Lagos demolishes Banana Island, Ikoyi houses over violations (Punch)
The Lagos State Government on Monday demolished some buildings in the Banana Island and Ikoyi areas for not complying with the building laws and regulations.
The state government said the enforcement was necessary as some residents build their houses without due recourse to the state’s approval.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, said despite a stop-work notice that had been served by the Lagos State Building Control Agency to the owners of the structures, construction continued.
He said, “The governor was here yesterday (Sunday) with the strong instruction that land reclaimed beyond what was approved should be demolished. We would continue to monitor to ensure that building laws and regulations are complied with and it should even be voluntary compliance. Read more
Girl kills mother with hot water, injures other over detergent (Guardian)
An 18-year-old girl, Winifred Ngutesen Ingyaji, from Ute-Tse-Kpun, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, bathed her mother, Mrs Mbachirin Ashiekaa to death with hot water.
The suspect also injured her sister-in-law, Mrs Jennifer Betsee, who is currently receiving treatment at Bishop Murray Hospital Makurdi.
A few weeks ago, a similar incident occurred in Makurdi when a 17-year-old girl, identified as Esther Alex, from Ado LGA of the state, set ablaze her boyfriend, Chidinma Omah, alleging that he was abandoning her to marry another girl. Read more
19 arrested as death toll rises to six in Lagos cult clash (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command said on Monday that it had apprehended 19 cultists for the clash among rival groups in the Alakuko area of the state, adding that the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for discreet investigation.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement, “On Monday, February 8, 2021, while deliberating on security issues with the Area Commanders and Police Mobile Force Commanders in Lagos State, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, warned motorcycle operators, commercial drivers and Lagosians in general to respect the laws of the state.
“He also charged them to desist from attacking police personnel and other security operatives, who are enforcing the Lagos State traffic regulations and COVID-19 safety protocols. While reacting to the ongoing cult-related fracas at Alakuko, Dalemo and Kola areas of the state, the police boss confirmed that 19 suspected cultists were arrested during the crisis. Items recovered from them include weapons, assorted charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp. Read more
Businessman files N500m suit against estate developer over breach of contract (Tribune)
A N500 million suit has been filed by a businessman, Alhaji Abdullahi Olayemi and his company, OK Properties Limited against an estate developer, Mr Owolabi Kolawole Balogun and his company before the Lagos State High Court over allegations of breach of fundamental human rights and breach of contract.
The claimants are asking for an order of court given effect to Olayemi’s rights of occupancy as enshrined in the Certificate of Occupancy Registered and issued in his favour in respect of expanse of land situate at Models Village, Olajuwon Street, Surulere area of Lagos State and an order compelling the defendants to allow him and his agents have unhindered and undisturbed access to the land covered by Certificate of Occupancy registered as No 96A at page 96A and in volume 2011 issued in his favour in Surulere local government area of Lagos State. Read more
Lagos auctions 83 vehicles of traffic law violators (Punch)
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit), on Monday, supervised the auction of 83 vehicles forfeited to the state for violating the state Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
It was gathered that the vehicles, which were impounded in various areas of the state, were forfeited to the government on the orders of the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court.
Speaking at the auction held at Alausa, the Coordinator of the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court, Arinola Ogbara, said the process was transparent.
She said, “There is a lot of processes and transparency about the public auction. Some of the people, whose cars were seized, were told to pay a fine without their cars being forfeited based on the strength of evidence they presented at the mobile court. Read more
Lagos plans to build more schools to cater for out-of-school children (Guardian)
Lagos State Government has expressed its readiness to build more schools to encourage enrolment of school-age children and take care of out-of-school children.
The state’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, said this during a meeting with the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO), Gbolahan Owodunni Oki and Chairman, Itire/Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Ahmed Olanrewaju Apatira, at Ikeja on the proposal for the establishment of Itire/Ikate Model College.
In a statement, yesterday, Adefisayo also hinted that special provision was made for additional schools in 2021 budget, while existing school infrastructure would be constantly upgraded to make the teaching and learning environment more conducive. Read more
FG plans to replace BVN with NIN – Pantami (Nation)
The Federal Government has stated arrangements are ongoing to replace the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN).
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami, who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after a tour of telecoms operators and NIN licensees in Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed on the on-going NIN registrations.
Pantami who said the President was happy with the conducts of the exercise so far, added he had also briefed the National Economic Sustainability Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the imperative of replacing BVN with NIN. Read more
Cryptocurrency players tackle CBN ban on Twitter (Punch)
Some cryptocurrency players have taken to their Twitter accounts to express their reaction over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s order to shut down cryptocurrency operations.
The Central Bank on Friday ordered banks and other financial institutions to identify persons and entities operating cryptocurrency exchanges and close all such accounts.
