Police arraign Celestial church leaders over N85m fraud (Punch)
The Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, on Monday arraigned three Celestial Church of Christ leaders before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over alleged N85m fraud.
The defendants – John Omotosho aka Jorotom, Boye Olaniyan and Folashade Ogundipe – were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining under false pretences and fraud before Justice Ayokunle Faji.
The defendants, who were arraigned alongside a company, Folafunmi Integrated Limited, were alleged to have defrauded the church’s headquarters at Imeko, Ogun State, of the sum of N85,914,500, under the pretext of using the money for the church’s development.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Read more
Lagos seals off burnt Magodo building (Nation)
The Lagos State Government on Monday sealed off a razed building at Magodo.
General Manager of the State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) Dr Tajudeen Afolabi led officials of the agency to seal the building at 70, Bashiru Shittu Street.
Afolabi, who assumed office on Monday as LSMTL boss, said the signs on the building warranted the action.
According to him, it is dangerous for anyone to stay around the building because it can collapse any moment.
He said: “We only came for inspection but what we saw here is serious; more than what we thought. So, we are going to cordon off this place to protect people from coming in. That is going to be done any moment now. Read more
Sanwo-Olu canvasses new revenue source, sharing formula (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that the current revenue sharing formula in the country is far from being fair, just and equitable.
The governor, who canvassed a new sharing revenue formula, urged his counterparts across the federation to explore ways of reducing dependency on monthly federal allocations by adopting creative and innovative strategies to boost their Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR).
The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, at the opening ceremony of the Federation Account Allocation Committee’s retreat tagged “Efficient Federation Revenue Allocation as a Nexus for National Economic Diversification” in Lagos yesterday, said it was imperative of states to device a creative method that would boost new sources of export in the bid to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. Read more
Man jailed one year for stealing N110,000 (Punch)
An Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo State, on Monday sentenced a 34-year-old man, Wisdom Sakpra, to one year in prison for stealing the sum of N110,000.
Magistrate Ivie Akere sentenced Sakpra after he pleaded guilty to the two counts of conspiracy and stealing filed against him by the police.
Sakpra was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on each of the two counts without option of fine.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, ASP Patrick Agbonifo, told the court that Sakpra was arrested on January 23, 2020 at a First Bank of Nigeria Limited branch at Adesuwa Junction, Sapele Road, Benin. Read more
Illiteracy in North threat to peace, says Emir Sanusi (Nation)
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II has challenged leaders in the North to change the education narrative so as to save the region and the country.
Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari, whose state is battling bandits, said education is the panacea to criminality and killings.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan added his voice to the call for mass education in the North, saying 14 million out-of-school-children in the region is a clear danger.
The Emir and the Senate President spoke in Kaduna while Masari spoke when he received a presidential condolence delegation in Katsina on Monday. Read mor
De Klerk now accepts apartheid as a crime against humanity (BBC)
Mounting criticism has seemingly forced South Africa’s former President FW de Klerk to withdraw his statement that refused to equate the policy of apartheid to crimes against humanity.
Anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu had said the comments did not account for the impact the policy of apartheid had on the lives of its victims, and called on him to withdraw the comments.
A statement from Mr De Klerk’s foundation on Facebook said he agreed with Mr Tutu, adding “this is not the time to quibble about the degrees of unacceptability of apartheid. It was totally unacceptable”.
It goes on to say that the foundation supports the definition of apartheid as explained in the Rome statute in 1998 which defines apartheid as a crime against humanity: Read more
A WhatsApp coronavirus hoax message is doing the rounds – don’t fall for it (Metro)
A message claiming to offer a simple cure to the deadly coronavirus has started spreading on WhatsApp. The scam promises a cure to coronavirus through ‘one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water.’
It claims an ‘old Chinese doctor’ proves the cure works and goes on to explain the garlic water should be boiled and drunk for improvement overnight. It’s not clear where the message originated from, but the reach of WhatsApp – which recently passed two billion users – means it can spread quickly. Read more
Apple warns coronavirus will hurt iPhones supplies (BBC)
Apple has warned that disruption in China from the coronavirus will mean revenues falling short of forecasts.
