Lagos vigilante shoots passerby dead (Punch)
The police in Lagos have arrested a local security guard, Sikiru Omotayo, for allegedly shooting dead a passerby he suspected to be a thief.
Omotayo, who was said to be one of the vigilantes at Alaba International Market, reportedly shot at the victim on the suspicion that he wanted to burgle a shop.
It was learnt that the bullet hit the victim, whose identity had yet-to-be-identified, in the chest and he died on the spot.
City Round gathered that the case was reported at the Ojo Police Station by a shop owner at the electronic section of the market and Omotayo was arrested. Read more
Two die as truck collides with SUV in Lagos (DailyTrust)
A fatal accident in the early morning of Saturday has claimed the lives of two people in Lagos State. The accident occurred at the popular Otedola bridge inward the Secretariat in Alausa along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Two people were rescued and treated on spot and discharged in the incident involving an articulated truck and black Sport Utility Vehicle.
Investigation revealed that the truck, laden with several tons of granite, crashed off the crash barrier on the bridge and collided with the black coloured Lexus SUV. Read more
Fire kills 3 children in Ibadan (DailyTrust)
Three children of one Tunde and Christiana Emmanuel were in the early hours of Friday burnt to death at their residence located behind Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan.
The victims were allegedly locked in their apartment by their parents while going on night duty which prevented the children from opening the door when the inferno started.
The victims, according to an eyewitness, who gave their names as Glory, 14, Samuel, 8, and Darasimi, 3, said the inferno was already fierce and neighbours couldn’t attempt to rescue them.
Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the fire incident began few minutes to 1:00am on Friday, and also razed some of the other rooms in the eight-roomed building. Read more
Police officer aids rape suspect to escape from court (Punch)
A police inspector attached to the Elere Police Station, Lagos State, has been detained for allegedly aiding the escape of a rape suspect, Makinde Raheem, from the premises of the Ogba Magistrates’ Court.
The officer, identified only as Inspector Tina, had reportedly gone to court with Raheem on Tuesday morning without putting handcuffs in his hands.
The suspect, while reportedly walking behind Tina, took to his heels on getting to the court premises –an act the victim’s mother, Abiodun, said was premeditated.
City Round learnt that Abiodun had on December 19 reported at the station that Raheem, her neighbour in the Oko Oba area of the state, allegedly defiled her 16-year-old daughter while the girl was having a bath in one of the two bathrooms in the compound shared by all the residents. Read more
Harmattan bites harder in Kano, others, forces residents indoors (NewTelegraph)
As the harsh weather condition continues to bit harder, many residents of Kano, Jos, Yola and Birnin Kebbi have remained indoors following the intensity of the cold weather, which started on Wednesday and peaked by Thursday night.
The sudden change in the climate condition has also forced a lot of the residents in these areas to wear warm clothes in order to protect themselves from the unusual harsh weather.
Many families, according to reports, have been forced to resort to using charcoal and firewood to warm their bodies as the weather becomes colder.
The cold almost forced commercial life in these cities to a halt on Thursday as City buses, taxies and tricycle operators had to suspend operation with most of the streets in the cities deserted. Read more
Nigeria’s power supply drops by 385.65 MW (Vanguard)
The power supply has dropped from 3,993.65 megawatts, MW, to 3,608 MW, indicating a drop of 385.65 MW, because of many challenges, including inadequate gas, poor transmission infrastructure and limited distribution facilities.
In its latest report obtained by Vanguard from the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, stated: “On January 2, 2020, average energy sent out was 3,608 MW/Hour (down by 385.65 MW from the previous day). 2,026.5 MW was not generated due to unavailability of gas.”
It added: “60 MW was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure, while 2,417.1 MW was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure. The power sector lost an estimated N2, 162,000,000 (Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Two Million Naira) on January 2, 2020, due to constraints from insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure and transmission infrastructure.”
An investigation by Vanguard showed that the development has compelled the Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, to embark on loading nationwide. Read more
Family members stigmatising ex prisoners, FCT Controller laments (DailyTrust)
The Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Mustapha Illiyasu Atta, has decried the high level of stigmatisation of discharged inmates by their loved ones. Chukwuedo Humphrey, the Public Relations Officer of Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, disclosed in a statement that Controller Atta made this outcry during the graduation and certification of fifteen(15) inmates of the Dukpa Model Farm Centre, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
According to the statement, the graduating students excelled in academics and industry during the three months pilot training on computer appreciation, sewing and barbing conducted by Kingsqueen Foundation, Nigeria for inmates of custodial centres within the FCT command.
