Mob kills man for allegedly hacking mother to death in Enugu (Punch)
The Police Command in Enugu State says it has begun an investigation into the killing of a man, who allegedly hacked his mother to death. The man was said to have been killed by an irate mob in Isiagu Ibagwa community in Igboeze South Local Government Area of the state. The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, who made this known in a statement in Enugu on Friday, said that the incident occurred at about 1:30pm on Monday. Amaraizu said, “Tragedy had allegedly struck at Isiagu Ibagwa community when a son identified as Ifesinachi Ukwueze allegedly murdered his mother identified as Beatrice Ukwueze with a cutlass over a yet to be established issue. Read more
Five killed in fire at camp for Boko Haram displaced (Guardian)
Five people were killed in a fire at a camp for those displaced by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria, an eyewitness and a humanitarian source said on Friday. The blaze broke out on Thursday at the camp housing some 7,500 internally displaced persons in the garrison town of Monguno, in Borno state. The displaced people were preparing breakfast when the fire broke out, gutting makeshift tents. “Five people were killed in the fire — three children and two women,” an aid worker with a humanitarian agency in the town told AFP. Read more
Gov Okowa sacks security aide for alleged assault on woman (Punch)
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Friday ordered the sack of Mr. Friday Eluro, a security aide who was caught on video assaulting a woman. The governor gave the directive in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, in Asaba. He also directed full investigation into the incident to ensure justice. Okowa said that the assault on the lady was unwarranted, particularly when it was committed by an appointee of government who ought to ensure that rule of law was observed in all situations. Read more
NECO releases Nov/DEC 2018 examination results (Nation)
The National Examinations Council, (NECO), has released the result of the 2018 November/December Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for external candidates. The Acting Registrar, NECO, Mr Abubakar Gana, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday. According to Gana, 59,963 candidates registered for the examination and were examined in about 28 subject areas. He noted that a total of 37,069 candidates representing 62.48 per cent got five credits and above including English, while 47,031 candidates, representing 79.27 per cent got five credits and above, including Mathematics. Read more
Only God can punish PDP – Buhari (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari again on Friday rained curses on the Peoples Democratic Party and its leaders, saying that God must punish them. The President claimed that they looted the country for 16 years and that he was on a mission to recover what he said they stole. He spoke at the State House, Abuja, when he received members of the 1,000 Support Group. Buhari said, “Large scale abuse of trust, only God can give them punishment but those we can touch, we will get them prosecuted. Read more
I didn’t resign my position as SDP chairman, says Olu Falae (Punch)
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, has denied resigning his position as the national chairman of the party. Falae, who spoke with our correspondent at his residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Friday, said he only retired front active politics but not resigning his position. He said, “I was determined to retire from active politics when I clock 80. After I clocked 80 last September, I wanted to announce my retirement but the national convention of the party was starting days ahead, and after the convention, Prof. Jerry Gana took us to court. That is why I could not announce. Read more
2019: FG directs missions to issue visas to foreign media (Nation)
The Federal Government has directed all Nigerian Missions abroad to issue visas to foreign journalists willing to cover the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, said this in a statement issued by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr George Edokpa, on Friday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2019 General Elections is scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 6. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama has directed all Nigerian Missions to issue visas expeditiously to journalists travelling to cover the forthcoming 2019 General elections… Read more
Saudi crown prince told aide he would use ‘a bullet’ on Khashoggi (Guardian)
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince told a senior aide he would go after Jamal Khashoggi “with a bullet” a year before the dissident journalist was killed inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate, the New York Times reported Thursday quoting US intelligence. US intelligence understood that Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s 33-year-old de facto ruler, was ready to kill the journalist, although he may not have literally meant to shoot him, according to the newspaper. After initially denying any knowledge of Khashoggi’s disappearance, the kingdom has acknowledged that a team killed him inside the diplomatic mission but described it as a rogue operation that did not involve the crown prince. Read more
Merkel opens new secret service HQ in Berlin (Punch)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially opened the new headquarters of the country’s foreign intelligence service, BND, in Berlin on Friday, almost 11 years after the laying of the foundation. The move to the modern headquarters in central Berlin was completed with the arrival of the school for the intelligence agencies in January and the relocation of the German foreign intelligence service from Pullach near Munich and other locations. About 4,000 of the BND’s 6,500 secret service agents are now working in the huge new building on the Chausseestrasse in the city’s Mitte district. Read more
Actor Albert Finney dies aged 82 (BBC)
Oscar-nominated British actor Albert Finney has died aged 82 after a short illness. He was a five-time Oscar nominee who began his career at the Royal Shakespeare Company before making his mark in film. His big film break came as “angry young man” Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. He went on to star in Tom Jones, as Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express, Erin Brockovich and Skyfall. A statement from a family spokesman said: “Albert Finney, aged 82, passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side. Read more
CAF Confederation Cup: Rangers intensify training for C S Sfaxien (Punch)
Rangers International FC of Enugu have opted to train twice daily for their upcoming Confederation Cup match against C S Sfaxien of Tunisia on February 13. The fixture between the Flying Antelopes and their North African opponents in Tunisia is the second match of the ongoing Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup Group B. Confirming the club’s preparedness to newsmen in Enugu on Friday, Rangers’ spokesman, Norbert Okolie, said that the club would train in the morning and evening hours. Read more
Young players die in fire at top Rio club (BBC)
A fire has engulfed a dormitory at the youth team training centre of one of Brazil’s biggest football clubs, killing 10 people. Six of the victims were young players and four were employees at Ninho de Urubu, the training ground of Flamengo football club in Rio de Janeiro, local media reported. Three teenagers were also injured, one of them seriously. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. Flamengo is one of Brazil’s biggest and best-known clubs internationally. They currently sit at second place in Brazil’s Série A table and have won the league five times. Read more
Emery vows to silence Arsenal’s critics (Guardian)
Unai Emery insists he won’t be affected by growing criticism of his Arsenal reign as the misfiring Gunners bid to get back on track at Huddersfield on Saturday. Emery’s side head to Huddersfield confident they can use the Premier League’s bottom club as a cure for travel sickness that has seen them fail to win outside the Emirates Stadium in that competition since November 25. Arsenal fans were not impressed with an insipid performance in their 3-1 loss at Manchester City last week that suggested Emery has yet to get to grips with problems he inherited from Arsene Wenger at the end of last season. Read more
Liverpool announce world record £106m net profit (BBC)
Liverpool have announced a world record profit of £106m. In their yearly financial results, the Reds made an annual pre-tax profit of £125m – up from £40m – as turnover increased in the 12 months to May 2018 by £90m to £455m, also a record. Liverpool were boosted financially by a run to the Champions League final last season, which earned an estimated £72m. They were also helped by midfielder Philippe Coutinho’s £142m transfer to Barcelona in January 2018. Leicester City had held the record for net (post-tax) profit of £80m in 2016-17 (£92m pre-tax) after reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2017. Read more
Police nab teenager with gun in Anambra (Nation)
A 19-year old girl, Chika Chukwu has been arrested for alleged possession of firearms in Amahusa quarters Nnewi, Anambra state. The suspect, of Okpunoegbu Nnewi was found with a pump action gun loaded with four live cartridges and one expanded cartridge. The Nation gathered that the suspect concealed the gun inside a bag containing mopping stick to avoid being noticed. Confirming the arrest, the state Police Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, said the suspect was nabbed by Police detectives in conjunction with local vigilante. Read more