Soldiers, police lay siege to Daily Trust Lagos office (Guardian)
Hours after Maiduguri and Abuja offices of a Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust were shut by some armed military men, the Lagos Bureau Office of the newspaper Ltd has been taken over by a combination of armed military and police officers. According to a source at Daily Trust, a total of seven security operatives’ vehicles at about 9 pm have been stationed within and outside the Lagos office premises of the media outfit situated at the Textile Labour House, Acme Road, Ikeja. Of the seven vehicles, two Hilux vans and one Rapid Response Squad (RRS) car were situated right in front of the bureau office. Four other Hilux vans were situated at the other side of the road, facing The News publishing house, a stone throw from Media Trust office. Read more
Osinbajo: Buhari needs new term to consolidate his feats (Nation)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has urged the people of Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in next month’s election. He said the President needed another four years to consolidate on his achievements and reposition the country for excellence. The vice-president spoke on the achievements of the administration during his visits to Igbeti, Igboho, Kisi and Saki, where he was received by huge crowds of party members and supporters. Oke-Ogun consists of big agrarian towns and communities. They are mostly border towns with Republic of Benin and Togo. Read more
CUPP plans protest on January 15 over alleged IGP’s retirement extension (Guardian)
The opposition political parties in the country, under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), have directed all members of the group to stage a protest nationwide on January 15, 2019 at the state headquarters of all the police commands if the IGP is seen around his office. In a statement yesterday signed by the First National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the CUPP said Idris’ continued stay in office after the day he will clock 65 years would constitute threat to national security. The group, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the office vacant and make a replacement as constitutionally provided in Section 215 (1) a. Read more
Aisha Buhari must explain what has happened to cabal — Fayose (Punch)
A former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday queried President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha, over what had happened to the cabal that she alleged had hijacked her husband and prevented him from performing in office. Fayose, who is the South-West coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, said Aisha would be insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians by asking them to re-elect the same man she asked them to help her rescue from a cabal. The former governor, in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said Nigerians would take the Mrs Buahari’s campaign for the re-election of her husband seriously only if she could explain what had happened to the cabal that she said caused Buhari administration’s failure. Read more
Women group defends Zakari (Nation)
A civil society organisation, Proactive Gender Initiatives (PGI), has described the allegations against Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) National Commissioner, Hajia Amina Zakari, as gender-related violence against women. PGI’s National Coordinator Mrs. Esther Uzoma made the remark yesterday in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Some opposition parties and groups had kicked against Mrs. Zakari as chairperson of its National Collation Centre for the forthcoming elections, arguing that the national commissioner was President Muhammadu Buhari’s niece. Read more
ASUU strike: Ngige begs varsity teacher to have mercy on students (Nation)
Labour & Employment Minister Chris Ngige has pleaded with striking varsity teachers to show mercy on students by calling off their strike. The teachers, under auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), began a nationwide strike since November, last year, over some disagreement between the union and the Federal Government. Ngige also declared that Federal Government would pay a minimum wage, adding that things were being worked out by the Committee saddled with that responsibility. Ngige spoke yesterday in Awka, Anambra State capital, in a chat with reporters at the premises of a local radio station, belonging to the state. Read more
Okowa alleges APC not campaigning but holding secret meetings (Guardian)
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the opposition party in Delta State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to engage in campaigns like the PDP and tell the people their plans instead of holding nocturnal meetings scheming on how to engage in electoral malpractices. Okowa, who spoke during the campaign at Koko and Sapele at the weekend, lampooned the opposition party for scheming on how to snatch ballot boxes and engage in electoral malpractices instead of winning the people over to their side. He said his re-election would be premised on sustenance of peace, development and equity in line with rotation of political offices in the state. Read more
Extradition: EFCC submits Interpol, other documents on Diezani to AGF (Nation)
Documents for former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s extradition has been submitted to the Attorney-Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN). Besides a comprehensive investigative report on the ex-minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the document included a Red Alert watch-list by the International Police Organization (INTERPOL), and court judgments on the forfeiture of some prime assets by Mrs. Alison-Madueke. According to a source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, the extradition process would soon begin. Read more
