NAHCO denies links with $8.6m intercepted at Lagos airport (DailyTrust)
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, (rtd), displays the intercepted foreign currencies at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday. The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC (nahco aviance) has distanced itself from the $8.6m intercepted by Customs at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. “We wish to state unequivocally that NAHCO as an organization has no connection whatsoever with this alleged act,” the ground handling firm said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. NAHCO said it has initiated contact with the Nigeria Customs Service’ hierarchy to provide it with details of this incident.
The statement read: “As a responsible corporate organisation, NAHCO will cooperate with all regulators, agencies and other stakeholders in not only finding out the truth about this unfortunate incident, but also rooting out malpractices in the sector. Read more
One dies, another injured in police, armed robber gun duel (Nation)
One suspected car snatcher was shot dead while another sustained gunshot in a gun battle between the Anambra police and a gang of robbers in Awada, Obosi, Anambra state.
The duo, members of a six-man gang had in January, waylaid and snatched at gunpoint a Toyota Venza from a female driver at Ndogo village Nise, Awka South local government area of the state.
Parading their accomplices on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, John Abang, said the suspects had on sighting the police, resisted arrest and engaged the police in a fierce gun battle.
He said a Barreta Pistol with four live ammunition and one anti-car tracking device were recovered from the suspects. Read more
World Cancer Day: Oncologist recommends massive education, healthy eating (Vanguard)
To stem the cancer scourge, an Oncologist, Dr Victor Iyida, has called for massive education on healthy lifestyle and eating habits to avert being a cancer victim.
Iyida, who works with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.
He spoke in commemoration of the `World Cancer Day’ celebrated annually on Feb. 4.
The World Cancer Day is a global advocacy day dedicated to amplify the call for action and to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. Read more
Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has not stopped issuing visa (Guardian)
The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria said on Tuesday that it had not stopped the issuance of visas to Nigerians wishing to travel to China.
The Embassy’s Press Officer, Mr Sun Sai Xiong, made this clarification in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Sun added that the Embassy had also not suspended its operation as earlier reported. Read more
Woman cuts off alleged rapist’s genitals (Punch)
A woman in Pakistan has cut off the penis of a man she accused of trying to rape her, police said on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old woman used a knife to defend herself from the assault of a man who stormed her house in the central province of Punjab, police official Mohamed Ilyas said.
The woman told police she was alone at home when the man broke in and tried to overpower her.
The woman then ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and then cut off his penis when he again tried to assault her, Ilyas said, citing the woman’s account.
The 28-year-old man was being treated at the hospital in the city of Faisalabad and will be interrogated once his condition improves, Ilyas added. Read more
New Visa policy aims at improving economy- Buhari (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2020 has been designed to attract innovation, specialized skills and knowledge to boost local capacities in the country.
President Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday during the public presentation of the NVP 2020, held at the State House, Abuja.
The President noted that the implementation of new visa policy, which has seen the expansion of application category areas from just six categories to 79 categories, help the Nigerian economy to become globally competitive.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari said “the implementation of the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 will support the attainment of a globally competitive economy for Nigeria by building on the efforts of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council”. Read more
90% of Boko Haram’s victims are Muslims — Buhari (Vanguard)
President Mohammadu Buhari Tuesday declared that 90 per cent of all Boko Haram victims in the past years have been Muslims.
The insurgents began their murderous activities in 2009 after the killing of the leader Mohammed Yusuf.
Global Terrorism Index indicates that the group since 2009, has killed tens of thousands and displaced 2.3 million.
In an article published in Speaking Out; a guest opinion column for “Christianity Today”, President Buhari said that the perception that members of the sect were always targeting Christians in Nigeria is not completely true.
The President said that the terrorists have targetted the vulnerable without discrimination.
President Buhari was reacting to the outrage that trailed the murder of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi after Boko Haram insurgents who kidnapped him rejected an N50 million ransom. Read more
Former Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi dead at 95 (Guardian)
Former Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi, who ruled the country with an iron fist between 1978 and 2002, has died aged 95, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Tuesday.