The tech giant said production and sales were affected, and that “worldwide iPhone supply will be temporarily constrained”.
The iPhone maker is the first major US company to say that the epidemic will hit its finances.
Apple, which had forecast record revenues of up to $67bn in the current quarter, did not reveal the likely hit.Read more
Harrison Ford responds to Star Wars Han Solo theory: ‘What is a Force ghost?’ (Metro)
Harrison Ford is completely baffled by the latest Star Wars theory about Han Solo circulating the online universe and, apparently, he doesn’t care either.
If you’ve watched the most recent Star Wars movies, you’ll remember that Harrison’s lead character Han Solo died after being killed by his own son Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in 2015’s The Force Awakens. Yep, pretty savage. Read more
Coronavirus: More than 200 Australians flown home after 14-day quarantine (BBC)
More than 200 Australians have been flown back home after 14 days in quarantine on remote Christmas Island amid coronavirus fears.
They were evacuated from China’s Hubei province – the epicentre of the deadly outbreak – on 3 February.
With no cases reported during the minimum required time, they were taken to six cities across Australia.
Many of the returnees, including children, expressed relief, saying they were happy to be finally home. Read more
Adele lets slip new album is coming ‘in September’(Metro)
In news that will surely put a spring in anyone’s Monday morning, Adele has let slip her album is coming in September. The singer was officiating a wedding for her pals at The Mason’s Arms in Battersea on the weekend (a pub that is now surely going to be enjoying a nice surge in patrons) when she grabbed the mic and shared some welcome information. While the bash saw the British star belt out Rolling In The Deep and a cover of Candi Staton’s Young Hearts Run Free, she also informed guests attending the nuptials of former Maccabees star Hugo White and his author wife Laura Dockrill she’s working hard on those tunes. Read more
Barca feat excites Oshoala (Punch)
Super Falcons captain striker Asisat Oshoala has expressed happiness over her performance in Barcelona ladies victory against Sporting Huelva.
The Nigerian scored her sixth brace of the season to help Barcelona defeat Huelva in a 7-0 win on Sunday.
Her brace took her tally to 23 goals in all competitions this season.
“Another day at the office, great teamwork again. We keep going @FCBfemeni,” Oshoala wrote on Twitter. Read more
Man Utd win at Chelsea to go seventh (BBC)
Manchester United closed in on the Champions League places with victory over Chelsea as Frank Lampard’s side were left with a sense of injustice after contentious video assistant referee decisions went against them.
United closed to within three points of Chelsea in fourth place with headed goals either side of the interval from Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire at Stamford Bridge.
Martial glanced in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross on the stroke of half-time before Manchester United captain Maguire powered in a header from Bruno Fernandes’ corner after 66 minutes.
Chelsea felt aggrieved as Maguire was fortunate to escape a red card for kicking Michy Batshuayi in the groin in the first half as they tangled on the touchline, despite the incident being examined by VAR. Read more
Ndidi returns to training ahead of City clash (Punch)
Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has recovered and back to training from the injury that ruled him out for another two weeks after the surgery he underwent in December.
Ndidi had surgery on his meniscus, only to return to action just 13 days later, but after two appearances against West Ham and Aston Villa, the combative midfielder experienced soreness in his knee, and was ruled out of the Foxes 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
The 23-year-old is now in line to feature for Leicester in their weekend league game against Manchester City after posting a video on his Instagram page, as he stepped up his recovery.
Leicester manager, Brendan Rogers, after their goalless draw against Wolves at the Molineux Stadium, said he was hopeful their first-choice midfielder would be fit to take on the reigning Premier League champions after he responded well to treatment. Read more
Arsene Wenger hits back at Unai Emery and denies Arsenal were in decline (Metro)
Arsene Wenger has hit back at Unai Emery and denied Arsenal were in decline when the Spaniard succeeded him at the Emirates. Emery was dismissed in November, barely 18 months on from replacing the legendary Frenchman and has subsequently sighted a number of factors in his downfall.
