Lagos taskforce to auction 88 vehicles for violating traffic law (Guardian)
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit known as Taskforce said it has obtained a court order for a public auction of 88 one-way vehicles forfeited by Lagos State Mobile Court.
Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye disclosed that the vehicles to be auctioned by the government were impounded by the enforcement team of the Agency for driving against traffic laws at different parts of the state.
“They were all arraigned and forfeited by court in line with Part (3) item (27) of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reformed Law of 2018,” Jejeloye said. Read more
Lagos to suspend morning assembly, sports activities in schools (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has said it will suspend some of the regular activities in schools in the state as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
This was said by the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, during a visit to some schools in the state to sensitise them on COVID-19.
Adefisayo who spoke to newsmen said activities like morning assembly and sports will be suspended for now.
She said, “There are some routines that will ensure that we are able to keep children away from each other. For one, no sports day, which is a pity because school is all about relationship. No assembly so that we don’t all come into one place.” Read more
Death of 22-year-old tech entrepreneur ‘brings back’ #EndSARS (Guardian)
Tributes have been pouring in for David Ntekim-Rex, a 22-year-old tech entrepreneur in Lagos who was shot dead by robbers in Jibowu axis of Yaba area.
Co-founder of an immigration tech firm Tunde Omotoye said David was recently employed to head a unit of his company before his death.
“This is so sad and I am actually speechless,” Omotoye tweeted. “I got introduced to David just on Tuesday. He joined a startup team I belong to as Head, Product Design.
“The system has indeed failed David. It has failed him & his family totally. I pray his family finds the strength for this loss.” Read more
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction nears completion, says FG (Punch)
The ongoing rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan dual carriage way has reached an appreciable level of completion, the Federal Government said on Sunday.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to completing the project on schedule, adding that the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworpnshoki Expressway project would be completed by the end of 2021.
The Director, Highways Construction and Rehabilitation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Funsho Adebiyi, said these during a visit to the project to assess the progress of work on the road.
He was quoted in a statement issued in Abuja by the spokesperson of the ministry, Boade Akinola, as saying, “We are satisfied with the quality of work going on and we are working to increase the pace of the work. Read more
Director demoted by Magu emerges head of EFCC Academy (Punch)
A Director with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ayo Olowonihi, has been appointed as the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, the EFCC has said.
Olowonihi, who was on Grade Level 17 was suspended by the then acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, in 2015 and then demoted to Grade 16 by Magu in 2017.
The aggrieved director subsequently instituted a case against the EFCC before the National Industrial Court. Read more
NDLEA intercepts largest haul of cocaine in Abuja (DailyTrust)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Command, Abuja, has intercepted 21.9 kilograms of Cocaine.
Spokesman of the agency, Jonah Achema, said on Tuesday in Abuja that the illicit substance concealed in two suite cases is the largest single seizure by the Command.
‘Over 8,000 passengers access e-ticket for Abuja-Kaduna rail route’
According to him, the two unaccompanied and unclaimed suit cases were discovered after the arrival of Ethiopian Airline, ET 910 in Abuja from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“During the inward clearance of the flight, the vigilant officers of the Command became suspicious upon noticing that the two brief cases were abandoned on the conveyor belt without any of the passengers claiming them. Read more
UNILORIN researchers recommend pineapple in COVID-19 management (Guardian)
A team of researchers at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have established the capacity of Bromelain derivable from pineapple fruits in the management of COVID-19 cases.
According to the University of Ilorin Bulletin issued on Monday, the discovery is in conjunction with Prof. Bamidele Owoeye, the Head, Department of Physiology, and Mr Ahmed Bakare, a Ph.D. candidate at the university.
The publication is entitled: “Bromelain reduced Pro-Inflammatory Mediators as A Common Pathway that Mediate Antinociceptive and Anti-anxiety Effects in Sciatic Nerve Litigated Wistar Rats.” Read more
Akeredolu orders herdsmen to vacate Ondo forest reserves (DailyTrust)
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has ordered all herdsmen to vacate the state’s forest reserve within the next seven days with effect from Monday, 18th January.
The governor made this known via his Twitter handle on Monday.
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He attributed the causes of kidnapping and other nefarious acts in the state to the activities of some bad elements ‘masquerading as herdsmen’.
“Today we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.
“These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. Read more
One in eight recovered COVID-19 patients reportedly die within 5 months (NYPost)
Almost a third of recovered COVID-19 patients end up back in the hospital within five months — and up to one in eight die of complications from the illness, according to a report.
Researchers at the UK’s Leicester University and the Office for National Statistics found that out of 47,780 people discharged from the hospital, 29.4 percent were readmitted within 140 days, the Telegraph reported.
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Of the total, 12.3 percent succumbed to the illness, it added.
Many people who suffer long-lasting effects of the coronavirus develop heart problems, diabetes and chronic liver and kidney conditions, according to the report. Read more
Aditya Singh: Man found ‘living in airport for three months’ over Covid fears (BBC)
A man too afraid to fly due to the pandemic lived undetected in a secure area of Chicago’s international airport for three months, US prosecutors say.
Aditya Singh, 36, was arrested on Saturday after airline staff asked him to produce his identification.
He pointed to a badge, but it allegedly belonged to an operations manager who reported it missing in October.
Police say Mr Singh arrived on a flight from Los Angeles to O’Hare International Airport on 19 October. Read more
Cameroon man arrested for baby trafficking gives stunning details of operation (VOA)
Cameroon police said Saturday they have opened investigations into a network of traffickers who allegedly buy babies from the central African state to sell in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some members of the network, believed to have illegally sold scores of children, were arrested Saturday in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, with babies they had bought and a mother who said she wanted to sell her unborn child because she is poor. The mother was also arrested.