Moi’s 24-year rule saw his country become a one-party state where critical voices were crushed, corruption became endemic and tribal divisions were stoked and turned bloody.
“It is with profound sadness that I announce the death of a great man of an African state,” Kenyatta said in a statement. Read more
Coronavirus: Reps reject move to evacuate Nigerians from China (Punch)
The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a call for the evacuation of Nigerians from China as coronavirus spreads from the country to other parts of the world.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Benjamin Kalu, had moved a motion praying that Nigerians stranded in China over the health crisis be brought back to their home country.
The lawmakers, however, voted against consideration of the motion. Read more
Government of Jersey to monitor use of Abacha loot (Punch)
The Government of Jersey in the United States of America has said it would monitor how Nigeria spends the US$308 million looted by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
This was contained in a press statement published on the website of the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria on Tuesday.
The statement announced that the Government of Jersey, Nigeria and the United States of America have entered into an Asset Recovery Agreement to repatriate over US$308 million of forfeited assets to Nigeria.
The Solicitor-General and Attorney-General designate of Jersey, Mark Temple QC, who signed the Agreement on behalf of Jersey, said, “This Agreement represents the culmination of two decades of intensive work by Law Officers in Jersey, the United States, and Nigeria. Read more
Coronavirus not yet a pandemic —WHO (Punch)
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus, which has spread from China to two dozen countries, does not yet constitute a “pandemic”.
“Currently we are not in a pandemic,” Sylvie Briand, head of WHO’s Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness division, told reporters in Geneva.
Instead, she said, “we are at the phase where it is an epidemic with multiple foci.”
The disease has killed more than 425 people and infected a further 20,000 in China, nearly all of them in central Hubei province — the epicentre of the outbreak — and spread to two-dozen countries since it emerged in December.
Briand said that while there is the rapid spread of transmission in Hubei, outside the province there are mainly “spillover cases” with sporadic clusters of transmission. Read more
Osimhen targets 12th Ligue 1 goal (Punch)
Victor Osimhen will be aiming to score his 12th Ligue 1 goal of the season for Lille when they host Rennes in tonight’s Ligue 1 clash at the Pierre Mauroy stadium, reports Sports Extra.
The game will be Osimhen’s 22nd in Ligue 1 this season; the 21-year-old failed to score against Rennes in the reverse fixture on August 22, 2019.
The Nigeria international has averaged a goal in every 160 minutes this season for Lille and he has notched up 16 goals in 32 games so far this term.
Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have renewed a bid to sign the coveted striker in June with Lille prepared to part company with Osimhen for €35m. Read more
Mikel Obi racially abused after Trabzonspor win over Fenerbahce (Guardian)
Former Nigeria Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi was racially abused at the weekend after Trabzonspor win over Fenerbahce on Saturday.
The Nigeria international, 32, was targeted on social media after a 2-1 victory that moved Trabzonspor above their opponents into third place.
Trabzonspor said they have filed “criminal complaints” against those responsible for the abuse.
“Racism is a shelter for [the] helpless and ignorant,” Trabzonspor said in a statement on Twitter. Read more
Onyekuru happy with Gala debut (Punch)
Super Eagles forward, Henry Onyekuru, is beaming with excitement after helping Galatasaray to a 4-1 win over Kayserispor in a Turkish Super Lig game on Sunday on his return to the Turk Telkom Stadium.
Onyekuru missed Galatasaray’s first four games in the second half of the season since rejoining the club on loan from Monaco due to an illness he contracted during his holiday in Nigeria.
But on Sunday, the 22-year-old came on for Omer Bayram in the 83rd minute and made an instant impact, providing an assist for Sofiane Feghouli’s goal in the 94th minute of the encounter.
Reacting to the game, the 22-year-old thanked the fans for accepting him on his return. Read more
Buhari appoints Amokachi Nigeria’s Football Ambassador (Tribune)
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed former Super Eagles attacker and Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi, Nigeria’s Football Ambassador.
