I was cowed into submitting ballot papers for massive thumb-printing —Corper (Punch)
A member of the National Youth Service Corps, Ashimom Msuguhter, who also served as an ad hoc official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has discredited the election that took place at his unit in Nasarawa State on Saturday Msuguhter, who describes himself as “NYSC Doctor at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia, Nasarawa State,” said out of 900 registered voters at the polling unit, the card readers were able to authenticate only 15 persons, while all the others voted without being accredited. The corps member said in a Facebook post that he was forced to hand over ballot papers to persons who thumb-printed the papers for a particular party. Read more
NYSC confirms attack on corps members on election duty in Anambra (Guardian)
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra has confirmed attack on its members deployed as ad hoc staff in the general elections in the state. Coordinator of the scheme in the state, Mr Kehinde Aremu, said that the victims were attacked on Sunday by gunmen who invaded the collation centre in Obosi, where they were waiting to submit result from their polling units. Aremu said that one of the corps members, Benita Sunday, serving in Awka, sustained serious injury during the invasion.
11-year-old boy remanded for allegedly throwing toddler in a well (Punch)
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, in Lagos State, on Monday ordered that an 11-year-old boy, who allegedly threw a one-year-old in a well, be remanded in a Special Correction Centre for boys in Oregun, pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The police charged the boy with murder Chief Magistrate Adeola Adedayo, who gave the order, adjourned the case until March 6, for the DPP advice. Earlier, Inspector Chinalu Uwadione the prosecutor had told the court that the defendant had committed the offence on February 13, at 4.00 p.m., at No. 6, Afolabi close, Ojo. Read more
Air Force strikes Boko Haram terrorists in Borno (Nation)
The Nigerian Air Force Monday said scores of Boko Haram insurgents have been neutralized by the Air Task Force of operations Lafiya Dole in their hideout in Kolloram, northern Borno, Borno State. A statement by the spokesman of the Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said the clearance operations against the terrorists were conducted after intelligence reports indicated their presence in the area. Air Commodore Daramola said: “The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has neutralized several Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters as they assembled for a meeting at their hideout in Kolloram on the fringes of Lake Chad in the Northern part of Borno State. Read more
Thugs set ablaze INEC office in Imo (Punch)
Political thugs on Sunday night set ablaze the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. Our correspondent learnt that the thugs working for one of the strong politicians in the area accused INEC officials of collaborating with people to manipulate the collation of results. The setting ablaze of the INEC office occurred shortly after the collated results from the Isiala Mbano LGA for Okigwe North federal constituency election had been moved out of the electoral commission’s office to Owerri, the state capital, by security men in company of party agents and chieftains. Read more
Gunmen kill policeman accompanying election results in Ogun (Punch)
A Police corporal identified as Sunday Idoko was shot dead by unknown gunmen while escorting election results from Ipokia to the Ilaro collation centre in Ogun State. The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the incident happened around 8:00 pm on Sunday in Eredo area of Yewa South Local Government Area of the state. The gunmen were said to have laid an ambush at Eredo and began shooting continuously at the vehicle conveying the election results and other materials. The results of the House of Representatives for Ipokia/Yewa South Federal Constituency seat were being taken to Oronna Hall in Ilaro. Read more
Brexit: Theresa May under pressure to consider Brexit delay (BBC)
Theresa May is facing growing calls to say she would delay Brexit rather than leave the EU if no deal is in place by the end of March. A new plan from some Tory MPs suggests ministers postpone Brexit until 23 May “to conclude negotiations”. It is being suggested as an alternative to cross-party proposals which would see MPs take control of the process. Dutch PM Mark Rutte warned Mrs May the UK was “sleepwalking into a no-deal scenario” and needed to “wake up”. Read more
Investment scam targets Instagram users (BBC)
Victims aged in their 20s have each lost an average of £8,900 after falling for investment scams that appear on image-sharing platform Instagram. Action Fraud, a UK police-led awareness centre, said there had been a surge in activity in recent months by fraudsters posting about get-rich-quick schemes. Victims are promised high returns within 24 hours, but the fraudsters demand fees and then disappear. Some 356 reports of losses have been made in the past five months. Those tricked lost a collective total of more than £3m, but more is expected to have been stolen as some victims may not have reported their losses. Read more
Sarri still has respect of Chelsea players after Kepa incident, says Luiz (Guardian)
David Luiz says Kepa Arrizabalaga’s refusal to be substituted during the League Cup final against Manchester City does not show that Maurizio Sarri has lost the respect of his Chelsea players. Sarri’s position is precarious after a run of poor results but his team put in a valiant performance in Sunday’s match against City, who had beaten the Blues 6-0 just two weeks earlier. City retained the trophy with a 4-3 penalty shootout win at Wembley, but the match was overshadowed by a bizarre incident when Kepa declined to go off, sparking an angry response from the manager. Read more
Luke Shaw sends message to Man Utd fans after stopping Mohamed Salah (Metro)
Luke Shaw insists there are more solid defensive performances from him to come for Manchester United following on from stopping Liverpool’s front three on Sunday. The Red Devils played out a 0-0 draw against Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Premier League, with Shaw playing a vital role in stopping Liverpool’s prolific attacking trio from scoring. Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah have bagged 38 Premier League goals this season between them for the Reds, but they could add to that tally with Shaw in the United defence. Read more
Serena Williams: Cartoon accused of racism cleared by press watchdog (BBC)
A controversial cartoon of Serena Williams published in an Australian newspaper last year did not breach media standards, a press watchdog says. The cartoon depicted Williams jumping above a broken racquet next to a baby’s dummy in the US Open final. Critics complained that the caricature used racist and sexist stereotypes of African-American people. The Australian Press Council noted that some had found the image “offensive”, but accepted the publisher’s defence. Read more
Dortmund’s Reus returns to training after injury (Guardian)
Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus returned to training with the Bundesliga leaders on Monday after a three-week absence with a thigh injury. The 29-year-old is expected to be back in action for Dortmund’s game against Augsburg on Friday. Coach Lucien Favre will be delighted to have his team’s leading goalscorer back for the return leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Tottenham on March 5, although Dortmund need to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit to progress. Read more
Michael B Jordan, Bradley Cooper and Rami Malek all took their mums to the Oscars (Metro)
The Oscars is one of the biggest awards ceremonies of the year, so it’s hardly surprising famous folk want their nearest and dearest with them if they’ve got every chance of giving a speech of a lifetime. This year, Michael B. Jordan, Bradley Cooper, Rami Malek and Regina King were just some of the celebrities to invite their mums to the glamorous Hollywood awards bash. Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan had proudly posted a picture alongside date for the night, mum Donna, on his Instagram account before the ceremony even started and also shared a clip of them making their way to the ceremony by car. Read more
Mum reveals that she named her baby Baby (Metro)
We love a story about parents naming their children all sort of weird and whacky things. The latest unusual moniker to be given to a baby is…Baby. Single mum Susie Bradley, who is set to star on TV show Married at First Sight in Australia, revealed how she and her ex-partner decided to name their four-year-old daughter Baby. The cosmetic nurse, from Queensland, said that it was always on her list of baby names since before she had children. Read more