9 suspected traffic robbers arrested on New Year’s eve (Vanguard)
Lagos State Police Command Friday, said nine traffic robbers were arrested within the State on New Year’s eve.
The suspected traffic robbers were 19-year old Oluseyi Afolabi, 18-year-old Adeyemo Ayomide, 19-year-old Francis Latifa, 23-year-old Rilwan Raji, 20-year-old Ayomide Oyediran, 22-year-old Rasheed Ibrahim, 19-year-old Hamzat Abdullahi, 20-year-old Musa Gbadamosi and 32-year-old Seun Lasisi.
Items recovered included two long knives and other dangerous weapons.
The suspects were said to be arrested along Y-junction, by Old Tollgate, Ketu, at about 8 pm on New Year eve just as the operation was carried out by Police operatives attached to Ketu Division. Read more
Sanwo-Olu visits first baby of 2021 in Alimosho General Hospital (Guardian)
Mr and Mrs Onumba, parent of the 2021 baby of the year in Alimosho General Hospital. PHOTO: NAN
Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Wife of the Lagos State governor, on Friday welcomed the first baby of the year 2021 at Alimosho General Hospital, Igando Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sanwo-Olu presented gifts items to the baby and other babies during her goodwill visits to the hospital.
NAN reports that the first baby of the year, a boy weighing 4.3kilogrammes was born to the family of Mr and Mrs Onumba at 2:38 a.m. at the hospital. Read more
COVID-19: Over 4,000 Lagosians undergoing home treatment amid deadly second wave (Punch)
At least 4,176 persons infected with coronavirus in Lagos State are currently undergoing home-based treatment in the wake of the second wave infections across Nigeria, and the world at large.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed the figures on Friday via his Twitter handle, @ProfAkinAbayomi, noting that 115 cases were in isolation.
Abayomi wrote, “Total number of #COVID19 recovery in communities – 22,789; cases currently under isolation – 115; active cases under home-based care – 4,176; new #COVID19 related death – 3; total deaths – 240.” Read more
Gbajabiamila inspects own infrastructural projects in Lagos (Vanguard)
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday inspected some ongoing infrastructural projects in Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos where he represents at the National Assembly.
The inspection tour of the projects was to ascertain the quality and level of work so far done with a view to ensuring that the standard of work and time frame was met.
Some of the projects visited included the reconstruction and expansion work of Babs Animashaun road and bridge, and rehabilitation of network of seven roads at Ward F1, Surulere, comprising Nathan, Atan, Martins and Elizabeth Roads and others around Ojuelegba – Yaba axis. Read more
Sexual exploitation, forced labour top report on Lagos shelter homes (Guardian)
A Non-governmental organisation, Cleen Foundation, has stated that sexual exploitation and forced labour are the most prevalent forms of trafficking in persons and forced migration.
It added that while an estimate of one in three women experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, which is a common feature of human trafficking, this undermines the health of victims, including sexual and reproductive health consequences, from continuous abortions and sexually transmitted diseases.
This was disclosed at its public presentation of findings on the gender audit report of shelters and safe homes in Lagos, with focus on preventing forced migration and trafficking of women and girls in Nigeria to build residence and promote sustainable development. Read more
Alleged sexual molestation: Victim’s parents write Deeper Life school, demand N100m compensation (Punch)
The parents of Don Davies, the 11-year-old victim of alleged sexual molestation in Uyo campus of the Deeper Life High School in Idoro, Akwa Ibom State, have demanded N100m compensation for the torture their son was allegedly subjected to in the school.
The parents, Mr and Mrs Archibong, made the demand in a letter they addressed to the principal of the school, entitled ‘Gross child abuse, palpable molestation, serial bullying, criminal starvation, malicious oppression, and dubious maltreatment of Master Don-Davies Archibong (11 years old) by the Principal and Boarding Master, of Deeper Life Secondary School, Uyo.’
