Roommate of man accused of dating Lagos teenager stabbed to death (Punch)
One Toheeb and his friends are currently on the run after allegedly stabbing one Akin Okebukola to death in the Alakuko area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the men were allegedly mobilised by a woman, identified simply as Iya Abe, who was reportedly assaulted when a friend, Morenikeji Olawunmi, invited her and one Ajoke Bello, to threaten one Abu on the suspicion that he had been having sexual relations with her 16-year-old daughter.
Angered by the injuries she sustained during the assault, Iya Abe reportedly informed her son, Toheeb, who mobilised two other yet-to-be-identified friends to Olawunmi’s residence on Oluobadare Street Gbadabiu area of Alakuko, on Saturday, January 18, 2020.
A resident of the area, Johnson Idowu, said Abu fled from home before Toheeb and his friends got there, adding that in a bid to avenge his mother’s injuries, the men pounced on Abu’s roommate, Okebukola, and allegedly stabbed him with broken bottles in his leg. Read more
Banks ready to fund Lagos rail projects –Egube (Sun)
It seems the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, finally caught their attention after saying local banks should lend a helping hand in developing Nigerian cities and states, particularly Lagos. Now, a consortium of Nigerian lenders “have thought very deeply about the fact that they only get better if Lagos becomes more efficient, and the country as a whole gets better if Lagos become more efficient”, says Mr Sam Egube, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning.
According to him, they have decided “to ensure that we are able to get the kind of funding that is cheap enough to undertake that kind of (rail) projects without breaking anybody’s back in the future.”
At the media presentation of the Facts Behind the Figures of 2021 Lagos State Budget , Thursday in Lagos, Egube, amid other commissioners, urged the country to come together, “through its various corporate and institutional mechanisms to ensure that we are able to get the kind of funding that is cheap enough” to bankroll capital projects. Read more
Diaspora forum urges Sanwo-Olu to inaugurate Amotekun corps (Nation)
A group of Nigerians in Diaspora, Yoruba One Voice (YOV), has appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to inaugurate the Amotekun. corps
A statement by the Secretary-General, Shina Okanlomo, said Nigerians in Diaspora are unhappy with the security situation. It said Lagos was becoming volatile with activities of cultists and ritualists.
The statement reads: “How do you want us to come back home where our lives and that of our families aren’t safe? Nigerians in the Diaspora are worried. None of us abroad can contemplate coming to Nigeria without thinking about the porous security situation.
“Most unfortunate is the fact that a mega city like Lagos tops the list of the most volatile in the region. Read more
Inspector-General denies planning to sell Onikan Police Officers’ Mess (Vanguard)
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has said there were no plans to sell the Nigeria Police Officers’ Mess at Onikan, Lagos State, according to the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Mr Frank Mba.
In a statement on Monday in Abuja, Mba said the clarification became necessary following reports by a section of the media on Sunday, alleging a plot by the IGP to sell off the facility.
He said the publication was untrue, adding that the officers’ mess, Onikan, was conceived decades ago and built to cater for the welfare of police personnel, including serving as transit accommodation for officers on transfer or on special assignments, and as a conducive social environment for relaxation.
FUTA laments killing of Deputy Registrar, Arijesuyo (Guardian)
Management of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has decried the killing of its Deputy Registrar and Head of Guidance and Counseling Unit, Student Affairs Division, Dr Amos Arijesuyo.
A statement issued yesterday in Akure by the Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, Adebanjo Adegbenro, confirmed the death of the university administrator.
“With deep regret and pain, FUTA announces the demise of one of its deputy registrars, Dr. Amos Arijesuyo, Head, Guidance and Counseling Unit, Students Affairs Division, who died on Saturday, January 16, 2021.
“He died of injuries from gunshots when his private vehicle was attacked along the Ilesa-Akure road on Saturday January 16, 2021,” the statement reads. Read more
FG: No COVID-19 test required for resumption of schools (Vanguard)
The federal government, Monday,declared that no COVID-19 test was required for returning students to be admitted into their schools.
But the government,in a terse statement by the Federal Ministry of Education, Monday, explained that only temperature test should be carried out on students.
In the statement released by the ministry’s Director for Press and Public Relations, Bem Goong, the government warned school authorities against “asking students or parents to undergo COVID-19 test before they are accepted in their schools.”
The statement read in full:” The Federal Ministry of Education says no COVID-19 Test is required for returning students to be admitted into their schools. Read more
COVID-19: JAMB suspends two workers, bans two candidates
(Punch)
For allegedly violating precautionary measures to curb the spread of the COVID – 19 pandemic, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has suspended two of its workers and banned two candidates from its examinations.
