Pastor arrested over pipeline vandalism (DailyTrust)
A self-acclaimed pastor, Clement Oni, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism in the Isheri Osun area of Lagos. Oni’s arrest followed the recent explosion of a pipeline owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the Gloryland Estate, Isheri Olofin, along the Isheri-Igando-LASU expressway, which claimed the lives of two persons, while many others were injured. Investigation on the matter by a police team headed by the Divisional Police Officer, Ipaja Division, Tokunbo Abaniwonda, led to Oni, who claimed to be the head of a branch of a white garment church in the area, as one of the suspects engaged in siphoning fuel from a ruptured pipe in the area. Read more
Bus crushes four to death in Lagos, Ondo (Guardian)
No fewer than three persons have lost their lives in a road accident, which occurred in Erusu Akoko, in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State. It was gathered that the victims, simply identified as Mubarak, Abu and Pastor, were on a motorcycle when they were knocked down by a bus, on their way to Gedegede community.
The Ikare Akoko Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Yinka Akande, yesterday confirmed the incident, saying the accident was caused as a result of recklessness on the part of the driver of the bus, who fled the scene of the accident. He said, “This is why we have been campaigning against reckless driving and night journey.”
A source in the community said the driver of the bus fled the scene while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the mortuary of the Ondo State Specialists Hospital, Ikare Akoko. The source said, “The driver drove recklessly and didn’t put on the headlamps. He hit the three people who were on a motorcycle and ran away.” Read more
Police await forensic result, say Maersk chief responding to treatment (Guardian)
The police in Lagos State say they are relying on forensic science to perfect their investigations into the killing of the wife of the Managing Director of Maersk Nigeria, a multinational shipping firm, Gildas Tohouo.
The incident took place at their residence at Lugard Avenue, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos where the mother of three was stabbed and suffocated to death. Her husband also suffered life-threatening injuries from the attack but is now recuperating at a hospital. The suspects were an in-house electrician and his friend who had both claimed to be in building to rectify an electrical fault.
A police source disclosed to The Guardian yesterday that forensic experts were at the house to sweep the crime scene for evidence to be used to prosecute the arrested two suspects, who have already been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba for intense interrogation. Read more
LASAA gets new boss (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed Prince Adedamola Docemo as the new Managing Director of the Lagos State Advertising and Signage Agency (LASAA).
Docemo’s appointment which takes effect from December 9, was confirmed in a letter issued by the Lagos State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile said Docemo’s appointment followed a vacancy created by the expiration of the tenure of the former Managing Director, on September 13. Read more
Reps probe alleged refusal to treat Lagos lady stabbed by robbers (Punch)
The House of Representatives has begun an investigation into the death of 28-year-old Moradeun Balogun, who was stabbed by armed robbers and allegedly denied treatment by a Lagos hospital.
The House also called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to investigate the matter and prosecute those found to have been responsible for her death.
Balogun was stabbed in the neck by the robbers in the Gbagada area on December 2, 2019, while returning from work.
It was gathered that the victim was rushed to R-Jolad Hospital, where she was allegedly not attended to because a police report was not presented by the Good Samaritans who came to her rescue. Read more
Buhari Replaces Banire With Adamu as AMCON Chair (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to confirm Edward Adamu as chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), implying a replacement for Muiz Banire who was appointed to chair the organisation in 2018.
The president’s request for Adamu’s confirmation was conveyed via a letter to the Senate on Tuesday.
In the letter, Buhari nominated Edward Adamu as the new chairman for AMCON and asked the Senate to confirm him.
Banire was appointed chair of AMCON by President Buhari in July 2018 and confirmed by the Senate in October 2018. Read more
Don’t transport corpers as from 6pm, FRSC boss orders drivers (Punch)
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered that no transport union should transport any National Youth Service Corps member as from 6pm during the Yuletide.
Boboye said this during the FRSC end-of-the-year meeting with transport union stakeholders as one of their programmes in preparation for the end of the year activities on Tuesday in Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that NYSC orientation camp, Batch C, Stream 2 resumed November 28 and would end December 19.
He said the need for transport leaders to jointly fight against road crashes in -ember months and beyond called for concern. Read more
Without convergence, single currency will be catastrophic – ECOWAS (Vanguard)
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou, says without convergence, the implementation of ECOWAS single currency will be catastrophic when implemented.
Brou made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting the State of the Community in 2019 to the Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
He said that mechanisms for the implementation of the ECOWAS single currency, tackling regional insecurity, trade integration, and ease of transportation were the major priorities of the ECOWAS Commission in 2019. Read more
Girls Dominate in UBA Essay Competition (ThisDay)
It was an all-female top three affair, as 14 year-old Jolaosho Oluwatoroti Otokini of Louisville Girls High School, Ogun State, emerged the overall winner of the 2019 edition of the UBA Foundation National Essay Competition.
She won the grand prize of an educational grant of N2 million to study in any African university of her choice.
Oluwatoroti clinched the first position at the grand finale of the competition which held in Lagos yesterday. Read more
Bill Cosby loses appeal after sexual assault conviction (Vanguard)
US comedian Bill Cosby, who is serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence, on Tuesday, lost his appeal against his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago.
Cosby had appealed to Pennsylvania’s Superior Court, which issued a 94-page ruling upholding his conviction. He could now take his case to the state’s Supreme Court.
The 82-year-old, who shattered racial barriers with his role as a dad and doctor on the hit TV series “The Cosby Show,” (1984-1992), was found guilty in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion. Read more
South African President Cuts Trip Short over Electricity Crisis at Home (ThisDay)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday cut short an official visit to Egypt because of an electricity crisis brewing at home, his spokesperson confirmed.
