Four ways to survive Lagos Keke/Okada ban (Nation)
Lagosians are lamenting the restriction of tricycles and motorcycles, popularly called Keke and Okada in 15 local governments of the commercial nerve of the nation.
The restrictions, which took effect on 1st February 2020, has left commuters trekking long distance and finding alternative ways to get to their offices or places of businesses.
Arguments have gone back and forth on whether it is right or not to ban these local means of transportation in the Centre of Excellence with the proponents insisting that there will be a huge reduction of crime and accidents with the ban.
As stated on the twitter handle of the Lagos State Government “Okada has been used by criminals to rob and terrorise innocent citizens. Police figures are scary. When it was banned in Kano and Edo, for instance, crime rates dropped. The law enforcement agencies are ready to fix anybody who wants to take to crime because he has lost his okada job,” Read more
Migrating Lagos Okada riders not welcome, says Ogun govt (Punch)
The Ogun State government has said that its doors are not open to Okada riders whose operations were recently restricted by the Lagos State government and are contemplating migrating to the state.
The Special Adviser on Public Communications to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Remmy Hazzan, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The government was reacting to a statement credited to the Chairman Caretaker Committee on Transportation in the State, Femi Adeniyi, who was on Monday reported to have assured the motorcyclists that left Lagos to the state of adequate accommodation. Read more
We have zero-tolerance for corrupt practices – Sanwo-Olu tells LASTMA recruits (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed his administration’s policy of zero tolerance for corruption and uncivilized conducts in any form in the state.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated this in his address at the passing out parade ceremony for the 1,017 newly recruited members of Course 10 of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, on Wednesday, held at Parade Ground, of the agency’s headquarters, Oshodi, Lagos.
According to the governor, “As officers charged with the responsibility to enforce our traffic laws, you must be firm but civil in your approach. I urge you to exercise your management and enforcement responsibilities without fear or favour. Read more
Police file terrorism charge against Army chief, Wandume, 18 others (Guardian)
Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu has slammed a 16-count charge bordering on terrorism, murder, kidnapping and illegal arms running against the Taraba kidnap kingpin Bala Hamisu known as Wadume, an army captain Tijjani Balarabe and 18 others.
The charges were filed six months after Wadume was allegedly assisted to escape on August 6, 2019, by soldiers attached to Battalion 93, Takum, led by Balarabe. Wadume escaped when the policemen, who arrested him, were attacked by the troops.
Three policemen and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.
On the list of defendants is Staff Sgt. David Isaiah, Sgt. Ibrahim Mohammed, Corporal Bartholomew Obanye, Private Mohammed Nura, Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon, Corporal Markus Michael, L/Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra, Staff Sgt. Abdullahi Adamu, Private Ebele Emmanuel, ASP Aondona Iorbee and Insp. Aliyu Dadje and Auwalu Bala, aka Omo Razor. Read more
Man to die by hanging for killing wife (Nation)
An FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced a 38-year-old man, Eric Chigbor, to death by hanging for killing his wife.
The police charged Chigbor with culpable homicide.
Justice Charles Agbaza, who found Chigbor guilty of killing his wife, Jessica said the prosecution was able to prove with cogent evidence that the convict intentionally killed the deceased.
The judge rejected the defendant’s plea of not guilty, noting that based on the evidence before him, such plea was not plausible and that the prosecution was able to establish all the ingredients of culpable homicide as provided for in section 220 of the penal code.
He said the offence contravened sections 220 of the penal code and is punishable under section 221.
Agbaza in his judgment held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said, “In the circumstances, the court finds the defendant guilty of the charge of causing the death of Jessica, on Feb. 3, 2015. Read more
Enugu threatens to sanction Okada/Keke riders (Punch)
The Enugu State Government has given one month ultimatum to tricycle and motorcycle operators in Enugu North senatorial zone to obtain number plate and rider’s permit.
The senatorial zone comprises Igboeze North and South Local Government Areas, Igboetiti, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzouwani council areas.
The state Commissioner for Transport, Chief Matthias Ekweremadu, gave the directive in Nsukka on Wednesday, at an interactive forum with the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the tricycles and motorcycles associations in the zone. Read more
National Identity Number now a requisite for SIM card registration (Guardian)
Nigeria’s minister for communications and digital economy Isa Pantami Wednesday said persons registering new SIM cards will now be required to provide their National Identity Numbers.
Non-Nigerians will be required to provide their passports and visas.
The minister said the revision of the policy is based on the “feedback received from the security agencies following the successful revalidation of improperly registered SIM cards in September 2019 and the blocking of those that failed to revalidate their SIMs.”
Pantami said the new policy was in line with the powers of the Minister as stated in Section 25(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003. Read more
I’m still in shock- Father of suspected bomber arrested in Winners Chapel (Nation)
Father of suspected suicide bomber caught in Winners Chapel Kaduna last Sunday, Samuel Ezekiel, has expressed shock over the act of his son, Nathaniel.
He said the thought that Nathaniel could have killed thousands of worshippers in the service makes his shudder.
He also debunked rumour that Nathaniel is a Muslim.
“No! Not even for a single day has he been a Muslim,” Nathaniel’s father,” Ezekiel, said in his Marabar Demishi village in Kaduna.
The alleged bomber’s true identity has become a controversy in the social media, with some accusing the police of changing his name to deflect anger against Boko Haram or the Muslim community.
Some reports said Samuel had told the Christian leaders who arrested him at the Winners Chapel branch in Kaduna that he was Mohammed Sani, only for the police to parade him as Nathaniel Samuel. Read more
Lesotho’s First Lady charged with murder (Nation)
The First Lady of Lesotho was charged with murder and remanded on Wednesday over the fatal shooting of her husband’s previous wife in 2017.
