Lagos hotelier’s son, friend arrested for drugging, raping lady (Punch)
The son of the owner of the Dallankester Hotels, Don-Chime George, and his friend, Rasaq Oke, have been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly drugging and raping a 23-year-old lady in the Lekki Phase 1 area of the state. The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said in a statement, on Tuesday, that George and Oke allegedly laced the victim’s drink with a substance that made her weak and took her to the hotel where she was repeatedly raped. He added that when the elder brother of the victim informed the police about the incident, operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Maroko Division, CSP Isah Abdulmajid, arrested the suspects and recovered a video recording of the duo sexually abusing the unconscious victim from their phones. Read more
Onnoghen asks CCT chairman to hands off case (Guardian)
The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, yesterday asked the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from his asset declaration case on the ground of likely bias.The embattled jurist alleged that the chairman had convicted him without hearing or formally arraigning him before the tribunal. Onnoghen held that Umar was a tainted arbiter since he is allegedly facing a bribery charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and could plea-bargain with his conviction. Read more
ASUU conducts referendum on strike (Guardian)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapters nationwide yesterday conducted a referendum to decide on whether or not to suspend its strike which has entered its fourth week.On Monday, the national leadership of the union had directed its zonal coordinators to meet with their branch chairpersons to conduct the referendum on the offers of government and feed it back. It was learnt that over 200 members of the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the union who attended the congress voted for the continuation of the strike while a little above 50 voted for the suspension with conditions. Read more
Again, Shiites protest in Abuja, demand El-Zakzaky’s release (Guardian)
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, yesterday stormed the Federal Secretariat and Central Business District (CBD), Abuja demanding the release of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. El-Zakzaky has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since December 2015 on the order of the Nigerian government. The group, numbering over 100 and who were mainly youths and some adults protested along the Federal Secretariat Complex and the Central Business District chanting a song: We Are Ready To Die For El-Zakzaky and disrupting the free flow of traffic in the areas. Read more
EFCC uncovers politicians’ new method of hiding loot (Punch)
The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said that politicians have devised other means of amassing wealth for electoral purposes by hiding their loot in some African countries and later selling and repatriating the money to Nigeria ahead of elections. Magu, who was represented the commission’s Director of Planning, Aminu Guzo, spoke at the delegates’ conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the commission would work with the NLC during elections to monitor cash movement in order to curb vote-buying. Read more
Sirleaf-Johnson arrives in Nigeria, to visit polls stakeholders (Guardian)
Ahead of the February 16, 2019 general elections, head of the Election Observation Mission (EOM) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, yesterday arrived Abuja in official capacity Former Chair of the ECOWAS, who arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) about 5pm, was received by the ECOWAS delegation led by Vice President, Mrs. Finda M. Koroma. She is expected to visit Party stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the new Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, among others, today. Read more
Tragedy averted as Asaba stadium’s scoreboard collapses (Punch)
Tragedy was averted on Monday night when a scoreboard mounted at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, the Delta State capital, collapsed. The PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred around 7:33pm on Monday due to heavy winds, which led to the collapse of the scoreboard, leaving no one injured. However, the collapsed scoreboard destroyed a section of the stadium. An eye witness said, “I was opposite the stadium when I suddenly noticed a sound. I thought it was the building at the stadium. But I discover that it was the scoreboard that fell off during the heavy winds. Read more
South Africa delays Nigeria’s World Cup ticket as tie ends goalless (Guardian)
Nigeria now have to wait for their last group game against hosts, Niger Republic to know whether they will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland following their goalless draw with South Africa yesterday at the on-going African U-20 Championship. Yesterday’s game in Niamey was the teams’ second games of the competition and Nigeria needed a win to confirm their qualification for the World Cup having won their first game against Burundi 2-0. But that was not to be as South Africa defended with everything they had to keep the Flying Eagles at bay. Read more