Lagos landlord’s daughter beats tenant to death (Punch)
The police have launched a manhunt for the daughter of a landlord on Odunsi Street, Bariga, Lagos State, for allegedly killing her father’s tenant. The fleeing suspect, identified simply as Damilola Martins, reportedly hit the woman with an object during a scuffle in their compound on Wednesday evening. City Round learnt that the deceased, Mrs Mojisola Olasehinde, and Martin’s mother, who is the wife of the landlord, had been having a running battle over time. When a fight ensued between the two of them that day, Martins reportedly took sides with her mother. Read more
Nigerians don’t appreciate our efforts, INEC laments (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is unfortunate that Nigerians do not appreciate the efforts of the commission. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this while briefing stakeholders on the reason for the postponement of the general elections which had drawn the ire of Nigerians. He said between 2015 November when he took over INEC and now, the commission had been able to undertake 195 off-season elections which were successful. Read more
INEC meets international observers over election postponement (Guardian)
Nigeria’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission, is currently meeting with international observers on reasons for it rescheduled the general elections. “INEC briefs International Observers on reasons for rescheduling General Elections,” INEC tweeted on Saturday afternoon. The meeting is coming a few hours after the INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu, explained that a postponement was necessary due to logistics and operational plan problems. Read more
Bride-to-be laments shift in elections (Punch)
As the impact of the postponement of the 2019 elections continue to be felt across Nigeria, Miss Rita Osawende, a bride-to-be has lamented its impact on her marriage plans. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Benin, she said her marriage was shifted from February 16 to February 23 because of the elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission postponed the dates for 2019 elections from February 16 to 23 and from March 2 to March 9 for the Presidential/National Assembly and the Governorship/House Assembly/FCT Area Councils elections. Read more
Federal government reopens borders (Guardian)
Following the postponement of the general elections, the Nigerian government on Saturday announced it has reopened its borders to neighbouring African countries. “The honourable minister of interior Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau has ordered the reopening of all the land borders earlier closed due to the postponement of the elections earlier scheduled for 16th, February 2019,” Comptroller general of immigration Muhammad Banbadede said in a statement. Nigeria’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the general elections a few hours to the commencement with the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 16 2019. Read more
Election postponement costs nation about $1.5billion loss, says LCCI (Guardian)
Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has stated that the postponement of the Presidential election by INEC cost the nation no less than $1.2billion loss owing to the disruption of activities across the states. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the general elections a few hours to the commencement. The elections scheduled to commence Saturday, February 16 with the presidential and National Assembly elections, will be held February 23. Governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on March 9. Read more
Boko Haram kills eight in Maiduguri (Guardian)
Boko Haram insurgents killed eight people in Nigeria during an attack on the northeastern city of Maiduguri, a civilian militia leader said on Saturday. “We recovered a total of eight bodies of residents killed in the Boko Haram attack,” late on Friday, Haram Abba Aji-Kalli of the Civilian JTF militia told AFP. The attack came hours before Nigeria’s electoral commission announced it was postponing Saturday’s presidential and legislative vote for a week. The delay has been condemned by both President Muhammadu Buhari, who is standing for a second term, and his chief opponent former vice-president Atiku Abubakar. Read more
Spanish priest, customs officers die in Burkina attack (Guardian)
A Spanish priest and four customs officers were killed during attacks by alleged jihadists in Burkina Faso, which is struggling with a bloody Islamist insurgency, local sources said. “The Spanish Salesian Antonio Cesar Fernandez was assassinated during a jihadist attack between Togo and Burkina Faso,” around 3:00 pm local time on Friday,” the Salesians of Don Bosco order said in a statement posted Friday on Twitter. Fernandez and two others associated with the order were returning from a meeting in in the Togolese capital Lome when they “were attacked by gunmen after crossing the border between Togo and Burkina Faso”, a statement by order head Jose Elegbede said. Read more
