Hoodlums attack 7UP officials, steal Lagos marathoners’ refreshments

Hoodlums on Saturday attacked officials of Seven Up Bottling Company, the official provider of refreshments for the 2nd Access Bank Lagos Marathon and some volunteers, carting away table water packs and refreshments for the marathoners.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the officials were defenceless at the Palmgroove end of the race along Ikorodu road, where they were stationed to hand over drinks to the marathoners.

EXCLUSIVE: I won’t return until doctors are satisfied — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he would only return to Nigeria when his London doctors certify him well enough to do so.

“… I am extending my leave until the doctors are satisfied that certain factors are ruled out,” Mr. Buhari said in a February 5 letter to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, informing the National Assembly of the extension of his vacation.

The letter was exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday.

7-year-old girl completes 2017 Lagos city Marathon

7-year-old Damilola Oluwaseyi has emerged winner of the children's category of the LagosCityMarathon. The small girl surprised many people at the just concluded 2017 Lagos city marathon as she crossed the finish line.

This young girl completed the entire 42km of the RunLagos marathon with full confidence.

According to reports, Oluwaseyi started the race from her house in Lekki, and surprised many when ahe completed the marathon race.

PHOTONEWS: EFCC displays huge sum found in Ex-NNPC GMD, Andrew Yakubu’s home

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Friday displayed photos of the recovered vault containing $9.8m, £74, 000 found in the Kaduna home of former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu.

DAILY POST recalls that operatives of the EFCC, on Thursday raided his home where it discovered the huge sum. 

The surprise raid of the facility was sequel to an intelligence report which the commission received about suspected proceeds of crime believed to be hidden in the slums of Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna.

The huge cash, according to the EFCC, was hidden in a fire proof safe.

Lagos city marathon: Kenyan wins $370,000 prize money

A Kenyan, Abraham Kiptom, has won the second edition of the Lagos City Marathon for the second consecutive time.

He finished the 42.1km marathon, which kicked-off at the National Stadium, Surulere and terminated at Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island, Lagos, in a record time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, 21 seconds.

Ronny Ronny Kipkoech (Kenya) and Regasa Bejiga (Ethiopia) finished second and third respectively.

Similarly, another Kenyan, Rodah Tanuyi was first to cross the finish line in the female category.

Among Nigerians, Pam Nwanta was the first to finish the race, and was surprisingly rewarded with the sum of N1 million by the sponsors.

Why Lagos policemen threatened to shoot me –African China

Singer, African China was in the news few days ago when a video of an altercation between him and some policemen went viral. In the video, the policemen had threatened to shoot the singer.

When Saturday Beats reached out to African China to find out the cause of the altercation, the singer alleged the police had threatened to shoot him for not giving them bribe.

Back to stone age

Nigerians return to firewood as prices of Kerosene, cooking gas hit roof top

By VINCENT KALU AND VERA-WISDOM-BASSEY

A housewife at Jakande area of Ojo, Lagos, was embarrassed penultimate Saturday.

She, with her family, occupies the second floor of a three-storey building. While cooking with firewood, thick smoke was belching out through the window of the kitchen.

Her neigbhours in the next compound and passersby,who thought it was a fire outbreak in the building raised the alarm.

This attracted people who rushed in to put off the fire and rescue the building and other property.

Robber snatches lady’s phone at gunpoint, mocks her on Facebook

A robber in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who snatched the mobile phone of a student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe university, took the daring step of uploading his own pictures on his victim’s Facebook account (Gabrilla Uchechi Eberechukwu) on Thursday.

100,000 athletes from 27 countries for Lagos marathon today

To ensure a hitch-free exercise, the state government announced the deployment of 300 officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority across major parts of the city to make human and vehicular movement easier during the duration of the event.

However, following the announcement, motorists and residents had expressed deep concern over the closure of some roads within the city today, saying it would affect their movements and businesses.

Commercial bus drivers, who decried the situation, however, told Saturday PUNCH that fares might be increased if there is heavy traffic within the city and many passengers stranded at bus stops.

EFCC discovers Diezani’s $37.5m Lagos mansion

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has discovered a $37.5m (N11.75bn) luxury high-rise building on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly belonging to the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

This is just as the EFCC revealed on Friday that it discovered $9.3m and £74,000 belonging to a former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu. The money was allegedly kept in a bungalow situated in the slums of Kaduna.

Isheri kidnap: Landlords, residents flee homes for hotels

 

We’d only fight militants if govt asks for our help – OPC leader

Kunle Falayi and Afeez Hanafi

In the wake of the abduction of a landlord and killing of three security guards in Isheri North Estate GRA, Lagos, on Thursday, some landlords are fleeing their homes, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

Our correspondents were told that some of the landlords had relocated temporarily to hotels and their relatives’ houses following the abduction of the secretary of the estate’s residents association, Mr. Dayo Adekoya.

