I don’t think Atiku can defeat Buhari. No, he can’t – Tony Momoh (Vanguard)
A former Minister of Information, Chief Tony Momoh, on Thursday said he was confident President Muhammadu Buhari would win the 2019 presidential election. Momoh said that the president had done his best as leader to deserve re-election. He said the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, could not stop Buhari as he (Abubakar) was only popular with the elite and not the masses. Read more
Atiku denies owning online grant scheme (Guardian)
Former Nigeria vice president and presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) has denied owning an online financial grant scheme. The scheme named ‘Atiku Grant Disbursement Programme’ operated as a Ponzi scheme where individuals were being asked to contribute some amount of money and get an increment after a period of time. Read more
What Fayose is going through in EFCC custody – Aide (Independent)
As the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continues to keep the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose in its custody, his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka has given a hint on what the ex-governor may be going through. He said that the former governor maintained his denial of all the allegations made against him and insisted that he should be charged to court. Read more
EFCC denies plot to assassinate Fayose in custody (Guardian)
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has dissociated self from a purported audio recording in which he allegedly said he was not bothered if the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose dies in EFCC custody. A former deputy national publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, said there was an ongoing plot to harm Fayose while in detention with EFCC. Read more
FG conducts HIV, Hepatitis B, C tests on 3,000 Osun residents (Punch)
No fewer than 3,000 Osun residents are to benefit from the Federal Government free Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B, C tests. Dr Olubunmi Ayinde, the South-West Coordinator, Nigeria AIDs Indicator and Impact Survey, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Osogbo. Ayinde said that NAIIS officials would visit 102 selected communities across the 30 Local Government Areas in the state to sensitise them on the need to know their health status. Read more
Fear grips Ikorodu residents over filthy environment (Vanguard)
Fear of an outbreak of diseases has gripped residents of Ikorodu in Lagos State, due to the inability of the State Government to evacuate refuse dumps in the town for more than three months. A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in the town reports that refuse heaps have littered all nooks and crannies of the community, raising fears that an outbreak of diseases may be imminent. Read more
Police foil bank robbery attempt, kill two (Punch)
The Nasarawa State Police Command on Thursday said it foiled a bank robbery attempt by a four-man gang, following a gun battle with the suspects in Lafia. SP Kennedy Idirisu, Spokesman for the command, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lafia. He said that policemen on duty at a branch of Diamond bank on Jos Road, Lafia, got a tip-off about the robbery on Wednesday, and engaged the gang in a gun battle at 10am in front of the bank. Read more
Edo N-Power, Google train 3000 beneficiaries on digital skills (Vanguard)
Over 3000 beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme (SIP) have undergone digital skills training to broaden their skill set and equip them with expertise to exploit opportunities in Nigeria’s booming digital economy. Speaking to journalists in Benin City, the Focal Person, Edo State Social Investment Programme, Miss. Osayuwamen Aladeshelu, disclosed that the training is in line with the objective of the programme to equip N-Power beneficiaries with entrepreneurial skills. Read more
Nigeria joins elephant protection initiative (ThisDay)
Nigeria has formally joined the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), a coalition of African countries dedicated to the sustainable conservation of elephants and ending the ivory trade. The EPI, which held its inaugural consultative group meeting in London during the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference, had President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, as well as ministerial delegations from several EPI countries, including Nigeria and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in attendance. Read more
Former Sudanese President Al-Dahab dies (Vanguard)
Former Sudanese President Abdulrahman Al-Dahab has died in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Saudi-owned TV channel, Al Arabiya, reported on Thursday. The channel, however, did not provide any further detail on the death. Al-Dahab, aged 83, was the fifth President of Sudan. The former army officer served as president of Sudan from April 6, 1985, to May 6, 1986, after staging a coup. Read more
2 dead, dozens injured in protests across Haiti (Independent)
Authorities in Haiti say at least two people were killed and dozens injured during large protests over alleged misuse of government funds. Police spokesman Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune said Thursday that 11 people were injured by bullets and 11 officers by flying rocks. However, municipal officials reported higher numbers. Read more
Samuel Eto’o, Julio Baptista, Luis Garcia, others unveiled as latest LaLiga Ambassadors (Guardian)
For the fifth consecutive season, LaLiga has unveiled the former players who are set to work on the expansion of LaLiga’s international brand throughout the world. Samuel Eto’o, Carlos Valderrama, Julio Baptista, Aintzane Encinas, Luis Garcia and Xabi Prieto are the newest additions to this season’s #LaLigaAmbassadors squad, which was announced at a spectacular event. Read more
Bayern Munich seek win at Wolfsburg to keep up with Bundesliga leaders (Punch)
Bayern Munich’s trip to VfL Wolfsburg this weekend could represent one of the last chances for under-fire coach Niko Kovac to turn things around for the German champions. They have failed to win any of their previous three Bundesliga matches. A low-key appointment who took over at the start of the campaign, Kovac has so far failed to make an impact. Read more
Man seeks custody of five children as he divorces wife (Punch)
A 50-year-old man, Abdulrazak Oloye, on Thursday dragged his former wife, Tawakaltu Abdulrazak, to a Magajin Gari Shari Court, Kaduna, demanding custody of his five children. Oloye, who resides at Barnawa, told the court that he was husband to the respondent for 15 years before divorcing her in February due to some problems they couldn’t resolve. “I don’t think there is any chance of us getting back together again; therefore, I want her to pack out of my house and leave my children for me,” he stressed. Read more