The president has come under increasing criticism after the country’s embattled power utility Eskom enforced scheduled power cuts that have thrown the country into disarray and pose a threat to the economy.
John Steenhuisen, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, led a picket outside Eskom headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday, saying the “rolling blackouts” threaten to “throw the country’s economy over a precipice.” Read more
Court sentences man over gang rape website (Vanguard)
A Spanish court sentenced Tuesday a man to 18 months in jail for setting up a website showing where a notorious gang rape took place during the running of the bulls festival in the city of Pamplona three years ago.
The Pamplona court also ordered the 39-year-old Madrid man to pay the victim of the gang rape 15,000 euros ($16,600) in damages, saying the website had caused her “significant additional suffering”.
The woman saw her “suffering exposed, minimised, trivialised and used…in clear disregard for her dignity,” the court added in its ruling. Read more
Nigeria, 35 others for Olympic qualifiers (Nation)
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has confirmed Nigeria and 35 other nations for the 2020 World Team Olympic Qualifying Tournament holding in Gondomar, Portugal from January 22 to 26.
Team Nigeria beat the November 22 deadline for the registration set by the world table tennis ruling body and should be in good form for the championship.
The top nine teams in men and women events will secure automatic places in the team event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan. Read more
Iheanacho scores again (Nation)
Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho made it two goals in two Premier League appearances for his club when he scored the second goal in the 4-1 win away at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Iheanacho, who made his first start this season in the game, was in impressive form and formed a formidable partnership with his strike partner, Jamie Verdy who scored a brace, while Johnny Evans heading in the third goal.
The Super Eagles striker also provided the assist for Verdy first goal and his new form has put him in the plans of Coach Brendan Rogers. Read more
Ayorinde, Abbi win Senforce Tennis tourney (Nation)
The first edition of Senforce Insurance Brokers Tennis Masters ended at the weekend at the Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos with the top seeds losing the titles.
Top seeded Emeka Azinge lost in the semis just as number two seed Sesan Dada was beaten in the final of the Men’s Single Group B match.
Number three seed Bola Ayorinde put up an amazing performance to beat Dada in straight sets of 6-3, 6-4 at the main court of the Ikoyi Club 1938. Read more
Benitez rules himself out of Arsenal and Everton jobs (Guardian)
Rafael Benitez insisted on Monday there is “no chance” he will fill the managerial vacancies at either Arsenal or Everton, but he refused to completely rule out a return to the Premier League.
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss Benitez is currently in charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifang after leaving Newcastle United after the end of last season.
Arsenal is still looking for a permanent successor to Unai Emery while Everton, Liverpool’s local rivals, sacked Marco Silva last week, and former Champions League winner Benitez said he was happy in the Chinese Super League despite finishing a lowly ninth this season. Read more
Qatar hits metro milestone ahead of World Cup (Vanguard)
Qatar fully opened its new metro network on Tuesday in a major infrastructure milestone ahead of the football World Cup Doha will host in 2022.
The railway was opened just in time for the Club World Cup football tournament that kicks off Wednesday, with organisers hoping the metro will ease the burden on the wealthy Gulf emirate’s choked roads.
The three lines link several stadia, residential areas, the airport and tourist zones. Read more
Joshua to make $262m in Wilder fight (Punch)
Following a victorious win against Andy Ruiz Jr., Anthony Joshua could double his purse by fighting WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
Last Saturday, British boxing superstar Joshua out-boxed Ruiz to reclaim his heavyweight title. Ruiz even had a cut above his left eye while Joshua barely bore a mark of the contest. After regaining his crown, Joshua reportedly has doubled his worth.
Mark Seltzer, a member of Team Joshua, boxing manager and cut man with 50 world title bouts to his name, has told The Mirror that the Brit has increased his fortune by £52 million ($68 million) after winning his rematch with Ruiz. More importantly, Seltzer revealed that Joshua can double his purse to a whopping £200 million ($262 million) in a mega-fight against Wilder. Read more
Catalan separatists threaten mass protest during Madrid, Barcelona match (Punch)
Catalan separatists from Democratic Tsunami on Tuesday called for a “massive” protest around Camp Nou stadium on December 18, where Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to play their rearranged Clasico.
Spain’s most prestigious fixture had been due to take place at the Barcelona stadium on October 26 but was postponed following a wave of violent pro-independence protests in Catalonia. Read more
Ancelotti sacked despite guiding Napoli to Champions League last 16 (Vanguard)
Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked by Napoli despite taking the Serie A side to the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over Genk.
“Napoli has decided to relieve Carlo Ancelotti of his role as first team coach,” the Italian side said in a statement.
Tuesday’s win over Genk, which saw Napoli finish second in Group E, one point behind Liverpool, broke a nine-match winless run that came amid dressing room unrest and friction between the club, Ancelotti and the players. Read more
Lampard says Chelsea can ‘make a mark’ (BBC)
Chelsea could welcome back centre-back Antonio Rudiger for their “knockout” Champions League tie with Lille.
Rudiger recovered from knee surgery to play 45 minutes of the Premier League victory at Wolves in September, before suffering a separate groin injury.
Chelsea must beat Lille to ensure qualification for the knockout stages and manager Frank Lampard says there is a “chance” the German could feature. Read more
Klopp prepared for Salzburg ‘final’ (BBC)
European champions Liverpool need a point away at Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday to be sure of a place in the Champions League last 16.
Liverpool are currently top of Group E and will guarantee top spot with a win.
Salzburg, who lost 4-3 at Anfield in October, need to win and hope Napoli are beaten by Belgian side Genk. Read more