Onibeju stool: Ruling family kicks over selection process of new king (Sun)
Tension has continued to mount in Ibeju Lekki as the succession crisis trailing the vacant Onibeju stool continues to threaten the peace of the kingdom amid allegation that some politicians are secretly working to manipulate the selection process in favour of one Rasaq Wasiliu Olassunkanmi Ogutolu, who the ruling house claimed is a stranger to them.
Members of the Onìwonlu Royal Family are also accusing the selection committee of plotting to disqualify one of those they claimed is the rightful candidates to the throne, Prince Wasiu Adeboye Adefuwa, on the grounds that he suffered a minor scar on his hand which he sustained during a fire incident and, therefore, called on the state government to intervene appropriately and douse the tension which the crisis has generated.
The royal family had in a petition to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the state House of Assembly, called on the authorities in the state to deploy the instrumentality of the law in going about the consideration, selection and installation of the 20th Oba of Ibeju Kingdom as a way of fostering peace, unity and progress of the area. Read more
Lagos APC In Search Of Lasting Peace (Independent)
All may appear to be well on the surface with the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but it is cosmetic, because the ruling party is battling with insurrection and how to bring its members under one umbrella.
Presently, there is a faction believed to be loyal to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while there is another faction pledging its loyalty to Lagos politicians domiciled in Abuja. These set of politicians popularly referred to as “Abuja Boys”, are those believed not to share in the ideology of Tinubu.
In June 2020, Tinubu took a very drastic decision, which took many APC stalwarts by surprise, when he dissolved all political groups within the APC in Lagos. In taking the decision, Tinubu dissolved the Mandate Group and the Justice Forum, the two most powerful groups within the APC.
The Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), which announced the dissolution via a communique, said the decision was taken in the best interest of the party. “There should be no factionalisation in the party, the party should be united and must remain one. What Asiwaju is saying is that there should be no more grouping at the party which is good for the party,” a GAC member had said. Read more
Lagos, UK sign MoU to improve access to energy (Nation)
As part of government efforts in improving accessibility to off-grid electricity in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British Government funded Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACETAF).
The four-year programme being implemented by Tetra Tech International Development is to be bankrolled by the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
During the signing ceremony which held recently, the governor who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Hamzat Obafemi Kadir, stated that energy improvement and access “is a key pillar of his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, emphasising that he would do all that is necessary to improve energy access of the citizens in the State.”
Responding, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, said, “The UK is proud to support the Lagos State Government’s effort to improve off grid access in Lagos State through the Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF) programme. We want to see this partnership translate to improved state electrification that will support private sector entry, attract investment and create more jobs in Lagos State.” Read more
Fulani herdsmen remove finger, shatter woman’s jaw in Ogun (Punch)
Some suspected Fulani herdsmen have reportedly shot a woman, Morenikeji Salami, while going to her site on the Oru-Awa Road in the Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The woman’s injuries were captured in a video that went viral on Saturday.
The attackers numbering about eight reportedly emerged from the bush, cut off one of her fingers and shattered her jaw with bullets.
Salami was said to have run into some herds and attempted to make a quick reverse but was caught and attacked. Read more
Soldiers burn down BIM-MASSOB secretariat in Imo (Sun)
The leader and founder of the Biafra Independent Movement/Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra ( BIM-MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has condemned the invading and burning down of his group’s secretariat in Orlu Council Area of Imo State by soldiers.
He also said that his members were not responsible for the alleged killing of security agents in the state.
Uwazuruike who called for calm over the unprovoked attack on his members by the Nigerian Army, admonished members of the pro-Biafra group to remain non-violent and not to take matters into their own hands.
Soldiers drafted from the 34 Artillery Brigade Obinze, on Friday, invaded the secretariat of the Biafra Independent movement/Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB) situated at Mgbee in Orlu area of Imo State and burnt it down.
It was learnt that the soldiers numbering about 12, came in two Hilux trucks, procured fuel from a nearby filling station, went ahead to barricade the entrance leading to the secretariat before setting the building on fire. Read more
Oyo herdsmen crisis: Makinde, IGP team, monarchs meet today (Punch)
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and traditional rulers in the state will visit Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state today to deliberate on how to restore peace to Ibarapaland.
The Deputy Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas, Oba Francis Alao, who said this in an interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday, said the meeting was organised primarily to ensure that peace returned to the area.
Violence had erupted in Igangan, Ibarapa, on Friday when a popular Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, alongside his followers, stormed the Fulani settlement in the ancient town to eject Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and herdsmen accused of perpetrating crimes ranging from kidnappings, killings, rape to invasion of farmlands with their cattle.
The monarch said a team of the state government would represent the governor while a team from the office of the IGP would stand in for Adamu, noting that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ngozi Onadeko, would be present at the meeting. Read more
Woman, 3 kids, die in Delta gas explosion (Sun)
At least four persons have been confirmed dead as a result of explosion from a gas plant in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The explosion which occurred on Friday night, was caused by a suspected leakage of gas at the Osadebey Gas Plant along the Agbor axis of the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway.
