Lagos residents exhume relatives’ corpses for rail project (Punch)
Residents of Agege area of Lagos State have started exhuming their relatives buried inside some of the buildings being demolished to give way for the construction of a railway station in the area. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the company handling the project paid the owners of the demolished buildings. Some of the corpses were said to have been buried inside the affected houses over 30 years ago but their relatives had to dig out the remains and rebury them elsewhere. Read more
Atiku’s endorsement: Nwodo alleges Obiano called him an idiot (Punch)
The endorsement of presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, by Igbo highest decision making body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has set Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State against the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo. Nwodo alleged that Obiano, who had vowed to deliver Anambra’s votes to President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election, called him an idiot in a phone call. Nwodo, who recounted the shocking encounter of the incident, made through a phone call from the governor, which is circulating in the social media, said he had decided to go public over the matter “so that Igbo would know who is idiot among both of us.” Read more
Life ban, jail terms’ll deter vote buyers, says Igini (Punch)
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini, has said vote buying undermines the sanctity of the ballot and legitimacy of the electoral processes. Igini, who spoke against the backdrop of concerns being raised over vote buying ahead of the February and March general elections, said the only way out of the menace was to commence the prosecution of all those found culpable. In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, he said despite the non-signing of the amended Electoral Act into law, the Independent National Electoral Commission had been constitutionally empowered to conduct credible elections. Read more
Food crisis rocks Jalingo IDP camp (Punch)
Food crisis has rocked the Internally Displaced Persons Camp located in Negatavah Government Primary and Secondary School in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. The IDPs, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt, now go from house to house to beg for food. Our correspondent, who visited the camp on Saturday, reported that the children looked malnourished as some mothers have resorted to menial jobs and begging to get food for their children. An IDP, Mrs Yarda Musa, who lamented the hardships facing them, said lack of food and medicals were the main problems. Read more
Canadian PM sacks envoy to China (BBC)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has fired Canada’s ambassador to China, John McCallum. It follows controversial comments Mr McCallum made about an extradition case involving a senior executive from the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Mr Trudeau said in a statement he had asked John McCallum to step down, but did not offer a reason. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, at the request of the US, angered China and soured Canada’s relations with Beijing. Read more
Five dead in Louisiana shootings (BBC)
Police in the US state of Louisiana are searching for a gunman suspected of killing five people, including his parents, in two separate but related shootings. The shootings happened in the parishes of Ascension and Livingston, south of the state capital of Baton Rouge. Authorities say 21-year-old Dakota Theriot fled in a stolen gray and silver Dodge Ram pick-up truck. Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said the man was “armed and dangerous”. Read more
Copyright infringement: Tiwa ignored me when I reached out, says Danny Young (Punch)
Singer, Ajibola Olumuyiwa Danladi, aka Danny Young, is presently at war with Tiwa Savage over copyright infringement. Recall that Tiwa had released a single titled, One, late last year. Shortly after, Danny Young alleged on his Instagram page that she took a line off his 2009 single, Oju ti Won. But Tiwa Savage refused to comment and went ahead to release the visuals of the song. However, it seems that Danny Young has taken the case to YouTube. Presently, Tiwa Savage’s video has been taken off the video sharing platform. Read more
Hudson-Odoi hands in transfer request (BBC)
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has handed in a transfer request as he seeks a move away from Stamford Bridge in order to get more playing time. The 18-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game at Chelsea and has been the subject of a £35m bid from Bayern Munich. Chelsea have been in talks with Hudson-Odoi, who has 18 months left on his contract, and want him to stay. But he has only made five Chelsea starts and 14 appearances overall. Read more
Police arrest three for attacking man, raping wife (Punch)
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested three members of a syndicate group of cattle rustlers, kidnappers and armed robbers, who robbed a man identified as Yahaya Sani and raped his wife. The arrested suspects are Sule Bello (30), Iliya Bello (22) and Murnai Bello (40). The state Police Commissioner, Muhammed Wakili, confirmed the development at the command’s headquarters in Katsina on Friday. He paraded the trio alongside other suspects accused of various crimes. Read more