Sanwo-Olu, Agbaje throw jabs at Lagos forum (Nation)
Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Mr Jimi Agbaje, yesterday differed on infrastructure, health and other issues critical to the development of the state. The candidates spoke during the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Private Sector Interactive Forum with governorship candidates in Lagos. Addressing issues of traffic and transport management, Sanwo-Olu said that government was a continuum and vowed to continue all projects started by his predecessor for the benefit of citizens. Read more
Tinubu to opposition: APC needs no violence to win (Nation)
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) does not have to engage in violence to win the forthcoming elections,Cochairman of its Presidential Campaign Council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said yesterday. Tinubu, who was responding to allegations from certain quarters that the APC was preparing grounds for violence during the elections, said those making such allegations were already sniffing their defeat at the polls. He said the cries of violence were also indications that those making the allegations had already conceded defeat even before the first ballot was cast in the election. Read more
MASSOB disagrees with IPOB, says polls will hold in South-East (Punch)
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has disagreed with the Indigenous People of Biafra over whether elections should hold this year in the South-East and other parts of the defunct Republic of Biafra. The outlawed IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, has been insisting that the elections will not hold in the concerned areas, particularly the South-East states. But after a ‘National Executive Council meeting’ in Enugu on Friday, MASSOB declared that the scheduled elections would take place in ‘Biafraland’. MASSOB, which stressed that it would not back down from the agitation for a sovereign Biafran state, noted that pro-Biafra activists could not ‘forcibly’ impose their interests on the people of Nigeria. Read more
Officer, 13 soldiers killed by Boko Haram buried in Kaduna (Nation)
A captain of the Nigerian Army and 13 soldiers recently ambushed and killed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East were yesterday laid to rest at Commonwealth Military Cemetry, Kaduna. They were drawn from the One Mechanized Division of the army in Kaduna. The had run into the Boko Haram ambush while on escort duty along Damaturu/Maiduguri road on December 24,2018. Speaking at the burial, the General Officer Commanding, (GOC) One Division, Maj-Gen Mohammed Mohammed, said the deceased “paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of this great country.” Read more
PDP members must unite to prevent another defeat – Udenwa (Punch)
A former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, has urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state to unite to prevent another defeat in the 2019 general elections. Udenwa, who spoke during the inauguration of the PDP campaign council in Owerri, attributed the party’s defeat in the 2015 elections to brazen anti-party activities and betrayal of trust by some party members. He spoke of the need for the PDP to fight collectively in order to win the battle ahead. The former governor described the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, as a “seasoned politician and a man of honour and integrity”, and urged the party faithful to troop to mobilise votes for him. Read more
Oshiomhole: PDP deceived Igbo for 16 years (Nation)
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of deceiving the people of the five Southeast states for the 16years it held sway at the Aso Rock Villa. Oshiomhole, citing the inability of the PDP to fix Southeast roads during its years in office, said most of the same highways have now been made motorable by President Muhammadu Buhari in only three and a half years. Speaking in Umuahia at the flag off campaign of the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Dr.Uche Ogah, the APC chair said: “The Igbo made a mistake in 2015, they should not make the same mistake twice. Read more
Wike accuses FG of neglecting Niger Delta (Punch)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has decried what he described as deliberate neglect of the Niger Delta despite the “untold environmental hardship” being faced by people in the area. The governor spoke on Friday while receiving the Minister of Environment, Mr Suleiman Hassan, at the Government House in Port Harcourt. Wike said that environmental degradation caused by oil exploration was worse than insurgency. He said, “While we support the fight against insurgency, nothing is worse than environmental pollution. We suffer because we are allowing Nigeria to survive. Read more
Court rejects suit seeking to sack Osun governor (Nation)
A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday dismissed a suit seeking to void the July 20, 2018 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress party (APC) in Osun State. The primary was won by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola who went on to emerge victorious in the governorship election held on September 22 and 27 last year. Delivering judgement in the suit yesterday, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo held that the plaintiff, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, could not prove his claim that the primary was held in violation of relevant laws. Read more
Breaking: 12 civilians killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso (Vanguard)