Many experts have criticised the decision and regarded it as an attempt to impoverish Nigerians. Read more
Coalition tasks National Assembly on electronic balloting, others (Guardian)
Coalition for Constitutional and Electoral Reforms (CCER) has urged the National Assembly to work on new legislation that captures electronic transmission of results and use of other forms of technology in the electoral process.
This was contained in a statement signed by leaders of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the coalition, including Centre for Liberty, NESSACTION, Millennials Active Citizenship Advocacy Africa, Raising New Voices, and Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa.
The coalition pointed out that National Assembly members were bound by the constitution to act in the overall interest of Nigerians by adopting and passing new and salient provisions in the Electoral Bill. Read more
Alleging her partner was abducted and tortured, Ugandan activist Stella Nyanzi flees to Kenya (CNN)
Feminist and political activist Stella Nyanzi has fled to Kenya to seek asylum with her three children. Nyanzi, who a year ago was in prison for writing a poem which used an explicit description of the Ugandan President’s birth and his mother’s vagina to criticize his rule, alleges her partner was abducted and tortured after last month’s elections.
“I fled to get my voice back. I fled to get my mind back. I fled to get my freedom back,” Nyanzi told CNN in a phone interview on Thursday, explaining that this was one of several abductions of people close to her which triggered her to flee.
Nyanzi ran for a seat in parliament in the January vote, which was marred by deadly violence in the months leading up to the general election. At least 50 people were killed at demonstrations in November after the detention of President Yoweri Museveni’s main opponent, singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, according to Human Rights Watch. Read more
Flood kills dozens in Morocco underground factory (AlJazeera)
At least 24 people have been killed after heavy rain caused a flood in an illegal underground textile workshop in a private house in Morocco, the state news agency reported.
Rescue workers recovered 24 bodies from the Tangier property and rescued 10 survivors who were taken to hospital, the MAP agency said on Monday, citing local authorities.
One government official at the scene said 25 people had died, 17 women and eight men, all aged between 20 and 40, according to a local journalist contacted by AFP news agency.
News footage from the site, broadcast on Moroccan television, showed emergency services carrying corpses out on stretchers under the eyes of clearly traumatised residents, as a stream of ambulances rushed to the scene. Read more
Governments defend Oxford-AstraZeneca shot after South Africa halts rollout (CBC)
Several Western governments rushed to offer support for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination after South Africa halted its rollout when research showed it offered minimal protection against mild infection from a variant spreading there.
The arrival of vaccines has given hope that scientists can tame a pandemic that has killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide. But if vaccines are less effective against new variants, they may need to be tweaked and people may need booster shots.
South Africa announced its pause after researchers from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Oxford said Sunday that the AstraZeneca vaccine provided only minimal protection against mild or moderate infection from the B1351 variant, now the dominant form of the virus in that country. Read more
Priyanka Chopra reveals shocking moment director told her to get ‘boob job’ (Metro)
Priyanka Chopra has opened up about the shocking moment a film director suggested she should undergo plastic surgery as a teenager, after taking home the Miss World crown. The Bollywood legend – who has starred in countless TV shows and films around the world – won the beauty pageant in 2000, and promptly embarked on a screen career. However, the first person she met with suggested that that she should have a ‘boob job’ and fix her ‘proportions’ – something her then-manager agreed with. The 38-year-old initially discussed her experience in her new autobiography, Unfinished – and insisted to Metro.co.uk that it is a ‘normalised’ thing to hear in the industry. Read more
US Senate sets speedy timeline for Trump impeachment trial (AlJazeera)
Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Senate have agreed to a timeline for the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump beginning on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced.
The timeline provides for four days of arguments evenly divided between US House of Representatives managers, who will prosecute the impeachment charge against the former president, and Trump’s defence lawyers, Schumer said on Monday.
“All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate impeachment trial of the former president,” Schumer said.
“Each side will have ample time to make their arguments.” Read more
Rescuers in northern India search for more than 200 missing people after deadly flooding (CBC)
Rescue teams in northern India are trying to find as many as 140 people who are missing or trapped, after a Himalayan glacier snapped off and allowed a torrent of water to crash down into valleys below. 3:08
Indian rescuers searched on Monday for more than 200 people missing after part of a remote Himalayan glacier broke away, sweeping away bridges, breaking dams and sending a torrent of water, rocks and construction debris down a mountain valley.
Sunday’s disaster below Nanda Devi, India’s second-highest peak, swept away the small Rishiganga hydro-electric project and damaged a bigger one further down the Dhauliganga River being built by state firm NTPC.
