Lagos pupil steps on abandoned well covered with sacks, drowns (Punch)
Residents of Orepeju Close in the Akowonjo area of Lagos are in mourning following the death of a seven-year-old boy, Godwin Samuel, who fell into an abandoned well. When our correspondent visited the area on Sunday, neighbours were seen gathered in groups and discussing the incident in hushed tones as the mother of the deceased was too distraught to talk. PUNCH Metro gathered that Godwin left his parents’ residence on Saturday to play on the street. While playing, he reportedly fell into the well at 6 Orepeju Close, off Olasehinde Crescent, Akowonjo, Lagos. Read more
Egbetokun takes over from Edgal as Lagos CP (Nation)
Lagos State Commissioner of Police Imohimi Edgal has been redeployed. A source from the Force Headquarters told The Nation that Edgal was redeployed to the Force Headquarters in Abuja as the Commissioner of Police in charge of Explosive Ordinance Unit. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kayode Egbetokun, it was learnt, has been asked to take over from Edgal as the Acting Police Commissioner. Before his appointment, Egbetokun is the Commandant, Police Training School (PTS) at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, Lagos. Read more
Sanwo-Olu, Agbaje, others clash over FoI, godfatherism, traffic (Punch)
Four Lagos State governorship candidates at a debate on Sunday expressed different opinions on the alleged failure of the government to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act and what they would do differently in promoting accountability and transparency in government. The four candidates were Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Jimi Agbje of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi of the Action Democratic Party and the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Owolabi Salis. In the debate, organised by The Platform and broadcast on Channels TV, the candidates promised to ensure that government was more open. Read more
Stop spreading hatred against Buhari, Presidency tells Ortom (Punch)
The Presidency on Sunday denied alleged plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to islamise Benue State, saying that Governor Samuel Ortom was engaging in a hate campaign against Buhari by making the allegation. It also stated that Buhari supported the anti-grazing law passed by the Benue State Government in a bid to end the series of conflicts between herdsmen and farmers in the state. The Presidency noted that Ortom had so far based his 2019 re-election campaign on what it described as “falsehood” against Buhari. It went on to ask the governor to stop passing such messages to the people of the state. Read more
Osinbajo warns against reckless utterances, actions (Nation)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday called on Nigerians not to allow reckless utterances and actions of some people, who are playing on the country’s religious and ethnic fault lines to threaten its unity. Osinbajo spoke during the Interdenominational Church Service for the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Abuja. According to him, the supreme sacrifice paid by the nation’s military should not be allowed to go in vain. Reflecting on the resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram sect, which recently claimed the lives of several dozens of soldiers, Osinbajo said the era of the terrorists holding local government areas and hoisting their flags has gone. Read more
PDP rejects N7bn budget for Obaseki’s foreign trips (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has opposed the N7bn allegedly allocated to Governor Godwin Obaseki for foreign trips in the state’s 2019 budget. The state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, said this a during a campaign rally held on Friday in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state. He described the travel allowance as a misplaced priority. Orbih alleged that Obaseki legitimised corruption under the guise of attracting foreign investors to the state in the face of worsening economic challenges. Read more
Police relocate Melaye to SARS headquarters (Nation)
The Police have relocated the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Headquarters at Guzape in Abuja. It is the second relocation within two days. The senator was initially relocated to the Department of State Security (DSS) Hospital on Friday for further medical examination. Following his alleged refusal to enter the DSS facility, the Police yesterday decided to relocate him to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Headquarters. Read more
Kidnappings: Ekiti wants military back at checkpoints (Punch)
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, has urged the military to take a cue from the security measures obtainable in other countries to rid the country of kidnappers and criminals. Egbeyemi, who reiterated his earlier call for review of withdrawal of soldiers from checkpoints on the major roads in the state, lamented that the rate of kidnapping in the state increased after military personnel were withdrawn from checkpoints across the state. The deputy governor spoke on Sunday during a church service to mark this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Government House Chapel, Ado Ekiti, the state capital, where he stressed the need to remember fallen heroes and take proper care of those presently serving in the military. Read more
Tears flow as 15 die, four injured in Ekiti trailer accident (Nation)
Fifteen persons have reportedly died in an accident that occurred on Saturday night at a market in Iworoko Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State. A truck, conveying customised bags of rice with the picture and name of a senator in a neighbouring state caused the accident. It was said to have crushed two other vehicles before ramming into shops. The incident has thrown the community into mourning. An eyewitness told our correspondent that the truck lost control due to a brake failure at about 8.45 p.m. Read more
No N219b budget provision for Mambila power, says Fashola (Punch)
