelina — both former presidents — won the 50 percent of votes required for a first-round victory in the November 7 ballot. A run-off vote is scheduled for December 19. Read more
‘No arms’ for troops at US-Mexico border (BBC)
US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said military police at the border with Mexico will be unarmed and will not have the power to carry out arrests. “They don’t have guns in their hands, there is no armed element going in,” Mr Mattis told reporters on Wednesday. He said the military deployment along the Mexican border was to help protect border officials from possible threats. A convoy of almost 3,000 Central American migrants has arrived at the Mexican border city of Tijuana. Read more
British, EU leaders to meet as Brexit deadline looms (Independent)
British Prime Minister Theresa May told skeptical lawmakers on Wednesday that rejecting her divorce deal with the European Union would mean uncertainty and division, before a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to help finalize the Brexit agreement. The U.K. and the European Union agreed last week on a 585-page document sealing the terms of Britain’s departure, but are still working to nail down agreement on future relations before EU leaders meet in Brussels on Sunday to rubber-stamp the package. Read more
AWCON: Falcons bounce back, hammer Zambia 4-0 (Punch)
Champions Super Falcons bounced back from their opening 1-0 defeat to South Africa to rout Zambia’s She-polopolo 4-0 at the Cape Coast stadium on Wednesday, to revive their chances of advancing to the semi-finals from Group B of the Ghana 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations. Goals from striker Desire Oparanozie, Francesca Ordega, substitute Rasheedat Ajibade and Amarachi Okoronkwo sealed the win for the eight-time African champions but African Women Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala would rue her luck as she drew blanks despite being presented with several scoring chances. Read more
Joshua determined to unify heavyweight division with or without Wilder (Guardian)
Anthony Joshua, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles has given himself a 2019 timeline to unify boxing’s biggest division irrespective of what happens in the fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury on December 1. The Joshua versus Wilder fight hugged the headlines for a better part of this year, but at the end the show did not hold. Instead, Wilder chose to fight Fury, while Joshua met with Alexander Povlokin. Read more
Drogba confirms retirement from playing (BBC)
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has confirmed his retirement from playing, ending “an amazing 20 years”. The Ivory Coast striker, 40, had two spells at Chelsea, scoring 164 goals in 381 games and winning four Premier Leagues and the 2012 Champions League. He spent the last 18 months of his career with US side Phoenix Rising, the club he co-owns. Read more
Blatter wants Infantino investigated (Punch)
Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter called Wednesday for the ethics body of world football’s governing body to investigate his successor Gianni Infantino. Blatter was speaking after the Football Leaks website alleged that Infantino had held meetings with Switzerland’s Attorney General Michael Lauber, possibly to obtain privileged information about a probe into corruption within FIFA. Lauber has dismissed the concerns, saying the meetings with Infantino were “normal and regular, especially in complex cases.” Read more
Six employees connive with hoodlums to rob filling station (Punch)
The police have arrested six men for allegedly conniving with hoodlums to rob a filling station in Ojo, Lagos. The men, who are employees of the Skepter Filling Station, reportedly called some unnamed hoodlums to come and rob the station of N3m. It was gathered that the suspects were caught when they were having a telephone conversation with the robbers. Read more
70-year-old woman clubbed to death in Ondo (Punch)
The men of the Ondo State Police Command on Wednesday arrested a man identified as Moses Olaniyi in connection with the murder of a 70-year-old woman. The deceased, Medinat Ala, was found dead in her room at Okeegbe area of Ikare Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State on Wednesday morning. It was gathered that some body parts of the deceased were removed, which suggested that the old woman might have been killed for ritual purposes. Read more