Fleeing driver arrested with boss stolen car in Ogun (Punch)
Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested one Eyo Eta on the Ijebu-Mushin/Benin Expressway while allegedly fleeing with his boss’ car.
Eta, a resident of No. 78 Iju Road, Ifako, Agege, Lagos State, was said to be running away with a Toyota Highlander SUV with number plate APP 467 GS when he was apprehended.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Oyeyemi said the suspect was accosted by men of the Federal Highway Patrol team around 9.30pm at the Imeri junction, Ijebu-Mushin while heading for Benin. Read more
‘We know nothing about body found in Lagos lagoon’ (Nation)
Residents of Akodo community in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State have denied knowledge of the alleged recovery of a body from the lagoon by policemen.
The Baale of Akodo, Chief Adebayo Ogunlaja told The Nation that police stormed their community and randomly rounded up residents following a newspaper report that a 40-year-old-man, Wale Kalejaiye, was abducted from policemen in the Akodo and recovered on a beach in the area.
Read Also: Thugs invade Atele community over land dispute
Chief Ogunlaja said, “When a team of detectives from MOPOL 20 and 49 both of the Akodo Division visited Akodo and told us that a body had been recovered from the lagoon, it was a rude shock to us. We told them we didn’t know anything about it. But to our greatest dismay, the Police Mobile Force said they had names of certain people from the community on their wanted listed.”
The community scribe Idris Akeem said some policemen claiming to be operatives of the IGP Monitoring Unit came to their community and “started arresting people at random. They arrested Alhaji Bariwu Oluwo, Ayomikun Ogunlaja, son of the Baale, who came on a visit, Agbaje Tajudeen and Bikonse Olusegun and moved them to Force Headquarters, Abuja. We’re a peace-loving and law-abiding community.” Read more
Magodo residents tackle IGP’s team over chairman’s foiled arrest (Punch)
Residents have condemned the attempt by policemen from the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Team to arrest the Chairman, Peace Valley Zone, Magodo Phase II, Lagos State, Ayobami Olubiyi, on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that no fewer than six policemen, allegedly mobilised by one Timi Popoola, laid siege to Olubiyi’s residence around 6am, but their efforts became futile when some residents in the zone and others intervened.
Olubiyi said despite explaining to Popoola that the estate was strictly for residential purpose, he allegedly shunned the warnings and converted a building to a hotel.
He said, “Mr Timi Popoola bought a property in the estate early in 2020 and we reached out to him to know what he was doing with the property, but he refused to tell us. We also told him to register with us because of security concerns, but he did nothing. When our financial secretary asked him to fulfil his obligations to the estate, he (Popoola) threatened him and we reported the incident at the police headquarters in Ikeja, where he was invited, but he didn’t show up. Read more
Police arrest 2 as cultists resume hostilities in Lagos (Nation)
The Lagos Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists, Tunde Rosanye, 39, and Muyideen Ayede, 20, for their alleged involvement in the violence that broke out at Ebute Metta.
Hoodlums on Wednesday morning went on rampage at Herbert Marcaulay and Ondo Street areas of Ebute Metta, attacking, robbing people and vandalising properties.
The Nation reports the incident occurred after about two weeks of peace in the neighbourhood notorious for cult related violence.
It was however unclear if the attack was connected to gang wars in nearby Lagos Island which have persisted for several weeks. Read more
NDLEA arrests 90, seizes 614kg drugs in Lagos raids (Punch)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested 90 persons, including an Indian, during raids on the hideouts of drug cartels in parts of Lagos State and confiscated 614.396 kilograms of various hard drugs.
The agency also announced the interception of a container load of tramadol at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, estimated at about two million capsules tucked in 554 cartons.
The Lagos State Command of the NDLEA also raided some drug spots in Agege, Ikorodu, Lekki, Okokomaiko and other parts of the state, and dismantled major drug syndicates, arrested some suspects and seized large quantities of hard drugs. Read more
Delta to earn N100m from Asaba Airport concession yearly (Guardian)
Osubi Airport to reopen in two weeks
Delta State government has signed off the Asaba Airport facility to concessionaires in a deal that will earn the state, at least, N100 million in concession fee yearly.
The strategic move to further develop the airport and make it run profitably (the first of such concession in the country), will also earn the state 2.5 per cent yearly revenue earnings over the next 30 years that the concession agreement would run.
In a related development, the Osubi Airport in Warri, Delta State, is scheduled to reopen in the next two weeks after months of closure. Read more
FUOYE don wins UNESCO media literacy award (Nation)
A female lecturer at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, Mrs. Omolola Oluwasola, has emerged first in the 2020 regional commemoration of the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) week, organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) regional office in Abuja.
