Sanwo-Olu celebrates zero bank robbery in 4 years (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has celebrated the state for recording zero bank robbery in four years adding that it was the longest period over the past 20 years.
Sanwo-Olu, according to a statement on Tuesday by his chief press secretary Gboyega Akosile said this on Tuesday at the 17th Town Hall Meeting on security organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund held at the Eko Hotels Suites, Victoria Island.
He linked the development to the continuous review of the State’s security architecture and surveillance measures, according to a statement. Read more
TUC kicks against FG’s failure to pay N35k monthly wage award (Vanguard)
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, on Tuesday kicked against the federal government’s failure to continue payment of the N35,000 monthly wage award to workers in the public sector.
President of the TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo stated this while briefing journalists after its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, said that the civil servants only received the pay for the month of September.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had in October, 2023 announced the amount for Nigerian workers, beginning from September 1st to reduce the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal. Read more
N532.5b too small to end poverty in Nigeria – Edu (Channels)
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu has lamented her ministry’s 2024 budgetary allocation, saying it is inadequate to combat poverty in the country.
Edu said this when she led officials of her ministry and parastatals under it to defend her 2024 budget before the Joint National Assembly Committee of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation chaired by Senator Idiat Adebule.
According to her, the ministry was given an overhead ceiling of N532.5bn which represents a 28 per cent increase over the 2023 budget to cushion the effects of inflation. Read more
Adamawa swears-in 50 development area administrators (Sun)
The Adamawa State Government has sworn in 50 state development area administrators in Yola, the state capital.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who was represented by his Deputy, Kaletapwa Farauta at the event said their appointment was part of government’s deliberate determination to stimulate good governance and deliver dividend of democracy at the grass root level.
”In this team, there is no room for laxity but everyone is on a rat race to deliver on the governance collective vision where no one is left behind and nothing left untouched. Read more
EFCC declares former minister Agunloye wanted over $6b fraud (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, wanted over alleged fraud.
The commission in his verified facebook page urged Nigerians who knows the whereabout of Agunloye to report to the nearest police station or inform the EFCC.
The EFCC stated: “Dr. U Agunloye is wanted by the EFCC. You know his whereabout? Please don’t hesitate to inform the EFCC or the nearest Police Station.” Read more
Kizz Daniel makes shocking revelation about his ancestry (Leadership)
Nigerian music star, Tobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, popularly known as Kizz Daniel, has made a shocking revelation about his ancestry.
The singer on Tuesday disclosed that he has Fulani blood in him.
The disclosure followed the release of two new singles, “Twe Twe” and “Too Busy To Be Bae”, on Tuesday. Read more
Suspected militants kill 4 soldiers in Rivers (Channels)
Four Soldiers serving in the Nigerian Army, 6 Division have been killed by suspected militants in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred on Tuesday at Emesu Junction, along the Amungboro- Emuphan Road.
This was contained in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations Officer, Major Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, saying the troops were on routine patrol when they were overpowered in a gun battle by the gunmen. Read more
Lagos gets new police commissioner (DailyTrust)
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has appointed Fayoade Adegoke as the new Commissioner of Police for the Lagos State Command. The redeployment was contained in a signal signed by the Force Secretary, AIG Olanrewaju Oladimeji.
Adegoke will take over from Mr Idowu Owohunwa, who had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon Ikoyi, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that before his new posting, Adegoke was in charge of armament at the Force headquarters in Abuja. Read more
Beyoncé accused of stealing Renaissance Tour visuals from The Weeknd Collaborator (HipHopDx)
Beyoncé has been accused of stealing visuals used on her Renaissance world tour from The Weeknd’s collaborator Hajime Sorayama.
Sorayama, who is an acclaimed Japanese illustrator, took issue with some designs used by Bey during her record-breaking 2023 tour, which he claims ripped off his own work.
In a post on Instagram, Sorayama wrote: “Yo @beyonce You should have asked me ‘officially’ so that I could make much better work for you as like my man @theweeknd.” Read more
A former Los Angeles police detective for years hid the truth about how she killed her ex’s new wife. Now, she could go free (NBC)
A former Los Angeles police detective was convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriend’s wife in 2012, more than two decades after Sherri Rasmussen was killed in her Southern California condo.
But last month parole officials concluded that Stephanie Lazarus, the former detective who was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison, is eligible for parole. And Rasmussen’s relatives are outraged that the woman who hid the truth about the murder and continued to work as a law enforcement officer for more than 20 years could go free.
Lazarus, now 63 and incarcerated southeast of Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty during her trial and had not publicly admitted to her role in the 1986 killing until a parole suitability hearing on Nov. 16, according to two relatives who attended the hearing. Read more
Reichsbürger: German far-right extremists charged with planning violent coup (BBC)
German prosecutors have charged 27 suspected far-right extremists with planning a violent coup.
