SABINEWS MORNING NEWS UPDATE FOR DECEMBER 29, 2016
Man planning attack on Third Mainland Bridge arrested –Police
A suspected member of a militant group allegedly planning to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State, has been arrested by the police in Majidun, Ikorodu area of the state.
The suspect, Abiodun Amos, aka Senti, was said to be a bomb expert, who had participated in several robbery attacks and kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states. Read more
FG to spend N1.9bn on sewage, fumigation in 2017
The Federal Government and some its agencies that are not under the first line charge will spend N1.91bn on clearing of sewage and fumigation in the 2017 fiscal year, investigation has shown.
Details of the proposed spending are contained in the 2017 budget, which was submitted to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 14. Read more
Sambisa’s capture: B’Haram may have used Chibok girls as shields during attack –Army
Boko Haram fighters, fleeing an attack on their base last week might have used some of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped on April 14, 2014, as human shields to prevent being fired upon by fighter jets during the attack on Sambisa Forest.
The Theatre Commander of the military campaign, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Wednesday, showed journalists aerial footage he said was filmed during attack on Sambisa Forest that showed the terrorists moving with women and children. Read more
Train cuts trailer carrying soldiers into two in Kaduna
A Lagos bound train from Kano collided with a trailer at a railway crossing in Kawo, Kaduna, and cut the trailer into two, the Federal Road Safety Corps said in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The Sector Commander of FRSC in the state, Mr. Francis Udoma, told the News Agency of Nigeria, that the incident occurred at 3 a.m., adding however, that no life was lost. Read more
Nurse pulls off baby’s hand during delivery
An auxiliary nurse, identified only as Oyekanmi, has been arrested by the police for her role in the death of a baby she took delivery of in the Odogunyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim’s mother, Adeola, had been taken to Oyekanmi’s residence last Saturday when she went into labour. Read more
Many blind candidates collude to cheat at exams, says WAEC
The West African Examinations Council says collusion is one of the greatest methods of examination malpractices that is common among blind candidates.
The Head of Test Administration of WAEC in Nigeria, Mrs. Frances Iweha-Onukwu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Wednesday. Read more
Passengers disrupt Arik’s services at Lagos airport
Arik Air’s United States and South Africa-bound passengers, who were stranded due to bad weather condition, on Wednesday disrupted the airline’s services at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The airline’s members of staff at a point abandoned their duty posts as the passengers became uncontrollable. Read more
Ambode ready to grant amnesty for cult members
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said the government is ready to grant amnesty to those willing to renounce their membership of cults and turn a new leaf.
Ambode, who spoke on Tuesday in Ikorodu at the ongoing ‘One Lagos Fiesta,’ said his administration had perfected plans to rehabilitate criminals, who were ready to be law-abiding, with a view to making them contribute meaningfully to the society. Read more
Customs seize N250m smuggled cannabis from Ghana
Forty-three jumbo bags of cannabis worth N250m smuggled into the country from Ghana have been seized along Agbara/Badagry road by the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Western Marine Command of the NCS disclosed this in a statement. It quoted the Controller of the command, Yusuf Umar, as saying that the seizure was made possible following a report made available by some good Samaritans. Read more
Dogs disappear as Ekiti residents eat canine meat
Dogs have disappeared from streets in Ekiti State following a rise in the consumption of dog meat by residents, a check by the News Agency of Nigeria has shown.
NAN reports that more people have increasingly turned to dog meat for their nutrition. Read more
Army claims recovery of Shekau’s Qur’an, flag in Sambisa Forest
The Nigerian Army yesterday said it had recovered Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau’s Qur’an and flag in Camp Zero, the Boko Haram’s headquarters in Sambisa Forest.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major-Gen. Lucky Irabor, who said this while giving update on the ‘Operation Rescue Final’ in Maiduguri, added: “We believe that the Holy Book and the flag were abandoned by Abubakar Shekau while he escaped.” Read more
1,237 Nigerians stopped from entering Germany this year
No fewer than 1, 237 Nigerians were stopped from entering Germany this year, as German police are on track to turn away some 20,000 migrants at the country’s borders, airports and sea ports in 2016.
From January until the end of November, 19,720 people were stopped from entering the country, the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung, NOZ, reported, citing numbers from the German Federal Police. Read more
Find killers of LASTMA’s Bakare
SOME mindless commercial motorcycle operators and miscreants recently murdered the Apapa Zon B Head of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Tajudeen Olatunji Bakare, at Point Road in Apapa Local Government Area of the state.