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Friday, was sent through their solicitors, Eagle-Eyes Network Chambers, and signed by David Okokon, dated December 22, 2020. Read more
NANS to intervene in tuition hike in institutions (Vanguard)
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has said it will intervene in the hike in tuition fees by some tertiary institutions in the South-West geopolitical zone.
This was contained in the New Year message by the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the body, Comrade Kappo Samuel Olawale, in Lagos on Friday. The body pledged a proactive intervention in the matter.
Recall that only recently, the management of the Lagos State University, LASU, announced a hike in the tuition fees to be paid by new intakes of the institution. It was increased from N25,000 to N67, 048 for the new intakes, while 200 level students and above would pay the old rate of N25,000 until they graduate. Read more
Life expectancy of babies born in Nigeria among lowest, says UNICEF (Guardian)
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that the average life expectancy of children born in Nigeria is expected to be at 62.8 years.
The UN agency, which put the global average of children’s life expectancy at 84 years, declared that Nigeria ranks among the lowest in the world.
A statement released yesterday in Abuja by UNICEF’s Acting Representative in Nigeria, Renu Wadhwa, said new year’s babies born in Ghana and neighbouring Niger Republic have life expectancies of 73 and 71.4 years, respectively. Read more
US Congress overrides Trump veto of $740b defence bill — a first by legislators (CBC)
Congress on Friday overrode U.S. President Donald Trump’s veto of a defence policy bill, a first by lawmakers since he took office nearly four years ago, ensuring that the measure becomes law despite his rejection.
In an extraordinary New Year’s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, dismissing Trump’s objections to the $740-billion US bill and handing him a stinging rebuke just weeks before his term ends.
Trump lashed out on Twitter, saying the Senate missed an opportunity to eliminate protections for social media platforms that he said give “unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!!” Read more
‘Cheap trick’: China rebuffs Taiwan’s latest offer for talks (AlJazeera)
China has rebuffed the latest offer of talks from Taiwan, saying the government was engaging in a “cheap trick” and provocation, claiming the island was seeking confrontation with China at every turn.
Taiwan is ready to have “meaningful dialogue under the principles of parity and dignity” with China provided Beijing is willing to put aside confrontation, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday in her New Year’s speech.
China views the self-governing democracy as its own territory, and cut off a formal talks mechanism in 2016 after Tsai was first elected, claiming she was a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence. Read more
Iran nuclear crisis: Tehran to enrich uranium to 20%, UN says (BBC)
Iran intends to start enriching uranium to 20% purity, the UN’s atomic watchdog says – its most significant breach of an international nuclear deal so far.
This remains short of the 90% required to make a nuclear bomb. But under the 2015 agreement Iran was supposed to keep enrichment below 4%.
Iran began breaching the deal after President Trump took the US out of it and re-imposed crippling sanctions.
However the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China all hope it can be revived. Read more
Rescuers recover body after Norway landslide, continue search for 9 others (CBC)
Rescuers found one body on Friday, two days after a landslide in southern Norway swept away at least nine buildings, police said, with nine people still missing.
Another 10 people were injured after Wednesday’s landslide in the residential area in the Gjerdrum municipality, about 30 kilometres northeast of the capital, Oslo.
“One person has been found. Unfortunately this person is confirmed dead,” the head of the police operation at the site, Roy Alkvist, told reporters, declining to give any details about the person. Read more
After months of COVID delays, African free trade bloc launches (AlJazeera)
African countries began officially trading under a new continent-wide free trade area on Friday, after months of delays caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.
But experts view the New Year’s Day launch as largely symbolic with full implementation of the deal expected to take years.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to bring together 1.3 billion people in a $3.4 trillion economic bloc that will be the largest free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization. Read more
Bismillah Aimaq is fifth journalist to die in Afghanistan violence (BBC)
An Afghan journalist has been shot dead in an attack by gunmen in the central province of Ghor.
Bismillah Aimaq, the editor-in-chief of a local radio station, is at least the fifth journalist to be killed in Afghanistan in the past two months.
According to Reporters without Borders, Aimaq survived at least one other attempt on his life months ago.
