Lagos woman arrested for maltreating stepchildren (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has handed over a woman, Funmilayo Samson, to the police for allegedly maltreating her stepchildren on Ebuwawa Road in the Ikorodu area of the state.
Officials of the Directorate for Citizens’ Rights had on Friday rescued the children and arrested Funmilayo after a post about her alleged maltreatment of the victims went viral on social media.
In a post by the Nigerian Women Blog on Facebook, it was alleged that Funmilayo was in the habit of locking the children, aged 12, nine and three, outside the house without food and beating them, which left bruises on their bodies. Read more
Lagos task force demolishes 2,500 illegal structures in Lekki (Guardian)
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has demolished over 2,500 illegal structures at Marwa Waterside, Lekki. Chairman of the unit, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed this in a statement by the agency’s head, Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofik, yesterday.Egbeyemi said the exercise was in preparation for the construction of a coastal road that would serve as an alternative route to the Lekki-Epe Expressway. He added that the demolition would also enhance free flow of traffic on that corridor.
“Illegal business operators were served a seven-day ‘Removal Notice’ by the government to remove their property and vacate the entire area, which expired on Thursday, December 19. An additional eight-day grace was given to the illegal business owners to vacate the area after the expiration of the first removal order. Read more
My daughter was buried on church premises – LASU undergraduate’s father (Punch)
*Osun pastor, mother, son kill victim for money rituals
Pastor David Daley-Oladele, whose daughter, Favour, was gruesomely murdered allegedly by one Owolabi Adeeko; his mother, identified simply as Mrs Adeeko; and the pastor of a white garment church, Segun Philip, in the Ikoyi-Ile area of Osun State, has stated that the dismembered body of the victim was buried on the church premises.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Favour, a 400-level undergraduate of the Department of Theatre Arts, Lagos State University, after a short visit to her parents in the Mowe area of Ogun State, departed for school on December 8, 2019, but while on her way, she went to see Owolabi, said to be her boyfriend, at an undisclosed location.
Owolabi reportedly lured Favour to the Ikoyi-Ile area around Apomu and Ikire, Osun State, where he reportedly connived with his mother and Philip to kill and use the 22-year-old’s body parts for money ritual. Read more
NCEF condemns killing of Christians by ISWAP on Christmas day (Guardian)
The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has described the killing of 11 Nigerian Christians on Christmas Day by the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) as callous and unwarranted, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to dismiss all ‘repented terrorists’ absorbed into the Nigeria Army. It asked the President and army authorities to at best constitute them into Civilian Task Force if they were willing to help combat terrorism in the country, insisting that no sensible government enlists terrorists into its army.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Chairman of NCEF, Elder Solomon Asemota (SAN), the forum also urged President Buhari, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III and Islamic leaders to open up dialogue with the rest of the country to resolve the harms caused by religious intolerance in Nigeria. It noted that the timing the killing for Christmas Day meant that the insurgents deliberately desecrated the day in which Christians all over the world mark the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and the central figure of the Christian faith. Read more
Taxpayers get 30 days to obtain tax certificates (Punch)
The Federal Inland Revenue Service on Sunday announced a 30-day window for taxpayers to obtain their 2020 tax clearance certificates beginning from January 2 next year.
The Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, said this in a notice to taxpayers personally signed by him.
He said the window which would end on January 31 was created to make it easy for taxpayers to obtain the TCC.
This, he said, followed numerous complaints received from taxpayers on difficulties encountered in obtaining the TCC. Read more
Cleric cautions Nigerians against fake prophecies for 2020 (Guardian)
Pastor in charge of Gethsemane Prayer Ministries, Victory Chapel, Ibadan, Taiwo Durosaro yesterday cautioned Nigerians against falling cheap to fake prophesies flying around in the country as the year 2020 approaches. Durosaro, who expressed worries that evil minded persons were already scheming to deceive believers with fake declarations as the year ends, said, “The surest prophecies for the year are already in the Holy Bible and the additions are what you determine to achieve for yourself.
“As a child of God, you need to trust fully and obey. If you do these things, no power of hell can stop you from being fulfilled. It is surprising that we are hearing the kinds of prophecies that some people give at this time. We hear people give prophecy that Davido will divorce his wife. “When God starts talking about David Adeleke, a.k.a Davido and Whizkid to a country with more than 200 million people, it suggests that God does not have any job. Our God is not like that.” Read more
Fake military men, two others hijack petrol-laden tanker (Punch)
Men of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two suspects, Charles Obllomo and Osita Onyeka, for allegedly conniving with four suspected fake military men to hijack a petrol-laden tanker around the Mile 2 area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the truck driver, Muhammadu Mande, and his motor boy, Lawali Usman, were conveying the product to Niger State when four men, who were dressed in military uniform, accosted them and ordered them to disembark from the vehicle.