There is no cash provision of $600 million or N219 billion in any budget of the Federal Government for the Mambila Project, Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola has said. A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, yesterday insisted that nobody could attempt to divert what did not exist. “Nothing is more further away from the truth than the claim that the loan negotiations have stalled since 2017 because of an attempt to utilise $600 million (equivalent of N219 billion) from the 3,050 Megawatts (MW) hydropower project for a ‘pet project’ not hitherto considered by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” Fashola said. Read more
DR Congo election: Sadc proposes unity government (BBC)
The southern African regional body Sadc has called for a unity government in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the disputed presidential election. All political leaders should agree a negotiated settlement, it said. Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared winner but another opponent of the current administration, Martin Fayulu, insists he won. He alleges Mr Tshisekedi made a deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Mr Kabila has been in office for 18 years and the result, if confirmed, would create the first orderly transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. Read more
Trump threatens to ‘devastate’ Turkish economy over Syrian Kurds (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has threatened to “devastate Turkey economically” if it attacks Kurdish forces in Syria following a planned pullout of US troops. In two tweets on Sunday, Mr Trump said that he didn’t want the Kurds to provoke Turkey either. US forces have fought alongside a Kurdish militia in northern Syria against the Islamic State (IS) group. Turkey, however, regards the People’s Protection Units (YPG) as terrorists. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken angrily about American support for the group and vowed to crush it. Read more
Polish mayor stabbed at charity event (BBC)
The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk has been seriously injured after being stabbed on stage at the country’s biggest charity event, officials say. Pawel Adamowicz, 53, was taken to hospital, where he is in a critical condition after five hours of surgery. The 27-year-old suspect, who has a criminal record, has been detained. He shouted that he had been wrongfully imprisoned under the previous government of the party which had supported Mr Adamowicz’s re-election. Mr Adamowicz suffered very serious abdominal injuries during the attack, said Dr Tomasz Stefaniak, director of health at the University Clinical Centre in Gdansk, early on Monday. Read more
Everton edge to win over Bournemouth (BBC)
Two second-half goals gave Everton an edgy victory over Bournemouth that lifted them into the top half of the Premier League table. Kurt Zouma powerfully headed in his first goal for the club from Lucas Digne’s cross following a corner in the 61st minute, before Dominic Calvert-Lewin added the second in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Everton had been outplayed in the opening 30 minutes but Bournemouth failed to capitalise on their bright start. David Brooks hit the post when through one-on-one with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and had a strong penalty appeal turned down early on, while Joshua King also had a good chance saved. Read more
De Gea produces masterclass as Man United beat Tottenham (Guardian)
David de Gea produced a goalkeeping masterclass on Sunday as Manchester United beat Tottenham 1-0 to prove their recovery under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is no flash in the pan. Marcus Rashford scored the only goal in the 44th minute of an open, exciting match at Wembley but the performance of the Spanish goalkeeper will live long in the memory. He made 11 saves — the most saves he has made in a top-flight league match without conceding a goal — leaving Spurs players holding their heads in disbelief on multiple occasions. Read more
Messi scores 400th La Liga goal in win (BBC)
Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal as Barcelona beat Eibar at the Nou Camp to regain their five-point lead at the top of the table. Messi, the all-time leading scorer in the Spanish top flight, finished into the bottom corner for Barca’s second. The landmark goal comes in the Argentine’s 435th league game. Luis Suarez earlier put Barca in front by finishing a fine team move before tucking in his side’s third in the second half. Messi, who becomes the first player to score 400 goals in just one of Europe’s top five leagues, could have scored a second but he shot straight at Eibar goalkeeper Asier Riesgo from the edge of the box. Read more
I killed my wife due to extreme provocation – Suspect (Punch)
The Niger State Police Command, on Sunday, arrested a 39-year-old man, Farida Banti, of Hungu village in theMariga Local Government Area of the state, for alleged murder. The suspect was said to have killed his wife, Hajo, also known as Maijari, with a cutlass over their frequent misunderstanding. Northern City News gathered that the suspect had earlier sent his wife to her parent’s house “to learn manners.” After some time, it was learnt that the suspect demanded that Hajo should return to his home, but she allegedly refused to return. Read more
Dealer in animal skin allegedly defrauds Chinese of N10m (Punch)
For allegedly defrauding a China national, Feng Zhu, of N10m on the pretext of supplying him with donkey skin, Ifeanyichukwu Philips, who claimed to be a dealer in animal skin, has been arraigned by the police before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court. Philips, who was arrested by the officers of the General Investigation Department of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, was arraigned on Friday on three counts of obtaining under false pretences, fraudulent conversion and stealing. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Read more