Besides the four victims, about 11 persons who suffered severe degrees of burns, are now at different hospitals where medics are battling to save their lives.
Also, several houses within the neighbourhood of the plant were razed by the raging inferno that resulted from the deafening explosion. Read more
WTO: Stiglitz, others urge Biden to back Okonjo-Iweala (ThisDay)
Former senior United States government officials have advised President Joe Biden to support Nigeria’s candidate, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as Director General.
Okonjo-Iweala, who would be the first woman to lead the WTO is a dynamic leader who has the vision to manage the Geneva-based trade body through an era of reform, ex-officials including former World Bank Chief Economist, Joseph Stiglitz and former United Nations Ambassador John Negroponte, said in a letter to Biden posted on AllAfrica.com.
But for the opposition of the United States, Okonjo-Iweala would have been announced on Wednesday as the first female and African to lead the global trade body.
In the race for the post, she had garnered the votes of 163 of the 164 members of the trade organisation, to be named the preferred candidate for the job compared to her challenger, Ms. Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea, backed by the US. By WTO regulations, the director-general should emerge by consensus. Read more
Concerns over safety of 340 Enugu students locked up by AMCON (Guardian)
Worries are being expressed over the safety of about 340 female students of Providence High School, Enugu, who, on Thursday evening, were locked up in their school premises by officials of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) in the company of over 30 riot police officers during the enforcement of a court order empowering it (AMCON) to take possession of the school facilities.
The officials had stormed the private boarding school for girls with armed policemen at about 5.30 pm on Thursday, to enforce a court order it obtained in 2016 to possess the buildings in the school premises over the failure of the original owner of the property to repay loans he obtained from banks.
They had cordoned off all entrances to the college and ordered staff and students, who were taking school certificate examinations, to vacate the premises. Apparently, to show that they meant business, they locked up all entrances to the school compound with the students trapped in their hostels and assaulted a male teacher, who allegedly prevailed on them not to fire shots in the premises, before leaving. They also left bold inscriptions, “Property took over by AMCON on court order” on the school walls. Read more
Tropical Cyclone Eloise: Several dead as storm sweeps Africa’s east coast (DW)
Tropical Cyclone Eloise has hit Mozambique, bringing rain and powerful winds of around 130 kilometers per hour. Forecasters believe it will now move toward Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
At least nine people died on Saturday after Tropical Cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique in Africa’s southeast, bringing rain and powerful winds of around 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour.
The day East Germany cut development aid to Mozambique
Cyclists and pedestrians walk on a street in Mozambique.
The victims died in the worst-hit port city of Beira, most of them killed by falling trees, authorities said.
Cars were submerged in water, walls of some low lying buildings collapsed and swathes of land were flooded in the city, posts on social media showed.
The districts of Buzi and Nhamatanda were affected by severe flooding. Read more
Scientists play down ‘more deadly variant’ claim (BBC)
Scientists say signs a new coronavirus variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a “game changer” in the UK’s response to the pandemic.
Boris Johnson has said there is “some evidence” the variant may be associated with “a higher degree of mortality”.
But the co-author of the study the PM was referring to said the variant’s deadliness remained an “open question”.
Another adviser said he was surprised Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was “not particularly strong”.
A third top medic said it was “too early” to be “absolutely clear”. Read more
Alexei Navalny’s wife among thousands arrested at anti-Kremlin protests (CBC)
Yulia Navalnaya was taking part in a protest to demand the release of her husband when she was taken into a police vehicle. 0:57
Police detained more than 2,500 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Navalny had called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent he says was applied to his underpants by state security agents in August.
The authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday’s protests, saying they were at risk from COVID-19, as well as prosecution and possible jail time for attending an unauthorized event. Read more
French aid ship rescues hundreds of migrants off Libya (DW)
The central Mediterranean route is described by the UNHCR as the most dangerous migration route in the world. More than 1,200 died last year while trying to cross the Mediterranean.
More than 350 migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast over the past two days, a European NGO said on Saturday.
They were picked up by the Ocean Viking aid ship, which is run by France-based SOS Mediterranee.
The organization said “106 people were rescued in international waters 28 nautical miles (52km) from the Libyan coast” on Friday evening. Read more
Glastonbury 2021 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic (Metro)
Glastonbury Festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic. Michael and Emily Eavis confirmed that the 2021 festival will not go ahead, saying they would be having another ‘enforced fallow year’. The iconic festival, which attracts around 200,000 revellers each year, was set to begin on June 27. An expert told Metro.co.uk that this could be a ‘watershed moment’ for the UK festival scene, as smaller festivals may follow suit. Read more
Tse Chi Lop: Alleged Asian drug lord arrested in Amsterdam (BBC)
Police in the Netherlands have arrested the alleged head of one of the world’s biggest drugs gangs, on a warrant issued by Australia.
