Third Mainland Bridge reopens Monday, says Lagos govt (Nation)
The Third Mainland Bridge, which was scheduled to open on Tuesday, will open today, the Lagos State government has said.
This followed the completion of the work on the three expansion joints and the need to open it for traffic.
A statement on Sunday by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, said the bridge was scheduled to be opened to traffic by 12 midnight of January 31, 2021.
“The earlier movement arrangements of 12 am for Lagos Island-bound motorists and 12 noon for Mainland-bound motorists subsist,” it said.
The statement expressed the gratitude of the state government to the residents, especially those affected by the closure, for their understanding. Read more
One killed, scores injured as Lagos Island area boys clash (Tribune)
One person has been killed and scores of others injured in a renewed rivalry clash between hoodlums from Agarawu and Onala areas of Lagos Island in Lagos State.
Vehicles and shops were also over the weekend vandalised by the rampaging hoodlums, who also took advantage of the situation to rob unsuspecting traders and residents of the two Lagos Island communities.
The renewed clash has been blamed on efforts by the two groups to control motor parks and collection of levies in the areas.
The deceased man has been identified simply as Sulaimon Escaper, a resident of Agarawu area, whose son was accused to be a member of the hoodlums in the area. Read more
Lagos police arrest suspected female armed robber, 14 others (ThisDay)
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 15 suspected armed robbers in the state, including a female suspect.
The Rapid Response Squad of the state police command arrested the 15 suspects, including 13 traffic armed robbers in operations carried out between January 29 and 30.
According to a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspects were arrested in Oshodi and Ketu areas of the state.
Adejobi disclosed in the statement that the arrest is part of the Command’s efforts at weeding up criminals suspected to be attacking motorists and commuters in traffic. Read more
Sanwo-Olu to Lagosians: Wear your face mask or go to jail (Independent)
Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has made it mandatory for residents of the state to wear face masks.
A defaulter of this order henceforth faces a six-month- jail term.
This is sequent to the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations, 2021 recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This order has come just about twenty-four hours the governor announced the approval of a N200-million-fund to support the ongoing COVID-19 patient management and treatment efforts of two Federal Government Treatment Centres in Lagos.
The governor stated this on Sunday while addressing State House Correspondents on COVID-19 update in the state at Lagos House, Marina. Sanwo-Olu said:
“The importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions cannot be overemphasized. All residents of Lagos State must continue to abide by the public health and safety regulations that have been issued by the health authorities, including the following: Wear a mask everywhere, ensure that you wash your re-usable mask regularly, and also properly dispose of used disposable masks, if you operate an office or business, insist on the wearing of masks before customers or clients can be granted access or rendered service. Read more
Lagos shifts resumption of workers on GL14 and below from Feb 1 to Feb 26 (Tribune)
Civil servants in Lagos on Grade Level 14 and below who have been asked to resume on February 1, 2021, from their stay at home order were on Sunday told to remain at home till February 26, 2021.
The state government announced this on Sunday night through a statement issued by the state Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, against the backdrop of the rising cases in the second wave of COVID-19 in the state.
According to the statement, some of the cases recorded in the past few days were from some public servants in the state, thus necessitating the need to extend the stay at home order.
According to the statement posted on the Twitter handle of the state government @followlasg: “Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has extended the work from home directive to all state public servants on Grade Levels 14 and below from Monday, 1st February to Friday, 26th February, 2021. Read more
NPF driver arrested in Osun with Lagos stolen car (Punch)
A civilian driver with the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Federal Investigation Bureau, Special Tactical Squad, Lagos, Waheed Adewale, has been arrested while allegedly attempting to sell a car snatched in Lagos at gunpoint.
The suspect was about to sell off the car in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, when he was arrested.
The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode, while parading the suspect on Friday, said he was intercepted on January 20, 2021 when he was looking for a buyer for the car.
Olokode said, “One Waheed Adewale, aged 52, from Ikeja, Lagos State, was intercepted and arrested with a Toyota Camry with number plate, FKJ 818 DL, along llobu/lfon Road, where the suspect was trying to look for a buyer for a car. Read more
Ogun begins activities to mark 45th anniversary (Guardian)
The Ogun State Government, yesterday, said that activities marking the 45th anniversary of the creation of the state in 1976 would begin on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.
A statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odusile, said the year-long celebration would be low key. According to the statement, there will be a state broadcast by Governor Dapo Abiodun, followed by a virtual colloquium with the theme “Ogun State: The Legacy of a Great Future.”
The lead paper at the event will be presented by the renowned scholar of public administration and retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Prof. Tunji Olaopa. Read more
Boko Haram kills two policemen, abducts two others in Borno (ThisDay)
Suspected armed members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect invaded Chabal and other communities of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State yesterday, killing two policemen before abducting two others, Channels TV reported.
The terrorists also in an ambush seized two patrol vehicles and set ablaze another one along Maiduguri-Chabal- Magumeri 35km Road north of the state capital.
Chabal is less than 22km drive from Maimalari Cantonment, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri.
The unfortunate incident is coming on the day all the newly appointed Service Chiefs paid their first on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in Maiduguri.
The Service Chiefs currently in Maiduguri for their first operational visit to Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, since their appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more
COVID-19: Osun CJ shuts court rooms, orders staff to undergo test (Independent)
Amidst the five cases of the deadly B117 strain of COVID-19 in Osun State, the Chief Justice, Adepele Ojo has ordered court staff below level 12 to work from home while courtrooms should be shut.
This is contained in a release by the Chief Registrar, M. A Lasisi, read, “I have the instruction of the Honourable Chief Judge, Osun State to convey to you the need to comply with the new COVID-19 Protocols just released by the State Government. Hence, all staff of the Judiciary below Level 12 are hereby directed to stay at, and work from home, to contain the spread of the pandemic.
“All staff affected should stop coming to work with effect from Monday, 1st February 2021.
“Furthermore, all staff of Osun State Judiciary should undergo COVID-19 test immediately. Osun State Government is gracious enough to be conducting the tests free of charge. Read more
Husband, 100, and wife, 98, become one of Britain’s oldest couples after 80 years together (Metro)
A husband and wife who met as teens have become one of Britain’s longest married couples after celebrating their 80th wedding anniversary. Ron Golightly met his beloved Beryl aged only 16 when one of his pals wolf-whistled at his future wife’s friend group as they walked past in the street. A 14-year-old Beryl turned round to see see Ron’s curly hair and cheeky smile, and the pair have been inseparable ever since. Beryl, now 98, said of Ron, now 100: ‘I just knew as soon as I saw him I was going to marry him. Read more
Somalia al-Shabab militants attack hotel in Mogadishu (BBC)
Militant Islamists in Somalia have been involved in a gun battle with security forces at a hotel in the capital, Mogadishu.
Al-Shabab said it was behind the attack at the Afrik Hotel, which began with a car bomb on Sunday afternoon.
It is not yet confirmed how many casualties there are, but the AFP news agency reported at least three deaths.
The group, which is linked to al-Qaeda, regularly carries out attacks against the government. Read more
Aung San Suu Kyi detained by military in apparent coup (DW)
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and several of her political allies have been detained in an early morning raid, a spokesman for her party said. He warned of a possible military coup.
Myanmar’s powerful military detained the country’s leader in an overnight raid, the ruling National League for Democracy said on Monday. Other senior leaders from the party have also been “taken” in an apparent coup.
“I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law,” said spokesman Myo Nyunt, revealing that the 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders were now in custody.
He added that he also expected to be taken.
“With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup,” he added. Read more
NYC issues state of emergency ahead of brutal winter storm (NYPost)
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday night issued a state of emergency order due to the monster storm that’s expected to wallop New York City.
Residents were urged to stay home during the storm — with all non-essential travel restricted beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday.
“This is a very dangerous storm,” the mayor said on NY1.
Only those seeking medical treatment or medical supplies and essential workers — such as first responders, pharmacy and grocery store staffers and restaurant and delivery workers — will be allowed on the roads. Read more
Swedish COVID nurse to watch entire film festival alone in lighthouse (BBC)
A Swedish nurse has won a competition to watch the entire 60-movie programme of the Goteborg Film Festival from a lighthouse on an isolated island off the coast of Sweden.
Lisa Enroth beat 12,000 film fans from around the world who applied.
The nurse, who has worked on Covid-19 wards during the pandemic, said she hoped to enjoy “being part of a totally different kind of reality for a week”.
Festival organisers were forced to curtail the festival by the pandemic. Read more
Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters (DW)
In Brussels and Vienna, police have clashed with scores of protesters demonstrating against COVID restrictions. Belgium and Austria have imposed a curfew and lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus infections.
