No nation can tackle climate change alone, says Buhari (Nation)
The United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP24) kicked off yesterday in Katowice, Poland, with a conclusion by President Muhammadu Buhari that no nation can confront climate change alone. He urged UN-member countries to rededicate themselves to the task of rebuilding and restoring a healthy environment for future generations. His call came as the World Bank announced plans to double its investments in the fight against climate change. It announced $200 billion to tackle the menace. In his welcoming remarks, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda told delegates that the location where a coal mine was once operated was specifically picked for the conference. Read more
Boko Haram: Fed Govt orders Buratai back to war theatre (Nation)
Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai is to return to the Northeast where he will stay until Boko Haram insurgents are crushed, the Federal Government ordered yesterday. It also asked Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin and Gen. Buratai to effect changes in operational commands of major operations in the country, especially operations Lafiya Dole in the Northeast, Operation Delta in the Niger Delta, Operation Sharan Daji in Zamfara and Katsina states and Operation Awatse in Southwest. This development is coming on the heels of the attacks on troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Northeast, the latest of which is the attack on the troops of 157 Battalion stationed in Melete, northern Borno in which 23 soldiers died. Read more
Buhari charges varsities to embrace FG’s entrepreneurial education policy (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged tertiary institutions in the country to key into the entrepreneurial and technology education policy of the Federal Government. He also charged the tertiary institutions to intensify efforts on the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals for economic growth and national development. The President said this during the combined 29th and 30th convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology, Akure , Ondo State. Read more
Anti-cult war sparks panic in Benue town (Nation)
Haircut anyone? You don’t seem to have a choice on this in Gboko, Benue State, if you are wearing an afro (the once fashionable wig-like, curly hair shaped into a smooth round ball that men wear); you automatically qualify for a cut – by force. Youths in Gboko have declared war on those wearing afro hair styles and low-waist jeans, who, they suspect belong to cult groups. They drag them to the market square. Read more
I’ll work against Ogun APC gov candidate, says Amosun (Punch)
The Ogun State Governor and the All Progressives Congress’ candidate for the Ogun Central Senatorial District, Ibikunle Amosun, on Monday said he would work against the governorship candidate of the APC, Dapo Abiodun, in the 2019 governorship poll. Amosun said this while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting of the APC which was attended by his preferred governorship candidate and the candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Adekunle Akinlade, at the Presidential Villa in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. As Amosun was addressing his supporters, a former state governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, at another venue described those against Abiodun’s candidacy as “disappointed” party members. Read more
Trump pays respects as Bush lies in state (BBC)
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have paid their respects to President George HW Bush as he lies in state at the US Capitol. Mr Trump made a brief visit to the rotunda, where the public can visit the coffin until the funeral on Wednesday. Mr Trump has in the past clashed with the Bush family but will attend the funeral service. Mr Bush, who died on Friday aged 94, will later be buried at his Texas home alongside his wife, Barbara. Read more
‘Death threats’ halt France protest summit (BBC)
Protesters from France’s “gilet jaunes” (yellow vests) movement have pulled out of a meeting with PM Edouard Philippe scheduled for Tuesday. Some members of the group said they had received death threats from hardline protesters warning them not to enter into negotiations with the government. The “yellow vests” have been protesting about a controversial fuel tax since mid-November. But the protests now reflect more widespread anger at the government. Three people have died since the unrest began and the resulting violence and vandalism – notably when statues were smashed at the Arc de Triomphe last Saturday – have been widely condemned. Read more
Police arrest popular musician Small Doctor (Nation)
The police in Lagos have arrested popular musician Adekunle Temitope aka Small Doctor and three of his band members for alleged illegal possession of firearms. They were nabbed around Oshodi after threatening to shoot traffic policemen, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said yesterday. The commissioner, said to have paraded the suspects before few reporters who were at the command headquarters, frowned at the artiste’s conduct. He said he had a pending case at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos. Read more
Nigeria Scrabble team deserves presidential reception, says NSF (Guardian)
