I no longer have anything to do with bandits – Gumi (Sun)
Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has said he no longer has anything to do with bandits following their declaration as terrorists by the court.
On November 25, an Abuja Federal High Court had declared the activities of all bandit groups in the country as acts of terror
Gumi is known for demanding amnesty for bandits who are said to have killed thousands and abducted many, including schoolchildren.
Speaking in an interview with Premium Times, the cleric said he would no longer mediate for bandits. Read more
Lagos optimistic about 2022 hajj (Tribune)
From the positive signals emanating from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially on the performance of umrah (lesser hajj) and other hajj-related activities, there is a bright hope that the 2022 hajj exercise will hold.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr Rahman Ishola, expressed the optimism recently when he led some members of the management staff of the board on a courtesy visit to the new General Manager of Radio Lagos/Eko FM, Mr Jide Lawal, in his office.
Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had hindered the performance of hajj by international pilgrims for the past two years, Ishola said he had a positive feeling that hajj would hold next year.
Ishola said the purpose of the visit was to felicitate Mr Lawal on his recent appointment as the General Manager by the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and also to strengthen the relationship that had existed between the two organisations over the years. Read more
Ogun, Lagos on collision course over light rail project (Nation)
Ogun State and its neighbour, Lagos, may be on a collision course over the planned construction of light rail project by the Lagos State Government to criss-cross Ogun border communities of Itoki-Agbado-Ijoko and surrounding areas.
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) had in a notice dated November 8, informed residents of Agbado-Ijoko and surrounding areas that their structures would be demolished or acquired by the Lagos State Government to give right of way to the light rail project.
The notice was signed by LAMATA Managing Director Abimbola Akinajo.
But reacting to the notice, Ogun State House of Assembly declared the notice null and void, saying there should be formal agreement between the two states through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a view to ensuring that the required compensation is paid to property owners, whose structures may be affected in the course of the implementation of the proposed project. Read more
Court grants alleged Colombian drug lord N100m bail (ThisDay)
A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to release a Colombian, Alexander Bedoye, from its custody.
Justice Lewis Alagoa gave the order following a fundamental rights enforcement application filed by his lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara.
Moving the application yesterday, Ndakara said his client, Bedoye, a Colombian national, was arrested on his arrival in the country on October 22, 2021, and has since been detained in the custody of the NDLEA without trial.
Ndakara said the anti-narcotic agency has continued to violate the fundamental rights of the suspect, and urged the court to order the release of the defendant with immediate effect. Read more
UK launches varsity entrepreneurship hub in Lagos (Guardian)
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, has launched the London School of Economics (LSE) Generate Nigeria Entrepreneurship Hub in Lagos.
The initiative will assist students and alumni to launch socially responsible businesses. LSE’s pool of mentors, sector experts and international innovation network will also help in providing support to students and alumni developing entrepreneurial ventures.
Director, LSE, Baroness Minouche Shafik, said: “Our focus is on supporting socially responsible business start-ups and exploring how social sciences can enhance innovation ecosystem.”
Shafik added that the hub will provide programmes of entrepreneurial initiatives, tailored to serve local needs through event series, business skills clinics, mentoring, female founder retreats, among others, to equip entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge to build impactful businesses. Read more
Dons recommend IT, digital revolution to transform public sector (Tribune)
A don from the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, Professor S. Ibi Ajayi says Nigeria should begin to create an emerging environment for knowledge delivery and develop a knowledge economy by spending appropriately on Research and Development (R&D).
He also noted that the proliferation of universities is not the answer to developing a knowledge economy, but adequate funding of the existing ones to the world-class level to enable the society to benefit, adding that “the future is here and the competition will be knowledge-based.”
Professor Ajayi stated these as the keynote speaker at the maiden international conference on Humanities, Management and Social Sciences (DUICHMSS), of the Dominican University, Ibadan (DUI), held recently at the Tom and Carolyn Walker Hall of the institution.
The theme of the three-day hybrid international conference attended both physically and virtually was “Innovative Strategies and Capabilities for Adapting to the New Normal.” Read more
Granting amnesty to killers is against Allah’s injunction, retired CP says at MUSWEN General Assembly (Tribune)
A retired Commissioner of Police, Dr Yinka Balogun, has argued against the amnesty given to those who deliberately killed and maimed innocent Nigerians, saying giving them pardon was against Allah’s injunction.
He spoke on Sunday at the sixth General Assembly of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) held at the multipurpose hall of the University of Ibadan Muslim community’s Islamic Centre.
Speaking on the theme of the General Assembly, ‘Insecurity in Nigeria: Effects on Human Psyche’, Dr Balogun attributed insecurity in the country to weak structure and incapability of the government in guaranteeing decent society, good education and youth mobilisation.
He also identified corrupt practices “that have become the norm” in the country and the widening gap between the rich and the poor as the bane of the country’s security. Read more
OAU student: Hotel owner denied bail, granted access to medical services (Punch)
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to allow the detained proprietor of Hilton Hotels, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin, access to medical facilities of his choice pending the hearing and determination of his fundamental human rights enforcement suit.
An MBA student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke, allegedly died in the hotel.