Oluwasola, who lectures in the Mass Communication Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, researched on COVID-19 Countering Disinfodemic in Pandemic and Emergency Situations in Nigeria, was presented with a laptop while Mr. Paul Obi, an independent researcher, and Mr Emeka Etumnu of Imo State University came second and third.
Obi, who researched on: “Insider Peddling: X-Raying the Nigerian State as a Precursor of Hate Speech; Mapping the Cases and Remedies”, got a camera while Etumnu, who wrote on “Effectiveness of Social Media Platforms in Combating Extremism, Hate Speech, and Fake News in Nigeria” also got a camera.
The UNESCO 2020 regional global MIL week with the theme: “Creating a Peaceful Society, Media and Information Literacy way, a way out” in its call for papers to all stakeholders from the MIL community across the non-Sahel region of West Africa (namely Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo), the academic community, research centres, MIL-relevant industries (communication and media companies, technological intermediaries, advertising, film industries, gaming sector, content industries) other social media actors, information and media professionals had 30 entries from the call for papers. Read more
Sultan says not all Fulani herders are bandits (Guardian)
Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said that not all Fulani herdsmen engage in terrorism.
The Sultan, who stated this yesterday when he visited the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja, said the insecurity in the country should not be restricted to one particular ethnic group.
He said: “As Muslims, we should not allow people’s talk to get into our head when they call us all sort of names. We have fought, we have told the whole world, not only in Nigeria. In fact, there is nowhere in this world that I haven’t spoken about Islam not being a terrorist religion; from the White House to universities in the United States, to Chatham House in London, I have always stood by this. Of course, we have some bandits among us, but it does not make Islam or Muslims terrorists. Read more
Australia passes law to make Google and Facebook pay for news (BBC)
Australia has passed a world-first law aimed at making Google and Facebook pay for news content on their platforms.
The news code legislation had been fiercely opposed by the US tech giants.
Last week Facebook blocked all news content to Australians over the row, but reversed its decision this week after negotiations with the government.
Following those talks, the law passed with new amendments which make it possible for Facebook and Google not to be subject to the code. Read more
Toyota begins work on Japanese smart city: cars are banned and robots live in homes (Metro)
Toyota has begun work on what it claims is the city of the future, where private cars are banned and robot helpers fill the homes. Dubbed ‘Woven City’, the 700,000 square metre mega project is planned to be a ‘living laboratory’ for cutting-edge mobility tech, robotics, smart homes, artificial intelligence and sustainability. While the full technological scope of the project isn’t defined, we do know the city is as sustainable as they come: the buildings are energy-efficient, robot-made wooden structures, with power coming from solar, geothermal and hydrogen fuel cells. Read more
Niger opposition leader alleges election fraud, declares victory (AlJazeera)
Niger opposition leader Mahamane Ousmane has claimed that he narrowly won the country’s presidential election, as fresh violence erupted a day after official results gave victory to his rival by a wide margin.
“The compilation of results … which we have in our possession through our representatives in the various polling stations give us victory with 50.3 percent of the vote,” Ousmane said on Wednesday, according to a video of a speech he made in the southeastern town of Zinder.
According to provisional results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum picked up 55.75 percent of the vote in Sunday’s runoff and Ousmane 44.25 percent.
Police clashed with Ousmane supporters in the capital, Niamey, after CENI’s announcement on Tuesday, AFP news agency reported. Read more
Johnson and Johnson vaccine: FDA finds the single-shot jab safe (BBC)
A review by US regulators of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine has found it is safe and effective.
It paves the way for it to become the third Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised in the US, possibly within days.
The vaccine would be a cost-effective alternative to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and can be stored in a refrigerator instead of a freezer. Read more
US report on Khashoggi murder critical for justice: UN expert (AlJazeera)
The pending release of an unclassified United States intelligence report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be a critical step in the ongoing search for justice, a leading United Nations expert has said.
Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is expected to provide information on who was responsible for the October 2018 killing.
“Once we have further evidence, it will be really impossible for the rest of the world to ignore whatever information will be provided,” Callamard said late on Wednesday during a panel discussion hosted by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post newspaper columnist and prominent critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to retrieve documents for his upcoming marriage. Read more
Ryan Reynolds denies he’s making cameo in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Metro)
Ryan Reynolds has shut down speculation that he makes a cameo in the upcoming director’s cut of Justice League as Zack Snyder prepares to put out his version of the 2018 superhero film on HBO Max next month. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Zack explained the process of bringing his vision to life after stepping down in 2017 after his daughter’s death. New things fans will get to see include Jared Leto’s appearance as the Joker and a different ending from Joss Whedon’s Justice League that will get people talking. ‘He has reshot the ending with a hero cameo that will blow hard-core fans’ minds,’ the piece reads. Read more
China’s Crackdown on Muslims Spreads to Tropical Hainan (VOA)
China’s crackdown on Islamic culture has spread to Hainan province, home to a small population of Utsuls, a Muslim ethnic group.
