Lagos records 134% rise in sexual abuse, domestic violence (Punch)
The 2018 report of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team of the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State, has shown a 134 per cent increase in cases of rape, defilement and domestic violence handled by the agency compared to the previous year. A copy of the report obtained by Saturday PUNCH indicated that DSVRT handled 2,356 cases in 2018 – 1,312 higher than 1,044 cases treated in the preceding year. In the year under review, the agency recorded 1,750 domestic violence cases, 279 child abuse cases, 78 defilement cases, 44 cases of rape, 51 attempted rape cases and 154 other cases. Read more
Onnoghen to ask CCT chair to disqualify self for alleged fraud (Punch)
Barring any last-minute changes, the defence team of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, will, on Monday, ask the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from the trial. The application for recusal will be based on the fact that Umar has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for fraud and thus cannot be trusted to deliver a fair judgement. A top source said, “The CCT chairman has been acting in a way that suggests that we may not get a fair hearing. He is facing charges by the EFCC, which means his character and his ability to deliver justice is in question. Read more
Atiku: Ohaneze youths berate Nwodo, others (Nation)
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has condemned the recent endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, by the Ohaneze Ndigbo led Chief Nnia Nwodo. The Igbo youth council also said that it is dissociating itself from the said endorsement, describing it as being the position of the few people who make up the Ime Obi of Ohaneze Ndigbo. The group’s position was contained in a communiqué issued by its executive members in Umuahia, the Abia state capital over the weekend. It condemned the action and called on the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to withdraw the endorsement. Read more
Presidency orders probe of Osinbajo’s Caverton helicopter crash in Kogi (Punch)
The nation was saved from tragedy on Saturday as the helicopter, Augusta AW139, conveying Vice-President Prof Yemi Osinbajo crash-landed in Kogi State. The incident occurred in Kabba, where the VP had visited in continuation of his engagement of Nigerians on the ‘Next Level’ re-election plan of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Presidency said the accident would be investigated in line with the protocol of such incidents. Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, who spoke exclusively with SUNDAY PUNCH, disclosed that an investigation would be immediately set in motion. Read more
Thugs kill one, injure 16 at Bayelsa APC rally (Punch)
Hoodlums suspected to be hired by the opposition, on Saturday, invaded the All Progressive Congress rally in Tungbobiri community in the Sagbama Local Government Area, killing one person and injuring 16 others. The injured persons were reportedly stabbed while running away from the venue. The person shot dead was said to be an APC member. He was identified as Brave Embikoro. The rally was for the APC senatorial candidate in Bayelsa West, Captain Karimu, at Tungbobiri community near Toru-Orua, Governor Seriake Dickson’s home town. Some APC members alleged that the attack was sponsored by the PDP in retaliation of the incident which occurred during its rally in the Yenagoa Local Government Area. Read more
INEC, Kogi government planning to rig elections, says ADC (Guardian)
The Kogi State Chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it has uncovered plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led state government to rig the 2019 general elections in the state. The party also alleged it had learned that the state government gave a N250m-bribe to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, as well as other electoral officers to influence the forthcoming election in favour of APC. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, ADC’s national chairman, Ralph Okey Nwosu said the people of the state…Read more
Taraba IDPs lament, children in tears over hunger (Punch)
It was a bright Thursday morning, the sun ray beamed harshly on the Negatavah Government Day Primary and Secondary School, Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, housing about 1,500 persons displaced by the herders/farmers crisis in the Lau Local Government Area of the state. The schoolchildren were seeing rushing to the assembly ground. But Musa Yunana, a nine-year-old boy, who is among the internally displaced persons in the camp, sat helplessly on the collapsed school fence watching his age mates moving to the ground. Read more
Kogi senatorial candidates allege intimidation, threat to life (Guardian)
