Eight arrested for killing policeman, churchgoer, woman in Lagos (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command, on Wednesday, said it had arrested three suspects, Paul Peter, Rasaki Ibrahim and Damilare Abimbola, for allegedly killing one Kayode Babalola in the Alapere area of the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said Babalola was on his way to a vigil when he was attacked and dispossessed of his valuables, adding that the suspects subsequently threw him into a canal.
The CP, who addressed journalists on Wednesday during a parade of suspects, stated, “On December 11, 2019, one Kayode Babalola, 50, who left his office at Oregun in the Ikeja area for a vigil at a church in Ketu was attacked on a street in the Alapere area by the trio of Paul Peter, 22; Rasaki Ibrahim, 22; and Damilare Abimbola. Read more
Two remanded for allegedly defiling minor, neighbour’s daughters (Guardian)
An Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court in Lagos yesterday remanded a 25-year-old man, who operates a motorcycle, Babatunde Azeez, for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old girl.
Azeez, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was brought on two counts of indecent assault and defilement. The Chief Magistrate, Mr. O.O. Olatunji, ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, pending when the case would be filed at the sexual and special offences court, Ikeja.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chinalu Uwadione, told the court that the motorcyclist committed the offences at Canal View Drive, Ago, Okota, Lagos. He alleged that the defendant defiled the girl when her guardian stepped out and left her alone at home. Read more
Suspected military man slit man’s throat in Lagos (Punch)
A suspected military man is said to be on the run after he allegedly slit the throat of a man in the Itire area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the fleeing suspect perpetrated the crime during an argument with the deceased on Wednesday.
Efforts to rescue the victim, who was taken to an emergency centre for treatment, were said to have proved abortive.
One Samuel Agbolajo, who posted details of the incident on his Facebook page, said policemen from the Itire Police Division arrested the suspect. Read more
Motorists decry congestion, hail of dust on Apapa-Oshodi road reconstruction (Guardian)
Due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway with several sections of the busy highway cordoned off to road users, motorists plying the route along the construction sites are daily burdened with logjam and inhaling of dust on the reduced lane open to road users.
Mr John Osemeke, who regularly plies the route lamented that the slow pace of work is making the alternative routes and available service lane degenerate daily, leading to traffic snarl. “You can imagine the congestion when a five-lane highway is reduced to one, where al manner of vehicles and trucks are forced to ply. This has left the road in a deplorable state.
“And it is a sad development especially for those not in an air-conditioned vehicle, as the cloud of dust from the construction sites leaves road users disoriented and unkempt after spending a long period in traffic. I will implore the contractors that while work is going on with the main carriageway, the available access route should also be kept in good shape to reduce travel time.” Read more
‘African man’ arrested in UAE with $90, 000 worth of diamond in stomach (Guardian)
An “African man” has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates for attempting to smuggle diamonds into the country, UAE’s news agency said on Thursday.
The country’s Federal Customs Authority said the man attempted to smuggle in the 297 grams of rough diamonds contained in plastic bags, valued at approximately US$90,000 by swallowing them.
“When the suspect reached Sharjah Customs, his passport was confiscated and his bags were searched. After carrying out an X-ray, officials discovered that the passenger had swallowed 297g of raw diamonds, which were worth around $90,000 (Dh330,588),”FCA said in a statement. Read more
Lack of food and drugs ‘killing Congo prisoners’ (BBC)
At least 17 prisoners have died in over the past week in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s main prison, the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace says.
The organisation, which has no affiliation to the foundation set up by former US President Bill Clinton, said the cause was a lack of food and medicine.
Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, which houses more than 8,000 inmates, has received no food supplies for the last two months, Congolese officials say.
So inmates have to rely on their families to bring in meals. Read more
Woman sells cheating husband for $17 (Guardian)
A Kenyan woman Edna Mukwana has shocked many after allegedly selling her husband to the woman he was cheating on her with for just $17 (₦6,162).
Edna Mukwana reportedly kicked her husband out after she found him with another woman in their matrimonial bed. Following the incident, the husband did not come home for a week after which Mukwana sold him off to the same woman she caught him with for 1700 Kenyan shillings.
Mukwana said she offered her husband for KES2000 to his mistress, however, the mistress only paid KES$17 which she used to buy her children new clothes for the new year. Read more
Iran crisis: Commander says more air strikes were planned against US (BBC)
Strikes against US forces in Iraq could have been just the beginning of a great operation across the region if the US had responded, a senior Iranian commander is reported as saying.
Quoted by state TV, Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the only fitting revenge for Gen Qasem Soleimani’s killing by the US was to drive US forces from the region.
The remarks came a day after Iran fired missiles at bases housing US forces.
