Hoodlums stone LASTMA official to death (Punch)
An official of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, Ola Oyeshina, has died from an attack on him by two hoodlums in the Apapa area of the state.
Oyeshina gave up the ghost on Saturday morning while receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.
The thugs reportedly hurled a large stone at him around 5.00 p.m. on Friday while he was in the course of sanitising Iganmu-Sifax area of Apapa. Read more
Tinubu urges graduates to acquire right skills for employment (Vanguard)
Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Saturday urged graduates to acquire the right skills and competencies required to enhance their employability in the labour market.
Tinubu gave the advice in Lagos while speaking at the orientation programme for interns under the Work Experience Programme (WEP) she organised for graduates in her Lagos Central constituency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 260 graduates across the constituency were captured in the internship programme.
The senator said many graduates had remained unemployed because they lacked the right skills and competencies to be absorbed in the labour market. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FG to open Kara Bridge on Sunday (Punch)
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, has said the barricade around Kara Bridge would be removed on Sunday, December 1 to ease the traffic situation around that axis.
Kuti told our correspondent on Saturday that construction work had been completed on that part of the road.
According to him, when the contractors return to the site in January, construction work will commence on the outbound-Lagos traffic side of the road.
“Now that inbound has been completed, we don’t want to start work on the outbound and leave it halfway, so we decided to open the road to commuters tomorrow, Sunday, so that people can move freely this Christmas,” Kuti said. Read more
Oil tanker burns on Otedola Bridge, Lagos (Vanguard)
The Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) says a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol with registration number KJA-900XR, on Saturday burnt fire on the Otedola Bridge.
The Public Affairs Officer of LASEMA, Mr Nusa Okunbor, made the disclosure in a statement in Lagos.
According to him, an investigation revealed that the tanker experienced burst tyres while in motion.
”The tyres of the tanker caught fire due to continuous motion and led to an outbreak of fire due to heat generated by the motion. Read more
FG begins Lagos-Ibadan free train ride (Punch)
The Federal Government on Saturday announced the commencement of free train rides on the over $1.5bn new Lagos-Ibadan railway service.
It said the free rides would last for four months and urged commuters to use the train service during the festive season.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who announced this via his official Twitter handle, noted that the standard gauge rail line was ready for use. Read more
Nigerian justice struggles with rising number of sex abuse cases (Guardian)
A dozen officers are squeezed into the dimly lit Lagos State Police Gender Unit between worn desks and witnesses writing statements, as the force struggles to cope with an increasing number of reports of sex abuse in Nigeria.
Recent figures are scarce but according to the United Nations, one in four women in the country experiences sexual abuse before they turn 18.
Lagos is the only one of the 36 states in Africa’s most populous nation with a force dedicated to tackling gender-based violence. Conditions in the unit — one of 12 serving the chaotic megacity of 20 million — are basic. Read more
Border patrol force unlikely to solve Nigeria’s smuggling problem (Punch)
In August, Nigeria closed its border with Benin without notice. Then, in October, the customs service announced that all goods trade would remain entirely, and indefinitely, banned across all land borders. Finally, on November 14 came the announcement that Nigeria, Benin and Niger would form a joint border patrol force.
Nigeria’s total land borders are 4,477 km long. The border with Benin is 809 km long; the one with Niger is 1,608 km long.
The reason given for the closures was that smuggling had reached alarming proportions, in particular with Benin. Read more
Lagos AG wades into Ejigbo land-grabbing case (Punch)
The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), has taken up the case of a couple, Mr and Mrs Adeoye, who took to the social media to lament the encroachment on their property in the Ejigbo area of the state by suspected land grabbers.
The Director of Public Affairs in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mr Kayode Oyekanmi, said in a statement that the couple’s desperate call for help in a video trending on social media had got the attention of the AG.
Oyekanmi said the AG, who is the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force on Land Grabbers, had directed an investigation into the case and invited the couple. Read more
How stress destroys human organs, claims lives (DailyTrust)
A consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Ganiyat Kikelomo Oyeleke, has explained how stress destroys the human organs. Speaking in Lagos during a Muslimah Health Forum organized by Bountiis Charity Initiative (BCI), she explained that the effect of stress on the entire body organ can be reversed if managed properly on time.
Dr. Oyeleke noted that inability to manage stress could have adverse effects on human organs thus resulting into mental disorder, permanent or temporary disability as well as loss of live. Read more:
Fragment of Jesus’ manger arrives in Bethlehem (Vanguard)
A wooden fragment believed to be from the manger of Jesus arrived in his birthplace of Bethlehem on Saturday amid great ceremony after more than 1,300 years in Europe.
A Palestinian scout band playing bagpipes, drums and saxophones accompanied the relic as it arrived in Manger Square, an AFP reporter said.
Housed in Rome since the seventh century, the relic had been presented to the Franciscan custodians of the Holy Land as a gift from the Vatican. Read more
Smog in Iran shuts schools, universities (Guardian)
Air pollution forced the closure of schools and universities in parts of Iran on Saturday, including Tehran, which was cloaked by a cloud of toxic smog, state media reported.
