I went to Boko Haram’s camp to beg my son to surrender but… – Father (Vanguard)
Malam Baba Modu, an 80-year-old father to a Boko Haram commander, popularly called ‘Ba-Ana’, has begged his son to surrender and embrace peace. Modu made the call in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Maiduguri. He said that he was unable to persuade his son to abandon the cause and surrender under the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor. Recounting his ordeal, Modu said his son was conscripted by the insurgents in 2012 at a farm in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno. “I lost hope of meeting my son after his abduction in the past seven years. One day, I met someone who told me that my son was alive and mentioned where I can find him. Read more
How fake news put me in trouble with my wife – Osinbajo (Punch)
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has lamented the negative effect of fake news, adding that it even put him in some trouble with his wife recently. Osinbajo, while speaking at a BBC symposium on fake news tagged, ‘Nigeria 2019: Countering Fake News’, in Abuja on Wednesday, said a blog put up a picture depicting him posing with strippers. The Vice-President said upon closer inspection of the photo, he discovered that he had indeed taken a picture with the women at an entertainment event but they were fully clothed. He said the blogger picked a photo of where the women were not fully clothed and presented it to the public wrongly. Read more
Police warn PDP, APC members against billboard destruction (Nation)
The Cross River Police Command has warned supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to desist from destroying billboards of governorship candidates across the state. The command gave the warning in a statement through its Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSP Irene Ugbo, on Wednesday in Calabar. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the warning was sequel to the complaint by the governorship candidates of both political parties, following the destruction of their billboards by some alleged thugs. Read more
Lassa Fever: Edo govt warns against self-medication (Vanguard)
The Edo State Government has warned residents of the state, especially those in areas where Lassa Fever is endemic, against self-medication, urging them to visit medical centres for proper diagnosis when they feel feverish. In a statement, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said that the state government is stepping up awareness of Lassa Fever to mitigate the resurgence of the ailment in the state. He urged residents in the state to desist from self-medication, but rather visit health centres for proper diagnosis. Read more
Seven Fulani communities petition FG over killing of kinsmen in Kaduna (Nation)
Seven Fulani Communities from Giwa and Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state have petitioned state and Federal Government over alleged incessant killings of their kinsmen and confiscation of their cattle by the vigilante and Soldiers. The Communities are Kidandan, Yadi, Sabon layi, Sabon Sara, Banaga, Kufan Kari and Karshi village in Igabi local government. Speaking to newsmen in Zaria, Counsel to the Fulani communities, Mr. Yemi Adekunle esq, said the petition was necessary considering the lukewarm attitude of government on the matter. Reading the petition, Adekunle said, “The Fulanis have made several complaints to the state government, including security agencies through Miyyati Allah, yet no response’’. Read more
Catholic bishop tasks INEC on credible polls (Independent)
The Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and credible polls. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos, Kaigama charged the electoral body to adhere strictly to the constitutional provisions in conducting the general elections. The Archbishop also advised the electoral umpire not to be intimidated by activities of anybody in subverting the cause of justice. Read more
India’s Modi pushes for upper caste jobs (CNN)
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pushing to implement affirmative action for economically weaker upper caste individuals, a move which supporters say will help provide jobs for the poor but critics have dismissed as a calculated political ploy ahead of the country’s upcoming national elections. The BJP-backed bill, introduced Tuesday, would amend the country’s constitution to add “economically weaker citizens” to the sections of society eligible for job quotas. Under the country’s system of affirmative action, the Indian government reserves 50% of jobs in government and places at educational institutions for people from lower castes, or classified as “socially and educationally backward people.” Read more
Get married this year as a matter of priority, senior female govt officials told (Punch)
Tonga’s Prime Minister, Akilisi Pohiva, has urged unmarried senior female civil servants to find a husband in 2019 as a matter of priority, local media reported on Wednesday. “Pohiva made the suggestion when he hosted a meeting and prayer service for government staff on Monday to kick off the new work year and closed the event with the advice,’’ Radio New Zealand reported. “I have come to realise that there are a lot of well-educated but unmarried women in senior positions in the prime minister’s office,’’ Public Service Commission and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs said. “I urge you all, please look for a husband in 2019 as a matter of priority!” Read more
Drug-smuggling Israeli ex-minister jailed over spying for Iran (CNN)
Former Israeli Minister of Energy Gonen Segev will serve 11 years in prison as part of a plea deal over spying for Iran, the country’s Ministry of Justice said in a statement Wednesday morning. The sentence comes as Segev pleaded guilty to charges of serious espionage and passing information to an enemy. The disgraced former doctor was recruited in 2012 by Iran’s embassy in Nigeria, the Israel Security Agency (ISA) said at the time of Segev’s arrest last summer. He had relocated to Africa’s most populous nation after serving time in an Israeli prison for a 2006 drug smuggling conviction. Segev had been found guilty of attempting to bring 25,000 Ecstasy pills into Israel from the Netherlands. Read more
CAF Award: Nigeria living on past glory –Peter Ijeh (Nation)
