‘Threat to democracy’ — IPC condemns military invasion of Daily Trust offices

The International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned the military invasion of Daily Trust offices in Lagos, Abuja and Maiduguri, describing it as a threat to democracy.

On Sunday, armed soldiers stormed the newspaper’s office in Maiduguri and arrested Uthman Abubakar, the regional editor, and Ibrahim Sawab, a reporter.

Hours after shutting down the Maiduguri office, soldiers also invaded the newspaper’s head office in Abuja and its Lagos bureau office.

Lanre Arogundade, IPC director, described the development as a “fresh threat to freedom of the press”.

He said in a statement: “The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, condemns in strong terms, the forceful closure of Daily Trust Newspapers’ head office in Abuja and the organisation’s Maiduguri office by military personnel on Sunday January 6, 2019.

“A senior editorial staff of the organisation confirmed the military onslaught on the media establishment stating that staff had been ordered out of the premises, laptops and computers seized and operations halted. No reason, he said, was given for the action.

“IPC considers this development as a fresh threat to freedom of the press as well as the freedom and individual liberties of journalists and other media professionals working in Daily Trust.

“The action of the military is also a threat to democracy with the presidential elections, less than two months away.

“The military is bound by the laws of the land and cannot in any circumstance be allowed to resort to extra judicial measures no matter its grievances.”

The soldiers had requested to see Hamza Idris, Daily Trust’s political editor who co-authored Sunday’s frontpage report about the military’s operation in the north-east.

- THECABLE

Ramos reveals who caused Real Madrid’s 2-0 defeat to Real Sociedad

Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos has blamed referee Jose Munuera following his side’s 2-0 defeat by Real Sociedad at home in the La Liga encounter on Sunday.

Goals from Willian Jose and Ruben Pardo ensured Sociedad defeated the Champions League holders at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ramos blamed Munuera for his officiating during the match, labelling his performance “scandalous”.

“The referee played a big role in things. I’ve always defended the VAR system, but it has to be improved because what we’ve seen was scandalous,” Ramos was quoted by All Football as saying at post-match.

“He could have awarded the penalty and then consulted the VAR. After seeing the penalty incidents in the dressing room, all we ask for is fairness. There are times when we’re punished for our behaviour on the pitch and the referees’ committee should do the same with the officials. The VAR is in place but you’ve got to know how to use it and consult it.

“We’re motivated and fighting for a La Liga title that’ll be tough and it’s made all the more difficult when things like this happen. When you’re out there on the pitch it’s so much more difficult because your heart is racing. As the team captain, I always try and 

“Lucas Vazquez’s sending-off was very harsh. Never before have I seen a player shown a second yellow for something like that, where you’re in the middle of the pitch with three Real Madrid players around you.”

Stressing that “it upsets all of our plans,” Ramos added, “We would have liked to have got the year off to a good start, but it’s not turned out that way. We’re going through a bad spell. The team performed well in spells but we lacked that cutting edge and luck in front of goal and had we had it, we’d be reflecting on a different result right now.

“We’ve been through a lot of tough times and this is another such spell. We’ve got to look at ourselves. It’s all about performing as best we can and being clinical, particularly because football is all about the results.

“You go through periods in football where everything goes for you and right now nothing is going our way. Sometimes the woodwork gets in the way and at others you’re not creating the chances… We can’t blame the referee for the result, although he had a defining role, but we’ve also got to look at ourselves.

“We’re going to keeping battling, but it’s difficult because Barcelona don’t usually slip up and the gap is opening up. We’re going to stick together and fight until the end. Real Madrid won’t lie down, even if we’re kicked seven times.”

Real Madrid are now ten points behind league leaders, Barcelona on the La Liga table.

- DAILY POST

Nigerian arrested with 37g of cocaine

A 27-year-old Nigerian said to be a supplier of cocaine in Gurgaon, Noida and Delhi-NCR has been arrested by the south district police.

The police have seized 37.5-gram cocaine worth of Rs 20 lakh from the possession of the accused, identified as Joseph Uzoma.