Maesaiah Thabane, who was married to Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, had been in hiding since mid-January after police called her in for questioning over the killing of Lipolelo Thabane.
On Tuesday, Thabane turned herself in and appeared in court on Wednesday in handcuffs and under heavy police guard. Read more
Three killed in Kashmir gun battle (Punch)
Two suspected militants and a paramilitary trooper were killed in a gun battle on Wednesday in Indian administered Kashmir, police said, adding that a third militant was critical in hospital.
Three unidentified militants on a motorbike fired at Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers, who were on patrol duty in the Shalteng area on the outskirts of the region’s main city Srinagar, CRPF spokesman Moses Dinakaran said.
The troopers returned fire, killing two of the militants and injuring the third. He was captured and is in intensive care in hospital.
A CRPF constable also died in the encounter, Dinakaran said. Read more
WHO convening experts on drugs, vaccines to set coronavirus research agenda (Vanguard)
Experts will meet in Geneva from Feb 11-12 to set research and development priorities for coronavirus drugs, diagnostics and vaccines to combat the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
“There is no proven effective therapeutics for novel coronavirus,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO emergencies programme, told a news conference. Read more
Injured Dortmund captain Reus set to miss PSG clash (Guardian)
Borussia Dortmund were dealt a blow on Wednesday after announcing that captain Marco Reus has picked up a muscle injury that should keep him out of the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
In a statement Dortmund said the 30-year-old should be out “for around four weeks” after picking up the injury late in Tuesday’s 3-2 German Cup defeat at Werder Bremen, ruling him out of the home leg of the PSG clash on February 18.
He should, however, be back for the return leg in Paris on March 11. Read more
Ejide: I’m ready to solve Nigeria’s goalkeeping problem (Vanguard)
Goalkeeper Austin Ejide said he is in the best form of his career as he began his bid for a Nigeria recall six years after his last appearance.
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is facing something of a goalkeeping puzzle ahead of March’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leon.
First-choice Francis Uzoho is out of action for a lengthy period with a knee injury, while South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi despite being the most experienced keeper playing at the moment has struggled to convince fans he is the natural replacement. Read more
Minister charges athletes to go for Gold (Nation)
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has tasked the Team Nigeria to focus on making the country proud as the Abuja 2020 Para-Powerlifting World Cup kicks off today.
Dare urged the athletes to avoid all distractions during his visit to their camp at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, adding the ministry is committed to their welfare.
He however, took the time to explain the Ministry’s ‘Adopt-an-Athelete’ programme, which he said is designed to connect individual athletes to corporate institutions and private individuals for sponsorship of the athletes’ training. Read more
Setien refuses to be dragged into Messi-Abidal argument (Guardian)
Barcelona coach Quique Setien said on Wednesday he would not comment on the controversy between forward Lionel Messi and sporting director Eric Abidal.
Messi hit back at Abidal on Tuesday after the Frenchman had earlier blamed slackness in the dressing room for the departure of recently-fired boss Ernesto Valverde.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Sport, Abidal said under Valverde, who was fired in mid-January, many players had been unhappy, had not worked hard enough and had not communicated properly.
“I’m not going to get into Messi’s life or anyone’s life,” said Setien, who replaced Valverde. Read more
Corini sacked as Brescia coach for second time (Punch)
Brescia have sacked coach Eugenio Corini for the second time this season, the Serie A strugglers confirmed on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old had already been sacked on November 3 and replaced by Fabio Grosso, but was rehired a month later after Grosso had a falling out with Mario Balotelli, the club’s biggest star.
Brescia have won just two games since Corini’s return, against fellow strugglers SPAL and Lecce, earning just two points from their last six games.
The promoted side are second-last in the Serie A table ahead of basement club SPAL on goal difference. Read more
Bayern winger Perisic suffers fractured ankle (Guardian)
Bayern Munich, who host RB Leipzig on Sunday in a crunch Bundesliga showdown, will be without Ivan Perisic for the foreseeable future after the Croatia winger fractured his ankle in training.
The 31-year-old suffered the injury on Tuesday and will be completely out of action for at least a month before he can start rehabilitation.
“The bone needs to be screwed together, which means four weeks until it heals, followed by rehab training,” confirmed Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who added the injury came as a shock. Read more
I was the ‘black sheep’ at Spurs – Eriksen
Christian Eriksen says his decision to run down his contract at Tottenham made him a “black sheep” at the Premier League club.
The 27-year-old midfielder joined Inter Milan last month for a fee of around £17 million ($22 million), ending his six-and-a-half-year stay at Spurs.
The Dane would have been out of contract at the end of this season and had been linked with a move away from London since revealing he was ready for a new challenge after Spurs’ Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in June. Read more
Ighalo took pay cut to sign for ‘dream club’ Man Utd (Guardian)
Lifelong Manchester United fan Odion Ighalo said he had no hesitation in taking a pay cut to complete his dream deadline-day switch to Old Trafford, enduring a sleepless night as the deal was hammered out.
United were already short in attack following the summer departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku and a back injury sustained by Marcus Rashford, making a reinforcement during the January transfer window of crucial importance to the Old Trafford club.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked at a variety of options and eventually completed a late loan deal for ex-Watford striker Ighalo, who has joined until the end of the season from Shanghai Shenhua. Read more
Tokyo 2020: Nigeria karatekas may not qualify for Olympics – Zainab Seleh (Vanguard)
World Karate Federation (WKF) Judge/Referee, Zainab Saleh, said she was doubtful if Nigeria would have a representative at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the Nigerian karatekas had not participated in serious events that would prepare it for one of the biggest world championship event.
“It is doubtful that Nigeria will qualify for Tokyo 2020. We have not been able to attend enough events that will give us the opportunity amass points required for qualification. Read more