The suspects are accused of membership of the fringe Reichsbürger – or Citizens of the Reich – movement.
“The members of the group strongly rejected state institutions and the free democratic constitutional order,” according to the indictment. Read more
Niger: NGOs call on ECOWAS to let in humanitarian aid (AfricaNews)
On Tuesday, international NGOs working in Niger called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ease its sanctions against Niamey to allow emergency humanitarian aid to enter from neighbouring Benin.
The twenty or so organisations are calling for the “immediate reopening” of the border with Benin, which has been blocked because of regional sanctions, to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Niger, where they say more than 4.3 million people need urgent assistance.
At the end of a summit in Abuja on Sunday, ECOWAS maintained the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Niger after the coup d’état on 26 July, making their easing conditional on a “short transition” in particular. Read more
King Charles travelling to Canada for first time as monarch – but faces huge opposition (Mirror)
Foreign Office officials and royal aides have been working to plan a trip with as little opposition as possible for King Charles and Queen Camilla when they head to Canada in May
The King will travel to Canada next spring marking his first visit to a British realm since his coronation – but is being prepared to face protests after polls suggest the country is turning against the monarchy.
Charles will be accompanied by the Queen for the tour in May, which is expected to last a week. Officials from the Foreign Office have been working closely with the King’s aides to devise a plan for the trip where the royals will come under as little opposition as possible. Read more
Man who spent 19 years in prison on wrongful murder conviction is freed (People)
A Minnesota man who went to prison as a teenager has been released almost two decades later after his wrongful murder conviction was vacated, according to authorities.
Marvin Haynes, 36, was freed on Monday after a judge signed an order setting aside his conviction, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement, which adds that prosecutors “agreed that Haynes had proven his Constitutional rights were violated during his trial in 2005.”
Haynes has maintained his innocence in the deadly 2004 robbery that took place in a flower shop and killed 55-year-old Randy Sherer, according to The Associated Press. Read more
US announces hundreds of new sanctions in push to isolate Russia (AlJazeera)
New sanctions target entities and individuals around the world in bid to isolate Russia as its war on Ukraine continues.
The United States has announced hundreds of new sanctions targeting entities and individuals across the globe, seeking to further isolate Russia as its war on Ukraine grinds on.
The US Departments of State and the Treasury said on Tuesday that they had designated more than 250 individuals and entities in countries including Turkey, China, and the United Arab Emirates, cracking down on sanctions evasion, weapons procurement, and sectors such as energy and mining. Read more
My story as hawker to Africa’s football king – Osimhen (Punch)
Newly crowned CAF 2023 African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen, on Tuesday penned a gratifying message to celebrate his top prize, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
In an extended message posted on his X account, the Napoli striker told an inspiring story of how he started as a hawker on the streets of Olusosun in Lagos to becoming a global icon in football.
On Monday, the Napoli striker beat Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah to the star prize at the awards ceremony in Marrakech. Read more
TNT Pundir says £20m Arsenal player had a ‘tough night’ v PSV (HitC)
TNT Sports pundit Lucy Ward feels that Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior had a ‘tough night’ against PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko.
Arsenal headed to Eindhoven this evening, taking on PSV in their final game of the Champions League group stage.
Mikel Arteta made a host of changes to his side but Eddie Nketiah pounced to put Arsenal 1-0 up in the Netherlands. Read more
Kante, Benzema score as Al Ittihad win in Club World Cup (Vanguard)
Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad secured progress from the first round of the Club World Cup with a convincing 3-0 win against Auckland City on Tuesday.
Backed by a full house at home in Jeddah, Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad made short work of New Zealand’s Auckland City, winners of the OFC Champions League.
Brazilian Romarinho, N’Golo Kante and Benzema scored in the first half to book their team’s place in the second round, where they will face Al Ahly of Egypt on Friday. Read more
Pogba’s doping hearing set for January 18 (Channels)
Paul Pogba will face Italy’s anti-doping tribunal on January 18 after testing positive for testosterone earlier this year, Italian media reported on Tuesday.
The Juventus and former Manchester United midfielder faces a potentially lengthy ban following the hearing at the NADO tribunal in Rome.
Neither the tribunal nor Pogba’s representatives responded to requests for confirmation of the hearing date. Read more
I’ve no plans to leave Barcelona –Roberto (CompleteSports)
Barcelona star, Sergi Roberto says he has no plans of leaving the club.
The veteran wing-back in a chat with TribalFootball, stated that he his intention is to retire at Barcelona.
“I’m not considering going to another team nor am I thinking about retiring, I’m 31 years old. Read more
Arsenal’s new look line-up secures draw against PSV Eindhoven in Champions League dead-rubber (Independent)
PSV 1-1 Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish
Arsenal’s much-changed side were lucky to leave the Netherlands with a 1-1 draw in their dead-rubber Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven.
A goal apiece either side of half-time saw the top two in Group B share the spoils as Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish in a draw. Read more