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, Adedoyin, who is also the founder of the Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife, through his counsel, Kunle Adegoke, SAN, informed the court that its order made on December 6, 2021 for the IG to appear in court was duly served on the police boss as directed.
He said that on December 8, he personally visited the Force Headquarters in Abuja and reminded the authorities that the case would be coming up on Thursday. Read more
Oyo launches toll-free line for students to report sexual violence (Guardian)
Oyo State Government, yesterday, rolled out a toll-free line for students and other victims of gender-based violence in the state to report such cases.
The Gender Desk Officer, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs. Olafunmilayo Akinpelu, while addressing pupils of Bodija High School, Ibadan, urged the students not to cover anybody who violated them in any way.
The visit to the school, which was part of the 16 days of advocacy to stop Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), was organised by the United Nations Population Fund; Centre for Population and Reproductive Health; Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Ministry of Health.
Akinpelu gave out 080 04004 040, a toll-free line, to the school, asking the students to report to the government through the line. Read more
Rapper Slim 400 dead at 33: Gunned down in Los Angeles (NYPost)
Slim 400, a rising star on the West Coast hip-hop scene, has died of a fatal gunshot wound in California. He was 33.
The Compton-raised rapper was gunned down Wednesday night in the Inglewood neighborhood of Los Angeles, law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ. No details about what ignited the deadly encounter — or how many suspects were involved — have been released at this time.
Popular hip-hop podcast No Jumper was the first to report Slim 400’s passing via a cryptic Twitter post, and disturbing fan-shot videos of the taped off crime scene are already making the rounds on Youtube.
Meanwhile, admirers promptly paid online respects — with some hailing Slim 400 as a trailblazer in his community. Read more
Labour takes six-point lead over Tories after Boris Johnson’s nightmare week (Metro)
Labour has opened up a six-point poll lead over the Tories after a week which has seen Downing Street plunged into ever-deepening crises.
The Conservatives slumped two points to 34% in a poll today amid widespread anger at reports of up to three Covid-busting parties in Government in the lead-up to Christmas last year.
Labour rose by a point to 40% according to a survey conducted by Survation for the Daily Mirror.
Support for the opposition is now at its highest level since January 2019, when Theresa May was Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn was at the helm. Read more
Mexico truck crash: At least 49 people killed as trailer overturns (BBC)
At least 49 people have been killed and dozens more injured after the truck they were being transported in crashed in southern Mexico, authorities say.
Some 100 people, said to be migrants from Central America, were crammed into the trailer when the truck rolled and hit a bridge in the state of Chiapas.
Pictures from the crash scene show victims strewn across the road next to the overturned truck.
There were also rows of what appeared to be bodies covered in white cloths. Read more
Rare example of Roman crucifixion unearthed in UK (CNN)
Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe is the first example of a crucifixion in northern Europe.
The skeleton of a man with a nail through his heel was discovered in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, east England, by experts from Albion Archaeology, it was revealed Wednesday.
The archaeological team made the discovery while excavating a roadside settlement in 2017, in Fenstanton, which is found on the Via Devana, a road linking the Roman towns Cambridge and Godmanchester.
There are several Iron Age sites in the area, but this settlement, covering at least 6 hectares, is thought to be a later Roman venture on the line of the road, formed in the first or early second century AD, experts said. Read more
Afghan mother forced to give away one of her newborn twins due to worsening hunger crisis (Independent)
An Afghan mother was forced to give one of her newborn twins away due to not having enough food for both of the children to eat.
Save the Children warned growing numbers of families are struggling to find enough food to survive as Afghanistan’s acute hunger crisis spirals out of control since the Taliban seized control of the country in mid-August.
Bibi*, a 40-year-old, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, earlier this year but has now been pushed into giving one of the twins up due to not having sufficient money to feed her eight children.
She said: “We have nothing, so how could I take care of them both. I suffered from having to split them up. Read more
White House braces for latest US inflation surge (DailyMail)
With the government set to release data expected to show US prices rising even higher, President Joe Biden is attempting to downplay the reading and highlight recent improvements not captured by the report.
The Labor Department on Friday will present its November report on consumer prices, which analysts expect will show inflation accelerated from the 30-year high hit in the 12-months ended in October.
The inflation wave is a political liability for Biden, who has seen his public approval ratings sink as prices have spiked, while the Republican opposition has used it to argue against his economic policies.
The president attempted to get ahead of the data, releasing an unusual statement on Thursday saying the report will not encompass recent declines in prices of energy and used cars, two main drivers of the high inflation readings seen this year. Read more
Another country breaks ties with Taiwan in favor of ‘only legitimate China’ (RT)
The government of Nicaragua has officially broken ties with Taiwan, declaring that there is only one China – the People’s Republic of China – and that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory.
Nicaragua’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denis Moncada Colindres, announced the breaking of diplomatic ties in a statement on Thursday.
“The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua declares that it recognizes that in the world there is only one single China,” the statement said, adding that “the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China” and that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded to the news by saying that it felt “pain and regret” over Nicaragua’s decision. The Foreign Ministry also argued that it has a right to diplomatic relations around the world. Read more
WHO fears Omicron could spur fresh vaccine hoarding by wealthy countries (TimesofMalta)
The World Health Organization said on Thursday it remained unclear whether additional COVID-19 vaccine doses are needed to protect against the new Omicron variant, and urged wealthy countries to avoid hoarding the jabs.