The Kogi State Central Senatorial candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha Akpoti has ruled out possibility of stepping down from the race, due to alleged threat and intimidation by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. Natasha, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, claimed that, at the behest of Bello, thugs unleashed deadly attack on her supporters. She urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor Bello to order, expressing concern that security agents have not done enough to stem the rising tide of politically motivated violence in the state. Read more
CAR agrees peace deal with rebel groups (BBC)
A peace deal between the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 rebel groups has been struck after talks in Sudan, officials say. The deal was announced by the UN mission in CAR, known as Minusca, and the African Union (AU), which both sponsored the talks in Khartoum. “This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its people,” said AU commissioner Smail Chergui. The government said the peace deal would be signed in Bangui soon. Details of the agreement have not been released and analysts caution that previous peace deals have all collapsed. Read more
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam refuses to quit over racism row (BBC)
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has denied he was in a racist photo that appeared in his 1984 student yearbook page after initially apologising for it. Mr Northam said he recognised that people would find this “hard to believe”. He also admitted blackening his face to impersonate singer Michael Jackson at an event in the same year. Top US Democrats have called on him to resign. But he says he will stay on. The picture showed a man in blackface and another man in Ku Klux Klan robes. Read more
US fake university: India protests after students arrested (BBC)
India has made a diplomatic protest to the US after 129 Indian students were arrested for enrolling in a fake university. The University of Farmington, advertised as based in Michigan state, was run by undercover agents from the Department of Homeland Security to expose “pay-to-stay” immigration fraud. Prosecutors say those who enrolled knew that the facility would be illegal. However, Indian officials say the students may have been duped. On Saturday, the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) issued a “demarche” to the US embassy in Delhi, expressing concern over the arrests and demanding consular access to those detained. Read more
Chukwu expects tough battle from Burkinabes (Guardian)
Getting to the group stage of CAF Confederation Cup shows that Burkina Faso’s Salitas is a tough team, Enugu Rangers’ Technical Adviser, Christian Chukwu, has said. Rangers will face the Burkinabe side today in their Group B opening game of the competition and Chukwu believes the Flying Antelopes must be at their very best to get the desired victory at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. Chukwu told The Guardian that Rangers are aware that Salitas are coming for an away win, or at least, a draw, adding, however, that they would be surprised by what the Flying Antelopes would do to them. Read more
Higuain double as Chelsea score five (BBC)
Maurizio Sarri says Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard are “suitable” to play with each other, as the pair both struck twice in Chelsea’s dominant victory over Huddersfield, which moved the Blues back into the top four. It was Higuain’s first goals since signing on loan from Juventus in the January transfer window. “Higuain is improving,” said Sarri. “He wasn’t physically at the top when he arrived, because he had a back problem and wasn’t involved, so only played a few matches. “He is a great player. Apart from the goals, he is really very suitable to play very close to Eden.” Argentina international Higuain opened the scoring in the 16th minute at Stamford Bridge. Read more
Messi scores two as Barca battle to draw (BBC)
A Lionel Messi double saw Barcelona come from 2-0 down to draw against an impressive Valencia at the Nou Camp. Kevin Gameiro struck the opener for the visitors, before Daniel Parejo doubled their lead from the penalty spot. Messi scored his first from the spot, with his second a curler from the edge of the box in the 64th minute. He suffered a knock to his right thigh soon afterwards but is expected to be fit for Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid. “I imagine that he can’t be too bad,” said Valverde. “We’ll wait to see what the doctors say, then evaluate things based on that.” Read more
Police beat me up when I sat with my sick baby at Rivers Govt House gate –Artisan (Punch)
I am from the Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. Why did you stage a sit-in in front of the Government House in Port Harcourt? I have a one-year, five months old baby, Beniah, who is very sick. He has not started walking, he just lies down. If we make him sit, he feels pains. We make sure we lay him down so that he will not be stressed. When he was born, my wife used to take him to hospital. Two months later, we took him to Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital on November 15, 2017; that was when we noticed an illness. The doctor told the nurses not to tell my wife anything. Read more