Tse Chi Lop – a Chinese-born Canadian national – is said to be the head of The Company, which dominates a $70bn illegal drugs market across Asia.
Listed as one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, Mr Tse was detained at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
Australia will now seek his extradition to face trial there. Read more
Justin Bieber ‘not proud’ as he looks back on 2014 arrest (Metro)
Justin Bieber has looked back on his arrest in 2014 admitting he’s ‘not proud’ of where he was in his life. During a trip to Miami, the Sorry hitmaker was charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license. He was released on a $2,500 (£1,505) bond. Sharing a photo of the arrest, Bieber wrote on Instagram: ‘7 years ago today I was arrested, not my finest hour. ‘Not proud of where I was at in my life. I was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, mislead, misunderstood and angry at god.. I also wore too much leather for someone in Miami. Read more
Rivers United beat Bloemfontein Celtic 5-0 on aggregate (Guardian)
Rivers United, yesterday, defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 3-0 to qualify 5-0 on aggregate in the CAF Confederation Cup first round, second leg tie in Porto Novo, Benin Republic.
The match originally scheduled to hold on Wednesday, but was shifted after the new COVID-19 constraints did not allow Celtic to travel to Nigeria.
The DStv Premiership outfit entered the second leg trailing the Nigeria Professional Football League outfit by two goals, but they once again made wholesale changes for the encounter, as they did in the previous round.
However, River United signalled their intent early on when Godwin Aguda opened the scoring in the first half, making it 3-0 on aggregate for the hosts. Read more
Chelsea board identify Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers as possible Frank Lampard replacement (Metro)
Chelsea chiefs have identified Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers as a possible replacement for Frank Lampard if they decide to sack the struggling boss. Blues legend Lampard is fighting to save his job at Stamford Bridge after his Chelsea team slipped seven places in the Premier League in the space of six weeks. Lampard’s Chelsea went top of the table in early December but have lost five of their last eight matches to slip to eighth, five points outside of the top-four places. While Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich respects Lampard and is desperate for him to succeed, he will not stand for many more mediocre performances, particularly after he sanctioned a £200m spending spree last summer. Read more
Serie A: AC Milan stay top, Inter held, Roma win (Punch)
AC Milan held top spot in Serie A on Saturday despite falling 3-0 at home against Atalanta after nearest rivals Inter were held to a goalless draw at Udinese.
Stefano Pioli’s Milan saw their lead on second-placed Inter cut to two points but hold pole position at the half-way stage of the season for the first time since they last won the title in 2011.
“Being winter champions means nothing to me, now we have to react,” said Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“Now comes the most difficult phase. We have to think positively and get back up.” Read more
Championship: Cameroon, Guinea, Morocco and DR Congo all held to draws (BBC)
All four group leaders – Guinea, DR Congo, Morocco and hosts Cameroon – were held to draws in the second round of matches in the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Saturday’s games in Limbe in Group D started with Zambia’s 1-1 draw with Guinea.
Victor Kantabadouna had put Guinea ahead on 58 minutes, but an 87th-minute equaliser by Spencer Sautu evened things up for Zambia and left both teams tied at the top of the group on four points each.
Meanwhile a second-half Farid Mussa goal secured Tanzania a 1-0 win over Namibia – but the match will be noted more for the officials in charge than the result. Read more
Huge chance for Bayern Munich as top-four rivals all lose (DW)
Bayern Munich can open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga after RB Leipzig, Leverkusen and Dortmund all lost. Even with the Bavarians not at their best, the chasing pack is too inconsistent to challenge.
How do you define excitement? If high-quality match-ups, goals galore and shock results are what you’re after, then matchday 18 in the Bundesliga had it in spades.
After the two Borussias from Mönchengladbach and Dortmund served up a six-goal thriller on Friday night, a further 18 goals were scored in Germany’s top flight on Saturday afternoon — 14 of them in the first half alone, and six of them in Bielefeld as Eintracht Frankfurt won 5-1.
If you’re after major upsets, look no further than Mainz, who started the day joint last in the table but twice came from behind to beat title challengers RB Leipzig. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Manchester United to beat Liverpool to £55m Dayot Upamecano transfer (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants Manchester United to sign Dayot Upamecano ahead of Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports. Jurgen Klopp has identified French centre back Upamecano as a possible target as he tries to bolster his defensive options following the injury crisis at Anfield. But Klopp has all but ruled out the chances of Liverpool signing a defender during the January transfer window, leaving the door open for Solskjaer to bring Upamecano to United this month. The Red Devils were close to signing Upamecano last summer and remain interested as they look for a long-term partner for captain Harry Maguire. Read more