Hainan province is China’s southernmost territory, a tropical island of white-sand beaches, stately palm trees and, now, a small population of persecuted Muslims.
The Utsuls, who number about 10,000, are the latest Muslim ethnic group targeted by the nationwide campaign conducted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to achieve “the Sinicization of Islam.”
The campaign is best known for its internationally condemned treatment of ethnic Uighur Muslims, which the United States refers to as genocide. Read more
Victorious Falcons depart Turkey in batches (Nation)
Turkish Women’s Cup Champion, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will arrive Abuja today after emerging as champion at the tournament in Antalya.
The team is expected to leave Turkey in batches with some of them arriving Abuja today while others will touch down in Lagos tomorrow.
Coach Randy Waldrum was expected to return to his base in the United States last night while some of the foreign based will return to their clubs tomorrow.
Meanwhile, In their final tournament’s match yesterday, the African champions steamrolled Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang National 9-0 in their third and final match of the Turkish Women’s Cup competition played at the Emir Sports Complex in Antalya on Tuesday morning. Read more
Rohr frets on Osimhen’s fitness for AFCON qualifiers (Punch)
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, is banking on striker Victor Osimhen being fit enough to return to action when the team play their last 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Eagles play their last two qualifiers away to Benin Republic and at home to Lesotho next month.
Speaking with BBC, the Franco-German says he is waiting for Napoli doctors to certify Osimhen fit for the fixtures.
Osimhen was stretchered off in Napoli’s 4-2 defeat at Atalanta on Sunday, after he collapsed in the final minute of the encounter. Read more
Mendy’s late strike puts Real Madrid in sight of Champions League quarters (Guardian)
Ferland Mendy put Real Madrid within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday with the late strike that sank 10-man Atalanta 1-0 in Bergamo.
The French left-back’s curling effort came four minutes from time in a last 16, first leg clash in which the hosts had to play a man down for over 70 minutes, giving Zinedine Zidane’s side the advantage heading into the second leg in Madrid on March 16.
“We didn’t have a great game tonight, but the most important thing was the result, scoring away was important for us,” said Zidane.
“It’s a very good result against an Atalanta team even at ten, because they defended very well. Read more
Dominant Man City in control of Champions League last-16 tie with 19th win in a row (BBC)
Bernardo Silva’s opening goal was his 35th for City in all competitions but only his third with his head.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his side “have to be more clinical” despite seeing another dominant display sweep aside Borussia Monchengladbach for a 19th successive win.
Guardiola’s team – favourites to win their first Champions League title this season – were far too good for their meek last-16 opposition in Budapest, and perhaps should have added to the first-leg lead given to them by Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus.
“In general, we controlled the game. Unfortunately we were not clinical enough up front,” Guardiola told BT Sport.
“That is something we have to improve in this competition. Up front we have to be more clinical. In this competition you have to be perfect to make sure you go through.” Read more
Tyson Fury reveals blow to hopes of unification fight with ‘chicken’ Anthony Joshua (Metro)
Tyson Fury says he is ‘not optimistic’ that his much-anticipated undisputed fight with ‘chicken’ Anthony Joshua will go ahead despite an agreement appearing to be close. The Gypsy King, who claimed the WBC heavyweight title when he dispatched Deontay Wilder in ruthless fashion a year ago, was thought to be close to agreeing a deal to take on WBA, IBF and WBO belt holder Joshua. However, despite the two camps being locked in talks and Eddie Hearn even teasing an upcoming announcement, Fury says he does not expect the fight to happen due to both the coronavirus pandemic and AJ’s reluctance. Read more
Alli impresses as Tottenham cruise through in Europa League (BBC)
Dele Alli scored a superb overhead kick as Tottenham cruised into the Europa League last 16 with an 8-1 aggregate win over Austrian side Wolfsberger.
Spurs were already in control of the tie following a 4-1 first-leg victory and quickly asserted their authority at home with Alli’s spectacular effort.
It was in keeping with an impressive performance by Alli, who was at his creative best to also lay on two goals.
Carlos Vinicius scored twice, either side of a Gareth Bale effort.No team in Uefa Cup or Europa League history has overturned a three-goal deficit from the first leg at home to progress and Wolfsberger never threatened to do so here. Read more