Overhead bridges: 36 persons arrested for crossing expressway in Lagos (Guardian)
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) said it has arrested 36 persons for allegedly crossing the highways indiscriminately.
The Corps Marshal of the Agency, Mrs Gbemisola Akinpelu, a retired Commissioner of Police stated this in a statement signed by Mr Adebayo Kehinde, head of Public Affairs Unit of the agency.
Akinpelu said that, apart from the suspects risking their lives and that of motorists, they also impede the free flow of vehicular movement in the State, while crossing major highways where overhead bridges were erected for usage.
‘’The Agency is geared toward attaining total compliance on road crossing and use of pedestrian bridges in line with the mandate of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the enforcement and prosecution of the offenders. Read more
Housewife arraigned for alleged assault on house help (Nation)
The police have arraigned a housewife, Mrs Esther Ijeoma Amechi who inflicted various degrees of injuries on her house help, Joy Kanu, before an Ogba Magistrate Court, Lagos.
Joy Kanu, 43, is a mother of nine, two sets of twins and a triplet. Esther was arraigned over the weekend on a one count charge of assault before Magistrate Mr. O. D. Njoku.
The charge, according to Police Prosecutor, Mishozunnu Samuel, stated: “That you, Esther Ijeoma Amechi, on 19/01/2020 at 23, Simach Street, Agric Ojo, Lagos, did unlawfully assaulted one Joy Kanu by using iron rod and wood to beat her and inflicted various degree of injuries on her body with multiple fracture in her two hands and head and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 173, Criminal Law of Lagos 2015”.
Esther pleaded not guilty to the charge. Magistrate Njoku granted her bail in the sum of N50,000 and two sureties in the like sum.
He said one of the sureties must be a relation of the defendant. Magistrate Njoku also ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed. Read more
PDP wins Senate, Reps, State Assembly elections in A’Ibom (Nation)
The people s Democratic Party (PDP) has swept the Senate, House of Representatives and state Assembly supplementary elections Essien Udim which held on Saturday.
Returning officer for the Akwa Ibom Northwest rerun election, Prof. Robert Dode of the University of Uyo, announced that Senator Christopher Ekpeyong of the PDP won the election.
He said that Mr Ekpeyong polled 134, 717 votes while Sen. Godswill Akpabio of All Progressives Congress (APC), who had earlier announced his withdrawal scored 83, 820 votes in the rerun elections.
Also the returning officer of INEC for the House of representatives, Prof. Idara Akpabio of the University of Uyo has declared Mr Nsikak Ekong of the PDP as winner having polled 45, 366 votes while Mr Emmanuel Akpan of the APC scored 22, 757. Read more
Mali: Militants on motorbikes kill 15 troops, officials say (BBC)
Fifteen members of the security forces have been killed in Mali by suspected Islamist militants, officials say.
The attack came on Sunday at the Sokolo military camp in the central Segou region.
An official speaking to AFP news agency said the gunmen arrived on motorbikes and that all those killed were gendarmes or paramilitary police.
Militants linked to the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda often carry out attacks in Mali and the wider region. Read more
What you need to know about the 2020 Grammy Awards (Nation)
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to hold today, Sunday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Over the years, winning a Grammy has been recognised as the highlight of an artist’s career. A “Grammy winner” title is honorific. It defines an artist for life and for history.
The 62nd Grammy Awards will honour musicians recognising artists from across all genres that have had the greatest impact on the music world in the previous year-long period of eligibility.
The 62nd Grammy Awards will bring back a number of the music industry’s most celebrated stars together including 15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys and Grammy winner Ariana Grande, who skipped out of last year’s awards ceremony. Read more
Troops arrest ‘Boko Haram female recruiter’ (NewTelegraph)
Troops of the Nigerian Army on a fighting operation, have arrested a suspected female member of Boko Haram engaged in the recruitment of youth into the deadly sect.
The suspect, one Zainab Usman, who is suspected to be the wife of a logistics supplier to the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, was apprehended in the Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State.
This was as the Army said the troops also foiled a planned attack on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of the state, by suspected terrorist elements.
The Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, who made the disclosure in a statement, Sunday, further noted that attempts by terrorist elements to attack Gamboru Ngaa, a Local Government Area in the state. Read more
Palestinians threaten to quit Oslo Accords over Trump peace plan (Guardian)
Palestinian officials threatened Sunday to withdraw from key provisions of the Oslo Accords, which define relations with Israel if US President Donald Trump announces his Middle East peace plan next week.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP that the Palestine Liberation Organisation reserved the right “to withdraw from the interim agreement” if Trump unveils his plan.
The Trump initiative will turn Israel’s “temporary occupation (of Palestinian territory) into a permanent occupation”, Erekat said. Read more
India celebrates 71st Republic Day with grand parade (NewTelegraph)
The Indian government on Sunday celebrated the 71st Republic Day amid tight and adequate security measures.
The main function was organised at Rajpath in New Delhi, the national capital, where India’s military might and cultural diversity was fully displayed.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind unfurled the Indian national flag, following which the national anthem was played. In accordance with the tradition, a booming 21-gun salute was also presented to mark the beginning of the parade, reports Xinhua.
The Republic Day ceremony started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial, where he paid tributes to the Indian soldiers who died fighting for the country. Read more
China coronavirus ‘spreads before symptoms show’ (BBC)
A new coronavirus that has spread to almost 2,000 people is infectious in its incubation period – before symptoms show – making it harder to contain, Chinese officials say.
Some 56 people have died from the virus. Health minister Ma Xiaowei told reporters the ability of the virus to spread appeared to be strengthening.
Several Chinese cities have imposed significant travel restrictions.
Wuhan in Hubei, the source of the outbreak, is in effective lockdown. Read more
Paris cancels Lunar New Year parade (Guardian)
Paris, home to two of the three French people taken ill in China’s coronavirus outbreak, cancelled a Lunar New Year parade on Sunday as a “precaution”, the capital’s mayor Anne Hidalgo said.
“Yesterday, I met members of the Chinese community in Paris who themselves wished to cancel the procession” scheduled for Republique square, the mayor told reporters.
“The principle of precaution takes precedence,” she added. Read more
Boeing 777X: World’s largest twin-engine jet completes first flight (BBC)
Boeing has successfully completed the first test flight of the world’s largest twin-engined plane, the 777X.
It comes as the firm attempts to boost its image after its 737 Max plane was grounded last year following two fatal crashes that killed 346 people.
The flight took off near Seattle and lasted four hours. Two attempts were called off this week due to high winds.
Further tests are needed before the aircraft enters service with Emirates next year. Read more
Manchester City cruise into FA Cup fifth round (BBC)
Holders Manchester City continued their FA Cup defence with a dominant fourth-round victory over Fulham in which they became the first major European team to score 100 goals this season.
Any prospect of the Championship side producing an upset was effectively over after six minutes, when defender Tim Ream hauled down Gabriel Jesus in the area and was sent off.
Raheem Sterling and Jesus had missed their previous two penalties, but Ilkay Gundogan avoided making it an unwanted hat-trick when he tucked the ball into the corner from the spot. Read more
Coco Gauff, 15, crashes out in tears at Australian Open (Guardian)
Coco Gauff’s bid for history at the Australian Open ended in tears in the last 16 on Sunday as the 15-year-old crashed out in three sets to fellow American Sofia Kenin.
The 14th seed Kenin recovered from a set down to win convincingly 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-0 and Gauff left the court crying.
Kenin plays Tunisia’s unseeded Ons Jabeur after she defeated China’s Wang Qiang to become the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. Read more
Australian Open: Roger Federer reaches quarter-finals with win over Marton Fucsovics (BBC)
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and online; Live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.
Six-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer came from behind to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne with victory over Marton Fucsovics.
The Swiss, 38, beat the Hungarian 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and will play American Tennys Sandgren in the last eight.
After losing the first set, Federer breezed through the second and third, winning seven successive games. Read more
Amokachi applauds Dare on Oyo Unity Cup (Nation)
Ex Super Eagles player and former assistant coach of the Nigerian super Eagles, Daniel Amokachi, has applauded the Minister Of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare on the launch of the first ever Oyo Unity Cup, on Saturday, 25th f January,2020 in Soun Stadium, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
Speaking to newsmen, Amokachi expressed delight to be at the launch of the competition which he said will go a long way to improve football in Oyo state and the nation as a whole.