Uzoma was staying at Hauz Rani near Malviya Nagar in a rented house when he was arrested.

“Last Sunday, we had received a tip-off that drug trafficker Joseph would come in a private taxi to supply cocaine near Hauz Rani bus stop.

“A police team under the supervision of ACP Udaibir Singh and others was constituted to lay a trap at the bus stop. Following his arrival, he was arrested with 38 gram of fine quality cocaine valued at Rs 20 lakh in the international market,” said Vijay Kumar, DC Police (South) to Dailyhunt Hindi.

During interrogation, Uzoma disclosed that he had procured the contraband from a supplier in Noida. He also revealed that he used to hire a taxi driver to sell the cocaine in Delhi and NCR.

It was reported that Uzoma had come to India on a student visa but indulged himself in illegal activities and finally started supplying cocaine. He was also found involved in the same nature of crime earlier.

- DAILY POST

Nigeria’s E-payment transactions hit N56.85trn – Reports

Reports from the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), have indicated that Nigeria’s electronic payment (e-payment) services, recorded transactions worth N56.85 trillion from January to September, 2018.

The report, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, showed an increase of N16.4 trillion when compared to the N40.45 trillion that was recorded in the corresponding period of 2017.

The report showed that most of the electronic transactions were done through the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP), Point of Sale (PoS), Automated Transfer Machines (ATMs), Mobile Money, Electronic Bills Payment (E-Bills) and Web payments.

A breakdown of the report showed that ATMs transactions grew from N4.61 trillion in 2017 to N4.76 trillion at the end of the third quarter of 2018.

Also, the volume of transactions on ATMs under the period in review grew from 560.86 million in 2017, to 650.06 million in 2018.

The report showed a rise of about N635 billion in the use of POS machines to carry out payments by Nigerians.

Under the review period, 98.73 million transactions worth N975 billion were carried out using POS in 2017, while in 2018, the volume grew to 196.83 million, valued at N1.61 trillion.

Similarly, the volume of transactions carried out by Nigerians, using mobile money rose from N795.18 billion in 2017, to N1.22 trillion as at Sept, 2018.

Also, using the web payment channel, the total value of transactions under the review period rose from N129.24 billion in 2017, to N183.07 billion in 2018.

However, the value of such transactions on e-bill payments, which allowed customers to pay utility bills such as power, cable and so on online, declined from N420.73 billion in 2017 to N370 billion in 2018.

Meanwhile a Financial analyst, Dr Patricia Auta, has said that the NIBSS report showed an increased awareness and use of technology by individuals and businesses in the country.

Auta urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to intensify efforts on cashless economy, especially in states, to further grow the electronic payment space.

She also advised banks to stay competitive and drive growth by providing innovative alternate payment channels to customers.

- PM NEWS

Police arrest 11 suspects for allegedly burning shops, houses in Ibadan

The Police Command in Oyo State said on Sunday that it had arrested 11 suspects in connection with the burning of some shops and houses along Beere-Molete Road, Ibadan.

Some suspected arsonists in the early hours of Sunday burnt down no fewer than 20 shops and houses located on Beere-Molete Road in the Oyo State capital.

The Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Adekunle Ajisebutu, made this known to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

Ajisebutu who said the arrested 11 suspects included their leader, added that law and order had been restored to the affected areas.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, has directed the policemen drafted to the area to carry out intensive patrol as well as 24 hours surveillance to avoid further breakdown of law and order.

“The CP has directed that the 11 suspects including their ring leader be charged to court immediately after conclusion of investigations,’’ Ajisebutu said.

The command’s spokesperson said the commissioner of police had warned hoodlums and other criminal elements in the state against wanton destruction of lives and property.

Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji , has summoned an emergency meeting of all family heads in the affected areas in his palace on Tuesday.

The Monarch’s Personal Assistant and Director of Media and Public Affairs, Adeola Oloko, said the meeting was connected with the persistent cases of arson and looting in some areas for some time now.

