Ladipo market’s roadside traders get eviction notice (Punch)
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, has asked roadside traders at the Ladipo International Auto Spare Parts Market in Lagos to quit. The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, who issued the notice, said the traders and mechanics were obstructing the Right of Way and would soon become victims of government’s sanctions. Read more
NLC dares governors over N30,000 minimum wage (Nation)
Labour yesterday rejected the governors’ claim that states cannot pay N30,000 minimum wage if it is eventually approved. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the threat by the govermors to sack workers should the new wage come into effect. To NLC President Ayuba Wabba, the threat is not new in the struggle for review of the national minimum wage. He said workers might be prevailed upon not to vote for governors who fail to pay the new wage. Read more
Oshiomhole, Saraki clash over bribery allegation (Nation)
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and Senate President Bukola Saraki are locked in a big row over bribery allegations arising from the APC primaries. Saraki, a former member of the APC, has defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said: “Nigerians are waiting to see how the President will handle the serious allegations against his party chairman. Read more
Atiku/Obi ticket: IPOB, Ohanaeze youths, APC disagree with Igbo leaders (Vanguard)
THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday disagreed with some Igbo leaders over their alleged endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid without a concrete, written and sealed agreement of what he will do for Ndigbo. IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful described as “premature, the endorsement of Atiku Abubakar by a few Igbo men that gathered in Enugu on Wednesday, adding that for 40 years, similar endorsements had been going without anything to show for them. Read more
NDLEA intercepts 12 containers of Tramadol at Lagos port (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted over 340 million tablets of Tramadol stashed in 12 containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos. The agency said the contraband, which has been on its watch list since November, 2017, was discovered in 12 out of the 28 containers that were opened on Wednesday, noting that a search of the remaining containers was ongoing. Read more
Army in top form to end insurgency, says Buratai (Nation)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has said the Army is in top form to end insurgency in the Northeast and other parts of the country. Buratai spoke yesterday at the demonstration and closing ceremony of the sixth edition of Exercise Vulcan Glow, organised by the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery (NACA) in Kachia, Kaduna State. Read more
NIWA laments lack of security, vehicles, poor staffing at Onitsha, Warri ports (Guardian)
The Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has identified lack of security, vehicles and insufficient workers as bane to operations at Onitsha and Warri ports. The Onitsha and Warri Area Office Managers of NIWA stated this during a familiarisation tour by the Managing Director, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. The officials stated that lack of functional vehicles, inadequate members of staff and conflicts with sister-agencies had been a major constraint in their areas of operations. Read more
EFCC arrests 23 OOU students, 12 others for Internet fraud (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it has arrested 34 suspected Internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State. The suspects who are between 19 and 37 years include 23 students at Olabisi Onabanjo University, out of which nine were ladies who allegedly claimed to be girlfriends or neighbours of some of the suspects; one was said to be a student of the National Open University of Nigeria, while 12 others are non-students. Read more
Nigerian study wins Whatsapp misinformation award grant (Guardian)
Whatsapp has announced the recipients of its $1 million research grants to academics from around the world for the purpose of studying misinformation and its impact on society. Fake news, calls for violence, election-related propaganda and other topics come under the different proposals for which the grants were given. Read more
Khmer Rouge leaders face genocide verdict (BBC)
The UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal is set to deliver its verdict on whether the last two surviving leaders of the Pol Pot regime are guilty of genocide. Nuon Chea, 92, was Pol Pot’s deputy, and Khieu Samphan, 87, was the regime’s head of state. They are on trial for genocide against Cambodia’s Cham Muslim minority and ethnic Vietnamese. Read more
AFCON 2019 qualifiers: Eagles hungry for good result, Troost – Ekong declares (Vanguard)
Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong has said that the team is more than hungry to get a good result when they clash with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations group E qualifiers at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. A draw for the Eagles currently leading the group will earn them a ticket with a match to spare. The team lost their opening game to South Africa 2-0 in Uyo, but according to Troost- Ekong, the players now have a different mentality. Read more
We will beat boastful Bafana in Joburg — Musa (Punch)
Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa has said the team will beat hosts South Africa in Johannesburg in their Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday. Bafana Bafana, who are second in Group E, host the Eagles, who top the group, at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The South Africans need a win to keep their qualification hopes alive while the Eagles need a win to seal qualification. Read more
England win Rooney farewell match (BBC)
Manager Gareth Southgate saw “a glimpse of the future” as England celebrated Wayne Rooney’s final international appearance with a comfortable friendly win over the United States at Wembley. Rooney, winning his 120th cap in a fund-raiser for his charitable foundation, made a 33-minute appearance on a night England showed their appreciation for their 33-year-old record goalscorer. Read more
Federer reaches semi-finals in London (BBC)
Six-time champion Roger Federer beat Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-3 to secure his place in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals for the 15th time. Federer’s victory means he tops his group to boost his chances of avoiding world number one Novak Djokovic in the last four in London. The Swiss, 37, looked out of sorts when he lost his first match on Sunday but bounced back with two successive wins. South African Anderson had already won two matches to reach the semi-finals. Read more
Hamilton defends ‘poor’ India comments (BBC)
Five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has clarified comments he made about India being a “poor place”. Mercedes defended their driver, saying his intended juxtaposition between rich and poor had been taken “grossly out of context”. Briton Hamilton, 33, told BBC Sport this week that it was “strange” to race in India and he “felt very conflicted”. “I noticed some people are upset with my comment on India,” he tweeted on Thursday. Read more
Carpenter nabbed for allegedly raping autistic girl in Ondo (Punch)
The Ondo State Police Command, on Thursday, arrested a man identified as Tunde Ogunlade for allegedly raping a 20-year-old girl (named withheld) at the Oke Aro area of Akure, the state capital. The victim is said to be suffering from autism, with the suspect alleged to have taken advantage of her health condition. Read more
Widow remanded for allegedly selling own baby (Nation)
A Senior Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the remand in prison custody of a 32-year-old widow, Lilian Jaja, for allegedly selling her two-month-old baby. Jaja, a mother of seven, of 32, New Road, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, allegedly sold her two-month old baby to Agnes Agu for N250, 000. She was alleged to have carried out her plan on October 29 at Ikokwu, Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt where she was arrested and detained by the policemen from Mile 1 Police Station, Port Harcourt. Read more
Edo pastor arraigned for abducting, sleeping with chorister (Punch)
A 34-year-old pastor has been arraigned before an Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo State, for allegedly abducting and having carnal knowledge of one of his church members. The accused, Joseph Igwemon, who is the pastor of the Global Influence Ministry, was said to have committed the offence on October 15, 2018, in the Mission Road area of Benin metropolis. Read more