Hate speech bill is dead, says Bishop Oyedepo (Punch)
The Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has said the controversial hate speech bill being considered by the Senate is dead.
Oyedepo said the sponsor of the bill did not propose death penalty for killers of innocent people in the country but was targeting those who might criticise the government with the bill.
He spoke on Tuesday night at the opening ceremony of Shiloh 2019, an annual event of the church which entered the 21st edition. Read more
EFCC arrests 27 ‘fraudsters’ in Lagos hotel raid (Nation)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on Wednesday, busted a Lagos hotel believed to be a hideout for internet fraudsters.
The target was one Rasaq Balogun, a suspected internet fraud kingpin.
Balogun was said to harbour an army of young men recruited to carry out financial frauds through the internet.
Some others were also arrested at his Beckley Estate residence, also in Lagos State. The raid on his hotel, Modzak Hotel, at Abule-Egba, Lagos State, sufficiently gave credence to the suspicion as a retinue of young men was caught in his hotel with no specific mission. Read more
Police order widow’s eviction after husband’s death (Punch)
The grave of Sergeant George Ebiega of the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State, was still fresh when the police authorities ordered his wife of 10 years, Mary, out of the barracks.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the mother of three had been given till the weekend to vacate their room and parlour apartment.
Our correspondent gathered that 40-year-old George took ill for about a week and was taken to a hospital in the Ikeja area, where he died in late August. Read more
Sanwo-Olu: As a smart city, we’ll fight crime with technology (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday restated his administration’s commitment to the development of a smart city hinged on the 21st century technology.
He spoke at the 13th Town Hall meeting of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), which held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“We are determined to use the LSSTF to pioneer our effort at building a smart city to launch our capacity and capability in the security sector to the next level. We will use technology to rejig our command and control Centre, install CCTV cameras enabling our systems. In the new year, we will begin to make procurements in line with such vision,” he said. Read more
Customs Seize Caskets Containing 19 Jerry Cans Of Petrol in Ogun (Vanguard)
Men of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted 19 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) concealed in two caskets with a view of smuggling it out of the country in Idiroko area of Ogun State.
This was contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Abdullahi Maiwada and circulated to journalists in Abeokuta the Ogun State capital.
The statement reads, “In continuation of the fight against smuggling, a Joint Special Taskforce comprising of Officers and Men, of Ogun I Command, Federal Operation Unit Zone “A” and CGC’s Strike Force intercepted 13 Jerry cans of 25 litres and six Jerry cans of 10 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) concealed clandestinely in two caskets”. Read more
Radio Lagos/Eko fm holds maiden home appliances fair (Nation)
Over 30 home appliances manufacturing companies and dealers are expected to participate at the maiden ‘Home Appliances Fair’ organised by Radio Lagos/Eko FM.
This was disclosed by the General Manager of Radio Lagos/Eko FM, Mrs. Ayo Sotunwa at a press briefing on the fair which held at Agidingbi, Ikeja, on Wednesday.
Sotunwa said the fair is part of the broadcast station’s effort to contribute to the state government’s policy on improving commerce and trade in the state. Read more
Driver arraigned for assaulting UNILAG women school’s pupil (punch)
For allegedly molesting a four-year-old pupil of the UNILAG Women Society School, a driver, Matthew Abiodun, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
PUNCH Metro had reported that Abiodun, who usually picked up two other pupils at the school after closing hours on the instructions of their parents, became close to a teacher in the school, identified as Charity Madumere, who used to leave the pupils in his care.
The driver was alleged to have molested the kindergarten pupil on one of such occasions. Read more
Member bags one-year jail term for stealing from church (Nation)
A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced a 46-year-old Welder, Chika Azegbu, to one-year imprisonment for breaking-in and stealing property worth N510,000 from a church where he worshipped.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oluwatoyin Oghere, sentenced the convict to one-year imprisonment with no option of fine, starting from today (Wedneday).
The convict, who resides on Anthony Village Road in Lagos, was arraigned on Nov. 21 and had pleaded guilty to a three-count charge of conspiracy, breaking-in and stealing. Read more
Women entrepreneurs fault stamp duty charges on POS transactions, seek review (Guardian)
The Women’s Research and Documentation Centre (WORDOC), Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and some women entrepreneurs have faulted government’s decision to withdraw stamp duty charges on transactions from the banking system.
At a conference on Women Entrepreneurs and CBN ‘s N50 POS Charges, held at the University of Ibadan yesterday, Coordinator of WORDOC, Dr. Sharon Adetutu Omotoso, Mrs. Oyenike Adeleke of Ibadan Entrepreneurs Network and Mrs. Collins Deborah Oluyemisi, Oyo State Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers, among others, said the charge was counter productive to Federal Government’s cashless policy. Read more
NNPC, DPR, FIRS illegally deducted N1.5tn — Auditor-General (Punch)
Out of the N6.4tn generated by revenue collection agencies in 2017, about N1.5tn was deducted and not remitted into the federation account in violation of the provisions of the Constitution.