Atta added that stigmatising any inmate who has been certified by the correctional service to be of good conduct and industry is counter productive and could breed recidivism. Read more
Inside the den where LASU student was killed for rituals (Punch)
Apart from appearing isolated and scary, the nearest residential building to the church where the killing of the Lagos State University student occurred was almost 400 meters away. Our correspondent who visited the place located in a forest off Quarry Road, Ikoyi Ile, Osun State, observed that it had no signpost to direct visitors.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that many people usually visited the self-acclaimed pastor for consultation even though only him, his wife, two children and two young men working with him were said to constitute the congregation.
Entering the church premises, our correspondent was greeted with stinking stench, Sand-filled church premises and it’s gathered that police would be there on Saturday (today) to locate where the remains of the deceased were buried for evacuation. Read more
Christian Leaders optimistic of Nigeria’s future (Vanguard)
The Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leader’s Forum, Rev Simon Mutum, has expressed confidence that Nigeria would outlive her present challenges.
Mutum spoke on Saturday at the 19th annual Southern Kaduna Prayer Summit held at the Township Stadium in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The clergy stated that there was still hope for the nation contrary to perceived fears prior to the 2019 General Elections.
He said: “many people did not expect Kaduna and by extension, Nigeria to pull through with the aftermath of the general elections but God in His infinite mercies has shown His might and supremacy again’’. Read more
US-based Nigerian professors revive Zik’s West African Pilot (Vanguard)
Two United States-based professors from the School of Communication, Texas Southern University: Dr. Chris Chinweuba Ulasi and Dr. Anthony Obi Ogbo, have revived the West African Pilot News, with aims at invoking the same fighting spirit of the 1930s to give the common man a voice in surmounting political, social, and economic environment the West African sub-region and Nigeria in particular.
The first project was the Pilot Media Inc., an American-based multinational mass media corporation with focusing mostly in news, television, and film. And then the West African Pilot News also Pilot News structured as a political, community, and business-focused, English-language international news site based in Houston, Texas, United-States targeting news and events in the sub Saharan Africa with emphasis on Nigeria.
With the motto ‘The Spirit of Investigative Journalism,’ the West African Pilot News www.westafricanpilotnews.com, according to Ulasi is, “is a trusted information hub for Africa and the African diaspora in an era the news industry has been under the threat of awfully substandard news delivery under the influx of technology applications and availability of inexpensive publishing tools.” Read more
Don’t travel to Iraq, Iran, Britain warns citizens (DailyTrust)
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has warned British citizens against travel to Iraq or Iran amid heightened tension following the U.S. airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. “Given heightened tensions in the region, the (foreign office) now advise people not to travel to Iraq, with the exception of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to consider carefully whether it’s essential to travel to Iran,” Raab says. Read more
MFM FC unable to break Nasarawa United’s resistance (Vanguard)
Tony Bolus’ unbeaten record at home improved to five matches as his team MFM FC could only settle for a 0-0 draw with struggling Nasarawa United at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on New Year’s Day.
Defender Joshua Akpudge was the standout player in MFM’s defence, battling away anything that came near him and clearing off the line from Anas Yusuf’s late attempt at goal in the game.
Both goalkeepers were also impressive and had a busy day. At the other end of the pitch, MFM’s Clement Ogwu was anonymous until the second half, while Adeniji Adewole and Akanni Elijah missed good chances to score.
Searching for the final drops in the tank, there were late surges in both directions, but still the defences held out as the game ended in a deadlock. Read more
Dare, Pinnick, Kida, Musa, others set 2020 targets (DailyTrust)
According to Zig Ziglar who said “a goal properly set is halfway reached,” and this is apt in the plans of some sports administrators who have set some targets to be achieved in 2020. Today makes it the fourth day of the New Year and lot of promises, plans, aspirations, projections have been put forward in the bid to develop the Nigeria sports industry.
The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has been very keen on revolutionizing sports in Nigeria and making it a viable business.
On his Twitter handle, Nigeria’s number one sports administrator said plans were in place to build four new stadia by April/May. Read more
Monfils secures France’s first victory at new ATP Cup (NewTelegraph)
Gael Monfils secured France’s first victory at the ATP Cup, rallying from a break down in the second set and saving three breakpoints as he served for the match in a 6-3, 7-5 win over Cristian Garin.
