SABINEWS EVENING NEWS UPDATE AUGUST 11, 2018
Kogi By-election: 1 killed, 2 SDP agents shot by suspected political thugs (ThisDay)
One person has been killed at NEPA polling center, Lokoja while two agents of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) were also shot by suspected political thugs in the ongoing by-election for Kogi/Koto-Karfe federal constituency. Thisday gathered that some political thugs invaded the polling center to hijack the ballot boxes and one person was killed when fracas broke out among two factions. A source disclosed to Thisday that corp members and INEC officials at the polling center had to run for their lives to avoid being attacked. Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Umar Ali, has confirmed that two agent of SDP have been shot by some suspected political thugs. Read more
Magistrate, son, relation, driver die in accident at Ekpoma (Guardian)
Magistrate Banji Ayeomoni of Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State, together with his son Dara, another relation and his driver were reported dead in an inferno caused by a petrol tanker spillage in Ekpoma. An official of the court, who spoke on condition of anonymity told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday, that the incident happened on Friday night close to Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma. The official said that the late Ayeomoni went to visit his children at Ekpoma, adding that while returning his vehicle ran into the petrol spillage of a tanker which caused fire and other vehicles behind were also affected. Read more
INEC will continue to upgrade card readers –National Commissioner promises (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission said on Saturday that it would continue to upgrade its card readers for optimal performance. The INEC National Commissioner, North East Zone, Alhaji Baba-Shittima Arfo, said this in an interview with journalists in Bauchi. News Agency of Nigeria reports that Arfo was in Bauchi to supervise the Southern Bauchi senatorial bye-election. “We had hitches in two or three places where the card readers either did not function due to improper coding or ran out of power. Read more
Human Right Violation records reaches 1M in 2 years – NHRC (NTA)
The National Human Right Commission (NHRC), on Saturday, said it recorded about one million cases of human rights violations in the country between 2017 and 2018. Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, the NHRC Executive Secretary, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at a Judicial Actors Coalition meeting in Maiduguri. Ojukwu attributed the numerous cases recorded to the spate of conflicts, which include the Boko Haram and herders/farmers conflicts in some parts of the country. He said that the commission had recorded more than 100,000 cases of human rights violations and abuses in Borno, where Boko Haram had wreaked so much havoc. Read more
Kayode Fayemi mourns Bunmi Ojo (Vanguard)
A Federal Commissioner representing Ekiti on the board of Federal Character Commision (FCC), Mr Bunmi Ojo, also an ally of Segun Oni, a former governor of Ekiti, is dead. The late Ojo was reportedly shot dead at close range, at about 10:12p.m on Friday in Ado Ekiti, along with two other persons. The identities of other victims are yet to be ascertained as the time of filing this report. The late Ojo, in his early 50s, was an intimate ally of immediate past Deputy National Chairman (South), APC and Ex-Gov. Segun Oni and served as his Personal Assistant during his term as governor. Read more
Akpabio a huge burden to Akwa Ibom – PDP elders (Nation)
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) elders in Akwa Ibom on Saturday described the former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, as a huge financial burden to the state government. The elders under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Elders Vanguard said Akpabio’s excessive demands from Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration had ended with his exit from the party. Addressing journalists in Uyo, the leader of the group, Senator Anietie Okon, said Akpabio’s defection would allow Governor Udom to focus on the development of the state with steady financial resources instead of distraction from the ex-governor. Read more
Bye-election: Police arrest 5 over electoral offences in Bauchi (Punch)
Bauchi State Police Command says it has arrested five persons in connection with electoral offences committed during Saturday’s Bauchi South Senatorial bye-election. Spokesman of the command, Mr Kamal Datti stated this on Saturday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. “From the report we are getting from our men so far, the election process is going fine, is peaceful and hitch-free. “However, we have made some arrests; we have arrested five people in connection with electoral ofences. Read more
Lokoja/Kogi by-election marred by violence (ThisDay)