The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, disclosed this in its audit report for 2017 which was released on Wednesday in Abuja.
The report, which was signed by the Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr Anthony Ayine, said the money was deducted by four agencies without authorisation. Read more
NATO leaders mock Trump on camera (Guardian)
The leaders of Britain, Canada, France and the Netherlands have been caught on camera at a Buckingham Palace reception mocking US President Donald Trump’s lengthy media appearances ahead of Wednesday’s NATO summit.
The footage, shot by the British host’s camera pool on Tuesday evening and spotted and subtitled by Canada’s CBC, set the tone for the allies’ summit in Watford, just outside London. Read more
EPL: Mount, Abraham sink Villa as Chelsea return to form (Punch)
Frank Lampard challenged Tammy Abraham to prove he has the hunger for long-term success after the Chelsea striker’s influential display inspired a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Lampard’s side ended a run of two successive Premier League defeats thanks to the latest heroics from emerging England duo Abraham and Mason Mount at Stamford Bridge.
Abraham put Chelsea ahead in the first half against the team the 22-year-old striker helped win promotion from the Championship last season. Read more
EPL: Rashford strikes twice as Man Utd end Mourinho’s perfect start at Spurs (Punch)
Marcus Rashford spoiled Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford on Wednesday, scoring twice as Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-1 to end their former manager’s perfect start to his tenure at his new club.
The England forward put United in front early in the first half and converted a second-half penalty to restore their lead after Dele Alli’s exquisite equaliser as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side leapfrogged Spurs, climbing to sixth in the Premier League table.
Spurs went into the match ahead of United after their mini-revival under their new boss, who replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino at the London club last month. Read more
‘5’ star Liverpool thump Everton in Merseyside goal fest (Vanguard)
Liverpool surged eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as Divock Origi was the scourge of Everton once more in a thrilling 5-2 Merseyside derby win for the European champions at Anfield.
All but one of the goals came before half-time as Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, who replaced the rested Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, put Liverpool 2-0 up inside 17 minutes.
Michael Keane pulled a goal back for Everton before Origi got his second and Sadio Mane finished off a blistering counter-attack to make it 4-1. Read more
Ibrahimovic fuels talk of Serie A return (Punch)
Sweden footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has fuelled speculation that he is set to return to Italy, where he has played for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, by saying in an interview: “see you soon in Italy”.
The 38-year-old striker confirmed his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy last month following the club’s elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs.
“I’ll join a club which must get back to winning, which must renew its history and is in search of a battle against everyone and everything,” Ibrahimovic told GQ Italia. Read more
Messi mulls retirement after sixth Ballon d’Or (Nation)
Lionel Messi has admitted on the back of his sixth Ballon d’Or triumph that “retirement is approaching”, but the Argentine hopes to enjoy “many more years” at the top and says Barcelona have nothing to worry about when it comes to his future.
That will comes as a relief to those at Camp Nou, with it having already been revealed that an all-time great has an exit clause in his current contract.
There has been no suggestion that it will be triggered, with Messi continuing to be a talismanic presence for the reigning La Liga champions. Read more
Former Ondo players disrupt team’s training session over unpaid sign-on fees (Guardian)
Former players of Sunshine Stars, Sunshine Queens, Rising Stars and Rising Queens yesterday in Akure, Ondo State, disrupted the training session of Sunshine Stars FC over the non-payment of their sign-on fees.
The ex-players chased members of the team away from the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
Former Sunshine Queens player, Esther Michael, told journalists that she got injured while playing for the club but was abandoned to her fate.
Michael added that she had remained without a job since sustaining a career-threatening injury five years ago, while playing for the club. Read more
Five great Bob Willis performances (Vanguard)
Former England fast bowler and captain Bob Willis died after a short illness at the age of 70 on Wednesday.
Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five of Willis’ greatest performances in a glittering career which puts him fourth on England’s all-time list with 325 Test wickets:
8-43 v Australia
Third Test at Headingley, 1981
— The most memorable spell of Willis’ career came in the famous third Ashes match in 1981 as a side following on won a Test for only the second time. Read more
Quadri ends 2019 as Africa’s best on ITTF rankings (Nation)
NIGERIA’S Aruna Quadri has ended the year as the most ranked African player finishing on the 20th spot in the global International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF) rankings for 2019.
According to the December 2019 ranking released yesterday by the world table tennis ruling body, the Nigerian who started the year in the 26th spot, maintained his status in the last two months to remain the best ranked African player in the world. Read more
Solskjaer does not fear for his future at Man Utd (Vanguard)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he does not fear for his future as Manchester United manager despite a spate of Premier League sackings as he prepares to face his predecessor Jose Mourinho.
Spurs turned to Mourinho after dismissing Mauricio Pochettino last month, while Arsenal and Watford have subsequently sacked Unai Emery and Quique Sanchez Flores.
Solskjaer is under increasing pressure, with United ninth in the Premier League, 22 points behind leaders Liverpool and eight off a top-four spot as they prepare for Wednesday’s match against Tottenham. Read more