Mexico border wall: Trump faces fight in the courts (BBC)
President Trump faces legal challenges to his decision to use emergency powers to build a wall on the US border with Mexico. California and New York said they would take legal action to challenge his move to bypass Congress and secure funding for the project. Building the wall was a key pledge of Mr Trump’s campaign. Democrats said it was a “gross abuse of power” and vowed to contest it “using every remedy available”. On Friday, Mr Trump signed the emergency declaration along with a spending bill aimed at preventing a repeat of a recent government shutdown. Read more
Cardinal defrocked over abuse allegations (BBC)
A former Roman Catholic cardinal has been defrocked after historical sexual abuse allegations. Theodore McCarrick is the most senior Catholic figure to be dismissed from the priesthood in modern times. US Church officials said allegations he had sexually assaulted a teenager five decades ago were credible. Mr McCarrick, 88, had previously resigned but said he had “no recollection” of the alleged abuse. “No bishop, no matter how influential, is above the law of the Church,” Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement. Read more
Aurora shooting: Five killed by sacked man at Illinois firm (BBC)
A man who was being fired from his job shot dead five people and injured several others at his workplace in the US state of Illinois, police say. The gunman was killed during an exchange of fire with police officers. Five officers were shot and wounded. The shooting took place at a manufacturing company in Aurora, a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago. Police named the gunman as Gary Martin, 45, who had worked at the Henry Pratt company for 15 years. Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman said late on Friday they had information that his employment was being terminated that day. Read more
Brighton edge into FA Cup quarter-finals (Punch)
Brighton moved into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second successive season as goals from Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia clinched a 2-1 win over Derby on Saturday. Chris Hughton’s side have been sucked into relegation danger in the Premier League after six games without a win. But the Seagulls made the most of a welcome break from the grind of the relegation battle as they saw off Frank Lampard’s Championship side at the Amex Stadium. Derby had claimed the scalps of Manchester United and Southampton in domestic cup competitions this season. Read more
Pep Guardiola ‘sad’ he can’t give Riyad Mahrez more playing time (Metro)
Pep Guardiola admits he is disappointed Riyad Mahrez has not been able to play as regularly as the Manchester City winger wants. Mahrez has played just 24 minutes in the Premier League since the start of the new year, with fellow forwards Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling in excellent form. City paid £60million, a club record fee, to sign Mahrez from Leicester City last summer, but the 27-year-old has been condemned to the bench for most of 2019. Read more
Kneeling protester Kaepernick agrees to confidential NFL settlement (Punch)
Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests sparked a firestorm of controversy, has reached a settlement with the NFL over his collusion grievance against the league, his attorneys said on Friday. But a confidentiality clause will keep details of the arrangement private, the deal being made ahead of a planned final arbitration hearing on the grievance that was to be heard later this month. Kaepernick and former San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid both filed a lawsuit against the NFL saying owners and officials colluded to keep them off NFL rosters for their decision to make a kneeling protest during the US anthem. Read more
Paul Merson explains why Alexis Sanchez isn’t the same player and never will be (Metro)
Paul Merson believes Alexis Sanchez is past his best as he continues to struggle for top form at Manchester United. Sanchez joined the Red Devils in January 2018 and has failed to reach the consistent performance levels of which he set at Arsenal previously. The 30-year-old has managed just two goals in 20 games for the club, and Merson believes he’s not the player he once was. ‘I hope we see the old Sanchez, but I don’t see the confidence or the hunger in his eyes anymore,’ Merson told Sky Sports. Read more
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp boosted as Bayern Munich boss exposes his side’s flaws (Metro)
Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has admitted he has mounting concerns ahead of his side’s Champions League clash against Liverpool next week. The Bundesliga side battled to a 3-2 victory over Augsburg on Friday, another game in which they have conceded to lesser opposition. Kovac’s men haven’t enjoyed a clean sheet since before Christmas when they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0. In the clash against Augsburg, Bayern were 1-0 down after just a minute when Leon Goretzka scored an own goal. Read more