Eighteen bodies had been recovered so far, officials said. Read more
GOP Rep. Ron Wright dies following Covid diagnosis (CNN)
Republican Rep. Ron Wright of Texas has died, his congressional office announced in a statement Monday, saying that he had been admitted to the hospital after contracting COVID-19.
“Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on Feb. 7, 2021. His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior,” the statement read. “For the previous two weeks, Ron and Susan had been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19.”
Wright is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting Covid. In December, Congressman-elect Luke Letlow died after being diagnosed with the disease. Read more
FG to provide funds for Edo 2020 in April (Punch)
Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has disclosed that the Federal Government will offer financial assistance to the Edo State Government in hosting the National Sports Festival, which was on Monday postponed to April, with just six days before the opening ceremony of the earlier scheduled date – February 14 to 28.
Dare stated this after Monday’s emergency meeting of the National Council on Sports, which had in attendance state sports commissioners, Directors of Sports, permanent secretaries and the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu.
The festival, earlier scheduled for March 2020, had suffered two postponements due to COVID-19, with the latest shift in date occasioned by the second wave of the pandemic and the paucity of funds, according to the ministry.
The Edo State Government had requested financial support from the FG to host the festival, following the harsh economic conditions caused by COVID-19. Read more
Despite Heartland’s victory, Ilechukwu tips MFM for success this seaon (Guardian)
Fidelis Ilechukwu led Heartland of Owerri to a 2-1 defeat of MFM FC at the weekend in Agege, but he believes the defeat notwithstanding, the Lagos-based Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) side still has a bright future this season.
Ilechukwu, who coached MFM for many years, knows the quality in the players and management of the Olukoya Babes.
Two goals by Adachi Emmanuel in the seventh and 55th minutes gave Heartland their first away win of the season, while Muyiwa Balogun got MFM’s consolation strike in the 49th minute.
Speaking while still savouring his team’s victory at the Agege Stadium, Ilechukwu said his boys played against a fantastic team that thrilled everyone with their possessive brand of football in the second stanza. Read more
Bayern Munich beat Al Ahly to reach Club World Cup final (AlJazeera)
Bayern Munich reached the Club World Cup final after goals in each half by Robert Lewandowski sealed a 2-0 victory over African champions Al Ahly at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, a host venue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The German side will face Mexico’s Tigres in the final on Thursday after the Mexican club saw off Brazilian giants Palmeiras in Sunday’s other semifinal.
Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead after just 17 minutes and then headed home a pinpoint Leroy Sane cross four minutes before the whistle to book Bayern’s place in the final.
Lewandowski, the Bundesliga’s top scorer, has scored 29 goals in 27 matches for his club this season. Read more
Likely cause of Kobe Bryant helicopter crash soon to be announced by US safety officials (CBC)
US safety officials are poised to announce the long-awaited conclusion of what likely caused the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.
The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the probable cause and any recommendations to prevent future disasters.
Kobe Bryant’s widow sues L.A. sheriff for sharing unauthorized photos of helicopter crash
Investigators say no evidence of engine failure in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash
Bryant and the others were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County on January 26th, 2020.
The helicopter crashed in thick fog north of Los Angeles. Read more
Premier League referee Mike Dean receives death threats after sending off Tomas Soucek and Jan Bednarek (Metro)
Premier League referee Mike Dean has requested not to be assigned a fixture this weekend after he and his family received death threats for errors he made in matches involving Southampton and West Ham in the last week. Dean has come in for fierce criticism after dishing out red cards to West Ham star Tomas Soucek and Southampton defender Jan Bednarek. Both red cards have subsequently been overturned following an appeal from their respective clubs and the dismissal of Soucek in Saturday’s 0-0 draw between Fulham and the Hammers has drawn particularly strong criticism from pundits and supporters alike. Read more
Tom Brady’s GOAT status captures world’s imagination (CNN)
LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? The argument over who’s the greatest of all time in many sports is fiercely contested.
In the NFL however, there is only one man: Tom Brady.
At the age of 43, Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title on Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9, to strengthen the quarterback’s GOAT credentials.
Not only did Brady further extend his own record of the most Super Bowl rings won by a player — he now owns more Lombardi Trophies than any team franchise, one clear of both the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers — but after being named Super Bowl MVP yet again, he became the only player in NFL history to win the award five times. Read more
William Saliba claims he was unfairly judged by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal (Metro)William Saliba has suggested that he was written off too quickly by Mikel Arteta and believes the Arsenal manager judged him ‘on two-and-a-half games’. The 19-year-old joined the Gunners in a £27 million deal from Saint-Etienne but after making the move to England last summer, the young defender failed to make a first-team appearance under Arteta. The Arsenal manager claimed that Saliba needed to underdo a ‘transition’ period in order to become a first-team regular. And last month Arteta gave the green light for Saliba to join Nice on loan for the remainder of the season. Read more