This was a response to Soleimani’s death in a Baghdad drone strike. Read more
Indigenous all-female fire brigade fighting Australia’s raging wildfires (Metro)
An all-female indigenous fire brigade are working day and night to try and put out the bushfires ravaging their eastern Victoria community. The ‘Banana Women’ comprise a trailblazing group of women – many of whom are mothers and grandmothers – and were given the name by locals due to their bright yellow uniforms. Charmaine Sellings, 52, set up the Lakes Tyers Aboriginal Trust Country Fire Authority almost two decades ago, after a series of deliberately lit fires burned a house to the ground. After discovering the nearest fire truck was 45 minutes away, the grandmother-of-three, along with friends Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor and five other volunteers, took matters into their hands and got trained up by the CFA. Read more
Brexit passes major milestone as MPs vote for Boris Johnson’s bill (Metro)
Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill has cleared its final Commons hurdle this afternoon. MPs voted it through on its third reading, and it will now pass to the House of Lords. The Bill passed by 330 votes to 231. It means it should then become law in time for the UK to leave the EU on the scheduled date of January 31. The comfortable victory for the prime minister comes after he won a landslide in the December general election – and is in marked contrast to Theresa May’s failed attempts to steer a Brexit bill through the Commons. Read more
Desperate Mexican migrant ‘cut his own throat’ at US border after being denied entry (Metro)
A Mexican asylum-seeker who was denied access to the US later took his own life on a bridge across the Rio Grande, two security officials have confirmed. The man, in his 30s, attempted to enter the States at Pharr-Reynosa International bridge between the border of Mexico and Texas on Wednesday. Security officials said after the man was refused entry, he is understood to have cut his throat on the Mexican side of the bridge, just meters away from the international dividing line. The incident happened at around 5pm and officials confirmed the man, who has not been identified, was seeking asylum at the time. Read more
Rangers’ opponent FC Nouadhibou land in Nigeria (Nation)
Enugu Rangers’ opponent in the CAF Confederation Cup, FC Nouadhibou have arrived Nigeria ahead of their second leg, Group A encounter scheduled for the main bowl of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu on Sunday.
The 32-man contingent led by Moulaye of the Mauritania FA, arrived Enugu through Owerri Airport yesterday.
The Flying Antelopes had picked their first point after three matches in the CAFCC competition this season when they played out a goalless draw against the Mauritanian a fortnight ago.
Rangers had lost their first game to Pyramid FC of Egypt 1-3 at home in November and lost 4-2 to another Egyptian outfit Al- Masry earlier December in their second game. Read more
Manchester United cancel bid for Christian Eriksen (Punch)
Manchester United have ruled out making a bid to bring Christian Eriksen to Old Trafford in this window.
Reports have linked United with a £20 million offer for the Tottenham midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but as yet, no bid has been made.
United held discussions with Spurs about a deal for Eriksen last summer but the player remained in North London.
Meanwhile, sources are telling us Eriksen sees his future away from the Premier League and is likely to be on his way to Inter Milan. Read more
Great Britain knocked out of ATP Cup after thrilling 2-1 defeat to Australia (Metro)
Great Britain are out of ATP Cup after losing a thrilling tie-break to Australia in the deciding doubles match. Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury were beaten by Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur 3-6 6-3 18-16 in a gruelling and nail-biting match. Team GB had the chance to see out the game when leading 11-10 in the match tie-break, but the hosts rallied to save four match points and eventually win the game 18-16. Murray missed the decisive point returning Kyrgios’ serve long, but there was then a nervous wait due to a challenge. Read more
Sergino Dest: Ajax’s US full-back leaves Qatar training camp amid Iran tensions (BBC)
United States right-back Sergino Dest has left Ajax’s training camp in Qatar because he did “not feel comfortable”, the Dutch club have said.
It comes amid rising political tensions between the US and Qatar’s neighbour Iran.
Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed at Baghdad airport in an air strike ordered by US president Donald Trump. Read more
Moussa Dembele has verbal agreement with Chelsea but Lyon playing hardball over transfer (Metro)
Chelsea have verbally agreed personal terms with Lyon striker Moussa Dembele though still face a huge battle to prise him away from the French club in the January window. Blues boss Frank Lampard is eager to begin strengthening his squad after the club’s transfer ban was lifted and is keen to add more firepower up top, with Dembele top of his wishlist. Recent reports claim Chelsea have already had a £34million bid rejected, while they have also offered Olivier Giroud in part exchange to try and sweeten the deal. Read more
Ashleigh Barty beaten in Brisbane, Serena Williams through in Auckland (BBC)
World number one Ashleigh Barty lost her first match of the year as she was beaten by qualifier Jennifer Brady at the Brisbane International.
Australia’s Barty, who had a first-round bye, lost 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to Brady in the second round.
Barty did not create a break point during the match and won just one point on the American’s first serve. Read more
Leicester’s Ndidi may need surgery, says Rodgers (Guardian)
Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi could be ruled out for several weeks after Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers revealed he may need surgery.
Nigeria international Ndidi was missing from Leicester’s squad for their League Cup semi-final first leg against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Rodgers said Ndidi suffered an injury in Tuesday’s training session and may face an operation, although he did not specify what the problem is.
“Wilf took a knock in training yesterday, which unfortunately means he might need a slight operation tomorrow,” Rodgers said. Read more
Spanish Super Cup: We are in Saudi Arabia because of money, says Barcelona boss Valverde (BBC)
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde says he preferred the old format of the Spanish Super Cup and that the competition is only being held in Saudi Arabia because of the money on offer.
The competition has been reformatted to include the two top in La Liga and the finalists in the Copa del Rey.
It is normally played in August between the league and cup winners. Read more
Mourinho’s Tottenham pose tricky test for Liverpool (Guardian)
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho would love to be the one who ends Liverpool’s year-long unbeaten run in the Premier League and Saturday’s game could be closer than the standings suggest.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
The late match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be the first between Juergen Klopp’s men and a Mourinho side since Manchester United dismissed the Portuguese after a 3-1 defeat at Anfield in December 2018. Read more
