Outrage in Ondo over missing one-year-old boy (Nation)
It is a moment of distress and anguish in Akure, Ondo state capital as one year-old Eniola Gold went missing from the children section of Sotitobire’ Miracle Centre.
It all started on November 10, 2019 when Mrs Modupe Kolawole dressed up Eniola Gold in gorgeous flowing ‘Agbada’ with cap in Yoruba traditional culture.
Gold was said to have been dropped at the creche section by his mother to be with his peers at the children service.
However, at the end of the church service, the one-year old boy could not been found. Read more
Traffic gridlock: Lagos Assembly wants road maintenance rescheduled to 11pm-5am, weekends (Nation)
Worried by the worsening traffic gridlock on Lagos roads as a result of on-going palliative work, the state House of Assembly on Friday called on contractors handling the repair works and the ministry of works to reschedule their work time outside the peak hours to avoid clogging traffic and inflicting pains on Lagosians using the roads.
The House also called on the police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to stop all check points as it was further compounding the traffic situation, and Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) to up their game and safe man hours lost on the roads.
The House further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to invest more on water and rail transportation to ease pressure on the roads. Read more
Ikorodu community laments outage months after transformer collapses (Guardian)
Resident in Rofo community, Odogunya, Ikorodu North Council Area of Lagos, are currently living in darkness as Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company is yet to respond to their plight three months after the transformer serving the area packed up.
The transformer, located in front of Jaco Block Industry in Rofo Estate, was said to have broken down since August and was eventually taken away to Ikeja in early September with a promise that it would be replaced.
However, the people have been living in darkness since then after several meetings between the residents and the electricity workers. The problem was said to be over-loading of the transformer, which has been serving the entire area since 2002. Some of the residents, who spoke with The Guardian, lamented that the long delay in fixing or replacing the transformer had made life unbearable for them. Read more
EFCC to arraign Mompha November 25 (Vanguard)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos office is to arraign Ismaila Mustapha popularly known as Mompha before a Federal High Court, Lagos on Monday, November 25, 2019.
A 14- count criminal charge bordering on money laundering has been filed and served on the suspect who is currently in the custody of the Commission.
He is to be arraigned alongside his company, Ismalob Investments Limited, the firm through which he allegedly laundered N14 billion. Read more
I won’t make the mistake of ‘third term’ -Buhari (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he would not make the mistake of attempting a third term in office.
The President spoke at the opening of the ongoing National Executive Council meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja.
Apart from age, the president said he was limited by the two terms stated in the constitution. Read more
One dies as tipper rams into tricycle, SUV in Ogun (Punch)
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, on Friday, said that one person died while three others sustained various degrees of injuries in a road accident along Idiroko Road.
Sango-Ota Area Commander of TRACE, Adekunle Ajibade, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Ota, Ogun.
Ajibade said that the accident which happened at about 9:59 a.m. on Friday, around Iyana-Iyesi on Idiroko Road, involved a tipper, a jeep and a tricycle. Read more
Grace Millane murder: Man guilty of killing backpacker in New Zealand (BBC)
A man who strangled a British backpacker and hid her body inside a suitcase has been found guilty of murder.
Grace Millane was found buried in bushland outside Auckland, New Zealand.
A jury at the city’s high court rejected claims by the 27-year-old man, who cannot be named, that she died accidentally during “rough sex”. Read more
Pope cautions Thai youth against tech pitfalls (Guardian)
Pope Francis warned against the potential pitfalls of technology and the competition for young people’s “attention” on Friday, dedicating the final full day of his Bangkok trip to engaging the next generation of Catholics.
The pontiff is on his first visit to Buddhist-majority Thailand, where just a sliver of the population is Catholic despite the religion’s long history in the country.
He has called for religious harmony and peace throughout his four-day tour, a message he will likely carry on Saturday to Japan where he will visit the sites of the world’s only nuclear attacks. Read more
Tesla’s new Cybertruck smashed during demo (BBC)
Tesla has unveiled its “Cybertruck” pickup truck, but not without an embarrassing moment on stage.
The truck’s windows were smashed during a demonstration supposed to show how hard they were to break.
Mr Musk was heard to swear before joking: “Room for improvement.”
The truck was unveiled in Hawthorne, California, where its stainless steel, angular design was greeted with cheers but also bemusement. Read more
First Saudi woman driver to race car in kingdom (Guardian)
Sliding behind the wheel of a sleek electric SUV, Reema Juffali is set to blaze a trail in male-dominated motorsports as the first Saudi woman to race in the kingdom.