The Spaniard last week criticised the attitude of a number of his senior players and attempted to paint his only full season in charge as a success, despite blowing Champions League qualification and presiding over a humiliating Europa League final defeat at the hands of Chelsea. He said: ‘Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years before I arrived. Read more
NBA All-Star Game: Kobe Bryant tributes as Team LeBron beat Team Giannis (BBC)
Emotional tributes were paid to Kobe Bryant as Team LeBron beat Team Giannis 157-155 at the 69th NBA All-Star game in Chicago on Sunday.
Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, died with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash last month, aged 41.
Team Giannis wore Bryant’s number 24 during the game and Team LeBron wore his daughter’s number two.
Kawhi Leonard won the first ever Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award which was renamed after the LA Lakers legend. Read more
Shaquille O’Neal opens up on Kobe Bryant ‘special’ bond with his children (Metro)
Shaquille O’Neal has opened up on Kobe Bryant’s special bond with his children after it emerged the NBA star had messaged his son, Shareef, just hours before his tragic death. Bryant was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas in Los Angeles last month. The basketball and sporting world has been united in grief ever since and tributes flowed in for Bryant at the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night. Read more
Alli wins 10th DOAMF golf tournament (Nation)
Bayo Alli has emerged winner at the 10th edition of the Daniel Ogbechi Akujobi Memorial Foundation (DOAMF) annual charity golf tournament at the Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos.
The DOAMF foundation is a charitable organisation, established in 2007 in memory of Daniel who died from injuries sustained in an accident along Lagos-Ibadan expressway in 2005.
Alli said winning the category was an honour in memory of Daniel: `“ Winning feels good but doing it for a noble course is even more fulfilling, I commended the consistency of the organisers. The annual report every year shows that this is a worthy course.” Read more
Paul Pogba: Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reacts to Mino Raiola’s comments (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has refused to engage in a public war of words with Mino Raiola after Paul Pogba’s agent launched an astonishing attack on the Manchester United manager. Raiola objected to Solskjaer saying Pogba was ‘our player’ and wrote a lengthy statement on social media slamming the Norwegian’s choice of words, saying he is ‘not Solskjaer’s property, Paul is Paul Pogba’s’. The statement was released while Solskjaer was in the Stamford Bridge dugout watching his side beat Chelsea 2-0 and he didn’t appreciate having to address the comments straight after the match. Read more
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp’s side qualify for Champions League next season (BBC)
The knockout stage of this season’s Champions League hasn’t even started yet – but holders Liverpool have already qualified for next year’s competition.
Chelsea’s failure to beat Manchester United on Monday night means the Premier League leaders have guaranteed a top-four finish.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are 36 points above fifth-placed Tottenham with 12 games remaining.
Premier League table after 26 games
The worst Liverpool can possibly finish this season is now fourth place. Read more
Lionel Messi becomes first footballer ever to clinch the Laureus Award (Nation)
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi on Monday won the prestigious Lauren World sportsman of the year award.
The Argentine became the first footballer ever to win the award.
He won the award with Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton.
The pair pipped Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, Marc Marquez and Eliud Kipchoge for the honour.
Messi won his sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019 as Barcelona won La Liga for the 26th time.
He also was the highest goalscorer in the league for the sixth time. Read more
Arsenal prioritises new deal for Bukayo Saka (Guardian)
Arsenal are in a hurry to secure Bukayo Saka to a new contract, according to David Ornstein’s latest column for The Athletic.
The 18-year-old has been a breakthrough star this season, filling in effectively at left-back and leads the club’s assist charts with eight to his name so far.
He added another in the 4-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday, nutmegging Valentino Lazaro before squaring the ball to Nicolas Pepe to score. Read more