#OccupyLekki: Sanwo-Olu never directed police to brutalise protesters, says commissioner (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has vowed to ensure that police officers who allegedly brutalised #OccupyLekkiTollgate protesters on Saturday are brought to book.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, stated this at a media briefing organised by the Lekki Concession Company.
The commissioner explained that Sanwo-Olu never directed the police to assault anyone, adding that the governor would not stand by and watch Lagosians being brutalised.
Omotoso said, “The governor is very unhappy with what happened on Saturday, that people were brutalized, and he has directed Police Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu to investigate the matter. Whoever is found culpable, I assure you, will not go without punishment. This is because Mr. Sanwo-Olu has said it loud and clear that he is not somebody who will abuse the rights of others. Read more
Obalende: Lagos Govt resolves NURTW, RTEAN fracas (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government has resolved the fracas between the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) over Obalende Motor Park.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some members of the NURTW and RTEAN on Feb. 11, engaged in a free-for-all over control of the park.
The Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Mr Oluwatoyin Fayinka, made this known in a statement issued by Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola, Head of Public Affairs Unit, Ministry of Transportation. Read more
Lagos consumes half of all animals produced in Nigeria (DailyTrust)
Half of all animal produced in Nigeria is consumed in Lagos alone, the state government has said.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State disclosed this at the commissioning of the new semi-mechanized abattoir for cows and goats under the Public-Private Partnership in Bariga, made known that Lagos State has about 16 abattoirs out of which eleven are owned by the state government.
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This according to him is a clear demonstration of how small SMEs can grow into big ones. He assured of his administration’s commitment to agriculture, adding that all the plans for the sector would be implemented.
The Governor while commending the facilitator of the semi-mechanised abattoir, Alhaji Olayiwola Niniola for turning a small butcher’s area into a semi-mechanized abattoir; called on more private investors to contribute to the red meat value chain in Lagos State. Read more
Erectile dysfunction? Your eye drop might be responsible! (Punch)
Vice-President, Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria and Consultant Ophthalmologist at The Eye Doctors Clinic, Dr. Abiola Oyeleye, says some glaucoma eye drops can ‘minimally increase’ the incidence of sexual dysfunction and impotence.
He, however, added that the benefits of the eye drops far outweigh the consideration of not using them.
Oyeleye spoke in reaction to a study published by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information on the correlation in severity between glaucoma and erectile dysfunction. Read more
Nollywood Actor Victor Decker found dead in his apartment (Guardian)
Nollywood actor Victor Decker, who is known for his role as the Galadima of the Kowa Emirate council, in the “Sons of the Caliphate” series, is dead. He was 72.
Decker was found dead in his apartment yesterday by his neighbours at about 5 pm.
According to Jesse Nazareth, the Mayor of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Abuja, said that the actor’s neighbours had to break down the door to his apartment before they found his lifeless decomposed body seated in his sitting room. Read more
N69.4b Debt: Jimoh Ibrahim loses bid to recover seized assets (DailyTrust)
Famous Businessman and former governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Jimoh Ibrahim, has lost attempt to recover his properties seized by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in respect to N69.4 billion debt.
Ibrahim had approached a Federal High Court in Lagos to vacate an interim order granted to AMCON to seize his properties.
However, in a ruling presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, the court held that AMCON made “full and substantial disclosure of all material facts” at the time of obtaining the orders on November 4, 2020, hence declined to vacate the interim order.
The properties seized from the business mogul included the NICON Investment Ltd building, Plot 242, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja; NICON Hotels Ltd building at Plot 557, Port-Harcourt Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, Abuja, and the building of NICON Lekki Ltd also at No. 5, Customs Street, Lagos. Read more
UNN suspends lecturer for allegedly impregnating student (Guardian)
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has suspended its lecturer recently arrested over allegations of impregnating one of his students.
The accused, a senior lecturer in the Archeology Department, was arrested by the police for allegedly impregnating a student and threaten her life.
The lecturer, Dr. Chigozie Odum, was alleged to have impregnated the female student after coercing her into sexual intercourse.
Following a petition from the family lawyer of the female student, men of the Crack Squad, Enugu State Police Command have arrested the lecturer in Nsukka from where he was moved to Enugu. Read more
Shasha: Tension eases as Makinde, Northern governors visit community (Punch)
Five days after the bloody clash between the Hausa/ Fulani residents in Shasha, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, the tension in the community has begun to ease.
This is following the town hall meeting between governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Sani Bello of Niger State, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, with the Hausa/Yoruba community in Shasha.