A statement issued by Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) in Abuja on Tuesday explained that as Nigeria’s Football Ambassador – a largely ceremonial role – Amokachi will assist the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to scout for talents, be part of processes to revive the country’s football development, as well as mentor young sportsmen and women.
The statement recalled that Amokachi, a member of the 1994 Super Eagles Team that won the African Nations Cup in Tunisia, was also in the Nigerian Olympic Football Team to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that won the Gold Medal. Read more
VAR taking the fun out of football, Premier League fans tell survey (Guardian)
More than two-thirds of Premier League fans believe the introduction of VAR has taken the fun out of football, according to a YouGov survey.
The technology is in use for the first time in the English top-flight this season and its implementation has been met with consistent criticism.
In contrast to other Europan leagues, referees have been advised not to use pitchside monitors to review their own decisions and are instead overruled by an official watching the game at the league’s VAR hub in London. Read more
United needed Cavani not Ighalo – Nolan (Punch)
Ex-Bolton Wanderers and West Ham midfielder, Kevin Nolan, says Manchester United should have gone for the services of want-away Paris Saint-Germain striker, Edison Cavani, instead of settling for Odion Ighalo.
Ighalo joined the 20-time Premier League champions on a six-month loan deal from Chinese side, Shanghai Shenhua, on January transfer deadline day.
The move for the Nigerian have divided former footballers and fans worldwide with some stating that he is not the right man to help the Red Devils revive their stuttering season.
Nolan, who had 402 Premier League caps for Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United believes that Manchester United should have gone for a more proven striker in Cavani, who was willing to leave PSG. Read more
South Korean court orders compensation for Ronaldo no-show (Guardian)
A South Korean court ordered a local promoter Tuesday to compensate fans for Cristiano Ronaldo’s no-show at a friendly match in Seoul last year.
The Juventus star stayed on the bench throughout a 3-3 draw with a K-League all-stars team at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in July, despite rounds of appeals from a sell-out crowd of 65,000.
Match promoter The Fasta had run adverts heavily featuring the Portuguese striker.
Tickets — priced from 30,000 won ($25) to 400,000 won — sold out in less than three minutes, with many eager to see the 34-year-old superstar in action. Read more
‘Ighalo needs one month to adjust to EPL’ (Punch)
Former Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores has stated that Odion Ighalo needs up to a month before Manchester United start seeing him at his best.
United swooped for the 30-year-old on deadline day, signing him from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Flores was in charge at the Hornets in the 2015-2016 campaign, when Ighalo scored 15 goals in 37 Premier League appearances, and speaking to The Athletic he said the former Nigeria international may need time to get used to the physical demands of the Premier League again. Read more
‘NFF was my toughest test as sports minister’ (Nation)
Solomon Dalung has given a rare insight about his workings when he held sway as the minister for youth and sports development, revealing that dealing with some vexed issues surrounding Nigerian football as well as leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was tough.
Dalung tenure which ended in May 2019 after his appointment in 2015, coincided with unprecedented shenanigans between the Minister of Sports and the NFF.
Dalung told NationSport that one of the toughest decisions concerning the NFF was abiding with the Supreme Court judgement on the protracted leadership crisis between Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa. Read more
Basketball: Impressions win Total National Division One League (Vanguard)
Impressions Basketball Club of Asaba emerged winners of the Total National Division One league after defeating Reformers 85-66 points in the finals.
Both teams were unbeaten in their various conferences up until they met in the finals and the Coach Kenneth Mfon side showed their superiority with Chinedu Chimbuo putting up a Most Valuable Player display sinking 28 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists to lead his team to the title.
Another 12 points, 3 assists and 6 rebounds from Basit Akinmola also aided Impressions’ dominance. Camac from Bayelsa settled for the third-place spot after defeating City Chiefs of Abuja 81-48points.
An explosive first quarter ended 17points apiece before Camac took charge in the second and third quarters 32-11, 24-6 points before losing the last quarter 8-14 points. Read more