Such adrenalin rushes were unimaginable for women in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom until June last year, when it overturned the world’s only ban on female motorists as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s wide-ranging liberalisation drive.
Juffali, a 27-year-old who made her motoring debut just months after the decades-old ban ended, will compete Friday and Saturday in the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, an all-electric race in Diriyah, close to the capital Riyadh.
“The ban was lifted last year and I never expected to race professionally,” said Juffali, sitting in her black-and-green Jaguar I-Pace, an electric sports utility vehicle. Read more
Antetokounmpo’s big triple-double leads Bucks over Blazers (Punch)
NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo notched a career-high 15 assists in his second triple-double of the season Thursday, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 137-129 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Antetokounmpo added 24 points and 19 rebounds and Eric Bledsoe added 30 points and the Bucks never trailed on the way to a sixth straight win.
The characteristically confident performance from Antetokounmpo wasn’t lost on Portland’s Carmelo Anthony, the 10-time All-Star playing his second game for the Trail Blazers since returning from a year-long absence from the league. Read more
Euro 2020: Scotland to host Israel in semi-final (BBC)
Scotland will face Israel in their one-off Euro 2020 play-off semi-final at Hampden on 26 March.
And if Steve Clarke’s side progress, they will be away to Norway or Serbia for a finals place five days later.
Northern Ireland will host Republic of Ireland in Belfast if both sides win their respective semi-finals at Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovakia. Read more
Klopp says Gomez ‘better than good’ after Sterling clash (Guardian)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Friday that defender Joe Gomez was “better than good” after his altercation with England teammate Raheem Sterling earlier this month.
Manchester City forward Sterling initially clashed with Reds defender Gomez towards the end of the Premier League match between the sides on November 10 at Anfield.
The pair were then involved in a fracas the following day on England duty, with Sterling later apologising at a team meeting and on social media. Read more
Solskjaer says he feels no extra pressure with Pochettino available (Guardian)
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he feels no extra pressure with highly rated Mauricio Pochettino on the market following his shock exit from Tottenham.
The Old Trafford hierarchy has been long-term admirers of the Argentine, who followed a promising stint at Southampton with an impressive reign in north London that peaked with June’s Champions League final.
Pochettino was sacked this week following a disappointing start to the season, with Solskjaer’s predecessor Jose Mourinho swiftly appointed by the north Londoners.
The United boss welcomed Mourinho’s return to the Premier League and said he was unruffled by Pochettino’s availability. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Man Utd manager ready for Jose Mourinho ‘circus’ at Tottenham (BBC)
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is prepared for the “circus” that will accompany Jose Mourinho’s return to the Premier League.
Eleven months after being sacked by United, Mourinho returns to the dugout at the London Stadium on Saturday when his new Tottenham side play West Ham.
Spurs limited access to Mourinho’s first news conference on Thursday and turned away scores of journalists. Read more
I was threatened for scoring against Barca – Azeez (Punch)
Granada midfielder, Ramon Azeez, has revealed how Barcelona fans in Lagos sent him threat messages warning him not to come to the state after scoring against the Blaugrana in the Spanish Primera Division at the Los Cármenes Stadium last September.
Azeez scored the opening goal in the second minute before an Alvaro Vallido goal from the spot in the 66th minute ensured that the Nazaríes grabbed the maximum three points despite the odds against them.
The 26-year-old said he got lots of messages from angry punters in Nigeria who lost their tickets as his goal helped Granada beat Barcelona. Read more
2019 CAF best XI: Ighalo, Iwobi, others shortlisted (Nation)
Former Nigeria international Odion Ighalo, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Francis Uzoho have been shortlisted for the 2019 CAF best XI.
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua striker Ighalo was impressive at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The former Watford forward scored five goals in the competition to win the Golden Boot award and helped the Super Eagles clinch their eighth bronze medal before his retirement.
Leicester City combative midfielder, Ndidi has been a consistent performer for both club and country, finishing as the 2018-19 Premier League top tackler. Read more
ITTF World Junior Championships: Solanke tops Africa’s seeding list (Nation)
African boys champion Nigeria has been listed among the top 16 teams that will compete at the 2019 ITTF World Junior Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from November 24 to December 1, 2019.
The eight-man team with coaches – Dotun Omoniyi and Bode Ajayi will depart Lagos aboard Qatar Airline enroute Dubai to Thailand and they are expected to arrive tomorrow before the kick off of the tournament on Sunday.
The boys’ team led by Azeez Solanke as well as the trio of Taiwo Mati, Augustine Emmanuel and Jamiu Ayanwale has been seeded 13th with Russia topping the seeding list. Read more