The Lokoja/Kogi House of Representatives by-election in Kogi State which took place Saturday was marred by violence, intimidation and voting buying. When Thisday visited some polling centres, some electorate accused the All Progressive Congress led government in the state of doing everything possible to win the election. In Paparanda and Karaworo voting units in Lokoja metropolis, people complained of intimidation and harassment of voters by government agents and political appointees. A member of the People’s Democratic Party in Lokoja, Mallam Mohammed Balga, was said to have been beaten. Read more
Army holds completion for officers (Vanguard)
The 4 Brigade of Nigerian Army, Benin is to host the 2018, 2 Division Army Inter Brigade Warrant Officers and senior non-Commissioned Officers competition. Capt. Mohammed Maidawa, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations said in a statement issued in Benin that the competition would hold from Aug. 13 to Aug 17. The competition is designed to enhance the leadership skills and organisational ability of officers. “It is also intended to enhance the endurance, espirit-de corps and prepare personnel for combat, given the increasing role being played by the Army to mitigate the current security challenges confronting the country.’’ Read more
APC will win Katsina North by-election, says Speaker (ThisDay)
The Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Yayaha Kusada, has predicted that the ruling All Progressives Congress would win the ongoing Katsina north senatorial bye election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier fixed August 11, 2018 for the conduct of a by-election in the zone, following the death of Senator Mustapha Bukar. Hon. Kusada, who disclosed this to newsmen in Kusada, his hometown on Saturday while reacting to the ongoing election in the zone, said APC had better chances of winning. He said: “We will win the election with a wider gap because the people are voting for our party. So, I believe we will win the election”. Read more
Experts decry high number of unimmunised children in Nigeria (Guardian)
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has decried the high number of unimmunized children in Nigeria. The Executive Secretary of the NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, who spoke at a one-day high-level strategic dialogue on advocacy and accountability on routine immunization in Nigeria, said there are over four million unimmunised children in the country. The dialogue was organised by the development Research and Projects Center (dRPC) in conjunction with the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN). The aim of the dialogue is to strengthen the accountability framework for routine immunisation service delivery at national and state levels. Read more
Fish out Bunmi Ojo’s killers, Fayose charges security agencies (ThisDay)
Ekiti State Government has condemned the murder of Mr. Bunmi Ojo, a former Personal Assistant to ex-Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Segun Oni, charging police and other security agencies to fish out his killers and bring them to justice. In a statement issued on Saturday, by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the government condoled with the families, friends and political associates of the deceased, praying that God in His infinite mercies will console and uphold his wife and children. Read more
Dankwambo’s declaration as saving grace for PDP (Leadership)
Regardless of what your political leaning may be, you cannot deny, if you know the person and impact of Dankwambo since he took up politics that he is one of, if not the brightest stars of Northern Nigeria. It is on the strength of this that I believe his declaration, albeit in front of delegates of the North-East extraction is PDPs first, real salvo at challenging the APC led government at the centre. We all know that aspiring to lead Nigeria pushes the boundaries of ambition to the very end partly because Nigerians have continued to play possum with their future while people facing down the time-ringed barrel have been allowed to continue playing a card of relevance that should have been retrieved from them a long time ago. Read more
Bournemouth end opening-day hoodoo with victory over Cardiff (Telegraph)
It won’t live long in the memory but Bournemouth have won their opening fixture in the Premier League for the first time. Ryan Fraser’s first half goal and a late strike from Callum Wilson were enough to give them victory and they just about deserved it. Cardiff showed the indefatigable spirit which helped them force their way back into the top flight but rarely threatened to trouble the scorers. A long, arduous season awaits but those are just the sort Neil Warnock likes and a league which takes itself very seriously is all the better for having the 69 year-old back in it to dish out some much needed realism. Long-term Cherries’ fans witnessed a surreal moment ahead of kick-off as £25 million Colombian record signing Jefferson Lerma was paraded in front of supporters. Read more