During the town hall meeting, which lasted about two hours, reviewed the origin of the crisis which escalated on Friday leaving casualties and destruction in its trail on both sides.
Noting that the two ethnic groups had co-existed mutually for several years without a serious face-off of this magnitude, the governors linked the crisis to a lack of understanding. Read more
Driver’s licence not for vehicle owners alone, says FRSC (Guardian)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says driver’s licence is not meant for vehicles owners alone, but for all Nigerians who are of driving age.
Mr Adebisi Olajide, the FRSC Route Commander in charge of drivers licence at the Ore Unit Command, made these clarifications on Tuesday in Ore, Ondo State.
Olajide, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), urged Nigerians who are of driving age, to ensure they go through driving schools for their driver’s licence.
He said that driver’s licence would give people access to drive vehicles when the opportunity comes without being arrested by the FRSC, police, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and other law enforcement agencies. Read more
Bitcoin value surges above $50,000 for first time (France24)
Bitcoin rose above $50,000 on Tuesday to a new record high, building on a rally fuelled by signs that the world’s biggest cryptocurrency is gaining acceptance amongst mainstream investors.
Bitcoin hit a new high of $50,602, and was last up 5% at $50,300. It has risen around 72% so far this year, with most of the gains coming after electric carmaker Tesla said it had bought $1.5 billion in bitcoin.
It also said it would accept the currency as payment.
But Tesla was only the latest in a string of large investments that have vaulted bitcoin from the fringes of finance to company balance sheets and Wall Street dealing desks, as U.S. firms and traditional money managers have started to buy a lot of it. Read more
Optimism as Cuba set to test its own Covid vaccine (BBC)
Institute of Vaccines in Havana might be considered outdated elsewhere in the world but the science taking place behind its white-washed walls is cutting edge.
Researchers are working long shifts on Cuba’s best shot to solve its coronavirus crisis: Soberana 2, the island’s domestically-produced Covid-19 vaccine.
Soberana (Spanish for “sovereign”) 2 is a conjugate vaccine – meaning an antigen is fused to a carrier molecule to bolster the vaccine’s stability and effectiveness. Read more
11 dead, millions without power as bitter winter blast, tornado strike Texas, NC (NYPost)
At least 11 people have died as an “unprecedented” winter storm continued to pummel much of the United States — while more than 4 million people have been left without power in Texas amid subfreezing temperatures.
In San Antonio, a 78-year-old man froze to death after falling on his front lawn and getting stuck in the frigid weather for two hours, KENS reported.
Also killed were a woman and a girl in Houston who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning when they sat in an attached garage while a car was running because there was no heat in their home, KHOU reported.
A man and a boy from the same family were hospitalized in the incident. Read more
French MPs to vote on ‘anti-separatism’ bill to battle Islamist radicalism (France24)
The French parliament on Tuesday votes on a bill to battle Islamist extremism, which the state argues is needed to bolster the secular system but critics say breaches religious freedom.
With an eye on 2022 elections, President Emmanuel Macron has championed the bill which seeks to tighten rules on issues ranging from religious teaching, online hate to polygamy.
It has been debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
The law is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear Islamists are creating communities that reject France’s secular identity and laws, as well as its values such as equality between the sexes.Read more
Princess Latifa: ‘Hostage’ ordeal of Dubai ruler’s daughter revealed (BBC)
The daughter of Dubai’s ruler who tried to flee the country in 2018 later sent secret video messages to friends accusing her father of holding her “hostage” as she feared for her life.
In footage shared with BBC Panorama, Princess Latifa Al Maktoum says commandos drugged her as she fled by boat and flew her back to detention.
The secret messages have stopped – and friends are urging the UN to step in.
Dubai and the UAE have previously said she is safe in the care of family. Read more
Naked Attraction contestant escorted from set after becoming a little *too* excited (Metro)
Anna Richardson has shared some behind-the-scenes intel from the set of Naked Attraction, revealing one contestant who became a little, er, too excited, if you know what we mean, and had to be escorted off set to ‘calm down’. Opening up on the programme – which sees hopefuls strip off all in the name of finding a potential date – Anna said that while ‘it’s not just about boobs and balls’, the naked part is obviously a big part of the series. In between chatters around the psychology behind the show and its mission of inclusivity and acceptance (‘It’s the least sexy thing you can see on TV’), as well as the obvious absence of pubic hair (‘where have all the pubes gone?!’), Anna was asked about the battle over the temperature control between its contestants who want to look their naked best. Read more
Pop artist Ruby Mazur creates rock’s ‘Last Supper’ (PageSix)
Pop artist Ruby Mazur — who created the Rolling Stones’ famous mouth and tongue logo for the “Tumbling Dice” single — will show off his most recent work, “Rock n Roll Last Supper,” as part of a new show at Hawaii’s Holle Fine Art Gallery this month.
