Electrical fault causes power outage in Lagos airport (Punch)
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos was on Thursday hit by a temporary power outage which affected the D Wing of the terminal. General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said the power disruption was caused by a minor electrical fault. Yakubu said: “FAAN wishes to inform the general public of a temporary power outage at the D Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. “The outage is due to a minor electrical fault. Read more
Atiku vows to enrich friends if elected president (Guardian)
The People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday at a business summit in Lagos vowed to enrich his friends if elected president. “I am not going to enrich members of my family but my friends. “Are my friends not entitled to be enriched? As long as there is no element of corruption there,” the former vice president said. A Eurasia Group report published on January 7 said that Atiku will enrich himself and his cronies if elected president and would also “pose the risk of a return to an even more rent-seeking governing style”. Read more
Court orders police to show cause for detaining Melaye (Vanguard)
An Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama on Thursday ordered the police to show cause over its continued detention of Sen. Dino Melaye. Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, who has been in police custody since Jan. 4, approached the court for enforcement of his fundamental right. Justice Yusuf Halilu gave the order after Melaye’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) informed the court that his client has been in police custody since Jan. 4 against what the law stipulated. “We are talking about the liberty of a citizen not because he is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but a citizen, this is contrary to sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution of Nigeria. Read more
3 soldiers, terrorists killed as troops foil Boko Haram attack (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Army said on Thursday that three soldiers of Operation Lafiya Dole lost their lives while successfully fighting to repel Boko Haram terrorists who attacked Rann in eight gun trucks on Tuesday. The Army also said troops successfully foiled an attempt on Wednesday by scores of Boko Haram terrorists to infiltrate Gajiram community on Wednesday night. It said, “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed in Forward Operational Base in Gajiram, have fiercely countered a group of Boko Haram terrorists who made frantic attempt to infiltrate Gajiram Community on Tuesday 15 January 2019. Read more
INEC delists Rivers APC candidates (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded the names of the ruling All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate from the National Assembly election candidates list. The exclusion followed a judgement which declared the primaries held by the party in the state null and void. On January 7, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt delivered judgments in two separate suits, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to acknowledge Rivers State’s APC candidates following the controversies that marred the party’s primary in October 2018. Read more
Ekiti Assembly impeaches Deputy Speaker again (Punch)
Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Thursday, impeached the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Segun Adewumi. Mr Adewumi was removed by the lawmakers in Ado Ekiti over allegations of gross misconduct. The lawmakers thereafter elected Olamiposi Omodara as the new deputy speaker. Read more
Breaking: Court dismisses suit challenging Katsina APC congresses (Vanguard)
The Federal High Court sitting in Katsina State on Thursday dismissed a case filed by a factional group of the All Progressive Congress, known as APC AKIDA challenging the APC congresses held in the state on the ground that it is statue barred. The Judge, Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari while giving judgement at the court sitting dismissed the case saying it was not filed within the stipulated 14 days’ time. The case was filed by Sani Bello and 170 others against the APC executives and others on the ground that they were shut out of participating in the congress. Read more
France activates no-deal Brexit plan (BBC)
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said a no-deal Brexit looks “less and less unlikely” and has launched a contingency plan to prepare for it. After the UK Parliament rejected the withdrawal agreement, Mr Philippe said laws had to be passed and millions invested in French ports and airports. An EU official will now visit all 27 capitals to co-ordinate no-deal plans. EU countries with close UK ties have already begun preparing for its departure on 29 March without a deal. “We are taking this very seriously now as the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is becoming more possible after Tuesday night,” said European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas. “This is work which is ongoing and it’s developing fully. We are not taking any chances.” Read more