A resident, Victor Agbadu, who said many of the landlords were currently in panic, confirmed this on Friday.

I will never feel great again – Tiger Woods

Former world golf number one, Tiger Woods has accepted that he will “never feel great’’ again after suffering a number of back and knee injuries in recent years.

The 14-times major champion returned to action in December following a 15-month layoff but was forced to pull out of the Dubai Desert Classic last week.

After playing in the first round of the event, he withdrew due to a back spasm.

“There were a lot of times I didn’t think I was going to make it back. It was tough, it was more than brutal,” Woods said.

The 41-year-old American has racked up 79 PGA Tour victories in his career but has not won a major championship since 2008.

I will never feel great again – Tiger Woods

Former world golf number one, Tiger Woods has accepted that he will “never feel great’’ again after suffering a number of back and knee injuries in recent years.

The 14-times major champion returned to action in December following a 15-month layoff but was forced to pull out of the Dubai Desert Classic last week.

After playing in the first round of the event, he withdrew due to a back spasm.

“There were a lot of times I didn’t think I was going to make it back. It was tough, it was more than brutal,” Woods said.

US visa applicants to submit social media passwords during screening – John Kelly

Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly, has said visa applicants could be asked for passwords to their social media accounts by United States, US, embassies, going forward.

Kelly said the move was necessary due to an ongoing effort to toughen the vetting of visitors and to screen out people who may pose security threats.

Kelly made the declaration on Tuesday at a hearing of the Homeland Security Committee.

Sky News quoted him as saying the development ‘is one of the steps being considered, especially for visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries with very weak background screening of their own such as Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.”

Pirates in Nigeria kidnap Russians and Ukranian

Pirates have abducted seven Russian sailors and one Ukrainian in the territorial waters of Nigeria, the Russian embassy has said.

Russian Embassy in Nigeria reported on Wednesday that, “the BBC Caribbean ship came under a piratic attack in the territorial waters of Nigeria.”


The Russian embassy said on its Twitter page that, “Seven Russian citizens and one Ukrainian citizen have been kidnapped from the ship”.

The Russian embassy has asked the Nigerian authorities for assistance in establishing the whereabouts of the abducted.”

ICPC seizes 62 houses from female officer

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, says the commission has seized 62 houses from a female public officer.

According to him, the matter is in the court and the property will be confiscated by the Federal Government after litigation.

The ICPC chairman revealed this while fielding questions from journalists at the Akwa Ibom Anti-Corruption Summit in Uyo on Tuesday.

He said, “How would the commission address unexplained wealth by public officers? The commission has a mandate to ask anybody to explain the source of his or her wealth. The commission has the power to issue an interim seizure order to any public officer to explain the source of their wealth.

Buhari told me he needed strong Vice President incase he dies – Bakare

The founder of The Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari asked him to be his running mate in 2011 because he wanted a Vice President who could hold the nation together in the event of his death while in power.

Bakare made the disclosure in a message to his congregation at the church headquarters in Ogba, Lagos State.

Buhari had contested the 2011 Presidential election with Bakare as his running mate, on the platform of the then Congress for Progressives Change, CPC.

My husband sleeps with his daughter – Wife tells court

A civil servant, Blessing Ilo, on Tuesday told a Nyanya Customary Court, Abuja, that her husband has been having canal knowledge of his biological daughter.

Ilo testified in a divorce petition she filled against the husband, James Akpan

“All the while I was living with my husband and that little girl of 12 years, I don’t know that my husband was always having sex with her when am out of the house.

“I would not have suspected anything because when my husband brought the little girl into the house, he told me that she was one of his children from another woman.

Buhari did not indicate return date in his letter – Senate

The Nigerian Senate has confirmed receipt of President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to the National Assembly indicating the extension of his vacation.

Senate spokesman, Senator Abdulahi Sabi, made the disclosure to reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Sabi explained that ‎there is no time frame for resumption in the letter submitted to National Assembly by Buhari.

He said the letter stated that Mr. President decided to extend his vacation for him to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

Man absconds after wife who had twins, gave birth to triplets

A woman whose husband absconded when she gave birth to triplets has appealed to government and individuals to come to her rescue.

Mrs Queen Udekwe, 35, had previously given birth to a set of twins.

She told newsmen in Benin on Tuesday that her husband, Mr. Matthew Udekwe, from Enugu State took to his heels when she gave birth to triplets nine months ago.

Nigerian man who attempted to rape a 62-year-old Italian arrested

According to a story published on Ansa English Edition, a 25-year-old Nigerian national was arrested on Wednesday, February 1, for allegedly attempting to rape a worker at the migrant reception center in Giugliano, near Naples, Italy, where he was living.

The suspect identified as Jude Eboh allegedly got inside the woman's office, blocked the door and tried to rape her. A colleague called Carabinieri police after she was able to get into the room and discovered the assault, investigative sources said.