Huddersfield Town 0 Chelsea 3 – Premier League Match Report (90maat)
Maurizio Sarri’s new Chelsea outfit had the best possible start to the season with a resounding 3-0 win over David Wagner’s Huddersfield. The team from West London showed their class with a dominating performance thanks to goals from Ngolo Kante, debutant Jorginho, and a familiar face in Pedro. Both sets of fans were in bright and cheery moods as the first Saturday of the new season began, and both teams came into the match with a few new faces; notably Jorginho for Chelsea and Terence Kongolo for Huddersfield, the clubs record signing from Monaco. Read more
Zimbabwe’s opposition candidate challenges election result, inauguration halted (Nation)
Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, filed a court challenge on Friday against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s election victory, halting the President’s inauguration slated for Sunday. The first election since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign after a coup in November last year had been expected to end Zimbabwe’s pariah status and launch an economic recovery but post-election unrest has reminded the country of its violent past, Reuters reported. Chamisa’s lawyer, Thabani Mpofu, said he had asked the Constitutional Court to nullify the July 30 vote and that his application meant Mnangagwa’s swearing-in had been halted. Read more
NASA’s $2 billion flight to sun delayed by last-minute technical problem (9News)
A last-minute technical problem yesterday has delayed NASA’s unprecedented flight to the sun. The early morning launch countdown was halted with just one minute, 55 seconds remaining, keeping the Delta IV rocket on its pad with the Parker Solar Probe. NASA says a red pressure alarm for the gaseous helium system went off, prompting the launch controller to order, “Hold, hold, hold”. Rocket maker United Launch Alliance said it would attempt the launch again today, provided the helium-pressure issue can be resolved quickly. Once on its way, the Parker probe will venture closer to our star than any other spacecraft. The US$1.5 billion mission is already a week late because of rocket issues. Read more
Trump wants FBI to release McCabe’s texts (Aninews)
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday questioned the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) why text messages of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe were not released to government authorities. In a series of tweets, Trump threatened to get involved in the matter if appropriate action was not taken. “Why isn’t the FBI giving Andrew McCabe text messages to Judicial Watch or appropriate governmental authorities. FBI said they won’t give up even one (I may have to get involved, DO NOT DESTROY). What are they hiding? McCabe wife took big campaign dollars from Hillary people,” he tweeted. Read more
Erdogan warns Turkey will ‘find new friends’ as US row deepens (Telegraph)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that Turkey would “seek new friends” after the US “upset and annoyed” Ankara with sanctions which triggered a major currency crisis. Turkey’s president told counterpart Donald Trump to respect its sovereignty “before it is too late”, plunging relations between the Nato allies to their lowest in decades. Writing in the New York Times – the broadsheet paper much loathed by the US president – Mr Erdogan said: “Washington must give up the misguided notion that our relationship can be asymmetrical and come to terms with the fact that Turkey has alternatives. Read more
U.S. to return colonisation era church bells to the Philippines (Reuters)
The United States will return to the Philippines church bells seized by U.S. troops as trophies during a war between the two countries more than a century ago, giving way to Manila after years of diplomatic pressure. U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has notified Congress that the department plans to return the Bells of Balangiga to the Philippines at a date yet to be identified, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Saturday. Despite decades of close ties between the two countries and a tight military alliance, the United States’ refusal to return the bells has long been a bone of contention, raised strongly by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Read more
Crows trained to pick up litter at French theme park (Independent)
Six crows trained to pick up litter including cigarette butts will be put to work at a French historical theme park. The birds will be encouraged to collect and deposit small bits of rubbish into a box which will then deliver a nugget of food. They will be put to task at the Puy du Fou park in the western Vendee region on Monday. Nicolas de Villiers, the resort’s president, said: “The goal is not just to clear up, because the visitors are generally careful to keep things clean, [but to show] nature itself can teach us to take care of the environment.” Read more