The UN health agency’s vaccine advisors warned that a rush to stockpile more jabs, especially without clear evidence they are needed, would only exacerbate the already glaringly unequal vaccine access around the globe.
“As we head into whatever the Omicron situation is going to be, there is a risk that the global supply is again going to revert to high-income countries hoarding vaccine to protect (their populations)… in a sense in excess,” WHO vaccines chief Kate O’Brien told reporters.
Her comment came after preliminary results published on Wednesday indicated that three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine were needed to obtain the same level of protection against Omicron as two doses provided against the initial strain. Read more
Iheanacho, Lookman among Leicester players who tested positive for COVID-19 -Report (Punch)
Leicester were out without seven players for Thursday’s decisive Europa League trip to Napoli due to coronavirus cases or illness, manager Brendan Rodgers.
Nigerian stars Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman were among those who tested positive for COVID-19, according to Eurosports.
The newspaper also reported that Ayoze Perez was out for the Foxes after testing positive for Covid, adding that Kalidou Koulibaly, Victor Osimhen, Lorenzo Insigne, and Fabian Ruiz were out injured for Napoli.
Extra measures to curb rates of Covid-19 infections in England, including the introduction of vaccine passports for the first time, were announced by the British government on Wednesday due to fears over a surge in cases of the Omicron variant. Read more
Lyon weigh up appeal over points deduction following Marseille match (RFI)
Olympique Lyonanis supremos were on Thursday considering an appeal against a points deduction following fan violence which stopped the Ligue 1 match against Marseille on 21 November.
Marseille skipper Dimitri Payet was hit on the side of his head by a full bottle of water thrown from the Virage Nord of the Groupama Stadium as he prepared to take a corner in the fourth minute of the Ligue 1 fixture.
Both teams returned to their changing rooms as the 34-year-old received treatment. Referee Rudi Buquet eventually called off the match after talks with officials and players from both clubs.
On Wednesday night, a disciplinary committee at the Ligue de Football Professionnel – which organises the top two divisions in France – imposed a one-point penalty on Lyon and said the game should be replayed behind closed doors at the Groupama Stadium. Read more
Robbie Dunne banned for 18 months for ‘bullying and harassing’ Bryony Frost (BBC)
Robbie Dunne has been banned for 18 months, with three months suspended, after he was found guilty of “bullying and harassing” fellow jockey Bryony Frost.
An independent panel found Dunne in breach of all four counts of conduct prejudicial to the reputation of horse racing.
Three charges of violent or improper conduct are yet to be considered.
The panel heard evidence over several days about a “weighing-room culture”. Read more
Brendan Rodgers’ blunt assessment after Leicester crash out of Europa League (Mirror)
Brendan Rodgers admitted Leicester City only had themselves to blame after crashing out of the Europa League.
An end-to-end encounter saw four goals shared in the first half in Naples, where the hosts led 2-0 courtesy of strikes from Adam Ounas and Eljif Elmas.
However, the Foxes responded through Jonny Evans and academy graduate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first goal for the club.
Elmas struck again early in the second half and, despite Rodgers’ side having chances to get themselves level once more, it proved decisive. Read more
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou admits hamstring injury suffered by star man Kyogo Furuhashi ‘is not good’ (DailyMail)
Ange Postecoglou has admitted to serious concern after risking Kyogo Furuhashi in a meaningless Europa League win over Real Betis — only to see the star forward limp off with a potentially disastrous hamstring injury.
And he blamed a ‘ridiculous’ fixture list for the fitness problems leaving him with a major striker crisis.
Furuhashi was thrown on when Albian Ajeti pulled up with a hamstring injury after just 27 minutes of an eventful dead rubber that ended in a 3-2 victory for the hosts.
But the Japanese international then went down holding his right hamstring after a sliding challenge with less than 20 minutes of the game remaining. Read more
West Ham will not fear likes of Barcelona in Europa League – David Moyes (Independent)
David Moyes says West Ham will not fear the likes of Barcelona in the Europa League – because they have already beaten the reigning European champions this season.
The Hammers signed off from the group stages of the competition when a youthful side fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb.
With West Ham already through to the last 16 as Group H winners and injuries starting to bite, Moyes threw in five of the club’s academy players from the start and handed debuts to two more from the bench.
But the Scot hopes his side – who beat Champions League winners Chelsea on Saturday, a couple of weeks after sinking 2019 champs Liverpool – will be back to full strength when the competition resumes in March with Barca, Porto and Sevilla among their potential opponents. Read more
Max Verstappen says he is treated differently to other drivers (BBC)
Max Verstappen says he is treated differently from other drivers when it comes to the rules on fair racing.
His comments raise the stakes at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, where Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will race to decide this year’s Formula 1 title.
Verstappen said: “It seems other drivers do the same things and only I get a penalty.
“The only thing I ask is that it’s fair for everyone. That’s not the case.” Read more