The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), has pleaded with the federal government to honour the scrabble contingent that came out victorious at the just concluded 2018 Africa Scrabble Championship at the Resort centre, Kiriyangi, Kenya. President of Scrabble Federation, Suleiman Gora, who spoke on the victory recorded by Moses Peter at the Africa Scrabble Championship, stated that the feat by the Nigerian in winning the individual trophy had given Nigeria a good image in the international scene. The team won the title in Kenya at the weekend. He noted that honouring the scrabble team would go a long way in spurring the players to winning more laurels for the country in international engagements. Read more
Team Delta storms Abuja, construction work ongoing at National Stadium (Guardian)
Defending champions of the National Sports Festival, Team Delta, is expected to hit the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, today with a large contingent of over 800 athletes and officials. The team will leave Asaba this morning in a convoy of about 13 marcopolo buses and other cars for the Games, which will begin on Thursday. Since the return to democracy in 1999, Team Delta had dominated the National Sports Festival, winning it at Bauchi 2000, Abuja 2004 and Gateway 2006 under the Chief James Ibori’s administration, as well as Kada 2009 and Eko 2012 under Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s regime. Read more
Reward Falcons with national awards, cash, fans urge FG (Punch)
Some football fans in Lagos have said the Super Falcons deserve national awards for winning the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations for the ninth time in Ghana on Saturday. Nigeria laboured to their ninth African crown after beating South Africa 4-3 on penalties at the Accra Sports Stadium following a goalless 90 minutes and extra time. The record champions returned to the country on Sunday to a heroic welcome from the Nigeria Football Federation and the Presidency. Read more
Modric ends Ronaldo-Messi hold on Ballon d’Or (Nation)
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has ended the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi stranglehold on the Ballon d’Or. Modric, who led Real to their third consecutive Champions League and reached the World Cup final with Croatia this summer, capped off a memorable 2018 by winning European football’s oldest individual prize in a ceremony on Monday. Modric, 33, finished ahead of Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann for the prize, leaving Messi, who was fifth, outside the top three for the first time since 2006. Kylian Mbappe finished fourth to round out the top five. Read more
DJ sorry for Hegerberg ‘twerk’ question (BBC)
DJ Martin Solveig apologised to Women’s Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg for asking her after she collected her award if she knew “how to twerk”. The Frenchman, 42, said Lyon and Norway forward Hegerberg – who answered “no” – had told him after the ceremony she “understood it was a joke”. Hegerberg told BBC Sport she “didn’t consider it sexual harassment”. The 23-year-old was named the inaugural winner of the award, which recognises the world’s best player, in Paris. Read more
Ogun butcher beats wife to death for being rude (Punch)
A butcher in Abosule, Agbado, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Sina Kasali, is in police custody for allegedly killing his wife, Sherifat Kasali. Sina reportedly beat the 26-year-old nursing mother to death on Saturday after a disagreement ensued between them. PUNCH Metro gathered that Sherifat had accused her husband of peeping into the private parts of a neighbour, who is said to be a commercial sex worker. Read more
Uniformed men beat up man, wife, daughter in Yaba (Nation)
Uniformed men yesterday at Iwaya in Yaba, Lagos Mainland, allegedly beat up a couple and their daughter. The Nation learnt that the uniformed beat up Taiwo John, his wife, Omonike and their daughter because he allegedly blocked their path. It was gathered that about 30 uniformed men invaded the community over land dispute. They had no name tags on their uniforms. The land dispute, sources said, was still in court. Read more
Mob set building ablaze over artisan’s death (Guardian)
A building that served as a bar along the Upper Sokponba road, Benin City, Edo State, has been set ablaze by a mob over the death of an artisan simply identified as Elvis.Elvis had been engaged to do some work at the bar when he was electrocuted. According to eyewitnesses, Elvis climbed the ceiling to fix something when somebody switched on the generating set and he was electrocuted. He was pronounced dead at the hospital where he was rushed to. A relative of the deceased who pleaded anonymity said the building was set ablaze because youths in the area suspected the death was not ordinary. Edo State police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments. Read more
Four ‘exhume landlord’s body after selling his property’ (Nation)
Four persons, including a woman, yesterday appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly exhuming their landlord’s body and selling his property. They are Jimoh Abisile, 52; Gbade Bakare, 56; Isaiah Bakare, 45 and Silifatu Abisile, 60. They are facing a-five-count charge of conspiracy, kidnapping, breach of the peace, forgery and false assumption of authority. Prosecutor Williams Ologun said the accused committed the offence on November 1, at Ishola Daniel Street, Oshodi, Lagos. Read more