The dastardly act occurred on December 15, 2016; two weeks after the Lagos State Government announced its intention to begin full enforcement of the law restricting the motorcyclists’ operation in 475 roads across the state. LASTMA, Vehicle Inspection Service, (VIS) and the Police were directed to ensure compliance. Read more
NNPC Enugu depot to resume operation next year
Barring any other unforeseen hiccup, the Enugu depot of Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC, would resume operation on or before April 2017.
Operations in the depot were suspended due to frequent vandalization of the oil pipeline that runs from Port Harcorut to Enugu, up to the northern parts of Nigeria. Read more
Integrated Oil seeks govt support for 20,000bpd refinery
The Chairman, Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Iheanacho, has stressed the need for the Federal Government to provide enabling environment for operators to ramp up the nation’s refining capacity.
He said the 20,000 barrels per day refinery being built by his company would help to reduce importation of refined petroleum products into the country. Read more
Nigeria’s oil sector worse off despite price rise
While global oil benchmark price has risen by over 100 per cent since it hit 13-year lows of below $28 per barrel in January, Nigeria’s oil sector has taken a turn for the worse.
The country is not able to benefit from the rally in oil prices as a chunk of its crude oil production remains shut in due largely to militant attacks in the Niger Delta. Read more
Investors Meet in January on Brass LNG, Uncertainty Looms over OKLNG
The chief executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Total and ENI are scheduled to meet early next month to decide the fate of the $15 billion Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project located on Brass Island, Bayelsa State, THISDAY has learnt.
This is coming as uncertainty continues to loom over the fate of the $547 million already plunked into the Olokola LNG project situated on the border town between Ogun and Ondo States, following the withdrawal of the project’s shareholders and the recent decision by the NNPC to relocate its staff seconded to the project to Abuja. Read more
New bill on stamp duty goes to National Assembly
A new bill to amend the Stamp Duty Act, 2004 has been sent to the National Assembly by the Nigerian Postal Service, investigation has shown.
The bill seeks not only to remove some ambiguities contained in the original Act, but also to legitimise what has been collected as stamp duty since January by the Deposit Money Banks operating in the country. Read more
Budget: Raise N2.35tn deficit externally, ACCI tells FG
The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on the Federal Government to avoid raising money from the domestic financial market to fund the fiscal deficit of N2.35tn contained in the 2017 budget.
The President, ACCI, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, who stated this in Abuja, said that borrowing such a huge amount from the domestic financial market would crowd out the private sector from accessing funds for investment purposes. Read more
‘NFF didn’t cheat Super Eagles’
The Nigeria Football Federation has said it paid the Super Eagles players their correct win bonuses for beating Algeria 3-1 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo in November.
Reports had claimed the NFF paid each player N1m instead of $5,000 approved by the government for winning the encounter. Read more
‘Federations support 48-team World Cup’
Global football federations are “overwhelmingly in favour” of plans for a 48-team World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino says, BBC Sport reports.
The head of football’s governing body outlined his vision for an expanded tournament comprising 16 groups of three teams earlier this month. Read more
Everton set to seal £10m Ademola deal
Everton expect to complete a £10m deal for Charlton’s 19-year-old forward Ademola Lookman early in the January transfer window, BBC Sport reports.
Director of Football Steve Walsh has made the signing a priority and the move is likely to go through quickly as manager Ronald Koeman starts what is expected to be a busy January. Read more
Sand Eagles plan 2017 beach soccer boycott
The national beach soccer team are heading for a showdown with the Nigeria Football Federation after the NFF alletgedly shortchanged them at the end of the Lagos 2016 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria lost 8-4 to Senegal in the final of the December 13-18 tournament at the Atlantic City in Lagos. Read more
Chinese Year of the Rooster marked with huge Trump sculpture
President-elect Donald Trump may have ruffled feathers in Beijing with criticism on trade and Taiwan, but he seems to have struck a chord with the Chinese public.
With the Year of the Rooster approaching, a Trump-inspired sculpture is on display at a shopping centre in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. Read more
Australian police seize more than a ton of cocaine in record-breaking bust
Australia police ended a two-and-a-half year drug investigation on Christmas day by busting a cartel and seizing 1102 pounds (500 kilograms) of cocaine.
The December 25 bust, along with a seizure of 1336 pounds (606 kilograms) of cocaine from the same syndicate earlier this year, was worth about $259 million (AUD$360 million) and is Australia’s largest ever haul from a single cartel. Read more
Bomb Attack Wounds at Least 23 People at a Boxing Match in the Philippines
An explosion wounded at least 23 people who were watching a boxing competition held as part of celebrations of an annual Roman Catholic festival in a central Philippine town, an army officer said.
The wounded were brought to a hospital in Hilongos town in Leyte province following the explosion late Wednesday of what initially appeared to be a cellphone-detonated homemade bomb, regional army spokeswoman 1st Lt. Cherry Junia said. Read more