Baudouin Gweha, senior official of the Gendarmerie post at Mimboman, a Yaoundé neighborhood, says he arrested 41-year-old Pierre Essola for carrying out an activity that violates human dignity.
Essola tells Cameroon police that all negotiations with potential buyers and sellers of babies are by telephone. Read more
Trapped Chinese miners’ note sparks hopes for rescue (BBC)
Rescuers say that 12 miners trapped underground after an explosion in a Chinese gold mine a week ago are still alive.
State media report the workers managed to send a note saying “don’t stop trying to reach us” to rescuers seven days after the accident.
The fate of another 10 miners missing after the explosion remains unclear.
Mining accidents in China are not uncommon and are often due to poorly enforced safety regulations. Read more
How to celebrate MLK Day all day with Morgan Freeman (NYPost)
Morgan Freeman is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. all day on social media.
The 83-year-old actor and voiceover artist has produced a series of 12 videos to commemorate the civil rights leader on #MLK Day 2021. The videos started streaming at 8 a.m. EST on Monday via Instagram, where he has 1.8 million followers.
Footage of historic moments in the civil rights movement of the ’60s, such as the march over Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, take the screen as King’s most inspiring words can be heard through Freeman’s legendary baritone narration.
“The Shawshank Redemption” actor had his own statement to make ahead of the tribute. Read more
WHO chief warns about inequity of global COVID-19 vaccine campaign (VOA)
The head of the World Health Organization is calling for greater global equity in COVID-19 vaccinations, saying rich countries need to share vaccines with poor countries.
Addressing a WHO executive board meeting in Geneva Monday, executive director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it is “not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries.”
“More than 39 million doses of vaccine have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries. Just 25 doses have been given in one lowest income country,” he said. Read more
Oborududu, Adeniyi dazzle at Baraza wrestling tourney (Punch)
Blessing Oborududu displayed sheer dominance and supremacy to clinch gold at the Baraza Champion of Champions tournament in Yenagoa on Sunday, brushing aside her opponents in emphatic fashion on a day Aminat Adeniji, Ekerekeme Agiomor, and Soso Taramau also dazzled their way to the top prize at stake in their respective weight classes.
Commonwealth champion Oborududu showed why she is ranked No. 2 in the world in the 68kg class with a ruthless 11-0 technical superiority win against 2-time African champion Hannah Reuben in her first bout, before similarly overpowering Biogos Ebi 10-0.
The 10-time African champion needed just two minutes to subdue Rachel Eke of Ondo State 12-0 via superiority to land the coveted gold medal, and afterwards, could not hide her excitement following her return to competition for the first time in almost a year. Read more
Alexander Zverev splits with Roger Federer management company Team8 (Metro)
Alexander Zverev has confirmed he has split with Roger Federer’s Team8 management company. Zverev, the world No. 7, was one of the highest-profile players on the agency’s books but his stock has fallen dramatically after a string of off-court incidents in 2020. While the German, 23, enjoyed relative success on the court, narrowly losing his first Grand Slam final to Dominic Thiem at the US Open, domestic abuse allegations from former girlfriend Olga Sharypova cast a shadow over his season. Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion from Switzerland, has been absent from the tennis tour since accusations – that included Zverev punching Sharypova in the face – were made against the German but would have faced serious questions over his company’s involvement with Zverev upon his return to professional tennis this year. Read more
Trippier’s 10-week ban confirmed by FIFA (Guardian)
Kieran Trippier’s 10-week ban for breaching betting rules has been upheld after FIFA said on Monday the suspension applies worldwide.
Trippier’s suspension from the English Football Association had been temporarily put on hold pending an appeal from Atletico Madrid, which FIFA has dismissed.
It means Trippier will be banned until February 28 and is due to miss eight La Liga fixtures, as well as Atletico’s first leg at home to Chelsea in the Champions League last 16.
“The FIFA Appeal Committee has dismissed the appeal lodged by the club Atletico Madrid in a case concerning the player Kieran Trippier,” read a FIFA statement on Monday. Read more
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hails Arsenal youngsters ahead of Newcastle clash (Metro)
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has backed Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka to have ‘fantastic careers’ and says it’s a huge boost to have Gabriel Martinelli back from injury, a player he believes can be ‘really dangerous’ in the second half of the season. Mikel Arteta came under intense pressure after a dismal start to the campaign but the Gunners are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions and the club’s youngsters have led the charge during their recent resurgence. However, there was more than a tinge of disappointment from an Arsenal perspective as Crystal Palace held them to a goalless draw at the Emirates last Thursday and Arteta’s men will hope to get back to winning ways in the Premier League this evening against Newcastle, who they beat in the FA Cup just over a week ago. Read more
Australian Open 2021: ‘No special treatment’ for tennis players in Melbourne (BBC)
Players living under strict quarantine rules after arriving for the Australian Open will get “no special treatment”, says Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.
Seventy-two players are confined to their hotel rooms in Melbourne for 14 days after positive coronavirus test results on flights bound for the event.
At least nine infected people – including one player – are in quarantine, officials say.
“The virus doesn’t treat you specially, so neither do we,” Andrews said. Read more
Chelsea plotting club-record deal to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland ahead of rivals (Metro)
Chelsea have made Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland their top summer transfer target and will try to steal a march on other European giants by offering more than his release clause. The 20-year-old has been in blistering goalscoring form ever since moving to Germany and has netted 12 goals in just 11 Bundesliga appearances this season, as well as registering two assists. Haaland is one of Europe’s outstanding young talents and is on the wishlist of a number of clubs, notably Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City. Haaland is a superstar in the making and wanted by a host of top clubs (Picture: Getty) A massive scramble to sign him was expected to happen in 18 months’ time, after the end of the 2021/22 season, when his £66.6million release clause becomes active. Read more