Obllomo and Onyeka then took over the truck and were driving it to an unknown destination, while the four men in military uniform ordered Mande and Usman to enter a Toyota Corolla car, which followed the petrol-laden tanker closely.
The police, however, intercepted the culprits on their way and after an exchange of gunfire with the fake military men, Obllomo and Onyeka were arrested, while their accomplices escaped. Read more
Police arrest poly student over alleged gang-rape (Vanguard)
The Ekiti State Police Command said on Sunday that a student of Crown Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, has been arrested over alleged gang-rape of two fellow students of the private institution.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Amba Asuquo, said the suspect in the company of an accomplice committed the crime on December 9.
According to him, the duo accosted the two students with dangerous weapons and forcefully took them to an abandoned building where they raped them.
The police commissioner said the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigations. Read more
Notable African deaths of 2019 (BBC)
A look back at some of the figures on the African continent who we said farewell to this year.
January
Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimbabwean musician, 66:
He came to prominence in the 1970s as one of voices of the revolution fighting white-minority rule. Affectionately known as “Tuku”, his lyrics often carried social messages about HIV/Aids and coded political commentary.
Houari Manar, Algerian singer, 37:
One of Algeria’s most popular and flamboyant singers of traditional folk music rai. He died as he was undergoing cosmetic surgery. His critics did not like the way he addressed socially sensitive topics in his lyrics, such as homosexuality. Read more
Man arrested with ‘blood all over him’ after ‘machete’ attack at rabbi’s house (Metro)
A man has been arrested after five people were stabbed at a rabbi’s home in New York City while celebrating Hanukkah, in what the city’s governor described as an act of domestic terrorism. According to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case, the suspect was arrested with ‘blood all over him’, CNN reported. Thomas Grafton, 37, was arrested while driving into New York City, after officers identified his number plate. He will face five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary, according to Police Chief Brad Weidel. Read more
Texas church shooting: Two fatally shot before gunman killed by churchgoer (BBC)
A gunman opened fire in a church in Texas, fatally shooting two parishioners before being killed by an armed member of the congregation.
The gunman stood up from a pew at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth, pulled out a shotgun and begun firing.
Police said they were still trying to determine the attacker’s motives.
White Settlement Police Chief JP Bevering praised “the heroic actions” of those who confronted the attacker. Read more
Teen ‘kills paedophile priest by ramming crucifix down his throat’ (Metro)
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of torturing and killing a priest by ramming a crucifix down his throat and suffocating him. The youth, 19, is alleged to have been abused by the Catholic priest, Roger Matassoli, as was his father before him. The religious leader, 91, had been accused of sexually assaulting at least four boys between the years 1960 and 2000 but there are fears he may have had dozens of victims. Read more
Lampard reveals frank exchange inspired Chelsea fightback (Punch)
Frank Lampard revealed a feisty half-time exchange inspired Chelsea to ruin Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s home debut with a thrilling fightback in their 2-1 win on Sunday.
Lampard was furious with Chelsea’s lethargic first half at the Emirates Stadium after they fell behind to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s early goal.
The Chelsea boss was so frustrated he changed his side’s formation in the 33rd minute, hauling off Emerson and sending on Jorginho. Read more
Osimhen, Oshoala confident ahead of CAF awards (Punch)
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen and Super Falcons captain Asisat Oshoala, have both expressed their desire to win their categories at the CAF Awards.
While Osimhen was nominated for the African Youth Player of the Year award alongside fellow Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Oshoala is in contention for the Women’s Player of the Year award alongside Cameroon’s Ajara Nchout and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana.
In separate interviews with our correspondent, both players said they were happy to be nominated for the awards.
They however said they were not under any pressure and believed the best player would emerge winner. Read more
Roma on verge of getting new owner (Vanguard)
US billionaire Dan Friedkin is poised to buy a majority stake in Italian club Roma in a deal worth up to 780 million euros ($872 million), according to several reports in Italy on Sunday.
The 54-year-old Texas-based businessman will imminently take over from a US consortium led by fellow American James Pallotta, who bought two-thirds of Roma’s shares in 2012.
Gazzetta Dello Sport and Sky Sports Italia reported that a preliminary agreement has been reached between both parties.
There was no official confirmation of the deal but Roma had in November said the club was in “preliminary talks with potential investors”. Read more
The long, hazardous road to Nigerian Premier League games (Guardian)
Football leagues all over the world thrive on a lot of travelling by teams, supporters and officials detailed to supervise the games. The bigger the number of teams and the larger the distance between the venues, the more kilometres the participants have to cover. In more advanced countries, moving from one venue to the other is not so much of a problem because there exists easy means of transportation across such countries.