Oloko said the family heads expected at the meeting included those whose family compounds fell within Oja’gbo, Beyerunka, Labiran, Idi Arere/Asuni, Asaka, Isale Osi, Oopo Yeosa and Olorisa Oko areas of Ibadan.

The Police Command in Oyo State said on Sunday that it had arrested 11 suspects in connection with the burning of some shops and houses along Beere-Molete Road, Ibadan.

Some suspected arsonists in the early hours of Sunday burnt down no fewer than 20 shops and houses located on Beere-Molete Road in the Oyo State capital.

The Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Adekunle Ajisebutu, made this known to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

Ajisebutu who said the arrested 11 suspects included their leader, added that law and order had been restored to the affected areas.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, has directed the policemen drafted to the area to carry out intensive patrol as well as 24 hours surveillance to avoid further breakdown of law and order.

“The CP has directed that the 11 suspects including their ring leader be charged to court immediately after conclusion of investigations,’’ Ajisebutu said.

The command’s spokesperson said the commissioner of police had warned hoodlums and other criminal elements in the state against wanton destruction of lives and property.

Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji , has summoned an emergency meeting of all family heads in the affected areas in his palace on Tuesday.

The Monarch’s Personal Assistant and Director of Media and Public Affairs, Adeola Oloko, said the meeting was connected with the persistent cases of arson and looting in some areas for some time now.

Oloko said the family heads expected at the meeting included those whose family compounds fell within Oja’gbo, Beyerunka, Labiran, Idi Arere/Asuni, Asaka, Isale Osi, Oopo Yeosa and Olorisa Oko areas of Ibadan.

- PM NEWS

Rooney arrested in U.S. for drunk-driven

English football star Wayne Rooney was arrested in December at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. in the U.S. for public intoxication, according to local police.

Rooney, who has played for U.S. football club DC United since last year, was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 16, on a charge of public intoxication.

The charge stemmed from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, the local sheriff’s office said.

The 33-year-old Rooney was released later the same day on a personal recognisance bond, said Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

It was not immediately clear why authorities had delayed details of Rooney’s arrest for more than two weeks.

Rooney’s agent could not be reached immediately for comment.

Also, DC United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rooney, England’s former captain and all-time top goalscorer, joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) club in mid-2018 in a deal that was reportedly worth more than $12 million.

It made him the highest paid player in DC United’s history.

Liverpool-born Rooney was the latest addition to an elite list of former England captains to hop across the Atlantic, following David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

Rooney burst into the consciousness of English football when he made his English Premier League debut for Everton at age 16.

He joined Manchester United for $35 million in 2004 and stayed there for 13 seasons.

There, the forward won five English titles, one UEFA Champions League, one FA Cup, three League Cups and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals.

- PM NEWS

FA : Iwobi, Willock take Arsenal to the next round of FA Cup

Arsenal cruised through to the FA Cup fourth round with teenager Joe Willock scoring twice at Blackpool.

The 19-year-old striker headed in after Aaron Ramsey’s free-kick hit the post and tapped in another before half-time.

League One Blackpool struggled to keep pace with the Gunners, whose arrival at Bloomfield Road was delayed when a protestor sat on top of their bus.

But after Armand Gnanduillet went close, they improved after the break before Alex Iwobi’s late finish.

The hosts had run Arsenal close during their fourth round Carabao Cup tie earlier in the season, which ended 2-1 to the Gunners.

But despite six changes to the Arsenal team, there was still a gulf in class from the start as Willock became the first Gunners teenager to score in the FA Cup since Ramsey – who ran the show here – in 2010.

Another teenage forward, Eddie Nketiah, could have had a hat-trick before the interval.

Any hope of creating a hostile atmosphere for the visitors was impossible amid ongoing protests about the way the owners run the club, which has seen fans stay away from games.

BBC reports that with 3,777 home fans present, added to Arsenal’s 5,218, Bloomfield Road was half-empty as Unai Emery’s side easily moved a step closer to adding to their record 13 FA Cup trophies.

- PM NEWS