Afghan rights campaigners and pro-government figures have also been targeted in a new and worrying trend. Read more
Adele pictured drinking pints on a kerb with friends sums up our social lives in 2020 (Metro)
Adele may be the one of the biggest music superstars on the planet but lockdown measures meant even she had to resort to drinking on kerbs outside with her friends last year. As New Year’s Eve drew to a close, a friend of the Someone Like You singer shared their most memorable moments from 2020 and managed to find slices of happiness in an otherwise bleak year. One of those memories, posted by writer Laura Dockrill, included her enjoying a drinking session with Adele, 32, in London. Read more
Man Utd go level on points with leaders Liverpool (BBC)
Manchester United moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty saw off stubborn Aston Villa.
Fernandes drilled his 11th league goal this season – and his fifth from the spot – into the bottom corner to punish Douglas Luiz’s clip on Paul Pogba and hand United an eighth win in 10 games.
Bertrand Traore’s calm finish underneath David de Gea had deservedly drawn Villa level, cancelling out Anthony Martial’s stooping first-half header for the hosts.
But Fernandes’ penalty extended United’s hold over Villa – they have now won 32 and lost just one of the past 44 league meetings between the sides – and leaves Liverpool top only by virtue of goal difference. Read more
PSG, Man City in race to grab Messi (Guardian)
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi is now finally free to negotiate with foreign clubs with a view to a summer move. The 33-year-old looked set to leave for Manchester City before the start of the season, only for the Barca board and threat of a legal case to scupper his wishes, but will now be able to broker a switch.
It’s the big story on Spain and Marca’s striking front page on New Year’s Day is emblazoned with the headline ‘Messi is free to negotiate’, as one of the biggest transfer sagas in recent history sparks back into life.
The start of the January transfer window signals the fact that Messi’s bumper contract has just six months left to run – allowing clubs from abroad to swoop in now and seal a deal. Read more
Jose Mourninho slams ‘unprofessional’ cancellation of Tottenham’s match against Fulham (Metro)
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said the handling of his side’s late postponement against Fulham was ‘unprofessional’. The match was called off less than three hours before Wednesday’s 6pm kick-off by the Premier League after an outbreak of coronavirus in the Fulham camp. ‘I don’t want to speak too much about it,’ Mourinho said. ‘Just to say I felt unprofessional, but that is the way it was. ‘We were preparing ourselves for that match and of course we didn’t play and that is disruptive of what is a week of work. Read more
West Ham win at Everton ‘special’ for Moyes (BBC)
West Ham manager David Moyes said winning at Everton for the first time since he left the club was “special”.
Tomas Soucek’s late goal gave West Ham a 1-0 Premier League victory at Goodison Park.
“Always going back to your old clubs is special,” said Moyes, who had lost on his previous four visits to Everton following his departure in 2013 after 11 years in charge.
“I had a brilliant time here – great years – but I want to do it again at West Ham and that means going and winning at the other clubs.” Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘very excited’ to welcome new signing Amad Diallo to Manchester United (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Manchester United are close to completing a deal for Amad Diallo and says he is ‘very excited’ to welcome the teenage winger to Old Trafford. The Premier League club agreed a deal worth an initial £19million to sign Diallo from Italian club Atalanta in October. The move hinged on Diallo earning a work permit and Solskjaer believes the necessary paperwork has been passed to allow the 18-year-old to complete his move to Manchester United. Read more
Chelsea records over $44m profit despite impact of coronavirus (Vanguard)
Chelsea’s form on the pitch may have fallen away of late but the future looks rosy, according to chairman Bruce Buck, as the Premier League side posted a profit of £32.5million ($44.4 million) for the year ended June 30, 2020.
The figures reflect the impact the halt to the Premier League season in March had due to the coronavirus pandemic as overall turnover for the group fell from £446.7 million to £407.4 million.
Broadcasting and matchday revenues decreased by £17.6 million and £12.2 million respectively largely due to the suspension of the campaign. Read more