Thus, teams in some parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas do not have to leave for match venues days earlier than the kick off date because they have easy means of getting to their centres. Such means of transportation as effective rail system, affordable aviation service and even smooth water transportation make it easy for teams to get to their destinations without much hassles. However, such is not the case for teams in most African countries, especially in Sub-Sahara Africa, which do not have easy means of movement. Read more
Tim Sherwood says Manchester United are favourites to beat Chelsea and Tottenham to top-four finish (Metro)
Tim Sherwood believes Manchester United should be considered favourites to secure a top-four finish ahead of Chelsea and Tottenham. United are now just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea after they sealed a 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday.
Frank Lampard’s side have the chance to restore their four-point advantage when they face Arsenal on Sunday. Tottenham, meanwhile, suffered another blow to their top-four hopes as they drew 2-2 with Norwich City on Saturday. And Sherwood feels United are in the driving seat to beat their rivals to a place in the top four. Read more
Ehwariemi grabs WBF title at GOtv Boxing Night (Punch)
Nigeria’s Onoriode “Godzilla” Ehwariemi emerged the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental heavyweight title champion on Saturday after he defeated his Argentine opponent, Ariel “Chiquito” Baracamonte, at GOtv Boxing Night 20.
Ehwariemi secured the title after his combination of vicious blows knocked out Baracamonte in the first round of their 12-round fight, which held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
Also, Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje, the national featherweight champion, won the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for the best boxer on the night and claimed the cash prize of N1m, after knocking out Olusegun “Embargo” Moses in their national featherweight challenge duel. Read more
Abia Warriors down Plateau United 3-0, Akwa edge Lobi as Dakkada hold Sunshine Stars (Guardian)
High-riding Plateau United were brought down to earth in Umuahia yesterday Abia Warriors, who beat the league leaders 3-0 Guy Keumian was the orchestrator of the win for the Abia Warriors as he scored one and set up another for Bello Lukman after Emmanuel Ugwuka’s opener in the 28th minute.
The win confirms Abia Warriors as home champions as they have not lost any game in Umuahia in their last 10 matches. Akwa United also made good use of their home advantage yesterday when they beat Lobi Stars 1-0 in Uyo. The prolific Akarandut Orok got the winning goal in the 51st minute.
After a slow start to their campaign, Rivers United are now inching their way up the ladder withy their 2-0 defeat of Adamawa United at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe the only away win of the weekend’s games. Read more
Rory McIlroy: Experience at Royal Portrush was a ‘turning point’ for world number two (BBC)
Rory McIlroy says missing the cut at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush was a “turning point in a lot of different things”.
In BBC NI’s new documentary The Open at Royal Portrush, four-time major winner McIlroy says he regards the tournament as his best experience of 2019.
The home favourite was eight-over-par after a torrid opening round in July. Read more
Tyson Fury breaks silence on his split with former coach (Metro)
Tyson Fury felt he had no option but to ditch his now former trainer Ben Davison ahead of his rematch with Deontay Wilder because he was ‘going stale’. The Gypsy King parted company with Davison, the man who had been in his corner for his last five fights, earlier this month and has called upon the services of the experienced Javan ‘Sugar’ Hill Steward. Davison was credited with playing a major role in Fury’s return from the brink. Fury battled with depression, swelled to 28st and spent two years out of the ring before making his comeback 18 months ago. Read more
Man City overcome fatigue, beat Sheffield United 2-0 (Punch)
Manchester City shrugged off a tight turnaround from defeat at Wolves to beat Sheffield United 2-0 on Sunday thanks to second half strikes from Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne.
City boss Pep Guardiola had lambasted the scheduling that saw the English champions kick-off less than 48 hours after playing the majority of Friday’s 3-2 defeat at Molineux with 10 men.
Fatigue seemed to get the better of City in the first half as the Blades enjoyed the better of the chances and had a goal ruled out after a VAR review for offside.
However, the greater individual quality at Guardiola’s disposal decided the game as De Bruyne teed up Aguero to smash into the roof of the net seven minutes after the break. Read more
Liverpool investigate alleged incident between Wolves’ Jonny and a ball boy (BBC)
Liverpool are investigating an alleged incident between Wolves defender Jonny and a ball boy during the Reds’ 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday.
The club are looking into claims he came into contact with the youngster while trying to retrieve a ball.
In a statement to Press Association, Liverpool said: “The club will follow established protocols in terms of gathering the relevant information. Read more
Sanusi predicts great turnaround for Nigerian football in 2020 (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Secretary General, Muhammed Sanusi has predicted that the country’s game would witness great transformation in 2020. He added that the poor performance of some of the national teams this year has sparked a movement that would bring great change in the country’s fortunes.
While reviewing the standard of the nation’s football in 2019, Sanusi said the Super Eagles’ performance at the 2019 Nations Cup qualifying series and the bronze medal they won in Egypt were among the major highlights that confirmed Nigeria’s status as a force to reckon with in soccer.He, however, admitted that the Super Falcons and the U-23 men’s team’s failure to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were major blows to the NFF efforts. Read more