The painting, which took three years to create, features 41 music icons from Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison to Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson.
New York native Mazur has been living in Maui for the past 15 years. Decades after a childhood bout with polio, we hear that he was recently diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. A source said that the artist’s daughter, actress Monet Mazur “has been very supportive of her dad, along with physical therapy and determination, as he continues to paint and create, with no intention of stopping anytime soon.” Read more
Manchester United fears grow over Paul Pogba injury (Metro)
Manchester United reportedly fear Paul Pogba is facing a longer spell on the sidelines than originally anticipated. Pogba limped off during the first-half of United’s 3-3 draw with Everton on Saturday February 6 with a thigh injury. The 27-year-old missed the FA Cup fifth round victory over West Ham United last Tuesday and Sunday’s draw with West Brom as a result. According to the Daily Mail, United are now concerned Pogba could be facing at least another fortnight out with the same thigh problem – ruling him out of Europa League games against Real Sociedad and Sunday’s clash with Newcastle United. Read more
Australian Open: Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev & meets Aslan Karatsev next (BBC)
Defending champion Novak Djokovic showed yet more mental and physical resilience to beat German sixth seed Alexander Zverev and reach the Australian Open semi-finals.
The top seed fought back to win 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in Melbourne.
The Serb will face Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev, who beat an injured Grigor Dimitrov, on Thursday.
Karatsev, ranked 114th in the world, is the first man in the Open era to reach the last four on his Grand Slam debut. Read more
Olympian Scott Miller busted as alleged kingpin of $1.6m drug syndicate (NYPost)
Former Olympic swimmer Scott Miller was in custody on Tuesday and charged with drug trafficking after Australian police seized methamphetamine valued at 2 million Australian dollars ($1.6 million) and accused him of directing a criminal syndicate.
Police arrested 45-year-old Miller and a 47-year-old man, who has not been named, on Tuesday at their Sydney homes after finding methylamphetamine concealed in eight candles in January, a police statement said.
Miller was the director of a criminal syndicate, Police Detective Superintendent John Watson alleged.
“Others, it will be alleged, are working under his instruction,” Watson said. Read more
Alaba confirms Bayern Munich exit at end of season (France24)
Defender David Alaba confirmed Tuesday he will leave Bayern Munich after 13 years at the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, but refused to name his next destination.
“I made the decision to do something new after this season and leave the club,” the 28-year-old Austrian international said in a press conference in Munich.
“That wasn’t an easy decision. I’ve been here for 13 years and the club is very close to my heart,” he said.
Alaba joined Bayern’s academy in 2008, made his Bundesliga debut in March 2010 and has so far won 26 trophies with the club. Read more
Mason Greenwood signs new Manchester United contract until 2025 (Metro)
Mason Greenwood has signed a new contract with Manchester United. The 19-year-old’s new deal will run until 2025, while United have the option to extend it for a further year. Greenwood was handed his debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nearly two years ago in the Champions League and has gone on to score 21 goals in 82 first-team appearances for United. Since making his breakthrough at United, Greenwood has also won his first senior England cap. Read more
Utah Jazz beat Philadelphia 76ers to enhance league’s best record (BBC)
The Utah Jazz beat the Philadelphia 76ers 134-123 in a battle between the NBA’s two conference leaders on Monday.
Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to score 40 points in Salt Lake City as the Jazz claimed their eighth straight win – and 19th in 20 games.
The Western Conference leaders now have an NBA-leading record of 23-5.
The Sixers (18-10) made it competitive thanks to a near-triple-double display by Ben Simmons, who had 42 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Read more
Rooney calls for Premier League to bin VAR (Guardian)
Derby County’s Wayne Rooney during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
England and Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney has urged the Premier League to get rid of the use of VAR as it is ruining the emotion of football for players and fans.
Rooney is in his first managerial job with Derby in the Championship, which does not have VAR in place due to financial restrictions.“Watching the Premier League games, some of the decisions are very frustrating through VAR and you don’t understand how they have got to that decision,” said Rooney ahead of the Rams’ trip to Wycombe on Tuesday. Read more