The organisation said their suspension followed an unscheduled visit by its Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to its professional testing centre.
JAMB said this in a report published in the current edition of its weekly bulletin in Abuja on Monday.
The four persons were said to have disobeyed the protocols when they refused to wear protective face masks provided to curtail the spread of the virus. Read more
Bandits kidnap professor in Zaria, kill his son (Vanguard)
Armed bandits on Sunday night invaded Wusasa in Zaria local government area and kidnapped the Wazirin Wusasa, Professor Aliyu Mohammed.
The Professor’s son, Abdulaziz Aliyu, was killed by the bandits, while his nephew, one Abba Kabiru, was injured and is receiving treatment in hospital.
Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, said on Monday night that security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that armed bandits on Sunday, also attacked commuters on the road from Anaba village to Birnin Yero town in Igabi local government area.
“One Lawali Abdulhameed, a resident of Anaba village, was shot dead by the bandits as he attempted to escape the attack. Read more
Ekiti begins demolition of substandard buildings in 532 schools (Guardian)
The Ekiti State government has begun the demolition of dilapidated and substandard structures in 532 primary schools across the state.
It explained that this would checkmate miscreants using those dilapidated buildings in the primary schools as hideouts for criminal activities.
The government also threatened to prosecute no fewer than 1,000 newly recruited primary school teachers who presented fake certificates and falsified the ages.
Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Femi Akinwumi, stated this in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, while commencing the demolition exercise at Mount Mary Nursery/Primary School, Oke-Ila in Ado-Ekiti. Read more
Tunisia protests: Hundreds arrested as clashes continue (BBC)
Police in Tunisia say they have arrested more than 600 people as a fourth night of violent protests saw protesters return to the streets.
On Monday, crowds of mainly young demonstrators again gathered in the centre of the capital, Tunis, throwing stones and petrol bombs at police.
Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannon.
Tunisia faces severe economic problems and a third of its young people are unemployed.
The economic crisis has worsened under the pandemic. Read more
WhatsApp rolls back update deadline because everyone’s ‘confused’ (Metro)
WhatsApp has announced it will be pushing back a compulsory update by three months to give it time to respond to users’ concerns. The messaging app has seen an exodus of users to rival platforms in recent days as it made clear plans to share more data with parent company Facebook. Crucially, this change won’t even affect users in the United Kingdom (or Europe) because of data protection laws. WhatsApp said there has been a lot of ‘confusion’ around its messaging. Although the app will start sharing more background data with Facebook, the core content of messages remains hidden due to the app’s end-to-end encryption. Read more
Sulawesi villagers call for help after Indonesia earthquake (AlJazeera)
Villagers in Indonesia’s West Sulawesi are running short of food and water after taking refuge in the hills following a deadly earthquake in the early hours of Friday morning, and fears of aftershocks that could trigger tsunamis.
The 6.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the Majene and Mamuju regencies as many people slept has killed 84 people, with dozens still feared missing and more than 19,000 left homeless.
“We urgently need supplies for babies and children like milk, porridge, blankets and nappies,” Muhammad Ansar Tahir of the Ansor Youth Movement of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisation, told Al Jazeera. He says his group has so far identified about 30 makeshift camps in the area.
“[On Sunday,] a pregnant mother had to give birth in a tent in one of the camps.” Read more
Biden says travel bans will stay despite Trump order (BBC)
US President-elect Joe Biden’s spokeswoman says the US will maintain travel bans on the UK, much of the EU and Brazil – despite an order from President Donald Trump to lift them.
The White House decreed on Monday that the entry ban would end on 26 January – six days after Mr Biden takes office.
But Mr Biden’s spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said on Twitter that now was not the time to be easing travel measures.
Mr Biden is due to be inaugurated on Wednesday. Read more
Starvation crisis looms as aid groups seek urgent Tigray access (AlJazeera)
Following his declaration of military victory against rebellious forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray nearly two months ago, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the rebuilding process was to commence immediately.
The fierce battles that had begun in early November between the federal government troops and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the former governing party of the northern region, were fought under the cover of a communications shutdown. Phone and internet services to Tigray were severed and journalists and aid workers were barred from entry. The ensuing conflict killed thousands of people, with at least 50,000 people crossing to neighbouring Sudan to flee the fighting, including air raids and heavy artillery.