Venezuela opposition strategy depends on military support (Guardian)
Winning over the military is paramount if Venezuela’s opposition-controlled parliament is to succeed in forcing President Nicolas Maduro from power, experts say. The National Assembly has stepped up the pressure this month in its power struggle with Maduro and his regime, calling for a mass people’s protest next week, reaching out for international support and offering “amnesty” to those in the military that disavow Maduro. Led by the its 35-year-old president, Juan Guaido, the legislature is embarking on an ambitious bid to wrestle back the power it was stripped of in 2017 by a Supreme Court filled with Maduro loyalists. Read more
Student killed while on phone with sister (BBC)
A 21-year-old Israeli student was attacked and killed in Melbourne, Australia while speaking to her sister on the phone, police say. The body of Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was found near LaTrobe University in the city’s north. She had taken a tram home late on Wednesday after a comedy show. Her sister “heard the sound of the phone falling to the ground and heard some voices”, officer Andrew Stamper said. Police are searching for the killer. They have not ruled out the possibility that Ms Maasarwe was sexually assaulted, Melbourne’s Age newspaper says, with known sex offenders “an active line of inquiry”. Read more
MFM FC Coach admits team has a lot to do (Vanguard)
In spite of a 2-0 bashing of visiting Kwara United on Match Day 2 of the 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season at the Agege Stadium on Wednesday, MFM FC head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, says there’s more work to do. For the first time this season, MFM FC secured a commendable victory over a more experienced team following a 49th minute own goal by Segun Alebiosu and 76th minute header from newly-signed forward Adeniji Kabiu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Olukoya Boys had to bounced back from the Match Day 1 0_2 spanking in the hands of Enyimba FC of Aba. Read more
Chelsea close in on Higuain loan, Morata set for Atletico (Guardian)
Chelsea is set to add some much-needed firepower by reuniting manager Maurizio Sarri with Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, according to widespread reports on Thursday. Higuain, 31, is halfway through a season-long loan at AC Milan from Juventus, with an option to make the deal permanent. However, Chelsea has reportedly reached an agreement with the Italian sides to bring Higuain on loan with the option to make the deal permanent or extend the loan for another 12 months at the end of the season. Read more
Petr Cech’s retirement decision took Unai Emery by surprise (Metro)
Arsenal boss Unai Emery admits he was taken by surprise when Petr Cech told him he would be announcing his retirement from professional football. The 2018/19 campaign will be Cech’s final season between the sticks, ending a career that has spanned two decades, with the 36-year-old saying he has ‘achieved everything I set out to achieve’. Cech has only worked under Emery since the summer, and lost his place in the team earlier this season, but the Spaniard will be sad to see him hang up his gloves. Read more
2 church guards steal pastor’s daughter’s pants (Vanguard)
Two security guards, Samuel Linus and Adekunle Ogundana, who allegedly stole two underwears belonging to the daughter of a clergyman within a church’s premises in Akure metropolis, were yesterday paraded alongside suspected kidnappers by Ondo State Police Command. Briefing newsmen in Akure, the state Police spokesperson, Femi Joseph, said the daughter of the clergyman washed two of her pants and spread them on the line at about 8p.m. in the presence of the guards and by 6a.m., next day, the panties disappeared. Read more
Driver allegedly beats co-tenant to pulp as wives quarrel (Punch)
The police in Lagos on Thursday arraigned a 39-year-old driver, Kabiru Amuda, who allegedly beat up his co-tenant during a quarrel by their wives. Amuda, who resides at No. 19, Adeyemi St., Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, was charged with assault before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the one charge. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ishola Samuel, said that the accused beat up Mr Michael Nwabueze on December 28, at their residence when their wives engaged in a quarrel. Read more
Truck crushes mother, child, one other to death in Ogun (Vanguard)
Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Spokesman, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) in Ogun, on Thursday, confirmed an accident that claimed the lives of three in Ogun. He said that a Mack truck loaded with soft drinks on Wednesday crushed a woman and her child to death in an accident which also killed the truck’s Motor Boy at Ajibawo in Atan on Sango /Idiroko road, Ogun. Akinbiyi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident occurred around 5:45pm and was caused by wrongful overtaking, complicated by loss of control by the truck, marked, LSD 563 XW. Read more