Elections: I’ll be my own man as governor —Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says at 53, he will be his own man as governor of the state. Sanwo-Olu, who was responding to questions from journalists on Saturday on the influence of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on governors of the state, noted that the former governor has never been of negative influence to his successors. Sanwo-Olu said if elected, he would seek wise counsel from Tinubu and another ex-governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande to better the governance of the state. Read more
Okorocha can only be suspended at ward level, Imo APC replies Oshiomhole (Punch)
The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Saturday called on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, to tender his resignation letter for suspending the governors of Imo and Ogun states. At a press conference in Owerri, the APC chairman in the state, Daniel Nwafor, said that the suspension of Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun was null and void. Nwafor said that since Oshiomhole emerged the national chairman of the ruling party, he had been disregarding the constitution of the ruling party. Read more
Imo women protest Okorocha’s suspension (Nation)
Hundreds of Imo women of the All Progressives Congress (APC) extraction on Saturday took to the streets to protest the suspension of the state governor, Rochas Okorocha by the APC National Working Committee led by Adams Oshiomhole. The protesting women led by the State party Woman leader, Theresa Ohanuha, insisted that the suspension be reversed immediately or they will be compelled to institute legal action against the party. According to some of the women who also spoke with journalists, Gertrude Oduka, Henrietta Jacobs and Josephine Udorji, noted that the suspension will do more harm than good to the party and should not be allowed to stand. Read more
Elections: Corps members will not work as ad hoc staff in insecure areas —NYSC (Punch)
The National Youth Service Corps says corps member deployed as Independent National Electoral Commission ad hoc staff will not be allowed to work in security-challenged areas in the country. Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday, ahead of the upcoming Governorship and House of Assembly polls slated for March 9. Adeyemi, who said that no corps member died during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, which held on February 23, assured that the safety and security of corps members remained a top priority for the scheme. Read more
Ayobo attack: Police arrest nine, deny killing bus driver (Punch)
The police in Lagos say they have arrested nine persons who allegedly attacked their men at the Ayobo area of the state. Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Chike Oti, also denied an online publication alleging that an officer killed a bus driver in the area. Oti said in a statement on Saturday that the suspects allegedly belonged to an unlawful society. He said, “We unequivocally state that no police officer killed any bus driver in Lagos State on the date in question being March 1, 2019.” Read more
FRSC Edo records 20 deaths in 8 crashes (Guardian)
The Edo Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says no fewer than 20 persons lost their lives in eight crashes that occurred in the state between December 2018 and January 2019. The State Sector Commander of the Corps, Mr Anthony Oko, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Saturday. Oko said that the crashes occurred between December 2018 and January 2019 when the “Operation Zero Tolerance’’ of the corps lasted. Read more
Police recover 61 suspected rustled cattle in Kaduna (Punch)
The Police Command in Kaduna State on Saturday said that 61 cattle suspected to be rustled had been recovered at Kwanar Ugara on the Buruku Kaduna Road in Chikum Local Government Area of the state. The State Commissioner of Police, Malam Ahmad Abdurrahaman told newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday, that a police patrol team on February 27 sighted the herd of cattle without a shepherd and suspected they might have been stolen. He said “Hence the police intercepted and took the animals to Buruku Divisional Headquarters. Read more
Youth NGO calls for the release of N-Power workers in DSS custody (Guardian)
The Concerned Youth Empowerment Association of Nigeria, an NGO, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to ensure the release of N-Power workers in the Department of State Security DSS custody. In a statement, the National President, Comrade Noble Adaelu, said that the workers, Mr Gaius Nnadi and Mr Felix Obisike, were arrested on Feb. 15, for allegedly being in possession of INEC election result sheets. Adaelu said that the voluntary workers were arrested at the campaign office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Abia. Read more
‘Dead’ Mali jihadist Amadou Koufa reappears in video (BBC)
A senior jihadist leader in Mali has reappeared in a video, months after the authorities said he had been killed. The death of Amadou Koufa was widely reported, after a raid by French forces in November. The video, in which Mr Koufa mocks the reports of his death, has been verified by Site, a US-based monitoring group. French forces intervened in Mali in 2013, pushing back jihadists who had seized swathes of territory. However, the militants remain a threat. Parts of the country are still out of the government’s control. After the November raid, a Malian army spokesman and the French defence minister “confirmed” the death of Mr Koufa, a senior member of Mali’s most powerful jihadist group, JNIM. Read more