Twelve civilians were killed on Thursday during a jihadist attack in the north of Burkina Faso, which has been battling a wave of Islamist violence, officials said Friday. The west African country declared a state of emergency in several provinces at the end of last year and on Thursday replaced its army chief as it struggled to put a stop to a spate of such attacks. In the latest violence, gunmen attacked a village market in broad daylight, the security ministry said in a statement issued late Friday. Read more
US shutdown bites as federal workers miss payday (BBC)
Hundreds of thousands of US government workers have missed their first payday of the year as the partial shutdown of federal agencies bites deeper. Employees such as prison guards, airport staff and FBI agents have been working without pay. The government shutdown, which began last month, will become the longest in history on Saturday on its 22nd day. President Donald Trump is refusing to approve a federal budget unless it includes funding for a border wall. But Democrats have rejected his request for $5.7bn (£4.5bn). Read more
Eaglets to play in Turkish invitational (Punch)
Nigeria’s U-17 men’s team will participate in an invitational tournament in Turkey as part of their preparations for the 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Tanzania in April. The Golden Eaglets, who are five-time world champions, qualified for the 2019 U-17 AFCON after winning the WAFU U-17 tournament in Niger Republic in September 2018. Coach Manu Garba, who also led the team to global triumph in the UAE six years ago, has assured that the team would be ready for the challenges ahead of them. The invitational tournament in Turkey will hold from March 1 to 10 with some other U-17 AFCON participating teams and a number of European teams in attendance. Read more
Ndidi didn’t deserve a spot in CAF best XI – Babayaro (Vanguard)
Former Nigeria international defender Celestine Babayaro says Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City didn’t have a better 2018 than the players selected ahead of him in the CAF Best XI during the recently concluded CAF Awards. The omission of Ndidi infuriated most Nigerians who are of the opinion that the midfielder did enough in the year under review to earn a spot in Africa’s Best XI players owing to his consistent display for Leicester City last season. However Babayaro who also played for another English Premier League side in Chelsea during his playing days insisted that although Ndidi did very well last season, he still didn’t do enough like the duo of Thomas Partey and Naby Keita who were voted ahead of him. Read more
Fabregas joins Monaco from Chelsea (BBC)
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has joined Ligue 1 side Monaco, managed by his former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry, on a three-and-a-half year deal. The 31-year-old Spaniard captained the Blues in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest on Saturday and was in tears as he applauded fans at the final whistle. He joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2014, having played 303 times for Arsenal between 2003 and 2011. Fabregas described the move as “a new project”, calling it a “great honour”. “I’m here to help the team, I’m looking forward to starting. I am very excited,” he added. Read more
Barca prepare sensational Coutinho -Neymar swap (Vanguard)
Barcelona are willing to sacrifice Manchester United target Philippe Coutinho to fund a return for Neymar, reports claim. The Brazil international is only a year into his contract at the Camp Nou following his £142million move from Liverpool last January. However, he has so far failed to justify the heavy price tag and Ernesto Valverde hasn’t started him in a La Liga match since December 2. The ex-Liverpool playmaker was viewed as a replacement for Neymar on the left with the potential to fill Andres Iniesta’s shoes but he has struggled to make those roles his own. Read more
Police arrest Lagos cattle sellers for funding bandits in Zamfara (Punch)
Four cattle sellers in Abattoir, Agege area of Lagos State, have been arrested by the police for allegedly providing funds for bandits terrorising some towns in Zamfara State. Places that had been attacked by the bandits included Tsafe, Zurmi, Shinkafi, Maradun, Maru and Brinin-Magaji local government areas of the state. The police claimed that the suspects – Alhaji Ago Atine, Alawani Abubakar, Mohammed Shagari and Bashiru Aliyu – funded the gunmen by allegedly buying stolen cows from them. It was gathered that the hoodlums, who had killed many residents of the state, used the proceeds of the stolen cows to buy guns and other lethal weapons in Libya. Read more
I stole fuel by accident, says tiler nabbed for vandalising pipeline (Punch)
Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, have tracked down three suspected vandals allegedly tampering with the pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Ilashe community, Amuwo-Odofin and Abule Odo, Baruwa, in the Alimosho area of the state. While Yusuf Olojede and Wasiu Abayomi were arrested in Ilashe, one Segun Adigun was apprehended in Abule Odo. City Round learnt that 23-year-old Olojede was arrested on December 4, 2018 by the anti-vandal operatives of the corps who stormed the community following a tip-off. Read more
Hit-and-run driver kills four friends returning from carnival (Punch)
The police are on the trail of a hit-and-run driver who allegedly ran over four friends at Mosalasi Bus Stop, Gowon Estate, Lagos, killing them. It was learnt that the victims – Wasiu Ayinde, 28; Azeez Adeleke, 26; Ibrahim Balogun, 30; and one Samuel aged 27 – had attended a carnival at Iyana Iba last Saturday. They lived in Ijoko, Ogun State and were said to be returning home with five others when the car knocked them down at the spot around 5am on Sunday. Three of them reportedly died on the spot. It was gathered that they had boarded a bus from the venue to the bus stop and were waiting for the next available bus when the incident occurred. Read more