“I am honoured to be in Ogbomosho today and I am sure my colleagues are too. When the Minister was announced as the Minister Of Youth and Sports Development, we all applauded it. Going by his background and the fact that he himself is a young man, we were sure that we were in good hands. Read more
Martinez sees red as Nainggolan frustrates Inter Milan (Guardian)
Radja Nainggolan grabbed the equaliser in a 1-1 draw for Cagliari to dent the title ambitions of his parent club Inter Milan, who struggled to a third consecutive stalemate on Sunday.
Tensions reached boiling point in the San Siro as Inter’s goal scorer Lautaro Martinez was sent off in injury time for arguing with the referee.
The Argentinian risks a long suspension as he roared, kicked the ball and punched the plexiglass at the side of the pitch, after being dragged away by his teammates.
Antonio Conte’s second-placed Inter are now three points adrift of leaders Juventus, who travel to 13th-placed Napoli later on Sunday. Read more
Eniola Aluko: I’m a God-fearing rebel (Nation)
When the striker called out racism in football, it ended her international career. Eniola Aluko, who was recently named the technical director at West Ham Ladies FC, after her retirement from football, here explains why the fight (against racism) was worth it in her new memoir ‘They Don’t Teach This’.
Eniola Aluko is one of only 11 female footballers to have played more than 100 times for England. She has scored some of the Lionesses’ most memorable goals, was the first female pundit on Match Of The Day, and is a qualified lawyer, having graduated from Brunel University London with a first class in 2008. But it is as a whistle-blower that she is destined to be best remembered. And, like many whistle-blowers, she has spent the subsequent years being rubbished by those she exposed.
Now she has written a memoir. They Don’t Teach This is a fascinating examination of her multiple identities – British and Nigerian, a girl in a boy’s world, footballer and academic, a kid from an estate with upper-middle-class parents, a God-fearing rebel. Read more
Coronavirus: Fed Cup event moved from China (BBC)
A Fed Cup tennis tournament has become the latest sporting event in China to be moved or postponed because of coronavirus.
The Asia/Oceania Group I event was scheduled for the city of Dongguan from 4-8 February.
Instead it will now be played in Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan on the same dates.
Football, boxing and basketball are among the other sports to be affected.
Group B in the third round of the AFC Women’s qualification tournament for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics from 3-9 February, originally set to take place in Wuhan, the city where coronavirus broke out, has now been moved to Sydney. Read more
Phenomenal’ Liverpool too good for Man City – Guardiola (Guardian)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola conceded the Premier League title to Liverpool and believes no team in the world would be able to stay with the European champions this season.
Liverpool is well on course for a first league title in 30 years as they lead City by 16 points with a game in hand after winning 22 and drawing one of their 23 games.
City has won back-to-back titles with a combined 198 points, denying Liverpool last season despite Jurgen Klopp’s men posting 97 points – the third-highest tally in top-flight English football history. Read more
Dike Azuoma: How I switched from football to basketball (Nation)
Standing at six feet, Kano Pillars and Nigeria national team basketball player, Dike Azouma, isn’t a giant on court, but his accomplishment is very impressive. Coming from the humble Ajegunle (AJ City) sport family, Azouma has made giant impact locally, abroad and in the senior national team (D’Tigers) where he has consistently played for 12 years. He has won four titles locally and become a hero of the game in a career that traversed the north, west and mid Nigeria. Currently, he stars for Kano Pillars, one of the biggest teams in the Nigeria elite basketball league.
Azouma is profoundly proud of his AJ city roots: “I am proud of Ajegunle because it made me who I am today.
“National fame for me started from AJ City where I was spotted and called up to the national team. I was first called to play at the National Sports Festival in 2006 where I won a silver medal. Read more
Nantes pays tribute to the late Sala with special jersey (NewTelegraph)
French club Nantes will pay tribute to late Argentine player Emiliano Sala by wearing a special blue and white shirt during Sunday’s league game against Bordeaux.
Nantes, which traditionally plays in yellow and green, said Tuesday that the commemorative outfit is available for sale. All profits from the sales will be allocated to Sala’s training clubs in Argentina.
“Because he dreamed of wearing Argentina’s shirt, Nantes players will leave their usual yellow and green jersey for a white and blue tunic,” Nantes said in a statement. Read more