In Belgium, police said they have detained more than 400 people in Brussels to prevent banned protests against measures to stem the coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of people turned up at several locations around the capital after numerous calls to protest circulated on social media platforms.
A police spokesman said most arrests took place around train stations in the capital, adding that those involved in the banned protests would be allowed to leave one by one after identification. Dozens of demonstrators also gathered at the Atomium, a landmark building in Brussels. Read more
NPFL Match Day 7: MFM FC plays goalless draw with Kwara Utd (Independent)
The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) FC were unable to subdue their opponents, as they battled to a goalless draw with Kwara United FC at the Agege Township Stadium, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 7 encounter, saw both teams slugging it out for 90 minutes without a victor emerging.
Kwara Utd currently occupies the sixth position on the NPFL’s standings, while MFM are occupying the 11th position before the match.
The visiting Ilorin based Kwara United put up a strong showing against their host as they missed gilt edge chances that could have swung victory their way. Read more
CHAN: Morocco and Guinea progress to semi-finals (BBC)
Holders Morocco swept Zambia aside with a 3-1 victory in the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) to set up a semi-final showdown with hosts Cameroon.
Raja Casablanca striker Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring a minute in, sliding the ball past Zambia goalkeeper Allan Chibwe.
Midfielder Mohammed Benmammer added to the scoring eight minutes later and Zambia’s Zachariah Chilongoshi didn’t help his side’s cause after he was red-carded for a studs-up tackle.
Ayoub El Kaabi completed a first half scoring blitz for Morocco converting from the penalty spot 39 minutes in.
Zambia managed a consolation in the 80th minute with a goal from substitute Moses Phiri. Read more
Jose Mourinho admits Tottenham are suffering after disappointing Brighton loss (Metro)
Jose Mourinho says his Tottenham side are suffering from ‘sadness’ and are in a ‘difficult moment’ following their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Brighton. Spurs slipped to their fourth defeat from their last eight league games at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, with Leandro Trossard’s smart finish after 17 minutes the only goal of the game. Mourinho’s side were lacklustre throughout and badly missed the impact of captain Harry Kane, who was forced off with an ankle injury in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool. Read more
Bayern Munich cruise on but Eintracht Frankfurt form team (DW)
In a weekend of few surprises, Bayern Munich cruised, Jadon Sancho continued to improve and Hertha Berlin’s new dawn got off to a rocky start. Eintracht Frankfurt have emerged from the pack and Cologne got a big win.
Did Bayern Munich win this weekend?
The good ship Bayern stayed well on course, with a 4-1 home win over Hoffenheim. Saturday’s opponents inflicted the champions only defeat of 2020 and threatened to repeat the dose early on. Goals from the old guard — Jerome Boateng, Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski — won it, while Serge Gnabry’s first in the league since October 2020 sealed the deal. A ninth consecutive title surely won’t be far behind.
Did Borussia Dortmund win this weekend?
BVB’s course hasn’t been anywhere near as steady this season, and so it went on Saturday. Augsburg beat Lucien Favre’s side in Bavaria and threatened to do the same to Edin Terzic’s side in Dortmund after Andre Hahn gave them a 10th minute lead. Read more
Brighton beat Spurs to go seven points clear of bottom three (BBC)
Brighton boss Graham Potter said the Seagulls produced their best performance for two years as they beat Tottenham to go seven points clear of the Premier League bottom three.
Leandro Trossard grabbed the game’s only goal, side-footing in Pascal Gross’ cutback after 17 minutes.
And the hosts comfortably held on at the Amex Stadium to earn their first home league win since June.
“It’s our best performance [from] this season and last,” Brighton boss Potter told BBC Sport. Read more
Wayne Rooney snaps up Manchester United prospect Teden Mengi on loan for Derby County (Metro) Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi has agreed a loan deal with Derby County, with Wayne Rooney snapping up the defender for the rest of the season. The 18-year-old is very highly rated at Old Trafford and made his senior debut in August last year, coming on against LASK in the Europa League. However, he is yet to make his Premier League debut and appearances even in the FA Cup and League Cup have not come about, so he is moving on loan to gain first team experience. Red Devils legend Rooney is in charge at Derby and has used his contacts at his former club to sign the England Under-18s man on a six-month loan, reports the Daily Mail. Read more