Sweden based former international Peter Ijeh has declared that Nigeria is living on past glory and will have to change ways of doing things if she is to become a force to be reckoned with again in the round leather game. His submission is coming barely 24 hours after Confederation of African Football (CAF) rolled out names of winners of the prestigious African Footballer of the year award in both the men and women categories among other awards in Dakar Senegal. Although Nigerian players have won the gong combined five times in the men’s category and combined 10 times in the ladies category, Ijeh insists that the country is not making deliberate effort to discover and sustain talents. Read more
AC Milan’s Higuain poised for Chelsea move (Punch)
AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain has “agreed terms” and is set for an imminent move to Premier League club Chelsea, Italian sports daily Gazzetta Dello Sport reported on Wednesday. Higuain joined Milan on a season-long loan from Juventus in July with an option to buy but has struggled to settle at the San Siro, scoring eight goals in all competitions. And the 31-year-old Argentina international wants to join former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri at the English club which would take over his 36 million euro ($41 million) buy-out clause. “Chelsea have an agreement with Higuain to take him immediately,” Gazzetta reported. Read more
Buffon had ‘panic attacks’ at Juventus (BBC)
Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed he suffered with depression and once missed a Juventus game after having a panic attack. Former Italy international Buffon, 40, spent 17 years at Juventus, playing 656 times and winning nine Serie A titles, before his 2018 move to PSG. But in an interview with Vanity Fair, Buffon says he struggled during his early years with the Italian giants. “For a few months, everything lost meaning,” he said. He added: “It seemed like no-one cared about me, just the footballer I represented. “It was like everyone was asking about Buffon and nobody about Gigi.” Read more
Bayern eager to complete signing of Chelsea teenager Hudson-Odoi (Punch)
Bayern Munich, who are targeting young talent in the current transfer window, have confirmed their strong interest in English teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi amid reports the defending German champions have agreed a fee with Chelsea. “We definitely want to sign him – he has the qualities which would fit very well into our team,” Bayern’s director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic said Wednesday at their winter training camp in Doha. “He is very fast and good at dribbling.” According to Sky, Bayern and Chelsea have agreed a transfer of 39 million euros (35 million pounds, $44.6 million), but it is unclear whether Hudson-Odoi would move in the current Bundesliga transfer window, which closes at 1700 GMT on January 31, or in July. Read more
Tottenham extend Wembley stay as wait for new stadium goes on (Vanguard)
Tottenham announced on Wednesday they will stay at Wembley until at least the end of February as their frustrating wait to move into their new stadium goes on. The Premier League home games against Watford, Newcastle and Leicester will all be at the national stadium as the finishing touches are put on their new 62,000-seater home. The Champions League last-16 home leg with Borussia Dortmund on February 13 will also be played at Wembley. Chairman Daniel Levy has apologised to supporters and hopes to provide a further update in the next few weeks. Read more
Hazard ‘too good’ for Chelsea – Jenas (BBC)
Eden Hazard is “too good” for Chelsea and has “outgrown” the club, says BBC Sport pundit Jermaine Jenas. The former Tottenham midfielder described Hazard as “unplayable” during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat by Spurs at Wembley in the Carabao Cup semi-final. The Belgium midfielder, whose contract expires in June 2020, has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid. And Jenas believes Hazard, 28, must now move from Chelsea to take the next step in his career. “I thought he was unplayable at times,” said Jenas, on BBC Radio 5 live’s Football Daily podcast. Read more
Halep, Stephens bundled out in Sydney (Punch)
World number one Simona Halep’s preparations for next week’s Australian Open suffered a huge setback Wednesday when she was bundled out of the Sydney International, along with fourth seed Sloane Stephens. The Romanian hadn’t played since withdrawing from the WTA Finals in October with a herniated disc and was no match for fast-rising Australian Ashleigh Barty, who scored the biggest win of her career 6-4, 6-4. Halep, the reigning French Open champion and 2018 Australian Open runner-up, had a bye through to the second round, meaning she heads to Melbourne Park for the opening Grand Slam of the year with just one game under her belt. Read more
Three SS-1 students remanded for gang-defiling classmate (Vanguard)
Three Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1) students (names withheld), who allegedly gang-defiled their 15-year-old classmate, were on Wednesday remanded in a juvenile home. The teenagers, aged: 16, 16 and 14 years were docked at a Tinubu Chief Magistrates Court which also doubles as a Family Court. They are facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful canal knowledge, sexual assault and defilement. The chief magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, ordered that the boys be remanded at Borstal Training Institution in Adigbe, Abeokuta, pending the receipt of legal advice from the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPPs). The prosecutor, Sgt. Hafsat Ajibode, told the court that the boys committed the offences in July 2018 at Makoko Area of Lagos State. Read more
22-year-old to be hanged in Ekiti for armed robbery (Vanguard)
An Ado-Ekiti high court, on Wednesday, sentenced one Alonge Ajayi, 22, to death by hanging for armed robbery. Justice Lekan Ogunmoye held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts and consequently found Ajayi guilty as charged. The 22-year-old robbed with guns on Oct. 30, 2017, at Ikere, Ekiti. He was arraigned on Feb. 27, 2018, on a count charge of armed robbery but he pleaded not guilty. According to the Prosecutor, Insp. Folashade Abe, Ajayi and two others had a gun duel with the police during which two of the robbers were killed and the convict arrested alongside his motorcycle. Read more