Shettima: How I funded civilian JTF alone for 6 years (Nation)
The Special Adviser to Borno State Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Isa Gusau, has explained that his principal, Governor Kashim Shettima, has consistently and solely funded over 20,000 Civilian JTF fighters in Borno State in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency since 2013. According to the governor’s adviser who spoke during an interview with Arise TV in Lagos, the governor is still faced with some political mischief makers under-playing the commitment of the governor to the Boko Haram problem. Gusau noted that the contributions of the more than 20,000 volunteers of the civilian JTF has been overwhelming in the fight against Boko Haram which he said is widely “acknowledged by the military, all other security stakeholders, past and incumbent federal administrations as well as residents of Borno State.” Read more
Amina Zakari on Buhari: He’s not my uncle or cousin (Nation)
National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hajiya Amina Zakari, yesterday joined in the controversy trailing her appointment as head of the election collation centre and declared that she is not President Muhammadu Buhari’s cousin as being speculated in some quarters. “I’m not his niece, I am not his cousin; and, on this job, I was appointed since 2010 by President Jonathan and prior to that, I was appointed as SA (special assistant) to President Obasanjo and I have done my work conscientiously over the years as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria,” Mrs Zakari told the BBC. She said she would not allow the controversy over her appointment distract her from performing her duties to the nation. Read more
Buhari will be last APC president, says primate Ayodele (Guardian)
The leader of the Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Ayodele Elijah Babatunde, has predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari would be the last president on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Primate Ayodele also warned: “If Buhari wins a second time, he may not have the energy to handle governance, as his ill-health will still affect his performance. The President needs a lot of prayers for his health.” Ayodele, who made the predictions in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, said APC would win Kaduna, Kano, Gombe Jigawa, and Nasarawa, but would lose in Niger and Adamawa. The poll in Oyo was predicted to be between African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Read more
Five surgeons perform Kano’s first brain surgery (Nation)
Kano witnessed an epoch-making history and a medical breakthrough, when five neuro-surgeons within 48 hours performed the first brain surgery in the state. The feat was carried out at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Giginyu, Kano, on patient Ali Iliyasu, who had been suffering from a brain ailment in the last 26 years, after an accident. The leader of the surgeons who conducted the surgery, Shu’aibu Dambatta, a consultant, revealed that “the patient had an 11 months appointment with another different facility before he came to us and we accepted to conduct the open brain surgery on him.” Read more
DR Congo delays announcing election result (BBC)
The results of last week’s presidential vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be published on Sunday, officials say, despite growing calls for the outcome to be announced. The head of the electoral commission said this was because less than half the ballots had arrived. His spokesman told the BBC a meeting would be held on Sunday over the delay. The Catholic Church, which fielded thousands of observers, said on Thursday there was a clear winner. It called for the result to be made public to avoid political unrest. Read more
Egypt church bomb kills policeman (BBC)
A policeman has been killed trying to defuse a bomb outside a Coptic Christian church in Egypt, security officials say. Mustafa Abid was reportedly a specialist in mine clearance. The explosion injured two other officers and an onlooker. The device was one of two hidden in a bag on a roof by the church in Nasr City outside Cairo. It comes two days before Egypt’s Christians celebrate their Christmas. About 10% of Egypt’s population are Copts, and many say the state discriminates against them and does not offer them enough protection. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi – who declares himself a defender of Christians against extremists – is due to open Cathedral of Nativity on Sunday outside the capital, the day before Coptic Christmas on 7 January. Read more
Brazil sends in troops to stop violence (BBC)
About 300 troops have been sent to the northern city of Fortaleza to tackle a surge in criminal violence, authorities said. Soldiers will patrol there and across the state of Ceará in a bid to halt attacks on shops, banks and buses. The justice ministry ordered the special deployment after dozens of attacks this week. The attacks are a protest against new, tougher measures in local prisons, largely controlled by criminal gangs. Prison authorities in the state have blocked mobile phone signals inside jails and ended a policy of separating inmates by gang affiliation. Read more
Pinnick wants Moses to get Super Eagles testimonial (Vanguard)
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick said retired Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Victor Moses deserves a testimonial after the Chelsea player shocked many fans by quitting the national team last year. Despite entreaties by the NFF president and coach Gernot Rohr for Moses to rescind his decision, the player currently enduring a dry spell at Stamford Bridge refused to budge. Pinnick disclosed: “I am talking to Victor Moses because I believe he’s somebody that has paid his dues. He shouldn’t just leave Nigeria unceremoniously and I told him that. Read more
Aiteo extends sponsorship deal by four years (Guardian)
Aiteo has signed a new four-year deal to sponsor the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Awards holding in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday. Aiteo beat CAF Champions League title sponsor, Orange (which wanted to take over the event) to the deal as promoter of the CAF Player of the Year for Men and Women. Already, voters in the 2018 CAF Awards have picked Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as finalists. Salah was last year’s winner and he followed up his 2017 achievements with another fine 12-month performance, breaking the Premier League’s 38-game season goals record, while leading Liverpool to the Champions League final, before ending the year on top of the league table. Read more
Fabregas misses penalty in Chelsea win (BBC)
Cesc Fabregas missed a penalty in potentially his last game in English football as Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round. Fabregas, who is expected to join Thierry Henry’s Monaco, had his spot-kick saved by Luke Steele after Danny Fox fouled Ruben Loftus-Cheek. But Alvaro Morata scored from close range in the second half from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low right-wing cross. The pair later combined again as Morata headed a second at Stamford Bridge. It was a deserved win for the FA Cup holders, who dominated against a Forest side who are seventh in the Championship. Read more
Alli vows Spurs ‘won’t get carried away again’ as Son absence looms (Guardian)
Dele Alli has admitted his Tottenham Hotspur team were guilty of complacency in the shock defeat by Wolves that derailed their Premier League title bid. But the England midfielder has insisted there will be no repeat of that error as Mauricio Pochettino’s team chase silverware on four fronts in 2019. That task will be made harder by the impending loss of in-form South Korean international Son Heung-min, who will be absent for a month as he represents his country at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Read more
Ex-NEPA manager dies during sex romp with nursing mother (Nation)
A former Manager of the defunct Nigeria Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) , Ebonyi State district has reportedly died in a hotel in Abakaliki during a marathon sex with his lover, a nursing mother. The nursing mother who resides at Nwojiji Street opposite St. Patrick Catholic Church Abakaliki operates a hair dressing salon at 9 Bende Street Kpirikpiri Abakaliki. The incident occurred in a hotel located along the ever busy Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway said to be owned by wife of an influential politician in the state. A police source said the woman had just finished withdrawing money from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) along Ezza Road Abakaliki when the deceased picked her up. Read more