Top Venezuela judge defects to US (BBC)
Venezuela Supreme Court judge Christian Zerpa has fled to the US to protest over President Nicolás Maduro’s second term in office. Last year’s election “was not free and competitive”, the former Maduro loyalist told a Florida radio station. And he accused President Maduro of systematically manipulating the affairs of the Supreme Court. In response, the court said Mr Zerpa was fleeing allegations of sexual harassment. Opposition parties boycotted the 2018 vote, calling it a sham. Mr Zerpa had been a crucial ally for Mr Maduro on the court, writing a key legal opinion in 2016 justifying the president’s decision to strip congress of its powers. His ruling Socialist party had lost control of the legislature to the opposition in a landslide vote earlier that year. Read more
Buhari didn’t order arrest, prosecution of Pinnick —Presidency (Punch)
The Presidency on Sunday disowned a press statement in circulation suggesting that President Muhammadu Buharihad ordered the arrest and prosecution of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Pinnick, over alleged financial fraud. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, gave Buhari’s position on the matter. It explained that Buhari would not jump investigation to order anybody’s arrest or prosecution. The Presidency stated, “A press release in circulation in the last 24 hours, to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Amaju Pinnick, the NFF Chairman, is fake news because anyone familiar with the President’s unmitigated and unshakable commitment to the due processes of the law, will not make such assumptions of the President. Read more
Bendel Insurance hit Delta Stars 3-0 as Remo Stars beat 3SC (Guardian)
Edo ‘Arsenal’ Bendel Insurance yesterday began their long awaited journey back to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) when they defeated Delta Force 3-0 in their opening match of the on-going Nigerian National League (NNL) Super Eight play-off in Aba. Insurance, one of the traditional teams in Nigerian club football, have been languishing in the second tier of the league for over a decade. But the Benin boys signified their desire to return to the elite class with a superb performance against Delta Force. Veteran star, Charles Omokaro opened scores for Insurance before Michael Enaruna doubled it through a well struck free kick. Read more
Real Madrid remain title challenger till end of season, says Valverde (Guardian)
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde believes Real Madrid will be in the LaLiga title race until the end of the season, despite the seven-point gap between the rivals. Held by Villarreal last time out, Madrid were left adrift of league leaders Barca almost halfway through the season. That gap may change with Madrid hosting Real Sociedad and Barcelona making the trip to Getafe. But Valverde said he expected the capital club to remain in the title race until the end. “We consider Real Madrid a candidate for the title for the rest of the season,” he told a news conference. Read more
Sociedad shock Real Madrid at Bernabeu (BBC)
Ten-man Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Real Sociedad as the visitors earned their first victory at the Bernabeu in La Liga for 15 years. Willian Jose fired Sociedad in front from the penalty spot in the third minute after Mikel Merino was fouled by Real Madrid’s Casemiro. Things then got more difficult for Real Madrid when Lucas Vazquez was sent off with half an hour remaining. Sociedad made the extra man count when Ruben Pardo headed in a late second. The defeat leaves Real Madrid one point and one place outside the Champions League qualification spots in fifth, while Sociedad move up to 11th after ending a four-match losing streak in the league. Read more
Applicant lands in prison for killing neighbour during argument (Punch)
A 27-year-old applicant, Ibrahim Bindiga, alias Tsallen Tunkiya, of the Filin Samji Quarters, Katsina, has been remanded in the Katsina Prison for culpable homicide by a Katsina Senior Magistrates’ Court. Bindiga was alleged to have stabbed a neighbour, one Usman Abubakar, to death during an argument. According to the police, the accused stabbed the deceased with a knife three times in the stomach and once on the thigh during the disagreement. The father of the deceased, Abu Abubakar, reported the incident at the Central Police Station, Katsina, leading to Bindiga’s arrest and subsequent arraignment in court. Read more
Man stabbed to death in Rivers for pasting campaign posters (Punch)
A young man in his late 20s, identified as Chimezie Dike, was on Saturday stabbed to death during a fight with one Henry Ekeozor over the pasting of campaign posters on the wall of a building. The incident was said to have happened around 8.20pm at 40B Azikiwe Street, Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The deceased, according to sources, was not a member of the All Progressives Congress, but was contracted to paste the campaign posters of Collyns Owondah, a House of Representatives candidate of the party in the area. It was gathered that Henry and his mother, Ifeoma Ekeozor, a woman leader of the APC in the area, had expressed dissatisfaction over the pasting of campaign posters of the House of Representatives candidate on the wall of their residence. The disapproval by the duo reportedly caused a fierce argument with Dike, a development that degenerated into a fight before the victim was stabbed in the chest. Read more