Revealed: How Alex Badeh’s killers plotted his death (Nation)
Detectives from the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have revealed that the killers of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Alex Badeh, used a Dane gun. Air Vice-Marshal Badeh was killed on December 18 last year by hoodlums who attacked his convoy on the Keffi- Kaduna Expressway while he was returning from his farm on the border between Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory. The revelation is coming on the heels of the arrest of four additional suspects believed to have taken active roles in the murder, including an informant identified simply as Maube. Read more
Panic as barber dies at girlfriend’s house in Imo (Punch)
Tragedy struck in the Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State after a 39-year-old barber, Chukwuebuka Ihuoma, slumped and died in his girlfriend’s house. The incident, which happened at Ezegbogu village, threw the entire community into a state of confusion, as the 39-year-old was confirmed dead at a nearby hospital. A family member to the victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that Ihuoma was very healthy when he visited his girlfriend, Ogechi Onyeukwu. Read more
NYSC members, trainees threaten showdown with INEC over allowance (Punch)
Some members of the National Youth Service Corps and other youths trained for the elections in Sagamu, Ogun State, have insisted on being paid their training allowance before going for the Saturday’s (today’s) elections. The aggrieved youths, who spoke to our correspondent during a visit to the Sagamu office of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday, lamented that they came from far distances and would not leave until they were paid the N4,500 stipend due them. A corps member, who came from Ogijo and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had spent a lot of money on transportation. Read more
Allegation of my plot to islamise Nigeria wicked, ungodly, says Buhari (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday dismissed as wicked, deceptive, and ungodly allegation that he plans to Islamize the country. He said the allegation was the handiwork of ‘some unscrupulous Nigerians’. The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, noted that the fresh allegation was coming up ahead of the elections with a view to stoking up “religious division for political gains.”The statement reads: “It has come to the notice of President Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of the forthcoming elections, that some unscrupulous Nigerians are again falsely and wickedly claiming that the administration has an agenda to impose Islam on Nigeria. Read more
PDP accuses INEC of withholding result sheets from strongholds (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of withholding sensitive election materials including collation (form EC8D) and result (form EC8E) sheets in states considered as its strongholds. It said intelligence at its disposal had shown that some INEC officials were working with the All Progressives Congress to allegedly favour President Muhammadu Buhari and APC National Assembly candidates in the affected states. The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, made the accusations in a statement. Read more
Amosun has a lot to hide, says ex-deputy (Punch)
A former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Prince Segun Adesegun, has said Governor Ibikunle Amosun is desperate to install his loyalist as his successor because he has a lot of things to hide. Adesegun, who served as Amosun’s deputy from 2011 to 2015, spoke in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday. Amosun is supporting the governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Mr Adekunle Akinlade, against the candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress, Mr Dapo Abiodun. Read more
Electoral fraud: US places travel ban on Congolese top government officials (Punch)
The United States of America has placed travel ban on some top government officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo over alleged electoral fraud. The travel ban was announced on Friday, barely 24 hours to Nigeria’s historic presidential and National Assembly elections. The US has also threatened to apply similar sanction on any Nigerian official found to have compromised the electoral process. Read more
Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir declares state of emergency (BBC)
Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has declared a national state of emergency, dismissed the federal government and sacked all state governors. Mr Bashir made the announcement in a TV address to the nation, but later appointed members of the security forces as replacement governors. Earlier, Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS) said that Mr Bashir would be stepping down. Mr Bashir has been the focus of anti-government protests in recent weeks. Protesters took to the streets after the announcement in the city of Omdurman, witnesses said, but were met with tear gas by police. Read more
Brexit: Greg Clark, Amber Rudd and David Gauke issue delay warning (BBC)
Brexit should be delayed if Parliament does not approve a deal in the coming days, three cabinet ministers have warned publicly for the first time. Ahead of crucial votes in the Commons, Greg Clark, Amber Rudd and David Gauke told the Daily Mail time was running out and that they hoped for a breakthrough in negotiations soon. If not, they said they are prepared to defy Theresa May and vote for a delay. Downing Street said the trio’s views on no deal were “scarcely a secret”. Read more
Turpin captivity case: California parents admit torture (BBC)
A California couple has pleaded guilty to imprisoning, shackling and torturing some of their 13 children. David and Louise Turpin each admitted 14 felony counts including cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture and false imprisonment. They were arrested in January 2018 when their 17-year-old daughter managed to escape the house in Perris. The children, ranging in age from two to 29 at the time, were found severely malnourished and abused. The 57-year-old husband remained impassive in Riverside Superior Court on Friday, but his 50-year-old wife wept as she pleaded guilty. Read more
R Kelly in custody over sex abuse charges (BBC)
R Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, at least nine of which involve minors. The R&B star, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has faced decades of claims of sexual abuse against women and teenagers below the age of consent. He has never been convicted and has previously denied other allegations. An arrest warrant was issued, and the 52-year-old turned himself in to police in Chicago later on Friday. His lawyer says he is “shell-shocked”. Read more
Ronaldo has three UCL not five – Atletico boss (Punch)
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has said Cristiano Ronaldo should not count the two Champions League titles he won against the club with Real Madrid. Juventus forward Ronaldo responded to taunts from Atletico fans in their 2-0 Champions League defeat the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday by holding up five fingers to indicate the number of Champions League trophies he has won. The Portugal international told reporters after the game: “I’ve got five Champions Leagues, Atletico have none.” Read more