Pakistanis sign petition seeking Nobel Peace Prize for Imran Khan (Guardian)
More than 300,000 people have signed online petitions calling for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive a Nobel Peace Prize after he freed an Indian pilot in a bid to defuse tensions with his country’s arch-rival neighbour. The capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman had become the focus of renewed hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals which have alarmed the international community. Tensions have soared since a suicide bombing in Kashmir last month claimed by Pakistan-based militants killed 40 Indian paramilitaries. Read more
Eight hurt in aborted take-off at London airport (Punch)
Eight people suffered minor injuries during an aborted take-off at London Stansted Airport, causing flights to be suspended for around three hours. Crew on the Laudamotion flight to Vienna suspected engine problems on the runway shortly after 8:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday. Passengers reported a bang rocking the cabin. Thomas Steer said there was a “big bang on the side of the aircraft which skidded to a stop”. Read more
Russian Nobel Prize winner for physics, Alferov dies at 88 (Punch)
Zhores Alferov, the 2000 Nobel prize winner in physics and a member of Russia’s parliament, has died aged 88 in St Petersburg, the Russian Communist party said on Saturday. Alferov shared the nearly one-million-dollar award, which recognised his research work in the 1970s in information technology, which paved the way for computers, CD players and mobile telephones, with two US scientists, Herbert Kroemer and Jack Kilby. A staunch believer in communism, Alferov was born in 1930 in Belarus, then part of the Soviet Union. He was a member of the party faction in the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament. Read more
Johnny Depp sues ex-wife Amber Heard over article (BBC)
The actor Johnny Depp has launched legal action against his ex-wife Amber Heard, accusing her of defamation. In December, Ms Heard, also an actor, wrote an article for the Washington Post describing the backlash she faced due to speaking out about domestic violence. Mr Depp’s lawsuit says he “never abused Ms Heard” and the claims are “part of an elaborate hoax” to advance his ex-wife’s career. He is seeking $50m (£38m) in damages. Read more
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger all smiles after workout session ahead of their wedding (Metro)
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are proving the adage that couples who train together, stay together. The couple, who announced their engagement in January, were all smiles as they left a gym in Santa Monica, after a workout. How they look so sprightly on their way out of a fitness session, we will never, ever know. At one point the Avengers actor, 39, even managed a massive grin and a thumbs-up for the cameras. Read more
Ariana Grande: My fans and music saved my life (BBC)
Ariana Grande has said her fans and music “really saved my life” after a difficult year. 2018 was a hard year for her following the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in September and the end of her engagement to comedian Pete Davidson in October after seven months together. The singer told fans on Instagram that she is “still healing”. She is about to embark on her third tour. The 25-year-old admitted she is feeling emotional about going out on the road. Read more
Unai Emery reacts to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty miss against Tottenham (Metro)
Unai Emery defended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after his costly penalty miss against Tottenham. Arsenal’s leading goalscorer had the opportunity to seal north London bragging rights with an injury-time spot kick and cut the gap to just a single point to third place Spurs in the Premier League table. Hugo Lloris, however, made a vital save and Aubameyang’s misery was further compounded when Jan Vertonghen produced a stunning clearance from underneath his own crossbar to deny the Gabon international instand redemption. Read more
Lloris salvages Spurs a point against Arsenal (Guardian)
Hugo Lloris saved a last-minute penalty from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Tottenham avoided a third straight defeat and claimed a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in Saturday’s north London derby. Arsenal led early on through Aaron Ramsey’s well-taken goal, but Harry Kane’s contentious penalty 16 minutes from time ensured third-placed Spurs maintain a four-point lead over the Gunners in the fight for top-four finish. Manchester United can overtake Arsenal and move into fourth with victory over Southampton at Old Trafford later on Saturday. Read more
Roger Federer makes history with Dubai victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas (Metro)
Roger Federer has become only the second male player to claim 100 ATP singles titles after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Federer, 37, outclassed Greek sensation Tsitsipas to win 6-4 6-4 in one hour and ten minutes. The victory ensures Federer becomes the second man to secure 100 singles titles after American Jimmy Connors, who won 109. 20 of Federer’s 100 titles have come at Grand Slams, with Wimbledon his most successful venue. This is the Swiss legend’s eighth triumph in Dubai. Read more