Benoite Paire opened the Group A encounter against Chile with a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3 win over Nicolas Jarry and Monfils clinched the best-of-three match encounter ahead of the doubles on Saturday in Brisbane.
Novak Djokovic’s Serbia team takes on Kevin Anderson’s South Africans in the night match at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena.
The new 24-team men’s tournament started Friday in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth and will conclude with a final in Sydney on Jan. 12, leaving players time to fine-tune for the Australian Open in Melbourne, reports The Associated Press. Read more
Bayern to sign young Schalke keeper on free transfer (Punch)
Goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel has agreed to join Bayern Munich on a free transfer becoming he latest potential successor to Manuel Neuer, the club announced on Saturday.
The 23-year-old, who has played 17 times for Germany’s under-21 team, had refused to extend his contract at Schalke and will join the German champions at the end of the season on a five-year contract.
Neuer, who moved from Schalke in 2011, has been injury prone in recent years but the 33-year-old has started 26 games this season and remains the Bayern captain. He is reportedly about to sign a two-year contract extension.
Nuebel earned a four-match suspension in December after catching Frankfurt’s Mijat Gacinovic in the chest with a flying kick after missing the ball. Read more
Madrid looking to sign Mbappe’s 13-year-old brother Ethan (DailyTrust)
Real Madrid want to sign Kylian Mbappe’s 13-year-old brother as they prepare to table an offer for the Paris Saint-Germain star. As reported last week, the Galacticos are ready to go all out for the 21-year-old World Cup winner this summer with a £257million move. Kylian has long been linked with a switch to the Spanish capital. And both Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane and president Florentino Perez have not hidden their admiration for the French striker. Read more
Hazard to miss Spanish Super Cup with ankle injury, confirms Zidane (Vanguard)
Eden Hazard’s injury-plagued start at Real Madrid will continue this month after Zinedine Zidane said on Friday the Belgian will not play in the Spanish Super Cup next week.
Hazard suffered an ankle fracture during Madrid’s draw against Paris Saint-Germain on November 26 and was expected to be out for around four to six weeks.
But Zidane has confirmed Hazard will miss Madrid’s La Liga game against Getafe on Saturday and will not travel to Saudi Arabia, where his team face Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on Wednesday before a potential final against either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid four days later.
“He is 100 per cent out of the Super Cup,” said Zidane in a press conference. “He is not travelling, he is recovering and we hope that just after the Super Cup, little by little, we could see him with us again.” Read more
Chelsea to wear special kit for Nottingham Forest (DailyTrust)
Chelsea players donning athe special kit Chelsea will wear a specially-made anniversary kit for their FA Cup third-round clash with Nottingham Forest on Sunday to commemorate 50 years since their iconic domestic triumph. The Blues lifted the FA Cup in 1970 after defeating Leeds 2-1 in a replay, having drawn the first game at Wembley, and have paid tribute to that significant moment in their history by creating a modern replica of the same kit worn that day at Old Trafford.
The jersey, which is available to purchase for £89.95, features the same crest from 1970 while yellow pulls through in the trim on the shorts, badge, socks and even the players’ numbers – all matching the original colorway. Read more
Nani reveals Man Utd players turned up drunk for training under Ferguson (DailyTrust)
Manchester United would turn a blind eye to players attending training drunk as part of ‘a moment of relaxation’ over the New Year period, former star Nani has claimed. The four-time Premier League winner has revealed members of the squad were allowed to train while worse for wear after festive nights out and praised ex-boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s man-management during United’s ‘non-stop’ schedule.
Reflecting on the star-studded squad’s sessions, Nani told Tribuna Expresso he enjoyed ‘nights out at the right time’ and ‘never got in trouble’, adding: ‘If I had the next day off, for example, then I could have some fun…on special days like Christmas or New Year – no one in England cares about that. Read more
Newcastle held by minnows Rochdale as old stager Wilbraham lights up FA Cup (Guardian)
Newcastle’s wretched record in the FA Cup continued as 40-year-old Aaron Wilbraham gave minnows Rochdale a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s third round clash.
Magpies boss Steve Bruce had declared his determination not to lose to “bloody Rochdale” as he eyed a sustained Cup run for a club that hasn’t won the competition since 1955 and last reached the final in 1999.
But Newcastle’s FA Cup form is so bad that they have not gone beyond the fourth round for 13 years.
A succession of Newcastle managers have refused to take the competition seriously, sending out weak teams as they prioritised Premier League survival. Read more