The young and elderly and people with respiratory illnesses were warned to stay indoors and sporting activities were suspended for the start of the working week in the Islamic republic.
The decision to shut schools and universities in the capital was announced late Friday by deputy governor Mohammad Taghizadeh, after a meeting of an emergency committee for air pollution. Read more
Semi Ajayi: I was over the moon when I got my first Super Eagles call up (Vanguard)
Oluwasemilogo Adesewo Ibidapo Ajayi, known as Semi Ajayi,26, is a defender cum defensive midfielder for English club West Bromwich Albion and the Super Eagles.
Ajayi made his Nigeria U20 debut on 4 June 2013, in a 1–1 draw against Belgium U21.
2015:In 2015, Ajayi joined Championship team, Cardiff City on loan until the end of the 2014–2015 season but did not feature for the first team. He moved to Wimbledon that same year on a month-long loan. Read more
Enyimba, Rangers look for quick start against North African opponents (DailyTrust)
Enyimba FC star striker, Victor Mboama controls the ball with his chest during the NPFL week 5 match against Adamawa United Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Confederations Cup, Enyimba International of Aba and Enugu Rangers will tomorrow, December 1 continue their quest for continental glory against Hassania Agadir of Morocco and Pyramids of Egypt respectively. After dropping to the lower competition from the prestigious CAF Champions League, Enyimba commenced their campaign in the Confederations Cup with a 2-0 win over TS Galaxy of South Africa in the first leg of the playoff held at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba. Read more
I’m not thinking of managing Arsenal full-time —Interim boss, Ljungberg (Punch)
Freddie Ljungberg will take charge of Arsenal for the first time as interim manager on Sunday against Norwich but said on Saturday he is unsure whether full-time management appeals to him.
The 42-year-old Swede — who was a member of the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ side under Arsene Wenger in the 2003/04 season — has been put in charge after Unai Emery’s undistinguished 18-month reign came to an end on Friday.
However, Ljungberg — who was an assistant to Emery — told Sky Sports it was too early to say whether being a manager on a permanent basis would be to his liking. Read more
Former Arsenal striker hits out at Ljungberg after Emery axe (Vanguard)
John Hartson has hit out at Arsenal’s new interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg over his lack of support on the touchline despite admitting that Unai Emery “had to go”.
Emery was sacked by the north London club on Friday morning after a Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt extended the team’s winless run to seven matches in all competitions.
Hartson, who played for Arsenal as a striker between 1995 and 1997 and now works as a pundit, supported the decision to dismiss the Spaniard, but questioned Ljungberg’s contribution against Frankfurt. Read more
Mixed reactions trail Rabiu Ali’s return for Kano Pillars (DailyTrust)
Kano Pillars captain, Rabiu Ali Following the lifting of the 12-match ban on Kano Pillars talisman, Rabiu Ali by the League Management Company (LMC), Nigerians took to the social media to express their minds. Trust Sports recalls that Pillars without their captain have played four matches, three at home, in the ongoing NPFL season without scoring a single goal. Read more
Madrid go top with gutsy win at Alaves (Punch)
Sergio Ramos scored a goal and conceded a penalty as Real Madrid battled past Alaves on Saturday to go top of La Liga before Sunday’s game between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Barca and Atletico face off at the Wanda Metropolitano and Madrid did all they could to take advantage, with Dani Carvajal the unlikely matchwinner in a gritty 2-1 victory over Alaves. Read more
Chelsea still in dark over the extent of Abraham’s hip issue (Vanguard)
Chelsea are still unsure how long England striker Tammy Abraham will be sidelined with hip trouble. Abraham sat out training at Chelsea’s Cobham base on Friday and will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard expects Chelsea to know by Monday the extent of Abraham’s hip issue, that he suffered in the Blues’ 2-2 Champions League draw at Valencia on Wednesday.
“We’ll know by the end of the weekend, he’s got some pain and won’t be involved tomorrow,” said Lampard.
“But then we’ll know by Monday.” Abraham landed awkwardly on his hip in Chelsea’s Champions League clash at the Mestalla and was carried off on a stretcher at half-time. The 22-year-old insisted straight after the match that his injury was not as bad as he had first feared, but the Blues are still assessing their star striker. Read more
Fury vows to get ‘back in mix’ for world title (DailyTrust)
Hughie Fury insists he has “fixed a lot of problems” and has warned the heavyweight division of his major improvements heading into 2020. Fury fights Pavel Sour in Monaco on Saturday night, aiming to rebound from a recent loss to Alexander Povetkin. ADVERTISEMENT “I’ve been in big fights but you will see a big difference on Saturday,” Fury said. “We have fixed a lot of problems. I’m looking forward to getting back in the mix. Read more
Overweight boxer disqualified from bout (NewTelegraph)
Andres Gutierrez has been pulled out of Saturday’s WBC super-featherweight world title eliminator against fellow Mexican Oscar Valdez after weighing in 11 pounds over the limit.
Gutierrez, who weighed 141 pounds, has been replaced by American Adam Lopez.
“This is absolutely a clear indication of a dangerous tactic by Gutierrez to cut weight,” said WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. Read more