Phone connectivity returned in several towns and cities in the weeks that followed the government’s capture of the regional capital of Mekelle on November 28, but the majority of Tigrayan areas still cannot be reached by telephone and the entire region remains deprived of internet access. Read more
Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey pack on PDA in St. Barts (PageSix)
Lovebirds Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey are living their best lives in St. Barts.
Over the weekend, the couple was photographed vacationing on a mega-yacht in the Caribbean, where they appeared to be having a blast while partaking in water sports.
In photos, Harvey, 24, can be seen sitting behind Jordan, 33, as he drives a jet ski.
The Black Panther star was also spotted surfing and swimming.
He and Harvey then took a break from all the action-packed fun to relax on a float in the middle of the sea, where they shared a sweet embrace as they soaked up the sun. Read more
Miley Cyrus is more attracted to women’s bodies than men’s (Metro)
Miley Cyrus has admitted men’s bodies don’t excite her as much as the female form. The former Disney star, who is bisexual, says it all comes down to aesthetics. ‘Girls are way hotter. We know this,’ she said. ‘Everyone I think can agree that from ancient times d***s makes wonderful sculptures. ‘Other than that, I’m not as interested. I like d***s as art pieces. And sculptural, I love the shape, I think it looks really good on a table. Read more
AFN hails triple jump record holder Usoro (Punch)
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has hailed athlete, Ruth Usoro, after she set a new Nigerian record in triple jump on Saturday in the US.
The athletics body said Usoro’s feat was a sign that Nigeria had bright prospects at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Usoro leapt a distance of 14.28m in her first attempt at the Texas Tech Corky Classic to set the new Nigerian record.
She erased the 14.21m record set by Chinonye Ohadugha at the 2007 African Games in Algiers, Algeria.
AFN Technical Director, Sunday Adeleye, said the 23-year-old had always shown signs of achieving greatness. Read more
Kyrgios criticises Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine row (BBC)
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has been criticised by Australian player Nick Kyrgios, after the world number one lobbied authorities to relax quarantine rules for Australian Open players.
More than 1,200 players and staff flew into Australia last week for the Grand Slam which begins on 8 February.
But coronavirus cases on three flights has forced 72 players to isolate full-time in their hotel room for 14 days.
Highlighting some players’ frustration, Djokovic called for different rules. Read more
Mikel Arteta clears up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ‘illness’ as Arsenal beat Newcastle (Metro)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a ‘stomach issue’ during the win over Newcastle on Monday, although the smile on his face suggests it is nothing to worry about. The Gunners continued their positive run of results in the Premier League, thrashing the Magpies 3-0 at the Emirates to move into the top half of the table. A brace from Aubameyang and a strike from Bukayo Saka gave Arteta’s side the easy win, but there appeared to be a slight worry over the Arsenal captain. Aubameyang was subbed off with 10 minutes to go, replaced by Willian, and he headed straight down the tunnel, not sitting to watch his team see out the victory. Read more
How Zimbabwe’s footballers turned to ‘money games’ for survival (AlJazeera)
With organised football suspended in Zimbabwe due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s long-suffering footballers have once again turned to “money games” to make ends meet.
On average, a club player earns 5,000 Zimbabwean dollars a month ($50 officially but $16 on the black market). The salary is less in the lower divisions.
With no international matches, these footballers have thus resorted to unsanctioned matches – deemed illegal by their own clubs – which are also prohibited under the government’s lockdown rules. Read more
Diego Costa’s whopping wage demands putting clubs off (Metro)
Diego Costa is without a club at the moment and his search for a new one is being hampered by his absolutely enormous wage demands, as revealed by Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas. The 32-year-old left Ateletico Madrid in December, making him a free agent and able to sign for a new club, in or out of the current transfer window. The Spain international is undoubtedly past his peak, but will still be an appealling option for many managers across the globe who are looking to boost their goal threat. During his spell at Atletico Madrid from 2012-13 he became one of the most desiereable strikers on the planet, causing Chelsea to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2014 where he scored 52 Premier League goals in just 89 games. Read more
Robby Anderson reveals miserable experience with Jets (NYPost)
Playing for the Jets made Robby Anderson begin “losing my love for football.”
“I just wasn’t genuinely happy there all the time,” Anderson said in an interview with the Charlotte Observer.
The 27-year-old wide receiver spent four losing seasons with the Jets before signing a two-year, $12 million guaranteed contract with the Carolina Panthers.
“I definitely think that was one the best decisions I made all in all,” Anderson said after breaking out for a team-high 95 receptions and career-high 1,096 receiving yards — the Jets receivers combined for 3,115 receiving yards, second-worst in the NFL behind the Ravens. Read more