Teacher charged with defiling minor in school toilet (Guardian)
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday remanded a 60-year-old teacher, Benjamin Omole, who allegedly defiled his 11-year-old pupil in a school toilet. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olufunke Sule-Amzat, ordered that the defendant should be kept in the Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos State, pending the advice of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant, a resident of Oke-Ona Close in Ifako Ijaiye area of Lagos, is standing trial for child defilement, but he pleaded not guilty. Read more
Olawepo-Hashim asks INEC to postpone presidential election again (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the People’s Trust, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has written to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, asking for the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections rescheduled for Saturday. He said the one-week postponement of the elections earlier scheduled for last Saturday was too short to address the logistics problems the electoral body said were responsible for the last postponement. Read more
INEC must not take us for granted – Buhari (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must not take Nigerians for granted. Buhari was speaking at the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) caucus meeting that held in Abuja. “The constitution and laws protected INEC but they must not take us for granted,” Buhari said. INEC postponed the elections a few hours to the when the polls were supposed to be opened. The president had travelled to his hometown, Daura in Katsina State in order to vote but woke to information that the election had been postponed. Read more
I owe my appointment to Buhari, not Saraki – Lai Mohammed (Nation)
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says he owes his appointment as minister to President Muhammadu Buhari and no one else. In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the minister said it was “laughable’’ that anyone would seek to take credit for his appointment. Mohammed was reacting to a statement by Dr. Doyin Okupe the Special Adviser (Media) to the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, in which he gave credit to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki for the minister’s appointment. Read more
Police commence investigation into killing of Okowa’s aide (Guardian)
The Police Commissioner (CP) in Delta, Yinka Adeleke, has said that the command has commenced full scale investigation into the killing of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s aide, Mr Lawrence Ijei (a.k.a. Ngozi). The CP disclosed this in a press statement issued on Monday by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP, Chuks Orisewezie, and made available to newsmen in Warri. Ijei, Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, was killed by yet-to-be identified gunmen inside his Toyota Camry car with registration number EFR 965 SN in Ekpan, near Warri last Friday. Read more
FG’s school feeding programme is waste of funds – NLC (Nation)
The Niger state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) has described the Federal government school feeding programme as a corrupt and wasteful venture calling for its stop. The Niger state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Yahaya Ndako Idris made the call while speaking at “a solemn Assembly” organised by the Niger state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers on Monday. He said that the money spent on the school feeding programme can be used for other educational programmes that would be beneficial to the school children. Read more
Court remands herdsman over alleged murder of farmer (Punch)
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered the remand of a herdsman, Umaru Abubakar, over alleged murder. Abubakar, 35, whose address was not provided, is being tried on a charge of murder. The Prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Okunade, told the court that the accused committed the offence on February 13 in Aiyegbaju-Ekiti. Okunade alleged that the accused murdered one Elijah Ogor, a farmer. Read more
Lassa Fever: Ebonyi records three deaths, treats 14 patients (Nation)
The Virology center at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) built by Ebonyi state government has successfully treated and discharged 14 Lassa fever patients brought to the centre this year. Commissioner for Health Dr. Daniel Umezuruike disclosed this during public health advisory workshop organized by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital. He noted that the disease is currently active in Ebonyi state with a total of 19 confirmed cases with three deaths among the cases admitted at the centre. Read more
Seven MPs leave Labour Party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership (BBC)
Seven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism. They are: Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey. Ms Berger said Labour had become institutionally anti-Semitic and she was “embarrassed and ashamed” to stay. Mr Corbyn said he was “disappointed” the MPs had felt unable to continue working for the policies that “inspired millions” at the 2017 election. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the “honourable thing for them to do” would be to stand down as MPs and seek to return to Parliament in by-elections. Read more
Oscars statuette gets modern reboot as Lady Gaga and Olivia Colman turn into legendary gold awards (Metro)
Lady Gaga and Olivia Colman have been given the Oscars treatment, as the Hollywood stars were turned into their own versions of the gold statuettes ahead of the Academy Awards later this month. It comes after a surge of support and celebration for women in film emerged ahead of this year’s ceremony. The applause for the likes of Gaga, who is a hot contender for the best actress award for her role in A Star Is Born, as well as Olivia for the same category for her turn in The Favourite, prompted ODEON Cinemas to produce a range of ‘Osc-her’ statues. Read more
50 Cent: Claims police told to ‘shoot’ rapper investigated (BBC)
Police in New York are investigating claims a senior officer told members of his team to “shoot” the rapper 50 Cent. It’s alleged Deputy Inspector Emanuel Gonzalez made the remark in June last year at a police roll-call for a boxing match which the star was due to attend. 50 Cent said on Sunday he was taking the threat “very seriously” and was consulting with his lawyers. The New York Police Department told Radio 1 Newsbeat the matter “is under internal review”. Read more
France 2019: Mercy Akide-Udoh canvasses better preparation (Nation)
Nine time African Champions Super Falcons will need to up their preparation and game if they are to make appreciable impact at this year’s World cup in France. Former Falcons ace and African women’s player of the year, Mercy Akide-Udoh who made the submission, noted that other countries heading to France for the showdown are playing series of friendly matches while the Falcons appear to be having an evening stroll in the garden. Nigeria’s programme ahead of the tournament includes participation in the Cyprus Cup and a camp in Austria, but Akide-Udoh, who starred as Nigeria reached the quarterfinals of the 1999 World Cup, insists that is not enough. Read more
‘Nothing personal’ in beating Bayern for Klopp (Guardian)
Jurgen Klopp has buried the hatchet of his old Bundesliga rivalry with Bayern Munich but wants Liverpool to show they are Champions League contenders by beating the German giants when the sides meet in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday. Bayern has won the Bundesliga for the past six years since Klopp’s Dortmund claimed back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Dortmund also lost the Champions League final to Bayern in 2013 and the rivalry between the two was intensified as Bayern picked off some of Klopp’s best players in Mario Goetze, Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski. Read more
Tyson Fury signs ESPN fight deal worth reported £80m (BBC)
British heavyweight Tyson Fury has signed a deal with a United States network worth a reported £80m. The deal, which is understood to cover Fury’s next five fights, will see him broadcast on ESPN in the US while remaining on BT Sport in the UK. Fury believes the deal makes a rematch with Deontay Wilder “more makeable”. But Fury, Wilder and IBF, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua now work with rival US broadcasters, making future negotiations arguably more difficult. Read more
Devout Christian teacher ‘caught having sex with underage student’ (Metro)
An English teacher and self-described ‘Jesus follower’ reportedly had sex with one of her underage students, police say. Baylee Turner, 23, was arrested last Wednesday in Carthage, Missouri and charged with sexual contact with a student by a school district employee. Police say Turner had sex with the unidentified student between January 14 and January 21 in a home in Carthage, although authorities did not specify whose home it was, or the gender of the student she is accused of abusing. Read more